Xavier Cold (Hard Knocks #2) by Michelle A. Valentine

ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

“What’ll it be, Anna Cortez? Are you in, or are you out?”
One momentary loss of control has now ruined everything Xavier Cold had going for himself. With his world unraveling fast, he’s willing to do anything to save not only his job but his relationship with the only woman he’s ever loved.

Anna Cortez, still reeling from shock, tries desperately to save the man that’s consumed her heart, body and soul. She’ll have to dig deep and find courage she never knew she possessed to help Xavier fight demons from his past—a past that’s even more haunted than she ever imagined. 

Note: If you haven't read Phenomenal X just yet , then you might want to read it first before starting Xavier Cold. The book continues right where the first book ended.

It only took one moment for Xavier to lose control, and now he is on the verge of losing his career as a professional wrestler. After beating the hell out of his oponent, the company decides to suspend Xavier from the following matches. However, the company wants to keep Anna and make some sort of sick script about a love triangle between X ,Anna and Rex and Xavier has to play along with the story if he ever wants to return into the ring.

Now Xavier also needs to stay away from all the buzz and fuss and he is forced to head back to Detroit ,move into his old house, the same horrible house he grew in with his mother and that monster of a grandmother.

Not only that Xavier fights hard with himself and all the bad memories from his tormented childhood, but he also encounters his old buddies who are up to no good.

 X decides to keep his nose clean and stay put while Anna returns, but his friends have other plans.

And while accomplishing those plans, we find out more shocking informations about Xavier's family. 

I'm  pleased on how things went in this book. And I was surprised to notice how much both Anna and Xavier have evolved.

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Hawke (Cold Fury Hockey #5) by Sawyer Bennett

ARC kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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.

 Hawke is the new addition to the Cold Fury hockey team and he is already on the verge of glory. Seven years ago he got his heart broken and every since then he is willing to give everything for his passion.  Except that life had other plans for him and soon he crosses paths with Vale Campbell, the girl who broke his heart and simply told him to go away as she is no longer interested in him.

Now Hawke is trying to figure out why Vale left him in the first place .But since she does her best to avoid him,  Hawke reconnects with people from his old life hoping that this will bring him close to her . Slowly he puts the pieces of the puzzle together but his big question remains without an answer.

So when Vale's dad got worse , our heroine got pushed over the edge and she was no longer able to carry such a big emotional baggage. So she finally breaks down and tells Hawke her 

most hidden secret.

"Come on , Vale...we have a history...a bad one"

"No, Hawke, we have a great history. We had one bad moment."

Well, at this point of the story I can't say that I agree with Vale,  I mean as an outgoing girl and a free spirit I wouldn't blame Hawke for everything and throw it all into his face.  It takes two to tango . They had high attraction for eachother and they could talk just by watching one in the eye,  yet their lack of verbal communication bothers me.  But at the end of the day young love is always naive and the sweetest.

Vale's dressing code might have chanced after seven years but I can't really say that she grown faster than Hawke...

What I don;t understand is...

Why Vale isn't ready to get over her past and forgive Hawke for just being a guy, but yet  she has no problem in sitting at the table and having a good time with one of Hawke's ...erm...friend with benefits. Why blaming the guy only and consider that you have done nothing wrong? She was the crazy , party girl and Hawke was the one supporting her wilde side.

Also , Hawke  stil believes that a hot bath and good sex can clean up their past and solve all of their problems.

Vale decided to give them one more chance and when they were going for the better the poor girl dares to say the magic words.

But the magic words turn out to be not so magic, more like a  curse. And poooofff the magic is off.

To tell you the truth , I wasn't ready for Hawke's answer and neither was Vale,

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