This was a sexy M/M book in the Rebels series. I was anxious to see how Dante and Cade's relationship played out after reading Book 2 in the series. This story is about half the length of the other books, but long enough that it tells a good story of the beginning of Dante and Cade's relationship. I feel like there is a lot left to tell with where there relationship will go and the obstacles they will face. The heat between these two was blistering. I'm a huge fan of M/M stories and this was a good one. Can't wait for the next Rebels book.

Always able to make me smile, Kate Meader is a staple on my reading list so I jumped at the chance to read/review the next installment in her sizzling Chicago Rebels hockey romance series. Undone by You follows the team’s sexy, aloof and openly gay GM Dante Moretti and star defenseman Cade “Alamo” Burnett. Even though I’m don’t read m/m romance I truly enjoyed this story about friendship, love, understanding, family and having the valor to live life without regret.

At 35 years old, Dante is proud of his professional accomplishments and completely comfortable in his own skin, the challenges of his new job as the first openly gay general manager in hockey demand all his attention and don’t allow for a potentially disastrous fling with one of his employees.

Cade is a young, charming and easy going Texan who is just starting his NHL career. Knowing that his late mother was ashamed of his sexual preference and his father would also most certainly disapprove, Cade has kept his desires a secret. However having his hero and crush become his boss is too irresistible.

Meader spins a sexy web with a fantastic blend of love, understanding and yearning. As their attraction turns into a deep bond, they must overcome more than the taboo aspect of their relationship. The 12 year age gape places them in different stages of life. Dante is not only Cade’s boss, he also wants an open relationship while Cade is still struggling with himself. I found the story is at its most touching when Dante and Cade’s love drives them to find with Cade’s father the understanding Dante’s family never had.

Since they were introduced, I liked and was intrigued by both Dante and Cade and their tale not only ushered in Bren and Violet’s but also examined the close knit friendship between teammates. I really liked having Harper and Remy back and providing support to their colleagues.

Undone by You is installment #3 of the Chicago Rebels series by Kate Meader. It is standalone hockey romance novella. A m/m told from both points of view and has a happy ending. Other subgenres include: boss-employee and therefore on the forbidden side.

"all the er's." Harder, deeper, faster, Meader. Kate Meader you totally rocked this story!

Wow, is all I can say. What an incredible story and so well written it just blew me away. Kate is a great writer and she's a favorite, but I honestly wasn't prepared for this.
I loved Dante and Alamo from the previous books in the series. This begins with Dante being out one night at an exclusive and out of the way sex club and in walks Cade. Every eye in the place is on him and Dante isn't sure which hat he's wearing. GM or an interested male. Tough call but his instincts tell him to go find him and do his job as GM to protect Cade. They sit and talk. Dante insists in driving Cade home and that's where the night ends. Much to poor Alamo's disappointment. He still hasn't come out, not even to his father and there's a story there. Dante has his own story as well.
The first in the NHL to come out. Thus far no players have made that move.
Watching the growing attraction between these two and how Dante equals food with love (so Italian, my hub was the same way) he still puts Alamo off. Dante really got negative sometimes but I really understood his position. I also know he did it to keep Cade at arms length. I loved Violet in this story as well. She's right there supporting Cade. Funny thing was.... well
ha! You have to read the book.
This is by far the best M/M book I have ever read. Public sports figures, the actions of both Dante and Cade and what Cade did. Cade, I just loved him in previous books and wow I love him even more now.

Bravo Kate, you have outdone yourself, this is just perfection. It could not have been better.
If you haven't read this series, please do. You will love it. Crazy cajun, even crazier Russian, the funny man from Texas and 3 women owners. The best series ever!

Deserves far more than 5 stars.

**advanced copy from NetGalley and Publisher**
*I received an advanced copy of this book to review. The above is my honest review and the opinions therein are my own**

Not my cup of tea to be honest... I was bored with it

I have to admit that I requested this ARC because I thought it was going to be about the third Chase sister, Violet. I didn't read the blurb first. Imagine my surprise when I figured out this wasn't her book, but her good friend Cade's. It was a great surprise because Cade and Dante's story was perfection. I loved every minute of their journey together. There was so much personal growth in it. Undone by You was such a great read! Each book in this series gets better and better. I can't wait for Violet's book even more now!

I don't normally read m/m romances but this one fell so perfectly into the series that I had to read it. So much of this series centered on the Rebels hockey team has been about stepping out of the norm, female hockey owners, female professional hockey players, an openly gay general manager, that it only seemed right that Dante be included with his own story. And just like the other two books in this series, his romance is anything but an easy road. Dante and Cade have so many outside issues to overcome that in some ways they overshadow their own growing attraction to one another. This was a great addition to the series and I think Kate Meader did a great job addressing some serious issues in society without making the novel too heavy.

I was looking forward to Dante and Cade's story. Ms. Meader did not disappoint! Cade's coming out of the "closet" story was an angst filled read. Who better to do it with than the scrumptious, responsible Dante to help him through it. This was a great read!

Undone by You is a double dose affair of risqué and outré in Meader’s character’s Dante and Cade.
Undone's addition to the Chicago Rebels series is a smart read that deals with heart rending struggles with warmth and— more importantly— acceptance.

As with most novellas and flighty add-ons, the story lacked pacing, such as the rush of their lust amassing into love, and the propelling of being outed to family. There were also times that I felt like Dante took advantage of Cade’s (lack) of experience, especially since Dante is older and has been out longer than Cade. I felt that if the novella was longer these issues could have been dealt with in a more modulated pace.

The connection that Cade had with Violet was special, non-judgmental and fierce. She was there for him completely as a solid friend, and I think that’s what this book implores— to be able to rely on the strength of those around you; a family that might not be forged in blood, but love.

If you've enjoyed the rest of Kate Meader's Chicago Rebels series (if you've read them you have, if you haven't read them, what's wrong with you?) then you know that a romance for the NHL's first gay General Manager, Dante Moretti was inevitable. I've been waiting with bated breath for this one. But pairing up Dante with the Rebel's defenseman, Cade Burnett was almost too much hotness to handle. Both men are confident and vulnerable in equal turns, both need each other, and both can't let the secret of their attraction public for different reasons. I'm just glad that Kate Meader didn't keep their romance a secret from us, the readers.

Undone By You
Chicago Rebels #2.5
Kate Meader
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Totally loving this hockey series. I can’t get enough of these sexy players. The more I read the more I want to get my hands on more. This author is quickly making the way up my favorites list.
Such a sweet and sexy romance between defenseman Cade “Alamo” and the hot and sexy Italian GM, Dante. Cade finally reveals his attraction to Dante and then has to work up the nerve to come out to his Dad. This was such an emotional and romantic story.
Thanks NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 Stars!!!

Thank you Kate for such a wonderful story. I knew I needed to hear all about Dante after meeting him in the previous books. This one changes genre's for this author so I was a bit nervous to begin. I am a fan of m/m but not everyone can write in that genre.

No worries at all! The author nails it.. We get all the flirting and angst with new relationships. Cade and Dante are all kinds of taboo and that puts their trysts up there in steam level.

What I appreciated most is the message from the author through Dante: you have to be comfortable with you. Others may be mad or rude or never talk to you again, but if you can't be true to yourself, than what difference does it make if all those other people are happier with you being someone else? LOVED!

We see all the secondary characters again in this one. I Really enjoyed Violet and Cade's relationship. Can't wait to see what happens in her book. Once again, so very intrigued by the premise of the story. Great women doing awesome work in a traditional male job. Kuddos all around!

This is a novella in the Chicago Rebels series. Obviously, the shorter length meant the characters didn't feel as well-developed, which is too bad. There was lots of interesting stuff here that could have made this story, which feels sort of cookie-cutter, into a more interesting story.

One of the things I struggled with was the feeling that this romance between 2 men had all the tropes of an older man/younger woman romance: Cade is 23 to Dante's 35. Cade is a sweet young thing who has fooled around but never had such an intense relationship before, he's virginal bc he's never had anal sex, and Dante feels an instantaneous kind of possessive jealousy about Cade. I wish their relationship didn't feel so rushed, maybe then I wouldn't have noticed the tropes as much?

I also felt (SPOILERS) pretty disappointed that the author chose to ghost Cade's coming out scene to his Dad. Instead, the reader gets it second hand when Dante finds out about it from Violet. IDK, I think if you're going to write a "coming out" plot into your story, you owe it to the character and the reader to give them the dignity of that scene being written into the book.

Either way, like all Kate Meader books, plenty hot. I especially liked the further development of Violet because she's a friend of Cade's. I'm looking forward to her book to end this series. I'm giving this 3 stars bc of the sexy romance, but I honestly feel that the author failed to do some important things well with Cade as a character. YMMV.

Absolutely love this series! Cade had Dante exactly where he wanted him. His list of all the things he wanted to share with Dan was a mile long. Coming out was something he fought but one man drove his every step, his every heartbeat. Dante knows the ramifications of being with. Are could cost him his job. But how could he possibly deny the way Cade makes his heart race, the sheer power he is willing to give up just to be with Cade? Finding one another was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to them. The only problem is they have to stop fighting and accept the other half of their soul.

A 12-year-age gap between a closeted player and an openly-gay manager along with the implications of a relationship that’s probably forbidden and mostly likely to be massacred by the press and the public? The odds seem unsurmountable. That Cade and Dante play starring roles here made my mind up for me to grab ‘Undone by You’ by hook or by crook.

And Kate Meader makes it work with writing that’s so confident and assured, more so since M/M stories aren’t always on my priority list.

In fact, for its relatively short length, there certainly wasn’t any time wasted with narrative meandering, which made ‘Undone by You’ short, sharp and quite to the point. Cade surprised me by his straight-shooting talk and the mindgames in the dating game that he steered of when it came to Dante won me over. That he was the pursuer took me aback at first, though it wasn’t long that Meader had me rooting wholly for him, particularly when Dante was being a frustrating arse with his inability to decide what he really wanted.

I did think the flurry of activities however, rooted Dante/Cade’s burgeoning relationship very much in the present and I couldn’t even quite determine if their happy-for-now ending was going to last. The story seemed to end on their happy-but-shaky foundation (undoubtedly hard-earned) and the odd epilogue disappointed me when I expected an HFN/HEA-type of closure and I think I would have preferred a ‘boring but normal’ one with Dante and Cade some time down the road, settled in their relationship.

Nonetheless, the aspects of coming out to family and friends and what it meant to be homosexual in a workplace as testosterone-laden as competitive sports made this book a compelling read and Meader’s prose tied these together nicely through that mix of witty dialogue and the internal monologues of both the protagonists and the supporting characters—which I can’t wait to meet again as the series goes on.

I really enjoyed this story in the Chicago Rebels Hockey series. This is the first M/M romance I've read by this author, and I really loved both the heroes. They are so different in many ways, but ultimately, they fit together perfectly!

Dante Moretti is the new GM of the Chicago Rebels pro hockey team. He's also a former pro player in his own right. He also happens to be the only out gay manager in pro hockey. Some people aren't happy with his being there, but he could not care less, as he knows he's earned his place. With the 3 Chase sisters, co-owners of the team, behind him, he's sure they can do anything, even make the playoffs for the first time in a generation. In fact, his job might depend on it. So, the last thing he needs is an inconvenient, but strong, attraction to one of his employees, star defenseman, Cade "Alamo" Burnett.

Cade is young, but he's a great defenseman for the Rebels. He's managed to keep his sexual orientation a secret from everyone so far, save his best friend, Violet (one of the 3 co-owners of the team he plays for). He plans to keep it that way, as he is terrified of hurting his dad, his only family. His dad is a college football coach from Texas, and Cade is under no illusions that he'll be ok with Cade's truth. They are very close, and Cade is afraid of losing him. So, he keeps his secret, and feels the trade-off is worth it. But, when he meets his teenage sports hero, who's now also his boss, he can't help but wonder if he can have his cake, and eat it too.

Dante and Cade's dynamic was explosive. Their chemistry was off the charts, and I loved their banter. Dante was much older and more experienced than Cade, not to mention the fact that he's Cade's boss, so their whole clandestine affair took on an even more taboo slant. But, they really came to care for each other, much more than either of them bargained for, and I loved seeing their different ways of dealing with that fact. Dante has been exactly where Cade is now in his life, and with the same secret, and so he helps him a lot with Cade's issues.

To be honest, I've been loving this series, in large part, because of the jagged, but awakening, sisterly bond between Harper, Isobel, and Violet, the half-sister, co-owners of the team. Though they were mentioned here and there in this novella, it wasn't quite the same and I missed seeing them interact. That's not to take anything away from our heroes, who I really did love so much. It just had a different feel and I felt the ladies absence.

This was a great story of coming to realize what you need in your life, and chasing it no matter the cost. I loved how both heroes came to terms with the truth of their relationship, and both were concerned with making the other's life better. It was a very mature relationship in that way, and I loved the way they communicated. I highly recommend this story to anyone who loves sports romance, and I especially recommend it if you're a newbie to M/M romance, as it would be a great place to start. I can't wait for the final book about Violet, and team captain, with a boatload of issues, Bren.

I received a galley of this book from Pocket Star via NetGalley. This has not impacted by rating, review, or opinions.

I'm on a roll with M/M romance lately, and I was excited to dig into this book. When the Chicago Rebels' GM runs into one of his star players at a gentleman's club, sparks fly. Even better – the hockey player, Cade, has harbored a long-time teenage crush on Dante, the GM.

While the book is steamy, it's pretty light and I found some of the lines in the book to be more funny than alluring. Why do so many romances end up with characters giving each other ridiculous nicknames right off the bat? One thing is for certain – you're not going to think of meatballs the same way after reading this book. I also dislike it when authors decide to describe everyone as "the [ethnicity]."

I read this book as an ebook, and I just realized that it clocks in at <200 pages. While it was entertaining and light, I would have preferred a more complex book with a stronger build-up. Some of the characters' reactions to things are just absurd, and one moment in particular really drove me crazy.

I have been enjoying this series. I am not an M/M romance reader but I have loved Dante from the beginning, so I was interested in his story.

Dante Moretti is Italian hotness in Armani suits. At 35, he carries himself with confidence and grace. He is also the first openly gay General Manager in the NHL. Dante’s family has known he was gay since he was young. However, when he went public, he lost his parents because they couldn’t deal with it being out in the open. He has maintained contact with his sisters and their families, but it has been a struggle to see them and avoid his parents at the same time.

Cade “Alamo” Burnett is only 23 and just getting started in his NHL career. He’s easy going, very likeable and a charmer with a Texas swagger. He lost his mom at a young age. Because of this, he and his dad are very close. He has kept his romantic preferences quiet. He has had a crush on Dante since he was 12 years old. He was ecstatic when Dante became the GM for the Rebels.

The 12-year age gap, not to mention Dante being out and Cade not, plus the boss/employee issue were big hurdles. They were at different places in their lives. So many things I loved about Dante, yet he frustrated me at times as well. Cade came across as the earnest, young guy he is, but had a few insights of his own.

Loved the office scene! The epilogue was different, kinda strange. Definitely not what I expected and not sure it fit. I wanted more of Dante and Cade together, making it work and dealing with the attitude that was bound to come at them.

This book delves more into the relationships between the team members than the previous ones. Remy and Bren’s leadership of the team. The tight knit group of teammates despite a particular jerk in the midst. If you’ve been reading the series, you know who I mean!

If you don’t know much about hockey, you will still be okay to read this. The focus is more on the romance and the interactions of the teammates than hockey jargon and play.

We had to have this story to pave the way for Bren and Violet. I’m sure it’s going to be a bumpy ride! Looking forward to it.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

The new GM of the Chicago Rebels hockey team, Dante Moretti, is the first openly gay manager in the NHL. He's gotten used to ignoring the haters and set his focus on getting Hockey's new darlings into the playoffs. He certainly doesn't have time to dwell on his secret feelings for a certain straight defenseman.

Cade Burnett has kept his sexuality secret for many years and for various reasons, he's been getting by just fine doing this, that is, until Dante becomes the new GM for the Rebels. When things start to heat up between Cade and Dante, Cade realizes that keeping his secret is no longer making him happy. But to be happy, he may have to risk far more than just his career.

Right after I finished So Over You, with it's blatant teasing of something going on between Dante and Cade, I had to immediately delve into Undone by You.

Undone by You kind of takes place on the periphery of the preceding book in the series (So Over You) and it goes a long way to fill in some seemingly missing pieces to that story. I liked how the two stories almost go hand-in-hand that way.

On its own, however, I loved this relatively short read in the series and I loved that Kate Meader was able to fill it with such heat and heart. Things between Dante and Cade literally sizzle off the page. They are such a great pair. I loved how it kind of starts out with Dante being the older more experienced one in the relationship with Cade being younger and still in the closet he hasn't had as much experience. But Kate Meader kind of flips things and on Dante and Cade's road to happiness we discover that Dante is still suffering from his own experiences coming out to his family which, to put is mildly, didn't go well.

This book also goes a long way to show how much of a family the Rebels are to one another (at least those that aren't set up as the antagonists - you'll know who I'm referencing if you've read the other books). I feel like, up to this point, since the books have focused more on the Chase sisters, we've missed a little of the workings within the team itself, just the players - minus the owners and coaches.

Overall, this is a great short in the Chicago Rebels series. There's even a little Easter egg for Meader's other familycentric series Hot in Chicago series

So far, this has been one of my favorite new series of the year and it looks like next year is going to be just as good!

Good story. She really gets across how hard it is to hide part of yourself from the world, but also how it’s freeing to tell everyone. It’s not easy and it causes new challenges but you need to do what’s best for you. Dante and Cade were great together. I got this galley at the same time as the second book in the series was released and it was nice to read them at the same time since the time period for them is simultaneous.

WOW! I really enjoyed this story. When I first saw this book, I was expecting to read about Violet's story but instead it is about Cade and Donte. Undone By You is a m/m romance. I normally don't read a lot of gay romances however I loved this story. I laughed out loud and cried several times through out the story. Kate Meader does a fabulous job describing the emotions the two main characters were feeling. This book is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. I would recommend this story. I can't wait for book 4.