sharontherese 's review for:

I Could Be Yours by Helena Hunting

5.0

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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: Yes

---

If you’re not sure which beach read to dive into this summer, look no further. I Could Be Yours is an overload of romantic cuteness combined with a generous dose of angst. Nate and Essie’s story is a standalone; however, Hunting cleverly entwines other characters from previous books so naturally that newbies are guaranteed a thoroughly enjoyable read. 

Nate did a runner years back, and that was enough for Essie. Now she’s determined that his black cloud won’t rain on her sunshine, especially seeing that they’re planning every minute detail for her bestie’s and his brother’s nuptials. She takes being maid of honour seriously, and Nate, who’s to be best man, soon realises that if he’s going to meet her organisational skills–the spreadsheets are something else–he’ll have to up his competitiveness. And so the fun and games begin. 

I couldn’t have enjoyed Essie and Nate’s banter and inner thoughts more while listening to the dual narration. Teddy Hamilton’s husky tone suited Nate's character to a tee, and Savannah Peachwood conveyed what Elsie was striving for perfectly. I cried in a couple of scenes. Struggling with past traumas, Nate’s situation devastated me, and even though he’s a love sceptic, the chemistry between them is undeniable. Trying to protect their hearts isn’t as easy as either of them thought. Therefore, I questioned whether they’d be able to find middle ground.

Not only did Nate and Essie steal the show, but other family members and friends shone too. Essie, with all her positive virtues, is easy to love, and Nate, who is super protective of his own, quickly swept me off my feet. And I’m keeping my fingers crossed that one of Hunting’s characters gets his story. To say how he literally saved the day, and how angered I was with the individual involved, would be putting it mildly.    

Queen of well-timed laugh-out-loud moments, Hunting has delivered a fast-paced and engaging romcom. Grumpy-sunshine second chances, family dynamic tension built on past and present issues and sizzling steaminess, it’s all here. Bravo, Hunting! And to Hamilton and Peachwood, kudos for knocking Hunting’s words out of the park.