BOOKWORM REVIEW: Jock Wanted by Kate Meader
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
STEAM: 🔥🔥🔥
This was a refreshing take on the "fake relationship to clean up a bad boy image" trope, and I enjoyed it a lot.
Hale Fitzpatrick is the new general manager for Chicago Rebels, and on top of his list is rehabilitating one of his player's public image. A fake relationship with someone who can go toe-to-toe with the bad boy but create a wholesome image of themselves as a couple is the key, and he has found the perfect match in hockey-wife-wannabe Tara Becker.
But there is more to Tara Becker than the flighty puck bunny persona that she advertises, and Hale finds himself more intrigued with the blonde than he should be. Can he keep his growing attraction at bay to see his PR project through?
I love the twist on this fake relationship romance. The matchmaker falling for one of his potential matches? Yes please. I thought it was great for Kate Meader to kick off the read with instant chemistry between Hale and Tara but to start it from a growing friendship with a steamy sizzle. The journey to ignite that sizzle into a full-blown spicy fire was a great ride; readers are teased with some false starts and mile-high moments to prep us for the ultimate pay-off. And the wait was absolutely worth it.
I love the main characters. Hale was the perfect book Mentos. He gives off a hard vibe with his broodiness and curt demeanor, but is actually an overprotective cinnamon roll with a soft spot for animals. Tara is not what she advertises, either. She is hockey-smart, reads people well, and loves so hard. Life has dealt her a rough hand, but she has made the most out of it. We eventually find out why she wants to be a hockey WAG and it is not what we -- and the other characters -- assume at all.
The only obstacle from making this a full five-star read is that I felt that the characters were too wishy-washy towards the end, which seemed slightly out-of-character. It corrected itself quickly to become a HEA, but that disrupted the flow of the read for me.
This is the sixth book in the Rookie Rebels series, but as someone who jumped right into this book first, it reads well as a standalone. Kate Meader does a great job of providing context for different characters from previous books without overwhelming new readers, either.
If you are into sports romance or just enjoy a good fake relationship trope, this will be a fun new twist for you.
** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Kate Meader and Wildfire Marketing Solutions for providing an ARC. **
ABOUT THE BOOK
She has her heart set on a hockey player. Any hockey player.When the new general manager of the Chicago Rebels tasks Tara Becker with faking it with one of his players to help clean up the naughty jock's act, she's all over it. She'll make that misbehaving hunk of muscle look good and get her dream guy into the bargain.
Only the path from fake to real is riddled with thorns . . .
New Rebels GM Hale Fitzpatrick thinks ditzy blonde and wannabe WAG Tara is the perfect solution to his PR problem - until she isn't. Soon Fitz realizes that maybe he doesn't have control of the strings after all . . . especially when he starts to fall for his pretty little puppet.
A fake relationship hockey romance - with a twist!
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MEET KATE MEADER
Originally from Ireland, USA Today bestselling author Kate Meader cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Harlequins thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron, fire hose, or hockey stick, and she’s there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with big-hearted guys and strong heroines - and heroes - who can match their men quip for quip.Connect with Kate
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