October 5, 2022 - Staff Reviews

Riggs

By Sawyer Bennett

Release Date: October 26, 2021

Ebook Available from WV Reads!

https://wvreads.overdrive.com/media/6790880

3 Stars - Another solid series entry, but this book takes awhile to pick up steam (in more ways than one). Riggs and Veronica aren't the most instantly likable characters, which seems to make them a surprisingly good match. The storyline relies heavily though on Riggs' teenage sister Janelle, who is sweet but a bit much. Overall, readers who stick with it will find this worth the read, and it leads to a crazy spinoff start to the next hockey saga.

Bennett's crisp way with words and plotting isn't on its best display here. The story drags for about the first third or so because Janelle's presence linking the two leads is only so interesting. Once everyone's pasts start to come to light and the sparks start to fly, it's a much better story. Riggs is gruff and antisocial but he has a soft spot for his little sister and later Veronica and his team. Veronica seems a bit too jaded and misdirected at first, but she grew on me just like she did on Riggs. 

I love this author's ability to really weave in a bit of suspense even when that doesn't seem like it's going to be part of story. We get a bit of adrenaline pump at about the fourth quarter point. Everything really picked up once Riggs and Veronica shared some page time without Janelle. Some of the steamy scenes were enough to make you blush, but there's not an abundance of them in the second half. Riggs and Veronica slowly get to know each other and help Janelle find her footing. Janelle was an odd case. There's a lot of emphasis that's she almost eighteen, very independent, and well adjusted. So it felt very forced that she would be copping such an attitude and need someone to stay with her. There's a lot of fun with returning characters too, and a really wild lead in to the characters we'll see in the next spin-off series.

(NS)