I loved this book!! Essie and Nate were a great couple and a perfect example of opposites attracting!

In this standalone read from the Toronto Terror's series we get Essie and Nate's story. Essie is best friends with Rix - fiance to Tristan Stiles and sister to Flip Masterson while Nate is Tristan's younger brother. The pair are best man and maid of honor to Tristan and Rix for their upcoming nuptials however Essie is the complete opposite of Nate. Essie is the light to Nate's doom and gloom dark.

Essie has worked hard to make sure that Rix has a perfect, stress free wedding. She is a people pleaser and wants everyone to be happy. She has been Rix's friend since grade school and has a past with Nate - one that involved a kiss and then some ghosting on his part making her doubt herself. She has a history of falling in love at the first kiss and planning a future life with Mr. Wrong - that eventually causes her to have a man hiatus until Nate.

Nate is a damaged man. He is unsure about love considering his history of his mother abandoning him and his brothers as well as having his last girlfriend cheat on his to then declare that he is emotionally unavailable. He is attracted and drawn to Essie despite not wanting to be and admits that his actions in the past with her were wrong but still feels that he is right about his feelings regarding love. He only wants to make sure that his brother Tristan has a good wedding and start to his life with Rix. As a result of all of Essie's care and attention to detail, Nate's competitive side comes out and tensions rise as a result.

This pair were well written. The tension between the pair was palpable from their first interaction in the book. Both characters are a little damaged - Nate with his past with the abandonment of his mother when he was young and Essie with her feelings that she is only a pretty thing and her need to maintain that in her outside appearance. The chemistry between the pair was off the charts despite how hard the two fought against it until they could not any longer - and then could not get enough of each other. I enjoyed the return of the characters from the Terror series even if their appearances were brief. I also liked the emphasis on Nate getting the help that he needs to work through his mommy issues.

The story moved along well and had me hooked from the start. There were equal amounts of funny mishap moments as there were the tender loving moments. I also enjoyed the set up for the next book in the Terror series as well as the possible book after that.

Overall, this was a great read and I enjoyed this book from start to finish. I would recommend this book to others.

You could definitely pick up a sexually charged vibe between Essie and Nate when you see them interact in Chase Lovett Wants Me so I was curious about their back story and we definitely got it and I’m glad they figured out their sh*t cause they are good together.

Nate knew he had feelings for Essie but he didn’t know how to handle them much like his older brother Tristan (when it came to Rix) and he started to realize he needed to talk to someone before being who Essie needed him to be. Essie knew she could fall for Nate but she didn’t want to give up her fairytale dreams and wasn’t sure he could be that for her so she held back. Both of them needed to realize things about the other and how they processed/viewed things differently so they could be good for them other. They both put in the work and Nate really put in the work not only for himself but for Essie and those closest to him.

I cannot wait for Dredd and Conor’s story and we are getting in later this year. We got tiny bits and pieces of what it could be in the last few books and soon we will finally get the answers.


Thank you @helenahunting for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

4.25 stars

What a cute and spicy read!!! I was so lucky to be able to get the audiobook which is in duet and the narration was incredible!!!

Nate and Essie were a long time coming and I just loved them so much. Both have insecurities and baggage, especially Nate and I love how everything was handled. The positivity around therapy just makes my heart happy! Then you have their chemistry and wow! It was through the roof! I loved the forced proximity-ness of it and all residual feelings of the past resurfacing! They definitely made for them to get quite steamy!

I love this whole world and the found family these characters have! It’s so beautiful! I love how this story flowed and the work put in. And The ending! Gah!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Perfomed Duet with Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton

Nate and Essie

Troupes
Grumpy/Sunshine
Best man/ maid of honor
Hurt/comfort
Second chance

Essie and Nate wor
Together for the hens and bucks weekend. This forces them
To deal with the past. Nate ghosting Essie.
Nate needs to deal
With his mother leaving the family when he was young. He does not believe in love. Essie and Nate come
To an agreement. She becomes the sunshine to his cloudy Skys. This doesn’t always last.
I always enjoy Helena’s writing. The characters storylines are never dragged out. The side characters storylines are briefly explained, and they don’t distract from the main story, and you don’t feel you have missed anything. This had me teary in a few parts and I loved that in a book. Thank you, Dreamscape, for this ALC

Essie and Nate are forced back together again due to their loved ones getting married.

There was a lot of tension and banter between these two and I was here for it. These characters had a lot going on, but were able to find some relief in each other.

Essie hasn’t always had the best choice in men and doesn’t always believe what Nate is saying.

I really enjoyed all the characters from Helena’s other books as well.

Good, fun story.

Set within the Toronto Terror universe, I Could Be Yours drops us into the madness of wedding planning, and the tempting, tension-filled will they/won’t they angst between maid of honor and best man. But this isn’t your typical scandalous one night wedding affair! Oh, no, it’s much deeper, much more scrumptious than that! There’s history between Essie and Nate spanning decades - a lifetime of choices and circumstances that landed them in the sizzling summer romance to end all romances. And I promise, it’s worth the read to find out. 🥵🤭

Without fail, Helena Hunting always crafts likable, relatable characters with substance, and I Could Be Yours delivers exactly that! I fall for her cast every single time I crack open one of Helena’s books! Their personalities are layered, their histories and lives well developed, and, somehow, all of it intertwines with previous books and series from the universe she has built. The content is lighthearted and fun, while simultaneously holding space for emotional depth and real world problems. There are laughs, there are tears, there are so many swoons, with enough love to consume me with each and every story added to this world. I cannot get enough!

I Could Be Yours releases July 10th and, I promise, you’ll want to grab it for your summer TBR - especially with the narration performances by Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton. They owned these characters, embodying them so well, bringing them to life in a deliciously sexy way! 😍

Thank you sm to NetGalley and Helena/Sarah for the opportunity to read/listen to this book!! who knew that there was a Stiles brother who could be just as grumpy, if not grumpier, than Tristan. my favorite part of helena’s fmc’s is that they’re all smart in their own ways and miss essie did NOT disappoint. Nathaniel and i were going to fight at the beginning of this book, but i was so proud of essie for how she continued to hold her boundary when she needed to. 😭 i don’t know if it’s because tristan and rix are my fave couple so far from the toronto terror series, but this book rivals If You Hate Me for sure!! being able to catch glimpses of how rix and tristan have grown in their relationship and watching them from essie’s pov at the alter is so healing. 😭😭 i loved essie and nate so much and it was SO fun to see everyone i.e. Brodie, Cammie, Chase, Hemi’s brothers, etc etc etc make their appearances in this book!

This one got me in the feels! 💖 This one is full of heart & heat y’all!

Essie is Nate’s the one that got away…and they’ve gone from maybe something to standoffish with each other since their first kiss.

I loved listening to Nate and Essie's journey of second chances and healing. Plus, those snuggles (🥰) and the way Flip adds some fun tension😜! As always, Teddy and Savannah were fabulous. 📚✨

Things I loved…
Their nerd talk 🟰❤️🤓
The laundered pants scene 🍆😜🫠
A sweet couple’s cameo💜🐻🪢

🤣scenes:
Someone managed to slip in a picture of Rix making cucumber salad. Her face goes red, and Tristan fights a grin while our friends laugh, and the parents and other friends look confused.

“You should be proud,” Sam says to my dad. “Sam.” Hemi side-eyes her brother. “It’s a compliment,” Isaac explains. “I’m pretty sure Essie’s mom isn’t complimenting Muffy on Rix’s rack,” Hemi points out.

⭐️ 4 /5

Helena you are seriously the BEST! ❤️

Essie is EVERYTHING and her planning skills? GOALS I swear!! I loved watching her try to keep her cool around Nate especially with that histroy and their epic past kiss hanging between them.

That grumpy x sunshine energy? FERAL AF 🔥 You could literally feel the sparks flying every time they bickered. And the banter? ABSOLUTELY. EVERYTHING. 😂

I also loved how Helena connects this story with her other books, making the world feel so rich and full of friendship and family vibes. It’s really all about love in the end ❤️

This was a fantastic summer read packed with laughter and good vibes. ☀️

☀️ Grumpy X Sunshine
☀️ Found Family
☀️ Hockey Romance
☀️ Summer Holiday Romance
☀️ Second Chance

🎧🎧
Duet was on point. Teddy and Savannah's voices had this natural rhythm together. Nothing felt forced. Could've listened all day ☀️🥰

💌 Thanks for the ARC and ALC!

Loved this book! Nate and Essie are so fun together! The way they navigate their opposing feelings in love together is great! Seeing Nate out in the work for himself was the real winner though!

You can’t go wrong with a MMC being narrated by Teddy Hamilton but Savanah Peacheood was a pleasant surprise! 10/10 on the audiobook!

This book strikes the perfect balance of funny, spicy, and emotional. Nate is grumpy and serious, while Essie is the definition of sunshine and sparkles. Essie loves princesses and is searching for her happily ever after, while Nate stopped believing in love a long time ago.

Helena Hunting has an uncanny ability to highlight the nicest aspects of her characters and make them fun (and even spicy). Essie’s obsession with pink and princesses was portrayed so well — she didn’t feel childish at all. Instead, she celebrated a beautiful part of her personality that many readers (myself included) love, and I thought that was very well done and worth highlighting.

This book is part of an interconnected series. I don’t think it should be read as a standalone, since there are so many characters referenced whom we’ve met previously. It would likely be very confusing if this were your first book in the series, especially because almost all the characters have unique names or go by their last names and/or nicknames, which can get confusing.

Overall, this story is a lot of fun, with great banter, emotional growth, and wonderfully unique characters.

Thank you to Helena Hunting for the ALC of this book. It features a duet narration by Teddy Hamilton and Savannah Peachwood, who did a fantastic job!

the Narrators are absolutly amazing!! They are some of my favorites and they were perfect for Nate and Essie!

Essie is so beautiful inside and out. She reminds me of my bestie with her love of pink 😆 and as someone who loves love i can very much relate to her.

Then there is Nathan and I believe Essie is the perfect Ray of Sunshine just for him!

This might be one of my favorites 😍 even though it is hard to pick a favorite!

Oh and I love Conner Grace, iykyk!

Quick Summary: A madly, deeply romance

My Review: I Could Be Yours by Helena Hunting is a "summer holiday romance." It is scheduled for release on 7/10/25.

About the Book: "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."

In My Own Words: Timing always seems to be off between two people who have shared a long history of chemistry, passion, and intense interest in each other. Will a summer wedding between their loved ones be the just right time to find their forever love with one another?

About the Leads:

Essie Lovelock - > I loved Essie on the whole. She was caring, attentive, aware, compassionate and loving. She was a caretaker of hearts. The way she positioned herself in the lives of those she cared for said it all. When and how she showed up for Nate was golden.

Nate Stiles - > This beautiful, broken man... He stole my heart right out of my chest. Despite his rough spots and grumpiness, he was a good guy. I can see why Essie was in her feelings about him.

About the Characters: This novel was filled with a boatload of interesting characters. Their troubled backgrounds, familial and friendship bonds, professions, and statuses completely captured my attention. I could not get enough of them. I had hoped that this book served as the start of a whole new series. Fingers crossed on that!

Character of Interest: CONNER

I cannot wait to get into the dets about him. Yass!

About the Audiobook: This novel was narrated by Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton. They did an excellent job. I was thoroughly entertained.

My Final Say: I Could Be Yours was everything I needed it to be. The unrequited love angle rolled into a forever romance love story. I was here for it. The emotional connection and sexual tension between Essie and Nate was chef's kiss.

I loved that mental health was presented & promoted so positively.

Other: Readers who enjoy enemies to lovers, summer weddings, athletes, richy rich professionals, engineers, makeup artists, second chance romances, grumpy vs sunshine personalities, family dysfunction stories, found family relationships, and spicy hot situationships will like this book.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Status: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Level: 🌶️🌶️
Audiobook: Yes (8 Hours, 42 Minutes)
Narration: +

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Dreamscape Media), and NetGalley. Thank you so very much for providing access to an ALC in exchange for an honest critique. It was a pleasure to review this work. I look forward to reading more about the amazing characters presented in this "complete standalone."

“She’s sunshine and a rainbow, and the dark eats the light.”

I Could Be Yours is finally Nate and Essie’s story—and it was absolutely worth the wait. This grumpy/sunshine romance delivered everything I hoped for and more. Engaging, heartfelt, and sizzling with chemistry, it was pure perfection.

“I hate when she says my full name, because I love when she says my full name.”

Thrown together as the best man and maid of honor for Tristan and Rix’s wedding, Nate and Essie are forced into close quarters—despite claiming to loathe the idea. But neither of them has forgotten their steamy kiss from six years ago. As they navigate wedding chaos and shared history, Nate’s broody exterior slowly melts, revealing a man intrigued by all that lies beneath Essie’s sparkly, pink-loving surface. But can he risk opening his heart again?

“I’m not supposed to fall for the man who doesn’t believe in love.”

I absolutely adored Nate and Essie together. Essie’s infectious belief in love and fairytales is the perfect foil to Nate’s guarded vulnerability and fear of abandonment. They each have emotional baggage, but the way they face it and grow—individually and together—was so satisfying to watch.

“All this time, she’s been right in front of me, and I finally see her.”

I had the pleasure of both reading and listening to this title, and it completely swept me away. Narrated in duet style by two of my absolute favorites—Teddy Hamilton and Savannah Peachwood—the story truly came alive. Their performance was bursting with heart and heat, breathing new life into every page. I found myself falling in love with the story all over again.

“All this time, she’s been right in front of me, and I finally see her.”

As always with this author, the banter is chef’s kiss and the heat between these two is off the charts. Nate and Essie bring all the FIRE. I Could Be Yours is fun, emotional, and so heartfelt—I can’t recommend it enough.

Nate and Essie has a kiss when they were younger but because Nate was going away for college and friend told long distance are dumb he pull away from her Essie is the gorgeous and a cheerleader who everyone love but also think she not smart which is the opposite. When she tha maid of honor to he BF trix and Nate is the best man. Nate seems to hate himself and love dor what their mom did to them she left them and now she trying to contaxt them but they have wounds that it cant be heal. They have issues about not being love and Essie show him the true love is and she always going to be their for him. When their mom show up. Nate is surprise and angry but also disappointed bexausethe only rhing she wantes was money and she leaves not wanting to ruined Tristan wedding he feels worst and pull away from Essie until he talk to his brother and sad about hia feeling and he need to talk to someone to move on.

This is a perfect stand alone and intro into Helena’s world. There are a lot of cameos from the other books, but only minimal spoilers, so this is a good place to step in. This books takes place around the wedding of Tristian and Bix who have their own book too and there are more spoilers for their story than others due to the nature of the conversations they have with Nate and Essie.

Narrated by one of my favorite combinations, Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton, the audio for Nate and Essie are so so good. These two bring to life what is sure to be a favorite summer/vacation read for years to come.

Nate and Essie are perfect if you love:
❌Enemies to Lovers
🏖️Vacation Vibes
💍Best Man and Maid of Honor
🤓Nerdy MMC
🗣️Banter
🔎Sneaking Around
🧠Mental Health Rep
🌶️Spice

Nate ghosted Essie 6 years ago after the best kiss of their lives. Ever since, all they’ve done is bicker and try to one up each other. Their life views are total opposite - she believes in the happily ever after and he knows that no one ever stays for him. But now they have to work together to pull off Tristian and Bix’s wedding as the best man and maid of honor. Through a series of events, these two find themselves together and in close proximity over and over and over again. And all that chemistry they felt years ago hasn’t gone away, so they agree to a vacation only fling to really get them out of their systems. Trouble is, their chemistry is hard to ignore and the more they’re together, the harder it is for them both to remember to not catch feelings.

Another absolutely fantastic spicy sports romance set in the world of the Toronto Terror Hockey team. This book is a dual POV, second chance, holiday romance between the best man and maid of honor who had one hot kiss and then haven't seen one another for six years. I loved the audio narration by Teddy Hamilton and Savannah Peachwood, the grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, found family vibes of a close group of teammates and girlfriends celebrate their mutual friends' destination wedding. While this can be read as a standalone, there are a lot of cameos from past characters and it works best reading this series in order to fully understand all the plotlines. Many thanks to NetGalley and the author for an early ALC in exchange for my honest review!!

ALC Review 📖
I Could Be Yours
Written by Helena Hunting
@helenahunting

Love me a storm cloud man and Nate is the perfect storm cloud. Can't have a storm cloud without some sunshine and rainbows and Essie fits the bill perfectly. Nate has his work cut out for him with her. Because not only is he a dirty talker but she is as well. The banter and chemistry is addictive to read.

“Why are you always such a grumpy old man?” “Why are you always trying to be a fairy tale princess?” “Why are you such a storm cloud?”
“Because I enjoy raining on your parade, obviously.” “Obviously.”

I love how competitive they are with each other ! And that they're there for each other when it is needed. I love all the ways they support each other 😉.

My goodness it's been a hot minute since I've read a book with a “fuck it” moment and got damn I've missed them. This book reminded me how powerful that moment is and it's addictive. I love the friendship between Nate and Flip.Their friendship is hilarious and Flip’s nickname for Nate cracks me up every time he says it to him. I love the strong bond Essie has with Rix; it's what true friendships are made of. I loved getting more of Rix and Tristan. I wouldn't be reading this book if I didn't stumble upon Rix and Tristan book back in 2024.

I honestly think Helena out did herself with this book. They keep getting better and better. This book gave me all the summer vibes I didn't know I needed. This book also gave a huge variety of emotions from beginning to end.

I'm stoked for her next two books! Love the hints on what we can expect from her in the future.

#bestman
#maidofhonor
#hurtcomfort
#sportsromance
#oppositesattract
#disliketolove
#grumpysunshine
#seconechance
#HelenaHunting
#grumpyhero
#grumpyheroromance
#summervibes
#torontoterror
#icouldbeyours
#standaloneboo
#SummerHolidayRomance
#Ess
#Sweetheart
#Sweetness
#HoneyBear
#baby
#stromcloud

Nate and Essie are SO CUTE. The tension, pining, and heat were🔥🔥🔥🔥

🌴💍 Tropes I Love:
💫 Best Man and Maid of Honor
☀️ Sunshine and Rainbows x Dark Rain Clouds
🌺 Destination Wedding Shenanigans

Helena Hunting absolutely nailed the vibes with I Could Be Yours. From the sweeping destination wedding setting to the emotional slow burn between Nathan and Essie, I was all in from the first chapter.

Essie is genuinely one of the best maids of honor and best friend characters I have read in a long time. She is thoughtful to a fault, handing out tissues during the ceremony, making sure everyone is taken care of, and constantly putting other people first. She is sunshine, heart, and loyalty wrapped in one.

Nathan is all rain clouds and quiet yearning, and watching him soften around Essie and more importantly, work on himself for her, was so satisfying. Both he and Essie are navigating feelings of “Am I ready?” and “Am I enough?” and the way those insecurities bubble up felt so real and relatable.

There is one scene at the reception where I wanted Essie to let herself fall. I was so ready for her to let Nathan in, but I completely understand why she stepped away. Her honesty about where he was at, and was not yet, felt like such a necessary moment.

That first real date weeks later, after Nathan’s first therapy session, absolutely hit the mark. It was hopeful, intentional, and grounded.

Some of my favorite lines:
🧬 “Say something scientific,” I whimper
❤️ “The deepest, truest love comes to us when we have learned how to fight for it...”
🥹 “Being your best man, Tristan, and being able to be part of this journey with you has really restored my faith in love”
☀️🌈 “My sunshine and rainbows other half. The love of my life”

This book was such a lovely balance of pining, personal growth, emotional honesty, and big swoony moments. AND THE SPICE. It was instant and so so good. Highly recommend for anyone who loves romance that is as thoughtful as it is tender.

Thank you to Helena Hunting and the Badass Babe Brigade for an early copy.

Freaking awesome! All the characters do not disappoint and I couldn’t put the book down! There’s drama, laughter and emotions but it’s blended so well that it went too fast. Once again, Helena delivered her best writing with a no angst book. I’m obsessed with the friendships and the banter and can’t wait for the next book!!

Outstanding!