sarahbook 's review for:

The Hater Playbook by Baylin Crow

3.0

lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

---

I picked this book up on audiobook because I just needed something on a particularly boring day of work. It was shorter than I expected, but it was nice to start and finish a book in one day. 

I liked the concept of this book: having my brother’s best friend be my relationship coach. And I liked Owen and I even warmed up to knight. 

The pacing to their love story was weird though. One moment knight assumes he’s straight (and says so several times) and the next he’s asking Owen to kiss him and grind on him? Then the next time they’re together—ostensibly to talk about what happened and what should happen—they have sex instead. And they just went all in on everything. This man who thought he was straight last week just gave a blow job start to finish and also somehow knew everything he should do for sex too? Then afterwards he was like “well I guess I’m bi”. It all seemed comically quick. A bi awakening speed run of sorts. 

But I did like how knight stood up to his best friend about their relationship and how the family embraced knight wholeheartedly with no questions. The epilogue and bonus scene were also fun, sweet, and sexy. 

Tropes: brother’s best friend, relationship coach, sports romance, college romance