Member Reviews
Oh, Helena Hunting!
You have a knack for creating lovable but wildly crazy characters. I love the quirkiness and uniquely odd charm of each and every one. However, I have to say that Shippy has an entire collection I'd like to peruse. He wont replace Violet as my favorite weirdo but I am slightly jealous of his innovative and entertaining ways to make me snicker.
A Favor for a Favor is the second of the All In series and it just keeps getting better! This book starts with an odd but entertaining "vendetta" and continues to spiral out of control. I had a blast falling hard for the irritable jerkwad in apartment 4000. I have a feeling you will want to stock up on fun panties too as a result of this book!
4.5 stars
Helena Hunting writes a great hockey romance with sports action, interesting characters, compelling relationships, witty banter, and lots of steam!
Stevie and Bishop have a ridiculously unpleasant first meeting. Now they’re neighbors, so seeing each other is inevitable, but they take “seeing” to a whole new entertaining level. Their verbal and underwear battles are incredibly amusing. When Bishop is injured playing hockey, Stevie has a mutually beneficial proposal. Rehab sessions and a friendship result in an undeniable sizzle while they fight to keep things professional. That slow burn was certainly worth the steamy hot combustion later. Their relationship was funny, awkward, sweet and sexy...”I want to be the olive to your pineapple.”
A great sports romance to add to your TBR!
Helena Hunting has crafted, yet again, another series that is fun, emotional and brings to life characters that you will just fall in love with. I adore the Pucked Series and Alex is my favorite but I will tell you this now...Bishop is about to steal your heart like he stole mine!
I love for my heroes to be a little more on the “not so nice” side and Bishop fits that bill perfectly. Stevie surprised me by being a character that can give as good as she gets and man, I think I have a girl crush!
Stevie and Bishop meet in the most unusual, hilarious way which follows them throughout the course of their relationship. The push and pull, their hilarious and witty banter, and their overall chemistry had me so enamored in it that I didn’t even realize I spent an entire afternoon wrapped up in their love story!
Everything about A Favor for a Favor is a win for me! From Stevie and Bishop, cameos by the Pucked gang and even a bit of Rook (A Lie for A Lie) in a different light made this one hell of a way to start 2020!
If there’s one thing that Helena Hunting does better than others, it’s write fantastic stories about broody hockey players! Her latest focuses on two characters connected to RJ (from Lie for a Lie, book 1 in this series): Stevie, his little sister, and Bishop is his teammate.
When the physical therapist Stevie arrives in Seattle on her birthday to finally move in with her boyfriend, she discovers that he’s “in” someone else! She ends up staying at RJ’s apartment and makes such a ruckus getting in that his cranky neighbor and teammate Bishop unleashes a stream of insults on Stevie.
The two have a mutual animosity, and of course, an attraction to each other that leads to a hilarious competition of sorts to see which one of them becomes more flustered with the lack of clothing on the other one. When Bishop is sidelined by a groin injury, Stevie finds a way to make her mark – she gets to rehab him and put the professional experience on her resume, and he gets back on the ice sooner. They form a friendship that progresses, leads to some hilarious scenes between the two (and the team), and side characters that I need to know more about in future books.
I lie there for a few seconds, waiting for a piano or a safe to fall from the ceiling and land on top of me, because it’s been that kind of a day….
As far as birthdays go, this one completely blows for Stevie. Surprising her boyfriend by arriving early to the apartment they will be sharing turns out to not only be a surprise for him but one for her as well when she finds him entertaining someone in their bed. Now she’s taken up residency in her hockey star brother’s penthouse and she has to deal with his womanizing neighbor who seems to have a revolving door of women. All she wants to do is put the cheater behind her and move on with her life in her new career as a physio-therapist with a concentration in sports rehab. She’s determined to make a name for herself in the field without her brother’s help and the womanizer next door might be just what she needs to do this.
Bishop has a lot riding on his hockey career, he needs to stay on top. Especially since he has a sick brother to care for who doesn’t take is health very seriously. He’s already struggling for his place on the team and has a less than stellar relationship with teammate RJ Bowman who seems to have the team coach in his back pocket. When an injury sideline’s him Bishop’s more worried than ever about his position on the team, but his sexy new neighbor might be the answer to problem.
Once again Helena Hunting has given us a story with loveable characters, amazing banter, comedic timing and chemistry for days.
“Look, sweet cheeks, I don’t know what you’ve been snorting or mainlining or whatever, but there’s no way you’re getting in there without a code. And even if you do, I’m gonna do ahead and say that this whole shitshow” – he points to his face and motions toward me-“is one hell of a boner-killer, so stop embarrassing yourself and take your broke-down ass back the way you came.”
From the minute Bishop and Stevie meet each other you know the relationship is going to be full of fire. These two appeared to be fire and gasoline from the start and explosion on the horizon did not disappoint! I loved the misjudgment they both shared about the other. Their mutual disdain for one another in the beginning had me laughing out loud several times. Bishop thinking Stevie was RJ’s mistress, hilarious, the insults they hurl at one another…classic!
“Did you see yourself last night? You were Queen of the Hot Mess Express.”
Aside from their fiery tempers was the fiery passion they both had. In the midst of their hate relationship, they both learn that the other has something they might need. Bishop is determined to get back on the ice ASAP, Stevie needs to build her reputation (without her brother’s help), and just like that an agreement is born. She she will provide him with the extra therapy on the side getting him back on the ice faster and she’ll get her experience.
As expected, the more time they spend together the more they get to know each other, the more they learn…the more they like. On the road to love, there are multiple obstacles; such as Stevie’s need to not live in her brother’s shadow, RJ hating Saint and dying five deaths before seeing his baby sister with Saint, Bishop putting it all on the line and letting his true feelings out just to name a few.
This was such a fun read.
One of my favorite scenes….
“Do you ever shut up?” she shrieks as she shoves me with even more force. I have to admit, she’s pretty strong for someone so small. “Buy a pair of pants!” She slams the door, but it doesn’t close. Instead it bounces back open. “And a shirt!” She flips me the bird and slams the door a second time. It bounces open. Again. I smile and wave as she reappears. The towel has unraveled from her head and fallen to the floor, revealing a tangled mass of long…powder-pink hair? It had been tucked into ta beanie last night, so it was hidden. She grabs for the door, and the towel wrapped around her torso loosens, sliding down her body, which means I get a glimpse of a pair of nice perky tits before the door slams a third time. “Nice boob job!” I yell at the closed door. This time when it opens, a middle finer appears in the narrow gap. “They’re real, asshole.” The finger disappears, and the door slams again and remains closed.
And this was one of the first scenes!!! Hilarious!!!
I loved this book so much! I was extremely lucky to have the chance to both read and listen to the audiobook of A Favor for a Favor. This enemies to friends to lovers romance hooked me right in and was just the kind of slow burn romance I was looking for. It's filled with all of Helena Hunting's trademark wit and humor and there were so many times I burst out laughing while reading and listening to this one. This is book 2 in the series, but it can be read as a standalone. Characters from the previous book do appear though, and that is where we originally meet the heroine, Stevie, so I do recommend reading A Lie for a Lie for maximum enjoyment.
Bishop is my favorite type of hero - loyal, caring, hilarious, supportive, truly an all around good guy wrapped in a grumpy, ornery, alpha package. I loved that he didn't have some crazy history of puck bunnies and that his main concern was always for his family. The back and forth with Stevie was the best and their innuendo and banter only ramped up the anticipation. What I appreciated most though, was that Bishop listened. I really felt for Stevie and understood why she made the decisions that she did to try to escape from the shadows. Sure it was frustrating at times and I thought she was a little dense to Bishop's actions, but at the same time I can see how confusing it all could be given her history and the start of their friendship. I was disappointed to see Rook act the way he did after falling for him in book 1, but as a younger sister myself, I can see that his heart was in the right place. I enjoyed seeing Alex and Violet from the Pucked series again, but it's Kingston who has definitely piqued my interest (who wouldn't love a well mannered gentleman who drinks milk at the bar!?) I really wouldn't be upset at all if he ends up getting his own book. ;)
The casting of Erin Mallon and Zachary Webber was fantastic. Both can perform male and female characters so well and they also deliver on all the feels. Their comedic timing is perfect for the lighter moments, but they also can convey so much emotion with the inflections of their voices. This is an amazing narrating duo and I definitely recommend enjoying this one on audio if you have the chance.
Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 5 stars
*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*
Another super cute story from Helena Hunting. And set in my favourite city in the USA that I have visited - Seattle. We are already on a winner!!
I liked the first book A Lie For A Lie, however I freaking loved A Favor For A Favor. I mean, more hockey hotties for me - yes please!
Stevie and Bishop's story is more of a slow burn - with plenty of getting each other revved up, full of hate-filled tension that you just know is going to blow the roof off (or, well, other things 😜 ) when they act on them.
For all the fun and games and sexiness that is Bishop and Stevie, there are characters that I just wanted to nut punch as I was reading.
And Stevie's brother Rook/RJ - you know, our hottie from A Lie For A Lie - was the one who was making me want to do that too a lot of the time. I understand he wants to protect his sister, but he was an ar$e so much of the time.
And Stevie, I wanted to slap some sense into her at times - she acted like she was still in high school at times, and used what happened back then as an excuse for everything.
But I still love them.
And OMG yes, we get more of Violet Winters at her unfiltered, sex-obsessed, foul mouthed best!
I laughed, I got sad, I got mad - and then I got sad again because the book ended.
I want more, Ms Hunting. Please don't make me wait too long for more.
I think I might have to give up on this series. I thought that A Lie for a Lie was just okay, but this was just boring. With the synopsis giving up a super funny meet cute, I seriously thought I would enjoy this. I never cared for either one of our main characters. They felt so cookie cutter and had nothing alluring about them.
My two biggest issues were RJ from book one and how the blame was shifted to Bishop. While I didn’t love RJ from A Lie for a Lie, I thought he was okay. In this book, I REALLY didn’t like him, He came off so pretentious and thought everything was about him. I was over him and his self absorbed self. When things came to light, everything was blamed on Bishop as if he did everything himself. I didn’t like or agree with that. It takes two to tango but everyone was like “poor Stevie”. Y’all, I can’t.
Overall, this felt like it took forever for me to get through and I can’t recommend it.
➳ Rate: 4.7/ 5 stars
My heart is so happy that we get to see the Pucked gang in this series. Pucked was probably one of the first sports romances series I fell in love with and oh gosh I miss them.
This book was honestly SO good. I read A Lie for a Lie a few days before reading A Favor for a Favor and I really enjoyed it but this one, this one was even better. I loved the enemies to lovers vibe and GUYS the banter was so fun and sexy. It had me dying. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for them to jump each other's bones. Ahhh the wait was worth it.
These two were honestly so fun and entertaining. I loved watching them work through their first meeting+misunderstanding. It took Bishop a while but once he learned the truth, his guard lowered a little and it was so nice to watch them slowly but surely become friends and then more.
I gotta admit Rook really got on my nerves in this book. All the animosity between him and Bishop was stupid, even more so considering he was team captain... his actions really got on my nerves.
Cannot wait for what's next!
Another stellar story from the fabulous mind of Helena Hunting!
This is Stevie and Bishop's story!
Now I have to say that each story in this series can totally be read as a standalone. But I am a die-hard fan of Ms. Hunting's and I live for her stories. I was intrigued by the brief introduction of Stevie in A Lie for a Lie, Stevie is RJ (Rook's) sister.
Stevie is a fantastic character, she has an inner strength that will blow you away! She rocks the rainbow color hair, yet she says she is OK living in the shadow of her famous brother. What's the real story behind Stevie? Read this and you will see!
Bishop, oh my me, what a grumpasauris! But he his eclectic tastes in underwear and his inner swooniness is off the charts hot!
The slow burn between Stevie and Bishop is epic and so worth the burn! When they finally come together?!? It's hotter than a honeymoon hotel!
If you have never read Ms. Huntings stories, or like me, you have read them all, you are gonna flove this funny, swoony and hawt story!
Having a hockey star for a brother leaves Stevie likes she is always in his shadow. Not wanting to latch onto his coat strings she has tried to keep a low profile. But when she meets Bishop, one of his teammates, all bets are off. What starts out as enemies, leans towards friends and eventually becomes so much more. But it is when the friendships starts off with a favor for a favor does the true sparks come out. There were times this book had me laughing out loud, others I was cringing and last but certainly not least by the end I had a happy smile on my face. This was a true romance filled with heartwarming interactions and honest feelings. A definite must read.
I really enjoy sports romances and Helena Hunting’s hockey series. A Favor for a Favor the next in her spinoff series had me from the beginning.
When Stevie finds her boyfriend cheating on her, her brother RJ aka Rook, let’s her stay at his Penthouse apartment. A mess, making noise and looking like she doesn’t fit, Bishop finds Stevie and thinks she is a puck bunny aka the mistress of the team captain.
In this enemies to lovers romance, an injured hockey player and a physiotherapist decide to help each other. Intense sessions, long conversations and pizza help to break down their walls. The friendship and caring that developed will warm your heart.
Stevie is very guarded but eventually gives in and puts aside her fears to give love a chance.
Bishop always showed his burly demeanor but Stevie helps him to calm his ways and let the real man inside emerge. Apart they are what they are, but together they are perfect!
I really enjoyed this story, the characters and Helena Hunting’s telling of it. I can’t wait for more in this series!
Gah ! This book had all the catnip my soul craves!! A jerkface hero, with a soft gooey center, and swirls of insecurity. An independent, hair colour changing, heroine, with vulnerabilities, and a stupid ex. Not love at first sight, not even like at first sight, but crankiness at first run-in.
These two clashed, they tormented, they called each other names, and out, and they became familiar, knowing, and invested in each other during the process. When they finally find a common ground, this doesn’t stop, it continues. The snarky comments, the teasing, they become layered with real conversations, and they get to know the real person behind the mask. Though the mask is not all a cover-up, let’s be clear. And, that spark that was there from the start, it keeps being fed. So is it any wonder when they act on it, really act on it, the heat between them is scorching.
These two made me smile, laugh, cringe, squirm, gasp, and cheer. They made me hurt for them, care for them, root for them, and want to hug them. Stevie and Bishop were beyond wonderful together, they were past perfection together, they were made to be together, and thank goddess they found each other!
I love helenas books!! This was a love story that went really slow which is unusual for a romance but actually kinda nice. It was a little more realistic. I can't wait for the next one!!
When is the right time to meet the not so perfect but still hot with no filter but still the one for you guy? Apparently when the day has been awful and you just need a bit more of that dosage to make it the worst day ever. But if it worked for Stevie there is hope for everyone else that think they have bad luck. This book has a slow burn feeling to it. Poor Bishop is just tortured by desire and the need to be patient even when all he wants is to pounce on Stevie. As a reader, the author did a great job of making you feel his need too. He tries really hard to listen and be nicer while she lets go of all her hangups. So even with many setbacks and both of them having a poor handle on relationship behavior, they are endearing and fun together. It is definitely very entertaining to read their back and forth banter.
Move over, Lance Romero, Bishop Winslow is my new book boyfriend.
No one, and I mean, NO ONE - does the slow burn like Helena Hunting. I've now read every book in her Pucked series as well as the two available in the All In series and the two slow burn books have been EPIC. A Favor for a Favor brings us slow burn enemies to lovers romance with Stevie (sister of RJ from A Lie for a Lie) and Bishop, RJ's teammate, currently living next door to Stevie. The tension between the two of them is like none I've read before and Hunting quite literally had me shouting at these two while I read - it's THAT good.
Is it time for Book 3 yet?!
I love this book more than a previous one in this series. I like connection and chemistry between the main characters. Stevie is a smart and passionate girl and Bishop is an arrogant and grumpy NHL star. Both of them lower their guards and when they get to know each other.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review and in my opinion, this book deserves 4 stars.
5 yummy pineapple and olive pizzas! This story was absolutely brilliant! I loved every hilarious second of it and I want more Bishop and Stevie!
I loved how these two started off! Their disdain for one another made it all the more hilarious but I also loved it because when they start to get to know one another it’s through their interactions with the ones they love that they truly saw who the other person was! Stevie got to see that Bishops broody nature came from him being his brother’s protector! He loved his brother and wanted nothing more than for him to be healthy and happy! Bishop got to see how smart and caring Stevie was but he also saw she loved in the shadows and he wanted to bring her beauty to the light! Together they challenged one another and helped the other succeed! Through their bargain they both learned to open up to love now if only everyone else could be on board!
Stevie and Bishop were hilarious and witty and as always we get to see some of our hilarious faves as well as meeting some new amazing characters I hope we see more of!
This is the second book in the All in Series. Stevie moves to Seattle and her life changes when she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her. Her brother, RJ from A Lie for a Lie, let’s her use his condo. Bishop is one of RJ’s hockey teammates and lives across the hall from the condo. This was a fun, entertaining read. I loved the banter between Stevie and Bishop but also the relationship that develops. In addition we get a bit more of the characters from the previous book (not necessary to read prior, but will make it even more enjoyable) Definitely recommend this book.
After her relationship with her ex implodes and she is left without a place to live Stevie accepts an offer from her older brother to stay in his apartment for a bit. She is not too keen on taking handouts from her famous hockey playing brother, but at this point she doesn't really have another option, especially with her new job starting. But nothing could have prepared her for the sexy new neighbor she discovers living across the hall...
From the moment she moves in across the hall, Bishop finds himself intrigued by his new neighbor, she's feisty, gorgeous and a temptation he does not need... especially when he finds out she is his captains little sister. She has forbidden written all over her... but for some reason that little fact just keeps slipping his mind!
A Favor for a Favor is a tantalizing slow burn romance that will have you at it's mercy from beginning to end! Nothing says forbidden like your teammates little sister, and as much as Bishop knows he shouldn't want Stevie he just can't help himself. Watching these two lovebirds fight the ever present temptation between them was torturous at times, I just wanted them to give in and let nature take it's course... but their reservations about love just seem to keep getting in the way. This was such a fun story to devour, it had bits of humor to bring smiles, emotion to squeeze the heart, and of course the good stuff to curl the toes!! Another stellar tale from Ms. Hunting, I highly recommend you get your hands on this one... it's bound to leave your heart happy!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, via NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.