In The Hookup Dilemma by Constance Gillam, Rashida meets Elliott at a bar, and they end up having 
sex that night. A one night stand doesn’t hurt, right? Only that what they thought would be for one night only and they won’t see each other again, gets complicated when Rashida discovers that Elliott is the son of the owner of the company who wants to “destroy” the community where her family lives, a project she’s fervently opposed.
In spite of everything, there’s something they cannot deny: their immense sexual attraction and the emotions that emerge from it. Something that, because they’re on opposite sides of the corporate project that would change everybody in the neighborhood, forces them to keep their distance. But what’s happening between Rashida and Ellott is stronger and as time passes they become closer to each other. Can they find a way to reach a mutually beneficial agreement for the community and in turn have a future together?
The story is written from the perspectives of Elliott and Rashida, so we can see what they think of each other and the circumstances that separate and unite them at the same time.
Rashida is a food critic for a magazine in Atlanta, a strong, determined woman of character who fights for what she believes in. Elliott, an oh-so-sexy-and-charming man who has his own architecture business, is filling his father’s position in his company after a health mishap and is willing to do everything possible to keep the company (that is on the verge of bankruptcy) afloat. The only card he has to play is making the project in the Millhouse area —Rashida’s home, where she has great memories of her childhood there— successful, which is the center of their conflict. Although the chemistry between Rashida and Elliot is the page-devouring type, the truth is that the sexual and the romantic factors constantly collide, making the former overshadow the latter at crucial moments in the plot and, consequently, there’s no balance in the development of their relationship.
True, the story of Elliott and Rashida began as lust at first sight, but it’s precisely because of this that romance doesn’t grow at the same rate as sexual desire while the pages of the book turn. On the other hand, they have something important in common: the strong loyalty to their loved ones and their determination to achieve their goals.
The most remarkable thing about the book is that the plot is surrounded by very attractive characters, most of them women as strong as the heroine, some of them picturesque. (I’m in love with Eula Mae, Rashida’s grandmother. She’s a woman you have to be careful when she’s around!)
This, and the funny moments in the story make reading a relaxed one. However, there are scenes that slow down the pace of the plot and take away the effervescence of both the characters and the story in general. I should also mention that the author knew how to do her homework well by showing vast knowledge about the couple’s respective careers.
What at the beginning I thought would be a story of enemies and lovers became the main characters’ struggle to do what they believe to be the right thing for their respective positions without affecting the other, with family loyalty being the key. Which strengthens the plot and feeds it so it doesn’t get tedious.
A very good and sassy story, The Hookup Dilemma is a book written with a lot of personality that will be enjoyed by those who read it.
Book Info:
Publication: November 16, 2021 | Entangled Publishing |
Perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory, this laugh-out-loud #OwnVoices story proves that sometimes the least perfect arrangement can lead to something perfect for them.
Rashida Howard has never been a one-night-stand kind of woman, but she has good reason for making an exception with Elliott after meeting him in a bar. Cliché? Yes. Utterly amazing? Absolutely. Regrets? None.
Elliott Quinn is a workaholic. The one night he decides to break his routine, he has an encounter with the woman of his dreams. But no matter how amazing they are together, work will always come first.
Both of their lives get turned upside down when they find themselves on opposite sides of an ongoing fight between Elliott’s company and Rashida’s community. Though their chemistry is undeniable, neither of them will risk their integrity…or their heart.
And just when they think they might have found a solution that benefits both sides, they uncover a secret that will change everything.
