Benched

4.5 Stars This book really had it all for me. It's a sports romance and a single dad romance which had me sold right off the bat. Then throw in two nerdy characters even better. I loved Angie. I so could relate to her a lot and she's so endearing. Angie has a heart of gold. I really like her friends she makes. I could easily fit in with them with my love Harry Potter. Max and his little boy are so adorable together. His son sure adds so much to this book. This book definitely packs in the feels. With everything that Angie has gone through in life I was rooting for her to get her HEA that she so deserves. This book also has a little suspense to it which adds another layer to the book. The characters pull you right in the book and I got so invested in them. I have to give it to Max he knows how to woo someone. I highly recommend this book because you will have a hard time putting it down.

Elise Faber is victorious with BENCHED (Gold Hockey #4). In this story, single dad/NHL star Max Montgomery gets his son, Brayden, a dog when he says he wants a new mom. He has no intention of going there again. However, he can’t seem to get Angelica Shallows, the half-sister of the Gold’s Physical Therapist, Mandy, out of his head. This story is suitable for adult readers. It takes place in San Francisco, California. Elise Faber does an admiral job with her character development. She does a fantastic job of getting you in her characters' heads and understanding the reason for their reactions. Angie has been through a lot. Due to multiple circumstances, she is introverted and suffers from anxiety. She is understandably cautious about getting to know her half-sister Mandy. She was hurt by not having her father in her life. I like how Angie is introduced to Brayden. I like Max. He is observant and has good priorities. He gets Angie. He is better off without his ex-wife, Suzanne. I love that Max, Angie, and Brayden are Star Wars fans. The plot was believable and skillfully executed. There were unexpected twists. The book was entertaining throughout. I recommend this book and series to people that enjoy sports romances. The epilogue made me interested in wanting to read the next book, BREAKAWAY. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

This isn't the first book by this author that I've read. However I think it has become my favorite. Not only do we get a hot single dad hockey player. But we also get a shy, thinks she's awkward, nerdy engineer who loves everything Star Wars. I just adored Angie! She may have felt out of her element most of the time, but that's okay. When she finally stepped out of her safe box she was willing and ready to fight for the people she loved; fight for the family she loved. She became a hero in my eyes. She fought adversity and won. I also loved Max. He was pushed past his limits and overcame them. For the longest time he believed he needed to stay single and put Brayden first. That was until he met Angie and really got to know her. He fell hard and deep. Yeah, he slipped up but he's only human and Angie recognized that to forgive him. I love that these two found each other. Then there's Brayden. Who wouldn't love this kid!! Seriously! I knew I didn't want to give up on this author and I'm glad I didn't. Great book, great family! *I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.*