Book review - The Hookup Dilemma, Constance Gillam.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Yes I absolutely requested this book based on the gorgeous cover however I did end up enjoying this nice, little easy read. The characters were amazing and I loved every single one of them. Elliot though 😍 add him to my list of fictional boyfriends. Love, sex, business deals and a crazy granny. What more could you want right?

Rashida and Elliott met at a bar and had a one night stand. No exchanging of numbers and only first names were given. Typical right? Except it was the best one night stand they’ve both ever had. They hope to run into each other again but definitely didn’t expect their run in to be at a conference, on opposing sides of a business deal in which Elliott’s father is trying to destroy the houses where Rashida’s grammie lives. Turns out they are going to have to be enemies from now on. But can they put their feelings of desire aside to fight for what they want?

There honestly wasn’t a whole to it other than what I’ve described but if you love a steamy love story you will certainly love this! I found myself rooting for Rashida and Elliott and loved the journey they took. It’s certainly more of an easy read than an intense story line with twists - typical lovers to enemies(if you could call them that) to ultimate lovers story line. I do love it when romance books show both perspectives though so that was a huge tick ✅ for me.

My only critique, the love between them seemed only sexual. I loved the steamy parts, don’t get me wrong, but I would’ve also liked a little more internal monologue based around more than just sexual fantasies and desires. I wanted them to be completely besotted with each other in ways other than orgasms.

Overall, a great read. I loved the characters and that really helped me enjoy the story! I loved the community feel to it and it is definitely a great book to help put a smile on your face! Not a whole lot to it but enjoyable nonetheless.

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

2.5 Stars

A cute and steamy own voices romance about two people on opposite sides of a community issue

Did I request this book purely on that gorgeous cover, which drew me in like a moth to a flame? Why yes I did 🤣 Did the story live up to the cover? Not for me unfortunately!

Told from both Rashida's and Elliot's POVs, I thought that the The Hookup Dilemma would be a lovers to enemies to lovers story, but that wasn't really the case. The characters never really had that enemies thing going, and Elliot in particular was just such a nice guy! It was more of a couple wants to be together but think they can't because of a conflict of interest and trust issues type of tale!

Whilst Rashida and Elliot had tons of chemistry, and trust me it was electric, I felt the romance part of the plot came secondary to the Gentrification part. If you're from Atlanta or Georgia in general, or are interested in the social and economic issues linked to the Gentrification of neighbourhoods, then you might enjoy this more than I did. For me, this part of the plot was quite boring, and slowed the pace of the story down a lot. It took me eight days to read this, and I kept putting aside every couple of chapters. I really didn't want to be reading about rezoning and community meetings or mediation. It was also quite predictable!

However, I did admire Rashida's will to try and preserve her Grandma's community, and enjoyed reading about the fictional town of Millhouse, looking back through her happy childhood memories. I also liked seeing it in the present day, where we visited the ice-cream parlour, the church, and a few of the residents houses.
I enjoyed the theme of family and loyalty throughout the book. Both Rashida and Elliot were fiercely loyal to their families, Elliot to his sick father and his business, and Rashida to her mother, sister and Grandmother. AND I loved all the strong women in this! Rashida's grandmother and her friends provided some comedy and humour, which I liked, although none of those women should be behind the wheel of a car!

As I mentioned above, Rashida and Elliot had strong chemistry and attraction, with a fair few spicy scenes, which started from the first few pages, but I didn't really feel the romance was fleshed out enough. I wasn't really invested enough in their relationship, something was missing for me between the scorchio sex scenes and the declarations of love. I wanted to actually feel them fall in love more?

If you want a light, read with a HEA, then give this one a go though, other early readers have rated it highly! 🏡🏡🏡

I received an ARC of The Hookup Dilemma by Constance Gillam from NetGalley. I loved this book for so many reasons. Being a native Georgian, it is always a plus when a book features my home state! I was even more ecstatic when the main characters took a trip to Savannah, my hometown. The Hookup Dilemma is a complex story dealing with the issue of Gentrification. Elliott Quinn is holding down the fort for his ailing father, developer Marcus Quinn. Marcus has purchased land in the Millhouse district in Atlanta with plans to rezone and build a commercial building. Rashida Howard is trying to connect with Marcus and convince him of the error of his thinking. Millhouse is the neighborhood where she spent her formation years and where her grandmother still lives. She is aware of what his plans will mean for the elderly and/or financially distressed families living in that area. Unable to meet with Marcus, Rashida goes into a nearby bar to relax and runs into Elliott. The pair connect and hookup, unaware that they are unfortunately on the opposite sides of a polarizing issue. Ms. Gillam has created two very well fleshed out main characters, good people with good intentions but forced by circumstances to look for opposing solutions. Elliott was one of the nicest book boyfriends I have ever had (😊)….Rashida had trust issues and eventually came to believe that Elliott was not worthy of her trust. It is a good thing that Rashida’s world is full of people with good advice! I enjoyed the secondary characters just as much as I did our main characters (in particular, Reverend Clemmons was a beacon of hope and common sense). I totally enjoyed this story, and the epilogue gave us sweet closure.

I really enjoyed this book very much. The rhythm and fluidity of the conversations were the first hook towards this story full of flavors and family ties
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Rashida is a culinary critic who is willing to do everything possible to save the united community of her grandmother's neighborhood where she grew up and lived the best years of her life, ready to stand in front of the construction company that plans to modify the neighborhood.
Elliot is an architect with ​​very different values from those of his father and with a great love for the history of each building that he recovers, but with his father's health hanging by a thread, he decides to take a step forward and take care of business until he gets better.
This turns them on the opposite side after having spent a unforgettable night together without knowing the other's last name.
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the steamy scenes and the dialogues are very good, Rashida's love for her family and friends is as palpable as the flavors of each dish she tries but my conflict is with the time that passes and how it is suddenly resolved without changing her attitude. Elliot is an incredible character and he surprised me a lot, in this troop of different social classes, enemies to lovers, the hero is always the one who stumbles often, but not in this story and I don't get the change in Rashida. Just it conflict me
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Thanks to Entagled Publishing LLC and Contance Gillam for give me this great book in exchange for my honest opinion

*ARC provided by NetGalley* I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Okay so when i read the blurb I was really excited however i think i went in with a different set of expectations and therefore i ended up a bit dissapointed. Do not take me wrong, this book is fun, light and a cute romance so i was entertained throughtout the whole book, so if you want that definitely go read it. My main problem was that i was expecting the "enemies" part a bit more deep and it felt like most of the time was one sided and from the beginning Elliot's feelings were too much instalove for my taste. Reason why i couln't get attached to the characters and the main "developments" in the relationship did not feel as eventful as i wished.
I like the topic of the neighborhood being in danger and people coming together for a common goal, also seeing Rashida's family are all strong women with their fair share of back luck in love however they kept going and stay together which i love.
Overall, this is a book i think i love of people will love and it's a shame it didn't work for me as much as i hope.

This is definitely going up with my top read if this year! It’s was such a good book. I loved the two main characters of Rashida and Elliot they were perfect main characters. Rashida was on the best leads I’ve read in a romance book for a long time. The spice was lovely as well! Definitely going to buy this when it comes out

This book was a lot heavier on the plot than I originally thought it would be. This wouldn't be a problem if the romance were as fleshed out as I imagined. I just feel as though we were missing some of the sweet moments that happened between them. Up until the moment they said I love you it came off as if they just had sexual feelings for each other while working with/against each other. But some people might like it and I still enjoyed the book.

I received an arc from netgalley.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I enjoy this book it was a quick read for me :)
The Hookup Dilemma is a cute, contemporary, ownvoices novel featuring Rashida and Elliott. Rashida, a food critic, is on a mission to preserve her grandmothers home and neighborhood and with it, her childhood memories. Elliott is an architect trying to run his own business and fill in for his dad who’s recovering from heart attack. Elliott sees Rashida getting out of a car and can’t stop thinking about her. When she shows up at a packed bar there is insta lust and they have a one night stand without realizing they are on opposite sides of the issue at hand.

The Hookup Dilemma is a cute, contemporary, ownvoices novel featuring Rashida and Elliott. Rashida, a food critic, is on a mission to preserve her grandmothers home and neighborhood and with it, her childhood memories. Elliott is an architect trying to run his own business and fill in for his dad who’s recovering from heart attack. Elliott sees Rashida getting out of a car and can’t stop thinking about her. When she shows up at a packed bar there is insta lust and they have a one night stand without realizing they are on opposite sides of the issue at hand. This book was a fast paced read and I enjoyed the enemies to lovers storyline. There were some funny moments with the elderly ladies in the neighborhood as well. If you’re looking for a quick, cute read with lots of chemistry this is a great one for that. Thank you to NetGalley for a
Chance to read and review this arc.

Thank you so much publisher providing an arc!
I just devoured this book, And, the plot was amazing.
I really like the worldbuilding, and how the author can create a world that has the capability of making us vicariously live through it. I feel like the introduction was a bit too slow-paced for me. The characters are fairly interesting.
Henceforth, it was quite a good read.

It always feels daunting starting a new book but i fell straight into this one and it was a complete page turner, it didn’t feel like a chore to read and it was so easy to get through. Constance Gillam really captured my heart with this one, Rashida and Elliott were hot and heartbreaking all in one. I would 100% read any other book from this author and have a good feeling we’ll see more great things from her over the coming years.

The Hookup Dilemma was a really enjoyable read!

When Elliott Quinn and Rashida Howard end up in a hotel room together, all they know is their first names. And after an enjoyable night together, they don't really expect to see each other again. Until they do and they realize that they're now stuck on opposite sides of an already complicated situation.

While Rashida is fighting for her community and her childhood, Elliott is working hard to make sure his fathers business stays afloat. But at every step of the way, they're constantly stopped by the other and their feelings keep growing until they just can't ignore them anymore.

This had a really good premise and was executed really well. I really liked the way the way that the author kept switching between the two pov's. The quick transitions really helped to fully understand where the two characters stood and the way their minds worked.

But the downside of these quick transitions was that it was hard to understand the passage of time, i.e. how much time had passed during the transitions. In some instances it was seconds, but there were times where we had a time jump of a couple of days, and even a couple of weeks. And it wasn't always clear exactly how much time had passed and what happened in that time. That's one thing I would have liked to be clearer.

But apart from that this was pretty good, with a slight enemies to lovers trope, as they were on opposing sides of the same issue. Elliott was a great character and I liked that he was clear on the way he felt about her and didn't let their situation affect his feelings. From the second he saw her, he was hooked and ran towards her and his feelings at every turn.

On the other hand, Rashida ran a little hot and cold, with being super involved and then backing off at the slightest misstep. She had a lot of trust issues, and I would have liked to see more of her working through that. But I did like the way that Elliott remained steady through it all, but still gave her space when she needed it.

I also liked the side characters. Rashida's grandmother and her friends were a force to be reckoned with and kept us entertained. Elliott friend/business partner, Chris was also a really nice addition to the book. They added some excitement and kept things interesting throughout.

This was a nice romance, without being overly sweet or serious. It had some steamy moments and some romantic ones with a good balance of anticipation and tension. Overall, it was an enjoyable romance, with a wonderful HEA!

I really enjoyed this book. Rashida and Elliott hooked up for a night to never be seen again when lo and behold Elliott is affiliated with Quinn Enterprises and actually a "Quinn", the folks who are trying to take over her grammy's neighborhood. The shock on both of Rashida and Elliott face when they realize they are opposite sides of a fight and Rashida's grammy witnesses the play by play by both and comments at a later date is comical. Plenty of laugh out loud moments and tender sexy scenes between the two. Elliott was definitely all in from the first moment he saw Rashida. Also liked the "Epilogue" and what was revealed for the Howard women.

I received an ARC of The Hookup Dilemma by Constance Gillam from NetGalley. It’s a contemporary romance about a couple that hooks up and later finds them self on opposite sides of a major issue. I enjoyed the book and it was a good quick read.
Elliot is an architect and Rashida is a food critic. They meet in a crowded bar and have instant chemistry. They end up hooking up in a hotel room. The dilemma is that Rashida leaves first thing in the morning (despite how much they both enjoyed themselves) before Elliot wakes up, only to run into him later on. Turns out that his fathers company (which Elliot is currently running) is trying to develop a piece of land in her grandmother’s neighborhood and she is fighting to stop it and the inevitable gentrification of the area.
So the book is them being in a rivalry over this dilemma but also not being able to resist their pull to one another. It follows the standard flow of falling for each other, then a conflict pulls them apart, and then they end up back together HEA. Elliot 100% deserved his ass getting dumped for said conflict but he did grovel and fix things quite well so I forgive him. My only problem which is how late in the book the breakup is and how quickly it’s resolved. Just a preference thing it didn’t change my feelings for the book which are overall positive. My favorite part of the book is Rashida’s grandma and all the little old ladies in Milltown and their wild antics!
The book does have spicy scenes, the characters hook up for the first time pretty early in the book. They aren’t anything too overdone or cringey. It was enough for me to call the book spicy but not enough that it was too much or distracted from the plot.
The book releases on 11/16/21. It was a 4 star read for me, I liked it. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I would read more of her books.
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A cute romance about two people at the opposite ends of gentrification argument. Was fairly quick to get through. The chemistry between Rashida and Elliot was alright but did not make me desperately want them together. Overall it was interesting enough and I would recommend to others.

**ARC from NetGalley**. 628 page ebook. Super cute book with spicy scenes in at as well. I loved reading this book. It had fun characters and plot points, keeping me interested as I was reading. I liked both of the main characters as you learn more about each one and their growing relationship. You also see a little more into their own family relationships and the changes that happen in those throughout the book as well. I loved the epilogue and the fact that it took place a few years after the events in this story. It showed you farther into their relationship and it was super adorable. The book was a fun and cute read, and I would definitely read more from this author.

Thank you Entangled Publishing and NetGalley an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was a cute, sweet and fun enemies to lovers read where I found both the MC's, Elliot and Rashida to be engaging and entertaining. The writing is refreshing and there were times when I simply couldn't get enough of the strong chemistry between the lead pair. I did feel that the story was quite predictable and there weren't many things that surprised me or kept me on edge. Overall, this felt like the perfect spring afternoon read to bring that warm smile to your face.

The hookup dilemma was a fun and easily digestible dive into gentrification. I enjoyed the story; especially having all the characters clearly discuss what they thought was best for the beloved neighborhood. Loved the ending, Is it silly to hope this could happen in all “up and coming” neighborhoods? I found some of the dialogue to be awkward and the chemistry a bit forced. Will look out for Constance books in the future, not sure if I will recommend this one.

Rashida is a food critic and she's fighting to keep her grandmother community from the big business. Elliot is helping his dad after a heart attack and is leading the project. Little do they know that they should be enemies when they meet in a bar.

I loved these two together. They had good chemistry and sex. They went from lovers to enemies to lovers. Haha.

Although I love the artwork cover, I do wish Rashida was a little more curvy as described in the book.

All in all a great book

Definitely a cute book. The romance was cute, entertaining and definitely fun to read. I found the characters both fine individually, but I definitely liked Eliott more. Rashida annoyed me a bit sometimes, but that had its reasons within the plot. Speaking off, I think the plot could have been better and more entertaining because apart from the character interactions I sometimes found myself bored. I feel like this book felt the same as many others I've read, and it lacked some uniqueness.
Still, if you like your cute romance books you will surely enjoy this.