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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
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
I loved Nate and Essie. I love how Nate slowly falls in love but also how Essie has a take no shit attitude especially with both of their competitive natures.
Helena, is there anything you can't write?! Truly a story on how to move forward past hurt and trauma especially with THERAPY and not just an 'I'll fix you' romance. The way the story touched on this and spun it in such a positive light was so refreshing.
NOW PLEASE GIVE ME CONNERS!
Spice 2.5/5
Helena, is there anything you can't write?! Truly a story on how to move forward past hurt and trauma especially with THERAPY and not just an 'I'll fix you' romance. The way the story touched on this and spun it in such a positive light was so refreshing.
NOW PLEASE GIVE ME CONNERS!
Spice 2.5/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
The epitome of grumpy-sunshine. I loved the depth of all the characters, even the side characters. It really made it feel like we were part of the story. The writing for each character as well as the storyline was amazing. There was troubled pasts that had to be overcome and I love how that adds depth to the story and makes their emotions feel more real. I also loved the summer vibes with this one. It fit perfectly with the extra warm weather we’re having, making it the perfect summer read. Wishing I was on a beach at a fancy resort somewhere.
5 ⭐ 3.5 🌶️ 5 🎧
This was so freaking good. I absolutely loved Nate and Essie; they were absolutely perfect together. And then getting to see all our Toronto Terror and Tilton University friends (and Kodiak and Lavender too!) was really so special. This book was filled with laughs and nonstop smiles, but it had some beautifully emotional moments too.
I thought Helena progressed Nate and Essie's relationship so wonderfully. It felt very real despite how insanely fast they both fell. I loved the "it's just spice" tension and watching them actually fall was the best. This was some of my favorite spice from her too. It was both abundant and freaking hot as heck and I couldn't get enough. There's something to be said about people who can laugh and stay in the moment and I found these two so dang fun.
The audio was amazing. Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton are forever faves and I loved it so much. Add in the DUET narration and I was a goner. Thank you so much to Helena for the advanced copies!!
This was so freaking good. I absolutely loved Nate and Essie; they were absolutely perfect together. And then getting to see all our Toronto Terror and Tilton University friends (and Kodiak and Lavender too!) was really so special. This book was filled with laughs and nonstop smiles, but it had some beautifully emotional moments too.
I thought Helena progressed Nate and Essie's relationship so wonderfully. It felt very real despite how insanely fast they both fell. I loved the "it's just spice" tension and watching them actually fall was the best. This was some of my favorite spice from her too. It was both abundant and freaking hot as heck and I couldn't get enough. There's something to be said about people who can laugh and stay in the moment and I found these two so dang fun.
The audio was amazing. Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton are forever faves and I loved it so much. Add in the DUET narration and I was a goner. Thank you so much to Helena for the advanced copies!!
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
✦Series: This is a standalone that is connected to the Toronto Terror series.
Tristan ghosted Essie six years ago after a kiss that rocked both their worlds. He doesn’t believe love can last, and that his mom walking out on his family, and being cheated on by his ex, broke him. She falls in love too easily and is a hopeless romantic. She believes she’ll never find the one because everyone assumes she’s just a pretty face without brains.
Tristan ghosted Essie six years ago after a kiss that rocked both their worlds. He doesn’t believe love can last, and that his mom walking out on his family, and being cheated on by his ex, broke him. She falls in love too easily and is a hopeless romantic. She believes she’ll never find the one because everyone assumes she’s just a pretty face without brains.
❝I had this idea of who she was and what mattered to her, and the more I learn, the more I realize I was wrong about all of it.❞
❝He’s brilliant and broody and beautiful. My personal kryptonite.❞
✦POV: Dual first-person
I loved the text threads and wickedly flirty banter. Essie’s ruthless teasing was legendary and Nate’s vulnerability with her was so sweet.
❝❞
“A lot of this is over my head, but my panties are damp, so please keep sciencing me.” I fight a grin.
“Sciencing is not a verb.”
“I know, but it makes your brow furrow, which also makes my panties damp, so it’s my new favorite word. Please, keep explaining force and friction.”
❝❞
🎙️ Duet narration: Teddy Hamilton + Savannah Peachwood
They delivered an A+ listening experience that really gave Nate and Essie life. Their chemistry felt real and they were the perfect pair to cast. I will gladly listen again!
✦Spice: Open door, explicit
ICBY is a steamy romp six years in the making for Nate and Elsie. Being Tristan and Rix’s best man and maid of honour gives them the second chance only forced proximity can offer. The tension strengthens their chemistry which explodes when they finally give in and it was chef’s kiss! 🫠
❝Primal satisfaction rushes through me. I make her feel this way. I give her what she needs. I’m the one who gets to see her at her most vulnerable and beautiful.❞
❝This man, who is always stoic and in control, loses it with me. It’s a powerful feeling, knowing I broke him.❞
» Nate and Essie are A+ MCs. They are flawed but strong, multilayered and relatable. They truly see each other, and it was beautiful to watch their relationship unfold. Nate’s redemption arc was richly developed, and Essie’s growth made me so happy.
» The connection to the Toronto Terror series gives us the characters we know and love from that series with a throwback to Pucked. The Badass Babe Brigade are still girl squad goals, and we even get a little bit of Chase and Cammie from Chase Lovett Wants Me. Nate is Flip’s roommate, and their dynamic is hysterical. I love how Flip takes the piss out of him but is also a valuable friend.
✩ I can’t omit how tickled I am that in this world, Toronto has won the Cup (in the last 50 years)! 😂
♡ Helena did it again with another banger of a story that was addictive, funny, and wildly entertaining with so much heart. I devoured it in a day because I couldn’t put it down! ICBY totally hit the plot. HEA guaranteed!
❝The woman I’ve gotten to know is still fairy-tale obsessed, but she’s so much more than that. She loves with her whole heart. Even after I ghosted her all those years ago, she never stopped being nice to me. What if she could love me? What if I could love her?❞
🎧 + 📱 I received advance copies thanks to Helena Hunting and Netgalley as part of her Badass Babe Brigade.
Connect with me on Instagram for more bookish content!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Grief, Stalking, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This was such a fun, feel-good read—a perfect grumpy/sunshine escape!
Nate is the ultimate vulnerable grump, and Essie? Total rainbows-and-sparkles energy with a heart of gold. Together, they’re magic.
Thrown together as best man and maid of honor, proximity brings tension, banter, and undeniable chemistry. Nate doesn’t believe in love. Essie believes in it too much. And when they agree to keep things physical-only? Well… we all know how that ends. 😉
What really stuck with me was how relatable Essie felt—especially her fear of being seen as “too much.” Watching Nate not only fall for her, but help her feel cherished exactly as she is, was beautiful. And his emotional vulnerability? Swoon.
This is more than just a flirty romcom. It’s a tender, spicy, emotional story about letting someone see the real you—and loving you harder for it.
Nate is the ultimate vulnerable grump, and Essie? Total rainbows-and-sparkles energy with a heart of gold. Together, they’re magic.
Thrown together as best man and maid of honor, proximity brings tension, banter, and undeniable chemistry. Nate doesn’t believe in love. Essie believes in it too much. And when they agree to keep things physical-only? Well… we all know how that ends. 😉
What really stuck with me was how relatable Essie felt—especially her fear of being seen as “too much.” Watching Nate not only fall for her, but help her feel cherished exactly as she is, was beautiful. And his emotional vulnerability? Swoon.
This is more than just a flirty romcom. It’s a tender, spicy, emotional story about letting someone see the real you—and loving you harder for it.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Mr. Grump and Little Miss Sunshine are the epitome of opposites attract in this second chance romance. It’s all chemistry and competition for this best man and maid of honor.
Nate and Essie are two great characters introduced earlier in the Toronto Terror series. Readers could pick up that there was something between these two, but this story finally reveals all. Nate’s feelings on love, and his feelings about Essie, are complicated. They make him seem like a dark cloud. Essie, on the other hand, has decided to be rainbows and sunshine despite her past interactions with love. Now the two are repeatedly thrown together as best man and maid of honor for Tristan and Rix (the couple from the first book in the Terror series).
This book is a lot of fun as we see Nate and Essie’s incredible competence and their competitive nature inspire each other. We see them interact at every pre-wedding festivity, and eventually at the destination wedding itself.
Readers also start to see new sides of some of the other characters in this story and get a few glimpses at the romances to come.
Nate and Essie are two great characters introduced earlier in the Toronto Terror series. Readers could pick up that there was something between these two, but this story finally reveals all. Nate’s feelings on love, and his feelings about Essie, are complicated. They make him seem like a dark cloud. Essie, on the other hand, has decided to be rainbows and sunshine despite her past interactions with love. Now the two are repeatedly thrown together as best man and maid of honor for Tristan and Rix (the couple from the first book in the Terror series).
This book is a lot of fun as we see Nate and Essie’s incredible competence and their competitive nature inspire each other. We see them interact at every pre-wedding festivity, and eventually at the destination wedding itself.
Readers also start to see new sides of some of the other characters in this story and get a few glimpses at the romances to come.
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
If you are looking for a book with a bit of tension, banter, spice and laughs - Helena Hunting got you!
Nate and Essie has history and now they are best man/maid of honor for BFF and brother's wedding. The story is fun and full of casts from Hunting's books as it is about Rix and Tristan's wedding. I have not read their story and did not feel lost. I was able to see other beloved hockey players in her other books.
There's a lot of funny moments and tender moments as well. The wedding setting was so perfect to have these two get together.
I did find the comment about how pretty Essie was a bit over the top. This was a big theme in the story but it was knocked in our head a bit too many times for me.
The duet performance by Savanah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton truly made the story come to life.
Thank you @dreamscape_media @netgalley for a copy of this audiobook.
Nate and Essie has history and now they are best man/maid of honor for BFF and brother's wedding. The story is fun and full of casts from Hunting's books as it is about Rix and Tristan's wedding. I have not read their story and did not feel lost. I was able to see other beloved hockey players in her other books.
There's a lot of funny moments and tender moments as well. The wedding setting was so perfect to have these two get together.
I did find the comment about how pretty Essie was a bit over the top. This was a big theme in the story but it was knocked in our head a bit too many times for me.
The duet performance by Savanah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton truly made the story come to life.
Thank you @dreamscape_media @netgalley for a copy of this audiobook.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved this so much! Nate and Essie's second chance romance was so addicting that I couldn't put it down! The charged tension, fiery banter, and electric chemistry all had me absolutely hooked, and completely invested in their journey to their HEA. Nate and Essie shared a passionate kiss when they were in high school, but Nate ghosted her when he went off to college, not wanting the stress of a long distance romance. Now they both back in the same city, with successful careers, and back in each other's lives. Nate is the best man for his brother's wedding and Essie is the made of honor for her best friend. They are both in charge of activities, and their competition to make their ideas the best is hilarious! Essie is all light and sunshine, while being completely organized, and Nate is dark and grumpy, flying by the seat of his pants. I love the way they clash, and the tension between them is their foreplay, leading to some very sizzling hot passion together. They try to keep it secret so that the focus is on the bride and groom, which leads to even more hilarious and tense moments. They both guarded their hearts because they are complete opposites. Essie wants romance and love, and Nate doesn't believe he is worthy of love after being burned in the past. What will happen when the wedding is over, will they go back to being frenemies, or will they open their hearts and fight for each other? I loved Nate and Essie together and cheered hard for their HEA! I loved how strong Essie was and knew what she wanted, including Nate and his nerdy engineering adorkableness, and also being there for him when no one else was. Nate is so swoony with a heart of gold, but my heart broke for him as he struggled with his past, and then soared when he was sweet, caring, and deliciously dirty. It was so much fun catching up with all their friends and family too, who were meddlesome, supportive and loving, adding so much fun and heart to this story. This story really has it all: humor, healing, forgiveness, found family and love. I couldn’t put it down, loving every moment.
Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton did an amazing job with this story. Their voices were so complimentary and were perfect for Essie and Nate. They easily move from light to genuine, deep emotion, making my heart race between laughter, anguish, passion, and tears of joy. I really enjoyed their performance and thought they did a great job bringing these characters, and this story to life!
Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton did an amazing job with this story. Their voices were so complimentary and were perfect for Essie and Nate. They easily move from light to genuine, deep emotion, making my heart race between laughter, anguish, passion, and tears of joy. I really enjoyed their performance and thought they did a great job bringing these characters, and this story to life!