Crosby by Sawyer Bennett | Audiobook Review • Ana's Attic Book Blog

Crosby (Portland Wildfire Book 1) by Sawyer Bennett

Narrated by Aaron Shedlock and Amanda Stribling

Standalone Hockey Romance. First in a series.

ALC Received from Author.

I work for Sawyer, so I am holding back on an actual rating. I review every book I read for myself so I can go back and refresh my memory later, so this is no different. But honestly, I’m really excited that I started this series from the beginning with Crosby.

The Portland Wildfire is an NHL expansion team that’s just starting out, and it’s owned by Patrick Rowe, a billionaire who spared no expense bringing this team to the big leagues, including a state-of-the-art training facility and team jet. He handpicked the team from free agents and players with expiring contracts, so this first book is a great setup for a brand-new team. We are meeting all the players as they are meeting each other, and Sawyer did a great job setting up the series for future drama and storylines.

Crosby Hale is the goalie, and he was elected captain by team vote. He is very private and doesn’t like the spotlight. Patrick, wanting to give the team as much exposure as possible, has a documentarian following the beginning of this new team. Juno Paxton may look like a young college student, but she is an award-winning documentarian determined to find a little controversy to keep things interesting.

At first, Crosby avoids her. But she wears him down, and once they sit down for an off-the-record conversation, it’s clear they have chemistry. But she is there to show the behind-the-scenes truths, and what if those truths hurt Crosby? Can they even make this work without a conflict of interest?

Likes:

Great setup for a new series.
Quick and easy, well-written read I gobbled up in a day.
I loved getting to see the beginnings of a new expansion team.
The descriptions of the facilities and organization helped set up future books.
I’m already crazy about Patrick, and I hope he gets a story.
A little WAG drama.

Dislikes:

I felt like it ended abruptly. Sawyer doesn’t usually do epilogues because the couples continue showing up throughout the series. I’m not a huge fan of no epilogue, but I can usually handle it. This one really felt like it needed a little more at the end, whether that was an epilogue or just one more chapter.

The Narration:

Aaron Shedlock and Amanda Stribling were perfect for this series. I don’t think I have heard Amanda before, but I will happily listen to her again. It’s also been a while since I listened to Aaron, and it reminded me how much I enjoy him. They both did a great job with their own parts and the side characters, and I think they made a good book even better.

The Down & Dirty:

Sawyer writes long series, and I always like how each book has its own vibe. Some are emotional, some are funnier, some are steamier. I listened to the last five books in the Titans series, so I’m excited that this time I’m getting in at the very beginning to see where she takes this team from the start. Crosby was a great setup for a new series, and I loved meeting the team as they were all getting to know each other too. I can’t wait for Locke, coming August 11.