If You Need Me (Toronto Terror 3) by Helena Hunting-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 14, 2024

I’ve been secretly in love with Wilhelmina Reddi-Grinst since the third grade.

I should be the one taking her to our small-town high school reunion. The prom king finally gets his chance with the valedictorian.
Except she hates me.

To the world, I’m a pro hockey player with a million dollar smile.
To Hemi, I’m the menace who (accidentally) sank her bike to the bottom of the lake.

I never thought I’d be able to right my wrongs until she took the team’s PR job.
I’d hoped I was making progress, winning her over—one geriatric polka party at a time.

Until I got drunk one night and made a mistake. A very big mistake.
Now the world thinks we’re both very much in love—except Hemi is absolutely in loathe.

To save our jobs and reputations, we have to convince all our friends, family, and bosses that our fake relationship is the real deal.

I’ll do anything to protect her, especially if it means I get to be the best boyfriend Hemi never expected.

•••••

REVIEW:IF YOU NEED ME is the third instalment in Helena Hunting’s contemporary, adult TORONTO TERRO erotic, hockey romance series. This is PR agent for the Toronto Terror Wilhelmina ‘Hemi’ Reddi-Grinst, and team player Dallas Bright’s story line. IF YOU NEED ME can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary . Dallas and Hemi were first introduced in books one and two.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Hemi and Dallas) IF YOU NEED ME focuses on the enemies to lovers, fake relationship between our story line couple. Wilhelmina Reddi-Grinst and Dallas Bright were childhood friends but high school proved to be difficult for Wilhelmina, having been bullied and harassed by her fellow students. Dallas Bright watched from the sidelines as the woman he loved was destroyed by those she should have called friends but a misunderstanding pushed Wilhelmina too far, and in the ensuing ten years, our heroine struggled to forget the betrayal brought about by Dallas Bright. Fast forward to present day, Dallas is a player, and Hemi is the PR director for the Toronto Terror, and their upcoming ten year high school reunion threatens any and all of Hemi’s hard fought stability. Knowing Hemi’s high school bullies would be chomping at the bit to destroy her life, Dallas makes Hemi an offer she cannot refuse. A fake relationship and engagement to prove she is worthy of love and affection but all does not go according to plan as Dallas wants something more, and Hemi struggles with his past betrayals.

The world building focuses on issues of low self esteem for both Hemi Reddi-Grinst and Dallas Bright. Dallas struggles to forgive himself for breaking our story line heroine’s heart, and Hemi battles between head and heart fearing a repeat of her entire high school career. Hemi is an assertive and often combative heroine who has spent most of her life facing down the bullies who were taking constant aim, and in this, her reputation made her a target of workplace harassment.

The relationship between Hemi and Dallas is an enemies to frenemies to lovers relationship; a fake engagement meant to prove they had both moved on from the past, but the past refuses to let go for our story line couple, and Dallas and Hemi are at two different points in their rekindling relationship. The $ex scenes are provocative and passionate without the use of over the top,sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and charismatic secondary and supporting characters including the couples we met in the previous story lines. Family and friends, co-workers and high school bullies, all tame or threaten our couple’s growing relationship and love.

IF YOU NEED ME is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, family and friendships, forgiveness and love. The premise is emotional and heart-wrenching; the romance is flirtatious and inviting; the characters are determined and compelling.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
If You Hate Me
If You Want Me

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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FOLLOW: NYT and USA Today Bestselling author of The PUCKED Series, Helena Hunting lives outside of Toronto with her amazing family and her two awesome cats, who think the best place to sleep is her keyboard. Helena writes everything from contemporary romance to romance comedy, sports romance and angsty new adult romance.