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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Arc/ alc review
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Audio 🎧🎧🎧🎧.5
Spice 🌶️🌶️
I love me a The Toronto Terror universe and the family that is created in it. And I will shout to all about Helena’s amazing books!!
This audio had me! This is my first dose of an audio grumpy MMC but with a sweet side to him. It was so good! I was feeling my feels and squeals as I listened to this audio. The steam was steaming!
Essie and Nate finally connect again after a brief encounter they never told any of their friends about. Essie is fairy tales and happily ever after. Nate does not think love lasts… or maybe it’s just him that unlovable. They both want to help each other and along the way lines get crossed and feelings grow. But Essie cannot afford to be hurt again and Nate is not sure he will ever be enough. Are they doomed from the start? Or will they grow together?
Love love love this group! Everyone makes an appearance in this book! And we get a few sneak peeks that have me squealing!!!
#helenahunting #icouldbeyours #coverreveal #oppositesattractromance #hockeyromance #grumpysunshine #bestmanmaidofhonor #bbbinfluencer
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Helena Hunting is a rockstar and no one can tell me anything different. Hello Mr. Nate Stiles, Engineer extraordinaire. When they say grumpy meets sunshine, this couple is the face of it. Essie is all happiness, love and the queen of spreadsheets. She has to work with Mr. Competitive himself as they are maid of honor and best man to Tristan and Rix. Now this leads to some hilarious & embarrassing moments which had me laughing so much. And who better to help this along than in duet by the elite team of Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton. I enjoy Helena’s writing so much. She draws you in from the moment you begin. AND the gangs all here including some surprises that I won’t spoil. Bravo for yet another 5 star story!
Another fantastic book set in Helena’s hockey world. I really love how all these amazing stories are interconnected. Essie and Nate, so much chemistry. I absolutely loved the grumpy sunshine vibes. I loved seeing more of our favorite characters. I loved the opposite attracts with Essie and Nate. I loved seeing how Nate navigated some hard things he was going through. I can’t wait to continue reading these stories. Loved the little hints of what’s to come.
I'm obsessed! Helena Hunting excels at a lot of things but one of my favorites is her ability to write a Friend Group. Honestly the closest thing I can think to compare her friend groups to is literally F.R.I.E.N.D.S the show because how does she make all of these different characters work so well together and how does she get her readers to literally never want to say goodbye to them????
I haven't fully immersed myself into Toronto Terror after my Pucked high but I decided to read Chase Lovett Wants Me since it was a standalone and see if it gave me the same vibes as Pucked and it 10000% does!! (Highly recommend if you haven't read it yet because Cammie is so Violet coded). After reading CLWM, I knew Essie was going to be such a fun character and I wasn't wrong! She is perfect in I Could Be Yours. There are also so many other recurring characters that reading another Helena Hunting book feels like coming home.
I really liked how there was no stigma towards Essie for having body piercings (especially in secret places). Essie is the hopeless romantic so many of us have been in our lives. Obsessed with fairytales and hearts and the color pink - she spoke to me on a spiritual level. She also has been thought of as more of a conquest than a woman with an actual personality. I felt so much for her and I knew Nate was exactly who she needed.
Nate has had a rough life and it's affected him a lot as an adult. I'm sure a lot of this is explained in If You Hate Me since his brother is the MMC in that book but I think it's handled extremely well in this book. All that being said, I could feel how much he yearned to be what Essie could want and need. He may not have understood love very much, but he WORKED for it. He worked to be the man he wanted to be and have the relationship he wanted to have with the woman he wanted to be with.
I adore a secret hookup trope and this is also kind of "best friend's brother-in-law" or something like that but whatever it is it totally works! The spice and tropes are fun and interesting and exciting, they really kept the story rolling.
I think this book healed a part of me. My heart is just so warm for these sweet souls and I will have to keep reading more about this friend group because I'm invested now.
I haven't fully immersed myself into Toronto Terror after my Pucked high but I decided to read Chase Lovett Wants Me since it was a standalone and see if it gave me the same vibes as Pucked and it 10000% does!! (Highly recommend if you haven't read it yet because Cammie is so Violet coded). After reading CLWM, I knew Essie was going to be such a fun character and I wasn't wrong! She is perfect in I Could Be Yours. There are also so many other recurring characters that reading another Helena Hunting book feels like coming home.
I really liked how there was no stigma towards Essie for having body piercings (especially in secret places). Essie is the hopeless romantic so many of us have been in our lives. Obsessed with fairytales and hearts and the color pink - she spoke to me on a spiritual level. She also has been thought of as more of a conquest than a woman with an actual personality. I felt so much for her and I knew Nate was exactly who she needed.
Nate has had a rough life and it's affected him a lot as an adult. I'm sure a lot of this is explained in If You Hate Me since his brother is the MMC in that book but I think it's handled extremely well in this book. All that being said, I could feel how much he yearned to be what Essie could want and need. He may not have understood love very much, but he WORKED for it. He worked to be the man he wanted to be and have the relationship he wanted to have with the woman he wanted to be with.
I adore a secret hookup trope and this is also kind of "best friend's brother-in-law" or something like that but whatever it is it totally works! The spice and tropes are fun and interesting and exciting, they really kept the story rolling.
I think this book healed a part of me. My heart is just so warm for these sweet souls and I will have to keep reading more about this friend group because I'm invested now.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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
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
It’s not a secret I love Helena’s writing, and have REALLY enjoyed the world she’s created with the Terror books and the Tilton U spin off (plus of course the cameos from our original Pucked world), so I knew Nate and Essie’s story was going to fit right in with the rest of these favorites.
This book is technically a stand alone, but for full enjoyment I’d definitely suggest reading Tristian and Rix’s book (If You Hate Me) first, since this story takes place around their wedding.
Things I loved and reasons to pick this book up (very similar to the other books I’ve mentioned in this world)
- The absolute best found family vibes, the older I get the more I appreciate seeing a friend group show up for each other
- Banter and humor are top notch, opposite attract + two highly competitive people + 2nd chance vibes= pure gold
- Therapy! It’s great to see even in light hearted books, that we’re focusing not just on sunshine and rainbows making things better, but people putting in the work to make themselves better
- And of course the evolution of the side characters (some who’ve been mains, and others we’re eagerly awaiting….. Looking at you Flip and Tally, also petition that Sam and Iaasc are going to need books)
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-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
"Just be you. That's all I want, just you."
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.
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Pushed together from their love of the bride and groom, Essie and Nate find themselves crossing paths more often then both of them would like. Haunted by a kiss from six years ago (and Nate's subsequent ghosting right after), will they be able to work through the hurt and embrace their mutual attraction?
Helena Hunting was one of the first romance authors I started reading when I first dipped into romance (circa 2017, the Shacking Up series) and there's such a comfort in her writing style. This was so fun, Essie was the sweetest and I loved reading which outfits she chose, along with all of Nate's brooding. His hurt made so much sense, and you found yourself rooting for them (and all the other couples as well) throughout this book! The familiar drama in this was well-done and messy, and the fact that multiple characters discussed therapy was so refreshing. This was such a fun read, I loved it a lot!
🌹: Their back-and-forth banter was so good, along with the way they truly couldn't stay away from each other. Despite his reservations Nate kept an eye on her the whole time, and I loved the moments were it was so clear that he loved all of her (not just her beauty, which we were reminded of often). And all the moments with them sneaking around were so fun. (And I am very interesting in reading about Connor and Dred!! They got me with his tattoo'd-Mr.-Darcy-esque antics)
🥀: I thought this was a stand-alone (and it is/can be read that way!) but I felt like I missed some sweet moments and inside jokes since I hadn't read the rest of the Toronto Terror series, and the characters & their relationships were hard to keep straight. Though great writing/marketing, because it definitely had me book marking some of them!
Tropes & Tags: grumpy x sunshine, forbidden romance, maid of honor x best man, second chance romance, dual pov, found family
Highlight Count of Smutty & Swoon-Worthy Moments: 110
[I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, thank you so much! 📖] (less)
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.
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Pushed together from their love of the bride and groom, Essie and Nate find themselves crossing paths more often then both of them would like. Haunted by a kiss from six years ago (and Nate's subsequent ghosting right after), will they be able to work through the hurt and embrace their mutual attraction?
Helena Hunting was one of the first romance authors I started reading when I first dipped into romance (circa 2017, the Shacking Up series) and there's such a comfort in her writing style. This was so fun, Essie was the sweetest and I loved reading which outfits she chose, along with all of Nate's brooding. His hurt made so much sense, and you found yourself rooting for them (and all the other couples as well) throughout this book! The familiar drama in this was well-done and messy, and the fact that multiple characters discussed therapy was so refreshing. This was such a fun read, I loved it a lot!
🌹: Their back-and-forth banter was so good, along with the way they truly couldn't stay away from each other. Despite his reservations Nate kept an eye on her the whole time, and I loved the moments were it was so clear that he loved all of her (not just her beauty, which we were reminded of often). And all the moments with them sneaking around were so fun. (And I am very interesting in reading about Connor and Dred!! They got me with his tattoo'd-Mr.-Darcy-esque antics)
🥀: I thought this was a stand-alone (and it is/can be read that way!) but I felt like I missed some sweet moments and inside jokes since I hadn't read the rest of the Toronto Terror series, and the characters & their relationships were hard to keep straight. Though great writing/marketing, because it definitely had me book marking some of them!
Tropes & Tags: grumpy x sunshine, forbidden romance, maid of honor x best man, second chance romance, dual pov, found family
Highlight Count of Smutty & Swoon-Worthy Moments: 110
[I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, thank you so much! 📖] (less)
I love being back with this amazing, fun found family, especially when they all come together to celebrate Rix and Tristian, but that's also when we truly fall in love with Essie and Nate as they finally realize their feelings for each other after one fateful night 6 years before this book is set. Essie and Nate have so much chemistry, that you could tell every other character (besides Tristian and Rix) picked up immediately and that makes it so much funnier that they tried to keep it a secret.
Essie is doing her best to keep Rix's wedding timeline on track for the weeks leading up to the wedding, which allows for so many fun moments as Essie and Tristian as they are the best man and maid of honor. I loved how much they ended up just hanging out because they are the only two single people who weren't actively seeking a hookup, so they just partnered up, which helped fuel their relationship to become more than physical.
Nate is dealing with a lot internal stuff and I love that Tristian makes sure he deals with it in an appropriate way, which is so helpful when it comes for rooting for him when he makes mistakes. Nate and Essie have such a great relationship, and there is so much to find out and explore and I loved it so much!
Essie is doing her best to keep Rix's wedding timeline on track for the weeks leading up to the wedding, which allows for so many fun moments as Essie and Tristian as they are the best man and maid of honor. I loved how much they ended up just hanging out because they are the only two single people who weren't actively seeking a hookup, so they just partnered up, which helped fuel their relationship to become more than physical.
Nate is dealing with a lot internal stuff and I love that Tristian makes sure he deals with it in an appropriate way, which is so helpful when it comes for rooting for him when he makes mistakes. Nate and Essie have such a great relationship, and there is so much to find out and explore and I loved it so much!
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Reading this ARC was enjoyable and so much fun. It was interesting to see how the author would we’ve in the other characters since neither Essie or Nate are directly linked to the hockey team.
The execution was great only part that left me wanting more was the ending.
The execution was great only part that left me wanting more was the ending.