-Fake dating, one bed, and a storm
-Starts spicy, but the emotional payoff hits hard
-Real tension, real growth, real chemistry
-Dee teaches him the ropes — literally

Perfect summer read! Quick, lighthearted book.

I thought that this was a very compelling book with great characters and a storyline that kept my attention

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

I want to say thank you from the bottom of heart to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of being able to read this book.

I honestly don't know where to begin with this book, and usually thats I'm not a total fan. But here I loved this book and I really don't know how to go. What keeps popping into my head is it was unhinged, but so not in a bad way. This book digs its claws into you so you can't and do not want to put it down. I devoured it in hours. The characters are real and well rounded, there is an incredible plot, there's character growth, heck there is true animosity not exactly enemies/rivals to loves but the closest I've seen to that in a long time. You fall for these characters and the story hard and all at once for them like they do with each other. Yes I could get a little annoyed at Jem sometimes for his thoughts but I realized that this is a perfect book example of don't judge a book by its cover. The unhinged part I think only comes for me from the fact that yes she totally teaches him the ropes of sexual relations, and I don't think I was expecting it to actually give me all that. It does, what it says I'm the description about that, 100% true! I honestly wasn't sure at first if I would like this at all but my gosh it delivers and I fell in love! This is also 100% a fantastic vacation read!

Thank you very much from the bottom of heart for allowing me to read this book I loved it!

2.5✨
Thank you NetGalley, Christy McKellen and Boldwood Books for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review - The Paradise Hookup publishes July 11th.

This was a short and sweet read and if you’re looking for something fast paced and steamy then this could be the book for you.
I could appreciate Dee’s complex personality due to her challenging family upbringing and her being the disappointment of the family. The premise of this was fun, but I’m not sure the book was entirely for me. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Dee and Jem and was also surprised at how early the first spice scene was considering there was no connection between the characters and Jem’s feelings for somebody else. I found it quite forced and awkward at times but I did appreciate the romance a little more towards the end of the book.

Unfortunately I felt the book was underdeveloped, which I think may have been due to the length of it. Although I also love the cover, it is slightly misleading considering the weather!

Overall a quick read and I was pleased with the character growth at the end, but I’d have liked a little more from the story!

I just finished reading this book. The plot was absolutely fantastic! It was quite the page turner, and I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I can't wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

Delilah is an aspiring artist who has a strained relationship with her dad. She agrees to go on vacation with him to impress his business partner. However, her twin sister's business partner, Jem, also offers to join since Delilah's dad believes they are dating.

Unfortunately, this story was not my cup of tea. Although I appreciate that it was a short story, I found it had too many plot holes and too much going on for me to fully enjoy it. For instance, Delilah has an injured ankle that prevents her from going to work and staying at her apartment, yet she can still travel to Greece? Additionally, there are many subplots: Jem is a virgin, they are fake-dating, Jem has feelings for Delilah's sister, Delilah doesn't get along with either of her parents, and Jem's mom is sick. The list goes on and on—there's just too much happening for a short story.

Moreover, I felt that Jem never truly liked Delilah. Even though she worked on bettering herself, it seemed she was trying to change for him rather than for her own sake. He often talked down to her and never really stepped up to show that he genuinely cared.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. The story was very well done and the characters were people that felt so real. I would easily recommend this book to others.

Very short and sweet. Took me away from the cold rainy weather im in right now to fun summer trip away. Not anything that will stick in my brain but a great time.

Like many of us, Dee is still figuring out how to “adult”—which is all the more complicated when you're constantly being compared to your hyper-competent twin. So when the chance arises to turn things around by tagging along on her father’s business trip to a private Greek island, she takes it. The catch? She has to fake a relationship with her twin’s business partner, Jem—a man who’s made it very clear he can’t stand her.

At first, I wasn’t sure this book was my cup of tea. I found it hard to connect with either main character early on, and the story leaned heavier on spice than plot. The island setting, while undoubtedly luxurious, didn’t evoke the idyllic paradise I had in mind.

But as the story unfolded, so did the layers of the characters. The more I understood their histories and the reasons behind their friction, the more I became invested. By the end, I was genuinely rooting for their unlikely romance.

If you're in the mood for a steamy, fast-paced read with classic romance tropes—enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and fake dating—this one checks all the boxes. It’s a sizzling escape that eventually finds its emotional core.

Thank you to Christy McKellen, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the advance review copy..

This was a fun book to start summer! I loved the fake dating, close proximity trope! Jem and Dee are stuck in a hotel during a storm and fun ensues! The have been fighting their chemistry for years and a finally give in during the storm. Such a good beach read!

Not the biggest fan of fake relationships tropes, but they are still a trope that reels me in. Think there is another book, so I felt i lacked some of the context from missing out on this. I don’t think the characters were really well developed and at times things felt very forced. It dragged on and was boring

Dee needs Jem, her sister's business partner to be her fake relationship for 24 hours. but things don't go according to plan.

Thank you boldwood for the arc

The book follows 2 people met on holiday stuck in a hotel room due to storm

I thought it would cute summer rom com but it felt flat as times to me the characters weren’t develop enough with the short book and I thought they weren’t really suited together bit force to be together they wasn’t much of plot the chapters in the book was a bit Long and lacking and I felt a bit bored (sorry) it took me ages to finish it and a bit cringy at times I’m bit disappointed with it sorry

The Paradise Hook-up by Christy McKellen is an enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, forced proximity romance. Dee and Jem are cornered into a fake relationship and wished away to Greece to try and impress her father's business associate. Their animosity towards each other quickly shifts towards sexual tension and an enemies-to-casual lovers relationship quickly formers. Unfortunately, this book really missed the mark for me. The writing was chaotic and juvenile at times and the plot seemed extremely forced. I was also uncomfortable at several points when the sexual relations were bordering on coersion and cringe worthy. I was excited for this read based on the summary, but was quickly disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of traditional romance, although there are certain book “tropes” that I enjoy more than others. One of my absolute favorites is “fake relationship.” Because of this, I was super excited to read this book.

I was pretty nervous to read this book, as it looks like there is another book that follows this same timeline. Due to that, I was nervous about needing to read that one first to enjoy this one. I needn’t have worried too much. While certain scenes did make me wonder about what happens in the other book, I still enjoyed this as a standalone.

One thing I liked about this book is it is told in alternate perspectives. Usually, when reading a book like this, there is a character that I am “rooting for” more than the other. With this book, the alternate perspectives really helped, because I truly got to understand where the other person was coming from. It enabled me not to judge them too harshly.

Ultimately, I truly enjoyed the book, but I do wish that there was an epilogue. Hopefully we will get a bonus epilogue down the line. I do have plans to read “Best Mistake Ever,” the book that I was previously referring to.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

A fun read. The plot was well written and easy to follow..Jem and Delilah were fun characters that were brilliantly written and I loved the development of their relationship,

Review of The Paradise Hook-Up by Christy McKellen
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5)

The Paradise Hook-Up sets up a promising vacation romance: fake dating, enemies to lovers, and one bed in a luxury Greek resort. Dee, the rebellious twin, and Jem, her sister’s uptight business partner, are thrown together for a quick pretend relationship that turns unexpectedly intimate when a storm strands them in paradise.

The premise is fun, and Jem’s inexperience adds a unique twist to the usual rom-com dynamics. But the story leans so heavily into steam that the emotional development of the characters gets lost. Most of the book focuses on physical tension, and not enough on why these two people should actually fall in love. The chemistry is there, but the depth isn’t.

McKellen’s writing is light and fast, and the book hits plenty of familiar beats for fans of the genre. Still, it sometimes reads more like a rushed online romance than a fully fleshed-out novel. Dialogue can be awkward, and the plot relies too much on tropes without adding much new.

It’s a decent pick if you’re craving a spicy, low-effort beach read—but if you’re looking for layered characters or a love story with real emotional stakes, this one might leave you unsatisfied.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

This fake-dating romance is the perfect easy summer read! Light, fun, and fast-paced, The Paradise Hook-Up delivers all the feel-good vibes you’d expect from a beachy rom-com. The chemistry between the characters is charming, and the storyline keeps things breezy without feeling shallow. If you’re looking for something playful and low-stress to escape with, this one’s a great pick!

The Paradise Hook-Up was a fun little summer read. I really liked that the guy was the inexperienced one for a change—that was a nice twist. And the whole “stranded on a private island” thing was a cool setup. But honestly, the characters didn’t feel super compatible to me, and the writing got kind of boring in parts. Not bad, just not something I totally clicked with.