Good Guy (Rookie Rebels, #1)

by Kate Meader

[Sam@WLABB]

I was a bit sad, when the Chicago Rebels series ended. Therefore, I am ecstatic to be back in this world with Meader's new series.

Who?

• Jordan - A widowed sports reporter, who was hoping to make a major splash in the Chicago hockey scene

• Levi - A former Green Beret and the oldest rookie in the NHL, who also happened to have been the best friend of Jordan's deceased husband

What?

Jordan was selected from a large pool of sports writers to profile Levi due to her connection to him, but there was more to their link than her husband, and it may diminish Jordan's credibility as a reporter .

Why?

You all know I am total trash for hockey romances, and bringing me back into the Rebels realm was icing on the cake.

I was so excited to be reunited with the characters from Meader's other books. Most were from the Chicago Rebels series, but she also pulled in a few from her Hot in Chicago series, which just added to the fun for me. I adore getting the opportunity to catch up with old friends, and Meader did a fabulous job incorporating the old characters without stealing the spotlight from the new characters.

The hero and heroine of this book were an instant hit with me. Levi had an amazing backstory, and it didn't stop with his NHL detour. Piece by piece, the full picture of Levi formed as Jordan investigated his background, and they both reveled bits of their past to each other. The things Levi did and his reasons for why he did them brought on quite a feelsplosion. That heart of gold combined with his Mount Grump persona totally endeared Levi to me.

I loved Jordan's personality too, and admired her ambition and career focus. It took a lot of fortitude to succeed in this male dominated profession, and she took her knocks like a champ. But, I admired her more for taking action, and speaking out against the bias against women in male dominated fields. She wasn't all about her career, though. Jordan was vibrant and funny, and she was able to bring out some amazing parts of Levi. I really liked them together, and was absolutely rooting for this union.

It was great seeing the veteran Rebel players again, but I also had a fantastic time getting to know the next generation of the franchise. There were so many fun and hilarious scenes shared between the guys. Their camaraderie and chemistry was a wonderful thing to witness, and I was especially fond of the bromance that developed between Theo and Levi. Theo never failed to bring a smile to my face, and I am really hoping there is a book slated in the near future for him and Elle, because there was definitely something there worth exploring.

Meader always incorporates some issues into her books, which give the story more depth. She brings many issues to the forefront of Good Guy, but I especially enjoyed the way she incorporated the issue of homelessness. It was a really feel-good part of the story for me.

All of Meader's romances have been great successes for me, and Good Guy joins the list. This was a fantastic start to the new series, and I am more than excited to read about more of the Rookie Rebels.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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