Book Review: Hooked for Life by J.L. Taft

Title: Hooked for Life
Author: J.L. Taft
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: April 26, 2013 by Ellora’s Cave

When Brady comes home for her sister’s birthday, she’s not thrilled to see her smoking-hot high school crush, Darren. He humiliated her all those years ago and the wound still stings. Nevertheless, she can’t deny the heat of attraction between them now. Then he shocks and surprises her by apologizing for his long-ago stupidity. Then taking her back to his place. Then fulfilling every erotic desire she’s cooked up about him for the last decade.

Darren’s always had a thing for Brady, which is why he colluded with her sister to bring her back home. After treating her like a jerk in school, he was too chicken to approach her. Now they’re all grown up and there’s nothing to stop them. While the sex is the hottest either has ever had, they both want more. But with so much pain and distance between them, neither knows how to admit it.

A Romantica® contemporary erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave.

Why I Read this Book: I liked the premise of a high school crush turning into something more later on in life.

What I Liked: I enjoy reading about characters who are authors. I liked how Brady’s book came into play into this story.

What I Didn’t Like: I didn’t feel any chemistry between Brady and Darren. They’re attracted to each other but I need to see and experience the chemistry and passion, which didn’t happen. Part of the reason it felt forced was because it seemed like Brady was just scratching an itch by sleeping with Darren.

For as much as Darren said he wanted Brady and was in love with her, some of his actions didn’t support this. When an old friend of his shows up on his doorstep, a friend that Brady has never liked, he disses her for his friend. It made an already uncomfortable situation even more so.

The writing was so choppy, it was a distraction and pulled me away from the story too many times to count. I have never paid attention to sentence structure as much as I did reading Hooked for Life. I shouldn’t be thinking of sentence structure and the lack of commas when reading a romance novel/novella. There was also an inconsistency that stood out. In one scene, the conversation of ‘cooking’ comes up and Darren tells Brady that he is not much of a cook. Later on in the story, Brady asks Darren if he likes to cook.

Overall Impression: Hooked for Life didn’t work for me. This was a case where the reader is told, rather than shown, that there is chemistry and passion between the hero and heroine. There just wasn’t enough time for the romance to develop.

Brianna’s Rating: