Helen Blackwood’s life was turned upside down when her family was torn apart. She fled the scandal of her father’s horrible crimes and found herself lost and alone in Miami. It was a struggle but she is finally at a place where she can rebuild her life. Luck is just not on her side when her ex shows up. To make matters worse her childhood crush Alex Archer is now in Miami.

The entire story is intense and one wild emotional rollercoaster. Alex and Helen have a long history. Their families have been friends and neighbors for years until Helen’s father was arrested for stealing money from hundreds of people including the Archers. There is a strong hate between the families with Alex and Helen now in the middle.

Helen believes her father is innocence. She is hurt that Alex and his family never helped them. Alex is hurt that her father would steal all of their money. For twelve years, Alex had to rebuild his family’s fortune. Now he owns a multi-million dollar technology company. When he sees Helen in a Miami night club posing as a bartender, he wonders what happened to the young girl he lived next door to.

Alex harbors so much resentment and he is so callous. He is attracted to Helen but so furious that he lashes out every chance he gets. It is almost hard to like him at first but he warms up as he starts to realize what really happened all those years ago. There are a few twists to the story and my heart felt so heavy from what Alex and Helen endured. I rooted for them because if I was in their shoes, I would not have been so forgiving.

This can be read as a complete stand alone. While some characters from previous books are in the book, new readers can easily follow the story. The author is slowly shifting away from Panic and I’m wondering if this is the beginning of a spin-off series. I’m looking forward to what is to come.

~ Samantha

Ahhhh!!! I read this book in one sitting and I legit need more. I want the story after the happily ever after because these characters are ones I easily fell in love with.

I loved how strong and resilient the female lead was because many in her situation would have just crumbled but not Helen Blackwood. This woman rose from the ashes of her father’s Ponzi scheme that hurt tons of people and built a life for herself from her sweat, blood and tears. If you want to know more, which trust me you DO... especially about the wonderful male lead Archer whose just all swoon-y and adorable, you need to pick up this book!

I'm a fan of this without but found myself to be indifferent about this book. I didn't hate it nor did I love it.

The storyline is simple and the characters were just there. I'm not sure how does a to describe them. The entire book needed a little umph . There was a little drama but Helen and Alex easily sorted it out without incident.

Really enjoyed my first Sidney Halston novel. The characters and storyline really were great! The connection, the emotion, the love...it was great!

I absolutely love the Panic Series. This series is so much more about a night club. The sultry and undeniable highly sexy plot twists had me in first book. This story is about Alex and Helen.. A young love that was destroyed by Helen’s dad criminal deed. Fast forward 12 years . Alex is now a successful entrepreneur with billion dollar contract on the line. He meets Helen again after all those years working as a waitress. The sexual tension and attraction is there but hurt feelings surface on both sides from unresolved issues. Truths are revealed and underling issues will need to be resolved before they can move forward. Awesomely written!!! Looking forward to the storyline with Bradley and Monique! Five stars all the way!

Second chance romances aren't usually my favorite to read, however this was fabulous. Alex and Helen grew up together but were suddenly separated as a result of their fathers actions. An unexpected meeting has the two catching up, settling misunderstandings, and finding truth. Alex is the strong silent type and possibly a bit autistic. Helen is a survivor and a fighter. Great addition to the Panic series that takes place in a Miami club, complete standalone. I received my copy through Netgalley but wrote my review voluntarily.

The author grabs your attention from the get go. You can't help but want to know what the real truth is between these two. Talk about explosive chemistry! This is another must read from this author.

This was a very enjoyable steamy second-chance, enemies to lovers romance that was very well written. This is the 4th book in the panic series but can be read as a standalone but is much more enjoyable if you've read the other books in the series. Emotional, steamy and an overall good read! I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC for NetGalley.

Alex is in Duality, trying to close on a business deal. He has no interest in the façade of sex and hedonism that the club offers. He wouldn’t be in the club but his partner is recovering from a car accident. Alex is more than surprised when he sees Helen working. Helen, whose father destroyed his family. Helen, who has galavanted around the world on the money that her father stole from his family. But, if she had that money, why is she working at Duality? Why does she have a bruise on her cheek? And why is she treating him like a long-lost friend? Alex is determined to find out. But, what he finds out goes against everything that he has thought he had known for the past 15 years. Can Alex reconcile what he now knows with what he thought he knew about Helen?

Helen is a survivor. She was forced to grow up when she was 18 and her father was sent to prison. But she got her life back on track. It took hard work but she did it. Lately, life seems to be biting her in the butt. Her drunken, abusive ex-husband has decided to throw her out of the house after he assaulted her. Then she runs into Alex, her first love and old friend, at the club. Alex makes her an offer that she can’t refuse. The more time she spends in his company, the more she starts to care for him. But she is wary. Alex and his family left her high and dry when she needed them the most. Can she trust Alex? Will Helen be able to see the truth of what her father did? Or will it drive an even bigger wedge between her and Alex?

The one thing I loved about this series is that the author made her characters suffer from real life issues. Take Helen for instance. She was homeless for a while when she was a teenager. Later on in her adulthood, she was the victim of domestic violence. Or Alex. He had some pretty bad anger issues. It was how she handled those issues that made me want to read more of the book (and the series).

I wasn’t sure if I liked Alex and Helen as a couple. I felt that she was going from one bad situation to another. He harbored so much anger towards her that I found it hard to believe that it disappeared overnight. Plus, he acted like a jerk to her at her work. In front of her boss and co-workers. Even they were like “Ummm, you sure about this Helen?” He treated her horribly all the way to almost the end of the book.

I didn’t feel the sexual attraction between Alex and Helen at first. I was too involved in with the drama. I did catch glimpses of it. It didn’t smack you in the face but it was there. I couldn’t decide if I liked it or not.

I did like the sex scenes. They packed enough heat to make me fan myself. They were super steamy. Loved them!!!

The end of What About Us was bittersweet. I liked what Alex did for Helen. But it was what Helen did for Alex that made the end of the book. The author did a great job at wrapping up all the plotlines. I do wonder if there is going to be a book 5.

I gave What About Us a 3.5-star rating. I enjoyed reading this book. I liked how the author had her characters suffer from real life issues. It made them more relatable. I also thought that the sex was steamy. But, I didn’t like how Alex treated Helen for 90% of the book. I also didn’t see any sparks between them until after the first time they had sex.

I would give What About Us an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is violence. There are trigger warnings. They are domestic violence and suicide. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread What About Us. I would also recommend this book to family and friends. But I would include a warning about the triggers.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review What About Us.

All opinions stated in this review of What About Us are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

I really enjoyed this book, which was my first by Sidney Halston. What About Us was a steamy and intriguing second-chance, enemies-to-lovers story that was heartfelt and emotional I really enjoyed the characters and the story as a whole. Helen and Alex came face-to-face twelve years after a family scandal tore them apart. Both had gone through the trauma of having their families torn apart, though the fallout was different for both of them. When they reconnect, there is a lot of pent up feelings of anger and animosity that they both need to work through. Halston did a really good job with the emotional components to the story, especially with the tension between Helen and Alex. Told in dual POV, the reader was given the events of the past and present through both characters' perspective. The pace of the story was smooth and the storyline flowed well. The intimate scenes were well written and complimented the story. I really enjoyed this story overall and look forward to reading more from this author

This is the first book I have ready by Sidney Halston. It will definitely not be my last! This book follows Helen, a society debutante who has fallen on hard times and Alex, the boy that she loved as a kid. Helen is a spitfire who holds her own against Alex who is serious and likes tight control. Circumstances pulled them apart and they have nothing but hate for each other. Alex comes across Helen in a precarious situation and offers to help her out even though he harbors strong hatred for her. The feeling is mutual in Helen but she needs the help and takes him up on his offer. The reader is taken on a journey with the two of them and get a backstory that is believable and entertaining.
This book has a really strong female character and at most times, a likable male character. The story is believable and does not have a run of the mill theme. The story was an ARC but I found it to be very polished and easy to read.
I definitely recommend this book. I look forward to reading more of this author's work.

Alex and Helen both feel that have good reason to dislike each other. That dislike leads to heated, hurtful arguments that frankly I’m surprised didn’t cause irrevocable harm. Even after Alex knows what Helen went through the last 12 years, he still doesn’t trust her fully and lashes out with great ferociousness. It was tough to read the hateful things he spewed, but I’m glad Helen was able to stand up for herself and not just whimper and start kissing him! If you can get past the arguments, the book gets much better. Thank goodness though they started to thaw and open themselves to understanding each other’s point of view as that then made it a nice book to read.

Bernie Madoff might be rotting in jail, but his story has launched quite a few romance novels all with the same basic plotline of a heroine who grows up rich and pampered until suddenly her world implodes when her father is arrested for some sort of fraudulent investment scheme that bankrupted all his clients. The father goes to jail and the plucky heroine has to cope with her new reality.

This novel is a version of that plot as the plucky heroine, Helen had been made homeless after her dad went to jail. Now she’s working as a waitress in the upscale nightclub, Duality. In walks the billionaire, Alex Archer, whose father committed suicide after Helen’s dad’s fraud wiped out his wealth. Alex had been attracted to Helen when they were young, but now he blames her for his dad’s fate. Conveniently, since then Alex has built up a billion-dollar business and he happens into the nightclub where Helen works. He treats her pretty terribly but can’t fight his attraction to her and his desire to protect her.

He’s rather unlikeable and Helen is too proud to tell people who care about her how the guy she stupidly married has stolen all her savings and knocked her around. But she’s willing to leave her job working in the club for a temporary job working for Alex even though she’s ticked at the way he treats her.

Alex seems to have some sort of Asperger's Syndrome that makes him unable to relate well to other people, but Helen sees deeper even though he treats here like a dumb slut.

Yeah, I didn’t buy or like anyone in this book. Maybe it's time to do away with the Bernie Madoff-inspired plots.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

What About Us by Sidney Halston
Book #4: Panic Series
Source: NetGalley
My Rating: 5/5 stars

I read an early copy of What About Us and quite cleverly saved my notes from that initial reading. Here’s what I discovered following my second reading: I LOVED this book just as much the second time around as I did the first time through.

What I thought and noted about this book initially holds true even after round two. Here’s the low down from my original notes:

CHARACTERS:

ALEX: Even with his crazy, often thoughtless comments, Alex is so likeable; in fact, he is my favorite character in this book. I really felt Alex’s struggle and frustration with this inability to say what he means with Helen. With that being said, I very much appreciated how Alex felt like he could be himself in all his glorious awkwardness with Helen, even when it meant having to apologize, and apologize often.
I like how shaken up Alex is by Helen! Alex’s whole life was clear, defined, and ordered until Helen showed up again. Helen’s reappearance took Alex’s goals, agendas, and general control of his life and shot it all to hell. Talk about ass over tea kettle! Causing Alex to reorder his life and break out of his rut is exactly what he needed! Though his business goals are always going to be the same, his personal goals changed radically and that’s what he, as a character needed!
P.S. In my head, Alex wears nerdy, sexy glasses!
HELEN: Helen is one of my favorite character types; a lot of bad s*%t has happened to her, but she doesn’t feel sorry for herself. In fact, after a tremendously bad period, Helen took what life handed her, dealt with it, and has made something of her life. Though she doesn’t live to the standards she was once used to, she has a life she can mostly be proud of. Mostly!

PLOT AND CONFLICT: I absolutely love the relationship between Helen and Alex. They have so much anger, misunderstanding, and miscommunication to overcome, but there is a base of love there too. This story absolutely would not have worked if there weren’t a very real history between Helen and Alex. One of my favorite parts of their relationship is how often they fight and make up. So much conflict here!

This book reads exactly as it is meant to, slow and steady (in a GOOD way) with moments of crazy, both good and bad. The entirety of this book revolves around Helen and Alex coming face to face with their past, dealing with some hard truths, and accepting how wrong they have both been. That takes time and watching two people with such a complicated history get their s*%t squared away shouldn’t happen at the speed of light. The characters and the plot demand a slow and steady pace and that is exactly what they have.
The fighting and making up worked so well in this story! The sex is as explosive as the arguments and that always makes for a good time. Helen’s acceptance of Alex and his awkwardness works well too; I like that she accepts him even in the moments when she is raging mad at him. I also very much appreciate Alex’s self-doubt! He is clearly a successful businessman with tons of confidence, but Helen rattles him, and he has to reassess how he deals with humanity. This was helped along by Helen helping him get to know his staff which was a scene that really resonated with me.
In so many ways, the best part of this book involves the reactions Helen and Alex have to one another and the situation they find themselves in. The plot initially asks Helen and Alex to react the way they would while still on their own, and then, to react as they should as a couple. This is where we see a lot of character growth. Alex must learn to think before he speaks, to accept that not every situation in life can be fixed with money, and Helen has to learn to accept help when and where it is offered. Furthermore, we also see Helen and Alex having to get over themselves, really listen to the other person, and let go the awful past they both endured.

DIALOGUE: It’s funny how large a role dialogue plays in this book since Alex has such a terrible time with words. You can see so much growth in Alex through the dialogue . . . . but, his fights with Helen and getting himself into trouble with his words were probably my favorite bits of dialogue.

I always love good dialogue and this book is filled with it! I am particularly fond of the fight scenes as Helen and Alex both say a lot of stupid stuff and then must apologize for it later. Probably my favorite bit of dialogue in the entire book is Helen’s response to the two uppity b%&ches who are talking about her in the bathroom during the gala; she held it together well and put them in their place. I also liked it when Helen put Alex in his place 😊

PACING: This story is something of a slow burn read . . . . and that’s a good thing! There are bursts of action and high drama, but much of the read a steady pace which allows the reader to watch two people figure out their lives together. Outside of those few bursts of crazy, there doesn’t need to be a breakneck speed, rush to get to the end. I appreciate how the pacing of this book matches the characters!

THE BOTTOM LINE: At this point, do you really need the bottom line?? 😊 Clearly, I adored this book, it’s characters, and plot and make no bones about it. Though I liked Helen quite a bit, Alex is hands down my favorite character. His awkwardness, his nerdiness, his intellect, all wrapped in super sexy body is just too good to ignore. At its core, this book is all about a complicated, complex relationship that is peppered with anger, hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and mistrust. There is so much, emotionally speaking, that Alex and Helen must overcome to achieve their HEA and they sure work hard to do so. I really did enjoy this story! I didn’t rush through it but read it slowly and really savored this read. In point of fact, my reading speed quite mimicked the overall pacing of the book. I wouldn’t mind seeing Helen and Alex appear in later installments of the series. Now that they are officially together, they feel like they can be a real powerhouse kind of couple, do a lot of good in their community/world. In a lot of ways, I feel like this book is just the beginning of Alex and Helen’s story which is ironic, given their long history.

I didn't realize that this book was part of a series and now I wonder if any of these characters in the story were fleshed out in a prior story.

Helen and Alex were both interesting characters although to me they weren't that well suited. They had great sexual chemistry and clearly a sordid history, but I didn't really care if they ended up together.

I think the synopsis of this book was more interesting than the actual story. Helen's 12 year journey was very sad and my heart went out to her. I was able to understand why she was so willing to accept the words of her father as a result of naivety. And Alex, that was absolutely awful what he went through as well yet his constant anger was so frustrating because he never listened.

The club wasn't that much of an issue in the book and I felt a little letdown about that. I think we missed out on the angst, drama, and darkness in this story. And I didn't like that the readers were not privy tot he conversation that Helen had with her father.

And I will say this money not be able to buy you happiness, but I loved each and every time Alex used his power to stomp on the people who hurt Helen.

What About Us is a chock full of genres. My personal favorite enemies to lovers is always a crowd pleaser. But it's also a second chance romance which any true romantic appreciates.

Feisty, spunky woman with an axe to grind comes face to face emotional robot ghost from her past. So he's not a robot, but he is definitely a ghost from her past and he isn't going away!

I love that the heroines in this series are always strong and highly opinionated. I like that they have a solid backbone. I also like the way they are able to have their rough edges softened by THE ONE.

As the weather gets colder this is the perfect novel to binge on and warm you up. It has a fairly predictable plot but sometimes that's comforting and makes the story just as enjoyable. You'll root for the female protagonist and get frustrated with the leading male but sometimes, isn't that the point?

Good book! The story of Helen and Alex was a wonderful tale of redemption and finding your way back to your first love. The characters were well developed and the story was well paced, sexy, and interesting. I read so many books that it can be hard to find a story you can't put down and this book was one I definitely wanted to keep reading all the way to the very end. I definitely give it a full five chilli peppers of hotness! Thanks NetGalley and Loveswept for the ARC!

Such mixed feelings about this book.

I really enjoyed the twists and some of the side characters throughout the story. But I had a hard time with Alex. Like some of the others said, I didn't really like him. Yes he was a jerk, especially in the beginning but I don't feel that he ever really redeemed himself. It's almost as if his way of redeeming himself was to throw money at Helen and ignore everything else.

The ending felt very flat for me-it needed more. Especially between Helen and her father.

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. Alex and Helen had their first kiss together at 18 and were ripped apart. Now years later they get their second chance. However being confused Alex treats Helen like crap and they fight constantly. Then add in the ex and well I sorta just feel like this could have gone so many different ways to be a bit better. I love Sidney Halston, but for me this series just really hasn't been that great.