I’m never disappointed when I pick up a Kate Meader book, especially when it’s a Rebels hockey story. Each book adds another layer to the interpersonal dynamics within the team for the enjoyment of long-time fans, while allowing new readers to come in at any time and enjoy each as a stand-alone story.
Best friend’s sibling is one of my favorite tropes, and that’s what we have when Cal gets involved with teammate and friend’s little sister Mia. What starts as a friendship (again, friends to lovers trope...squee!!) and a “relationship guide” quickly turns more personal, even as they both fight it. Cal is a good guy, seemingly unheard of in the hockey world, if we go by Mia’s experience. He stays on good terms with his exes, he’s not as much of a player as some men are, and his bond with Mia is honest and straightforward. Mia is holding some things back from Cal, but she’s held her own disappointments close to her vest from everyone, including her brother. My heart broke for her as her self-imposed isolation wore her down and effected all parts of her life.
While not as emotionally wrenching Man Down, the previous Rookie Rebels book, Foreplayer incorporated some very timely issues that I thought were handled with a very interesting twist. I couldn’t put this book down, which entirely due to Meader’s gift of both storytelling and character development. Even those characters that irked me were not just two dimensional caricatures, although I’ll admit, I’m still scared one might pop up in a subsequent book!
Loved this book, looking forward to the next and definitely recommend this series, as well as the author herself, to all readers. You don’t need to love hockey or sports romance to be a fan of the Rookie Rebels or Kate Meader...just a fan of great romance books.