A wonderful story about a boy and girl, in the edge of falling in love, who are blasted apart in a swarm of FBI agents and are reunited twelve years later, with different views about their separation, angry and resentful about the other. In spite of their discord, there is still a sense of ownership, protectiveness, closeness and the remnants of a teenage crush.

Helen spent many years homeless, later worked at menial jobs and is now the bartender of a trendsetter nightclub in Miami Beach, far away from her previous home in Seattle. When she encounters Alex, she’s initially overjoyed but then chagrined when he makes his attitude clear; he’s not happy to see her. Eventually they exchange stories, after many fights and name-calling, and discover things were not as they thought and they each failed each other.

When the FBI invaded Helen’s house, they arrested her father for fraud and having a Ponzi scheme, swindling millions of dollars from his clients. He went to jail, all their possessions were auctioned and Helen was left destitute. She moved from Seattle to Miami Beach and little by little picked herself up. She always resented the Archer family for not caring about her and abandoning her. Moreover, she was convinced of her father’s innocence. Alex Archer, whose family was ruined by the Ponzi scheme, were also left destitute but he was brilliant like his father and soon restored and tripled their previous fortune. He was currently in Miami on business and that business was extended, not for business reasons but personal reasons (meaning Helen).

I loved this story because the characters were so brilliant. Helen was feisty and brave, she survived horrible conditions and is still positive, generous and kind. I loved Alex because he seems like a highly functioning autistic guy. He’s brilliant at numbers but stupid at emotions. He’s clueless about feelings but he’s a good person. He doesn’t understand feelings but he’s crushed when Helen cries. He feels protective and jealous but doesn’t understand what he’s feeling, and acts like a caveman regardless. Their encounters are at times, funny, sad, feisty and sexy. Their road to happiness was fraught with many challenges. It was captivating and uplifting and just plain entertaining. Loved it!

I really liked this story. It was about second chances, accepting each other for who they are, and being forgiving of perceived slights. Alex comes across Helen his childhood friend and almost lover. But a fateful night splits them up, living very different lives.

Helen has not had it easy since that night and she grew hateful towards Alex and his family. So when they meet again at the club where she works it does not go well. Alex wants to help her, his feelings for her come back with the same strong connection. I love that Alex is awkward and not as vocal about his feelings, it makes him a little more endearing even though he is a little overbearing. This turns into a sweet love story the conquered a lot of hurdles.

This was just okay for me. I think it was the fast jump from hostility to practically being in love that threw me. There was no in between, warming up stage which I love when it comes to enemies to lovers. It was definitely a steamy read, I just didnt feel completely convinced by the relationship between Alex and Helen.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

I really loved that Helen was a survivor and endured some pretty hard time when her father was arrested and left her penniless. It had to be hard to go from being rich and spoiled to homeless, yet she kept going. The only part that I felt frustrated with Helen was she put up with her ex for so long!

Alex was harder to like as he was so back and forth. One minute he was attracted to Helen but then he was angry with her that she stole his money. He didn't believe her at first that she needed to work so I would have thought he could have had her investigated to confirm this but he never did. He just kept thinking she was just as guilty as her father.

I did start to like Alex later when he realized that he was just the same as the two nasty women in the gala who treated Helen so badly. Then, he changed and confronted her ex and got him arrested, stood up to his mom! and then gave her father a chance to fix their relationship which really was pretty nice! I think that I really started liking Alex when he got revenge for Helen by hurting the nasty people financially!! That was great!

There was a great HEA and it was also nice that Helen found something that she loved to do and was not going to live off of Alex's money.

What About Us by Sidney Halston is the fourth book in the Panic series, but the first I have read. This was a second chance romance about now enemies-to-lovers. Helen Blackwood and Alex Archer had too much history and most of it bad. When Alex sees Helen at Panic, he thinks this may be the perfect chance for revenge.

Helen broke my heart. She has been through so much, but through it all she was determined to succeed and move forward. Alex is determined to get revenge and was a bit mean and cruel at times. There was so much hurt and anger when Alex and Helen were torn apart when they were younger. Though they want to hate each other, the chemistry and desire they once had is still there.

What About Us by Sidney Halston was an angsty enemies-to-lovers second chance romance with great banter and chemistry. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to going back and reading the others in the series.

I have loved every book in this series and What About Us is no exception!

Helen and Alex were childhood friends until tragedy tore them apart and sent them on completely different paths. Alex grew up to be a successful businessman while Helen was just getting by on minimum wage. When Alex shows up at Duality and sees Helen there, it's like the past becomes irrelevant and he can't leave her there. But their issues are bigger than one finding success and the other struggling to make ends meet.

There were quite a few times in this book that I thought that the problems between Alex and Helen were so big they were insurmountable. The fighting, the hate, the distrust, the resentment were so palpable I could feel it through every word. This book had me glued to the screen all day hoping that these two would be able to find their way back to each other.

This series is one of my favorites. I am keeping my fingers crossed for Iggy to get his HEA too so I can learn about all of that man's mysteries!!

*This is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*

This was a tough road for Alex and Helen. But they conquered their demons and learned to trust others and forgive. Alex and Helen knew each other since they were children. Their parents were best friends. Alex is five years older than Helen and he never made any romantic advancements towards her. Since Helen was a young teen, she wanted Alex. They hung out as friends and she wanted more. Finally for her 18th birthday party, they kissed. And then both of their lives imploded. They were separated for 12 years with a lot of hate towards each other, neither knowing what actually happened to their families. The reason is explained, I just don’t want to spoil the storyline. Their journey is hard and painful. But when it happens, wow! Another great book in the Panic series!

I really thought I'd like this one, but it was not very good. The character development was lacking and after a while, I really didn't care about her wanted to know more of him. But it just never took off for me. I have read this author before and will read her again this one just fizzled out.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is definitely a case of me, not it. I had a difficult time connecting with the main characters, Alex and Helen, in this one and didn't really feel the connection between the two of them either, other than a purely sexual one. I'm not sure where my disconnect stemmed from, but there was some basic thematic elements of the plot in the storyline with how certain things came to pass that were never really fully explained that left me frustrated. Again, I'm sure lots of people loved this one; and I'm bummed because usually enemies-to-lovers is my catnip and I was probably just having an off day and if I read it again, I'd probably love it. Who knows...

First let me say I love this series and I really like this author. So I was excited for a new book to be coming out. There was something about this book that just didn’t connect for me. The pacing of the book was very off. The build-up was slow, which I don’t mind, but then it felt like big pieces were missing and the journey to the end was rushed and then just fell flat. I don’t feel like I got a complete story, even though I did get a HEA. There are parts of both of these characters I liked and parts of their history that I thought were good. But there were things that they both did that were so unbelievable and so childish (especially for people in their 30s) that I just kept shaking my head in disbelief. I just couldn’t connect or really like either one of them. What I thought was the most ridiculous is both of their parents and how they acted. I loved all the other books in this series that I was expecting so much more.

Gah! The prologue of this book killed me! Alex and Helen are about to kiss. He's five years older than her and although their parents are best friends, kissing is the last thing they should be doing. The tension between them is crazy thick and just as it is about to happen, they get interrupted. Next thing you know, it's twelve years later and they haven't seen each other since the almost kiss and the hate they have for each is the real thing. EXCUSE ME?!?!

Alex and Helen's reunion is completely unexpected and it throws them both for a loop. Alex has no idea what Helen has been up to the last twelve years and Helen is mad that he never reached out during their separation. There is so much baggage between them and even though Alex claims he hates Helen, he can't help but want to help her. He is definitely one of those "act before you think" people and most of the time it works out for him. There were moments when I actually thought that it wouldn't when it came to Helen and that intrigued me. It took me a while to warm up to Alex, but by the end I really liked him.

Helen has been on her own for a long time and she is finally in a self sufficient place, but then her ex shows up and ruins everything. When Alex offers her a job and a salary she'd be stupid not to take, they find themselves having to face their past and make a decision on whether they can move forward.

This is a great addition to the series. We don't get too much of the Panic crew in this one, but we do get a little of them in the beginning. But I look forward to seeing who we get next!

Great story about love, betrayal, misunderstandings and forgiveness. Alex and Helen have not seen each other for 12 years. 12 wasted years apart hating each other due to the sins of her father. Nothing was really as it seemed though and now that their paths have crossed again, Helen and Alex find out that the chemistry that was once there only seems to be stronger now. Love these two characters and their journey. I really like this author's style and am loving this series.

Thank you to Netgalley/Publisher for the ARC of this book.

Helen felt she had one talent and that was she could fall asleep anywhere and any time. Helen worked until four in the morning at the nightclub Duality. But at least Helen didn’t need to unwind after work as she could go right to sleep. Luke is Helen’s ex and just showed up at her home- that she paid cash for but put in both their names- drunk and she had been a sleep . Luke said she was rich she could leave and slapped her . Luke had found out about her past and then looked at her to be his cash cow . people say Alex is an angry man and today he is close to it . then Alex’s phone rings and it’s Bradly his best friend and CEO of his company. Bradley is brash and uncouth but also brilliant and a good friend to Alex. Bradley is in the hospital from a massive car accident but has set up a second meeting with Glen to land a deal Bradley has been working on for a year. So Alex spends the rest of the morning rereading all the reports on Pharm Ec. That is what Alex does than he is always ready for meetings. Alex was at the estate his grandparents managed to hang on to before everything had fallen apart twelve years ago. He was having a lot of work done on the house while he was in Miami. If the deal goes through Alex will have to be in Miami for a year or until Bradley was fully recovered and could take over. Helen had left her home almost forty eight hours ago and had yet to sleep. Luke had wiped out their bank account and had been gone for ten months Helen hadn’t thought he would return. Helen had to stay at a crappy motel as she had no money because of Luke and he was texting her begging her to come back but Helen ignores him and goes to work. Helen had met Luke when she worked at Starbucks and somehow he made her feel like she was the only person in the world that mattered. Then Luke started drinking and he found out who her father was. Then year two and three she worked two jobs while Luke disappeared for weeks at a time . year four she was ready to kick Luke out and end the marriage but he left and stayed gone until two nights ago. Now it was looking like she was going to be homeless again. One night when Helen was working at the club Alex is there with the owner of Pharm Ec. Alex can’t stand the man . Helen usually works down stairs at the vanilla part of Duality but was put upstairs as they were short a bartender. She hopes to get a large tip while up there. Alex’s father had double crossed by Edward Blackwood- Helen’s father- he had committed suicide. Helen goes to serve a drink and it’s Alex. she had daydreamed about him through her teens and most of her twenties. Alex had been her first kiss and first love although Alex had no idea. But he too had been drawn to Helen. Helen takes a job upstairs for more money where her breasts were basically bare. Alex comes in her first night and he tells Helen she needs to leave and he’s not going until she does. Then Alex talks to Helen’s boss Iggy and she gives Alex ten minutes to talk and he is paying her two thousand dollars. He then talks to Helen and she leaves and he catches her by the employee locker room and talks to her a lot calmer and get her to agree to be his Personal Assistant and she has to quit the club that night and she does. As a methodical and calculating man, Alex hiring Helen as he did was out of character - impulsive and irrational. Nothing good ever comes out of irrational behavior. One thing hasn’t changed Helen and Alex really want each other.
I loved this book. I loved Alex and Helen together and how they interacted together. I read this in one sitting. Once I started it I didn’t want to put it down. I loved how out of character Alex is when it comes to Helen. I loved how Helen faced her father for the truth no matter how much it hurt her. I happily found nothing to criticize in this book. I loved the plot and pace. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend.

I have truly loved the entire Panic series by Sydney Halston, and I loved this story just as much, if not more. All of these stories are standalone so if this would be your first in the series, you won’t feel lost. In fact, in all honesty, I almost feel as if this book is a spinoff of the actual Panic series. The first books centered around the bar Duality, and the people who ran the bar. This book has the bar as the initial background, but then spins off with this couple. Alex and Helen have a past but it was not always a good one and lots of bad feelings emanated due to certain circumstances. Helen was a survivor and as I read the book, I was rooting for her all the way. I wanted this couple to work, but I didn’t want it to be too easy or trite, and it really wasn’t. For me, this was a great story. Thanks to Ms. Halston and I look forward to her next story.

3 stars

I love this series! Love stories full of passion, drama and intensity, and this time, an enemies-to-lovers, almost-second-chance romance that was good but that didn’t quite hit the mark of the previous books in the series. But more about that later.

Helen’s history is twisted and painful. Through no fault of her own, she lost her life of luxury and has had to make it on her own since she was 18, struggling to get by and fighting for every bit of success she has had. She is now in a relatively good spot, working behind the bar at Duality nightclub, when her past comes back to upend her life once again.

Alex is a businessman in Miami for a short-term deal. He’s gruff and broody and hates socialising, but he has been dragged to Duality nightclub by a business associate. And his night takes a turn for the unexpected when he runs into a very unpleasant blast from his past.

Alex and Helen grew up together, they were friends on the verge of something more when they were torn apart. The circumstances of their parting led to a lot of anger and pain, and with both of them misunderstanding the other’s situation, 12 years apart has fostered a whole lot of hatred. They are furious with each other, but there is still a spark between them – an unforgotten attraction with a tinge of curiosity about each other, and though on the surface they want nothing to do with each other, neither of them can deny the pull.

"Somewhere deep inside – so deep that I ignore it completely – I know nothing good can come from fucking Helen Blackwood. I can’t stand her and she hates me. But that mutual hate is fuelling my dick, because I can’t seem to walk away. "

When Helen finds herself in trouble, it’s Alex who comes to her rescue, unable to stay away from her. She ends up working for him, putting them into close proximity and giving them the perfect opportunity to bicker and banter, and to slowly start to open up about their pasts, their feelings and their pain, and finally act on all of their pent-up sexual tension. But there is still so much between anger and pain between them, and it’s quite the tumultuous ride for them as they figure it all out.

This book moves at a really fast pace, and I felt that it was lacking some of the build-up and detail that I have come to expect from Halston’s writing. I wanted to explore these characters more, I wanted more chemistry, more opening up about feelings, more development of everything between them that would allow me to feel what was happening between them. Especially where Alex is concerned. He’s such a complex character, and I was so looking forward to exploring his harsh moodiness, instead it’s like we just scratched the surface of this complicated man, though the glimpses we did get to see of him opening up his heart were gorgeous.

"She cups my cheek with one of her hands. Instantly, I feel better. I don’t know if she does, but I certainly do. It’s like I’m home. I’m where I need to be with who I need to be with. And it’s only a small touch. I wish I knew how to tell her that. "

The set-up is there and we get glimpses of great romance, but as much as it hurts to say, this book feels like a missed opportunity for what could have been another awesome read in the series. Again, I thought the ending was a bit rushed and I would have liked to have seen a bit more detail, but it ends in a good (if somewhat cheesy) place.

“Being with you – whether we’re fighting or making love – is the most alive I have ever felt.”

So yeah, not my favourite of the series, but I’ll definitely be picking up more books if Halston writes them.

I liked it, just didn’t love it. 3 stars.

What About Us is the fourth book in the Panic series from this author but it is a complete standalone. In fact I was hoping to catch up with some of the characters from previous books but that didn't happen. This story is about Alex Archer and Helen Blackwood. Teenage loves who everyone thought would go the distance. Unfortunately their world imploded when Helen's father's ponzi scheme cost Alex's family as well as many others almost everything. Twelve years later and Alex has worked hard to get his family back to where they were. Then he sees Helen working in Miami's latest hot night club Duality and everything changes. She's working just trying to get by. He's outraged and ready for revenge. Yet there is a chemistry between them that has sparks flying. You'll want to read this fantastic story of hate, revenge, understanding and ultimately love. I highly recommend it.

Rating 4.5/5

I have never read any other book in this series but if this was ANY indication of how steamy and angsty the other books were, I need them NOW! This plot line was fantastic! And for the life of me I couldn't figure out all the twists with this drama! It was like a soap opera! I am very pleasantly surprised with this and the romance was so hot, hot, HOT!

What About Us is kind of a second chance romance for Alex and Helen. They really didn't get much of a chance twelve years ago before things went sideways in both their lives. When they do find each other again, things get pretty angsty with a lot of misunderstandings and things left unsaid. In fact, so much of the angst relies on what isn't said that it became a bit frustrating, especially with Helen being so completely oblivious to what's right in front of her. I completely get that we want to believe the best of our parents, but I found it a little too far-fetched to think that this woman is that gullible after so many years have passed. The story is interesting enough, but I kept waiting, or maybe hoping, for something unexpected, something to set this one apart, but it just didn't happen. In the end, it's an okay romance and worth the read, but lacks that wow factor that would pull me back to it later.

What about Us is a combination of second chance romance and miscommunication. Alex and Helen were close as siblings growing up. Alex was 5 years old and Helen was totally in love. On her 18th birthday, they kissed. Then the Feds raided her home and took her father to prison (and kept Helen for questioning for days). Her world changed that day-her father's crimes cost her everything. She had no one who would help her; everyone was sure she was going to take the money her father had stolen and spend her days on a beach in the Caribbean. In reality, she had nothing and she believed her father when he said he was not a thief. Fast forward 12 years and Helen is a bartender with an abusive husband and Alex is a billionaire with his own company.

Alex blames Helen and her dad for everything wrong in his life and has spend 12 years focused on revenge. Helen couldn't imagine why all her friends turned their back on her when she needed them most, especially Alex. Now they both confront each other and the mountain of lies and confusion over the years while she works as his assistant. I had many tears for Helen. The way she was treated was terrible. As an 18 year old, what adult would think she was a part of her father's crime? However, at 18, she was incredibly naive in blindly believing her father was innocent. What was so sad to me was the way she was treated repeatedly. Alex obviously has social issues (his dad has Asperger's and I am inclined to think Alex does as well) but some of the things he said in anger to Helen were so mean.

In the end, it was great to see Alex fight for Helen! What About Us was an angst filled fall from grace and rise from the ashes with two flawed people. I adored the first book in the series and What About Us reminded me why I enjoy Halston's books.

Helen Blackwood’s life was turned upside down when her family was torn apart. She fled the scandal of her father’s horrible crimes and found herself lost and alone in Miami. It was a struggle but she is finally at a place where she can rebuild her life. Luck is just not on her side when her ex shows up. To make matters worse her childhood crush Alex Archer is now in Miami.

The entire story is intense and one wild emotional rollercoaster. Alex and Helen have a long history. Their families have been friends and neighbors for years until Helen’s father was arrested for stealing money from hundreds of people including the Archers. There is a strong hate between the families with Alex and Helen now in the middle.

Helen believes her father is innocence. She is hurt that Alex and his family never helped them. Alex is hurt that her father would steal all of their money. For twelve years, Alex had to rebuild his family’s fortune. Now he owns a multi-million dollar technology company. When he sees Helen in a Miami night club posing as a bartender, he wonders what happened to the young girl he lived next door to.

Alex harbors so much resentment and he is so callous. He is attracted to Helen but so furious that he lashes out every chance he gets. It is almost hard to like him at first but he warms up as he starts to realize what really happened all those years ago. There are a few twists to the story and my heart felt so heavy from what Alex and Helen endured. I rooted for them because if I was in their shoes, I would not have been so forgiving.

This can be read as a complete stand alone. While some characters from previous books are in the book, new readers can easily follow the story. The author is slowly shifting away from Panic and I’m wondering if this is the beginning of a spin-off series. I’m looking forward to what is to come.

~ Samantha