Down in Flames

What happens when you merge the hockey players from one series with the firefighters from another? Down in Flames is born, and what a sexy, sweet, adorable child it is. Cute as a button Hudson meets experiences and sexy Jude through a hook-up app, determined to punch that v-card of his while staying anonymous...and still in the closet. Their connection goes way beyond the physical, but something happens to spook Hudson, so they don't reconnect until more than a year later. Jude has spent that time getting his act together and joining the Chicago FD, while Hudson gets traded to the Rebels after finally letting his rainbow flag unfurl. Neither has forgotten the other, but while Jude isn't looking for a relationship, but Hudson is. Instead, Jude will introduce Hudson to the gay scene in town and give him the confidence to find who and what he needs. But as we all know, those plans never quite work out the way the main characters think they will, and feelings are caught. Oh, so many feelings. But what was just as fantastic to read about was Jude and Hudson as men outside of their connection. To watch Hudson gain confidence and Jude to find his way back to friends he's hurt is every bit as satisfying as watching them fall in love. There's a lot of cameos in this book, which I adored, but new readers don't need to feel intimidated. They only add to the richness of the story, as well as thrill long-time Kate Meader fans. I promise, you'll be itching to binge those earlier books as we all wait for the next one in the series to be released. I just wish I could give this book more than 5 stars!

Passionately explosive and soulfully seductive. Hudson and Jude’s story will have you spellbound from the beginning to the end. This is Kate Meader’s first M/M contemporary romance and although I would normally not read this genre. Since I am a big fan of Kate Meader I had to read this. I loved this story. It was perfect, so tastefully done so full of heat, heart, humor, and emotions. Every single page was filled with yummy perfection. Oh my! So good! I swooned hard for these characters! Hudson Grey is at the start of his hockey career. He has been hiding his sexuality his whole life. So when he decides that he needed to finally lose his virginity to a stranger, he picks a town where he thinks nobody would know who he was. Uses an alias and checks into a upscale hotel and swipes right on a tattoo hottie. Jude Torres has had a rough life since his mother died. Him and his father have never connected and his life had been one wrong move after another. It was supposed to be just a random hookup, with a guy with the cut, washboard abs but as soon as he opened the door he recognized him. Hudson Grey the hottest prospect in pro-hockey and secretly in the closet. He needed someone to punch his v-card and Jude was happy to help. Then he ghosted Jude when he found out he knew who he was. A year later Jude is a candidate firefighter and has gotten his life back on track. No longer into newbies he has learned his lesson. Hudson Grey has been traded to Jude’s hometown team, the Chicago Rebels and he’s out, proud, and ready to date. Even going so far as to ask Jude to introduce him to the local gay scene. But Jude’s knows with his past, he was the worst one to be showing the shy and sexy hockey player around. But Jude cant deny, the memories of him being Hudson’s first is an absolute obsession. But he has to draw the line, because potentially introducing this guy to the delights of another man’s body was firmly not on his list of priorities. But Hudson has a thing or two he would like to teach Jude for a change if only he didn’t play so hard to get! Kate Meader does an excellent job of taking an often misunderstood lifestyle and presenting it in a romantic and exciting manner. Her descriptions were so vivid and tastefully done. Hot and sexy, her words steam off the the pages. Causing those little zips of excitement, with heart racing, blood pumping, as well as a wide grin on your face great read. Received an early copy and this is my honest review.

This is a great crossover between the Rookie Rebel series and the Hot in Chicago Rookie series. Hudson Grey is a rookie hockey player, who happens to be closeted at the beginning of the book. He decides he want to finally go all the way, and ends up hooking up with Jude Torres. Hudson ends up ghosting him, but a year later, they become reacquainted. Jude has a lot of issues. He used to be a partier, and had made a mess of his life. He is turning his life around, and is a rookie firefighter. But his past haunts him, and he doesn’t think he is good enough for Hudson. I loved Hudson! He is so nervous and shy in the beginning of the book, and he grows so much. This is a really enjoyable M/M romance, and I cannot wait for the next book in both series. I received an arc of this book from the author for my honest review.