Review: Hawke by Sawyer Bennett (Cold Fury Hockey #5)

March 13, 2016

Note: This ARC was provided by Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept in exchange for an honest review.

Hawke is the fifth addition to bestselling author Sawyer Bennett's popular Cold Fury Hockey series. This is a second chance romance about Hawke Therrien, the newest defenseman for the Carolina Cold Fury, and Vale Campbell, the new assistant athletic trainer for the team. Hawke and Vale were in a relationship for four years before Vale unceremoniously ended things when they were both twenty and right before Hawke was to leave after being called up for the minor league. Seven years later and it's clear that the way their relationship ended is still weighing heavily on both of them, but they've both moved on, with Hawke becoming a star in the NHL and Vale being in a stable, albeit long distance, relationship. Time and distance may not have healed all wounds but maybe being in close proximity could rekindle their dormant feelings.

I've enjoyed the Cold Fury Hockey series from the get-go and I look forward to each new book that features a different player from the Carolina Cold Fury. The combination of a sports romance and the second chance romance trope made this a story that I was itching to read, but somehow it fell short. Hawke and Vale were suffering from a major case of miscommunication. They either refused to discuss important issues or simply went about assuming one thing (and you know what they say about people who assume). They both acted like jerks toward one another, even though I would think Hawke was justified in feeling as hurt as he was with the way Vale ended their relationship and Vale as well because she thought he closed the door on any sort of reconciliation. But again, it was all about a lack of open communication.

When I wasn't feeling frustrated with how Hawke and Vale were mishandling their second chance at being together, I found myself not being as invested in these two as I was with the first four couples in the series. Hawke let go whatever ties he had with his friends back in Canada by not keeping in touch and that kind of made him an ass. The fact that Vale's father and his best friend Oliver easily welcomed him back into their lives simply highlighted how wrong he was to have cut off communication with them. See what I mean about the whole communication issue? Sheesh. Then there's Vale, who mishandled that delicate matter that led to the demise of relationship and didn't ask Hawke why he never replied seven years ago. I mean, I would have asked, but hey, that's me. Sigh. I really hope Max's story fares better. Hawke gets three stars. ♥

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Read my reviews for the Cold Fury Hockey series: