ATLAS
Sawyer Bennett
Release Date: January 13
As a star left-winger for the Pittsburgh Titans, Atlas Karolak thrives on the ice but keeps his personal life uncomplicated. That all changes when tragedy strikes, pushing him into an unlikely partnership that tests his patience, challenges his heart, and threatens to rewrite everything he thought he knew about love and family.
Playing professional hockey wasn’t just a dream, it was the only one that ever mattered. I’ve worked my whole life for this career, and now that I’m playing for the Pittsburgh Titans, I’m exactly where I want to be. My life feels complete.
Until the day it doesn’t.
Losing my best friend to cancer shatters me in ways I didn’t see coming. And as I’m trying to figure out how to say goodbye, I’m blindsided again—because he’s named me and Maddie St. James as joint guardians of his daughter.
Maddie and I… we’re not friends. We’re barely acquaintances. If I’m oil, she’s water, and we’ve never managed to mix without friction. But for the sake of a little girl who’s already lost too much, we need to find neutral ground and figure out how to co-parent.
Are we capable? I’d like to think so. Are we scared out of our minds? Without a doubt. Can we put our differences aside and work together? Honestly, it depends on the day. But when stress turns into stolen glances, which turn into nights we can’t take back, our partnership gets a whole lot more complicated.
Because what started as obligation is starting to feel a lot like forever.
Review:
Atlas starts out with some pretty heavy scenes–Atlas and Maddie’s best friend Gray is dying, leaving his very young child–Grayce–an orphan. Maddie had already agreed to take care of Grace when he was gone; what neither she nor Atlas knew was he also wanted Atlas to co-parent with her. The problem? Maddie and Atlas both love Gray–but can’t stand each other. Not to mention, Grayce and Maddie live in Chicago, whereas Atlas’s life is tied to Pittsburgh. And of course Atlas knows nothing about raising kids, so…how can this possibly work?
Maddie and Atlas’s story is a slow burn, forced proximity, opposites (or are they, really?) attract romance between two people with complicated pasts who come together for the sake of a child but end up finding so much more together. It’s the type of found family story we’ve come to expect from Ms Bennett; we know that Maddie’s going to find her people here before she even has a clue, and we’re of course rooting for her and Atlas to get together while they’re still grumbling under their breath about each other.
It was hard at times to see how convinced Maddie was that she couldn’t ever have a real, lasting relationship–IMO her turnaround on this was a bit too quick to be totally convincing, especially since it mostly happened off page. I would have liked to have seen that part more fully developed. Honestly, though, that’s really my only complaint here. Atlas, Maddie, and Grayce are all lovely characters who it’s easy to want the best for.
I listened to the audiobook version of the book, and the narrators did a lovely job of bringing the book and characters to life. Definitely recommend!
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
About the author:
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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