This is a beautiful story of forgiveness, learning to trust, and second chances. This picks up where bk #10 leaves off. Marek is still reeling after finding out he has a 3 year old daughter he never knew existed. When he went to play professional hockey, he left behind the only women he ever loved for the freedom of the open road, not knowing she was pregnant. He rescues his ex-girlfriend, Gracen, and their daughter, Lilley, from Gracen's loveless wedding, but is clueless as to what to do now. Marek falls for his daughter, never realizing he would love a child as much as he does. He is hurt from missing out on so many things with her. Gracen is burdened with the guilt of keeping her secret, but also with a broken heart from the man she has always loved. As they navigate their new family dynamic, old feelings come alive. But will they be able to let go of the hurt they both feel? This is a sweet and sexy romance that had me totally engaged from start to finish. I loved seeing past characters and the unwavering support they provide. This is a great addition to wonderful series!

Over three years ago, Marek leaves the love of his life to pursue his dreams of becoming a NHL player. When leaving, he indicated he didn't want to be "tied" down. Although it broke Gracen's heart, she understood and let him go. While Marek has seen success as a starter on The Cold Fury, when he receives an anonymous email saying Gracen is getting married and he may have a daughter he never knew about...Marek crashes the wedding.

Marek takes Gracen and Lilly home with him, only to ignore them. He's stunned, hurt, and angry. Marek can't understand why Gracen would keep his daughter from him. It isn't until his best friend and teammate takes him aside, that he makes an effort to build a relationship with his daughter. Gracen tries to make amends with Marek, but he ignores her at every turn. It's not until Gracen threatens to leave, taking Lilly with her, that Marek starts to listen and see things from Gracen's point of view.

I loved this story! It's messy, heartbreaking, selfless all rolled into a second chance love story. Sometimes we make decisions that we truly believe are for the best, only to find out we messed up. It takes courage to admit you're wrong, but even more to open yourself up to possible heartbreak again. I truly thought it was one of the best Cold Fury stories yet! I read a gifted copy and all opinions stated are my own.

Marek is book 11 in the Cold Fury series. In the previous book, Marek finds out that he is a father and his ex-girlfriend never told him. After finding out his ex is about to marry a jerk, Marek basically kidnaps his ex, Gracen, and their daughter Lilly and moves them to his house. Throughout the book, Marek and Gracen work on living together, living with their past decisions, and trying to move on with their lives. I liked this book, but it wasn't my favorite. I thought Gracen's reason for keeping her daughter from Marek was selfish and ridiculous. On the other hand, I thought Marek acted like a child and a huge jerk to Gracen for most of the book. For two people who used to be in love, they sure did hurt each other a lot throughout. Each characters' reactions were understandable, but it also was annoying at some points. I wish this book was a little bit longer and had a little bit more substance. I felt like we only got to see the surface of each main character and I really wanted to delve into each character's lives

With every new Cold Fury book I think I have a favorite.

Marek and Gracen grabbed me by the heartstrings. And once you throw a child into the mix I'm a complete goner. Gracen wasn't my favorite but once I got to know her a little better, I understood her more. This book is full of emotion and conflict but it's very sweet and full of the swoon that we have come to expect from Sawyer Bennett. I love that each book in this series feels very different and I, as always, look forward to the next one.

Marek & Gracen - betrayal comes at a cost

MAREK is the 11th instalment in the COLD FURY SERIES, and while it was not my absolute favourite, it was still a wonderful story. Marek Fabritis and Gracen Moore were childhood sweethearts and a couple for five years, but separated when Marek went to pursue his dream of being a NHL player. Devastated, Gracen kept a secret from him for four years. Now Marek has returned to claim what is his.

Miscommunication, betrayal, forgiveness and love are all themes that run throughout this story. Marek must come to terms with the fact that Gracen kept his daughter, Lilly, a secret from him. He must learn to forgive and forget the past and move on into the future. Gracen needs to learn that she made a huge mistake, and accept that Marek will always be there for her.

This is a story of rebuilding trust, friendship and accepting that true love never really disappears, it just waits patiently for the right time to reemerge. The story line for this one was a lot more intense and emotional, as Marek and Gracen need to take into account a little three year old girl, who would be forever affected by their decisions. It is obvious that their love for each other is still there, but can they put aside the past to build a future together with their daughter?

Even though this was not my favourite, I still enjoyed Marek and Gracen's story. I loved the fact that Reed was able to put Marek in his place and tell him that he was behaving like a two year old. Gracen and Josie's friendship was also a winner for me. However, the star of the story was Lilly, she just won my heart.

Another great addition to the Cold Fury Series.

Read and Reviewed for Reading Is Our Satisfaction

MAREK by Sawyer Bennett. Well, Ms. Bennett has once again written a tale that keeps the reader's heart on edge and eager to turn each page. Marek and Gracen sure have had their share of regrets but can they overcome? Ms. Bennett doesn't make it easy. Marek - what can I say? There are times I wanted to hit Marek over the head and other times I wanted to hug him. Gracen hasn't had it easy and my heart reached out to her. Despite some of her choices, she is a good person and a wonderful mom. I was rooting for them the entire time, even when times are rough and it doesn't look too good. This is a wonderful second chance story, which are not always my favorites, but Ms. Bennett's fluid writing style and captivating plot, certainly made it easy for me to fall in love with the characters and story of MAREK. (received ARC for honest review)

So often we hurt one another with our choices; especially choices that we make during big, life changing moments. Sometimes, however, we are able to turn those once hurtful decisions into the very best of our futures.

Marek Fabritis is one of the Cold Fury’s hottest hockey players off and on the ice. When he learns that his one true love, is about to make the mistake of her life, he loses his mind!

Gracen Moore was heart-broken when Marek left her behind to pursue a career in professional hockey.
Gracen and Marek are both strong minded, passionate, and determined people. They are also stubborn to a fault.

While they continue to rip each other to shreds verbally with hurtful words and accusations about the past, there is one saving grace. The one thing that has never changed on either side is the undeniable attraction they have for one another. There is an intense push and pull between both characters who continue to fight both themselves and each other in letting down their guard and learning to trust one another.

Marek and Gracen were two characters that I couldn’t get enough of and I was a bit saddened to get to the end of the book, I wanted more. Typically I enjoy when Sawyer adds more hockey to the Cold Fury books. In this case however, I was so glad she had less about hockey and instead added more heart.

Another “top shelf” installment in the Cold Fury series. This is a second chance romance. Because of an anonymous email Gracen and Marek are reunited. However, their new relationship is full of recriminations and grievances that seem to be a stumbling block to them moving forward. With the help of their Cold Fury family they work through their issues to get to their HEA. Also, intertwined in the story is a varied cast of supporting characters (many you may recognize from other Cold Fury books) who really enhance the story. I really loved this book, so if you are looking for a well written, sexy read this is the book for you.

4.25 stars--MAREK is the eleventh instalment in Sawyer Bennett’s contemporary, adult COLD FURY HOCKEY erotic, hockey romance series focusing on the members of the Carolina Cold Fury Hockey team. This is team member Marek Fabritis, and nurse Gracen Moore’s story line. MAREK can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Marek and Gracen) MAREK is a second chance romance between Carolina Cold Fury player Marek Fabritis, and nurse Gracen Moore. Four years earlier, as he was about to embark on a professional career in the NHL, Marek Fabritis walked away from the woman he loved destroying her heart in the process. Fast forward to present day wherein Marek will receive an anonymous email that his ex-girlfriend had birthed him a daughter, and was in the process of marrying a man she did not love. All but kidnapping Gracen and the little girl he never knew Marek will effectively tie our heroine’s hands as he comes to terms with the knowledge that Gracen kept secret the birth of their daughter.

From the outset Marek Fabritis’ anger and hatred towards Gracen is despicable and appalling. There is nothing worthy about his actions and immature attitude towards the woman he once loved, a woman he despises for keeping secret her pregnancy and the birth of their child. As the story line progresses, there are small glimpses into a man who is willing to forgive but something will trigger the memory of the secrets and lies thusly setting Marek off on a vicious tirade meant to humiliate and wound. Gracen knows she screwed up four years earlier but the man that she loved (and still loves) all but destroyed the very essence of her heart and her soul. As a single parent Gracen needed to focus on her young daughter but things go from bad to worse when she finds herself, yet again, sacrificing her own happiness for someone she loves.

The relationship between Marek and Gracen is one of second chances; a rekindling romance that struggles in the face of past sins, secrets and lies. Marek’s treatment of Gracen is embarrassing, infuriating and juvenile, and our heroine places the blame all unto herself. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense but once again, I struggle with the use of a certain four-letter word I believe serves no purpose in a romance story line.

We are introduced to Marek and Gracen’s daughter Lilly-a sweet child who could have been easily used as a pawn in her parent’s war with one another.

MAREK is a well written, fast paced, emotional and heart breaking story line made all the more painful by the hero’s actions and behavior. I had a bit of a struggle with how Gracen easily acquiesced to Marek’s accusations and tirades-for a strong, independent woman she was constantly apologizing for sins of the past. The premise is spirited and dramatic; the characters are infuriating, colorful and passionate; the romance is provocative and edgy.

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Through ten books I’ve found myself captivated by the men and women of the Cold Fury hockey series, gotten caught up in their HEAs, and finally feel like an honorary member of their sports family. With this eleventh installment, while there’s still a sense of family, I found myself struggling with connecting to this tale full of anger and regret. From the moment past lovers reunite there’s an unending battle being waged over mutual hurts that often interferes with their rekindling romance, frustrated me, and ultimately put a shadow on my overall enjoyment of this story. Despite the emotional battle going on between them though I still found myself rooting for this couple who’ve kept themselves from HEA long enough.

Gracen and Marek were once young lovers who never thought anything could tear them apart. The day he went off to gain fame, desiring to be unencumbered by anything, is the day her heart was crushed though which set her on a path of self-destructive choices. Being a single mother she thankfully had her parent’s support, but her decision to not inform Marek of the pregnancy fuels his anger and her guilt and permeates the first half of this story as a big wall keeping them apart. Gracen repeatedly beats herself up over her secret, allows Marek to be cruel, and it took a long time before she finally stood up for herself. Sticking up for herself had her sometimes being cruel to Marek in a frustrating tug-of-war that disappointed me too. Not only is her relationship with Marek complicated, but so too are her reasons for marrying her hometown banker. Theirs is an engagement based on blackmail, a connection that turns dangerous and creepy, and which ultimately made no sense from the moment she agreed to wed. By again keeping quiet she put herself and her family in danger. The moment she opens up to Marek is the moment where a weight has been lifted off her. When it comes to thoughts of the future though she refuses to put her heart completely on the line, worried that once again she’ll be left behind. By keeping her heart hardened it’s like she’s purposely sabotaging their future which saddened me. While it diminishes the heartwarming moments between them a bit, it in no way diminishes their erotically-charged encounters. It’s those encounters that ties them together and kept me glued to the pages. On a whole Gracen’s an admirable heroine doing the best she can. She’s a devoted mother, selfless when it comes to family, but not always the best decision maker as she always just wants to handle everything on her own. She isn’t my favorite heroine in this series, sometimes hurtful in her words and deeds, but I was definitely rooting for her after all the emotional adversity she caused herself.

Marek was drawn to Gracen the moment he saw her as a young teen and for five years they were inseparable. The only thing more important than Gracen is hockey and his wanting to be a success had him making a regrettable decision to leave her behind to keep focused on the sport and his future. Gracen’s life went on without him, having a daughter without him, and all of it fuels his anger and forces him into becoming an adult. On the outside their years apart seemed to be full of fun and women, but in reality there were many moments he missed Gracen. Being given the chance to start over is a miracle that doesn’t go smoothly though. Seeing his daughter Lilly gives him a sense of pride while being with Gracen offers him endless temptations that requires him to finally put the past to rest. It’s a rocky road of cringe-worthy words and deeds, heartfelt talks and scorching interludes full of heart and soul, that I give him credit for initiating. Marek may have acted overbearing early on, acted like the injured party, but he was desperate to keep his newfound family close. He ultimately stepped up to do the right thing and his matured actions and words had me cheering. With a single grand gesture he proved to Gracen and Lilly how much they meant to him and it was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen a hero do. While he’s not the greatest hero at times, I still admire his never giving up and all the other imperfections that made him larger than life.

On a whole this was a story that kept me glued to the pages. The main couple is flawed, having issues over communication and their dwelling over the past, but I still felt fully invested in their HEA. Theirs is a journey full of angst, emotional intensity, hurtful words, but it’s ultimately a journey based on the love that started when they were teens. Their romance was an intense one balanced with scorching interludes that made me blush at times but I also enjoyed those quiet moments seeing them as a family. I don’t normally care for children in romances but Lilly was a delight. She was a charmer who brought out a softer side to the usually self-assured Marek. Around her he wore his heart on his sleeve and wanting to be a family pushed him to work with Gracen instead of being at war with her. Alongside this combustible main couple was the steady support of Marek’s teammate Reed and his wife Josie. Josie was a good friend and sounding board to Gracen while Reed didn’t allow Marek to wallow in his BS. Reed called him out and forced him into manning up. Reed forced Marek into putting childish hurts behind him to be an adult and the kind of father and man Lilly and Gracen needs. The crux of this story was based on emotions and past hurts, so readers who don’t normally read sports romances won’t find too much time spent on the ice. His teammates were there in support with an intriguing glimpse given of Holt and his obvious attraction to his interior designer that has me counting down the days until the next installment. By the turn of the final page I was left satisfied despite the sometimes frustrating actions of the main couple and I look forward to joining this unconventional family on and off the ice again soon.

I'm sitting here, a day after I finished reading this book, wondering whether I should hate or love Marek and Gracen. Both of them did things in the past that make me hate them, but I understand why they did them. I'm not saying that makes it ok. I'm just saying I get it.

Obviously this is a HEA, but I really enjoyed alot of the real life moments, and not all were happy. I respect Gracen for realizing that forgiveness doesn't mean forgetfulness and that even with the forgiveness you can't always forget it.

I think this is one of the best books I have read about having to work at a relationship and overcoming obstacles, pain and past hurts.

I love Sawyer Bennett and her books. I read every book in the ‘Cold Fury Hockey’ series. If I am not mistaken (because it has been forever), this series is my first hockey series I ever read. Thanks to her now I am a hockey romance junky 🙂 ‘Marek’ is the 11th book of the series and after finishing ‘Reed‘, which is the previous book of the series, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on ‘Marek’.

‘Marek’ actually started at the end of the previous book, ‘Reed’, when Marek received an anonymous e-mail telling him, his ex-girlfriend Gracen is getting married. Learning the only women he ever loved getting married, Marek does what every sane person does, NOT. Marek decides that crashing his ex-girlfriend’s wedding is the best option. What he didn’t anticipate was finding out that he has a 3 years old daughter. The moment he learns the truth, he literally kidnaps Gracen and little cutie Lilly and bring them back to his house. However, instead of getting to know his daughter, he does everything he can to avoid them. Thanks to Reed kicking some sense to Marek, he decides to stop being an a**hole and starts to make an effort to get to know his daughter. Each part Lilly is in was really entertaining and put a smile on my face; however, Marek and Gracen drove me nuts. Their immaturity and lack of communication did get annoying after a while. I get that they both got hurt because of each other but why keep trying to hurt each other is beyond me. I really liked how Marek and Lilly’s relationship developed and how it changed Marek for better. Both Marek and Gracen have wonderful parents and seeing their relationships with their parents warms your heart. It was also great to see bits and pieces of Reed and Josie again.

Overall, I am sorry to say I was little disappointed with the book. In some parts it was easier to guess what will happen next and in some parts Marek/Gracen miscommunication drama was too much. You can read all ‘Cold Fury Hockey’ books as standalones but I totally recommend you to read ‘Reed’ before starting to read ‘Marek’. Sawyer Bennett is one of my favorite authors so I will definitely read the next book in the series. I also hope it will be Holt’s story.

Would I recommend this book: Yes.
Would I re-read this book: Maybe.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.

I love a secret baby story line so I was really excited for this one and overall I was not disappointed. The story flowed well, it held my attention and I couldn't wait to find out how everything would unfold. The interactions that the characters had with their families and often made me smile. However, for some reason, I just didn't connect to Marek and Gracen as much as I was expecting. that said, while this wasn't my favorite installment from the Cold Fury series, I still enjoyed it and look forward to more.

I was provided with a copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley; there was no inducement or obligation and I opted to leave a review.

I have been impatiently waiting for Marek's story since reading Reed's and I couldn't get enough of it.
We get his and Gracen's entire story and I adored Lilly so much!

"I foolishly, stupidly, insanely want him.

I am a sucker for a second chance story and when the love has never gone away, even when apart for years. And this story just sucked me in.

"I just...I want you. I want only you."

This story had a perfect mix of love, loss, heat, and steam. I absolutely adored Marek as a father and the way he was with Lilly was amazing. The chemistry between Marek & Gracen was sizzling and they had some super hot moments. I also loved how much both families/grandparents were involved in Lilly's life. Of course, I couldn't get enough of the Cold Fury men and loved seeing Reed & Josie along with many of the other players. I cannot wait for the new series because I can't get enough of these hockey hotties! (4 stars)

Secrets don’t help!

Carolina Cold Fury star Marek Fabritis is angry when someone anonymously let him know that he had a daughter by his ex-girlfriend Gracen Moore that he never knew about and she was getting married in their hometown this weekend. Marek stopped the marriage and forced Gracen and his daughter Lilly to move to his house in Raleigh so he could get to know her.

Nurse Gracen Moore was put between a rock and hard place when the guy that she was dating was forcing her to marry him so the bank that his father owned wouldn’t foreclose on her parent’s second mortgage that they had taken out to pay for her nursing degree. Gracen is keeping secrets that just talking to Marek would solve, but he isn’t making it easy for her to talk to him.

Marek is the eleventh Carolina Cold Fury book in the series, but Sawyer Bennett has made each book stand by itself but reading all the books in the series add to the enjoyment of Cold Fury Hockey.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Blackmail

Marek is angry and hurt that Gracen decided to keep the fact that he was a father hidden from him for so many years. When he finds out, he is so angry, yet happy and those conflicting emotions make him march right to them and demand that Gracen and Lilly move in with him so that he can get to know his daughter. Marek's on ice persona is tough and rugged. So when he is unable to curb his snide remarks and continues to hurt Gracen, despite her regret for not telling him, he finds that he's confusing both himself and his daughter.

Gracen is very upset with her decision to hide that fact that she was pregnant from Marek. However, after a few weeks of abuse by him, she stands up for herself and points out that he was the one who wanted a different life... a life without her in it. It was her decision, but it was also based on his own actions. After she stopped allowing Marek to treat her poorly, then her ex shows up and threatens her! This poor lady's love life is kind of a mess. But one thing that she never waivers on is her love for Lilly and her commitment to allowing Marek and Lilly to bond.

This was a sweet, second chance romance story. I think that Lilly helped to sweeten the story a lot. I wonder if there will be more in this series, but have enjoyed all of the ones that I've read.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
Marek's anger at having been denied the knowledge of his child jumps off the page. You can feel the devastation in him, at knowing Gracen chose not to tell him that she was pregnant, at the loss of never holding his daughter as a newborn.

Gracen's guilt at not telling Marek is evident. She regrets her decision but after the way Marek ended their relationship, she truly felt that if she told him, he would believe that she was trying to "trap" him or "hold" him back in some way. She didn't want that for him. Now, both she and Lilly are paying the price for her mistake. Marek demanded that Gracen move them to North Carolina so he could get to know Lilly, but his anger towards her is only confusing their daughter.

As with any tough situation, it’s the child who suffers when parents can't get along, luckily for us, children are wonderful teachers and in this case, Lilly soon has Marek wrapped around her little finger. Gracen is happy to see Marek and Lilly becoming closer and she only wishes that Marek still felt the same about her.


Lee’Anne – ☆☆☆☆
I really loved this book – it’s one that I didn’t like the main character at the beginning but the more I read, the more I fell in love.

Marek is a hockey player, play boy. When he finds out that his ex, that he never got over, is getting married, he decides to step up and stop things. He winds up getting the surprise of a lifetime in the form a 3-year-old daughter he never knew of. He immediately snatches up both Gracen, his ex, and the daughter he’s just met and moves them back to his house, where he proceeds to be a total dick to Gracen. In the beginning, Gracen feels she deserves Marek’s anger for hiding his daughter from him for so long, but she can only take so much – and when she snaps, things really heat up.

I love the pace of this book, it’s so packed with drama I couldn’t put it down. Gracen is dealing with her crazy ex-fiancé who has been blackmailing her, Marek being less-than welcoming to her being in his home, worry for her parents, and starting a new job. Her character is so relatable with life throwing her every curveball and her facing it all with a smile on her face. I think this book stands out from the series, with less hockey than some of the previous books but still action packed enough that I’m already highly anticipating more from this author.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the eleventh book in the series – and I have enjoyed every single one! This one was much anticipated after the ending of Reed...

There is much to enjoy in this story – even if Marek and Gracen take an awfully long time to sort out their feelings for each other and offer real forgiveness. It certainly needed Lilly as the lynchpin to hold them together. Even serious conversation with Reed did not get Marek to behave!

What did really work was the threads which gave form to Gracen's nature – her willingness to self-sacrifice when it probably wasn't entirely necessary, if honest, open conversations could be had – this was reinforced by the situation with Owen and her parents. Couple her inability to upset others and Marek's decision to leave for his freedom, and it was easy to see how the whole scenario unfolded.

There are some quite moving and sad moments which made you really think about how complex and unexpected life can be at times. It was interesting to see how their parents behaved too. As Lilly gets to know her daddy and they reconnect, there is hope – especially when she starts to attend his hockey games again.

Thankfully they had grown up enough to move forward – and the revelation at the end by Gracen was perfect!

❤~🌟~❤<4.5#TeamFabritis Stars! ❤~🌟~❤

Holy Wowza! Sawyer Bennett packed a whole lot of DELISH into her 11th combustible installment in the wildly popular Cold Fury series!

I will preface this review by saying that while technically it can be read as a stand-alone, it’s REALLY advised to read Reed’s Story first because pivotal events from Grace and Marek’s story transpired in that previous book. And since I did not read cold Fury #10, I felt as if I was thrown into the drama midsteam. That said, I was caught up to speed pretty quick and will say Ms. Bennett sure knows how to pen a tantalizing sports romance that takes your breath away!

THE STORY:
Marek Fabritis and Gracen Moore were hopelessly in love high school sweethearts, but their idyllic romance crashed and burned several years later when Marek was graduating from college and got recruited by the NHL. Not wanting to be tied down, he left Grace behind, brokenhearted, and with a secret bun in the oven. Fast forward a few years later when Marek gets wind that Gracie is getting hitched and rushes back home to prevent his former love from making the biggest mistake of both their lives. But the surprise is ON HIM when he discovers he’s the bio daddy of Gracie’s adorable three year old little girl. He is beyond enraged with his former flame for keeping his daughter from him all these Can this Cold Fury heartthrob set aside his seething anger and finally forge a functional family with the woman and child who mean the world to him...or is it too little too late?

MY MUSINGS:
Eeeep!! This book was full throttle intensity from start to finish and I flooooooved it! Not only were the interactions with the Cold Fury players uber thrilling, but MAREK has one of my absolute favorite tropes…secret love child! I just adore Sawyer Bennett’s style of writing. Her prose flows like molasses and her vibrant characters have a way of permeating your heart! She also has this innate ability of engaging you from page one and pounding you with feels!

And gah did I FEEEL!

However, fair warning…to say our hunky hockey star is ticked off when he learns the truth is an UNDERSTATEMENT! But all this volatile pent up anger makes for a very tempestuous romance that’s pulsating with lust and love, heartache and soul shattering emotion. And holy smokes did these two set off sparks! Gracie and Marek have an EXPLOSIVE chemistry that literally set my heart aflame and the sex was hot hot hot!

I truly experienced the full gamut of heart-clenching emotions throughout and was definitely swinging on a pendulum between love and fury myself! I mean, don’t get me wrong, I relish an angry Alpha hero but OUCH…can this guy hold a grudge OR WHAT? Sometimes to the extreme TBH…but I suppose that’s part of Marek's grumpy, growly charm!

So if I were taking sides, even though I got where they were both coming from, I definitely leaned more toward #TeamGracie than #TeamAngryAFHockeyHottie. First off, she is my favorite kind of heroine--sweet and sassy with a beautiful heart and a backbone of steel! And she is an amazing mom and a neonatal nurse to boot! And secondly, she owned up to her mistakes and did everything she could to atone. So, ultimately, I truly understood why she did what she did after Marek’s heartbreaking abandonment, even if it was woefully misguided.

But, alas, even during those times where I wanted to kick Marek in the junk and tell him to GET OVER IT ALREADY, it was clear he had a soft side too! And beneath the glacial glares and anger and recrimination, I could FEEL the achingly tender feelings bubbling beneath the surface. So it was in those exquisite moments, where he interacts so sweetly with his little girl, in an earnest desire to bond with her, or show glimmers of compassion and fierce devotion toward his baby mama, that he’d TOTALLY win me over and make me all warm and melty inside!

And no matter how much this couple fought their feelings for one another, one thing they could always agree on was that their “Lilly Bug” would always come first! Gah that little tyke was all kinds of adorb! This cutie patootie was a TOTAL SCENE STEALER and just like her doting parents I loved her madly!!!!

Bottom line? Brace yourselves for a VERY bumpy road, where passions and tempers run very high, and it takes a ton of hard work, sweat and tears on both sides. But even at the worst of times, I guarantee you’ll be cheering like a maniac from the sidelines for Gracen and Marek to let go of their past hurts and betrayals, guilt and anger, and become the family that THEY WERE ALWAYS MEANT TO BE with their little love bug. And, ultimately, aren’t the best victories earned after a long, hard fought battle? Well, holy effin swoooon…rest assured that the ending is so sweet and touching you heart will be hammering like a wild thing in your chest!

FINAL VERDICT:
MAREK scored a HUGE win! And now I can’t wait to see what the spectacularly talented Sawyer Bennett has in store for us next!

Marek... Marek... Marek... What is one to do with you?

Marek got on my nerves a bit... but I mean, can you blame him? He has a child he never knew about! How about that for a game changer! Marek has this god awful grudge and just takes his damn time getting over it. There were times I did want to smack him around a little and then as the story went on, you get that second change romance and the HEA. I love Sawyer for her steam and romance and she still delivered here. Gracen had some moments where she needed a good talking to and when she finally got it, she got it! This was one of the longer reading times that I have had, but as I finished the book, I still enjoyed it. Sawyer gives you a book that has a very realistic tone to it. You cannot expect things to fall into place without some hard work and this story is just that.

I still love my Cold Fury Family!

This was a great second-chance romance.

When Marek storms his ex's wedding, he only meant to stop her getting married to a douchebag. He never expected to come face to face with a little girl who looks exactly like him. Blindsided, he forces his ex, Gracen, to come home with him, otherwise she'd face a custody battle from hell. However, when they're ensconced in his home, he's too confused and angry to know how to deal with them. His anger battles with his overwhelming desire for Gracen - his first love, his only love, the girl he dumped to chase his dreams.

Gracen is in a bind. When Marek forces her to go home with him, she willingly goes. Her overwhelming guilt over the secret she kept has her accommodating his anger and cruel words. The situation she's got herself into doesn't help, either. She's determined to get her life straightened out, as well as let Marek be the father he should have been all these years.

This was a great story. Marek is understandably shocked and furious about all that he's missed out on, but I loved how his anger warred with his attraction to Gracen. I loved getting the glimpses of his feelings for Gracen in the past and the present. I adored how hard he fell for his little girl and how much he wanted to get to know her.

Gracen is a tough little cookie. She made a difficult decision about her pregnancy and she's lived by it, striving to give her little girl the best life. My heart broke over all that she'd gone through, and what she was trying to achieve in the present. I think she carried her guilt too heavily but I loved that, even though she'd been backed into a corner, she still fought back. Her heart was in the right place, in spite of being shredded.

The chemistry between Marek and Gracen was amazing! They were super sexy together, with no inhibitions. Great read!

I love Marek! This book.....oh my! A second chance romance with an adorable little girl in the mix, and Sawyer Bennett’s Cold Fury hockey team as the basis for this story made this book another 5 star book for me. As usual when Ms. Bennett is writing the book, the emotions were right on track. The story felt very real as did the relationship. The takeaway from this book is that relationships take constant work and caring! And this book showed that so well!