It was a perfectly balanced and beautifully written romance with heat, heart, and happiness. I can't recommend it highly enough!
This was Vintage KA gold! KA is known for her rather lengthly books but I read this in one non-stop stilling. It was everything I OMG. It was everything I could wish for. After finishing the last page of the epilogue I just sat there with my heart pounding, happy tears spilling out of my eyes, and the hugest smile on my face. Johnny Gamble was an Alpha hero to his core.
He was protective, possessive, loyal, kind-hearted, caring, sexy, swoony, sometimes infuriating but humble enough to admit his mistakes.
His past has left his heart damaged, but when Izzy came into his life, he fell so hard for her. Izzy was strong, sassy, and down to earth. I loved them together! Oh AND you should know -- there is no love triangle in this book. I know a few of you were worried about that based on the blurb but I cross my heart and promise you that there isn't even a whiff of a triangle. Johnny's ex is a painful part of his past and her arrival back in town is something he needs to deal with for sure, but at no point does he ever even consider getting back together with her.
I just want to reassure you and promise that there is no triangle! OK now I'm getting way ahead of myself here.
Especially if you have no idea what the book is about yet and you're just staring at my review so far like " huuuuh??? As you can imagine from the title, it all begins with a hookup. Izzy wasn't the kind of girl to go home with anyone after the first date -- ever -- let alone after just meeting them.
Game On Series by Kristen Callihan
But Johnny was different. He was considerate, caring, and thoughtful. But also fuckhot and completely un-shy about how much he was interested in her. She'd never met a man like him.
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He was Alpha to his core. It was in his very nature and soul to be the way he was. And she knew deep down that there was something deeply good about him. Their night had been incredible, and their morning more so. And even though little time had passed since they met, she could feel a connection pass between them. A connection she hoped might be the start of something real. It came from him looking right into my eyes, taking hold of me right away, making me feel welcome there, like he was glad I used his toothpaste, his mouthwash, helped myself to a cup of coffee, woke up naked in his bed.
The Hook Up Plan: Season 1 (Trailer)
This was something else. This was… It was a beginning of something. But as much as he opened up to her in bed, she could tell he was keeping some walls up. And it didn't take long for her to learn his story. It was a small town and while she was new, everyone knew his history.
Years ago, he'd been in love with a woman who the whole town was sure would be his forever. But she up and left him one day choosing another life over their relationship, leaving behind destruction and his broken heart in her wake. My voice got soft again. And just as they were beginning to explore their something new, his ex returned. He had to deal with that. She had to deal with that. And I don't want to spoil the way things shake out but a I promise there's no love triangle, b I promise there's no stupid drama, and c I promise that I loved everything about this story! Or, if they really were a dick, then their true colors shine through when they apologize.
Every time Johnny said something that made me squinty, it was followed shortly with what I had to admit was a damn logical reason and usually after that came an understanding that no matter how good his reasons, he had been a dick and he was sorry. It's hard not to be forgiving of that. I said I was sorry but I want you to know, Iz, that I really am. She might have been in new waters with the hookup but it didn't mean she wasn't able to see everything that was happening.
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She was hopeful that their hookup would lead to more but after learning of his past, she was understanding that it might never go anywhere. So it was up to him to show her how much she truly meant to him. And my 1 favorite thing about her was the way she did not care what anyone else thought of her life.
People could gossip and judge to their hearts' content, but as long as she and Johnny were square and happy, that was the only thing that mattered.
Game On Series
I could see how well they fit into each other's lives. Given no complications, I could easily have seen them slide right into a forever filled with love and beauty but they admittedly did hit a snag when his ex returned. Johnny knew he owed Izzy more than whatever was left of him. And while I was worried a little at first, the more I read, the more I realized that they were working their way in the right direction. I promise you that he will steal your heart and I definitely paused to re-read that scene twice over because it was that good!
For a guy who came into a new relationship with as much baggage as he carried, it was really on him to bring the stability into their new relationship and reassure her given that all the drama was coming from his side. Talked openly with her. Reassured when needed, and acted so responsably. I was so impressed! This book almost reminded me a lot of KA's earlier releases which so many of us loved. There's not a lot of suspense although there are a few scenes where things get very intense , it's more heavily focused on pure romance and there's a lot of delightful family dynamics which KA truly excels at.
It was intense, messy, and yet I loved the way Johnny put everything on the line to protect the ones he loved. If you're new to KA books, this would actually be a great one to start with if you want! It's very quintessential KA style and I think its storyline and characters will appeal to pretty much anyone who loves reading romance. Also, I sincerely hope that Toby and Addie are the next book or a future book in this series because I absolutely adore them and would read their book in a heartbeat!
Like I said, this is one of the best books Kristen Ashley has ever written!! It's gorgeous, romantic, addictive, and purely amazing! Contemporary Adult Romance, can standalone. View all 14 comments. Oct 16, Christy rated it really liked it Shelves: The Hookup was a captivating, heartwarming romance. Johnny and Eliza reminded me of some of the old school KA heroes and heroines. Johnny had that KA alpha attitude. He was sexy, swoony, with a bit of sweetness. Eliza was fu 4. Eliza was fun, sweet, and drama free. I loved them together. I loved their chemistry.
I loved that there was no over the top drama. I think most fans of Kristen Ashley will enjoy this book. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was good. View all 33 comments.
The Hookup
DNF at some point not sure because I skimmed and skipped more than read However, the reasons are VERY subjective so take this review with a grain of salt. Beside being bored out of my mind, I was irritated to no end by the heroine's Cute is not a characteristic I admire in a heroine. Just the fact that the hero openly admires the heroine's cuteness is enough for me to want to strangle him. But that's not the only problem with the heroine. She's one of the most hard-working women on the planet. Once she wakes up at the crack of dawn she works, works, works.
At work, at home, everywhere. Dogs, cats, birds singing on her shoulder while she cooks and horses in the stable. She's shy but not really shy, busy but reachable, not as slutty as her mom and her sister but slutty enough in bed, obedient but independent, almost a vegetarian All in all, not so boring as The Time in Between but definitely worse than Complicated or her older books.