Things couldn’t get any worse for boxing superstar, Cameron Lewis. He is falsely accused of rape. And in a blink of an eye, his entire career ruptures into shambles. From heavyweight champion to now a convicted felon with a tarnished reputation, he must now find a way to rebuild everything he’s ever worked for. By any means possible. Even if that means volunteering at a women’s shelter. So, when his publicist introduces him to Sharese Wilson, the bossy CEO of a non-profit organization for battered women, things take an interesting turn. For Sharese “Reese” Wilson, her life is her career. And being the boss, she doesn’t have time for any games. At all. So, when her friend, Yasmine, offers her the ridiculous idea of involving Cameron with her organization, she immediately refuses. He is everything she’s against. Arrogant, misogynistic, promiscuous, and most of all…a rapist. Yet, their attraction is undeniable. Before they know it, they find themselves tangled in a web of lust and hot passion, with both hearts caught in the middle. Now what are they to do? This is definitely not what they bargained for.
Taisha Ryan is a writer and artist from New York. Writing has been her passion since the age of 12, allowing her to express her wild imagination through words. Taisha has written short stories, novels, poems, songs, and screenplays. In March 2014, she published her debut novel, Cuffed. And since then, has published three additional novels. She would describe her stories as raw, creatively uninhibited, and true to life. Words are power. And her intent is to take readers on an emotional journey as they experience the world through her mind's eye, while also providing them with a sense of purpose with each word that drips from the page. And with her gift, she believes she can do just that.
I have no doubt Taisha Ryan licked the ball of her pen before it stroked the paper. This book was recommended by a sister/reader of mine, who claims to be as picky as I am with her reads, so I took her word for the quality and delved right in. She didn’t mislead me.
Right away, I could appreciate Ryan’s swift pace at character development. She introduced key characters, demonstrated their personality traits, and moved us seamlessly into the conflicts and plot(s). I experienced her sophisticated narrative articulation and marveled at how she craftily stayed true to Cameron Lewis’ coarse nature. In fact, I loved it. Reese’s rigid personality paired well with Cam’s.
‘Hook’d’ had me leaping in my seat and my jaw dropping more times than I care to expose. There were several plots and explosions I did not see coming at all. The pace was perfect. Ryan’s navigation was smooth from the beginning, making it easy to let go and trust this author to take me on a wonderful journey of an unlikely pair, discovering love and obstacles on the way. The addition of pop culture was awesome.
My only critique about this book is that it ended before I was ready to separate from them, and not because Ryan wasn’t thorough with the story. It’s because I was that much invested in the romance between Cam and Reese. I can go on and on about how this book is yet another demonstration of eloquent writing, taking on urban elements, but is not of the urban genre, but I digress.
I recommend this book without reservation, and hope authors of this degree of talent can get the exposure they deserve. If this is where Taisha Ryan’s craft level is now, I can only imagine where out in the stratosphere she’ll shoot.
Accused of rape in the prime of his career, Cameron Lewis is in the fight for his life to clear his name. What better way to do that than spin a P.R campaign. When he comes toe to toe with a feisty Reese, all bets are off. Will these two ever see eye to eye or will this be a T.K.O?
Listen, I'm a very picky person and its hard for me to try an author I don't know of or even seen reviews for said book, but this was such an unexpected find and quite a pleasurable one I may add. I saw that it was free at the time and read the synopsis and it really 'hook'd' me. The plot was very enjoyable and had an urban flair with out all the stereotypes (you know, drugs, whores, street life that so many authors depict in the urban works today). This also had a contemporary feel that was so refreshing; the mention of music, celebs, etc of this era was not over used and was a nice touch.
I loved the chemistry between Cam and Reese. Whether they were at each others throats..or in each others arms, it was just passionate all the way around. Their relationship had a lot of push and pull but I feel it all added to the conflict and resolution of the plot. I must say, their love scenes really had my eyes wide and blood pumping (lol). Oh, and the minor characters were great additions to the story. I will check out Ashes by this author next, I see Vance and Zara from her work was mentioned.
There was a small timeline issue for me with the mention of age and the pacing seemed to speed up nearing the end but other than that I throughly enjoyed this read and will def be checking out all this author's work!
Hooked had me with the title, I liked the story a lot. I did feel a little let down some as some of the story felt unfinished to me. What happened with Cam's career, and what about Slick? Maybe we'll get those answers next time. A good story overall.
Man I love this author and her books. This book was really good. Both Reese and Cameron made a good couple. I'm glad they found each other. I was happy to see Vance and Zara from the book Ashes in there too. I got my little update on that couple. Y'all don't sleep on this author. She is an excellent writer.
Wow!! Cameron and Reese appear to be polar opposites! The boxer and the CEO of a women's shelter got off to a very rocky start. Once the trust issues and loneliness were dealt with both were able to free their hearts from their painful pasts. Nice urban next.
OK Nice again love has prevail. Money always changes greedy people to being more greedy...why though??? Anyways Cameron followed his heart and got the life he wanted in the end.
This was my first book by Taisha, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book caught my attention after reading the synopsis. Great book, I definitely will be reading the other books by this author.
I enjoyed reading this book. This is the third book I read by Taisha S. Ryan and I'm going to go down the line and continue to read all of her books. I enjoyed reading about the characters. I wish the book was longer like Enigma 1 and 2. Overall this was a good book and I loved seeing the growth of the characters.
‘You know that hood love is that good love…that’s me and you…’
Boxing Heavyweight Champion Cameron Lewis has been at the top, sunk to the bottom and is scrapping his way back to the top. His reputation was massacred with a false rape allegation that he can’t seem to walk away from despite the truth revealing his innocence. Sharese Wilson has a non-profit organization for abused women and has become a bit of a pessimistic regarding relationships. Common denominator Yasmine is Cameron’s PR rep and a very close friend of Reese, so it’s only natural that they would meet right? Sharing a friend should mean a peaceful introduction and transaction…but not so when one has a preconceived opinion with no room for error. Yasmine is a business woman and feels that Cameron and Reese both can win with this joint event she’s masterminded to assist them in their current plights…Reese will benefit with financial gain for her organization and Cameron will help his sullied character and brand….but good intentions don’t always play out as planned. Hook’d was full of surprises being that the cover was a bit misleading, I really thought it’d be from a male’s perspective. What happens when conviction and preconceived notions go head to head with deceit, betrayal and humility…how many rounds must two battle before a winner is declared? Will anyone truly win on the battlefield of love or will opinions, vendettas and politics supersede a match made in heaven? Cam & Reese are surely top contenders for the fight of their lives because against their common sense, they just may be Hook’d. I enjoyed the characters and their flaws, this was such a refreshing read. I loved the word volleying, the myriad of vivid emotions, this was really charming and clever and kept me entertained. I commend the author for deviating from the popular dopeboy, murder and drug storylines that have satuarated the urban literary field. Although there were quite a few editing errors, it didn’t kill the vibe. Great job Ms. Ryan. 4.08****
This is my first time reading a book by this author and it was a decent read. However, the heroine Reese was very annoying and not likeable.....a straight up biznitch throughout most of the book. I understand that she had issues, but she was just over the top and seriously rude. I liked Cam a lot. I liked that he always kept it 100 and was a lot more mature than Reese, which was a shame because she was 38 and he was 27....smh. Cam and Reese did have great chemistry though. I gave the book 3.5 stars because the heroine was ridiculous, which made it difficult to get through the book.
This was an engaging story that I found delightful while reading. 1st read by Taisha S. Ryan. Though in the beginning Reece's resistance to Cam was strong, it was needed for Cam's arrogant nature. I thought the storyline was nicely written and held my attention as these 2 were a perfect match despite their differences. Interesting cast of characters helped make this a great romantic read I highly recommend!
I just read this book for the second time and it is as good as the first time I read it two years ago. It is something so refreshing and authentic about the love shown in this book it is definitely one of my all-time favorites. I cannot wait for the next release from taisha, as she has become one of my favorite authors
What a journey! Every once in a while I come across a book that is so intriguing that you can't put it down. I finished this book in less than 24 hours. Cam and Reese story was awesome and a must read. It was fast pace but I enjoyed it all the same. What I really enjoyed that the author was detailed and it flowed well.
This book was really good! Cam and Reese had a unique, yet intriguing story. But.......... this book is in serious need of an editor! If it was edited and re-released, it could definitely be a 5-star book.