Dax: An Arizona Vengeance Novel

This series just keeps getting better and better and I believe that Dax may be my new favorite by this author. This book falls into a few different romance tropes - hockey romance, friends-to-lovers, and a marriage of convenience. After Regan’s brother is killed in a mugging, his best friend, Dax takes it upon himself to look after Regan. The two enter a marriage of convenience and neither one of them bargained on falling in love with each other. Regan is a breath of fresh air. She is a strong heroine who has survived the loss of her parents and later her brother. She has a health problem that she is bravely battling and she is fierce, determined, and independent. I adored Dax with his protective streak towards Regan, but also with how sweet and caring he is towards her. He is also a great team player and tries to look out for his friends both on and off the ice. He is an all around good, honorable man. Dax’s and Regan’s relationship is relatively low on angst, but there is a palpable chemistry between them. I like how they had the history of growing up together and then seeing their relationship evolve from friends to lovers. One of the things that I like about this author is that each of her books have unique storylines. Yes, this is a hockey sports romance, but she tackles different subject matter with each story and it is evident that she does judicious research. In Dax, she accurately brings to light that there are people out there who are ill and struggle to get access to the life saving treatments that they need. Dax is the 4th book in the Arizona Vengeance series and it can be read as a standalone. There is a bit of a timeline overlap with Legend’s story, but you will not find yourself lost in this story. I really enjoyed getting to see some of the old favorites from the pervious books such as Bishop, Erik, and Legend as well as learn a bit more about Tacker. Overall, I really enjoyed this sports romance in that the story was well written, the characters are likable and well-developed, and the plot moves at a good pace. I received Dax for free and I am really looking forward to this author’s next book.

Dax plays for the Arizona Vengeance hockey team. When his best friend, Lance, from childhood gets killed Dax gets thrown for a loop. He also gets a shock when he sees Lance's little sister, Regan, who isn't so little anymore for the first time in a few years. Knowing that something is wrong with Regan, Dax pays her a visit to her New York apartment. What he ends up finding out causes him to step up and be the white knight that he knows Lance would have wanted him to be....he asks Regan to marry him and she actually agrees. Now that Dax and Regan are living platonically in Arizona he starts to realize that he may be having certain feelings for his best friend's little sister...one of my favorite troupes...and it seems she is having those same feelings. Things quickly heat up between Dax and Regan and soon their platonic relationship is very real. As Dax and Regan navigate this new relationship they both start to realize that they may have just found their happy ever after that neither of them was even looking for. I just adored Dax and Regan. I loved how their story quickly went from friends, to marriage of convenience to lovers! These two are both such sweet, loving people and they deserved what ever happiness they can get. I just love this series and it was fun connecting with the other players too. We did get a little glimpse into Tacker and I am so looking forward to that story even though it looks like it will be an emotional one!

Regan Miles has suffered great loss in her short life. At 14, she lost both parents in a tragic car accident, then her brother was recently killed in a random mugging. She was also diagnosed with PNH, a life threatening disease that affects the red blood cells in your body. The treatment Regan requires is extremely costly, even with insurance. Her brother, Lance, went into debt paying for her treatments and education. After his death, she no longer had insurance. She was desperate... Dax Monahan lived and breathed hockey and the lifestyle it afforded him. His hockey team, The Arizona Vengeance, is on track to win the Stanley Cup. Even though all his friends have found their “true love”, it’s not for him. He enjoys being single too much. When he received word his best friend, Lance, had been killed he rushed to Regan’s side. The Regan he thought of like a sister, was no more. This Regan was GORGEOUS and in trouble. After several attempts to get her to open up, he finds out she has a life threatening disease. So he does what any Alpha man does. He demands she leave California, marry him and move to Arizona. Sawyer Bennett blends real world occurrences with romance effortlessly. This story brought me to tears, made me laugh, had me cheering for Dax and Regan, learning about PNH...all while wondering, aching for Tacker. I LOVE that Regan was able to break through Tacker’s emotional wall and get him to smile. I enjoyed Regan and Willow’s party crashing as well. I liked the simplicity of all that Regan encompassed. She’s real and relatable. Dax’s reaction to her crisis was so gut wrenching, frantic. I wanted him to ask Dominick for a ride on his plane. That way, he’d owe him and maybe have to help him win over Willow! I also loved that Sawyer was able to bring the hot topic of medical treatment and insurance into play without being too political. I can’t wait to dive into Tacker’s story! I read a gifted copy and all opinions stated are my own.