Release Blitz & Review: If You Hate Me (The Toronto Terror #1) by Helena Hunting

Title: If You Hate Me
Series: The Toronto Terror #1
Author: Helena Hunting
Release Date: March 7, 2024

Cover Designer: Hang Le

Artwork by Rosie’s Fables

A brand new standalone hate-to-love, brother's best friend hockey romance.

My new roommates are two pro hockey players.

First, my manwhore older brother, and second, his seriously hot best friend (who I seriously hate).

This was a last resort.

No one should be sleeping on a futon that smells like Cheetos and ball sweat.

But here I am, trying to get my life together.

Tristan Stiles is the bane of my existence.

He never wears a shirt.

We can’t seem to stop fighting.

He’s an arrogant playboy with a filthy reputation.

Sure, I had a crush on him when I was fourteen, but that was a long time ago.

I know better than to trust him.

I just need to survive long enough to find a new job and get a new place.

And not accidentally let Tristan rail me into next week.

Amazon Universal → https://geni.us/IfYouHateMeZon

Paperback Universal → https://geni.us/IfYouHateMePB

Audio Universal → https://amzn.to/49rB7F1

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Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost from the publisher/author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I am leaving a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

This book is hands down the best Helena Hunting book to date. It is also one of the best hockey romances I have ever read. Wow, this book, ya'll. This book absolutely blew me away and I am starting to feel the book hangover.

Helena Hunting is a Romancelandia queen. She knows her craft well and how to create a god-tier sports romance. I still have not recovered from all the awesome in this book. Hunting's writing style is one of the best in the bookish world. It is relatable and has a unique voice that grabs you right from the start and keeps you locked in. The plot of this book was executed brilliantly. Hunting has a way of bringing my favorite tropes to life that feels fresh and distinct to her brand of romance.

These characters carved out a piece of my heart. Even the secondary characters were incredible. The main characters were easy to connect with and were fleshed out well. They were complex and had a lot of depth. The secondary characters felt just as important as the main couple. I truly fell in love with this cast of characters and I am so eager to know more about the side characters. This book is being marketed as a standalone and doesn't seem to be connected to a series from what I can tell so far but I am hoping that changes so we can get books about the other characters. They legit won over my heart.

One of the things that I absolutely adored about this book was the camaraderie and friendships. The girl friendships that Bea makes are so uplifting and amazing. I wanted to be a part of their girl group so badly! They were all supportive and genuine and it was so positive. It was exactly what Bea needed. I also loved the male friendships in the book. Tristan and Flip's hockey teammates were just as supportive as Bea's friends. The overall theme of friendship in the book really put a smile on my face.

The romance in this book had me so invested. I was so into it. Bea and Tristan start out with an enemies-to-lovers vibe going on, but that soon changes when they start a frenemies-with-benefits situation and they start spending more time together. That morphs into wanting to spend time together in other ways and then the feelings creep up. It's a whole thing. Tristan has a lot of personal hangups to sort out though before he and Bea can get their HEA. I loved the way that Tristan was with Bea. He was sweet and thoughtful and worshipped her. He was a goner for her and it was the cutest thing.

Helena Hunting really stepped up her game with the spice in this book! Holy moly, folks, this spice was lit and I am here for it all day long. While the spice was turned up a notch it didn't take away from the substance of the story or the genuineness of Rix and Tristan's relationship. These two were beyond explosive together. Their chemistry was off the charts and it was compounded by the enemies-to-lovers thing they had going on in the beginning. Whew, I can only hope that the next hockey romances from Helena Hunting have the same caliber when it comes to the spice. I'm going to need a folding fan at the ready to beat back the vapors.

Overall, this book is next level. This book is going to the top of my list of favorite books of 2024. It really had that kind of impact on me. This book just ticked every single box for me. The writing was masterful, the characters were memorable, and the plot kept me wanting more the entire time. The characters in this book were extraordinary and so incredibly special. I don't know how to put it into words the right way but these characters were addicting and they consumed my every thought. This is a book that I will undoubtedly read again in the future. It was that kind of book. One hundred percent re-readable. I am so stoked for Helena Hunting's next release and I am sending all the good vibes into the universe that we will see more of these characters in the future. Pick this one up (and go for the audiobook because it was legit incredible) because you will not regret it!

NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Helena Hunting lives outside of Toronto with her amazing family and her adorable, emotional cat, who thinks the best place to sleep is her keyboard. Helena writes everything from emotional contemporary romance to romantic comedies that will have you laughing until you cry.