Cover Image: Irresistible You

Irresistible You

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Member Reviews

Rating 4.5 stars

Well-written sports-themed book are my jam, and this one hits all the right notes. This is part of a series about three sisters who only have their now-dead manipulative father in common. The heroine has always wanted to please her father and be in-charge of his franchise but thanks to her father, she now has to fight to rebuild her team with the help of two half sisters who she doesn't get along with.

The hero figures into the heroine's game-plan, too bad he doesn't like being moved to a new team when he is at the end of his career and close to getting his shot at glory. Now, I liked the hero's close-knit family and his family values too. He is easy-going and well sorted, not like the heroine who had a messed up childhood and has to be tougher than anyone because the world she lives in is sexist. So imagine how annoyed she is with the pesky attraction she shares with the hero!

I loved the inter-play between the hero and heroine and how they can't fight their attraction despite so many factors standing in the way. The book also really sets-up future books and I for one am glad to have found such a well-written contemporary romance.

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4 Stars

I was pulled right into this story. The story has laughs, secrets, pain, and heartbreak.

This is Harper and Remy's story. Harper just became the most powerful woman in NHL after her father died. Now she knows to get people to see she knows what she is doing is to turn her father’s team around. The players are out of control. She needs to whip the team into shape and stay away from Remy the team’s veteran player. Remy’s dream was to get the Stanley cup. Now with a woman running things he is sure that is not happening. If she would just jump in his bed he thinks things would be better. But she is about to make him believe. Can she get the team to win and have the man also? Or is it all about to come tumbling down?

I felt I could connect with the characters and the story was a great read.

I recommend this book.

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4.5 stars

Why?

Why did it take me this long to read a Kate Meader book?

I seriously would like to know because this book is my jam. And if her books are all like this -- you know, well-plotted with well written complex characters -- then I see a binge in my future and another author added to my automatic one-click list.

Irresistible You reminds me of all the good things I loved about Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Chicago Stars series, especially the first book, It Had to be You. It follows more or less a similar premise: Harper Chase inherited a hockey team from her father with a few wrenches thrown in.

The premise is familiar but the conflict and its characters are fresh and engaging. A few pages in and I was already invested.

Harper Chase along with her half-sisters inherited the Chicago Rebels hockey team. An ailing organization known for being inconsistent and a joke in the league. But Harper has a solid plan: acquire an over-the-hill-albeit-still-competitive-center Remy DuPre AKA the unluckiest player in the NHL.

Remy was not pleased about the transfer. It's his last year to finally win the Cup and he's not going to win it with a team that's at the near bottom of the NHL ranking. This puts him in immediate conflict with the gorgeous team owner.

And what I delicious conflict it was. Harper and Remy's adversarial relationship got me hot and bothered throughout the book. Each of their interactions drip with sexual tension.

Harper is such a fantastic heroine. She's been dealt a real blow with her father setting her up for failure. But she's a fighter and she's not about to take shit from anybody, including Remy.

I love their chemistry and their banter. As their relationship progressed, Harper started to get out of her shell and where Remy showed the kind of guy he truly is: protective and loyal. Someone who would go out of his way to take care of those close to him including his teammates. I love his character.

Another thing that I liked about this book was Harper's half sisters: Isobel and Violet. I liked that the author didn't make it easy for them to get along. They all have their issues and they're suspicious of each other. And rightly so. All thanks to their father Clifford Chase. He's already deceased at the start of the book but his presence and his cruelty were felt throughout the book.

I would've easily given this 5 stars if not for the slightly rushed ending. But that's a small nitpick. There's an epilogue at the end but it doesn't tell us anything about whether or not the Rebels made it to the finals. That said I feel like we're going to get the answer to that in the next installment which I'm looking forward to.

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GAAAAAAAH. Kate Meader has gone and done it again. She has gifted us with a couple that is equal parts swoony and flat out hot. Harper Chase and Remy DuPre, hereby known as a Hemy are a pair that from the get go had me all a twitter. Just trust me that it is going to take way more than 140 characters to tell you just how much I adored Irresistible You. This book is not only their story, but is a fabulous introduction to the world of the Sisters Chase, the daughters and heirs of Clifford Chase, the late owner of the Chicago Rebels hockey enterprise.

With Irresistible You, we get a fly on the wall view of the both sides of the hockey world, from the ice and the owner’s suite. While some might question the sanity of chasing that vulcanized rubber disc across a sheet of ice, it is so much more. This a sport that inspires passion among its fans and as a fan of the game, I love that Kate captured its dynamic, as well as its nuances so perfectly.
Harper Chase is my hero, I loved her heart, strength and dogged persistence. She loves the game of hockey and that she is a woman in man’s world, shouldn’t be unusual, but it is and she is more than up to the challenge. Harper is living the Ginger Rodgers adage of backwards and in high heels every day and knows all eyes are on her just waiting for her to not only fall, but fail. Her goal is to make the Rebels a playoff caliber team and prove her critics wrong. Word to the wise – Get out of her way.

Louisiana-born hockey player Remy DuPre is catnip. French-speaking, muffuletta making catnip. Being in this man’s head and heart is a master class in Romance. I don’t even know where to begin because all those things I listed make him fabulous, but even more it feels like this man has his doctorate in all things female. JUST WHOA.

Hemy had a chemistry that was hotter than tabasco. While I freaking LOVED their sexy moments, there was this magic in their every scene that made my heart ache in the best ways possible. It is what Kate Meader does though, she creates these characters that you know are products of her imagination and makes them seem as though they could walk right off the page.

Daddy Issues. The Chase sisters could have added their own voices and a lyric or two to Queen Bey’s song. Their dad was a class-A SOB who seemed not to know what amazing women Harper, Isobel and Violet were. Each one of these women is brilliant and badass in their own way and lucky for us, we get to discover and appreciate each one in their own spotlight.

I am so excited to read the rest of this series. Irresistible You is the perfect starter to this series and have whetted my appetite for more. Go fall in love with this story and lace up for the rest of the series.

Happy reading!!!

Laurie’s Rating: 5+++++++++++++++++++++ STARS

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I have heard nothing but fantastic things about Kate Meader books so when I got the chance to read Irresistible You I was so excited and I dived into this book as soon as I could. I know can honestly say I understand why everyone goes all goo goo ga ga over hockey players lol. Irresistible You was a fantastic book.Watching Harper and Remy fall in love over the course of this book was just wonderful, I rooted for these characters no matter what . The romance was smoking hot , the plot kept my eyes glued to every page and the characters were just so much fun . The way Kate Meader is able to write this story thats manages to sexy , funny and passion just spoke to how good of writer she is. I loved this book and I feel like it was an excellent start to the Chicago rebels series . I wish I had a copy of the next book right now lol if you love all of these things in your book.If you are looking for a sexy , fun read with a hot hockey player that will make you create space on your book boyfriends list and feisty strong heroine then you should definitely pick up this book as soon as you can.

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Remy. Oh, my, Remy. I wasn’t sure about him when we first met him. He was at a farewell party, surrounded by strippers, being a complete dick to Harper. I wasn’t here for his crap.

But then. Really, I should have known. Kate Meader doesn’t write assholes and I should have had more faith. (Or if she does write assholes, I haven’t read them yet.) Remy was bitter about his trade to Chicago, and he had reason to be. I was so happy Kate Meader told this story from both POVs, because this story would have lost a lot if we couldn’t see what was happening inside both of their heads.

We met Harper in the novella that started this series, In Skates Trouble. She was one of the women on the hotel patio when Ford was eavesdropping. We learned in that book that Clifford Chase, Harper’s father and the owner of the Chicago Rebels, the 2nd-worst team in the NHL, had died and left the team to his 3 daughters.

Before you go thinking “What a great dad. He must be so forward-thinking and proud of his daughters to do that”, think again. The note he left for Harper, who has worked for his organization for her entire working life and been his 2nd in command for years, makes it clear that he expects her to fuck this up, and that when she does, the team is gone. Yes. She has one season, the current season to get the 2nd worst team in the league into to the playoffs, or the team gets sold to the highest bidder whether she likes it or not. Clifford Chase is an absolute piece of crap.

Bringing on Remy DuPre, commonly thought of as the unluckiest guy in the league, is part of her strategy to get to the playoffs and make that happen. He’s considered unlucky because despite being in the NHL for 15 years, he’s never been on a Stanley Cup winning team. In fact, every time he gets traded, the team he just left goes on to win the Cup. Falling in love with Remy is not part of Harper’s strategy, either, but that certainly never stopped it from happening.

The chemistry between Remy and Harper is immediate and hot. But sleeping with your boss isn’t a good idea under the best of circumstances, never mind when your boss is one of three sisters newly named owners of an NHL hockey team.

This is one area where I really wish authors would spend more time. In sports romances, it’s always mentioned that if word of the relationship leaks, the woman is the one who’s going to have to suffer the consequences. I most recently mentioned this in my review of When I Need You by Lorelei James. In that book, Rowan would have lost her position on the cheerleading squad while pretty much nothing would have happened to Jensen. Here, I mean… Can you even imagine the unbelievable amount of shit, rape threats, death threats, and who knows what else Harper would have had to deal with if it came out that the first female owner of an NHL team was sleeping with one of her players? And THEN was considering trading him? Do you think the fact that months ago he had asked to be traded would mean anything to the media, the fans, or the random internet trolls that would dox her and threaten to rape her until she died? Literally rape her until she died. Then rape her some more. This is a huge deal to Harper, the reason she doesn’t want to give in to her feeling for Remy at all, or go public with them once she does. And it was sort of… glossed over at the end. She tells Remy about her fears multiple times, then goes public in a truly not-well-thought-out way, one of the female reporters gets all googly-eyed about it, and that’s the last of it. There is absolutely no way that after something like that, the media says “Twuuuu luuuuvvv is what bwings us….. togeverrrrrr….” and moves on. It just wouldn’t happen. And any woman alive in 2017 who has a wifi connection would be well aware of that. Remy has been saying all along that this is his last year in the NHL. Finish the season, then go public. She’d still be crucified in the press, but it’s better than an owner sleeping with one of her active players.

Kristen Callihan has done the most work with this in Game Plan, featuring my forever and always book boyfriend, Dex. I can’t even read the 2nd half of that book any more because I end up a sobbing mess reading about what poor Fiona goes through. (I’m not saying she’s the only one who’s shown this, just the only one I can think of off the top of my head.)

The more I see this type of relationship, the more the lack of acknowledgment of how hard it will be bothers me. An average, not-famous woman who dates an athlete gets enough shit, like Fiona. Mix in a power dynamic factor, particularly one where the woman has the power, and the world gets really ugly really quickly. If we’re going to continue to have as many sports romances as we do, that needs to be acknowledged.

And, look. I know we read romance, any book, really, to escape our shitty, shitty reality which is getting shittier by the day. I get it. Do I want to read several chapters of Harper being threatened, unable to leave her house, possibly even attacked while she’s at the grocery store? No. I don’t. But romance is in a unique position. Not only is it one of the few, if not the only, genre to guarantee a happy ending, but it’s the only genre specifically focusing on women and on telling our stories. Who else is going to tell that story? A story that’s a genuine love story, but also shows the reality of what women have to go through every fucking day just to assert their right to exist on this planet? No one else is. Romance writers, that’s who tells this story.

This turned into way more of a rant than I intended. I love Kate Meader. I love Harper. I love Remy. (No, seriously. I loooove Remy). Harper has fought her entire life to be seen, to be taken seriously, to rise above the opinions of a man who even in death taunted her and called her a failure. Even when he found out one of his players was being awful to her, he blamed her and told her that it was her fault for trying to exist in the world of hockey in the first place. Now she owns this NHL team and everyone is expecting her to fail. The media already has condescending nicknames for her and her sisters – Incompetent Spice, Middle-Child Spice, and Latina Spice. Every Rebels loss is blamed on their “incompetent ownership” and every win is credited to the amazing players who are doing their best despite the chaos in the front offices. Never mind the fact that there really isn’t any chaos.

And Remy. He’s tried so hard to shake the “Jinx” moniker and to finally, finally hoist the Stanley Cup after so many years of trying. We don’t know yet if he’s going to make it happen; we’ll have to read the whole series to find out, but I hope he does. He deserves it.

There isn’t a lot of on-page hockey here. Even when we’re in Remy’s POV and he’s on the ice, it’s mostly “we were up by 2, then the puck went over to some players and we scored again” type stuff. (Yes, you can and should be jealous of my hockey acumen). I know a lot of readers really like the detailed play-by-play, and you won’t find that here.

This book is going to go onto my perennial re-read shelf right next to Game Plan. This book was amazing. And to be fair to Kate Meader, the book ended right at the point that Harper was outed to the media, so you could say that’s why we didn’t see what happened next. I get that. And I’m eagerly waiting for So Over You, the next book in this amazing series, constantly stalking Netgalley for it. I think everyone should read this book. Probably the entire series. And start with In Skates Trouble; you don’t want to miss out on Ford and Addy.

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Kate Meader’s first sports romance follows on the heels of her successful foray into the lives of the Dempsey foster sibling firefighters in the Hot in Chicago series, of which Playing with Fire ended up on my top ten of 2015 list. With Chicago as the setting once again, this time hockey is the name of the game. The Chicago Rebels, a losing NHL team, has a chance to turn around its fortunes under the leadership of three sisters, Harper, Isobel and Violet. In doing so, they’ll also achieve their own goals of finding a happy ever after.

Harper Chase has tried for years to prove herself worthy of being part of the Rebels franchise, a place her father never supported. Even in death he’s thwarted her again, giving ownership of the team equally to his three daughters instead of just to her, and making their successful run at the playoffs a condition in the will for not selling off the team to the highest bidder. She’s determined to do what she can to make it happen, including adding Remy DuPre to the roster. He’s a long time NHL player with a strong following and leadership qualities that she hopes will show the team that she’s serious about investing in their future.

Remy ‘Jinx’ DuPre is jinxed indeed. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride when it comes to winning the Stanley Cup, finding out he’s been traded to the poorly performing Chicago Rebels for what could be his final season on the ice is very frustrating. With the diminutive but feisty Harper on his case to lead the way he strikes a bargain with her – three months of solid gamesmanship in return for a trade to a team that has a real chance at winning the Stanley Cup so he can retire with pride. But as he shows the team what he’s capable of, he also finds himself drawn to Harper and her dedication. A mutual sexual attraction between Harper and Remy soon leads to some steamy off the ice action. But will the bargain they’ve struck lead to a loss for the Rebels and for love?

I love reading about nice guy heroes, and Remy’s down home charm and gentlemanly manner put him firmly at the top of my book boyfriend shelf. Though he’s initially upset over the trade, for clear personal reasons, once he’s on board with Harper’s plan he gives the team his all. He also makes it clear that if Harper is interested, he’s all for a little one on one time with her. He’s a hero in pursuit in a subtle but determined way. He understands the repercussions should news of a relationship between them leak out, and how important it is for her to maintain a spotless reputation while she works long hours and puts her heart and soul into making the team a success. Family is of utmost importance to Remy, and his visits to New Orleans never pass without a trip home. A protective, caring man and a generous lover – he’s real hero material.

Harper hides her insecurities well, but a past relationship with a hockey player that turned violent makes her sometimes nervous in the face of the hulking men who dominate the locker room. But with Remy, she knows she has found someone she can trust. Her dedication to the team and her determination to work with her sisters despite their difficult past are worthy of respect. I really liked her character and her drive to succeed. But I also liked seeing her emotional and passionate side with Remy. They share some steamy love scenes that make them both realize how difficult it will be to part at the end of their three months. Harper is determined to stick to her end of the bargain no matter what her feelings are for Remy, and how much she will miss him. It’s up to Remy to determine what it is he really wants for his future, for his career and after.

With her debut sports romance, the author does a great job of showing hockey from all sides – the players, management, locker room discussions and on ice scenes. The team finds that Remy’s arrival gives them a new spirit and puts them on the right track. The series will continue with Harper’s two sisters getting in on the game and I can’t wait to read those too! Irresistible you is a sexy and spirited hockey romance that will make you a permanent fan of the Chicago Rebels.

This review has been posted at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It has been posted at Straight Shootin' Book Reviews and feedback updated with the link.

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A fun, hot, and sexy read that had me captivated from the beginning to the end. Remy DuPre is "jinxed"and all he wants is to lift the cup, the Stanley Cup, above his head before he ends his career and that is coming to an end. Just as he thinks this is his year, he is traded to a team that has the worst, or second worst, standing. Harper Carson lives and breathes hockey and all she has ever wanted was to run the Chicago Rebels and now she has her chance. The only thing in her way, her two half sisters who now own it with her and have to make all the decisions with her, oh and the stipulation in her father's will they must make the playoffs or sell. From the bottom to the top in one season. Game on! Harper brings on Remy who doesn't want to work until he strikes a bargain to be traded mid season but chemistry, good food, sexy cajun, good hockey, and lots of fun what could go wrong...or right...

I highly recommend this one! This is a new to me author and I have discovered I have a book of her's in an anthology I'm going to go back and read. This will not be the last one and I'm definitely looking forward to the next one in this series. Bring on more sexy hockey players!

**Received this ARC from the publisher via NetGalley**

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Unfortunately this book fell flat for me. It lacked substance and focused more on just the romance side of things. Given that one of the main plot points in this book has to do with the stipulations the sister's father put on the team ownership and all of the trials that come with being women in a man's world, there was barely anything about it. Almost everything was centered around Harper and Remy's romance and how it would look bad for Harper to be with a player. That story line pretty much encompassed the whole book. I wanted MORE. More content, more resolution, just more than romance fluff. I started skimming at around the 50% mark.

I didn't care much for Harper because I thought she wasn't as strong of a character as she was originally made out to be. Her backbone was lacking and under the surface she was always shaking with fear. Given what she does for a living I was expecting her to make difficult decisions and to really do an overhaul of the team. The only changes she made were firing the original GM and taking on Remy. Nothing else. I felt the whole story line with Billy was unnecessary and was only put there to create a conflict when really there were so many other situations and stories that could have been told.

Remy was an okay character. The constant French phrases/words got very old very fast, though. It made Remy's character very cheesy and inauthentic. I did like how he treated Harper and how he was patient with her though, so that was a bonus.

Overall, I can't say I recommend this book and I won't be checking out the rest. It was just too cheesy, too predictable, and the ending was ridiculous. That bit with the reporter was so overdone it felt like an ending to a bad Disney movie.

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Irresistible You and the characters were irresistible to me! Harper Chase has now found herself at the helm of the hockey team, The Chicago Rebels. She was VP with her late father, but that was in name only. Now, she is trying to make this lackluster team into champions. That is easier said than done. She has to share the responsibilities with her estranged half-sisters, Isobel and Violet. They have until the end of the season to prove themselves, or they will lose it to a consortium and a scholarship to the University of Wisconsin. Granted, they will get their inheritance, but Harper wants to prove her father and the media wrong about a woman’s capability of running a hockey team. Her solution: acquiring center, Remy “Jinx” Dupre. He has his own goals…getting the cup before retiring. Harper has just taken that out of his grasp. This was to be his last season. The two don’t like each other at all, but underneath is a whole lot of lust. After much disagreement, the two come up with a business arrangement that will benefit them more. What they didn’t count on was falling in love!

Harper is determined to prove her ability in a man’s world, and because of this and her troubled relationship with her late father, she has built defensive walls around her heart to protect herself. Underneath that, she is still the hurt little girl her father rejected. She rationalized her loneliness as independence and “turned it into a badge of honor.” As her and Remy’s relationship blurs the lines between professional and personal, she begins to crave his protection instead of always taking care of herself.

“His kiss would be protective. His body covering her would keep her safe.”

The question is will she be able to do that.

Remy is quite irresistible! He’s got it all…looks, sexiness, a naughty mouth, and he is a gentleman. Who could resist that! He fights his feelings for Harper, but there’s something about her he can’t resist. He wants to protect her and take care of her. Problem is: they don’t know whether to kiss or kill each other. He begins to slowly see the vulnerable side to Harper, and she begins to see he is very different than who he first appeared to be. He has such a different relationship with his parents and siblings, and I think Harper craves that with her own sisters.

This was most definitely a sexy yet sweet romance, but it was also a story about family. Harper never had that. She does recall the first time falling in love was with her baby sister, Isobel.

However, her father ruined any chance the two had to bond. Now, they have a sister neither one knew existed until several years before. Violet is completely different than the two of them. Their getting to know each other and care about one another was one of my favorite parts of the book. Cannot wait until the next one in the series!

***Read and Reviewed for Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews***

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This was the first book I’ve read by this author. There are several hockey books out, in fact I read and reviewed one earlier this month. I don’t think there was anything specific in the blurb that drew me in, but I was pleasantly surprised. Especially because this book is pretty darn sexy. Way sexier than I imagined it might be.

On the outset, it seems like this is a fairly standard issue hockey romance. Harper, the heroine, has become the co-owner of a hockey team with her estranged sisters. Remy, the hero, is a disgruntled hockey player, disgruntled because he got traded to the Chicago Rebels, the worst team in the league. Remy is feeling his age and really wants this year to be his best. Harper is determined to be the best team owner that she can be and that definitely does not mean getting involved with one of the players. For me, the thing that really set it apart was the connection between the two MCs, the sexiness, and Remy’s overall lovableness.

Harper and Remy have instant chemistry and Meader did a really good job building the tension with the two characters. It takes a little while, but once they decide to give in to their attraction, the payoff was worth it. There is even a scene where they are playing a video game while having sex.

Harper is a little prickly, as she didn’t have the best childhood and her previous romantic relationships weren’t great. It takes her some time to really trust Remy and his feelings for her. Harper is also working on building a relationship with her estranged sisters. Remy comes off as a jerk at the beginning of the book, but his gruff exterior melts away and we get to see plenty of his squishy insides. Remy has a great relationship with his sisters and his whole family.

The conflict was a little predictable but it worked. I really enjoyed the way that Remy didn’t give up on Harper. I really liked Remy and they way he wanted to stand by Harper as a partner and not take away from her ability as a women to run the hockey team. There was definitely some underlying issues of outsiders not believing in Harper’s ability to run a male hockey team. One issue I did have with the book is that even though Harper wants to be treated as an equal and fights to dispel the misconceptions of a woman running a hockey team, there is still some usage of words like skank and bitches when referring to other women, particularly women that were showing interest in Remy. This rubs me the wrong way and feels like a mixed message. But I also know that people aren’t perfect, not in romancelandia and certainly not in real life. It is just something that sticks in my craw and always feels a little lazy, to describe other women in books as skanks because they flirt with the hero.

Otherwise this was a really enjoyable book. It was was sexy as hell. The author dropped some bread crumbs for future couples and I am already interested in them. There is a novella in this series that introduces the series and characters, but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything by not reading it. I believed in the love story and happy ever after for Remy and Harper. I look forward to future stories in this series.

Grade: B

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Having received a few less than subtle nudges from a good friend—combined with my craving for something fun—I decided it was time to give Kate Meader a chance. Despite the daunting pile of books I have to review and the many that have been sitting and collecting dust on my bookshelf for way longer than I’d care to admit, it’s still my mood that dictates my reading selections the most. Contemporary romance has become my go-to genre when I need a break from the dark and depraved and I find myself with an appetite for something sweet—think a palate cleanser of sorts.

Right off the bat, Harper was a woman to admire—determined, strong-willed and unafraid of chasing her biggest dream. It’s always been taking over ownership of her father’s professional hockey team at the top of that list. What she didn’t expect was that it would take her father’s death for that dream to be realized or that she would have to share the role with her two estranged half-sisters. Left with no choice but to make drastic changes in an effort to improve the team’s standing, she makes a trade for Remy DuPre, aka ‘Jinx’.

A gorgeous girl needs a gorgeous guy, right? Cue Remy, the hardbodied Cajun with a little bit of a bad boy edge. Do I have your attention yet? Seriously though, Remy doesn’t make the best first impression. In fact, he comes off as somewhat of douche, kind of disrespectful to Harper’s authority, but I guess he had a valid reason for it. He planned on finishing his career in Boston on a winning team, not schlepping to Chicago to join the roster of one the worst teams in the league. It doesn’t take long to see there’s more to him than meets the eye though. Under the persona, he’s actually a true gentleman and a family man, not a guy interested in surrounding himself with puck bunnies.

What makes a book like this successful is chemistry. There has to be undeniable chemistry or it just won’t work. Well, rest assured Remy and Harper have it in spades. They share some really great scenes; there's an underlying intensity from the go, some unabashedly sweet moments shared between the two and then there’s those that made me blush. I’m surprised that can even happen anymore, considering some of the books I’ve read, but it did. Maybe it had something to do with reading it on an airplane—sort of like keeping a dirty little secret.

The one thing that stopped this from being a new favorite was the lack of tension and buildup. I like it thick. Remy went from “she’s not my type” to dishing out the pet name “minou” pretty quickly. It was hard for me to pinpoint exactly what happened to spark that change in him. The author focused more on Harper’s side of the equation and her wishy-washy decision making. Granted, Harper had to deal with all of the haters just waiting for her to fall on her face, so why hand them a scandal as big as her dating one of her employees, right?

Being this is the first in a new series, the author took the time to establish relationships with a lot of the secondary characters and from what I can tell, the upcoming books will follow-suit with this one—strong women at the helm and the hockey gods that can’t seem to resist them.

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Review of "Irresistible You" by Kate Meader

ARC kindly provided by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review

--- SPOILERS AHEAD ---

5 Stars - Help! Panties going up in flames 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

This was such an amazing read! I loved every single sizzling and witty moment between Remy and Harper. And oh my god, just reading about his Cajun accent and the words he used with Harper melted my panties.. And he is a phenomenal cook and enjoys reading about Darcy and Elizabeth, then uses the context to tell Harper that they've been doing the same thing.. pre-conceived notions and all that jazz! Woah!.

This was a great book with lots of secondary characters that kept the story interesting and fast-paced. I cannot WAIT to read about Isobel and Vadim! Not to mention Violet and her "Nessie"... but I digress.

Remy's POV melted my heart - the parts where he is slowly coming to appreciate Harper for the woman she is and realising how she is THE women for him. And the part in the interview where he says he plays for HER.. oooo my heart melted into a mushy puddle.

I am not even a hockey fan (born and raised in Bangladesh and currently residing in Australia, cricket and football is what I know best) but you really don't have to be one to enjoy the book. But if you are, I can safely surmise that you will definitely enjoy all the "lingo" and technical details associated with the sports that's been depicted in the book.

And did I mention how hawt I found Remy?? I did?? Oh. But I think it's worth repeating. Melted. My. Panties.

All in all, a truly awesome read!

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Irresistible You is book one in Kate Meader's new Hockey series - and I have to say that if the rest of the books follow the same path - it will be a winning one. Pun absolutely intended.

Irresistible You finds our heroine, Harper and her two half sisters, sisters she doesn't know well or get a long with, stuck in the position of finding a way to work together to bring the team they are now responsible for back up to snuff - while also dealing with their family issues.

In an effort to prove herself and turn the team around, Harper brings in Remy - much to his dismay - to pull the team together and give them a chance at a winning season; more importantly a chance at the playoffs. But once Remy lands in her orbit - more than pucks are flying and Harper isn't sure how to handle it all.

Irresistible You pulled me in from the first page, from the struggles between the three sisters, to the sports drama, and Remy and his own struggles, I was hooked. I found myself not only rooting for Harper and her sisters to succeed at the plans for the hockey team - but also for them to find something to bond them as sisters, to bring them together in a way their father had not. And I also was rooting for Remy and Harper to find something together they didn't expect.

This book was full of drama and angsty moments, there was amazing banter among the characters, and a chemistry that exploded on the page at times. I loved how Kate Meader took something less often done - women in charge of the sports teams - and gave it her own special spin turning it into a highly unique story to kick off a series of what I suspect are also going to be future highly addictive reads.

Remy was a fun character to get to know, a bit upset at first and kind of a jerk - but he had his reasons, and really it was what was at the heart of him that mattered. Harper was a strong female lead, she wasn't one to take anything lying down, though she had her own struggles, she didn't waver - she didn't break. It was a beautiful thing to see within the pages of these story - these two characters who seemed so different - and yet had a desperate pull to each other.

I look forward to reading more books in this series and seeing what Meader has in store for us with the characters in them.

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Irresistible You is book 1 in the Chicago Rebels series. This is the first book I have read by Kate Meader and I am impressed.
 
When their father dies and leaves behind a failing hockey franchise, three estranged sisters come together to save the business. None of them are happy about it, the least of which is Harper. Harper is hell bent on saving the franchise and she isn't going to let anyone stand in her way.
 
Remy is close to retirement from the hockey world and he knows this year is his time to shine. When he is shipped off to join the Chicago Rebels and finds Harper is a ball-buster who expects him to lead this misfit team to victory, he is reluctant at best.
 
Kate Meader does an excellent job at taking a sports romance in which the norm is a slutty jock with a woman to tame him and making it so much more. The character development is excellent and the addicting plot makes this book irresistible. I look forward to more in this series.

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Irresistible You showed a different aspect of hockey-teams and trades, and while it's not the first one I've read with female owners, it was one of the best! Good hockey, strong romance, and great character development.

Story:
After their father's death, three half-sisters who didn't know each other well inherited ownership of the Chicago Rebels hockey club. Harper had been working with the franchise for years, and she wanted the team to succeed. Bonding with her sisters or the hot, new player she had acquired for the team was not part of the plan. Irresistible You played with my heartstrings, and I also enjoyed all the hockey talk. Strong female characters, and a male lead that made me drool sure made things very good!

Characters:
Harper Chase is the oldest sister, Isobel the middle sister, and Violet the youngest, all three grew up with their respective moms. Remy DuPres has to be one of the hottest fictional hockey players I have ever met! The rest of the hockey team in Irresistible You were side characters who were well fleshed out.

Writing style :
Third person, past tense, mostly from Harper's and Remy's perspective,  but with some insights to Isobel and Violet. The dialogues were snappy and let the characters' personalities shine.

Feels :
Quite a bit of sadness at first for Harper, she thought being tough and removed was the only way she would make it in this man-dominated world. There was hope, love, and loyalty as well, and I can't wait to read more about the Rebels.

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After reading the introduction to the series In Skates Trouble , I was all fired up to read Remy's story. The previous book was just an appetizer in comparison to this full course of skillful characterization and sharp wit. Meader managed to fully flesh out an entirely new set of characters, create a swoon worthy, forbidden (ish) romance, and tantalize us with the prospect of Harper's sisters' future stories. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect when I started this, but once I started reading I couldn't get enough.

Winning her father's affection and trust in her abilities was an uphill climb that Harper never managed to conquer. She spent her entire life trying to prove herself to him, to be valued. And now that he's passed away, even in death, Clifford managed to give her the big middle finger one last time. As excited as she is to be at the helm of his failing hockey franchise, she has new, seemingly insurmountable challenges to overcome. If she thought earning her dad's faith in her ability to run the team was impossible, it was nothing compared to the sexist league ready to draw blood from the get go.

Luckily, she's one tough lady, with a will of steel. Filled with determination and drive, to prove every last one of them wrong. Whatever the cost. Firing the team GM was immediately scorned, but she didn't let that bother her. If he couldn't get the job done, then she would do it herself. And Remy DuPre, her new veteran player's blatant disrespect was next on her list to be addressed. After meeting in Boston and reaming him out, let's just say that a bad first impression was made by all. Resentment, pride, and anger started their relationship off as adversaries.

Remy was bitter. A player with pure talent and star quality, but always cheated out of the ultimate prize: the championship trophy. Now in the sunset of his career, and his last shot at his dream, he's traded to a team at the bottom of the barrel. To top that off, his new boss is as about as uptight and unreasonable as they come. So why is it that he can't seem to keep his eyes off of her? She wasn't his usual type at all: hard as nails, his boss, guarded heart, his boss, and her lack of desire for a family. Plus she's his boss. End of. But her spirit and fire laid waste to every one of his mental protests.

In a weak moment, they both succumbed to the desire that was boiling under the surface. With one scalding hot kiss, it spilled over and consumed them. And there was no looking back.

"Harper Chase’s mouth could tempt a man to forget everything that was good for him."

Pandora's box had been opened, and his resistance fizzled out fast. He was soon determined to pursue these feelings that he was confronted with. Remy was just everything. He's what I would describe as a wicked gentleman. Southern to the core, a family man, and one sensual and sexy guy. He opens doors, defends the honor of those he loves, and knows the meaning of respect. A bit of a player in the past, but now he'd like nothing more than retiring in one last blaze of glory and finding a partner to start a family with.

As Remy peels away Harper's tough exterior, he discovers the world of damage she's hiding that extends much further than her trust and abandonment issues. Her ex left a deep wound that has never really healed. This was a big contribution to her inability to open up to him and let him inside her heart. On one hand, I completely understood where she was coming from with her impenetrable defenses. A relationship with Remy would risk what little ground she'd managed to gain with her career, and her goals for the future. On the other hand, I have to admit I was starting to get impatient with her stubbornness. She was bound and determined to push him away and unwilling to take a leap of faith.

"He cut her words off with a kiss. A take-no-prisoners, you-are-mine kiss that she’d hold inside her heart as long as she lived . He’d already burrowed his way into each bleeding fissure. Now every kiss was salt, every word a piece of grit."

The plus side to her resistance was seeing him pursue her full force. He wasn't the type to sit idle and take no for an answer, and I loved that about him. He saw the fragile parts of her and took the care with her that she needed. By the end, he had put her at the top of his priorities and proven without a doubt that she came first in his life. He was truly a force to be reckoned with.

I enjoyed this couple so much overall. They had heat, a delicious amount of humor, and a mildly angsty romance due to their secret relationship. I also loved seeing Harper's bond with her sisters find a foundation and start to grow. We learned a lot about their family history and the reason for their distance with each other. I'm without a doubt fascinated with the fate of the team, and the sisters' budding relationship. So Over You comes out in December and I'll be ready and eager to read all about Isobel and Vadim.

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4.25 stars--IRRESISTIBLE YOU is the first installment in Kate Meader’s contemporary, adult CHICAGO REBELS erotic, hockey, romance series focusing on three estranged sisters-Harper Chase, Isobel Chase and Violet Vasquez- who recently inherited the struggling NHL hockey franchise the Chicago Rebels. This is Chicago Rebel’s owner, thirty one year old Harper Chase, and Rebel’s newly acquired and aging center, thirty five year old Cajun power house Remy DuPre’s story line. Remy and Harper were first introduced in the prequel novella –IN SKATES TROUBLE-found in the hockey anthology HOT ON ICE that focuses on right winger Ford Callaghan and model Addison Williams.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Remy and Harper) IRRESISTIBLE YOU is a story of forbidden romance between team owner Harper Chase and her reluctant, new player acquisition Remy DuPre. Remy’s reputation precedes his introduction to our story line heroine but Remy’s lack of a Stanley Cup is distressing and the one reminder of his otherwise stellar career. Traded to the worse team in the NHL Remy’s attitude and behavior is less than professional, but his attraction to team owner Harper Chase is off the charts. When a deal made in haste forces Harper to accept Remy’s conditions, three months and then a trade, Harper knows her time with Remy is limited, and so too, is the possibility of another broken heart. What ensues is the building relationship between Remy and Harper, and Harper’s ongoing reluctance to accept and acknowledge that man with whom she has fallen in love.

Unlike Harper’s estranged and fractured family dynamics, Remy DuPre comes from a close-knit family with four sisters, and seven nieces. As the only unmarried sibling Remy’s family is constantly pushing our story line hero to settle down, and start a family of his own. Remy’s current plans don’t include a wife and child but retirement seems like the time to settle down with someone to love. Harper Chase is a rarity-the only female owner (along with her sisters) in the NHL-a position that comes with preconceived notions and Harper’s determination to prove that a woman is just a capable as a man in the world of hockey and sports. To this end, our heroine struggles with having it all, including a relationship with a player-someone considered an employee-and the possibility of negative press and scrutiny from players, owners and the public at large. Harper’s has been hurt in the past and doesn’t want a repeat or any more reminders of the who, what and why.

The relationship between Harper and Remy is one of immediate attraction but the tempestuous back and forth, and Harper’s fear of exposure makes our heroine wary of any sort of romance with Remy Dupre. Remy is determined to prove to Harper that she is capable of having it all including falling in love with an aging hockey star. The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Harper’s sisters- former women’s professional hockey player Isobel Chase, and Vegas tattoo parlor receptionist/ biker bar waitress Violet Vasquez- two women more or less strangers to our story line heroine. Remy’s Rebel’s defenseman Cade Burnett, team captain Bren St. James. Right winger Ford Callaghan and his love Addison Williams (In Skates Trouble) play secondary and supporting roles .We are also up close and personal with Remy’s parents Blue-grass Grammy award winning musician Alexandre and musicology professor Marie DuPre, as well as three of his sisters Martine, Josette, and Elise, and several of Remy’s nieces. Isobel’s story line is next.

The world building looks behind the scenes of a struggling professional hockey team; the players, the management, the deals and acquisitions., as well as the infighting, the jealousy, and betrayal between players and teams.

IRRESISTIBLE YOU is a fast paced, engaging and enjoyable story line. The premise is playful and lighthearted with moments of drama and tension. The characters are colorful, charismatic and fun; the romance is passionate, tender and provocative. IRRESISTIBLE YOU is an energetic and heartwarming introduction to the Chicago Rebels.

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First things first .... #DELICIOUSCoverWIN ... amirite?!

Let me say something real quick about the series concept: LOVE . Normally you see this kind of story being more male dominated. What I mean by that, it would be brothers coming together to save the team. But not this time. This time we have sisters coming together to save the day! ALL THE YESsssss!!

Okay, now the book ... I really loved everything about it. It was a page turned from page 1 all the way to the end. I couldn't wait to read more and more. Both Harper and Remy are so well matched is ridunculous. They made for an amazing story. SO much depth to both of them and so well characterized by Kate. This book has now jumped to the top of my favorite list for Kate's books. She did an outstanding job unfolding this story and setting up future ones as well. There is a lot to be learned about this three estranged sisters and I can't wait to find it all out!

Copy provided for blog tour review

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