Hooking Up: A Novel

This was one deliciously sexy book and I loved every freaking minute! It was laugh out loud hilarious, but also packed an emotional punch when necessary. I couldn't get enough of Amie and her Hottie hook-up! Though this book can be read as a stand alone, it would be best enjoyed after reading Shacking Up and the novella Getting Down, since that is where all the characters are initially introduced. The book starts off with a bang (or I guess more accurately a blow!) and you can't help but get wrapped up in all of the fall out from Amie's disastrous wedding. I know that I wanted to throttle her arrogant and unfaithful groom more than once for the offenses he committed. It was heartbreaking to see Amie's world crumble to pieces and to see her confidence so shaken. Readers will cheer her on though, as she rediscovers herself and her sexuality. When fate intervenes and brings her and a familiar piece of man candy together in paradise, the sparks really fly! Their chemistry was scorching hot and I loved the two of them together! It was especially fun and steamy when they got into the carry on that Amie so hilariously had to explain to airport security ;) Hottie hook-up was everything Amie needed and was so patient and supportive. Watching their relationship evolve and change was amazing. Sure, there were some missteps and speed bumps along the way, but in the end their connection was undeniable and that epilogue left me with a huge smile on my face. Another thing I loved about the book was being able to catch up with Bane and Ruby! Getting an update on their relationship and future was so wonderful! I am still a devout member of The Church of Bane Cock, though I will say that Hottie hook-up gave him a run for his money! I hope that Helena Hunting will continue to write many more books in the world of these characters! You definitely don't want to miss this sexy romantic comedy! *I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*

Well, this will be an awkward review to write, as it was advised not to mention the name of the hero, unless it was only pre-publication. Anyway, I will go by this guideline. So, there is this jerk, and this nice guy, and this rather confused young woman, Amalie. “Amie” always manages to make the wrong choice when it comes to men, and she has done it again, and big time. Only, he didn’t show his true colours until it was somewhat too late. HOOKING UP was my first book by Ms. Hunting, so needless to say, I hadn’t read the previous book, Shacking Up, and I have the nagging feeling it might have made a difference when it came to Amalie, at least, and maybe the two men. Maybe it might have helped to have really known how “Anarchy Amie” was in the first book to better understand why she did what she did. So, well, no summarising here because of abovementioned advisory… I guess I can say there was a HEA, after much, oh so very much rehashing of the situation in which Amalie finds herself; HOOKING UP could have been shorter, because the rivalry was mentioned so many times, it was a bit dizzying. I loved both men; the nice guy, because he was really adorable and exuded sex in a believable way, and the bad guy because he was unfortunately very credible in his persistence. The dialogues are excellent, but I admit to having had problems with the writing at times, which was rather uneven. On page 1, I was wondering if I had made a mistake in choosing to read HOOKING UP because of the puzzling syntax in the first few paragraphs. Even if the book did drag on too long in places, in my opinion, the sex scenes were torrid and very well written, and the characters extremely well fleshed out, even Amie who gave me a hard time, but it was the way she was, and with regards to the situation she was living as well. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

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.