From the New York Times bestselling author of Pucked and A Lie for a Lie, a new stand-alone romance about trading favors, battling wills, and winning love.When I joined Seattle’s NHL expansion team, I thought it was the start of something great. But nothing ever goes the way you expect. Take my introduction to my new neighbor. She came rolling in on the hot mess express at midnight, making a … mess express at midnight, making a racket while she tried to get into my team captain’s apartment. Did I mention that he’s married to a woman who definitely was not her?
Imagine my surprise when I end up with an injury that has me out of the game for weeks, and she’s the one to offer to help me. I should probably add that she’s not the captain’s mistress. She’s his sexy, pastel-haired younger sister.
So we come up with an arrangement: she rehabs me so that I can get back on the ice sooner, and she can add a professional athlete that isn’t her brother to her client list. Seems simple enough. As long as I can keep my hands to myself and my hormones in check.
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A Favor for a Favor is a satisfying slow burn romance that is as witty as it is sexy.
Stevie Bowman is used to living in her NHL star older brother’s shadow and wants to pave her own way to become a successful physiotherapist. Bishop Winslow expected to be captain of Seattle’s NHL expansion team, but loses out when Stevie’s brother, Rook, waives his trade clause to join the team last-minute. When Stevie’s housing plans fall through, she ends up living across the hall from Bishop, and offers to help him after a groin injury sidelines him from playing. And while it seems like they initially can’t stand each other, we’ll see that there’s often a thin line between love and hate.
One of the things that author Helena Hunting is particularly adept at is world-building. A Favor for a Favor is the second novel in the All In series, which series itself is a spin-off of the Pucked series. There are so many great characters in this novel, and appearances from old favorites (namely Violet and Alex from Pucked) that add so many layers and depth to the story. While it’s not imperative that you read the Pucked series (or even A Lie for a Lie) to enjoy this book, doing so will add a lot more meaning to the story. But this book also works well as a standalone.
This novel is also witty, hilarious, and a whole lot of sexy. The slow build of chemistry between Stevie and Bishop is delicious to read, and makes the eventual pay off all the more satisfying. I also appreciate the way the Hunting infuses her unique humor into the dialogue and the characters in a way that makes them feel three dimensional. You either want to be the characters or be friends with them, sometimes both.
In all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the next All In novel, A Secret for a Secret.
ARC generously provided in exchange for my honest review.
After reading A Lie For A Lie, I knew I needed to read A Favor for a Favor. I liked the little glimpses we saw of Stevie in the first book and the fact that I’d get to see more of Lainey, RJ, Kody, Alex, and Violet made me want to read this book so much more. I love Violet and she always says something that has me laughing out loud. It was nice to see Alex as a coach and I can’t wait to see more of that. This book cracked me up. I laughed out loud numerous times and enjoyed this book way more than even I could have imagined. I started this book with the intention of putting it down and coming back to it. But I could never find a good stopping place until I finished. This was read in one sitting and I regret nothing.
Stevie and Bishop’s antics from the beginning were hilarious. I really enjoyed that and when they finally started actually talking and Bishop found out that Stevie was RJ’s sister and not her side piece, it got even more interesting. They were amazing together and the sexual tension between them added to this book. It was a slow burn in the worse kind of way. I liked Nolan, Bishop’s brother. He had some funny line and it was hard to dislike him. It was nice seeing Kody some more. That’s one cute kid. I liked the little we got of Lainey and Violet and Stevie’s new friends she met at the clinic she was working at. We got a lot of RJ and Alex in this book since Bishop was on the team with them. The way RJ was acting brought up memories of how everything went down with Alex and Miller in regards to the other dating their sister. It was a little irritating that RJ really thought he had a say in what Stevie did and who she dated but I kind of understood his motives. It was annoying how he and Bishop went at it and they just could not get along because of the animosity they had from playing against each other all those years. In the end, I liked how it worked out between the two of them. It was realistic and it only really happened after RJ and Stevie finally had a heart to heart.
That leads me to my thoughts about the main characters. I loved them but that doesn’t mean I do not have things to say about them. Stevie was a spitfire and she did not let anyone walk over her. She left her boyfriend the moment she walked in on him having sex with another woman on her birthday. The night she meets Bishop is actually a bad night for her and a lot of things pile on to make it one of the worst and Bishop didn’t help with his insensitive remarks and being a douche. But the thing I didn’t like about Stevie is the fact that she did not put her ex in his place. She works with him and she keeps using excuses not to tell him to F off. I just wanted her to tell him off like she told Bishop off many times. And then her insistence to stay out of the spotlight was annoying. I didn’t like how she handled all that with Bishop but I liked how she owned it in the end and worked it out with her brother. I loved Bishop even though he was a big a*hole and was socially awkward and brutally honest. But as you got to know him better it was clear it wasn’t coming from a bad place and he was a good guy. He just did not know how to not say what was on his mind and how to be tactful about it. The two of them were perfect together and I loved how this story played out. It was amazing.
I loved this book so much and I cannot wait to read the next one!
*I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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!
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.
First, let me state I am a Helena Hunting fan. I have read just about all of her books, and her Pucked series is a personal favorite. I have been so excited about this new series that is taking place in Seattle and the inclusion of some favorite characters from the Pucked series (Alex and Violet). We have already met Rook (RJ) in A Lie for A Lie, and this book is the story of his sister Stevie. We know there is some baggage with Stevie and RJ, mainly due to RJ’s rookie behavior when he was still in Chicago and the death of their dad. I liked how Helena spent some time helping us to see how both characters felt and why they seemed to be bumping heads. The adage “perspective is your reality” really comes into play here. You got to see how Stevie and RJ learned to see the other’s perspective. We all tend to think about how things affect us, and learning to see things from another’s viewpoint can remove barriers in relationships.
Now we have met Bishop. I love Bishop; he is not smooth; he is not necessarily a nice guy. He’s just an introvert who plays hockey. He loves the game, but he doesn’t enjoy the other stuff that goes with it, and he avoids it. I like he’s not this angry guy with a damaged past. He’s just Bishop. He doesn’t get along with RJ; they have just not hit it off. Add to this his introvert quirkiness and miscommunication with Stevie off the bat, and we have the beginning of a great story.
Stevie and Bishop get together by her, helping him with an injury and leading to humorous situations and the honest friendship that develops. Stevie is not put off by Bishop’s blunt personality. To not get into spoiler territory, I will leave this here to say that it is a pleasure watching Bishop try to woo Stevie and not mess up. What is sweet is Stevie is aware that Bishop struggles with “romance” and embraces what he puts out there. I hope we will get to spend more time with Stevie and Bishop as the series progresses. We have met another member of the team I hope to be learning more about in the future.
I am enjoying the characters of this series, they are not the iconic bunch of the Pucked series, but they are memorable. Bishop is a new fav, and I enjoyed his awkwardness in social situations, and his thought processes as he tried to navigate those situations. His first encounter with Violet Waters had me laughing so hard. Poor guy didn’t know what to do with her. I am happy Violet is there, and she has a whole new slew of players to embarrass. These poor guys don’t know what to do as she’s the coach’s wife, and Alex is now a more gruff character. The gruffness is due to age, and he is now the head coach of the hockey team, and his stage of life has changed. Seeing the growth of Alex and Violet only endears them to the reader, and they are truly loved characters. Thank you, Helena, for bringing them to Seattle.
You cannot go wrong with any of Helena’s books, and this is an adorably sweet addition to her series. I am so looking forward to getting to know this team better.
This series is incredible! I might love this one more than A Lie for a Lie..and I really liked that one.
This one is about Stevie, a physiotherapist, and Bishop, a NHL player. What ensures between this two is magnetic.
The humor is deliciously naughty. The characters are out of this world. Storyline is perfection.
These are stand-alones but interconnected.
I highly recommend this one…well all of Helena Hunting’s books for that matter.
~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~
Plot~ 5/5
Main Characters (hero/heroine)~ 5/5
Secondary Characters~ 5/5
The Feels~ 5/5
Pacing~ 5/5
Addictiveness~5/5
Angst~ 5/5
Steam/Hotness/Chemisty ~ 5/5
Theme or Tone~ 5/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 5/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 5/5
Originality~ 5/5
Ending~ 5/5
Book Cover~ Sexy
Series~ Stand-alone
Source~ Kindle eBook – ARC for honest review
Would I read more from the author? Hell Yes
Would I recommend this book? Yes
This series just gets better and better! This is Book 2 in the “All in” pucked spin-off series. Stevie Bowman is Rook’s little sister and moving to Seattle after a bad breakup to be a sports rehab physiotherapist. Sadly, her ex is also working there! Bishop Winslow is one of Rook’s new teammates. He is awoken by a pint size fireball making a Ruckus outside his apartment. These two have a not so friendly introduction to each other but can they find that they actually can get along? Bishop is not a huge fan of Stevie’s brother but he sure like Stevie. This is another hilarious and sweet romance that will have you falling for another hockey player. Get ready for all the laughs, strange underwear competitions and of course sweet & steamy moments. Told in dual POV
3.75 stars
ARC provided by Montlake Romance through NetGalley for honest review
Enemies to lovers is not a trope I usually go for in romance because I really don’t enjoy it and the heroine is mostly just acts meek against the H when he’s acting like a total A-hole. But not, Stevie! Girl got bite and through right back at Bishop.
Helena just knows how to write amazing scenes between characters and make you feel for them also. You’re either crying, laughing, or both. I also appreciated that this more of all slow burn and we got to see them connect with each other.
Now I’m just excited for King’s book and who he ends up with.
I can’t say it enough, Helena Hunting is my Go To Author for a feel good, rom-com romance that is so easy to get into.
And A Favor for a Favor is no different.
Bishop and Stevie are adorable. They have an enemies to Lovers bit that is fun. Throughout the entire book you can’t help but fall for these two.
Root for their relationship and hope that others will get out of their way.
Bishop is a moody mountain of a man that reminds me of a big teddy bear. Stevie is all sorts of sass and sweetness that makes these two click.
Angst and delayed gratification!! When these two finally get together, you’re fist pumping the air!
Such a fun couple!!
16 2 ? “ , ’ . . ’ “ “. . , ““ . .
I love Shippy!
This story follows Stevie Bowman, younger sister of Rook “RJ” Bowman from A Lie For A Lie, and her new neighbor, Bishop Winslow. Stevie is making a long-distance move from LA to Seattle for a new job. She’s excited to be moving in with her boyfriend and starting her career in physical therapy in a few days. The trip hasn’t been great since the airline lost some of her luggage, damaged the rest and treated her to an extended, unscheduled layover but she can’t wait to surprise Joey, arriving early to spend her birthday with him. Instead of a warm welcome, she finds him plowing some random on their couch in what’s supposed to be their new home. She immediately washes her hands of Joey completely, refusing to spend a single minute in that place and accepts use of Rook’s empty apartment in favor of staying with him.
Lainey and Rook recently bought a home nearby but his contract gives him a penthouse for the season so Stevie has a new home in Seattle while she figures things out. Her day continues to worsen when her suitcase gets stuck in the elevator doors and she can’t get into Rook’s place, but takes an even bigger nosedive when she meets her rude new neighbor. Rook’s teammate, Bishop Winslow, is annoyed at the noise she’s making in the hall and assumes she’s a puck bunny who paid off security to get upstairs. She has the code but instead of considering she’s a guest, he instead decides she must be Rook’s mistress. The players aren’t friends. In fact, the rivalry between them is deep and they can’t stand one another. Bishop came to the Seattle with a promise of being captain, until Rook waived his no trade clause to join the newest NHL expansion team and took the title. Bishop hates that Rook took his position and is close personal friends with head coach Alex Waters. He especially hates that Rook has such a squeaky clean nice guy image when he has the nerve to move a mistress in here when he has a wife and child at home.
There’s no love lost between Stevie and Bishop. In fact, she’s mad at herself for being so attracted to this guy when he’s such a jerk and he’s a perpetual grump with no social skills whatsoever. A neighborly rivalry is instantly born and quickly exacerbated since the two continue to make assumptions about one another. Stevie assumes he’s a manwhore thanks to the constant parade of obvious one-night stands leaving his place and he assumes she’s a college student with a sugar daddy.
When Bishop suffers a serious hit on the ice, it gives them both an opportunity. Stevie wants to work with athletes without everyone assuming she got where she is simply by being Rook’s sister and Bishop needs extra physical therapy to get back on the ice as soon as possible. He agrees to give her a written recommendation in exchange for her help with extra rehab. They’re attracted to one another although they don’t seem to like each other all that much, which isn’t shocking since they’re both sarcastic and snarky.
Life in Seattle is turning out to be great for Stevie, except for the fact that she has to work in the same clinic as her douche ex. Joey’s delusional enough to think she should forgive him and give him another chance even though he’s not sorry he cheated and it certainly wasn’t an isolated incident. When Stevie enlists Bishop’s help to act as a buffer, he’s more than happy to help. They start spending a lot more time together and come to realize their original assumptions about the other weren’t accurate.
They’re both fun characters I liked immediately. Stevie’s tough and resilient and determined to earn her success. She’s spent her life being known as Rook’s little sister and she’s done being used by people who want to get to him. Bishop is a cranky homebody who hates everyone but falls hard and fast for her. Their relationship causes complications for him with his teammates and coach, plus the douche ex does his best to interfere but they handle it well. I loved having the Waters family as peripheral characters in this book. I never get enough Violet, although she and Alex have very minor roles. This was a fun story I’d definitely read again and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.
Another great romance from a fun author. While these aren’t huge favorites, they’re fantastic escapes from reality that first read. I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
Bishop and Stevie have some of the best banter ever. They had me cracking up laughing at times. I love that he never really tried to talk himself out of his feelings. He know how he felt, and even though he knew he had to play it show he never tried to deny his feelings.
I love Rook but his overbearing brother behavior drives me cry in this book. But he definitely turns things around.
This was a really fun read.
Erin Mallon and Jacob Morgan were just perfect in their performances. Both brought the comedy and the steam.
This book has the same narrators as the previous book & they do such an amazing job of bringing these characters to life! It is a hard choice between Rook & Lainey and Bishop & Stevie, but I think Bishop & Stevie are my favorite of this series so far. I love the surly Bishop & Stevie is just hilarious! I also love the relationship ship development between Bishop & Rook, those two have a lot of past dislike of each other that they need to get over.
After an injury, Bishop is benched & willing to do whatever he can to get back on the ice sooner. Stevie just wants to make here way as a physiotherapist who works with professional athletes, without using her brother’s NHL connections. After a rocky meeting & weeks of animosity between each other, they now need to work together to help Bishop get back on the ice & Stevie a chance to work with a pro athlete.
The back and forth between these two is so entertaining, this is another book that will make you laugh out loud so many times. Such a great read!
A fun, witty, entertaining, and sweet romance. Bishop and Stevie are absolutely adorable together. I loved the dynamics, their connection, and their steamy chemistry. This book was an absolute joy to read.
First Impressions…
Wow! I thought A FAVOR FOR A FAVOR was amazing! I absolutely loved Bishop and Stevie! I loved the way that their relationship developed, all of the crazy intense chemistry, and every single moment between them! They were wonderful! I also loved seeing more of RJ and Lainey and some of our favourite Pucked characters. 😉 I’ve been a bigtime Helena Hunting fan for a while now, but this is quickly becoming my favourite series of hers so far!!!
This Book In 5 Words:
Sexy. Funny. Hilarious. Adorable. Exceptional.
As I mentioned, I loved A FAVOR FOR A FAVOR! I thought that Bishop and Stevie were wonderful! Bishop was surly, broody, and so awkward at times, but it was in the most endearing of way. He was also so freaking sweet…and genuinely tried so hard and I really just loved seeing him do his best to support Stevie…it was so sweet! Stevie, on the other hand, was a lot less awkward and definitely not broody. She was sassy, strong, and determined to make her own way. I loved that she was contradictory in many ways, but always managed to stay true to herself. 🙂
Stevie and Bishop were fantastic apart, but they were even better together and their romance was amazing! It was definitely a slow-burn…but boy was it worth it. I loved how their connection grew even before their romantic relationship ever started. I also loved the animosity between Stevie and Bishop at the start…I wouldn’t call it hate, but there was definitely some fiery reactions going (their morning battles were hilarious…and I totally loved all of Bishop’s “wardrobe choices” :P). It was clear right from the start that they had some intense chemistry! Once feelings started and things were underway…well bam! Their chemistry was phenomenal and I really loved how compatible they were…I’m honestly super excited just to get to see more of them in the next book now that they’re together!!! 😀
I highly recommend this one to anyone who loves slow-burn romances, especially if you love sport romances, broody, well-meaning heroes, and sassy, strong heroines!
Star Rating:
Overall, I loved A FAVOR FOR A FAVOR! I thought that the characters were wonderful, the romance was a fantastically sexy and well-developed slow-burn, and the story and side-characters were wonderful–I couldn’t put it down! I absolutely ADORED the first book in Helena Hunting’s All In series, A LIE FOR A LIE, and I loved this one, so I am ridiculously excited for the third book now, A SECRET FOR A SECRET! RJ and Bishop are amazing…and I just can’t wait to see how amazing King is, too! ;D
I think I am a sucker for hockey-themed romance. I listened this book on audio. Great narration. Good character development and slow-burn relationship building.
Great book. I love the story.
Another FANTASTIC Hockey romance by Helena Hunting.
I Loved Stevie and Bishop.
What intitially is a case of mistaken identity,Bishop assumes that Stevie is his married Neighbour Rook (RJ) and captain of his Hockey teams Mistress,moving in next door.
So they begin their relationship tossing snarky comments to eachother,until her identity is revealed as Rooks Sister Not mistress,Which for Bishop is both a blessing because he is attracted to Stevie…and a curse because she is Rook the captain of the team and his nemisis’s SISTER !!!
Their chemistry becomes stronger when Stevie helps Bishop with his reabilitation when he gets injured.
Stevie is just getting out of a bad relationship,and she is tired of living in her brothers shadow the famous hockey captain..So getting involved with Bishop would mean giving her another label,of Bishop the hockey players girlfriend or flavour of the month.She didn’t want that attention so doubts crept in.
A Favor For a Favor is the second book in this spin off series and is just as Amazing as book one,I am loving these characters and revisiting my old favourite characters.
I was totally enthralled and endeared as I read this story it was like being enveloped in a hug,it gave me everything I needed….Romance,emotion,steam and plenty of giggles.
An outstanding read that I highly recommend.
5 Stars