Max - Book Review

By Sawyer Bennett

Synopsis

The ice is a cold mistress. As the league’s most eligible goalie, Max Fournier has access to his fair share of willing puck bunnies, but right now he’s more interested in bringing home another championship than a one-night stand. A romantic at heart, Max believes in love; he’s just not great at relationships. So when he finally meets a nice girl who’s not blinded by his celebrity, he’s feeling the heat—and the pressure to save her from herself.

Between working two jobs and raising her sister’s kids, Julianne Bradley doesn’t have time for sports—or men. All she knows about Max is that he’s the sexiest customer to ever grace her gas-station counter. And he sees past her tired eyes and makes Jules yearn for things she can’t have: a glamorous fling, a passionate lover, and the time to enjoy both. Max makes her feel like Cinderella, even though Jules has enough baggage to crush a glass slipper. Luckily, he’s no prince—only a fierce competitor determined to win her heart.

Review

“Why are you such a good guy, Max?”
“It’s easy for the right girl.”

It’s quite possible that Max has become my favourite man in the Cold Fury series. He’s not a man marred by some dark and haunting past. He’s not a manwhore vowing to never fall in love. He’s just a nice guy who wants to find a nice girl and spend the rest of his life with her. He respects how hard-working Jules is, and while he doesn’t have a hero complex, he does want to make her life easier and help her to fulfil her dreams. He’s not only a champion for Jules, but for her niece and nephews too. He’s totally swoon worthy.

“I went back there to see you.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Pretty girl, I didn’t see a wedding ring, and I wanted to talk to you more. It’s what happens when a guy is interested in a girl.”

Jules is a strong and independent woman, one who became the legal guardian to her sister’s three kids. She’s struggling financially, works two jobs and doesn’t have much support, but she’s determined to give those kids a happy life. While she doesn’t have a reason to doubt his intentions, she believes that Max is too good to be true and therefore struggles to let him in completely and pushes him away, which is the only fault I had with her.

MAX is a very easy and sweet read and has one of the coolest epilogues I’ve ever read. I loved both Max and Jules and I thought they were a perfect match for each other. MAX is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.