⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Kane by Sawyer Bennett

I’ve been loving this series as a whole, but this is the weak link for me. Friends to lovers is a favorite trope of mine – when it’s executed a certain way. Unfortunately, these two come together in a way that lacks any sort of tension; it’s all too easy and makes for a storyline that feels like filler. Our couple goes from sleeping with other people to love in a matter of days, and that’s endlessly frustrating for me. However, Bennett is a skilled writer, so I still loved the team moments and the hints to future books. It’s not going to put me off of the series, but won’t be one I’ll revisit.

The story follows Kane, a pro hockey player whose life is sent off-balance when his longtime bestie, Mollie, comes to stay with him. Kane’s been living the single life while Mollie’s been off exploring the world, so it’s been easy to keep things in the friend zone – until now. But with Mollie staying in Kane’s home and flirting with his teammates, Kane soon realizes that he’s having some decidedly un-friendly feelings. As the two navigate the changes to their relationship, they have to figure out how to make the leap from friends to lovers without ruining everything.

There’s a lot that I liked about the book, from the depth of their feelings to the shared history between them. I don’t necessarily want my friends to lovers romances to be complicated, but I also don’t want a 5-minute conversation to change everything. The book literally opens with Kane sleeping with another woman and let’s just say that Mollie was nowhere on his mind, so I have difficulty accepting such a sudden shift in their relationship. Honestly, this didn’t feel like a “romance” to me because these two don’t actually fall for each other in the book. It’s still a good story with a suspenseful subplot and some teases to future books (I want Baden’s story ASAP), but definitely lacked that spark for me. I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review of this steamy sports romance.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3hvAsGW

Blurb:

I have a problem.

Potential problem?

I’m not really sure. Here’s the deal.

There’s this girl—isn’t that how it always starts?—and her name is Mollie. I like her. I mean really like her. I hope that doesn’t make me seem less manly than my professional hockey player persona implies. But here’s the issue—she’s my best friend. The one person I can count on for everything, who’s been there with me for all the moments, big and small.

When Mollie shows up at my door, travel weary and scared following an incident with an ex, my instinct to protect her goes into overdrive. It’s then that I know she’s more than just my best friend and the skates are swept out from under me when I find out she feels the same way.

Our transition from friends to lovers to potentially something more is seamless, the Arizona Vengeance is back on the ice looking for a repeat championship, and my life has never been better. Just when I think I’ve got it all figured out, the realities of us both having careers which keep us on the road put our blossoming relationship on ice.

It feels like the game just went into overtime and I’m on the verge of either the biggest win or most disappointing loss of my life. And losing is never an option.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3hvAsGW