Unable to leave a review this title was not for me.

4 stars

Dare I say I loved this book more than Pucked?? Or maybe just as much! Shacking Up was a great Helena Hunting read! One of my favorites! She really has a hot hot on her hands!!

This was my first Helena Hunting book and I was pleasantly surprised. Despite the story being told in first person POV from both Ruby and Bancroft (I usually don't like 1st person POV) the witty banter and funny quips between Ruby and Bancroft kept the story going for me. This story was sweet and dirty sexy at the same time. The way they met and how their relationship developed was really great. I really enjoyed their story and look forward to reading more from Ms. Hunting.

* I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader copy of this book *

This was a fantastically quick read. The main characters are extremely likeable and fun (which is good because I wasn't a fan of some of the side characters). It's entertaining without being too over the top which was exactly what I needed as a pallet cleanser after a DNF that I had high hopes for. Will definitely be looking for more by this author.

E-Arc by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

God Lord the hotness factor of Bancroft is through the roof...literally like so much hotness!!!
Bane is pretty much the BEST guy I have never met and that is saying a lot because I have never met a lot of the best guys ;)
Anywho...Ruby...what is there to say about this spunky firecracker who plays by her own rules...ohh well there is tons to say. For starts she is living in a world that she really has no interest in, she is sassy, she is sarcastic, and she is living her life the way she wants!
Her world is kind of turned upside down when when she runs into Bane ( like in a good way, but not at first) and she can not seem to shake him. Bane...that fantastically gentle giant, who also knows how to talk dirty as F!!!!!!!!!! <---I can not say enough about this issue...his dirty talk is ON POINT!!
Let's move forward to the good stuff...like the kissing, and ass grabbing, and sexy flirting!!!! Ohhh but wait...I can't really tell y'all that shizzzz cuz like duhhhhh you have to read the book yourself, but what I can tell you is your going to f'ing LOVE it all...every last word!
Also, now bare with me...I am going to be a tease here for just one minute...there is a spectacular surprise in this story that will have you falling in love, hard and fast #Franny
So my suggestion is that you grab this book ASAP!!!!
#Tiny #ExcessiveCleavage #PointsSystem #Bane&Ruby

I absolutely love Ruby and Bancroft! Their crazy antics and witty banter will keep you laughing while their insane chemistry and slow-burn attraction have you falling in love! Throw in two insane pets, Francesca and Tiny, and you have one of the cutest relationships ever.
A dirty talking Bancroft and a sassy Ruby top my relationship charts!

Loved this book from beginning to end. Ruby and Bane's amazing chemistry and banter made this book. Amazing writing, great characters and a fun storyline. Can't wait to see what's next.

As a fan of Helena Hunting I went in expecting her quirky brand of humor along with a fun love story and Shacking Up definitely didn’t disappoint! The first chapter alone includes Ruby stuffing fancy appetizers into a purse at a pretentious engagement party and then being kissed by a stranger who is drunk off scotch & cold meds. How could you not be hooked after that?!


The premise that one kiss could set off a chain of events that could basically ruin someone’s life is so farfetched, yet it was absolutely perfect. “Awesome Kisser” as Ruby refers to the stranger who cost her an audition, turns out to be Bancroft, the sexy rich cousin of her best friend’s fiancé. She’s broke & homeless, he’s rich & needs a pet sitter. It’s the perfect situation, until feelings get involved.


I loved the characters witty banter, flirting, and the slow anticipation of them finally coming together. The fact that more than half the book they weren’t even in the same country, just getting to know each other through texts & facetime, was even more appealing to me then another insta love relationship. I also loved how strong Ruby tried to be, wanting to stand on her own & not let anyone else take care of her.


Adding a ferret & tarantula into the mix was a clever addition, and I found them more appealing than some of the other side characters. Amalie seemed like she would be more of a sidekick at the beginning, but we got very little of her after that. Armstrong is a complete jerk, and in my opinion, was given way too much attention. The shower scene was one of my favorites, however I think the entire dinner party could have been left out.


If you’re looking for a light, fun read, then I would definitely recommend this book. It will definitely keep you entertained. I’m hoping that Helena Hunting will bring us Amelie’s story next, I would love her story & hopefully some more Ruby & Bane mixed in.

Arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

This was my first Helena Hunting read and I'm an instant fan. This was wonderful. Full of flirty fun and 'what are the chances' moments. I mean what are the odds that you get randomly kissed by a hot, built stranger who just happens to be carrying the plague of all flu's which lands you not only out of a job opportunity but also possibly living in a card board box. So not only do you get a kiss that rocks you all the way to your toes, you get a trip to bed but not for fun sexy times, for puke in the trash can and feel like your dying time.

Ruby Scott is being evicted from her apartment and does not want to go home to Dad. She is attending a party to celebrate her best friend's engagement when she is kissed by a total stranger who is sick and full of cold meds. She comes down with the cold too. He happens to be the future husband's cousin.. Bancroft Mills is having to go to Europe for the family hotels and needs a pet sitter. Ruby can do that and gives her a place to stay. Ruby find a job in looking to when Bancroft comes home. They talk on the phone most everyday he is gone. She does not tell anyone about her new job. Ruby only wants to make it without her father getting involved and works toward that goal. Explicit language but the story of her success is good.

Absolutely another 5 star read that will have you cracking up. I love Ruby & Bancroft, once you start reading their story you will not want to stop. The chemistry between Ruby & Bane was through the roof and the sex was scorching hot. I couldn't get enough of Ruby & Bane and even Francesca & Tiny. Ruby was hilarious and how Ruby & Bane meet was a mistake but a mistake that will change their lives.

My Thoughts:

Shacking Up, a standalone novel by Helena Hunting, was steamy and hilarious! I appreciate Ms. Hunting's use of innuendo, and witty ability when it comes to word play. She has a fun and bawdy sense of humor, and I would recommend her stories to fans of Alice Clayton and Emma Chase. She has a similar story telling style.

In Shacking Up, main character, Ruby Scott is having a difficult time. She comes from a wealthy family. Her father owns a successful and lucrative pharmaceutical company, and wants her to work for him, alongside her siblings. However, Ruby has dreams of singing, dancing, and acting on broadway. She has tirelessly auditioned, but is not having much luck in landing a role, even in an off-broadway production.

Rudy wants to prove to her father that she can make it on her own. However, she is falling behind on all of her bills, and needs to land a part quickly. The night before an important audition, Ruby attends her best friend, Amalie's engagement party; and get's kissed by a gorgeous stranger that is sick with the flu. This costs Ruby the audition. She also has no place to live now, because her father has stopped contributing to her rent in a power play, to get her to come home and work for his company.

However, Amalie, has a plan to help out Ruby. She sets up an introduction with her fiancé's cousin, Bancroft, "Bane" Mills, who needs a pet-sitter, while he goes away for an extended business trip. Ruby is shocked when she recognizes Bane as the handsome stranger who kissed her and cost her an audition. Feeling guilty for his part in Ruby's current circumstance, Bane compensates Ruby with a temporary place to live, food to eat, and a generous wage to take care of his beloved pets.

As Ruby and Bane interact with one another the sexual tension heats up. Their attraction to one another is scorching hot, and their interactions are filled with flirting, teasing, and sexual tension. As they video chat daily, they find themselves fantasizing about one another, and caring about each other on a deeper level. What will happen, when Bane returns from his trip?

I loved seeing their relationship grow richer and gaining more substance to it. However, it was mostly filled with a ton of light moments, awkward hilarious interactions, jealous possessive moments, and top-notch swoons!

Shacking Up was such a fun, light-hearted, feel good romance! I recommend it if you're in the mood for a lot of laughs, sighs, and blushes!!!

My Rating:

I give, Shacking Up, by Helena Hunting, 4.5 Naughty, Outrageous, Belly Laugh Filled Stars!!!

Many books which are listed as a Romantic Comedy miss the mark on either Romance or Humor, Shaking Up however is the quintessential RomCom -- full of all the feel good moments of a stellar romance and a few really good Spit takes!!!!

Bane and Ruby are the perfect blend of sweet and absurd.

I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait until the series is continued

I received an ARC through NetGalley for review.
As a fan of Helena Hunting I could not wait to devour this book. Hunting is a go to author for a fun romantic comedy read.
In Shacking Up you meet Ruby, a down on her luck actress, who is randomly kissed by a mysterious, flu laden party-goer. This leads Ruby down an unfortunate vomit covered path to continued joblessness and homelessness. With the help of her best friend Amalie, Ruby convinces the mysterious kisser and cousin to Amalie’s fiancé, Bancroft, to let her house and pet sit while he is out of town. Over the course of her stay Ruby and Bancroft find that they have more to talk about than pets.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to laugh while reading about two people falling for each other. I cannot wait to see what Helena Hunting comes up with next.

Love the characters in the story. Although it read sort of like a calendar/diary, I found that a bit distracting, hence 4 stars instead of 5. But I do love the author's writing and she can be very, very funny. Definitely worth reading, just not quite a 5 star for me.

Pub date: May 2017
Steamy and fun, this romance introduced me to a new author! I liked the modern feminism that underpinned the main character, Ruby, and Bancroft's perspective was fun to read. I wonder if her best friend will be in the next book? I'd read it if she dumps her douchebag fiancee!

4.75

I would like to thank Netgalley and Swerve for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved, loved, loved this book…. I know no one says that anymore but I felt this deserved it. Ruby and Bane are pretty much cut from the same cloth. Both coming from rich families but wanting a life outside the family business. While it seems to back fire for Ruby and she’s cut off from her father, Bane ends up going to work for his father after his rugby days are over.

I like the fact that there wasn’t an instant love in this book. Instant attraction yes, but I liked that they took the time to get to know each other over the weeks that Ruby was house/pet sitting for Bane. The phone conversations were the best and you could totally see both Ruby and Bane being their true selves. Once they were face to face things were pretty awkward but over the phone you could see their wit, sarcasm and playfulness come out.

I’m hoping the next book that Amie dumps Armstrong and finds someone worthy of her. He is such a moron.

I have read the Pucked series by Helena Hunting so I was glad to see the humor that I have come to love in that series played out in this one.

Great read! Amazing characters with amazing chemistry! I’m definitely doing a reread!!

I will be suggesting this for the public library that I currently work for. We are trying to increase our Romance/Erotica section.

*** 3 stars ***

Shacking Up was a humorous read that was low on angst and high on sexual chemistry. There were some laugh out loud moments and lots of snarky banter, however the plot was very predictable and the amount of page time given to the ferret was a tad too much at times. I also felt like the characters were too generic and one dimensional, which kept me from becoming emotionally invested in them. This book was fun and entertaining, but will be easily forgotten.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I was lucky enough to be offered to read this ARC through Netgalley. I have actually never heard of this author before but the title, cover and blurb really drew me in. I hit the trifecta in the book world!

And now I find myself looking up all the other books by this author cause she writes my kind of romance. It was witty. It was clumsy and full of humor. It was a slow, simmering romance that also had some kinky sex scenes in it. You see what I mean?

I really liked Rubys’ character. She had a stubbornness that I could identify with. I totally get not wanting to rely on anyone to support myself. But there is a difference in making it on your own with support and being fully supported. And I think she was having a hard time figuring out which side she landed on at times. She had a great sense of humor rounding out her character. Along with a fierce sense of independence and penchant for looking for the silver lining of life. When life gives you lemons, you buy some fucking vodka to go with it, amIright?

And Bancroft! Oh dear lord, this man is the epitome of sexy. His alpha, millionaire manliness is physically attractive. But this man has layers, not just sexiness. His sensitivity shines through with his care for his pets. And his family values are clear as day with his willingness to compromise for them.

You know what? I think I’m gonna have to read this one again very soon. Highly recommend to anyone who reads contemporary romantic comedy.