How to Hook a Hottie

by Tina Ferraro

At 17, Kate Delvecchio has one goal in to become a millionaire before the age of 20. And as far as she’s concerned, college will only slow her down. Unfortunately for Kate, the one thing her parents do agree on is that they totally disagree with her strategy. And so the deal is born. If Kate can raise five thousand big ones by graduation day, her parents will hand over the balance of her college account to invest as she pleases. No college, no degree, and no way she’ll ever be able to pull it off. But when Kate accidentally agrees to go to the sports banquet with the hottest guy at school, she stumbles upon a possible cash cow. The rest of the junior class is amazed that no-nonsense Kate could hook such a hottie, and one by one they approach her for help hooking their own. She doesn’t know anything about getting guys, but for $100 a pop, she’s more than willing to invent a six-step plan for How to Hook a Hottie. And how could that possibly backfire?

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Young Adult Romance, Teen, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Romantic Comedy

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 8, 2008

About the author

Tina Ferraro spent a lot of her childhood people-watching and making up stories. While that didn't do much for her grades, it did ultimately prove among her better life mistakes. She sold her first short story in her early 20's, launching her publishing career in the adult and young adult romance markets.

Over the years she has acquired one husband, several kids and several cats, and recently, the world's cutest grandchild. Tina and some of the aforementioned live in the foothills above Los Angeles, where her hobbies include overeating, jigsaw puzzling and chasing coyotes out of their yard (not necessarily at the same time).

A two-time finalist for the Romance Writers of America's RITA award and the National Reader's Choice award and a winner of the Marlene, she's currently working on an adult rom-com series.

Reviews

[Princess Bookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts: I loved ABC's Of Kissing Boys so I knew I had to read this one too! I adore Tina's style of writing. We meet Kate who is just your average teenager but she has a plan. Become a millionaire before the age of 20! Kate gets herself a date with the popular boy in school so everyone starts coming to her for love advice so Kate gets a brilliant idea charge them 100 a pop and set them up with whomever they want! What a great plan! She gets her best friend Dal to help her. I loved Dal. He is adorable. The whole book I'm thinking to myself, who cares about the popular guy in school, I want her to end up with Dal. Problem is he has a girlfriend whose already in college. This book was the cutest thing ever. I enjoyed it. It was such a guilty pleasure. Do you want to know what happens with Kate's plan? Who does she hook up? Does she get her dream date with the popular guy? What happens to Dal? Read the book now to find out. I suggest you go order it right now. It was such a gooood book.

Overall: Loved it! Loved the characters and I loved Kate's personality. And I adored Dal. This book must be read if you haven't already!

Cover: Its cute! Love how she is sitting on a hook!

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first exposure to the writings of Tina Ferraro, but I can assure you that it will not be my last!

Kate isn’t exactly your normal high school senior. While it seems like the norm these days is college after high school, Kate has different plans. Kate is all business, her one and only ambition is to be a millionaire by the age of twenty. She has an ongoing deal with her parents. If Kate can raise five thousand dollars by her graduation and maintain her straight A report card, they will hand over everything they have invested in Kate’s college savings account. But, graduation is looming nearer and unfortunately Kate still doesn’t have all of her five grand.

Then to Kate’s surprise, as well as the whole student population, baseball superstar and bonafide hottie, Brandon Callister asks Kate to be his date for the sports banquet. Fortunately for Kate everyone wants her strategy for hooking their own hotties and are willing to pay! Too bad Kate has no idea what she is doing.

Tina Ferraro managed to "reel" me right into this story! Kate is one of those characters that is so much more than she seems. She totally surprised me in the end! I’m looking forward to reading more of Ferraro’s books. Hopefully I’ll soon be getting my hands on her previous novel Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress, and of course the up coming 2009 release ABC’s of Kissing Boys!

[Abby Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate is determined to make her first million by the time she turns 20. She's made a deal with her parents: if she keeps her straight A's and saves $5,000 by graduation, her parents will turn over her college fund and let her invest it. When baseball hottie Brandon Callister invites her to a banquet, Kate is suddenly on the map at her high school. And she uses this opportunity to her full advantage. For the low, low price of one hundred dollars, Kate will hook you a hottie of your own. But things snowball (as they do) and eventually Kate realizes that in order to hook the hottie of your dreams, all you have to do is be yourself.

Perfectly serviceable chick lit.

[Briana Yanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book but it took me a while to figure out the theme. The theme is don't mess with other people's relationships. You shouldn't mess with other people's love life at all because you don't know what they value in a husband/wife, it can be dangerous, people can't get mad and that person won't like you for tricking them.

[emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was a cute read! Unrealistic, but cute.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ferraro, Tina. 2008. How To Hook A Hottie.

Tina Ferraro is the author of Top Ten Uses For An Unworn Prom Dress. A book that I unashamedly loved last year. But I wasn't so head-over-heels for How To Hook A Hottie. Kate just didn't charm me as much as Nicolette. And there is no comparison between Jason Dalrymple "Dal" and Jared. While Jared left me a bit giddy, Dal failed to impress. Now I am NOT for even one minute assuming that your response as a reader will automatically match mine. You may love Kate and Dal. And you may think this book has the essence and charm of a perfectly satisfying YA romance.

The premise. Kate DelVecchio is a senior with a dream. She wants to earn $5,000 before graduation. If she accomplishes this, then her parents will give her the money saved for college and allow her to follow her own dreams instead. Now Kate has never been popular. Not a nerd or outcast by any means, but completely ignorable by social standards that rule the halls of her school. But when a cute jock, Brandon, asks her out. She says yes. Almost as a dare. To see if he really and truly means it. She's not into him. Not really. And she thinks he's not into her...he's just into her good grades. They go on one little date. But the word soon gets out that they're a couple. Then he leaves town for a week or two.

Kate has now been elevated in the social standings. She has seemingly landed one of the cutest guys in her class. And now everyone wants her advice, wants her help. Essentially they want to know "how to hook a hottie." So she goes into a matchmaking business. She's got her project--earning $5,000--in mind the whole time. Her partner in crime is one of her oldest and dearest friends, Jason Dalrymple called "Dal." She needs him for perspective. And she needs him to be the one to find out if the guys (in question) are into the girls (her clients). They split the profits.

Brandon is out of the picture. Dal has a girlfriend. And Kate is living a lie. She's not into Brandon, but people think she is. And she's falling for Dal even though she knows he's supposed to be off limits. She can't admit to him that she likes him, can she? That would be mean to try to come between him and his girl, right?

And the business side of romance isn't all that she thought it would be. I'm going to stop there. Because even though I found it a bit predictable, I don't want to chance spoiling it for others.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

[Kritika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually gave this book 3.5 stars. I was hooked to this book from the time I first saw the synopsis. It shows a lot of promise of a great read in its summary and my personal opinion is that Ms. Ferraro steps up to the plate. Although the H & h & the supporting cast was quite refreshing, the ending seems quite a bit abrupt. Despite the best-friends-falling-in-love theme being a cliché, it actually keeps the story interesting. My interest in this book never diminished the whole time I was reading it, but I must say I was quite disappointed by the ending. In fact, a better ending might have tempted me to give this book 4.5 stars. All in all, I think Ms. Ferraro did a great job of writing this story and I thank her for giving me and hundreds of other readers the pleasure of reading this wonderful and entertaining ya novel.

[cactus · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is your typical teen romance book; there's not really anything that makes it "stand out."
It was really predictable -- I already knew most of what was going to happen by the time I got through the first three chapters. DX

It's a quick and easy read (I finished it in about two or three days); a good book for a lazy summer day or just something to read at the beach. =)

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

68 books/2009!

I could not relate to the protagonist. Even having been through high school and college, I did not find an ounce of relatability. And the ending was way too easy. Predictable and simply.

[Liz Lenz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book will bring you back to the days when you needed a multi step plan to find out if someone liked you. Remember passing notes in class that said "Do you like me? Circle yes or no). It never crossed my mind to make money off of it. What a waste!

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to Hook a Hottie by Tina Ferraro (2008)

[Koa Feliciano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy clean and fun read.

Absolutely no overt sex scenes. A clean and fun romance book which can be read by all. Engaging characters with heart and an abundance of high school angst.

[Tina (A Novel Time With Tina) · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute story

Super cute story about a girl helping her friends find their love connection, while ignoring her own the entire time.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

There are two main things that everyone has to know about Kate DelVecchio, specifically what she is and what she isn't going to be.

Businesswoman: YES College student: NO

Kate is basically all business when it comes to her future, literally. Her parents really want her to go to college, but since they know that Kate has no intentions to do so, they strike up a deal with her: if she is able to raise five grand by graduation, along with having straight As on her report card, then they will hand over every single penny in Kate's college savings account. Kate is almost there, earning most of the money by driving around a bratty rich girl to her ice skating practices. But that job is definitely not going to help her earn all of the $5,000.

Then something weird happens. Brandon Callister, the school's hottie, baseball hero, and Kate's lab partner, asks her go with him to a sports awards ceremony. Everyone, of course, is surprised that someone like Kate could snag someone like Brandon.

Fortunately for Kate, Brandon asking her out gave her the perfect opportunity to earn the rest of her money. Her fellow classmates are paying Kate to give them advice on how to hook their own hottie, even though Kate doesn't know too much on the subject -- but no one has to know that. Soon enough, Kate has a hexagonal plan and a partner in crime, Dal.

Aside from her new business, Kate has to deal with a mother who went off to college once again; Brandon, who she never should have said yes to, and Dal, her best friend who she is beginning to see in a whole new light, but who unfortunately already has a girlfriend. Yet, Kate will soon find out that helping others get the ones that they want isn't so easy and that maybe the future she planned out for herself isn't the best one.

HOW TO HOOK A HOTTIE definitely surprised since it was not just some ordinary teen novel. Sure, Kate may seem like one tough cookie, but, in the end, she learns and goes through some important things that not only her but the readers will find useful later on. Another great read from Tina Ferraro, following TOP TEN USES FOR AN UNWORN PROM DRESS.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the young age of seventeen, Kate DelVecchio is determined to make a million dollars before she turns twenty. And only after this has been completed will she let herself think about starting a relationship or a family; she doesn’t want to end up like her mother. However, Kate somehow becomes the hottest guy in school’s date to the sports banquet, to her surprise and that of the entire school. No one understands how Kate was able to hook such a hottie, but they figure she must’ve don’t something right so they start coming to her for advice on how to hook their own hotties – for a fee of course. And thus Kate finds herself developing a Six-Point Plan for her new business and even closer to her goal. But when it comes to hotties, will Kate follow her own advice?

How to Hook a Hottie was a cute, short, and romantic book. I will admit I didn’t really like Kate’s character towards the beginning of the novel, mostly because she was way too focused on cash, but as the story progressed, she grew on me. I especially liked how she came through in the end. I thought it was funny how Kate didn’t realize what she really wanted (not her life plan) even when it was right in front of her, and I was glad that she wised up. My favorite part of this novel, though, was the hottie-hooking tips. Some of them were pretty random, and I have yet to test their effectiveness, but they did add humor to the story. All this made How to Hook a Hottie a very enjoyable story.

If you’re looking for a fast and fun read, I recommend How to Hook a Hottie. I look forward to reading Tina Ferraro’s other novel, Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress, as well as her upcoming one, The ABC’s of Kissing Boys.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

[Kate McMurry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious young adult chick lit novel with a matchmaking plot

Seventeen-year-old Kate has a her life planned out, and it doesn't include college, which she considers a waste of valuable time. She's determined to make her first million no later than twenty-five as a successful entrepreneur, and she's convinced the way to do that is to keep her eyes open and not miss a good opportunity. Which is why she is ready, willing and able when the chance of a lifetime falls in her lap.

A hunky jock named Brandon asks her to an important athletic banquet and, overnight, she goes from a social nonentity to a guru on dating as the girl who's hooked the biggest hottie around. Offers start pouring in of quick cash for dating advice, which Kate is delighted to accept. The only problem is, she can't handle this gig without masculine input. Fortunately, her best friend's older brother, Dal, who's a senior and a hunk in his own right, is willing to take on the job--for a hefty percentage of the take.

This book is laugh-out-loud funny. Kate is an adorable, quirky heroine, and her encounters with desperate girls, clueless Brandon and cleverly conniving Dal are hilarious. Tina Ferraro is fantastic at romantic comedy. Her writing style is smooth. Her plots are comically convoluted, and she knows how to write a strong, sympathetic heroine. I highly recommend this book, and her other two romantic comedies, The ABC's of Kissing Boys and Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress.

For other similar books, I recommend also The Oracle of Dating by Allison van Diepen and A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker.

Heroine: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Chick lit comedy plot: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars

[Sandra Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate is a funny and ambitious character, presenting herself with a self-deprecating quirkiness and a fierce drive. Also known as “Complikate,” she absolutely will not allow anyone to stand in the way of her dreams.


“Being popular and running with the ‘cool kids’ just didn’t get my motor running. Which either made me wise beyond my years or just plain weird.” (22)

A plain brain with limited social skills (like me,) Kate has a goal: to be a millionaire by the age of 20. Ooookay. Yeah, that’s not too unrealistic.

Suddenly, an epiphany: getting paid to teach girls how to hook a hottie. Not a bad idea, but I wouldn’t know what to do or say either. Still, Kate was never one to walk away from a challenge, and she did need the money.

In the midst of this grand scheme, Brandon Callister, the most popular hottie, is into Kate, and, out of the blue, she was branded as his “girlfriend.” Was Kate really lucky to have such a narcissistic windbag?

“People thought I was the girlfriend of I guy I could barely stand. And the only thing that had gotten me into this situation was just being myself.” (90)

It was ironic how Kate takes up her own made-up advice at hooking the hottie. She SO liked Dal, but it was too bad he was already taken.

Overall, the characters were okay, but not very memorable. Sometimes Kate can be too money-grubbing and tyrannical. Even though I knew that the “hooking-hottie” biz wouldn’t work out, it was interesting to see Kate grow and learn from her mistakes.

A quick read you can get through in a matter of hours.

[Molly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Seventeen-year-old Kate DelVecchio is not your average high school senior. She has fallen into a relationship with the school’s most popular guy, developed a six-point plan for her peers to attract the boy- or girlfriend of their dreams (for the right price), and, oh, she reads Business Week for fun. Her goal? To become a millionaire by age 20. Kate is determined to earn her first $5,000 by her graduation day so her parents will fork over her college fund for her to use as seed money for an entrepreneurial venture.


Like Abbey in Laura Bowers’ Beauty Shop for Rent…Fully Equipped, Inquire Within (Harcourt Children’s Books, 2007/VOYA, June, 2007), who made it her goal to be a millionaire by 30, despite an absent mother, Kate has a similar financial goal, although a more strict timeline, and a mother whom she resents for abandoning the family to study abroad. While Abbey makes realistic decisions that impact her life, Kate’s seem out of character. By the end of the book, Kate has made unbelievable changes in her views on everything from college to money to her mother, which are only predictable due to Ferraro’s use of literary devices too blatant to be called foreshadowing. This slim paperback is largely comprised of a huge cast of underdeveloped characters and descriptions of Kate’s love interest’s eyes. While certainly not inappropriate for school and public libraries, this trite novel is not the most purposeful addition to a teen fiction collection.

[Tammy Golden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is flat-out funny--it made my day!

Kate is only 17 years old, but she knows exactly what she wants out of life. She isn't going to waste time on college because she's pretty darn smart already. She's going to make a million bucks before she's 25 as an entrepreneur, and she is well on her way, because she's got a great plan to make a lot of money, fast. After being asked out by a popular jock named Brandon, she suddenly finds herself looked up to by every girl in school as the Dear Abby of dating. Girls want her advice on how to hook their own hottie, and they are willing to pay her very well for the information. The only catch is she really needs some male assistance to pull this off, but she soon solves that problem by bringing in Dal, her best friend's older brother. Dal is willing to help her out for a cut of the take.

My 16-year-old daughter gave me this book, telling me she loved it, and I can see whey. This book is absolutely side splitting. Sure, Kate is cocky, but I love that in a heroine. She knows what she wants, and she goes after it, and darn the torpedos. Dal is a great love interest, too, and the love triangle of Kate, Brandon and Dal is adorable.

I highly recommend this book not just for teenage girls but their moms who are looking for a fun, quick read.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Hook a Hottie was one word: cute. It wasn’t anything really amazing or anything truly awful, just a cute fun read. The whole story line was interesting in the way that she helped all those people get the person of their dreams. I liked seeing Kate’s no nonsense character grow into a person who actually put others before herself and seeing her relationships with her mom get better as the book went on. Also her relationship with, Dal, her best friend and the guy she starts to get feelings for, was a cute addition to the story, as well as Kate’s sister, Suzannah and Lexie the funny little seventh grader Kate drove to and form ice skating practice for money. Tina’s writing was funny and to the point which left it to never get extremely boring. I finished the 196 pages in less than an hour as a result of this. Also, the ending was predictable, but I can’t see it being any different.

Overall, How to Hook a Hottie is the perfect book for a snowy day. I can’t wait to read Tina’s next book, The ABC’s of Kissing Boys. Also, if you haven’t read her first book, Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress, I suggest you give it a try if you read and liked this book.

[Meagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again, Tina Ferraro has delivered exactly what I expected of her. How to Hook a Hottie is a quick read and a frothy teen romance. Kate, our main character, is determined to become the next business superstar on her own terms. This means no college education and free access to her college fund, which her parents have agreed to if she can raise $5000 before high school graduation. Kate stumbles into a perfect business opportunity when her perfectly popular lab partner asks her to a banquet event. Suddenly every teen in her school is desperate to know her secrets so they can hook their own hottie. Kate doesn't hesitate to milk this opportunity for all that it's worth, with all of the predictable problems that go along with a matchmaking venture.

Nothing all that unique here, but it's perfect reading for those times when you just can't handle the thought of taking on anything challenging.

[Shanise {iridescentxlotus} · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was almost exactly what I was expecting by the title and summary. A light simple book that may be a little younger than YA. But that isn't a bad thing. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Like A Season of Eden it's a short book and goes by really quickly. The characters don't have much time to develop but it seems even though there wasn't much time I still related to and understood Kate.
Though there were things I expected to happen and didn't I wasn't surprised that they didn't. I wasn't completely taken aback by anything that happened. But it kept a smile on my face the entire time
Kate's plans for her future are completely unrealistic, but she doesn't go on and on about them, so when she realizes they're unrealistic you're not wanted to slap her saying, "I told you so." You just nod your head and keep reading.
I recommend this book for an afternoon at the beach or lounging at home. You'll probably get a few tips to hook your own hottie. :)

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate made a deal with her parents. If she has straight A’s and $5,000 by the time she graduates, they will let her have her college savings fund to invest as she see’s fit. She has her $4,000 made, but doesn’t know where to get the other thousand dollars. Then her chemistry lab partner, Brandon asks her out. Brandon is a shallow baseball player, who everyone else thinks is gorgeous, but Kate has no interest in. She says yes just to get him to leave her aloneso she can finish her chemistry paper, but before she knows it everyone in school thinks she’s dating him. Before she gets a chance to break up with Brandon, a schoolmate offers to pay Kate if she will hook her up with her dream date. Kate sees her chance to make that last thousand dollars. Will her plan come back to haunt her?This was a fun, if predicable read. Good laughs along the way.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Same author as Top 10 uses for an unworn prom dress. I liked the story of Kate and Dal, but it didn't give me quite the same zing as the prom dress book. Kate is an entrepreneur who needs to make a $1000 before graduation so her parents will give her her college money and she can start on her plan to make a million dollars before she's 20. An way to earn extra money falls into her lap when she's asked out by the hottest baseball player in school. Suddenly, people want to pay her to help hook them up. She enlists her best friend, Dal's help, and together they start hooking people up. But Kate starts to have more than friendly feelings for Dal--will she get over them or will it lead to something more?

[Lisette · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to Hook a Hottie is a story about a 17 year old senior, Kate, who has a plan to become a millionaire before age 20 so that she won't end up like her mother. She tries to take advantage of every Ideal Opportunity that comes her way, which is how she ends up becoming a matchmaker, ehem I mean a Love Goddess in order to help others hook a hottie like she seemed to have done with one of the most popular guys in school, Brandon Callister. Unfortunately, this plan of hers might backfire on her or will it?
After reading Tina Ferraro's abc's of kissing boys, I just HAD to have more of her writing! So...I began reading How to Hook a Hottie and wow! Cute!
I liked the writing and story it's really cute so I recommend this one for those looking for a nice, short, fun read.

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story idea of the two best friends becoming matchmakers to earn a little extra money on the side. I liked Kate, although she was a little too business minded for me. I liked Dal (Kate’s longtime best friend), and could tell from a mile away that he was into Kate, even though he had a long-distance girlfriend of his own. Kate has her hands full managing her matchmaking business, her “relationship” with school hottie Brandon, raise money for her future, and figure out her conflicting feelings for Dal. Kate really grows as the story moves along and her focus on money changes to her focus on family and friends. It was a quick read and thought it was a cute story.

[Soko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tina Ferraro really knows how to write! Her books are quick and interesting reads, with stories that flow easily page to page. This book is great for teens who like books with intelligent main characters who actually know how to make good decisions and who learn from their bad decisions. If you are an overachiever, or you know someone who is, you will find this book to be especially entertaining!

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute, quick read that was perfect for taking my mind off of a rainy afternoon. I don't really know what to say about it other than I enjoyed it. I'll definitely be reading Tina's Ferraro's other two novels because no thought is required what-so-ever to get into them. The less thinking the better, I say!

I did like how Kate realised that money wasn't everything and sacraficed her life savings to help someone she didn't like all the time, though.

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, Lets just say that this is officially the worst book I have ever read. Who would EVER go and try to raise money not to go to college. It would most likely be the other way around. And then that weirdie mom. What the heck, she just kinda stays in germany. I will never pick up this book again unless it is to burn it (:

[Bg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very simply but entertaining. The book description pretty much says it all. And I have to give Kate kudos for her business ethic. This book is a easy read and couple be done in a week, though I think I took long for some reason. Nevertheless, the humor was great, the characters were good, and I enjoyed the book.