Eagerly awaiting Hooking Up after reading Shacking Up and getting to know Amie, I dove right into this book and was not disappointed in the least. It is everything I've come to expect from a Helena Hunting rom-com: hilarious, fun, sinfully sexy, swoon-worthy and an absolute blast to read! It's no secret that Hunting is one of my favorite, one-click authors and Hooking Up is just another stellar example as to why. Hunting has the ability to give us the outrageous in a completely believable and real storyline. Amie is faced with the unthinkable when her new husband cheats AT their wedding and how she reacts is the catalyst for this laugh-out-loud masterpiece.

Amie heads out on her honeymoon solo only to find a certain someone is traveling to the same place for business. We'll call him Hottie Hookup (HH for short) so as not to ruin the surprise since Hunting didn't name him in her blurb for a reason. Amie and HH have undeniable chemistry and I absolutely loved how these two played off of each other! Their dialogue had me laughing out loud repeatedly! HH is a dirty, dirty boy and Amie finally has the chance to let her kinky side come out to play and the result is steamy and extremely hot! Hunting does a phenomenal job of letting the readers truly see the sparks between these two. Each time Amie's estranged husband, Armstrong shows up, the antics that ensue with Amie and HH are hilarious. I <i>almost</i> felt bad for Armstrong.....<i>almost</i> being the keyword because that sucker had karma coming to him and Amie and HH dole it out in spades!

There were some emotional scenes but the overall feel of the book is lighthearted and fun. The characters are amazing and HH is definitely book boyfriend material! While Hooking Up follows characters that previously appeared in Shacking Up, it can absolutely be read as a standalone story. But let's get real.....you should read Shacking Up first because a) it's an amazing story and b) you'll get the history and backstory that is prominently featured in this book. With a delicious comeuppance for Amie's estranged husband Armstrong and a happily ever after for Amie and her hottie hookup, this book is a winner all around! 5 stars all the way!

So the beginning of this book kinda threw me. It’s very unlike the first one, even though you don’t need to read them in order as they are not really a series, I feel reading the first one would be beneficial. I totally get why Amalie did what she did after finding out the husband was unfaithful. I would probably have found the closest male and tried to jump his bones too. But I would not have felt guilt about it after. 🙂

I felt the beginning of this book moved too fast for me. The cheating and then diving into a sexual relationship just doesn’t jive with me for some reason. Everyone knows that the first sexual relationship you get int o after a break up is a rebound! Those are the rules!! LOL, okay I may be holding on to tight to that.

Armstrong’s methods for attempting to win her back were childish and a bit ridiculous. Trying to scare her into getting back with him because of her families status? That’s quite frankly laughable. I guess that might work if you were super famous or rich. But while they may have lived comfortably it was in no way inferred that they were either of those things. So really, who cares what others think right? And it took forever for the divorce to happen. I mean, if its contested it can take about 6 months but not like super long after that, I would have expected Amalie to be smarted that that and just pull the infidelity card from gate. But she isn’t your normal character.

Maybe I couldn’t get my head into a believable space for the little things in this book but lucky for me the sex and chemistry made up for it….in spades! If you are looking for a emotionally charged sex fest, this is the book for you.

Amalie Whitfield is engaged to Armstrong Moorehead. He’s the son of the CEO of Moorehead Media, the company she works for. She works in their magazine branch and does marketing campaigns. She lives in New York & after a few bad boyfriend choices thinks she’s finally found the perfect guy. That is until she hears her new husband at her wedding reception getting it on with someone else. She’s shattered & her heart is broken. She needs to get out of town & decides to go on her honeymoon alone. Some time alone is just what she needs. Then she runs into Lexington Mills. Lexington is Armstrong’s cousin & the man she made a complete fool of herself in front of. She was drunk & distraught at her wedding after her life imploded, & she threw herself at Lex only to be rejected. She feels completely humiliated after trying to force herself on him. Then there’s the fact he’s kind of become her hero the way he’s always coming to her rescue lately.

Lexington Mills works with his father & his brother Bane at the Mill’s Hotels. He’s to keep the Mill’s empire running when his Dad retires. His Dad sends him out of the country on hotel business to look in on a resort of theirs that isn’t performing well. On his way to the islands he crosses paths with Amalie Whitfield, the only woman he’s wanted for the past year, but couldn’t have. She was marrying his jerk of a cousin, & he missed his chance, but now that Armstrong screwed up, maybe he can have another chance.

Amie & Lex are both on the island for about three weeks. Amie was so wrapped up in the idea of the perfect love, instead of finding something real & lasting. She decides to have some fun & let her rebellious side out. She needs a temporary distraction & decides she can’t resist Lex anymore. He’s gorgeous and now she wants him desperately. They decide to live in the moment & enjoy one another while on the island. Things between them are intense & out of control. Amie can be herself with Lex & soon he becomes her one constant. Can they have something real when they get back home, or will they end things when they leave the island?

Lex isn’t sure he can leave his feelings behind when he returns home. He doesn’t want to just be Amie’s escape. He wants something long term with her. He’s found a once in a lifetime connection with Amie & he’s not sure she’s ready for everything he wants to give her, but she totally owns his heart!

Omg, Lexington Mills is delish!!! This man lived up to all my expectations! Swoon, swoon, swoon!!! This book was amazing! Laugh out loud funny & absolutely fantastic!

Hooking Up is very HOT!!! Amalia thought she picked the perfect man with Armstrong. Turns out she is wrong & finds that out at her wedding to him...along with all the wedding guests when they overhear him hooking up with someone else. Amalia then throws herself at Lex, who also asked her out the same night that Armstrong did, but who was not the safer choice. Lex turns her down but not why Amalia thinks. Amalia decides to go on her honeymoon alone & guess who also is on vacation there...yes, Lex. What happens next is HOT!!! They must decide if it stays on the vacation or not. Helena Hunting wrote a great book.

Hooking Up is Helena Hunting's newest gem. It is a standalone but you did meet Amelie and Lexington in Shacking Up. I didn't read Shacking Up, and I'm kicking my arse right now because of it! Amie is Ruby's best friend and Lex is Bane's brother. Even without the backstory, I absolutely loved this book. Loved. It. The writing is fresh and witty, the characters realistic and hilarious, the plot fun and entertaining. Even though I laughed out loud, a lot, this was a pretty emotional story. It's a forbidden romance, but one that I was totally on board with! It's Amelie's wedding day. She married Armstrong, and at their reception, he's caught with another woman. Everyone hears it and Amie is mortified. She's not sticking around to see what happened and in aftermath of the embarrassment, she literally jumps on the first hot man she sees. Lexington. Armstrong's cousin. He's not a stranger, but he is ridiculously hot and he turns her down. Not because he doesn't want her, but he's not going to be with Amie out of revenge. As fate would have it, they end up on the same plane to the same island. When they stop fighting the attraction and give in, the hooking up becomes more. But more is bad. But oh so good! The hotness, the sexiness, the tickle trunk of sex toys, the witty banter, the steamy scream out loud orgasms. What happen when they have to go back to the real world? Can they stay away from each other? Does Amie have to keep fighting Armstrong? Could they possibly make it work? I loved this story! So. Damn. Much! I laughed out loud, giggled, sighed, got hot and bothered and got angry. I was cheering for Amie and Lex from the beginning and I just couldn't get enough of them! Lexington is sweet and sexy, a good man with the body of a bad boy. Amie is freaking hilarious! She stops being who Armstrong wanted her to be and becomes herself again. I love her!
It gave me all the feels and left me wanting more. MORE!

P.S.: I loved the chapter names!

I mean, goddamn, she's trying to get her hand in my pants and I'm compelled to stop her. It's a damn tragedy happening here.

Dear sweet lord of all things panty melting, this has to be the sexiest man to ever walk to planet. The only thing that would make him sexier would be if he was holding a puppy, or better yet, a baby.

"Water might help me keep my inside thoughts from coming out of my mouth."
"I like it when your inside thoughts come out of your mouth."
"Of course you do. All my inside thoughts about you are filthy."

"Could you be any more cocky?"
"I don't know, you're the one who's full of mine, you tell me."
"You should shut up and just lie there and look good so you don't ruin this for me."

"I don't know who Amie puts up with you."
"It's cause my dick is huge."

Hooking Up is a breath of fresh air in the Romance genre. It includes a unique premise, an intelligent female character, and a male love interest that is not a cocky asshole!

What happens in Bora Bora stays in Bora Bora. But what happens when the chemistry is too real to deny?

I’m going to have to read more by Helena Hunting because her writing is on point. The banter between the main characters flows naturally, realistically, and had me laughing out loud. The chemistry between the main characters flies off the pages. This book is dripping with well-written sexual tension with an incredible pay off that is just as satisfying if not more than the build up. Hooking Up is not for the prude, so if you’re looking for a romance novel that is light on sex Hooking Up is not for you.

Hooking Up is a duel perspective novel written from Amalie and her love interest’s view.
Amalie’s perspective is insightful and practical. She is trying to be mature and make the right decisions, but somehow those decisions always come back to bite her. I enjoyed reading from her perspective because she’s headstrong and refuses to cower in front of anyone.
I’m not always a fan of male perspectives because they’re often overused and do not read as male, however Hunting was able to find balance between the perspectives and write a convincing male voice. The only issue I had with his perspectives was his insistence on calling Amalie vulnerable when her chapters did not convey any sort of vulnerability.

Overall, Hooking Up is a great addition to the Romance genre because it adds something new, a unique story line and a male love interest that is swoon worthy without being a cocky asshole.

This book was fantastic. Amie and Lex were a hot, hot, hot couple.
I was with Amie every step of the way as she overcame betrayal and found out who she really is.
Lex was the very definition of supportive and patient. There wasn't a mean or manipulative bone in his body.
He showed Amie what being with the right man was all about.
A great couple, a great story.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R8QA5KU61S00I/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I loved Hooking Up, an amazing follow up to Shacking Up. Both books can be read as stand-alone, but the cast of characters are so fun and flow thru both books. I am a huge fan of Helena’s Pucked and Clipped Wings series, I really enjoyed getting to know a new cast of characters! Helena’s sense of humor is off the charts, the dialogue, heat, and smooth flow of her books make her an absolute favorite author of mine! This book is fun and hot!

Another amazing read! I absolutely loved this one. It has heat and sexy with a little sweet, which is what Amie needs. Thrown in a dash of angst and you’ll devour this in a sitting. Highly recommend this book. A must read.

Amalie Whitfield made a bad call back at that party where she first met her husband. She is regretting her decision as it becomes apparent at her wedding reception that her new husband is currently involved with another guest before they even got to the speeches. She escapes to her paradise island honeymoon on her own but is surprised to encounter another guest on the plane who is heading to the same island. Her best friend Ruby keeps telling her to get everything out of her system but she doesn’t mean with someone they know. Things get heated and soon its time to return and face the tumoil she left behind.

Solid 4.5 stars for me! This is Amie's story from Shacking Up -- you'll remember her as Ruby's BFF and her story is just as good -- funny, steamy, sweet and sexy. Although this is a standalone, you'll enjoy it better if you read the first book in the series. Great addition and would definitely recommend if you like romantic comedies.

Stars 3.5

While I usually love Helena Hunting’s books, Hooking Up was not one of my favorite ones.
At first I simply could not like Amie, she starts off with Lexington but his cousin Armstrong comes along and she goes off with him, not even moments after Lexington goes to get her a drink. Then we end up at Amie and Armstrong’s wedding with him doing the worst thing ever on their wedding day. So she does what she needs to do, Lexington ends up on the same plane and they make the best of Bora Bora. Once she returns Armstrong wants to make things difficult. So we go through Amie navigating life after the fall out as well as Lexington. You will have to read it to find out all that goes on. Helena as I said writes good books and this one is no exception. Again just not my favorite. I will say It does have some really funny moments and of course we get the happily ever after.
While the book is written well, I just couldn’t get into but It was definitely worth reading as I said it’s a well written book, just not for me.

I have been looking forward to reading about the couple in this book since about half way through Shacking Up so I’m sad to report that this book was just okay for me.

For starters I was hoping that Ruby and Armstrong’s relationship never got as far as it did without interference from her friends and maybe even the Hero. I just have a lot of trouble reconciling why Ruby would have ever stayed with him as long as she did and then, even after what he did, she still let him have have control over her decisions in a round about way.

I absolutely loved the Hero, as I knew I would, but I just wish that he had been less agreeable and maybe a little more pushy when it came to Ruby.

I found myself skimming through a lot of the sex because that seemed to be the main focus of the two MC’s connection. Which leaves me wondering what they have when the sex slows down a little bit. I’m just not clear why they fell in love outside of some really great sex.

Overall, the writing is good, the characters are likeable and the sex was hot, but this just fell short for me.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review

​I was excited about reading Amie's story after getting a glimpse of her in Shacking Up. Helena Hunting did not disappoint. Hooking Up was an entertaining read. I loved everything about Lexington. Yeah, he probably should have been upfront with Amie from the beginning but you can't help but want him. Amie had quite the fight ahead of her but I admire her for going after what she wanted regardless of what people thought. I enjoyed the whole premise of the book and how Amie and Lexington's relationship came about. Then you add the Armstrong factor and we were taken on quite the ride. He's the most vile character but the situations with him just made this story even better. I loved the drama that Helena brought to the table with this trio. I definitely look forward to reading more from her in the future.

t's been a while since I've read a publication from Helena Hunting but her unmistakable style is evident from the beginning.

I love Amelie. What woman wouldn't expect fidelity from her husband? But to be so brutally and publicly betrayed, especially on your wedding day...well Amelie is not prepared to accept her husband, or his betrayal without fighting back.

In her fight back, on her non-honeymoon, she 'hooks-up' with a desirable, attractive man who sees to her every need. Not only does he manage to fulfil her sexual desires, he's also attentive and sweet outside the bedroom. A holiday romance you could say.

The storyline is fairly predictable in that Armstrong, the douchebag husband, tries to win back the affection of his 'wife'. She holds strong though and doesn’t break under the immense pressure she's being put under by him and his lawyers.

The holiday and its romance are over, but Amelie and her 'holiday fling' both have difficulty in coming to terms with the end of their relationship. Could it possibly work away from the sun-kissed Bora Bora?

The journey to her HEA is passionate, funny and downright cruel in places but Armstrong, you can be rest assured gets what's coming to him and so do Amelie and her hero.

I'll definitely be going back to read the story of Amelie's best friend and her fiance.

A must read for Helena Hunting fans for sure!

Yet another super book from Helena Hunting and this one gave me all the feels and all the laughs. There were some moments that had me cracking up, and although the situation Amie found herself in wasn't really very funny at the start of the story, the author manages to mix everything just right!!

If you've read 'Shacking Up', you will know we met her in that book. She's the best friend of Ruby. Amie is engaged to Armstrong and we meet her at their wedding. A wedding that has all happened rather quickly but as we see in the book it doesn't quite go to plan. And oh my, Armstrong is the worst character ever... The further throughout the book you read, the more and more you will despise him!!! Ugh!

Lexington (who is Armstrong's cousin - and biggest rival!!) is a wonderful swoonworthy character, and a brilliant hero I this story. He's thoughtful, kind, considerate and pretty darn hot too! The way the two characters come together in this story is sweet and sexy, with some brilliant humour throughout which really will have you laughing out loud.

And also, let me add, there is some serious heat and passion in this book too!! Oh my word these two main characters are PERFECT for each other, both inside the bedroom and out! *fans self*

This is a must read book, for all fans of Helena Hunting, new or old... This can be read as a standalone.

If you had a chance to read Shacking Up then you know exactly who are Amalie and this book's beau, Lex, are. If you don't, now that is completely fine because the books are designed to be standalone. How do I know this? Well because I didn't read it before picking up Hooking Up. 

What drew me to the book was the blurb (ok it was really the cover but really who doesn't get sidetracked by a good cover). Who doesn't enjoy a good wedding drama, escaping mistakes, and dabbling in a whole lot of forbidden love & attraction in a book? I did... do(?)! Which is EXACTLY what we get in this book. Amelie and Lex attraction burns through the pages and if I wasn't reading this book on kindle but paperback then I'm pretty sure the pages wold turn smoke up or even burn up. I often do get a bit bored while reading the hook up parts and occasionally skip ahead but I found Helena Hunting's imagination refreshing. Just for that Helena gets 5-Beans from me!

Overall, Amelia & Lex's work towards their HEA was painful to read through. I'm not kidding it was actual work! However, the love birds knew just what was at stake to make their HEA come true.

The secondary characters do deserve a mention as they are the reason why I am going back to Shacking Up to read Amelia's bffs' love journey with Lex's little brother.

So please do yourself a favor and pick up Helena Hunting's latest book ASAP. Enjoy!

Yes, this is fiction: Hot guy running a high-end hotel empire and gorgeously curvy gal doing runaway bride from psycho (she never saw it coming... pun intended) groom is a stretch in real life, but you'll be rooting for what should've been our main couple all the way. I was quickly into the book with it's fun dialogue and tone, which made every time I had a chance to get back where I left off in my NetGalley copy, a happy reunion.

great chemistry. well written. Amie and Lex one of the sweetest couples I've read in a while.