3.5*
Cute and generally snarky (my favorite kind) romance. It starts out with Ruby finding herself in a desperate situation - no job, no apartment and lots of debt. A state most that knew her family situation would be surprised to find out. Ruby is from big money but has chosen to go it alone to pursue her dream of making it as an actor. Her father is not amused and ultimately cuts her off.

Enter her best friend who introduces her to sexy Bancroft Mills, a successful business man who is headed out of the country for over a month and is desperate for a pet sitter for his exotic pets. Suddenly Ruby has a place to live, a salary and can start paying down her debt. Naturally sparks fly as they flirt and get to know each other via video chat during Bane's trip. But how can Ruby start a relationship with a man who she is so totally dependent on?

This book is an quick and entertaining read but a bit too predictable for my taste. It would be a great book however to take along on a vacation.

I've been wanting to read one of Helena Hunting's books for a while now. I was excited to find Shacking Up on NetGalley. It sounded like a lot of fun, and it totally was. I loved the witty, sexy banter and all of the hilarious moments between the characters.

Ruby and Bancroft's relationship started off in a really fun way. It was a slow burn relationship that started with a mistaken kiss and morphed into to pet-sitting. Pet-sitting turned to phone flirtation, and then to full on love. The transitions felt quick, but were spaced out over weeks and then months. The time gaps made what could have felt like insta-love feel real in progression.The first person dual point of views added so much to the reading experience.

When I first opened the book and started reading, I had an "oh no" minute. I wasn't sure I was going to like Ruby. She had a little bit of a snarky entitlement thing going on. The further I got into that first chapter, the more I realized she wasn't a rich princess. Ruby was a young woman struggling to prove her father wrong and make it on her own. I loved her tenacity and willingness to make the best out of her situation. I also loved her snarky, but caring personality. She was an incredibly fun character.

So was Bancroft. He had it going for him in every way possible. He had a hot body, a new lucrative career, and a great personality. Bancroft might not have been in the financial mess Ruby was, but he was still trying to find his place in life.

Both Ruby and Bancroft were trying to navigate the changes in their lives, while trying to figure out what their attraction to each other meant. I loved the evolution of their relationship and their characters. The heat between them was palpable. The build up to their crossing the sexual line made the moment it happened so much more intense and sensual. It was off the charts hot.

My only teeny tiny question about this book was Amalie. I felt like her story was left as a lose end. Like there should have been more to it. Ruby commented so much on her best friend's relationship, that I wanted to know more. I'm guessing that's another book, though!

Shacking Up is the perfect book for readers who like their dialog, characters and romance super sexy. I loved every minute of this book and can't wait to read the rest of Hunting's books.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review. Ruby, the daughter of a wealthy CEO, doesn't want to walk in her father's footsteps. She wants to be an actress and make it on her own. But when the auditions and roles dry up, her budgets tells her she may need to give up her dreams, and then her lips literally run into Bancroft "Bane" Mills. Although it is a case of mistaken identity, it does set in motion a chain of events for Ruby. Bane needs a house sitter and someone to watch his pets while he is out of the country for business. This gives their budding relationship a chance to simmer while they get to know each other via Skype. Will they be able to make a go of it when Bane comes back? There are lots of laughs and plenty of steam, so I recommend you toss this novel in your beach bag and enjoy!

You know the formula of a contemporary romance--awkward meeting, attraction slowly bringing hero and heroine together for sublime sex, a misunderstanding that clears up for happy ending, yay!

The thing is, sometimes you are in the mood for a book that delivers exactly what you expect--or at least I am. And when it is told in a hilarious narrative voice, with appealing central characters, then it stays on the reread shelf. Yup. You know where it's gonna end--the pleasure is in getting there.

I adored Ruby. She's a rebel against her rich dad who's on his third marriage with someone Ruby's age, and refuses to work for his pharm company, so dad cuts off her funding. She's living on ramen in a pit of an apartment, and is pinning her hopes on a last audition . . . but the night before it, she attends a dinner for her bestie, Amalia, who is soon to be married, runs into a guy bleared out by too much cold medicine and liquor who kisses her, thinking she's his date . . .

And, well, the audition goes spectacularly wrong. Bestie Amalia comes to the rescue, saying that a friend of her finance's needs a pet sitter. Of course it's our drunk, and the pets are a ferret and a tarantula.

And that's pretty much all you need to know. It's a funny, lusty story; the two get to know each other by video chatting while he's away, and when he gets back, the sparks really fly.

About the only complaint I had was that the secondary characters didn't get enough air time, especially Amalia, who doesn't deserve that snort-weasel she's engaged to. But I suspect that this is the first of a series, and Amalia might be next. I hope so--I will instantly get it!

I genuinely enjoyed this book. The main characters were well defined. Ruby was quirky enough to be fun and Bancroft is a big lovable hunk. The addition of Francesca is wonderful. She adds some lovely comedy and provides further insight into Ruby and Bancroft's personalities.

The only reason I feel the book is less than 5 stars is due to a lot of stereotyping. The secondary characters did not show much personality beyond what seemed like cardboard cutouts. Characterizing all wealthy people or Ivy League educated people as being shallow and entitled is too easy and a cop out. And it's just not true. But I understand the need for shorthand developed personalities in books.

Not everything in this book is resolved and tied up neatly with a bow. I don't know if this is typical for this author or she is planning more to come about this group. This is the first book of hers I've read. I liked it well enough to look for more from her.

As with most Helena Hunting books, I was in love with Shacking Up from the very beginning. I loved Ruby, Franny, and Tiny (I guess Bancroft wasn't too bad either). Definitely a quick, entertaining read - perfect for a blanket-in-the-park kind of a day.

This story is a totally fun contemporary romance from Helena Hunting. It's sexy, full of banter, and light with much comedic interludes. What you see is what you get from both main characters as they challenge and compliment each other from beginning to end. Told from alternating first person points of view coupled with Hunting's signature witty and sassy writing, Bancroft and Ruby energize the pages of Shacking Up.

Hunting's female lead has a mind and heart all her own. Not phased by trends or meeting familial expectations, Ruby lives in the moment as a starving Broadway actress. She's a lovable character with her zany quips and quirks. Loyal and honest to her best friend she literally runs into Bancroft at an engagement party. As her life situation becomes more dire Bancroft becomes somewhat of an unexpected white knight.

"His now lopsided grin is making my panties reevaluate their importance in my life."

Bancroft was a refreshing male lead. Rich but rugged I keep thinking is best to describe him. He's not pretentious and spent his twenties doing actually what he wanted rather than follow in immediate family footsteps. He shares that in common with Ruby which is part of the attraction even though the clash when it comes to rules and being meticulous. The clash is where the magic happens. A flourishing friendship leads to more between them both.

Shacking Up was truly a fast and fun ride. I enjoyed reading these two characters. I enjoyed Ruby's wit and Bancroft's reasoning to her sass. The two together had great chemistry and made the book easy to get lost in. Helena Hunting's writing allows to immerse yourself in their relationship easily. A romantically fun read to get lost in for a while. I think an contemporary romantic comedy readers will enjoy this story.

I have only ever read the Pucked series from Helena Hunting, so I wasn't sure what to expect from a stand-alone, pretty much sports-less book from her.

This book was really great. The characters are well developed and extremely likeable. It had the typical crass humor and dirty talk that Hunting is known for, in the Pucked series at least. Sometimes it bordered on too much, but not enough to make me cringe.

Ruby was a great h. Despite being born and raised in wealth, she was determined to make it on her own. I really admired that about her. I liked that she didn't try to take the easy way out and she wasn't a brat about it. She stuck to her guns and admitted when she was being a judgmental ass. She's a really great, well rounded character

Bancroft was also a great H. I think what I liked most about him was that he's not a manwhore. It was nice to see an Alpha male be just a good person. I liked the witty banter between him and Ruby and how much he liked to push her buttons. He wasn't overbearing and he wasn't overly jealous. He really seemed to care about her and their chemistry was off the charts. I also liked that they were awkward around each other when he first got back. It's a pretty realistic scenario when you consider the fact that they only knew each other for basically a day before he left.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book. It was just a fun, flirty, easy read. I'm hoping there will be a book about Amalie because she deserves a HEA that doesn't involve Armstrong. Here's to hoping! Pick up this book, you won't regret it!

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This is the first book I've read by Ms. Hunting and I need to read more! This book is hilarious! What a breath of fresh air! I absolutely loved Ruby and her smart mouth.I was able to identify with her personality,as someone that has #nofilter.

What do you get when you cross Bancroft Mills, a Hot retired professional Rugby player turned successful businessman, and Ruby Scott, a very talented woman determined to do things on her own terms and whatever it takes to make her dreams happen? You get a great storyline that is fun, witty and sexy. You get well developed characters that make you laugh. You get exotic pets and pet stories that will give you the warm fuzzies. You get all of this and more.

Helena Hunting has written another entertaining book that will make you smile, laugh and swoon, and sometimes all at the same time. If you have never read Helena Hunting's work, you are truly missing out. This is a definite must read and a book I highly recommend.
(less)

Helena hits this rugby story out of the park. I love her hockey stories and the description of this rugby guy hits all the feels like her hockey boys do.

Ruby is a trust fund girl who doesn't want her trust fund. She wants to prove she is more than her Dad's job offer. As a struggling actress she is almost forced to call in and admit defeat. But when her best friend Amie has a solution things aren't so dire.

Bancroft is harboring an illegal pet and can't trust just anyone to pet sit for him while he travels for work. He asks his bud's new fiancé to do it but she's not to keen on the idea. As a retired rugby player but also a trust fund kid that didn't follow in his father's company. But now that he's retired he his finding his way in the corporate world which has him traveling for the next month.

I loved that Ruby and Bancroft built a friendship (lustship) over video chat. That bonding time was great and made an easy transition once Bancroft is back in the US. Their chemistry is great. Their sexual chemistry was even better and great to read.

My only hope is that Amie will come to her senses and quickly. Let this be another book for her.

I was honestly surprised how much I loved this book, the characters, the dialogue, and the writing style. Ruby Scott comes from a rich family but wants to be an actress. Her family wants her to give up this silly dream and come work for the family. She's hit a (plausible) series of bad luck events, but has a big audition that will turn things around. Heading home early from her bff's engagement party, she runs into a hot hunky someone who mistakes her for his date and gives a kiss worth remembering... unfortunately, he also gives her the horrendous cold he has, and thus sets the stage for the rest of this fun romp.

Because it's a small world, hot sick kisser was a guest at the engagement party with ties to Ruby's BFF's fiancee. Ruby needs somewhere to stay and hot sick kisser needs a pet sitter while he goes out of town... Win-win for both! The conflicts that arise in many rom-coms are often so contrived that you have to silence reality, but author Helena Hunting somehow managed to fill this with so many relate-able situations that I was able to just enjoy them. The awkwardness, the flirting and nuance, the connections that you make... all I can say is that I'd put up with all that Ruby went through if it meant I got a Bancroft (Bane) Mills out of it. "Shacking Up" managed to be funny, fun, and hot in all the right amounts and I can't wait for more.

You will turn pages and not put this book down until you can see how the author unravels the issues, the many issues that are hampering Bane & Ruby’s HEA. The sexual tension is off the charts but circumstances just keep ratcheting up the heat. Yes, this book kept me laughing and swooning all night long. If you are a fan of movie romantic comedies, as I am, then I guarantee you will love this book. The characters seemed like real people you might know. We have Bancroft, Bane, who is a born protector/caregiver/caretaker/hot-as-hell former pro athlete and Ruby, an aspiring actress with a serious cash flow problem. They meet in a rather awkward way but there is an instant attraction.

This is my first reading of a book by Ms. Hunting and I am so impressed with her wit and character development. This is going on my list of Best-of-2017. Terrific writing and dialog.

This is the first book outside of the Pucked series that I've read. And it was definitely a fun and sexy romcom. In fact there were parts that I giggled at and with her descriptive writing, it was almost like watching a movie. I loved Bane.....such a stand up kind of guy! And the heroine's friend Amie....I hope there is a book for her too! Now the heroine.....she definitely resembled Violet (from the Pucked series) in her antics. She was a bit of a contradiction. She wanted to stand on her own two feet, yet she had no problem accepting a lot of money and help from Bane. She acted as if the condo was her own....bringing in work friends to practice......she probably ruined the floors! She talked about her independence and wanting to be self-supporting.......yet accepting $2000/wk for pet sitting was ok? Also the whole sleeeping in his bed was a bit ridiculous. I did like her though and her interactions with Bane was fun, sexy, and sweet.
I felt the conflict at the end was a bit unbelievable......I didn't see where she made the connection between the money and sex. And her jumping to conclusions regarding the whole Brittany thing was not in character, especially since she had been dating Bane for 5+weeks. It was not a real conflict like the one in Pucked with Alex and Violet(where he did really hurt her).
All in alll, it was a fun breezy read!

4.5 Stars

I love when Helena Hunting writes rom/com. Poor Ruby can't catch a break! Starving actress (literally) is at her BFF's engagement party and after stumbling out of the ladies room, play tongue hockey with a hot stranger. The hot stranger is Bancroft who is suffering from a bout with the flu and after said kiss proceeds to cough all over Ruby. The turns of events that happen to poor Ruby are both funny and awful lol.

Bancroft needs a pet sitter for his ferret and tarantula while he's away for five weeks, so the only way to make up for Ruby's mishaps, he will let her pet sit. There was some serious flirting going between these two while he was away. Ruby, almost running out of time, decides to audition for a burlesque show until she gets the part she really needs, plus a new place to live. When Bane comes back, all bets are off and the sexy times commences.

There was a serious misunderstanding between Ruby and Bane, but overall, they made up in a spectacular way.

I hope there are more characters to write about.

*An ARC was provided via Net Galley for an honest review.

Ruby goes to her best friends sorta engagement party. She goes to the restroom and when she comes out she is kissed by Mr. Hot himself. She finds herself sorta kissing him back. Quit judging the girl. She had some alcohol. His date at the time..Whoreface is all ticked off because she was sure she was going to be hooking up with him. The thing is..he was sick and all doped up on some flu meds.

Ruby gets sick from kissing Mr. Awesome Kisser and ends up upchucking all over the director at her audition. So now she is faced with a few choices. She is losing her apartment so she can be homeless, go running back to her rich daddy, or try and snab a job at her besties fiance's buddy's house, house-sitting his pets.
You know who that is don't you? Yep, and he is a former Rugby playing rich kid too. BUT I will give these few characters something. They are pretty likeable. Ruby doesn't want to go to Daddy and will almost starve herself to keep from doing so and the hottie himself. (His name is Bancroft) is a pretty decent guy too. I likey.
Now I will admit..some of these characters, including the guy that her bestie is marrying are total douche heads.
I wanted to punch his face.

But I digress. Ruby gets the job of taking care of Bane's animals. Now I have the major wants of a new pet..thanks Ms. Author. My husband hates you now.
Ruby and Bane don't get the insta-love because he is leaving the country for five weeks and they do some video chatting that kinda had me wanting to mash their body parts together.
But noooo this sucker is a slow burn. They don't make the sexy time for a long time. BUT when it finally does happen...
So..I'm starring this one a four. That's pretty good in sexy time book. It had some funny parts (always a win) and two characters that I actually really liked.

I may actually start a new religion. The Church of Bane Cock.

This was a quick read, but not the most interesting romance.

ARC provided through NetGalley for review.

4.75 Tongue Stars

Ruby is from a wealthy family. Though she grew up that way, she's rebelled a bit. She can't stand the way the wealthy need to stick within their circles and marry each other, and put on airs. She's in New York to become a theater actress, against her father's wishes. And he's shown his support by cutting her off financially. But she's determined to prove she doesn't need daddy's money... Which is why she's stashing hors d'oeuvres into a baggie in her purse at her friends engagement party, so she has food to eat. But on the way out she's thoroughly kissed by one Bancroft "Bane" Mills, of the hotelier Mills.

It seems Bane has had the flu, and though he probably should be at home resting, he's taken out a family friend, to his cousin's engagement party, who sent him suggestive photos taken while in the ladies room. Since too much cold medicine and alcohol don't mix, he mistakes Ruby for his date. Once he realizes his mistake, he can't get her out of his head.

When their paths cross again, Ruby who's become sick due to the passing of his germs from the kiss, which ruined a much needed audition, they strike a bargain. Ruby needs a place to stay and Bane needs pet sitting services while he goes away on business for the next 5 weeks. They agree she will stay in his penthouse condo take care of Francesca (Franny) and Tiny, which will give him peace of mind with his pets her Ruby a place to live while looking for a job and a new apartment she can afford.

During those 5 weeks, Ruby shows herself to be a breath of fresh air for Bane. Though she comes from his circles, she doesn't act like the other women he knows or is mother is trying to set him up with. Choosing to make her own path and struggle financially to do it. Ruby likes Bane as well. He took a different path by playing professional rugby, before joining the family business. He chased his dream, was successful at it, and is now a grown-up who doesn't judge her for what her dreams are.

Though Bane has never wanted a long distance relationship, he seems to be in one with Ruby, and doesn't mind at all. Though frustrated to the point of wanting to be physically near her. If he can just convince his father to let him work on the New York hotels and not the chain overseas.

These two can't seem to get enough of each other, but with their competing schedules they can't or don't take time to get on the same page by discussing what they are to each other. So when miscommunication causes distrust, emotions and assumptions spiral out of control.

I really liked this book. it's the first book I've read of this author away from the Pucked series, which I love. So I was pleasantly surprised, because these characters were very different. I've read other authors who basically follow a formula no matter what their series are and I find it hard to keep reading them. This wasn't the case. How they meet, how they get together, all very uniquely different from the sports series.

I liked Ruby a lot, though she let pride got in the way sometimes, this was something I completely understood with her drive to prove she could take care of herself. I loved Bane as well. He had done it all, seen it all, and was now ready to fit into the mold that was set for him in his family. He had a different relationship with his family. They had supported him in his endeavors to be different and follow his dream until he couldn't do it anymore. He was respectful to Ruby, but still sexy and dirty when he needed to be.

One of my favorite scenes in the book is the orange juice scene. Read it and you will know. I fell out laughing. There are other moments. I love Ruby's nickname for her stepmother who's only four years older than she is. She has some of the best words for things, like her superhero name after she's keeps getting sick, or the name of the business (Douchebags & Douchenozzles) she gives to the guy Armstrong is trying to set her up with.

The one thing that keeps me from giving it a full 5 stars is I'm still a little concerned about her friend Amie's relationship with Armstrong. And I don't really think it was resolved. Since it was given so much airtime in this book, with Ruby's concerns about how Amie had changed from the free spirited girl she loved to the woman who seemed to be dieting based on Armstrong's comments. I would have hoped that either they would have broken up or Amie would have addressed her changed behavior at some point. But maybe that means a sequel...?

Cute story, great sex, but predictable. I skimmed the last 1/3 of the book and just read the dialogue. To many mis-understandings and "angst" with the heroine.