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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Bishop finally falls in love!
Stevie Bowman is having a shitty day, she arrived two days early at the new apartment she was sharing with her boyfriend having sex with some random girl. Stevie was grateful that her brother volunteered the apartment that his new hockey team had rented for him before he had bought a house. It was late and Stevie woke up the guy in the apartment across the hall. Little did Stevie know that the guy was one of her brother’s teammates, Bishop Winslow and he thought that Stevie was some random stranger and they didn’t like each other.
Bishop was hurt in the first exhibition game and Stevie volunteered to help his rehab because she was a physical therapist which leads to a lot more and Helena Hunting has written a fun story where Bishop who is the ultimate loner falls in love with the sister of the guy that has the position he wants.
If I need to describe this book with one word, it will be AMAZING! I loved it and enjoyed every second of it. And if you asked me my favorite Helena Hunting hockey book, it is either the best or the second best since it is really hard to decide between Lance and Bishop 😀 A Favor for a Favor is the second book of the “All In” series. It can be read as a standalone but I totally recommend you to read the first book of the series A Lie for a Lie beforehand.
Bishop plays hockey for Seattle’s expansion team. He is excited to have a fresh start, new city, better conditions and becoming a team captain. However, some of these doesn’t go the way he expects. The picture Bishop paints for others is a-holish, careless, selfish, not dependable playboy, however he is anything but. He is brooding, doesn’t really let anyone in easily but at heart he is caring, sweet, loyal and selfless. I love how he is taking care of his brother and carrying too much responsibility without complaint. I think since this part is something I can relate, it made me love him so much more. Ohhh one more thing, his boxer collection is to die for LOL!
So here is how Bishop and Stevie’s story starts… He is annoyed to be woken up in the middle of the night by hot mess of a woman who is trying to get into his captain Rook Bowman’s penthouse. Of course the first thing that comes to his mind is Rook letting his mistress move up to the team issued apartment while he is playing house with his wife and kid in his newly purchased house. Oh my poor Bishop, stereotyping and being judgmental is not a good thing, you should gather all the facts before acting. As a newly grad school graduate, Stevie moves to Seattle to work as a physiotherapist specializing in sports therapy. Her plans of surprising her boyfriend by arriving couple days earlier so that she can spend her birthday with him goes to hell when she find him in bed with another woman in their new apartment where they purchased everything together. She is adamant about making a name for herself without any help from her brother Rook but thanks to her jerk face ex-boyfriend Joey Smuck, her life turns upside down and she had to ask her brother for help. After spending most of her savings for the apartment she rented with her boyfriend, now she doesn’t have enough for herself so when Rook offers her the penthouse team rented for him, she accepts. She didn’t expect the rude greeting from the hot neighbor. However, later on when she founds her neighbor injured and passed out by his door, she realizes he plays hockey with her brother and all his rudeness is because he thinks she is her brother’s mistress. Then she comes up with her proposal, a favor for a favor. Stevie offers Bishop help with his rehab so that he can get back on ice sooner and in return he will give her a recommendation. Stevie is feisty, smart, pastel hair colored goddess and Bishop is having hell of a time to stay uneffected. The banter and sexual tension between these two was crazy and entertaining. It was amazing to see how Bishop’s relationship with Stevie brings out more fun and lighthearted version of him out. I loved and enjoyed how their relationship evolved and they pushed each other to be better. I would love to say after their rocky start everything was smooth but that would be a lie. Also, Bishop’s rocky and not-so-good relationship didn’t help at all. It was nice to see bits and pieces of Lainey, Rook and little Kody’s lives but to tell you the truth I wasn’t fan of Rook most of the book. It was also good to see a bit of Violet and Alex. Of course as always Violet was hilarious 🙂 Stevie’s friends/colleagues Jules and Pattie, Bishop’s brother Nolan and his best friend/teammate Ryan Kingston are interesting characters that I would love to read more about. Since next and last book of the series will be Ryan’s we will be getting his story soon. I hope we will get a chance to read more about the rest as well.
I loved this book and Stevie and Bishop is one my favorite characters that Helena Hunting has created till now. A favor for a favor is an amazingly perfect story, you won’t be able to put it down until you are done with it. If you are looking for a funny, sexy, sweet romantic comedy, this book is just for you.
Would I recommend this book: Yes
Would I re-read this book: Yeap, done that already 🙂
Would I read future books by this author: Yes
I have a strong love for all things Hockey romance. Football isn’t too far behind because I love football in general, but there is just something truly unique about a good hockey romance. Helena Hunting delivered yet again with Book 2 of her All In Series – A Favor For a Favor.
A Favor for a Favor focuses on the story of Stevie and Bishop. Stevie is RJ’s little sister, which makes the forbidden romance even better once she meets her new neighbor in her brother’s penthouse, Bishop. Their first meeting isn’t your typical meeting and it made me want to hate him so much. But I am so glad he redeems himself.
Stevie is everything I love about a heroine. She is sassy, self-assured, and wants to make it in the world without the help of her big brother. I love her battle of wits with Bishop, and she even puts her own brother in his place. Everything about her had me smiling, including when she pissed me off.
Bishop. This growly man beast hockey player made me growl once or twice with how much of pain he was being, but once he figured it all out, he became the growly man beast that I fell in love with. He isn’t on RJ’s level of book boyfriend material, but still pretty high up there. And honestly this book may have knocked RJ down a few points based on how he was with his sister.
Five stars for this forbidden sports romance that had me smiling and laughing, crying and wishing they would just get it together already so they could have their happily ever after.
So this was RJ’s sister, Stevie, from A Lie for a Lie. She ran from an annoying cheating ex and went to stay at one of RJ’s places. When she first gets there, she’s a bit of a hot mess trying to get in and that’s when she meets hot underwear guy, Bishop. The first few weeks with these two cracked me up, funny af. He doesn’t know she’s RJ’s sister, she doesn’t know he’s RJ’s teammate, and it makes it that much funnier. I loved their back and forth. He gets a serious injury during a game. Since she is a physical therapist fresh out of college and agrees to help him with additional physical therapy, then they get really “close”. I’m not going to lie there was the funniest scene where he was trying to get rid of her ex and I laughed so hard. These two, and when he kept referring to her as Bae, loved it.
Safe read. An annoying cheating ex ridiculousness, because he couldn’t take a hint. Slow burn, when these two finally get together…whew, they are like a damned heat wave. There was a little pushing away from her, I feel like this is a family trait, but that last a hot second. Bishop is not the traditional “smooth” guy, and that is exactly what I loved about him. He was such a great guy, for me he was definitely book boyfriend material. We also get to see Alex and Violet from the Pucked series, this made me beyond happy. Loved this storyline, such a great book. There was an awesome epilogue and hea.
This series is phenomenal! I love catching up with Alex and Violet but dang did these two main characters stand out! I wasn’t sure how Helena Hunting was going to top a Lie for a Lie but boy I think I loved this book even more. It was the PERFECT combination of humor, sexiness, and emotions that makes this a fantastic read!
5 Underwear Of The Day Crowns
I love Helena and I know that every time I read one of her stories I’m in for a special treat, and this story was no exception. Helena has created a heartfelt wonderful series that draws you right in and enraptures you until the end. Bishop and Stevie are utter perfection together with their fantastic banter and their chemistry that is off the charts hot.
“At the end of the day I grab my bag from my locker, wondering if jerkwad missed out underwear fashion show today.”
Stevie is working through some unfortunate heartache and has come to stay at her brother’s penthouse while she figures things out. She’s smart and hardworking and even though she has some feelings of inadequacy due to her brother’s high status as a hockey player. She handles it like a champ with sass and determination. I adored her character and could immediately relate to her and what she was trying to work through. She meet’s Bishop and does not hesitate to give back as good as she got and I loved that. And even though she’s in a vulnerable place she does not let that get her down, her strength keeps her going with a smile on her face.
“This is what I get for being nice to someone with a pretty face and the personality of a praying mantis.”
Bishop is harsh and abrasive he too is going through some things especially with being on a new team and trying to develop repour with his teammates. But as the story moves forward, we get to see a whole new side to him. The fun little games he plays with Stevie and his unwavering love for his brother will pull at your heartstrings and have you falling in love with this big lug. The chemistry between him and Stevie is palpable, every time they are in the same room you could feel the tension growing and growing until it’s a physical entity that you can almost touch. These two are perfect together, they balance each other, and Bishop helps Stevie work through some of the issues she’s been carrying around with her.
“Four more days without Stevie’s hands on me. Four more days of whacking off in the shower. On the upside, I don’t have to constantly remind myself not to ram my tongue in her mouth and dry hump her. Small mercies, I suppose.”
I adored this story from start to finish, I was completely captivated with what was going on and read this in one sitting. With Helena’s specific brand of humor and her ability to layer her stories with precision makes this an easy 5 Star read. This series to completely addictive and every new one becomes my favorite. Helena is a master at her craft and has the ability to create these worlds that you can’t help but get lost in. I can’t wait to see where she takes us next.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book
Swoon-worthy, witty, and fun!
A Favor for a Favor is a sassy, heartwarming, delightful tale featuring the focused, feisty Stevie and the intense, broody Bishop as they both discover firsthand just how powerful attraction, temptation, and chemistry can truly be.
The writing is sharp and humorous. The characters are quirky, engaging, and charismatic. And the plot is an irresistible blend of friendship, family, light drama, tricky moments, awkward situations, hilarious hijinks, sporty action, snappy dialogue, shameless flirting, and sizzling romance.
Overall, A Favor for a Favor is a cheeky, amusing, entertaining tale by Hunting that had everything I look for in a lighthearted rom-com and more. I loved the characters, I loved the storyline, and I loved the happy-ever-after ending and it is without a doubt one of my favourite reads of the year.
When Stevie’s new neighbor sounds off on her she knows her stay at her brother’s (Rook from A Lie for a Lie) apartment isn’t going to be fun. So decides to fight his grumpiness and rudeness with a little game of her own. And she wins cuz she’s awesome like that! But the tide turns when she comes home and sees him outside his apartment in desperate need of some hockey rehab, and she’s just the perfect person to give it to him. Now the question is, will they be able to keep their hands off each other while involved in their new professional arrangement?
Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and if it’s combined with sports? I’m a goner! Especially when it’s done with lots of super snarky banter, serious sexy times, and a touch of the forbidden like it is here in A Favor for a Favor. I may have loved Rook and Lainey (and all of Helena’s other hockey couples), but I do believe my Stevie and Shippy are my new #1 HH couple. They start off being more like enemies, but when the last page rolls around, it’s nothing but sweet, swoony love, and they’ve cemented themselves as my favorite hockey couple, and my favorite Helena couple.
I do admit that if I have a choice I’ll be picking a hockey romance before another sports romance. And if it is one written by Helena Hunting, it is on my auto-buy list. A Favor for a Favor is the second in HH’s All In series and I’ve been ready to read it since I heard there was a new series. A Lie for a Lie is book one and the intro to the series, giving us Rook Bowman’s story. Second in series has us reading the story of Bishop Winslow, Rook’s teammate, and Stevie Bowman, Rook’s younger sister. From the start I was hooked. I loved that there’s a bit of mistaken identity, snarkiness, and the need to look under the surface. The more I read, the more I fell for HH’s match up. I loved Bishop and Stevie together.
I’m very much looking forward to reading the next in series. It can’t come soon enough.
A Favor for a Favor is one of my top reads so far this year. From their hilariously awkward meet-cute right to the very last word, I absolutely loved Stevie—even with her questionable pizza toppings—and Bishop.
Bishop’s just trying to make it through pre-season with his new team. He’s trying to jell with all the new players. Trying to find his way on the ice. Trying to figure out just where he fits. And the last thing he needs is an injury. One that’s threatening his position on the team.
And what he didn’t count on was discovering the gorgeous woman holed up in his team captain’s apartment was the exact person he needed in his life. The woman who’d get him back on the ice and melt the ice around his heart too.
Stevie’s just trying to make it through too. She’s just started a new job and the last thing she needs is having to move in the middle of the night and dealing with a crazy neighbor across the hall. But once she finally gets to know Bishop, she realizes he could be of great help in advancing her career, and maybe help heal her own heart in the process.
I love this terrific All In series and cannot wait for more from these sexy, smart, fun Hockey players. ~ 5 “pineapple and olives” stars
4.5 STARS!!!
What a great read! I adored Bishop and Stevie. I loved how rough and broody Bishop was. I could not get enough of his super fun boxer attire. I love silly socks, so I totally got it. These two were a hoot together. Their banter had me laughing out loud. The chemistry between them was electric and the angst was intense. Stevie was a smart girl. She gave just as good as she got. I loved their story. I highly recommend!
Review by Lys
Give me Bishop with Olives and Pineapple on top!
Author Helena Hunting is my go to for Hot Hockey Book Boyfriends because she knows how to give us Men we instantly fall in love with even with their flaws.
Bishop is one hot hockey player you want to not like because he is a total jerk…until he is not.
Boxer Briefs will never look the same because I will now always think of his name when I see any outrageous ones.
I loved Stevie can play his jerk game even when everything seems to be going wrong in her life when she meets Bishop.
This book was soo much fun to read.
It is funny, sexy, steamy, romantic and full of the back and forth banter between memorable characters in this series.
Go get this book and be ready to love Bishop and Stevie in all their knicker & colorful hair glory!
5 popped!
A Favor for a Favor will make you laugh from start to finish. I love the fact that Bishop and Stevie both lack verbal filters, so all of their interactions are highly entertaining! From the first page, this story is filled with witty banter, fueled by the mutual hatred that the main characters have for one another, due to a lack of communication. Daily underwear battles are just the beginning of their antics, along with an ex-boyfriend that won’t accept it’s over. I loved every minute of this book, it was highly entertaining and easily my favorite one in the All In series so far!
This book was truly amazing and a totally addictive read!!! Bishop and Stevie’s journey was sexy, swoony, and so fun to follow. You cannot go wrong with anything this author writes, this book is another great example of her talent.
Helena Hunting gives you a story that will pull at your heart strings in so many ways has to be one of my favorite books so far this year.
The story of Stevie and Bishop will pull at your heart string for so many reasons – family, relationships (personal and professional) as well as self confidence.
Stevie and Bishop are not what you would expect as a couple but you will love the wit and chemistry.
Helena out does herself with this book.
I love this author’s male characters, some of them are socially inept, natural a-holes, painfully sincere to the point of insulting, but they hide a good heart inside. I loved Bishop, lovingly called “Shippy” by his younger brother and later on by our heroine (not so lovingly!). He had just joined the expansion hockey team in Seattle, coached by Alex Winters, and with Rook Bowman as team captain. He was a little miffed because he expected to be captain, and there’s tension between them.
When this pink-haired woman moved into the neighboring penthouses that belonged to Rook, he thought she was Rook’s side-piece, so he was at his best snarkiness. Stevie, who had just dumped her cheating boyfriend, rose to the challenge and snarked back. Thus begins a wonderful snark-fest between two neighbors who watch through the peephole so they both come out to snatch their newspapers, each wearing ridiculous clothes; he wore his collection of crazy boxer briefs and she wore sport bras and tiny pants.
When Bishop got injured in a game, Stevie offers to treat him so he can return to the ice faster and in return he will write her a letter of recommendation. And in this favor exchange, they get to spend time together, clear up several misunderstandings, keep on sharing their special wardrobe, and go from friends to lovers to love.
I loved both characters and enjoyed the story tremendously. I had a great time cataloguing Bishop’s briefs:
Crotch has the phrase BEWARE OF FALLING ROCKS with a rockslide right where his peen should be.
A black-and-white checker print, a set of flags crosses over the peen pouch with the words FINISH LINE right over his junk.
Psychedelic print
Hawaiian print
Bright yellow, with CAUTION written all over them, like the tape they use at crime scenes.
Bull’s-eye over the crotch.
With the phrase CHECK OUT MY PACKAGE stamped on the front in warning-sign-yellow letters.
Stevie had some problems with the limelight associated with hockey players. She didn’t want to be associated with her brother’s fame and have people think she got her job using her brother’s contacts. She wants her achievements to be gained on her own efforts. With Bishop, she needs to decide what she wants more; anonymity or her guy. I loved that Bishop, even with his snarky personality, was another person with Stevie. He understood and respected her need to be away from the limelight, he adjusted to her needs and kept things professional when needed, and faced his superiors when necessary to defend his love for Stevie.
I love these stories because they are so feel-good. You get laughs and chuckles but you also get to read about people dealing with real life problems, like Bishop’s younger brother who has diabetes. These are real people with family and jobs, and the family feeling in the stories uplift your mood. It was also interesting to read about Rook from another perspective; arrogant and protective older brother. And I loved Stevie’s snarky remarks to Bishop: “looks at you, with clothes”, totally hilarious.
Never boring, always funny, “A Favor for a Favor” is perfect if you want an enjoyable read without too much drama.
First Bishop and Stevie are ENEMIES, then FRIENDS, and finally LOVERS.
Their relationship and their feelings grow slowly but since the first pages the sexual tension between them is off the charts and that creates some laughing out loud scenes.
Helena Hunting definitely knows how to write romcom with witty banter, great chemistry, funny and lovely characters…
Prepare yourself for :
_sexiness,
_sparks,
_pizzas,
_a battle of funny underwear,
_an overprotective brother,
_an irritating ex-boyfriend,
_an adorable and grumpy hero
_AND a sassy and sarcastic and kind heroine.
—> Go for it!!!!
Bonus: we have cameos from our favorite HH’s characters!
This is my favorite Helena Hunting book to date!!! Soooooooo good!!! Bishop and Stevie’s journey from hate to love is so amazing.
Bishop is a little… ok, he’s alot on the jerkish side, but that just adds to his appeal. For me at least. I just loved him! He’s rough around the edges and a bit socially inept, but underneath all that he’s sweet and swoony.
Stevie is just trying to live her life outside of her brother’s shadow, which is hard to do because he’s uber-protective. She’s feisty and doesn’t take anyone’s crap, especially Bishop’s, and he dishes out a very healthy portion of it.
The chemistry between these two is off-the-charts! I loved the banter between them. And I loved watching them fall together.
His relationship with Rook had me on edge, so I’m glad that worked itself out! And I loved seeing some of the old Pucked crew.
This is a must read! It can be read as a standalone, but I’d highly recommend reading A Lie for a Lie as well, because it’s also a fantastic book.
I really enjoyed this enemies to lovers take, between Stevie and Bishop. Stevie is awesomely quirky and Bishop excels at being a grumpy jerk. Between flinging insults at each other, we get to see who these characters really are below their tough exteriors.
Helena is fantastic at writing hilarious rom-coms, and this one was no exception. Between an overprotective older bother, a jealous ex, misunderstandings, daily underwear competitions, and a groin injury this book has it all.
‘”I want to be the olive to your pineapple.” I smooth my thumb along the the of her jaw, and she tips her head back: and unconscious reaction, I’m sure, but it says everything words can’t. for so many reason we probably shouldn’t fit together, but we do.’
Stevie walks into her apartment on her birthday to find her bf has some other chick bent over the couch. Her big brother comes to rescue and offers his team penthouse for her to stay in. When moving in she runs into Bishop, in his underwear, and he is not pleasant. To say that got off on a rocky start is an understatement. Bishop, a hockey player on her brother’s team, gets injured during a game and has to suck it up and ask Stevie for help to recover from his injuries. While spending time together treating his injuries Stevie and Bishop bond and form a friendship with an undeniable chemistry.
This book was freaking hilarious! I was dying the entire time. Stevie and Bishop’s banter is unparalleled. I couldn’t get enough of them. I loved how adorably grumpy Bishop was. And I also loved how he didn’t shy away from or deny his feelings for Stevie but recognized that she still needed to time to recover from the ex. I am usually not a fan of the slow burn but this book was so freaking funny that it was a very well done slow burn in my opinion. Very well done book and I highly recommend that everyone read this book. And for the record all the pineapple on pizza but olives are for the birds.