REVIEW: If You Hate Me by Helena Hunting
5 SMOOCHES!
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SYNOPSIS:
A brand new standalone hate-to-love, brother’s best friend hockey romance.
My new roommates are two pro hockey players.
First, my manwhore older brother, and second, his seriously hot best friend (who I seriously hate).
This was a last resort.
No one should be sleeping on a futon that smells like Cheetos and ball sweat.
But here I am, trying to get my life together.
Tristan Stiles is the bane of my existence.
He never wears a shirt.
We can’t seem to stop fighting.
He’s an arrogant playboy with a filthy reputation.
Sure, I had a crush on him when I was fourteen, but that was a long time ago.
I know better than to trust him.
I just need to survive long enough to find a new job and get a new place.
And not accidentally let Tristan rail me into next week.
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REVIEW:
Helena Hunting’s If You Hate Me is a standalone forbidden romance that kicks off her new hockey series. Hockey is Hunting’s sweet spot, and hers are the gold standard of the genre. Of course it doesn’t hurt that her storytelling style is naturally suited to the rough and rugged world of professional hockey. I listened to the audiobook which was narrated in duet by CJ Bloom and Connor Crais. This pair gave a truly captivating performance, bringing Tristan and Rix to life in my ears with their natural chemistry. I hung on their every word as I burned through two sets of Air Pods devouring this story in a day.
Hunting expertly navigates the forbidden attraction between the cocky pro hockey player playboy, Tristan, and Rix, the down-on-her-luck little sister of his best friend and roommate who has suddenly moved in with them. The dynamic between the hero and heroine positively crackled with chemistry, and their communication style seemed to be set to witty banter. Hunting masterfully balanced all the humor with a whirlwind of conflicting feels and the emotional depth of a poignant storyline—along with enough steam to melt the ice in a Canadian hockey arena. I love a good brother’s best friend romance, and Hunting took that story and spun it on its head with a few dashes of the unrequited love, hate-turns-to-love, forced proximity, bad boy/good girl and roommates-to-lovers tropes with wild success.
Delving into the trials and tribulations of an off-limits relationship, Hunting took readers along for the ride as Rix and Tristan navigated the challenges and consequences of their forbidden relationship. From the fiery exchanges between the hero and heroine to their undeniable sexual tension, the build-up of this relationship was addictive, authentic and full of wit and charm. Five smooches from me for If You Hate Me by Helena Hunting!
~Danielle Palumbo
BUY IT NOW!
