Name: a's review of The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan
Item: The Hook Up
Rating: 3
Author: a

Kristen Callihan

The rules: no kissing on the mouth, no staying the night, no telling anyone, and above all… No falling in love. Anna Jones just wants to finish college and figure out her life. Falling for star quarterback Drew Baylor is certainly not on her to do list. Confident and charming, he lives in the limelight and is way too gorgeous for his own good. If only she could ignore his heated stares and stop thinking about doing hot and dirty things with him. Easy right? Too bad he’s committed to making her break every rule… Football has been good to Drew. It’s given him recognition, two National Championships, and the Heisman. But what he really craves is sexy yet prickly Anna Jones. Her cutting humor and blatant disregard for his fame turns him on like nothing else. But there’s one problem: she's shut him down. Completely. That is until a chance encounter leads to the hottest sex of their lives, along with the possibility of something great. Unfortunately, Anna wants it to remain a hook up. Now it’s up to Drew to tempt her with more: more sex, more satisfaction, more time with him. Until she’s truly hooked. It's a good thing Drew knows all about winning. All’s fair in love and football…Game on.

The Hook Up

The rules: no kissing on the mouth, no staying the night, no telling anyone, and above all... No falling in love. Anna Jones just wants to finish college and figure out her life. Falling for star quarterback Drew Baylor is certainly not on her to do list. Confident and charming, he lives in the limelight and is way too gorgeous for his own good. If only she could ignore his heated stares and stop thinking about doing hot and dirty things with him. Easy right? Too bad he's committed to making her break every rule... Football has been good to Drew. It's given him recognition, two National Championships and the Heisman. But what he really craves is sexy yet prickly Anna Jones. Her cutting humor and blatant disregard for his fame turns him on like nothing else. But there's one problem: she's shut him down. Completely. That is until a chance encounter leads to the hottest sex of their lives, along with the possibility go something great. Unfortunately, Anna wants it to remain a hook up. Now it's up to Drew to tempt her with more: more sex, more satisfaction, more time with him. Until she's truly hooked. It's a good thing Drew knows all about winning. All's fair in love and football... Game on

not one character i like apart from gray and george

lexie

melina25

** spoiler alert **
           10/10 book, can definitely imagine how Anna thought Drew resembles Capitain America😋

Ms. Mint

This is simply one of the best NA/College/Sports romance books. The inner conflicts of both the hero and heroine are one of the most realistic I've read in the genre. It's not the typical manwhore jock falling in love with a girl. There's more to the story than just that. Anna and Drew are such well fleshed-out characters, making them so relatable and believable and the story meaningful to me.

Trish

lots of sex and r rated stuff right from the start. i usually prefer a bit more lead up to the intimate moments but everything kinda went backwards in this book. it also got a lot more serious and slightly depressing in the second half. once the couple was established they had some pretty adult obstacles to overcome but of course the happily ever after was worth it. overall cute NA book but i prefer the "off campus" series.

Kathleen Tom

Rating: 3 Stars ★★★

HI BOOKLOVERS,

My first time reading something from Kristen Callihan! 

Can I be mad and unhappy? Am I allowed? F it I am allowed. I spend my sleepless night to finish this book and what did I get? Jesus! I'm pissed. 

I still don't get it, why is Anna acting that way? WHY!!! 

I don't want to say much not that there's much to say but yeah ok. 

xoxo. Kath!

Annabella

Ugh. I expected something with a vibe akin to The Deal, and what did I get? Tedious, wrapped in dickish ans uninteresting... never expect anything, self.

Jennifer Eggleston 

Ermergherd

I have found a new author. It doesn’t happen as much as I would like but when it happens it’s awesome! 

I love this book, re-read love. It’s like this book that took all my loves and created this story. I loved Jones and Baylor. Their wits were well matched. The heat between them was 🔥. 

The premise is good and it just flows ... flow is flow! 

If you are a fan of jock romances, spirited heroines and heroes, new adult ... this book is for you. Do you enjoy Jaci Burton, Jen Frederick, Bella Andre, Jill Shalvis ... this book is for you. 

Loved it! 💃🏾

Mary Rose Luksha

There was a little too much sturm und drang in this one (yeah I remember Theatre 300) but the writing and chemistry between characters was very good.

Ella Patterson

I attempted this once before and couldn’t get through the uncomfortable beginning of the characters meeting and the aggressively 2012 nature of the story, but I ended up starting it again. I really liked seeing how their intimacy with each other grew and I liked the individual characters enough to care about the relationship. The issue I’m starting to realise with romances that focus on insta-live is that the conflict never ties that strongly in with the story and feels off. I didn’t love the neat tie up or the odd conflict but I did enjoy the journey up until that point.

Palmey Freysdottir

Just good! Maybe a little bit too long but over all just okay.

Becky

I wanted to love this because we all know a good hate to love can be spectacular. And this one is less hate to love and mixes on a FwB situation as well. I was set to enjoy it and I just couldn't connect with the characters. One was a scaredy baby (although her reservations were understandable I just wanted her to get a grip and admit her feelings) and the other was too much of a stereotypical football player. He was full of surprises and had depth and I liked him more but he wasn't enough to make me love the romance.

Maybe I wasn't in the right mood for this but it wasn't for me. I was most wary of this book in the series though so fingers crossed for book 2 & 3.

C V 

Enjoyable book! Very real depiction of a depressive episode so trigger warning. But all in all very wholesome 

Lisa W.

This is really a 4.5! This book is super steamy...

Find this review and more at 
  kimberlyfaye reads
.

I'm a sucker for sports romance, especially when the sport in question is my favorite – football. When I received this book for review consideration, I'll admit that while I loved the sound of the book, the cover didn't really draw me in. I know, I know. You should never judge a book by its cover. The Hook Up is a perfect example of why you shouldn't. 

The casual hook up that turns into more might not be a new storyline, but this one stood out from the pack for me. It was real and emotional and incredibly believable. I loved that it was Drew who wanted more and Anna who wanted to keep things casual. Call me old fashioned, but I still love it when the guy does the chasing. Especially when they chase like Drew does – with all kinds of sexy and swoony swagger. 

The best part of this book, for me, was the relatability of the characters. Anna's insecurity might have turned some people off, but I got her. Sure, I wanted to shake her at times because Drew was so... Drew, but I knew where she was coming from. Drew was so hot and sweet and perfect book boyfriend material. I loved how he helped Anna see the real her. The chemistry between them was written perfectly. I felt it all. And the sexy scenes? Smoking hot. I was completely sucked into everything about this book. I couldn't get enough of these characters or their story. There was drama and emotions, but none of it felt too over-the-top to me. 

I'm definitely excited to continue on with this series. This was my first Kristen Callihan book, but it won't be my last. 

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Nia C

1.5 Stars. 

I docked one star b/c the protagonist said she wasn't like other girls. *deep eye rolls*

This was fine, not good, not great. The inta-love really pissed me off. If one could fall in love with the way one breathes, says one's name or looks at someone, the world wouldn't such a miserable place.

I read the entire book as 15% in when I was 1 percent through. You get? Like I pretended I was 15% through when I was at one because that's the only way I could even remotely continue to read and I needed a trashy romance to get me out of a slump.

I liked the characters though - both Anna and Drew were relatable and made me believe in them, their flaws and all. They were the saving grace in a book with no plot, not really - just hundreds of problems they have to jump over like an obstacle course runner or something.

Cath

One thing that bumped my rating up 3 stars: Character development

Lacey

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

I am so totally fangirling right now!! I honestly had NO IDEA how much I would end up loving The Hook Up! After I finished reading, I just kept going WOW. Wow wow wow! The Hook Up is an adorably refreshing read–on the surface, it’s a story of popular boy meets not-so-popular girl, but there’s SO MUCH MORE to it than that. These characters felt real–they had depth and warmth and heart, and I fell completely in love with them and their story.

My mother once told me that the most important moment in my life wouldn’t be when I won the National Championship or even the Super Bowl. It would be when I fell in love.

Drew Baylor is the star quarterback at his college–to his fellow students, he’s like a god. And Anna Jones is less than impressed with his fame, and even less impressed after a bad first impression. Anna is the total opposite of Drew–she hates attention, she wasn’t popular in high school, and she likes to keep to herself. So Anna and Drew? They clash in every way… except one. The instant they meet, it’s lust-at-first-sight. They have never felt such all-encompassing need for someone as much as they have for each other.

Anna tries to stay away from Drew, tries to ignore their attraction, but Drew is persistent. He’s not used to giving up, and he knows that Anna feels the same way as Drew. And finally, one night, they give in to each other and have the most explosive night of their lives.

Neither of us says another word. Blood rushes hot and thick through my veins, as the backs of his fingers skim slowly, oh so slowly, up my arm. His pulse thrums, quick and visible just beneath the gold skin of his throat. I want to lick that spot, put my mouth there and suck. I want him. I want him so badly I’m going up in flames.

This is my first time reading a book by Kristen Callihan, but after reading The Hook Up, I can honestly say that I am a HUGE fan of her writing. It was the writing that hooked me in and didn’t let me go. The dialogue between Drew and Anna was as witty as it could be sweet. These two characters were easily portrayed as multi-dimensional–I am just so impressed with the writing.

After their one night together, Anna and Drew are hooked onto each other. Drew wants to see where this can go, but Anna vehemently doesn’t. Then they both come to agree on having a sex-only relationship. But as much as Anna wants to keep her heart out of the picture, it’s hard not to fall for Drew. Drew, who is unsuspecting in the best of ways. He’s hot and sensual in the bedroom, but outside of it, Drew is sweet and caring and determined to make her see that what they have together could lead to the best thing that could ever happen to them. He was a character that warmed my heart and I fell as head-over-heels in love with him as Anna did.

Life has more color, more flavor, and heat in the few hours I’m with Anna, than I’ve experienced in all the years I’ve partied. Because that fun always felt like I was searching, pushing for some ineffable satisfaction that constantly eluded me. With Anna, I feel like I’ve landed right where I want to be.

Anna is a complicated girl. She has a tough exterior she puts on that she believes in, but underneath is a vulnerable, self-conscious person. Her insecurities were well-written enough that they felt real, which made Anna real. She’s also funny and intelligent. I really liked her character, insecurities and all.

Drew, though, is what made me fall in love with this book. He has a tragic past, but he wasn’t broody or mysterious about it. He’s honest, funny, loyal, and all-around just the perfect package (plus he has a wicked hot bod from all that football practice). I know jack about football, so I was glad that there was the right amount of football in this book that it wasn’t shoved in my face but I could still understand Drew’s love for it. And I utterly looooved how he fell in love with Anna. He doesn’t hold back from her, even though she holds back from him, which endeared me all the more to him. He’s sweet and dorky and the best book boyfriend I could ask for.

“I think you’re beautiful,” he says softly.
“Beauty fades,” I choke out.
“Not when it comes from inside.”

These two make the most adorable couple ever. I was cheering for them from the start. And holy moly, the attraction between them is spot-on. None of the sex felt gratuitous, but all of it had me fanning myself. Drew and Anna’s relationship was incredibly well-written, with so many different facets to it that I never got tired of reading about them. They do have inner demons to face, and there are bumps in their relationship, but I had no doubt that these two could face anything together.

“I like you just the way you are, Drew Baylor.”
Poleaxed. Again. My throat closes too tight to find my voice. I swallow convulsively.
“I like you just the way you are too, Anna Jones.” I’m crazy for you. I fucking adore you.


The thing about The Hook Up is that even though it has cliches, it didn’t feel like one. I adored Drew and Anna, I loved their personal growth and the changing dynamics of their relationship, and I was so impressed with the writing–I just loved everything about this book. And thankfully (at least for me), The Hook Up is a long, fat book. But the pages zipped by for me–I devoured this book so fast it didn’t even seem like a long book. I never wanted Anna and Drew’s story to end.

“You’ve destroyed me, Anna Jones.”
I know exactly what he means, because he’s destroyed me too.

5 stars! I loved this book so much! It was heartwarming, beautiful, and real, and I recommend it to everyone!

(And can I just say, I’m so, soooooo excited for Drew’s best friend, Gray’s, story. I’m dying to read it! I have a feeling I might love it even more than The Hook Up…)

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Thanks to the author for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/ZeF78d
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1EXjbSj

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