Reviews with content warning for Body shaming - The Hating Game

This book was written really well, I laughed out loud multiple times, and was truly invested in the characters.
The author's writing is amazing, and I can't wait to read more of her books. I really was rooting for them protecting each other and I loved how much of a slow burn it was. I read it in one sitting, it was so entertaining!
I gave 4 stars because while I really loved this romance as a fiction book, Josh's behavior towards Lucy would not fly in real life. (atleast I sure as hell hope it wouldn't just be labeled as 'boys will be boys') It's juvenile to be cruel to the person you like. It left a bad taste in my mouth since the vitriol wasn't necessarily needed the way it was executed. She was treated like shit and we're supposed to just forgive him and have it glossed over without any genuine apology.
This feels more like a bully romance than an enemies to lovers.

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kalin_grace's review against another edition

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funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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c444's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

Repetitive, uses a lot of the same descriptors over and over, uses offensive language, falls into patriarchal themes, has weird diet-culture-y descriptors of food. Enjoyable but glad I didn’t pay money to read it

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maddie_1999's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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carisamarie's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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cranereader's review against another edition

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emotional funny fast-paced

1.0

I'm kinda worried about this book being so popular since it's main focus is idolizing a toxic relationship. Lucy and Josh had some cute scenes midway through the book but their relationship overall was really problematic.

The book is very much just focused on their physical appearances. The amount of times it is mentioned how strong, tall and well-toned Josh is and how Lucy is short, adorable and basically a good-looking doll - it drove me crazy. They never feel like they are actually in love with the other person, but just physically attracted to one another.
The book also denigrates short and nice-behaving guys which I really don't get because I liked Danny.

I think the toxicity of their relationship really hit me when they first kissed.

They were both in the elevator together when Josh presses the stop button and he just packs her without her consent (Please note that at that point they were still in the "hating" phase and never made physical contact before as Lucy herself told us) and lifts her on the railing where he fixes her with his body. Lucy does the only rational thing in the entire book and tries to get away from him because she is convinced he is going to do her physical harm, but Josh prevents her tries to free herself and continues to pin her. When she stops for a minute because she is out of breath he leans in and kisses her altough she made it very clear that she is afraid and wants get away from him. I think this scene is a perfect example for book scenes that should have been in a thriller but are viewed as romantic because the guy is hot.

And because every toxic romance story has it: Josh is overly jealous of like every male around Lucy. Not just Danny who is actually into her but also his brother who is engaged. And this jealousy apparently gives him the "reasonable" excuse to be rude.

Also, the book is very much built on the sexist idea that there is a strong, manly guy who isn't very good with emotions and needs a empathetic, "strong" female to lead him. They actually even speak it out in the book through Josh's mother.

To complete this the book isn't even well-written. This shows on the first pages where the storyline of what happened before the actual plot starts is just narrated down in the most boring and plain way possible and continues through the story by Lucy's character who is supposed to be an adult but feels like a thirteen year old who discovered physical attraction for the first time in her life.

Overall, this book really disappointed me and I don't like the ideas it represents.

*I've read the german translation as an ebook from my local library.*

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