From New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting comes a new romance about trading secrets, breaking the rules, and playing for keeps.My name is Ryan Kingston, and I’m a rule follower. I’ve never been in a fistfight. I always obey the speed limit. I don’t get drunk, and I definitely don’t pick up random women at bars.Except the night I found out that my whole existence has been a lie.I got … existence has been a lie.
I got drunk. And picked up a stranger.
Her name was Queenie, and she was everything I’m not: reckless, impulsive, and chaotic. We did shots and traded secrets. And ended up naked at my place.
She left me a thank-you note in the morning and her panties as a parting gift. But no way to contact her.
Six weeks later I’m sitting in the first official team meeting of the season, and there she is. I neglected to mention that I’m the goalie for Seattle’s NHL team.
And Queenie? Turns out she’s the general manager’s daughter.
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*5 Stars*
ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review.
I LOVE this series. It’s definitely one of my favourite hockey series, and every time I finish the latest book, I can’t wait for the next. I was hooked from the very start with this, and there was a huge shock right there to begin with.
Ryan/King and Queenie are both very likeable characters, and they both have a fair bit going on their lives to try and deal with. Personal issues or insecurities. They have a crackling connection, and they just work so well together. A true case of opposites attract.
I really enjoyed getting to know these two, as they got to know each other. I loved the connections they have with their friends and family’s and the rest of the team. I was thrown for a loop a few times, Helena has some surprises hidden in this one, and I loved every second of it. And, because its a series spin off from our beloved Pucked guys, I love all the glimpses we get of some of those guys too.
Highly recommend this series, and this book. Cannot wait for more!
A sweet, sexy, and emotional opposites attract/hockey romance.
Ryan Kingston, the hockey goalie for Seattle’s NHL team, nice guy, rule follower, never pushes the limits and doesn’t drink. He is level-headed, dependable, and the only normal one in his family. Sound boring? Far from it! Ryan is patient, kind, and swoony. He has other sides to his personality as well that I loved seeing. Queenie is a beautiful disaster. She is a general wreck, impulsive, loves to break rules, and push the limits. She is unstable and undependable. You can’t help but love her because you know there are reasons that she is the way she is. Her dad has always been her savior but Ryan may just be her salvation!
One night, two strangers who share a lot of drinks, exchange secrets and have a one-night stand. They never thought they’d see one another again. Especially after Ryan wakes up with a massive hangover, her panties hanging from the doorknob, & a thank-you note. He would have like to contact her but without anything to go on, he figures it’s a lost cause. Fast forward six weeks and they meet back up at the team’s first meeting. It turns out they know someone in common, her dad who just happens to be his coach. Imagine their shock and awkwardness when they see each other. Lots of funny and sexy times ensue, but this journey won’t be an easy one for either one of them. Queenie has emotional scars from her past which includes her mother abandoning her and being mean and hateful towards her as well as having made bad choices in men. Ryan is dealing with finding out that his mother isn’t whom he thought she was. There are many obstacles in their way. Ryan is a very patient, determined man but can he convince Queenie that he is the man for her and she is worthy of his time and affection?
This book has a great plot that I enjoyed from start to finish. It was unique and refreshing. It was heartwarming, heartbreaking, touching, super sexy, hot & steamy, beautiful, love story with a HEA that will leave you swooning long after! I loved the hero and the heroine as well as the secondary characters. Ryan and Queenie were the perfect mixes of calm and chaos and balanced each other out. It was great seeing characters from the previous books again. Especially Bishop. I miss his humor and quirkiness. I loved every minute. I highly recommend reading this book!
***ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.***
Helena Hunting has this uncanny ability to have me burst into laughter while squirming in my seat. She seriously writes the hottest chemistry and then just throws in a hilarious twist that makes it feel that much more authentic. Because seriously the crazy stuff always happens at the most inopportune moment and it is the crazy that makes us appreciate the perfect moments.
King and Queenie have been the best couple I have read in ages. I felt like I have known them forever and at the same time waited for years to meet them. They were real and authentic and chaotic and dysfunctional and just perfect.
Queenie was the perfect storm for Kings smooth lake. And I really enjoyed watching her strength and belief in herself grow as King proved to her that he would be her safe place to land. But more so I loved that she realised that she was strong enough not to need it. She was beautiful because she was so human and she had her own flaws and had made her share of mistakes.
King more than lived up to his name. And I call dibs. In so many regards he would drive me insane but at the same time I think that’s because I am very much the type that lives in chaos. Although King had grown up in more than his share of chaos and I loved that his family was so nuts and dysfunctional.
I just loved this whole story. Every page, every word. The whole series has been awesome but this one took the cake. I couldn’t put it down and I am dying for the next book and I am crossing all my fingers hoping it’s momster and Jake. But I know even if it’s not I am going to love it. And as much as I’ll obsess over it, I’ll also get more of the crew so it’s got all the sprinkles.
I think it’s common knowledge by now, that Helena Hunting is an exceptional writer. I haven’t read one single book that I didn’t love and didn’t fall in love with the characters, the humorous banter and adorable story lines. This book is no different and a fantastic addition to this series! Another perfect romcom from this lovely lady <3
OMG King is just everything that makes a hottie a freaking hottie. Rule follower who loves his family and wants the best for everyone. He is the choir boy of the hockey team and is liked by all. Pair him with Queenie the chaos that surrounds her life is the opposite of King. What should have been a one night stand turns into a relationship that takes polar opposites and makes it work. The strawberry scene hilarious! Loved seeing past couples of the All In series along with Violet and Alex. Damn I love this series so hard!!
Ryan Kingston is definitely the man every mom wants their daughter to bring home for the family to meet. King is the epitome of the boy next door, only if he is a real boy scout lol. He is a gentleman, kind, loyal, romantic and wild in the bedroom! And after one of the worst days of his life, King is trying to drink his sorrows away when he meets the beautiful Queenie. Turns out she’s having a pretty crappy day too. King & Queenie go shot for shot and end up spilling their secrets and spend a passionate night together at King’s house. Queenie leaves the next day with a sweet note but no phone number and they both acknowledge that it is what it is, a one night wonderful night.
Well that is until they run into each other again about a month later when Ryan is introduced to Queenie officially by her dad, Ryan’s boss, the boss who is also the GM of the hockey team Ryan is the goalie for. And the fun, laughter, banter, unbelievable one liners go on and on. Although there are some serious themes and I did shed a few tears, overall, there is so much to love about this book. Of course any book with Alex and Violet is a great one but this one has all their kids and it’s magic. Bishop is the best wingman, lol. You will definitely want this to be your next 1 click!!!
I was excited to read Kingston’s story. A milk drinking hockey player falling for the most opposite person to his straight edged personality is the best!! I have loved this series since the first book and as always Ms. Hunting captures us from the first page. I really hope there is more to this series because I love this world. An absolute must read!
Oh wow, I really loved this book! Kingston and Queenie’s story is full of emotion and feels. I adored King, he is right up there with my favorite Helena Hunting Books male characters. His gentleness, kindness and thoughtfulness, make him the whole package. I adore how he feels about his queen and his devotion to her, he sticks by her through thick and thin. I feel like these two could overcome anything, especially with such a strong connection.
I loved all the secondary characters, Jake, the crazy family. Another winner by one of my favorite authors, highly recommend!
Much love for Goalie Ryan Kingston in book 3 of this series. I love being immersed in the hockey world. Kingston is such a sweetheart. Falling in love with Kingston is so easy. He is such a good guy and has so much respect for everyone. During a night spent drinking, which is out of the ordinary for Kingston, he meets Queenie and they hit it off immediately. Fate intervenes when they run in to each other again and their chemistry is still there and hotter than ever. This book was a fun read. I laughed out loud at times and have a serious crush on Kingston. Helena continues to score goals with her hockey world. Enjoy!!!
A SECRET FOR A SECRET is the third instalment in Helena Hunting’s contemporary, adult ALL IN erotic, hockey romance series focusing on the member of the NHL’s Seattle expansion team. This is thirty year old, Seattle goalie Ryan Kingston, and twenty-four year old PA / artist Queenie Masterson’s story line. A SECRET FOR A SECRET can be read as stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Ryan and Queenie) A SECRET FOR A SECRET follows the forbidden relationship between thirty year old, Seattle goalie Ryan Kingston, and twenty-four year old PA / artist Queenie Masterson. Queenie Masterson is the only daughter of Seattle’s General Manager Jake Masterson, and as such our heroine is off-limits to the hockey players but several weeks earlier, Queenie spend a one-night stand with sexy stranger struggling with some earth shattering news of his own, a stranger who happened to be Seattle’s first string goalie. Enter Ryan Kingston, the man with whom Queenie will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Queenie and Ryan, and the potential fall-out as Queenie’s past demands reparations, and Ryan’s past come looking for a second chance.
Ryan Kingston is the personification of perfection; a clean cut “boy-scout” who has fallen for the GM’s daughter but all is not well in Queenie’s life when her ex-boyfriend is the latest player to be traded to the Seattle team, a team that battles to accept the trade for a man whose reputation both on and off the ice precedes his introduction to his new team. A frenzy ensues when secrets and lies are released to the media, a frenzy that forces Queenie to run from the man that she loves.
The relationship between Queenie and Ryan begins as a one-night stand that will soon turn into something more, with the blessing of General Manager Jake Masterson but Queenie struggles with demons from her past, demons that are about to reveal a long-kept secret. As Ryan and Queenie’s relationship heats up, there are people in the back ground desperate to tear them apart. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including Queenie’s father Jake Masterson; her ex-boyfriend Corey Slater and his fiance Sissy, as well as Ryan’s brother Gerald, mother, and mom-ster Hannah. We are reintroduced to Bishop and Stevie (A Favor for a Favor #2), Stevie’s brother Rook ‘RJ’ Bowman and his wife Lainey ( A Lie for a Lie #1) and coach Alex Waters and his wife Violet, and their daughter Lavender.
A SECRET FOR A SECRET is a story of family, friendships, secrets and lies; a story of revelations and heart break; of acceptance and love. The premise is captivating; the romance is steamy and hot; the characters are dynamic and seductive.
4.5 stars!
Ryan Kingston, the goalie for Seattle’s hockey team, finds out a huge family secret and to blow off some steam, he goes home with Queenie, the girl he only just met in the bar. The next day she is gone and he can’t get her off his mind. Fast forward six weeks and he runs into her again. As the daughter of the team’s manager, it is made clear to the team that Queenie is off limits. King and Queenie have every intention of following the rules despite their attraction but the more time they spend together, the harder it is to stay away.
This forbidden romance is so good! King and Queenie are fantastic, well-developed characters and I adored both of them. Their story is filled with the perfect amount of sugar and spice, and humor and heart. Add in the twists that rock their world and mine, this entertaining read is a great addition to the All In series.
Queenie hasn’t had the easiest life. Though she was raised by a loving father, she has a cruel mother who pops in and out of her life and brings Queenie down with every visit. It takes a toll on her self-esteem and confidence, and I hated that Queenie had to deal with the negativity. I felt her pain and understood why she looked at her life the way she did. I wanted her happiness and was rooting for her from the beginning.
King is amazing and I loved everything about him. He is a gentleman with a kind heart. An overall good guy and rule follower, he was different from the other hockey players and I loved it. He is confident with who he is and he doesn’t give into what people expect. He stays true to his nature throughout the story and I fell hard for him, especially when I saw him with Queenie. He also has dirty side that only added another dimension to his character, and I loved that too.
“Such a pretty boy. So nicely dressed, so polite. So very, very respectful. But good God, get that man’s clothes off and get him into a bed, and it’s a whole different story…I took the Boy Scout out of the polo and unleashed a very dirty man.”
Queenie and King are awesome individually, as friends, and as lovers. Talk about the electric chemistry between them and the freaking sexual tension that zings off the pages. They turn up the heat and get your blood pumping from just the sizzle in the air when these two are together.
“Every time Queenie and I connect, it’s like there’s energy passing between us, the kind that keeps drawing us together, making it impossible not to give in to it.”
When they finally give in, they are so good as a couple. They know how to have a good time and the humor in this story is great. They are opposites but complement each other in the best possible ways. They love unconditionally and love the imperfections that each one has, and are the perfect match.
“I want all your dark secrets to be mine to keep. I want all your pieces, all the things that make you who you are. I don’t care if you think you’re bent or broken; let me love all of you.”
Sometimes the past comes back to haunt you and Queenie and King are thrown for a loop when that very things happens. There’s a bit of drama and I loved the way King dealt with the situation. He is just so wonderful! And Queenie grows a lot at the end and finally accepts her qualities. I loved how she learned to love herself and how King was there for her every step of the way.
“You are amazing and the world is at your fingertips. The sooner you realize that, the easier it will be for you to shine like you’re supposed to.”
A Secret for a Secret is a heartwarming, butterfly inducing, emotional ride that is so much fun. I loved finally getting King and Queenie’s story, and I loved seeing the other wonderful characters from the previous books in the series, as well as some Pucked cameos! Overall, I really enjoyed this one and definitely recommend it!
“He’s the calm and I’m the storm.
I’d rather have her chaos than stay stuck in the calm.”
I’m a sucker for a hockey romance and this one just sucked me in! Ryan Kingston (King) has a one night stand with woman he only knows as Queenie, something he never does. She is the complete opposite of him but she draws him like a magnet. He never thought he would see her again but 6 weeks later he goes tot he first official team meeting before the season starts and there she is. The general manager’s daughter and completely off limits.
I thoroughly enjoyed parts of this story. Queenie and King have this combustible chemistry that made is very steamy! This one is a sweet and cute romance without all the major angst between the major characters and I really liked that! My only drawback was that there wasn’t as much laughter as I am used to with this author, I kinda missed it. These two are completely different from each other but I felt that made them perfect for each other. They held each other’s weaknesses and up with their own strength’s and vice versa. All in all, this one did draw me in and keep me reading from the start, I just missed the humor that I am used to. Definitely still a great read!
Overall Grade:
“I’ll bring my chaos into your calm.”
I am fairly certain that most romance readers love the “opposites attract” trope. More than anything, this trope brings about the greatest insight into the human experience. It highlights our differences but reminds us that those differences are complements to each other. This idea runs thoughtfully through Helena Hunting’s newest book, A Secret for A Secret. If you’re like me, you ran for this book because (1) Ryan Kingston, the “perfect” friend to Shippy in Hunting’s second book of the All in Series, A Favor for a Favor was dreamy, but needed mussing and (2) Hunting was going to do what she does best: bring a heroine to mess Kingston up. And man, did Hunting deliver in this book.
What do we need to know? Ryan Kingston or King for short, is a good guy: ever-present, always thoughtful, straight-laced, a great friend, khaki and white polo shirt wearing, consummate milk drinker. There is nothing he does wrong because his life is controlled down to the food he consumes, his sleep schedule, and the cleanliness of his home. He is the kind of guy you want to take home to your family.
Huntington’s heroine in this story, Queenie, is King’s opposite. She hasn’t figured out her life. The goals she previously set for herself are derailed through her choices. She’s an artistic type who is messy, colorful, and a bit of a loner. Queenie is struggling to find her path in life. As she investigates this, she moves home to live with her father and work as his personal assistant.
One night, Queenie and Kingston meet in a bar, and there is an instant attraction. Both of them commiserate over some life challenges. As one drink leads to another and another, these two end up together for the night. When Kingston wakes up the next morning, Queenie is gone, and he believes he won’t see her again. Until he does. On the first day of practice for the season. And she’s the general manager’s daughter. These two have a keen chemistry from the start, and Kingston, the everpresent good guy, wants to do everything right, but Queenie and her little bit of chaos try to derail it. Are Queenie and Kingston a match made in heaven? If you believe in the law of opposites attracting, then you know the answer.
First off, let me say that I adore Helena Hunting. I think I signed up for an ARC of A Favor for A Favor, and this began my Helena Hunting binge-read fest. When I first began reading romance, I read Hunting’s Pucked and fell in love with her storytelling, but I hadn’t read any of the other books in the series. After AFFAF, I jumped in fast. I quickly, using a combination of e-books and audiobooks, gobbled her Pucked and All In series. She does what others such as Penny Reid do: create these grand universes of characters who interact with each other in new books. That’s my crack in the romance world. Seriously. Nothing makes me happier than for older characters to show up in later books. Think Violet and Alex in A Secret for A Secret. It illustrates Hunting’s ability to know her readers and write romance that feeds their spirits. Secondly, it’s obvious she’s able to envision her fiction beyond one book. It shows a long-game plan, not a short-term enjoyment.
Secondly, Hunting makes me laugh. Out loud. There are so many moments (one especially) that tickles your funny bone in this new story. She finds the hilarity in simple life situations. Whether it’s an allergic reaction or a dad’s reaction to his daughter with a player, there is something funny in everything. Hunting’s genius as a storyteller, though, is her ability to balance her comedy with the gravity of life. Both Kingston and Queenie are dealing with various levels of expectation. Kingston’s family expects that he will make certain decisions, while Queenie’s struggle lies in her perceived expectations of her father and the verbal abuse of her mother. This dichotomy creates moments of despair for her, as she simply doesn’t feel “good enough” under the weight of those expectations. The depth of this reality conspires with the hilarity of Kingston and Queenie’s coupling to remind readers that life is full of ups and downs. How we handle those determine what we get out of life.
Add into A Secret for A Secret…well, secrets, and you have a story that is compelling and engaging. This ARC had been sitting on my Kindle waiting for me to finish ARCs that had an earlier release date. It taunted me because I knew Kingston’s story would be a good one, and Hunting did not disappoint. While the story is a seemingly simple one: straight-laced hockey player falls for the boss’s daughter, it really isn’t. There are heavy feelings of inadequacy due to parental verbal abuse and poor decision making. The constant in this story, the one thing that makes you turn the page until the book is finished, is the way that Kingston determinedly loves Queenie. Period. While there is seeming strife between these two, Hunting has crafted a hero in Kingston that propels you into their story because his love for Queenie is vast and beautiful. He loves every part of her, even though she is different from him. I loved Hunting’s articulation of it as their story grows, so much so that I binge-read the entire book in half a day. To read Kingston love Queenie as she needs to be loved is the glory of A Secret for A Secret.
True to form, Helena Hunting has offered up another glorious hockey story. I can imagine as an author this might become boring. As a reader, though, reading Hunting’s hockey players feels right: every. single. time. She brilliantly exposes the truth of the human experience through the heroes who light up the ice and the heroines who warm their beds. At the very least, the fact that Queen and King are the heroes of A Secret for A Secret should make you run to download their story fast.
Throughout A Lie for a Lie and A Favor for a Favor, we have seen Ryan “King” Kingston in the background, hovering cautiously with his white polo shirts and khaki pants. He’s the guy who drinks milk when others knock back tequila shots. He’s had a steady girlfriend who seems about as exciting as his driving.
Now, with A Secret for a Secret, we get to see the real King, the guy behind the rules he follows, and he is everything you hoped he would be. I always get a kick out of Helena Hunting’s heroes. I always enjoy them, and I always develop a crush on them. In this case, though, King grabbed my cold hard heart and thawed a huge chunk. He’s a good guy who tries his best to be stable and responsible, even when not being quite so steadfast would be a whole lot more fun.
King meets Queenie at a bar, of all places, and she is everything he is not: she’s scattered, disorganized, and messy in nearly every aspect of her life. The messiest part of Queenie is the way she thinks about herself. She has a narrow view, largely thanks to what she’s been told by one of her parents.
As much as this may seem like it belongs to the “opposites attract” trope, that would greatly minimize what Helena Hunting does with King and Queenie. They are very much alike in fundamental ways. King may be settled and Queenie not, but they share a vision for what they want for themselves.
If you were wondering if King is as buttoned up in the bedroom as he is everywhere else, let me knock down that theory. King has it going ON, dear readers. Milk has done his body some G-O-O-D.
I loved this book so much. As I write this review, we are in deep into the pandemic quarantine, and it hasn’t been easy to read books. Helena Hunting, though, delivers a book that makes you laugh, swoon, get a little teary, and sigh with delight.
I love Ryan Kingston! When we met him as a supporting character in the first books in the series, he seemed like a fairly grounded and “tame” personality. Find out what happens when a nice, toe-the-line guy on the outside turns alpha sex god behind the bedroom doors! King and Queenie trade secrets as virtual strangers but their relationship forms and unfolds based on this very premise! So exciting to watch King fight his alpha side while he tries to do the right thing. Queenie’s unfiltered self is a breath of fresh air and keeps both of them on their toes! We definitely get to see more of their respective families as they are the ones who shaped our Hero and heroine into who they are today! Love the chemistry and dynamic between these two!
I have enjoyed every single book in the All In series more than the one before it. It seems to be my way with Helena Hunting’s books.
This one is the story of Ryan Kingston Or King and Queenie (yes, that’s really her name, no I’m not joking) who meet after they both individually have pretty rough nights. Fun times ensue and then they come to find out that Queenie is actually the daughter of the GM of the hockey team that King plays for!
Ryann Kingston is the epitome of a cinnamon roll character. He’s a bit buttoned up and plays by the rules. Queenie is chaos on two legs.
Their friendship is adorable. The relationship Queenie has with her dad is so special.
This is the sweetest friends to lovers story. I don’t want this series to be over, but I feel like it might be and now I have a sad.
**Thank you to Social Butterfly, Netgalley and the author for the advance copy. I volunteered to leave an unbiased review**
Absolutely LOVED this book! King is my new favorite Helena guy!!! He’s just so sweet! And again she creates these amazing characters that I just want to be best friends with.
Who says the nice guy always finishes last? Well, then they haven’t met Kingston! Because this nice guy has the perfect naughty side when he isn’t driving at exactly the speed limit and wearing khakis and polos. When we met him in the first two books, he comes across as so straight-laced. He is the consummate gentleman always, but seeing him let loose is a slice of perfection Hunting couldn’t have written any better. In fact, Kingston and Queenie are like the next generation Alex and Violet (and those two are nothing short of messy perfection). They appear to be opposites, yet King and Queenie are matching puzzle pieces (just like our other favorite crazy couple).
What I find incredibly interesting about this story is how King and Queenie would balance each other out. Queenie made impulsive decisions in her past (and was still prone to them) and Kingston was the calm to her storm. And when Kingston came unraveled, Queenie was there. They rose to the occasion to be each other’s balancing point, even before they knew each other and on to when it was forbidden to be together.
While it made me sad to see Queenie be a slave to her past bad decisions, there was a great appreciation as she tried her best to move on from her past. And he was doing it for her, even if she couldn’t or didn’t want to see it. I think Kingston helped her realize she could be a better version of herself let go of past mistakes. And while Queenie had an incredible dad (who I really hope finds his own happily ever after), it was Kingston who was the missing chess piece in her game of life.
This is a perfect story for your next read. Don’t just add it to your TBR, dive right in. You can’t go wrong with Hunting!
5 STARS
King and Queenie are a dynamic duo…the rule follower and somewhat flighty (more lost and discouraged) make a match made in heaven. As with all Helena’s books, she creates characters that are endearing and relatable. I devoured this book as I do with all this author’s works. I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book. You definitely want to go ALL IN. A Secret For A Secret by Helena Hunting is an EPIC read and will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ARISTOCRACY!!!
4.5 Mommy Issues Stars
I fall a bit more in love with this series with each book. I can’t even say, Kingston without grinning ear to ear. He was everything I wanted him to be. He carries himself so well, with confident ease. And, only he can make being a rule follower, sexy as hell. Trust me, I get and appreciate his need for order. You know the good oh saying opposites attract, well that totally applies here. My girl Queenie is everything Kingston isn’t. She’s a fiery, chaotic, beautiful mess. All of these qualities make her very relatable. All of this should explain why watching these two together is the best form of entertainment. It’s the kind of story we all need right now. It’s super fun, laugh out loud funny, with low angst. I guarantee you’ll finish with a big smile on your face.
I’ll leave you with a little tease from a scene that you absolutely must-read. I was dying .
“Are you having an allergic reaction? Oh my God, are you allergic to me?”
“What? Oh hell!” King sits up in a rush and runs a hand from his pecs to his peen.