The Paradise Hook-Up promises a sun-soaked enemies-to-lovers escape, but delivers a romance built on jealousy, manipulation, and unbalanced character development. By the 25% mark, the titular "Paradise" has barely been mentioned, and the plot has instead focused on a tangled web of impersonation, emotional dishonesty, and a lead character whose actions are difficult to empathise with.

Dee Donovan is portrayed as the impulsive twin, but her behaviour often feels more self-centred than free-spirited. After learning that Jem—her sister Bea’s business partner—is interested in Bea, Dee immediately attempts to seduce him. This happens while Bea is helping Dee by secretly taking over her job, even cutting her hair to maintain the illusion. Rather than show gratitude, Dee continues to make decisions that benefit herself at the expense of others.

The relationship dynamic between Dee and Jem is also problematic. Dee repeatedly pushes boundaries, even when Jem is clearly uncomfortable. Their interactions include scenes that feel more coercive than romantic, and their chemistry never fully develops into something believable or balanced. When Jem calls her out for leaning too heavily on Bea, Dee dismisses the concern rather than reflect. This lack of self-awareness makes it hard to invest in her growth or the central romance.

By the time the characters actually arrive in Paradise, the emotional foundation of the story has already been set—and unfortunately, it doesn’t support a satisfying romantic arc. While the book may appeal to readers who enjoy high-drama interpersonal dynamics and messy entanglements, it ultimately didn’t work for me.

⭐ 1 star – A romance with promise that’s ultimately undercut by uneven characterisation and a relationship dynamic that felt unbalanced and unresolved.

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book; it was very easy to read and I loved the relationship between Jem and Dee and how he instinctively wanted to defend her in front of her dad (although I would have loved it if he actually did it without thinking). I would have liked it if the enemies part in the enemies to lovers was less actual enemies in that they insulted each other but did not actually mean it as opposed to meaning it like they did in the book (at first at least). I would recommend this book to romance lovers who are looking for an easy to read romance that will get them out of a reading slump.

Thank you to net galley, Boldwood Books, and Christy McKellen for allowing me to receive an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks netgalley for the advance copy!

I really wanted to like this book, I thought it would be the perfect summer read but it didn't happen.

Beyond here there are spoilers....

I haven't been able to connect with neither of the characters, they didn't have any depth, all I know about them is she was inmature and he was too focus to enjoy live. The pacing wasn't for me, maybe that's on me since I love a slow burn. I didn't feel the chemistry between them and I spent a good time of the book feeling she was trying too hard for him to like him and he was being an ass, realizing it but never apologizing. Both characters are having the same doubts over and over and over and changing their minds over and over and over, reading this book was like it was groundhog day.

I wish at the end she would have told him she had found a guy who deserved her now that she was more mature and that she realized he never had

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick enemies to lovers, fake-dating, read. Dee and Jem do not get along. Dee is the wild twin of her and her sister, and Jem is not a fan of her. He thinks she is irresponsible and relies on her twin sister too much. Dee is an artist working to get her work out there at a hotel. Dee hurts her ankle and begins staying at her sister's flat where Jem works most days, they find themselves being around each other more than they like. When her dad shows up looking for her twin sister who is gone and finds Jem and Dee together they pretend they are dating. Dee tells her dad that her sister is gone away to a funeral and she won't be home for a few days. They then end up going to Greece for a business deal with her dad when he wants to show the potential business partner that he is "family oriented". Her dad also thinks Dee is not responsible and has never taken work serious so he is cautious. Dee and Jem end up going together. When they get there the find themselves in the same room with only one bed and they are in tight quarters all while still disliking each other. The two then get stranded on the island due to a storm. This book has a bit of angst and tension but overall, I felt the book was okay and I didn't hate it. There are also quite a few steamy scenes.

Thank you to Boldwood for the E-ARC!!

ARC Review | The Paradise Hookup by Christy McKellen

⭐️ Rating: 3.8/5
🌶 Spice: 4/5
📚 Tropes: grumpy x sunshine, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, miscommunication

What happens when you're stranded on a Greek island with a man you shouldn't fall for?
That’s what Dee (the rebellious twin) and Jem (her sister’s business partner) face after a storm leaves them stuck—physically and emotionally.

At first, it’s all tension and chaos, but sparks fly in more ways than one. I really appreciated the character growth, especially Dee finding her voice after years of being compared to her “perfect” twin. And let’s just say the spice? ✨Generous✨

While it didn’t completely wow me, the story moves fast, touches on deeper themes (neglect, dementia, grief), and had me rooting for Dee’s personal journey more than the romance.

📖 Worth reading if you like:
✔ Emotional growth arcs
✔ Forced proximity + sizzling tension
✔ Family drama + healing

⚠️ CW: family neglect, grief, dementia, toxic parenting

🗣 Would I reread? Probably not. But a one-time getaway read.

The Paradise Hook-Up is a great read if you're looking for a fast-paced enemies to lovers style romance. It has all the tropes of miscommunication, fake dating, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine that build tension throughout and keep you wanting more.

The story is told from the POV of the two characters and I personally enjoyed seeing both of their inner thoughts and feelings towards each other in certain situations in which they completely misread each other. We are allowed to see a glimpse into the past of the two characters, which shows us a little more about what shaped them, why they behave in certain ways and have certain attitudes towards relationships. In my opinion, one character was slightly more developed than the other but both of their motivations were clear and had enough depth so that we, as readers, can understand and empathise with them.

This book is spicy and steamy, (win!), so you should make sure that no one is behind you when you are reading this book! The relationship between the two characters is fun, exciting, and full of tension. It's nice to see them explore each other and their relationship, (whatever it may be) and test boundaries together, as they figure out what it is they each want and need in their lives.

Although the pacing of this book moved a bit fast for me at first, once it found it's rhythm, I was hooked. The writing and plot was easy to follow, and I breezed through this book in one day! The perfect book to take on your holiday and read by the beach/pool to raise your heart rate and bring the heat! I will be recommending this to friends and fellow book-lovers for sure. 3.5 stars from me!

This book also shares a timeline with another Christy McKellen book "Best Mistake Ever" and I will definitely be giving that a read!

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the early access!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the advanced reader copy.

The Paradise Hook-Up is from Dee(short for Delilah) and Jen’s (short for Jeremy) point of view. Jem is working on a start up company with Dee’s sister Bea and has a major crush on Bea. When Dee falls on her high heels and ends up in crutches she is forced to stay at Bea’s place that has no stairs compared to her place. Jem is there to take her home from the hospital and stays with her while Bea is taking hers sisters place at her hotel event job. When pain meds make Dee a little too loopy, Jem wakes up next to Dee in Bea’s bed with her sad standing over them. This leads to them saying they are dating and can help her dad landing a major client. All they have to do is go to his private Greek island and act like a loving couple and a close knit father and daughter. While forced to share a room Jem and Dee are put in some compromising positions. They agree to friendly benefits while stuck on the island due to a storm but call it quits when they get back to real life. Dee tries to make it last longer but Jem shuts her down.

It was a fun Summer romance. Jem finds his true self and only realizes his true feelings after Dee is gone. Dee works on herself to be the best version she can after Jem reveals how selfish he thinks she is. I like the character development of both of them. Finding themselves and then finding each other in the end.
Wish there was an epilogue.

. While the book had a lighthearted, romantic premise with a fake-dating trope and a sunny Greek setting, it ultimately felt too fast-paced, unbelievable, and chaotic to truly enjoy. The plot hinges on Dee, an aspiring artist with a strained relationship with her father, concocting a wild plan to secure a business deal despite a broken ankle. Her twin sister covers for her, but then sends her assistant, Jem—who apparently hates Dee—to pose as her fake boyfriend. Naturally, this leads to a romantic entanglement, but none of it felt grounded or believable. Jem's feelings for Dee are unclear throughout, and their chemistry felt awkward and forced, especially with a steamy scene arriving surprisingly early in the book, before any real connection had formed.

There were simply too many plot threads packed into such a short story: Dee’s injury, a fake relationship, unresolved sibling dynamics, difficult family histories, Jem’s virginity, his ill mother, and lingering feelings for Dee’s sister. It all felt underdeveloped, and the emotional arcs got lost in the noise. Dee herself had potential as a character—her background and desire to prove herself added some depth—but the narrative didn’t give enough space for that growth to resonate. Jem, meanwhile, often came across as judgmental and unsupportive, which made it hard to root for the romance.

That said, I did appreciate the book's quicker pace, and readers looking for a fun, trope-filled, steamy romp might enjoy this more than I did. The ending offered a bit of satisfying character growth, and the cover is lovely—though slightly misleading considering the weather described!

Overall, this was a quick read with some entertaining moments, but it lacked the depth and emotional payoff I was hoping for.

I only got 2% in; unfortunately, there are multiple run on sentences. I tried to push through), but I kept having to decipher the meaning of each sentence & I couldn’t see myself doing that for thousands of pages.

hooked and hooked some more. Loved all of this and couldn't put it down. I was like oh my. I need to know more. Read it.

Thank you to boldwood books and NetGalley for this arc!

I thought this was a cute, steamy, and cheeky rom com for the summer. It’s perfect for a vacation or a beach read!

It’s your classic enemies to lovers, forced proximity, one bed kinda shin dig and I digged it.

Rating: ⭐⭐
Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. It started off strong and initially I was engaged, but that changed as the story progressed. I struggled to connect with the characters—Jem and Dee’s relationship felt forced, and I found the character development lacking. I was especially unsettled by the way Dee seemed to change herself for Jem. I know that may not have been the intention, but that’s how it came across to me. This story just didn’t resonate with me.
Have you read The Paradise Hook-Up? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Thank you the Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this ARC.

I should have realised from the synopsis/blurb of this that it wouldn't be for me. This was a lighthearted, romantic romp that was just too fast paced, unbelievable and ridiculous for me to follow! Dee apparently concocts this ridiculous plan to secure a business deal despite a broken ankle that means she can't walk, her twin sister covers for her but then sends her assistant to be her fake boyfriend? And the fake boyfriend hates her but actually loves her?

Dee is so incredibly un-self aware and Jem hates her for no apparent reason, so naturally everyone in this book changes their mind every 30 seconds and the entire thing is riddled with plot holes. The whole book feels very rushed and much like a checklist of tropes, none of which are well written.

The Paradise Hook- Up is a steamy romance, Dee can’t work in her job as she’s hurt herself so her twin is going to do her job while she goes to Greece to help her father, Jem who dislikes Dee is heading there too. Stranded on the island with weather the steamy sessions begin. There is not really a storyline as it’s basically two characters making out, but it’s a quick fun read for an afternoon by the pool. A 3 star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

The Paradise Hook-Up is a cheeky rom-com that had me laughing and unable to put the book down. Christy McKellen provides a good balance of comedy, tension, and spice with some emotion. It was definitely an angsty read where the main characters Dee and Jem are fighting the attraction that builds until they decide to do something about it.

Readers are introduced to Dee, an artsy woman who as developed a care-free skin after constantly coming in second place to her twin sister (the only one who doesn't seem to judge her). Then there is Jem, the rigid and serious business partner to Dee's twin. After an injury, a scheme to help Dee keep her job, and a little white lie, Dee and Jem find themselves in a fake relationship helping Dee's father try to land a deal with a business mogul on his private Greek Island. When one event leads to another, a storm has Dee and Jem with nothing but time to address growing tension and attraction while still denying any budding feelings.

This light-hearted, quirky, book has a decent plot. It is an opposites attract romance that gives "No Strings Attached" energy. At times I wanted to scream at Dee and Jem to stop fighting their feelings and to lay their true feelings on the table. The tension and angst was evident. It made for a quick read that I enjoyed and would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Christy McKellen for providing me with an eARC copy of The Paradise Hook-Up for an honest review.

This is a really good RomCom. I enjoyed it very much and would read this author again. The banter is hilarious and the tension is so hot! Thank you for an arc of this

A cute summer read!

Classic enemies to lovers, one bed, forced proximity love story. Grab this book, a seat in the sun and dive in!

I loved the premise of this book and was drawn in by the gorgeous cover, but I struggled to connect with the characters and never really got fully immersed in the story. The plot was lacking, and the characters sadly couldn't carry the story alone. This one wasn't for me.

I liked this book until I didn’t , idk it felt forced between Dee and Jem ! I do like Dee’s character delvlopment . Won’t like she kind of annoyed me in the begging !

A messy, fast-paced vacation romance with heart.
This book is a whirlwind, it has equal parts unhinged fun and emotional depth. Delilah, an aspiring artist with a complicated family dynamic, gets pulled into a fake dating setup (an elite trope) with Jem, her sister’s business partner, and things get out of hand fast.
While the initial chemistry felt a bit forced and the pacing made some moments feel underdeveloped, the story eventually found its stride. There’s genuine tension, surprising spice, and satisfying character growth, especially for Delilah.
A quick, steamy vacation read that doesn’t quite stick every landing, but still manages to charm.