USA TODAY BESTSELLER • When the Carolina Cold Fury’s hottest young star gets blindsided by an ex with a scandalous secret, it’s game on. “One of the best voices in contemporary romance.”—New York Times bestselling author Lauren Layne Marek Fabritis is used to delivering blows, not receiving them. But when he gets tipped off by an anonymous email about his ex-girlfriend, the news leaves him … anonymous email about his ex-girlfriend, the news leaves him ice cold—and it’s not because Gracen Moore is getting married to a total jerk. It’s the fact that Marek has a three-year-old daughter he never knew about. Now he’s going back home, not to play knight in shining armor but to make damn sure that no man takes what’s his. For the first time, there might be something more important than hockey.
Gracen Moore has always loved Marek. That’s why she let him go, so he could pursue a career in the NHL. And that’s why she never told him about Lilly. Only now does Gracen realize that she made an unforgivable mistake. But is that any reason for Marek to crash her wedding and make an epic scene? If the spark that still smolders between them is to be trusted, maybe. Still, Gracen’s not getting her hopes up. Because she knows better than anyone that appearances aren’t always what they seem. . . .
Praise for Marek
“Another five-star read from Sawyer Bennett! A second-chance roller coaster of emotions. I was cheering for Marek from page one. Loved it.”—USA Today bestselling author Sidney Halston
“Marek is a steamy, emotional, second-chance romance that had me rooting for both deeply scarred characters. Sawyer Bennett neverdisappoints.”—Gillian Archer, author of Rough Ride
“Just when I think the Carolina Cold Fury Hockey series couldn’t possibly get any better, Sawyer Bennett gives us Marek!”—Steph and Chris’s Book Review (five stars)
The Carolina Cold Fury series from New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett can be read together or separately:
ALEX
GARRETT
ZACK
RYKER
HAWKE
MAX
ROMAN
LUCAS
VAN
REED
MAREK
And don’t miss her Arizona Vengeance series:
BISHOP
ERIK
LEGEND
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
Includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
more
It’s a fun read if you like books about hockey players; very cute and whimsical
When Marek first got his shot at playing professional hockey, he did the unthinkable and broke up with Gracen, his hometown sweetheart and his first love. He’s tried his damnedest to not think about her too much over the years, but that becomes impossible when he gets an anonymous email telling him that Gracen is getting married. When he shows up to stop the wedding, the last thing he expects to discover is that Gracen has a three year old daughter – HIS daughter – that she has kept secret from him for all of these years. In an attempt to get to know Lilly better, Marek convinces Gracen move the two of them back to his home in North Carolina. Little does he realize that their daughter isn’t Gracen’s only big secret. There’s a reason that she walked away from her almost-marriage and ran away with him so easily and she’s determined to fix this problem before anyone realizes it even exists…
For someone who has never watched an entire hockey game all the way through and only ever really cares about the sport during the Olympics (when I still only really watch the highlights), oh how I love hockey romances. And Sawyer Bennett’s Cold Fury series as a whole is a really great hockey series. But Marek’s book wasn’t one of my favorites, and that mostly had to do with the characters. I had a hard time connecting with either Gracen or Marek, and ultimately I just didn’t like their relationship.
Marek is livid with Gracen over her decision to keep his daughter a secret from him, and rightly so. But Gracen had relatively understandable reasons for doing so and felt guilty and apologized constantly for her choices. The whole book seemed to be built around her guilt and his anger and all the fault seemed to fall on Gracen, which I didn’t find particularly fair. Sure, she made some mistakes, but despite constantly apologizing, every time Marek did something wrong, his course of action was to go back to blaming Gracen’s choices for his actions. I just couldn’t ever root for Marek in their relationship- from the very beginning his behavior bothered me. He backed Gracen into a corner and essentially forced her to leave her support system and job to move in to his home in an entirely different state, just to not even pay attention to them once they were there. He’s often cruel and insanely stubborn and refuses to let go of the past.
They both spent a lot of time screaming at each other and fighting and it made me more uncomfortable than swoony, not what I usually expect from Bennett’s books. But I will say that this could just be a me issue and not a book issue – in real life I wouldn’t have ever wanted a friend to deal with the things Marek put Gracen through and that affected how I reacted to the way they interacted throughout the book.
I also didn’t particularly care for the subplot dealing with Gracen’s more recent choices and why she was originally going through with the marriage that Marek interrupted at the beginning of the novel. It started off as a compelling plot line- there were secrets and blackmail and intrigue. But it ultimately turned into a situation where there wasn’t actually any real conflict, all of the problems could have been avoided had the characters just talked to each other. All the conflict just became a non-issue once they finally did that. It felt a little anticlimactic.
That being said, there were things I liked and those are the things that made me read the book until the end. I may not have been super fond of the romantic relationship of the novel, but I really loved all the other familial and friend relationships that developed throughout the story. Once Marek got over some of his more idiotic behavior and started to actually spend time with his daughter, I really did love the scenes between him and Lilly. He grows to be an adorably proud dad and truly loves her. I also loved the inclusion of both Gracen and Marek’s parents. They added a nice set of side characters that rounded out the story and helped provide some relief from inevitable fighting that occurred whenever a scene was just Gracen and Marek. But most of all, I loved getting more Reed and especially Josie. I thought they were great in their book and I loved seeing Reed put Marek in his place like I often wanted to. And I adored Josie and Gracen becoming such good friends and Josie being able to be a sounding board for Gracen’s problems.
Marek was a well-written book and for fans of secret kid books or very angsty and tumultuous relationships, this book would likely be a big hit for them.
I absolutely love Sawyer Bennett, her Wicked Horse Series is one of my all time favorites! So, why I waited so long to dive into The Cold Fury Series I have no idea because Marek’s story was terrific! This second chance romance is a emotional journey for Marek and Gracen, has they tried to forgive each other and move on from past hurts. Terrific writing with characters you can’t help but love,can’t wait to experience all the men of Cold Fury!!
There is a lot of anger and resentment accumulated between Marek and Gracen but all of it exist because there is a lot of passion and love involved. Discovering that he is a father has Marek out of balance. With a lot of trial and error and some forced help he learns that he needs to control his temper in order to be a man and a father to his full potential. He needs to learn to let go of the past and enjoy the surprise that will be his future. I like that he becomes a protective in your face man with no excuses. I like that this book is not an I always loved you so I will forgive and forget everything like a fairy tale type of story. Both Marek and Gracen are hurt, but they still care about each other and they have a lot of residual love to dig up. This book was intense, exciting and charged with emotion making Marek another flawed but perfect addition to the cold fury series.
Love me some Cold Fury Hockey!!! Marek and Gracen’s book had me hooked from the start. I have to say that I thought Marek was a butt! But, I loved the first scene with him taking care of Lily. That is when I found him to be more human. There is a lot of history between the 2 that just keeps going and going. I wanted to bang both of their heads together a time or two. Lots of angst is included in that history these two share. Loved seeing some of the other characters from previous books. This book has all of the feels needed. Great storyline. Believable storyline. Dual point of view. No cliffhanger.
4.5 Stars
Marek by Sawyer Bennett is the eleventh book (I cannot believe it’s book 11 already!) in the Cold Fury Series! It can be read as a stand-alone but I do recommend reading the others as well. I love love lovedddd this story. It was full of angsty goodness that had me rooting for the characters from the get go.
Marek and Gracen have a tumultuous past that resulted in a child that Marek knew nothing about. When he goes to try and stop Gracen from getting married, he got one heck of a surprise when he meets Lilly, his daughter. He is furious and takes both of them to his home to figure out what to do. Both Marek and Gracen are stuck dealing with emotions and the consequences from the choices they made. Will they be able to move forward and be a family for their daughter…or will it be too late?
Sawyer Bennett sure knows how to write fantastic stories that are heartfelt and realistic! I loved Marek and Gracen and their relationship. Yes there were mistakes made but that’s what made the story so good. My emotions were all over the place-one minute swooning over Marek and the next feeling heartache. I am so excited to see what’s next for Ms.Bennett!
4.5 Lilly Bug stars
Right when that bomb dropped at the end of Reed’s book, I knew I wanted to get my hands on Marek’s story right away. It certainly left me curious as all get out, wondering what happened and why suddenly he has a daughter he never knew about.
“Let go, Gracie. Just let go and fall with me.”
Marek is the kind of second chance romance that has my heart melting all over the place. It might’ve been years since he and Gracen last saw each other—they might’ve not ended that relationship on good terms and they might’ve not seen eye to eye on the first half of this book… but the more time they spent together, the more they got to know these new, more mature versions of themselves, not to mention having a little girl that now bound them together, the fiercer, more explosive and inevitable those feelings became between them.
Every time Marek called Gracen, Gracie, I felt like I was floating into the clouds. He was just so sweet and charming, there’s no way you can shut the guy down. Every time he doted on his three-year old daughter, Lilly, I died a little more inside. She was absolutely so adorable that every moment had me falling hard and wrapped around her tiny finger even more. By the end of this book, I just felt like my heart was too big, too full to fit inside my chest.
Yes, there were times that I got pissed off with both the main characters—Marek with his assholeness and Gracen with her selfishness—but then we all have flaws. Every time they threw those faults back at each other, the realer and more relatable they became to me. Their second chance at love just goes to show how time, and one’s maturity and purpose can truly change the way things go in a relationship. That it doesn’t mean when it ends, there’s no hope of getting it back or making it flourish into something even more beautiful when the right time comes.
A heartwarming, sexy second chance romance, meshed with a good dose of hockey, Marek is truly one of the best I’ve read in the Cold Fury series. And if this really marks the end of an epically phenomenal series, then I’d say Sawyer Bennett made sure she did it with a bang. Max may forever be my favorite one out of the lot, but this one definitely comes close.
Sawyer Bennett’s Cold Fury Hockey is one of my favorite sports romance series, and Marek is another swoony, stand-alone installment. It’s a sexy, angsty and bittersweet second-chance romance with a compelling, broody alpha hero and features one of my favorite tropes — the secret baby — which is a storyline that can be fraught with problems but is handled perfectly here. I understand and sympathize with Gracen’s reasons for keeping her daughter a secret, while also believing Marek’s anger and feelings of betrayal are justified but healable. Their emotions leap off the page as they slowly and painfully work toward a reconciliation, and I felt everything along the way and rooted for them with each turn of the page. There is something deeply satisfying about Gracen and Marek overcoming their past mistakes, finding love again and seizing their happy-ever-after as a family, and Marek reminds me why I adore second-chance romances, especially ones with a secret baby.
Recommendation appeared @ USA Today’s Happy Ever After on May 22, 2018
ARC provided, but this review was voluntarily and honestly written
3 1/2 stars. I was totally Team Gracen on this one. I really felt for her and her choices she made. When he gave her the reason he was breaking up with her, I think I would have felt the same. He was a jerk. However, time and maturity gave some perspective and Marek was able to see things in a different light. Solid read.
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)
Marek is very broody, so it was fun to see him get all flustered:
“I think I need to poop,” she says. “Will you tell me a story?”
“I . . . um . . . well . . . a story?” She nods, grinning at me expectantly. “Okay, well . . . what kind of story?” I step into the bathroom and shut the door behind me.
Marek isn’t one for taking people’s crap when it comes to his family, “…the door flies open and Marek is storming out onto the porch. He’s got on his shorts zipped but unbuttoned, and his hair is as bad as mine. My fingers spent a lot of time there last night. “What in the eff are you doing on my property?” Marek barks…” Gracen sure knows how to show her man how appreciative she is, “thank you for a great night, and I’m so going to suck your ***k when we get home.” I liked this book, I really loved Marek, he was all broody and growly
I loved this second chance romance!
Marek, Cold Fury second string hockey player gave it all up to play hockey and have the time of his life as a young man after graduating college. Oh he had his fun, but she’s still got a hold on him and his memories are always there.
Gracen was devastated when he walked away. His love wasn’t strong enough or he fell out of love, but it colored her decision to keep the news of her pregnancy and birth of his daughter from him for nearly four years.
He’s brought her back to his home to get to know his daughter and prevent Gracen from marrying *explicative* Owen. But he’s never there and when he is, his behavior has her wanting to return home no matter what she’d have to endure with Owen.
The next several weeks are filled with anger and resentment, anxiety and harsh words. But their chemistry is undeniable…still, and passion overtakes anger. Her heart is still engaged but his isn’t and that has heartbreak all over it. Solution? Physical closeness. Emotional distance. Does it work? Nope!!
I thought my heart would break. But that epilogue is filled with ALL the feels and cuteness. And a bit of a surprise. Didn’t see that one coming! Wonderful ending to the Cold Fury series. It’s always great to see the players and their wives/girlfriends and children.
5 Realizing There’s More to Life than Hockey Stars!!!
I’m not sure how she does it, but this series just keeps getting better and better with each book. I keep saying the last book was my favorite and I’m not sure what would replace it….but I can tell you now that Marek is hands-down my favorite of this series!
I’m a huge fan of this kind of trope and watching a man who didn’t realize there could be more in his life than what he’s already passionate about; in this case Marek’s life revolves around Cold Fury hockey and nothing or no one is going to stop him from living his dream….until he finds out about Lilly! And oh my heart when he realizes how much he missed of her life because of Gracen…I totally understood his anger. But then they see each other again and talk about sky rocketing fireworks!! Their passion has not diminished over the last three years!!
Watching the progression of how Marek becomes a “daddy” was the sweetest thing ever. And while he and Gracie definitely had a lot of terse moments, the passion they generated when they were talking with their bodies instead of their lips was just hot as anything I’ve ever read!!
This book has so many things to love about it…finding the love of your life, again; becoming the best daddy around, standing up for the woman you love and having her in return finally stand up for what her heart wants and not what her head is telling her to do…or for that matter having someone else tell her what to do! Ms. Bennett brought me into this story with the grace and ease of her writing while giving us a passionate love story that will stick with me for a long time to come!
4.5
Marek is the next book in the Cold Fury Hockey series by the fabulous Sawyer Bennett. I love this series. It has hockey, lust, love, sexiness, humor, friendship and family. Sawyer never disappoints me with her characters who always have the perfect amount of humor and snark. Marek is cranky, angry and a little bit crazy. We knew he went back home and saved his first love from getting married. Now we get to see what he’s up to and it’s not all good. His heart is in the right place. But after stopping Gracen, he finds out he has a three year old daughter. He can’t believe she kept his daughter from him. He’s mad and has no idea what to do. Worst part, he’s still attracted to Gracen, but he’s treating her like crap. Gracen never stopped loving Marek. She didn’t mean to keep Lilly a secret, but he wanted out to go play hockey and be free. She let him go. He let her go. Now, they have to figure out how to be parents together while they fight the lust swirling around them. Can they keep their hands off each other? Will they ever be able to get the hurt from the past go? I really enjoyed this story. I felt for both Gracen and Marek. Both made decisions that made sense at the time, but years later, being together again, all their passion and love is still there. But they can’t move into the future together without letting go of the past.
“I love it when you think you’re actually in control, Gracie.”
Marek is the 11th book in cold fury series, and I know some will say ‘Eleven Books’ it can’t be a good series anymore right?! Wrong this series just continuously grows and never gets old. Honestly im scared for the day the series will see no more! This book is second chance romance, and we get to see lil bit of Marek’s character in Reed’s book but this of course gives of full disclosure. I wasn’t sure I would enjoy this book because Marek and Gracen at first seem to bicker and bring up the past way to often and it was a bit monotonous, but it turned around and became another great story for me! I would give it a 4 stars and highly recommend to others.
Marek left behind the girl 3 years ago, he wanted the fame the fortune and didn’t want to hold anyone back from getting there own life they wanted, so he chose to leave it all behind….but what he didn’t realize he was leaving more than just a “girl” behind….
Gracen was heartbroken when Marek left, she never did understand why he would choose to not ask her to go with him but choose to indulge in the life of a bachelor. So that being said she chose to keep a secret from him, one that will come crashing down on her on her wedding day…
Get to one clicking to see how this story unfolds you don’t want to miss it!
4 Stars!
You know, you would think that after ten books about hockey players finding romance the stories would stale or tropes would be recycled, but that is not the case for The Cold Fury series. Sawyer Bennett continues to come up with new and engaging stories. This time, we get Marek’s story and it is a doozy. This book is more emotional than most of the others in the series and involves the cutest little book kiddo!
Marek finds out he has a child he knew nothing about by his former high school sweetheart, Gracen. Their relationship did not end well and he left to play hockey. She never told him about their child. Fast-forward three years and now he has busted up her wedding and practically kidnapped Gracen and his daughter, Lily, and brought them to NC.
Bennett does an amazing job developing the relationship between Gracen and Marek, allowing the reader to experience their frustrations and longing. But, even better was Lilly. That little girl stole everyone’s hearts! She was the catalsyt that drove the entire book. The book is steamy, as we have come to expect from Sawyer Bennett, but it also has a ton of heart and soul.
Another amazing addition to the Cold Fury Series!
I hated how Marek was treating Gracen. He brought them to his house and basically abandoned them. When Gracen finally called a stop to that he continued to treat Gracen poorly. Gracen let him because she felt guilty about keeping her pregnancy from him. I felt that Marek was at fault for not knowing because he chose pro hockey over Gracen.
Sawyer Bennett writes real life types storylines. She didn’t water down the way Marek and Gracen were feeling. I could feel how each character felt. I sided mostly with Gracen but Marek finally came around.
It is a great read and is a stand alone. If you read the book before this one then you knew what happened. If you did not Sawyer covers what happened in the beginning of this book.
I dare you to read this and not choose sides. And after you choose, stick to that side. It won’t be easy. Part sports romance, part second chance romance, Marek brought a storyline we had yet to see from the Cold Fury men. The emotions run high from beginning to end. But you get an adorable toddler out of the deal too.
Marek’s story started with a bang at the end of the previous book Reed. While technically I think this one works as a standalone, I think you will be better off if you’ve read Reed first because the bang really happens there, and then Marek picks right up where that one left off. And it was immediately gripping as Marek and Gracen adjusted to the ways their lives were suddenly reconnected, and the revelation of the long kept baby secret. Emotional and compelling – this wasn’t exactly a fairytale romance, but it was a rather lovely romance nonetheless.
I was afraid I would find Marek unlikeable, but I felt like the way he was written was very realistic and while he certainly has a temper and a whole lot of anger, it didn’t get in the way of my connecting with him or his re-ignited feelings for Gracen. And there is literally nothing sexier than a man who is in love with being a dad, so even if there were issues elsewhere, Marek’s relationship with Lilly would have sold me on him immediately.
I also loved Gracen. I felt like she handled her role in their messed up situation with grace and dignity and a satisfying amount of humility. I also appreciated how she guarded her heart and that her fears were taken into account and handled respectfully as well. I identified with her and warmed to her easily. I loved the way she easily settled into a friendship with Josie, and how this story tied in so nicely with Reed.
While I overall enjoyed the story, there were some awkward transitions that pulled me out of it and left me confused on occasion. I felt like the characters were as lovable and engaging as I have come to expect from Ms. Bennett’s characters, but the pacing and the storytelling was sometimes just a little bit off for me. Not enough to ruin the story, by any means, but enough so that Marek was perhaps not my favorite Cold Fury story.
In the end, it’s emotional and sexy and easy to read. I loved the little family these characters made in the end (and good grief, but the ending was completely adorable). It’s safe to say that, eleven books in, I’m still crazy about my Cold Fury men! ~ Shelly, 3.5 Stars
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. She did not want to destroy Marek’s shot at pursuing his dreams so she sacrificed her happiness for his, and moved on with her life, raising her beautiful daughter Lilly all by her lonesome.
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. Can this Cold Fury heartthrob set aside his seething rage 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 Iflooooooved 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!
Which, ultimately, in my book, is a total win!
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!