5 Anarchy CROWNS

I have been dying to get my hands on Hooking Up ever since the short story appeared in the Halloween anthology, Eye Candy, and Helena Hunting didn’t disappoint. She has given readers a story that is sweet, romantic, and hilarious, so really everything readers have come to expect and adore from this wonderful writer.

Amie was this shining secondary character with the awful boyfriend in Shacking Up. I loved the spirit and energy we got to see from her character, and I absolutely hated her awful, controlling fiance. After reading the synopsis for Hooking Up, I couldn’t wait to see Amalie at her finest, finally free of the control freak keeping her down, and Helena Hunting created one of my favorite heroines created by her. Amie is the pure definition of lady on the streets and freak in the sheets. Now this doesn’t mean that she is a dirty girl in the bedroom. In fact, romance readers, especially dark romance readers and lovers of erotica, will see what she does in the bedroom as tame. What they will see, however, is a female who embraces her sexuality. Amie likes what she likes and she isn’t shy about it, especially after the debacle of wedding. Readers are also going to enjoy watching Amie develop back into the character we have only gotten glimpses of in the previous books. I love the backbone she develops, and, although, she becomes stronger, she still retains her vulnerability that has developed over the years from disappointing her family and her perceived failures. This sweet and caring women with the temerity to stand on her own two feet while keeping a level of openness to moving forward is perfect.

Amie’s man is exactly who I desperately wanted him to be, and Helena Hunting delivers one of my top three book boyfriend of hers with this hero. He has this incredible flirtatious nature that seduces readers with this wonderful sense of humor. Add to that the sexy fact and the desire to care for Amie and this author has created a hero to swoon over. What I really like about him, though, is that he is constantly putting Amie first throughout this whole crazy ordeal. Her needs, her desires, and her heart are always top priority for him, and when he is inevitably drawn into the conflict of the story, one readers will expect to happen, he doesn’t cower or walk away but owns up to his mistake and tries his best to rectify it ASAP. Other than darker anti-heroes, this man is the perfect rendition of the type of man most women would die to meet.

I enjoyed this story line from cover to cover. The opening, although not really hilarious for our beloved heroine, offers enough laugh-out-loud moments with heart-wrenching incidents to have readers invested. Ms. Hunting takes this series of unfortunate events to place the hero and heroine back in each other paths, and although it is this crazy and ridiculous scene, she leaves the two of them with one the sweetest moments in the whole book. From these, the author only creates more beautiful and sexy moments with these two. Each day that they are together, readers get to see Amie become a bit stronger, to see these two fall in love thanks to the dual point-of-view, and to witness what what real love should be like, and I adore every single minute of their romance. If you read my reviews often, you know then that conflict is usually a big sticking point for me, and the conflict of Hooking Up is not unexpected and neither is the fallout. The characters, however, overshadow the entire event because I love them an their romance so much that I was just wanted more time with them. I didn’t want to see them apart and hurting, so I was completely okay with the conflict and rather quick resolution.

I am completely in love with this new world and new characters Helena Hunting has created. This series of standalones provides romance readers with fun and sexy story-lines that are reminiscent of everything romantic comedies should be. Lovers of Helena Hunting still get the signature humor they have come to expect from her while still providing with a story that has a different tone from her most notable Pucked series, and they still get insane chemistry between the hero and heroine that has elements of sweet and heat. It is, without a doubt, another must read romance.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

5 star Review Hooking Up by Helena Hunting

A stand alone novel from the very talented Helena Hunting. Hooking Up had me laughing so much it hurt.

Romantic comedy is fast becoming one of my go to genres to read. Hooking Up was one of those books that had me laughing, smiling and generally feeling great.

We heard about Amalie and Lex in Shacking up and I couldn’t wait to dive in to Hooking Up to see what these characters have been up to. Their chemistry together is smoking hot and almost electrifying.

I love Ms. Hunting's style of writing, she ensures that her characters are not “perfect”. I was entertained and captivated from the start. If you want a fun, not too long romantic comedy to read, then I highly recommend Hooking Up, you won't be disappointed.

Hooking up is about two strong characters who come together on an island and make magic.

I was received an ARC of this book through the publisher and Netgalley

BIANCA

ADORABLE!

Poor Amie! We all knew that her stupid fiancé wasn't going to be her happily ever after.
But we know that Lex will be.


But right now, we're the only ones who know!! ☺☺
He's just perfect for her.
Of course it takes a while for them to get there.
Poor guy has to fight for his happy end!
But the reader has an amazing time watching them!!!

We have so many funny, ... and sexy and adorable moments!

But also some very serious and moving and frustrating moments. Armstrong (that idiot) is not giving up that easily!!!

I just loved this book! There's really nothing more I could say!
READ IT!

HOOKING UP was the most adorable Romantic Dramedy!!!! Funny, sweet, sexy! I just LOVED it! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Lex - this one is MINE!!!!

... the only thing that didn't work for me - the cover. It's kinda hot, even though the guy is not my type - BUT - the guy is also not Lex. Helena always says how his brother - the pro rugby guy - is the muscley brother - so for me, this guy on the cover is waaaay too muscley and not in a good way for my tastes!!!!

JANEANE

ARC received for an honest review

Waaaah! This book is so freaking good!

I adored Amalie (Amie) in Shacking Up, and especially in the novella in the halloween novella that we got in the Eye Candy anthology).

But now? Now I love her so much!

In the earlier books, she is engaged to Armstrong, and we all think that he is nothing but a d!ck with no balls. Now we know that is true!

Do you remember Lex? He is Bane's brother and all kinds of good!

I might kinda be a little bit in love with him (ok, so I lie, I am a lot in love with him!) He is everything and more that a girl could ever want.

I did get frustrated at times with Amie - I wanted to knock some sense into her with my Kindle (damn girl, you need to wake up!!). I could understand why, but with everything that had happened, I just wanted her to give the big middle finger to everyone and be herself - maybe that is more my issue than hers though.

Hooking Up has a bit of everything. Of course there is some hooking up and sexy times (oooheeeee the sexy times!) however there is plenty of laughs and tears and some drama thrown in too.

Do yourself a big favour - buy and read Hooking Up. Right now. Do it.

Why are you still reading this and not the book?

I absolutely LOVED this! I love all helena’s book’s,this was just amazing..crazy hot and funny! Loved it! Highly recommend reading!

This is one of those “Maybe” books. Maybe if I’d read Shacking Up first I’d have enjoyed this one more. Maybe if the story hadn’t skipped over Amelie’s courtship and engagement to the douchenozzle of a husband I’d have understood how she ended up with him in the first place. Maybe if there had been more discussion and less sex between Amelie and the hero, I’d have felt more of a connection. Maybe if all these things had happened this would have been a great book instead of a “meh” one for me.

I think my main problem was the book opened with Amelie meeting her fiancée the very first time then skipped ahead to the disaster of a wedding ceremony where the fiancee is caught on audio getting a blowjob right after the vows are exchanged. I’d like to say the blowjob is the lowest point said fiancée hits, but sadly this wasn’t the case. Every time he opened his mouth, texted or left a message it showcased how much of a complete prat this man actually was. Because of this, I found myself wondering how freaking clueless Amelie had to be that she actually ended up married to this moron. It just boggled my mind.

As for the hero, he was very nice, and extremely sweet, very good in the sack but also extremely non-confrontational and complacent. Yawn. Actually, I found myself wishing years before he, or better yet, the adults in the family had stuck their boots up a certain person’s nether regions. This may have solved a lot of problems.

This was a decent story, funny at times with some sexy shenanigans to heat things up. Unfortunately, because I never fully engaged with the story or the main characters it never became a standout story for me.

Rating: 3 Meh Stars

I enjoyed this book more than the first because it just seemed funnier to me. Hunting does wonderful job with writing romantic comedies and embarrassing the hell out of her characters. I couldn't stop laughing at the security check scene. Amie and Lex are just some really awesome characters.

Hooking up is a great little getaway from the norm. I love the idea of it and I totally see where this was going but I have to say I never recovered from the beginning. Amalie never really won me back after her decision, i understood why but it just really soured her in my book. Other than that writing is fantastic ( as usual) with the funny little Hijinks and hotness we get from Helena.

*** Arc kindly provided by the Publisher Via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

Well written sexy romance

This is the first time I've read Helena Hunting and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Amalie and Lexington are very realistic characters that the reader can identify with. The plot line had me turning the pages anxious to see what happened next.

I received an Advance Reader copy from NetGalley.

Lexinton “Lex” Mills saw Amalie first, but that didn’t stop his cousin, Armstrong, from pursuing her, if anything, it encouraged him to do so. You see, for years Lex and Armstrong have had this rivalry, in all things: school, work, and woman. Now, Armstrong has the girl and is planning to make it permanent…he’s proposed marriage.
Amalie “Amie” Whitfield is marrying the love of her life, well...that’s what she tells herself and others. Instead, she’s marrying the “idea” of it. She’s spent the last couple years trying to avoid drama and bring less shame to her family. Armstrong is supposed to be her fresh start. He’s supposed to be stability, normal, and scandal free. Instead, not 12 hours into their marriage, he’s overheard by his new bride and almost all the wedding guests, getting off with someone else who ISN’T the bride. Mortified and ashamed of being involved in more drama,
Amie retaliates by throwing herself at the first man available. Coincidently, that man happens to be Lex. But as much as Lex wants Amie, he knows he can’t take advantage of her distress and situation. He knows she’ll come to regret this and he doesn’t want to be yet another mistake on her list.

Feeling broken and rejected by two men, Amie decided to go on her honeymoon…alone. But to her surprise, she finds she is not the only one fleeing the drama. Lex is also heading to Bora Bora. Amie always found Lex attractive and he is exactly the type of man she was drawn to before Armstrong, but Armstrong warned her away from Lex, saying he was nothing but trouble…maybe who she should’ve been warned about was Armstrong because clearly he wasn’t without trouble.

Being together is dangerous, but soon Amie and Lex find themselves taking this “honeymoon” as an opportunity for a little distraction from the inevitable fallout they have to face when they return home. “I know all I am is a distraction from reality, but I still want her, even if I shouldn’t.” –Lex. But as the weeks go on, soon their little slice of fantasy starts to feel like more. True feelings and emotions develop. As their hook up comes to an end, reality seeps in. Can Lex live with only being a distraction? Can Amie trust her budding feelings for Lex? She has a bad track record of trusting her instincts and picking men...her husband is a prime example. Also, she’s married…to Lex’s cousin…that only spells disaster, right? Can what happened in Bora Bora, STAY in Bora Bora? Is their temporary diversion from life, temporary?

WOWZA! This was one of the best “hook-up to lovers” novels I’ve read in a long time! Hot Hot HOT! *fans self* It’s been awhile since I’ve read a Helena Hunting novel, but OH.EM.GEE!! I forgot how sexy and hilarious her stories can be! I didn’t realize how much I missed her writing style. This is the perfect distraction from reality *wink*. This story wasn’t just about the obvious desire these two had for each other, it was about the deeper connection you have with your one true love, the one that brings out the true you. Amie had this perceived idea of what love should look like and what she should get out of a relationship, but Lex shows her what love (and a devoted man) was supposed to look like.

“What if it doesn’t work out?”
“What if it does? I don’t want to get hurt again.”
“I don’t want to hurt you Amie, I want to love you. Won’t you let me try?”
#swoon

It’s forbidden, comical, and sweet. Lex definitely has the reader swooning! HOOKING UP was entertaining and compelling from beginning to end! I think it’s safe to say, this is my new favorite couple from Helena. She pulled out the right amount of feistiness, sexiness, and perfect love between these two. “Anarchy Amie” and “Sexy Lexy” are a couple you won’t want to miss! This is a spinoff of SHACKING UP, but can be read as a standalone. If you haven’t read Helena Hunting before, I HIGHLY recommend starting with this book! It has her signature writing style all over it!

5 stars!

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2hq7krr

4.5☆
Hooking Up was sweet, sexy, fun, entertaining and extremely hard to put down. With characters that were all brilliant. Even Armstrong, although he's still a dick! And a storyline that I loved. There really was so much to enjoy and I'm so glad Amie finally got to see Armstrong's true colours and still get a happy ending. But as it turns out with a guy who really was perfect for her and whom I absolutely adored. And I would happily recommend Hooking Up to others. As it really was a fantastic read.

Every book that this author writes is crazy funny. This book starts with such a hysterically funny scene it had me in stitches from the get go. Also, in Shakespearean terms, she writes tragic comedy because in the middle of the most hysterical scene, there’s incredible sadness and disappointment.

Amalie first met Lexington Mills. She saw in him what she saw in her previous boyfriends, a bad boy, good for a crazy fling. However, the attraction was strong. His mistake was to go away to get her a drink. Armstrong Mills swooped in, invited her to dance, and bad-mouthed Lexington.

One year later, it’s Amalie’s wedding day to Armstrong. Then comes the incredibly funny scene where in the reception a malfunctioning speaker allows everyone on the hall to listen as a woman gives Armstrong a blow job. Everyone gets to hear all the grunts, moans, foul language, and the grand finale of the climax. Except that during all this time, Amalie, the new bride, was at the head banquet table, waiting for the speeches to start. Chaos ensues, and Amalie’s best friend and maid of honor, Ruby, helps Amalie escape from the hall. She runs into the bridal suite, where she finds Lexington on the way to get drunk. She attacks him, going for a revenge f@ck, and tells him the famous words: I’m going to f@ck you and you’re going to like it. It was a priceless scene, in the funny element, but also tragic, because Amalie is dying of shame, anger, humiliation, and disappointment in her choice of a husband. See where the tragic comedy label applies? I loved this scene, but also felt immensely sad for Amalie.

Lex behaved in an extraordinarily kind and tender way with Amalie, extracting himself from her tight grasp and helps get her out of the hotel and into a car to escape the horror. Later on, Ruby convinces Amalie to go on her honeymoon trip, sans Armstrong, so she can escape from the social scandal. She gets numerous texts, emails and calls from Armstrong and his mother, who think this is just a mishap and they can work it out, yeah right. So Amalie escapes and surprise! Finds Lexington is also going to Bora Bora.

Lexington feels bad about Amalie. It was his plus one at the wedding, Brittany Thorton, happily nicknamed Whore-ton, who served the infamous blow job to Armstrong. His mother is friends with Whore-ton’s mother and had insisted on Lex inviting her. Now both Lex and his parents feel mortified and guilty. They determine that it was better if Lex takes a business trip to visit some of their hotels and improve on their efficiency and stay away from the scandal, too. Armstrong and Lexington are cousins and have a long-established competition that through the years has turned into a dark and unhealthy obsession on Armstrong’s part. To the point that anything that Lex shows an interest in, Armstrong swoops in and takes away, including women. So, since Lex was seen helping Amalie escape, it was deemed best that he make himself scarce for a while.

I won’t spoil what happens during the honeymoon and after. It was a honeymoon but not between the married couple. Amalie decides to get back to her normal character and turn into Anarchy Amie and Lex falls in love with her crazy and fun persona. Amalie realizes that Lex is not the bad person Armstrong described, but a tender, fun, understanding man who gets her, like Armstrong never would. Sex between them is explosive, dirty, swinging-from-the-chandeliers monkey-sex, and we get many scenes where this is described.

Amie and Lex face many challenges: her best friend Ruby is engaged to Lex’s brother Bancroft, Armstrong is family and their mothers have a hate/love relationship, plus business-wise the social scandal can affect Lex’s father's empire. They had thought to just have a fling but their feelings were too involved and the obstacles were too strong. It was a book fraught with funny scenes, angsty scenes, Amalie is shown battling with her self-doubts as she recognized her true feelings towards Armstrong. She realizes the real reasons why she married him and is dealing with her emotions. Her emotions are all over the place and Lex is very considerate, letting Amie set the pace.

I loved the book and loved the characters. This author’s characters are a little bit crazy, a little bit funny and a little bit emotional, but mostly they are perfectly flawed humans who deal with life as best they can.

When i read about Amie in Shacking Up, I couldn’t wait to have her story told. She was engaged to Armstrong, who we all know was nowhere near good enough for her. Hooking Up held me captive from the first page, and much like other books of Helena’s, there was definitely a lot of comedy.
One thing I didn’t like, though, was how long the annulment dragged on for. I didn’t feel like Lex and Amie truly had the time to spend getting to know each other, because Amie was married through almost the entire book.
I definitely recommend this book, and even if you haven’t read Shacking Up, it can be read as a stand-alone.

Overall a 4 star rating for this quirky but fun rom com!

I will confess that I haven't read Shacking Up (which is connected to Hooking Up) although it is sitting in my Kindle library waiting to be read... However I definitely think that this one can be read as a standalone (and it IS touted as such) although I think it's good that I didn't read book 1 first as I think I might have found Amalie annoying in that story and been reluctant to try this book.

This book is definitely a tangled web - Amalie is TRYING to turn over a new leaf and only hook up with good guys... however this leads to her getting engaged and subsequently married to the biggest douche of all - Armstrong - and this is where the story starts, on their wedding day with him cheating on her at the reception!! Where everyone hears... including Amalie. So she takes off and goes on her honeymoon solo but ends up sitting next to Armstrong's cousin Lex on the plane who just so happens to be a guy that she thought she was avoiding making a mistake with (courtesy of info Armstrong fed her).

They ALMOST were a thing but cousin Armstrong got in the way so this is their second chance... however complications ensue in the form of family and reluctance to make another bad choice. Can they turn hooking up into a real relationship despite all the hurdles?? Give this one a read and join the ride!!

If you've read Helena's Pucked Up series this is similar but maybe a little more serious but still definitely recommend for a good read.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises.

When rivalry goes wrong and ends up in a wedding proposal you know it has gone to far, or has it.
For Amie she thought she had found the man of her dreams, the respectable man that she should be falling for, little did she know that she never really knew him at all.
Lexington was going to sit by and let his cousin marry the woman he could not forget, the one that slipped away taken by his cousins insane rivalry to always have what he covets. Bowing out gracefully he intended to watch her go down the aisle into wedded bliss, that is until it all falls apart at the wedding rehearsal. Now faced with a crying Amie and drunker than he should be, he has to calm his libido down before she does something that she will regret.
Running from humiliation Amalie, goes on her honeymoon with one thing in mind... Hooking up. She never though she would be flying with the one man that turned he down when she was the most vulnerable. But when they land, things get heated and what was only an attraction turns into so much more than either of them ever expected..... Complicated.
Love that was always meant to be and found again is what this book is all about, a second chance at getting it right.

I liked this book, but not as much as Shacking Up. My biggest issue was the fact that there was very little emotional development shown between the main characters. We're told they had conversations about their childhoods, but we're shown that all they do is have sex. It's difficult to believe their feelings toward each other when every single chapter is about sex. I think their time in Bora Bora should have been expanded on with less time spent in New York. The New York stuff felt unimportant and a little slow.

Lex was an awesome H. He was sexy, fun, flirty, and a really great guy. I liked that he took his time with Amie and didn't push her too hard into admitting her feelings. He was very patient with her and he wasn't overly Alpha.

Amie was okay for me. I would have liked her more if she had whined less. The circumstances she was put in were beyond awful and she deserved to wallow and grieve, but it's basically 6 months of her constantly talking about how she shouldn't have married Armstrong and it was her own fault because all she wanted was stability, etc. I felt like that was the majority of her dialogue. I wanted growth, I wanted someone who was stronger than she was portrayed. She really just came off very woe-is-me. I was kind of over her by the end of the book. She is ultimately why I gave this book a 3 star instead of 4.

I did really like this book though, and I do recommend it if you liked the first one. I'm hoping we get Griffin's book next because it seems like he might be hiding something or possibly Armstrong's brother's book. Another good book from Ms. Hunting!

Hooking Up was masterful! It was wickedly sexy, hot and a little taboo!

I didn't find Hooking Up as funny as her other romantic comedies because Amie is in a strange place in her life. She was mortified and ashamed at her wedding reception and she did the only thing she could think to do. She fled.

And through fate or chance she runs into the one man that will heal her. And gosh dang it! That was funny, hot as Hades and did I ever swoon!!! Sexy Lexy is everything that book boyfriends should be made of. He was so caring and gah! I thought I loved Bane, but there is just something about Lex.

"I want him to erase everything that came before him. I want this night to last forever."

Lex and Amie have a huge mountain to climb, that mountain being her husband and his cousin. That sounds really wrong, but trust me, its not like that and you will be rooting for them. The situation they find themselves in is not an easy one an it is definitely a dramatic on.

"She's my sun and I'm her moon, connected by an invisible thread, bound but free."

The story of them scaling this mountain is a heartbreaking and joyous. I wanted Lex and Amie together since I met her douche bag fiancee in Shacking Up. Get ready for another five star read from Helena Hunting!

4.5 Stars

I have been SO looking forward to Amie's story since we met her in Shacking Up, and Getting Down in the Eye Candy anthology just ramped up the anticipation! Hooking Up was definitely worth the wait with lots of heat, humor and emotion.

Amie has had her doubts about marrying Armstrong for quite some time, but a desire to make her parents proud had her pushing those doubts to the side and becoming an unrecognizable version of herself. But when Armstrong's infidelity during their wedding reception is broadcast over the PA system for everyone to hear, she is DONE! She goes Bridezilla meets Hulk on her wedding dress and throws herself at the man she finds hiding away from the festivities in the bridal suite but is further mortified when he turns her down.

See, in this book, we find out that Amie met two men one fateful night not so long ago: the man she should have been with, and Armstrong who decided to steal her away from him. (If you have read Getting Down then you will know who that other man is, but I am trying to honor the publisher's request to keep the hero's name out of my review and it's not easy!! ) It's that other man who is hiding out to try to escape thoughts of what could have been, and saying no to a distraught Amie is the last thing he wants to do but he knows he has to. Things are going to be messy enough as it is and he has no desire to further complicate her life. When they both end up on the same plane to Bora Bora and find themselves sitting next to each other for the duration of the flight, Fate is clearly trying to send them a message.

What happens on the island should stay on the island, but neither can deny that feelings are getting involved despite their best intentions. Their chemistry is off the charts, and Amie is finding his combination of sexy, dirty talking, sweet, tats, and glasses to be her kryptonite. But technically she is still married on paper because Armstrong is a delusional ass who refuses to sign the papers in his pursuit of maintaining a perfect image and making her miserable at the same time. Once they return home, the angst level kicks up a bit and Anarchy Amie is shelved again, but now that she has let her fun side out to play again, locking it away permanently is not an option.

Hooking Up was a fabulous read! It was everything I was hoping for, and once I picked it up I didn't want to put it down again. I can't wait to see what Ms. Hunting has in store for us next, but I will savor this one for awhile.

Amie Whitfield was publicly humiliated by her cheating husband, on her wedding day. She is devastated and feels guilty because she made the wrong choice. Amie is a strong-willed, poised woman brought low by her husband's betrayal. Needing to get away from all the drama and to clear her head, she decides to flee to Bora Bora, on a solitary honeymoon. At the airport, she runs smack- dab into the hero of this story.

The hero … I loved every single thing about this man! He’s so adorable, not to mention hot! The way he was with Amie was just everything! They are long-time friends, but Amie is the one woman he has always wanted but never could have. Amie’s husband is his best enemy and his perfect opposite. He is Amie’s knight in shining armor and comes to her rescue when she needs him most. He protects her from all the things she isn’t ready to deal with.

They enjoy the time spent together. The banter between them flowed easily and their love story took shape almost immediately. They define boundaries to their relationship, but their connection is intense and undeniable, their chemistry is combustible.

Amie was truly entertaining and she made me laugh out loud. She’s feisty, brazen and at the same time she’s comical without meaning to be. Her “Anarchy Amie” side was absolutely irresistible. The supporting characters were fantastic and interesting in their own right, with appearances of Bane and Ruby from “Shacking Up”.

This book was an absolute delight! Helena Hunting has penned a sexy and seductive gem with playful repartee, a vivacious heroine and a dreamy hero! This author knows how to write an entertaining story in a way that is fun and unique. I loved the dynamic and vibrant characters, they are fire, steam, wit and chemistry! So if you are looking for a book that will have you smiling, sighing and blushing, then this is it!

3.5 stars

I was excited to read Amalie’s story after meeting her in Shacking Up. Although the hero wasn’t a surprise because I read the short story included in the Eye Candy anthology, that snippet only served to build my interest in this couple and their full story. For those new to the series, these books can easily be read as standalones. There are a significant amount of cameos by previous characters, but the backstories are recapped enough to ensure no reader is lost on the history. Hooking Up definitely showcased this author’s notorious fun, sexy side, offering up quite a few comedic moments and plenty of heat. Where Hooking Up lost me was its predictability. The book followed so many romance clichés that it didn’t quite spark my full interest for a good portion of the story.

In Shacking Up it’s clear that Armstrong and Amalie aren’t the best match, and I really hoped there would be a little more explanation as to how that relationship came about. While I got answers, I can’t say that I found them all that satisfying (of course that’s on me as a reader, but it affected my enjoyment). I wanted to make sense of it so I understood her character better, but it didn’t really happen and honestly some of her reasoning and actions in this book made me like her a little less than I did going in. Who I did like even more than expected was the hero. Frankly, he surprised me in all the good ways. He was a nice balance for Amalie and I liked how their relationship progressed. I also found the latter parts of the story more interesting as things came together and Armstrong’s motivations came to light. Overall, I liked the couple but this just wasn’t all that I expected after reading Shacking Up and Eye Candy.

I read a lot and definitely don’t expect every book to offer up something totally unique, but I like when a book surprises me with its approach, and unfortunately Hooking Up didn’t. While I certainly didn’t devour this book quite like Shacking Up, it had good pacing and interesting primary/secondary characters. I’m not sure if there will be more to this series, but there were a few secondary characters that left me curious so I would likely read the next book. I think Miss Hunting fans certainly will not be disappointed in Hooking Up and I would recommend the title to readers looking for a flirty romantic comedy that offers a nice escape.