Ruby Scott is months behind on rent and can’t seem to land a steady job. She has one chance to turn things around with a big audition. But instead of getting her big break, she gets sick as a dog and completely bombs it in the most humiliating fashion. All thanks to a mysterious, gorgeous guy who kissed—and then coughed on—her at a party the night before.

Luckily, her best friend might have found the perfect opportunity; a job staying at the lavish penthouse apartment of hotel magnate Bancroft Mills while he’s out of town, taking care of his exotic pets. But when the newly-evicted Ruby arrives to meet her new employer, it turns out Bane is the same guy who got her sick.Seeing his role in Ruby’s dilemma, Bane offers her a permanent job as his live-in pet sitter until she can get back on her feet. Filled with hilariously awkward encounters and enough sexual tension to heat a New York City block, Shacking Up, from NYT and USA Today bestselling author Helena Hunting, is sure to keep you laughing and swooning all night long.

An accidental and unexpected kiss has some serious consequences and literally changes Ruby Scott's life. When a tipsy and spaced-out-on-cold-meds Bancroft Mills assaults Ruby with his mouth and tongue at a party, she catches his nasty germs and loses her chance at an audition, the salary, and chance to keep her apartment and eat. 

When they are brought together again, Bane becomes the answer to her problem by offering her a place to stay while pet sitting him for him while he is on an extended business trip. 

But their sexual tension is thick. And during phone calls and video chats they grow fonder and more attracted to  each other. It's like building a  relationship with no real physical contact. But they both have vivid imaginations. 

But what happens when it is time for Bane to come home? It's a bit messy, complicated, tense, frustrating, and angsty. Bane wants what he wants, even if he fails to adequately communicate it. And Ruby has a fierce independent streak and does not like to feel kept. She also has a tendency towards awkwardness, impulsivity, and insecurity. Their daily schedules conflict. There are some secrets and misconceptions that seem easier to avoid. But they both need to figure out if they are just playing house, playing each other, or more. 

Ruby is sassy, dramatic, and a bit goofy. Bane is rough around the edges, sexy, and sweet. They are hot and feisty together. They have dirty mouths and dirty dreams. These two are stubborn, opinionated, intense, jealous, but fit so well together. They have great banter and senses of humor. They both come from wealth, but do not like to follow the establishment or fit into the box their families want to put them in.  They wanted to make their own way and follow their own dreams.  But they also have to live in the real world.  

This is a fast-paced, fresh and flirty, down and dirty, room mates-to-lovers romantic comedy told in dual points of view. The side characters added more interest and depth including her best friend Amie and her fiance, Armstrong, and his brothers, Lexington and Griffin. His unique pets Francesca and Tiny are also scene stealers. 

I am looking forward to seeing who is in the next book, Hooking Up. I am hoping maybe one of his brothers and perhaps a woman we have already met.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Ruby Scott needs a break. She has a promising audition that she never makes it to due to a mystery man’s kiss and cough. She blows her audition in a big way and soon finds herself looking for a new agent, new job, and new apartment.

Bancroft Mills didn’t intend to kiss a stranger outside of a bathroom, but a large amount of cough medicine clouds his judgement enough to fog his brain and lead to the aforementioned lip-lock.

They don’t know each other except through mutual friends. Ruby needs a job and a place to live, and Bane needs someone to watch his unique pets. Though the chemistry between them crackles, they keep things platonic during the short time they share the apartment before he leaves on an extended business trip. It was the phone calls and video chats during the trip that forged the bond between them, keeping the sexual tension brewing while also letting them get to know each other. But when Bane returns, things are bound to change.

These characters were great fun to read. Ruby has a fiery personality, borderline rebelling against the upper crust expectations of her family. Bane isn’t particularly interested in keeping the closed circles his mother would prefer.

I loved the things Ruby learned during her extended search for a job. She was determined to do things her way, without the help of a wealthy man. The tension she has with her job prospects keeps things moving even as the two main characters are continents apart.

This was an entertaining read with great humor throughout. I was hoping for an easy, funny story and that’s exactly what I got with Shacking Up. There are several side characters that make this a well rounded book, and will make for great future installments of the series.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.