ARC Review: Enforcer by Samantha Whiskey

Enforcer is the second book in Samantha Whiskey's Seattle Sharks series, with each book being a standalone novel. I absolutely love sports romance stories, and this one sounded so good that I couldn't wait to read it. It was a really fun read and I was entertained from start to finish. I liked this one more than the first in the series, and I am really looking forward to reading more from Samantha Whiskey. 

Rory Jackson, Enforcer for the Seattle Sharks, lives and breathes hockey. So when he finds himself in trouble yet again after his short temper leads to another brawl, he knows that he needs to do whatever it takes for Coach not to bench him. Future CEO Paige Turner has just the solution, they will enter into a relationship for a few months to turn his image around while she gets to fulfill some naughty items on her dirty bucket list before signing the morality clause that comes with being CEO. But if Rory screws up it could damage her image and with a set time for the end of their agreement, what happens if they find themselves wanting more? 

I liked these two a lot. They were so different, yet their chemistry was off the charts. Rory had a tough childhood that made his temper and role as Enforcer completely understandable, yet he was a lot more than that. He felt that he wasn't worthy and treated Paige differently than he had with anyone before her. I loved seeing how special she was and the fact that he knew it, while my heart broke for him at times with what he had come from and how that really affected him. Paige was sweet and caring, and I really liked her. She was a kind and giving, yet she wasn't afraid to stand up to others when they needed it. I loved seeing these two get to really know one another and I couldn't get enough of their connection. They fit together perfectly and brought out the best in one another. 

Overall, this was a really great story and I enjoyed it a lot. These two were fun to read about, and this story had a little bit of everything for readers. It was sweet yet also sexy, fun while also being emotional. It was one that I definitely would recommend if you are a fan of hockey romance or sports romance stories, and I am looking forward to reading the next in the series.

**ARC Provided by Author**

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ARC Review: Grinder by Samantha Whiskey

I was really excited to read Grinder by Samantha Whiskey when I saw that it combined a few of my favorite things in romance novels. Not only did it involve a sexy hockey player, but he was a single dad and the heroine was his best friend! This one had all the signs of being a book I would love because it was ticking all the right boxes for me. Unfortunately the story didn't quite live up to my expectations or hopes and I ended up being disappointed here. If you don't want to see any spoilers you might want to stop here, as there are some things that bothered me that might spoil some parts of the story. I wanted to give reasons behind my opinion for those that might have the same issues, and unfortunately the only way to do that is to just lay it out there so proceed at your own risk. 

After the woman he thought he would spend the rest of his life with walked out on him and their daughter, Gage McPherson has vowed to never fall in love again. All he needs is his daughter and hockey. When his childhood best friend graduates from college and is in need of a job, Gage hires her to be their nanny, looking after Scarlett when he can't. Bailey is the only one besides his mom that he trusts to take care of her, and she immediately fits in perfectly with their little family. But both Bailey and Gage want more, though Gage isn't willing to give them a chance. Can Bailey show him that the three of them belong together and are worth the risk for a future together, or will Gage continue to push her away because he is scared of her leaving him like everyone else has?

I really wanted to love these characters and there were times that I did like them. I will say though that for Gage and Bailey supposedly being best friends from childhood, they had zero connection. It felt like these two had just met when Bailey took the nanny job and as though they had been strangers before that. There was nothing showing that these two supposedly had this strong connection and unfortunately that made it hard to really buy into things here. I also hated the fact that while there was technically mo cheating here, we had to endure the hero with other women as he paraded them in and out of his house not only in front of Bailey, but also in front of his three year old daughter. We along with the heroine had to hear about the loud sex they had, and it just rubbed me the wrong way. While he did stop once he admitted he had feelings for Bailey, he continued to make comments about how OW hit on him and wanted to have sex with him. It was just hard to get over while he continued to push Bailey away due to his own insecurities and fears. Not only did he push her away, but he was dead set on her being the one to give things up for them while he was unwilling to do the same. It made him come off as selfish, so even when he changed later on it was a bit too little too late for me. 

The other thing that really didn't work for me was the fact that this three year old (while absolutely adorable!) that was turning four and was five in the epilogue, was able to speak in full coherent sentences and could read documents far advanced for her age. Even being a very smart five year old, I just couldn't believe some of the things she would say or do especially in the epilogue when she was able to read the adoption papers that said Bailey was going to be adopting her. There were just too many things that were unbelievable and felt far too advanced for even the smartest kids her age. Overall, this is one that I really wanted to love but just couldn't. There were too many things that didn't work for me and unfortunately even the parts of the story that I did like fell a bit flat. It was predictable and there really wasn't anything new or different here. I did like the guys on Gage's team, and I might give their books a shot. If you are looking for a quick sports romance and don't mind some of the things I mentioned, I recommend giving this one a shot. While this one didn't work for me personally, that is not to say that it won't be a story you enjoy.

**ARC Provided by Author**

Purchase: | Amazon |