
Member Reviews

5 ⭐️
Tropes: single dad, age gap / forbidden romance, best friends daughter, hockey romance, single dad & nanny, found family, forced proximity
I have been on a single dad romance kick and this did not disappoint! I absolutely adored everything about this. It was steamy, and such a fun read - I devoured it! 😍
Lars’s life was flipped upside down when a woman he recognized as one of his one-night stands (bar hookups) came barreling back into his life and abandoned a baby girl that she claimed was his daughter. Now he was forced to be a single dad with absolutely zero clue how to be one. Lucky for him he had a village behind him and Adeline his captains daughter offering to be his live in nanny.
Lars and Adeline had off the charts chemistry and even though they tried their best to set “boundaries” they didn’t stand a chance and once the floodgates opened it was game over 🥵 She helped him learn how to be a dad and watched as he fell in love with his little girl. Which I absolutely SWOONED over!
Lars and Adeline helped each other in more ways than one; she always felt like a secondary character in her own life and her family and Lars had a dark cloud over him when it came to his past and his fathers. Both characters developed independently and over came their own issues and it fortified their bond even more which I loved so much.
This was my first book by Kate Meader and adored her writing. Im looking forward to the rest of the series! Highly recommend 😍
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really good. I enjoyed the story line of the baby coming although the birth mom was terrible. The found family for the dad was wonderful. I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters. This seemed a pretty normal situation that can happen and falling for the nanny is always a good trope. I loved how everyone over came the difference and the FMC finally found her voice and saw that she was needed. It was a great story and I really enjoyed reading it. I want to read the other books that deal with the team now.

I am not typically a fan of insta-love, but this book was cute and enjoyable!
This story had a lot of tropes that I love, single dad X nanny, age gap, found family. But I do wish we would have gotten some more relationship building. She did set up the epilogue nicely for the next book in the series, and I am looking forward that couple!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC.

I enjoyed the story of Lars and Adeline. She's had a crush on him for a while and spent a good amount of time with him, since he's her dad's teammate and friend. When Adeline comes home after traveling for a year, Lars starts looking at her a bit differently.
Then a surprise baby gets dropped off, and he immediately becomes a dad, the role he was trying to avoid. When Adeline moves in to help care for the baby, their mutual attraction develops. I rooted for them because it was clear this was the family Lars needed. I liked the book and look forward to the next one.

IF YOU LIKE
AGE GAP
SINGL FATHER
NANNY ROMANCE
FORBIDDEN ROMANCE
THIS MAY BE THE BOOK FOR YOU
TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR ASSAULT AND MUGGING

I received this as an ARC and really enjoyed it! The beginning was a little slow, but was worth the wait. One of my favorite parts was seeing the love her parents have for each other and how she seeks the same. Lars, while dealing with a lot on his own plate, supports Adeline so much.
My only cons with this book are <spoiler>that we don’t get enough of the happy couple together, in my opinion,</spoiler> and the language was a little strange in some places, though that may just be a personal preference. Cons aside, I think their story was absolutely beautiful. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Sweet Thing by Kate Meader brings together a steamy mix of forbidden romance and single dad sweetness. The story follows Lars, a professional hockey player, and Addy, who has just returned home after traveling. Their chemistry is undeniable, but they both try to resist it which adds tension but also makes their eventual relationship feel a bit rushed.
Lars was definitely the standout character for me. His fears about being a father and his efforts to be a good one, especially considering his past, made him incredibly compelling and endearing. I really appreciated how well developed and emotionally grounded he was.
While the pacing of the romance could have been more gradual, overall this was an enjoyable read with a few emotional highs and a solid characters.

Hockey romance? Check. Single dad? Nanny? Age gap?? Check check check.
This book was cute and short! It gave you exactly what you sign up for.
I bumped this book two stars for a few reasons. One is the MMC was genuinely insufferable at some points and his inner dialogue just felt very immature for a 36 year old. At one point he used the word “hella.” The second was the writing felt a little rushed in the beginning. The pacing definitely felt better at the end but that first 50% just felt off. Still a cute read!

Sweet Thing is ideal for readers who adore hockey romances infused with familial bonds, emotional growth, and slow-burn chemistry. Its strength lies in heartfelt character arcs, sweet dad moments, and the supportive, often humorous backdrop of the hockey team. If those are your kind of feels, this feels like a big, comforting hug.

Thank you to Victory Editing NerGalley Co-op for the ARC of Sweet Thing in exchange for an honest review.
Let me get straight to the point here, I loved this book so much!! Sweet Thing is Book 1 of Kate Meader’s new Chicago Players series and she kicked this series off with a bang! Book 1 follows the story of Adeline and Lars. Adeline is the daughter of NHL Chicago Rebels all star defenseman. Lars just so happens to be the best friend and teammate of Adeline’s father. Ever since she was in high school, Adeline remembers having an innocent little crush on Lars, who is 13 years her senior. After going off for 15 months to explore the world with her best friend, Adeline returns home to watch what could be her father’s final season as she starts to plan her next steps.
Upon her return, Lars is immediately handed a reality check when a one night fling shows up at a Rebels afterparty and deposits his 7 month old baby girl, Mabel, into his arms who he never knew existed. Mabel’s mother immediately leaves informing Lars she cannot care for Mabel any longer and that she’d be in touch. At the look of panic on Lar’s face, Adeline steps in as Mabel’s temporary nanny while Lars attempts to figure out his next move as a new father. All under one roof, it’s impossible to not let feelings take control of the situation as the three of them start to form their own family. Even though their relationship appeared a bit taboo on the surface, it may be exactly what each of them needs.
With the perfect combination of sweet and spice, Sweet Thing is the perfect romance book for lovers of hockey romance novels mixed with a nice little age gap trope. I’m on pins and needles waiting for Book 2 of this series, Rebel Bride, which will focus on Adeline’s older brother Hutch, who also plays on their father’s hockey team. Please do not hesitate to run out and grab this one! I promise you will not regret it.

Thanks to NetGalley, Kate Meader and the publishing company for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Single dad hockey player Lars enlists his teammates daughter. Adeline, to help him with the baby. As expected, emotions get in the way and they develop a boss/nanny age gap relationship.
I enjoyed this book. You really feel for Lars and spend the whole time rooting for their relationship. There is minimal hockey in this book, so if you’re looking for that to add to the story, you may be disappointed.
This book was a quick read. However, it felt like the ending was a bit rushed.

This was such a cute and sweet read. I love the hockey player romances, and this one was a fun one! A baby, falling for the nanny, worrying about friends and family, it all added up to a great little rom com!

Adeline has had a crush on Lars for years, but bad thing is her dad plays hockey with him. Lars overheard Adeline confess this crush but she leaves for an over sea adventure with Rosie.
Lars has always been lucky in the woman's department, but one night + married woman = his baby, Mabel. The married woman leaves the baby with Lars.
Adeline comes back, to Lars being a dad and needing a nanny. So she agrees, but will the past crush turn i to something more??

This steamy, heart-melting romance brings together everything I love in a guilty pleasure read—hockey, surprise baby drama, and an irresistible boss/nanny setup with just the right dose of age-gap tension. When Lars, the grumpy, emotionally guarded pro hockey player suddenly becomes a single dad, he’s in way over his head. Enter the younger, fiercely independent Adeline, the temporary nanny who happens to be the daughter of his best friend and d-man! Having thought she gave up her crush on Lars he is now her new boss. Still so devastatingly hot—and emotionally off-limits.
The chemistry is electric from the start, with slow-burn moments that build into swoon-worthy heat. As the lines blur between professional and personal, the emotional stakes rise, especially when secrets from the past (enter: the surprise baby twist!) come crashing into their fragile new normal. Watching them grow—not just as a couple, but as individuals and eventually a family—was deeply satisfying.
A perfect pick for fans of messy, emotional, high-heat romances with a protective hero, a capable heroine, and just the right touch of spice and angst.

Thank you NetGalley, Kate Meader and Victory Editing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review🤍
I ate this up! Single dad - nanny, best friends daughter, forced proximity and forbidden romance, what more could you ask for😍 I was hooked and had read half of it in a single train journey giggling away on my way home🤭 There wasn't a single character that grated on me (which is rare) and I was obsessed with the dynamic of the Kershaw family, can't wait to see more of them as the series goes on! It was so nice to see how they accepted Lars into their family, looking out for him and welcoming him like he was always a part of it. Adeline was quiet and afraid of always being the side character having so many huge personalities and 'stars' in her life, but Kate did such a great job of ensuring that she was seen and heard and finally developed into the main character of her own life. It was beautiful to see Lars give her the confidence she needed to find her own voice🥹 The character development was perfect and I honestly can't wait for the rest of this series!
I will be posting my review to Goodreads, fable and Amazon.

I really enjoyed this book! It was heartbreaking to watch Lars go through so much and not feel like he was worth anyone's time and love.
The only part I didn't care for, was that Lars and Elle never had a reconciliation. She was very rude to him, basically telling him he's not worth her daughter's time, and then that just gets glossed over. We got to witness he and Theo coming back together, but I would have liked to see Elle's redemption.
Aurora was probably my favorite. I could just picture her so well.

This book was a fun, refreshing read. Adeline the FMC wants her great love story which Lars is the perfect MMC for her. The chemistry between the pair was off the charts!
I loved watching Lars tackle parenthood and watch him grow as a parent throughout each chapter.
I also loved the addition of the Hot Goss column chapters and the Rebel Insider inbetween the chapters.
The epilogue with the cliffhanger about the next book in the series was jaw dropping. I can’t wait to continue on with this series!

Kate is a brand new author to me, but I flew through this in less than 24 hours 😅 the slow burn in this was done amazing, which im generally not a major lover of, but this worked so well.
The character growth in both Adeline and Lars was amazing to read, and I was routing for them to just finally give in, and when we finally got the spice... we got the spice 🙌🌶
This is perfect for anyone who enjoys
🏒Sports romance
👨🍼Single parent
💙Age gap
This may be my first by this author, but it definitely won't be my last ❤️

This is the first book in the Chicago Players series, and was also my first book by this author, which I enjoyed and will definitely be going back to read some of her other series.
This is a great Hockey Romance with a single dad, age-gap, dad's best friend theme. It wasn't an insta-love story, which I liked. The female lead had a crush on her dad's best friend, but you really saw the relationship develop over time.
Lars is also a hockey player that just found he is a dad when his kid is dropped off unexpectedly. Adeline has been travelling, and whilst not fully over her crush, she hopes she can put that to one side to help out Lars.
There was romance, chemistry, family drama, and a female lead that whilst young developed to be a strong confident woman. Overall, an enjoyable read.
ARC by Netgalley Review - I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

This story had me hooked from the beginning. Lars is a professional hockey player for the Chicago Rebels. He never expected a one-night stand to come back into his life, but she does when she walks into the bar where he is celebrating a win with his teammates. But she is not there looking for another night with him. Instead, she hands him a baby girl and announces he is the father. She runs out, leaving a shocked Lars and the baby behind. He has zero parenting experience and, quite frankly, is not thrilled with the idea of being a dad. He is entirely out of his depth. In steps his best friend and team captain, a seasoned dad who offers all forms of help. In particular, he offers to have his daughter, Adeline, act as a temporary nanny. What he doesn't realize is that Adeline has had a serious crush on Lars for years. But she doesn't know how to say no, and Lars is desperate for help, so they find themselves living together and working as a team to care for his baby. But the arrangement quickly turns into something deeper. As Lars fumbles with fatherhood, Adeline finds herself falling even deeper for the unexpectedly tender side of the tough athlete. Their story is tender, funny, and swoon-worthy. Not to mention, it has some serious sparks!