Sidney Halston continues her Panic series with the tale of cantankerous billionaire Alex Archer and the woman who had once upon a time had been his youthful fantasy and in the blink of an eye became tantamount to pain and deceit.

Helen Blackwood was raised in high society amongst wealth, she wasn’t prepared to be homeless or work for minimum-wage, but she’s smart and resilient, a survivor. After many years she’s found a decent paying job pouring drinks at a nightclub, albeit half naked. She was ok with it though, until a blast from the past comes marching in, demanding she cover up and become his assistant. She hates him. She wants him. She also needs the money.

Alex had always been reserved, analytical, and serious. People shied away from him, except Helen. She understood him and could always coax a smile out of him. But when her family betrayed his and the backlash devastated his family, he could only hate her. But despite that loathing, he still wants to protect Helen and he can’t ignore his attraction to her. Can they get past all the ugliness and give love a second chance?

Halston has created another sizzling and engaging story worthy of her Panic series. What About Us has the perfect blend of drama, angst and seduction between the well-crafted characters that kept me turning pages from start to finish.

Alex is not an easy man to love, he comes off as cranky and difficult but his caring and protective actions towards Helen speak volumes. Helen on the other hand is so easily likeable. She’s been through so much through no fault of her own. She’s the underdog you love and can’t help but cheer for. Their chemistry is off the charts and doesn’t care about the past. I desperately wanted them to be able to work things out.

What About Us is a book #4 of the Panic series by Sidney Halston. It is a standalone, full-length contemporary romance with some drama and a lot of sexiness. Told from two points of view with a happy ending.

Although 4th in the Panic series, this can easily be read as a standalone. Overall, it was an okay read for me. Not my favorite book of the series and not horrible at all, but it didn't blow me away either. Helen and Alex grew up together and had a history until circumstances ripped them apart. Without rehashing the whole plot, I'll say that while the story was interesting, I felt as if it were a bit rushed and everything seemed to resolve a little too neatly and quickly for my tastes. And for some reason, I also found it hard to believe that Helen and Alex could be so immediately "connected" after 12 years of essentially hating each other on a visceral level. That being said, I did really like how Helen was portrayed as someone who was knocked down by crummy circumstances but still managed to survive and even put her life back together to some extent.

After years apart and a world of hurt and misconceptions, Alex finds Helen working at a nightclub in Miami. Even after all this time, they still have a connection that neither can deny. Can they forgive each other and gives themselves a chance at happiness?

3.5 stars.

This is book 4 of the "Panic" series and while I enjoyed reading "What About Us" this just doesn't have that same pull of the very first book "Pull Me Close" (totally recommended reading).
Don't get me wrong I really do love this series but if I am totally honest this book is probably the weakest one out of the four.

What I really do love about Sidney Halston's books though is that all her love stories are passionate and somewhat intense, usually with a good dose of drama to boot.
Also I would be negligent if I failed to mention that they are super HOT!!! Maybe it's the Miami heat and the nightclub scene that makes them such "scorchers" but "wowee"!!!

In this instance what I liked best was the second chance aspect to this story (more of an enemies to lovers romance).
Alex and Helen had grown up together as neighbors and friends. He was a little older and Helen had crushed on him fiercely for a long time but on her 18th birthday not only do they share a first kiss but both their worlds proceed to fall apart with a vengeance on that very same day.
When they finally meet again in Miami it is 12 years later, not only are they now strangers but they both appear to think the very worst of each other.
I did so enjoy seeing them gradually begin to rekindle their friendship and establish trust again. It was both sweet and angry at times (delicious).

What does impress me most with this series is how unique and original each story is.

Thank you Netgalley, Loveswept publications and Sidney Halston for the opportunity to read and review this book .

Pull Me Close. (Panic #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Make Me Stay. (Panic #2)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Kiss Me Back. (Panic #3)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Sidney Halston created a terrific series when she thought of these clubs, characters, and themes. The feelings are full on and all of the situations hit the heart. This entry was just as strong in character development as all the others.

I was very excited to have the chance to read What about us. I am a fan of the author and the series so getting an ARC was one of the highlights of this month. Unfortunately, even though I wanted to love the book, I couldn't. There is a lot of friction and tension between Alex and Helen in the beginning and I couldn't completely understand why. Both parties were hurt 12 years ago and all the bad is still there. There is also a debate about who is at fault and who isn't which is not solved until much later in the story. It was a rough part to get on, but the story got better as I turned the pages. I am not satisfied with the result because as I was ending the book, I kept thinking that I don't really know who Alex is as a person. I don't have a clear image of him in my mind. The focus is mostly on Helen and her abusive ex. Over the years she went through a lot of difficult situations, but they didn't give her a strong backbone as I was expecting. She made some mistakes when it came to Luke and their divorce and she ends up paying for them. I wanted a little bit more development in Helen and Alex's relationship. It felt like they could have been together just to mend their relationship and their souls and then go their separate ways. I guess I wanted more romancing. The pace was a little slow at first, but later it picked up and that was good enough for me. Sadly, I think that this is the (second) worst addition to the series because it was lacking in some departments. I am giving it 3 stars though because after the beginning it was easy to read and I didn't have any major problems with it.

This is the 4th book in the panic series, I have not read the other books but I feel it can be read on its own just fine.

The story starts with a birthday party for a well-to-do 18 year old Helen Blackwood who is kissed by her childhood crush Alex Archer. Moments later her home is raided by the FBI and life as she knows it comes to an end. Fast forward twelve years, Helen has had endless struggles and finds herself working as a bartender at the Duality club. Alex Archer, has witnessed the worst and these life events have hardened him into a cold and callous person solely focused on his business.

When Alex recognizes Helen at the club he is curious about her and what she’s doing at the club. He finds himself drawn to her in inexplicable ways which repulses him especially since he has spent the last twelve years blaming her for his own struggles.

Overall it was a good story, I would not consider it an erotic romance and in my opinion some of the plot felt rushed toward the end.

WHAT ABOUT US is the fourth instalment in Sidney Halston’s contemporary, adult PANIC erotic, romance series focusing on the men and women who work and own the high-end night club Panic, and its’ subsidiary Club Duality. This is thirty-five year old, billionaire business investor Alex Archer, and thirty-year old, cocktail waitress Helen Blackwood’s story line. WHAT ABOUT US can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Alex and Helen) WHAT ABOUT US focuses on the second chance relationship between thirty-five year old, billionaire business investor Alex Archer, and thirty-year old, cocktail waitress Helen Blackwood. Twelve years earlier on the day of her eighteenth birthday Helen Blackwood’s life imploded –with her father in jail, and our heroine homeless and alone, our heroine made her way to Florida in the hopes of starting over where no one knew about her past. Fast forward to present day wherein Helen, now a cocktail waitress for a high-end night club comes face to face with her past, a past that blames everything on our story line heroine. Enter billionaire Alex Archer, and the man that Helen has never stopped loving. What ensues is the rebuilding but acrimonious relationship between Helen and Alex, and the potential fall-out as Alex struggles to let go of the past.

Helen Blackwood once lived a life of privilege but everything came crashing down the day her father was arrested and charged with fraud. Struggling to survive, Helen would find herself hungry and homeless on more than one occasion. Having never forgotten about the boy who got away, life would come full-circle when said boy, now a man, makes it his mission to destroy everything Helen has struggled to achieve. Alex Archer couldn’t believe that Helen Blackwood had fallen so far. The only friend and girl to give the young socially awkward Alex a second look, Helen’s circumstances had definitely changed, a change Alex didn’t believe no matter how hard he tried.

The relationship between Alex and Helen is one of second chances; a rekindling relationship damaged by the ‘sins of the father’, sins Alex struggles to accept and forgive. Alex’s attitude towards Helen is vindictive and cruel as our heroine struggles not only with her attraction to a man who despises her existence, but battles a personal h*ll back home. The $ex scenes are erotic, passionate and intense.

The colorful secondary and supporting characters include Helen’s best friend Gina, and her father Edward Blackwood; Alex’s best friend and CFO of Archer Technologies Bradley, and his PA Monique Adler , as well as Alex’s mother Doris Archer. We are re-introduced to nightclub owners Nick (Pull Me Close #1) and Matt Moreno (Make Me Stay #2), as well as a number of security and construction crews.

WHAT ABOUT US is a story of family, friendship, betrayal and lies. The premise is emotional, heart breaking and encouraging; the characters are charismatic, but embittered survivors; the romance is a second chance for two people to move on from the past. WHAT ABOUT US is a sexy, energetic and captivating story where the sins of the father destroy everything in its path.

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Sidney Halston continues her Panic series with a emtional story of two former neighbors who as teenagers were very attracted to each other. When a tragedy tears them apart, it's only 12 years later that they come back together. They must work through their shared past and figure out what the truth is and to let go so that they can move on together. Can he let go of the hatred that he's held onto for so long. Will she be able to overcome the betrayal she's felt for the last 12 years? Can they come together and ask What About Us?

On her 18th birthday Helen's world is torn apart when her father is arrested. Alex is the boy next door who can't shake the attraction he feels for the girl next door. His world is destroyed by what her father did and his father's suicide. Twelve years later whil in Miami for a business deal he runs into Helen working at the club he's at. Alex's anger gets the best of him and he doen't believe what he's seeing. Meanwhile Helen is dealing with the return of her abusive estranged husband and is homeless. They can't stop thinking about each other. When Alex returns from a trip home he immediately looks for Helen. He causes a scene and is almost arrested. He's determined to help her out and offers her the job as his assistant. Helen won't live in his house so she stays at a hotel. A confrontation between them leads to a sexual encounter that makes matters worse. They get to know the adult version of each other. Alex begins to believe Helen's story ot what happened. He can't let go of what her father did. Helen still thinks he's innocent. Confrontations with her estranged husband leads to Alex stepping in and taking care of the problem. Helen renovates Alex's house. A fight leads to Helen taking a trip to see her father. Alex follows and they work things out. Helen must deal with Alex's mother. A proposal is made and accepted. Helen realizes that they're going to have a great life.

A story of how love can over come your misconceptions of what happens in your past so that you can find the love of your life. An emotional roller coaster ride. There are times when a tissue needs to be handy. Ms. Halston has you wondering about these character's and if there will be a What About Us moment.

Average read

Sidney Halston's What about Us just missed the mark for me.
There was just too much antagonism and not enough chemistry between Helen and Alex along with some unbelievable things that occurred. That being said I would read this author again because of the quality of the writing.
I received an advance reader copy via Netgalley.

I do love this series, and while I liked What About Us, it cannot compare to Pull Me Close which remains my favorite of the series!

Alex and Helen grew up together...next door neighbors. They always had a connection, but Helen was younger than Alex, so he kept his distance. Until her 18th birthday when he finally kisses her for the first time. And then all hell breaks loose. The family drama tears them apart and they don't see each other for 12 years. They have both made assumptions about the past and now they are faced with some truths.

I liked the book. Had a little trouble connecting to the characters. However, when I looked at a little note I had jotted down to describe it, this is what I wrote: "Two angry people who admittedly hate each other having a quicky first encounter = HOT!" Haha! So there's that!

I still love the series and will continue if she writes another book!

My first from this author and therefore my first in this series. I have to say right off the bat that I really enjoyed these characters. Helen and Alex were both flawed but it was apparent that they both had good hearts and were each just trying to find a bit of happy despite their pasts.

The family connection intrigued me and the fact that Helen's father caused Alex's family a devastation they'd never recover from was a good little twist. I liked getting parts of the past before everything went to hell and Helen found herself truly on her own and fighting just to survive. Her fall from grace didn't stop her and her new life, literally living day to day, was well portrayed. Alex, as the man who was a bit odd as a kid but was now a powerful businessman, had me wanting him to grab onto Helen and never letting her go again. They both had scars from their mutual past but I was glad to see them try to put it behind them.

I would have liked just a bit more with respect to Helen's father and her final discussion with him felt unfinished for me. There just seemed like there could have been more explanation as to the whys and hows of what he did to Alex's father, considering this was a large part of why Alex and Helen were ripped apart all those years ago.

But overall, I enjoyed this book and would not hesitate to read more from this author and I will go back and catch up with the rest of the books in the series.

3.5 stars.

Pulse nightclub books are fun, sexy, and always a good time. I enjoy the idea that the club, Duality, is not exactly innocent. And I love the different depths that gives the stories. I loved that Helen was working in the more "adult" portion of the club, albeit not by choice, and the protective instincts that brings up in Alex...even though he doesn't want to be protective of her.



Alex and Helen have a history, and there was an attraction between them when they were younger, so seeing one another again, after years and a lot of ugly history, was a shock to both of them. And, they both soon realize that things are not exactly as they thought. Second chance romances have to not only a connection that feels real, but also a reason that they split up, that can be resolved without damage to the couple. This had this...although a lot of their initial interactions were while they still hated one another. That added an interesting element.



I loved that this was a grittier story, one that was about 2 people who were not perfect, who didn't always do the right things, and who had a lot of flaws.



I enjoyed this story, and I recommend it.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆
Growing up together, Alex and Helen were told by their parents that they would one day be married. But when their worlds come crashing down around them, they lost touch with each other.

Years later, Alex finds Helen working in a bar in Miami and he can't understand why when she has all that money from her family. The hatred he feels is consuming him but the protection he feels towards her is overpowering the hatred.

Helen can't believe her eyes, after all these years he finally shows up and he wants to take her from her job. Why didn't he try to protect her when she needed him? Now she doesn't need him, she can take care of herself. But the feelings she has for him have come back in full force.

Can Alex see the truth about her and how she has lived the last 10 years? Will Helen see the truth about her father? Can Helen and Alex move on from the past and have a future together?

I really liked this series and love Alex and Helen but would have liked more of the others from the past books. This story was really good, and you could feel the pain that Alex and Helen were going through, and I found myself rooting for them to win in the end. You can read this one without reading the rest in the series, but I would suggest reading them all, it is a great series. So sit back and enjoy it, I have.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆
This book is set on the edge of the other books in the series. I was hoping for more interaction between the main characters in this book and those of the previous books.

The premise of this book is good, but at the same time, I think it left some ideas unexplored. In this day and age, I find it somewhat confusing for people, especially those with money, not to keep track of people they believe did them wrong.

As for Helen, I can't believe she didn't keep up with her family's former friends, or even googled the crimes her father was accused of. Her ex also causes a lot of drama, which she tries to deal with on her own.

As for Alex and Helen's romance, I did like their interactions between them, how she didn't give up her independence and how Alex came to respect her choices.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the fourth book in the series. I would say that it has links to the previous books but could be read as a standalone. That said, the others are excellent, so don't miss out! Helen works for the guys we have met in the previous books, and they are protective of her.

Alex and Helen have a difficult past, the say the least, so meeting after 12 years brings up all manner of bad memories. As we learn in the story, their versions of what happened vary dramatically, and until they can reconcile their feelings with the truth, they are destined to always feel a disconnect. I really enjoyed how Sidney Halston led them both to the facts that they needed to listen to, and the truth they needed to face. It was beautifully done, especially for Helen and her relationship with her father.

The strength of their sexual attraction and chemistry clashed so well with Gabe's distrust and Helen's disappointment. Add in Luke and the mess that was, and the scene is set for a hot, fast-paced, and yet thought provoking romance. A very good addition to the series, thank you.

I received a free copy of What About Us in exchange for an honest review. I loved everything about this book. The chemistry, the plot, Alex, Helen, and everything in between. In fact I was so engrossed in the story my kids haven't even had a decent meal since yesterday! I can't wait to read more of Sidney Halston's work!

the panic series continues, with what about us, but this time with characters slightly further afield from the original brothers who run the nightclub. this is helen's story. working as a dancer is not her life goal, but helen has been down in her luck since her father was arrested for crimes she believes he did not commit. when she runs into alex archer, she's not too happy after the initial burst of joy when she sees him.

alex blames the blackwood family for his father's death. the blackwoods stole millions from his, and finding helen working at a nightclub is the last thing he expects when he arrives in miami.

after some initial resistance, alex and helen begin working together. trying to deny a chemistry that flares between them every time they find themselves alone. the biggest problem they have is that both helen and alex are clinging to some misconceptions of what happened to the other person when they first lost contact. there's a lot of blame going around, but once they stop blaming each other and accept that they were both young and had their worlds torn asunder in very traumatic ways and that what they feel for each other is strong enough to overcome that, then they make it through. but it takes them a while to get there, and it's occasionally frustrating.

**what about us will publish on november 20, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/random house publishing group in exchange for my honest review.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Loveswept/Random House Publishing for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I believe this.is #4 in the Panic series. I feel it reads well as a.stand alone as.I haven't read any of the others. I liked the characters, I found the story to be a bit unbelievable but I still enjoyed the book. Helen and Alex grew up together, but things happened and they were torn apart. Helen was strong and didn't take Alex's crap, yet her ex Luke was a douche!! Helen was soo naive about her dad! They fell in love despite the past. Helen has great friends! I rate this a 3.5.

What a totally captivating book from author Sidney Halston. "What About Us" is meaningful right from the gripping prologue, and the impassioned story continues through to the epilogue. The two primary characters, Helen Blackwood and Alex Archer, have excitable chemistry, and their romantic courtship is replete with discovery, desire and love. Ms. Halston is a talented storyteller and her words kept me wanting more. This is the fourth book from the author's "Panic" series, and it can be thoroughly enjoyed as a standalone.

Helen and Alex grew up together in Seattle, and their families were quite wealthy and very close. In fact, there was even some talk about them marrying someday. During Helen's 18th birthday party, she received her first romantic kiss ever, and the kisser was Alex. Then the FEDS came in, arrested Helen's dad for his Ponzi schemes, and Helen and Alex never saw each other again.

Now it is twelve years later, and both Helen and Alex have suffered tremendous personal and financial loses. After overcoming homelessness and poverty, Helen is living in a modest home in Miami. She is a bartender at an upscale strip club and earning money is her only priority. After ten months of blissful solitude, her almost ex husband comes back into her life. He is a violent and deceitful man, and Helen narrowly escapes from his clutches. He takes over their home and cleans out their joint bank account.

Alex's family's wealth was a direct result of Helen's father's investments, so they lost everything as well. Overtime, Alex has become independently wealthy through hard work and smart acquisition opportunities. He happens to be in Miami on business, and he and his scummy client run into Alex at her place of work. Since Helen knows Alex so well and is in desperate need of money, she reluctantly agrees to be Alex's assistant while he is in town for the next year. They share an immediate intimacy that cannot be denied. However, in order to forge a future together, they have to understand and forgive the past.

From the very first chapter I was engrossed in Helen's broken and sad adult life. I connected with her plight immediately, because she, as well as the plot, were so well defined and described. When Helen was upset or embarrassed, my heart was breaking, and as Alex worked through his inability to experience emotion, I felt his despair. Their sexy times are hot, lustful and loving. This story is replete with raw emotional situations from both main characters. Don't pass on the opportunity to read this book.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this one. I am going to look a this author’s backlist, really enjoy the way she writes.

A wonderful story about a boy and girl, in the edge of falling in love, who are blasted apart in a swarm of FBI agents and are reunited twelve years later, with different views about their separation, angry and resentful about the other. In spite of their discord, there is still a sense of ownership, protectiveness, closeness and the remnants of a teenage crush.

Helen spent many years homeless, later worked at menial jobs and is now the bartender of a trendsetter nightclub in Miami Beach, far away from her previous home in Seattle. When she encounters Alex, she’s initially overjoyed but then chagrined when he makes his attitude clear; he’s not happy to see her. Eventually they exchange stories, after many fights and name-calling, and discover things were not as they thought and they each failed each other.

When the FBI invaded Helen’s house, they arrested her father for fraud and having a Ponzi scheme, swindling millions of dollars from his clients. He went to jail, all their possessions were auctioned and Helen was left destitute. She moved from Seattle to Miami Beach and little by little picked herself up. She always resented the Archer family for not caring about her and abandoning her. Moreover, she was convinced of her father’s innocence. Alex Archer, whose family was ruined by the Ponzi scheme, were also left destitute but he was brilliant like his father and soon restored and tripled their previous fortune. He was currently in Miami on business and that business was extended, not for business reasons but personal reasons (meaning Helen).

I loved this story because the characters were so brilliant. Helen was feisty and brave, she survived horrible conditions and is still positive, generous and kind. I loved Alex because he seems like a highly functioning autistic guy. He’s brilliant at numbers but stupid at emotions. He’s clueless about feelings but he’s a good person. He doesn’t understand feelings but he’s crushed when Helen cries. He feels protective and jealous but doesn’t understand what he’s feeling, and acts like a caveman regardless. Their encounters are at times, funny, sad, feisty and sexy. Their road to happiness was fraught with many challenges. It was captivating and uplifting and just plain entertaining. Loved it!