The Arizona Vengeance are developing a reputation on the ice as one of hockey’s top teams. But one player’s reputation off the ice might just keep him from scoring. . . . I’m having the time of my life with my new brothers on the Arizona Vengeance. We may be an expansion team, but after notching some big wins, the entire league knows to watch out for Erik Dahlbeck. That’s me. The only person who … me.
The only person who doesn’t seem to think I’m so great? Blue Gardner, the hot-as-f*** flight attendant on our team plane. I sure wouldn’t mind joining the mile-high club with her, but besides bringing me lukewarm coffee, she won’t give me the time of day. Whatever I did to rub Blue the wrong way, my teammates think it’s hilarious. After all, we’re used to women flocking to us. #puckbunnies
When I run into Blue back on land, I’m shocked to learn how she spends her time off: taking care of her handicapped brother. There are layers to this girl I never imagined, layers I can’t wait to peel away. And that’s a new feeling for me.
But first I’ve got to find a way to melt that ice-cold stare. Because as much as I try to pretend I don’t care what Blue thinks of me, how can you not care when you’re falling for someone?
Praise for Erik
“Sawyer Bennett keeps it real in her new Arizona Vengeance hockey novel—must read!”—Heidi McLaughlin, New York Times bestselling author of Forever My Girl
“You don’t have to like sports to love these books! Erik is my new book boyfriend. Find your next hockey hero in Sawyer Bennett’s Arizona Vengeance series.”—New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis
“Sawyer Bennett is my go-to author for sass and smart hockey stories.”—Kate Meader, USA Today bestselling author of the Laws of Attraction series
The Arizona Vengeance series from New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett can be read together or separately:
BISHOP
ERIK
LEGEND
And don’t miss her Carolina Cold Fury novels:
ALEX
GARRETT
ZACK
RYKER
HAWKE
MAX
ROMAN
LUCAS
VAN
REED
MAREK
The Love Hurts series features sexy standalone novels:
SEX IN THE STICKS
JILTED
And the Sugar Bowl series is one treat you’ll want to read in order:
SUGAR DADDY
SUGAR RUSH
SUGAR FREE
This ebook includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
more
4.5 Stars
Erik.
He’s a ladies man – always has been. He doesn’t have time for anything serious.
But this one girl is different. Blue. She’s the flight attendant on the team’s plane. And she kinda hates him. He tries flirting and talking and being nice. Not working.
Blue doesn’t have time for a player in her life. Even if he’s as hot as Erik.
Also, she kind of met him five years ago – and he doesn’t even remember!!!!!
Poor Erik will have to fight real hard to get his happily ever after with Blue!
Let the fun times begin ….
WHAT WiLL HAPPEN TO BLUE & ERIK????
WiLL THERE BE A HAPPiLY EVER AFTER?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
Book 2! Yay!
We already met Erik in the first book and we already saw how not excited Blue was to have him flirt with her.
It’s really adorable to see the poor guy not getting what he wants for a change.
But it’s not taking him all that long to convince her that he’s changed.
But getting Blue is not the only thing poor Erik has to fight through to get to his happy end!
I really enjoyed this book.
It was erotic and fun and sweet and I adored how Erik was with Blue’s brother Billy! Really cute.
Even though there wasn’t much happening in the story. They get together pretty early and by the 50% mark the book could’ve ended, but it didn’t … it was a bit too long. The best things about those too long parts were the moments about the next books. Legend and his new neighbor and Tacker with his sad past.
There’s a lot of book material still left for us in Phoenix!
Can’t wait to see what Legend will be up to next! And Tacker!!! When will we get his book?!
ERIK was a fun, moving & sexy new romance in this new hockey series! Great cast!
Run to your nearest amazon for your own ERIK – this one is MINE!!!!
Absolutely brilliant book.
I loved Blue and Erik.
Took them a while to get there but what a fantastic journey in the end.
Love the characters and the connection between them all.
Ready for the next one now
Erik could very well be considered the teams biggest player. He seems to enjoy this lifestyle and all the perks that come along with it. That is until he sets foot for the first time on his new team plane for their first away game. He becomes completely enamored by the flight attendant Blue. Too bad she knows he’s a player and wants nothing to do with him.
Erik is bound and determined to make her see he’s changed his ways and wants to be with her. He manages to soften her up just so he can get one single date. They find they have a good connection and given they both travel together for the team they get to spend lots of time together. Their relationship evolves until something completely derails everything they had. Can they find a way back to each other or is their love gone forever?
Erik is a sexy alpha male who want to cherish, respect, and protect the one woman who has made him want to change his ways. I find this completely endearing and love these types of stories. Of course there’s a good dose of the other players in this book as well. I love getting a glimpse at what’s to come in the rest of this series.
Funny, Sweet, Charming and romantic. Erik may have been a playboy but he sure did pull at my heartstrings, he was attentive, caring, and adorable. I’m so in love with this series. The Cold Fury series has always been my favorite but The Arizona Vengeance is possibly going to take that title of favorite away. Sawyer Bennett captivates me, she has a way of storytelling that draws you in, makes you feel like you are right along side these characters, making you laugh, feeling every emotion and warming your heart. I loved it.
This second book in the Arizona Vengeance series was heartfelt, witty and captivating. Erik is the player with a huge reputation and Blue has had first hand experience with that reputation and has the scars on her heart to prove it. As Erik goes all out to prove that he has grown up and wants a chance with Blue, it might take a painful sacrifice to prove just how serious he is. A swoon worthy romance that will steal your heart, heat you up and have you falling in love right alongside these two.
Love Sawyer Bennett stories. Hockey star, Erik, and Blue, flight attendant for the team always seem to be at odds. They both discover that they share much in common. Always love the “team” characters that appear in Ms. Bennett’s stories
This is another great hockey story by Sawyer Bennett. I was rooting for Eric and Blue to work through their issues and find happiness together. I love this series and all the wonderful characters.
This is book 2 in the Arizona Vengeance and can absolutely be read as a stand alone although I do recommend reading book 1 before this one so that you can understand what happened between these two characters in the previous book. That being said, in this one we get Erik Dahlbeck and Blue Gardner’s story. Erik has been having the time of his life as a hockey player and has definitely had no shortage of women. But there is one person who doesn’t think he is so great, and that is Blue. He just doesn’t know why she doesn’t like him or what he could have done in order to give her such a negative opinion of him. And he certainly never realizes exactly how much she has on her plate outside of work. Blue knows that Erik doesn’t understand why she doesn’t like him. But she honestly just has too much going on to worry about whether he understands. But once they both start understanding past mistakes and who they are as people now, they finally understand what they can mean to each other. If they can take a chance.
I really like this one! Erik is generally a good guy, he is just the typical player. He never really thinks about what that could mean to the women left in the wake of it. Blue has so much responsibility on her shoulders and for the most part she handles it like a trooper. The only drawback I had for her was that she couldn’t seem to stop acting like she had to give up every portion of her own personal life. I get her reasoning to a point but it just put me off a little bit. I don’t want to say too much because it gives away part of the story. Jason Clarke and Ava Erickson were the perfect people to voice these characters. They both are great at bringing not only the story to life but also the emotions of the characters. There aren’t any crazy accents or tones-which always drives me nuts! All in all, it was definitely a great listen!
ok, so I haven’t read or listen to Bishop yet, which is on my que. I seriously can’t wait to go back and read the first book. Even though these are standalones, I teeny tiny wished I had read Bishop first! So go in order because everyone’s story starts to flesh out. My heart feels for Tacker even though I got a glimpse of his story. Its going to be a tear jerker for sure.
Jason and Ava were perfect for these roles.
I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I love a good second chance romance…not sure if a one night stand equates to a second chance but either way I really enjoyed Erik and Blue’s story. We get to find out why the flight attendant has a grudge against the hockey player. While I loved the chuckles I got from Blue blowing Erik off, it makes sense after the reason is revealed. I loved watching Erik interact with Billy. It warmed my heart seeing how kind Erik was and how selfless he could be. While these two grew tremendously during their time apart, I felt Blue’s turmoil was relatable on several levels. My only complaint is that the ending was too abrupt. I definitely needed more of these two.
Erik, Arizona Vengeance’s enforcer, cannot for the life of him, figure out why the one woman he wants doesn’t seem to want him back. He’s a player, on and off the ice, and he’s never had to try so hard to get a woman to simply talk to him. But when Blue finally tells him why she can’t seem to stand the sight of him, she figures it means he’ll finally leave her alone. Nope! Erik has had an epiphany, and now that he knows why she won’t give him the time of day, he’s going to do everything in his power to get her to give him a chance.
Blue is a strong woman. Taking care of her special needs brother after her parents’ deaths made her reevaluate her life and realize she needed to do better. Better for Billy and better for herself. So giving a womanizing hockey player a chance is the last thing she should be doing. But, Erik is much more than she had first thought, and soon she’s falling for Erik’s big heart and charm. Can these two make it work or will Erik go back to his playing ways?
Although not my favorite of Sawyer Bennett’s hockey stories, or even my favorite of all of her writing, I did enjoy Erik. It’s both sweet and sexy and Erik is so much more than I had been expecting – with a sweet side and a big heart. Blue didn’t do much for me, but I did appreciate just how much she loved and cared for her brother. I am definitely looking forward to more Vengeance hockey players!
couldn’t put it down!!
Great book. Loved the h/h. Also hockey. Yay.
**sigh** I have such mixed feelings for Sawyer Bennett lately. Her heroes are such unevolved frat boys. For example: “She’s in my sights and I’m not about to give up just because she dislikes me” Seriously?? And do not get me started on Erik’s disgusting father. That being said, Eric was not as gross as some of the previous heroes. He ended up pretty genuine with Blue and I really liked his relationship with her brother.
ERIK was my first read in the Arizona Vengeance series and I was so happy to read this one. After coming off of back to back emotional reads, this was a low drama and steamy read that I absolutely adored and needed. I’ve been a fan of Bennett’s Cold Fury series, so I couldn’t wait to jump into this series. In true Malia fashion, I have not read the first book in this series, but I think you’ll be by just fine without doing so. They’re all standalones.
Bennett clearly does a phenomenal job with her hockey romances because I’m completely obsessed with them. I’ve read a lot of hockey romances and hers are ones that I’ll drop everything and read in an instant.
When it comes to Erik, you have to give the man props for being determined and persistent to go after something (or someone) that he wants, and his eyes were set on Blue. Even when she kept turning him down, he didn’t give up. Once she reveals the reason why she keeps saying no, I’d probably do the same thing. I kind of wished we had more insight of that backstory, but eventually, they summed it up to being young and being a bit reckless when it came to their sex life.
I loved how Erik just came into her life like a freight train, implanting himself there any chance that he could. I admire Blue so much for her utmost devotion to her brother and working to give him the best life possible. Those were probably my favorite scenes especially when Erik gets involved too. He made it so easy to swoon over him.
I definitely recommend this series and her other hockey series, they’ve become my favorite re-reads.
Major thanks to Loveswept & Penguin Random House for the advanced reader’s copy!
Sawyer Bennett
4 Stars
Erik is the second title in the Arizona Vengeance series, and a second chance enemies to lovers romance.
Erik and Blue’s story is erotic, fun, steamy and heartfelt.
Blue is an endearing character she’s strong, resilient, independent, loving and caring. She is no push over and makes Eric work for not only her attention but her affection.
Erik is a NHL player and he has a reputation that precedes him both on and off the ice.
The banter this pair share is flirty and argumentative as they hold quite a bit of animosity towards each other.
Whilst I felt this title was a tad drawn out, I did enjoy getting to know other members of the Arizona Vengeance, and look forward to reading their stories in the future.
Bewildered by the fact that his attempts to get the one woman’s attention that he desires continue to fail epically; Erik sets out to find out what makes the object of his affection so uniquely different. To his surprise, she knocks him off his game with her answer.
Blue isn’t looking for love and she certainly isn’t looking to be romanced by any hockey player that she meets at work, so when Erik turns on the charm to try and win her over she is underwhelmed to say the least.
But, she has to hand t to Erik when he steps up his game and surprises her with his show of unexpected tenderness and affection towards the one person in her life that is her kryptonite.
Soon, this self-proclaimed ladies man cannot get enough of the lovely Blue and vice versa. If you are looking for a heart-warming story, with enough spice to melt the ice of a few hockey rinks, look no further!
As Always, Happy Reading!
“4/5 Beaming Brains!” – Lit-Up My Mind
•´¨) ¸.•’¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•`
~~ 4.5 EXCEPTIONAL STARS! ~~
Squeeee! I just CANNOT GET ENOUGH of Sawyer Bennett’s sizzling hot hockey romances and ERIK, a captivating story with a bit of a Cinderella twist, totally swept me off my feet!
This is the second installment in the author’s new series revolving around NHL’s Arizona Vengeance hockey players, and for readers who followed her previous series, COLD FURY, she once again delivers on the swoon, excitement, passion and feels but these books are steamier, more hockey-centric, and a whole lot filthier! Oh, and the men so uber alpha you WILL need a spare pair of undies.
THE STORY:
I was so looking forward to this story because in book one the author gave us a yummy taste of Erik’s upcoming romance with Blue Gardner, one of the flight attendants who works on their team plane. A brief recap from Bishop: Eric Dalhbeck, a premiere defenseman and elite enforcer with the Arizona Vengeance, was instantly smitten with Blue from the moment he “first” set eyes on her on the team jet but when he laid on the trademark charm—shocker!—the gorgeous stewardess did not fall for his shameless flirting!! But even though this fun-loving playboy’s over-inflated male ego may have taken a slight hit by her harsh rebuff, he was not about to give up easily.
As this book opens, the CHASE IS ON when they cross paths at a Harvest festival in Scottsdale and he discovers there’s much more to the beautiful, curvy, hard to get blonde than meets the eye! But in order to win her heart, he is gonna have to step up his game. Big time. Because as it turns out the team’s “hot-as-f*ck” flight attendant, who he admittedly would still like to join the mile-high club with, has her hands full taking care of her handicapped younger brother Billy. Which means that regardless of how much she is secretly attracted to him, she has zero time for romance—or his shallow come-ons!
Especially since, unbeknownst to him, Blue has firsthand knowledge of Erik’s love ‘em and leave ‘em ways. And is not ABOUT to let history repeat itself!
But when Erik bonds with Billy and pitches in to help her in her time of need, we know it’s just a matter of time before her walls come crashing down and she succumbs to his irresistible charms! But can this reformed player and the beleaguered Cinderella of his dreams go the distance?
MY MUSINGS:
ERIK melted my freaking heart! From start to finish, there is plenty of captivating romance palpable emotion, thrilling hockey action and scintillating bedroom romps to keep us in a constant state of euphoria!
There is NOTHING hotter than a notorious ladies man who is transformed by true love …and SWOON I fell head over heels for Erik!! This filthy rich, fiercely driven, roguishly handsome player just OOZES sweetness, charisma and potent sex appeal!! I loved the way that Ms. Bennett slowly but surely peeled away Erik’s outer layers and showed the noble heart beneath that gorgeously hard-bodied exterior. Erik is, in short, a to die for BBF.
This heroine was also AMAZEBALLS, and I can see why Erik is so enamored with her! Blue is beautiful, brave, selfless and caring. And a sex kitten in the bedroom! However, she has not had an easy life, and her backstory is heartbreaking. But she refuses to let her hardships get her down, and her unfaltering devotion to her disabled brother Billy is beyond awe-inspiring! She puts him first above everything else, especially love.
Then eeep…Erik, her former one-night stand, steamrolls into her life and all bets are off! Though considering their dicey history, this proud, emotionally guarded airline attendant does not hand this sinfully sexy hockey hottie her heart on a silver platter and makes him WORK FOR IT! I love how despite how hostile she is to him in the beginning, he never backs down and does everything in his power to atone for his bad behavior all those years ago! (Even if it takes a while for him to remember it!) And it’s through his acts of pure chivalry that Blue finally comes to see that there is far more to Erik than the self-centered, egotistical jerk she originally pegged him to be. In fact, he could very well be her very own Prince Charming And he slowly but surely convinces her that she does not always have soldier on alone and that she is so very worthy of his devotion, pampering and love!!!
Aside from the smoldering romance, sizzling sexual tension and scorching hot interludes, the feels were off the charts! I am drawn to stories with characters with special needs and the storyline surrounding Blue’s 20-year-old brother, who has Spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy, was DEEPLY MOVING. Omg…Billy was the absolute sweetest character and despite his immense physical challenges he radiated pure joy and love!!!!! And gah, the kind, compassionate manner in which Erik bonded with Billy, which of course made the heroine fall even harder for him, turned me into a pile of goo!
And as with the previous installment, those ruggedly sexy Arizona Vengeance players are a pivotal part of this story. I giggled like a fangirl from their hysterical “locker room” banter, rooted for them during game time and loved how these teammates had each other’s backs no matter what! And I got legit butterflies seeing Bishop and Brooke (from book one) all lovey dovey and basking in their happiness! And this gifted romance scribe also always plants seeds for future books, and let me tell you that the next one, LEGEND, is gonna be AWESOME!
FINAL VERDICT:
Sawyer Bennett scored another goal with ERIK! The sweet, sexy, and utterly enchanting journey that Blue and Erik embarked on together grabbed ahold of my heart and touched me to the core. It made me laugh and cry, lit my girly bits on fire. And…sighhhh… that HEA? Sheer perfection!
A TANTALIZING MUST READ!
What a great addition to Sawyer Bennett’s Arizona Vengeance series! Erik is a slower burn romance with second chance, enemies to lovers, as well as friends to lovers elements. Though this is book 2 in the interconnected series, it can be enjoyed as a stand alone.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Erik, since he came across as quite the player in Bishop. I was very curious about how things would develop between him and Blue and what caused their antagonistic relationship. They had such amazing chemistry from the start and though they didn’t have the best history, I loved seeing these two move beyond their pasts and really connect on a deeper level. I think what really hooked me though was that both Blue and Erik recognized who they were in the past and made efforts to change and grow. They took responsibility for their actions and didn’t judge the other for how they used to be. So often I read about the reformed manwhore and the near virginal heroine, but this time it was refreshing to see that Blue was just as in touch with her own sexuality as Erik. Circumstances in her life force her to re-evaluate her choices and change sooner than Erik, but I liked that both accepted the other – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Another wonderful addition to the story was Blue’s brother, Billy. I loved their sibling relationship and also the friendship that blossomed between Billy and Erik. Some of the very sweetest moments in the book involve Billy. Erik was a pretty low angst read and the drama that did occur late in the book resolved fairly quickly. Readers get more of a happy for now conclusion, but with more books in the series on the way, I know this won’t be the last we hear of Blue and Erik.
A bit of page time is actually spent setting up the next book in the series, Legend. I’m really looking forward to seeing how things unfold with his neighbor, especially since fellow teammate Dax seems to be sort of in the mix as well. I think the story I’m most interested in at this point though, is Tacker. My heart squeezes every time at the mention of him and I can’t wait for more in this series!
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*
Arizona Vengeance player, Erik Dahlbeck, has quickly made a name for himself in the hockey world and in the media as well, but it’s the off-ice press that exposes him for the manwhore and it’s that quality that just might come back to bite him in the ass because the woman he can’t stop thinking about won’t give him the time of day, which means it’s going to take his best moves to have a chance with Blue Gardner and even that might not be enough because it’s more than apparent that Blue thinks Erik’s moral character is in crisis and she doesn’t have the time or the inclination to take him on because there’s too much to deal with already without adding a sinfully sexy hockey player to that list.
I adore a strong heroine who is more than able to put a cocky hero in his place, and that’s exactly how Blue Gardner comes across from the very beginning of the story. And while Erik and Blue’s story follows a fairly common plot line when it comes to romances, Sawyer Bennett gives readers her own take on why Blue finds Erik’s personal lifestyle so egregious and as Bennett forces Blue to see that Erik is more than just a commitment phobe player, she also explains how Blue’s ice queen act protects here and what she refuses to risk when it comes to her personal and professional life.
Like Erik, I wanted to unravel the many layers of Blue; I wanted to understand the woman beneath the walls she built and the outward appearance she shows, and as Erik wears Blue down, showing himself as more than just a ladies’ man, readers see the possibilities of these two building a solid relationship, despite their rocky beginning and the extenuating circumstances that continue to get in their way.
I loved getting to know Erik and Blue better and the fact that Bennett provides both of their perspectives keeps readers from wanting to completely throttle Erik for his behavior and see exactly why Blue acts the way she does despite her attraction to Erik. The back and forth between Erik and Blue as well as the camaraderie of the Erik’s team and Blue’s relationship with her brother are all pivotal parts of book because they showcase the various sides of the hero and the heroine and they also make the story well-rounded in the sense that it’s not just about a relationship developing between Erik and Blue…it’s about being a member of a team, stepping up for those you love, and taking a chance when it scares the ever loving crap out of you. There are life lessons to be learned throughout Erik and Blue’s story and Bennett ties the love of family…of team…of the opposite sex…of self into one steamy, sassy, and well-paced package.
4 Poison Apples