Meet Cute by Helena Hunting

With a title like Meet Cute, I was expecting a sweet, light-hearted story. Instead, what I was given, was a deeply emotional look at life after loss and accepting forgiveness.

Daxton and Kailyn do have an adorable meet cute moment. At first, I was put off by Kailyn's fangirl ways, but she nestled her way under my skin after that, and I grew to love her...deeply. Daxton was adorable with his flirty smiles and thinly veiled innuendos. It's all fun and games between them until first, deception, then tragedy.

As someone who has experienced tremendous loss, I was impressed with how Hunting depicted it. I felt the sadness and sorrow Dax and Emme suffered. Kailyn being there to help them navigate their new normal made the transition as easy as it could be given the circumstances.

The Bad: The Aunt, who you know from the start was a terrible human being and only after the money, ended up being a bad caricature of a villain. I started rolling my eyes at her actions and hoping that her obnoxiousness wouldn't ruin the love story being told. I hate to do it, but I have to throw a little bit of Dax under the bad bus. He's a lawyer! His parents just died and left him everything and changed the original plan they had. He should have been immediately looking at all the files his father left. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the book, but too often, too much was not as rooted in reality as it really should have been.

The Good: Kaylin went from screaming fan girl to level headed lawyer. You believed both sides of her. I loved her relationship with Emme. Dax was adorable. He's a former child star turned entertainment lawyer, and suddenly guardian of twelve-year-old. I loved how he loved his sister and would do anything for her. The relationships between the three of them were authentic.

Meet Cute, while not what I expected, was still an enjoyable read. I always adore Helena Hunting books and the escape they provide.

3 Stars

A sweet-and-sour romance that covers old grudges, new tragedy, and the relationship that blossoms out of it. Former teen heartthrob Daxton and no-nonsense lawyer Kailyn are perfectly paired and their story may genuinely bring a tear to your eye as they fight for Dax to keep custody of his sister Emme after a horrible accident.

First, he was her teenage celebrity crush.
Then he was her rival in law school.
And years later his younger sister is her client...
and he comes along with the package.

Dax is in a custody fight with another family member and Kailyn is now his sister's conseverator. So their lives have become intertwined. She still holds a grudge. He is pretty clueless. But they have antagonistic, heated banter that still seems to get them charged up. Their chemistry is hard to hide, but their situation is fragile and involves more than just the two of them.

Kailyn already has had trust issues in regards to him, but she also has her own reasons for helping him both personally and professionally...and she is not sharing them. There are people hoping that Dax fails and are making things harder on them.

I really liked Dax. He seemed real. I felt his frustration, anxiety, fear, and how overwhelmed he was taking on a thirteen year old girl into his busy life. And Kailyn was tough and sassy, but also had a caring heart and understood loss. She was the perfect person to be his helper and support, but they also had that long history of challenging and pushing each other and the attraction was still there. Can they keep an affair under wraps and not hurt anyone? And what happens when everything is out in the open?

This is a sweet, funny, sexy, and emotional enemies-to-lovers story about priorities, trust, dealing with loss, and moving forward. Despite its cute title, the characters are dealing with some raw and emotional situations and it is not all fun and games. They have a lot of challenges and issues to navigate, and it is a confusing and painful situation for all of them. I enjoyed getting their dual points of view. I liked their friends, Holly and Felix, and his sister, Emme was such an important part of the story. I loved the dynamics of all of their relationships as their lives kept changing.

I received this book for free from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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Meet Cute is one of my most anticipated reads of 2019 and Helena Hunting didn't disappoint! It was emotional, poignant, and heartfelt, but also sweet and hilarious at times. It isn't quite the cutesy romcom that the cover depicts, but those elements are certainly there and fans of Hunting will still see her trademark wit and sense of humor. This story was part enemies to lovers, part second chance, and a whole lot about family. Daxton (Dax) and his relationship with his younger sister, Emme, is central to the entire book and though there is romantic love, there's also love between siblings and friends.

Dax and Kailyn have a complicated past, made even more convoluted by the tragedy that throws them together. As they reconnect, both are able to see the other in a new light. Old feelings come to the surface, while they try to maintain professionalism and consider the feelings of everyone involved. It was a realistic and honest conflict that they faced. I loved how they helped each other not only heal, but also move forward. I admired Kailyn's commitment to her pro bono work and how she was able to hold her own not only in her job, but also with Dax. Several times, she took him down a peg and showed not only her intellect but also her quick wit. Dax respected her for it and so did I. Things wrapped up quickly in the end and I did feel that the "villain" of the story was pretty predictable. I wish Dax would have heard Kailyn out before filling in all the blanks himself, but the epilogue more than made up for it! It left me with a huge smile on my face and was the perfect way to bring the story full circle.

*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*

BIANCA

Well, that was super adorable. And heartbreaking. And fun. And sexy.

I really loved reading it!

The blurb suggested something a bit different. I thought we would get a hilarious college romance, or at least that we'd be at college a bit longer, but it's only the prologue. After that we fast forward to today. Which is totally okay! But it wasn't the mega funny rom-com that I was expecting. It was still an amazing book with so many great moments, but it was a bit of 'false-advertising' in my opinion.

But pffft. I didn't mind once I was in the middle of the story.

I really adored Kailyn, Daxton and Emme. We just know that they belong together as the perfect little family. But of course it's not that easy. There are people working against us. Bosses and money-hungry relatives and secrets.

I just wish they would've talked about everything right at the start - I hate those stupid misunderstanding/lies/omission moments in books. People always end up in a fight and break up and then it takes us a while to get that happily ever after again. This and the whole bad guy thing was way too obviously done here in my opinion. You just knew it was all coming out soon and it took away from the enjoyment of reading the book a bit. I constantly yelled at them to just talk about the job and the bad person - to not be that stupid - but ... they just didn't!!!!☺

The book had the potential to be better - something more could've been added to everything. I don't even know what I mean exactly - but it could've been so much better.

But I still really adored the story. I finished it in one day.

JANEANE

ARC received for an honest review

It is always a great day when a new Helena Hunting book arrives on your kindle.


From the cover and the blurb, I was expecting a fun and flirty rom-com. However what we got with Meet Cute was so much more.

Kailyn and Dax's story was more emotional than I was expecting. I won't lie, my heart hurt for them as their stories evolved.

And through it all, I couldn't help but want, no need our lovelies to be together.

And then they go and do stupid stuff, like not talking about stuff and try to ruin everything - people, talk to each other!!

I am a sucker for a enemies-to-lovers story, and it was no exception with this story. The dynamic between our lovelies flits between hate and love, and as times I wasn't sure which way the story wanted to go.

I did find that the bad guy was pretty easy to pick out, and their schemes at times felt a bit cartoonish - I could picture them in the corner, twirling their moustache and giving an evil laugh.

So though I liked Meet Cute, I just felt that it felt a little short for me. I guess that is probably because I was expecting the rom-com, and whilst we got the rom, the com was not there for me.


MEET CUTE was a beautiful Romantic Dramedy!!!! Funny, adorable, heartbreaking, sexy! I LOVED it! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Daxton - this one is MINE!!!!

Well, I did not enjoy that ride. In law school, Kailyn ran into her former childhood celebrity crush, Daxton, and the two became friendly rivals until the Great Betrayal. The 'Meet Cute' part of this story was all of ten pages before we were catapulted to present day with all drama you would expect. One of my problems with this story from the start was that Kailyn took her childhood crush a bit too seriously. As the age of 30, she still had Daxton memorabilia (such as a mug that she used at work) and a ringtone that came from the TV show. As the story progressed, I felt that Meet Cute was missing the emotional element, especially since we were dealing with death and trying to fill a new familial role. I never felt that attraction between Daxton and Kailyn and the villain of the story was very dramatic and cartoony. To say I was disappointed is an understatement.

I enjoy romances that also have something deeper going on and this was one of the good ones. Not only is there a swoon worthy romance but also family bonds, helping one another cope with tragedy, competition at work, and one of my favorites parts, fan girl moments that made me jealous and laugh. I really liked the depth of the story and also the characters. The two main characters are hard working, ambitious, witty, funny, caring, and I was rooting for them both. This is one of those romances that goes above and beyond the typical romantic plot that I'll be recommend the library patrons and friends. It was a fun read as well as something I invested in and I couldn't stop reading until I knew all three characters I cared about got their happy ending.

Kailyn is a little ball buster, "her blouse is buttoned almost to the top, so the amount of cleavage is disappointingly minimal. “Staring at my rack isn’t helping win you points, FYI.” Dax does not do well with emergency situations, “she better not be wearing thongs.” His sudden protective rage turns to inquisition as he looks me over. “Do you wear thongs?” I likedthis book, I loved Dax.

3.5 stars
I liked this one. I thought it was going to be more rom com. It was notify favorite Helena Hunting book. It was good though.

Loved Meet Cute! Modern day romance with plenty of sizzle and humor. Perfect contemporary romance for a spring/summer read.

"Meet Cute" tells the story of Kailyn and Daxton who meet in law school but run into each other again later in life where their initial sparks fly again. The book was of course cute (it's in the title and also, look at that cover!) but also covered some serious topics and had a rather dark main story line. The title is also slightly misleading. There is an adorable meet cute in the first chapter but then we jump several years in the future for the rest of the story line. All in all, "Meet Cute" is a warm romantic story between two lovable characters.

Meet Cute by Helena Hunting: Kailyn has always been smart, but she's become more driven and focused on making partner before turning 30. She's one of the best lawyers within her area, but she's given up a lot of her personal life in pursuit of this goal. She's a major fan of a hit TV show from her teen years and she has the memorabilia collection to show for it.

Dax gave up acting and ended up finding a passion for the law. He enjoyed a more normal life while in college and law school and the years since he stopped acting. He's still recognized as the heartthrob lead after all this time. Now, he's putting in the hours to make partner in the near future and not really in the market for a relationship.

Kailyn has had some memorable run-ins with Dax, who is the object of her every teenaged fantasy. They ended up in law school together and they pushed each other to do better every step of the way, until Dax screwed her over to graduate at the top of their class. Kailyn is not pleased to run into him again years later, especially since she has to help him.

Dax is stunned to be given custody of his teenaged sister and both of them are reeling from all the changes. Dax has very different memories of their time in law school and he's grateful to have Kailyn in his corner. There was always chemistry between them, and now they have a chance to find new common ground while also addressing their past. Kailyn is a much needed support system and Dax shows her just how sweet, generous, funny, and thoughtful he can be. Getting involved romantically would be complicated, but it's hard to deny their feelings.

Meet Cute is entertaining, funny, and emotional. Helena Hunting provided banter, conflict, tension, teen drama, and heat. Ms. Hunting created a wonderful cast of characters, especially Dax's sister. Fans of Christina Lauren, Emma Chase, and Katy Regnery will enjoy Meet Cute.

Alas, Meet Cute did not click for me. Another cute cartoon-cover that seems to promise a rom-com, but this was decidedly not fun and frothy for me. The plot was all over the place and I just wanted Kailyn to be able to fan-girl over finally getting to bone her teenage crush.

Parental death, worrying about a tween hearing you have sex, and lies were the major plot-movers and those are not for me.

Also, the fact Kailyn is Daxton's sister's lawyer/advocate made me really squicked out, especially when they started having sex. Talk about a conflict of interest. Kailyn did acknowledge this conflict, which I appreciated, but it didn't stop her and Daxton from continuing to sneak around.

There is also some "not like other girls" syndrome (when Kailyn bashes a woman hitting on Daxton for having dyed-blonde hair and breast implants) and some dubious behavior by Kailyn's boss and Kailyn herself when they agree to try and entice Daxton to join their law firm.

Overall not for me. I think Helena Hunting and I just don't suit. I'm sure other readers will enjoy this one.

Meet Cute was definitely cute, funny and swoon worthy. The dynamics between Dax, his thirteen year old sister Emme, Kailyn and her best friend Holly were absolutely fabulous. Every character had so much heart and charisma.
Dax and Kailyn know one another from law school and had a fierce competitive relationship. Both strived to be the best at everything and enjoyed riling each other up. When they meet 5 years later it’s not with fond memories of their past. Not when it comes to Kailyn. She holds a grudge.

Their bantering was amazing because of the delicious and heated tension between them. I really enjoyed following Dax and his relationship with sister Emme and also with Kailyn who with every day got closer to the both of them. With Dax it was a wonderful blooming romance where they got to know a new and different side of another.
Even though it’s only my second book by Helena Hunting I can honestly say her books make me feel good and I just enjoy the story for what it is. A wonderful break from real life.

4 Fangirl Stars

DNF @ 51%

I know! I already hit the halfway point so why DNF? This book turned out to be different than what I was expecting it to be. I’m pretty sure that people will love this book by the early reviews that are already out there. However, I don’t even care to see how this ends.

From this freakin’ stunning cover I expected a rom-com. I was expecting something funny and lighthearted. However, what I got was something very sad. The characters are dealing with the loss of parents and custody battles. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nothing wrong with that. I just didn’t expect for this to be a heavy novel.

Along with it being a heavy novel, our characters turned out to be quite bland. I can’t really recall anything interesting about either Dax or Kailyn. I didn’t feel any chemistry and I felt both of their POV’s to be boring.

Like I said before, I know a lot of people are going to love this book. Just personally it wasn’t for me or even what I thought I was getting because of the cover.

Oh this book. This big beautiful adorable book.

It's so funny when I read books from Helena outside of her Pucked series. I love them all tons. But nothing ever seems to beat out that crew for me.

But oh man. I honestly think this one did.
I could not put it down (shocker I'm sure haha)
But it just pulled me so thoroughly from the start, and I was just so wrapped up in these characters.

This book was just a beautiful story. It had all the silliness and fun that a typical Helena book has. But that serious and caring undertone was also there. And it all just worked so well as one cohesive piece.
It made me laugh, and pulled at my heart strings. It left me guessing and pondering. And it made me ridiculously happy.
There were so many adorable parts that just made me smile and giggle. And the chemistry between all the characters just sucks you into the story itself too. The way they interact and lead the story down its path.
And the way the "big baddie" in this one causes havoc and mayhem around them. I really liked how Helena went about that part of the story. and it had my super spidy powers working overtime trying to put all the clues together.

So it's no surprise the biggest part for me was the characters. Dax and Kailyn are this adorable and strange team that bring so much tension and romance to the story. And honesty each had ways to do the unexpected. They were both very strong characters and were written to be so dynamic and interesting.
Kailyn was such a fierce female. She took charge of her job and her heart. And the compassion that she showed over the entire book warmed my heart so much. No matter the tragedy or hard times that got thrown at her she used it and found a passion from those things. and it shaped her to be some kind and caring.

And Daxton. Oh Daxton. He just pulled put all the stops.
We get this initial impression of him. And I mean. Why not? With his previous career choice and the way he presents himself... It all fits.
But then we really get to know him and see so many more sides. and just gahhh! He's so unexpected. And such a beautiful fictional soul.
And like Kailyn. Hes broken in some ways. And those ways just make him all the more stronger and relaly bring out the type of person he really is.

And then there is Emme.
This poor girl. She faces what no 13 year old should. And yet while there are road blocks. She picks herself up. And learns to create her new normal. She is such a. Strong light in not only Dax's life. But even on Kailyns too.
And I love the part she plays in this book.
Because when it comes down to it. This book is as much her story with her brother and fighting for herself, as it is between Dax and Kailyn.

I love the dynamic between the 3. And I just want to hug them all after reading this.
It just had a way of making me so completely happy and created so many feels. And maybe it's just the sleepless nights the last 2 days while I was reading or what. But I'm so blissed out after this one.

And it is by far at the top of my favorites list.

I give MEET CUTE
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh, I absolutely loved this book! As usual Helena wrote a book that I could not put down. I loved the dialogue between the characters. It was real and organic, flowing beautifully from page to page. The chemistry was fun to read and watch it build as the story went on.

Definitely recommend and I am already counting down the days until the next book!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Kailyn Flowers is a huge "It's My Life" fangirl and when she happens to be in law school with the former lead actor of the series, she not only meets her biggest crush, she embarrasses herself not once, but twice. How will he ever pay her any attention after those encounters?! She figures she never has a chance and after an incident in law school, she really never wants to see him again. But fate has a different idea and unfortunately, the reasons she is seeing him again are less than happy.

Daxton Hughes felt very similarly about Kailyn as she did about him in law school, but he never got around to doing anything about it. Now eight years later, he sees her again when his parents choose her to set up a trust for his younger sister. After the trust is set-up, Dax ends up back in Kailyn's office under the worst possible circumstances. His parents have died tragically and he is left custody of his thirteen year old sister, Emme. But he's got a fight on his hands because his Aunt Linda feels she's the one who should be caring for the teen, not Dax.

When it's clear Aunt Linda is going to fight Dax with everything she's got, Kailyn ends up more involved in the situation than she could have ever imagined. Is there a way for everyone to win in this situation while making sure that the focus is kept on Emme?

"Meet Cute" is a book that is filled with much more than romantic interludes and sweet nothings. There is angst, there is emotion and there is growth. Every single character in this book goes through quite a transformation from beginning to end. Helena Hunting has taken us on quite the journey and I was very happy to be along for the ride.

I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Meet Cute was a great quick read. I wasn't sure what to expect when starting this story but I was drawn in by the characters from page 1. The flashback which starts the story nicely sets up the main characters and their conflict from a misunderstanding. I laughed out loud at parts and other parts really tug at your heart strings.
I loved this story and was sad when it ended.
I'd love a sequel which goes into Felix's story or even Holly's.

Helena Hunting is one of my go to authors; when I need a story to life my spirits, to find a happily ever after and to make me laugh several times out loud.
Daxton and Kailyn are adorable together; and their meet cute was perfect. What person doesn't dream of their teenage heartthrob falling on top of them accidentally?! On a college quad...that seems to be one of my own fantasies for sure.
When Kailyn and Daxton meet years later by chance that particular spark that fueled them to compete all throughout law school is still there but Kailyn can never forget what Daxton did to her during finals senior year...and she definitely can't forgive him. But when tragic circumstances force Kailyn to be involved with Daxton she begins to see that maybe he isn't the person she thought...
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!