'The Hook Up', a Book Review

I've been having a summer fling with literary works and it's time to have something online to show for it!

I recently read The Hook-Up by Kristen Callihan for the second or third time since buying it in July.

I can understand some of Anna Jones' fear and apprehension, because being vulnerable, open, real with the wrong person can suck. I look at Anna steadily growing out of her fear and into having a good-looking, very talented jock at her school become her emotional support system! 

By the way, that jock is Drew Baylor, a deep character, a good, intelligent student, passionate about football, intent on making it his career, in addition to having a poetic, healthy attitude about his family and his past. He's a very decent, interesting, hot guy who likes to kiss Anna's freckles and hear about her musical tastes. The high hopes he has for their connection unnerves her. She doesn't want to imagine a future with him. But one day he walks her to her Vespa while lookin' so delectable that she says to herself, 'I think I might want him always'. She does a poor job of trying to keep serious distance between them. Drew has made it clear he wants to date and get to know her in addition to the intense, enthusiastic physical stuff, and because their chemistry is amazing, she can't help but feel addicted to him, but she resists some of the emotional closeness and has made a rule: No kissing on the mouth. She's had a relationship play out poorly before, sure, and her mom has unpleasant romantic issues that have influenced her greatly, but those things don't excuse a young woman's decision to get all Pretty Woman and reject lip action. I empathize with her commitment fears, I really do, but I also am, in this case, the lovingly judgmental friend who is pleased that Anna gives in to the urge to have significant interpersonal conversations with her hook-up buddy, allowing him to become a trusted friend. I get to watch him fall in love with her while she frets about stressful public opinion and her past as a self-described "weird loner".
This novel speaks to real thoughts and feelings many young people have had, but also does a great job of bringing its characters to life, even secondary ones like Anna's friends Iris and George, Iris' terrible boyfriend Henry, even Drew's annoying, shallow friend Gray who actually has an admirably solid friendship with him.
Oh, and the intimate scenes are so hot! There's also that.
Please grab this book. One-click your way to fun right now.