A spin off series to one of my favorite hockey romances you say? Puck yeah count me in. I was estatic when I heard Helena was doing a spin off of the Pucked series. I mean come on it’s the Pucked series. Helena writes sexy hockey players like no other. Add in her witty humor and I see a spectacular sports romance no doubt and this was no exception to that.

Part sports romance, part second chance romance and a whole lot of swoony romance in between. From the beginning I knew this book was going to warm my heart and make me all kinds of giddy. RJ and Lainey had amazing chemistry. From their first meeting I knew these two were meant to be. Rook or RJ for short was swoony and had my ovaries exploding on many occasion. Lainey was a sweet independent girl and I loved her sass and spitfire attitude.

This was a lighthearted romance that will have you peeing your pants in laughter one minute and fanning yourself the next. You’ll swoon, you’ll melt and your heart will be full. It was sweet and sexy and something you won’t want to put down.

I can’t wait for me in this new series!

I can always count on Helena to give me a feel-good story, and A Lie For a Lie was no different. I loved how sweet this story was, and while there was some heat to this story, it was tame compared to her other works. I also love love-tropes that involve coming together because of a child. It's almost like enemies-to-lovers- love tropes which is why I love it so much.

A Lie for a Lie is released October 15th. If your a fan of romance, sweet stories, or contemporary Helena's books are for you.

This book was another hat-trick by Helena, her books have become my go to when I want to read something fun, sexy and swoon worthy! R is my favorite hero out of the hockey series so far! I can't wait to see what this series becomes!

A Lie for a Lie is the first book in the new All In series by Helena Hunting. A remote cabin setting in Kodiak Island, Alaska. A sexy, alpha male hockey player on a solo fishing trip. An anxious, beautiful young woman working on her thesis. The two collide with fiery passion, but one of them is keeping a secret. It's only a matter of time before the truth comes out. Readers will love the steamy romance and angst in this fast-paced sports romance with second chances and forgiveness. I can't wait for the next book in the series! Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this book.

Categorising a novel must be one of the hardest things to do for an author. There are so many different genres and then you also have a readers opinion. For me, this book falls into contemporary, with a sports theme and a trope of a second chance romance. It is a spin off from The Pucked Series and has that same witty feel to it. The first half is their meet cute and the second half is their reunion. They fall for each other instantly and spend six or so weeks together in a secluded cabin in Alaska. The bubble bursts suddenly when Rook needs to fly off to be with his family in an emergency. Things were left unsaid and the communication is severed.

Rook is a confident man who starts out only needing his family and his sport to keep him company. He has learnt from his old player days to stay on the straight and narrow from now on. Once he spent some time with Lainey, he then knew what was missing and what his team mates had been telling him all along - what it is like to find that special someone.

Not all characters can be as self-assured or extremely sassy as others. Books would get boring fast if they were all tarred with the same brush. This is why I liked Lainey, and more so because she had qualities I see in myself. She was a little naive in some areas but very knowledgable in others. She was sweet and at times inexperienced and she also wore her heart on her sleeve. She gave of a believable vibe for me with her warmth and temperament. Even though I thought her parents were annoying and over the top, I can see that this can and does happen to some people. I was ecstatic when Lainey stood up for herself and RJ and made it clear what her intensions where.

RJ's character delivered big time for me. His little white lie was not one I could hold against him due to his past experiences with the "puck bunnies". It wasn't a great start to their relationship and only made it more difficult for Lainey to connect with him after Alaska. But once he saw her again, I felt he put his "all" into rectifying all his misgivings. It was now up to Lainey to explain her lie and hope that RJ is as understanding as she was. Lainey's lie is not hard to guess and with book doesn't have any over the top angst or drama. It is a charming love story that is told well. I am looking forward to the next book in this series and hoping there is a little more of the sport involved.

Being a hockey player means your life is always in the public eye, and it's not very often that you can get away from the prying eyes of the media, but Rook has found a way to do it. In the off season he heads to Alaska to hide-out with his family for some downtime, they fish and just relax. But this year there has been a slight change in the plan, his brother can't make it to their yearly getaway, so he is on his own... that is until he bumps into a beautiful woman headed in his direction.

Meeting Lainey was completely unexpected, she has no idea who he is so he doesn't have to worry about her using him for a story or money, he can just be himself with her... and that is quite refreshing for a guy like him. They start off as just neighbors, but after Lainey's living arrangements turn out to be a disaster waiting to happen, he offers up a room for her to stay in... and that's when things take a steamy turn!!

A Lie for a Lie is a second chance romance that'll tug on your heartstrings and bring you many moments that will leave you smiling. This unlikely pairing brought heart squeezing emotion, steam, and laughter to the pages, I loved my time with them. I was immediately pulled into their story, the chemistry between them was very evident from their first meeting and continued to sizzle with each page that followed. Their relationship may have had an unconventional start, but it also had a natural progression to it, that gave time for the romance to build, as well as the anticipation... and they did not disappoint, the fireworks were a plenty! Highly recommend you get your hands on this one and meet Rook, the moment he wanders onto the page you'll be saying goodbye to your heart... the man has perfect book boyfriend material written all over him!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, via NetGalley request, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

“I should tell him my own truth. But for now we’re tied: a lie for a lie.”

A Lie for a Lie is what I call a great start to a promising spin-off series. If you’ve read Hunting’s Pucked series, then you will be familiar with some of the characters in this one. That being said I don’t think it’s necessary to read them to enjoy this one, because I’ve only read a couple and easily followed along here. Rook and Lainey spend a sweet and steamy few weeks together in the Alaskan wilderness. But circumstances and little white lies come into play that leave them separated without a way to contact one another. When they find their way back to each other it is by fate and circumstance alone. There’s just more at play than there was the summer before when they were together.

Anyway. I don’t want to spoil anything so am I’m going to say is that this story is a second chance romance with two people who got to know each other’s heart and learned each other... well biblically... in a blissful bubble. When they meet again they learn some truths they hadn’t before, and have to figure out how they work (or don’t) in their real lives. I think Helena did a fantastic job making this one sweet, heartfelt, and steamy, while still having a bit of the funny that the series it’s spun off of had. I think the characters are great, and I’m excited to see even more of some of the new ones in the rest of the series.

If you like sports romance, second chances, or Hunting’s writing, then you definitely need to check this one out when jut releases!!

4.5 stars

This is the start of a spin-off to the Pucked series and it had so many more Pucked nuggets than I was expecting. I loved it so much!!

Rook and Lainey have such a sweet relationship from the very beginning. Their time in Alaska is adorable and super promising until it’s unexpectedly cut short.

I loved getting the flashbacks to their time together in the beginning and I loved watching them find each other again. They’re so freaking cute. They have a bit of an adjustment period settling into each other’s real life but I loved how everything worked out in the end for them.

Also, any little bits you give me of Violet and the other WAGs will always be a win in my book. 😝😝

A chance encounter on a plane leads to two people sharing much more than just a place to sleep.

❝To chance meetings.❞
❝To new adventures and great company to share them with.❞

Rooke is headed to Alaska and looking forward to escaping the notoriety and fanfare his high profile job provides. His father, brother, and he have been going to their secluded cabin for years. This year would have been the first time the brothers went to the cabin since their father passed away. Unfortunately, Rooke's brother cancels at the last minute due to a complication his wife is having with her pregnancy.

Lainey has been sheltered her whole life. The youngest of seven, her parents extremely overprotective. They question all of her decisions and choices making her feel as though they don't think she's capable of taking care of herself or of knowing what's best for her life … like her taking a trip to Alaska to study the mating behaviors of dolphins. She's assured them she's going to be just fine in the cabin she's rented in this secluded part of the country.

After a comical meeting on a plane, Rooke and Lainey discover they will be spending the next 4 weeks only miles apart. Once they land, Rooke offers to drive Lainey to her cabin. The cabin turns out to be a broken-down shack and after a few mishaps, Rooke proposes Lainey share his huge Alaskan vacation home.

When his brother calls asking for him to be by his side, Rooke abruptly leaves but promises to call her when he gets to California. He doesn't count on a storm taking out the cabin's phones and he didn't think to get her cell phone number.

Fast forward to a year later, when at a party for a teammate's son, Rooke recognizes the voice of the aquarium tour guide belonging to Lainey. He's afraid of what will happen next when she discovers he's a hockey superstar and not the Alpaca Farmer he told her he was. But Lainey has a lie of her own, one that just may turn both their world's upside down.

❝I've missed the way my heart feels when you're close to me --❞

I appreciated how the author developed the romance and the relationship between these two. She slowly and methodically allowed them to get to know each other. Not only did we get to see these two enjoy spending time with each other, but we got to see them turn into a family.

A 'Lie for a Lie is' a charming and heartwarming second-chance romance.

Let me just start by saying that I loved this book, and have become such a fan of Helena Hunting and her sports romances. Her books grab the reader and her characters keep you glued to the pages.
A Lie For A Lie is a story about second chances and a romance that comes from where you least expect it.
Lainey is the nerdy, awkward girl into science and nature. Rook is a NHL player known for his puck bunnies and bad ways. Lainey loves to study and sets out for Alaska to do just that study its nature and habitat. Rook is looking for some time away to decompress. He has worked hard to change his bad boy image, and is happy when he meets Lainey and she doesn't know who he is. Rook becomes her savior from some bad mishaps and a friendship starts and turns into so much more. When a lie is told, will it ruin everything between them.
This story was fun to read, had romance, heartbreak and happiness. After a mishap, they are separated but life throws them a curve and gives them a second chance. Can all be forgiven and will they find their happily ever after?
Another fun part of this book was all the appearances of characters from other stories.
I loved the puck series and now this spin off one. I cannot wait for more in this series.

I enjoyed A Lie For A Lie and I cannot wait to read more books in this new series!This is another fun,sweet and sexy read!It's fast paced and left me breathless!I loved the characters and their connection is sexy and intense!

Rook met Lainey a year ago when they were both in Alaska at the same time. They spent all the summer together but fate pull them apart until they see each other again a year later!I aodred Rook (RJ) and Lainey, and I loved their relationship!

If you need a fun and sexy read, this is for you!

I loved this book even more than I thought I would!!

Rook and Lainey have the sweetest relationship, and unlike some romcoms where it's alllll heat and no real substance, I felt like they actually had true feelings and love for each other. The character of Lainey - anxious, homeschooled, sheltered - was someone I could absolutely related to, and I loved that she found some strength and independence in the course of the story. (definitely helped that she had a handsome hockey player to help her out ;)). Rook is sweet but didn't feel contrived or fake.

There's a lot more to this story than I was expecting when I picked it up, and I'm really glad there was - this is definitely one of my favorite romances of the year!

Hells yes!! Ms. Hunting is taking the readers back to her world of hockey!! 

This is a spin-off from her wildly popular Pucked series.

This is the story of RJ/Rook and Lainey.  A chance meeting on the way to the Alaska wilderness.  A fantastic summer together and then circumstances separate them for a year.

Lies by omission and secrets are revealed as the story plays out.

Lainey is a fantastic character, even with her sheltered upbringing and some catastrophic events in her life, she has pushed through and become stronger for it.  She is a lovely mix of independent and a fresh innocence to some things that makes her special.  I admired her strength, honesty and she was not afraid to tell the people that she loved what she wanted and needed.

Oh Rook, you swoony man! I could understand why he kept some of his world away from Lainey.  He wanted to finally be "seen" by a girl that he was really into. When his world gets flipped, he grabs what he loves and holds on tightly.  Who doesn't love a hero like that?

Oh and the best thing!! Seeing past characters making an appearance! It was like a family reunion and it was wonderful catching up and seeing what was new in their world.  Now this doesn't take away from the main story, it just adds more to it!  

I am hoping for so much more from this world!

Quite possibly my new fav from Helena Hunting! I loved the setting for this book, the characters and the trope – wins all around! Ms Hunting writes the best meet-cutes – seriously!

I love a reformed bad boy and RJ was that in spades, while his behavior hadn’t always been the most honorable, his heart was soft in spite of the walls that he had built around it. Lainey, is a super sweet, slightly naïve small town girl, whose family still treat her like she is 12. But I love her sense of adventure and willingness to go beyond her comfort zone.

Separated physically but never far from each other’s thoughts, they have another chance encounter a year later! However, so much more is on the line for both of them, and secrets will be revealed.

RJ did what he needed to do to gain back Lainey’s trust, he put the time an effort in to get to know her and what she needed. Lainey in turn opened up her heart and refused to let bitterness and her own frustrations color how she saw him! Their chemistry was so intense and yet really sweet, and I really felt that their relationship wasn’t contrived at all.

I am looking so forward to the next one in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A brand new series by the fabulous Helena Hunting!

A Lie for a Lie, book one in the All In series, is another hit by this author! I devoured this book in every moment I’d have time.

Rook & Lainey meet on the plane on the way to Alaska. Him, very well known hockey player, she, absolutely no clue about hockey and who he is!
Rook enjoys this a lot, being liked for himself and not his fame.
Circumstances make them lose touch, because he had to leave.
Neither of them can forget the other. Will they find back to each other?!

Great story, funny, quirky, sexy, sporty, lovely. Helena Hunting has a way to grip my attention. Loved this story and can’t wait for the next book!

I kindly received an arc and voluntarily left a review

I'm a big fan of Helena Hunting. She can write just about anything, and I will read it and enjoy it. A Life For A Lie is a great romance novel, and it does not disappoint.

Rook/RJ meets Lainey when he winds up taking his family's annual fishing trip as a solo trip. Lainey is a quirky, fun, smart woman, and RJ is instantly smitten with her. They kindle a friendship that quickly blossoms into more over the 6 weeks that they spend in the Alaskan wilderness, but then RJ needs to leave suddenly for a family emergency, and they are separated. They don't have any way to contact each other, so they are separated for a year before they meet again by chance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. RJ and Lainey were both well-crafted individuals. I enjoy characters that have depth and that have flaws that they embrace and acknowledge. RJ owned his mistakes and was fully committed to making up his absence to Lainey the second he saw her again. He was all-in, but realized that he needed to take things slow and make sure that Lainey knew he was not just committed "for now" but committed forever.

Plus I got to catch up with some of my Pucked series favorites, and it's always fun to see familiar characters and see the next steps for them.

I loved this!! I loved both Rook & Lainey and their romance was so cute, I never wanted to stop reading about them. I also loved seeing all the characters from the pucked series! Fantastic hockey romance!

You know how one little lie can sort of spiral into something waaaaay bigger than someone intends? Yeah. Rook's lie is seemingly small, just a teeeeny lie of omission, really, but it causes some big waves down the line.

Not that it was entirely his fault. There was a decided lack of planning for a future (contact numbers are important, man!) for the two of them and THAT led to other waves.

On Lainey's end, she makes the conscious decision to step outside her comfort zone ONE time and things get complicated. She meets a man who makes her heart sing and just as quickly loses touch with him. Which kinda sucks. But the lady rallies and finds a way to carve out a life for herself where she's doing the things she wants to be doing the way she wants to be doing them. Running into Rook/RJ again throws her life into turmoil.

Bottom line: I liked Rook and Lainey. They found one another, things happened and they went their separate ways, and then they ended up within each others' orbit again. (As an aside, I love seeing familiar faces, so Rook's teammates made me grin.) GOOD STUFF.

4.5 Stars

RJ/Rook was supposed to go fishing in Alaska with his brother. He needs these few weeks every year to get away from being a famous hockey player in Chicago.

But this year his brother needs to stay at home with his pregnant wife.

But RJ is still going. And he's not alone for long. On the flight he meets Lainey. She's so refreshingly adorable and so not a hockey fan. He loves that she doesn't know him. And he also loves that she needs his help surviving in the Alaskan wilderness.

But he's also not telling her his real name and profession ...

Let the fun times begin...

WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH LAINEY & RJ?
WILL THERE BE A HAPPILY EVER AFTER?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT! ☺

══════════════════


ADORABLE!

Another adorable and funny and sparky and sexy Helena Hunting romance!

I just adored RJ and Lainey!

I also loved the sexy Alaska cabin moments.☺

I just hated that he didn't tell her the truth. He didn't really lie lie, but he omitted. It's just so unnecessary. It should've been written differently. There's NO logical reason for him to lie. We immediately know Lainey is a sweet and genuine person and that she has NO idea about any kind of sport! So I really hated that he didn't tell her. BUT - without that we wouldn't have the unnecessary drama that follows once they meet again in Chicago a year later :/

And then the other 'secret' - I mean! If you don't already know what that 'secret' is once you're done reading the blurb, then I can't help you! It's way too obvious and Lainey always uses weird excuses to not let the reader know what that secret is until we finally find out about the 'surprise' around the middle of the book! Pfff.

Ugh, how I hate unnecessary drama. But romance novels seem to need those dramas. No idea why. With a bit of originality the story would be so much more beautiful.

Not that this wasn't a sweet romance, but it's just all so predictable! I hated that a bit. But I loved ALL the other things in this book. The people and animals and the stars from previous book.

It was a really adorable love story.... that would've been more amazing with a bit more originality!

BUT - I loved it. Nuff Said. Can't wait to read the second book. I LOVE the cover guy of the second book. The guy on this one is a bit too crooked for my tastes. Like he went too many rounds in the boxing ring with his nose :/ Poor guy.

► A LIE FOR A LIE was an adorable & funny & sexy wilderness/hockey/not-so-secret-secret romace! Run to your nearest amazon for your own RJ - this one is MINE!!!!

4 stars! We meet Rook and Lainey.
Lainey is a timid VERY (very) sheltered woman. Rook, hockey captain and all around ladies man. An unexpected pair that have an amazing month together away from everyone and everything. They fell fast and hard. They were unexpectedly separated and when they stumble upon each other later...real life hits them. Secrets have been kept. This makes for an interesting reunion.
Great story, Helena Hunting has a way of captivating you right away. My only issue was just how sheltered Lainey was. It was hard to connect with. Loved Rook and his patience and persistence.