Member Reviews

Well written and an enjoyable story. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more by this author.

Was this review helpful?

I am loving the Chicago Rebel Series! This second chance romance had me hooked! Isobel was the one women Vadim could see himself loving. Vadim took Isobel's virginity, her father made sure they wouldn’t be together and made his hopeful career in the NHL a nightmare. Isobel wanted her fathers approval the only daughter to play hockey making it to the Women’s Hockey league but had a career-ending injury. When Vadim is traded to the Rebels these two are forced to work together again!

These two were great together and I loved their story. There wasn’t too much angst just enough to keep the story interesting. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

Was this review helpful?

So Over You is the second book in author Kate Meader’s Chicago Rebels Series and I have to say, no one writes sexy brooding hockey players like Ms. Meader. This book was fantastic!

If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for an enemies to lovers story. Well, this was part that, and part second chance romance and the combo when written by Kate Meader is a total win!

Isobel Chase is trying to find her footing, along with her two sisters, in the male dominated world of professional hockey. She has a new title in her late father’s hockey organization and as if being a woman wasn’t bad enough, the first player she is assigned to help get back on the ice is the one player she’d love to never see again. The brooding, sexy, Russian star player Vadim Petrov. It seems as though the feeling is quite mutual when the broody Russian player realizes he will have to work closely with the woman he would be happy to leave in his past.

To say the past they share is full of missteps, hurt feelings, and broken hearts would be an understatement. Of course that makes their reunion that much better and the sexual tension and pent-up emotions lead to some serious heat and fun banter between them. Man, can Ms. Meader write some freaking sexual tension. I loved these two characters, especially as their defenses start to wear down and they both start to realize maybe being thrown together wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

I also have to say how much I love seeing the relationship between the three sisters grow as the series goes on. Having two sisters myself, I know the ups and downs that comes with but I also know the silly fun times sisters share.

I can’t wait to see what Ms. Meader has in store for us next!

Was this review helpful?

Loved the newest book in the Chicago Rebels series!

Was this review helpful?

The second book in the series is dealing with Isobel Chase, who played college hockey and then Olympics. When she made her professional debut on the opening night of women’s pro circuit she had a horrible injury that she was told she could not play again. Vadim Petrov new to the team but not to Isobel is not happy that she is wanting to help him with his physical therapy. Isobel cannot tell if it has to do from their past together or if it is because she is a woman who is part owner. Can these two hard headed personalities not only work together, but also overcome their past. A good story which has some of the same characters from the first book. You also get to see if the sisters get to keep the team or not. A good story to follow up from the first book.

Was this review helpful?

I am a huge fan of sport themed books and the hocky ones are my absolute favorite. I also have a big thing for Russian men....So of course I had to read this one. 

This is a series about three sisters, who have inherited the Chicago Rebels Hockey team from their father. Each book features a different sister. This time we get Isobel's story. 

Isobel used to be an olympic hockey player herself. That is, until an injury ruined her dreams. Isobel not only co owns the Chicago Rebels...she is also a coach. 

Now she is supposed to be a personal coach to Vadim... The newest member of their team. There is only one small problem. Vadim is the one who took her virginity when she was 18. Their encounter ended in a disaster because her father caught them, but that's not the only reason it was a disaster. The fact that he didn't really pleasure Isobel also has something to do with it ;)

When Vadim hears about this....he is dead set on righting his wrongs.....and boy does he !!

This was a very entertaining, funny and sweet read. I am very curious about the next books in this series ;) 

An arc was kindly provided to me by the author, via Netgalley.

My reviews are posted on DirtyBooksObsession

Was this review helpful?

Kate Meader is an author that has been on my radar for quite a while. I actually own the second book in her firefighter romance series, Playing With Fire (which I will definitely be reading in the future). So when I had the opportunity to review the second book in her Chicago Rebels series, So Over You, which is a hockey romance series, I didn't hesitate.

Something you should know about me is that hockey romances are probably one of my favorite romance sub-genres EVER and this mainly has to do with the fact that my brother played for his entire childhood into college so I grew up in ice rinks. Then, when I found out the romance involved a brooding Russian hockey player, a heroine who used to be professional hockey player herself, and that it was a second chance romance, I was hooked before I even began reading.

Hockey runs through Isobel Chase's veins and why wouldn't it when your father was a famous hockey player, the owner of a hockey team, and spent your entire childhood training you to become the next best thing in the hockey world. Her dreams of being a professional female hockey player had come true until it all came crashing down. Now, years later, Isobel has turned to coaching and ever since she and her sisters inherited their father's hockey team, the Chicago Rebels, she has set her sights on becoming a coach for that very team. The only things standing in her way is the fact that she is a woman in a male-dominated sport and she co-owns the team which would look bad if she just made herself coach given the scrutiny she and her sisters have already gotten. Oh, and the man she gave her virginity to years ago, Vadim Petrov, who just so happens to be her first client and who also wants nothing to do with her.

Vadim Petrov has just been traded to the Chicago Rebels, a team that has consistently struggled over the years. On top of now playing for this less than ideal team, Vadim must also be personally coached by the woman he wants nothing to do with given how their relationship ended years ago (badly as you can imagine). But Vadim doesn't have a choice because Isobel is determined to make this personal coaching assignment beneficial for both of them, so that he can recover from his injury and she has the chance to become a full-time coach for the Rebels based purely on her work ethic and not because she is a co-owner of the team. This professional relationship not only starts off with them butting heads but when their feelings for one another come to the surface again, things begin to heat up on and off the ice.

I said I was hooked before I even began reading this book but those feelings never strayed because I absolutely LOVED this book. It combined so many things that I love. The two main ones are hockey and the fact that Vadim and Isobel hated each other int he beginning and butted heads with one another which lead to some wonderful, sexual tension-filled loves scenes. They challenged each other at almost every turn and that passion for the game also translated towards how they felt towards each other.  I also cannot express enough how much I LOVED that Isobel was a professional hockey player because um, you never see that in a sports romance especially focused on hockey. Oh, and as someone who is tall, I really appreciated that Isobel was six feet tall because it is another element you don't usually see in romance, at least that is what I have found.

While Isobel and Vadim's relationship was the focal point in this novel, Kate Meader did an amazing job allowing the reader to also fall in love with the cast of secondary characters. Isobel's sisters and their relationship together was great to see as they continue to learn how to get along since, Violet, the youngest Chase sister, only came into their lives a few months ago. I personally enjoyed the foreshadowing of the relationships to come like Violet and her relationship with a certain Scottish hockey player. The secondary characters and the interactions we got to see really helped you delve deeper into this fabulous world of hockey.

All I have to say is that if you are a fan of hockey romances, you NEED to not only pick up this book but also this entire series.

Was this review helpful?

Sorry for the delay! Here is the link to my review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1983621776

Was this review helpful?

After enjoying the first book I had high expectations of this but sadly, it left me deeply disappointed. I love second-chance stories and athletic heroines are not that common, so I was very much looking forward to reading this.

In the end what I got a very stereotypical presentation of a Russian hockey player and I honestly hated it. He came off as ignorant, speaking poor English after living in the US for years, his father had mob concoctions (of course). As an Eastern European myself, I found the jokes on the Russian language and culture not funny at all but rather insulting and done in poor taste.

I liked the heroine initially but then the whole main conflict didn't work for me. Spoilers! She was convinced he was bad at sex because he didn't make her come the one time they had sex (she was a virgin). And him learning that made him question himself despite being know as the tzar of pleasure.
And he went on sort of a quest to prove himself to her. I really wasn't sold of heir romance. Vadim was presented as possessive, acting like she belonged to him right from the very first minute they reconnected, something I didn't appreciate at all.

As in the first novel, here some of the tension between Vadim and Isobel came from the fact that she was co-owner of the team he played for and she was trying to get a permanent position as a coach in the team.

One of the few things I enjoyed was the family dynamics between the sisters and the whole sports team atmosphere. In the end this was not enough the save the story for me. It left me angry and though I was interested in the upcoming m/m novella in the series and the story of the last of the sisters, I'm not sure I will be continuing with the series.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book. This was my first book by Kate Meader and will not be my last. This book can be read as a standalone because it gives enough information to fill in the blanks if you did not read the first book.... but i am going back and reading the first one because i enjoyed this book so much.
This was a different take on a Hockey Book in my opnion, normally the primary focus is on the Man as the Hockey player, but I loved the twist that it had with Isobel being extremely well versed in hockey and being a former player herself.
The chemistry between Isobel and Vadim was great and you could feel it coming off the pages. 4 stars for a great read, and i cannot wait for the next book in this series!

Was this review helpful?

4.5 Stars
I love this series and this book was just an excellent installment. I love Isobel and Vadim. Great love/hate relationship they have going on. Isobel and her sisters have a lot of pressure on them for their hockey team to succeed. Things are about to get a lot more intresesting for the trio when more hurdles pop up for them to jump over. Why all that is going on Isobel and Vadim may just get a second chance neither saw coming.

Was this review helpful?

copy received courtesy of Netgalley for honest review
The men in this series do not disappoint. They are hot hockey players with serious alpha vibes. First Remy with his Cajun boy charm and now Vadim with his Russian macho vibe. This is a second chance at romance along with the sport theme. Vad and Isobel met when they were teens. The time and circumstances were not right for their fledgling romance to succeed. Interfering fathers, career goals and timing were not on their side. Years later they reunite and things still seem to be against them. It seems Vad left a lot to be desired during their youthful fling. He feels he needs to make up for that. He wants another chance to redeem himself. However, now Isobel is his coach. That will not look good if she wants the respect of the other team mates and to be a full time coach in the NHL. Not only that, Vad has family drama that needs to be addressed and Isobel still has the relationship with her sisters, the will, and her dreams to deal with. The story deals with a lot but still manages to sneak in a laugh her and there. The banter is cute, funny and sexy. The characters are believable and likable. The next few books should be just as good if we use the first to as a bar.

Was this review helpful?

Holy awesomeness. I’m not sure who I like better. The three sisters in this series or the various hockey players that we’re getting to meet as we get to know these incredible ladies. Either way, I am absolutely addicted to Kate Meader’s Chicago Rebels series.

I loved the first book and was completely consumed by this group of characters ... and after reading the second book I might be willing to give my daughter to the author in exchange for the next two books in the series. (Don’t rule out the possibility Kate - she’s really cute)

Anyway. So Over You is the second book and in it, we get to know Isobel Chase and Vadim. Argggghhhh!! This couple wrecked me. I was a hot mess reading this romance. Giddy. Turned on. Heartbroken. I was all over the place and loving it as well as the couple. They’re fabulous and their passion for one another was intoxicating. Engaging. Charming. Intense. Honestly, I couldn’t put their book down.

It’s because it has everything you could ask for in a love story. Enticing characters. Drama. Friendships. And the banter in this series is off the charts hilarious!! It is all beyond spectacular and it’s just another reason for Kate’s books should be in everyone’s libraries.

So my recommendation is that you stop what you’re doing and get one-clicking. Do yourself a favor and grab all the books in the Chicago Rebels series. I promise you will not regret it!

Was this review helpful?

Although things did not immediately grab me in this book I am so glad that I held on for the long run because Isobel and Vadim ended up being a fun and sexy couple to follow. I love the idea of the three sisters running this hockey franchise and their banter and interaction with one another. The intensity was well played and I loved the chemistry between these two. Although not a book that blew my hair back it was still a enjoyable fun read.

Was this review helpful?

Vadim and Isobel have some history together and not all of it is great memories, but it is a starting point to build from or maybe could it all come crashing down around them?
Vadim is such a strong character and when he needs something spelled out for him by either his team mates or Isobel, he really is a very likeable character. He seems to have a heart for his family and Isobel. You could tell early on that Vadim was in love with Isobel and really enjoyed the quiet moments with her, like when they took a nap together and she brought over soup for his family. It was in those moments you saw how much he truly wanted to be with her. Isobel is so headstrong and sometimes she can't see what is right in front of her, it could be dangerous or it could be love but she can't see it. Good thing her sisters and Vadim are there to her a girl out. This is a really good story and the characters are fun.

Was this review helpful?

Second sizzling hockey series from Chicago Rebels. This book is about second sister Isobel and her first love Vadim.
Isobel’s professional hockey life (only a day) was cut short after devastating injury now she is pursuing a career in coaching. Since she is woman in male dominated field, it is not easy to keep her job or even move up to coach a professional team. When she was called to manage Chicago Rebels with her sisters, she wanted more than anything to be a coach but that had to wait until the team makes playoff first.
Vadim is traded to Chicago Rebels and needs rehab his knees to play his best and he is paired up with Isobel “Bella”.
Both were in love when Isobel was 19 and both remembers their night together differently. But they were pulled apart because of Isobel’s dad. He was sent back to Russia and never have a contact with her and no NHL contracts.
Now they have to face each other and learn to work together but it is harder than it seems for both.
Their background story and his family and her family issues are similar in ways they have to solve.
I loved all the characters and both books were great!!! I can’t wait to read about her younger sister!!!!
If you need great hockey romance book this is it..

Was this review helpful?

I amuses me how though I'm not a hockey fan I look forward to these sports romances so much. Truthfully, the game itself goes over my head but I'm here for the story and this Chicago Rebels series presents the stories from a different angle -- that of a female run organization.


Isobel and Vadim have history and meeting up again brings out all the animosity and hurt. Raised by her father to be the best female hockey player ever, her dreams were crushed due to an injury. She found a new career in coaching but she's always felt that she never lived up to her true potential. Vadim who was recently traded to the Rebels is sidelined by an injury and only under Isobel's watchful coaching can he be healthy enough to be back on the ice sooner rather than later. The problem is that they can't get along. Way back when she was a young girl on the cusp of greatness, she and Vadim were secretly an item. It was her father's ambition for her that led to their breakup and Vadim being blackballed for a short period of time. Just as in the first book, Irresistible You, Isobel like her sister Harper, continues to live under their dead father's ever present shadow. It's hard to detach personal ambition from guilt over letting him down. Now she and Vadim they have to work together they have to balance their feelings alongside professional etiquette with everything being more precarious because of Isobel's position as owner and also as an assistant coach. Tongues will wag and reputations will be at risk should people start suspecting anything between them.


While the description might make it seem that the problem between them comes down to sex, it doesn't. There is a lot more going on with each of them though nothing overdramatic. Isobel is still dealing with the disappointing blow to her career. Not only that, she's also looking to break the barrier by becoming a coach of a professional men's hockey team. And she has to prove that she's the right person for the job by more than just her last name or the fact that she's a part-owner. This means dealing with the occasional skepticism or random sexist comments thrown at her. Meanwhile, Vadim has to come to terms with someone who was once close to him whom he had written off years ago. This particular storyline brings out his more sentimental side. The one thing I will say that is uneasy for me is the two of them pursuing something knowing full well what a delicate position Isobel is in being a team owner whose every move is documented and judged. These are the very same concerns Harper had in the first book as she took up with Remy. You just get protective of these characters and don't want them to get hurt. At the same time, it is a look into how women in the workplace are held to a different and often more rigid standard, especially when they're in a position of power.


Meader does also give us sneak peeks of future books by teasing us with tiny subplots. (Seriously, she has me excited for book 3!) I utterly enjoyed So Over You, and that it offers something new by featuring a strong, intelligent and capable female athlete who can go toe-to-toe with any other competitor on the ice. It's a fun and sexy distraction that you shouldn't miss!


~ Bel

Was this review helpful?

Isobel and Vadim's second chance romance was one to remember. They met when she was 18 and he was 19 and crushed on each other and had one night of passion before Isobel's father banished Vadim from playing US hockey and sent him back to Russia. Now 8 years later, Isobel is a coach and Vadim is an injured player need some extra help from Coach Chase. The connection they felt all those years ago is still there.

This story brings us back into the locker rooms where the Chase sisters are fighting for their team that they own. There are characters the pop up in each book, but they can be read as standalones. My only issues was that I found Isobel and Vadim a little cold. I loved the story though.

Was this review helpful?

4.5 Stars

So Over You is the second chance love story of Isobel Chase and Vadim Petrov. The two first met as teens and shared a love of hockey. They also shared “firsts”. Isobel was/is Vadim’s first true love. Vadim was Isobel’s first romantic encounter. Too bad the encounter didn’t have Isobel seeing stars, but wondering “is this it?”.

Now Isobel runs Chicago’s pro-hockey team, the Chicago Rebels with her two half sisters. According to their father’s will, they must take the team to the playoffs this current season or the team will be sold to someone else. To make the struggling team better, Isobel’s older sister, Harper negotiates to bring in left-winger Vadim Petrov, not knowing the two have a history.

Isobel is tasked with coaching Vadim and helping him recover from an injury, much to his displeasure. She wants to keep things professional and their past a secret. But their past soon becomes known by certain members of the team and that Vadim “the Czar of Pleasure” fell very short. Upon learning of his failure, Vadim becomes determined to make Isobel remember him for something else.

I loved Isobel and Vadim together. They’re fun and passionate. They don’t pull any punches with each other. Each have had a very complicated relationship with their parents. But together they are able to make new discoveries about themselves and each other. The Chicago Rebels series is all about coming together and being a family. You definitely see that on full display with So Over You. Kate Meader writes stories full of humor and passion that pulls you in and So Over You is no different. I’m looking forward to the remaining books in this series.

Was this review helpful?