I didn’t know I was that person. You know—the one who gets the kids. But that’s what the will said. June Lawler: Legal Guardian. My niece and nephew are 6 and 9, and all they’ve ever known is San Francisco. I arrive the day after the wreck, pack up my sister’s mansion, and fly them back to Georgia. The small-town farm where their mom and I grew up isn’t what it once was, but it’s home. That’s all … That’s all they really need.
*
I was courting an investor when it happened. Tromped all up and down the Himalayas, and he didn’t even buy in. It was a week before I found out what I’d lost. My little brother meant the world to me. Now even his kids are gone.
Spirited away to Heat Springs, Georgia—population 298.
They’re living on a farm that’s half a breath from bank foreclosure with a 26-year-old who didn’t finish high school. Nowhereville is not the place for little Mastersons. But I’ll get them back. It’s the money she must want, and I’ve got lots of that.
“June Bug” Lawler is poorer than that red dirt she comes from. I can make her dreams come true—and do one last thing for my brother.
I hate him.
She makes me crazy.
He thinks he can buy me off! I’ve never met a man so arrogant.
There’s no woman anywhere more stubborn.
I wish I had never met him.
But that’s not the story.
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This story was all the things. I cried. I swooned. I laughed. It is sexy and emotional. I loved the banter between June and Burke and that the author didn’t shy away from emotions with both of them. Too often, women are portrayed as the characters that get emotional but Ella James throws that stereotype out of the window and gives us a hero that is flawed and honest. We see his progression through the story and although he seems like a douche at times, it’s obvious that he cares for the children and has underlying issues. June is the type of heroine I love. She doesn’t take anything lying down. And shows that you can be smart without having the education to back it. The love both of these characters has for their siblings kids is heartwarming and lovely to listen to. Watching them go from enemies to lovers is one of my favourite things with this trope and it is done so beautifully in this story. The chemistry between them is earbud melting and really worked with the story. I loved how Ella blended all the feels together to bring this couple, this family, who have endured so much to their happily ever after.
Ava Erickson and Zachary Webber were perfectly cast in this audiobook. They both have very expressive voices for the emotional scenes and they are used to their fullest in this book. The little kid voices are portrayed wonderfully. Ava and Zachary are both captivating in this book and kept me listen well into the night.
Loved this Enemies to Lovers story. It definitely left me wanting more! June & Burke were so hot together. Looking forward to listening to more stories by Ella James. The narration was so hot & on point. Ava Erickson & Zachary Webber were amazing!
Audio Review: Hate You (Not) by Ella James, Narrated by Ava Erickson and Zachary Webber
Life can be brutal, yet love always finds a way. James finds a way to make heartache a humorous adventure with tons of emotion. Hate You (Not) tackles some tough subjects. June and Burke have a love – hate relationship that proves to be anything but. Through the laughter and tears, two people find a reason to hope and the courage to begin again. Webber and Erickson give the heart a reason to smile.
What a great enemies to lovers story! June never expected to become mom to her niece and nephew but that’s exactly what happened. Once again, June didn’t question anything, she took the kids in no questions asked. When their uncle from their father’s side comes around thinking he can ‘basically buy’ the kids from her, he’s got a lot to learn about June bug. She is by no means the young, meek girl he believes her to
Be. The fight these two have in them is enough for any relationship to come to a combustible explosion of sexual attraction!! Can this evolve to one little happy family???
This story starts off with our characters meeting due to a double family tragedy and then they have to find a way to co-exist in each other’s lives for their siblings children annndddd sparks fly lol
The story is really nicely woven how they go from hate to lust to love.
This book was performed masterfully by Zachary Webber and Ava Erickson!
The southern drawl that Ava weaves is simply stunning! Zach plays a grumpy and emotional man with such beauty.
Well done all
Hate You (Not) is my first book from Ella James, a small town southern romance paired with Ava Erikson and Zachary Webbers talent for narration and you are onto a winner.
June is named as guardian to her niece and nephew after her sister and brother in law are tragically killed in a car wreck. Moving them from San Francisco to her small southern town in Georgia June is worried about keeping her farm a float and parenting two children. Straight away you can see she is a woman with a huge heart and will do whatever she can to make sure those children are provided for. Enter Burke the Hero of the story, despite his ridiculous name he is a great male lead for the story. He travels to Georgia to try to tempt June into taking money to clear the debt on her farm if he can take the children back to San Francisco under her care.
At first I thought Burke was going to be a cocky douche and the story would have a bit of an enemies to lovers vibe. But after a few chapters Burke was warming up to June trying to impress her and she was the one trying to push him away. I loved the the male lead was that came to the realisation they had chemistry first and wanted to prove himself to June.
The story was a sweet, easy to listen to romance, with likeable characters, a setting full of charm and a character connection that was authentic. Zachary and Ava did a great job at bringing their characters to life and building a lot of heart into the story for the listener. I look forward to listening to more from Ella in the future.
5 All the Feels Stars!!!
This is my first book by Ms. James and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to read/listen to her words. This book is so emotionally driven that I cried almost as many times as I swooned or laughed. June and Asher are the epitome of opposites attract!!
Adding in Zachary Webber and Ava Erickson as the narrators on this book, just made the listening experience that much better as these are two of my favorite narrators. They truly bring life to each of the characters and I could vividly picture in my head each scene as I moved through each chapter!
The minute I started this book I was immediately hooked. I can’t even imagine how I would handle a situation the likes of what June’s sister has charged her with. Especially given that she knew nothing of her sister’s plans until the reading of her will. To say this was going to change everything about her life is putting it mildly. And introducing Oliver and Margot to her life in Heat Springs, Georgia was quite culture shock for them. I loved how sensitive June was to their feelings and even though she’s not seen a lot of these kids through the years, her love for them is immeasurable!
Oh and Asher is quite a piece of work. Thinking the worst of June and what she’s trying to give these kids. It’s clear to her that her sister had a reason for making June “their person” and if Asher could get out of his own way, he’d see that too…. and seeing him have a transition from the stuck-up risk taker to a man that sees more than money and what it can buy was truly an experience.
I adore how June fought for the kids and bringing Asher along for the ride of giving them exactly what they needed, a home filled with love and laughter regardless of how much money either one of them had. And the chemistry between June and Asher is sizzling… you know enemies-to-lovers is always explosive!
Overall, this book as a first time reader of Ms. James checked all my boxes as a reader and I’m definitely going to be reading more of her going forward.
Enemies to lovers romance, that was sweet and sexy, this is June and Burke’s story. a rich city boy and a woman guarding for two children. Their relationship is sassy and hot, their chemistry can’t be denied, but not everything is like it seems there are secrets that might change it all. This audiobook narrated by the talented Zachary Webber and Ava Erickson is very well done, they both performed at their best as always bringing the story to life. Definitely worth the audiobook option.
I loved everything about this book. Yes, the reason the story comes to be is sad. I hated that these precious children lost both of their parents, but they definitely don’t lack for love from all their family. Both sides of the family want what’s best for the children; however, they couldn’t be more different and those differences lead to many misconceptions. What we have is an enemies to lovers story that will melt your heart. I laughed, cried, screamed, and swooned. This book will leave you with a smile on your face, and an unforgettable book hangover.
Such a sweet story – LOVE June and Burke – Audiobook Review
This was my first book by Ella James, and it won’t be my last. At first, I thought the book would be like most enemy to lovers books with rich Burke being a total Ass and being pissed that his dead brother’s kids were given to his southern sister-in-law. But that was not the case and the story jusr got better and better as it went on. As the story goes on, Burke meets June and realizes she’s not this country bumpkin he envisioned and starts meeting all the friendly people there and spending time with the kids and June. There is a lot of different emotions as you start learning their stories and Burke and June Bug start getting closer. I definitely shed a few tears learning their stories. I also had a some good laughs in this book. Ella picked the right narrators for this story – they are both fantastic and are 2 of my go to narrators. This is a must listen and I know I will listen to this story more than once.
This was my first Ella James’s book, and won’t be my last. Hate You (Not) is a sweet, sexy, and emotional enemies to lovers romance. Burke and June are amazing characters. They are opposites attract, and perfect together. The kids are smart and cute. This story is captivating. I loved to follow them in their roller coaster journey. I love the beautiful ending. Zachary Webber and Ava Erickson did an amazing job with the narration. I enjoyed it. #PieceOfCakeAudiobooks
Hate You (Not) is the first book by Ella James that I have read and I am definitely now a fan! This book is the perfect combination of wonderful characters, great banter and a storyline that had me engaged from beginning to the end. Burke and June are complete opposites brought together by tragedy and their love of two sweet children. Now, they have to find common ground for the sake of their niece and nephew, Margo and Oliver, but their connection takes them both by surprise and sets their lives on a completely unexpected course.
I not only had the pleasure of enjoying this fabulous story but I was able to listen to the audio version and it definitely added to my enjoyment of this story!
Audio Review
In this, the audio version of Hate You Not the narrators do more than just read the words of Ella James.
Zachary Webber and Ava Erickson aptly portray the grief that the families suffer when their siblings die suddenly.
Although initially at odds with the arrangements for the surviving children, Burke slowly understands why his brother and sister in law chose June as the children’s guardian.
As ‘readers’ would expect, Burke also falls under June’s spell, developing feelings along the way.
I received an #AdvancedListenerCopy in exchange for my honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this uplifting story with excellent levels of snark, fun rivalry, next-level flirting & beautiful performances by Ava Erickson and Zachary Webber! This audiobook achieves the difficult task of delivering a story that is not only deep with characters who have experienced devastating loss, but also a healthy dose of humor and a true sense of hope for the future. June and Burke instantly spark strong reactions in each other, resulting in the perfectly delivered witty banter and an unquestionably complicated-yet-powerful attraction. They both want what is best for the children, but start out with very different ideas of what that is.
This is a Love Conquers All story that really tackles some tough obstacles. They are so very different with contradictory backgrounds, upbringings, socioeconomics, and last-but-not-least geographic location (to name a few things). Burke is a strong personality and June handles him brilliantly. She brings out the very best in him and he challenges her in a way that shines the light on how fiercely beautiful she is inside and out. Their delicate dance is beautiful in it’s hopelessness as you can feel the undeniable and very messy connection. The physical manifestation when they come together is vivid with tangible need because the performances from two amazing voice actors transport you into the story. I highly recommend moving this perfectly performed and beautiful story higher up on your listening list!
Audio Review
Ella James is a new author to me but after listening to Hate You (Not) that is going to change, I loved everything about this great story and I’m struggling to understand why this author has not crossed my radar before now. I loved the characters, the story and the narration and I highly recommend this to all romance lovers.
June’s life has been turned upside down, she has lost her sister and become guardian to her young niece and nephew over night, an accident has left the children without parents but doesn’t mean they are going to be missing out on love. June has picked then up and taken them to the family farm in a small town in Georgia but there is also an Uncle who wants to spent time with his niece and nephew. Burke is a wealthy workaholic who is devastated by the loss of his younger brother and he wants the children with him in California so he embarks on a trip to convince June to let him take the children and that’s when the fun and games begin…….
This is a entertaining, sweet enjoyable listen, Zachary Webber and Ava Erickson did a wonderful job bringing the characters and this story to life, the banter made me laugh and the chemistry had me swooning and let’s not forget the one liners only a child can deliver that had me laughing out loud. Great story and great narration made this the perfect audio book. Looking forward to more from this very talented author.
* I received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review *
Hate You Not is only the second audiobook I have ever listened to. I never understood why my review would be any different whether I read or listened to a book, but I have to say it is not the same. It took some getting used to and although I prefer to read the books, I like that with audio I can hear all the emotions as the author wanted them to be heard…especially the bedroom scenes.
I thought it was strange that they both seemed close to their brother/sister and yet they never met any family members. They both obviously had been around at some point because the kids knew them both. If I would have been able to change anything, I would have made it so they met at the wedding and got off to a bad start and ended up hating each other which was why both Burke and June had the preconceived notions about the other.
Everybody wears so many different masks. Who we are is constantly in flux—so who you get from someone else at any given time is something special, if you think about it. Relating to another person in a real way—even if it’s brief—is a rare gift.
I had mixed feelings about June. She hated the way Burke came in and just assumed things about her, but she did the same with him. Just because you hide it with that southern hospitality does not make her judgements any less then his. As arrogant as I thought Burke was in the beginning, I thought she was almost as bad because she didn’t really change anything for him.
Burke’s character was not easy to like from the start. He was a typical alpha male with money who thought he could throw cash at June and she would give up those kids. This just showed how much neither one of them knew the other because he just assumed that she was in it for the money. Makes me wonder how much they talked to their siblings to know anything about the other’s family.
I like that we got to see the slow build between Burke and June. I d not think that if they had met before they would have ever given each other a chance. While they were physically attracted to each other I think this tragedy and the time they spent together really made it possible for them to really see each other for who they are.
Life is a strange thing. So taken for granted. Sometimes it feels like nothing ever happens, that every day is the same…and then everything you know is just gone.
I liked Burke and June together, but I did not connect with them as much as I would have liked. I understood the connection that grew between them but even when they got together it didn’t seem like they were actually falling for each other. I am not sure if it was different for me because it was an audiobook. When I read a book, I feel like my attention is more zoned in on the story and at times I had to rewind because I missed things because it wasn’t holding my attention. Overall, it was a good story and I will probably try reading the book to see if I can connect with the characters better.
Hate You Not
An Enemies to Lovers Romance
By: Ella James
Narrated by: Zachary Webber, Ava Erickson
The first question that comes to mind is why have I not listened to Ella James before? This enemies to lovers romance has all the feels that I love to listen to, the kind that break your heart and mend it back together. June Lawler is the legal guardian for niece and nephew upon the death of her sister. Not expecting to be a parent yet, she willingly takes on the responsibility her sister has bestowed upon her and knows exactly what the kids need. A good foundation on the family farm and a lot of love will help the kids grow up to be good people. But when Burke, the kids’ uncle comes to town to take them from her, all bets are off. He is an arrogant rich kid personality who thinks he knows what is best. What will it take for June to show him what is best? Well, let’s all fall in love with these four! It’s impossible not to. June is an incredible character. Though she has her own set of problems to conquer, she is determined to give the kids the love and life they deserve. It’s the little things that matter, and she understands that. Burke is definitely one we can tell needs to understand it. While he is overbearing at times, we can tell there is more to him than meets the eye. And the kids are just too cute. Riding horses, playing with puppies and trying to deal with the hand that is dealt just melts your heart. It’s a story that pulled me in, and had the earbuds on until the very end. It’s that good!
Bringing the story to life, Ella James has the talented cast of Zachary Webber and Ava Erickson. These seasoned narrators are the ultimate storytellers. Webber can play the arrogant rich boy, and give him that air of vulnerability. Erickson pulls out all the stops and gives June the warmth of a loving parent and the protectiveness of a mama bear! And the two together create an explosive chemistry that is felt with this couple. It’s a fantastic performance.
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When I first started listening to this audiobook I thought, okay obviously at some point this guy becomes likable, because at first I thought he was a pompous stuck-up jerk and wasn’t feeling it at all. Despite the fact that it was the tragedy of losing his brother and sister-in-law that brought him across the country to June’s farm, Burke was definitely coming in hot with attitude. Zachary Webber and Ava Erickson are absolutely fantastic as Burke and June (June Bug)!!!! Their voices were exactly right for these characters and they brought them to life in such spectacular fashion. Luckily I continued listening, and low and behold, when in the presence of the sweet, amazing, full of light and love, June, Burke transforms over time into the man he truly is in his heart before he got so jaded about life and love. Her genuine southern charm wins over the grumpy city slicker in the best way. Well not right away, but that is where there is humor in this story, because Burke certainly did not play fair at first, but there were some pretty funny moments because of that. June took everything in stride and I love that! I was enjoying their antics and banter, but their sweet, sexy tender moments were just as enjoyable. It definitely took a woman like June and those two adorable children she is now responsible for, Margot and Oliver, to make him see the light and how good life can truly be. It is certainly not an easy road and just when she thinks they are going to be good, something happens to derail them. Of course this all had me weeping. This story is so many things: sweet, emotional, tender, hard, but most of all it is a story about a man who has lost his way and the woman and children who lead him back. I loved this book!! It is my first by this author and won’t be my last!
This book has so much heart. Sure Burke and June are competing, and bickering, but it’s all because they want what’s best for their niece and nephew. They just can’t agree on what that is. Their back and forth banter is so great. I especially like how they both interact with the children. The two MC’S do spend a lot if time apart, but I feel like that made it more realistic for me. The puzzle pieces don’t just fall into place easily. They have to work for it. The steamy scenes are no joke. Wow! The chemistry is of the charts for these two. I read this as an audiobook and I can’t say enough good things about both Zachary Webber and Ava Erickson. Both were incredible in this. Zachary emotes so much pain and turmoil. And extra props to Ava for a really good but subtle southern accent. I love a well done accent. I feel like there might have been one to many twists but overall I really did enjoy this story. It gave me all the feels.
When June Lawler loses her sister to a car accident, she inherits two adorable children, two children that Burke Masterson wants to care for, after all they were his brother’s children, and, he can afford to care for them much better in the city than their aunt can in Nowhereville, Georgia. He has the money, she has the time. What we have now is a battle of wills. This was a sweet, utterly emotional read that I loved from the very first chapter. It’s pretty much written in three parts. Part one, the hating, June and Burke didn’t see eye to eye. Part two, the compromise, where June and Burke try to make it work. Finally, part three, where Burke shuts June out and things go horribly pear shaped. June though, doesn’t let things slide (I did love her ‘don’t hold back attitude’), and Burke, the stubborn man, even though he tries to push her away, he’s drawn to her. I loved this book, I loved the whole package, the characters, the story, the added drama. Everything. It was sweet, it was emotional, it was additive. I listened to the audio version narrated by Zachary Webber and Ava Erickson, they truly brought this story to life, I can highly recommend.