Sophie Bigelow is a math genius but she is socially awkward. One thing she’d really like to change about her life is the fact that she’s a virgin. In Maine for her sister Bella's upcoming nuptials is the perfect time. Bella gives her a makeover and Sophie is ready. At a bar, she spots the one. He is hot. A true manly man.

Cain Jordan is at home – in a bar. He is a man driven by anger, and one who drowns himself in alcohol. Meeting Sophie Jordan is about to change his life. At first, it is her gorgeous sister that fuels his interest. Bella proudly tells him that she is engaged and quickly points out Sophie to him. At first glance she is not his type. That quickly changes. For one, he finds her refreshingly honest. And sexy as all get out.

Of course, they hit it off. Sophie is quite loveable. Cain's anger and frustrations are painfully explained. The amazing sex that they share becomes more than either expected. However, although things evolve at an alarming rate, it is painfully evident that there can be no future. She's a college student at Harvard and he's a lobster fisherman there in Maine. Then there is the fact about Cain's alcoholism.

The Hookup is hot and sexy with a warm ending for Cain and Sophie. Erin McCarthy does leave readers wanting more. What happens to Cain's twin Christian and Bella? Perhaps we'll find out in the next in this series, The Breakup.

Many thanks to Loveswept and Netgalley for this ARC for review. ( )

Great story, I love Sophie, she just really doesn't care, and Cain likesher just as she is. The pacing was good, there was no time where I couldn't wait for it to be over, or was bored.This author knows how to keep a reader interested. ( )

I enjoyed The Hookup, even though it wasn't quite what I was expecting--clearly, I hadn't read the blurb very closely (or at all...I suspect my decision making was mostly, "Oh, I like Erin McCarthy...click). It definitely deals with heavier topics than its cover would lead you to believe. Its characters are quirky and believable, though, and there was nearly as much smiling and laughing going on over here as there was groaning and shaking my head (mostly at Cain, I'll admit), so...I'd say even though it ended giving me a different experience than I thought I was going to have, I'm not at all sorry I picked it up.

Sophie's OCD and (lack of) social skills made reading from her POV a lot of fun. I loved that Cain, for all of his flaws--which he is not at all blind to, either, which helped make him more likable too--was the one person to see her as she really is and truly appreciate her. Even though he initially was attracted to the outward appearance her sister offered, one conversation with Sophie was enough for him to pretty much start asking, "Bella who?"

Things move pretty fast for Sophie and Cade, but it doesn't end up feeling as if their relationship is rushed; the fact that there's a time gap toward the end helps too, and honestly, I was okay with not personally witnessing what happens during that time. We hear what we need to hear about each of their time apart, and are handed a big ol' teaser about something happening to Bella that the next book will apparently reveal--hopefully we'll also learn more there about Cain's family drama there as well, because he wasn't in a place in this book where he could talk to his identical twin about the drama that tore them apart in the first place. Since Cain's future is more of a HFN than an HEA at the end here--he's still got some work ahead of him--fingers crossed that the next book ( The Breakup ) will have plenty of Sophie-and-Cain sightings to assure us that they're heading safely along the path toward an "EA" ending.

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy ( )

The virgin & the lush, an interesting couple if it works. Ms. McCarthy makes it work. Cain has been drowning in bottles of alcohol. He doesn't feel he is an alcoholic because he still makes it to work everyday. He doesn't feel his life is worth living. After all, no one supports him or understands where he's coming from. His brother acts like he hates him. His mother acts like nothing is wrong & Cain should just suck it up.

Sophie is a brainiac - high IQ, low tolerance for superficial items & no time for sex. She's determined that her sister's wedding is the perfect time to lose her virginity. She's only in this place for a short time & so doesn't have to worry about the awkward running into each other on the street. Tall, dark & handsome sitting at the bar is perfect, because, or in spite of, the fact that he's drunk.

This was an interesting book to read. Cain had a perfect right to his feelings & I waited for one of the characters to let his mom have it! He ended up being perfect for Sophie because he wouldn't have trusted perfection. Sophie's awkwardness worked in her favor. She just didn't know how to communicate. Her blunt honesty actually helped Cain to grow past everything. I enjoy Erin McCarthy's books & felt this was a really good one. ( )

Rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) For some reason I thought that this was a rom-com yet I did not find that to be the case, it was angst related than anything. We meet Cain who is an alcoholic, and he has no desire to change his life he also works as a fisherman so he does not find that he is relationship material and I wholeheartedly agree. Cain is out cruising out on the town looking for his usual one-night stand and notices Bella immediately, yet Bella is engaged and is out on the town hoping her nerdy awkward sister Sophie finds some fun. Eventually Cain an Sophie end up hooking up and after something that was supposed to be a one-night stand and Sophie getting rid of her virginity they keep in touch and continue a relationship, but Cain has a lot of anger and when you read about what you understand ( )