If You Need Me Summary, Characters and Themes

If You Need Me by Helena Hunting is a standalone, enemies-to-lovers, fake engagement hockey romance that blends humor, heart, and undeniable chemistry. 

Dallas Bright, a cocky pro hockey player, has secretly loved Wilhelmina “Hemi” Reddi-Grinst since childhood. But to Hemi, he’s always been a nuisance—the guy who accidentally ruined her bike and, consequently, her trust. When a social media mishap forces them into a fake relationship, they must convince everyone—from their teammates to their families—that their love is real. But as their fake romance deepens, old wounds resurface, blurred lines become impossible to ignore, and their game of pretend turns into something dangerously real.

Summary

Dallas Bright has been in love with Wilhelmina “Hemi” Reddi-Grinst since childhood, but she’s only ever seen him as a menace. Now a professional hockey player for the Toronto Terror, Dallas enjoys the spotlight, while Hemi, the team’s sharp and ambitious PR director, remains focused on her career—determined to maintain her professionalism, especially around the one guy who’s always gotten under her skin.

Their years-long rivalry takes a complicated turn at a PR event when Hemi witnesses Dallas in an awkward predicament, reinforcing her belief that he’s nothing but trouble. 

At the same time, a disastrous date leaves her frustrated with her romantic life, while workplace sexism continues to test her patience. Meanwhile, Dallas, unable to ignore his feelings for Hemi, watches from the sidelines as she struggles.

Hemi dreads her upcoming high school reunion, where she’ll have to face her former best friend, Brooklyn, and her old crush, Sean—who are now engaged. The thought of showing up alone, only to be pitied or mocked, makes her anxious. 

When Dallas overhears her dilemma, he suggests the unthinkable: they should go together. Hemi initially refuses, knowing their past is too messy, but things spiral when she impulsively claims Dallas is her boyfriend to escape an awkward bar encounter. Dallas plays along—perhaps a little too well.

The real trouble starts when Dallas posts a cozy-looking photo of them on social media with the caption “With the love of my life,” sending shockwaves through the team. Hemi is furious, knowing this violates the team’s no-fraternization policy, and their boss demands an explanation. 

To control the damage, they agree to fake a relationship—at least until after the reunion.

As they navigate their new roles, their fake dating arrangement becomes more complicated. Public scrutiny grows, and their friends and teammates start treating them as a real couple. 

Hemi struggles with her growing attraction to Dallas, while Dallas finds himself enjoying their fake relationship more than he should. Jealousy flares when Hemi receives attention from other men, and Dallas’s possessive side emerges. 

Forced public displays of affection—like an unexpected kiss—ignite real passion, blurring the lines even further.

Their road trip to the reunion is filled with playful banter, deeper conversations, and Dallas opening up about his personal struggles, including his lifelong anxiety. Hemi, in turn, realizes how much of her life she has spent holding onto past grievances. 

When they finally arrive, the reunion is as awful as Hemi feared. Brooklyn and Sean are condescending, belittling her achievements. But Dallas refuses to let them diminish her—he publicly defends Hemi, making it clear she is worth more than their petty opinions.

As the night unfolds, the pretense crumbles. Dancing together, sharing quiet moments, and defending each other forces them to confront their feelings. 

When they’re alone in a hotel room, the tension reaches a breaking point. Hemi, overwhelmed by emotions, pulls away, afraid of getting hurt. But Dallas is patient, willing to wait until she’s ready to admit the truth.

Their return home brings another challenge—a PR crisis leaks their “relationship” to the press, putting their careers at risk. 

Dallas is willing to take the fall, but Hemi won’t let him. Instead, they choose to go public, facing the consequences together. Some teammates disapprove, but others rally behind them.

Hemi realizes that, for the first time, she’s letting go of her insecurities and embracing what she truly wants.

Dallas, determined to show Hemi he’s serious, arranges a heartfelt gesture—something from their past that proves how much he’s always cared. The grand moment finally pushes Hemi to accept what she’s known deep down: her feelings for Dallas are real.

With their relationship finally out in the open, they navigate life as a real couple, balancing their careers, love, and the scrutiny that comes with it. As they step into a future filled with possibility, Dallas has one last surprise—a proposal that might just change everything.

In the end, If You Need Me is a story of second chances, growth, and love that proves sometimes, the person you least expect is exactly who you’ve needed all along.

Characters

Wilhelmina “Hemi” Reddi-Grinst

Hemi is an intelligent, hardworking, and ambitious woman who has fought against sexism in the workplace and personal insecurities stemming from her past. As the PR director for a professional hockey team, she is well-respected in her field, but her struggles with workplace politics, particularly in a male-dominated environment, reveal her resilience and strength.

Her high school past plays a crucial role in shaping her emotional barriers. She was once belittled and betrayed by her former best friend Brooklyn and her long-time crush Sean. She has carried this resentment and fear of vulnerability into adulthood, which is why she initially resists any genuine emotional connection with Dallas.

Her character arc is one of growth, as she learns to let go of the past, confront the toxic figures in her life, and embrace the possibility of love without fear of getting hurt. She transforms from someone who constantly feels the need to prove herself into a woman who stands her ground and acknowledges her worth.

Dallas Bright

Dallas is the quintessential cocky and charming professional athlete, but beneath his confident exterior lies a man burdened by regret, insecurity, and the fear of emotional rejection. His relationship with Hemi is complicated by their past, where he inadvertently caused her embarrassment as children and continued to be a thorn in her side.

However, his longstanding feelings for her show that his teasing and provocation were always a mask for deeper emotions. His arc is about proving himself—not just to Hemi, but to himself as well. He has to mature from a playful, impulsive man into someone who understands the weight of emotional responsibility.

His protectiveness over Hemi is evident throughout the novel, particularly when she faces workplace challenges or the taunts of her former classmates. What makes his growth notable is how he transitions from being merely defensive to truly understanding Hemi’s fears and insecurities. His final grand gesture is not just about winning her over, but about proving that he respects her independence while wanting to be part of her life.

Brooklyn & Sean

Brooklyn and Sean serve as the antagonists of Hemi’s past, embodying the toxic high school experiences that have left her guarded and distrustful. Brooklyn, once Hemi’s best friend, turned into someone who thrived on putting Hemi down, reinforcing her belief that she was never good enough.

Sean, the boy Hemi had a crush on, represents the painful realization that the people we idolize in youth are often unworthy of that admiration. Their presence at the reunion stirs up old wounds, but ultimately, they serve as a benchmark for Hemi’s growth.

By the end of the novel, she no longer seeks their validation or approval, proving that she has outgrown their influence. Confronting them is less about revenge and more about reclaiming her own self-worth.

Topher

Topher is the personification of workplace sexism and gatekeeping in male-dominated industries. His dismissive attitude toward Hemi, his attempts to undermine her credibility, and his general condescension reflect the broader struggles women face in professional spaces.

Hemi’s interactions with him highlight the constant battle she fights—not just for professional respect, but for fair treatment. His presence in the novel serves as an important contrast to Dallas, who, despite his flaws, sees Hemi as an equal rather than someone he needs to control or diminish.

Themes

The Weight of High School Trauma and the Lifelong Battle Against Ingrained Insecurities

The novel explores how formative experiences in adolescence shape adult identities, often in ways that are difficult to unlearn. Hemi’s lingering insecurities about her past—her former best friend’s betrayal, the rejection from her high school crush, and the way she was dismissed as unworthy—are not just superficial grievances but deeply embedded wounds.

Her reluctance to believe Dallas’s affection is genuine stems from years of internalized doubt. Even as a highly accomplished woman, she still struggles with the idea that she is enough, a testament to how long it takes to overcome self-doubt rooted in childhood experiences.

Her journey to realizing that she has always been more than what others perceived her to be is one of the most significant emotional arcs of the novel.

The Performance of Gender and the Unspoken Expectations Placed on Women in Male-Dominated Spaces

Hemi’s professional life is not just about doing her job well; it is about proving, over and over, that she deserves to be in a space that often disregards women. The microaggressions she faces, the scrutiny she endures, and the outright attempts to undermine her credibility reflect the larger societal issue of gendered workplace dynamics.

Her struggle with Topher, in particular, highlights the exhausting reality of having to constantly be twice as competent to be taken half as seriously. The way she navigates her role—balancing assertiveness with the awareness that any misstep will be unfairly magnified—is a subtle but powerful commentary on how women are forced to “perform” in professional environments just to survive.

The Complexity of Love That Begins as a Lie and the Thin Line Between Deception and Truth in Emotional Connections

The trope of fake dating is often played for laughs, but in this novel, it is a vehicle for exploring the nature of emotional deception—both in terms of how people deceive others and how they deceive themselves. Dallas and Hemi enter into their arrangement with clear boundaries, but as their emotions deepen, they are forced to question whether the relationship was ever truly fake at all.

The irony of their situation is that while they initially fabricate a romance to satisfy external expectations, the reality of their bond becomes undeniable. This theme delves into how people often hide their true emotions behind pretenses, not just in romantic relationships but in all aspects of life.

Hemi, in particular, has spent years pretending that she doesn’t care about Dallas, just as Dallas has spent years pretending that his teasing wasn’t a form of affection.

The Fear of Vulnerability and the Self-Sabotage That Comes With It

Both protagonists, in their own way, struggle with allowing themselves to be truly seen. Hemi, with her defensive walls and reluctance to trust, and Dallas, with his fear that his emotions make him weak, are both deeply afraid of what it means to be vulnerable.

Throughout the novel, their interactions are laced with moments of hesitation, of almost-acts, of words left unsaid because admitting feelings means risking rejection. Hemi’s initial pushback against Dallas’s confession is a prime example of this—she would rather end things than take the chance of being hurt.

Her arc, therefore, is not just about falling in love but about learning that true strength lies in allowing oneself to be vulnerable. For Dallas, his arc is about proving that love is not about grand gestures or surface-level charm, but about showing up, consistently, even when it is difficult.