Review - Rekindle the Flame by Kate Meader

Title: Rekindle the Flame 

Series: Hot in Chicago #0.5

Author: Kate Meader

Release Date: November 30, 2015

Cuddle up by the fire with the irresistible prequel to Kate Meader’s smokin’ Hot in Chicago series—originally published in the sizzling holiday anthology Baby, It’s Cold Outside—a superhot e-novella that will warm you from your head to your heart and all the way to your toes!

Chicago firefighter Beck Rivera always knew his destiny would be defined by two things: his dream to follow in the footsteps of his legendary foster father Sean Dempsey and his teenage passion for heiress Darcy Cochrane, the one girl who could both stoke and cool his fire. Loving her meant setting her free and breaking her heart—and his. But when a chance reunion at his family’s bar, sparked by a drunk Santa, places her in his path again, destiny can no longer be denied.

The last thing heiress-turned-tattoo-artist Darcy Cochrane needs is the rollercoaster of emotion stirred up by her first love: sexy, gorgeous man-on-fire Beck Rivera. But he always had such talented hands. And more talented lips. And...maybe one time can’t hurt. Then she’ll send him packing like he did to her all those years ago. But Darcy and Beck soon discover that nothing ignites holiday flames like rekindling a lost love...

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Oh, Kate Meader. You sure know how to write a man that’ll send a girl up in flames of love and lust and heat and argh….all the good things. Beck Rivera—I love you. 

Following in his foster father’s footstep to join to CFD was a given for Beck Rivera. Holding on to his first love, Darcy Cochrane was…not. He let her go once, and now—thanks to drunken Christmas revelers—she’s back in his life, and boy, is she different. 

This time, Beck’s going to hold on to his girl, no matter what. All he has to do is convince her to do the same. 

HOLY HOT FIREFIGHTER, BATMAN! I’m convinced that Rekindle the Flame couldn’t be any better. It was novella perfection. Paced perfectly, chock full of swoony, sexy moments, characters that were loveable, likeable and absolutely the kind of people you want to hang with in real life, and a sweet, passionate second chance at love. ALL THE THINGS I ADORE. 

Beck was take-me-now HOT, with his Spanish words and his need to have Darcy back in his life, and in his arms. I loved how he was with her—that he loved all her sides, not just the heiress Darcy, or the tattoo-artist Darcy. The complete package. She was sassy and talented, and fighting to be her own person, and I, along with Beck, found that to be a total turn-on. 

The dynamics of the Dempsey siblings were on full display here, in this first outing in the Hot in Chicago series, and it was so much fun to see them prior to meeting the loves of their lives—I read this series a little out of order, but that’s cool. It’s easy to follow the story! This firefighting family is funny as hell (CPF—‘county property fuckable’, LMAO), strong and protective of each other, and full of advice (good and bad), which makes them all the more amazing. 

I cannot get enough of this series. I NEED Wyatt’s book ASAP, because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that Ms. Meader is sure to give me another swoonworthy man to burn up for! 

~ Review by Beth

Beck Rivera followed his dream to become a firefighter—following in the footsteps of his foster father, Sean Dempsey and foster brother, Logan. Throughout his teenage years, he had two passions: becoming a firefighter and Darcy Cochrane. Beck, determined that Darcy have the life she deserved, broke things off with Darcy right before he entered the fire academy. Saying goodbye nearly broke both of them.

Darcy Cochrane has avoided visiting home and Chicago for years. Now home only through the holidays, Darcy and Beck cross paths at his family’s bar—setting their feelings aflame again. After a one-night-no-holds-barred sex fest, both realize that one night wasn’t enough, but can the hurts of the past be put behind them in order to have the future they both want?

Man, oh man, am I a sucker for a second chance romance! Especially one that’s so damn good that I didn’t put it down until I read the whole thing! Beck and Darcy are two lost souls that, once they reunite, become whole. I FLOVED their backstory and how they have become the people they are now. Beck is always looking out for his “family” and Darcy is unbelievably strong, confident and independent. And holy smokes are they hot, hot, hot together! I cannot wait for Sparking the Fire—Wyatt’s book! 

~ Review by Missy

Originally from Ireland, Kate Meader cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Mills & Boon thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron or a fire hose, and she's there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines who can match their men quip for quip. Visit her at KateMeader.com.

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Review - Playing with Fire by Kate Meader

Title: Playing with Fire

Series: Hot in Chicago #2

Author: Kate Meader

Release Date: September 29, 2015

From popular romance author Kate Meader comes the second novel in Hot in Chicago, a brand-new, sizzling series that follows a group of firefighting foster siblings and their blazing hot love interests!

As the only female firefighter at Engine Co. 6, Alexandra Dempsey gets it from all sides: the male coworkers who think she can’t do the job, the wives and girlfriends who see her as a threat to their firefighter men, and her overprotective foster brothers who want to shelter their baby sister at all costs. So when she single-handedly saves the life of Eli Cooper, Chicago’s devastatingly handsome mayor, she assumes the respect she’s longed for will finally come her way. But it seems Mr. Mayor has other ideas…

Eli Cooper’s mayoral ratings are plummeting, his chances at reelection dead in the water. When a sexy, curvaceous firefighter gives him the kiss of life, she does more than bring him back to the land of the living—she also breathes vitality into his campaign. Riding the wave of their feel-good story might prop up Eli’s flagging political fortunes, but the sizzling attraction between them can go nowhere; he’s her boss, and there are rules that must be obeyed. But you know what they say about rules: they’re made to be broken…

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I’m voting ONE for Mayor Eli Cooper. Holy smokes, I AM IN LOVE!! *Sigh* *Swoon* *Flail* *Falls down dead*

Alex Dempsey doesn’t much like Mayor Eli Cooper. The (handsome, charming, sexy) jackass has made it clear that, because she’s a woman, she shouldn’t be a firefighter—she’s a distraction, she’s not strong enough, she’s a girl. But when Alex saves his life, she’s convinced she’s finally proven herself…

Of course, it’s never that simple in the grey world of politics. The Mayor is fighting a losing battle to retain his position in the upcoming election, and Alex’s rescue might be just the thing he needs to rescue it. 

Only, Eli isn’t just fighting to hold on to his mayoralty. He’s also fighting his attraction to sassy, snarky, pain in the ass known as Alexandra Dempsey. And that fight might just prove to be the fight of his life… 

I FLOVED THIS BOOK. Shouty caps necessary. I sent crazy, giddy, over-the-top messages to my friend (and fellow reviewer), Missy while I was reading it, demanding she stop everything and read it RIGHT THE FUCK NOW. I needed someone to flail and fangirl with. I needed someone to understand my intense desire to find Eli and jump his bones. I needed someone to record my claim over Eli and Wyatt (who was so freaking awesome in this book, I can’t stop thinking about him, even now). I needed someone!! Damn it, Missy, you were that someone!!

Playing with Fire is just so…perfect. It’s a hate-to-love story and it is played out so well, I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Well, maybe I would. If I could replace Alex in Eli’s arms…that’d be grand. This book, though, was fun, funny, sexy as HELL, and actually a little bit heart-breaking. 

Eli and Alex have both lost so much—in different circumstances, to different degrees, but they are alike in their loss, and that base-level connection, as well as their sizzling, heat-off-the-charts attraction, makes them a pleasure to read about. I loved with them, I hurt with them, I raged at them… God, I wanted to shake Alex sometimes, I wanted to knock some sense into Eli others, but the entire time, I was committed to this story—to their story. 

As I am committed to this series. I cannot wait until the next book comes out—Wyatt’s book, which I have a burning (ha, firefighter pun!) need to read ASAP. Hopefully, by the time it comes out, I’ll have recovered from my crazy-assed flailing enough to start all over again… Get ready, Missy. We have a date with Firefighter Fox. 

~ Review by Beth

If I lived in Chicago, Mayor Eli Cooper would have my vote. Sweet, baby Jesus—the man is sex on a stick, a former Marine and, good God, his smile melts panties and explodes ovaries… Yet, unfortunately, Eli’s managed to piss off the female voters and some very powerful unions in his bid for re-election.

Alexandra “Alex” Dempsey has something to prove—that she’s not just a pretty face but tough, strong and worthy to wear the badge and fight the fires next to the rest of the men at Engine Co. 6—including her brothers. Number one nemesis: Mayor Eli Cooper. No matter how hot and sexy he is, he’s stated his opinion on Alex’s abilities time and time again, and it’s not pretty.

The day Alex literally breathes life into Eli is life changing. Eli’s campaign is in the toilet—will he ride the coattails of the feel good story of the week to increase his numbers, or will Eli finally give into his desires for the gorgeous Alex?

Holy hell, this book—this series is AMAZING. The “love to hate you” relationship between Alex and Eli is funny, snarky, sexy, smart, romantic… I’ve run out of adjectives. I loved Alex and her spunk from the first book, Flirting with Fire. Cracked up over her use of the “Jaws of Life” and how it keeps coming back to haunt her. And Eli—where do I start? He’s a true politician. How he gets Alex on board with his pro-publicity plan is a riot. Loved the conversations he had in his own head. 

And I can’t leave out Luke, Wyatt, Beck, and Gage, and Kinsey and Darcy. Alex’s brothers are ridiculously overprotective—the hospital and the benefit scenes made me laugh out loud. Kinsey and Darcy are the sisters Alex never had. They’re great for girl talk and helping Alex through the times when she really just needs a girlfriend, not an over-the-top, protective brother. I love their family dynamic.

I had to field numerous demands from Beth to stop whatever I was doing to start reading Playing with Fire so she had someone to talk to and swoon over Eli with. I should have paid attention—my five day delay meant Beth had the upper hand to claim Eli for her BBF. Damn it, now I’m going to have to beg for a share agreement. Though, I’d be willing to accept an advance claim for Wyatt in Sparking the Fire... (Beth’s note: NEVER going to happen! Wy’s already been claimed.) 

~ Review by Missy

Originally from Ireland, Kate Meader cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Mills & Boon thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron or a fire hose, and she's there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines who can match their men quip for quip. Visit her at KateMeader.com.

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Review - Melting Point by Kate Meader

Title: Melting Point

Series: Hot in Chicago #1.5

Author: Kate Meader

Release Date: August 31, 2015

Things are heating up at Engine Co. 6 in this original e-novella from Kate Meader’s sizzling Hot in Chicago series! Superhot playboy firefighter Gage Simpson has one particular man on his mind: Brady Smith, a recalcitrant, moody chef who makes Gage melt from the inside out. Features a sexy sneak preview of Playing with Fire!

Firefighter Gage Simpson has it all: the job of his dreams, the family of his heart, and no shortage of hot guys lining up to share his bed. “Fun and easy” is his motto—and it’s kept him sunny through a painful upbringing and steered him away from trouble. But when trouble comes knocking in the form of a sexy, scarred, tattooed chef with a harrowing past and zero communication skills, Gage can’t help but be drawn to the flame.

Brady Smith isn’t fun. And easy isn’t in his vocabulary. When cocky Gage swaggers into his restaurant kitchen, the former Marine-turned-five-star-chef is blindsided by the firefighter’s beauty. Then confused that this golden guy with the sparkling blue eyes and the body of a god might be interested in him. As desire flares and temperatures rise, Gage and Brady will have to figure out if the heat between them is just a temporary flash—or the beginning of something real.

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Um, yeah, okay…Hot, playful fireman meets sexy, gruff former Marine, current chef, and BOOM! Heat that is OFF THE CHARTS. <<-- That’s Melting Point, all summed up. 

Gage Simpson is the epitome of cool, calm and collected. After a rough childhood, he now has the job of his dreams, a great family and his choice of men in Boystown. But there’s something he doesn’t have….Brady Smith. 

Brady is haunted by his past. He takes uncommunicative to the max, he’s more than a little surly, and he can’t work out why the vivacious and handsome Gage would want to have anything to do with him. 

The chemistry is electric, the spark about to catch ablaze. If they can’t take the heat, they’d better stay out of the kitchen…

I loved this sexy and super sweet novella!! I burned through book one in this series, Flirting with Fire, because I HAD to read this M/M novella and I didn’t want to miss anything. I adored book one, and although it wasn’t necessary to enjoy this one, I am glad I got some backstory on Gage and Brady, because WHOA! Their sizzle is palpable, right from the start. 

Melting Point is an excellent weekend read; I knocked it out in a little more than an hour, and enjoyed every second. I loved seeing Gage trying to break down Brady’s barriers, just as I loved seeing Brady TRY for Gage, and try to help him when Gage’s own painful past dragged his sunny personality down. And when they got to the good stuff (I know you know what I mean), it was SO good, I needed a cigarette and a cold shower afterwards.

This couple—in fact, all the couples in this series—are just so likeable. You want to see them succeed, find and fall in love, and then maybe take you to the pub the Dempsey’s own to find your own man in uniform. I can’t wait to keep reading this series now I have started! 

~ Review by Beth

Relationships are scary, a potential heartbreak waiting to happen—or maybe, just maybe, this time it will be exactly what someone has been hoping for in life. Sometimes all it takes is just a little faith…

Gage Simpson is a wanted man—wanted for his ability to see the bright side of life, wanted for his, ahem… special bedroom skillset. But this time it’s Gage who’s left wanting—he wants Brady.

Brady Smith is closed off, hard to read and comes off cold to most people. But Brady really wants Gage to warm him up, if only Brady could figure out a way to share his feelings. 

Oh how I love these two characters. Gage for his ability to live life to the fullest even though he had such a heartbreaking upbringing. He wants Brady, but Brady doesn’t know how to be in a relationship, doesn’t know how to communicate because he’s so used to keeping his feelings turned off. But, lord help Brady when he FINALLY figures it out because he’s a man on a mission. 

These two are so hot together too—their “sexy times” and just their normal interactions. I can’t wait to read more in this series. 

~ Review by Missy

Originally from Ireland, Kate Meader cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Mills & Boon thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron or a fire hose, and she's there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines who can match their men quip for quip. Visit her at KateMeader.com.

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Review - Flirting With Fire by Kate Meader

Title: Flirting with Fire

Series: Hot in Chicago Series #1

Author: Kate Meader 

Publisher: Simon and Schuster 

Release Date: March 24, 2015 

The first installment in Hot in Chicago, a brand-new, sizzling series from Kate Meader that follows a group of firefighting foster siblings and their blazing hot love interests!

Savvy PR guru Kinsey Taylor has always defined herself by her career, not her gender. That is, until she moved from San Francisco to Chicago to be with her fiancé who thought she wasn’t taking her “job” of supporting him in his high-powered career seriously enough—and promptly dumped her for a more supportive and “feminine” nurse. Now, as the new assistant press secretary to Chicago’s dynamic mayor, she’s determined to keep her eye on the prize: no time to feel inferior because she’s a strong, kick-ass woman, andcertainly no time for men.

But that all changes when she meets Luke Almeida, a firefighter as searingly sexy as he is quick-tempered. He’s also the second oldest of the Firefightin’ Dempseys, a family of foster siblings who have committed their lives to the service—if Luke’s antics don’t get him fired first. When Luke goes one step too far and gets into a bar brawl with the Chicago Police Department, Kinsey marches into Luke’s firehouse and lays down the law on orders from the mayor. But at Engine Co. 6, Luke Almeida is the law. And he’s not about to let Kinsey make the rules.

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Oh wow…a sexy firefighter (check out the cover!) and a PR rep assigned by the Mayor to help fix a major public perception problem---what could go wrong?

Kinsey Taylor, PR guru has had enough. Enough of dealing with men who don’t respect her and her expertise because she’s a woman. Now, she’s been assigned to rehab the reputation of a firefighter who threw a punch at an old nemesis and was caught on film.

Luke Almeida is pissed. Pissed at himself because he couldn’t hold in his temper and pissed at the Mayor for forcing his hand and having to go along with this PR assignment. What he doesn’t expect is the immediate attraction he has for Kinsey and just how far she’ll go to push all his buttons.

Kinsey and Luke are like gasoline and fire. They’re explosive---both in temperament and between the sheets! Will these two ridiculously strong willed individuals realize their true feelings before it’s too late for love?

I LOVED this book! Kinsey and Luke are now one of my favorite book couples. Their chemistry is through the roof. LOVE their conversations, and the sexy scenes are hot hot hot. Add in Luke’s foster siblings (all firefighters too), plus the rest of the crew from Engine Company 6 and you have a great blend of humor, love and friendship. For those concerned about reading a firefighter book, there’s no peril or any danger to the firefighters in this book. Just a whole lot of laughs, playful banter and oh yes, sexy firefighters that are sure to set your panties on fire!

~ Review by Missy

Kate writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines who can match their men quip for quip. Her latest series, Hot in Chicago, featuring smokin' firefighters debuted in October 2014 with a novella in the Winter anthology, BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE. Look for the first full-length novel, FLIRTING WITH FIRE in March 2015.

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