Thank you NetGalley for gifting this book to me for reading this book. All opinions are of my own and will provide an honest review.

Its a short easy read, with a faster pace than expected but still enjoy. I would have prefer it to be a bit long just to hash it out the story further and really enhance the character development. However, it was a fun and easy read, with a good story line.

This book is a counterpart to The Best Mistake Ever by the same author and it can be read as a stand alone. However, I loved the Best Mistake Ever and struggled to get into The Paradise Hookup. Once it got going, the plot was easy to follow and I finished this book in one day.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Boldwood books. It is a short read and it felt like a rushed fan fiction. I was looking forward to this, but in all honestly it fell flat for me. I felt like it lacked plot and their the characters were really under developed and a lot of cringey moments. I was hoping for a fun summer romance read, but unfortunately it was not that. It took me longer to read this despite it being short because I was not into this book at all.

This book is the counterpart to "Best Mistake Ever" by the same author. It can be read as a stand-alone but you might sometimes be lacking some context.
Dee and Bea are identical twins and when Dee hurts her ankle and asks her sister to pretend to be her in order not to lose her job (you can read that story in "Best Mistake Ever), Dee spends her time in Bea's appartment because hers has too many steps to reach. Since her sister and her colleague Jem are working out of said appartment Dee and Jem keep bumping into each other but both can't really stand each other. Nonetheless the twin's father ends up thinking they are dating and asks them to accompany him on a business-trip in order to impress a business mogul. They agree to come along and end up fake-dating and stuck on a greek island with a storm prohibiting them to leave...
I have read Bea's book before and while I liked that one a lot but I'm sorry to say this book turned out to be less than I expected. I could't really relate to both main characters, as Dee is portrayed as completely selfish and shallow for a long time and Jem is really not a nice guy either. Also the story was kind of boring, as there was really not a lot happening and the relationship between Dee and Jem felt very unbelievable.

Many thanks to Boldwood Books, Christy McKellen, and NetGalley for the ARC of The Paradise Hook-Up in exchange for an honest review.

The Paradise Hook-Up is my first book I have read by Christy McKellen and I would say it was a quick read, but seemed pretty predictable and didn’t have the hook, line, and sinker that I was hoping for. One aspect of the book that seemed to bug me was three main characters had their names shortened to three letter words. I know weird, BUT it was hard to remember which twin was which in the first to chapters, especially when the chapter headings were one of the twins full names. Very picky, but a feeling that I had.
This is a light, quick read with moderate spice, not in the amount but in the detail. This book didn’t completely write off this author for me, but didn’t have the grab I needed to run and add all of her works to my TBR. A solid 3.5 stars (although half stars are not granted in the online realm.)

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

This was a mess.

Jem and Dee, who apparently dislike each other for reasons that are never clearly explained, decide to fake date to impress a random businessman who promptly disappears after one brief meeting. Bad weather strands them on a private island with nothing to do but get physical, and from there, they attempt to navigate their feelings through poor communication and emotional immaturity.

Every aspect of the characters and plot felt underdeveloped and unnecessary. I’m still not convinced these two even like each other. Too many supporting characters, settings, and subplots were introduced and then simply dropped. I’m increasingly frustrated by books marketed as escapist romance where the “escape” barely plays a role.

This could have been an okay premise if executed well, but instead, it devolved into a directionless trope fest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this story, definitely one for the summer.

Delilah hurts her ankle and needs to stay at her twin sister’s flat until it recovers. Jem is her sister’s business partner.

After a misunderstanding with her dad, delilah and jem go and try to help secure a contract that he wants and have to pretend to be a couple.

As they grow closer what will happen when they go back to their normal lives ? Will what they had whilst they were away still be there ?

The pages basically ooze coconut copper tone smell and I was so here for this!
This was so summery and sunshiney and I adored it all.

I had high hopes but was really disappointed with this book. Jem and Dee were uninteresting, and would both be toxic to be in a relationship with. At one point Jem senses there’s something wrong with Dee, but doesn’t want to ask her if she’s okay because “I’m not responsible for her feelings.”

I didn’t hate it, but wouldn’t recommend reading this one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“The Paradise Hookup” is a rom-com by Christy McKellen. This book had promise - fake-dating, enemies to lovers - but somehow it was a bit lacking story-wise for me. There’s tension but for the most part, the book just rather lay there and left me with a number of questions. The writing felt a bit lacking too - basically a lot of steamy scenes, but take those out and the story was just okay. I did like the two POVs and this was a fast read for me.

Thank you to Boldwood books for the E-ARC of this title.
I have read this author before and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately this one fell flat for me. I am all about a fake dating story, but the problem I had was that I didn't feel invested in the relationship between the main characters. It felt all sexual in nature, without the tension and the yearning that makes the transition from fake to real so delicious.

The MMC being a very naive virgin was an interesting take and I lost count of the amount of times his pants were tenting. I started to get concerned he might actually have a medical problem.


The bright side is that the story is a simple, short, and sweet novella.

Dee has always been the chaotic one. The one with the big laugh? Yes. Bigger (and often better) ideas? Definitely. The one who runs from responsibility a little too often? Yep, that one too. But now, she’s ready to flip the script and prove to her family, especially her skeptical father, that she’s more than just the fun one. On the menu? A fake boyfriend for starters, an important business deal as the main course, and for dessert? A little trip to Greece. Sounds delicious, right?

Let’s enter Jem, her sister’s business partner who, for reasons unknown, seems to find Dee anything but charming. Still, he’s her best, and only, shot to prove her family, and mostly her very sceptical father, wrong. It would have only been for 24 hours, if it wasn’t for the storm that stranded them on a picturesque island with nothing but heat, tension, and each other.

Now, trapped in paradise: they might both be learning new things, including how to let go and how to open just a little bit more up.

Sounds like your kind of story? Then “The Paradise Hook-Up” might be worth a shot. It’s a quick enemies to lovers romance, with an (un)healthy dose of spice. That said, it does have a bit of a Wattpad fanfic vibe at times, so if that’s your comfort zone, you’ll probably have a lot of fun with it. Just don’t go in expecting deep, layered characters, and you might be in for an entertaining ride.

Thanks to NetGalley, Christy McKellen and Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this novel, before its official publication on July 11.

did someone say for fans of Tessa Bailey? well then im in, all in!
a truly toes tingle and smiley wiley book. gotta love a book that makes you do the goofy book smile. it had the depth and also the lightness to make it fun yet absorbing for us readers who do love a good time but with plenty of heart too.
this book gives us Jem and Dee. they dont get along, infact does on actively dislike the other? i felt for Dee immediately. ugh i know that comparison amongst siblings all too well and why do people continue to do it!? but she is seen as the wild twin and is this the reason Jem isn't a fan? that she is reckless and relies on her twin too much? oh dont be that guy Jem, please dont be that guy.
but they find themselves together when Dee is injured and so is recoup-orating at her sisters where Jem works most days. and then the twins dads comes with a favour, one which leads them needing to be with each other and more than ever. much much closer it seems. and after a storm means their forced proximity is very forced indeed it leads things to become even more different between the pair. it leads to lots of things.
where they right about each other all along? where they right in what they thought they were right about each other? and whats going to come next?
i like the way we are told the duos point of view. so we really got to see the same moments from each side and it bought about your own understanding of how miscommunication or different people can think or feel very differently even in the same situation.
we also got to understand the why and how of our two characters and indeed what they might actually be thinking and feeling about themselves and others.
this book is so good. its so so good. and again its the definite bashful but large smile kind of book. yes please loved it.

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!