If you're a fan of The Toronto Terrors Series this one will not disappoint you. I Could Be Yours is a stand alone but it does circle around the Toronto Terror universe. We get to see characters from that world merge into this story. But you can read this one on its own and still get an amazing read. Nate and Essie might be my new favorite couple. I just absolutely adored this one.

Nate and Essie have an unforgettable kiss back in high school. Nate leaves for college and never looks Essie’s way again.

Now they find themselves back in each other's orbit by being in Rix and Tristen’s Wedding. Nate is Tristen’s best man and Essie is Rix’s maid of honor. They start out strong with an undeniable attraction to each other. They are complete opposites in every way possible Essie is literal rainbows and sunshines where Nate is a black cloud.

What starts as a week-long fling turns into a week of rediscovering passed feelings. Learning to get over past trauma and learning to cope and move past that trauma by taking a leap of faith by putting your heart out there again.

Narrated by Teddy Hamilton and Savannah Peachwood. Teddy Hamilton always brings it when narrating he did an exceptional job at bringing Nate's broody jilted personality. Savannah Peachwood is a new narrator to me. I thought she was the perfect Essie. She truly captured Essie’s soft and sweet voice that really made me feel like she embodied Essie to a T. I thoroughly enjoyed them both in this audiobook.

If you love
🩷Torano Terrors Series
🩷Grumpy Sunshine
🩷Second Chance
🩷Opposites Attract
🩷Best man Maid of Honor
🩷Hockey Romance
🩷Hurt/Comfort

I absolutely adored I Could Be Yours! The narrators were phenomenal—truly the perfect casting. Their voices brought Essie and Nate to life in the most vibrant, emotional, and hilarious ways. I was grinning, swooning, and tearing up in turn. Nate’s growth was everything—watching him open up, reflect, and even go to therapy made his transformation so real and satisfying. Helena Hunting excels at writing characters who feel like people you know: flawed, funny, and full of heart. Essie’s sunshine warmth and fierce loyalty were the perfect match to Nate’s brooding complexity. This second-chance romance is everything I love!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media & NetGalley for an ALC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫3.5 stars

This was a quick, fun, and super spicy read! It did feel a bit of insta lovey for me, with not much build up to them basically being inseparable. Essie and Nate definitely had smoking hot bed chem, but I would have liked to see more of them together outside of the spice.

I listened to the audiobook, and loved the dual POV and narration! I also really enjoyed the group of found family in this novel, and I will definitely read more of the books in this series!

I’ll never get tired of Helena’s stories and the beauty that comes with each one. Since being introduced to Nate and Essie in the Toronto Terror Series, i’ve anxiously waited for the future of these two! I definitely recommend starting with Book 1 of the Toronto Terror Series. Everyone we visit in this book stems from that series and you do not want to miss out on the pairings and shenanigans.
IYKYK 😉🥒🍌🦆🍑🍏

Helena has such a way with world building and she did not disappoint with this story. We got to see more of the Bad*ss Babe Brigade and all our favorite hockey players come together in this fun beachy read. It’s a perfect mix of all the fun, spice, banter and feels. Not to mention the narrators did a spectacular job! I have grown to love duet style and holy smokes- it was awesome!

Going into this story i was very excited to learn more about Nate’s inner dialogue and how his character develops. I felt so deeply the inner turmoil and struggle that he experiences throughout the book, i just wanted to hug him. Moving past such deep rooted trauma and how it impacted Nate had me all in my feels, which made his growth as a brother, friend, and boyfriend that more special ❤️

Essie is literally the sunshine we all need in our lives. I LOVE that we got to see more into her friendship with Rix too. When you have that type of bond and sisterhood it’s so incredibly special and i absolutely loved that that was such a staple in this story. And i won’t forget to mention how amazing the wedding was- Essie rocks as a maid of honor! 🩷

Nate and Essie are such a special duo. The grumpy/sunshine, the banter, the second chance. Ugh, MY HEART. These two deserved all the love they have for one another and for those around them. The Babes and these players hold such a special place in my heart. I truly loved this story.

I Could Be Yours is the perfect summer read 🩷

“The best man ghosted me six years ago after kissing me, and now I have to plan every wedding event under the sun with him.”
If that one-line hook doesn’t have you intrigued, I Could Be Yours will grab you by the heart—and maybe a few other places—and never let go.

Helena Hunting once again proves she’s a master of all things romance. In this grumpy-sunshine, second-chance, enemies-to-lovers with spice standalone, Hunting delivers a heartfelt and hilarious love story set against the backdrop of a tropical wedding. If you’ve read her Toronto Terrors series, this book will feel like a reunion with old friends—though it stands perfectly well on its own.

💘 The Premise:
Essie Lovelock is a reformed fairytale romantic determined to be the best maid of honor ever. Nate Stiles is the hot nerd/broody best man who ghosted her after a life-changing kiss six years ago. Now, they’re forced to work together to plan Nate’s brother’s (and Essie’s best friend’s) wedding.

Cue the chaos: salsa lessons, resort hijinks, wedding to-do lists, mutual sabotage attempts, deep emotional wounds, and an intense attraction that refuses to die quietly.

🎤 What Worked:
🔥 The Chemistry:
Nate and Essie burn with tension. Their banter is top-tier, their unresolved feelings are painfully relatable, and when they finally give in? Whew. The spice is absolutely spicing.

🌞 Grumpy-Sunshine Done Right:
Essie’s sunshine energy bounces beautifully off Nate’s moody seriousness. Their personalities clash and complement in the best ways. And both are secretly type-A nerds who live for spreadsheets? Soulmates.

🧠 Mental Health Representation:
Hunting doesn’t shy away from trauma and mental health themes. Nate’s emotional baggage is handled with care, and watching him open up to Essie makes the romance all the more rewarding.

📚 Cameos + Connections:
Fans of the Toronto Terrors series will love the callbacks and cameos, especially Bea and Tristan. But even if you're new to the universe, you'll fall hard for the ensemble cast. (And yes, we need a book for Conner ASAP!)

🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
Narrated by Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton, the duet narration is pitch-perfect. They bring Nate and Essie to life with warmth, wit, and undeniable chemistry.

📝 What Could Have Been Better:
If you’re not familiar with the Toronto Terrors series, some character moments may not hit as hard, but it’s nothing a quick catch-up or glossary couldn’t fix. And while Nate’s emotional healing arc is strong, some readers might wish for a deeper dive earlier on in the story.

Final Thoughts:
Helena Hunting has crafted a deliciously satisfying romance full of tension, tenderness, and tropical vibes. I Could Be Yours is about timing, healing, and finding your person when you're finally ready to be seen. With its blend of humor, heart, heat, and hope, this one earns a well-deserved spot on your summer TBR.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4 stars)
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
CW: Mental health, grief, abandonment

Read if you love:
💍 Wedding chaos
📊 Type A romance leads
🌴 Island settings
💬 Flirty banter & dirty talk
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine
💘 Second chances
🎧 Stellar audiobook performances

Thank you to The Author Agency, Helena Hunting, and Sarah for the ARC. All opinions are my own!

I knew Essie was going to be a powerhouse and wow did she deliver! I loved the grudge between Essie and Nate and the way they banter.
This book is like the merging of a few different series in a special gathering. I loved getting to see characters I love from other books but the focus was still very clearly on Essie and Nate. I really loved the insertion of little quips that felt like inside jokes between friends.

👑 Essie & Nate 🌧️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

The girl who wants the fairytale ending and the boy who doesn’t believe in love. ✨

I loved this book! It was very much a growth journey for our boy Nate and his struggle with people leaving him throughout his life. He has this beautiful, natural connection with Ess, but he won’t allow himself to love her. 🥺

Essie is a princess-loving, fairytale-dreaming FMC who just wants someone to look past her looks and love her for who she is—completely. She and Nate share a small but meaningful past, and trying to navigate that while attending a wedding of those closest to them turns into something special—and a little eye-opening for some. 🤐

Favourite Quotes:
— “Why are you such a storm cloud?”
  “Because I enjoy raining on your parade, obviously.”
— “Surely we can get each other off without me mentally marrying his brilliant, grumpy, unpleasant, hot ass.”
— “I want someone who will love me even when the beauty fades.”

Tropes:
👑 Grumpy x Sunshine
🌧️ Second Chance
👑 Hurt/Comfort
🌧️ Best Man x Maid of Honour
👑 Opposites Attract

This book was provided as a ARC for: Booksbymallie

Essie Lovelock is the maid of honor for her best friend Rix. The only problem is that Rix's fiancee is Tristan Stiles and six years ago his brother Nate kissed Essie and then ghosted her. Now Nate and Essie have to take dancing lessons, plan joint bridal parties, and everything else that comes with the title of best man and brides made. Only the catch is that Essie is falling for Nate once again, however Nate has trust issues and will not give his heart to Essie. I Could Be Yours is a cute, funny, and spicy book that any romance reader would want to read or listen to. The audio book is done in a duet format that I wish more audiobooks were like this. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for letting me have an advanced copy of this audiobook.

Ms. Hunting absolutely knows how to write a story with the perfect blend of great characters and a memorable storyline riddled with humor, friendships and family(the good and the bad) and I Could Be Yours is no exception.
The timing of this story revolves around Tristan and Rix’s wedding but focuses on the relationship building between Essie Lovelock, Rix’s best friend and Nate Stiles, Tristan’s brother. They have been spending a lot of time together since she is the maid of honor and he is the best man for the upcoming wedding. The dynamics between them is interesting and entertaining. They seem to be at odds half the time but the other half of the time they can’t get enough of each other. They did have history but sometimes timing is everything and it seems that this may be their time after they work through a few obstacles that stand in their way.
I also had the added benefit of listening to the audio version of this story and two of my favorite narrators, Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton definitely added to my enjoyment of this book!

This one was pure romcom fun with a glittery heart and a grumpy soul. Essie is a sunshiney, pink-loving Maid of Honor who is determined to give her best friend the perfect wedding. Nate is the broody Best Man who once ghosted her after the best kiss of her life. Now they are stuck planning every wedding event together and the tension is unreal.

Their chemistry was off the charts and their banter had me hooked. The callbacks to other Helena Hunting books were such a fun bonus.

Teddy Hamilton and Savannah Peachwood nailed the narration. I love a good duet performance and they brought these characters to life so well.

This is the perfect feel-good summer listen and a great standalone for grumpy sunshine and second chance fans.

I am so in love with this book!! This books follows Essie and Nate as they kinda go from competing with each other to falling in love. Of course..nothing goes off without a hitch since Nate up and left her six years ago. They are orchestrating the wedding stuff and it gets spicy. Unfortunately, stuff from Nate’s past comes back and haunt him and he doesn’t believe in love. Such a perfect book and enjoyed reading it.

💗My best friend is getting married, and the grumpy best man has a competitive streak that rivals my own. When it comes to wedding planning, all's fair in love and war.💗

Ohhhh Essie and Nate! I loved these two so much! Helena just knows how to write those fun spicy reads but also can make it emotional too. 🤭 Love the found family vibes so much with the Toronto Terror group! Essie and Nate may have had some history in high school. Now years later, they are both living in the same city and involved in the same wedding. 😊 This book was just such fun vibes with wedding activities and secret hook ups. I definitely recommend if you wanna read a book by Helena! It’ll leave you wanting more from this world. 😊😊 The audiobook was so well done and I enjoyed the duet narration so much. Savannah and Teddy are great narrators to listen to.🤭🤭 Thank you Helena for the ALC!

Tropes
Best Man & Maid of Honor
Second Chance
Grumpy x Sunshine
Dis-like to Love
Opposites Attract

OBSESSED. Helena Hunting does it again. I really loved how you could read this book as a standalone but if you know the side characters, you get a peek of what they’re up to after their stories end. Nate and Essie were perfection! I could relate to both of them with their stances on love and it was so beautiful to see them come together in the end. Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton also KILLED it as narrators. Their voice acting really brought a whole new level of emotion to the story. Highly, highly recommend this book and honestly, anything by Helena.

I Could Be Yours left me with all the warm fuzzies. Saying hello to past characters is always fun (especially with a wedding!) with Helena Hunting stories but Nate and Essie really stole the show!

I absolutely loved Essie. She knows who she is and what she deserves. Nate seemed like he had it all together but we learn the past never stays there. Nate really owned up to his feelings and I liked how they talked to each other and worked through it all.

Now the audio was a special treat narrated by Teddy Hamilton & Savannah Peachwood! Always love listening to these two tell me a story!

4.5⭐️
Helena has become one of my favorite authors in the past few years — her Toronto Terror series has my whole heart. With I Could Be Yours, Helena gives us an adjacent story to the Terror, starring Essie and Nate (best friend to Rix and brother to Tristan, respectively, from If You Hate Me). We’ve seen glimpses of these two in past books but here they take the spotlight in a story that was a wildly fun, swoony, hilarious and heartfelt.

To me, the world she’s built with these books is absolutely captivating in every way. I gobble them right up and am always left smiling and so happy to have read each one. I loved also that we get plenty of glimpses of our favorite Terror friends - and where their stories are today. And of course, Helena teases us with what’s next for Connor and Dred…already feral for it.

🎧Narration of this audiobook was exceptional, capturing the characters and the emotion perfectly! I loved listening to it and can’t recommend enough.

This book is addictive and incredibly good — and I think you’ll love it, especially if you’re a fan of:

👉🏻Grumpy x sunshine
👉🏻Forced proximity
👉🏻Found family
👉🏻Damaged hero
👉🏻Second chance
👉🏻Vacation romance

I Could Be Yours seamlessly integrates itself into the greater Toronto Terror universe but is also strong as a standalone. Set in the backdrop of Bea and Tristan’s (If You Hate Me) wedding season, protagonists Essie and Nate are the perfect grumpy/sunshine pairing.

There’s second chance and forced proximity vibes, and a lot of Helena Hunting’s signature banter and humor. (The airport scene is perfection.) There’s cameos from the Terror crew as well as Essie’s little sister and her man (featured in Chase Lovett Wants Me), and a lot of great character development. And I am once again blown away by how deftly Hunting interweaves her series and standalones together to create one expansive world filled with all of her characters.

Let’s not forget about the steamy scenes, because, WHOA. I love the way that Hunting uses these moments as a way to further her characters whilst also providing white. Hot. Chemistry. (Fans self.)

Since I did both a read and a listen of this book, I want to take a moment to focus on the audio narration. The two narrators completely embodied Essie and Nate and brought even more life to already lively characters. It’s going to be a yearly re-read (and listen) for me.

If this is your gateway book into Helena Hunting’s writing, welcome! You’re in great company. (Also, prepare to dive into her incredible backlist ASAP!) And to those of you who are already fans, this book will be an utter delight to add to your collection!

Absolutely loved!

Nathan and Essie's story was everything I hoped it'd be. A grumpy/sunshine, second chance romance where they start out as antagonists but have to spend the summer in close proximity doing wedding stuff (when he doesn't even believe in love and she's practically an OTT Disney princess fan with a bedroom populated with pink heart pillows) and everyone is hockey adjacent? Yes, please!

If you've read Nate's older brother's book ( If You Hate Me ) you'll be somewhat familiar with the Essie/Nate antagonism going in, and you'll love watching all the behind-the-scenes wedding details for Tristan and Rix's big day. All of the other Terror couples we've seen in the other series books are here too, and the MCs from Chase Lovett Wants Me as well--technically, you could read it as a standalone, but you'd miss out on a lot of inside jokes and information. Do yourself a favor and read them all ;)

I listened to the audio version, which was top notch. I'm really loving the dual POV audiobooks that are read duet style--such a fun touch!

Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

If you’re not sure which beach read to dive into this summer, look no further. I Could Be Yours is an overload of romantic cuteness combined with a generous dose of angst. Nate and Essie’s story is a standalone; however, Hunting cleverly entwines other characters from previous books so naturally that newbies are guaranteed a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Nate did a runner years back, and that was enough for Essie. Now she’s determined that his black cloud won’t rain on her sunshine, especially seeing that they’re planning every minute detail for her bestie’s and his brother’s nuptials. She takes being maid of honour seriously, and Nate, who’s to be best man, soon realises that if he’s going to meet her organisational skills–the spreadsheets are something else–he’ll have to up his competitiveness. And so the fun and games begin.

I couldn’t have enjoyed Essie and Nate’s banter and inner thoughts more while listening to the dual narration. Teddy Hamilton’s husky tone suited Nate's character to a tee, and Savannah Peachwood conveyed what Elsie was striving for perfectly. I cried in a couple of scenes. Struggling with past traumas, Nate’s situation devastated me, and even though he’s a love sceptic, the chemistry between them is undeniable. Trying to protect their hearts isn’t as easy as either of them thought. Therefore, I questioned whether they’d be able to find middle ground.

Not only did Nate and Essie steal the show, but other family members and friends shone too. Essie, with all her positive virtues, is easy to love, and Nate, who is super protective of his own, quickly swept me off my feet. And I’m keeping my fingers crossed that one of Hunting’s characters gets his story. To say how he literally saved the day, and how disgusted I was with the individual involved, would be putting it mildly.

Queen of well-timed laugh-out-loud moments, Hunting has delivered a fast-paced and engaging romcom. Grumpy-sunshine second chances, family dynamic tension built on past and present issues and sizzling steaminess, it’s all here. Bravo, Hunting! And to Hamilton and Peachwood, kudos for knocking Hunting’s words out of the park.

4.5 stars! The perfect vacation romance to read on the beach or by the pool!⁣
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This one is a standalone, but it’s woven into the Terror world, so you’ll get plenty of time with those characters as well!⁣
⁣
Nate and Essie, the best man and maid of honor, try to survive wedding planning and the destination wedding trip while dealing with some serious tension between them. ⁣
⁣
I love Essie so much! Her sunshine attitude and her love of LOVE make her the perfect candidate for her own HEA. Nate is the perfect grump who basically turns into mush around her. ⁣
⁣
Nate brings a little family baggage into the story, but I love how it was handled. I also loved how he made an effort to work on himself to make sure he was good enough for Essie.⁣
⁣
The audio, done in duet narration, was fantastic! Teddy Hamilton and Savannah Peachwood are two of my favorites and really brought these characters to life!⁣
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Thank you to the author for an ALC of this book. All opinions are my own and voluntarily given.

A beautiful stand alone within Helena's larger universe.

This story is most closely tied to the Toronto Terror series, but we also get some Tilton University and Lies, Hearts & Truth series crossovers and as we all know, LHT is the next gen from the Pucked series and it's spin-off the All In series. These are the things that make me giddy, however it can make first time readers a little overwhelmed at times. There are a lot of characters, it's a wedding event, but if you don't know who each person is or how the couples are connected, you're fine. It will be explained if needed, or it's just a little mention to make long time readers kick their heels and sigh happily.

Essie and Nate's romance is set against the lead up to the wedding of Essie's best friend to Nate's older brother. We have this Maid of Honour and Best Man duo helping to facilitate showers, parties and weekends away to celebrate the happy couple all while having immense amounts of tension brewing between them thanks to a high school kiss followed by a ghosting that has never been addressed. And we know what happens when there is tension that simmers unaddressed right?? It eventually burns soooooo good. Also, it's Helena Hunting so we're laughing a ton along the way too!

Essie is in love with love, she has a soft, warm heart that has been bruised a few too many times over the years and when faced with closed off Nate who thinks love is a fictional ideal that's impractical in the real world, she decides to go for the no strings itch scratching... and hot damn these two scratch that itch!!

The audiobook was performed in duet by Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton. Savannah was delightful as light, sensitive and super organized Essie. The way you could hear how much Essie cares about her friends and their happiness, the way she cared for Nate's well being but also the way her heart broke at times... it was a great performance that got me in the feels. Teddy was a treat as competitive Nate who is always denying himself the temptation that is Essie. He's never forgotten the kiss from the past and would love to indulge in more than a kiss, but the fear and guilt he has to work through holds him back. I was gutted by the journey this guy went on to find happy and to be ready to give and receive love.

I requested and was provided with an advanced copy of the audiobook. These are my honest opinions.