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A review by sunnysideup1
Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai
5.0
Well well well! It turns out, there can be good erotica novels out there. I've meddled with new adult, and they're typically a hit or miss. Okay, mostly a miss. And I've meddled with erotica...and they're literally always a miss. But damn this book was so good and juicy.
This is one of the best friends to lovers to enemies to lovers again story I've ever read. Its also has the forbidden love/Romeo and Juliet thang going on. These are very common tropes in romance novels, but I really can't hate on it. Nicholas shouldn't want the daughter of the man who killed his mother. And Livvy shouldn't want the son of the man who ruined her family. Two people who were once madly in love are torn apart by family drama. So once a year, on her birthday, they meet at a random place and spend a lust-filled night together. Until one day, Livvy doesn't contact him.
This book does deal with mental health issues. I am ALWAYS iffy when I read about mental health in romance novels...especially erotica novels. Because...how do you make sure to keep the romance and the mental health separate? How do you make sure you don't create a "love cures all" trope? I was afraid this was going to be another book that uses mental health for the sole purpose of making the romance more "dramatic". In fact, the two characters do use each other. But they acknowledge they're in an unhealthy relationship, resulting in them wanting to do better. I am satisfied with the way the authors deals with these sensitive issues.
Don't forget the awesome POC rep!
Definitely one of the few NA/erotica books I've read in a while.
This is one of the best friends to lovers to enemies to lovers again story I've ever read. Its also has the forbidden love/Romeo and Juliet thang going on. These are very common tropes in romance novels, but I really can't hate on it. Nicholas shouldn't want the daughter of the man who killed his mother. And Livvy shouldn't want the son of the man who ruined her family. Two people who were once madly in love are torn apart by family drama. So once a year, on her birthday, they meet at a random place and spend a lust-filled night together. Until one day, Livvy doesn't contact him.
This book does deal with mental health issues. I am ALWAYS iffy when I read about mental health in romance novels...especially erotica novels. Because...how do you make sure to keep the romance and the mental health separate? How do you make sure you don't create a "love cures all" trope? I was afraid this was going to be another book that uses mental health for the sole purpose of making the romance more "dramatic". In fact, the two characters do use each other. But they acknowledge they're in an unhealthy relationship, resulting in them wanting to do better. I am satisfied with the way the authors deals with these sensitive issues.
Don't forget the awesome POC rep!
Definitely one of the few NA/erotica books I've read in a while.