Thursday, August 17, 2017

Irresistible You (Chicago Rebels #1) by Kate Meader

* * * 1/2


Three estranged sisters inherit their late father’s failing hockey franchise and are forced to confront a man’s world, their family’s demons, and the battle-hardened ice warriors skating into their hearts.

Harper Chase has just become the most powerful woman in the NHL after the death of her father Clifford Chase, maverick owner of the Chicago Rebels. But the team is a hot mess—underfunded, overweight, and close to tapping out of the league. Hell-bent on turning the luckless franchise around, Harper won’t let anything stand in her way. Not her gender, not her sisters, and especially not a veteran player with an attitude problem and a smoldering gaze designed to melt her ice-compacted defenses.

Veteran center Remy “Jinx” DuPre is on the downside of a career that’s seen him win big sponsorships, fans’ hearts, and more than a few notches on his stick. Only one goal has eluded him: the Stanley Cup. Sure, he’s been labeled as the unluckiest guy in the league, but with his recent streak of good play, he knows this is his year. So why the hell is he being shunted off to a failing hockey franchise run by a ball-buster in heels? And is she seriously expecting him to lead her band of misfit losers to a coveted spot in the playoffs?

He’d have a better chance of leading Harper on a merry skate to his bed…


Source: e-galley provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review


All right, folks. There's a plethora of hockey romances out there so what makes this one different? Answer: a little Cajun spice.

Remy or "Jinx" has his peers call him is on the brink of retirement but first he needs to do one more thing before that happens: win the Stanley Cup. And he thinks it'll happen with his current team. But a certain, newly-minted owner of the Chicago Rebels has other ideas. She trades for him to join the Rebels hoping that his work ethic and experience will fire up her team and take them from Loserville to hoisting that much sought-after piece of hardware. It looks great on paper but in real life it's going to require a great amount of effort on Harper's part to convince Remy that this is a good move. She even strikes a bargain with him without informing her half-sisters, who are the other co-owners of the Rebels, about this. While Remy may be resistant to the trade it doesn't mean he is impervious to the hotness that is his new boss, Harper Chase. The woman has a confident, don't-mess-with-me-or-I'll-knee-you-in-the-balls vibe and that only makes Remy hungry to get closer to her. As the new owner of the Rebels, Harper has much to prove in a little amount of time. Not only does she need to get her organization running smoothly again but she and her sisters have to fulfill the terms of her late father's will in order to keep control of it. Everyone from the media to the public to other organizations is looking to see them fail, Harper especially. So she won't let a little inconvenient attraction to her team's latest acquisition sideline her momentum. The boss can't mess around with one of her employees because that would be unprofessional and hurt her credibility but ...

Firstly, there's a lot of heat throughout most of this book. Remy is an imposing figure, all masculinity and charm. It helps that he drops those lovely French phrases and terms of endearment regularly. I was pleasantly surprised by his backstory and what his anticipated plans are for after his retirement. His line of thinking was not something I was expecting from a pro-athlete who has it all from luxuries to women thrown at his feet. I did get a kick out of how he started to bond with his teammates. Some of them don't have quite the finesse he has but he seemed to take to his role of being a leader seriously. Secondly, I felt for Harper. Like most females in the workplace, she's in a precarious position. Meader provides plenty of Harper's backstory and examines how any woman taking on a leadership role within a company faces skepticism from her counterparts about her worthiness or effectiveness at her job. A woman has to work 10 times harder to prove her detractors wrong. I personally had reservations about her and Remy hooking up but then there wouldn't be a story if they didn't. And because their relationship is forbidden it only makes their "magic time" hotter. Let me tell you, that stroll down a New Orleans street was quite something memorable!  

I had a great time reading Irresistible You. It's naughty, fun and I mentioned naughty, yes? Allow Remy to add some spice to your reading list :)

~ Bel



P.S. I got to meet Kate Meader at RT17 back in May and she was so delightful and sweet. I had to share this pic of us! It was taken after a very taxing and loud trivia game but it was oh so much fun ;)


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