Review: If You Need Me by Helena Hunting (Toronto Terror #3)

Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author via Good Girls PR.

If You Need Me is the third novel in the Toronto Terror hockey romance series from Helena Hunting, and trust me, you need this book in your life. This can be read as a standalone, but do yourselves a favor and read the stories in order just so you don't end up stumbling upon a spoilers with regards to the first two couples in the series. This is Wilhelmina Reddi-Grinst, aka Hemi, and Dallas Bright's hate-to-love romance. When it comes to the Toronto Terror's public relations, Hemi's in charge, and she's darn good at her job. She doesn't shirk away from any and every challenge the job entails. That doesn't mean, however, that she's all that thrilled each time she has to wrangle one of the team's star players, especially when that player happens to be Dallas Bright, aka the bane of her existence since elementary school. She's hated him since they were kids; he, however, has loved her just as long. When he posts a photo of them together and declares her the love of his life, they end up faking a relationship in order to protect both their careers. Maybe this is Dallas's chance to finally convince his Wills that they belong together, but how can he do that when Hemi has only seen him as the boy who made her life torturous?

Can I just say that one of my favorite things about this book was Dallas calling Hemi "Wills"? It was absolutely adorable and highlighted how he always saw her in a different, brighter light. Theirs was a slow burn romance, and it was all about delayed gratification because every single tiny step they took made their coming together feel even more rewarding. I understood why Hemi was as wary as she was when it came to Dallas, so yes, it wasn't a simple matter of her getting over all those perceived Dallas red flags. But she was it for him, and come hell or high water, he was going to make things right and show her just how much she's always meant to him. From the bickering to the flirty banter and everything in between, Dallas and Hemi kept things entertaining while ensuring they remained endearing to readers like me. Of course, usual suspects, aka the Badass Babe Brigade and Dallas's Toronto Terror teammates, made their presence felt and helped out where they could while cheering on Hemi and Dallas to that elusive yet expected happily-ever-after of theirs. Dare I say that third time's the charm because this third Toronto Terror novel is my favorite (so far). Five stars for If You Need Me, and I can't wait for book four!

Release Date: 14 November 2024

Date Read: 10 November 2024

Learn more about Helena Hunting.

Pre-order If You Need Me on Amazon.