Kailyn has always dreamed of meeting Dax, the childhood actor who filled her every fantasy. She gets the opportunity in her first year at law school. It doesn’t go as plan but an easy friendship/rivalry is sparked between them.

After a misunderstanding and some devastating news, the two part ways and don’t reunite until years later. Kailyn is an attorney representing the estate of Dax’s parents. When Dax’s world is tilted after his parents die, he is sole guardian over his sister, Emme. He needs Kailyn’s help as he tries to navigate his parents’ estate and his relative in a custody battle.

I just can’t figure out what went wrong in this book. I normally devour Ms. Hunting’s books. I tend to love the humor and the ease of the romance but this story just fell flat. Maybe I was expecting more of a rom-com sort of story. Instead, I got a chick lit kind of book.

I liked Dax all the way through. You get to see the multi layers to him. There is the dynamic with his baby sister which left me the most entertained. He has to try to navigate his friendship and work life. Then there is his relationship with Kailyn which is a whole lot of telling instead of showing. The authors states they have great chemistry but I never felt it.

I never got a chance to really know Kailyn. She starts off as a fan girl who gets burned by her teenage crush. Then she is this attorney who has to dive into Dax’s life. She spends a lot of time with Emme and Dax. It almost felt like a friendship more than a romance. This is the biggest problem in the book. The author fails to go there. She doesn’t take us all the way there like she normally does so the reader can be fully invested in the romance.

Of course, there is family drama and fallout with our main characters. They have to work through some more misunderstandings but eventually they get there. They each discover what they want and everything is wrapped up neatly.

Even though this is not my favorite book by the author, I eagerly look forward to more by her.

~ Samantha

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! I was expecting a cutesy rom-com but I got so much more. Dax and Kailyn have both experienced immense loss in their lives. They can use these experiences and shut down the idea of over maybe they can find it in each other.

As a former teen heartthrob, Dax is as charming as can be. Kailyn, on the other hand, is awkward yet endearing. I absolutely love the two of them together. Kailyn is still holding a grudge from years earlier, creating one of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers.

Aside from our couple, we also have Dax's teenage sister Emme. Although she is facing a major loss, she puts out just the right amount of teenage sass mixed with sweetness. Plus, she's the perfect buffer. Emme might have been one of my favorite parts of this book.

If you're looking for a cute, easy rom-com, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you're looking for romance with a bit more depth, this one is for you!

I was given this book by netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion...
and honestly, I loved this book!

I went into Meet Cute by Helena Hunting expecting a fun all cutesy contemporary romance. This book was definitely not all flirty fun and steamy bedroom Olympics.

I will say, this book got me right from the prologue. I loved the interaction between the two main characters, Kailyn and Dax. Kailyn is a super fun heroine that's also relatable. She's fun, smart, confident and yet awkward and not perfect. Made me wonder what would happen if I ever met someone from one of my favorite teenage shows from back in the day. Then I promptly agreed what would happen was exactly what happened in this book. :)

In this novel, Kailyn is a successful lawyer working hard to make partner by the time she hits 30. And then in walks Dax and his family needing her help. Dax happens to be the actor from her all time favorite tv show. Sure it's from when she was a teenager but that doesn't stop her from still marathoning it on weekends with her best friend. Unfortunately this isn't the first time they've met. They happened to stumble upon each other in law school. Things didn't go well. But to find out more, you'll need to read this charming and emotional Meet Cute story for yourself.

Would recommend if you've ever fangirled over something, like contemporary romance, want a to read a fun romance with an emotionally charged subplot, or if you ever enjoyed Ally McBeal cause for some reason I feel this is Ally McBeal-ish but I could be completely wrong it's been a long time since I've watched that show.

I was so excited to start this book over a month ago. I was starting spring break. What better way to kick it off the a great romcom? It didn’t take me long to realize the cover doesn’t not match the story. I think I’m going to be getting another book in the vein of Pucked or Shacking Up and this book is nothing like them. So I put it aside. Several times over the month I’ve tried diving back in, but I never make it long before I get irritated and quit. I’ve been told that if I just ignore that cover it will be a good book. I adore Helena Hunting, but it just doesn’t feel like she wrote this book. I hate to be like this. This was probably the book I was looking forward to most. I’m at 53% and I’m done trying. Maybe one of these days I’ll pick it back up and have a completely different opinion. I kind of hope I do because I’m really bummed about this.



I voluntarily read an early copy.

Another lovely story from Helena Hunting, the title is just perfect for this story!

Meet Cute is a sweet romance, that will touch your hearts and make you melt and at the same time feel emotional and connected to the characters.



Kailyn and Dax have an interesting relationship, I loved the banter between them.Also the sexual tension between them was something else!



The characters were so great and Helena did an amazing job with them!They were well developed and lovable!

*4 Stars*

ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review.

I always look forward to Helena Hunting books. Whilst this one didn't have the comedic value that we always get, it was still a good read.

Kailyn and Dax were pretty cool characters, and whilst I did feel that Kailyn's grudge was a little too long held, she did get past it and focus on the present eventually. I really liked Emme as well, and her parts were quite cute as well as emotional at times. Dax and Emme's situation is horrible and emotional and I think they banded together quite well considering the circumstances.

The bad guy character did become obvious once you got to a certain point, and you just wanted them to realise what was going on. I did really like the way everything hashed out at the end, it was clever and I thought also perfect for these two.

For the most part though, this was quite an enjoyable read and I would recommend.

This is another good story by this author, I devoured this story and highly recommend it
These characters really spoke to me

Meet Cute was such an effortless read. It played out like a movie in my head. It's a sweet, feel good story with the most endearing characters. Their story grabs a hold of you and doesn’t let you go. I did not want to put this book down and walk away from Dax and Kailyn for even a minute! It's heart warming and a bit emotional. I adored it! My family had to eat cereal for almost 2 days straight and it was worth it!

♥ Review by Lys

I didn’t thing it was possible to pick a favorite Hunting story because quite honestly everything she writes is pure gold. Meet Cute was so charming and sweet I can now say that this is my favorite book by the author.

Everything about this story was perfection. I loved, loved, loved Kailyn and Dax. The relationship they built was unique and refreshing. Anyone who’s had a celebrity crush will get a good chuckle with their “meet cutes” throughout the book. Kailyn is hardworking, driven and smart, but what I loved most about her was that she stood up not only for herself but for the people around her. When the going got tough, Kailyn got tougher, and was essentially the rock that everyone needed.


Dax is navigating such a hard situation. He was a little bit more vulnerable in the story and his openness with Kailyn about his struggles were so sincere. The moments he had to step in and fill parental role with Emme made me love him that much more. There are so many laughs along the way, but there are a lot of moments that tug at the heartstrings too. The dynamic this little trio had was absolutely delightful.


Books like this are exactly why I read in this genre. It’s equal parts heartwarming and hilarious. If there is such a thing as s perfect romance, this would be it. Kudos to Helena, I absolutely loved it.

Kailyn and Daxton are such a good match up. She is the shy but sassy type and Daxton is the smooth sexy thoughtful child/teen star. Kailyn has always had a crush on Daxton from her favorite tv show. She has a embarrassing chance meeting with him that starts off a set of events that will have Daxton not only in her life through law school but years after that as well. These two really bring the story to life. It is a story that you just get lost in. I fell in love with these characters. I am a HUGE fan of anything Helena Hunting writes and these unforgettable books like Meet Cute are why. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a heartwarming love story with all the feels.i loved this book so much I purchased my own copy, but I am also voluntarily leaving my honest review after reading this arc.

***ARC Provided by the Author***

4.5 Stars

When you read a novel by Helena Hunting, or at least when I do, there is a certain expectation that it is going to be quirky, and fun, and there will be a couple of moments that make you cringe in agony and sympathy for at least one of the characters.

Kailyn and Daxton's story had all of the above, but it also had heart. You really believe in the characters, and in the story. And, you believe in the fact that they want to be the best for each of them and for Emme, his sister. There was something about this book that felt different from the other titles I have read by Helena, and I am not actually sure why...I think, though, that with a lot of her titles, it feels like the humor is as much a focus as the romance, but in this one, it felt like the romance was front and center.

The pacing of this was also strong, and really consistent. I thought the focus of the scenes moved logically, and they moved in a way that I believed. The stresses in the relationship, both internal and external, worked and there were no parts of the story with the main characters that felt contrived.

There was a secondary character that I thought the resolution of was a little off. Not enough to ruin the story, but I felt that it was a little tossed in, and that the character and the resolution of the story could have been handled without the addition of the "drama" and that the character would have potentially acted as she did without the additional motivation.

That said, I really enjoyed this title and I recommend it.

Kailyn and Dax had a meet cute in college that led to a fast friendship that led to a betrayal that Kailyn couldn’t forget or forgive. Eight years later, Dax is back in her office forcing her to face what she ran from just before graduation.

Kailyn was driven at work. Her goals included fulfilling a promise she made to her father, which only served to drive her motivation. She never backed down from a challenge, and when her boss dangles her ultimate goal in front of her just for convincing Dax to join the law firm, it seemed like all Kailyn’s dreams were within reach.

I loved Dax as he fumbled through becoming a single parent. He wanted to be what his sister needed, but also knew that he had a disconnect between his experiences and hers. I loved how he was never afraid to call Kailyn for help or advice as he navigated parenting a teenager with no warning.

Together, these two were fun. They had some past grievances to air, but they also had great chemistry together. Their chemistry picked up quickly, and without the betrayal hanging between them, would have combusted much more quickly than it did. As it was, Kailyn struggled to remember why she was so upset with him. Her teenage crush on him became an inside joke, providing several humorous moments and an easy spot for her to give him a hard time in jest.

This was a fun, sweet, emotional story of growing up, creating family, and fighting for love. It wasn’t what I was expecting, not having read the blurb closely, deciding to read the book based on the cover, title, and author alone, but when I realized it wasn’t going to be the rom-com I anticipated from my own conclusions, I quickly settled into the story and fell in love with the characters. I hurt when they hurt, and cheered for them to sort out the challenges they were facing. I also figured there was more to the initial story that it seemed, and my predictions were correct. But all in all, this was an enjoyable, dynamic story!

I really liked this one. So much so, that I think it is going in my to-be-reread pile. It kind of took me by surprise — not the fact that I liked it, I enjoyed Hunting’s THE GOOD LUCK CHARM, so I wasn’t worried about liking it — but the story itself really quite surprised me.

The cover is adorable, but maybe a little deceiving? It makes it seem as though this will be a cute little rom-com, when in reality it is so full of depth and emotion it had me crying multiple times by chapter six. Maybe I wasn’t prepared. I think I read the synopsis once, last year when it first appeared, but not again before starting the book like I usually do. So all I remembered was that it was about a woman who has an awkward run-in with the celebrity who was her teenage crush.

To get to the point —> I liked it. I really really liked it. It’s just one of those books that hits you right in the feels and makes you happy there are talented writers like Hunting in the world, who can make you feel so incredibly much in so few pages and make you connect and empathize with fictional characters.

I’m honestly finding this book difficult to review, partly because things I want to talk about would give away too much of what happens. So I’ll make this short and simple.

This book is about family, loyalty, sacrifice, grief, and unconditional love.
It’s romantic, heartbreaking, funny, steamy, devastating, and hopeful.
This story is so many things, all of them equalling a captivating and unputdownable read.

Meet Cute by Helena Hunting

“She opens her mouth to speak but I stop her again with my lips. And she responds, like I want her to, softening against me, letting me get lost in her. When I pull away this time, I stroke her cheek.”


This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Meet Cute is a surprising book that captured my attention from the beginning. It was a surprising turn of events. It had heavier topics than anticipated and the main characters pulled at my heartstrings.

Like its name suggests meet cute has the epitome of a meet cute. Kailyn is running across campus for law class when she runs straight into THE Daxton Hughes. He was the hearthrob on her favorite show growing up and she just rammed into him. From that moment on, a frenemy relationship is spawned, their competitive natures have led them to face off not just in the classroom. When he turns up in his office years after their final encounter in extraordinarily sad conditions, it’s a no holds barred showdown.

I loved the slow pace of Dax and Kailyn’s romance. They come together years later and Dax isn’t prepared for the feisty, sexy side of Kailyn. Not only that but she unexpectedly becomes the rock he needs during a turbulent time. Dax is confident in his lawyer skills but being the sole guardian to a teenager?! That’s a completely different story. Juxtapositioned with the romance is the relationship with Dax and his sister evolving. Dax was always the older brother who dropped in when it was a good time, now he’s there all the time. Their relationship was some of the best moments of the book.

Dax and Kailyn had a hard time getting their relationship started but once it did it was hot! Their chemistry was evident from the beginning and time allowed it to mature into a healthy, loving relationship of course after some pitfalls. I loved the push and pull of their banter, their romance was also playful and it added some fun moments to what was some very heavy topics. I hope there’s more in this series and if not, I can’t wait to read more Helena Hunting books.

A series of coincidence and tragic events have thrust Kailyn and Dax into each other’s life, years after they both graduated law school. Dax has become guardian of his sister, Emme, while Kailyn manages his sister’s trust.

Like many romance novels, there were many predictable aspects to this book. There were some things I would have liked for the author to offer more details about. One of them was Kailyn's interest in family law. It is clear she is passionate about it. There were mentions of a few of her cases and just a bit about her own adoption, but nothing beyond offering a few details. Her grudge against Dax, while silly, seemed to have resolved rather quickly that I almost forgot she was holding something against him. Overall, it was a nice, easy feel good read. I give this book 3.5 stars and I'll round up to 4 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Meet Cute - definitely one for the books. HA! See, I can be funny. (looks at you sideways) Okay, okay. I digress. So we have Kailyn and Daxton - both attorneys who knew each other in law school. Kailyn has a serious grudge again Daxton over something that happened during their last days in law school, and doesn't care to see him again. Too bad for her since he's walking into her office as a client instead of a colleague.

In an unfortunate accident Daxton's parents are killed in an accident he's now the guardian of his 13 year old sister. There's a family member trying to get custody of his sister, though, and he needs Kailyn's help to make sure she stays right where she belongs - with her brother.

Insuring this happens means Kailyn and Dax are spending a lot of time together. Ultimately leading to getting to know one another and dating. Of course there's secrets at play y'all. Did you expect anything less?

This story is definitely cute. The author has done a great job at pointing out different scenarios that are possible in real life as well. Just because you think you know something - doesn't mean you do. Older family members aren't always what's best. Communication is key. (Duh, I say this often.)

Anyway - this happy ever after is one you'll enjoy reading. As I said before, it's a cute story.

This was a DNF for me. I got to the third or fourth chapter, when the supposed hero of the book (although he starts out as kind of a jerk; I’m assuming he softens as the book progresses), is asked by a male friend if he’d like to watch a marathon of the show the hero starred in when he was a teenager. “I don’t want to watch it with you and let my vagina hang out,” says the hero. It’s not the crassness of that that turned me off of this book (that I don’t mind, in the right setting); it’s that I found that a horribly sexist thing for a male character to say in 2019. Maybe he redeems himself as the book goes on, but I wasn’t interested in sticking around to find out. I’d rather my protagonists start from a more progressive place and not worry about seeming too feminine.

I enjoyed almost everything about this new romance from Helena Hunting.

Almost everything, with the exception of the train wreck you can see coming a mile away that derails their relationship. It’s one of those things where honesty and open communication would have negated the need for drama, so of course the issue at hand doesn’t get discussed. I never discount a person’s ability to make bad choices. However, the character who chooses to conceal information is generally described as level-headed enough that it seems to be atypical behavior, and it didn’t quite ring true, in my opinion. At least the drama gets resolved fairly quickly, though.

Other than that, the book worked for me. The meet cute of the title is exactly that; I could definitely see it on film. The two narrators, Kailyn and Dax, are both likeable, and I bought the chemistry between them. The sadness of the situation that brings them together—the death of Dax’s parents, which allows Kailyn into his life as conservator for Dax’s sister, Emme—is lightened by moments of humor, mostly revolving around Dax’s attempts to parent a thirteen-year-old. (Spoiler: He struggles, particularly with Aunt Flo.)

If the story sounds interesting to you, I’d recommend this book. But I might give it a miss if communication issues as a plot point really annoy you.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Meet Cute by Helena Hunting was cute romantic comedy. Kailyn meets her high school celebrity crush, Dax, in law school, when she walks into his Frisbee game while listening to a podcast. Their initial meeting ends with him falling on top of her. This meet-cute turns into a friendly rivalry that pushes them through their classes until he unexpectedly betrays her shortly before graduation. Fast forward eight years and Dax shows up in her office and Kailyn ends up becoming involved in his life and the life of his thirteen-year-old sister, for whom he is now the legal guardian. Though Kailyn still resents his betrayal, she finds herself falling for both Dax and his sweet sister.

I was first introduced to the term “meet cute” in the movie The Holiday. Seeing as I am a huge fan of old films, I was surprised I had never heard the term before. Kailyn and Dax’s meeting definitely qualifies as a meet cute, and it this film could easily be made into a film along the lines of Bridget Jone’s Diary or Love Actually. In fact, I would guess this novel was inspired by those types of movies.

This novel was a super quick read. It was definitely a romantic comedy, but it did have some pretty heavy moments, which I was not expecting. Overall I think it was an average read. A pleasant enough way to spend a few hours, but nothing stood out to me to make it memorable. Fans of Helen Hoang, Sally Thorne and Sophie Kinsella will enjoy this light, charming romance.

Meet Cute was an adorable romance. The characters have depth and there are several plot points that are dark but not over the top. Several comical misunderstandings drive this hate to love romance. Overall I enjoyed the plot and characters. It is a great summer read.

4 out of 5 Stars.