Superstar (Rookie Rebels) by Kate Meader-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 11, 2023

He never saw her coming …

After almost a year away from hockey, Bastian Durand’s return to the game should be a triumph.

Instead he’s taken down by the Chicago Rebels mascot.

It can’t get worse. Or maybe it can. Because the human inside the Rowdy Rebel costume is none other than Pepper Calhoun.

His friend’s sister.
His coach’s daughter.
And the woman Bastian has wanted for the longest time.

Pepper has always been a magnet for bad luck and now she’s ruined superstar Bast Durand’s big comeback. So that tracks. Everyone, from her father and brother to the fans and press, heck, even the NHL commissioner, hates her.

Everyone but the one guy who should.

Hiding away is the only thing she can think of, except Bast has the same idea. To her utter dismay, he’s determined to protect Pepper from anyone who dares breathe a word against her.

And to convince her that crashing on the ice isn’t all that different from … falling in love.

••••••

REVIEW:SUPERSTAR is the seventh instalment in Kate Meader’s contemporary, adult ROOKIE REBELS erotic, hockey romance series- a spin off from the author’s CHICAGO REBELS series. This is twenty-six year old, Chicago Rebels player Bastian Durand, and twenty-two year old Chicago Rebels coach’s daughter Pepper Calhoun’s story line. SUPERSTAR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Bastian is the half-brother to Reid Durant (Dear Roomie #5).

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Bast and Pepper) SUPERSTAR follows the building romance and relationship between twenty-six year old, Chicago Rebels player Bastian Durand, and twenty-two year old Chicago Rebels coach’s daughter Pepper Calhoun. Bastian Durand spent months nursing an almost career ending wrist injury when he met embroiled Chicago Rebel’s coach’s daughter Pepper Calhoun. Bastian was in no position to face down a woman whose reputation was in tatters but a trade to the Chicago Rebels placed our couple in the direct line of fire. Struggling with a direction in life, Pepper would find herself the team’s newest ‘mascot’, a mascot that was about to reinjure Bastian’s wrist and also his pride. Needing a break from ..well..everything, Bastian’s brother offers up his cabin in Michigan, a cabin Bastian was about to share with our story line heroine. Pepper Calhoun wasn’t given a choice when her father forced her to drive Bastian to his home away from home, the cabin where Pepper and Bastian would come clean about demons from the past. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Bastian and Pepper, and the potential fall-out as their return home forces Pepper and Bastian to confront the people who continue to make their lives miserable.

Pepper Calhoun’s reputation was destroyed when she supposedly ‘broke the heart’ of another professional hockey player but all was not as it appeared to be, and Pepper refused to reveal the truth about what happened or why. Bearing the brunt of the online and media hate Pepper would become the target and punching bag of everyone who wanted someone to blame including the father and brother she so desperately wanted to please. Bastian Durand’s family dynamics was in tatters having been forced to compete against his half brother Reid, who in turn almost destroyed Bastian’s career months earlier. Needing time to reconsider his future going forward, Bastian would have to face his demons as well as admitting his attraction and love for our story line heroine.

The relationship between Bastian and Pepper is a frenemies to lovers relationship in which secrets revealed would shine a different light on our story. line couple.Few people were aware of the truth: about Pepper’s break up with left winger Kent Gallagher; fewer people knew about the forced rivalry between the brothers on the ice. Forced to spend several nights together in the wake of a Michigan snow stormed, helped Pepper and Bastian free themselves from the demons they continued to ride. The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to several members of the Chicago Rebels hockey team, as well as coach John Calhoun, Bastian’s half brother Reid and his wife Kennedy; Pepper’s brother Connor Calhoun, and via text Pepper’s ex Kent Gallagher., and Bastian’s father Henri Duranc.

SUPERSTAR is a story of secrets and lies, misunderstanding and judgemental family, friendships and relationships, acceptance and love. The fast paced premise is entertaining and engaging; the romance is captivating and passionate; the characters are desperate, determined and dynamic.

Previous reviews
Good Guy
Instacrush
Man Down
Fore Player
Dear Roomie
Rebel Yule
Jock Wanted

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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 or a fire hose, and she’s there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines who can match their men quip for quip.