4.5 Stars

I have been SO looking forward to Amie's story since we met her in Shacking Up, and Getting Down in the Eye Candy anthology just ramped up the anticipation! Hooking Up was definitely worth the wait with lots of heat, humor and emotion.

Amie has had her doubts about marrying Armstrong for quite some time, but a desire to make her parents proud had her pushing those doubts to the side and becoming an unrecognizable version of herself. But when Armstrong's infidelity during their wedding reception is broadcast over the PA system for everyone to hear, she is DONE! She goes Bridezilla meets Hulk on her wedding dress and throws herself at the man she finds hiding away from the festivities in the bridal suite but is further mortified when he turns her down.

See, in this book, we find out that Amie met two men one fateful night not so long ago: the man she should have been with, and Armstrong who decided to steal her away from him. (If you have read Getting Down then you will know who that other man is, but I am trying to honor the publisher's request to keep the hero's name out of my review and it's not easy!! ) It's that other man who is hiding out to try to escape thoughts of what could have been, and saying no to a distraught Amie is the last thing he wants to do but he knows he has to. Things are going to be messy enough as it is and he has no desire to further complicate her life. When they both end up on the same plane to Bora Bora and find themselves sitting next to each other for the duration of the flight, Fate is clearly trying to send them a message.

What happens on the island should stay on the island, but neither can deny that feelings are getting involved despite their best intentions. Their chemistry is off the charts, and Amie is finding his combination of sexy, dirty talking, sweet, tats, and glasses to be her kryptonite. But technically she is still married on paper because Armstrong is a delusional ass who refuses to sign the papers in his pursuit of maintaining a perfect image and making her miserable at the same time. Once they return home, the angst level kicks up a bit and Anarchy Amie is shelved again, but now that she has let her fun side out to play again, locking it away permanently is not an option.

Hooking Up was a fabulous read! It was everything I was hoping for, and once I picked it up I didn't want to put it down again. I can't wait to see what Ms. Hunting has in store for us next, but I will savor this one for awhile.

Amie Whitfield was publicly humiliated by her cheating husband, on her wedding day. She is devastated and feels guilty because she made the wrong choice. Amie is a strong-willed, poised woman brought low by her husband's betrayal. Needing to get away from all the drama and to clear her head, she decides to flee to Bora Bora, on a solitary honeymoon. At the airport, she runs smack- dab into the hero of this story.

The hero … I loved every single thing about this man! He’s so adorable, not to mention hot! The way he was with Amie was just everything! They are long-time friends, but Amie is the one woman he has always wanted but never could have. Amie’s husband is his best enemy and his perfect opposite. He is Amie’s knight in shining armor and comes to her rescue when she needs him most. He protects her from all the things she isn’t ready to deal with.

They enjoy the time spent together. The banter between them flowed easily and their love story took shape almost immediately. They define boundaries to their relationship, but their connection is intense and undeniable, their chemistry is combustible.

Amie was truly entertaining and she made me laugh out loud. She’s feisty, brazen and at the same time she’s comical without meaning to be. Her “Anarchy Amie” side was absolutely irresistible. The supporting characters were fantastic and interesting in their own right, with appearances of Bane and Ruby from “Shacking Up”.

This book was an absolute delight! Helena Hunting has penned a sexy and seductive gem with playful repartee, a vivacious heroine and a dreamy hero! This author knows how to write an entertaining story in a way that is fun and unique. I loved the dynamic and vibrant characters, they are fire, steam, wit and chemistry! So if you are looking for a book that will have you smiling, sighing and blushing, then this is it!

3.5 stars

I was excited to read Amalie’s story after meeting her in Shacking Up. Although the hero wasn’t a surprise because I read the short story included in the Eye Candy anthology, that snippet only served to build my interest in this couple and their full story. For those new to the series, these books can easily be read as standalones. There are a significant amount of cameos by previous characters, but the backstories are recapped enough to ensure no reader is lost on the history. Hooking Up definitely showcased this author’s notorious fun, sexy side, offering up quite a few comedic moments and plenty of heat. Where Hooking Up lost me was its predictability. The book followed so many romance clichés that it didn’t quite spark my full interest for a good portion of the story.

In Shacking Up it’s clear that Armstrong and Amalie aren’t the best match, and I really hoped there would be a little more explanation as to how that relationship came about. While I got answers, I can’t say that I found them all that satisfying (of course that’s on me as a reader, but it affected my enjoyment). I wanted to make sense of it so I understood her character better, but it didn’t really happen and honestly some of her reasoning and actions in this book made me like her a little less than I did going in. Who I did like even more than expected was the hero. Frankly, he surprised me in all the good ways. He was a nice balance for Amalie and I liked how their relationship progressed. I also found the latter parts of the story more interesting as things came together and Armstrong’s motivations came to light. Overall, I liked the couple but this just wasn’t all that I expected after reading Shacking Up and Eye Candy.

I read a lot and definitely don’t expect every book to offer up something totally unique, but I like when a book surprises me with its approach, and unfortunately Hooking Up didn’t. While I certainly didn’t devour this book quite like Shacking Up, it had good pacing and interesting primary/secondary characters. I’m not sure if there will be more to this series, but there were a few secondary characters that left me curious so I would likely read the next book. I think Miss Hunting fans certainly will not be disappointed in Hooking Up and I would recommend the title to readers looking for a flirty romantic comedy that offers a nice escape.

Fun, sexy, sweet, hot and those are just the words to describe Lexington! No, really this was a fantastic read from Helen Hunting!! If you enjoyed Shacking Up (and I totally did!), then you’ll love Hooking Up! Lex and Amie were fabulous together. What starts as a runaway bride going on her honeymoon after the douchey groom gets caught in his own hook up at their reception, becomes a story of so much more. I loved Amie and wanted her far away from Armstrong, because really he was horrid and only got worse. Lexington on the other hand was amazing and wonderful and everything Amie could ever want.

I loved the pace of this story. Nothing was rushed. The dual pov was perfect too. Helena writes both wonderful dirty talk and fantastic banter. Another favorite for the pile!!

Get ready to literally want to HOOK UP with these characters!
After reading Shacking UP (If you haven't go one click and read it next because it is just soo good), we met our girl Amie who we have been wondering what will her story be.
No spoilers here cause when you read this book and find out what happens to Amie, you are going to be totally surprised!
I want to be her and go to an island and find out if Hooking Up is all it's worth to be.
And YES it totally is!
WOW, this is one hot fast paced story that I could not put down.
Romance that pours off the pages and the feels these characters give will leave you fully satisfied.
Yes, there is plenty of sexy times to keep you toasty as you cuddle up and read Amie story.

Poor Amalie has one of the worst experiences on her wedding day someone could ever have. Hearing her brand new husband getting off with someone else has left Amir mortified, upset and just an emotion wreck. Understandably the days following leave her kind of all over the place and quite frankly she’s a hot mess.

“My actions come from a place of devastation and desperation. I’m so angry and hurt. I feel broken and lost, stupid and embarrassed. There isn’t any one emotion I can hold on to that fits right now.”

Deciding that a couple week’s vacation may bring her some peace and calm, she takes off alone to Bora Bora for what should have been her honeymoon. While she’s gone Amalie’s best friend Ruby has convinced her to let go of her inner wild girl, Anarchy Amie. Stumbling on “Mr. Hottie Hook Up” she really lives it up while in Bora Bora. With only 2 weeks away from reality, they decide to break all the rules and go a little wild. The mischief they both find is thrilling, exciting and quite mouth watering.

“I’m so sick of polite sex. I want someone to pull my hair. I want my ass smacked.”

Hooking Up will be an instant favorite. Helena Hunting’s signature lovable characters, witty banter, hilarious moments and steamy scenes will have you hooked from start to finish. While this is a standalone read, it’s set in the same world as the previous book in the series Shacking Up. I loved seeing those previous characters appear throughout and it sounds like we just might get more books from this group. Fingers crossed!

This is the first book by this author and I am so glad I took a shot on her. While there were so many coincidences it was such an overall fun read and I loved Armstrong as the "bad" guy. It really gave the book a nice dynamic. Amalie really has had things rough despite thinking she was trying to get things right. I loved that she never gave up though, and didn't let Armstrong win.

I loved her best friend Ruby and really all of the other characters as well aside from Armstrong, but like I said, I liked him as a villain so it works for me. I mean, I wanted to punch him often throughout this book, and when a character did it, I stopped and clapped and got super excited. (okay, maybe I got a too little into this book).

The hero is awesome in this book. He obviously wants her....but he also knows that things are hard, but once he "has" her he can't let her go. The background of his character and Armstrong makes for a much more interesting dynamic and really helps you understand things and makes it much much more interesting.

This book flows nicely and the chemistry is off the charts between these two. And while you may think things happen quickly, I don't think Amalie really ever loved Armstrong, I just think she wanted what she thought could be a stable relationship. There are quite a few really funny scenes throughout also, one that stands out is Amalie at the airport. I couldn't stop laughing and of course it had to come up more then once throughout the book. This author didn't leave any detail out and I loved that.

Another fabulous book by Helena Hunting! I love when characters like Amalie are in previous books and now she has her own story. When Amalie heard her new husband starting the honeymoon early with SOMEONE ELSE, she has choices to make. This book was filled with sexual chemistry and hilarious situations that made me laugh out loud. You do not have to read Shacking Up first, but you might want to go back and read it because it is just as entertaining!

​​​​​Hooking Up by Helena Hunting is seductive romance that I enjoyed very much.

Amalie Whitfield is not known for her good taste in men. Her former boyfriends have been less than stellar, and then being publicly humiliated by her new husband Armstrong, only minutes after exchanging their wedding vows, just perpetuates the misery she thought she was finally done with. Amalie needs to get away from the situation, New York City, and the social vultures that will ultimately blame her for Armstrong's very vocal infidelity during the wedding reception. With the encouragement of her best friend Ruby, Amalie goes on her honeymoon alone, extremely hopeful that the paradise of Bora Bora will help her sort out her life.

Armstrong's cousin attended the wedding and experienced the aftershocks of Amalie's humiliation first hand. His cousin actually met Amalie first, and when his back was turned for just a moment, the very competitive and manipulative Armstrong swooped in and captured Amalie's attention. Armstrong's cousin is going to Bora Bora for business and Amalie just happens to be in the adjoining first class seat. They share a chemistry that cannot be denied.

This is both an intriguing and passionate love story. Armstrong's cousin is quite swoon worthy and his kindness, in addition to his mad skills in the bedroom, left me wanting more. I immediately connected with both main characters and I cheered them on as they discovered their feelings for one another. Ms. Hunting perfectly combines drama and longing into this fast-paced romantic read. Overall, this is a well-conceived, standalone novel with a happy ending that will leave a smile on your face.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

5 STARS

Adult Romance/Rom Com

Copy provided for an honest review through NetGalley.

Goodreads Blurb

I LOVE this book! It is hilarious, hot, empowering, heartbreaking and heartwarming. 
This is exactly what I would expect from Helena. This book "hooked" me from the very beginning and took me for a ride - I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN! <----- That makes a damn good book and a 5 STAR in my eyes.

Let's talk about the plot and characters which made this book amazing. The plot is very comical. There are many awkward situations thrown in between some very serious ones. I was laughing out loud and grinning so damn much! This mix of hilarious and serious situations creates a roller coaster ride of emotions. At one moment I am laughing, the next I was all "hell no, no he didn't" and then laughing again. SO GOOD!

The characters are easy to relate with, although some of their circumstances and situations are not ones that happen often, because they seem to be REAL people. They are well-rounded and interesting. From the beginning I had to know more about the main character, Amalie, because I loved her humor, tone and personality. Same goes for Lexington, he intrigued me and his family seemed...crazy. How fun!

I have been exploring more in the Rom Com genre and have been finding some great reads like this one. I really enjoy finding an interesting book that makes me laugh!

TODAY is the release day of Hooking Up. You can't miss this great read! Available on Amazon.

First and foremost I would like to say how much I love, love, love Helena Hunting books. Her stories have a way about them that makes you has a readers have no other choice but to get lost in it and devour the entire book in one sitting. That’s exactly what happened to me when I read “Hooking Up.” I just love Lexington and Amie’s story, it’s one that is filled with laughter and a whole lot of sexy time. To watch these two come together and build a relationship what beautiful to see especially Amie she was able to learn how to trust again and to watch her open up was so awesome. There are so many funny moments that will leave you laughing so hard, I think my favorite scene is the airport scene. I laughed so hard there were tears streaming down my face, I always look forward to Helena Hunting book and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for her readers next.

I. LOVED. HOOKING. UP. This was a splendidly sexy, sweet, full of heart romantic comedy that had my breath catching in my throat and my heart BEGGING for more! Helena Hunting put together another outstanding read that captures the readers attention with wonderful characters, sizzling romance, giggle inducing moments, and heartfelt moments that can make you sniffle. I sighed, I laughed, I dreamed of a hero just like the one in this story.

Hooking Up is delicious! I loved the cover, the way the story instantly had me captured and the way I seemed to just get...lost in the romance and fun. An honest to goodness GREAT read! I give this a SINK YOUR FINGERS INTO THIS AND NEVER LET GO FIVE SHOOTING STARS!

Hooking up hooks you right at the beginning. Amie is supposed to be happy and glowing on her special day, but feels off. Then she, along with all her wedding guests, hears her new husband with someone else.
Lex doesn't want to be at the wedding. He doesn't understand why Amie is marrying his cousin.
What starts as a hook up, turns into more in this laugh out loud romance. Helena Hunting is a great writer. The story flows seamlessly and is told in both Amie and Lex's POV.

After reading Shacking Up i knew i could not wait for the next book in this series. I was not disappointed at all by it, the book starts off so emotional, i mean talk about a sucker punch from the 'love' of your life - urgh he is vile. But do not despair there are plenty of high jinks, and laughs a plenty,as well as plenty o sexy times. Helena Hunting has a way of sucking you into her stories and getting you to relate in some way shape or form with her characters, yes i may not meet the man of my dreams the way some of these ladies do, but i manage to find something in each character i can relate to and that makes them all the more important to me when i am reading books like this. Great story - 5 stars of fun
review on goodreads under the name kimothy

*4.5 Stars*

ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Helena Hunting book, even though she’s been an author on my TBR for quite a while now. I was happily surprised when I was approved for an ARC of Hooking Up.

I’m so glad that I’ve finally read one of Hunting’s books, and it definitely won’t be my last. This was a fast read for me, and even though there is a fair bit of angst and emotion, it was an enjoyable read.

The main male lead is damned adorable. I loved his character, he was swoon-worthy thats for sure. Patient, sexy, kind, rugged in his own way. Dayummm.

I liked the female lead as well, but I sometimes wondered about her past decisions and how she ended up in the situation she did. Although I guess you’ve gotta be in the situation to know how you’d react. I did connect with her thoughts and her insecurities, I think anyone in her position would have them after all sorts of truths started coming out in the story. I also really liked her best friend as a secondary character.

This story highlights both how cruel some people can be, and how good others than be. Lifestyles of the rich and the famous in a way.

In the end, it all worked out the way I wanted it to, and I was quite pleased with the ending. Now I need to catch up on Hunting’s back catalogue and I’m looking forward to her next book too.

I enjoyed the ride of Hooking Up. It was sexy and sweet and just a really good read. Would recommend!

Helena delivered an amazing, funny and sexy story that stole my heart. Her simple but heartfelt narration was always on point, as well as the characters. I enjoyed how much Amalie grew up as character in the story. I loved at first how the author described her feelings over being cheated in her wedding's day, also the chain of events after that. There were a lot of scenes that made my belly hurt with laughing, and also some of them made me weep a little. I loved Shacking Up, but I think I like this one better :D

4.5 Stars
This book was so good! I loved the characters and the chemistry they had. I loved Shacking Up and couldn’t wait to get my hands on Hooking Up.

It’s funny how things work, Lex and Amie ended up heading to the same exotic location. They’re chemistry was off the charts! What was suppose to be a fling turned into something so much more. They couldn’t seem to stay away from each other. I will leave it at that because I don’t want to give any of the story away.

If you haven’t read Shacking Up yet I would recommend reading it first. You will understand and love the characters so much more. I couldn’t put this book down and loved every minute of it. Helena Hunting is quickly becoming a go to author for me.

Maybe it’s because I believe that no wedding ever goes off without a hitch (Lord knows mine didn’t) or maybe I just have a sick sense of humor or maybe it is both, but I love a romance where something big happens at a wedding and in the case of Hooking Up, author Helena Hunting delivers a big blow out (and yes that is a hint) that has lasting repercussions for many. Here’s the thing, I know there will be a lot of people who will rant about this book because the heroine gets involved with someone else while she is technically still married, but to them I say her “husband” (and I do use that in the loosest since of the word) was a douchecanoe (and that is now an official word in the dictionary and everything) and she deserved her happiness. I loved every hilarious, entertaining, sexy, wonderful moment in this book, but I also loved the tender and sweet ones because a life together is never easy especially when you fall for your husband’s cousin on what was supposed to be your honeymoon.

Amalie (Amie) has a history of hooking up with the wrong kind of men, but she never expected the worst of them to be the man she married just minutes before. When he won’t leave her alone she does the only thing she knows to do, head out on her honeymoon by herself and find someone to make her forget her lying, cheating soon to be ex-husband. She just doesn’t expect it to be her soon to be ex-husband’s cousin and the brother of her best friend’s boyfriend.

After his date to his cousin’s wedding causes a sandal big enough to break up the marriage, Lexington agrees with his father’s plan of getting him out of the country to work on some revamping ideas for some of their resorts who are underperforming. He never expected to see Amalie being detained at the security check point or to find out they are on the same plane headed for paradise. Knowing she needs time to process everything that’s happened, Lex refuses to barge into her life even though he’s wanted her since before she was with his cousin, but when he finds her trolling the bar looking for someone to help her forget all bets are off.

These two had some history which made them getting together that much sweeter. Before Amie got engaged, Lex and Amie had met and while Lex respected her decision for dating and marrying his cousin he didn’t like it mainly because he knew his cousin was not a nice guy, but also because from the start he felt something for Amie. Lex showed a lot of restraint over and over in this story, first by only laying one punch on his cousin when he wanted to pummel him and two for not taking advantage of Amie even when he wanted her so much. I enjoyed their flirting and teasing banter, I loved that even when they agreed they were only an island fling they both knew it was much more, and most of all I appreciated the respect and trust they had for one another something that was hard for Amie given the circumstances. There were a lot of funny moments in this book, many that made me laugh out loud, but it wasn’t all fun, these two faced an uphill battle given she was married to his cousin, a cousin he had a long and not so pleasant history with, but the moments they were together no matter what they were doing it was so easy to feel the love between them.

Helena Hunting never disappoints in the laughs department but she also manages to write stories that are not only swoon worthy, but ones I could easily see being made into a movie. Hooking Up was the perfect blend of fun, sun, sexiness, and sweetness.

3.5 stars -- I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

I think I wanted to like this one more than I actually did, mostly because I know people who loved it.  But in the end I try to look at how sucked in I am by a book, and if I don't find myself clamoring for any spare minutes to read, then it's not likely a "loved it" book.  I will note that I have not read Shacking Up yet, and while this book is not listed as being part of a series, it does appear to be an unofficial series (in that our hero and heroine were likely introduced in Shacking Up, and the hero and heroine of Shacking Up appear quite a lot in this book).  So do with that information as you will.

Can I just say that I find it really silly to request that the hero's name not be mentioned in the review?  I mean, what's the likelihood that's actually going to work?  If it's not a series, then what would it matter if people knew his name?  Aha!  Caught you.  :P  I shall call him Hottie Hook-up, but honestly, others have already mentioned his name, so it seems a pointless exercise.

This book started off really good actually.  I LOVED the prologue, loved the way Hottie Hook-up and Amalie first meet, and thus am heartbroken when stupid Armstrong gets his claws in there.  And for the first half of the book, I actually was pulled in by the chemistry between Amalie and Hottie and the humour, even if I had other qualms.  But as the book went on, my qualms remained (and got worse) and I became concerned with the lack of development of an emotional relationship between Amie and Hottie.  Honestly, I became frustrated with their relationship in general.  I guess I just didn't like how it all played out in the end, and I wanted things that weren't happening.  And then the ending left me ridiculously confused.  Like, the last chapter before the epilogue, I thought they were sort of breaking up...ish.  And then I turn the page and it's the epilogue.  And then I get a glossed over recap of what's been happening, and how things developed and were "resolved", and basically I was soooooo unsatisfied.  And that's when my rating changed from rounding up to rounding down.  Perhaps it's even just a solid 3 star at this point, but I still enjoyed Hottie, so he earns the half a star.

So what were my qualms?  Uh, am I the only one that basically felt that Armstrong was really mentally/emotionally abusive?  Telling her what to wear, how she should appear in public, basically planning her whole life around him.  I mean, there's bad guys and then there's Armstrong.  He was too evil.  Why?  Because he should be getting psychiatric help, and no one seems to want to do that.  You can have him be a dick and have that relationship dissolve without making him out to be what is essentially a sociopath.  And because I felt that he was abusive, while I applaud Amie for sticking to her guns and getting out of the relationship (showing strength at each turn that he screwed with her), she was still IN an abusive relationship for what sounds like at least a year, and so she probably could have used some counselling.  Or someone who understood that.  I don't know.  I was really disturbed, and I just felt like the matter wasn't treated with the gravity it deserved.  Either it needed to be toned down, or it needed to be addressed.  At least in my opinion.

And in a similar vein, I never really felt I saw Amie's growth.  I'm not sure she did grow.  We're told she did, but I didn't see it or feel it.  I also really don't know all that much about her.  I mean, she's sassy, she has a healthy sexual appetite and a sense of adventure (which again, just goes to show how abusive Armstrong was), and apparently she has some aptitude for makeup.  But what else was there?  Did I miss it?  She wasn't really my favourite.  She does a lot of running, a bit of using of Hottie, and by the end she's still kind of uncertain and insecure.

Hottie was a more likeable character for me.  I was still fairly unimpressed with his history with Armstrong, and his inability to do something about Armstrong (well, for his whole family's inability to just draw a line in the sand with that sociopath...like, really, they're still going to invite him to functions?  No).  Basically Armstrong brought out the worst in Hottie.  And quite frankly, I wasn't always impressed with the way his own desire for Amie would result in him pushing her past her comfort zone with basically no regard for her mental well-being.  At least he actually showed growth in those things though.  BUT, when you remove those two aspects, Hottie was actually super sweet, dirty, sarcastic, thoughtful, hardworking, and we actually got to see his personality a bit more.  He saved a lot of this book.

As for their relationship, well it was very sex-focused.  We were told they had lots of moments where they just talked and basically dated, but we, the readers, didn't actually get to see any of that happening.  And so I don't quite understand what they love about each other.  They definitely love the sex.  But isn't that just lust then?

So yeah.  Bummer.  I was really hoping to love this one.  I'll still give Shacking Up a try, as it seems that a few other reviewers who didn't see the emotions in this one enjoyed that one more.  This book excels at the sex scenes, and the dirty humour (though I tend to cringe with certain terms, like taco), so I can definitely recommend it on those aspects.  But if you NEED a bit more emotional connection, personally it just didn't work for me.

I didn’t think it was possible for Helena Hunting to write a Mills brother that could rival the sexiness of Bancroft, but she did. And so much more!

I am absolutely in love with Lexington Mills. I was thoroughly intrigued by him in Shacking Up, even though we really didn’t get to see him much. And he’s all the good things I envisioned him being. Sweet, charming, funny, sexy - those are just some of the words you can describe Lex. But he’s actually more complex than what I anticipated, and that was a wonderful surprise. One that made me adore him even more.

Amalie has had better days, and I had a lot of sympathy for her character. I really felt her conflicting emotions with her. But despite her recent bad luck, her true personality shines through, and it’s one I think you’ll enjoy. She’s funny, sassy, unfiltered, and sexy - all sides of her that Lex seems to bring out.

This story will give you all the feels. I definitely hope this isn’t the last we hear from the Mills brothers.