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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
3.5 stars
I’ve been really looking forward to these two and in lots of ways, it delivered on the expectation but being a novella, I just missed some depth of connection and story. It took me a little while to get into it and I felt the resolution was rushed at the end. However, the middle section was fabulous and these two together were gorgeous. I am highly anticipating the third full book in this series as Kate Meader has a way of writing, this sport and team in romance terms.
I’ve been really looking forward to these two and in lots of ways, it delivered on the expectation but being a novella, I just missed some depth of connection and story. It took me a little while to get into it and I felt the resolution was rushed at the end. However, the middle section was fabulous and these two together were gorgeous. I am highly anticipating the third full book in this series as Kate Meader has a way of writing, this sport and team in romance terms.
DNF@31%. Not bad but I read it too soon after the previous book. The timeline is concurrent with [b:So Over You|34951225|So Over You (Chicago Rebels, #2)|Kate Meader|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498700744l/34951225._SY75_.jpg|56224018] so I was feeling bored and would have preferred if it took place later on so it seemed like the series was moving forward.
This was an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
2.5 stars.
This is a novella in the Chicago Rebels series. Obviously, the shorter length meant the characters didn't feel as well-developed, which is too bad. There was lots of interesting stuff here that could have made this story, which feels sort of cookie-cutter, into a more interesting story.
One of the things I struggled with was the feeling that this romance between 2 men had all the tropes of an older man/younger woman romance: Cade is 23 to Dante's 35. Cade is a sweet young thing who has fooled around but never had such an intense relationship before, he's virginal bc he's never had anal sex, and Dante feels an instantaneous kind of possessive jealousy about Cade. I wish their relationship didn't feel so rushed, maybe then I wouldn't have noticed the tropes as much?
I also felt pretty disappointed that the author chose to ghost Cade's coming out scene to his Dad. Instead, the reader gets it second hand when Dante finds out about it from Violet. IDK, I think if you're going to write a "coming out" plot into your story, you owe it to the character and the reader to give them the dignity of that scene being written into the book.
Either way, like all Kate Meader books, plenty hot. I especially liked the further development of Violet because she's a friend of Cade's. I'm looking forward to her book to end this series. I'm giving this 3 stars bc of the sexy romance, but I honestly feel that the author failed to do some important things with Cade as a character. YMMV.
2.5 stars.
This is a novella in the Chicago Rebels series. Obviously, the shorter length meant the characters didn't feel as well-developed, which is too bad. There was lots of interesting stuff here that could have made this story, which feels sort of cookie-cutter, into a more interesting story.
One of the things I struggled with was the feeling that this romance between 2 men had all the tropes of an older man/younger woman romance: Cade is 23 to Dante's 35. Cade is a sweet young thing who has fooled around but never had such an intense relationship before, he's virginal bc he's never had anal sex, and Dante feels an instantaneous kind of possessive jealousy about Cade. I wish their relationship didn't feel so rushed, maybe then I wouldn't have noticed the tropes as much?
I also felt pretty disappointed that the author
Either way, like all Kate Meader books, plenty hot. I especially liked the further development of Violet because she's a friend of Cade's. I'm looking forward to her book to end this series. I'm giving this 3 stars bc of the sexy romance, but I honestly feel that the author failed to do some important things with Cade as a character. YMMV.
IT'S LIVE"
AMAZON
READ MY REVIEW AT VANILLA & SPICE BOOKS
If you've read the previous book in the Chicago Rebels series you might have caught glimpses of Cade and Dante's strange connection. There seemed to have been something going on, chemistry, electricity and one scene toward the end of Isobel's book that looked like something akin to a fight. Now we get all the deets - UNDONE BY YOU runs parallel to SO OVER YOU.
I've always had a thing for the sharp, a little sardonic and reserved Dante Morretti, the first out and proud gay GM of a hockey team. When he runs into happy-go-lucky D-man of his team, Cade "Alamo" Burnett, at an exclusive gay club he can't believe his eyes. While Dante is still calculating the PR nightmare of an NHL player being outed as gay, Cade starts a game of seduction and Dante stands no chance in hell to resist him. As his boss, though, Dante can't, won't let his attraction get out of control.
“Honestly, Cade? You’re impossible to resist.”
I loved Cade from the first moment I met him. He is a light-hearted, laid-back Texan guy, always a joke on his lips to lighten the mood and cheer up the team. Of course, it isn't until UNDONE BY YOU that you realize that he, too, comes with baggage. He is firmly in the closet for multiple reasons and none of them have to do with cowardice. One, there is his dad, who is proud of him but being from Texas he has a rather old-fashioned opinion about what a family must look like. Two, there is still the misconception that only because you're gay you can't be masculine and thus don't belong on a testosterone-fueled hockey team that also has all sorts of homophobic characters. It's like fighting wind mills. But Cade isn't just adorable, endearing, funny and playful, he is also bold and brave and it's the combination that has Dante's hormones raging. I adore him and his connection with Violet. Their friendship is so incredibly special.
Dante doesn't want to think of Cade as a potential relationship. Too many obstacles stand in their way. For one there is the fact that he is Cade's boss. Then there is the age gap. And third he promised himself never to bind himself to somebody who was still closeted. He'd given up too much to let himself be second best in somebody else's life. In his experience coming out comes with sacrifices, however, the freedom of it beats the hiding and secrecy by a long shot.
Dante was everything I expected him to be and more. He was protective of Cade, always had an open ear for him and ready with advice if asked. He also made me a little angry but there was also understanding for where he was coming from. Dante turned out to be the enigma I thought him to be. He was a contradiction of reserved, cool, collected and warm, kind, wise and vulnerable. - yes, it sounds weird and I applaud Kate Meader to transfer that through her words.
The quote below is significant - and it shows what's wrong with society. It's taken from the conversation Dante has with Cade's father.
Dante: “What kind of statement am I making other than to demand that people accept I can love whomever I want? Do you think gay people are bucking society’s norms to mess with straight people’s minds?
Figures that this novella is my favorite in the series so far. I wish Ms. Meader would have written a full length novel about Cade and Dante, the material would have been there. But, we still have one more story coming up in this series and I can't wait to see more of these two. UNDONE BY YOU is a wonderful addition to the Chicago Rebels series and has it all - it's sexy and sweet, two wonderful leads and full of banter. I have no idea how Kate Meader comes up with this stuff but her brand of humor totally aligns with mine.
If you read MM give this a chance - it definitely can be read as a standalone and while I couldn't get enough of Dante and Cade the author did a great job of packing a satisfying story into this shorty.
Undone By You shows a different side of the Chicago Rebels, and none of the sisters is the main character here. That role was Cade and Dante's. And wow, did they play it well!
The Good.
I’ve enjoyed the Chicago Rebels series, and Dante and Cade have been that teaser couple - you know, the one whose scenes aren’t the focal point of the story but capture your attention because you just want to know what’s happening off-page with them. I enjoyed how Ms. Meader has taken their love story and wove it into the overarching storyline of the sisters’ ownership of the team and their quest to win the Cup.
The Bad.
This suffers from two things. One, the novella’ s truncated length made certain beats of their love story pass by a little too quickly and the conflict/resolution is taken care of alot more easily than I would have preferred. Secondly, Dante’s unilateral decision-making, while in keeping with his personality, age and status in the relationship, was too convenient at the best of times and callously disrespectful of Cade’s feelings for most of it. While he said Cade had the power, Dante is the one to make all the decisions: when it started, how it went along, and when it ended. Even if there’s a grand gesture, it never actually deals with the power imbalance between Dante and Cade. It’s something that’s been pushed aside throughout this series in favor of the fantasy of falling for your boss, which I can usually roll with, but it is particularly glaring in this book.
Everything in Between.
While I struggled with the emotional beats, the sexy times were just fine. You know, if you’re into two incredibly fit men (one of which is a little furry and the other’s very sweet) having sex, then you’ll dig it.
I liked it, though I wanted to love it. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the earlier books in the series, and I am very much looking forward to the next one. If you love m/m, hockey romances, and you’ve read the series, you may enjoy this.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
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Welp! This is awkward. It always is when almost everyone of your friends loved the book and you didn't.
Undone by You is the third book off of Kate Meader's Chicago Rebels series. I was looking forward to this book ever since we got a hint of Dante and Cade's relationship in So Over You. I enjoyed that book and the first book as well so I was expecting to love this book. And I loved Kate Meader. Her writing style and author voice is something that I thoroughly enjoyed in the past.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy Undone By You that much. This book lacked the emotional heft that's usually present in Meader's previous works. There are times when the story goes there but maybe because of the length, it immediately moves on to the next story beat without giving it a chance to simmer.
Another complaint I have is the character development or the lack of it. Again, there are some of it but the book moves so fast, it doesn't really register. One example is how Dante is supposed to be Italian so every single cliched Italian things are in this book because of course, nothing shows how Italian the characters are than cannoli and smattering your speech with tesoro. This worked for me in the previous book and I didn't mind it as much but here it's so obvious and feels more like a substitute for some real character development.
While this book was steamy and hot (Kate Meader always excels in this), the romance itself felt rushed and underdeveloped. It didn't really had time to breathe in a way. I didn't feel invested in it. And I wish we got that coming out scene. I normally look for it in my m/m book but Cade being in the closet and his relationship with his dad was part of his character arc. So it was disappointing when we only heard about it through Violet which was disappointing. I did like that scene with Bren though so I guess there is that.
Despite my less than glowing review for this book, I'm still looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Violet and Bren's relationship has been built up since book one, and I gotta tell you that my expectations are high. I just hope it won't bite me in the ass like I did this one.
An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Undone by You is the third book off of Kate Meader's Chicago Rebels series. I was looking forward to this book ever since we got a hint of Dante and Cade's relationship in So Over You. I enjoyed that book and the first book as well so I was expecting to love this book. And I loved Kate Meader. Her writing style and author voice is something that I thoroughly enjoyed in the past.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy Undone By You that much. This book lacked the emotional heft that's usually present in Meader's previous works. There are times when the story goes there but maybe because of the length, it immediately moves on to the next story beat without giving it a chance to simmer.
Another complaint I have is the character development or the lack of it. Again, there are some of it but the book moves so fast, it doesn't really register. One example is how Dante is supposed to be Italian so every single cliched Italian things are in this book because of course, nothing shows how Italian the characters are than cannoli and smattering your speech with tesoro. This worked for me in the previous book and I didn't mind it as much but here it's so obvious and feels more like a substitute for some real character development.
While this book was steamy and hot (Kate Meader always excels in this), the romance itself felt rushed and underdeveloped. It didn't really had time to breathe in a way. I didn't feel invested in it. And I wish we got that coming out scene. I normally look for it in my m/m book but Cade being in the closet and his relationship with his dad was part of his character arc. So it was disappointing when we only heard about it through Violet which was disappointing. I did like that scene with Bren though so I guess there is that.
Despite my less than glowing review for this book, I'm still looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Violet and Bren's relationship has been built up since book one, and I gotta tell you that my expectations are high. I just hope it won't bite me in the ass like I did this one.
An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked the characters and the journey they took; Cade and Dante were both likable, engaging, compelling characters and I only wish their story had been full length (um...no pun intended).
Cade "Alamo" Burnett has been obsessed with former hockey star Dante Moretti since he was a kid. You would think working for your childhood idol would be a dream job, but Dante isn't just a Cade's career inspiration. He's one of Cade's first major crushes.
Dante also notices the young, hot new player and is astounded when Cade makes a move on him one very sexy night. Their chemistry is ice-melting but if they are caught there could be very real consequences.
While Cade admires that Dante is out, he isn't ready to become the first openly gay hockey player in the league. Dante appreciates Cade's struggle, but isn't sure he's willing to risk his job for a man who isn't willing to commit to him openly.
While a short novella, this is a great addition to the Chicago Rebels Series, and it was so great to see the tension being built between these two characters finally come full circle.
Thank you to Avon for the ARC!
Dante also notices the young, hot new player and is astounded when Cade makes a move on him one very sexy night. Their chemistry is ice-melting but if they are caught there could be very real consequences.
While Cade admires that Dante is out, he isn't ready to become the first openly gay hockey player in the league. Dante appreciates Cade's struggle, but isn't sure he's willing to risk his job for a man who isn't willing to commit to him openly.
While a short novella, this is a great addition to the Chicago Rebels Series, and it was so great to see the tension being built between these two characters finally come full circle.
Thank you to Avon for the ARC!