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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A really great book. I don’t quite know why I’m giving it just four stars, but I guess I reserve my five stars to something most favourite, something that made a very lasting impression, and something I would like to reread in future. But I feel like this book is better than my usual four stars. So I guess 4.5 it is?
This is “enemies to friends to lovers” kind of story. I don’t know why but I enjoy these kind of stories more than the insta-love ones. In this case, it was insta-hate. Natalie took one look at Brody in the beginning of their freshman year in college and started hating him on sight. He is a jock, a captain of their college hockey team, and he has already signed a contract to go pro once he finishes the college. He is arrogant, has a huge ego (in fact, Natalie was wondering how he was able to stand straight with it). He is also a player and a manwhore. His hockey friends and he were going through girls as if it was a competitive sport. He had a spotlight constantly focused on him, and a flock of girls always surrounding him, no matter where he went. It didn’t help the matters that from the very beginning Brody seriously enjoyed messing up with Natalie, riling her up, and constantly trading insults. He went out of his way to do it. Of course, Natalie gave as good as she got, but he still irritated the hell out of her, while Brody thoroughly enjoyed doing it.
They’d been at it for three years. That is until Natalie’s ex boyfriend who also was on the hockey team decided to insult her. Then all the hell broke loose. Because how dare Reed the asshole tell Natalie horrible things, in a party where everyone could hear it and drive her to tears? No, no, no. Only Brody was allowed to mess with her, and not once had he been this cruel. Out of nowhere, he tells Reed that Natalie is his girlfriend, the declaration which surprised everyone including Brody himself. He didn’t see it coming, but what’s done is done, and now the two are stuck in a fake relationship. Only their relationship doesn’t stay fake for long. In the hindsight, they both would admit that their relationship had never being fake, and that trading insults for three years was a kind of a very long foreplay which could only lead to one thing...
And as usually the case, everybody saw it coming... except for the two main characters themselves.
I’m actually pleasantly surprised because for once the main male character was falling faster for a girl than she for him. While Natalie also realized she started having feelings for Brody, she kept thinking that their relationship is fake, and no matter what it won’t last long, and she was scared to do anything about it except for trying to put some space in between them. It was Brody who wanted this to work and didn’t stop until it did. So kudos to him!
I don’t know why I feel so impressed but I think that the most books I’ve recently read are not like that. It’s usually the heroine who either is already in love, and loved the hero forever, or she is the one to start falling in love faster and deeper for him, and the guys are kind of slow on the uptake. So it’s good to read something new for a change.
Also, I wanted to punch Reed and Brody’s dad John on more than one occasion. And when it comes to Reed the asshole, I wouldn’t stop until I beat him into a bloody pump. (Don’t know how I imagine going about it, because I’m a tiny girl, and Reed is a hulk of a hockey player, but who cares? A girl can dream, right)?
We have a saying in Russian that roughly translates as “there is only a step from love to hate”. As we can see, the opposite is also true, so let’s not judge the book by its cover. Natalie understood this when she got to know Brody more and realized that she had being all wrong about him. There was so much more to Brody than meets the eye. I’m glad that they actually found each other after three long years of “hating”.
A really great book. I don’t quite know why I’m giving it just four stars, but I guess I reserve my five stars to something most favourite, something that made a very lasting impression, and something I would like to reread in future. But I feel like this book is better than my usual four stars. So I guess 4.5 it is?
This is “enemies to friends to lovers” kind of story. I don’t know why but I enjoy these kind of stories more than the insta-love ones. In this case, it was insta-hate. Natalie took one look at Brody in the beginning of their freshman year in college and started hating him on sight. He is a jock, a captain of their college hockey team, and he has already signed a contract to go pro once he finishes the college. He is arrogant, has a huge ego (in fact, Natalie was wondering how he was able to stand straight with it). He is also a player and a manwhore. His hockey friends and he were going through girls as if it was a competitive sport. He had a spotlight constantly focused on him, and a flock of girls always surrounding him, no matter where he went. It didn’t help the matters that from the very beginning Brody seriously enjoyed messing up with Natalie, riling her up, and constantly trading insults. He went out of his way to do it. Of course, Natalie gave as good as she got, but he still irritated the hell out of her, while Brody thoroughly enjoyed doing it.
They’d been at it for three years. That is until Natalie’s ex boyfriend who also was on the hockey team decided to insult her. Then all the hell broke loose. Because how dare Reed the asshole tell Natalie horrible things, in a party where everyone could hear it and drive her to tears? No, no, no. Only Brody was allowed to mess with her, and not once had he been this cruel. Out of nowhere, he tells Reed that Natalie is his girlfriend, the declaration which surprised everyone including Brody himself. He didn’t see it coming, but what’s done is done, and now the two are stuck in a fake relationship. Only their relationship doesn’t stay fake for long. In the hindsight, they both would admit that their relationship had never being fake, and that trading insults for three years was a kind of a very long foreplay which could only lead to one thing...
And as usually the case, everybody saw it coming... except for the two main characters themselves.
I’m actually pleasantly surprised because for once the main male character was falling faster for a girl than she for him. While Natalie also realized she started having feelings for Brody, she kept thinking that their relationship is fake, and no matter what it won’t last long, and she was scared to do anything about it except for trying to put some space in between them. It was Brody who wanted this to work and didn’t stop until it did. So kudos to him!
I don’t know why I feel so impressed but I think that the most books I’ve recently read are not like that. It’s usually the heroine who either is already in love, and loved the hero forever, or she is the one to start falling in love faster and deeper for him, and the guys are kind of slow on the uptake. So it’s good to read something new for a change.
Also, I wanted to punch Reed and Brody’s dad John on more than one occasion. And when it comes to Reed the asshole, I wouldn’t stop until I beat him into a bloody pump. (Don’t know how I imagine going about it, because I’m a tiny girl, and Reed is a hulk of a hockey player, but who cares? A girl can dream, right)?
We have a saying in Russian that roughly translates as “there is only a step from love to hate”. As we can see, the opposite is also true, so let’s not judge the book by its cover. Natalie understood this when she got to know Brody more and realized that she had being all wrong about him. There was so much more to Brody than meets the eye. I’m glad that they actually found each other after three long years of “hating”.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Missed that it was set in college when I picked it up. Filed under not for me.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Infidelity, Death of parent
4 / 5 ⭐️!
I don’t have much to say honestly, it’s by no means a revolutionary story but it was a fun read.
I happened to pick up this book just when I needed a quick read and this booktok recommendation was just what I wanted, plus it wasn’t awful like the last two recommendations I got from tiktok so that alone I think is what made the difference.
I don’t have much to say honestly, it’s by no means a revolutionary story but it was a fun read.
I happened to pick up this book just when I needed a quick read and this booktok recommendation was just what I wanted, plus it wasn’t awful like the last two recommendations I got from tiktok so that alone I think is what made the difference.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Did I start and finish the book between 3am and 5am on the same day… yes yes I did! I really loved Brody and Natalie’s story! The flirty banter and the enemies to lovers was steaming! Plus the spice level was a 4/5!!
If you love:
* hockey romance
*Enemies to lovers
* He falls first
You must add this to your TBR!!
If you love:
* hockey romance
*Enemies to lovers
* He falls first
You must add this to your TBR!!
medium-paced