USA Today Bestseller!
Debut author Sally Thorne bursts on the scene with a hilarious and sexy workplace comedy all about that thin, fine line between hate and love.
Nemesis (n.) 1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.
2) A person’s undoing
3) Joshua Templeman
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. … undoing
3) Joshua Templeman
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Lucy can’t understand Joshua’s joyless, uptight, meticulous approach to his job. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy’s overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and Pollyanna attitude.
Now up for the same promotion, their battle of wills has come to a head and Lucy refuses to back down when their latest game could cost her her dream job…But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.
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I love stories that make me laugh and Sally Thorne’s wit and humor does just that! I love enemies to lovers stories written with humor!
This was one of my favourite reads of 2017. The humour and wit are top-notch.
One of my favorite books last year and I’m still thinking about it. So much more than an office romance. I dare you not to swoon! I can’t wait for Sally Thorne’s next book.
Funny, fun, and unpredictable. You will love this book!
This book. THIS BOOK! Oh, and Sally Thorne can freaking write a first kiss. I swear I went back and reread it a couple (several) times because, HOLY HOTNESS, it came out of nowhere and, damn, I mean DAMN!
And, talk about amping up the tension!! And, all the little ways they lay claim to each other before they ‘lay claim’ to each other. And, when they FINALLY LAY CLAIM to each other, it’s beautiful and perfect and brought tears to my eyes.
So freakin cute! I Lucy sooooo hard!!! I’m pretty sure that I smiled through the entire book. I’ve been searching for another Mariana Zapata-like author & I’ve finally found her in Sally Thorne. I can’t wait for her next book!
I love when something defies convention and my expectations, and that’s what this book did. I won’t bore you with the plot summary because you can read the blurb to get the gist of this tale. The fact that I give this 5-stars is really a feat when one considers that I am not typically a fan of insecure, neurotic heroines. Yet, somehow Lucy charmed and intrigued me from the first page.
This story, written in the first person, is thoroughly engaging. Although I’m 50, it took me right back to being a single twenty-something in the throes of workplace politics, awkward dating struggles, and all the rest of that stuff that I’m not sorry is in my rearview mirror. I think what I also found refreshing about this story is the fact that, unlike most romances I read, this one is told entirely from the heroine’s point of view. I admit, I loved Joshua Templeman almost immediately because I am sickly drawn to damaged goods. Normally I want to get inside that character’s head in a story, but I think Ms. Thorne made a great choice here by keeping him more of a mystery. Certainly, by the end of the story, all of his gooey, tender, obsessive glory will have you as head-over-heels for him as Lucy is, too.
While there were bits and pieces that strained my suspension of disbelief, the overall narrative is strong, and the writing voice stronger. I couldn’t wait to find time to get back to this book.
I wish I could better articulate why I enjoyed it so much. All I can say with certainty is that, unlike many other very good books, I am sure that I will remember this one in vivid detail for a long, long time. Bravo!
Yes!! I loved this! I was hooked immediately and what a fun ride it was! The Hating Game is Sally Thorne’s debut novel and it’s a winner. Lots of humor and emotion with a strong heroine and a surprisingly complicated hero. This is going on my re-read list ASAP! Seriously check it out!
My favorite quote:
“He sits on the edge of the couch, his hair damp and ruffled in every direction. I turn the page and unfortunately a lurid diagram of an erect penis glares up at me. “I am trying to be a bit more normal.” He looks at the page. “How’s it working out so far?” “I’m glad this isn’t a pop-up book.”
Funny, crazy, sweet and oh so sexy! Josh and Lucy will drive you mad and basically bipolar, its a definite page turner. This rom com reminds me of all those movies where the protagonists hates each others guts for the flimsiest of reasons while at the same time trying not to kiss you each other to the death! Extremely entertaining!
Funny, sexy quirky and entirely delightful! A rom-com, but not. This is a delightful read that involves two extreme opposites who Hate one another and go to great lengths to prove it. You won’t Hate it!
This was hilarious, fun, entertaining! I couldn’t put it down. If you haven’t read it yet, you’re missing out.
A gloriously written story from Sally Thorne.
A slow burn enemies to lovers romance between two people who work in the same office,and who are going for the same promotion.
Josh and Lucy Hate one another…..or do they ?…Because as this story develops it is plain to see that they actually don’t,its all just a game,a disguise.
Although I felt Josh was more of the one projecting his Love for Lucy than she did for him,she was very guarded.
Sally Thorne is meticulous in creating well rounded characters that are realistic and this story and the dialogue is so well thought out,you can’t help but get swept away.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book it was funny,sweet,sexy, frustrating and absolutely AMAZING Its was Everything I thought it would be and more.
I Highly recommend it.
5 Brilliant Stars.
Seriously a breath of fresh air. The characters have top quality banter with undeniable chemistry and I appreciate how well-fleshed out they are. Thorne has a unique writing style with special attention to detail and character quirks. Not a lot of steam, but it’s the perfect amount for a book whose characters are more far interesting than their sex.
It’s currently one of my go-to reads if I’m feeling down or need a palate cleanser after a bad book. I love this so much I have a physical copy and an e-book!
I don’t know where I’ve been for five years, but I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to read The Hating Game. I absolutely loved Lucy and Josh’s dynamic and relationship and I could honestly sit and reread it right now. Do not miss this book!
i LOVED Josh and Lucy! Now i know why everyone raves about this book!!! loved it so much!
Such a good book. Loved it from start to finish
My Rating: 1/2
Type: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Fiction Romance, Office Romances, Enemies to lovers
Primary Characters: Joshua & Lucy
Narration: Single POV
This book was suggested to me by several fellow bookstagramers in several reading groups. I hadn’t picked up for so long even if it was in my kindle for long time. I read this purely because it’s always all over my feeds in insta, fb and goodreads. It’s an office romance with enemies to lovers backdrop. It wasn’t that woooww for me. Maybe it’s the saturation I’ve endured reading so many contemporary novels by now.
To me, the book started out a bit slow. Lucy and Josh work in the same company in the same room. The two have hated each other since they first laid eyes on each other. No one can provoke Josh like Lucy and no one can annoy the hell out of Lucy like Josh. Things get even more intense when an opportunity for a promotion appears and both Lucy and Josh want in on it. Their competition went to another new level. Although their relationship seemed to take another route after one kiss.
“I have a theory. Hating someone feels disturbingly similar to being in love with them.”
I completely adored Lucy’s personality. She was so darn lovable. Josh was gem and highlight of the book. He was smart, attractive, grumpy, cynical and ornery hero. The development of the relationship is gradual and good. Their pettiness felt juvenile and twee sometimes. Banter was good. Writing style and narration is good. I don’t see any other intriguing secondary characters.
Book filled with Humor and drama. The plot is good. Book maintains a semblance of comfort. I would suggest this for person who is looking for perfect enemies to lovers along with office romance back drop.
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I enjoyed this book so much! And I’m not one to search out enemy to lovers tropes. It’s a tribute to Sally Thorne that she pulled this off with such humor. Not a corny bone in this book. In fact, the action was fast and the intimacy scenes were packed with fun and believable moves.
Thought it was well done and believable. The twists worked wonders to lift this book into original territory!
Romantic and hysterical
The moment I read the summary for this book, I was like, “Oh, hell yes!” When I read the first chapter, I was like, “…” Just plain old speechless.
You know that feeling when you have this book, and you start reading it, and your mind just flies out the window because of how awesome it is? That’s exactly how I feel now.
The Hating Game is a book I will never forget, it was filled with humor, explored concepts of love, hate, and friendship. The way Sally Thorne created this beautiful world, and filled it with these outstanding, lovable, characters is just…wow.
That’s really all I can manage while my mind is still trying to focus after being blown away. I will most definitely be paying this book a re-read very soon; it deserves a place on every reader’s bookshelf.