The Hookup by Erin McCarthy

Is there an equation for the perfect hookup? Turns out it’s a lot more complicated than one plus one...

Sophie
Numbers are my comfort zone, which explains why my sex life is a big fat zero. Then again, if I’m smart enough to earn a PhD, why can’t I calculate a way to get a guy into bed, just to see what all the fuss is about? With my prima donna sister, Bella, getting married in Maine, I figure her wedding is the perfect opportunity for my little experiment. And Cain Jordan seems hot enough—he’s certainly drunk enough—to show me what I’ve been missing. Judging by the body of evidence, it’s a lot…

Cain
Being stuck in the same town as my lying SOB twin brother, Christian—who may or may not be the father of the son I’m not allowed to see—is a hell of a reason to drink myself silly after the lobster boat docks each day. Any port in a storm... But Sophie’s different. She doesn’t play around. And she’s becoming a habit I don’t want to break. Because the smartest woman I’ve ever met is also the sexiest—and the only one who makes me want to change.

Don’t miss Bella and Christian’s story in The Breakup!

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Sophie and Cain were a strange couple. While they both allowed each other to just be themselves, I thought that this story had a very young adult feel to it.

Sophie likes numbers – they make sense for her. While she's in town for her sister's wedding, she decides that she no longer wants to be a virgin. There's no muss and no fuss when it comes to her mind being made up. Despite being dressed like a semi-hooker by her sister, Sophie is immediately drawn to Cain.

Cain is not having the greatest of times in his life right now. His family is messed up and there isn't really anything he can do about it. He is drowning in alcohol and hatred. When he sees Sophie in the bar, he can't help but be drawn to her no-nonsense attitude and brutal honesty. He likes her quirks and can't remember the last time he wanted to spend more time with a woman than just one night.

For both Sophie and Cain, they dance around their attraction to each other, but know that despite not knowing each other for very long, they tell each other things that they have not shared with anyone else. Cain is kind of a butt towards the end and it made the ending of the story much more difficult. I also had a lot of unanswered questions in terms of Sophie's sister, Cain's brother, and the family dynamic of both.

Overall, this was a cute story about acceptance and love, but there was just something missing.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆☆
I really loved this book. The characters of Sophie and Cain are very complex and riveting and each have their own set of demons.

Sophie has always been misunderstood. She's different from the rest of her family and she knows it. She's learned to adapt. When she meets Cain and he gets her, she knows that there is something special about him.

Cain has his own demons. He has faced betrayal by his own family and he's struggling to get through the day. He copes with alcohol and thinks he's hiding his problem from Sophie.

Until he realizes that the only important thing in his life is Sophie.

This book has it all and I had all the feels while reading it.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the start of a new series, and I think we can look forward to a winning streak here from Ms. McCarthy. Although there is some world building, it is very subtle and just slides straight into the story.

I really enjoyed both lead characters, they are so completely different, and yet it just works so well. Sophie is really well written, with such a wonderfully literal view of life, and yet perfectly capable of developing emotional skills if given the right encouragement and opportunity. Once we see how she is treated by Bella, it is not difficult to work out how she could remain aloof. Cain, however, unexpectedly turns out to be exactly who she needs. I love that he is far from perfect (his drinking may be an issue for some readers), and the twists ensure that we have more sympathy and hope for the situation than I ever expected at the start!

The dissection of their intimate moments, and her inner voice is just fabulous. It has a way of articulating some very real worries, which on occasion are said out loud. Cain just deals with them perfectly, both being light hearted and funny, yet mindful of her naivety. It was hot and freeing for them both.

We get quite few hints as to future plot lines, but never does the story stray far from these two ill-fated lovers – and the ending hints at a great new beginning.

New York Times bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and has gone on to pen more than sixty novels and novellas in the paranormal, contemporary romance, and young adult genres. A RITA Award finalist and an American Library Association winner of the Reluctant Young Adult Reader award, McCarthy is a member of Romance Writers of America, Horror Writers Association, and Ohioana.

Connect with Erin

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Hookup (The Jordan Brothers #1) by Erin McCarthy to read and review.

Dream Maker by Erin McCarthy

The bestselling author of Heart Breaker returns with another sultry Nashville Nights novel of country hits and stolen kisses, as a one-night stand turns into the beginning of an irresistible partnership.

Shane Hart loves the ladies. Like hit records, he can never have too many. Shane swore long ago never to treat a woman the way his abusive father treated his mother, but his traumatic past has kept him from making any solid commitments—even to a fiery redhead like Avery O’Leery. Shane’s happy enough to rescue her from a tight spot, but that’s as far as their connection goes—until their unforgettable liaison has him rethinking his impulse to love ’em and leave ’em.

Avery has big plans: first, shake the dust of small-town Kentucky from her boots; second, become a bona fide songwriter; and third, keep the truth hidden about her birth father from everyone in Nashville. Nowhere on that list is she supposed to land in bed with a sexy stranger who rescues her off the street at midnight, especially if that stranger is Shane Hart. Avery’s trying not to fall for the dreamy music producer who could make or break her career. But her best-laid plans seem to be no match for a love that feels like destiny.

Book 2
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆
I found the writing so choppy at the start of this story that I almost DNF’d it. Fortunately, the writing does become more fluent as the story progresses. This is a cute, sweet romance between a struggling songwriter and a famous Nashville producer.

I struggled to warm to Avery, the slightly too stupid to live (TSTL) heroine. A virgin in her mid-twenties, still dating her high school boyfriend and prone to tears, Avery is not a woman I’d actively befriend. Shane is a little bit more complex. His family history is difficult and he has organised his adult relationships to protect him from more hurt. But I absolutely hate the clichéd storyline where the resolute playboy meets the single virginal girl who can instantly turn him into a monogamous family man. Urgh!

Parts of this story felt like they had been directly poached from Nashville, the recent TV series, which was a little disappointing. The storyline is simple enough, but the pacing is erratic. The ending is so abrupt that I checked to see if I’d missed a few chapters of relationship building. I hadn’t.

This is insta-love with a few dramatic hiccoughs, followed by a race towards a white picket fence. Readers who enjoy their romance cute and sweet will probably enjoy this. Readers looking for a little grit and some originality should look elsewhere.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
The second book in the series features Jolene's producer brother, Shane. If you enjoyed book one, this gives even more of the behind the scenes of these country music families' romances. It is somewhat clichéd, but I guess that is what we are led to expect from that section of the music scene.

Avery is a woman on a mission – yet she has been in a dead end relationship for 8 years, waiting for the 'right' moment – and somewhat prone to tearfulness. She grew on me as she gained some backbone, but she was a bit of a mess, talented songwriter or not. Shane, on the other hand, was very controlled, avoiding relationships altogether, but somehow Avery gets under his skin. That there is an additional twist, or two, gives rise to a further level of cliché... but it is a sweet and easy read, with a happy ending.

USA Today bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and has gone on to pen more than 44 novels and novellas in the paranormal, contemporary romance, and young adult genres. A RITA award finalist and an American Library Association winner of the Reluctant Young Reader award, Erin is a member of Romance Writers of America, Horror Writers Association, and Ohioana.

Connect with Erin

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Dream Maker (Nashville Nights #2) by Erin McCarthy to read and review.