The Hunt by Monica James | Review

Publisher: self-pubbed
Release Date: October 30, 2017
Source of my copy: Sullivan & Partners
Series: Hard Love #3
Synopsis
My name is Hunter O’Shea and I have a confession to make…I’ve met a girl who consumes me. I know that makes me sound completely whipped, but Mary “Lamb” Mitts has the power to bring me to my knees…it’s just too bad she hates my guts. But that’s okay, because I hate hers, too. The fiery redhead stirs something in me that I can’t explain.

This temporary insanity could be due to the fact my best friend, who used to be a bigger player than me, is getting married. That must be it. I’m caught up in an Oprah moment.

The only solution is to get back in the game and forget she exists. That theory is great—too bad I don’t want anyone else.

I…just…want…her.

I’m so screwed.

We first met Hunter O'Shea in Dirty Dix, and out of the three guys in their group he might be my favorite. He's the one with all the answers and commentary on Dix's situation in Dirty Dix and Wicked Dix. Sometimes you're like Hunter, no because he comes off sounding like a jerk, but he's funny. He's one of those lovable rascal type of characters that I happen to enjoy.

Hunter is an unapologetic player through and through. And then he meets Mary Mitts, and he has met his match. The problem was Mary wants nothing to do with him. But, she can't avoid him because Hunter's best friend Dixon is marrying Mary's best friend Madison and they're best man and maid of honor. Add to that the fact that Hunter kindly offered his space for Mary's redecorating project for school, which she couldn't say no to if she wants to earn her degree.

Told in alternating first person POV, The Hunt is a hate-to-love romantic comedy. Hunter knows he's hot as sin looking like "the lovechild of Chris Hemsworth and David Beckham", and he enjoys his manwhore lifestyle. He's never been in love and he's more than fine with that. Mary was in a relationship, but she had her heart broken so she's been keeping men at arms length and her heart guarded since. She and Hunter were a volatile mix, and I absolutely ate up their antagonistic banter and flirting. I love them together, and it was so fun seeing Hunter fall for Mary and watch his cocky, inappropriate self go head to head with Mary's own fiery personality. With Hunter turning up his charm and sex appeal and Mary couldn't possibly resist too much and, well, we got us some very steamy hate sex. These two were entertaining af.

Monica James did such a good job with Hunter's character. Well, more than Hunter because she made me like Dix as well when I read his books, and he was a dick. She does a phenomenal job with male POVs. Reading The Hunt took me back to reading Emma Chase's Tangled, but dare I say even... better. I also enjoyed Mary's chapters too, but her male characters really shine. I couldn't stop reading The Hunt, and read way too late into the night. I also enjoyed the secondary plot about the watch was also fun, though it broke my heart for Hunter and Mary when things got tangled up and machinations from others cause hurtful misunderstandings between them.

Overall, The Hunt was a fun, humorous, entertaining read. Having discovered Monica James, I can't wait to see what she come up with next.