There is a LOT of hooking up going on in this book. A fair share of sexy times, for sure. Poor Amalie, humiliated in the worst of ways and left to pick up the pieces. Her ex is certainly a douchenozzle, too. Wow, Helena can write a seriously unlikeable character.

Anyways, so this is partly a story about her overcoming all this and learning to listen to her heart. And also a story about hooking up and it turning into so much more. It's funny, sexy, and quite an entertaining read.

The main love interest she is with is way sweeter and genuine than anyone gives him credit for. I loved these two together. This was enjoyable and can be read as a stand alone but also goes well after reading Shacking Up.

Wow! This book had the perfect mix of humor, romance and hot sexy love scenes. Amie was meant to be together with her special someone so with time, a little bit of luck and fate stepping in they found their way past some rough times right into each others arms. Helena Hunting has a wonderful way of letting the reader feel the emotions that her characters are experiencing.

This book is nearly the perfect romance. The only thing that could have made it better for me would have been a longer ending to see a little more of their HEA. Maybe we will see them again in the next book.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy provided by St. Martin Press/NetGalley.

I adored this book, story and characters!!! it was just a page turner for sure!!! I was happy to see them get their HEA and how the story flowed so naturally!

Amie has just had the most humiliating experience of her life when her brand new husband cheated on her during their wedding reception. She ends up running away on the honeymoon and runs into the man she had thrown herself at after she found out about her husband.

Amie is the best friend of Ruby from Shacking Up and both she and Bane make an appearance. It was really nice to see, across both books, how much Ruby and Amie support and care for each other. Female friendships are sometimes not a big focus in books or seem to have an antagonistic edge to them. Ruby and Amie, though, provide unconditional friendship and love to each other.

I don't want to give too much away about Amie's solo honeymoon, but she doesn't stay alone for long.

Hooking Up has a lot of heat, romance, and humor. I did like Shacking Up more, but found moments that made me laugh a lot.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For far too long, Anarchy Amie has been leashed…confined in the restraints that Armstrong forced upon her when they started dating in order for them to be deemed a ‘respectable’ couple in the eyes of the social elite.

And what does Amie get for meeting all of Armstrong’s demands??? Sub-par vanilla sex, fake orgasms, and a marriage that would have never happened if Armstrong’s true nature was revealed and if Amie didn’t feel the need to find a ‘good boy’ to tame her crazy ways.

But what’s done is done and in the aftermath of what will go down in history as the Wedding Reception from Hell or Blow-Gate actually provides Amie with an opportunity to release Anarchy Amie on the beaches, in the dance clubs, and in an all-inclusive luxury hotel in Bora Bora and find a way to work through the humiliation and heartache that she feels with a hook-up of the hottie variety and as fate would have a certain Sexy Lexy is in the same location, and he is more than willing and incredibly able to free Amie from the conservative shackles that still bind her due to marriage and help her exhibit her less than class self in the dirtiest and naughtiest ways.

Ever since Helena Hunting introduced Lexington Mills to readers, I’ve been impatiently waiting for his book and then when I read Hunting’s contribution to Eye Candy and witnessed how Lex gravitated towards Amie and the chemistry that sizzled between them despite pencil-dick Armstrong’s claim on her, I became a one-woman cheer squad for Lex and Amie to explore their mutual attraction and boy does Hunting give them the perfect setting to be one another’s ‘temporary diversion’ and maybe even more if Lex has anything to say and do about it.

I’ve had the pleasure of being introduced to a bevy of kickass heroes in the worlds that Helena Hunting creates, and I’ve adored the lot of them, but Lexington Mills is in a class of his own. I love how much of a paradoxical man Lex is; some people perceive him as a ‘good-time guy’ with not much substance, and while he tends to play up that idea, only doing what he HAS to do and nothing more, Lex is not that simple of a man. There’s a depth to him that few see because they choose not to and their opinion of him does not matter to Lex because he knows the kind of man he CAN be and he proves that with how he handles his business while in Bora Bora and when he returns home and how he shows another side of himself to Amie – the side that allows her to be herself and to explore how free Lex makes her feel just by simply being around him.

I would choose Anarchy Amie over reserved and demure Amalie every single time. I can’t say that I blame her for going with Armstrong because he does appear to be the ‘safer’ choice and the complete opposite of the bad boys she dated in her wilder days, but she should have gone with her gut instead of feeling like marrying him was the best choice to make. But once she’s done with Armstrong, she’s DONE and Helena Hunting does a fantastic job of transforming Amie into the woman she was before Armstrong, which is exactly who she has always been at her core and it’s the woman who Lex can’t get enough of, even when their sexual liaisons were not supposed to continue once they returned to their ‘normal’ lives.

Armstrong definitely gets the douche award for everything that he is and for every single despicable and demented word and act that he says and does to Amie and Lex. If there was one man who deserved to catch every STD on the face of the Earth, it would be him because he is that much of a slime ball.

Helena Hunting definitely has me HOOKED on her stories and her characters and I can’t wait to see what she brings readers next!

4.5 Poison Apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)

4.5 stars!

I adored Amelia in Shacking Up and was thrilled when I heard she was getting her own book. I never liked her fiancé, Armstrong, and I knew here was so much more to her story than the awful life she was destined to have with him.

Amelia, also known as Amie, had sworn of bad boys when Armstrong walked into her life. Her past boyfriends caused nothing but trouble and she thought Armstrong was exactly the kind of “good guy” she needed. In the end though, she found out he was all kinds of wrong. At their wedding, she hears first-hand what an asshole her new husband is, and angry, embarrassed, and heartbroken, she flees.

"I can’t believe my forever lasted less than twelve hours. I can’t believe the man I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life loving couldn’t be faithful to me for even one day."

We got to see an entertaining glimpse of Amie and Lex together in Getting Down: A Shacking Up novella and we could feel a spark between them even though Amie was with Armstrong, Lex’s cousin. When all hell breaks loose at Amie’s wedding, she is all about giving Armstrong a dose of his own medicine by hoping into bed with the first available guy which happens to be Lex. Unfortunately for her plan, Lex isn’t about to take advantage of her.

After her nightmare nuptials, Amie goes on her honeymoon solo and finds herself on the same flight as Lex. They end up spending time together and while Lex said no once before, now on Bora Bora, they are headed for a big yes!

“Let Anarchy Amie out of the cage for a few weeks. Get reacquainted with your wild side.”

Hooking Up was just what I wanted for Amie’s story. Sweet, swoony, sexy, and hilarious, this unique rom com was entertaining from the first page to the last and had a nice forbidden aspect thrown into the mix. I loved the setup of the story and thought it flowed easily and realistically. Amie and Lex are well-developed characters with depth and great personalities. I loved Amie since the first time I met her. She is beautiful, feisty, and used to show off her crazy side, dating bad boys and getting into trouble. However, her Anarchy Amie days came to an end the moment she started dating Armstrong. He tamed her behavior and turned her into someone she isn't.

When everything exploded, I felt her anger and hurt, her confusion and sadness. My heart broke for her because of the pain, humiliation, and heartache she experienced. She was strong, brave, and handled all the despicable things Armstrong put her through wonderfully. I am so glad she saw the light even if it crushed her at the time. I loved watching her true self come out when she is no longer tethered to Armstrong. She has no filter especially when she gets a little alcohol in her system and everything that comes out of her mouth is hilariously entertaining. I could see how easy she is to be around and how fun she really was.

While Armstrong was the biggest asshole known to man, Lex is the complete opposite. He isn’t perfect but he is such a good guy. Totally swoon worthy, kind as can be, and a total gentleman, he treats Amie with nothing but care.

“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?” I try to compartmentalize the emotions I don’t seem to have control over.
“Let him make you feel anything less than perfect. He has no idea what he’s given up. That he had you at all is a travesty. He doesn’t deserve any part of you, least of all your heart.”

He brings out the best in Amie and I loved how she lets go when she is around him. He is encouraging, supportive, and puts her first, and I loved when he goes after what he wants.

“I assure you, there’s nothing nice about the things I want to do to you, the ways I want to have you.”

Amie and Lex are so good together. They aren’t prepared for the feelings that develop and I loved watching them fall for each other. The progression of their relationship was well-paced and though it all happens fast, I believed the strength of their connection.

"It’s not a very coordinated kiss. It’s messy and teeth-clashing. It’s want and need. It’s possession. Hers and mine."

They have all the sweet, mushy stuff that makes your heart flutter as well as the electric chemistry that sets the pages on fire. When they bring out the naughty, sexy side of their relationship, it is hot!! Steam isn’t all that Amie and Lex share though, they are also hilarious together. After the initial shock of what went down, the moment Amie and Lex are in the same room, the funnies begin. The awkward, embarrassing moments were entertaining and the airport scene had me laughing-out-loud. I couldn’t keep from cracking up every time the tickle trunk was mentioned. Amie and Lex just work. They are honest and open, and though they have some challenges to work through, their actions didn’t bother me at all. I understood why everything happened the way it did and I was very happy with the two of them together.

Each of the secondary characters played a wonderful role in this book. I loved seeing Ruby and Bane again showing their unconditional love and support for Amie and Lex during the difficult times. The villain of the story was also well developed. Can I just reiterate how much a hated Armstrong? I seriously hated him! The things that came out of him mouth were appalling. There is a long standing rivalry between Lex and Armstrong and the tension that surrounds them is tangible. I loved that we finally learn why they don’t get along and it makes me understand the hostility they share. Everything that comes to light just proves how much better of a guy Lex is compared to Armstrong. His heart was in the right place all along and I loved watching him get the girl.

The heartwarming epilogue was true to Lex and Amie’s characters, and I loved how the story play out. Overall, it was a fantastic romantic comedy and would love to see more of this amazing bunch of characters. I loved it!

*ARC generously provided by the author and St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

5 Anarchy CROWNS

I have been dying to get my hands on Hooking Up ever since the short story appeared in the Halloween anthology, Eye Candy, and Helena Hunting didn’t disappoint. She has given readers a story that is sweet, romantic, and hilarious, so really everything readers have come to expect and adore from this wonderful writer.

Amie was this shining secondary character with the awful boyfriend in Shacking Up. I loved the spirit and energy we got to see from her character, and I absolutely hated her awful, controlling fiance. After reading the synopsis for Hooking Up, I couldn’t wait to see Amalie at her finest, finally free of the control freak keeping her down, and Helena Hunting created one of my favorite heroines created by her. Amie is the pure definition of lady on the streets and freak in the sheets. Now this doesn’t mean that she is a dirty girl in the bedroom. In fact, romance readers, especially dark romance readers and lovers of erotica, will see what she does in the bedroom as tame. What they will see, however, is a female who embraces her sexuality. Amie likes what she likes and she isn’t shy about it, especially after the debacle of wedding. Readers are also going to enjoy watching Amie develop back into the character we have only gotten glimpses of in the previous books. I love the backbone she develops, and, although, she becomes stronger, she still retains her vulnerability that has developed over the years from disappointing her family and her perceived failures. This sweet and caring women with the temerity to stand on her own two feet while keeping a level of openness to moving forward is perfect.

Amie’s man is exactly who I desperately wanted him to be, and Helena Hunting delivers one of my top three book boyfriend of hers with this hero. He has this incredible flirtatious nature that seduces readers with this wonderful sense of humor. Add to that the sexy fact and the desire to care for Amie and this author has created a hero to swoon over. What I really like about him, though, is that he is constantly putting Amie first throughout this whole crazy ordeal. Her needs, her desires, and her heart are always top priority for him, and when he is inevitably drawn into the conflict of the story, one readers will expect to happen, he doesn’t cower or walk away but owns up to his mistake and tries his best to rectify it ASAP. Other than darker anti-heroes, this man is the perfect rendition of the type of man most women would die to meet.

I enjoyed this story line from cover to cover. The opening, although not really hilarious for our beloved heroine, offers enough laugh-out-loud moments with heart-wrenching incidents to have readers invested. Ms. Hunting takes this series of unfortunate events to place the hero and heroine back in each other paths, and although it is this crazy and ridiculous scene, she leaves the two of them with one the sweetest moments in the whole book. From these, the author only creates more beautiful and sexy moments with these two. Each day that they are together, readers get to see Amie become a bit stronger, to see these two fall in love thanks to the dual point-of-view, and to witness what what real love should be like, and I adore every single minute of their romance. If you read my reviews often, you know then that conflict is usually a big sticking point for me, and the conflict of Hooking Up is not unexpected and neither is the fallout. The characters, however, overshadow the entire event because I love them an their romance so much that I was just wanted more time with them. I didn’t want to see them apart and hurting, so I was completely okay with the conflict and rather quick resolution.

I am completely in love with this new world and new characters Helena Hunting has created. This series of standalones provides romance readers with fun and sexy story-lines that are reminiscent of everything romantic comedies should be. Lovers of Helena Hunting still get the signature humor they have come to expect from her while still providing with a story that has a different tone from her most notable Pucked series, and they still get insane chemistry between the hero and heroine that has elements of sweet and heat. It is, without a doubt, another must read romance.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

5 star Review Hooking Up by Helena Hunting

A stand alone novel from the very talented Helena Hunting. Hooking Up had me laughing so much it hurt.

Romantic comedy is fast becoming one of my go to genres to read. Hooking Up was one of those books that had me laughing, smiling and generally feeling great.

We heard about Amalie and Lex in Shacking up and I couldn’t wait to dive in to Hooking Up to see what these characters have been up to. Their chemistry together is smoking hot and almost electrifying.

I love Ms. Hunting's style of writing, she ensures that her characters are not “perfect”. I was entertained and captivated from the start. If you want a fun, not too long romantic comedy to read, then I highly recommend Hooking Up, you won't be disappointed.

Hooking up is about two strong characters who come together on an island and make magic.

I was received an ARC of this book through the publisher and Netgalley

BIANCA

ADORABLE!

Poor Amie! We all knew that her stupid fiancé wasn't going to be her happily ever after.
But we know that Lex will be.


But right now, we're the only ones who know!! ☺☺
He's just perfect for her.
Of course it takes a while for them to get there.
Poor guy has to fight for his happy end!
But the reader has an amazing time watching them!!!

We have so many funny, ... and sexy and adorable moments!

But also some very serious and moving and frustrating moments. Armstrong (that idiot) is not giving up that easily!!!

I just loved this book! There's really nothing more I could say!
READ IT!

HOOKING UP was the most adorable Romantic Dramedy!!!! Funny, sweet, sexy! I just LOVED it! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Lex - this one is MINE!!!!

... the only thing that didn't work for me - the cover. It's kinda hot, even though the guy is not my type - BUT - the guy is also not Lex. Helena always says how his brother - the pro rugby guy - is the muscley brother - so for me, this guy on the cover is waaaay too muscley and not in a good way for my tastes!!!!

JANEANE

ARC received for an honest review

Waaaah! This book is so freaking good!

I adored Amalie (Amie) in Shacking Up, and especially in the novella in the halloween novella that we got in the Eye Candy anthology).

But now? Now I love her so much!

In the earlier books, she is engaged to Armstrong, and we all think that he is nothing but a d!ck with no balls. Now we know that is true!

Do you remember Lex? He is Bane's brother and all kinds of good!

I might kinda be a little bit in love with him (ok, so I lie, I am a lot in love with him!) He is everything and more that a girl could ever want.

I did get frustrated at times with Amie - I wanted to knock some sense into her with my Kindle (damn girl, you need to wake up!!). I could understand why, but with everything that had happened, I just wanted her to give the big middle finger to everyone and be herself - maybe that is more my issue than hers though.

Hooking Up has a bit of everything. Of course there is some hooking up and sexy times (oooheeeee the sexy times!) however there is plenty of laughs and tears and some drama thrown in too.

Do yourself a big favour - buy and read Hooking Up. Right now. Do it.

Why are you still reading this and not the book?

I absolutely LOVED this! I love all helena’s book’s,this was just amazing..crazy hot and funny! Loved it! Highly recommend reading!

This is one of those “Maybe” books. Maybe if I’d read Shacking Up first I’d have enjoyed this one more. Maybe if the story hadn’t skipped over Amelie’s courtship and engagement to the douchenozzle of a husband I’d have understood how she ended up with him in the first place. Maybe if there had been more discussion and less sex between Amelie and the hero, I’d have felt more of a connection. Maybe if all these things had happened this would have been a great book instead of a “meh” one for me.

I think my main problem was the book opened with Amelie meeting her fiancée the very first time then skipped ahead to the disaster of a wedding ceremony where the fiancee is caught on audio getting a blowjob right after the vows are exchanged. I’d like to say the blowjob is the lowest point said fiancée hits, but sadly this wasn’t the case. Every time he opened his mouth, texted or left a message it showcased how much of a complete prat this man actually was. Because of this, I found myself wondering how freaking clueless Amelie had to be that she actually ended up married to this moron. It just boggled my mind.

As for the hero, he was very nice, and extremely sweet, very good in the sack but also extremely non-confrontational and complacent. Yawn. Actually, I found myself wishing years before he, or better yet, the adults in the family had stuck their boots up a certain person’s nether regions. This may have solved a lot of problems.

This was a decent story, funny at times with some sexy shenanigans to heat things up. Unfortunately, because I never fully engaged with the story or the main characters it never became a standout story for me.

Rating: 3 Meh Stars

I enjoyed this book more than the first because it just seemed funnier to me. Hunting does wonderful job with writing romantic comedies and embarrassing the hell out of her characters. I couldn't stop laughing at the security check scene. Amie and Lex are just some really awesome characters.

Hooking up is a great little getaway from the norm. I love the idea of it and I totally see where this was going but I have to say I never recovered from the beginning. Amalie never really won me back after her decision, i understood why but it just really soured her in my book. Other than that writing is fantastic ( as usual) with the funny little Hijinks and hotness we get from Helena.

*** Arc kindly provided by the Publisher Via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

Well written sexy romance

This is the first time I've read Helena Hunting and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Amalie and Lexington are very realistic characters that the reader can identify with. The plot line had me turning the pages anxious to see what happened next.

I received an Advance Reader copy from NetGalley.

Lexinton “Lex” Mills saw Amalie first, but that didn’t stop his cousin, Armstrong, from pursuing her, if anything, it encouraged him to do so. You see, for years Lex and Armstrong have had this rivalry, in all things: school, work, and woman. Now, Armstrong has the girl and is planning to make it permanent…he’s proposed marriage.
Amalie “Amie” Whitfield is marrying the love of her life, well...that’s what she tells herself and others. Instead, she’s marrying the “idea” of it. She’s spent the last couple years trying to avoid drama and bring less shame to her family. Armstrong is supposed to be her fresh start. He’s supposed to be stability, normal, and scandal free. Instead, not 12 hours into their marriage, he’s overheard by his new bride and almost all the wedding guests, getting off with someone else who ISN’T the bride. Mortified and ashamed of being involved in more drama,
Amie retaliates by throwing herself at the first man available. Coincidently, that man happens to be Lex. But as much as Lex wants Amie, he knows he can’t take advantage of her distress and situation. He knows she’ll come to regret this and he doesn’t want to be yet another mistake on her list.

Feeling broken and rejected by two men, Amie decided to go on her honeymoon…alone. But to her surprise, she finds she is not the only one fleeing the drama. Lex is also heading to Bora Bora. Amie always found Lex attractive and he is exactly the type of man she was drawn to before Armstrong, but Armstrong warned her away from Lex, saying he was nothing but trouble…maybe who she should’ve been warned about was Armstrong because clearly he wasn’t without trouble.

Being together is dangerous, but soon Amie and Lex find themselves taking this “honeymoon” as an opportunity for a little distraction from the inevitable fallout they have to face when they return home. “I know all I am is a distraction from reality, but I still want her, even if I shouldn’t.” –Lex. But as the weeks go on, soon their little slice of fantasy starts to feel like more. True feelings and emotions develop. As their hook up comes to an end, reality seeps in. Can Lex live with only being a distraction? Can Amie trust her budding feelings for Lex? She has a bad track record of trusting her instincts and picking men...her husband is a prime example. Also, she’s married…to Lex’s cousin…that only spells disaster, right? Can what happened in Bora Bora, STAY in Bora Bora? Is their temporary diversion from life, temporary?

WOWZA! This was one of the best “hook-up to lovers” novels I’ve read in a long time! Hot Hot HOT! *fans self* It’s been awhile since I’ve read a Helena Hunting novel, but OH.EM.GEE!! I forgot how sexy and hilarious her stories can be! I didn’t realize how much I missed her writing style. This is the perfect distraction from reality *wink*. This story wasn’t just about the obvious desire these two had for each other, it was about the deeper connection you have with your one true love, the one that brings out the true you. Amie had this perceived idea of what love should look like and what she should get out of a relationship, but Lex shows her what love (and a devoted man) was supposed to look like.

“What if it doesn’t work out?”
“What if it does? I don’t want to get hurt again.”
“I don’t want to hurt you Amie, I want to love you. Won’t you let me try?”
#swoon

It’s forbidden, comical, and sweet. Lex definitely has the reader swooning! HOOKING UP was entertaining and compelling from beginning to end! I think it’s safe to say, this is my new favorite couple from Helena. She pulled out the right amount of feistiness, sexiness, and perfect love between these two. “Anarchy Amie” and “Sexy Lexy” are a couple you won’t want to miss! This is a spinoff of SHACKING UP, but can be read as a standalone. If you haven’t read Helena Hunting before, I HIGHLY recommend starting with this book! It has her signature writing style all over it!

5 stars!

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2hq7krr

4.5☆
Hooking Up was sweet, sexy, fun, entertaining and extremely hard to put down. With characters that were all brilliant. Even Armstrong, although he's still a dick! And a storyline that I loved. There really was so much to enjoy and I'm so glad Amie finally got to see Armstrong's true colours and still get a happy ending. But as it turns out with a guy who really was perfect for her and whom I absolutely adored. And I would happily recommend Hooking Up to others. As it really was a fantastic read.

Every book that this author writes is crazy funny. This book starts with such a hysterically funny scene it had me in stitches from the get go. Also, in Shakespearean terms, she writes tragic comedy because in the middle of the most hysterical scene, there’s incredible sadness and disappointment.

Amalie first met Lexington Mills. She saw in him what she saw in her previous boyfriends, a bad boy, good for a crazy fling. However, the attraction was strong. His mistake was to go away to get her a drink. Armstrong Mills swooped in, invited her to dance, and bad-mouthed Lexington.

One year later, it’s Amalie’s wedding day to Armstrong. Then comes the incredibly funny scene where in the reception a malfunctioning speaker allows everyone on the hall to listen as a woman gives Armstrong a blow job. Everyone gets to hear all the grunts, moans, foul language, and the grand finale of the climax. Except that during all this time, Amalie, the new bride, was at the head banquet table, waiting for the speeches to start. Chaos ensues, and Amalie’s best friend and maid of honor, Ruby, helps Amalie escape from the hall. She runs into the bridal suite, where she finds Lexington on the way to get drunk. She attacks him, going for a revenge f@ck, and tells him the famous words: I’m going to f@ck you and you’re going to like it. It was a priceless scene, in the funny element, but also tragic, because Amalie is dying of shame, anger, humiliation, and disappointment in her choice of a husband. See where the tragic comedy label applies? I loved this scene, but also felt immensely sad for Amalie.

Lex behaved in an extraordinarily kind and tender way with Amalie, extracting himself from her tight grasp and helps get her out of the hotel and into a car to escape the horror. Later on, Ruby convinces Amalie to go on her honeymoon trip, sans Armstrong, so she can escape from the social scandal. She gets numerous texts, emails and calls from Armstrong and his mother, who think this is just a mishap and they can work it out, yeah right. So Amalie escapes and surprise! Finds Lexington is also going to Bora Bora.

Lexington feels bad about Amalie. It was his plus one at the wedding, Brittany Thorton, happily nicknamed Whore-ton, who served the infamous blow job to Armstrong. His mother is friends with Whore-ton’s mother and had insisted on Lex inviting her. Now both Lex and his parents feel mortified and guilty. They determine that it was better if Lex takes a business trip to visit some of their hotels and improve on their efficiency and stay away from the scandal, too. Armstrong and Lexington are cousins and have a long-established competition that through the years has turned into a dark and unhealthy obsession on Armstrong’s part. To the point that anything that Lex shows an interest in, Armstrong swoops in and takes away, including women. So, since Lex was seen helping Amalie escape, it was deemed best that he make himself scarce for a while.

I won’t spoil what happens during the honeymoon and after. It was a honeymoon but not between the married couple. Amalie decides to get back to her normal character and turn into Anarchy Amie and Lex falls in love with her crazy and fun persona. Amalie realizes that Lex is not the bad person Armstrong described, but a tender, fun, understanding man who gets her, like Armstrong never would. Sex between them is explosive, dirty, swinging-from-the-chandeliers monkey-sex, and we get many scenes where this is described.

Amie and Lex face many challenges: her best friend Ruby is engaged to Lex’s brother Bancroft, Armstrong is family and their mothers have a hate/love relationship, plus business-wise the social scandal can affect Lex’s father's empire. They had thought to just have a fling but their feelings were too involved and the obstacles were too strong. It was a book fraught with funny scenes, angsty scenes, Amalie is shown battling with her self-doubts as she recognized her true feelings towards Armstrong. She realizes the real reasons why she married him and is dealing with her emotions. Her emotions are all over the place and Lex is very considerate, letting Amie set the pace.

I loved the book and loved the characters. This author’s characters are a little bit crazy, a little bit funny and a little bit emotional, but mostly they are perfectly flawed humans who deal with life as best they can.

When i read about Amie in Shacking Up, I couldn’t wait to have her story told. She was engaged to Armstrong, who we all know was nowhere near good enough for her. Hooking Up held me captive from the first page, and much like other books of Helena’s, there was definitely a lot of comedy.
One thing I didn’t like, though, was how long the annulment dragged on for. I didn’t feel like Lex and Amie truly had the time to spend getting to know each other, because Amie was married through almost the entire book.
I definitely recommend this book, and even if you haven’t read Shacking Up, it can be read as a stand-alone.

Overall a 4 star rating for this quirky but fun rom com!

I will confess that I haven't read Shacking Up (which is connected to Hooking Up) although it is sitting in my Kindle library waiting to be read... However I definitely think that this one can be read as a standalone (and it IS touted as such) although I think it's good that I didn't read book 1 first as I think I might have found Amalie annoying in that story and been reluctant to try this book.

This book is definitely a tangled web - Amalie is TRYING to turn over a new leaf and only hook up with good guys... however this leads to her getting engaged and subsequently married to the biggest douche of all - Armstrong - and this is where the story starts, on their wedding day with him cheating on her at the reception!! Where everyone hears... including Amalie. So she takes off and goes on her honeymoon solo but ends up sitting next to Armstrong's cousin Lex on the plane who just so happens to be a guy that she thought she was avoiding making a mistake with (courtesy of info Armstrong fed her).

They ALMOST were a thing but cousin Armstrong got in the way so this is their second chance... however complications ensue in the form of family and reluctance to make another bad choice. Can they turn hooking up into a real relationship despite all the hurdles?? Give this one a read and join the ride!!

If you've read Helena's Pucked Up series this is similar but maybe a little more serious but still definitely recommend for a good read.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises.