This sweetheart of a hero deserved a better story, I’m afraid. I love a good holiday novella to get me in the festive spirit, and this quick, steamy story had the potential to do that. It’s a sweet treat for fans of the series, a fast-paced peek at how everyone is doing around the holidays, paired with a second chance romance that heats up right away. There are some fun moments with the team, and our hero is kinda adorable – I would’ve loved a full-length story with Erik… though perhaps with a different heroine. While Casey is nice enough, she put a lot of blame on Erik for something that she definitely played a role in. And speaking of their troubled history, the deja vu left a sour taste in my mouth – one of the other popular hockey romance series features a book literally titled “Erik” that has a pretty similar backstory. Too similar to be a coincidence, I would think. But the two books play out very differently, so I was able to forgive that after awhile. All in all, this certainly won’t go down as my favorite in the series, but it’s a sexy, easy read.
The story follows Erik, a pro hockey player who has terrible luck with women. While a lot of his teammates are players on and off the ice, Erik doesn’t attract the same kind of attention. Erik has been crushing on the new girl at work for awhile now, but Casey seems to seriously dislike him – and he doesn’t know why. They finally get everything out in the open just in time for the holidays, and it changes everything between them. Now Erik at least knows where he went wrong, and he can work towards fixing it. But Casey isn’t willing to open up her heart a second time, and that means Erik has his work cut out for him.
It’s entirely likely that I would’ve enjoyed this more had that sense of deja vu not kicked in – it’s just the kind of quick, festive read that I love to devour around the holidays. Things stay relatively light and sexy throughout, with an instalove vibe and plenty of steam. There’s definitely way too much drama for such a short novella, with miscommunication, second chances, an outraged heroine, health conditions, ex drama, and more packed into a quick read. Erik is really the best part – I love that he’s not a playboy, and is just a genuinely nice guy. Overall, this isn’t a standout love story for me, but it makes a fun read for the holidays. I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this Christmas novella.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3CGuDCh
Blurb:
A holiday entry in the Rookie Rebels series, featuring a player who’s been here from the start . . .
Goalie Erik “Fish” Jorgenson finally gets his shot at love . . . but first he’ll have to figure out what he did to offend the woman he’s had his eye on for some time. Can a little Yuletide cheer get him into her good graces, warm bed, and frozen heart? Or will he fumble the puck and lose his chance?
Join the Chicago Rebels this holiday season and find out if Erik is as good at saving Christmas as he is at saving goals!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3CGuDCh
About the Author:
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, a fire hose, or a 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..
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