A Lie for a Lie

Helena Hunting’s hot hockey heroes are my jam! And now she’s brought us a brand new spin-off sports series rom-com – with an alpha athlete hero and quirky heroine wrapped up in a second chance romance! Color me excited!

“A romantic comedy about instant attraction, second chances, and not-so-little white lies.”

A romantic comedy about instant attraction, second chances, and not-so-little white lies.

Sometimes I need an escape from the demands, the puck bunnies, and the notoriety that come with being an NHL team captain. I just want to be a normal guy for a few weeks. So when I leave Chicago for some peace and quiet, the last thing I expect is for a gorgeous woman to literally fall into my lap on a flight to Alaska. Even better, she has absolutely no idea who I am.

Lainey is the perfect escape from my life. My plan for seclusion becomes a monthlong sex fest punctuated with domestic bliss. But it ends just as abruptly as it began. When I’m called away on a family emergency, I realize too late that I have no way to contact Lainey.

A year later, a chance encounter throws Lainey and me together again. But I still have a lie hanging over my head, and Lainey’s keeping secrets of her own. With more than lust at stake, the truth may be our game changer.

A Lie for A Lie Hit my kindle after midnight & I finished on 10/15/19 @ 2:30 am. If I could I would give this book 10 plus Stars

RJ and his brother Kyle were getting together to fish in Alaska. This was something they did every year with their Father but since his passing the brothers made a point to continue the tradition especially this year for Kyle & his wife are expecting their first child and the brothers knew things would change. While waiting for his brother in Anchorage airport Kyle calls to let him know he is not going to make it for his wife is having complications & is in bedrest for the remainder, Kyle tells Rook that he is sorry & should go fishing and that he would call if he needed him in LA. While waiting for take off a quirky young girl falls into rooks lap and almost chokes herself with her own scarf & by the way she is dressed Rook is pretty sure she is not a puck bunny & dose not recognize him. When Rook thinks he will have a quiet fishing vacation, fate has other plans & throws them together on the small plain that will take them both to Kodiak, Lainey and RJ adventure begins. He is enjoying not being recognized & let’s Lainey believe he is a alpaca farmer, before he can tell her the truth he has to leave and they loose touch And once again Fate brings them together at a Birthday party at the aquarium & Lainey realizes RJ Lied..but she is not telling him the truth. Can they find their way back to the happiness they had together in Kodiak island with the help of their friends or will another Lie end it all. RJ & Lainey story will have you laughing & crying, while Violet will have you choking on your coffee. You are going to love their story and you will not be able to put this book down, so be prepared for a late night.

I just have hearts in my eyes and loved this story so hard! Rook and Lainey seemed fated for one another. These two come into each other’s life and as hard as they crash circumstances tear them apart. You just knew they needed to find each other again. But when Rook and Lainey meet again, misunderstandings might keep them apart. The chemistry between the two sizzles and I was yelling…just give Rook a chance! This was a sweet and swoony second chance romance that I never wanted to end.

Hot hockey players + Helena Hunting: How can you go wrong? Spoiler alert –you can’t. Another win from this incredibly talented author!

I always love Helena’s writing, and Lie for a Lie is no exception! Each scene had me rolling with laughter, or cheering for RJ and Lainey to get that very deserved Happily Ever After! I read it in two sittings and never wanted to put this baby down!

Quel plaisir de retrouver la plume d’Helena Hunting dans une romance sportive. A lie for a Lie est le premier tome de la saga All In qui est un spin off de la saga Pucked. Si vous n’avez pas encore lu cette saga, rassurez vous A lie for a Lie peut être lu de manière totalement indépendante . Nous revoyons d’anciens personnages tels qu’Alex et Violet , Randy et Lily ainsi que Miller et Sunny. J’ai adoré ce premier tome et Helena Hunting nous offre une romance brillante, adorable avec des personnages comme je les adore dans une romance sportive.

Rook Bowman est un jeune hockeyeur au top de sa carrière. Il est le capitaine de l’équipe de Chicago et tout lui sourit. Nous allons craquer pour cet homme dès que nous le découvrons en Alaska , sur Kodiac Island car nous allons voir qui il est vraiment. Quand votre équipe joue à un niveau aussi important que celle de Rook, il est évident que la vie privée et l’intimité ne sont plus qu’un concept très lointain. Aussi quand il tombe ( ou quand Lainey tombe littéralement sur lui) sur notre héroïne, c’est très rafraîchissant de voir quelqu’un s’intéresser à lui pour ce qu’il est réellement et non la notoriété et l’argent qui va de pair avec son métier. Il est attentionné , doux, protecteur et il sait apaiser Lainey quand les tensions apparaissent. De plus , on sent très vite que c’est quelqu’un de sociable car il est parfaitement intégré dans son équipe. Ce qu’il a plus de mal à gérer est évidemment tout le cirque médiatique qui est lié à sa carrière. Quand il a débuté , il est tombé dans les affres d’une vie sexuelle débridée mais depuis la souci avec Sissy, il a décidé de lever le pied et de prendre sur lui pour ne plus succomber.

Pourtant , on va voir que l’alchimie entre lui et Lainey est une évidence . Il est génial avec elle et les quelques semaines qu’ils vont passer ensemble seront une véritable parenthèse dorée et une bulle de bonheur. Malheureusement le destin va s’en mêler et le mensonge qu’il va lui donner ne va pas aider les jeunes gens à se retrouver. Un an va s’écouler avant qu’il ne recroise son chemin et même si on sait que leur rencontre l’a vraiment marqué et qu’elle n’est pas une simple passade , il va devoir sortir les rames pour refaire partie de sa vie. Il va devoir prouver qu’il est l’homme de la situation surtout quand une surprise vient s’inviter à l’équation. J’ai aimé le fait qu’il demande des conseils à ses proches comme sa soeur Stevie par exemple ou encore qu’il puisse bénéficier de l’aide d’Eden , une amie de Lainey car le malheureux risque bien de commettre quelques impairs. J’ai adoré le romantisme qui se dégage de certaines scènes tout comme le comique de situation dans d’autres. Parviendra t-il à saisir cette seconde chance que le destin lui tient? Pourra t-il enfin se montrer digne de confiance?

Lainey Carver est une jeune femme qui d’apparence semble “fragile” dans le sens où elle souffre parfois de crise de panique. Elevée dans une famille de huit enfants, certains événements ont conduit ses parents Elaine et Simon à la surprotéger. Mais elle saura prendre le taureau par les cornes et montrer sa volonté d’indépendance. Son arrivée en Alaska sera épique et sa rencontre avec RJ d’autant plus mémorable. Elle a envie de se débrouiller par elle même mais elle aura l’intelligence d’accepter les mains tendus. Elle est passionnée par ses études et par la thèse qu’elle mène et il sera donc intéressant de voir comment elle fait pour tenter de vivre en société. Je ne dirai pas qu’elle est introverti mais en tout cas , elle sait parfois s’enfermer dans sa bulle. Nous verrons les deux facettes de cette jeune femme qui va s’ouvrir à RJ comme elle ne l’a jamais fait auparavant. Elle porte les stigmates du passé mais elle cache aussi en elle une force incroyable.

C’est ce que nous verrons donc dans la deuxième partie du récit et on la verra aussi lutter contre ses sentiments. Il est évident qu’elle aime notre héros mais les quiproquo et surtout les mensonges pourraient avoir raison de leur idylle. Elle manque de confiance en elle et pourtant elle peut être fière de tout ce qu’elle a accompli. Elle met tout en oeuvre pour s’en sortir et on attend donc avec impatience de voir si elle va lui donner ou non une seconde chance. Pour cela, elle devra prendre en compte de nombreux paramètres dont un en particulier qui sera très mignon. Elle qui n’aime pas être sous le feu des remparts devra sortir de sa zone de confort si elle veut réellement octroyer une chance à RJ de prouver que c’est une homme parfait pour elle. Ce sera aussi intéressant de voir comment elle pourrait entrer dans le cercle des femmes de hockeyeurs et on pourra évidemment compter sur Violet pour détendre l’atmosphère dans les moments les plus “opportuns”. Pourra t-elle sortir de sa coquille et affronter ses peurs? Aura t-elle le courage de laisser de nouveau son coeur parler alors qu’il a déjà été brisé une première fois?

Bref, laissez vous charmer par cette romance sportive comme je les aime. Helena Hunting m’a fait passer un excellent moment de lecture avec cette saga qui ne peut être que prometteuse. Tous les ingrédients sont réunis pour que nous nous régalions en compagnie de nouveaux personnages tout en ayant des nouvelles des anciens personnages. La saga All lie est très prometteuse et j’ai hâte de découvrir le second tome qui sera vraisemblablement sur Stevie .

I got to read an early copy of this one and it was fab!! Don’t miss Helena’s latest hockey hero–he is yummy!

I’m relatively new to Helena Hunting’s writing, this book being the third one of hers that I’ve read, and for that, believe me, I’m kicking myself. I mean, seriously, what was I thinking waiting this long to read her work? It’s ridiculous, and I’m embarrassed and ashamed of myself. But on the upside, I have a whole lot of awesomeness to look forward to in that back catalog of hers, so at least there’s that.

A Lie for a Lie kicks off with one heck of a meet-cute that turns into a bit of a mess (literally) before it circles back to cute. Rook, or RJ as he introduces himself to Lainey, solidly endeared himself to me during that whole episode. He was so gentle and kind, and I loved that he recognized right away that this woman was different and special, and from that first moment, he handled her with care, well except for that one big honking lie of omission… Lainey was so sweet and a touch naïve at first, but she was also brave, stepping way out of her comfort zone to go on this huge adventure alone.

Their magical few weeks together is abruptly cut short, and in a truly unfortunate set of circumstances, they part ways, planning to catch up with each other later. In a heartbreaking turn of events, though, that contact doesn’t go according to plan, and they lose touch. Fast forward a year, and fate steps in to reunite them in another meet-cute scenario that isn’t nearly as cute as their first meeting. RJ’s lie explodes in that moment as he sees Lainey for the first time in a year. It turns out, though, that Lainey’s got one of her own. Summoning up all the persistence, patience and purpose he can possibly muster, RJ pursues Lainey. He desperately wants a chance to prove he’s the real deal to Lainey, and she has decide if she’s willing to put her heart on the line again.

Rooted in one of my favorite tropes, A Lie for a Lie was an utterly romantic, sweet and sexy second-chance romance. Positively brimming with emotion, Hunting delivered a story that made me laugh, swoon, sigh and sob. I loved every single step of RJ and Lainey’s journey back to each other. Five smooches from me for A Lie for a Lie by Helena Hunting!
~Danielle Palumbo, Red Cheeks Reads

Rook (RJ) Bowman uses the quiet of his family’s cabin in Alaska to recharge and reconnect once a year with his family. But this year it will be even quieter as the rest of the family isn’t able to join him for the first time ever. As luck would have it though, RJ doesn’t end up spending his cabin time alone. Lainey’s literal fall into his lap piqued his interested when she didn’t recognize him as a professional hockey player and instead treated him like a regular guy. Lainey is heading to Alaska for a few weeks of research on her latest Master’s thesis. Their month together turns far more domestic than either were angling for, but a medical emergency back home has their time cut short as RJ has to race home to be with his family. Through a series of unfortunate events, a year passes and both think the other has gone on and forgotten about their time together. In fact, Lainey doesn’t even know RJ’s real name or his profession.

When they run into each other a year later, there are plenty of sparks flying, but Lainey is even more guarded than she was when they first met, and RJ needs to atone for his omissions in Alaska and prove that he means what he says.

I enjoyed both of these characters. RJ needs a little normal in his life with all the crazy that surrounds his career, and though I wanted him to tell Lainey the truth, I couldn’t really fault him for the omission as he showed her a side of himself he didn’t normally show the public. Lainey’s sheltered life left her a little on the quirky side, but I loved the vulnerability she shared with RJ and how he was able to keep her grounded when she needed it most. Together, these two just fit; they balanced each other nicely.

This was a fun, second chance romance with a little extra thrown in. Both are hiding secrets at various points in the story and the consequences of those lies (or omissions) are the biggest hurdles they have to overcome. Each little twist in their story kept the story flowing and the pages turning, and jumping into this new series was thoroughly entertaining.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.