From Instacrush to Insta-Daddy . . . Theo Kershaw is the luckiest guy alive. Roaring back from a life-threatening injury, he has the world at his skates as defenseman for his new team, the Chicago Rebels. Everyone adores his big personality, his on-ice talent, and his killer smile. Everyone but his prickly neighbor—or so he thinks. One chilly Christmas Eve, Theo will learn that maybe the girl … Eve, Theo will learn that maybe the girl next door isn’t such a hater after all …
Elle Butler is the most embarrassing person on the planet.
How else can the ex-military-now-bartender explain her crush on the hot jock who lives across the hall? True, he has gorgeous green eyes and perfect cheekbones, but the filter between his brain and too-sexy mouth is permanently malfunctioning. Yet she can’t stop checking out his Instagram antics or sneaking looks at him when he’s in her bar. Absolutely mortifying. Running from a past filled with damning secrets, Elle’s determined that this guilty pleasure remains buried in her deepest fantasies.
Because she couldn’t possibly indulge with the Theo Kershaw. Or make a mistake that draws attention to her under-the-radar life. And she especially couldn’t be a mom to a pro-athlete’s baby … could she?
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Theo is crazy about Elle from the moment that he first meets her in the first book of the series Good Guy (featuring his teammate, friend and neighbor Levi Hunt). He is relentless as he tries to flirt with and win over Elle, who seems totally oblivious to his charms; and he pretty much persues her for the majority of this tale.
She is, however, secretly crazy about the big teddybear. Okay, so he drives her nuts, but she also lusts after his body (especially those superglutes!), is extremely impressed by the comeback he’s made from his aneurysm, and is surprised to learn that he isn’t just a dumb jock. Elle is afraid to get close to him for a variety of reasons, all actually having to do with her though.
I love when this couple is together, whether they are flirting, sparring or connecting. Theo is just such a sweetheart, and they are delightful together. Elle regularly ticked me off with how little credit she gave Theo, let alone trust. She was way too independent and secretive for her own good. Although we do discover a lot of the reasons why as things progress. I do wish they had had more interaction as just a couple before being forced together. But I absolutely adore how Theo just jumped into the idea of taking care of her and the baby.
While overall a light, almost whimsical romantic read, there were also a lot of deep-seated issues that both characters were dealing with from their pasts. When they finally actually got together and started working as a team is when things really started to work well for them.
The peripheral characters in this volume were many, varied, and (with only a couple of exceptions) delightful. Grandma Aurora was an absolute gem! And Gunnar Bond’s couple of performances were quite intriguing. (I believe he is the star of the next installment in the series, and I can’t wait to read his story as well.)
With INSTACRUSH, the second book in her Rookie Rebels series Kate Meader delights us once again with a story of finding love when you least expect it. As an added bonus we got some heart squeezing updates on some of our favs from the original Chicago Rebels series.
Elle intrigued us in the first book in the series when she showed up at her Army buddy turned pro hockey player Levi’s house needing a place to crash for awhile. Deny it all she might, she can’t seem to resist obsessing over his friend and neighbor Theo.
Theo is making his comeback after a medical scare, and is quick to admit to his crush on Elle. Only problem is, she’s trying to resist his rugged appeal!
I highly recommend this book to fans of hockey romance. This sub-series as well as the original are filled with a close-knit group of players and staff that warm our hearts when they find their happily ever afters. You can’t go wrong with a Kate Meader hockey romance!
Kate has a knack for creating delicious, utterly lovable heroes and she did it again with Theo Kershaw. He’s funny, open, sexy, sensitive, caring, and smart in his own way. Pairing him with Elle Butler, his opposite in many ways – private, shy, fiercely independent- was an inspired choice. I enjoyed the way they navigated their differences to get to their eventual happy ending even though at times, I shouted at Elle for keeping secrets and at Theo for being so perfect. I loved the appearance of the characters from the previous series and I adored (some of) the new ones, especially Aurora and Gunnar.
InstaCrush is a low-conflict story and I like it that way. It’s perfect for the season.
Kate Meader has once again proved her readers with a passionate, witty and endearing story in Instacrush (the second book in her Rookie Rebels series). The characters are engaging and very likeable, and Theo is the man everyone wants in their life. His mere presence lights up any space; he is just that guy. This book has a breath-taking and totally believable storyline, with just enough intirgue in the plot to keep you guessing what’s coming next.
Ms Meader also creates a support cast that is unforgettable and sets the tone for future stories to come. Heartfelt, emotional, and with just enough drama that it doesn’t over-power the moments of humour and light-heartedness, this is a book that has it all from the combustible attraction between Theo and Elle, to the wacky, crazy nicknames that pop up throughout the book. I highly recommend this delicious story to any and all lovers of true romance and entertaining penmanship.
Kate Meader’s brought her A game out with Instacrush book two in her Rookie Rebels series!
Theo “Superglutes” Kershaw went from lovable super pest to one amazing hero when this author started digging below his surface of charming mayhem. Theo kept a steady stream of surprises coming as he showed himself to be a man of substance and far from the superficial man he had been labeled by many. Elle Butler carried the world on her shoulders as she did everything she could to distance herself from her past, effectively cutting herself off from any real relationships as she hid her secrets and shame. Despite Elle’s seemingly detached front she was extremely vulnerable making for an interesting character in her contrast.
Ms. Meader managed to keep Theo’s optimism and humor going even in his darkest moments offsetting him beautifully with the wonderfully dry Elle. This relationship was so fun to watch develop. This author’s scenario of less than worthy parents producing two upstanding humans was a nice touch to her unexpected pregnancy plot. As this couple made their own perfect family it was hard not to laugh even while choking up with the depth of sentiment and the power of their emotions. Theo was impossible to not like and his sunny disposition shed light on the private and easily misconstrued aloof Elle turning them into one fabulous couple. Theo and Elle were appealing independently but together they were irresistible.
Kate Meader knows her way around tricky relationship problems and did so with finesse in Instacrush. Showing what lies beneath the surface of her characters with genuine kindness is a specialty of this author. She always manages to offset serious with lighthearted as a natural progression, finding room for both traits to live side by side in her portrayals. Instacrush will turn into instalove for Kate Meader’s audience thanks to her wonderful writing!
*I was given an advanced copy. All opinions expressed are my own.*
*While part of a series this book can be read as a stand alone.*
3.75 stars. Instacrush is the second book in the Rookie Rebels series. This is Theo and Elle’s story. Theo is an adorable, sweet and charming pro hockey player, with a big Instagram following and the nickname of Super Glutes. Elle is temporary living across the hall from him. She recently got out of the military and is at loose ends, so she is staying with a former army buddy turned hockey player on Theo’s team. When Theo meets Elle, he is very interested in her, but she resists his advances. But she lets her guard down on Christmas and they have a hot one-day-stand… which results in a surprise pregnancy. Theo and Elle get to know each other and fall for each other, while working through some family issues that they both have. They make their own little family and get their HEA too.
I enjoyed this book. I expected it to be a little lighter, but instead, it was a rather heavy and emotional read. Elle was a prickly and sometimes grumpy character. I did like her by the end, but it took me a while to warm up to her. She had some family issues and a hard time trusting people. Theo was a sweet, sexy, puppy dog of a guy. Their relationship was kind of slow burn. Both of them had some baggage to get over before they were free to be together. And both of them made some mistakes, but they were able to learn how to love and let themselves be loved by the end. They made a good couple and they deserved the happiness they found together. I did feel like the conflict wrapped up a little too close to the end, but I still enjoyed the book. I love a surprise pregnancy book and this was a pretty good one.
Overall, I enjoyed Instacrush. Theo, especially, was an adorable and funny character. I was happy to see he and Elle happy together. I found this book to be sweet, sexy, emotional and entertaining. I look forward to more from this series and Ms. Meader in the future!
I thought that this was a delightfully fun read. Theo is a one all-star book boyfriend. Sexy, sweet and oh, so charming, it is a miracle the ice simply doesn’t melt out from under this swoon worthy hockey player. I liked Elle but I admit I found her frustrating at times. I really like them as a couple though and I greatly enjoyed the witty banter they shared. The story line offers up plenty of humor, emotions, drama, heat and heart to grab and keep your attention. All together I felt that this was an excellent book and a very welcome addition to this series.