Wilhelmina “Hemi” Reddi-Grinst is the no-nonsense, dedicated PR Director for the Toronto Terror hockey team. She puts out fires and makes sure the players are on their best behavior. The one player who gets under her skin the most is Dallas Bright. They’ve known each other since childhood. Needless to say, Hemi doesn’t have great memories where Dallas and his old friends are concerned. While Hemi has overcome her past, their high school reunion is coming up. And Hemi is determined to attend with a date and her head held high. The thing is, Dallas has been in love with Hemi for years. And he sees this as an opportunity to help her and make his dreams come true. One drunken mistake later, and now everyone believes Dallas and Hemi are in a relationship. And if the couple want to save their careers and the team’s reputation, Hemi has to play along. But when Dallas proves just how great a boyfriend he can be, Hemi is questioning if her memories from the past tell the entire story. If You Need Me by Helena Hunting is a spicy sports romance novel in which a fake relationship brings out old wounds, and true feelings might not be enough to make up for the past.
Book
If You Need Me is the third installment in the Toronto Terror series. While reading the first two (If You Hate Me and If You Want Me) are not necessary to follow along, I highly recommend that readers check them out as well.
Hemi has always been criticized as being “too much.” She never backs down and always stands up for herself. Which occasionally rubbed her peers the wrong way. While that’s certainly helped her get to where she is, she anticipates that old feelings will turn up at the reunion. Especially since her ex best friend and her high school crush – newly engaged – will also be in attendance. Dallas, being the obsessed fake boyfriend that he is, takes things a bit further as he tries to protect anyone who tries to mess with his girl.
With the stakes of their fake relationship as high as ever, the couple must continue the ruse for the unforeseeable future. And while Dallas continues to act as the perfect boyfriend, Hemi feels incredibly guilty for lying to her friends, family, and colleagues. Not to mention that details from the past are slowly coming to the surface – showing Hemi how deep Dallas’s true feelings for her are. Soon enough, both of their feelings are on the line, and the road to happily ever after is a complicated one.
Review
Hunting hits it out of the park with If You Need Me. I swear her stories get better with each new release. I was so excited for Dallas and Hemi’s story, and the author did not disappoint. Hemi is a force to be reckoned with, but I loved that we see a more vulnerable side to her. While Dallas is an impulsive and lovesick fool, his intentions are so pure and readers will undoubtedly swoon over him. He does everything in his power to sweep Hemi off her feet. And in doing so, he earned a spot on my Book Boyfriends List. We also get more of our beloved side characters and new family members that add to the story. This well-paced, fun and steamy romance is a must-read.
