I will literally read anything that Helena Hunting writes. She is able to bring the humor without missing the heart of the story. She always brings the heat and the characters always have the best, but believable chemistry. I loved this book so much!

Hooking Up was everything I had hoped it would be. It was a story of heartbreak, but also one of healing. Helena Hunting's writing was fabulous! Despite Amie going through such an emotional ordeal, the book was super funny. And the setting! The Bora Bora backdrop couldn't have been anymore beautiful.

Amie was such a great character. She literally kicked ass. I loved that she was strong mentally and physically. Her reaction to Armstrong's cheating was perfect. The ups and downs she went through couldn't have been more perfect -- especially with Lex to help her heal.

Lex was pretty amazing himself. He may have been a little mischievous in the past, but he was a stand up guy in the present. The way he supported Amie during the downfall of her short marriage was so nice.

As for Armstrong -- I loved to hate that guy. He was the perfect jerk. I hated him from the moment I met him up until the very end. I'm happy he got what he deserved.

I absolutely loved this book! Romance lovers definitely should read it! Hooking Up is a standalone novel, but I really recommend reading Shacking Up first. Shacking Up is Bane and Ruby's story, and you'll see a lot of them in Hooking Up because Bane is Lex's brother and Ruby is Amie's best friend. Plus, Amie, Lex, and Armstrong are all introduced in Shacking Up. Reading both of these books in order will make the experience all that more fun. Both Shacking Up and Hooking Up are amazingly entertaining and hilarious romantic reads. I can't recommend them enough!

This book was everything! I love love all of Helena Hunting books. I won't get to into the book as you really need to read it. If you read Shacking Up you will know these characters. Hated Armstrong? Oh just you wait.
This is definitely one of my faves by this author.

Another great book from this author. After a humiliating occurrence at her own wedding. Amie take off her honeymoon by herself to get away from it all. While there she runs into a familiar face. He helps to distract her and make her forget all about her wedding. When they get back to the real world will they be able to stay away or will it be to hard? I loved this book and all the hilarious moments. This was also a very emotional read I truly enjoyed it.

It's a testament to Helena Hunting that this was a three-star read. A few too many of my reading NO-NOs and I was getting frustrated.

Amalie and...Mr X end up in a romantic hotspot after her husband (of a few hours) cheats on her. They fight the attraction. They hook up. She's filled with regrets. She does flaky whiny things. She drinks..a lot. And he remains this rockstars super-solid dude who should prolly realize that she needs like a year of therapy and haul ass.

Honestly, homeboy carried the book. He was sweet and sexy and a little naughty while Amalie never rose above tepid, insecure and a lush.

<b>"_______ is polished, but beneath that smooth exterior is the kind of bad boy I've always found myself hopelessly attracted to."</b>

I couldn't get past my issues - the jerky ex (honestly, how am I supposed to like a character stupid enough to marry a psychopath?!?!?), family pressure, the constant constant fleeing, rebound romance that should occur 4 months down the road not 4 days, and "problems" that could be resolved with a 14 minute conversation.

<b>"Energy crackles between us and I can't decide if it's in my head, or maybe because I'm slightly intoxicated, but for a very protracted moment I want to be alone with him. Naked and alone. I want to forget the mess my life is."</b>

Still, Hunting writes steamy, sweet characters with high-readability. Stuff that would make me chuck my kindle with another author just has me rolling my eyes and reading on. Not my favorite ever, but it could be worse...

<b>"'I don't ever want you to feel tethered in this life again. I just want to keep your heart safe, baby.'"</b>

5 star +++.
Helena what do you did !!! I totally loved this book, I devoured it in one sitting, it was all I expected and more, too hot, sexy, with chemistry, tender, funny, and great characters, my mind can not stop reproducing the scenes and dialogues of the book, I fell in love with this couple too.
Since I read Amie in the previous stories I knew her book would be too good and definitely I was not wrong, this story is completely addictive, every opportunity I had I slipped into a corner to read, because from the prologue to the epilogue kept me completely entertaining.
As we know, Amie has a horrible experience at her wedding, and she has to flee to Bora-Bora to escape all the pressure and problems that come up, I felt so bad for her, the truth is that humiliation is difficult to overcome. I do not want to delve into the wedding situation, for not to create spoilers, I'm just going to say that Armstrong is the stupidest character I've ever read and I hope he has no redemption. Helena should join him with Tash.
In her escape appears the protagonist, let me tell you, made my mouth water, is too perfect, sexy, tender, sweet, super hot, did I say sexy ?, and I LOVE his way of being and the support he gave Amie.

"Dear sweet lord of all things panty melting, this has to be the sexiest man to ever walk the planet. The only thing that would make him sexier would be if he was holding a puppy, or better yet, a baby."

"Regardless, it doesn’t matter if he’s dressed in a suit, wearing his glasses, screwing around on his laptop, wearing a pair of board shorts, naked and fucking me— he’s just sexy. And kind, and sweet, and smart."

Now, I LOVED the connection between the protagonists, that spark and chemistry that jumped with every look, every dialogue, every caress, still causes me shivers, butterflies in the stomach and makes me blush. It's so addictive, I can not stop thinking about this couple. And the sex scenes, boom, are simply spontaneous combustion.

"After what feels like far too many seconds of prolonged eye contact, the same heat that caused my cheeks to flush moves through my body, making my scalp, among other places, tingle."

"The connection we have. The electric burst of lust that rules my body every time she puts her hands on me. This is how it is between us. Always intense, out of control"

"She’s my sun and I’m her moon, connected by an invisible thread, bound but free."

Of course, I adored the secondary characters, Ruby, Bane, the dads, brothers, I died of love with them and their unconditional support to Amie.
For those who know the pen and stories of Helena, you know as I do that her stories are always super addictive and this was no exception, development, plot, takes you from fun, stress, sadness, tenderness, the sexual tension and that end that I loved. I guarantee that you will fall in love with the characters over and over again. Super recommended for all who read the two previous books of the series.

It is with mixed feelings that I write this review. On the one hand, I LOVED the swoon-worthy hero and liked the strong heroine as well. They are both very well developed, and the chemistry between them is palpable. On the other hand, my enjoyment of this book was very hampered by Amie's total douche of an (ex) husband. He kept showing back up, being more douchey every time, and even when he wasn't around, I kept cringing as I waited for him to show back up. Turns out that it was a trigger for me, and I don't necessarily think it would affect someone else's enjoyment of the book unless they shared such a trigger. With that being said, I really enjoyed the author's writing style, so much as that I'd like to go back and read the first book in this series, which I think I would enjoy a lot more. I also appreciate how strong the character of Amie is written. I kept expecting her to throw her hands up and cave at Armstrong's bullying at some point, but she never did. She gave him a very entertaining earful on each encounter. Yeah Amie! She is every emotionally bullied gal's hero. :-)

Such a fantastic and entertaining story.I loved every minute of Hooking Up , it was fun,sweet,super hot and the romance was incredible.The characters were fantastic.

Lexington is a swoon worthy hero, he is sexy,sweet and he likes Amie so much.Amie is one of my favorite heroines.Together they were perfect, seriously these two were so perfect for each other.They have some really hot and passionate moments together.They make me swoon all the time ,they are the cutest.

I find the storyline refreshing and maybe this is the reason why I loved it so much.It was a long time since I fell hard for a book.Hooking Up goes to my favorite books for 2017!! I highly recommend it to everyone!

Hooking Up, Helena Hunting

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Romance

This was a fun, spicy read, but not my favourite of Helena's books. I really enjoyed reading it, its a worthy 4 stars for me but not the spark that makes a five.

One of the reasons for that I guess is that its a very sensual read, and much of that spice covers a huge chunk of the story but only a couple of weeks in time, meaning the rest of the story tended to get a bit crammed. It'd be hot car encounter - very steamy and then...its several weeks later.
Though those gaps were covered it left me thinking did they really have no contact? what else went on? It just left me feeling a bit disconnected. 

The characters were great, Amie, perfect girl, but her past has lead her to try to save her family any more embarrassment and take the safe route.
She thinks Armstrong loves her, they will be happy and if he doesn't set her on fire, well, his respectability makes up for that.And then at the wedding reception all that goes so very wrong, and she faces what she knew in her heart, Armstrong isn't the good guy, the one for her, she deserves better.
She knew it really but wanted to please her family, and ignored all the little clues, started moulding herself with Armstrong's not so subtle hints into a stepford wife type lady. 

Armstrong, he really was a prig, so self assured, so much belief that his way was the only way. He doesn't regard blow jobs as cheating, tries to spin it that he was doing it for Amie, so that he could last longer with her later...WTF, the man's incapable of seeing his actions are ever wrong.He even says in their sphere its accepted that a man have a couple of mistresses and they don't count, that Amie is making a fuss over nothing, bringing bad publicity to the family. she's had a lucky escape.

Hottie hook-up - I think that's what Amie's best friend Ruby calls him, ( as requested by author I'm avoiding naming him!!) - is gorgeous, a great man but there are things he's keeping quiet about for reasons that are clear later . I loved him, so kind, genuinely so, and so sensual. He knows what he's doing when it comes to sex, and he's happy to explore further, to have fun. He was perfect for Amie, but she needed to get rid of Armstrong first and that guy's not going easily....

There are some funny moments here, bits that made me smile, ( the luggage inspection) and some sad ones too.
The sex, wow, hot and steamy and fitted the story so well, its just that at times it took the place of possible plot expansion, filled the time when the story could have been moving forward.
Its not a hugely long book, 4373 kindle locations - and the sex does take up a disproportionate amount of time I feel, making that actual story a bit rushed. I would have liked parts to be more expanded. Still, that's just me, others are happy to have less story and more sex...you can't please everyone.

Stars: four, a fun and sensual read. 

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

I’m sure every Rom-Com fan is counting down to the Release day of Hooking Up and all I need to say is you will not be disappointed, the Queen of Romantic Comedy has once again given us a book that will captivate you, it’s a fun, hot read with characters that will keep you entertained.
Married to the wrong guy, trying to get your wedding annulled and finding out you on a island with the man you should have dated is just the tip of the iceberg in this story.
This author has a knack of writing hilarious scenes and making the best of any situation, this book has it all, I wanted to give Armstrong a slap and I really wanted Amie and Lex to get the HEA they so deserved because they are the perfect couple who will have you in stitches with their banter and humour, it was also great to catch up with the gang from Shacking Up and I really hope there’s more to come from this group of friends.
Brilliant read that I could not put down.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Having finished Shacking Up not long ago I was super excited to receive an ARC of the book, and just like Shacking up it was just as funny.

It’s Amalie’s wedding and what should be the happiest day of her life soon turns into the worst, when her new husband is heard by her and almost the entire wedding party getting jiggy with someone else. In a moment of shock, she throws herself at the first guy she sees but Lex wants more than to become a revenge screw. In an attempt to escape all the wedding drama Amalie packs up her stuff and goes on her Honeymoon only to discover that Lex is headed in the same place for business.

– What happens in Bora Bora stays in Bora Bora right?

Realising that they are staying on the same island Amalie and Lex decide to have a fling and spend a few weeks getting to know one another very intimately. What they didn’t count on was falling in love.

Not only was this book laugh out loud funny it was also very sweet. I enjoyed the chemistry between Amalie and Lex it felt real and genuine. I loved Amalie’s resilience to all the bullshit that Armstrong threw her way, this guy is such a douche I already disliked him when he was first mentioned in Shacking Up, he had all the signs of a manipulator from early on.

In comparison Lex was like a breath of fresh air, completely the opposite of Armstrong, I liked how from the get-go he looked after Amalie, and even though he knew he had feelings for Amalie he didn’t have any expectations and was happy to just give her what she needed, whether that was a shoulder to cry on, time or some hot and steamy sex!

This book is told in the first person from dual perspectives of Amalie and Lex. The writing was clear and easy to follow and I liked the pace at which the story unfolded. It was also lovely to see Ruby and Bane again. I loved these two in Shacking Up!

Oh Amie. I hate to say I told you so but we all saw this coming. Armstrong is a dirty rat. Most of us sniffed him out from a mile away.

Now if you caught the snippet in the Eye Candy Anthology you knew where this was going to go. And I, for one, couldn't wait!

There was something else I couldn't wait for. Anarchy Amie. I love her. That is who Amie is meant to be.

This book was not only hilarious (the airport scene made me snort!) but heart warming, hot and beautiful.

3 stars!

This was so cute, I hadn't read the previous one but luckily it wasn't needed to follow the story. Amalie is at her wedding when the groom gets caught cheating and that completely shutters her world. She doesn't hesitate and throws herself at the first guy she sees, the groom's cousin, Lex. When he turns her down because she's obviously in distress, she doesn't ask raids and instead runs away from him and to her honeymoon in Bora Bora alone.

Of course Led ends up their for business and the two hook up. When they return things go back to normal because she's still married but that doesn't last long.

I enjoyed the first half of the book more because the second half had a few tiny time jumps and a lot of on and offs with the characters. The first half was packed with action and it had a nice flow.

3.5-4 Stars

When hooking up becomes more than hooking up. The author does a good job bringing a jilted bride out of hiding. Amalie is humiliated and hurt but knows what she needs . Her salvation and her secret doesn't stay hidden for long then all hell breaks loose.
I enjoy it but at times the characters were a little juvenile for their age.

OMG! What a twist! I want more Helena!!!
Amie deserves true happiness and we got a glimpse of her relationship with the devil....ohhh umm I mean Armstrong, in Shacking Up. I couldn’t stop thinking, it’s weird, why is she with him? Does he really make her that happy? However, I didn’t know Amalie’s story, her background with Armstrong, nothing! So when I saw Helena was writing Hooking Up and it was all about Amalie I just had to read it!

I don’t want to give to much away but if someone is treating you like shit, is always putting you down, always judging you or trying to “fix” you, he is not meant to be with you! Let him go and move on no matter how much it hurts! It will never get better. The one that’s meant for you will treat you like a queen, will always tell you your perfect and that nothing is wrong with you! That’s the man I want and what everyone should have in their lives!

Amie has always been attracted to the wrong type of guys and maybe that’s because of how she was raised but to assume everyone that looks like the typical bad guy, is a bad guy is what put her in this position in the first place. She needs to believe in herself and believe that her heart will lead her to the right person, even if she thinks that person is off limits. I won’t tell you who that person is that she thinks is off limits but thank goodness it’s him, because I feel like he has loved her from the first moment and would give her whatever she asks for! Helena Hunting could not write this story any better! I could not put it down! There was always something happening, there was no down time in the book at all. There was always something brewing in the background! It was wonderful. When a book makes you feel all the feelings and you can’t put it down, well that’s a 5 star from me! I can’t wait to read the next one! I believe these can be read as standalone, but I would definitely read Shacking Up before Hooking Up! I wonder whose story is next?????

*~*Received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review*~*

This book was unbelievably SEXY!!!

After reading the authors PUCKED series I knew she was no stranger to sexy and steamy reads, but HOOKING UP topped them all, it was HOT!!!

WOWZER!

Amie and and her Hook-Up scorched the sheets wherever they met.

While reading EYE CANDY I fell in love with Amalie. Indeed I couldn't wait to meet her fully. After all, Anarchy Amie sounded like someone I would adore. Additionally I truly wanted Amie to end up with Lex. Consequently my hopes were high!! And I'm happy to announce that the author heard my silent prayers.

If you haven't read SHACKING UP yet, this is what you need to know:

Amalie had the misfortune of being engaged and eventually ended up married to the wrong guy. It all came to a shocking halt during the wedding reception - and I can only say OMG!!!!

What a fantastically emotional and fun ride!

After her wedding reception ordeal, unbeknownst to each other, Amie and Lex headed both to the same exotic location. Due to their chemistry and attraction they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Because their life, family and friends were on a different continent, they decided to have FUN - nobody would know, right! While they explored each other, they realized that there might be MORE than just attraction between them. Obviously when the "honeymoon" was over and it was time to head back to reality, both had trouble letting go. Rather than giving in immediately, they tried to keep distance between each other.

I truly applaud them for trying.

Ultimately Amie wasn't in the right state of mind, since she was still married, even if it was just on paper.  At the same time Lex was feeling bad that he had feelings for his cousin's "wife". Hence their attraction couldn't have happening at a worse timing. Because of that I sympathized with both of them equally. The emotional connection and attraction between the couple tugged and pulled them towards each other to the end that they just couldn't help each other. At the same time family obligations, and a husband who didn't want to be a ex-husband, as well as rumors  - made everything so much more complicated.

With this in mind, may I strangle Armstrong??????

He was a PEST!!!! In other words he was the ultimate character to abhor, despise, and he clearly needed a kick, a smack and a time-out. YIKES!!!!

By now you must know that I'm BIG fan of Helena Hunting. I love her wit. But moreover I adore her skill to write the most hilarious scenes and situations, frankly they are some of the BEST I read so far. For this reason she is one of my MUST READ authors.

In addition, Hooking Up allowed me to catch up with Ruby and Bancroft - which I loved ♡♡♡ Furthermore it seems like there could be a book about Lincoln - it sounds like he might have an interesting story to tell. :D


Review will be live on the blog on October 20th

➳Forbidden and sexily delicious. That’s what Helena Hunting has to provide in this compelling and forbidden love story…

➳After reading Shacking Up , it was no news that Amelie would be getting her own story. At first, it indeed was a mystery who would become her one true love. It was also known from the start that it would not have been Armstrong out of all people since his actions definitely provided an insight to the true person he is and how much of a hatred I have towards him. After reading Eye Candy the reveal of Lexington being added to the picture became a heart throbbing ”YES” from me. Lexington, not only being the younger brother of Bancroft, but also being somewhat in relation with Amie, shows aspects to being a gentlemen that no one else has portrayed with a mixture of authority, and an ooze of sex that makes you crave for more;
“He’s such an interesting paradox. The intense sexuality he oozes seems to be balanced with this fun side I’m getting to know better. I like that he doesn’t take himself too seriously…”

➳Helena is known for her comedic scenes, and this love story is no exception. Her quirky attributes are demonstrated here and there. From Lexington having blue bacon stripped socks, to Amie bringing a carry-on bag filled with sex toys of every kind, Helena Hunting never misses to bring a smile to my face and a laugh that provides such a tender happiness whenever I read any of her books.

➳To make this review spoiler free, I will provide with enough information so the story is understandable. From what we have gotten of the previous books that follow up with this story, Amelie is in transit to get married to Armstrong. Actions are being turned and Armstrong becomes the ultimate character in which I had shown the most hatred for. He is an excellent example of men out there who have no dignity towards women and just simply are arrogant a**holes. As Amie tries to move on from such a horrific event of her life, her actions of anger take her to a position in which Lexington has to endure. Though Lex is not against it, he knows the smart thing to do is to let her down and comfort her in a way that connects them in an emotional level. Yes, the attraction towards each other is there, and yes, the forbidden thoughts of having each other in a more carnal way is also present. However, Lex and Amie soon come to a realization that being out in the public in regards to their “relationship” is a bad idea due to the position Amie is in with Armstrong. But their care and compassion towards each other will never go away;
“I’m not supposed to have her beyond this even if I want her. And I do. I can still taste her. I can still smell her. I can still feel her even though she’s gone. Again…”

➳Though Amelie and Lexington learn to object their obstacles once back home, they also learn how much their presence has become something ideal and necessary towards each other’s lives. Helena has provided— yet again— another love story that will have you salivating for more and much more. She is not only the master at keeping great balance of fun and seriousness in a story, but she also provides an insight to her mindset and her idealistic world that I can forever and eternally adore. Though I will say, a certain character was mentioned towards three-fourths of the story that I am really interested in. Do I suspect another story for the mysterious brother that has gone away to boarding school since he was little? If so, then I sure as hell am in!

➳Overall, this was a love story that compels you to read more of Helena’s books. Her writing is impeccable in a way that you really cannot identify a single mistake, but instead get a sense of adoration towards her characters and her fictional worlds. I highly recommend this book for anyone who believes in second chances and in forbidden— but really sexy— love affairs that have you craving for more. This book is indeed a standalone, but it is also highly advised that Shacking Up be read first, and then Eye Candy be read after reading Shacking Up , that way you have a better understanding towards where Amie and Lex come from and also know more about Ruby and Bancroft— the couple from Shacking Up .

What a sweet and hot read. Read it through in two days and that does say a lot.
Lately, I've been in a reading-slump. So, I buy books - read 5 chapters and delete it.
But this book, these characters and this story - kept me consuming. Literally, I devoured it like my favourite chocolate from Läderach or Luxembürgerli from Sprüngli.
If you know what those two things are - you'll exactly know, how delicious this book was.

What can I tell you about this book, without spoiling it for you guys?! (Legit, nothing)
So I'll just put the blurb down here:
Amalie Whitfield is the picture of a blushing bride during her wedding reception–but for all the wrong reasons. Instead of proclaiming his undying love, her husband can be heard, by Amalie and their guests, getting off with someone else. She has every reason to freak out, and in a moment of insanity, she throws herself at the first hot-blooded male she sees. But he’s not interested in becoming her revenge screw.
Mortified and desperate to escape the post-wedding drama, Amalie decides to go on her honeymoon alone, only to find the man who rejected her also heading to the same tiny island for work. But this time he isn’t holding back. She should know better than to sleep with someone she knows, but she can’t seem to resist him.
They might agree that what happens on the island should stay on the island, but neither one can deny that their attraction is more than just physical.

Filled with hilariously scandalous situations and enough sexual chemistry to power an airplane from New York City to the South Pacific, Hooking Up is the next standalone, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from Helena Hunting, the New York Times bestselling author of the Pucked series and Shacking Up.
I mean damn, right?

Well, why should anyone read this book?
If you're up for a really entertaining and steamy romantic comedy - then this book is the right fit for you.
You'll be grinning like an idiot the whole time and you're body will go up in flames, cuz that's how hawwwt the intimate scenes are. *droooools* *drools again*
And the story-line: Guys, it's perfection. How everything is just perfect. How everything makes sense. I loved it. Entertainment pure.

What's different about this book?
Uhm, first things first: The jokes aren't forced at all and everything seems real, as if this story could be real. And as a hopeless romantic, this book made me realise - that everyone will find their soulmate, eventually. :)
Hooking up by Helena Hunting, is not a book, which will leave you speechless and will be a constant company your whole life, but it sure is a damn fine fling. ;) Got it? :p
While the whole fling, you just feel free, careless and happy. That's different about this book.

Character description:
Two words, amazing and lovable. Really, they are perfect for this book. I would never ever try to chance them.

If you're looking for:
- a lil anxiety
- an amazing hero
- an interesting villain
- a lovely heroine
- an amazing plot/storyline
- HEA
- steamy (and I mean really steamy) scenes
- a good laugh while the whole book
- being entertained
Then you're in good hands here!

My opinion:
This book is nothing new, special or breathtaking - but it sure gives you a good time and we all need that once in a while. :)

My rate: 4 out of 5