Kace by Sawyer Bennett

Narrated by Aiden Snow and Isabel Ruther

Book 20 in the Pittsburgh Titans Series, but can stand alone.

Kace is the last standalone in the Pittsburgh Titans Series, and I’m sad that the team I’ve gotten to know is coming to an end.

I work for Sawyer and received these audiobooks on a complimentary basis, so it’s up to you how much you trust this review. But I will say this. Since she’s my boss, if I thought it was under 4 stars, I just wouldn’t review it. I review every single book I read honestly, but this is a bit of a unique situation.

Sawyer’s writing is addictive. Her books are quick and get right to the heart of the story without ever feeling like they have filler or are overly long, which I notice more in Kindle Unlimited books where page count seems to matter more. Each book in this hockey romance series stands alone just fine, but it’s the team dynamic and the interaction between the players and WAGS I’ve gotten to know over the past few books that really make this series so special.

Kace is the Titans goalie, but he’s also in a master’s program for applied physics and working remotely as a research assistant for Dr. Laurel Kent under his real name, William. They’ve never met in real life, but they’ve gotten very close over email, and they’re both into each other. The problem is that Laurel would never date her assistant.

So he sets up an “accidental” meeting at a speed dating event as Kace the hockey player and never lets on that he’s also William. He wants her to get to know both sides of him and fall for the athlete she swore she’d never date before revealing they’re the same person. And it works. But how will she react when she finds out she’s been falling for someone who’s been lying to her?

Honestly, this is one of my least favorite tropes. I hate the lying and the stress of what will happen when she finds out. But somehow Sawyer made it work for me. Did I yell at the audiobook a few times? YES. Did I call Kace an idiot out loud? Also yes. But as always, I love Sawyer’s characters enough to still root for them, even when they’re being idiots.

I loved visiting the rest of the team and their wives and girlfriends. Laurel’s dad was such a Titans fan and completely adorable. I just really enjoy these light, quick, sexy, slightly angsty reads. There’s always a little humor mixed in, and the team camaraderie makes it even better.

The Narration

Aiden Snow and Isabel Ruther performed this audiobook, and they were fantastic at bringing the couple to life. I always enjoy Aiden Snow, but Isabel was new to me and I liked her a lot. She was perfect as Laurel and really captured both her sweet and smart sides.

The Down & Dirty

I really enjoyed Kace, and I’m sad to leave the Pittsburgh Titans series behind. I’m not someone who usually gravitates toward hockey romance, but Sawyer’s books always pull me in no matter what she writes. I’ll definitely be following her into the next hockey series, the Portland Wildfire, starting with Crosby this month. Since I came into the Titans series toward the end, I’m actually excited to start the next series from the beginning.

Rating:

I’m holding back on rating Kace. I pride myself on honest reviews, and in this case, I just can’t separate the fact that I work for Sawyer enough to give an accurate rating. But I know I loved it enough to review and recommend it, even with a trope I don’t usually love.