4.5 stars!

"This man is like a nuclear bomb of sexy, just waiting to go off."

There’s nothing worse than coming into contact with a special hot someone only for them to turn to you and say, “Oh, and I’m just getting over the flu.” Cue panic mode and hazmat suit! Knowing that the heroine’s first encounter ends in this exact scenario? Dang, what an unforgettable way to start an acquaintance! I just had to pick up Helena Hunting’s Shacking Up and see what happens.

Ruby is on the lookout for a steady acting job—on or off Broadway. At this point, anything will do. Especially when she might be out of a home as well. She hatches a plot to shack up with none other than the man who gave her the flu bug. Honestly, if this book was just Ruby’s story—with no romance—I still would have picked this one up in a heartbeat. I adored her. I want Ruby as my best friend. The girl isn’t having good luck, but she approaches each scenario with this innate sense of humor that makes her so adorable and loveable and relatable. Bancroft doesn’t stand a chance.

Even if his germs are to blame!

"I think my ovaries are melting, or crying, or calling for his sperm."

Rough-around-the edges, Bancroft is a former-rugby star (heck, yeah!) who feels more than a little guilty for getting Ruby sick and ruining her audition the next day. He needs a pet sitter for five weeks so he hires Ruby to take care of his pets. The intense attraction—not to mention the tonsil hockey—makes it feel like they've been bantering and flirting for ages. Egods! That, and Bancroft can rock a suit, but also get a little wild and dirty. The combo kept me reading and laughing and sighing late into the night.

I’ll admit that I was a little worried about how much time Bancroft and Ruby spend away from each other. The premise of the book revolves around him going on a long business trip. I’d say that about 30-35% of the time, they weren’t even in the same room together. Yeah, my worries were unfounded. Who says time apart can’t be foreplay?

This story was filled with quirks and oddball moments with just the right amount of sexy and awkward too.Shacking Up is the first book I’ve read by Helena Hunting, and the hype surrounding the book is well-earned. Some of the comparisons and turns of phrase just slayed me! An all-around joy to read, this rom-com will have you holding your sides in laughter while falling head-over-heels in love.

Flipping love this book! Hot, sexy and sweet.
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I just loved this book. In the typical style of a true chicklit romance, this fun book had me at the get go. Plenty of hot anticipation and some steamy break-a-bed scenes, this is one story you will wish never ended.

Shaking Up is funny and Bancroft is adorable! Cannot wait to read more from Helena Hunting. She is a fave of mine!

Helena Hunting is one of my favorite authors and in her newest book, SHACKING UP we get her signature carefree writing style. It is a witty, fun contemporary romance with believable characters and lots of banter. I loved this enthralling book from start to finish.

Bancroft and Ruby are thrown together when Ruby takes a job watching Bancroft’s exotic pets while he is out of town on business. From the moment they meet, sparks fly and there is tons of chemistry between these two warm hearted, fun characters. Bancroft and Ruby both come from wealthy families and they are often frustrated with all expectations that come with being born into a rich family.

Ruby is a struggling actress. She can sing, dance and act, but she hasn't been able to find a job and she is finding it impossible to pay her bills. She is too proud to ask her father for money because he does not support her acting career and thinks Ruby should be working in the family business. Ruby is refreshing and her inner dialogue is hilarious.

Bancroft is a former professional rugby player and is now working for his family's prestigious hotel chain. He is sexy and a nice, down to earth guy, who is rough on outside but sweet inside. He is a big guy with battle scars from years of playing rugby.
Once he meets Ruby, she is all he wants and he has no interest in any one else.

I fell in love with both of these characters. Even though Ruby and Bancroft were brought up rich and entitled, they aren't stuffy or elitist. They are practical and can't stand rich, pompous people. Neither of them follow the rules. Ruby is sarcastic, irreverent and funny. I loved everything about this breezy, light, funny story. There is a slow build up with lots of sexy banter and sarcastic remarks. There are also fun secondary characters and I hope to see more of them in future books. Ruby’s best friend is a wonderful addition to the story and I am hoping she will get her own story in the future. This is told from both POV’s so we know what Bancroft and Ruby are thinking and feeling.

I adored this story! How Ruby & Bane first meet, followed by their hilarious/awkward 2nd meeting lol Bane is such a sweet soul wrapped up in a hot ex- rugby player and Ruby is a feisty, self sufficient "I will make this acting dream happen on my own" sweetheart as well. It's hard not to fall for them individually that you naturally want them to get a HEA together. And the attraction and chemistry they have for each other is fire!

And poor Amalia. She needs herself a Banecroft type for sure.

The writing in this story is engaging, engrossing and at the right moments super steamy! I couldn't put it down once I got started.

*Arc provided by NetGalley for honest review.

So much fun! I laughed so much reading this story. It is quirky, fun, creative and I absolutely loved every minute of reading this. It was also sexy and sweet and everything you are looking for in a romance. The characters are definitely enganging and the storyline will keep you wanting more.

I always love anything written by Helena Hunting and this was no different. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

It all started with germinis (yes I had to look up the Latin cause I am fancy!!!)

Ruby is at her friends engagement party, a cough in the face ensures she gets sick and et voila, a hilariously fluffed up audition. Goodbye rent money, food money and just money in general.

Ruby needs money quick, and a place to live. So why not pet sit? A ferret and a tarantula? And the owner of the pets? The germ spreader!

What ensues is probably one of the most hilarious books I have read, I mean, come on....

'That man could revive a corpse with his hotness.'

'On a scale of one to smokin’, he’s on fire.'

'I may actually start a new religion. The Church of Bane Cock.'

This was a slow burner that made me want to shout at my kindle in frustration (the sexual variety!) and proves that this author is totally amazing as usual.

4.5 Stars. OMG!! I absolutely love Helena's writing! This is the second book I've read by her and I will definitely be reading more. She has a great way of adding humor with a bit of seriousness in her stories. The banter back and forth between Ruby and Bane....loved it! And the thoughts inside Ruby's head were hilarious as well. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a laugh and likes romance.

I enjoyed this read by Helena Hunting. It was so different than the other books I’ve read by this author. It didn’t have the angst like the Clipped Wings series, and I didn’t find it as raunchy (for lack of a better word) as the Pucked series. This one fell somewhere in the middle. While the storyline was fairly predictable, it still kept me entertained. Sometimes after you read a gut-wrenching book, you need something light-hearted and humorous, and this book fits that need perfectly.

This story is about Ruby and Bancroft, who both come from very privileged backgrounds, but have rebelled against their place in society and have chosen their own paths. I really loved Ruby. She had such a great personality and I loved that she was determined to do things on her own. I found her very likable easy to relate to.

It appears this may turn into a series, and I hope Ruby’s friend Amie gets a book, because I don’t think she is currently living her happily ever after, and she deserves one too.

I so loved this book! Its a full of laughs with a superb build up to some awesome hot sex scenes, who can pass that up? Hot Sex, Dirty Talking and full of laugh out loud moments, check yes for me! Its not an insta-love, might be insta-lust but they don't act on it, they sure want to and both silently think about it and might even masturbate about it But you don't have a sex scene for quite some time, and when they do Holy Hotness Helena, you punched that right out of the book and down the hall....yes!!! I really loved the build up... Bane and Ruby yes please!!!

Its a new kind of shacking up style book and its Seductive Charm is Off The Charts! Its got great character build up along with a storyline you are not sure if its going to work out or not. A Ferret and a Tarantula that are characters, yes please! A hot ex Rugby Player that has to resume work back into his families wealthy business after he is injured, check! A fiery want to be Broadway Actress that's dad has cut off the assistance for her to come home and work in the families wealthy business, check. A house/pet setter for Francesca and Tiny absolutely!

I feel everything for Ruby, she is trying so very hard Not to have to go back and work for her father in the family business in Rhode Island with her new step mom that's just a couple years older than her and younger than one of her half siblings, not a chance...so she will live in the tiniest of spaces, in the worst part of town, takes food from parties in baggies because she cannot afford food, finds that her dad cut off the payments to her apartment 3 months prior and she has got 5 days to move as her apartment is already re-rented plus she will have to pay the 3 months of rent or chance never getting another apartment, she is furious with her father. Thank goodness for best friends, ones that don't do well with pets but is suppose to pet sit for 5 weeks, she has just had her engagement party and at said party a Sick Hot Ex Rugby player accidently plants his tongue down Ruby's mouth then realizes he has mistakenly taken a few to many cold meds along with a couple of drinks, thinking it was his date! Say what? Yes he has been really sick and as they come out of the restroom he grabs the wrong woman, his date Brittany and Ruby both women happened to be in the bathroom and each grabbed a sucker at the sink, well actually Ruby grabs a few for her purse but one sends a sucker picture as if to say to him "yeah this is me sucking you" so when Ruby walks out with a sucker in her mouth and when she bumps into Bane it knocks the sucker out of her mouth and all the sudden his tongue flies in! So yep in moments they are all the sudden kissing, then it deepens and she kisses back and they are leaning in and moaning until a high pitch scream happens behind them and its his date Brittany, the sucker picture herself is screaming and then yelling, judging and stalking off, Bancroft Mills or "Bane" quickly apologizes and says she is my date I am so sorry I thought she was you and I need to go fix this and I am sorry as he runs off... Ruby is stunned she doesn't know his name but deems him to be one of the ones that probably has a last name first name and then deems him as "hottest kisser ever" she then goes off in search of her best friend she and needs to head out she has a big audition, she has to get this part because she is about broke and maxed out her credit cards and she isn't about to ask dear old dad...she needs to get home get rest and prepare. except the next day Hot kisser has made her deathly ill, she feels so bad but still gets up and goes she has no choice she can make it but she does not...oh goodness this sets of a series of events that will blow your mind, dinner dates to finally being a pet setter and a nightly ritual of Face Time to talk to said pets and well each other as they secretly find they are very attracted to one another especially after he helps move her in and sets her up in his penthouse, sees her with his pets and in her nightwear.

I loved the back and forth POV's and the energy level, the build up to be back in each others presence because they have began a great relationship while he is gone, they are very much alike neither really wanting to be involved with the rich parents businesses, so he gets that she is trying to do her own thing, heck he would still be playing Rugby if he could be!

Its got great sexual build-up and super crack me up laughing moments! its a super fun book with great characters that are from money but don't have to act like it. Bane does become pretty aggressively your mine before she is his...he learns fast though and I like that in this hero. I loved that the heroine is a strong girl, ends up doing things she knows he family and even Bane might not like but its not near as bad as it could have been, she is trying to live on her own and not have to "taken care of" what she felt like happened to her mother who ended up moving to Alaska to get far enough away all the while her hubs is screwing the new version to be his wife, Ruby hates it and never will put herself in that position, grateful that Banes parents do not perceive to be anything like Ruby's dad.

This is a Sweet Hot HEA stand alone. Its a great quick read, once you get going you cannot quit you have to finish and that is the kind of Book I LOVE!

Another Great Job Helena Hunting! I Truly thank Net Galley and St Martins Press for the opportunity to read this book in advance for my honest review for Shacking Up! So Again I say I Loved it, its a superb writing job, its a one click wonder! Grab this one quick!!!

This was a fun contemporary romance. Both the heroine, Ruby Scott, and the hero, Bancroft Mills, come from big money, but have followed different paths. Ruby is trying to make it as an actress in NYC and not having much luck at all. Bancroft (or Bane as he’s known) played professional rugby for seven years, but now has come back to be an executive in his family’s luxury hotel business. Through a series of misadventures, Ruby has lost her apartment and meets Bane to get the offer to stay in his penthouse apartment taking care of his pet ferret and tarantula while he is traveling.

Of course, both are seriously attracted to each other and they have many internal dialogues imagining parts of their anatomy getting up close and personal with parts of the other person’s anatomy. But since Ruby is in NY and Bane is in Europe, their relationship has to proceed through video phone calls. That is the part I enjoyed most of the book. They might want to rip each other’s clothes off, but they can’t so they have to develop a relationship based on talking with each other.

Soon Bane returns and complications ensue in this fun and flirty romance.

I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars

If there was a theme to this story, it would be, "everything happens for a reason."
How else could you explain that one kiss with a stranger, an Exorcist type audition, and eviction would lead to a sweet penthouse, some serious sexual tension and a ferret?
Confused? Let me explain.

Ruby and Bancroft don't get off on the right foot, although they both enjoyed their intimate lip lock. As random as it was, and as painful as the ramifications of the kiss were, it actually led them to an arrangement that was the best of both worlds.
With a lack of funds, Ruby needed low cost living.
For Bancroft, travelling for 5 weeks, he needed a pet sitter for his illegal ferret, Francesca, and his tarantula, Tiny.
Some meddling from Ruby's friend, Amie, leads them to the perfect solution.
And thus Ruby becomes Bancroft's temporary live-in pet sitter.

Told from alternating POVs, this duo had instant chemistry despite the hundreds of miles that separated them for most of the book.
The attraction and memories of the kiss are just the spark.
Ruby's easy going attitude and immediate love for his odd pets, stir the flames.
Playful banter and some sexy video chats add fuel to the fire.
But it isn't until Bancroft's return and discovery of Ruby's job, that things finally heat over.

This story is a mix of light and sweet, funny and sexy. I loved the building relationship between Ruby and Bancroft, a couple with similar family backgrounds but very different career paths. The path they take towards a HEA might not be conventional, but it was a fun and enjoyable ride.

I had read some of Helena's stories when they were FF, so I was curious to what her OF would look like...and I'm not sure about a 3 star rating.

I liked Ruby and Bancroft well enough. She's sassy and stands up for herself. He's assertive and mildly possessive. They definitely have chemistry and their flirty banter is fun, but I struggled with their inner monologues. I really liked BFF Amie. Her fiancé is an ass and there were a lot of things in her story thread that seemed hinted at and unresolved. Perhaps she's getting her own book?

Plot wise, it was exactly what you would expect. Miscommunication, stupid decisions, and a grand gesture. It's a formula that works and it moved the story along. I did like the ending and the epilogue, but would have liked a little bit more.

Overall, it was decent? I don't know. I liked it well enough to keep reading, but the passages without dialogue and reaaaaaallly odd word choices kept taking me out of the story.

If there are going to be companion novels, I may read them, depending on who the MCs are.

**Huge thanks to SMP Swerve for providing the arc free of charge**

A funny romantic rollercoaster of a story! What fantastic characters! What a hot sexy ride!

Ruby Scott is a gem (pun intended!) of a woman who really wants to stand on her own two feet, doing something she loves with her life, despite having come from an extremely wealthy background. Her father wants her to "quit playing pretend" and return home to Rhode Island.

Bancroft Mills is an ex-rugby player who now is working for his father, running a string of upscale hotels - again a family with money. However, Bane isn't all that he seems, starting with his two exotic pets. And what a surprise for Ruby when she finds out that the pet sitting job she's taking, being in desperate need of funds, turns out to be for the guy that kissed her at a party the night before an important audition, making her sick and losing out on the job!

So begins the rollercoaster ride of the relationship between Ruby and Bane. Ruby is extremely funny and Bane is very sweet, sexy and almost as funny as Ruby! They way he talks to his pets is adorable!

You will be laughing as if you were sharing good jokes with a friend and enjoying the wild ride between Ruby and Bane!


Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Swerve for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have ever read by this author and it will definitely not be the last. From the first time Ruby and Bane meet, you have to expect the unexpected! Bane while in a fevered delirium, mistakenly kisses and then coughs on Ruby, thereby setting off a string of unexpected, unwelcome and life changing events for Ruby. This contemporary romance was filled with quirky characters, very steamy scenes and plenty of snark. What more could you ask for? All in all a great read that will have me looking for more from Helena Hunting.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.

This is my first Helena Hunting read and it won't be the last. What a way to start off! Shacking up is a totally fun, sexy contemporary romance comedy. Ruby Scott and Bancroft Mills fill the pages with banter, challenge and compliment each other from beginning to end. Told in alternating POVs, you get to know Ruby and Bancroft long before they get down to the dirty.

Shacking Up was a fast and fun read. I just loved Ruby and Bancroft. Secondary characters added to the wit. It's a rom-com that you should get lost.

QuickShot Review
I enjoyed this. As characters, I liked Bancroft and Ruby. Yes, Ruby drove me a little crazy with her occasionally overly dramatic, quick to react ways, and Bancroft’s gift of vague communication certainly lead to its fair share o’ drama. To be fair, it also brought a heaping helping of hot sexual tension, humor and lots of sexual innuendo. This is technically a slow burn, but there was ALOT of sex on the brain. I mean if they weren’t thinking about banging each other, they were self-banging while thinking it. Or flirting with each other. Basically, smutty times.

I would have loved a wee bit more on the emotional side but I have no doubt these two characters are super hot for each other and the fun far outweighed any disappointment. If you want a light hearted comedy with lots of UST, you may enjoy this.

It seems that everything Ruby touches goes the wrong way, until she is kissed by a stranger who mistakes her for his date in a dark hallway. Even that goes wrong...at first. Could this be the one? This novel offers a fresh take on the usual romance novel and Ruby is a refreshing heroine who is out of money and down on her luck. Determined to make it on her own, without her father's money, she leads us on a fun romp. Great beach read!

Shacking Up was a fun ride!
I enjoyed these two amazing characters. I adored Ruby's sass and wit. She and Bancroft's chemistry was off the charts and made me want to keep reading until the very end.
If you are a lover of rom-com's and contemporary romances you'll enjoy this book!!!
Recv'd a copy via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Helena never disappoints! Shacking Up was no exception either. Her characters were, as usual, funny, real and sassy, while the story was a bit different but still classic. Great read!
*this book was sent to me for an honest review*