A fake relationship could help Princesa Sofia save her kingdom. Only problem: she’ll have to fake it with the man who broke her heart. Ten years ago, wild child Princesa Sofia Maria Isabel de Esperanza y Santos fell in fast crazy love with heartbreaker Aish Salinger during one California harvest season. Now, all grown up and with the future of her kingdom on her shoulders, she hates him as … him as passionately as she once loved him.
Even if her body hasn’t gotten the hate memo.
Faking a relationship with the now-famous rock star for the press and public will ensure the success of her new winery and the prosperity of her kingdom. All she has to do is grit her teeth and bear his tattooed presence in her village and winery–her home–for a month.
Trying to recover from his own scandal, fallen superstar Aish Salinger jumps at the chance to be near Sofia again. Leaving her was the biggest mistake he’s ever made, and he’s waited ten years to win her back.
He never counted on finding a woman who despised him so much she didn’t want to be anywhere near him.
A war of wills breaks out as the princess and rock star battle to control their fake relationship. She wants to dictate every action to keep him away from her. He wants to be as close as he can be. She’s already lost so much because of Aish–he won’t be the reason her people lose even more.
But he also won’t make her break her life’s most important vow: to never fall in love again.
Read Filthy Rich book one, Lush Money, available now from Carina Press!
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Second book in the Filthy Rich series (first novel is Lush Money), Hate Crush zings with Lopez’s signature writing style – crisp, sharp prose that is as bad-ass as her heroines.
The story begins with Aish drunk out of his mind, reminiscing about a woman he loved and lost ten years earlier. She is also the inspiration for his popular song, “In You.” Her identity has long been speculated about by his fans. Except he makes the mistake of revealing her identity in front of a stranger who then turns around and sells the bombshell to the tabloids – the inspiration for “In You” is none other than Princess Sofia of Monte del Vino Real, a small wine growing principality in Northern Spain. The gossip forces her family to agree to a fake relationship for one month to bring much needed publicity to Sofia’s new winery, as well as help redeem Aish’s reputation, which is rocked by a plagiarism scandal involving his deceased partner.
However, Sofia wants nothing to do with Aish beyond their public spectacle. They have a fiery history and the pain runs deep. It’s a past Sofia wants nothing to do with, a past Aish hopes he can get back to.
Lopez does a wonderful job of showing the intense chemistry between Sofia and Aish. They essentially spent the decade apart, partying hard and doing their level-best to forget each other. They each share a similar reputation for wildness, but Lopez does a good job of showing how women tend to be held to an unfair standard for their sexual exploits. The details about wine-making and music making add a layer of authenticity to the narrative.
But it’s the back story that really drives home the conflict between the two characters in a way that is relatable. These are not too people, dancing around each other because the writer said so. The events in their past have created a real wedge between them, sowing resentments and anguish that the MCs have to really work hard to dismantle. It is the motive for Sofia’s rage and her nearly intractable resistance to any kind of romance with Aish.
On his side, Aish wants Sofia so badly, it’s palpable. But he has inflicted terrible pain on Sofia and he has work to do to win her back, which he is willing to do. It’s so great to find MCs who are willing to do whatever it takes to get their partners back.
There is a real telenovela vibe in this novel – from the intense, wild emotions, the secret pain that Sofia hides, the almost warrior-like engagement between the couples, the anger, the fights and the sex – everything is so over-the-top that, if you are looking for a quiet, gentle read, this may not be the book for you. The enemies-to-lovers/second chance/fake relationship trope cocktail is strong, Sofia is tough and sexy, Aish is completely at her feet and the feelings are everywhere. But this wild and bonkers train ride has my name stamped all over it and I couldn’t help but gobble it right up. And if this is your jam, then you’re going to love it as well.
I was provided with an ARC by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review
Originally posted on http://www.serataino.com/bookshelf:-hate-crush-by-angelina-lopez-(book-2-of-filthy-rich-series)
The generic cover does nothing to promote this book. If anything, the cover and the Filthy Rich series name are, for me, a turn off- as in- oh, no there we go- another billionaire story. Sure enough at first glance this book seems to be a buffet of tropes- let’s count them together: (1) A fake Romance between a (2) European princess to (3) A tattooed (4) rock star happening in her (5) Spanish winery.
But this book is anything but cliché. The prologue does a brilliant job introducing us to the male love interest, Aish Salinger, a fallen rock star in all his misery and glory. The story alternates back and forth between present day fake romance to ten years earlier when the couple faking it was doing it for real, falling in love in the most delicious way. The two leading characters are engaging. Sofia , the princess who is working hard to keep her winery and her kingdom together and Aish , the songwriter who wrote all his songs about her. Their physical attraction jumps off the page, they can’t keep their hands off of each other and the reader completely relates. The sex scenes are hot and pack a punch- each of the scenes has an emotional baggage and a meaning and they’re written masterfully. People don’t realize it, but a good sex scene is probably the hardest to write and Lopez makes it look effortless.
The story is a page turner with enough twists and turns for a regular thriller. Both main characters are making a true emotional journey, one that makes sense to the reader and doesn’t feel forced. It is no spoiler to say that there is a happy ending but it too is not a simple one, yet it’s brilliant. Five star all around.
I love a good second chance romance, and Hate Crush is definitely a good one. This is the second in a series, but I’m gonna go out on a limb and say this is a standalone – at least it was for me. I didn’t have any trouble following any part of the story, and nothing stuck out as a hole that would be filled had I read book 1. Anyway, second chances. One of the things I like is that we can expect the chemistry to already be there. That said, this second chance romance is also a bit of enemies to lovers. This pair surely do have a love/hate relationship, which is another favorite trope for me. There’s a fine line between love and hate, and both have one thing in common. Passion. And with that, we come to Aish and Sofia. The blurb mentions a war of wills, and I do love me some witty banter. I will say that Sofia can be brutal, and I actually felt a little sorry for Aish at times. The good thing is Angelina Lopez knows her stuff when it comes to well-drawn characters and this pair may butt head plenty, but they are also plenty great together. The story is interesting and well-paced, the characters are engaging, and the whole thing comes together for a great second chance romance.
A princess and a rockstar, Sofia and Aish’s story is hot but also full of emotions, a beautiful second chance at romance where you will find yourself immersed in a world full of emotions, you will be reading it non stop. After having her heart broken will they be able to find themselves again? Find out in this great story.
To be honest, this one had a bit of a slow start–and the constant flashbacks, though I understand why they were there, tended to pull me out of the story more often than not–until OMG, I literally could. Not. Put. It. Down. Holy moly–this morphed from an angsty, second chance romance that didn’t appear to have a real chance into a heartbreaker into a suspense driven, goodness gracious how will they make it out of this to get to their HEA story.
Did I mention I couldn’t put it down?
I wasn’t a huge fan of the hate sex–though with that title, I should have expected it! It was just so….hateful and yeah, I know that’s the point, and yes, it was hot as heck–but once real feelings got involved? OMG. I’m not sure how many times or ways I can express the unputdownability of this one. I was both intensely relieved to get them to their HEA, and kind of bummed I was going to have to leave them there…
Though this is the second in the series, it worked pretty well as a standalone. Sophia’s brother and sister-in-law (hero and heroine of Lush Money ) play a role here, and they’re in it just enough to have me bumping their story up my TBR 🙂 Once I finish theirs, there’ll be nothing left to do but cross my fingers Ms Lopez will write more… 😉
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
Angelina M. Lopez is a new-to-me author, but I love romances that feature royalty, so I was immediately drawn to “Hate Crush” after reading the book’s synopsis. I’m so happy that I took a chance and picked it up because this story was steamy, angsty escapism at its best, and I absolutely loved it.
“Hate Crush” is a refreshingly different take on a royal romance featuring a compelling, almost compulsively readable plot and incredibly complex, well-developed characters. I couldn’t help losing myself in the relationship between main characters Aish and Sofia; I was still turning the pages long after my bedtime because I wanted so badly to know the truth behind what had happened between them 10 years earlier, not to mention what had happened to Aish’s best friend and bandmate, John. Their story kept me on the edge of my seat with quite a few unexpected twists and turns, but no matter the obstacles in their way, I found it very easy to root for Aish and Sofia to work out their problems and end up together in the end.
Overall, “Hate Crush” was an outstanding book that I could easily see making my top reads of the year list. I highly recommend it for all fans of angsty contemporary romance and will definitely be keeping an eye on this author to see what she writes next.
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
Hate Crush by Angelina M. Lopez is a second chance romance with a fake relationship twist. Aish and Princess Sofia have history. A history that broke Sofia’s heart and has her never wanting to fall in love again. Aish sees this as his second chance as letting her go is his biggest regret. For Sofia it is fake and she is only doing this to help her business and her people. She can do this, right? She will keep her heart guarded and then move on. Aish is determined to win her back, no matter the cost. Can he show her how sorry he is and win her back?
Hate Crush by Angelina M. Lopez is emotional, a bit suspenseful, and steamy. I am definitely excited to read more of this series and from this author.
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
HATE CRUSH by Angelina M. Lopez is book Two in the Filthy Rich Series. This is the story of Aish Salinger and Sofia Maria Isabel de Esperanza y Santos. I haven’t yet read the previous book, so for me this was a standalone book. This was a great second chance at love story along with the fake relationship story line. Sofia and Aish had a past together in which Aish had messed up but now he has been waiting for his chance back into Sofia’s life even if she thinks its fake. This was a page turning read that I couldn’t put down. I do plan on reading more from this author in the future.
Seductive, satisfying, and dramatic!
Hate Crush is a passionate, second-chance romance featuring the sexy, infamous, rockstar Aish who’s still hopelessly in love with the one woman he let get away ten-years ago, and the intelligent, stubborn Princesa Sofia who’s willing to do whatever it takes to make her vineyard a success even fake date the one man who shattered her heart.
The writing is fluid and smooth. The characters are wounded, hardworking, and dependable. And the plot is a heartwarming tale of life, love, friendship, family, heartbreak, jealousy, community, expectations, fame, undeniable attraction, sizzling chemistry, awkward moments, genuine emotion, romance, and winemaking.
Overall, Hate Crush is an angsty, tender, entertaining read by Lopez that is definitely a wonderful addition to the Filthy Rich series with its intriguing cast of characters, unique setting, and push-pull storyline.
Hate Crush is the second book in the Filthy Rich series, which is set in a small winegrowing principality in Northern Spain. The heroine, Princess Sofia, is the sister of the hero from the first book Lush Money. Both books portray in great details about the wine industry, from growing the vines to processing the grapes to making the fine wine. Hate Crush is about first love having a second chance, a strong princess, a wounded rock star who has groveled hard to win back the love of his life…
I love Sofia ! While she was born a Princess, she has never been treated as one. Growing up in the care of her nanny, she’s craved for the love of her parents, who have been too busy running their own wild lives and slowly destroying their kingdom. Yet, she’s grown into an independent woman, a self-made millionaire, and a brilliant winemaker with steadfast devotion to her people. I admire her strength and her bravery, feel her vulnerability, and cry for her broken heart … I love to see her grow and soften up over the book, with strong support from her brothers, her mentor, villagers who believe in her, and her former lover, one who had utterly destroyed her heart ten years ago and now comes back to her life asking for another chance…
Aish Salinger met Sofia when they interned at his uncle’s winery in California. Their instant chemistry bonded them from the get-go. But as a young musician, he decided to choose his budding music career over Sofia. Fast forward ten years later, his career is going down, his reputation on the line, he’s given an opportunity to come help Sofia with her new winery launch, while getting himself back on track. Little did he expect the coldness and hatred in her eyes when he stepped into her kingdom. But no matter how much Sofia tries to deny him, their fire still burns high …
I truly enjoyed the plot line, character development, surprised twists and turns, and the great hate/love chemistry between Sofia and Aish. However, I feel that the pace could have been faster, the writing is quite long winded, and sometimes it gets repetitive. Then everything comes rushing at once that makes the conclusion sound a bit forced and less plausible. Other than that, I like the overall story and look forward to the next book featuring Sofia’s half brother Roman.
4 read for me!
*Special thanks to Carina Press for sending me the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Release date: June 29, 2020
This book had the best hate sex scene I have ever read! I love how Ruthless Sofia was! It’s rare to see a role reversal like that. And you know what? He earned every drop of that hatred, so it was well-deserved, even if at the time I felt so completely sorry for him. This book is angst perfection. Ready yourself for all the feels. No one does strong boss B* heroines better than Angelina Lopez.