Dear Roomie: A Grumpy-Sunshine Hockey Romance: A Rookie Rebels Novel

Kate Meader

May 2021 · Rookie Rebels Book 5 · Kate Meader Books

About this ebook

Reid Durand isn't here to make friends.

Coming from a legacy of hockey greatness, he has games to win and things to prove. With his focus during his first season as a Chicago Rebel on his drive to succeed, every vice is off the table. No booze, no sugar, and definitely no women.

Kennedy Clark is the master of the side hustle.

She'll walk your dog, brew your espresso, and pick up your dry-cleaning, all while rocking it in Warrior pose. Standing still is impossible for her because the moment she starts to slow down, it'll come rushing back in a torrent. The memories. The pain. The heartbreak.

Their meet-cute is more of a freeze-cute. Besides, they already know each other. He's the rude, entitled customer at her coffee shop, or what used to be her coffee shop since she just got fired—because of Mr. Extra Shot Americano himself.

Reid didn't intend to get Kennedy fired.

He didn't intend to rescue a dog after the poor thing ended up in the lake.

And he definitely didn't intend to acquire a new roommate.

A curvy, chatty, tempting roommate. 

Now this perfect storm of events are about to wreak havoc on his neatly-ordered life.

Reid Durand isn't here to make friends, and he's certainly not here to lose his heart to a puppy, a team, or a chaos agent like Kennedy. But then we don't always get what we want ...

Romance, contemporary romance, new adult, new adult romance, sports romance, hockey romance, standalone romance, roommate romance, forced proximity, dog sitter, dog walker, alphahole

Ratings and reviews

This is the fifth book in the series. I'm not gonna lie Reid wasn't making a good first impression with me, but boy once Bucky enters his life that changes everything. Reid just melted my heart with that little dog. Kennedy is having the worst luck at the moment. Changes are coming that she never even imagined could be a possibility. She's going to find something she has been searching for. I just loved the banter between Reid and Kennedy. It was one of my favorite parts of the book. Man I felt for Reid and his situation with his family. It does explain a lot about his personality. It made me happy to see a side of Reid come out that everyone has been waiting to see. This book packs in the feels and this book left me with a huge smile on my face. I mean every book in this series so far has. A great read you don't want to miss!

DEAR ROOMIE is the fifth instalment in Kate Meader’s contemporary, adult ROOKIE REBELS erotic, romance series focusing on the members of the NHL’s Chicago Rebels hockey team. This is twenty-seven year old hockey player Reid Durand, and twenty-five year old barista/ yoga instructor Kennedy Clark’s story line. DEAR ROOMIE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. The Rookie Rebels series is a spin off from the author’s Chicago Rebels series-several characters cross over for back story and cohesion. Told from third person perspectives DEAR ROOMIE follows Kennedy Clark in the wake of not only losing her home but her job as well. Living out of her car, Kennedy would come to the rescue of a drowning dog only to come face to face with the man she blames for the loss of her job. Enter professional hockey player Reid Durand. Reid, unable to drop the dog off at the pound, offers Kennedy the job of dog-sitting, a job that brings her up close and personal with the man with whom she will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Kennedy and Reid, and the potential fall-out as Kennedy’s time in America comes to a close. Kennedy Clark is a bit of a free spirit spending many months of the year travelling abroad but the late approval of her working visa finds Kennedy ‘roommates’ with our story line hero, a man who struggles to prove he is worthy of professional stardom. Growing up in a hockey family, Reid has always felt like the odd man left out, having to work harder to prove he is just as good as his brother and the man he calls dad but all is not well in the Clark family dynamic, and things go from back to worse as brother is pitted against brother both in and out of the game. The relationship between Reid and Kennedy begins acrimoniously as Reid is less than friendly with our story line heroine but not only is Reid a thorn in Kennedy’s side, he also struggles with teammates, friendships, and the people he loves. Reid Durand is petulant, sulky, and often withdrawn but raised to win at all costs, has cost our hero the ability to make friends. Always keeping apart from others, Reid battles between head and heart when he finds himself falling for Kennedy Clark. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting character including several from the original Chicago Rebels. We are introduced to Reid’s step-father Henri, and his brother Bastien, as well as Kennedy’s grandmother, and her senior’s hockey fans. DEAR ROOMIE is a story of family, friendships, relationships and love; a story of bullying and struggle, of acceptance and moving forward. The premise is engaging and entertaining; the romance is seductive; the characters are impassioned and energetic

How have I missed books 2 to 4 of this series? Okay, cards on the table, I thought this was a totally different book so my rating is somewhat influenced by my disappointment that this isn't A Kiss for a Kiss which is what I thought I was buying - my bad! Reid Durant is the exception to the rule that all Canadians are polite and friendly. His stepfather has brought him up to consider everyone and everything a potential barrier to being a successful hockey player, including his stepbrother Bastian. He eats healthily, swears off sex during the season and practices for hours every day, yet nothing is ever good enough for his father. Kennedy Clark is a rolling stone. After her parents died in a house fire she has avoided putting down roots, preferring to travel the world looking for adventure. She's been in Chicago for a while, looking out for her step-grandmother who has recently gone into an old people's home, and is saving for a trip to Thailand teaching English as a second language by dog walking and working as a barista. When a series of events lead to Reid getting Kennedy fired, and Reid adopting a stray dog, Reid offers Kennedy a job dog-sitting while he is on the road. But soon Reid finds his focus is being tested by his diminutive roomie and his heart is being softened by a small, beaten-up dog. Will opening his heart help or hinder his game? I felt that this was too much hockey romance by the numbers, I thought I had read it all somewhere before, including playing games with seniors at an old people's home and acting as a concierge service. Maybe if I had read the three intervening books I would have felt more connection, but then I think my views are reinforced by the fact that I thought I had read all the books in this series until I checked - in other word, the characters seemed too familiar. It was enjoyable but didn't bring anything new to the table to me.

About the author

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, fire hose, or hockey stick, and she’s there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with big-hearted guys and strong heroines - and heroes - who can match their men quip for quip.