WSJ bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills returns with an all-new, enemies-to-lovers second chance romance between the football hottie and the feisty nerd girl he can’t forget. I want you . . . even when I hate you. Blaze Townsend: I hate you.Charisma Rossi: I hate you more. She’s been expecting this ever since their latest showdown. She had good reason. Hottest guy she’s ever seen.Former fling.… had good reason.
Hottest guy she’s ever seen.
Former fling.
Dumped her in front of all her friends.
At her own party.
So no, she’s not about to forgive and forget just because he sits next to her in class. He thinks all he has to do is turn on those baby blues, and she’ll melt right back into his arms. Please. She’d be crazy to let this cocky player affect her again. (Tell that to her body.)
Charisma Rossi.
Brainy girl with a dash of bad.
The one who got under his skin.
The one he cut loose.
Blaze knows she’s the riskiest prospect at Waylon University, but none of the interchangeable girls he hooks up with have ever made him feel the way she did. There’s absolutely no way he can have the girl and the game.
So why can’t he stop trying to win her back?
Can this wide receiver score the girl or will he make the biggest fumble of his life?
*Steamy and flirty with all the emotional feels, I Hate You is a new adult standalone romance.
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4.5 Stars
Whenever I read a book by Ilsa Madden-Mills I just get sucked right into the book. When I firs started this book I was iffy about Blaze, but boy he changed my mind rather quickly. I really liked Charisma. One of my favorite parts of the book is the banter between Blaze and Charisma. They both struggle with something that happened in their pasts that hold them back. Blaze’s back story just breaks my hart and his relationship with his family. It made my heart all the more happy when he meets Charisma’s family. Charisma and Blaze have a lot of depth to them then they show the world. Though on paper they make not work in real life where it counts that’s couldn’t more perfect for one another. Though the big question can they take the risk to see where their connection and chemistry can take them? I thought the epilogue was the perfect touch to end this book. It left me laughing, but also with a happy heart.
Charisma (Charm) has to brace herself when she sees HIM again. Him. Blaze. The guy she hates. The PLAYER who dumped her at a party in front of everyone, broke her heart, and has since moved on. Ouch…
“Beautiful men with enough charm to win over a nun are trouble. That’s why I pick the nice quiet ones; it’s why I have my rules.”
Charm knew better than to let herself get involved with a player, football or otherwise. Beautiful playboys like him and short, curvy nerd girls like her don’t belong together. She has her rules for a reason, and it’s men like Blaze who are the reason for those rules. Still, her body can’t help but want him even as her mind and her heart reject the idea of even being near him. But when she starts to see a different side of Blaze, the side she knew existed, but wasn’t allowed to touch, that heart of hers isn’t about to let her off the hook. Can they make it work this time? Perhaps. If they can both work through their individual insecurities (and there are A LOT of them!) and trust in each other.
“She’s so smart. Bright and beautiful, like a flame.”
I am so in love with Ilsa’s college romances! Charm and Blaze – they’re fire together. She’s so intelligent and vibrant, with insecurities like most women have. And Blaze is a revelation. So deep and substantial, with insecurities probably even more massive than Charm’s. God, these two are just perfect for each other! If you like your college romances with hefty doses of heart with some angst thrown in, I highly recommend you 1-click your own copy of I Hate You. Trust me, you will not regret it!
“I love you, Charm,” I say softly. Because once you know a girl sees you for the man you are, once you know she’s never leaving, she wants you forever, and she’ll take a chance on you, it’s easy to let the words out.”
ARC via Social Butterfly PR.
If you love emotion, angst, LOL moments and all around amazing storyline, one click this book. She has perfected sports romance and will BLOW YOUR MIND!! Just read this book!!
Ilsa Madden is always an one-click author. She has these amazing sports romances that rock your world and fall in love with her all over again. Her books always drag me in from the first word. ALWAYS!! She writes sports romances like no other author I’ve read. She is one of my faves! She brings so much emotion and depth to her books that you connect emotionally.
She always brings steam, angst and all around amazingness that puts her over the top in the romance world!! She is a must read author for all romance readers!!
Blaza is a player from the beginning. One night with a certain girl, and he is feeling more than normal. Charisma is a girl that has been shamed and insecure. She takes a leap of faith and faces the unexpected. Together, they navigate a rocky rollercoaster of emotions, heat and feelings. Hang on tight folks! It’s an amazing, steamy and bumpy ride that you will LOVE!!!
YA/NA is not usually my thing but Ilsa Madden-Mills has changed my mind! I thoroughly enjoyed I Hate You, an emotion-filled story about Charisma and Blaze. I laughed, cried and was so frustrated at times with both characters but yet their chemistry completely sucked me into the story and I could not put it down. Two people with such deep scars finding a chance at love was simply amazing!
I loved I Hate You very much! It was everything I expect and want from an Ilsa Madden-Mills novel. It was emotional, hot, funny, addictive and raw. All the characters (and animal) are superb and loveable. I felt for Charisma and Blaze sometimes. I was rooting for them to get an happily ever after together and the ending was so beautiful and perfect.
Blaze is sporty, determined, driven, popular and a little distant. He’s a football player. Football is everything to him. He wants to go pro and prove that he can be someone. Blaze doesn’t have the best family, but he has some amazing friends and teammates. Blaze doesn’t know real love or the feeling of being wanted, but Charisma will change that and make him want something more than friendship.
Charisma is a smart, sweet, feisty and caring woman. She studies hard and she’s a great college student. Charisma doesn’t have the best relation with her family, but she knows that she can count on them. She also has some amazing friends that she loves to hang out with and can count on. Charisma doesn’t want to get hurt again by Blaze, but being in the same class as him will bring them close again.
Blaze and Charisma both have a past and insecurities. That doesn’t make them falling in love with each other easy. Even less easy when they don’t really like each other. But it will be all worth it in the end. Their love will be worth it in the end. They take their time, spending time together and really getting to know each other. The chemistry was always there.
I loved this book and was gripped from the start. A nice, easy read after being in a book funk for quite some time!!
I loved the characters and their interactions as well as seeing previous characters that Ilsa has written.
The chemistry between Blaze and Charisma, even after he does finish things in quite a shocking way, is clear to see! You just can’t help but love him though despite that!!
Ilsa Madden Mills has done it again. If you’re ready to meet both your new swoon-worthy book boyfriend and your new badass book bestie, I Hate You should be next on your TBR. This book has given me all the feels, and I definitely don’t hate it. The opposite, in fact. I friggen love this book.
Blaze Townsend lives up to his name. He’s so hot he almost incinerated my Kindle. He’s sexy, he’s confident, and he’s just the right amount of cocky. Pair that with his random bouts of awkwardness and his vulnerability and Blaze Townsend is irresistible. In fact, I think he’s even surpassed Spider as my favored Ilsa Madden Mills book boyfriend (and that’s saying something, because I love me some Spider). Ugh. I seriously LOVE Blaze Townsend.
Ilsa is so good at writing swoony leading men, and Blaze is the swooniest.
Charisma also lives up to her name. She’s sexy, she’s unique, she’s enigmatic, and she’s got a magnetic pull that just draws people to her. I love her sass and her fierce persona. Even when she’s feeling broken, she’s still strong, and she refuses to settle for less than she deserves. She’s such an admirable character, and she’s someone you want to emulate but also would really like as a best friend.
The heat in I Hate You is off the charts. Together, Blaze and Charisma are an inferno, and their chemistry is so unbelievably sexy. Even when they’re getting everything wrong, it still feels right. These characters are brilliant, and the plot kept me hooked from the first page. I laughed and I cried. I just….can’t even handle it. So hot. So good. If you’re in to sexy football players and sassy heroines, this book is for you. Definitely recommend.
Also, #VampireBill2020
Get a copy here or free on KU! http://bit.ly/IHYILSABOOK
Another great read, another sexy cover! Ilsa Madden Mills newest creation is a college sports romance. Its a complete standalone and has various genres. College romance, sports, love/hate relationship, enemies to lovers. I love the Hero’s name….Blaze, i found it very fitting! I love Charisma and Blaze’s story, it was an enticing, engaging and a sexy read!!
I Hate You is the latest book from Ilsa Madden-Mills, another interconnected standalone set at Waylon University. And just like the two before it, I loved this story!
Just like with I Dare You & I Bet You, we’re given a quirky, sassy heroine who I couldn’t get enough of. Charisma is adorkable, with her pink hair and use of acronyms instead of full sentences. She hides her insecurities behind relationship rules & a tough exterior, protecting her heart at all costs.
I’ve been wanting Blaze’s story since he was first introduced. I just knew there was more to the cocky jock, and boy was I right! But I didn’t realize just how much was hidden behind that exterior, or how much I would love him.
After a brief fling last fall and being dumped in public, Charm returns to school for her final semester determined to stay as far away from Blaze as possible. But fate keeps throwing them together, and neither can deny the off the charts chemistry they share. And when they start breaking through each other’s walls they have to remind themselves they hate each other to protect both their hearts.
I loved the flirty banter, hysterical innuendos, and another appearance from one of my all-time favorite characters – Vampire Bill. A second chance, sports romance filled with awesome characters and a killer storyline make this an instant hit!
He’s a star wide-receiver, she’s a nerdy chick. Could they ever make it?
As much as I loved this book, I also kinda not hated but… it frustrated me. Blaze and Charisma’s characters were great, but there was a lot of too-ing and fro-ing, they went over the same details a bit too many times.
At first, I even thought that Charm was some kind of stalker of Blaze from the way they’d hooked up. It was a crazy, weird hot as he!! start, to their getting together, then everything slowed right down and became a slow burner.
Don’t get me wrong, the story was full of heart, it tugged at my emotions, amd kept me glued to the pages. Blake’s early childhood was heart-breaking, Charisma has some trust issues thanks to her dad but they still had that chemistry that burns hotter than the sun. they tried to ignore it, but never really could. And when they gave in, it was a thing of beauty.
There were some lighter moments with Vampire Bill, and Blaze’s teammates. All except Archer. That dude. I hope he never gets a story because no one likes him, he’s a selfish douchecanoe. Hopefully, Dillon is up next to be the star of Ilsa’s next Waylon University series.
Check out this series and fall in love with the boys from WU.
While it lacks the edge that first drew me to her writing, I Hate You is a cute romance by Ilsa Madden-Mills. Don’t get me wrong, the story of Charm and Blaze has every ingredient in the second chance romantic comedy recipe: an innuendo filled fencing lesson, a fantastically hilarious talking bird (Vampire Bill definitely steals the show), a swoon worthy hero, and a strong heroine, but something just didn’t click for me. Regardless, there were laugh out loud moments, mostly thanks to Vampire Bill, and a few angst filled “WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?” chapters that had me devouring the pages. I loved some of this book, but other parts just missed the mark. If you’re looking for the standard second chance romance I Hate You is definitely a great read.
Ilsa Madden Mills does it again!! Don’t miss I Hate You!!
As soon I saw that this author had a new book releasing, I just knew I had to read it – especially with the enticing title of I Hate You. I always love a good college sports romance with an enemies-to-lovers theme and I was not disappointed. After I wiped the drool off my face while gazing at the eye candy on the cover, I dived right in and didn’t want to put the book down. This is an emotional, second chance, standalone romance told from the POVs of Blaze and Charisma.
I planned to go into the book disliking Blaze because he did pull a rather douche move in how he broke things off with Charisma, but I couldn’t help but love him. Blaze lives up to his name. He is the quintessential, popular football player that everyone worships and who women shamelessly throw themselves at. However, there is so much more to him. Beneath that charming and playboy exterior, is a man who is vulnerable and a bit broken. The author does such a beautiful job in making the reader feel his struggles. My heart strings were definitely pulled with him.
Charisma is sassy, feisty, and witty – all things that I look for in a heroine. She appears confident, but she is insecure at times – especially when it comes to relationships and tries to protect herself from potential hurt.
There exists a fine line between love and hate and Blaze and Charisma dance along that line, yet you cannot deny the gravitational pull between them. There is a lot of push and pull throughout this book. I found myself laughing at the witty banter between these two and other times my kindle was smoking from the heat level.
Ilsa Madden-Mills has delivered a perfectly angsty, heartbreaking and swoonworthy sports romance again! This story ticked all my boxes for a great romance. The amazingly relatable characters with layers and complexities. The soul-deep feelings and electrifying chemistry between them overflowing the pages. The brilliant smart writing. And I could not have asked for a better combination of sweet, funny, sexy and intense.
Both the lead characters were exceptionally well written. They are so far from being cliche. A cocky, charming and sexy football jock who gets nervous and adorably irritatingly shaky when it comes to expressing his true feelings. A smart and sweet nerdy girl who is also sassy, fiery and do not take any bullshit while it comes to guys. It is an unlikely pair but they make so much sense together. The story begins from a break up but they fit like puzzle pieces together. Charisma has this hidden insecurity of being unworthy of someone like Blaze’s love. And Blaze doesn’t think he can love Charisma like she deserves and he has serious abandonment issues. See what I mean? It was torture in the purest form.
The emotions in this story were stunning. The push and pull between them was brilliant. Ilsa Madden Mills punched me in gut with the onslaught of soulful and heart-rending emotions. I swear I could cry with the sweetness of some soothing and aching moments. And I could cry while reading misunderstandings, the desperation, the loneliness and the heartache. She pulled the invisible strings of my heart and I was dying from the delicious pain of this slow burn romance. The hate and the love both hurt me so good.
I Hate You by Ilsa Madden Mills was an incredible romance that made me deliriously happy and sad at the same time. It was trouble for my heart that I won’t mind getting into repeatedly.. Two flawed, imperfect and beautiful souls . One perfect love story.
Received ARC for Honest Review
I really liked Charisma!! She is just a breath of fresh air compared to many heroines in today’s books. I also liked the complexity of Blaze and his inner demons. Loved the banter between them and how they just got each other so seamlessly. Wished we had gotten a little more of them after the declarations were made but otherwise I loved it!!
A great heartfelt 4 star story that made me feel so much for these amazingly created characters.
Blaze comes from a troubled childhood that left him with some abandonment issues. He made the mistake to let Charm go. Now months later, they get a second chance. Charm will not make it easy on him.
This is a sport/college/second chance romance. Characters that were flawed and made me feel so much for them. It was an entertaining story. Although it has been told many times over, the characters made it stand apart.
It can be safely read as a standalone told in a dual POPV with an HEA. I highly recommend this story.
5.5 Amazing Stars!
I absolutely loved I Hate You, an unforgettable and moving standalone College Romance. The writing was phenomenal and I felt mercurial while reading it, tearing up over something heartbreaking on one page and on the very next tears rolling down my cheeks, but this time due to uncontrollable laughter. I’d whisper to my husband, when he’d give me a concerned look after an ourburst, ‘It’s menopause, don’t worry, I’m okay!’ (my go-to answer for all emotional issues). This semi second chance story features main characters that go from Enemies-To-Lovers and take us along for the ride, it’s definitely going on my #TopRead2019 list. I Hate You is filled with snarky, sarcastic and unbelievably witty dialogue between the main and secondary characters, some who are familiar and have been featured in previous books in this series. And we can’t forget Vampire Bill, the hilarious pet bird; he’s in on the action, too!
“I knew damn well who you were from the get-go last fall, the girl who kissed me like I was air she had to breathe.”
Charisma “Charm” Rossi, a Bronx native, decided not to date or get emotionally involved with anyone when she enrolled at Waylon University in Magnolia, Mississippi, and had lived by some rules to help avoid all that nonsense. It didn’t mean she was a nun; she hooked up freely whenever the mood hit her. Her rules included no kissing or sleep overs, she basically had a foot out the door as soon as the deed was done and this had worked well for her, so far. These rules were in place to protect her from getting hurt and they seemed to work well, until Blaze.
“Sooner or later, she’s going to let go…she’s going to look at me…she’s going to see the real me. She’s going to see the truth.”
Blaze Townsend was a wide receiver at Waylon and one of the most popular jocks and an unapologetic manwhore, he had quite the reputation. Blaze was sure he would get drafted for the NFL but just in case he wasn’t picked his backup plan was to get his degree. He knew he had to take care of himself, since there was no one else looking after him, he was basically alone. The one time he felt something for someone, Blaze broke it off before she did. He knew Charm had rules because she didn’t want or need anyone, despite what he felt for her. So as a preemptive strike, he cut his losses in the most spectacular way possible. Ouch!
“I saw that stubborn look on her face. She’s in there fortifying her fortress, adding more cement, pushing me out of her head.”
Now, three months later, they’re running into each other and in the same class. And Blaze is wondering why he couldn’t convince Charm to give him a chance. Maybe he can convince her to bend the rules a little.
“I’m never going to betray you. My feelings for you…are beyond anything else. I’m not that man. I want a happy ending.”
I Hate You is the newest standalone romance by the fabulous and talented Ilsa-Madden Mills. I’ve said this before and I’ll continue saying it, every time I read one of her books, her new hero becomes my favorite. I never think it’s possible, but it is. My name is Kara and I’m a Madden-Mills Hussy. Period. This book has everything you want in a romance. Sexy footballer with a heart of gold, smart, gorgeous heroine who’s strong and mouthy. Emotional, sexy, hate, love and everything in between! Ya’ll, Blaze is one of my favorite heroes of 2019. The man can run, catch a ball, sing, play guitar, speak his mind and dazzle the world with his smile. But he’s also deep, haunted, and never had the love and family he craved. Charisma isn’t your typical sorority girl. She’s not tall or blonde or skinny, BUT she’s gorgeous with her curves, dark hair and confidence, and come on, she’s Italian! My favorite thing about her :). She has rules for a reason. No kissing. Sex is just sex. Until Blaze. There was something about him that made her rethink all her rules. And then he broke her heart. Now he seems to be everywhere she is. When they have a class together and end up sitting next to each other, it’s on. He wants to be friends. He can’t stay away from her. She’s the only girl he’s ever felt more for, but he doesn’t know what those feelings are and he tends to run instead of stay and fight. She makes him feel. Makes him want more. Makes him crazy! He loves everything about her from the top of her head to the tips of her sexy as sin heels. But he has a hard time expressing his feelings, or so he thinks. He doesn’t get that the words he uses, the way he speaks to her lights a fire inside her. Charisma doesn’t know why a man like him would want her. She has her own insecurities she’s trying to outrun. She’s afraid of love, he’s trying to run from it. Together, they just need to stop and see each other and the world fades away leaving them the answers they crave. Sometimes you have to let someone go and find the courage to chase after them. The big gesture. The pretty words. Sometimes actions and words are both needed to calm your heart so it recognizes it’s other half. Blaze is everything. Every. Damn. Thing. He’s one of those heroes who I wish were real so some lucky girl could be the recipient of his voice, his songs, his words, his humor and his body. Charisma is just the right woman for him. She has a family who she adores and who love her and make her crazy. She has curves, but she owns them, and she knows who she is! Together they are like puzzle pieces, they just fit. Overall, it’s one of my favorite books of 2019. I laughed, cried (oh, how did I cry), swooned, got mad, upset and pretty much smiled the entire time. I Hate You is one of those books that when I was done I wanted to start it over again from the beginning. That very rarely happens to me! I’m already trying to find time in my schedule!
I could never hate this book! 4 stars
This book made me laugh, made me teary, made me a little crazy, and I loved it all! Charisma and Blaze are just that together – fire and charm! I was rooting for them from the beginning. I loved that both of them were well-rounded, flawed characters. I related to Charisma so much with her insecurities. Blaze just blazed his way into my heart with his own insecurities, overcoming his past and being charming himself. The thing that made me a little crazy was the push/pull between them and needing better communication! But in the end it worked out beautifully! I would definitely recommend this book!
I received a copy of this ebook from Social Butterfly PR for my honest review.
This was a refreshing story and I loved that the hero wasn’t as cocky as other players! I also, liked the heroine! their chemistry was hot and amazing.