Are you ready for Kane Bellan’s story? 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 … 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.
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4.5 Kane was another enjoyable Arizona Vengeance book! The book was quite entertaining and moved along at a brisk pace. I liked that this storyline was different with the friends to lovers trope and the whole Matthew thing. I found the Matthew stuff intriguing and of course enjoyed who that brought into the story . Kane and Mollie are both great people and were easy to like. Their relationship is such a strong one and their connection deep. Simply put, they are meant to be together. I was a little surprised with some of the stuff that happens towards the end of the book and how the characters acted. I do wish that the end could have given me a little more closure, but I know I’ll get more from these two in Steele. Speaking of Steele, I can’t wait for his book! It’s going to be another unique and very interesting read! * I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
Kane will make you swoon! His friends to lovers romance with Mollie is just awesome! I love how he supports her, even if I wanted to knock him upside the head at one point! Just great characters in a great story!
Kane, Arizona Vengeance by Sawyer Bennett is the 8th book in the series and can be read as a stand-alone. It tells the story of Mollie and Kane. Kane has just ben traded to the Arizona Vengeance hockey team and his best friend Mollie shows up unexpectedly, at his front door. They have had a very close relationship since they met in college over 10 years ago.
Mollie is a traveling blogger and was recently attacked by a former stalker boyfriend. She heads to Kane for privacy and comfort. After years of being best friends they realize that there is more to the relationship, but neither are sure where it will lead.
As Mollie continually is looking over her shoulder, thinking she sees her ex, Jameson Security is hired by Kane to protect her and also catch the criminal. The crossover between both series was a nice surprise.
Will Mollie and Kane find their HEA or will their careers get in the way? This is a great friend to lover’s story and a wonderful addition to the series. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Edited 9/17/20
Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 4 stars
Story 4 stars
Revisiting this story via audiobook was really fun. Lessa Lamb is a new to me narrator and I thought she was really wonderful as Mollie. Her male and female voices were great and she had good range/variety as she voiced the different characters. I’ve listened to a few other titles by Jeremy York and he always gives a solid performance. I’m not sure he truly fit Kane’s carefree personality, but it was still an enjoyable listen.
*****
Friends to lovers is my catnip and I couldn’t wait for Kane and Mollie’s story. I really enjoyed this mix of sports romance and a bit of romantic suspense. It was great to see the crossover between this series and the Jameson Force series. I loved how well Kane and Mollie knew and understood one another. They have been best friends for 10 years and it was such a natural progression for them into something more. The story was a bit predictable, but the low drama and high heat was just what my heart needed. I’m definitely intrigued by the rest of the Vengeance’s second line now, especially Riggs and Jett, and am looking forward to Jim Steele’s second chance romance next!
Kane is book 8 in the Arizona Vengeance series, but can be enjoyed as a standalone. Characters from the previous books do appear throughout though and the series runs on a continuous/concurrent timeline.
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
* A review copy was provided by the author *
Ahhhh…it’s always great coming back and visiting the Arizona Vengeance hockey team!!
Kane is another great addition to this series. It is a sweet and swoony friends to lovers story that will melt your heart and set your panties on fire!!
But I also loved that we got some suspense in there too to keep me turning the pages.
I loved that we got a cameo from a few of our favorites at Jameson Security. I loved how she connected the two series together like that.
I also loved meeting some of the new members of the hockey team that maybe weren’t mentioned before or had a some part in past stories. I look forward to them getting books in the future. I’m anxious for one character in particular….she made Riggs kind of mysterious that I can’t wait to find out more about him.
Again Sawyer have us a great storyline and wonderful characters that you couldn’t help fall in love with. She is amazing when it comes to giving us a great romance but with enough of the hockey aspect that it fulfills two tropes in one story. She gives us the perfect blend!!!
This is a stand-alone novel with interconnected characters. It is told in Dual POV. I thought the flow and pace of the story worked well. I did think that the drama with Mollie’s ex was wrapped fairly quickly but that was ok….I got the closure I needed on that topic!!
In this book we follow Kane and Mollie’s story. They have been friends for the past decade and when something terrible happens to Mollie on her travels she turns to Kane for support and comfort. What they didn’t expect was that things went further and their feelings got involved. What will happen when Mollie decides to go back on the road for her job?? Can they make it work?? Read this book to find out.
If you are a fan of Sawyer Bennett’s books and you love her hockey series….then you need to read this latest installment…it really is that good!!!
Part of what makes friends to lovers so great is that they already have a strong connection before they take it to the next level. Usually there’s some awkwardness, but with Kane and Mollie there wasn’t. In fact, Mr. Casual Hookups Only jumped in with both feet so fast, you know he’s always wanted more with her. And Mollie rolled with it really quickly, too. That part was smooth sailin.
The biggest problem they had, besides her crazy ex, was their careers. They don’t really mesh, and something would eventually have to give.
I loved how well Mollie fit right in with the other ladies. I loved how she was treated like family. I loved getting info about the rest of the team and how they’re doing. And I love that yet again, there was a little bit of crossover from another series by Sawyer.
In short, I loved it.
Ooh, I didn’t think this series could get any better, but Sawyer Bennett just proved me wrong. Kane Bellan has just made number 1 on my list of hot hockey players, and is now on my laminated list of best book boyfriends ever. I loved him that much. Friends to lovers, hot hockey romance. Addictive, and sexy, add in a little bit of drama, and I was riveted. Mollie and Kane had been besties for 10 years and kept in touch constantly while Mollie travelled and explored the world blogging on social media. They met up regularly, while also texting and face timing, you name it, their communication was constant. So when Mollie turned up at Kane’s condo, it was nothing unusual and she was welcomed with open arms. It just so turned out that the incident that brought her to his door needed some additional assistance. Jameson Force Security to the rescue. I absolutely love how Sawyer Bennett intermingles her series and characters, spinning a story to really draw the reader in. Another wonderful read. I received an advanced copy of this book. This is my honest review.
My heart is torn open and put back together again from this friends to lovers story. Such depth of feelings, a great plot with twists and turns, and even enough suspense to keep you gripping your kindle a little tighter than usual. This Hockey Series just keeps getting better with every book. I hope that Sawyer Bennett never stops writing them!
Kane is convinced that his life is better off simple, including his relationships with women. No strings attached seems to be his middle name. He’s only loved one girl, his best friend Molly. He’s never told Molly how he feels because he doesn’t want to risk losing her. His world spins off its axis when she shows up on his doorstep, and he learns that she is in danger. Now he must face his feelings or risk missing out on a chance at real true love.
Molly has loved Kane for years. She also loves her freedom to travel and just go anywhere at her whim. She knows that her and Kane’s lives are incompatible and that a relationship would never work. That’s why she has never told him how she feels about him.
When her life turns dangerous, she runs to Kane. They discover that living without each other may be the most risky thing they’ve ever faced.
What do you do when your best friend needs help, why of course you take them in. Kane and Mollie have been friends for 10 yrs. Chemistry took a back burner and the friendship grew. Mollie runs to Kane because she’s in danger. They can no longer act like they don’t want more. In order to make this work, there are lots of obstacles to overcome.
I love this story. You still get glimpses of the other teammates while centering on Kane and Mollie!
I loved this latest fun, heartfelt, sexy, friends to lovers romance in Bennett’s Arizona Vengeance series. It felt like a fresh start as she moves to the second line of these sexy hockey players. This is Kane, and his best friend since college, Mollie’s story. Mollie has an adventurous spirit as she explores the country with her dog writing about her travels, and experiences, on her travel blog. When she is attacked by a stalker, she goes to the only place she feels safe. Kane has enjoyed his life as a successful sexy single athlete, but when his best friend needs him, he instantly changes into protection mode. They reconnect and soon realize their feelings have grown into more. They decide to take a chance, and their chemistry is explosive! They are so cute and sweet together and Kane is so swoony as he stands up to the light ribbing he gets from his teammates and brothers. They accept her immediately along with the women who have grown close from previous stories. I love the camaraderie, and family feel of all these past and new characters. But when as Kane makes permanent plans, can Mollie put down roots when she has a free and adventurous spirit? This story also sets up other stories about Kane’s friends and teammates. I am especially excited to find out more about Jim!
I loved the performances by narrators Jeremy York, and Lessa Lamb. They portray each character with a perfect balance between fun & flirty, heartbreaking emotion, and sizzling passion flawlessly. They work so well together, conveying so much emotion in their performances, that they make this fun, sexy, and passionate story even more captivating. This series doesn’t get old to me, I can’t get enough of these sexy hockey players, and the women who challenge and love them!
Best friends always make the best partners and with this the 8th installment in the Arizona Vengeance Series, Sawyer Bennett once again proves that love and hockey go hand in hand. Kane and Mollie have been best friends for years, but when Mollie need the reassurance from her best bud the tables turn and feelings are brought to the fore front. Can they risk their friendship for a few nights of passion? Or will their connection only grow stronger? Love, Love, Loved reconnecting with the other players while also becoming engrossed in Kane and Mollie’s swoon-worthy romance.
***5 Stars***
This baby made my bookishaf heart all kinds of happy!
The friends to lovers journey made my romance loving heart all kinds of happy, there was good does of drama that gave me some time with a few favs from another series AND I got to catch up with some favs and get to know some of the side characters better as well as meet a new one who may just rival my main man Tacker when we finally get to into his story.
I loved Kane and Mollie. Kane is simply a good man. He sweet, charming and protective. Mollie is sweet, sassy and determined and though she is a wanderer, she’s also quite logical in how she wanders. Their journey to their HEA was a lot of fun to experience. I loved their bantering and it was easy to see how close they were from the start. While the angst was low, because they already know each other down to their very core, they did have to work through learning to be a couple who’s careers weren’t your typical 9-5 ones. I liked how they dealt with it all, even the big blowout which was definitely one where they were both right and wrong all at the same time, and couldn’t be happier with where they were at in the end.
As I said at the start of this review, I loved hanging out and catching up with the Vengeance crew because the family dynamic between all of the characters is something I really enjoy. I love seeing how all of their relationships evolve, where it is romantically or platonically. While I’m totally making grabby hands at Steele’s book, I’m totally crossing my toes that Jett, Baden and Riggs all get their own books because I need to know more about all of them!
~ Copy provided by the author & voluntarily reviewed ~
I adore Kane and Mollie and absolutely loved their story and journey from best friends to lovers and eventually a HEA.
When Mollie comes to visit after her latest travel adventure it’s clear she needed a break and some time with her bestie. It’s also clear there are deeper feelings between them that they are just discovering but not quite sure about. But Kane got what he needed to push him over the edge to just go for it and it was a pleasure watching them realize how much they already meant to each other as best friends and that taking things to the next level would only make everything that much better between them. Not to mention they have some serious chemistry to explore! I really liked how early in the book that happened so some other story lines could take flight.
Millie and Kane are so perfect for each other and they make each other shine, but is that enough to keep her wanderlust at bay? He certainly won’t be leaving hockey any time soon since he is thriving with the Arizona Vengeance, so things are sure to get a little complicated.
I really enjoy the fact that we get more of the other players and their women who we already know and love in this story as well as some new players. I love the storyline about one of his teammates Jim, and as an added bonus we get a crossover with Jameson Force Security as they help out with a scary situation Mollie is dealing with.
Hours of enjoyment!! Sawyer Bennett has done it again with another couple’s story in this amazing series!!
I’m a huge fan of Sawyer Bennett books and especially her hockey series. They’re always entertaining and Kane was absolutely no exception.
Kane Bellan is one of the Arizona Vengeance’s best forwards and training camp is getting ready to start. He and Mollie, who is a travel blogger, have been friends for over 10 years and she shows up on his doorstep out of the blue. She’s hopeful she can stay with him while she works some things out and he’s more than happy to have her.
Things between Kane and Mollie start to heat up fairly quickly after she arrives. They have a very easy, and hot, connection, but one of the things that continues to be an issue clouding their relationship is the fact that both of them travel for their jobs and that Mollie is full of wanderlust and not being tied down has always kept her going.
Not only do Kane and Mollie have to deal with their respective careers, there are other circumstances that are making things difficult for them. The commitment between the two of them is one of the things I loved about their relationship. I also love how we got to see so many of our favorite Vengeance couples throughout the book as well. It’s such a fantastic group!
This is one of my favorite books in this series. I read it so quickly and it was one I didn’t want to put down. I highly recommend it and I’m looking forward to the next one in the series as well!
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title in exchange for an honest review**
What I get a kick out of in these books, is the little snippet we get for the next release, so in the last book, we found out that Kane has a best friend of ten years, and she had rung him to check in. It was enough to have me intrigued and wanting to know more about this couple. In saying this, in this book, I am now hanging out to know more about Jim and his wife Ella and if they can fix their marriage.
I love this hockey romance series, and Kane is one of my favs. He loves his job and has settled in complete with the Vengeance club, especially his second line team mates. They are a close knit group and would do anything to help each other out, and that includes their significant others as well, it’s one huge happy family in Arizona. And Kane is going to need them to assist him protecting his bestie, Mollie when she comes to visit and drops a bombshell in his lap. But he is the man to help fix her problem, and has the means to go about it. What might be their stumbling block is time, not compromising and heat of the moment verbal sparing.
As well as Jim and Ella, I’m dying to know how Baden recovers and what’s behind the deep and dark Riggs. So many more Vengeance players to delve into. Can’t wait.
Another great read by Sawyer Bennett. These hockey players give you a run for their money. Each one has their own spin on a true love story that will grab you from the first word to the last. Kane and Molly have gone from best friends to lovers. He never thought they could have a “love” relationship because of her chosen carrier, travel blogger. He traveled for his career also so how could they find the time to be together. Although he has wanted her from the beginning. The friendship was strong but was he willing to sacrifice it at a chance for a relationship. But sometimes you have to take a chance otherwise live with the “what if.” Something happens to Molly on her last trip and she finds herself at Kane’s door. He willingly opens his home to her and tells her to stay for as long as she needs.
They finally give into their feelings and decide to give this relationship a chance. They do start out with a great foundation, friendship. They know each other better than anyone and are comfortable with each other. Their relationship is starting out with solid ground. But can Molly settle down with Kane and live in domestic bliss or will the road keep calling out to her for her to return?
This story gives you confidence in the characters and their relationship. It’s very endearing. Good communication, a lot of caring and an unbreakable friendship that has been build for years. Kane and Mollie have something precious that most would envy. He is such a gentleman and couldn’t be prouder of her accomplishments. She is his biggest fan and supporter. Plus they are the bomb in the sack! And even when the book gives you some tension and danger gravitating around Mollie, the danger lies on something much simpler but with a lot of significance. Trust is never lacking between them but how will they handle a wanderer soul in love with a settle in one place type of soul? Life may pull them in different directions at any moment… and that uncertainty will have you wondering if they can compromise towards a common goal.
What’s better then another Arizona Vengeance Book From Sawyer Bennett but a story about a friendship that has spanned the course of ten years to realize that the person might just be your person.
Mollie Callister is a world traveler who gets to live her dream everyday, writes a blog to share with the world but when her life is in jeopardy she knows the person who will protect her and have her back always is her best friend Kane Bellan.
Kane Bellan is a successful Stanley Cup Winner with the Arizona Vengeance but he is also a man who has loved and will do whatever it takes to keep Mollie safe, what he never expects is that spending the time with Mollie will open his eyes to more than friendship knowing that she might just be the right one for him who has been right in front of him for the past tens years.
Mollie & Kane’s chemistry is indescribably on fire, the easiness of their relationship is just fun and heartwarming to watch and knowing how easily they can transition from friends to more is the absolute best thing ever.
*5 Stars*
ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review.
I was so excited for this story, as I remembered a little bit of set up in the previous book in this series. The Arizona Vengeance is one of my favourite hockey series, and I truly loved Kane. I’m a sucker for best friends to lovers books, and I love Sawyer Bennett novels, so I knew this was going to be amazing.
Kane and Molly have been best friends for a decade, and when she turns up in town to stay with Kane, things get very interesting. The ball starts rolling pretty fast with these two, and they fall into a pretty awesome relationship. They both have careers that require travel, so that is always in the background as an issue of them being together and having to overcome.
There are some other things at play here, which I won’t mention, as I don’t want to ruin the story. I do Loe how we get to see our favourites from the previous books of the series, as I really love this hockey team and their signifcant others. What a family they have created.
There is no real angst in this either when we get to the inevitable issue near the end of the book, and so this was a really fun and easy read. I sped through this, and its probably one of my favourites in this series. Can’t wait to see them appear in future books. Also set up for what I think will be two more stories coming, so I can’t wait to get those.
Love this series and highly recommend!
Where do I even begin about Kane!
I devoured this amazing story and it honestly left me gobsmacked and so looking forward to more of this series!
Kane Bellan is a fun loving genuine man. The banter is off the charts and entertaining too.
Kane has known Mollie for ten years as best friends. Can they really stay that way or is there a possibility for more?
Mollie has a rather harrowing experience on her travels and goes to Kane to recover. What eventuates between them is drama, suspense, great friendships and witty conversations. The sizzling chemistry they have is undeniable but is it worth risking their friendship? I read this book in one sitting as I just couldn’t put it down.
A definite must read and a fantastic addition to the Arizona Vengeance series.