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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
*3.75/5 stars starting off i would like to say if i read one more time about how lucy was short and small i was gonna lose it. this book was good it wasn’t my favorite nor was it terrible. there was really good scenes like the elevator and the end. but it did feel like the end was rushed and josh giving up his job was just too good to be true. i would have liked the drama of what would have happened if one of them got the promotion. i still really liked it
The characters were too young and acted it.
Initially, I felt like I was being slammed in the face by metaphors with each new page and they all felt a little much. However, I soon came to enjoy them as the books’ pace picked up.
There were MANY steamy scenes (which I loved, I’ll admit) and somehow Thorne’s writing balanced perfectly between dirty and classy. The characters were well developed, and I adored both Lucy and Joshua. The transition from “hating” to “loving” was also well-established and didn’t feel too rushed or too slow.
Whilst the plot is cliche and cheesy, Thorne brought a fresh perspective. I found myself grinning from ear to ear as I dove deeper into the narrative and by the time I’d finished the final page, my cheeks hurt from smiling.
When to Read - If you want a relaxing read that makes you smile so much it hurts.
There were MANY steamy scenes (which I loved, I’ll admit) and somehow Thorne’s writing balanced perfectly between dirty and classy. The characters were well developed, and I adored both Lucy and Joshua. The transition from “hating” to “loving” was also well-established and didn’t feel too rushed or too slow.
Whilst the plot is cliche and cheesy, Thorne brought a fresh perspective. I found myself grinning from ear to ear as I dove deeper into the narrative and by the time I’d finished the final page, my cheeks hurt from smiling.
When to Read - If you want a relaxing read that makes you smile so much it hurts.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Yeah okay this is completely fun and adorable. Its language and gender politics aren't perfect, but ARE very 2016. It is, though, a DELIGHT and to me stands out as the most enjoyable and engaging example of enemies to lovers I've read.
Lucy and Josh, executive assistants but total opposites, are forced to work face to face every day after their publishing houses merge. They are known for endlessly mocking one another, but the pressure turns up when they're both up for a promotion to be the other's boss.
I read this for a video that YOU influenced! Yes, if you're my friend on Goodreads, you affected my video. I tallied up all the star ratings my GR friends had on every single book on my TBR, and read the most read & most five starred books. You can watch that video here: Goodreads Friends Control my TBR
I have had this on my TBR for ages because it was the most popular romance book at the time I first became open to reading adult romance. I have heard such mixed opinions on it that I wasn't sure which way I was going to lean. Turns out, I didn't really lean either way because I had strong feelings in both columns. Let's run through what I liked, was meh about, and disliked.
First off, what I liked. The chemistry between these characters is ridiculously off the charts. The tension is thick enough to cut with a knife. I feel like with a lot of romantic relationships I've read in books lately, I have felt nothing coming off the characters, but this absolutely was not that. There were some fun romcom scenes, like paintball and someone being sick. This also had just a really edible writing style that made me want to keep listening, and the audio narrator did a good job with it. And I liked that Lucy wasn't an angel in her treatment of Josh. She realizes she's objectified him a bit and apologizes. But you know who definitely wasn't an angel? Josh.
What I'm middle of the road on? The teasing/bullying/whatever that Lucy endures actually got under my skin. Yes, that means the author did a really good job with the enemies part of enemies to lovers. But, I also thought it was bad enough that I never really forgave him fully even when he apologized. Any teasing she dished back at him was literally just a defense mechanism. Them reporting each other to HR all the time? That doesn't come across as funny to me but is played for laughs in the book. Then there's the whole "nice guy" conversation throughout this... I don't feel like getting into it but I feel like it fully missed the mark.
What I didn't like: is everyone just ignoring that Josh is negging and manipulating Lucy? He's like a kindergartener pulling pigtails on a girl he likes, insulting her, all because he like-likes her. He starts just about all of it unprompted. Then he does an immediate behavior one-eighty of being interested in her and she's into it because he's knocked down her self-esteem (she admits this on page). I'm no expert, but that's textbook negging. Then, when they are trying to start seeing each other, he's really controlling of what they're allowed to be without her having much say. On top of that, there's multiple occasions of him leaving her in the dark about big stressful things that affect her. Also, there is no way on God's green Earth that his SWEAT smells like RAINWATER. Get real. Also also, the constant comments about how itty bitty tiny Lucy is were annoying.
But do I fully hate this? No. I had enough fun with the good stuff that I think it did balance out how I felt about the bad. I can't fully forgive what would be a toxic relationship IRL that'd I'd scream for my friend not to get into, but I can't short this book on pure entertainment value.
Overall, I had as much fun with this book as I did having fun making fun of it. Fantastic chemistry, but I truly don't fully forgive the love interest.
I read this for a video that YOU influenced! Yes, if you're my friend on Goodreads, you affected my video. I tallied up all the star ratings my GR friends had on every single book on my TBR, and read the most read & most five starred books. You can watch that video here: Goodreads Friends Control my TBR
I have had this on my TBR for ages because it was the most popular romance book at the time I first became open to reading adult romance. I have heard such mixed opinions on it that I wasn't sure which way I was going to lean. Turns out, I didn't really lean either way because I had strong feelings in both columns. Let's run through what I liked, was meh about, and disliked.
First off, what I liked. The chemistry between these characters is ridiculously off the charts. The tension is thick enough to cut with a knife. I feel like with a lot of romantic relationships I've read in books lately, I have felt nothing coming off the characters, but this absolutely was not that. There were some fun romcom scenes, like paintball and someone being sick. This also had just a really edible writing style that made me want to keep listening, and the audio narrator did a good job with it. And I liked that Lucy wasn't an angel in her treatment of Josh. She realizes she's objectified him a bit and apologizes. But you know who definitely wasn't an angel? Josh.
What I'm middle of the road on? The teasing/bullying/whatever that Lucy endures actually got under my skin. Yes, that means the author did a really good job with the enemies part of enemies to lovers. But, I also thought it was bad enough that I never really forgave him fully even when he apologized. Any teasing she dished back at him was literally just a defense mechanism. Them reporting each other to HR all the time? That doesn't come across as funny to me but is played for laughs in the book. Then there's the whole "nice guy" conversation throughout this... I don't feel like getting into it but I feel like it fully missed the mark.
What I didn't like: is everyone just ignoring that Josh is negging and manipulating Lucy? He's like a kindergartener pulling pigtails on a girl he likes, insulting her, all because he like-likes her. He starts just about all of it unprompted. Then he does an immediate behavior one-eighty of being interested in her and she's into it because he's knocked down her self-esteem (she admits this on page). I'm no expert, but that's textbook negging. Then, when they are trying to start seeing each other, he's really controlling of what they're allowed to be without her having much say. On top of that, there's multiple occasions of him leaving her in the dark about big stressful things that affect her. Also, there is no way on God's green Earth that his SWEAT smells like RAINWATER. Get real. Also also, the constant comments about how itty bitty tiny Lucy is were annoying.
But do I fully hate this? No. I had enough fun with the good stuff that I think it did balance out how I felt about the bad. I can't fully forgive what would be a toxic relationship IRL that'd I'd scream for my friend not to get into, but I can't short this book on pure entertainment value.
Overall, I had as much fun with this book as I did having fun making fun of it. Fantastic chemistry, but I truly don't fully forgive the love interest.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Hating Game has become one of my favourite books. I lived for this book the last 2 days.
Some of Josh’s behaviours didn’t sit well with me, however, this was such a small, insignificant part of the story that I easily looked past them considering how bloody AMAZING the book is as a whole. I laughed. I cried. I fell in love with both Lucy and Josh. Seriously............... Josh.
Welcome to my next reading slump.
Some of Josh’s behaviours didn’t sit well with me, however, this was such a small, insignificant part of the story that I easily looked past them considering how bloody AMAZING the book is as a whole. I laughed. I cried. I fell in love with both Lucy and Josh. Seriously............... Josh.
Welcome to my next reading slump.