Review: Hooking Up by Helena Hunting


Note: This ARC was provided by St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.


“You make everything so . . .”
“Everything so what?”
“Real. Perfect. Endless. I don’t want it to end. I don’t want to lose this.” I feel the pain of her words in my chest.
“I’m right here, going nowhere.” But she is, sooner than either of us want.

Well, will you look at that. I do believe I've just come across a Helena Hunting novel that may have nearly beaten out almost every single one of the other books by this author that I've fangirled over. Maybe it's because Lexington Mills is an irresistible enigma who happens to be even better on the inside than he already is on the outside. It's possible that it's due to Amalie Whitfield shedding the Stepford wife facade she had going while with Armstrong Moorehead and is hopefully on her way to embracing a bit of Anarchy Amie and the more mature and responsible version of herself. Or this could simply be a case of the author striking the absolute perfect balance between the angst and drama and the humor and wit plus all that heat and heart in a story worth reading and characters worth becoming emotionally invested in. This is going to sound cheesy, but what the hell: I am so hooked on Hooking Up.

Her wedding was supposed to be the beginning of a new life as Armstrong's wife, but then catching her new husband getting a blowjob from another woman ended that dream pretty quickly. The fact that the woman was none other than Lex's date presented a weird kind of coincidence, what with Lex and his cousin Armstrong not exactly being bosom buddies. So, what's a newlywed to do after hacking off her wedding dress and trying to seduce the very same guy who caught her attention before her soon-to-be ex-husband warned her off of? Why, enjoy the planned honeymoon and see if she can hook up with a hottie, of course! When the hottie ends up being Lex, he and Amie decide to pursue their island fling for however long they have. What happens when a hook-up feels like more, and you start wishing for forever while dealing with the reality that it may only be meant for now?

There was something indefinably special about this book. I wish I could put into words why I've fallen in love with Lex and Amie and their story as much as I have. I've loved Helena Hunting's other books before, but this latest release is extraordinarily enthralling, but I can't pinpoint what it was in particular that captured my heart. It was the book as a whole--a reading experience that ensured my attention never veered from what was happening right there on my tablet. From Amie realizing that she was exactly who she needed to be to Lex revealing that there was so much more to him than being the wayward son and unrepentant flirt, these two basked in my adoration. The fact that they hit Armstrong's family jewels not once but twice made them even more lovable because they felt and reacted rather than merely thought and acted. And Armstrong? Well, let us just crown him Asshat of the Year.

Hooking Up can be read as a standalone because it is essentially Lexington and Amalie's love story. However, allow me to highly recommend that you also read Shacking Up, which is about Bancroft Mills and Ruby Scott, Lex's younger brother and Amie's best friend, respectively, as well as Hunting's contribution to the Eye Candy anthology, Getting Down. Lex and Amie are in both stories, and I promise, you won't regret reading either one. With the two Mills brothers getting their happily-ever-after, I'm still curious about their eldest brother, Griffin. I know he's engaged, but I need his story! I'm always this way when it comes to supporting characters who are on the sidelines but evoke such an intense curiosity out of me. Gah! I know Pierce Whitfield (aka Amie's lawyer brother) is up next in I Flipping Love You but my fingers are crossed for Griffin too. For now, get hooked on Hooking Up! Five-plus stars! ♥

Release Date: 07 November 2017

Date Read: 04 November 2017

Learn more about Helena Hunting.

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