Lucas (Cold Fury Hockey, #8)

by Sawyer Bennett

USA TODAY BESTSELLER • The Carolina Cold Fury hockey team is stacked with hotshots. But when a new player joins their ranks, he learns that even superstars can’t go it alone when it comes to love.

Lucas Fournier is only serious about one thing: hockey. The league’s fun-loving charmer, Luc is always up for a good prank or a great lay, and he has no intention of settling down. But being traded to the Carolina Cold Fury—and to play alongside his big brother, Max—is no joke. With another title in sight, the last thing Luc wants is to let his new teammates down. To succeed, Luc will need to keep his head in the game and the most . . . er, demanding member of his anatomy in check. But when temptation hits, Luc hits back harder.

Museum curator Stephanie Frazier has always put business before pleasure, which just about explains her nonexistent sex life. But when Stephanie meets Luc at a champagne-fueled gala, she finds herself flirting like crazy—and going home with the uninhibited athlete. For one night, she learns what passion is all about. She just never counted on the little surprise Luc leaves behind. And that’s when things really start to get . . . interesting.

• ASIN: B01MS0WJ0T
• Publish Date: 19 September 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Loveswept
• Format: eBook (Kindle)
• Pages: 245
• Language: English

Reviews

[Canadian Girl Book Blog]

Lucas does not like having to do personal appearances but it’s something you have to deal with as a member of the Carolina Cold Fury hockey team. When Lucas hits it off with Stephanie, the intern director of acquisition at the museum during a gala they decide to have one night of wild fun. Or so they thought. When Stephanie shows up at the bar after a game one night, Lucas is surprised to see her and even more surprised when she tells him she came to see him specifically. Stephanie drops a bomb on Lucas revealing that she is pregnant. Lucas decides he wants to be involved in everything to do with Stephanie and the baby but Stephanie is not sure she can fully open up to Lucas the way he needs.

I did enjoy this book as the Cold Fury series is my favourite series by Sawyer Bennett. Stephanie was a little much for me but overall I was happy with the way Lucas finally got her to open up.

I recommend this book

[chymerra]

Lucas is the 8th book in the Cold Fury Hockey series by Sawyer Bennett. This is a book that you can read at the pool or at the beach. I liked it because the plotline was very simple to follow. Also, the characters were pretty easy to like or dislike. While it is a hockey book, there isn’t a lot of hockey in it, if that makes sense. Hockey is mentioned but the main focus of the book was Lucas and Stephanie’s relationship. I liked that and actually needed a book like this. I have read books with some pretty heavy subjects lately so Lucas was a good change of pace for me.

The plotline of Lucas is pretty straightforward like I said above. Even if I didn’t read the blurb, I would have called what happened from the minute the condom broke. What happened afterward was what made the book enjoyable in my eyes. I liked that Stephanie didn’t act like a money-grubbing baby mama. She didn’t want money from him, she wanted him to know about his child. It is so against what people are like today that it was refreshing to read. The other plotlines that were in the book, Simone and the non-profit idea, only added to the story.

The romance between Lucas and Stephanie did take some time to kindle. For a long while, actually almost the whole book, it was sex, sex, and more sex. But, I could see the romance starting. I knew before Lucas and Stephanie did that they loved each other.

I liked Lucas. He did come across as a manwhore when first introduced in the book. He lived for hookups and meaningless sex. So when he met Stephanie at a gala at her museum, he figured it would be a one night stand. Then the condom broke. When I read that they broke the condom from having rough sex, I could not stop laughing. I was like “Dayum, where can I find someone like him“. I liked him, even more, when he stepped up. He could have done what is becoming a norm in today’s society. Not supporting Stephanie and denying that the baby was his. Instead, he chose to stick by her, with the stipulation that they get a DNA test ASAP. He wasn’t perfect by any chance. He also dealt with her immense damage done to her by her parents with grace. Well, until he reached his breaking point and I didn’t blame him there. There is only so much that a man can take.

Stephanie had my sympathy for most of the book. She was an unwanted child of two very wealthy business people. Her parents, while providing for her, had nothing to do with her. As a result of that childhood, Stephanie did not know how to act in any type of relationship. So when she found out that she was pregnant, she was elated and terrified. She was terrified that she would do to her child what her parents did to her. When Lucas wanted to be exclusive with her, she did not know how to act when in one. I felt awful when she would throw her walls up every time Lucas tried to get close to her. She couldn’t help it. But, I also didn’t blame Lucas when he finally left.

The sex in this book was very explicit and very hot. Lucas definitely knew how to take care of Stephanie. Stephanie was a very confident woman in bed which I like also. With that combination, I could see the steam rising off the pages during every sex scene. And there were a lot. Lucas couldn’t keep his hands off of her.

I did wonder where the plotline with the nonprofit was going. It was mentioned a few times, with everything set to go, when it seemed like the storyline was dropped. I hope that it is picked back up in Van and that we get to see where it goes from there. I was interested in that plotline.

The end of Lucas made me laugh and cry at the same time. What I did like, a lot, was the sneak peek into Van. And oh boy, does Van make me want to read it!!

4 stars

My Summary of Lucas:

Lucas is a steamy romance. It does take a while to take off in the romance department and is very heavy on the sex scenes. The plotline is very easy to follow and I loved the main characters. This is a book that I would bring to the beach, the pool or read in the tub.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

I would like to thank Sawyer Bennett, Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Lucas.

All opinions stated in this review of Lucas are mine and I was not compensated for this review

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

[Sam@WLABB]

I hope Bennett continues adding to the Cold Fury roster, because this is a series that always delivers exactly what I want and need.

Once again, she gave us what appeared to be a typical bachelor, who was just out looking for a good time, when deep down inside, he was a hidden romantic who wanted it all. I think that One Direction song sort of applies here, what makes Lucas such a romantic, is that he doesn't think he is. Watching him as he tried to navigate his relationship with Stephanie was a swoonfest. He was so willing to work at his relationship with Stephanie, and to slowly nurture it in hopes that it would grow. He also had such a beautiful relationship with his family. I loved spending time with the whole crew, because he helped me see where all Lucas' wonderful traits came from.

Stephanie was a very independent and sexually empowered woman, but she was packing a LOT of baggage. Bennett did a wonderful job painting the full picture of Stephanie's background, but I still thought that Lucas deserved kudos for his perseverance. There were times that I wanted to reach through the page and smack Stephanie good, because Lucas was a good thing. They had chemistry that was off the charts, they enjoyed being with each other, and talking to each other, and things were just better when they were together.

This was a little bit of a roller coaster, but I loved the ride, and cannot wait to get Van's story!

*I would like to thank the publisher for the advance copy!

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[Linda]

This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Lucas' story was a bit frustrating at times, both because Stephanie was so closed off, and because it stopped rather abruptly - only to go straight to a kind of epilogue including Van rather than either Lucas or Stephanie.

Story:

Lucas was a story I had really looked forward to, so it might be that my expectations were a bit high. Cold Fury Hockey is one of my favorite series, and Bennett usually manages to sweep me off my feet immediately. The romance here was quite unconventional, because the two protagonists met at a party and agreed to a no strings hot night of sex. Which was all good and fun until there was a condom malfunction.

Stephanie grew up with parents who never saw her, and who still managed to put quite a bit of pressure on her. Early on, she had decided she'd never have a family of her own. Only, her night with Lucas made her plans change completely. He is such a great character, because while he had to change his plans, too, he managed to do so with rose-colored glasses on. Partly because of his own big family, and partly because he is just a good guy all around.

Dealing with away games, a new family on the way, and a woman who doesn't really think she can do the whole relationship thing put Luc in a foul mood on more than one occasion. Added to that whole situation, his little sister showed up suddenly to announce that she quit med school the last semester before graduation, and things got rather difficult for the good guy.

Characters:

Lucas was always the good guy in the Cold Fury series, and because his brother has been involved in prior books, I felt like I knew him better than some of the other characters.

Stephanie managed her life day to day. With no firm plans, because without plans and people to care about, there was less chance of her being hurt.

Writing style :

Lucas is written in first person, present tense, from either Steph's or Luc's perspective.

Feels :

Once I got over my slight disappointment and frustrations, I felt both the anguish and the fear Steph lived with, as well as the hope and the love overflowing from Luc.



I come from a family that's so fucked up we took the 'function' out of 'dysfunctional' in all of the psychiatry books.

A knock at the door startles me and I know it's Luc, not because I don't have any family or friends who would come knocking, but because I have an internal buzzing that just occurred and my body knows it's him.