Alex by Sawyer Bennett [Review]

Alex (Cold Fury Hockey #1) by Sawyer Bennett
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: May 30, 2016

Cold Fury Hockey
1. Alex - Kindle
2. Garrett
3. Zack
4. Ryker
5. Hawke
6. Max

Sawyer Bennett
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Synopsis (Goodreads):

Hockey star Alexander Crossman has a reputation as a cold-hearted player on and off the rink. Pushed into the sport by an alcoholic father, Alex isn't afraid to give fans the proverbial middle finger, relishing his role as the MVP they love to hate. Management, however, isn't so amused. Now Alex has a choice: fix his public image through community service or ride the bench. But Alex refuses to be molded into the Carolina Cold Fury poster boy . . . not even by a tempting redhead with killer curves.

As a social worker, Sutton Price is accustomed to difficult people--like Alex, who's been assigned to help her create a drug-abuse awareness program for at-risk youth as part of the team's effort to clean up his image. What she doesn't expect is the arrogant smirk from his perfect lips to stir her most heated fantasies. But Sutton isn't one to cross professional boundaries--and besides, Alex doesn't do relationships . . . or does he? The more she sees behind Alex's bad-boy facade, the more Sutton craves the man she uncovers.

Thoughts on Alex: I wasn't expecting to like Alex as much as I did. I mean, the guy's...not so nice when we first meet him. He has his reasons, of course, and it takes him a long time to work past them, but he started out as a grade-A dickwad and he wasn't afraid to let everyone know.

I really did help that I felt for the guy. His dad messed him up BIG TIME and Alex had some notions about himself that he couldn't shake. It kinda killed me that Alex saw himself as good at one thing and one thing only. If he wasn't a hockey star, he had nothing to fall back on. OUCH. (Yeah, maybe a little true in the beginning simply because he had no connections to fall back on. Not being able to talk through your options and figure out a path when things seem hopeless would make it feel like you've got nothing in your pocket.)

Then there's Sutton. She sees Alex so well because she'd been where he was. She worked past it, whereas Alex didn't, but she knows how easily someone's childhood can shape them. Honestly, I liked her straightforwardness with Alex. She pushed too hard at times, but she cared and that's what it's all about.

As for Alex's teammates, I can't wait to see them fall. Garrett, I'm looking at you. Anybody who would voluntarily seek out friendship with Alex V.1 is a-okay in my book. Especially when Garrett did it without losing his smile. Also, his meddling made me laugh.

In other words, GO, CAROLINA COLD FURY!