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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
This was my first book by Helena Hunting, and I picked it up as part of a buddy read challenge. I read and listened to it at the same time, and honestly, the audiobook was fantastic. Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton nailed the narration. You could really feel the chemistry between Essie and Nate through their voices—it made the story hit even harder.
The tension and chemistry between Essie and Nate were exactly what I hoped for. There’s this slow burn, full of banter and awkward moments, that slowly builds into something intense. They’ve both been hurt in the past, and it shows. That one moment where Nate finally opens up, and Essie says she doesn’t believe him—ugh, that one hurt. You could feel how afraid they both were to let go of the past.
I loved the second chance angle in this romance. Nate and Essie had history—one kiss, and then six years of silence. Now they’re thrown together as best man and maid of honour at a wedding, and all those old feelings start coming back. They both try to stay professional, but it doesn’t take long before the sparks start flying again.
Essie is pure sunshine—warm, hopeful, and always trying to see the best in people. Nate, on the other hand, is broody, guarded, and completely closed off. They’re total opposites, but somehow that just works. Their dynamic is funny and sexy, especially when they start competing—whether it’s planning the wedding or, later on, behind closed doors.
This book has a bit of everything: grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, second chances, and just the right amount of spice. It’s emotional without being too heavy, and full of witty dialogue.
🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖
⭐⭐⭐⭐
🅐🅤🅓🅘🅞🅑🅞🅞🅚🎧
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Narrated in duet by
- Teddy Hamilton as Nate
- Savannah Peachwood as Essie
🅢🅟🅘🅒🅔
🌶️🌶️🌶️
🅣🅡🅞🅟🅔🅢
🩷Second Chance
🩷Best Man / Woman
🩷Grumpy vs. Sunshine
🩷Enemies to Lovers
🩷Banter
🩷Secret Relationship
The tension and chemistry between Essie and Nate were exactly what I hoped for. There’s this slow burn, full of banter and awkward moments, that slowly builds into something intense. They’ve both been hurt in the past, and it shows. That one moment where Nate finally opens up, and Essie says she doesn’t believe him—ugh, that one hurt. You could feel how afraid they both were to let go of the past.
I loved the second chance angle in this romance. Nate and Essie had history—one kiss, and then six years of silence. Now they’re thrown together as best man and maid of honour at a wedding, and all those old feelings start coming back. They both try to stay professional, but it doesn’t take long before the sparks start flying again.
Essie is pure sunshine—warm, hopeful, and always trying to see the best in people. Nate, on the other hand, is broody, guarded, and completely closed off. They’re total opposites, but somehow that just works. Their dynamic is funny and sexy, especially when they start competing—whether it’s planning the wedding or, later on, behind closed doors.
This book has a bit of everything: grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, second chances, and just the right amount of spice. It’s emotional without being too heavy, and full of witty dialogue.
🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖
⭐⭐⭐⭐
🅐🅤🅓🅘🅞🅑🅞🅞🅚🎧
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Narrated in duet by
- Teddy Hamilton as Nate
- Savannah Peachwood as Essie
🅢🅟🅘🅒🅔
🌶️🌶️🌶️
🅣🅡🅞🅟🅔🅢
🩷Second Chance
🩷Best Man / Woman
🩷Grumpy vs. Sunshine
🩷Enemies to Lovers
🩷Banter
🩷Secret Relationship
I loved Nate’s broody grumpiness so much! I loved seeing him peel back the layers to Essie’s personality and how encouraging he is of her work. And I loved that Essie is obsessed with his brain 🤣 the whole bad*** babe brigade is phenomenal and seeing the whole Toronto terror crew show up for Tristan and Rix’s wedding was so fun! I loved Nate and Essie’s love story — Nate had a lot of growing to do but he wanted to do it to be the best he could be for Essie which is beautiful to see play out on the pages. Another winner for me!
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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:
Yes
emotional
funny
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
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I absolutely loved this book! Nate and Essie have great chemistry,and the banter and playfulness made for a witty and fun time! I loved catching up with Bea and Tris,as they are my favorite couple of Helena’s Toronto Terror crew. The steaminess, the setting, the feelings of friendship and nostalgia were all present in this story,and as always, I look forward to Helena’s next installment with these wonderful characters.
Gah, I just love the characters and the worlds Helena Hunting creates in every series. I devoured If I Could Be Yours. Nate and Essie we have come to know and love them, but now we know why Essie tries to avoid Nate at all costs. Though now that Rix and Tristan are getting married, that means the best man and maid of honor are always thrown together. Essie is determined to make this the best wedding for Rix and that means avoiding Nate as much as possible, but he has become hard to ignore. The chemistry between these two is undeniable and the more they get thrown together the harder it is to ignore that burn. Nate has tried to stay away from Essie, but the pull is always there. Can Nate and Essie move on from their pasts and actually have a go at it or will it fizzle before it really started? If you love the banter, spice, found family we have come to know and love and hockey players, you’ll be in love with this book!
I absolutely loved reading Essie and Nate’s story. Throughout the Toronto Terror series we’ve seen glimpses of these two and I was so keen to read their book.
And what a way for them to come together. Highly recommend reading this one!
And what a way for them to come together. Highly recommend reading this one!
OH MY. I never fail to be charmed by the magic that is a Helena Hunting Romance. I Could Be Yours sizzles with chemistry, emotional growth, unique characters, and effortlessly funny banter. With the summer vibes, the Toronto Terror connection, and the perfect balance of heart, heat, and humor this is a delightfully funny, sexy, and heartfelt summer read/listen. I couldn't put it down!
One kiss....and then he ghosted here. What an auspicious beginning. And for six years, they avoided each other. Now Nate’s brother Tristan is marrying Essie’s best friend Rix (EEP I love the cross over), and suddenly, they are forced to confront their past almost romance. Both are part of the wedding party—Nate as best man, Essie as maid of honor. They are off at a destination vacation wedding—and they’re in a full-blown competition to outdo each other. And to try to not fall back into each other...which is just TOO hard to resist.
Nate is now a successful executive at a sports company. He's focused, stoic, ambitious, a bit straight laced....but Essie's sunshiney joy completely unsettles him. The memory of their kiss unsettles him. She's the spark in his otherwise stable world. Essie, the hopeless romantic, the girl with some stars in her eyes. She loves love- and wants her bestie to have the fairytale wedding she deserves. But Nate is the storm cloud to her otherwise sunshiney disposition. And even worse, she can't help but fall back into his orbit. And soon these two just can't deny what's between them. What they always knew was there and avoided.
I love a good cross over, so while this can be read as a standalone it's Toronto Terror adjacent in the best way. So, as a fan of that series, I had already been excited about the prospect of this story. Essie is such an endearing heroine- she's sunshine and happiness and total light. A total sweetheart. It's a wonder Nate didn't immediate fall at her feet in the past (bonehead). But like we always come to find, there's more to Nate and his hesitations. He's a bit grumpy, a lot bit bottled up, and Essie is the effervescence he needs to bust through all his barriers. I simply adored her, and I grew to love Nate as we saw him grow into the man he could be with her. Helena Hunting has some of the best characterization and characters specificity in the business, and as always these characters feel so unique and complex, while also still feeling universally relatable and lovable.
Their chemistry is equal parts emotive and fun. They have some epic banter (it is Helena Hunting after all), and a great balance of humor and heat between them. While we could hold it against Nate that he doesn't just revel in the magic of Essie, Helena gives him a really compelling character arc that felt both believable and relatable. I loved the mental health aspect too. And I loved how it gives substance to their connection, room for it to grow into something more layered and soulful, and helps transition the more tense beginning into a meaningful connection. And of course, the spice be spicing! I really was charmed by watching these two fall.
The audio is also fantastic, one of Helena's best. Savannah Peachwood is an all time favorite, and she was the perfect casting for lovable Essie. Her charisma, her charm, the zest and energy in her performance perfectly captures Essie's spirit. And Teddy Hamilton is always stellar as a grump with a heart who finds his love. He juxtaposes mercurial resistance and hesitant vulnerability so well in his performances, so he really nailed the Nate. This was heavily bingable, I couldn't stop listening.
PLUS, I'm loving the sneak of what's to come with the Terror!
What to Expect
🏝️Vacation Romance (with all the summer vibes)
🏝️Best Man x Maid of Honor
🏝️One Kiss to Dislike to Lovers
🏝️Forced Proximity
🏝️Second Chance(ish)(6 years later...)
🏝️Grumpy x Sunshine
🏝️He Hates Everyone But Her
🏝️Found Family
🏝️Toronto Terror Adjacent
One kiss....and then he ghosted here. What an auspicious beginning. And for six years, they avoided each other. Now Nate’s brother Tristan is marrying Essie’s best friend Rix (EEP I love the cross over), and suddenly, they are forced to confront their past almost romance. Both are part of the wedding party—Nate as best man, Essie as maid of honor. They are off at a destination vacation wedding—and they’re in a full-blown competition to outdo each other. And to try to not fall back into each other...which is just TOO hard to resist.
Nate is now a successful executive at a sports company. He's focused, stoic, ambitious, a bit straight laced....but Essie's sunshiney joy completely unsettles him. The memory of their kiss unsettles him. She's the spark in his otherwise stable world. Essie, the hopeless romantic, the girl with some stars in her eyes. She loves love- and wants her bestie to have the fairytale wedding she deserves. But Nate is the storm cloud to her otherwise sunshiney disposition. And even worse, she can't help but fall back into his orbit. And soon these two just can't deny what's between them. What they always knew was there and avoided.
I love a good cross over, so while this can be read as a standalone it's Toronto Terror adjacent in the best way. So, as a fan of that series, I had already been excited about the prospect of this story. Essie is such an endearing heroine- she's sunshine and happiness and total light. A total sweetheart. It's a wonder Nate didn't immediate fall at her feet in the past (bonehead). But like we always come to find, there's more to Nate and his hesitations. He's a bit grumpy, a lot bit bottled up, and Essie is the effervescence he needs to bust through all his barriers. I simply adored her, and I grew to love Nate as we saw him grow into the man he could be with her. Helena Hunting has some of the best characterization and characters specificity in the business, and as always these characters feel so unique and complex, while also still feeling universally relatable and lovable.
Their chemistry is equal parts emotive and fun. They have some epic banter (it is Helena Hunting after all), and a great balance of humor and heat between them. While we could hold it against Nate that he doesn't just revel in the magic of Essie, Helena gives him a really compelling character arc that felt both believable and relatable. I loved the mental health aspect too. And I loved how it gives substance to their connection, room for it to grow into something more layered and soulful, and helps transition the more tense beginning into a meaningful connection. And of course, the spice be spicing! I really was charmed by watching these two fall.
The audio is also fantastic, one of Helena's best. Savannah Peachwood is an all time favorite, and she was the perfect casting for lovable Essie. Her charisma, her charm, the zest and energy in her performance perfectly captures Essie's spirit. And Teddy Hamilton is always stellar as a grump with a heart who finds his love. He juxtaposes mercurial resistance and hesitant vulnerability so well in his performances, so he really nailed the Nate. This was heavily bingable, I couldn't stop listening.
PLUS, I'm loving the sneak of what's to come with the Terror!
What to Expect
🏝️Vacation Romance (with all the summer vibes)
🏝️Best Man x Maid of Honor
🏝️One Kiss to Dislike to Lovers
🏝️Forced Proximity
🏝️Second Chance(ish)(6 years later...)
🏝️Grumpy x Sunshine
🏝️He Hates Everyone But Her
🏝️Found Family
🏝️Toronto Terror Adjacent
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
Helena Hunting goes a little wild on the nicknames, and so many of her characters are intertwined. I loved Nate and Essie, and really loved Flip as a friend for Nate (talk about growth from If You Hate Me until now!), but some of the tension was a little forced. Tristan and Flip lean hard into the therapy thing, and then it takes almost no work to resolve the 3rd act breakup. Overall, I would have liked to see a little more tension between the characters, but they had good chemistry and I gave it 4 stars.
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I have really enjoyed reading sports romance books every since I started reading a few years ago and it's still one of my favorite genres. Pucked was one of the very first books I read by the author and every single time she writes I try to read the story she has brought out. It's been a whirlwind but a true rollercoaster of emotions between the lead characters, Nate & Essie, but I also enjoyed the side characters that were written into the story.
Nate & Essie have known each other for a while and there was something between them years ago but it went totally wrong. When his brother and her best friend are getting married, they're thrown back together as both are organising the best surprise but most of all help out with the wedding that they both want to make the best one yet. Being in each other's proximity isn't really what they want but that spark between them is still alive and kicking. But Nate still hasn't really dealt with the past and when it comes back to haunt him and his family. Although Nate & Essie have become real close, there's still a fine line that's so fragile between them and Nate still doesn't seem to open up his heart to love. But will he take a chance in the end?...
Nate & Essie have known each other for a while and there was something between them years ago but it went totally wrong. When his brother and her best friend are getting married, they're thrown back together as both are organising the best surprise but most of all help out with the wedding that they both want to make the best one yet. Being in each other's proximity isn't really what they want but that spark between them is still alive and kicking. But Nate still hasn't really dealt with the past and when it comes back to haunt him and his family. Although Nate & Essie have become real close, there's still a fine line that's so fragile between them and Nate still doesn't seem to open up his heart to love. But will he take a chance in the end?...