Thursday, February 16, 2017

Review: The Hook Up ~ Kristen Callihan

The Hook Up
Kristen Callihan
Contemporary Romance/New Adult
Plain Jane Books/September 7, 2014
Game On/Book 1

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.

So happy I picked this one up! I've been into sports romances lately, but hockey has been the game of choice. But I read and enjoyed Kristen Callihan's Idol and Managed novels so she has now gone my to-read list. So while these heroes are not hockey players, football is still better than baseball. Or golf. I don't think I've ever seen a pro-golf hero/heroine story.

This is a new adult but really, the new adult novels I've read are only different in that the characters are college age. There is explicit sex so other than the age and location, this might as well be an adult contemporary. And not all of the books in the series are new adult. The characters graduate from college and go on to their adult lives. So if you think new adult is now for you, don't let that designation stop you from checking out this series.

Star football player and quarterback, Drew Baylor is good looking, smart and a decent guy. Almost too good to be true. And when he sets his sights on Anna Jones, she doesn't believe his interest is genuine. She doesn't think she's his type. She's not a cheerleader, nor a tall, slim model type. Anna has the looks of a sexy pinup of the 50's. Which works well for Drew. Their chemistry is enough to set off alarms and their snarky banter made me laugh out loud.

While Anna says she only wants a hook-up, Drew is of a different mind. He wants Anna. Period. Sure, he wants the hot sex. He's a guy. But he also wants that relationship that Anna is so against. So Drew decides to change Anna's mind. I loved these two together! Yes, I got frustrated with Anna and even Drew, but they are such a cute couple! I couldn't help but root for them.

This wouldn't be a sports romance without the ball players. Drew's teammates are players. But they're also good friends to him, like brothers. I enjoyed the dynamics of these guys. They tease each other mercilessly but they'll also be there for each other, no matter what.

This isn't all fun and games. I was pleasantly surprised at how emotional the story was. Both Drew and Anna have been through tough times and they are still in for some emotional damage that they survive and become stronger for it. After finishing The Hook Up, I headed straight into The Friend Zone, book two in the series. And guess what I read after I finished The Friend Zone? Yep! The Game Plan!  Highly recommend this addictive series. I only hope we don't have to wait too long for the next book!

Rating: B+

Game On Series~

The Hook Up
The Friend Zone
The Game Plan

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