by Kate Meader
Series: Chicago Rebels #2
Series: Chicago Rebels #2
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Pocket Star
Publication Date: December 4th 2017
Source: ARC received for review
Rating: ★★★★
Three estranged sisters struggle to sustain their late father’s failing hockey franchise in Kate Meader’s sizzling Chicago Rebels series. In this second entry, middle sister Isobel is at a crossroads in her personal and professional lives. But both are about to get a significant boost with the addition of a domineering Russian powerhouse to the Rebels....
Isobel Chase knows hockey. She played NCAA, won Olympic silver, and made it thirty-seven minutes into the new National Women’s Hockey League before an injury sidelined her dreams. Those who can’t, coach, and a position as a skating consultant to her late father’s hockey franchise, the Chicago Rebels, seems like a perfect fit. Until she’s assigned her first job: the man who skated into her heart as a teen and relieved her of her pesky virginity. These days, left-winger Vadim Petrov is known as the Czar of Pleasure, a magnet for puck bunnies and the tabloids alike. But back then... let’s just say his inability to sink the puck left Isobel frustratingly scoreless.
Vadim has a first name that means “ruler,” and it doesn’t stop at his birth certificate. He dominates on the ice, the practice rink, and in the backseat of a limo. But a knee injury has produced a bad year, and bad years in the NHL don’t go unrewarded. His penance? To be traded to a troubled team where his personal coach is Isobel Chase, the woman who drove him wild years ago when they were hormonal teens. But apparently the feeling was not entirely mutual.
That Vadim might have failed to give Isobel the pleasure that was her right is intolerable, and he plans to make it up to her—one bone-melting orgasm at a time. After all, no player can perfect his game without a helluva lot of practice...
It took me a while to warm up to
Isobel. She's a bit too prickly and standoffish to me, but as the story
progressed I began to like her. I really admire her spirit and passion for
hockey. Her take-charge attitude actually reminds me a lot of Harper—which is
funny considering how different they are on the outside. The only thing
that I didn’t like is how Isobel described some women, especially the ones who
hang around / pursue Vadim; it felt a bit nasty and I was uncomfortable with that.
Vadim is easier to like because he is my type:
handsome, a bit broody, annoyingly arrogant (typical Lisa type). I love his dry
wit and how protective he is of the ones he loves. Sure, he’s flawed too—boy was I annoyed when he did The Thing
He Shouldn’t Have Done—and I like how he and Isobel settled their differences
and made up.
I love it whenever Vadim and Isobel go
head to head with each other. There’s old history, crazy chemistry and a boatload
of tension between them that whenever they are together sparks just seem to
fly. The way Vadim suggested they reconnect is also hilarious (“Are you
offering to apologize with your penis?” I LMAO). I love that they have tons of fun
with each other because I feel like outside their relationship they both are Serious
People?
I love the sibling relationships
we get in this book. It seems to me that we get more of the Chase sisters
interacting in this one, and I'm so grateful for that. Some of my favourite
scenes include every one of Violet and Isobel together; it seems to me that
Isobel keeps to herself a lot, but she opens up to Violet. They also still do
sisters' night together, which kind of makes me feel like starting my own with
my sisters. We also get more of Harper supporting Isobel in So Over You, and it
warmed my heart. Another sibling relationship that we get is one with Vadim and
his newfound sister Mia. I love the way they bicker like they've always known
each other, and I love how protective Vadim is of her.
Other relationship that I enjoy seeing is the Rebels’
bonding with each other. Cade really stood out for me in this book—he’s getting
his own book next! Kate did a great job making me impatient with the little
Dante x Cade scenes, and that little bit of Bren x Violet interaction? *cue me screaming
inside because 2018* Also my favourite Cajun made me fall for him a little more
with him proclaiming that he can’t wait to retire to “cook, get fat, and make
babies”. (I’m so easy…)
While Irresistible You is my favourite book in this
series (so far), So Over You is still great in its own right. Two more books to
go! 2018, come fast.
PS. In
Skates Trouble (Chicago Rebels #0.5) and Irresistible
You (Chicago Rebels #1) are still $0.99 on Amazon!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kate Meader was
raised on romance. An Irish girl, she started with Catherine Cookson and Jilly
Cooper novels, and spiced it up with some Mills & Boon. Now based in
Chicago, she writes romances of her own, where sexy contemporary alpha heroes
and strong heroines match each other quip for quip. When not immersed in tales
of brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron
or a fire hose, Kate lives on the web at katemeader.com.
GIVEAWAY
Kate
Meader will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card during release week. To
enter, please go here!
EXCERPT
© Kate Meader
“This little job is the difference between you
playing and not. Dancing with the Stars,
Vaddy baby. It’s where all the washed-up pros end up.”
Annoyed at his reaction
to her, he skated away, throwing out over his shoulder, “I will be playing,
Isobel. You will have no say in that. I spoke with Moretti—it is clear why you
have this job.”
Her brow crimped.
Naturally, it was adorable. “Please. Enlighten me.”
“He is new and no doubt
under pressure to bow to the owners. You can write your own ticket.”
“If that’s the case,
I’d just appoint myself as head coach and be done with it.”
“You are also conscious
of what the fans and media think, so you are starting small. Really, you
could have called or texted, Isobel. Buying my contract seems like a lot of
work to bring me back into your world.”
“You weren’t my first choice. But luckily your poor play
this season meant Quebec was happy to offload you.”
He ignored the brief
stab. The last six months had been difficult. Isobel understood this, yet they
could not resist these little cuts.
“I think you wanted to
be closer to me. Just like before, right, Bella?”
A blush crept up her
cheeks on hearing his endearment for her.
He would test her. Make her angry and emotional. Make her
cry. Because angry, emotional criers were not the stuff of coaches. If she was
serious about a career in the NHL, she would hear worse.
She would get him game fit. He would get her battle ready.
He continued to needle. “Yes, I think that must be it. It
seems that the female owners of the Rebels would like to abuse their position
and use the players for their personal pleasure. Your sister and Remy
DuPre—that is interesting.”
“Is it?”
“Harper may have duped a Rebel player into her bed, but
please don’t imagine you and I will be renewing our acquaintance in a similar
manner.”
That got her
attention, at last. Her creamy skin blazed, her crimson mouth twitched, and
even from a distance he could see those melted-shamrock eyes darken. She looked like she wanted scream
at him. Burst into tears. Slap his face.
Yes, Bella. Let us see if you can handle the barbs of
every player, coach, and fan who will dismiss you. Let us see if you can handle
me.
Fury powering her
stride, she skated over, skidding to a halt mere inches from his face. As
before, she was magnificent.
“You’ve found me out,
Petrov.”
“I have?”
“It’s all an elaborate
ruse. We bought your contract even though you really haven’t been performing
well this season. Let’s face it, you’ve sucked donkey balls, Vadikins. But I
convinced my sisters that I alone could bring you back to top condition. Make
you a valuable asset to the team. I also made sure I’d be the only one working
with you . . .” She leaned up on the tips of her blades, a balancing act that
required great skill and remarkable ankle strength. Close enough that he could
have slipped his tongue between his lips and tasted hers.
Her breath was a hot
puff of temptation. “So we would have all this alone time.”
With that fiery gaze,
she held his own.
Unerring.
Unflinching.
Until her mouth creased, and she broke into a laugh. He remembered
that laugh. Just as before, it hit him right in the balls.
She used the edge of
the iPad to poke him in the chest. “You thought I’d go to all this trouble to
try to get into your hockey shorts, Petrov? I’m a team owner—I can have any of
these Rebel boys with the click of my fingers!” She chuckled, clearly enjoying
herself. “Despite what that supersized ego of
yours thinks, the only performance I want from you is on the ice. Maybe if you
spent less time carousing—”
“Carousing?”
“Yes, it’s nicer than calling you a club-hopping,
vodka-sodden manwhore. Less of that and more effort on your day job, please.
And don’t worry yourself that I’m interested in ‘renewing our acquaintance.’
I’ve had better lays with the Ukrainian delegation at the last Games.”
He had to say he
enjoyed this sharp-tongued, quick-witted version of Isobel.
But not enough to admit it to her.
“There is nothing you
can teach me.”
“So sure, Russian.”
“I am positive.”
“We’ll see.” She skated
back to the edge of the rink. “Again.”
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