Review: "The Hook Up" by Kristen Callihan

I actually literally just finished this book and decided it would make a wonderful first review on BBBB.

Clicking on the picture will take you to its Goodreads page.

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.

New Adult/Contemporary Romance with a HEA - Recommended for readers 17 and older.

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To start off, I absolutely loved this book. Kristen alternates between Anna's point-of-view and Drew's. This way you gain insight into both of their lives and they are both just incredibly real and very easy to relate to. Anna is not your typical "girl-next-door" and Drew is not your typical "jock". They have emotions that take them on a rollercoaster ride, they have insecurities, they aren't perfect. I believe that having that sense of imperfection is admirable because, in reality, nobody is perfect. I really connected with Anna, and a bit with Drew, because I've lived their lives. I know what it was like to be them and I've been that emotional wreck. What am I talking about? You'll just have to read the book to find out. ;)

Although the title and summary of the book aim for a predictable read, I can guarantee you that there is, in no way, a chance that you will predict what Kristen has in store for Anna and Drew.  These twists and turns are what kept my eyes glued to the pages and rendered it impossible for me to put down the book. I. Just. Couldn't. Stop. Reading.  There was a dire need to know what happened next, and after that, and after that.

Reading "The Hook Up" evoked such a plethora of different emotions that I felt myself constantly crying, grinning like the Cheshire cat, laughing, smiling. cringing, crying again, biting my lip, tearing up with joy, sighing, and staring with my mouth agape (yes, I even caught myself smiling at my Kobo on the commute multiple times...I even began to tear up too, but luckily I had my sunglasses on).

I definitely recommend this to absolutely everyone, of age of course (because there are some very steamy, and incredibly well-written scenes).  The one and only thing that I do not like is the fact that I felt it was so short...there should have been soooo much more of Anna and Drew, then again, I get like that with every book I read because I never want it to end.  There actually is a sequel coming out, tentatively in 2015, "The Friend Zone" which is the story of Drew's best friend, Gray and I can't wait.

Definitely give "The Hook Up" a read. It was my first Kristen Callihan book, but it definitely is not my last. There were just so many memorable scenes that were vividly written, almost as if I was living the scene myself.  There are also a million and one quotes that I want to share with you that just resonated with me. Perhaps, I'll start a monthly quote post with a compilation of my favourite quotes from the books I've read during the month. What do you think?

~

If you're interested in reading "The Hook Up", you can find it in your local bookstore, or on:

Amazon CAN (Kindle)
Amazon US (Kindle)
Kobo
iBooks

Thanks for reading! Let me know if there is anything you'd like me to post, change, talk about, etc!

Much love!

-BB♡

The Beginning of BBBB

Welcome to Beneath the Blanket Book Blog!

I decided to start this blog after a little nudge from one of my friends. I read a lot...and I mean a LOT. So, after months of talking and sharing books with a close group of friends, she mentioned that I should start a blog.

Well, here it is!

I'm planning to dedicate this blog to anything book related. Literally, anything.  I'm pretty sure the majority of my posts will be reviews of books that I am, or have read. Now, I have read soooo many books already that I'm going to have to reread them in order to write a review, but don't worry, I read quite fast.

Since this is the beginning of this blog, it will take some time to build. At first, I may introduce you to some of my favourite authors, or some of the books that I absolutely love. As this blog develops, I am hoping to do a lot more.


Now, a little bit about the person behind BBBB:

Ever since I was a child, I had a passion for reading. I would literally read everything in sight. I loved books.  As I grew up into my teens, I started reading a lot more and eventually it became my life.

Now, in my mid-twenties, all I do is read. Don't get me wrong, I have a life. I'm a full-time student in my final year of post-secondary, studying to become an elementary teacher.  When I'm not doing work for school, working, or planning my wedding, I am usually found with my Kobo in my hand. I'd rather read a good book than sit down in front of the television.

Over the summer, I was part of this non-official "book club" with a few friends from work. We started sharing books that we liked, talking about them, and the usual.  I started out at the beginning of the summer with making them a list of all the books I've read at the time that were worth sharing (I honestly think there were at least a hundred books on that list...just imagine how many I have now...).

I mentioned before that I read quite fast, and I do. I usually finish a book a day (well, four hours actually). Out of my little non-official book club, I was always the first one done a book and I would always pressure them into finishing so we could talk about it without me spoiling it. I'm one of those people that can't put a book down once it's been opened, especially if it's an amazing read.  I've also been known to forgo sleep, food, and life while reading a book.  I think the most I've gone without sleeping because of reading is...possibly three days. Who needs sleep?

I typically read anything that sounds interesting, and sometimes I've randomly come across a book that I just read for the sake of it and it ended up becoming a hidden gem.  I usually read a lot of those new contemporary romance books (yes, even the smutty ones). Those I love.

I like to indulge myself in the lives of the characters in the books I read.  Like George R.R. Martin said:

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.

The man who never reads lives only one."   

- George R. R. Martin

Alright, enough about me! I want to know more about you!

What are your favourite books?

What type of books do you like to read?

What do you look for when choosing your next read?

Who do you talk to about books that you like?

Which authors are to die for?

Do you write?

Anything else you'd love to share?

Ideas for the blog?

Feel free to comment below or send me an email at beneaththeblanketbb@gmail.com or using the form to the right.  Also, if you do comment or send an email, just note that I may quote your comment or email in future posts to share with others (with all the crediting, of course!).

Lastly, if you have recently read a book and think that it definitely deserves some spotlight and would love to share a review, feel free to email me your post and I can post it on your behalf (I'll credit you with whatever information you've provided in the message).

Please remember, this is a blog. An opinionated blog. I do have my own thoughts about certain books and authors, whether or not they're the same as others'. No matter if you agree or disagree, please try to be respectful with your comments and posts. Thank you!


Anyways, much love!

~ BB♡

Update - September 19th : Just wanted to let you know that I will try my hardest to keep my reviews SPOILER-FREE. I know how much it sucks to read a review only to have the whole book ruined for you.

If on the rare occasion, I do include a spoiler, I will make sure you know it way before you start reading the post (ex, in the title of the post, and the first line of the post)