Malin reviewed The Hook Up a few days ago and made it sound pretty irresistible. And then she made it harder to resist by sending me a copy. She is a good person and will surely be rewarded in whatever afterlife happens, or maybe next year, who knows. When I started to read the book, I came across a moment with Anna (our female protagonist) and her best friend Iris in which Anna mentions she has this gif (->) on her computer. Any one who spends much time at Pajiba knows that we need but the flimsiest of excuses to post this masterpiece. I immediately messaged Malin something like “CapAss Gif!” and she responded with something like, “Yes! CapAss Gif.” So, you’re welcome.
Our protagonists are Anna and Drew. Anna is a voluptuous red head with an animus towards jocks and a dislike of the spotlight. Drew is the star quarterback expected to have a bright future in the NFL and is under national scrutiny. They meet in class and Drew is instantly smitten and promptly bungles things. They manage to hook up eventually, and Anna agrees to be booty call buddies, but refuses a relationship. Anna is described at one point as looking like Black Widow “from The Avengers.” So the book is basically this: 
Ok, Avengers fan fiction aside, The Hook Up was a good weekend read. Drew and Anna were entertaining, if not entirely believable. The sex was pretty scorching, plus there was some pretty good pining. Mrs. Julien mentioned in another comment section that the sex was WHOA with some stuff you don’t usually see in romance. **SPOILERS** It was butt stuff. You don’t usually see it in romance, but we should probably get used to it. I hear one of the benefits of tearing down the Patriarchy is more variety in sex positions and partners.
It isn’t a perfect book, but it’s quite enjoyable all the same. I had a lot of stressful stuff going on this weekend, so it was nice to have some entertaining escapist books to read.
I laughed and laughed when I read about the gif and wondered about including it in my review, too. I loved this book while I was reading it, but once done had some quibbles but would stick with 4 stars and I did read the next book and will read whatever comes from her next.. It was still interesting to read a “new adult” romance.
Just when I think I’ve explored the genre, more great books are found.
You can include it in your review too. No one will complain.
Now I really need to read this.
“It was butt stuff. ”
SPOLER ALERT NEXT TIME! So the benefit of tearing down the patriarchy is more butt stuff? Cool I guess?
This is definitely on my TBR pile given all the rave reviews. I generally prefer my romance in corsets but I’ve been stressed too and maybe it’s because of the lack of butt stuff ;)
Fair point – I put in a spoiler warning. Tearing down the Patriarchy means that we can all be more honest about what sex stuff we like instead of conforming to a gendered norm (boys like butt stuff and girls don’t). You don’t have to like butt stuff, but you can if you want to.
It was a fun book.
” I’ve been stressed too and maybe it’s because of the lack of butt stuff ”
LOL
Great review (I’ve not been able to comment before now, because I’ve been off camping on an end-of-year trip with the kiddies I teach). Very glad you liked the book. I’m all on board for Kristen Callihan’s future NA books (I think the next will be about Ivy’s sister) and will make room in my summer schedule for her paranormal historicals as well, based on my enjoyment of these books.