Baden by Sawyer Bennett Release Blitz

After suffering a horrific injury that threatens to end his career, Baden Oulett is about to learn that sometimes a fresh start is just what the doctor ordered.

I worked my whole life to achieve one goal—play professional hockey. As part of the defending Cup champion Arizona Vengeance, I was living my dream until one split second decision destroyed it all. Instead of lacing up my skates and hitting the ice, I’ve spent my days in rehab and physical therapy just so I could walk again. When a coaching opportunity with the Pittsburgh Titans is presented to me, I find myself with a career I had never considered but which allows me to continue being part of the sport that I love.

While my injuries are physical, the same can’t be said for the woman I rescued. Suffering from wounds that can’t be seen, Sophie Winters has withdrawn from the world in fear and guilt. I didn’t know Sophie before that fateful night and have only met her once since, but I refuse to let her face her demons alone. Determined to be a friend, I support Sophie in the only way I know how… by simply being there.

Through our shared trauma, Sophie and I begin to find peace within one another. As we grow closer, what started as friendship becomes more intimate until our broken pieces become one. But can a love born of anguish endure, or will the pain of our past prove too much to overcome?

 

 

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Apple Books  ~  B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  Kobo
Audiobook (US)  ~  Paperback (US)
Big Dog Books (Sawyer Bennett)

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
Baden was part of the Arizona Vengeance hockey team when a moment of heroism almost ended his life. After seven long months of recovery and rehab, Baden thinks he is ready to get back on the ice. While in Pittsburgh for the funerals of one of his best friends and those lost in the plane crash that most of the Titans team was on, Baden was approached by the team's owner and offered a job as the goalie coach.

Sophie Winters was the one person who knows what happened to Baden because she was the one he tried to save. Since her attack, she has been stuck in her home almost 24/7.

After Baden talks to several people, he decides to take the job; it is not 100% positive that he will be able to get back on the ice. Moving to Pittsburgh, a new job and the place where Sophie lives. So, he wants to check on her and see how she is doing.

Can Baden help Sophie move past her fear of going outside and get her life back? Will Sophie help him realize that he can be a great goalie coach?

Baden and Sophie are two broken souls who will have you crying and wanting them to get their happily ever after. I can tell you that I love Sawyer Bennett's stories and this one really got the waterworks going. I was laughing, crying, and didn't want it to end. I highly recommend any of the hockey series from this author but you have to read this one, you will not be disappointed.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
I have anticipated this series for a while now. When I first heard mention of the of the Titans' decimated team in the Vengeance's series, I knew I would it would be a rollercoaster ride. Bennett did not disappoint.

Baden Oulett suffered a serious injury off the ice – in the one place he least expected it, helping a woman who was being attacked. That injury left him mentally and physically traumatized. Through hard work and the support of his team, he is slowly making strides in regaining his mobility, but doubts remain if he will ever put on skates, much less play professional hockey again.

Sophie Winters has the most intense case of survivor’s guilt I've ever seen. She sees the running away from the scene as one big act of cowardice and the guilt of leaving Baden there to die has made her afraid of everything. Going outside leaves her a hair’s breadth from a panic attack and just the mention of getting on a plane sends her scurrying to hide under the covers. Nothing she can do will ever justify her leaving the man who came to help her – the man who is now paralyzed, all because of her.

When Baden is offered a position as the goalie coach of the newly reconstructed Pittsburgh Titan's hockey team, he's not sure if it's an offer he can accept. If he does, it means his days of playing are over. If he doesn't, it still doesn't guarantee that he will ever be as strong and fit as he once was to make it as a professional goalie. Plus, coaching for the team that his best friend played for? Does it make it easier or harder? Will it he feel closer to Wes being in Pittsburgh or will he feel like he only got the job because the plane crashed and everyone died?

Benefits and obstacles abound but with help from his Vengeance family, Baden chooses the path that's right for him and along the way also helps a person from his past.

This is a highly emotional book and I expect the entire series to be as well. Please keep the tissues nearby as they just might come in handy.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first book in a new series, but it is very closely linked to the Arizona Vengeance series, most particularly this first one. Baden was a Vengeance player when he rescued a woman from three thugs and was viciously attacked himself. This story falls months after his accident but immediately after the dramatic story end where the guys watched the news to see that the Titans' plane crashed, killing all onboard. So, be ready for a pretty intense read – I highly recommend it to you, as it is fabulous, but you may want a tissue to hand.

I absolutely love what Sawyer Bennett has done in this book. The premise is so clever, and I was drawn in immediately to the magnitude of the task facing Brienne, the owner of the Titans, grieving her brother who used to run it, and all the other team members who died on that flight. Her resolve to rebuild, and to keep people in work is selfless, and it is gratifying that other owners, Dominik Carlson amongst them, are supportive.

To then show how Baden is healing and the decision that he must make about whether he can ever return to the NHL as a player, or should he follow up the coaching offer from Titans. Imagining how his head wishes one thing and his body admits another. The level of fitness required at that level is so intense.

Titans means Pittsburg, and that happens to be where Sophie, the victim who he saved, lives. He hasn't had time to keep in touch, but this is an opportunity to see how she is coping. Sadly, the answer is not great, as she is too scared to go out almost at all. As these two find a friendship in their shared history, we can only hope that they see how well they match.

There is a lot going on in this book and it works really well – I got very little sleep, as I couldn't help but keep turning the pages. I am very excited to see how the ongoing storylines develop in future installments – another winning series from a very talented writer... 2022 is already looking up!


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Sports Romance

Baden's story was one I anticipated. He was so horribly hurt that I didn't know if he would just fade into the background. However, I was happy that he got his own story.

Baden worked his butt off to be able to walk again. He questioned his circumstances but never truly regretted helping Sophie. He was glad that she got away.

Sophie knows that she is lucky. But while she hadn't been too hurt in her attack, the guilt and the anxiety around leaving her house have almost crippled her. She wants to be able to be normal again, but getting there has been a huge struggle.

When Baden and Sophie reconnect, it seems almost like they need to relive the past to move forward. I was somewhat sad how this story went, because I wanted more from it. However, I did like how the story flowed.

Sophie and Baden, while connected through circumstances, found a way to navigate their own trauma to heal themselves and each other. Each has a new path to forge, and they are able to do that together and with the help of their friends and family.

Without giving too much away, the information from Bennett at the very beginning of the book is helpful in setting the tone for the story. I appreciated that, since the story ended up not being exactly like I thought it would be.

I would suggest that you read the previous series to truly understand Baden's injuries. Plus, they are just awesome books too.

 

 

 

New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author SAWYER BENNETT uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.

A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.

If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, click HERE to sign up for her newsletter.

Sawyer also writes general and women’s fiction under the pen name S. Bennett and sweet romance under the name Juliette Poe.

Connect with Sawyer

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  TikTok  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: Sawyer Bennett's Never Ending Party

 

 

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Baden (Pittsburgh Titans #1) by Sawyer Bennett to read and review for this tour. Mary received her copy via the author’s ARC team.