He’s a Special Forces veteran making his pro hockey debut. She’s a dogged sports reporter determined to get a scoop. She’s also his best friend’s widow . . .Fans can’t get enough of Levi Hunt, the Special Forces veteran who put his NHL career on hold to serve his country and fight the bad guys. So when his new Chicago Rebels bosses tell him to cooperate with the press on a profile, he’s ready to … profile, he’s ready to do his duty. Until he finds out who he has to work with: flame-haired, freckle-splashed, impossibly perky Jordan Cooke.
The woman he should not have kissed the night she buried her husband, Levi’s best friend in the service.
Hockey-stick-up-his-butt-serious Levi Hunt might despise Jordan for reasons she can’t fathom–okay, it’s to do with kissing–but her future in the cutthroat world of sports reporting hangs on delivering the goods on the league’s hottest, grumpiest rookie. So what if he’s not interested in having his life plated up for public consumption. Too bad. Jordan will have to play dirty to get her scoop and even dirtier to get her man.
Only in winning the story, she might just lose her heart …
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A wonderful spin off from the Chicago Rebels series These guys are the Rookie Rebels They are men who have had their Hockey careers curtailed by some unforeseen circumstance or career choice In the case of Levi Hunt he gave up a promising hockey career to become a special forces soldier but now he has returned and is starting his hockey career over
The public loves him for his service and now his bosses want him to do an article with a journalist he is fine with that until he learns the journalist is Jordan Cooke. He has history with Jordan she is the widow if one of his fellow soldiers and his best friend and he kissed her the night they buried him. Jordan wants to make it has a sport journalist and this is her big chance so why is Levi making it so hard for her. Could it all be because of that kiss, she knows she will have yo play dirty if she wants her interview from the stand offish Levi but what she is worried about is that she may just lose her heart in the process. This is a deeply emotional book that has some laugh out loud moments due to the fun from the rest of the team.
I just loved this book so much!! I was ecstatic to get to be back in the world of the Chicago Rebels. That series was a 5 star delight, and it looks like this spin-off won’t be lacking at all!
Jordan Cooke is a hockey lover, and a great regional sports reporter, with a fairly successful blog. When she gets a shot at a huge job in Chicago, reporting on the Rebels pro hockey team, she has to take it, even though it means major contact with a man she thought she’d never see again. 5 years ago Jordan lost her husband. He was a Green Beret, and he was killed in combat. His best friend, and best man at their wedding, Levi Hunt, never seemed to like her much, and then she got drunk and kissed him on the night of her husband’s funeral. She hasn’t talked to him since. But now, he’s retired from the military, and he’s returned to his first love, hockey. Lucky her, right?
Levi Hunt has had an interesting life. He grew up struggling, with his father, a mediocre boxer, always looking for the next big thing, and Levi never knowing if they’d have a roof over their head that night, or where his next meal would come from. But, he was always great at hockey. So, he got himself a scholarship, and played hockey in the NCAA. Then he turned down the draft after college to join the military. Now, at 30, he’s the NHL’s oldest rookie. He thought he’d be cooling his heels in the minors for quite a while, but another player’s injury was his lucky break. So, here he is, quite a novelty, and everyone wants a piece of him. He doesn’t want to talk to any of the press vultures, or give them anything about his past. He only wants to discuss right now, and hockey. But then Jordan shows up, and throws him off his game entirely.
Jordan and Levi had BIG chemistry and fighting it was a full time job. They both think the other person basically hates them, and neither of them seem capable of just being honest. It was a constant push and pull, and I enjoyed watching them squirm a bit. Levi has loved Jordan since he first laid eyes on her, before Josh or anyone else in their group had seen her, but he missed his chance and Josh was the lucky one who got to marry her. Jordan has always taken Levi’s sarcasm, and snark to heart, and believed he never cared for her much, and didn’t like her with Josh. But as she interviews him, and those around him, and begins to get a clearer picture of the REAL Levi, she’s not sure what to think. There might just be a genuinely good guy under all that big talk.
Seeing all our favorite characters from the prior Rebels series was SO MUCH FUN, especially my faves Harper and Remy, ooh la la! I also loved all the guys and how they consistently do things to knock each other down a peg. The laughter and camaraderie in the locker room was always hilarious, and I can’t wait to learn more about these other young players on the team. I really loved how they try to show up for each other, in every way they can, both on the ice and off. They all try to help Levi out with his nerves, and make him feel welcome, and included. I loved watching his relationships grow with each of them.
Jordan was a great example of the plight of female sports reporters, and what they have to deal with. Unsolicited dick pics, and harassment at all levels, from players, to coaches, to executives, to fans, and internet trolls. They mostly have to roll with the punches, and laugh along with the jokes in order not to be ostracized from the inner circle. Forget about what happens if they were to report something. It’s a tightrope walk, and mostly Jordan does it well, but Levi doesn’t like at all what she has to deal with. It makes him angry to think about her being vulnerable in those situations. Since the Rebels have a very non-traditional management, with 3 female owners, and a gay former player as their GM, their locker room is A LOT better than most, and Jordan has hope for the future.
I really loved this couple and their struggle to be truly open and honest with each other, in order to get to their HEA. They had a lot of obstacles to overcome, and they managed it, mostly together, and despite outside pressures. The villain here was such an unethical weasel, and I really would’ve liked to see him get his comeuppance in a more specific way. I hope we might get to hear about that more in future stories. Also, I’m super intrigued by Levi’s temporary roommate, Elle, and what secrets she’s holding onto. I just bet Mr. #superglutes himself, Theo Kershaw, is up for the task of finding out! I can’t wait!
Strong start to a new series. I instantly connected with Jordan. Loved how she and Levi overcame their past issues to start their future together. I was happy to catch up the Harper Ladies. Can’t wait for the rest of this series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC received via NetGalley.
Kate Meader brings us a new series set in the same world as her Chicago Rebels world. Our first main couple is Levi Hunt and Jordan Cooke.
Good Guy is all about a second chance. Levi and Jordan are both given a second chance at a career. Levi with an NHL career with the Chicago Rebel’s after his stint as a Green Beret. Jordan, a sports journalist after she set it aside to be a young bride. And 5 years after losing her husband, Jordan and Levi are given a second chance at love.
Levi’s decision to become a war hero before an NHL star is big news but he’s a very private person. That previous connection Jordan has with Levi has made her a shoe in for the journalist to get his story, but it won’t be as easy as every thinks.
Levi has not had an easy upbringing and he isn’t open to sharing anything but his hockey career publicly. He doesn’t realize what an inspiration he is. The title of a good Guy really is an apt description for him. He’s honorable and protective but very private and a bit moody.
I’m not much of a fan of journalist because they are usually portrayed as people who will do anything for a story. I was happy to see that Jordan is the opposite of all that. She is just as honorable as Levi. She can get the story the the right way.
I really liked both main characters. Levi is that broody H that I love, and Jordan was a fun heroine that handles difficult situations the way I like to see. We also get to see the author focus on the imbalance of women’s treatment in a male dominated world.
I loved all the new characters to this group of people as well as seeing some old favorites. I’m looking forward to more in the series!
Levi and Jordan burn up the pages with their sizzling attraction and a past that binds them together. I absolutely loved this first book in Kate Meader’s new hockey series. And I loved seeing characters from that I adored from the Chicago Rebels series. Good Guy is a sexy, emotional, funny and romantic ride that I hated finishing! Wonderful start to what will undoubtedly be an equally wonderful series!
I really enjoy this authors books, and The Good Guy is no exception. Levi is an ex Green Beret, who turned down a free ride into the NHL to go into military service when he was younger, has seen a lot of tragedy forcing him to grow up, which includes watching his best friend, Josh, losing his life during battle. His best friends widow, Jordan, has been the woman of his dreams since before Josh and Jordan got together, but that’s a secret he’s kept for years. Now that Levi is out of the military and following his dream with playing professional Hockey, he ends up face to face with Jordan, and it’s not going to be easy with her since she’s been assigned to write a profile article for one of the newspapers she now is reporting for. I found these two to be a very complicated couple given their history, but at the same time they were both pretty funny. Very entertaining story, loved Joe and Cookie, and enjoyed the fact that Levi volunteered at the local homeless shelter. Coby was a major jerk, and loved Harper in the end. Theo was hysterical, and I can totally see Elle and him being front and center in the next installment, or at least I hope so! Easy fun read, well worth the time.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
I was sad when Kate Meader’s Chicago Rebels series ended, but I’m content now that we have the new Rookie Rebels series!
Levi Hunt is the oldest rookie in the NHL. The reason is because he chose to join the Green Berets years ago instead of heading right into the NHL. Now that he’s finished his service, he’s ready to get back on the ice, but he’s got to catch back up since he’s been out of the game for so long.
Jordan Cooke is a journalist and has just gotten her big break when she get the assignment of one of her colleagues that is out recovering from a heart attack. What Jordan learns is that her getting the assignment had something to do with the fact that she has had past interaction with the subject of the story she’ll be covering. Jordan’s husband, who died in combat several years before, was a on the same Green Beret team as Levi. Her boss feels like this connection, while very small from Jordan’s point of view, will give her more of an in.
As Jordan and Levi begin to work together on the piece she needs to write, it’s anything but easy. Jordan thinks Levi hates her, which couldn’t be further from the truth and Levi doesn’t want his life and past explored and written about. He’s private and wants to keep it that way. With all the time the two of them are spending together, it’s impossible to deny the attraction, or the fact that they had kissed years ago and both of them still think about it. Will they be able to keep their distance so no lines are crossed or is their attraction to real and too much to deny?
I really liked the premise of this story. Both of these characters are getting a second chance at life and they both want to make the most of it. Levi is a great guy, does a lot for those in need, but wants nothing in return for it and least of all accolades. The other characters in the book add a lot as well. Levi’s teammates are great and Jordan’s friends add to the story as well.
I’d recommend picking this one up and I’m looking forward to more from this series!
What a wonderful first book in a new series, with some appearances from some favorite characters from other Kate Meader books. I really enjoyed both Levi and Jordan right away, I liked them separately and once they got together. Levi and Jordan had a past together but not a romantic one, Levi was best friends with Jordan’s husband, who passed away not long after getting married. Now they meet up when Jordan, a sports reporter, is hired to write a piece on Levi, NHL rookie and former Green Beret. Sparks fly between these two because Levi is quite tight lipped and doesn’t want to walk about himself and Jordan believes that he doesn’t and never has liked her. Of course that is not at all what is happening. Jordan is working on a side story about women behind the scenes in sports and what they have to deal with and when she is on a show talking about this she is blindsided by secrets that she knew and nobody else should have had. This destroys the fragile relationship that Jordan had started with Levi until another person hurt by these secrets helps Jordan out.
I really loved this first book and am excited for more in the series. So many teammates of Levi’s I can’t wait for them all to get a book!
We get another series! But it is piggybacking off of a series that we have previously loved. The Chicago Rebels. In this one we meet Levi Hunt who is now a Hockey Player but he previously was Special Forces and everybody wants to know about him and he is not the type to open up especially about that. Jordan knew him and now in order for her to get the position that she wants she has to interview him since her boss feels that is her in, but she isn’t so sure since he has never liked her and he was her deceased husbands best friend and she hasn’t seen him in a while. What Jordan didn’t know was that Levi has always loved her but did not feel good enough for her..Your heart will bleed a little and you will root for them and get mad at times too. I loved reading about some of the previous characters even from the Firefighter books..Enjoy!
Rcvd and ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) Voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions
What a sweet sports romance (hockey, no less). The oldest rookie in the NHL, Levi Hunt, comes back from a stint as a Navy SEAL (whoops sorry, Green Beret, insert winky face here), and lands himself a job playing for the Chicago Rebels. He really is a good guy, unfalteringly honest, oh, apart from that one big whopper of a lie he’s being hiding for years. Enter wannabe sports reporter Jordan Cooke, who has agreed to do a profile on him, oh yes, and she’s his deceased best friend’s wife. Awkward. Jordan too is a good girl, she just happens to work in a cutthroat industry, where doing the right thing leaves you at a disadvantage. It took me a while to really warm up to Jordan, I was at times uncertain about her morals, but her sunny personality finally won me over. Faultless writing, a wonderful story with emotion, humour and great supporting characters. I’ll definitely be looking in to the next book in this series. I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest review.
I received an ARC copy from publishers via Netgalley.
4/5
This is a story about an ex-Special Forces solider Levi Hunt, making a comeback in hockey, getting a chance in the NHL. When owner of the Chicago Rebels, Harper wants him to open up about his life to a reporter, he didn’t think it would be Jordan Cooke. Jordan is the widower of his best friend and fellow solider in Hunt’s unit. They have a past, a connection, and Jordan’s boss wants her to use it. Things start to come out and lines are being blur, now Jordan and Levi need to figure out are careers more important or relationships.
This story was a interesting read. I liked how you got to walk into a solider’s journey, of starting over being an outsider of the military. You will find many issues characters are fighting in this plot. Women in an industry that is mainly male dominant, and what struggles they face, how they resolve it. The supporting characters you might recognize some, from Kate Meader’s Series Chicago Rebels. In all, this was a really good read, coming from a person that’s really not into sports, but fully understood where the author was coming from.
What an awesome sports, to military and back to sports love story with a woman sports journalist covering his story…And the woman he has been in love with forever. The ups and downs of his life and her struggle with being accepted as a journalist in a male dominated career field has these 2 struggling to figure each other out. Loved this book!!!
A book that is way more than a romance. This is my first book by this author and boy am I glad I got the pleasure of reading her work.
This book is deep. A forbidden love, best friends widow. Their attraction was very intense together, and even though they knew they shouldn’t. Things started heating up, what began as a story ended up being so much more.
Levi Hunt is the oldest rookie in the NHL, he served as a Green Berets. Levi knew his life could of gone differently if he stayed and played hockey but he needed more and serving his country was it. Now he’s back and it just so happens that Jordan Cooke is the reporter who needs his story. And just so happens to be the love of his life. Though no one knew.
Jordan Cooke is trying to get her foot higher up in the chain as a journalist/reporter for the National Hockey League. When the opportunity to have a big story arises, she goes after it, even if she has to deal with the grumpy Levi Hunt.
We follow as more than one story breaks out. We read about the diversity between male and female roles in different positions. And we follow as two people find out so much more about each other and the love that blooms with every day.
Highly recommended.
*I was provided an advanced review copy by Net Galley for free in exchange for my honest and voluntary review. All thoughts and opinions in this review of those of my own.*
Levi Hunt is the newest acquisition by the Chicago Rebels hockey team. A quiet, broody character, Levi was a Special Forces veteran coming back to the world of hockey. Jordan is an up and coming sports reporter trying to break into a male dominated profession. These two characters have history together since Jordan’s now deceased husband was in the same military unit as Levi.
I really liked these characters. Jordan’s vivacious personality was a good counterpart to Levi’s taciturn nature. And the romance (with a mild heat factor) was not the only thing going on as this author touched on many current social issues such as homelessness, PTSD, domestic abuse, sexual harassment and breaking the glass ceiling. I really enjoyed how Ms Meader seamlessly wove these topics into the story without coming across as preachy. Definitely food for thought.
Characters from previous books make their appearance but it is not necessary to read them before this one. I’m really looking forward to reading whose story is next. In the meantime, I’m off to reread the beginning of this legacy- the stories of the three sisters who own the Chicago Rebels hockey team!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced review copy. This is my personal and unbiased opinion.
I admit I’ve never been a big fan of female journalist leads and tend to approach those books with a hefty dose of trepidation. Astonishingly enough….Meader actually made me like a female journalist! Jordan has ETHICS!! And…nope, I’ll get carried away if I go that route… I’ll just say I was seriously impressed with Jordan. Because I was. She was hilarious, had a sunny disposition, she was smart and again, the whole ethics thing was a big glowing arrow pointing in her direction. Not that Levi wasn’t a great male lead. He was very much a Good Guy, but I’m viewing him as awesome supporting role to Jordan’s. She takes the cake in this book! Of course, the rest of the team did a great job as supportive characters as well. Enough so that I was laughing in my pillow so I wouldn’t wake anyone up:)
The romance between Jordan and Levi was total icing on top of a fantastic story! They have some established history between them, but the dynamics have really changed since they last saw each other. With that in mind, I think they had sweltering chemistry that was just waiting to ignite. As in match scratched, fire lit, bonfire blazing… Sigh….
I’m not even a hockey fan, but I can’t resist Meader’s Rebel series! The team and unique management are a lovable bunch I fall for every time a new story comes out! If Chicago Rebels had some great storylines, Rookie Rebels goes to a whole new level of juiciness! The romance was my favorite part, but so was the range of topics. From sexual harassment, media, and homelessness (just to name a few), Meader makes very strong arguments on females vs males in the sports world that wasn’t in your face, but seamlessly blended with the flow of the story.
For anyone saying romance books have nothing but sex…they’ve never opened the right one. I thought Good Guy had plenty of food for thought and am dying to see who’s up next!!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book I received from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
“That sigh you made when I licked you through—Jordan, I don’t think any sound could top it. Not the slide of a skate, not the blare of the goal buzzer, not the cheer of the crowd. It’s the sound I want to hear all night, every night.”
I’ve had this book in my Kindle for a while now, and it was just calling to me this time. This is my first Kate Meader book and, holy hell, have I been missing out!
I love sports romance, but this is SO much more than that. It’s a love story wrapped up in hockey and it deals with a lot of things, such as sexism and homelessness, but it didn’t make me feel overwhelmed. It was done right. And it didn’t take anything away from Levi and Jordan’s story.
“He tasted of beer and need, and the way he felt … so hard and good and groan-worthy.”
It was clear to see I was going to love Levi because he’s everything I love in a hero. He’s grumpy and closed-off, and he doesn’t open up for anyone. He’s had it rough as a kid, but he turned it around. He’s not your typical athlete, interested in the millions or the puck bunnies – he chose to leave it behind to serve his country instead, and now he may be the oldest hockey rookie ever. And his heart… damn, he really is a good guy.
“She looked up at him, her expression filled with fury and spirit. Typical, maddening, heart-stoppingly gorgeous Jordan.”
It took me a bit to warm up to Jordan. She’s a sports journalist, and while I get her passion for her job, it seemed at times like it was all she cared about, like she had nothing else. Her love story with her dead husband didn’t fully convince me, and it felt like it was more about them being used to and comfortable around each other than actual love or passion. She’s the reason why the book is a 4.5, and not a full-on 5 for me.
“Don’t apologize, Levi. Takes two to kiss like that.”
“Wasn’t planning to. I was going to say you need to get your sweet ass off that car before I lose control.”
To cut a long story short, Levi and Jordan’s husband served together in the Green Berets, and Levi came home while Jordan’s husband didn’t. On the day of his funeral, they kissed, and neither of them was able to let go of it. Maybe for different reasons, maybe for the same ones, deep down.
They haven’t been together after that, and now Jordan has come to do a profile on him. It’s all about keeping it professional… you guessed it, until it’s not.
“Maybe we need to lay our cards on the table,” she said.
“I would have screwed you that night.” (…)
“I would have let you.”
It’s not easy for someone like Levi to open up, so Jordan obviously has her work cut out for her, while they both have to come to terms with what happened before and what’s happening now.
“How did I taste?” Wrong question!
“Sweet. Hot.” His inhale sounded labored. “My end.”
The story is told in dual POV, so you can clearly see their feelings for each other, and how things are perceived differently by different people. And I love that they communicated – well, Levi tried to anyway. Both of them are able to read each other quite well, which only added to the realness of the story for me.
“Woman, you are killing me.”
“Let’s die together.”
Love wins in the end. It isn’t easy, it takes some letting go from both of them, of the past, of feelings of unworthiness, of feeling inferior. It takes owning up to what you really want, and realizing what’s really important.
And that epilogue… Ms. Meader, I was laughing, and had a giant lump in my throat at the same time.
Wonderful book. I am definitely reading the rest of this series!
It started slow and a little confusing but so glad I stuck with it. Loved the characters…very funny/witty. Salty language but they are hockey players! I really liked all the supporting characters too so will probably read the following books.
I didn’t finish it . It dragged on
Love the characters and the story. If you into hockey than this story is a mustread
love this book