One Old, One New - The Sawyer Bennett Edition

 

One Old, One New features two books – one old, one new, which are connected in some way. This week I am featuring two solid sports romances by Sawyer Bennett.

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Gage by Sawyer Bennett (Pittsburgh Titans #3)
Published by Big Dog Books LLC on July 5, 2022
Age/Genres: Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

Veteran player Gage Heyward retired from the league following a successful career. Now the Titans need him, but does he have what it takes to get back on the ice and pull this team together?

After achieving the goals I set for myself, I walked away from my professional hockey career. It was a tough decision, but the right one at the time. When the Titans organization approached me about joining the team they were rebuilding following a devastating plane crash, I felt a passion for the game and a competitive spirit I hadn’t felt in years. The opportunity to make a huge difference to a lot of people spoke to me, and I accepted their offer and headed to Pittsburgh without a second thought.

Jenna Holland is also new to town, having moved from Phoenix to Pittsburgh to take a job with the Titans. Her past has left her with scars—both physical and emotional—and she’s slow to trust others. But the more I learn about Jenna, the more I want to know. The more I need to know. Because the beautiful blonde with honey gold eyes and a wall around her heart has me enamored.

My game on the ice is the best it’s ever been, but it’s my game off the ice I’m focused on these days. Because while Jenna may not be willing to take a chance, I know the potential is there for something big. Something life changing. Now I just need to convince her to take the shot.

The premise of this series is one that grabbed me from the start. The idea that a whole team was lost in a plane crash is so dramatic and brings quite an emotional overarching element to each of these books. It’s been a thrill meeting all these players, but also watching this team come together. Gage is the third book in the series, and I really like the way each book took place during the same time frame. Each bought a different perspective to ongoing events in the book while also building out this world.

Here, I had the pleasure of seeing Gage find his HEA. Gage emerged early as a leader among the team. An older player who came out of retirement to be part of the Titians rebuild, he came with the experience they needed, but also had nothing to lose which allowed him to really enjoy his time on the ice. Gage was an all around nice guy. Because of his less dramatic nature, I did find this be one of the lower drama, quieter books of the series, but that’s not a bad thing because it allowed the romance between Gage and Jenna to shine.

Jenna had a story that had me shedding some tears. She was starting over in Pittsburgh after a few tough years. Jenna had been caught in a fire which left her with scarring over a large percentage of her body. A difficult recovery and subsequent dumping by her boyfriend had depleted her self confidence. Obviously, I was overjoyed when she caught Gage’s eye. He appreciated her beauty, but also her charm, wit, drive, and intelligence. I don’t know how I would have felt about the scarring if I was in Jenna’s place, but when she told her story, all I could think of was that she was a fighter and a survivor. Definitely admirable.

It was joy to see Jenna and Gage fall in love as each individual player’s stories continue to develop. Another great addition to a fantastic series!

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Jett by Sawyer Bennett (Arizona Vengeance #10)
Published by Big Dog Books LLC on July 20, 2021
Age/Genres: Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

Jett Olsson isn’t looking for anything serious and she’s not looking for anything at all, so why does it seem so hard to keep it professional?

I love my life—the thrill of being on the ice as part of the Arizona Vengeance, the rush of winning, the adoration of the fans. And if that adoration means I don’t have to spend the night alone, well even better. I’m content being single and always ready to mingle.

But the day Emory Holland walks into a Vengeance team meeting my attention is caught like never before. I can tell right away she’s full of smarts and sass, and the fact that she’s hot as hell sure doesn’t hurt either. She immediately shuts down my advances, so I opt for the road less traveled—straight to the friend zone.

My approach works like a charm, and when she invites me into her bed for a no-strings, friends-with-benefits arrangement, I vow to give her everything I have. She’s been hurt before, and if I’m able to help her heal while giving her a spectacularly satisfying time *pats self on back*, then I’ll be happy.

Or at least that’s the lie I keep telling myself as the time ticks down on the final buzzer of our “relationship”. Now the real question is, can I score the winning goal in a game neither of us realized we were playing?

I kind of let the last two books of this series waste away on my shelf, but I was inspired to pick up Jett’s story after his appearance in Gage. Though I am going backwards, I enjoyed getting to learn more about Jett, and it was a thrill to get to know Jenna in a different part of her life as well. There’s also appearances from Baden from the Pittsburgh Titians during his recovery too. You must know that I love that Bennett went on to write stories for these supporting characters because I never tire of any of her hockey worlds.

This book began with Jett showing his super great guy side visiting Baden in the hospital and while also making time for a sick child while there. That image was quickly tarnished when he lamented that he couldn’t date Emory because she had a kid. STRIKE ONE! My heart softened quickly towards him because Jett was all talk. He kept bringing up the thing about the kid, but his actions did not match his words. He quickly showed his affection for Emory’s daughter and seemed to be all-in. There were many sweet and touching moments shared between Jett and Felicity that melted my heart, and Jett really came through in some big ways.

Jett and Emory’s relationship seemed to develop in a very organic manner where each learned to become a part of the other’s life. Emory’s past brought some drama to the story, and though I felt the ending was a bit rushed, I enjoyed this romance and the opportunity to catch up with the rest of the Vengeance family.

Favorite sport to watch or play?
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