4.5 Stars!

I loved this book. It was sweet with a slow burn of sexy mixed with a ton of humor. Everything I love in my rom-com's. Hunting has a way with her words and the books always flow so well.

Shacking Up is the story of Ruby and Bancroft. I adore both of them. Ruby comes from money, a lot of money, but you'd never know it. She lives a completely normal life. Ruby is an actress which is exactly NOT what her father wanted her to be. He expected her to work for the family business. When she doesn't, he cut her off, but fails to mention that to her. She only realizes it when she gets an eviction notice on her door. She needs to figure out what she's going to do and quick.

Enter Bancroft. He also comes from money, and he also initially chose to not follow in the family business. He was a professional Rugby player. His career has ended though and it's into the grind of the family business. Bancroft has a five week trip across the pond and he needs someone to pet sit for him. Bancroft is HOT. Woah, hot. Let's just say I'd pet sit for him any time he needed.

Bancroft needs a pet sitter. Ruby needs somewhere to live. Bancroft also needs to make up for a little incident that happens when they first met.

Ruby and Bancroft's relationship was slow to build. Lots of phone calls and texts. Some don't like the slow burn, I enjoyed it. I loved watching their relationship grow.

Overall, great read from Helena Hunting! I look forward to more books from her.

Two years ago I read Pucked by Helena Hunting and I liked it a lot – it really made me laugh. I think I read the follow-up to that book but have not tried her again until now. While Pucked is very over-the-top silly (I think the heroine puts a cape of the hero’s peen…if I remember correctly) Shacking Up is more sweet and low-key, with good sexual tension and two likable protagonists. It has a slower pace, and didn’t have me laughing out loud – but that is not a criticism. Just be aware if you are used to her books being a bit more bawdy.

Ruby Scott is a talented singer, dancer and actor – with no employment. Her theater show went bankrupt and Ruby is about to as well. Not wanting to rely on her father for more money, Ruby knows she needs to find a job quickly. At an engagement party for her best friend, Ruby knocks into a man as she is coming out of the bathroom, and as he grabs her so she doesn’t fall over, they share a look, and he kisses her. It’s an amazing kiss – until Ruby remembers she has no idea who this guy is.

This guy is Bancroft Mills, or Bane. From a wealthy family, Bane is a former rugby player who retired after several injuries. He now works for his father’s company and happens to have a bad cold. On a lot of cold medication, and a few drinks at the party, Bane mistakes Ruby for his date – and accidentally kisses the wrong woman. They share an awkward laugh, and go on their way. Bane is just dating this woman to please his mother, and when she storms off after witnessing this kiss, it really doesn’t bother him.

Ruby’s best friend comes up with a plan – Bane has to travel out of the country for five weeks and needs a pet sitter to take care of his beloved ferret and tarantula. Her friend suggests Ruby be this pet sitter, and to live in his apartment to keep an eye on things while he is away. This will give Ruby time to audition and get her life in order. Bane loves this idea, Ruby likes this idea, and she moves in. She falls hard for the ferret, even tolerates Tiny, the tarantula, and finds Bane’s bed, as he is gone, very comfy. They start face-timing and develop a strong friendship, which turns romantic once Bane comes back home.

Bane is what I consider a “good-guy hero.” Even though he starts the book by sticking his tongue down Ruby’s throat without even knowing her, he is such a nice guy. He wants to help Ruby out – he sees her struggling with her auditions. He notices he gave her his horrible cold which doesn’t help when she needs to sing to get a role. He cares about his friends and he loves his ferret so much!! It’s so cute! He does go a bit caveman at times, especially after his romantic feelings cement towards Ruby and she gets attention from other men. He could have cooled it off a bit, but overall he is just a decent guy.

Ruby is a fun heroine. She is passionate about being in theater, and even though she goes through some truly horrible auditions. she doesn’t get too down. Being able to come home to Bane’s luscious apartment, and lay in his bed and day-dream about him doesn’t hurt. Much of this book takes place with Bane and Ruby apart – as he is out of the country for work. But their face time chats gives them time to build a good foundation so when Bane gets home they can get to the nakey parts. Nice chemistry and sexual tension carries the romance until they are in the same country again.

I enjoyed Helena Hunting’s voice in this one! Looking forward to more.

Grade: B

This book was a fun read with truly enjoyable characters! I loved the immediate chemistry between Ruby and Bane, and I couldn't wait to see how their story unfolded! As someone who has worked hard to forge my own path, I completely felt Ruby's emotions throughout the story and understood her point of view. Not that my family is rich like hers, just that sometimes you have to go your own way and see where your two feet lead you.

Bane was also an immersive character to read! I felt the immediate draw to Ruby without understanding why, but just going with it. His life mirrored hers in a lot of ways, and it made them out to be a very believable couple.

The secondary characters were all well thought out and developed, but stopped on the verge of being intrusive to the story, which was amazing. I'm going to admit that I'm curious what will happen with Amie and Armstrong and how that path will turn out.

All in all, this was a great read and I will definitely be reading more from Helena Hunting! Once I started, I couldn't put it down!

Book Review
Title: Shacking Up
Author: Helena Hunting
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Publication Date: May 30, 2017
Cliff Hanger: No

4 Stars

*This story is for mature audiences only. Contains explicit scenes and language intended for adults 18+

Synopsis:
Ruby Scott is months behind on rent and can’t seem to land a steady job. She has one chance to turn things around with a big audition. But instead of getting her big break, she gets sick as a dog and completely bombs it in the most humiliating fashion. All thanks to a mysterious, gorgeous guy who kissed—and then coughed on—her at a party the night before.

Luckily, her best friend might have found the perfect opportunity; a job staying at the lavish penthouse apartment of hotel magnate Bancroft Mills while he’s out of town, taking care of his exotic pets. But when the newly-evicted Ruby arrives to meet her new employer, it turns out Bane is the same guy who got her sick.

Seeing his role in Ruby’s dilemma, Bane offers her a permanent job as his live-in pet sitter until she can get back on her feet. Filled with hilariously awkward encounters and enough sexual tension to heat a New York City block, Shacking Up, from NYT and USA Today bestselling author Helena Hunting, is sure to keep you laughing and swooning all night long.

My Thoughts:
This author is one of my go to authors for romantic comedy and sports romance, so when I had the opportunity to read Shacking Up, I jumped at the chance.

This story had me laughing out loud on numerous occasions. I loved the slow buildup of their relationship. They were left with an attraction, but time wasn’t on their side as Ruby was so sick and Bane had to leave on a five-week business trip. They had to communicate by video chat, text messages and phone calls. On this five-week journey, they learned about each other and boy did the tension build! This is a slow burn romance, until they finally combust.

There is so much to this story, there is great fun times and the animals are adorable. Yes, even the spider! The secondary characters are intriguing and a few of them I wanted to throw my iPad at!

I really enjoyed this fun and sexy read! This author doesn’t disappoint and I certainly hope this will be part of a series, as the secondary characters definitely have potential!

ARC kindly provided by St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for an honest review.

I know I can always count on Helena Hunting to write sexy, funny and full of heart stories.

In Shaking Up we meet Ruby and Bane, who meet in rather awkward circumstances and because life was being funny that day Ruby catches Bane's flu and this totally ruins her chance of getting the job that she wanted rendering her without a place to live for the forceable future. Bane feeling badly about what that flu cost Ruby offers her his place while he's out of town.

I really enjoyed this book, from those first pages the chemistry was palpable between these two and I absolutely adored that many of their conversations happened via text or video chat, I just love when two characters make deeper connections this way because you really get to know them and them way other, oh and this of course makes for amazing sexual tension once they meet again.

The writing was so good! I was reading super fast because I just wanted these two to finally get together and when I read those words it was so rewarding!

I can't wait to go back into this world! I'm already super excited about the next book, I'm already imagining all the amazingness that Helena is going to write.

This is the first book I have ever read by Helena Hunting and I have to say that I have absolutely loved her writing and I am actually looking forward to read more books by Helena that I have added a few of her books to my wishlist so that I remember to buy them when I get the chance.

I was hooked into this book right away. I just couldn't stop reading and I didn't want to stop reading because it was funny and sexy.

I highly recommend this book.

I give Shacking Up by Helena Hunting a 5 out of 5.

Ms. Hunting has dreamed up one of the most hilarious and memorable meetings in romance history. Ruby and Bane's first kiss is uniquely irresistible. Shacking Up extends a good time to all. Senses remain on full alert throughout. Ranging from frustration, temptation, seduction, humor and heart, the possibilities are endless but the feelings are overwhelming. It's hard for a person to follow their dreams, when what should be the biggest supporters are on the sidelines judging. Bane and Ruby have experienced that first hand. Bane is trying to do what is expected of him. Ruby is willing to sacrifice her privileged life for her cherished dream. Will either find happiness with the choices?

I loved Hunting's storyline! It's romantic, funny and dramatic all in one. Her characters are vibrant, with so many dimensions. This book is a page turner that will keep you reading all night! And Franny is my favorite!

Note, I did receive an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars!

Okay, so it’s been a while since I’ve been inspired enough to write a review that consisted of more than a few sentences. Shacking Up totally broke the seal for me! There are a gazillion releases this week (yes, that is a technical term) and I promise you, you need to buy this book. I enjoyed every single bit of it- so much that I didn’t want it to end! I wanted more Bane and Ruby immediately, it was that good.

I’m a bit wary of the rom-com subgenre because they tend to bend over into too over the top and too crass. When that happens, it overshadows the characters and the development of the relationship instead of accenting it.

The bar for this subgenre is set very high for me by authors like Daisy Prescott and the writing team of Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. I LOVE literally laughing out loud one moment and swooning the next. Shacking Up hit every single one of my buttons as far what I enjoy in a well-written rom-com! Ruby is such a lovable character and Bane is 110% book boyfriend material. He is such a great guy, he’s alpha in his own way without being a jerk and his love for his non-traditional animals is hard to resist. Bane has so many chances to be a jerk, with the way women throw themselves at him and he is just not that guy. I’ll admit that there was one lack of communication plot point that I was not a fan of, but while it rankled me, it really did not take away from my overall enjoyment of the book. Remember the part where I mentioned Bane was alpha without being a jerk? Well, that alpha shows itself in the bedroom and whoo wheeee, it’s so stinkin’ hot, I was sweating. For real.

Back to the part about not wanting it to end…I loved the ending and I hope we see more of Ruby and Bane in subsequent books in this series. Which apparently, I have to wait until approximately November to get Ruby’s BFF’s book, so, y’all pray for me… I may not make it that long.

Shacking Up was rom-com sexy perfection, and I didn’t want it to end!! It’s a perfect summer by the pool read, just make sure that you have a cold beverage on hand or a bucket of ice, you get the picture. 😉

Author Q and A: http://bit.ly/Hunting_ShackingUp

4.5 stars

Shacking Up by Helena Hunting was a fun, sweet and entertaining read.

I really enjoyed getting to know Ruby and Bancroft. They made me laugh and smile with their antics and together they made a great couple.
I loved how they got closer by communicating with texts, emails and phone calls while Bancroft was working overseas.
They didn't let the long distance and time difference stop them from opening up, sharing their feelings and really getting to know each other.
Life was certainly more fulfilling having each other in their lives.
And did I mention their chemistry? It was SMOKING!

Helena Hunting is a talented author who knows how to entertain her readers with her words. She gives us great storylines that bring out the feels. Her characters are strong, smart, sassy, likable, and unbelievably hot. And they always manage to touch our heart with their journey to finding their happily ever after.

Shacking Up is another wonderful and entertaining read by Helena Hunting and I highly recommend it.

*Get you copy here*
Amazon ➜ http://amzn.to/2rPzwaA
iBooks ➜ http://apple.co/2ifH11F
Nook ➜ http://bit.ly/2j60eqA
Kobo ➜ http://bit.ly/2j0Yug3
Google Play ➜ http://bit.ly/2qzbkED
Audible ➜ http://amzn.to/2rPORb3
Paperback ➜ http://amzn.to/2qB5vGB

*A big thank you to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.*

Helena Hunting does it again. One of my favorite Rom Com Authors. This book had me hooked from the start. Ruby is funny, loving and can handle whatever is thrown her way. Bancroft can talk dirty with the best of them and when he falls he's all in. I love the sexy banter between them and his furry friends. 5 stars for a awesome book.
P.S. I hope Amie don't marry Armstrong.
I received a advanced copy by the Publisher for a voluntary honest review.

Sweet Christ! Helena Hunting has done it again! I've adored every story I have read from this talented author. Shacking up had me smiling so hard I thought my face was going to break. That's one of the many reasons I love reading her stories. But also, because they make me happy and lusty. A LOT. Of that. Especially the lust part....

I swear Helena writes the HOTTEST dirty talking men. I can NEVER get enough of them. Bane hit my lust button so many times I thought I was going to explode. With pleasure. Repeatedly. Ruby is one lucky lady! I loved their banter and their sexy times were OFF THE CHARTS! I had to put my kindle in the freezer. Not really, but almost.

If you are looking for a fun, sexy, sweet and steamy romantic comedy that will smiling your face off, then you need to meet Bane and Ruby! It's the perfect summer read!

Shacking up is a slow build with much of the story being a lot of flirting and sexual innuendo via calls and texts. Bane and Ruby's conversations are witty and often quite funny, which keeps the story from lagging too much. Fortunately, once things do begin to really heat up, the story moves along at a faster pace and was an enjoyable read. Overall, the book is well-written and amusing, and the MCs are good together. The only drawback is that I feel like I would've enjoyed it more if the build-up had been a bit faster.

Witty... Delightful...great humor. Definite read! I was pulled in from page 1! Love the characters and the humor!

What A great story that had me alternately in stitches and then gasping due to the heat the MC were putting out. I devoured this book in one sitting and was so sad when it was over because it was THAT GOOD!
Ruby Scott meets Bancroft Mills when he accidentally kissed her (then coughed on her) at a party. Because of his actions, she came down with a terrible, Nasty flu which caused her to lose out on a great role that she had auditioned for. When Bancroft found out what he played a part in, he offered her temporary housing since she is now homeless. He also threw in a temp job babysitting his exotic pets( its better to read all about it on this temp job). What was supposed to just be temporary starts to become real because their attraction is so real and potent. Its steamy, hot and electric!!
If you like alpha males, sassy heroines and humorous, sexy and light romantic reads then this is the one you should read. It definitely had the sexual tension but it also has great humor and oh I loved the chemistry between the H/h. The story was tight and how it ended …fantastic and glorious!


My Rating: 4.8 stars *****
"I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

4.5 Stars!
Ruby Scott is a beautiful 24 yr. old woman who comes from money. Her family owns Scott Pharmaceuticals & she grew up privileged in Rhode Island. She attended prep school & college with her best friend Amie, & now lives in New York following her dream of being an actress. Much to fathers disappointment, her degree is in theater. It's her passion, & she just wants to do what she loves. The problem is it doesn't always pay the bills & she struggles. She's behind on rent, currently unemployed, and on the verge of being homeless. She wants to make it on her own & will do anything not to return home to work for her father. It would mean she failed. She has one last chance to turn things around with a big audition.

The night before her audition she attends her best friend Amie's engagement party where a gorgeous stranger kisses her & then coughs on her. She wakes up sick & bombs her audition. She is panicking about her issues when her friend comes up with the perfect solution to all her problems. Amie knows someone with a luxurious penthouse whose going out of town & needs someone to watch his animals. Ruby is stunned when she meets her new possible employer & it's none other than her awesome kisser.

Her mystery man is Bancroft Mills aka Bane. His family owns Mills hotels. He spent the last seven years playing professional rugby till he blew out his knee. Now his rugby career is over & his only option is working for the family business in hotel management. Working for his father will require a lot of travel, & will take him away from his pets. When he finds out how he got Ruby sick, he feels responsible & offers her the job of taking care of his pets till she can get back on her feet. She needs somewhere to live & he needs a pet sitter, so it's the perfect arrangement for them both.

While Bane is away he & Ruby talk a lot. They really get to know each other & he finds her lack of filter & sense of humor refreshing. The longer he's away, the closer they become. Soon all the late night chats & sexual innuendos turn into a real connection. By the time he returns home they are absolutely dying for one another & can't resist any longer. These two are on fire for each other & it's hot as hell!

They soon are both extremely attached to each other & wanting more, but things are complicated since they are technically roommates & she's still working for him.

This was my first book by Helena Hunting & it was fabulous! I love her fun, flirty writing style that's full of humor, and super sexy. I adored Bane & Ruby and just loved this book! Can't wait to read more by this author & hope we get a book for Lexington & Amie. :))

There are rom-coms, and then there are Helena Hunting rom-coms--hers are in a league of their own, in my opinion. I love her Pucked series and all of her quirky-but-loveable characters, so I was a little worried about reading a new set of characters from her. I'm happy to report that my hesitation was completely unnecessary! Shacking Up is a fun and flirty, hilarious and heartfelt, sweet and slow-burning romance with fantastic characters and writing. I loved every minute of the ride!

Ruby Scott was born into a family with a pharmaceutical empire, but her heart belongs to Broadway. Determined to make it on her own, she heads to New York and works her tail off to make it happen. After a string of bad luck, Ruby is down to her last few pennies and eating Ramen noodles for every meal. She has great friends, but she's going to need a lot more than that to make ends meet.

Bancroft Mills (aka Bane) was also born into wealth but, like Ruby, he decided to pave his own path and played professional rugby for years. After being sidelined with a knee injury, he's back to working for his family and helping to improve properties within their hotel dynasty.

Ruby and Bane have a bit of an unconventional first meeting, but it sets the trajectory for the entire storyline. What starts out as a mutually beneficial arrangement becomes much more after weeks of video chats that are steeped in sexual tension and unresolved feelings. I thought that was the perfect touch since Bane is out of the country for weeks. I could feel the connection, rather than just read about it, and made me want to root for them.

Ruby is a fantastic heroine, and I loved all of her attributes. She's hardworking, independent, and sassy at every turn. She a bit of a rebel and I enjoyed that part of her character. Bane, on the other hand, is more buttoned-up and proper, but he's so sweet, understanding and supportive. Not to mention, he's got a bit of a dirty mouth (that's an understatement, actually), so once they finally get together, things get very interesting indeed.

This book had me grinning like a fool and swooning at all of the sweetness from beginning to end. Helena Hunting has created another cast of characters that I can't wait to get to know better while feeding my need for banter, awkwardness, heart, and humor. If those are things you are looking for, too, I can't recommend Shacking Up enough!

I'm so sad to be doing this because I was so excited to be reading my first HH book, but I'm tapping out. While I felt this one held a lot of promise for me based on the synopsis and other readers' recommendations, it didn't work for me at all. For something that was supposed to be comical, it came off clunky and immature. I rolled my eyes way too much and that's usually a good indication that I am not going to be able to read it with an open mind.

I like when a book takes liberties with it's storyline, enough to make us think and effectively making us get into the story more, but this one was just unbelievable and corny. The female character was vapid and I didn't feel any sort of connection with her at all. She just came off as extremely selfish and entitled to me and I just didn't enjoy her...and since we spent the majority of the time in her head, I needed to vacate the premises.

Sadly, I found it ridiculous and by 11% I was already pulled from the story with the lack of depth the characters and storyline had.
~ You don't get violently ill overnight from a kiss, but I understand that was for the story's sake to move on. Buuuut......the book was stagnant and didn't move and that made it hard to stay engaged in it.
~ Family drama that is over the top and completely irrational is so overdone and I am tired of it. I understand parents want to teach their kids lessons. I am all for that....but when the step-mother that is of the age she is, father should be well aware of what he's doing to his daughter in the company. I just lose interest when family is evil and ridiculous beyond reason.
~ The female character, while trying to be stubborn, was being a complete idiot and trying to be in the theater. Grow up. Stop being so immature. I don't know why she rubbed me the wrong way right off the bat. I just didn't feel endeared to her.
~ The internal dialogue and repetitive regurgitation about her dad cutting her off, about her not being able to find a job, about her wanting to do it on her own, blah blah blah....it just made me crinkle my nose.

It's been a long time since I've read anything remotely as playful and flirty as Shacking Up. I knew going in it was going to be a light read, but I didn't think I was going to have a hard time putting it down. Actually, that bit there is a lie. I never did put it down. Hello 4am!

So if you take a moment and read the blurb you will see our leading lady is Ruby. Things aren't going so well for her. Behind on rent and loses her apartment, gets sick and bombs her audition. Neither are her fault nor is the kiss by the mysterious, gorgeous guy. Actually, we can blame that lost audition and the kiss on that guy. The kiss would have totally redeemed him if he hadn't hacked in her face right after the kiss. Yuckies! Determined to not ask her father for help, Ruby needs to find a job and a new place to live.

She's commiserating with her best friend, Amalie who thinks she might have a temporary solution. Her fiance's cousin, Bancroft, is going out of town for five weeks and she was supposed to watch his exotic pets while he's gone. Maybe Ruby could do it. They come up with a plan to have them all get together for dinner and hopefully, he'll see maybe Rudy would be a better fit. Dinner time comes, everybody meets and SURPRISE! the cousin is none other than the mysterious kiss/cough guy. With a little bit of guilt tripping, Bancroft decides Ruby should take care of his pets. And now things get real interesting!

Ruby is just one of those spunky characters you just got to love. Bancroft, yeah let me lick him up one side and down the other! The two together are a bowl full of simmering fun. Once he leaves for his job, the text, phone calls, and video chats begin. Let the naughtiness, flirting and tension begin. And as a reader, I just gobbled it up because who doesn't just love a slow build-up. Of course, there does have to be a bumpy road of pride and misunderstandings. What would a comedy romance be without them? Some are quite comically others are a bit cliche but in the end, they get their HEA and I get a book I loved.

A few words about the secondaries: people and pets. People - I hope I'm not alone in these thoughts that there needs to be a follow-up book...for Amalie. She deserves someone better than Armstrong. As for Armstrong, something is off about him. Let me just call him a pig and end it there. Pets - I adore Francesca! What's a cute story without a cute pet! I get that she was somewhat of a prop for the storyline, but for me, she was a bit more. As for Tiny, I know plenty of readers who are going to scream and throw their readers once Tiny makes an appearance. I for one loved her!

As my very first read of Helena Hunting, it completely made my day. I want to read more by her and to my surprise, I already own several of her books. That stupid 1-click addiction of mine had me buying but not reading again, which I plan on rectifying very soon. Looking for a great summer read, then look no further than Shacking Up.

And don't mind Tiny *Insert evil grin*

reviewed by Jem Stone