Dante Moretti was having a quiet drink in an exclusive gay club
when he was shocked at seeing Cade Burnett, his team's ace
defenseman, enter the premises. Dante has only been with the
Chicago Rebels for a short while, everyone knows the NHL team's
new GM is gay, but is Cade in the closet? At his forward
approach, it's obvious that Cade is coming on to Dante for a
hookup. Dante won't risk anything casual with a player, he will
not risk his hard-earned position, even though he has been
coveting Cade in secret. But can Dante resist the sexy Texan
for long?
Sports romances hold no particular appeal to me, but I could
not resist UNDONE BY YOU's intriguing blurb. Having read Kate
Meader's other brilliant m/m romance MELTING POINT in
the Hot in Chicago series, I had to read about a
romance between a gay hockey player and an executive. I have
not read the previous books in the Chicago Rebels
series, yet I didn't feel lost for one moment. You don't
even need to know the first thing about hockey to enjoy this
fabulous book, you only need to be in the mood for a romance
with heart and substance.
Cade has made hiding his double life into an art form, his
façade shows no cracks, and he has no intention of coming out.
It's not easy, but he's been managing so far, until Dante
became his team's GM. Dante was Cade's boyhood crush, and Cade
will take whatever he can, but Dante is twelve years his
senior, he knows only too well the risks involved. There are so
many issues here: Cade being firmly closeted, Dante prefers
relationships and not hiding, and last but not least, the
player-GM situation, all of which are masterfully dealt with by
Ms. Meader. Both characters are tremendously appealing, and
very different in every way: Dante is urbane, on the serious
side, and sophisticated, rather comfortable in his skin, while
Cade -- and honestly, who in their right mind could resist him!
-- is a sexy devil, utterly irresistible in all his bronze
bravado, and also a very conflicted man.
The romance is a delicious slow burn; while the sex happens
first and somewhat quickly, Kate Meader took her time for the
love to really develop between Cade and Dante. Every step of
the romance felt real to me, from the first come-on to the
declarations; there was no melodrama, but the romance is just
about as ideal as you can wish it. The tone remains decidedly
masculine throughout, but not crude. The female author's
persona entirely vanished to let the male voices shine through,
which I find admirable. If the romance is riveting, Cade and
Dante's backstories are spellbinding. Not because their lives
are so extraordinary, but precisely because they are so
commonplace. It is what life is all about, and for some people,
life is more trying than for others because of prejudices and
narrow-mindedness.
The hockey environment is perfectly depicted. There are quite a
few supporting characters, every one of them well fleshed-out,
and I loved the little wink to MELTING POINT. Ms.
Meader's flawless prose never falters, her wicked sense of
humor pops up here and there, and the sex scenes are incredibly
beautiful, sensual, steamy and tenderly virile. A thought
occurred to me while reading, UNDONE BY YOU could very well
serve as a guidebook for parents -- or anyone, for that
matter --
although some might want to skip the sex scenes. I felt UNDONE
BY YOU offers incredibly valuable lessons, not only regarding
tolerance of sexual preferences, but in letting a child be
himself or herself, and in giving children the freedom
necessary to live a productive and happy life. It should not
be a luxury,
but a right. Now, I wonder if Leon Shay will have what is
coming to him, and I hope Kate Meader will grace us with more
m/m romances, because she does have that elusive magic touch!
USA TODAY bestselling author Kate Meader brings her
signature “steamy sex scenes, colorful characters, and
riveting dialogue” (RT Book Reviews) to this novella in
the Chicago Rebels series, following the general manager
of the Rebels as he scores with one of his players off
the ice.
Dante Moretti has just landed his dream job: GM of the
Chicago Rebels. And screw the haters who think there
should be an asterisk next to his name because he’s the
first out managing executive in pro hockey. He’s earned
the right to be here and nothing will topple him off that
perch—especially not an incredibly inconvenient
attraction to his star defenseman, Cade “Alamo” Burnett.
Cade has always been careful to keep his own desires on
the down low, but his hot Italian boss proves to be a
temptation he can’t resist. Sure, they both have so much
to lose, but no one will ever know...
As Dante and Cade’s taboo affair heats up off the ice and
their relationship gets more and more intense, they’ll
have to decide: is love worth risking their careers? Or
is this romance destined to be forever benched?
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