Great sports romance filled with banter, chemistry, fun, and spice. The MMC was swoon worthy and had me blushing like a school girl! Both of the main characters were extremely thought out and well written.

The banter in this book is IMMACULATE! The back and forth between these two made this book so fun and impossible to put down because you just had to see what they would bicker about next but also wanting to see when they would realize they love each other!

No one writes smut like Kristen Callihan. I'm a big fan of her writing, and "The Hook Up" lived up to my expectations and more. Very excited for the next installment to be released.

I love Anna and Drew!

Anna Jones just wants to finish college before starting her future life but she never expected to meet quarterback Drew Baylor in class. Drew is the quarterback for a championship team with a Heisman trophy on his shelf and she was the red head in the next seat just trying to graduate.

You need to read The Hook Up if you haven’t read it the first time around because you will fall in love with Anna and Drew as they try to figure out a relationship with all of Drew’s football activities that he fits into his schedule until he gets injured and everything falls apart for Drew.

The rest of the series are about Drew’s teammates.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

TW: Parental deaths (mentioned)

Kristen Callihan has always been one of my favorite authors, the consistency of good books is off the charts. The Game On series is no different.

The Hook Up features Drew and Anna, Drew is the star quarterback and Anna is a somewhat introverted student who has no idea what she wants to do in life. She is a curvy woman and has some mental hang ups about her body and being good enough for anyone really and she wants nothing to do with the spotlight. When she and Drew can't get enough of each other that fear and anxiety she has plays a big role in the struggles they go through.

I found Drew and Anna's story super passionate...so passionate it was almost scary how much they cared for one another, the spicy scenes were wow...hello library scene! But I also liked how they were continuously there for each other. When Anna finally gets over her hang ups it's her turn to be there for Drew when he breaks his leg in a game. He ends up going through this whole trauma of being scared to play again and it gets really intense.

I thought the author did a good job with the flow of the writing, I couldn't put it down once I started it. One gripe I do have is that I mostly listened to this on Audible and it was fantastic. The narrators were awesome (Teddy Hamilton & Maxine Mitchell) and never annoying which can easily happen for me with audiobooks. BUT this is the only book in the series on audio, what gives?! I see the Hook Up was just released this year but the book was actually published in 2014, insane! Hopefully they have plans to release the rest because I just adore this series and Kristen deserves to have this out in the world for the audiobook only readers.

Thank you so much Canary Street Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

While I really wanted to love this book, it was just another sports romance. The plot didn't feel fresh to me. I did enjoy the humor and banter between the characters, and the romance part was sweet. The book just needed something a little more fresh to set it aside from other sports romances.

I had a lot of fun with this book! It takes you through all the emotions in the best of ways. And I'm ALWAYS here for steam and spice!! ❤️

I love Kristen Callihan and reading The Hook Up is just perfect sport romance.

I loved drew and Anna's dynamic. Their push and pull chemistry and fun banter was one of my favorite things that I really enjoyed. He's a charismatic football player and she's slightly snarky and feisty and unwillingly falls for Drew despite her best efforts. It's such a fun good sport romance that gives you fun characters that you will meet, sports, spice, banter, romance, sweet moments. Anna just wants to finish college but with Drew in the picture, her life will not be the same. Its perfect for fans of Kandi Steiner and Elle Kennedy's Off campus series, I highly recommend to sport romance fans

I loved the storyline but the end seemed a bit rushed.
Spoilers ahead:
Kind of love at first sight but one side doesn’t want it to be. It’s their story of falling in love. There’s the typical breakdown in the middle with the love story.

At the end though, there’s more issues that arise and the whole part seems rushed. The roommates story seems important but they never goes back to it. There’s some drama with an ex that seems to be going one way but then is all fine. The last 30 pages should have been longer to help the story close up but the rest of the book was really good.

Overall I felt the story, I laughed, I got stressed, I swooned and I smiled.

*The Hook Up* by Kristen Callihan is a fun, steamy college romance that balances heart, humor, and heat perfectly. Anna Jones, the sharp-witted heroine, and Drew Baylor, the star quarterback with a heart of gold, have undeniable chemistry from the start. Their no-strings-attached arrangement quickly spirals into something much deeper, and watching them navigate the push and pull of their relationship is both entertaining and emotional. Callihan does a great job of building tension between the two, and their banter keeps the story lively.

What makes this book stand out is its mix of sizzling romance and genuine character development. Drew isn’t just your typical cocky athlete; he’s thoughtful and determined to win Anna’s heart, while Anna’s insecurities and resistance to love feel real and relatable. The story has its share of angst, but the humor and sweetness balance it out, making it a satisfying read overall. *The Hook Up* is a great start to the *Game On* series, and readers who love a sports romance with depth will find themselves hooked!

4.5 stars

Absolutely bingeable. I have been in a slump on and off forever it seems, but I read this in one afternoon, with barely any interruptions.

Sweet and sensitive sports romance. I really enjoy Kristen Callihan's writing.

Anna and Drew are complete opposites. He is a football star and she wants to focus on school. Anna is very independent but also has some confidence issues. Drew was really into her and I love how we get to see his sweet side! As they get to know each other and develop feelings their relationship is definitely tested! This was a solid sports romance!

This one was just okay. I really liked the characters, and loved the plus size rep, but the "insta-love" by the male main character got to be a little much at times.

This was highly enjoyable! It did give off insta-lovey vibes, which annoyed me a bit, but I still liked it. I loved the complexity of both of the main characters. Drew being basically all in for Anna was adorable, especially for someone like him.

The banter between Anna and Drew kept me going. The Hook Up is a very nice and entertaining standalone, and a nice start to a great series!

It's books like this one that creates the demand for New Adult to be a genre! It falls perfectly in it.

The Hook Up, by Kristen Callihan, is a sports romance novel that will have you steaming through the pages! Spicy! Callihan doesn't disappoint.
Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

This was a cute story about a football star and a girl who only wants a hookup. It got a bit repetitive towards the end and the characters became a bit unlikeable. Steamy, quick read.

Overall I really enjoyed this read! I got an ARC copy of this book, and it fit well within the usual books and tropes I enjoy!

Drew had me hooked from the beginning. Personally I love when the guy falls first and Drew was a perfect example of that. His immediate attention to Anna and drive to go after her was swoon worthy the entire book.

I won’t spoil anything- but one thing that really irked me throughout the book was Anna’s “best friend” Iris. I am not sure if the intention was to make her one of the worst friends in history? If it was- nailed it! Otherwise I struggled to understand Iris and her motives. She was flat out mean to Anna multiple times and i don’t really feel we got any sort of redemption arc for her.

Overall, i loved the story and am excited for the rest of the series.

I received a free ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

✅ college athlete romance
✅ Drew Baylor, a football player & Anna Jones, student who has a lot of baggage and insecurities - both are college seniors
✅ Dual POV
🌶️: it’s literally in the name

If you go the audiobook route, Maxine Mitchell and Teddy Hamilton are excellent

This is definitely a kind of book I like, AKA a sports romance. I really enjoyed this one, and loved the premise and the chemistry between the characters.

I didn't love it, though, and I think part of that was just my overall struggle with the characters and their interactions as the story goes on. Again, not bad, but it just took a way a little bit for me.

A sports themed opposites attract romance, The Hook Up moves quickly and follows a common college football player arc. However, despite being in college, the main characters read younger and the instalove is overwhelming in nature. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.