This was a slow burn hockey romance with complex characters and a good storyline. The writing style took some getting used to, as it seemed a bit choppy. I like all the side characters and look forward to reading some of their stories.

This story was unique, dark, and super spicy. I enjoyed reading the story from both perspectives, seeing Rosario eventually melt for his sweet and loving nature under the brutal guise of the Executioner. His attempts at romance at first were hilariously rough, but seeing how he was pining from his perspective won me over. With a great cast of secondary characters and some unique world building, this story deserves a sequel.

Their first encounter was Ben trying to protect a teammate from an aggressive reporter, but eventually he sees Renee only writes the truth, harsh as it may be, and his irritation turns to respect. Respect turns to attraction, but any relationship is forbidden, as she's a reporter covering his hockey team and it's against professional conduct for both of them. And when things inevitably heat up, he says he'll handle it like he handles issues for everyone he knows. But she doesn't like her issues handled...
It was interesting to see that the always joking character from the first book in the series was hiding some serious mental trauma. Ben has a joke for everything, but when he finally deals with his issues, the true man underneath the jokes shines through and I liked him even more. And Renee has finally found her strength to step out from under a controlling boss and stand on her own. I liked the dual POV in this book, the writing was better in my opinion, and I was much happier with this story than the first one.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thanks to PenPinery for a copy of this book.