Blog Tour of Hooked by Christine Manzari -- REVIEW

Title: Hooked
Author: Christine Manzari 
Publication Date: February 3, 2015
Source: Copy Given by Author and Tour Organizer

ARA'S NOTE:
When I read the blurb I thought that it was nothing I haven't read before. Like a story that would be easy to predict with characters that are nothing short of cliche. Here's what I had in mind: 

Leading lady is a woman pretending to be tough but is insecure in reality and likes to be dominated by the leading man. She also doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. 
Leading man is a rich but cold and distant ass because he's been hurt before. He's afraid of commitment because of that trauma, and is now a certified playboy.

Laugh at me now Ms. Manzari, because I was obviously very wrong about the awesomeness that you've created. I'm going to share my wonderful experience with you in a bit.

NOTE: There might be a few spoilers.

SYNOPSIS:
If you ask the confident and snarky skater girl, and she’s in the mood to share, she’ll tell you her name is Cat. She might even tell you that she’s hooked on graffiti, 80s movies, and having fun—the riskier the better. Cat will share a good time with you, but she won’t ever trust you enough to share her heart. It’s protected by secrets and she’d like to keep it that way. 

Cat knows one thing for certain: Love isn’t really her thing. 

If you ask the confident and rich pretty boy, he might tell you his name is Huck. He might even tell you he loves a challenge and is used to getting his way. He won’t tell you that his life is a mess because he risked his heart by trusting the wrong girl. Huck is ready for a change, he just wasn’t ready to get hooked on someone like Cat. 

Huck knows one thing for certain: Love hasn’t done him any favors, but Cat just might be worth the risk. 

Cat and Huck think a one-night stand seems harmless, but when all the little secrets they didn’t share turn out to be toxic truths, they realize how easily a one-night stand (or a few) could ruin everything. 

The thing is, you can be ruined in more than one way. Once you’re HOOKED, what wouldn’t you risk for the chance at more?


CHARACTER BACKGROUND:
Cate "Cat" Maverick a.k.a. Wicked Bitch of the West is a strong, independent, and passionate woman with a what-you-see-is-what-you-get attitude. She does not pretend to be someone she's not and if you don't like her for who she is then it's your problem. She's also secretive and emotionally withdrawn, but when she loves someone, she gives it all her. 

Will "Hux" Huxley Stone a.k.a. Shitstick is a complicated man; he's cold, authoritative, and ruthless when it comes to work, but he's funny, passionate, loyal, and...perfect when he takes the suit off. He's always had the same experiences and the same kind of women for years, so he finds Cat a breath of fresh air, and one that he does not want to go without. 

TO LOVE:
From the very first page, I already knew that this is not your typical rom-com, and that Cat is exactly my kind of girl. Break down time: 

CHARACTERS & CHEMISTRY
Cat and Hux's banter is amazing. Their personalities are different yet the same, and they simply balance each other out. They talk about everything and nothing, they don't know facts about each other, but they feel like they know everything that they shoul, and they're just electric together! Oh, let's not forget about the "ugly chair". *wink* 

POV
I've always been a fan of stories with multiple POVs, namely those of the two main characters. I like knowing what they're thinking and feeling, especially the male lead. Experiencing the story through Hux's eyes, mind, and heart is a beautiful thing. His passion and loyaty towards Cat is swoon-worthy, and I was a tad envious of her.   

STORY
It was amazing! It was unpredictable and will keep you on the edge of your seat. I'm not going to delve into the details, but trust me...the story is something you will never forget. FYI, there are no antagonists here, which makes it that much more different.  

INTIMATE SCENES
They were hot with a sizzling H. Actually, the sex scenes weren't graphic at all. The D-word, C-word, and P-word weren't mentioned, but it still managed to be very intimate and consuming. 

TECHNICAL ASPECT
Hooked was written flawlessly. There were no grammatical errors, no "skipping", every scene was clear and details specific. It was, like I said earlier, flawless. 

TO BLEH:
I was left with a few questions: 1st, what was Hux's parents' reaction when he resigned? 2nd, did they accept Cat as Hux's girlfriend? (Especially Dana, considering she was not that fond of Cat.) 3rd, did they accept and support his new career? (His dad wanted him to run the business, not be a photographer.) 4th, what happened to Jay and what's-his-name?

SUMMARY:
I give Hooked 5 stars, no doubt about it. The book was beautifully written, story utterly engaging, characters truly loveable, and the romance wonderfully heart-pounding. U kind of wish there will be a second book though. Even just a short one to tie-off loose ends, maybe? *hopeful smile*

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
The first thing Christine does when she's getting ready to read a book is to crack the spine in at least five places. She wholeheartedly believes there is no place as comfy as the pages of a well-worn book. She's addicted to buying books, reading books, and writing books. Books, books, books. She also has a weakness for adventure, inappropriate humor, and coke (the caffeine-laden bubbly kind). Christine is from Forest Hill, Maryland where she lives with her husband, three kids, and her library of ugly spine books. 


TOUR ORGANIZED BY:

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