Eight years wasn’t long enough to forget what he did.I didn’t forget the secrets, the lies, and the betrayals.I didn’t forget that he single-handedly ruined my life.But now he’s back, and he’s still not done with me.My nightmare. My dream. My dark, broken prince.AribelleHe was my own personal apocalypse,But I moved on. I healed. I built a new life.It took me eight years, but I did it. Then he … life.
It took me eight years, but I did it.
Then he came back.
He came into my life just like the last time.
Other guys wanted my heart to make their own,
But Zach wasn’t like them. He wanted my heart for a trophy.
Like a prize to hang on his mantle.
And I’d be damned if he was going to get it.
It would’ve been easier if the years had been hard on him,
But nothing was easy with him.
Zach is a rock star now.
Household name. Sex symbol. Filthy rich.
It’s not long before I’m sucked back into his life,
And a six-month blackmail contract that says I have to tag along on his tour.
He thinks he can walk over me like the old days,
He thinks this is going to be easy.
But I’m going to enjoy proving him wrong.
Zach
I met Aribelle while she was trimming my hedges.
And no, that’s not a euphemism.
She was a gardener’s daughter,
and she should’ve been invisible to me.
She wasn’t.
She looked at me like she had a right to,
Like she was the one who should look at me with pity,
Like she somehow knew I was broken inside.
That wasn’t why I decided to ruin her life.
She dated one of my best friends and learned my darkest secret.
But eight years is a long time.
I never got what I wanted back then, and now’s my chance.
She’s back, and I’m not stopping until claim her heart.
She’s still not over what happened.
Tough luck, Gardener Girl.
I don’t lose, and the game is on.
Hate at First Sight is roughly 68,000 words and ends at about 41% on your Kindle. Bonus copies of my books Savage and Baby for the Beast are included with this ebook.
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Loved it! My kind of book … rock and roll theme. Young love, angst, drama, maliciousness; there are myriad emotions evoked in this novel. The main female character, right from a teen, is stoic, forthright, determined and strong-willed. The main male character is hard to get a read on but the main female character has it figured out. Their initial relationship commences with sparring and continues amidst a strong emotional pull between the two. Maturation and time seem to heal past hurts and trauma to finally bring these two to the point of relying on each other and obtaining their happy ever after. Great read!
I received an advance review copy of this novel and I am leaving an honest review.
Zach was her torture and Aribella was his. ‘Enemies’ to lovers, second chance romance….she sees something in his eyes and he hates her for it. She was the one he never ‘got’ in high school. He ruined her life. 8 yrs later, he gets an unexpected chance to rectify the situation. She still is drawn to him despite everything. Passion, drama, a tasty little treat. HEA guaranteed.
All I could think as I read Hate at Hate at First Sight is that it’s a knockoff of Vicious, by L.J. Shen. It’s basically the same story with different characters. The only difference is that LJ Shen is a much better writer. I 5-starred Vicious, but sadly, I can only give this 3 stars. It’s not horrible or anything, it’s just a pale copy and I can’t justify 4 or 5 stars for something that aims to copy but doesn’t measure up to the original, gold standard.
In this case, Vicious is Zach, a rich boy who becomes a rockstar instead of a businessman like Vicious. Emilia is Aribella, the Gardener’s daughter, rather than the servant’s daughter. The storyline is basically the same: Zach is a vicious asshole to Aribella and forces her away from her hometown because he’s a first class dick, and also because he’s a damaged soul, which she’s unaware of. Years later, the two run into each other and their attraction is still there. Just like in Vicious, Zach blackmails Aribella into being with him, only in Hate at First Sight, he blackmails her into touring with him. Then just as in Vicious – the two fall in love, Zach’s secrets are revealed, and Aribella softens toward him just as Emilia did toward Vicious, once she realized why he was such a jackass.
I will say that although Hate at First Sight is a blatant ripoff of Vicious, the characters are interesting, just like in Vicious. I just wish that they had been given their own story, one that didn’t so obviously copy someone else’s story.
Ever want someone so much that you acted like you hated them to mask your true emotions? Zach was completely obsessed with Aribella, his Gardener Girl. He was the consummate jerk, and he could care less about how much he hurt everyone, so long as it gave him what (or who) he wanted, only to end up pushing her away. Eight years later, he’s the same person, only we get to see a side of him that he wouldn’t show anyone else, not even to Aribella. It was great to see how he came to terms with his true self. This book had all the angst and drama you could hope for in a romance gone wrong, and hopefully gone right. I really enjoyed the depth of Zach’s and Aribella’s characters, as well as the twists and turning points their relationship took. Loved the highs and lows, from teenage heartache and drama to their battle of wills as grown-ups!
Great read only wish is was longer. I enjoyed the story from past to present so the reader had a better understanding what happened 8 years ago between these two. These characters are complex as we read about Zach and Aribella’s love/hate relationship as well as secrets. Can these enemies become lovers and overcome the past? I recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Penelope has written another great book. Although this one is a little different from her previous work, IMO, it was very enjoyable. I really liked Zach and Aribella a lot. I loved their story and their chemistry. This book was really good and it keeps you turning the pages until its finished. Great book.