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smsmith422's review against another edition
5.0
This world is my absolute favorite. I absolutely fell in love with Lavendar and Kody - but even more so I love Maverick and Clover. I love the way that Maverick loves her and I love the quote in the book, "You were never the tightrope. You were Kody's anchor and Lavendar's shield." It PERFECTLY described this relationship and all the feels that Maverick encompasses! I absolutely adore the way he loves and the way he treats others! Bravo to the author on another INCREDIBLE book!
vlccjdv's review against another edition
5.0
oh Maverick!
Maverick, you sweet man. You own a piece of my heart now.
What an amazing story. Maverick Waters is all the things I didn’t know I needed in a book boyfriend. Protective, supportive, loving, and thoughtful. A thousand stars!
Maverick, you sweet man. You own a piece of my heart now.
What an amazing story. Maverick Waters is all the things I didn’t know I needed in a book boyfriend. Protective, supportive, loving, and thoughtful. A thousand stars!
kaydanielsromance's review against another edition
5.0
I should have known, I should have been prepared for Maverick Waters, but his giant heart, his beautiful soul absolutely blew me away!!
As the son of NHL star Alex Waters and brilliant, but mostly known for her runaway mouth, Violet Waters, Maverick has a lot to live up to within his own family. Living in the shadow of his father isn't exactly easy, not that his dad has pressured him into playing hockey or even following in his footsteps...it truly is something that Maverick has always wanted, until senior year of college hits him like a ton of bricks.
Maverick is the middle child, basically. He's the child who doesn't create waves, he's the one who fixes everyone's problems, he's also the one that tends to get forgotten. How is that last statement even possible when he's following in his father's footsteps and living in the hockey limelight? Just look at the previous two statements and it all begins to make sense.
Within Maverick's own family, especially when they ALL suffered a terrible trama, it's easy to forget that it affects everyone and not just the individual. Helena tackled this anxiety and past trauma beautifully. I was in tears over and over again not only for Maverick, but for his entire family during these highly emotional moments. While Maverick was the fixer, the one his siblings always relied on and his parents could turn to, the one thing his parents didn't have to worry about was Maverick, but what did he do when his siblings no longer needed him and he's the one who might be a little lost?
Maverick's has a huge....heart (where is your mind going?) His huge heart extended to the woman he meets, Clover Sweet. She's someone he never saw coming, but once he's in, he can't stop thinking about her. His professor, who is forbidden and completely not available while he sits in her class.
Then her life completely flips his world upside down and the compassion he displays...sigh...he completely broke me open and I'm not only in awe of him, but how he lives his life, his core values and morals is just inspiring. Well done Alex and Violet for raising such a fine young man, with a mouth that does tend to run away with him and a well endowed....well you know ;) This time let your mind run free...LOL
Bitter Sweet Heart is melty with all the feels, tears, and sweet moments that Hunting is well known for. The Waters family is great together and especially in those small moments. Get some tissues for those.
As the son of NHL star Alex Waters and brilliant, but mostly known for her runaway mouth, Violet Waters, Maverick has a lot to live up to within his own family. Living in the shadow of his father isn't exactly easy, not that his dad has pressured him into playing hockey or even following in his footsteps...it truly is something that Maverick has always wanted, until senior year of college hits him like a ton of bricks.
Maverick is the middle child, basically. He's the child who doesn't create waves, he's the one who fixes everyone's problems, he's also the one that tends to get forgotten. How is that last statement even possible when he's following in his father's footsteps and living in the hockey limelight? Just look at the previous two statements and it all begins to make sense.
Within Maverick's own family, especially when they ALL suffered a terrible trama, it's easy to forget that it affects everyone and not just the individual. Helena tackled this anxiety and past trauma beautifully. I was in tears over and over again not only for Maverick, but for his entire family during these highly emotional moments. While Maverick was the fixer, the one his siblings always relied on and his parents could turn to, the one thing his parents didn't have to worry about was Maverick, but what did he do when his siblings no longer needed him and he's the one who might be a little lost?
Maverick's has a huge....heart (where is your mind going?) His huge heart extended to the woman he meets, Clover Sweet. She's someone he never saw coming, but once he's in, he can't stop thinking about her. His professor, who is forbidden and completely not available while he sits in her class.
Then her life completely flips his world upside down and the compassion he displays...sigh...he completely broke me open and I'm not only in awe of him, but how he lives his life, his core values and morals is just inspiring. Well done Alex and Violet for raising such a fine young man, with a mouth that does tend to run away with him and a well endowed....well you know ;) This time let your mind run free...LOL
Bitter Sweet Heart is melty with all the feels, tears, and sweet moments that Hunting is well known for. The Waters family is great together and especially in those small moments. Get some tissues for those.
igotskidsinmebasement's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
greenteabookme's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, where to even begin. This series / Helena’s writing just keeps getting better and better and it gets all my 5 stars!!. I always enjoy returning to this world and hanging out with my original loves of Alex and Violet never mind all their friends and everyone’s children, but every book in this series just keeps the story evolving further and deeper, that they are SO MUCH more than just a ‘sports romance’ series.
Bitter Sweet Heart was so real and emotional and parts hit super close to home. I really didn’t remember much about Maverick from Lavenders book as he isn’t a character that struck me with lots of personality in her book. And Clover was such a unique heroine with so much life experience, Helena did a great job of yet again introducing such exciting and new stories and dynamic characters! Without going into spoiler territory, I’ll just say that Clovers story of the abusive ex-husband and all that it entailed, is so close to my own story, that I was chilled to the bone in some parts and just really felt seen and heard in the writing.
The entire Pucked series and all the offshoots and branches of it make my heart sing, and Bitter Sweet Heart is no exception. Can’t believe I have to wait now for the next book in the series
Bitter Sweet Heart was so real and emotional and parts hit super close to home. I really didn’t remember much about Maverick from Lavenders book as he isn’t a character that struck me with lots of personality in her book. And Clover was such a unique heroine with so much life experience, Helena did a great job of yet again introducing such exciting and new stories and dynamic characters! Without going into spoiler territory, I’ll just say that Clovers story of the abusive ex-husband and all that it entailed, is so close to my own story, that I was chilled to the bone in some parts and just really felt seen and heard in the writing.
The entire Pucked series and all the offshoots and branches of it make my heart sing, and Bitter Sweet Heart is no exception. Can’t believe I have to wait now for the next book in the series
mycatismybookmark's review against another edition
4.0
"Sometimes you have to forge a new path so you can find your own light."
Profoundly emotional─be prepared to feel all the feels and be left with a book hangover─intensely heartfelt and dynamic. Clover and Maverick are and unlikely pair but their past and present life experiences bring them together in ways neither expected.
Now I'm not a reader that's drawn to student/professor or age-gap romances, so if you're not either I will clarify─these may be spoilery, but not too much─some points:
1) Maverick and Clover meet in the summer at the lake
2) Clover is only coincidentally Maverick's professor when she subs in for his creative writing professor while taking a temp job at his university
3) Maverick in 21 and Clover is 29 (I don't think and eight year age gap is all that much, especially considering how mature Maverick is)
4) Neither point 2 or 3 are mentioned ad nauseam, those are not the focuses of their story
Can you read Bitter Sweet Heart as a stand-alone? Maybe. But I like reading Little Lies (Lavender (Maverick's younger sister) and Kody's (Maverick's best friend) would give far more insight and complexity to Maverick's character and story.
H. Hunting has created a wonderfully intimate (and not just in the romantic sense) relationship. I adore the depth of maturity, compassion, support and care not only in regards to Maverick and Clover's relationship, but Maverick's relationship and bonds with his family and friends. These are truly special characters she's created.
Note: there are some subject matters and experiences that some readers may find sensitive. Please be aware of any content warnings. Be kind to yourself and take your mental and emotional health into consideration before beginning any story.
Profoundly emotional─be prepared to feel all the feels and be left with a book hangover─intensely heartfelt and dynamic. Clover and Maverick are and unlikely pair but their past and present life experiences bring them together in ways neither expected.
Now I'm not a reader that's drawn to student/professor or age-gap romances, so if you're not either I will clarify─these may be spoilery, but not too much─some points:
1) Maverick and Clover meet in the summer at the lake
2) Clover is only coincidentally Maverick's professor when she subs in for his creative writing professor while taking a temp job at his university
3) Maverick in 21 and Clover is 29 (I don't think and eight year age gap is all that much, especially considering how mature Maverick is)
4) Neither point 2 or 3 are mentioned ad nauseam, those are not the focuses of their story
Can you read Bitter Sweet Heart as a stand-alone? Maybe. But I like reading Little Lies (Lavender (Maverick's younger sister) and Kody's (Maverick's best friend) would give far more insight and complexity to Maverick's character and story.
H. Hunting has created a wonderfully intimate (and not just in the romantic sense) relationship. I adore the depth of maturity, compassion, support and care not only in regards to Maverick and Clover's relationship, but Maverick's relationship and bonds with his family and friends. These are truly special characters she's created.
Note: there are some subject matters and experiences that some readers may find sensitive. Please be aware of any content warnings. Be kind to yourself and take your mental and emotional health into consideration before beginning any story.
hella_thao's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
threadingfibers's review against another edition
5.0
"Sometimes you have to forge a new path so you can find your own light.”
Oh Mav!
Oh Mav!
lauren_soderberg's review against another edition
5.0
“You’re more than a craving; you’re a need.”
Bitter Sweet Heart proves once again that Helena Hunting (writing as H. Hunting) is a master at weaving wit with angst in this beautifully crafted novel.
Maverick Waters has always put everyone’s needs before his own, whether it’s out on the ice as a hockey player or at home with his siblings. His senior year of college is meant to be the final stretch before his career begins, but when a beautiful woman literally floats right into him, his plans are irrevocably altered. Clover Sweet is starting over, taking a temporary job as a professor, far away from her abusive ex. One thing she could never have predicted was that her steamy one-night stand would end up as a student in her class.
One of the things that Hunting always does adeptly is to present characters so fully sketched that they literally leap off the page. Readers were already introduced to Maverick in Little Lies, and the way in which the author unravels his character in this book is both surprising and satisfying. Hunting also treats trauma with such caring and sensitivity; you feel as if you are on the emotional journey with the characters. I laughed, I cried, my heart broke and then it mended. I felt emotionally invested the entire length of the novel.
Maverick and Clover make so much sense together, even though the obstacles in their path to partnership often seem insurmountable. And, my oh my, the steaminess! These two protagonists share palpable chemistry. Maverick’s wonderful, cinnamon roll energy makes consent and safety sexy, and I am all the way gone for that fictional man. Clover’s inner strength is inspiring, and the ways in which these two support and care for each other is utter perfection.
Couple all of that with the fact that readers are treated with cameos from the Pucked and All In series, and readers will be Helena Hunting universe heaven. (I also cannot wait for BJ’s book, whenever it may grace us with its presence.)
Readers who enjoy an expansive and epic character journey are in for a treat. This is one of my favorites reads of 2022.
Thank you to the author for generously providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Bitter Sweet Heart proves once again that Helena Hunting (writing as H. Hunting) is a master at weaving wit with angst in this beautifully crafted novel.
Maverick Waters has always put everyone’s needs before his own, whether it’s out on the ice as a hockey player or at home with his siblings. His senior year of college is meant to be the final stretch before his career begins, but when a beautiful woman literally floats right into him, his plans are irrevocably altered. Clover Sweet is starting over, taking a temporary job as a professor, far away from her abusive ex. One thing she could never have predicted was that her steamy one-night stand would end up as a student in her class.
One of the things that Hunting always does adeptly is to present characters so fully sketched that they literally leap off the page. Readers were already introduced to Maverick in Little Lies, and the way in which the author unravels his character in this book is both surprising and satisfying. Hunting also treats trauma with such caring and sensitivity; you feel as if you are on the emotional journey with the characters. I laughed, I cried, my heart broke and then it mended. I felt emotionally invested the entire length of the novel.
Maverick and Clover make so much sense together, even though the obstacles in their path to partnership often seem insurmountable. And, my oh my, the steaminess! These two protagonists share palpable chemistry. Maverick’s wonderful, cinnamon roll energy makes consent and safety sexy, and I am all the way gone for that fictional man. Clover’s inner strength is inspiring, and the ways in which these two support and care for each other is utter perfection.
Couple all of that with the fact that readers are treated with cameos from the Pucked and All In series, and readers will be Helena Hunting universe heaven. (I also cannot wait for BJ’s book, whenever it may grace us with its presence.)
Readers who enjoy an expansive and epic character journey are in for a treat. This is one of my favorites reads of 2022.
Thank you to the author for generously providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.