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::Review:: If You Hate Me by Helena Hunting (Toronto Terrors #1)

::Review:: If You Hate Me by Helena Hunting (Toronto Terrors #1)

Beatrix (Rix, or Beat, depending on who’s speaking) has known Tristan since her older brother, Flip, friended Tristan in elementary school. And he’s treated her poorly ever since. Sure, she was the bratty younger sister. But she’s out of college now with a degree in accounting. And she’s got a place she shares with roommates, paid for by the job she has in a firm.

Coming home to some solicitations from her cosplaying roommates, she locks herself in her room and has a really bad day at work, which ends with her quitting. With no money, and literally nowhere else to go, Rix stays with her brother. Who is rooming with his best friend and hockey teammate, Tristan. And if ever red angry waves of hatred were a thing, they would come out of his eyes every time he looks at her.

Tristan is tired of taking care of everyone. He and Flip may have a stabbin’ cabin, with a revolving door of rink bunnies, but once he stumbles in and finds Rix in the loft, he realizes that he has to keep his distance so he doesn’t try and take care of her… Will he have his hands full with the siblings AND an upcoming hockey season?

I loved this story, the first in the Toronto Terrors series. I felt like it was character-driven, but also had a pretty good plot. I can get annoyed with enemies to lovers as a trope, because it’s too slow burn for me. But If You Hate Me does NOT suffer that. The pacing of the book is believable and readable. I was laughing so much as I was reading this book. Helena Hunting is one of those author’s that can easily be an auto-buy because you get great stories packed with fun characters. I also adore the team mascot (#IYKYK).

Also, as for heat–call the Green Valley Fire Department (okay, Helena is in Canada and Green Valley is in Penny Reid’s TN) because there are some CRAZY things at play. The two have chemistry that you can see, hear and even feel if you’re in the same room. With as active as they were in such a small place, whew! Also, there’s one scene in particular that may change the way you think about cucumbers.

I appreciated how Helena also detailed some childhood trauma as it leaked into adulthood. These characters leap off the page. And once you jump into one of these books, more of the world Helena has created goes into your world. And it makes it a little bit brighter. At least, it does for me. You can get If You Hate Me by Helena Hunting on Amazon and it’s even on Kindle Unlimited, which is great for a first time Helena Hunting reader. If you pick this up, let me know in the comments below. Or, let me know who writes your favorite sports stories in the comments below.

 

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