Book: Him & I by Helena Hunting
Reviewed by Maggie Hayes
Him & I by Helena Hunting
⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/5)
Birdie and Jarrod were hot messes in love until an accident eight years ago landed Birdie in prison, taking the fall for Jarrod. He breaks things off, she serves her time, and she believes she'll never see him again...until he's introduced as her new boss. Neither of their feelings ever went away, and when Birdie learns the truth behind Jarrod's disappearance from her life, she has to decide whether she's willing to trust him and give their love a second chance.
Birdie is such a resilient character. She's been through the WORST life has to offer—and that was before her prison sentence. It was impossible for my heart not to break over her feelings of being broken and her belief that everyone she loves will eventually leave her. At the same time, I felt so proud of her for turning her life around while in prison. Long gone is the girl who lived with a dealer and sold drugs. Her growth is a testament to her perseverance and strength.
I was fully prepared to hate Jarrod, and honestly, I thought he was a HUGE jerk until we got his POV. But THIS MAN. Every single thing he's done over the past eight years has been for Birdie. He's legit OBSESSED, and I love a man who's completely down bad. He's also surprisingly romantic, leaving me swooning more than once. And his flashback chapters? UGH. All that yearning!
I have SO many questions about Jarrod's best friends, Finn and Zane. I need each of them to get their own book so I can learn their backstories and watch them fall in love.
This is a much darker, more angst-filled book than I'm used to from Helena Hunting, but I love that she tried something different. The use of multiple timelines to gradually reveal the truth about the accident, combined with the emotional depth of Birdie and Jarrod's relationship, kept the story moving and held my interest.
The audiobook narration perfectly captured the angst, pain, and hope. CJ Bloom REALLY conveyed just how broken Birdie felt, and I loved Alex Knox's portrayal of Jarrod. He absolutely nailed the dirty-talking business owner.
Thank you to the author, Montlake, Brilliance Audio, and NetGalley for providing an ARC and ALC for an immersive reading experience!