Hawke - Book Review

By Sawyer Bennett

Synopsis

Off the ice, elite defenseman Hawke Therrien enjoys his fair share of booze and good times. And why shouldn’t he? He’s worked his way up from the minor leagues and made himself a star. The only thing Hawke misses from that life is the pierced, tattooed free spirit who broke his heart without so much as an explanation. She’s almost unrecognizable when she walks back into his life seven years later—except for the look in her eyes that feels like a punch to the gut.

Vale Campbell isn’t the same girl she was at twenty. As crazy as she was about Hawke, her reckless behavior and out-of-control drinking were starting to scare her. She had to clean up her act, and that would never happen with Hawke around. Cutting him loose was the hardest thing Vale ever had to do—until now. Because she’s still crazy about Hawke. And if he could ever learn to forgive her, they just might have a future together.

Review

HAWKE starts with a flashback of seven years, to when Hawke and Vale are madly in love at the age of twenty. Out of nowhere, Vale breaks up with Hawke and provides no reason for the breakup other than she doesn’t love him anymore. He tries for a few days to get her to talk to him, but she never returns his calls or texts and in his anger, he gives up and moves on. Back in the present day, Hawke is welcomed into the Cold Fury team on the same day that Vale is introduced as their newest athletic trainer. He thought he’d gotten over his feelings for her, but one look at her brings all the anger, frustration and yes, love, screaming to the surface.

HAWKE is a second-chance romance that is told in dual POVs, and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. I love Sawyer Bennett’s work, which is why it pains me to say that HAWKE was a bit of a letdown for me. I am not a fan of conflict that is caused by simple miscommunication. I was annoyed at Vale for laying half the blame on Hawke when absolutely none of the breakup was his fault. I was irritated by the constant allusion as to why Vale broke it off with Hawke, before the reason was finally revealed at the 60% mark. I really disliked the scene where Hawke nearly forced himself onto Vale, thinking that her refusal was unacceptable to him because he was too far gone. Lastly, he’s been sleeping around for the past seven years and she’s been in other relationships, and yet both are more than ok with not using a condom the first time, or any time after that. Overall, I feel that the book was as frustrating as it was enjoyable.