Coen Highsmith was a league star, but he lost more than his team the day the Pittsburgh Titans� plane crashed. Can he be saved from his downward spiral of guilt and regret to become the man he once was?
I had it all—a successful hockey career, the respect and adoration of the fans, a rotation of beautiful women warming my bed, and a feeling of self-worth and contentment with the direction of my life. But that all changed the day the team plane went down, taking my only chance of redemption with it. Now I’m left with the daily reminder of all my failures and my inability to correct them.
My new teammates are tired of my attitude and following my suspension, I hole up in a mountain cabin to get away from all of it. The isolation is exactly what I need to get out of my own head, and I’m beginning to think I could be content in this quiet forever.
Tillie Marshall isn’t the type of woman who would usually catch my attention, yet she manages to do so for all the wrong reasons. I’m here for the peace and seclusion but the quirky artist is hell-bent on destroying that by cutting down the trees that separate our properties so she can open a pottery studio. If it’s a fight she wants, it’s a fight she’ll get. I have the money and the time and no issues bringing her down through the court system. While I see flashes of steely determination within her, I’ve found that being a jerk comes naturally these days and she won’t be hard to intimidate.
Unfortunately, that gorgeous and somewhat odd neighbor who has been causing me grief is creating another type of feeling within me. And once that spark is lit, Tillie displays a faith in me that for the first time since the crash I desperately want to believe. Now it’s time for me to step up and become the man—no, a better man than I once was.
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.
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DNF� bc the heroine is a weak pushover and the hero is too big of an asshole for me.
Hero gets a nice on-page dream blowjob from OW in chapter 6. This dream was a memory from before his team’s plane crashed and burned. He was one of the only 3 surviving team members bc he was sick and stayed behind. From what I can piece together� this guy is a mess and is set to quit hockey because of the guilt he feels� not just for surviving� but because the OW giving him the BJ that night was his team member’s recently ex-girlfriend. He feels bad bc “bro code� or something along those lines. Not sure if the teammate ever found out bc I didn’t get that far.
Hero was a maaaaaaaajor manwhore in the past and we are reminded about it often.
Heroine ofc had like 2 partners and has been celibate forever.
Coen Highsmith is a professional hockey player with the Pittsburgh Titans. He’s an NHL star who has it all. Then tragedy strikes when he loses his team in a plane crash. Suddenly he doesn’t care about anything anymore. His new teammates needed him, but he had nothing left to give. He was now known for his bad attitude and getting into trouble. He’s on a downward spiral that’s quickly tanking his career. He’s consumed by guilt, grief and regret, and didn’t feel like he deserved to be on the ice anymore. When he gets himself put on suspension it’s time for a change. He’s offered the chance to stay at a friends secluded cabin in the woods, and is looking forward to being anonymous for a while. He’s enjoying the peace and solitude when he meets his extremely annoying neighbor Tillie Marshall. She’s determined to build her art studio near his property, and he won’t let anyone get in the way of his privacy. They clash at every turn and are stuck in a battle of wills. While arguing they also can’t deny the spark between them. For the first time in a while Coen feels something other than anger. Could there be hope for him and a chance at happiness in his future?
Coen by Sawyer Bennett is the fourth book in the Pittsburgh Titans series. It’s a small town, neighbors, enemies to lovers, sports romance that’s full of humor, emotion, tension, chemistry and steamy passion. I love this series and can’t wait for more! <333
Coen is book 4 of the Pittsburgh Titans series by author Sawyer Bennett. It's a contemporary full length romance, dual POV with a HEA. Tropes: ✔️ sport romance ✔️ tortured hero ✔️ enemies to lovers ✔️ forced proximity
The premise of this entire series is heartbreaking: a plane with an entire NHL team crashes and kills everyone on board, including the owner, coaches and staff. Only three player survived, among them Coen Highsmith.
Survivor’s guilt is not the only thing that’s plaguing the once successful NHL player. Other demons are pushing him on a downward spiral that he can’t seem to get out of. Determined to pay his penance he’s all but quit his the Titans and bought a cabin in the woods away from everyone... Except for his spirited neighbor Tillie Marshal.
Tillie wanted to honor her parent’s lives and fulfill her dream by opening an art studio in the middle of nature for those who sought instruction and inspiration. She only needed to cut down a few trees so people could have access to it. It should have been an easy thing to do, except her gorgeous neighbor insists on being completely isolated and is willing to go to court for it.
It seemed impossible for Tillie and Coen to come to an agreement regarding the trees, but while they waited for the legal system to work, they found that they balanced each other out perfectly. From backyard high jinx, to chipmunk feedings, sweet and swoony Ferris wheel moments, Coen and Tillie stole my heart.
The passion and chemistry between them was strong, their enemies to lovers banter was so much fun, and their growth, particularly Coen’s, was beautiful to watch. My heart ached for Coen, I laughed and swooned and loved every single minute of this story.
The overall arc of this series is inspiring. I have loved and enjoyed every single minute of it. But� I think from the beginning I’ve felt the greatest loss from Stone (book 2) and Brienne (book 5). I CAN. NOT. WAIT! for Drake’s book 5!!!!
� I received an ARC of this title from the author. The excerpts are from that copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this title. �
The best one of the series so far. A feisty, girl-next-door, relatable heroine (Tillie) does battle with a snarly, jack ass hockey star (Coen). These enemies can't deny the attraction to each other, soon become lovers (but not quite friends) , until eventually Tillie helps Coen get to the real reason behind his survivor's guilt.
I loved the journey that they were both on, loved how right they were for each other, and loved seeing Coen change from an a**hole to a prince. I actually loved everything about this book (including the getting it right details about western PA), and have to admit that I even teared up a time or two. I would love to see an update on this couple in the next books...please!
4.5 Coen Came Through * * * * 1/2 Spoiler Free As I document below with the list of all the books and reviews I have done regarding Sawyer Bennett's Hockey Sagas, I have been looking forward to Coen's story. Ms. Bennett gave us glimpses of Coen from the start of this series. We saw how tortured he was, how closed off, and angry his actions were but we never were given any hint of the complex reason other than the survivor guilt of not being on the plane that crashed with his teammates.
Coen has been acting out and it has finally caught up with him. He was suspended, possibly facing a court trial, and only with the support from Stone and Gage, did they guide him to go to Stone's cabin and get his head together. Coen believes he is done with hockey, but the team's owner will not hear it, making Coen promise to stay on the roster until the fall camp starts. He agrees and holes up at the cabin.
Slowly Coen becomes more relaxed, communing with all the nature, peace, and quiet. He is still overcome with his issues but at least he feels he can breathe. Being on his own with the quiet seems to settle him.
Then one day he is on his deck and starts to hear voices coming from the other side of his trees talking about plans. This is the same woman he saw the other day when he was running the trails and he was being the Asshat he had become to her, trying her to get off his land. It did not go well. Now this woman is looking to cut down the trees that separate their property to allow a driveway to be built.
No, No, No...that is not going to happen if Coen has anything to say about it. Forget how cute this woman is, forget he is a bit taken with her and likes her feistiness...nope not gonna happen.
Tillie is not going to allow this asshat to boss her around and destroy her dream. Her parents would never want her to give up on her dream of opening an art studio and sharing her passion with others.
Tillie has dealt with all sorts of obstacles during her young life and this guy is no different. Instead, Tillie goes ahead fighting with everything she has to make this studio happen. She even goes to Coen's cabin to try to work things out and her going there starts a chain reaction neither of them expected.
Ms. Bennett has the knack for making us want to know the characters she creates. During the first three books, she teased us just enough to make us be concerned with this man. We could see there was something ugly brewing inside him, something he was nurturing, holding it close, allowing him to be rude and out of control. Bennett gave us insight into the type of childhood and family life he had, and how hockey was everything to him. We wanted him to see his way clear and turn everything around.
With having a woman who is strong, positive, and willing to fight back when Coen was out of line, we have the perfect partner for him. This woman allows him to get in touch with the man he was before the crash and PEOPLE, this man is YUM.
The relationship is one between equals and is worth reading about. Lucky for us, Ms. Bennett has more characters to reveal and share. Yay!
~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~~ November 3, 2021 You Have Heard Of The Fickle Finger Of Fate... Sounds Kinda Funny But In Reality... It Can Do Anything It Wants...
For Coen Highsmith... A Split Decision Has Cost Him... To Question Everything...
Why Was He Spared... Why Should He Be Given A Second Chance...
These Are The Questions... Ripping Coen Apart... Only Him Being A Part Of The Pittsburgh Titans May Bring Him From The Edge...
Welp, here lies my heart - a puddle of goo after Coen Highsmith had his way with it.
Oh, Coen.
I knew that his story was going to be something special. Having met him in previous books, it was clear that his soul was tortured and he had a lot of demons he was battling. My heart hurt for how torn up he was inside, and as his whole story unfurled - it was impossible not to fall head over heels for him. The depth of his loyalty, his capacity to care about his found family, and the pain he was experiencing was, oof. So much.
I adored his fiery beginning with Tillie. I absolutely loved the way she wasn't afraid to go toe-to-toe with him, or hold him accountable for being such a jerk. Their physical chemistry was explosive and while it's not always my favorite way to have the hero and heroine connect, it worked for them. I loved getting insight to Tillie's insecurity as she felt her emotions hop on board in a way that didn't quite feel safe to her. Coen's emotional transformation seemed to happen a little more quickly to me and part of me wanted a deeper dive to work through the layers of his pain. It did seem to go from carefully withheld emotion to all-in very quickly - but to be fair - it was done in the most satisfying way. And honestly, watching a hero brought to his knees by his feelings for a woman is never not going to win my heart.
I freaking love this series so much. Each book is a gift as we get to explore the emotional fallout from the plane crash tragedy, and watch these loveable characters overcome and find happiness. Coen was an addictive, rewarding read and I loved this story so much! ~ Shelly, 4 Stars
There is just something about this series that has me under it's spell, each one of the stories is more compelling then the next and if it keeps going in this direction I am going to be a total wreck by the end of the series.
In this story we have Coen, one of the "THREE LUCKY ONES," he wasn't on the plane that crashed and killed the entire Pittsburgh Titans Hockey team, most of the coaching staff, as well as the owner, a few months ago. Suffering from Survivors guilt and other things Coen has become the "Bad Boy" in hockey and finds himself in trouble both on and off the ice more times then not so it's no surprise when he was suspended for multiple games. What is surprising is that he's willing to throw in the towel and leave the sport he loved so much.
At the end of GAGE'S book, Stone offer's Coen his brother's cabin in a small town to get away and take his time to regroup and hopefully come to figure things out and come back after his suspension as the Coen he was before the accident. No one, least of all Coen, expected he'd find love there.
Tilden "Tillie" Marshall is grieving the loss of her parents but she is determined to put their life insurance to good use by opening an art studio so she can teach anyone that is interested in learning how to paint and have special classes for different types of art that her mother did as well. The only thing standing in her way is her cranky new neighbor that has put an injunction on the removal of trees from the easements preventing her from starting her build.
I really enjoyed this Grumpy/sunshine Romance, the chemistry between Coen and Tille was great and the way he defended her when she was being bullied was swoon worthy.
If you enjoy Steamy New Adult Contemporary Romances, Sports Romances, or Enemies to Lovers Romances I highly recommend this book to you.
Happy Reading!!!
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**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, You can find me here:
Coen is one of those few players who hasn't been on the plane that crashed with the whole team. And it's still messing with him big time. Survivor's guilt and so much more. That's why he's now kinda suspended from the team - after fighting with a ref. He's now living a peaceful life in a cabin in the woods. Until a not so peaceful neighbor lady decides to cut off the trees to his property to open up a driveway for her new pottery business! No way José! He's here for peace and healing and not to argue and fight and foreplay with his hot neighbor! Right?!
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That was adorable. I liked that it wasn't too much hockey but more of a cute small-town hot neighbor kind of thing. I really enjoyed reading this. I looved the chipmunk moments and the fights and the un-fighting and I hated the highschool bullies! Ugh these people! This was a really cute and outdoorsy enemies-to-lovers book!
Can we please get that Sawyer Bennett Hockey Netflix series now??
COEN was an adorable + sparky + funny enemies-to-lovers story in the Pittsburgh hockey world! � Run to your nearest amazon for your own COEN - this one is MINE!
The fourth book in the Pittsburgh Titans series, this is an opposites attract, enemies-to-lovers, sports romance that is fun, sexy, and emotional, with a gorgeous love story, and I loved it!
Coen Highsmith is one of the best players in the NHL, but his life derailed when his whole team died in a devastating plane crash. He missed the flight as he had the flu, and he’s been drowning in survivor’s guilt ever since, and struggling to deal with the fact that he betrayed a teammate and never go the opportunity to make right. In earlier books of the series, we have watched Coen’s downfall from NHL superstar to angry, violent loner. Now he’s been suspended, he swears he’s done with hockey, and he’s leaving town to go and stay in a remote mountain cabin. But just as he’s settling into the peaceful silence, his new neighbour comes barrelling into his life, threatening to disrupt the isolation he craves.
Tillie is a local girl who is quiet, artsy, and a little bit quirky. She’s just bought her dream property but her grand plans to renovate it to create an art sanctuary are being threatened by her grumpy new neighbour. She tries to be nice, but that clearly doesn’t work, and the two of them very quickly find themselves at war.
There is true animosity between these two. They both have a reason to be angry, and every interaction is full of fire. It’s snarky and funny, and I was enjoying the theatrics of it all. But the longer it goes on, Coen and Tillie start to reveal glimpses of who they truly are. Moments where kindness and care start to sneak through� along with a hint of attraction. But the bickering continues, and the chemistry builds until their constant arguments turn into unexpected but sizzling hot hate sex. When Coen can’t stay away, he needs to prove to Millie that he’s actually a good guy, so they become tentative friends, and the hate sex becomes friends with benefits. And the more time they spend together, it turns into so much more.
I loved the evolution of this relationship. After all of that fire, it’s so easy between them, and it was so sweet to watch them shift from snarky adversaries to mad-with-lust-lovers, to tentative friends, and then true friends who fall so hard for each other. Along the way, Coen is coming to terms with his loss, his guilt and his grief, and figuring out what his future is going to look like, and it’s an emotional journey for him, but Millie is ride there by his side through it all. The boys from earlier books in the series are also there to offer their support (whether he wants it or not), and I loved watching him work it all out.
This is a great read. It’s funny and sexy, emotional and romantic, and I loved seeing Coen and Millie get their HEA.
I have to say this.. This was something my bestie pointed out and it's such an accurate observation.. She said - "Every alternate book of Sawyer Bennett's is bad".. And omg, it's so true.. Only every alternate book is good... If 1 book is good, then the next one is not.. And this was so not upto expectations.. I wanted more out of this... There was already high expectations with regards to Coen's book.. Yes, he lived upto the asshole part but I disregard the way Tillie just kept easily forgiving him for his behaviour by kissing him every time something happened.. Sex is not the answer for everything... That's really so shallow... Coen hardly gave any sort of apology for all the times he was a mega jerk to her.. There was no trying to win her over, no groveling, no accepting his mistakes with an apology... He didn't even woo her properly in the first place.. Just kiss, sex, kiss, sex.. I mean, like gimme a damn break... Like sometimes, books are written in such a way that if there's no kiss or sex always, people will die... Like really? Just need a much needed break from such kinda books...
2.5 stars. Disappointing. Expected more from the author here. Book 4 and Coen has been the Titan's troubled player, with major asshole behavior and rebellious attitude up until he walks away from the team. Just an overall dick to players, management, women. Wasn't keen on reading this one, but figured SB could pull it off and Coen would be redeemed in my eyes.
Well no surprise, redemption comes but not until the last 15%. Major disappointment in the first 85%.
No real hockey action here. Tille is his neighbor at the cabin he buys. Is she his love interest? No. She's just available. Not his usual type, and there when he feels like getting some. Ick. They start off feuding but that ends quickly to sex when he wants it. Coen is emotionally closed off so don't expect any romance. They do eventually develop an odd sort of friendship (?).
To wrap things up, that redemption I mentioned earlier. The happy, happy, giddy joy- joy at the end offers readers a quick HEA. Still didn't persuade me to up the stars anymore. A very generous 2 5 stars it is.
I am not sure I could love Tillie and Coen more! They are just what each other needs. Her calm gentle nature and his fierceness seem to balance each other. To go from screaming to kissing to against a tree (no spoiler but HOT DAMN) these two run the gambit and it is spicy and everything nice. This book was superb! It was one of the best enemies to lovers romances I read. I do think this series should be read in order so you get the full scope of where Coen starts and how far he comes in the end. This is a hockey romance that takes place during the off season, but the reader does get some great team dynamics even off the ice.
Enemies to lovers can be a hard sell for me. I always going into with lower expectations because it is going to take a lot for me to believe that these two really can move past the distaste, they have for one another and find an HEA.
Coen was the fourth book in the Pittsburgh Titans series by Sawyer Bennett. The series was best read in order.
I’ve taken a break from formal reviews for a while but a couple quick thoughts: I loved everything about this book. I knew it would be heartfelt and it was. Coen was only one of three people that hadn’t been on the plane that crashed and killed the entire NHL team and staff. What heartbreak. For me, to read this book you really need to read the books prior to get the full pain of Coen. And then Bennett took us back through the roller coaster of emotions and events that not only led us to this point but what pulled Coen through. And then Tillie. Totally loved her and what an awesome match for Coen. No spoilers, but I loved the prank. It was awesome. The entire book was well written, well developed and totally worth the wait. Drake is up next and I have high expectations!
My favorite in this series, so far, and my top read for September.
I love a damaged alphahole & Coen brings all of those vibes in this book. He is dealing with a lot of guilt from past events and just wants to be alone in his cabin in the woods. Tillie lives next door and is threatening his solitude with plans for her property. She is absolutely fierce & I adore her. They butt heads in the most entertaining and explosive ways, but they also balance each other perfectly. There is an epic fairytale revenge scene & some SPICY tree scenes. This book is enemies to lovers perfection.
Coen’s book takes place in the off season, but the team dynamic is still present. The camaraderie between the players on this Pittsburgh Titans team is something special. I love the cameos from Gage & Stone.
Oh Coen…Coen…Coen. I knew I was going to love this story from book one. There’s something about a hero who is bitter and twisted and needing solace either from his team mates or an incredible woman that I can’t put down. I also adore having a hero that this now gives him plenty of growth and self reflection.
Coen is one of the “lucky three� in that for injuries or illness stopped them getting on the plane that fateful night. Survivors guilt and other issues had been tormenting Coen since and he’s been spiraling out of control. Now suspended, he’s removed himself from the city and hiding out at Stone’s cabin. Was he expecting to find a friend with his neighbor - no way, but she’s got qualities that have him wanting to be around her all the time.
Tillie is completely opposite to what Coen would have dated or spent time with. They even have totally different upbringings but maybe that’s why she intrigued him so much. Or maybe it had to do with her calming compassion that had him letting go of the past. For me, what made me cherish their tale was their banter and antics. She might not have the worldly experience he had, but she gave as good as she got.
There is a certain amount of angst with this book, Coen had to deal with a few demons and I loved that it wasn’t overdramatized. His dilemmas weren’t easy to overcome and at times he was an outright jerk, but underneath you could see his true self was still there. Tillie didn’t just bring out the best of Coen, she showed him to trust his instincts and his team. He was more loyal and dependable than he gave himself credit for. I absolutely loved this couple and story.
Coen was a self-proclaimed a$$hole and it was hard to argue as he fought himself and everyone around him. Especially his new neighbor Tillie! He was hiding and a row of trees was his last line of defense against the world and he wasn’t afraid to let his feeling show. So he didn’t. But neither did Tillie. Girl power rose up and it was gloriously funny and triggered the heat that soon followed� Their relationship was combative from the start, both antagonistic and funny, but also very human. Tillie was so compassionate and her soothing ways (when not doing a bit of shenanigans) was just what Coen needed. The attraction was there � and so was the steam � as they both slowly, not to so quietly, found their way to middle ground�
The emotional overtones of this series really hit home again as Coen struggled with guilt and the loss of his true family. I sniffled a little bit, for sure, but was all smiles by the time this read was over� ~Diane, 4.5 stars
5 star Review Coen (Pittsburgh Titans #4) by Sawyer Bennett
Coen is the fourth book in the Pittsburgh Titans Series. He was an original member of the Titans but due to illness was not on the plane that crashed and killed all his teammates and those on board. The survivors guilt he feels has his life spiraling out of control; angry and determined to destroy his life.
This is Coen Highsmith and Tillie Marshall’s story was a fantastic addition to one of my favourite hockey series. Being suspended yet again, his teammates are concerned for his career and his life. When the opportunity to stay in a remote mountain cabin is offered he accepts and that decision will change his life.
Meeting artist Tillie, the sparks fly and they find themselves in a battle of wills. As attraction sizzles between these enemies, Tillie will be the person to bring him back to life and into the light. Her belief in him gives him the strength to start believing in himself again. I loved this book and the journey that Coen and Tillie travelled, it was heart warming to watch Coen come back to life and take control of his life. This book was everything I am looking for in a romance; there is passion, romance and tension and it ticked all the boxes for me.
I have to say I think this one my be my least favorite in the series. Yes this did have some enemies to lovers vibes, but I couldn't connect with Tillie and Coen because they jumped a bit too fast. It was okay. Coen is being secluded in a Cabin and meets his neighbor Tillie who shares property line and wants to cut trees down to build a studio and Coen's not having it. I was expecting something different. I look forward to Drakes story.
Narrators Lucy Rivers and Aaron Shedlock did an amazing job.
I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Oh, Coen and Tillie! I loved how they met, I loved the prank and the bickering, and I really just loved this book. My heart hurt for this grumpy but secretly sweet guy. Tillie is just amazing and I was so happy to go on this journey with both of them!
"This scares me. It’s the first time I’ve seen a glimpse of the old Coen Highsmith. The man who existed prior to the crash. He’s the one who would have laughed at a woman who turned his backyard into a wildlife refuge and hung neon bird feeders in his trees."
I do love me a tortured, grumpy ass hero😋 Coen is a mean motherf**ker, gotta give him that. I loved to see him finding his person and opening up to someone about all his guilt and pent up anger. Tillie is such a positive person ,but I definitely enjoyed her shenanigans and pranks.
"This man, who I pretty much despise but who I’m also heavily attracted to, seems to have the same draw to me. And he’s gorgeous and domineering and grumpy, and for some reason, he makes me want to be impetuous right along with him."
I was definitely keen on reading Coen's story, as he was the one who has really stood out and struggled in the background of the books so far, after the plane crash. I enjoyed reading his and Tillie's story, and I liked how she was firm and fiery, and challenged him. This one flows quite nicely and I enjoyed reading this and getting to know both characters more.
I liked how things played out in the end, and the resolutions that we got. Would recommend.
I was all in until the chapter about how he had only told Tillie his deep, dark secret when just a few chapters ago, he told Gage the same thing. Again, editing. Sigh. Every woman in this series has freckles (guess that makes them endearing?) and the big reason behind Cone’s torment was ridiculous.
I have thing for tortured/grumpy/asshat males who are walking a very, very thin line where they may or may not break in books. I do. I fully admit it, so Coen has been on my “I NEED to know more� list since first meeting him in Baden’s book…and I was NOT disappointed…nor was I disappointed in Tillie or the rest of the Titan’s crew that popped up throughout the book. This baby was a page turner and I loved how everything worked out.
Coen. Oh Coen. No doubt, he was in self destruction mode and he didn’t care who got caught in the crossfire, but knowing the why behind it made it easier to empathize with the man and showed me just who he was and who he could be, because he’s a pretty amazing man and is easy to adore. Tillie is a pretty amazing woman. She’s sweet, sassy and absolutely owns who she is and what she wants to her future to look.like.
Their journey to their HEA was definitely unique and enjoyable, even when I wanted to Gibbs smack some sense into Coen, but Tillie ends up doing that just by being herself. Their chemistry was intense, their snark/bantering was fun but it was watching as two total opposites find that there is a lot more to the other person than meets the eye and that they can’t live without what the other has to offer.
This is a great addition to the series in many ways. Coen and Tillie and their journey was a page turner, but for me it was seeing the Coen’s teammates rally around him, even when he didn’t want them too. Gage and Stone were awesome as were Baden, Callum and Brienne…and speaking of Brienne, I was hoping that she’d get an HEA and am so excited to see that she is and that it’s gonna be Drake! Sparks of all kinds are definitely gonna fly between those two and it promises to be amazing!
~ Copy provided by the author & voluntarily reviewed ~
When the Pittsburgh Titans plane went down, Coen Highsmith was one of the lucky ones � one of the three hockey players who were not on the plane with their team. Coen was riddled with survivor’s guilt and, instead of dealing with it, took out his anger and frustration on everyone around him: his teammates, his coaches, management, right on up to the team’s owner. Now off for the summer, he has no intention of returning to his team when the new season starts. He is walking away from his hockey career. Staying in a secluded cabin in the woods, he is immediately at odds with his closest neighbor, artist Tillie Marshall. Threatening a lawsuit when she attempted to cut down some trees, Coen continued to butt heads with Tillie even as attraction flared between them.
While I enjoyed Coen’s story and appreciated his journey from anger and grief to acceptance and healing, I missed some of the trademark elements that I’ve loved in the previous books in the series. There was little time spent with the team and I sorely missed that camaraderie. I also missed the slow evolution of the romantic relationships from the previous books. Coen was a real jerk to Tillie, and he continued to be for longer than I would have liked. They didn’t exactly have a friends with benefits relationship because they weren’t really friends. There was an intense attraction that they agreed to act on. Even though a friendship of sorts did form, I never really felt a true romance develop, and their relationship did not have the emotional depth that I experienced with the other couples. While this wasn’t my favorite in the series, I still enjoyed Coen’s story, and the moments I did get with the team were truly special and heartwarming.
I really enjoyed Coen by Sawyer Bennett. The storyline is well written, entertaining from start to end and all the characters helped make this into such a great read for me.
I loved Coen and Tilden or Tillie to her friends ;) they're passionate characters who share a love / hate relationship. Watching these two come together had me smiling, groaning and hot under the collar lol Once they opened themselves up, they found they made a perfect pair, both inside the bedroom and in everyday life.
I enjoyed getting to know Coen and Tillie, their story is a great addition to the Pittsburgh Titans series and I highly recommend it.
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*I received an advance copy in exchange for my honest thoightys.*
I really wasn't sure about this one when I started it. What we've seen of Coen so far hasn't been good, to say he was an asshole is underwhelming!
I really liked Tillie and seeing her be Coen's neighbor wasn't good, especially with how he interreacted with her at first. Such an asshole! If there was a way to irritate her he would find it. So when things slipped to sexual during an argument I was surprised. That odd tension seemed to hang around after through their next few interactions. It was only when Coen jumped in to defend Tillie against some bullies that we learn, had been bullying her her whole life that I thought maybe there might be more there.
When we learn why Coen was such as asshole, I sort of felt bad for him. I liked that Gage really tried to get him to see things differently and that started things rolling for Coen, but it was when Tillie laid out things for Coen when he shared that it finally clicked for him, which ended up being a big game changer for him.
I liked how this one ended, liked that Coen is going back to what he loves, that he and Tillie have a plan on how to stay together despite the obstacles and that Tillie also gets to have what she dreamed about.
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~
This is the fourth book in the series, and it is really the one that we have been waiting for ... Coen has been impossible to deal with ever since the crash, but finally he gets his chance to both redeem himself from his bad behaviour and recover from the pain of not being on that flight.
Coen has been spiralling for months and finally has decided to hide away in the mountains. He is in avoidance mode, but it is safer than previous options. He is staying fit, but not expecting to ever play hockey again.
Then he meets his new neighbour, Tillie. She is the light to his dark, and yet she too has suffered loss, and has a completely different way to look at the future. Unfortunately when her plans include removing some trees between their properties, they are at loggerheads. The legal complications not withstanding these two are attracted to each other big time. It is lovely to see Coen facing his demons and finally we find out just why he has been so very difficult since the crash.
I loved the openness of Tillie and how she brings Coen back to life - it was a pleasure to read from the very first page - I was convinced that he just needed a chance, and thankfully Sawyer Bennett knew just how to write his perfect story.
Coen the broody, bad boy of hockey is finally getting his story in this hot, enemies to lovers hockey romance. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as the layers of Coen’s guilt peeled away. He used to be easy going and friendly to everyone until that tragic day. He not only lost teammates when the plane went down but he lost himself. He figured getting away and hiding out would solve his anguish but that didn’t happen. It took a strong willed, beautiful neighbor to start to break down his walls. Tilly(Tildan Marshall) has experienced her own heartache and loss and she wants to pay tribute to her parents and carry on their dream. Now, the gruff, hot new neighbor is standing in her way. I loved the characters and the embraced the struggles that they faced. It only made them more endearing and interesting and I am a sucker for a happily ever after story when the characters realize that love is worth all the challenges and obstacles it takes to get there. This story is a fantastic addition to the Pittsburgh Titans series and one that I couldn’t wait to read. I also had the added benefit of listening to the audio version of this book and the narrators did an amazing job.
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
Coen Highsmith has struggled since the plane crash that took the lives of his best friends and members of the Pittsburgh Titans hockey team. His anger issues has gotten him suspended from the team and thanks to his friend Stone, Coen has found peace at his late brother's cabin in the Pennsylvania woods.
The longer he's there, the more Coen is able to heal, to start to come to term with the plane crash and the loss of his friends. His only problem is that he's carrying a hurt so deep that he's unable to forgive himself for betraying one of his friends. His inability to make things right makes Coen believe he's not worthy of being on team or playing hockey.
Things begin to change for Coen when his new neighbor, Tille Marshall moves in next door. Tillie has the ability to see through Coen's bs and go toe to toe with him over the most trivial of things. The only real problem is that Tillie wants to cut down the trees between their properties. Coen doesn't want the trees cut down - he needs his privacy.
As Tillie learns more about Coen and the issues that he has faced since the plane crash, she can't help but fall for the man behind the gruff exterior.
All that may be moot if Coen can't face his demons surrounding the crash or his overwhelming guilt he feels for being unable to right a wrong.
Sawyer Brown has done an amazing job of creating the world of the Pittsburgh Titans and I can't wait to read the next installment.
Survivor's guilt is raiding hard. Coen is still trying his best to push everyone away. He's still struggling with everything that has happened to his team. And being away from Pittsburgh and everything connected to hockey, he thinks he's getting better but that all changes when he meets Tillie. She has a dream of what she wants to do with her property and Coen is standing in her way. But what they don't expect is to find a kinder spirit in each other. She pushes him to open up because the guilt is starting to be too much for him. And when he finally gets it all off his chest, he sees that maybe he deserves happiness. And that happiness name is Tillie.
This book was fast paced, and you can't help but root for Coen to ease his conscience and just let himself be loved. And I loved that he was determined to make her see that they could have it all, as long as they stay together.
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***