I posted on June 20th that I was reading my ARC of “I Could Be Yours” and since then (2.5ish weeks), I’ve eyeball read it, then listened to the ALC once through… only to pick up the ALC again to re-listen all over again 😅

The story itself was amazing, though it was written as a standalone, because it basically revolved around Tristan & Rix’s (If You Hate Me) wedding, I do highly recommend reading the world of the Toronto Terror players first. While not absolutely necessary, it truly did mean so much more to me since I did read all her previous books first & getting glimpses into all the couples from her older books just made it that much more sweet.

I Could Be Yours had me smilingggg nonstop throughout the first half of the book. The Best Man & Maid of Honor, super grumpy + sunshiney princess, anti love vs obsessed with fairytales; their opposing views on everything made for such a wild & interesting story. Their banter & wit with each other was so much fun but it did have a lot of emotions tied into it too. There was a lot of baggage that you could FEEEL while reading through this book & it brought it to a whole new level. The connection between the two was truly felt & though they both had a lot of opposing thoughts & views, their growth individually but also as a couple was very admirable.

ALC REVIEW — I love everything about books narrated in duet but I did run into a challenge from listening to maybe 3-4 different books by Teddy Hamilton consecutively before this one 😅 but he absolutely nailed Nate’s voice & character. Savannah Peachwood also gave such an amazing voice to Essie that just fit her perfectly. Her dainty, sunshiney princess personality was voiced so well by the narrator so it all just fit in absolutely amazing.

I can’t wait to see/read about the stories following this one & looooved all the little glimpses into the next books!!!

I COULD BE YOURS is a spicy new stand-alone novel written in the Toronto Terror universe by Helena Hunting. This book is about Rix’s best friend, Essie Lovelock, and Tristan’s brother, Nate Stiles. (Rix and Tristan are from IF YOU HATE ME.) They were serving as Maid of Honor and Best Man for Rix and Tristan’s destination wedding, meaning that they were constantly thrown together during the planning and execution of the wedding. What no one knew was that Nate had ghosted Essie six years earlier after they had shared a monumental kiss. Given their past, both tried valiantly to avoid and resist the other, but given the forced proximity, this became impossible. They agreed upon a sex-only relationship, which they would keep secret from the bride and groom. Essie had a history of choosing the wrong men, and Nate had been cheated on by his fiancé, who found another man who was more emotionally available. Nate had unresolved issues from being abandoned by his mother which, when added to his fiancé’s abandonment, made it difficult for him to believe in love and forever, even after he thought he wanted forever with Essie more than he wanted anything else. As per usual, Helena Hunting has created another hockey romcom for the ages. I have loved Essie since IF YOU HATE ME as Rix’s best friend, as Cammie’s sister from CHASE LOVETT WANTS ME, and as a member of the Badass Babes Brigade. I loved Essie and Nate together, and their story in audiobook was just perfection. Narrators Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton made the pages of this well written novel come to life and kept me laughing from Chapter 1. So if you are a reader who enjoys a contemporary ice hockey sports romcom with a Maid of Honor/Best Man pairing, opposites attract dynamics, enemies to lovers energy, where it’s their second chance, lots of forced proximity, his brother was marrying her best friend, and their sex only relationship was a secret, then check out this one. You won’t regret it!

I am voluntarily leaving this honest review after I read/listened to a ARC via the author, Netgalley, and Dreamscape Media.

I Could Be Yours
Helena Hunting
Pub: 7/10/25
4.5☆

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.

GAH! Helena Hunting never fails to disappoint in her romance reads.

I am all about second chance romance and this one hit all the marks for me. Nate the grump and sunshine Essie’s story had me laughing and swooning throughout. It’s sweet, spicy, and beautifully emotional. HH as always did an amazing job balancing everything out to give you one unputdownable summer romance.

I honestly loved everything about ICBY. Especially all of the Toronto Terror cameos we get. Even though this can be read as a standalone, IMO it’s best to read the TT series first.

What I loved;
🩷 Second Chance
🩷 Forced Proximity
🩷 Grumpy/Sunshine
🩷 Island Setting
🩷 Found Family
🩷 Terror Cameos

Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton’s duet narration was absolute perfection. This was the ideal duo to bring Nate and Essie to life!

I’m already so excited to see where HH takes us next.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Amazing, amazing. I’ll take 10 more just like it.

I don’t believe this book is technically apart of the Toronto Terror series but it still felt like it was in some regards.

Helena Hunting gives us a book where the maid of honor and best man of a wedding of Tristan and Rix (the MCs for book one of the Toronto Terror series). I think my absolute favorite part about this book was how Hunting took the time to loop everyone from other books into this one. It was cool revisiting relationships I loved from past books and seeing how they are thriving today.

The story itself has so many moments that made be cry, some happy tears and other sad tears. There are a handful of moments when I just wanted to hug our MMC and tell him everything would be alright. A lot of personal development/growth happens throughout the book but that doesn’t mean everything is constantly sunshine and rainbows.

I love how Hunting is about to create these well rounded characters and give them real life issues. It makes me feel like these are real people and not just fake characters.

The spice was wonderful as usual. The tension was amazing. I wouldn’t call this a slow burn per se, but there is some definite sexual tension that gives off a slow burn vibe.

Okay on to the narration - the two narrators killed this. I have both read the book and listened to the book and I absolutely enjoyed the story more when listening. The duet between Teddy and Savannah was amazing. The way the two sounded like they were actually together and not two voice actors in different studios was perfect. I think this could be used as an example of what great narration looks like.

Thank you for the advanced audio copy of this book. Helena Hunting has a reputation for providing three things, spicy connections, hot hockey players and found family. I Could Be Your's has all three, but this time instead of the hot hockey player getting the girl, its his brother, Nate, who falls for and finds his true love with Essie, the best friend of his brothers finace.

They had Essie an Nate had an almost moment after high school, but things didn't quite work out for either of them. Six years later they are the best man and maid of honor at the wedding of her best friend and his brother.

They find themselves thrown together and sparks fly!

Of course they get their happily ever after, but not without a bit of heartache and learning that family is not always who you are related to by blood.

Nate and Essie had such great character arcs! Nate we’ve met previously and is Tristan’s middle brother. Essie is Rix’s BFF and they have all known each other for years! Nate and Essie had a little thing back in HS, but it didn’t work out. Essie is a true romantic while Nate is a cynic. But they are the Best Man and Maid of Honor for Tris and Rix. They have to learn how to work together for the sake of the wedding. But have either of them really ever gotten over what happened between them years ago?! Nate’s character arc is so wonderful. His character has so much range and develops so naturally, I loved them. Essie has always been the pretty girl that men fall over their feet for, but only to say they’ve dated her. No one ever took her seriously, even though she is truly so much more than looks. I love her confidence and how true to herself she is. I also really enjoyed how Nate saw her and made her feel about herself. Truly adored this couple!

Read: ALC 🎧
MMC: Nate Stiles
FMC: Essie Lovelock
Spice: 2🌶️
Tropes: Second Chance, Found Family, Sports, Grumpy + Sunshine, Opposites Attract, Hurt/Comfort, Best Man + MOH

Helena Hunting always writes a wonderfully fun, easy to read story with great characters that make you want them to be your real-life friends. I Could Be Yours starts off a new series, while including the cast from the Toronto Terror, which I loved. Nate and Essie had me cracking up at their shenanigans and their competitive nature as they are planning the pre-wedding festivities for his brother and her bestie. While being forced together, their tension really heats up.

While this story has a lot of fun, playful banter, it also brings to light a tough and traumatic childhood for Nate and his brothers and I loved the way that Essie was there for him as he confronted his past and worked to move forward from it. Their story had a few snags, which made their second chance HEA even sweeter. The epilogue also set this story up for some future magic and I can't wait!

On audio, Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton were perfect for these two characters. Their voices together are so good, but adding in the quirks and bits of humor for each of them really brought out a more genuine and enjoyable listening experience.

TROPES:
Best Man & Maid of Honor
Grumpy x Sunshine
Hurt/Comfort
Opposites Attract
Second Chance

I love Helena Hunting. She never misses.

I loved the Pucked series and to just see the world continuously expand makes my heart full.

I want to start by saying that I read and listened to this book at the same time and the ALC is FANTASTIC. How the duet is done is one of the best I have heard. 10/10.

I Could Be Yours is just fun. Essie and Nate are adorable together and at first I thought that this story would be a short novella but no it's a full blown novel. I loved that Nate is grumpy with everyone but is a horny sap for Essie.

The role-play scene literally shook me because I wasn't expecting it and because Nate was fully into it. Give me a man like Nate. A nerd with a hot body.

This book reminded me of [book:Forever Pucked|228516874] just because of the wedding aspect. I adore Tristan and Rix and seeing them all cute, nervous and lowkey stressed again made me smile.

Also, seeing Chase's appearances in these books is my highlight. I hope he continues to make appearances cause seeing him freak out and fanboy is hilarious. I need more Chase.


What I will say is that I am starting to miss Lavender and the others. Even though she makes a minor appearance in this book I want the stories of the kids. Don't get me wrong, I'm locked into the Terror but I would also love to get back to the kids at some point.

All in all, ICBY is another hit from Helena and I can't wait for all the others.

Helena Hunting brings it once again with I Could Be Yours! Essie Lovelock and Nate Stiles are so much fun! I love a grumpy/sunshine, and wow, is Nate grumpy and Essie is the epitome of sunshine. Nate and Essie have the best banter, as well as crazy tension, as they help Rix and Tristan prepare for their destination wedding. There are so many feels, and I adore the found family aspects that come with the Toronto Terror, as well as the extended hockey fam. The audio edition of I Could Be Yours was fun to tandem listen to and read with the book. Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton are the perfect Essie and Nate. They both embody this crazy cast of characters so well and I look forward to their narration every single time.

"Is someone capable of loving me? Or am I too broken to fix?"

I really enjoyed this fun, feel good summer romance! Essie and Nate’s second-chance story has all the classic rom-com ingredients — witty banter, unresolved tension, and plenty of chemistry. Set against the backdrop of a chaotic wedding and salsa lessons.

Helena Hunting’s signature humour shines through with sharp, playful dialogue that keeps things light and entertaining. The story balances emotional moments with laugh-out-loud scenes, making it a satisfying standalone read. If you love enemies-to-lovers and second-chance tropes wrapped up in a wedding setting, this one’s a great pick.

It’s a perfect escape for anyone craving a romantic, cheeky, and heartfelt story without the heavier drama. If you’re a fan of Hunting’s other contemporary romances, this one hits the right note for a breezy, sweet read.

I binged this book in less than 24 hours. I simply couldn’t put it down! I loved the second chance romance between Essie and Nate, with all the perfect grumpy sunshine vibes. Their chemistry was electric, and the witty banter kept me smiling throughout.

Helena Hunting is definitely an auto-buy author for me. I now need to read her entire backlist and I can’t wait for the next instalment of the Toronto Terror series!


Thank you to Helena Hunting for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5⭐️ 3🌶️ 5🎧 GAH! I love Nate and Essie so much, what a great story packed full of laughter and emotions! Helena never disappoints, and this book is no exception! I loved that this book incorporated so many other characters we’ve met in previous stories/series!

I absolutely loved how Nate and Essie progressed from dislike to love, it felt very “real” and natural. Nate about broke me when talking about his mom and the effects she had on him, I’m so happy with the path he took to healing and how Essie stood by him while he worked on himself. I adored the “will you be my girlfriend” moment, so freaking sweet!”

Teddy Hamilton and Savannah Peachwood are two of my favorite narrators and I always enjoy listening to them bring characters to life! Add in the duet narration, *chefs kiss*, pure perfection!!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Audio for the advance audiobook and Helena Hunting for the Advanced eBook in exchange for an honest review!

📚BOOK REVIEW 📚

I Could Be Yours - @helenahunting

"The dark is always trying to consume the light"

Oh how I love Helena Hunting's books. They are so good. Filled with love, drama and passion she always delivers.

I knew I was going to enjoy this book but it has become one of my favourites. I adored it. I absolutely ate it up. I loved Essie and Nate so much.

Sparks fly when Nate is best man to his Brother Tristan and Essie is Bridesmaid to her best friend and they end up planning hen and stag dos together. There were lots of funny moments to provide some light heartedness but Helena also dealt with some serious topics too. It was especially dealt well with it being Nate's point of view and getting all his inner monologues.

Nate is such a tortured soul and I just wanted to throw my arms around him.
He's highly intelligent and all types of grumpy but he struggles emotionally and he has a lot of emotions when it comes to Essie.

Essie is all sunshine and rainbows. She was an absolute delight and the total opposite to Nate's grumpy demeanor. And although Nate was grumpy he wasn't unlikeable. Quite the opposite but these two had some serious chemistry but they also had a deeper love. I loved how Essie eventually tore him down so that he let her in and found a way to trust her in his lost vulnerable moments.

It was also great catching up with all our favourite characters from the Toronto Terror series and especially Tristan as we see how far he has grown in his mental health issues too.

I really loved the whole vibe of this book. From the cover to the last page, this book has it all for me. Another winner from Helena!

Tropes-
Grumpy x sunshine
Second chance
Best man x maid of honor
Forced Proximity
Opposites Attract
Found family

✨️ Thank you to Helena for the ALC for my honest review! This duet audiobook was narratorated by two of my favorites! Teddy and Savannah killed it! This book gives you everything that you look for in a spicy summer rom com. I loved Nate and Essie's little quirks and how good they fit together. I loved getting all of the other couples from Helena's Toronto Terror series. This takes place during Rix and Tristan's wedding. I loved their book (If you hate me) and getting to see more of their relationship as well! I definitely recommend it!

Thank you to the author for my ALC.

Wow, I love Essie and Nate so much. They both grew so much in this second-chance romance. It was so fun to have the other beloved characters from the Toronto Terror series involved in this story. I recommend reading that series (a favorite of mine) and Chase Lovett Wants Me to ensure you fully appreciate this book! The narration was perfect!

Read this book if you enjoy:
-Best man/maid of honor
-Second chance romance
-Opposites attract
-Hurt/comfort
-Dislike to lovers
-Grumpy/sunshine
-Princess obsession
-Interconnected hockey family
-Other series characters/friend group involved

5/5 Overall
5/5 Story: All the feels. All the way through.
5/5 Narrators: Honestly 2 of my favs so this was

This book covers the romantic relationship between Essie (aka Sunshine) and Nate (aka Grumpy) who shared a kiss and then Nate ghosted her. Now 6 years later they are thrown together because of a wedding. Close encounters. Pushing buttons. An attraction that never went away. EVER. Sometimes fairytales do come true

This is story is fantastic and can be read as a standalone if you choose. However, it serves as a great lead into #helenahuntingbooks that include the #torontoterrorseries #Tilton or #liesheartsandtruthsseries. This author has never let me down. She only gets better.

#mustread #romance #secondchance #summertime #grumpysunshine #beachweddings #spreadsheets #organizationkink

Thank you to the author for my #gifted copies of this book. All opinions are my own.

Essie. Oh how much I loved Essie. I think Essie is such a relatable character, who wants to be seen as more than a pretty face. I think we can all relate to being seen past 1 thing that somehow has defined us.
Nate🥹 I loved his character growth throughout this book. I loved the dual POV to really know his thoughts.

As always, I LOVED this found family and all the crossovers. While this isn’t technically apart of The Toronto Terrors series, it has so many of the same characters. Flip calling Nate honey bear…hilarious. I loved Flip here and can’t wait to read his story soon.

🎧 Teddy Hamilton and Savannah Peachwood in duet? SIGN ME UP! I loved these two as Nate and Essie. No notes.

Connor and Dred are up next in this friend group and I can’t wait! This one is out Thursday and should ABSOLUTELY be on your radar!

TEDDY HAMILTON!!!!!

Honestly couldn’t have asked for better narrators for a book!! I really enjoyed Nate and Essie and their flirty little banter they were so much fun. Essie did make me a little mad at the end although I do understand her reasoning. I do also kind of wish we got to see another side to Essie instead of this perfect person but all in all I really enjoyed!

Audio Review:

There are a few things that I know for sure are going to happen when I start a Helena book. I’m going to completely devour it in no time, there’s going to be plenty of spice, I’m going to laugh hysterically, and I’m going to love every single second of it. And this book absolutely hit all of those things.

Essie’s spreadsheets and organizing everything and Nate’s need to have everything in their place, speaks to me in my soul. I love each of these characters separately and even more together. The story is great and I loved seeing characters from so many different series.

I was already excited when I found out that this was going to be duet narration. Then when I found out that Teddy Hamilton and Savanah Peachwood were the narrators I flipped out because I love both of them so much. They did such a fantastic job of bringing Nate and Essie to life I just wish the book was longer so I could have listened to more!

Tropes:
Second chance
Slight enemies to lovers vibe
Grumpy x Sunshine
FWB to something real

Loved 🥰:
- this was such an enthralling, fun & fast paced read. I set down and read it all in one sitting
- the questions great! The narrators do a wonderful job bringing these characters to life
- seeing Nate fall really naturally
- the EFFORT these Stiles men put in to ensure they are exactly who their girls deserve 🫠🫠
- the feisty energy between Essie & Nate turned into such good explosive chemistry 😏🥵❤️‍🔥
- when Teddy called me….ummm I mean when Nate called Essie baby 🫠🫠🫠🫠

Spice:
🌶️🌶️

Range & Rep:
Adult romance
Positive therapy Rep

Words are hard to find when trying to express how much I liked this book! Nate and Essie were refreshing characters in terms of being only congenitally connected to the Terror but still maintaining that love of the group. Each having their issues related to relationships while managing to plan and execute a wedding for their family/friend was so wonderfully done and I was rooting for them all book!

Top tier banter and the emotional intelligence shown by all was refreshing and inspiring.

The narrators were absolutely PERFECT for Essie and Nate!