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 officially one of my favorite books of 2020! I was hooked from the first page. I loved Bishop and Stevie so much! Incredibly entertaining with the perfect amount of verbal sparring, flirting, and fun.
I greatly dislike the work BAE. I cringed everytime Bishop used it. Other than that this was a pretty good book.
If you are a weird pizza topping kinda person then this book is all yours!!
Love the story and characters.
Loved this book. Loved this audible. Loved the characters. It’s a must listen and a must read
I love Bishop and his crazy underwear so damn much. Stevie is just absolutely awesome. Together, they are incredible, and I completely and totally love this book!
Bishop and Stevie were everything you didn’t expect and more. The friendship made out of hatred was beautiful. You will definitely enjoy their humor and their angst. Worth it to read. Easy to follow story line and well developed characters.
Stevie Bowman is staying at her brother’s penthouse who has joined a hockey team in Seattle. After the worst birthday of her life she has a run in with the neighbor across the hall the night she arrives in her new place. Little does she know the not so friendly neighbor is also on the same hockey team and resents her brother Rook thinking he should be team captain instead of Rook and they do not like each other. Stevie just received her master’s degree in sports physical therapy. She is eager to start her new job but finds she has to work with her ex and put up with the nasty neighbor until he needs her help with an injury .I need you to stop touching me!” It’s stupid because I’m still holding on to her, not the other way around.
“Why are you yelling at me?” she shouts back.
“Because you’re half-undressed in my tub,and I’m a guy, and apparently my dick is a fucking sadist. It honestly feels like my balls are on fire right now.” just one of the fun excerpts
The book has lots of humor and steam. If you like a hot steamy fun rom coms with lots of push and pull then don’t miss this read it is a page turner from the start. Helena Hunting writes stories
we can relate to and adds humor and hot sex to keep you turning the pages.
Romance Rehab: Book recs, author services, general badassery: https://www.romancerehab.com/
I might do a little fangirling in this review, folks. Fair warning.
Plot overview: NHL hockey star Bishop injures himself and strikes a deal to rehab with Physical Therapist (and his neighbor…and his teammate’s sister) Stevie. Friendship and lots of sexy times ensue.
Bishop is officially being added to the “all-time greatest ever” book boyfriends list that I’m compiling. Here’s what I loved about him:
1. He’s a gorgeous pro hockey player, and he’s NOT a manwhore. He has no manwhore history, there are no stories of his many conquests, and there are no “puck bunny” scandals in his past. Do you have any idea how rare that is in athlete romances? He’s like a freakin’ unicorn and I am SO there for it.
2. He’s grumpy and antisocial (which y’all know I love), but at heart, he’s a good guy with a good heart.
3. He falls HARD for Stevie. He’s adorably befuddled every time he’s around her.
I will warn y’all—in the very beginning, you’ll think Bishop is a complete jerk. But just stick with it. He’s not REALLY a jerk. It’s pretty much a big misunderstanding (or series of them, really).
Stevie is pretty awesome, too. She’s been wronged by her ex, but she doesn’t let it defeat her or run her out of her job (where he also works). She holds her head high, stays strong, and never even CONSIDERS taking the jerk back. She’s a strong, competent woman and I appreciated the hell out of her spunk and sass.
As is typical of any Helena Hunting read, the sex scenes are of the melt-your-Kindle variety. And while I loved the last book in this series, A Lie for a Lie, I actually think I liked this one better. It can be read as a standalone, too. So if you haven’t read A Lie for Lie, you can dive right into A Favor for a Favor and not feel like you’re missing anything.
Long-story-short, I’m not sure why you’re still reading this review. Get out there and 1-click!!
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. This would have to be one of the best books that I have read in a long time, everything was perfect, the story line was addictive, the characters were wonderful and funny, their chemistry was potent and the sex was one of the best written scenes I have also read in a long time. This book had a combination of a great story line, great characters and more story than sex which was brilliant. Loved it.
I adored this book!
Cute, witty, funny, asshole guy that you seriously can’t help but SWOON over?! Everything you could want in a romance. This stand-alone was the perfect way to end my weekend.
Shippy and Stevie’s relationship was thrilling. First off their characters are relatable and down to earth. Second The banter between these two was on point . Their chemistry was off the charts. He starts off with a mask of meanness to him but then grows protective of her which just makes you melt into a puddle on the floor.
This book has everything you could want and will just make you feel good overall while reading!
Helena did it again & I’m so excited for Kings book!!!
You can tell that my finals are over (at least for a while) and that I’m back into full-time reader mode. As usual with me, I randomly pick up a book to read when I need to distract myself, and this time I chose this. I already wanted to read something by this author and I should have probably started with “A lie for a lie”, but whatever. I’ll read that one soon. This is to say that I’ve read some review where people seemed to dislike the main character of this book, Stevie, who is the sister of the mc of the first book of the series. So I went into this not knowing what happened in that book that made some angry at her.
Anyway, the story of “A favor for a favor” opens with Stevie just arriving in her temporary condo. She has had a rough day: not only she found her ex boyfriend with another woman, one of her suitcases was displaced, and the door to the house her brother kindly let her use for the moment won’t open. Her commotion to open the door wakes her neighbor, Bishop, who is super mad because he was resting. He is a bit of an ass to her and this of course, doesn’t work in his favor at first, because Stevie doesn’t like this type, but eventually, they come to an agreement when Bishop injures himself on ice (he’s a hockey player) and Stevie wants to help him with PT, since she’s a physiotherapist.
I was happy that this story was a slow burn. Stevie and Bishop get acquainted with each other slowly until the timing is right for them give into their feelings. While some people may find it annoying to wait a good portion of the book until things sizzle, I love it. I’m not opposed to insta-lust stories if they are done well, but I prefer slow burn any day. We get to know the characters as they live their life and they interact, and this solidifies the couple for me, because you see how they grow on each other. The story is a normal story, not super unpredictable, but what counts to me is that as a reader I am engaged while I read, and in this the story succeeded big time. I think that I’ll read more books by this author if she writes slow burn all the time, because I liked her style.
Love Helena Hunting’s hockey rom-coms, despite the fact that I’m not really into sports romances
I have never been and I am still not a fan of sports romance (hockey or otherwise). I have tried to read some other sports romances since I discovered Helena Hunting quite by chance, they all seemed to have flaws (in the writing) and none of them really resonated with me. So I have come to the conclusion that it is really Helena Hunting’s “narrative voice” that makes her stories stand out in my mind and that makes me pick up her books again and again. I also think she is at her best when she lets her funny side rip and does her unfiltered inner monologues (or in the case of Violet the unfiltered thoughts that she utters out loud on a regular basis). That’s why I actually consider her Pucked series some of the best of her writing.
A Favor for a Favor is book two in the All in series, which is a spin-off of the Pucked series with an all new team, but also featuring some favorite characters in a supporting role, as Alex is the head coach of the new team.
Stevie is just on the other side of a bad break-up, so when her brother RJ (from A Lie for a Lie) offers her his apartment (that has been paid for by the team until the end of the season and he doesn’t need it anymore as he bought a house and has moved in with Laney), she jumps on it. Too bad one of her neighbors is this grumpy, impolite hunk. To say they don’t hit it off on the first encounter is kind of an understatement. I really liked how their relationship developed from this adversarial beginning, over them being friends and working together to becoming lovers.
I think Bishop “Shippy” is one of my favorite heroes of Helena Hunting’s. Even though in the beginning he comes across as kind of an abrasive, bunny-hopping dick, it becomes clear that he Is actually a very decent and caring guy who is in a difficult spot in his life and has taken on responsibility for his careless younger brother who has a serious medical condition. It almost felt like Stevie didn’t really deserve him as, because of her own baggage, she almost tanks their relationship. At times I felt very cross with her and her angst, that seemed to be a bit childish. Luckily she comes around in the end and gets her hunk.
5 Stars!!
A Favor for a Favor by Helena Hunting is the second book in the All In series. It’s a funny, sexy, and sweet enemies-to-lovers romance. This story has me laughing, smiling, and swooning from beginning to end!
Stevie Bowman moves to Seattle for a new job as a physiotherapist. She’s also left without a place to stay after an incident. Her brother RJ offers his empty penthouse where she can stay for as long as she wants. There she meets her insanely hot new neighbor Bishop who’s also a jerk with a horrible personality.
Bishop Winslow is an NHL player for the new expansion team in Seattle, and RJ is the new captain. He’s struggling to settle into his new team and position. He gets annoyed when his sleep is disturbed by a hot mess of a woman who’s making all kinds of noise at midnight trying to get into his teammate’s penthouse. He assumes Stevie is RJ’s mistress, so he’s extra rude to her. It also makes him hate his captain even more. They make wrong assumptions about each other and spend the first few weeks trying to antagonize each other.
Then Bishop gets injured in the first exhibition game. He also discovers Stevie is his team captain’s sister. Stevie offers him her professional help, and they make a deal. She’ll help him with rehab and get him back on the ice sooner, and she’ll get some experience working with a professional athlete without her brother’s help. During their sessions, they spend a lot of time together, getting to know each other and also struggle with the growing attraction between them.
I loved Stevie with her snarky attitude. She was sweet, feisty, and smart. Bishop was such an amazing character. He was grumpy, broody, and blunt, but he was also sweet and caring. I loved their fun and witty banter and their sizzling hot chemistry. I loved the slow build of their relationship.
Overall, it was such a fantastic and entertaining rom-com, and I loved everything about it! I’m so excited for Kingston’s story!
My Spoiler Free Review
I have been hoping for the past few weeks to reread Stevie and Bishop’s fall into love story via my Kindle copy so I could highlight my favorite moments since I originally finished reading the audiobook format. Alas, the time to do a Kindle (re)read just hasn’t been there and isn’t likely to magically become available with all the activities I have on my calendar for February and March. Insert Big. Long. Sigh. Here.
What I loved most about this sports romance novel…
Page-turner / Absorbing listen | Wonderful characters | Realistic | Entertaining | Romantic | Funny | an awesome Read-Along hosted by the author | Easy-to-read / listen-to | Steamy | Happily Ever After
Format read: Unabridged Audiobook (Audible retailer)
Narrated by: Erin Mallon and Jacob Morgan
Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
Release Date: 01-28-20
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Writing style: Dual POVs (Stevie’s and Bishop’s)
Cover and chapter design gush: I like these colors and the overall style of the cover. I also love the chapter titles that gave us a hint of what was coming the reader’s way.
Ratings
Overall
Performances My ears grinned in delight when I saw that two of my favorite narrators would be pulling me into this hockey romance. Erin Mallon and Zachary Webber never fail to deliver their A-level vocal acting. I always look forward to audiobooks narrated by either of them, so having the two of them cast was extra exciting.
Story
What else can I say that I haven’t said before about a Helena Hunting novel? She consistently writes characters that I enjoy living inside of with each new novel.
Stevie and Bishop were interesting leads and the secondary characters in their lives were intriguing friends / family members that round out their lives so well. They had a rocky start / first face-to-face encounter but built from there in a realistic and entertaining way that made this one an early 2020 romance read.
•*¨*•
Coming Up Next in this series of stand-alone novels: A Secret for a Secret (All In, #3) by Helena Hunting with an expected release of May 12, 2020. I’ve already pre-ordered my copy.
A bunch of feel-good moments are packed into this book, making A Favor for a Favor a joy to read. I knew Helena Hunting had a potential hit series on her hands after reading A Lie for a Lie. It’s now official because I enjoyed this book even more.
In Bishop, you have a surly jerk that I couldn’t help but love. His care for his brother is heartwarming and his corny boxer briefs showcase his humorous side. It’s refreshing that he isn’t a stereotypical hockey hunk who chases puck bunnies. He’s all about proving himself on the ice and securing a long-term contract with his team.
Bishop’s team captain—and major rival—is RJ (from A Lie for a Lie). As luck would have it, Stevie is Bishop’s pastel-haired, feisty new neighbor, as well as RJ’s little sister. She wants to step out of her famous brother’s shadow and establish her own career as a sports physical therapist. Stevie and Bishop get off to a rocky start due to a series of mistaken assumptions, but their friendship and mutual attraction grow as she helps him recover from an injury.
RJ can be a bit of a tool when he’s in protective big brother mode but despite his disapproval, the story is low on angst and full of fun. The audiobook features two of my favorite narrators, Erin Mallon and Jacob Morgan. When male and female narrators try to impersonate the opposite sex it can often be cringey, but these two have a knack for it. Jacob also nails the sexy and funny combo. Erin’s performance is as wonderful as ever.
4.5 stars
I really love Bishop and Stevie. I really understood where Stevie was coming from getting started on her first job in her field and trying to succeed on her own. I also really appreciated Bishop’s worry after his injury and his cluelessness to how his actions impacted the team. I really liked that both characters grow through the course of the story. Bishop becomes more self aware as he develops feelings for Stevie. I love how he makes RJ aware of the impact his actions have had on Stevie, making it possible for their relationship to be better also. I really liked how the characters get to know each other without sex due to the nature of Bishop’s injury and the complications of working together professionally to rehab it. These two are amazing and I just loved them. I cannot wait for book 3.
It was a slow, slow, slow burn!
I liked Bishop a lot, he was sarcastic, funny and care for his brother.
I loved Stevie’s name! She suffer the worst on her birthday, fortunately her BF was an idiot so in the end she won. And I’m absolutely with her pizza toppings of pineapple and green olives!
Sometimes I feel that I can’t take another hockey player’s book from Helena Hunting, but when I’m in the middle of it and Violet makes an appearance…I know this was a right book to read.
A funny book, not too much drama, a light read.
Ps. I hated Rook a lot in this book! What was his problem?
Hockey hotties Bishop gets a noisy interruption to his evening from a woman trying to get into his captains apartment. Stevie is not having a great day but her brother the captain of the Seattle expansion team, is there to help her out by letting her stay in his apartment. To make things worse she can not get the door open and her new neighbor is not happy with her. Sparks fly and insults are exchanged and view of the hockey good in his undies are frequent. This romcom is Helena Hunting at her best, I love it more because her characters are all I tertwined with her original hockey players and of course we get more of Violet.
Her characters are funny, sexy and passionate. Everything you would expect from a side splitting romcom. Bishop and Stevie are the new couple in her Hockey world that have found a spot in her heart.
***4 Stars***
I ADORED A Lie for a Lie and couldn’t wait to dive into this baby, especially when I was all kinds of excited to get to know Stevie better, and I enjoyed getting to know both Stevie and Bishop. Their story was crazy, entertaining and frustrating ~ in more ways than one ~ and kept me turning the pages until the very end.
I really liked Stevie and Bishop, but man did they both try me at times. Stevie is hard working, sassy, sweet and just an all around good person, but man does she have some things she really needs to work out. I understood why she chose to avoid certain situations, but at the same time I couldn’t help but be annoyed because she chose to miss out on moments she could never get back. Bishop is all kinds of growly, broody, grumpy hotness with a good heart ~ and you all know how much I love my men broody. But, he’s so stuck on what he believes was ‘taken’ from him that he kinda came off as a whiny biaytch for most of the book, until he wasn’t.
Bishop aka Shippy and Stevie’s journey to their HEA was all kinds of antagonistic, but enjoyable. They definitely didn’t have a ‘meet-cute’ moment, but I liked how they got under each others skins and realized that they had a connection that neither expected. The bantering tipped more on the barb side of the coin, but it was fun and the chemistry between them was undeniable. The bump in the road wasn’t a surprise, nor was the fall out from it, but I have to say that neither of them handled it well, but thankfully they had people in their corners who helped them get back on track.
As much as I enjoyed this book, I have to admit that the outside drama overshadowed Stevie and Bishop’s journey. Yes, the Ex factor and RJ were relevant subplots to their journey, but I found the Ex issue annoying and that at times I was more invested in seeing Bishop and RJ have a “Come to Jesus” than I was in the romance going on. And while both were resolved, I actually wish there had been more to Bishop and RJ’s moment, they work things out, but one issue wasn’t to my satisfaction ~ but that’s an “it’s not you, it’s me” sitch.
Overall, though, this was a fun read. I loved catching up with RJ, Lainey and Kody. Violet was all kinds of crazy fun ~ she makes a great team mom. But I’m definitely looking forward to Kingston and seeing him get a little crazy.
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
I loved this book even more than I did A Lie for A Lie and I enjoyed it quite a bit. From the way that Stevie and Bishop meet, to the slowburn of their relationship, and the way that Alex, Vi, Rook, and Lainey are included in the story – I could not put the book down. Stevie is the perfect mix of boss bish and vulnerable which makes her so real and the kind of character that I wish was real so that we could be besties. Bishop worked my nerves a bit in the beginning with how judgey he is towards Stevie and Rook (it just came off as a bit disproportionate without any context), but I really liked that once he realizes the error of his ways, he is quick to try to make amends. Their relationship develops in such a natural and believable way that the fact that it is a bit of a slowburn didn’t even occur to me until we finally got down to the nitty gritty and I realized that the book was almost over! I can’t deny that I wanted more but that’s just because I was having such a good time with these characters and in this world. I can’t wait for A Secret for A Secret and I hope that the All In series is at least as long as the Pucked series – I can read Helena Hunting books about hockey hunks and the women they love into perpetuity. 4.5 out of 5 wine glasses.