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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WOW!! This book was simply fantastic. I loved the characters, their chemistry, their little mind games. This book had me laughing out loud, making awww noises and simply melted my heart. Great writing, fantastic plot and both MCs were brilliant. Josh had a Mr. Darcy vibe going on, which I loved and Lucy I must say was very unique. One doesn’t think petite girls can have it rough at times, so it was an interesting perspective. Their relationship was sizzling, hands-down one of the best enemies-to-lovers book I’ve read in ages. I highly recommend it!
I don’t know how many times I have reread this book. It is in heavy rotation in my comfort reads. I would have never found it on my own. It was featured on the “That’s Normal” podcast. I recommend this book to others, but have a hard time putting it into words. I will do my best here.
It has to be the banter between romantic characters. It is a slow burn for sure. I laughed out loud and may have stolen a quip or two.
Great little romance.
This book! The Hating Game kept me up most of the night until I finished it in the wee hours. A book hasn’t grabbed me like that in a long time. Sally Thorne has used an expert hand in creating a divine recipe for the delicious and ever-escalating sexual tension between Lucy and Josh. Enemies to lovers is a favorite trope; add funny, quirky, wicked banter and you’ll find yourself laughing out loud, crying in frustration, and sighing with pleasure. The cherry on top is that there’s a MOVIE adaptation of The Hating Game! I can’t wait.
One of the few ultimate enemies turned lovers rom-coms I have ever read and I’m nearly baffled on how long it took for me to finally read this. It’s been on my TBR pile since the beginning of time and needless to say it was well worth the wait.
From the moment Joshua and Lucy were introduced, they became instant favorites and I love these two together. The endless banter almost had me rolling, the one-liners, and the comebacks that literally had me LOLing and re-reading the same lines because I lived for them. Seriously, the author did an amazing job on using Lucy narration to bring the romance with Josh to life and when the moment came in which they shared their first kiss… Holy shit. I wasn’t ready for it but it was perfectly plan in setting the course of the story. So bravo Sally Throne! Bravo! This novel was near flawless and would highly recommended this rom-com to everyone looking for some oozing chemistry, romance, and downright funny banter.
I recently tried to read a romantic comedy I just couldn’t get through, and in retrospect I think it was trying to copy this one. THIS ONE is clever and witty (and popular) enough to inspire a whole sub-genre. If you like sharp banter between romantic leads, vivid characters, and a comic story that is ultimately warm and occasionally hot, you’ll have a good time reading this. Extra points for the amusing small publishing company antics — they rang fairly true for me, who once worked in one.
Wonderful. The most fun I’ve had reading a book since K.W. Jeter’s Infernal Devices
LOVED this book. Laugh out loud funny. And yes, I’m so late to the game on this one. A good friend told me to read this ages ago and it just never made it up the TBR list.
I think maybe the cover made it look like it might be a “clean” romance. Wouldn’t want that!
I was pleased to discover The Hating Game is actually super sexy. I fell in love with Lucy and Josh. Couldn’t put it down. And, as a vertically-challenged individual, oh how I loved the short commentary.
As soon as I finished it, I texted my friend, the one who told me to read it. And, she let me know it’s gonna be a movie! CanNOT wait to see this in theaters. There are just a few things I require of Hollywood…. Josh must be tall (the guy they cast *may* need to wear Tom Cruise lifts), Lucy must be short (the 5’2 woman they cast may need to only wear flats – she must be noticeably shorter than Josh, she’s gotta look like a “shortcake”), and Lucy must have dark hair, incredible blue eyes and flaming red lipstick.
legit one of my favorite books ever. Josh will forever be my favorite book boyfriend
I think I read this book and then reread it right away! I loved this story and I can’t wait for the movie!
This book is a fun, good, time. The romantic tension is so awesome; it makes this book perfection. The premise is original and the characters are memorable. I really enjoyed reading this book.
So to deal with a bit of a garbage fire of a year-end, I’ve delved into rom coms with a vengeance. I saw The Hating Game on a “best of” list so gave it a shot. You can probably guess from the title that it’s a enemies-to-lovers trope. Surprise! It’s a secret baby. Joking, of course it’s enemies-to-lovers.
Lucy and Josh are EAs to co-CEOs in a merged publishing company who hate each other’s guts. Their animosity comes to a head when they’re both up for the same promotion. However, as they explore their feelings for each other, they realize that to achieve a goal, one of them needs to lose.
You will love this book if you like cutesy, ingenuish heroines and incredibly handsome heros with a tough exterior but delicate insides, like a baguette. I do, so was pretty pleased with it. There was great emotional tension between the two and I might have teared up at some of the family stuff.
Five Reasons to Love The Hating Game:
1. Powerful Opening Paragraph
“I have a theory. Hating someone feels disturbingly similar to being in love with them. I’ve had a lot of time to compare love and hate, and these are my observations.”
This line sets the tone of Sally Thorne’s novel “The Hating Game.”
Love and hate. Good versus evil. Heaven and hell. These concepts are embedded in all good works of literature. To me, it makes perfect sense that a person can be kind of mean, maybe a lot mean, and also have a heart of gold.
Perhaps that’s why the love-hate relationship between Lucy and Josh kept me pining page after page for the eventual revelation of Josh’s big heart. Thorne essentially makes this promise from the first few sentences.
Forced to work opposite each other outside the office doors of their co-bosses at a recently merged conglomerate of two publishing companies, Josh and Lucy are destined to compete for the same job. His boss is despicable, lazy and loathsome. Hers is sensitive, understanding and pleasant. Josh fails to return Lucy’s smile the day they meet. Lucy lets an employee walk all over her, which drives Josh crazy. Despite their mutual loathing, they innately understand the rules behind their wordless games.
It’s a language of love Thorne takes her time encoding with each carefully chosen word.
2. Respecting the Less-Is-More Concept of Sex
Too many romance novels throw the couple into bed too soon. Or they wait until mid-book to lather on repeated love scenes. Every move of every part of their bodies must be described in cringe-worthy detail. Sex is not the story, people! The story is what is going on between these characters at a meaningful level. Make me work for that sex scene. Don’t beat me over the head with it!
This book balances the heated moments perfectly. They are there, and they are descriptive. But each word is chosen as carefully as the time and place where Josh and Lucy manage to get their plots aligned.
Bravo to Thorne, who weaves an engaging page-turning story built on love that’s just out of grasp through most of the book, rewarding her readers for their patience in the end.
3. Josh and Lucy are Relatable Characters
Lucy has an affable, doting father. Josh has a stilted, tough-love father. Her parents encourage her to go after the career she worked so hard to obtain. His parents can’t seem to provide a single “we’re so proud of you” moment. Josh is a vision of self care. Lucy is prone to freaking out. Their complimentary flaws and strengths are magnetic.
4. The Setting is All About Books
Thorne references classic literature as only well-read authors can do. And the setting, though unnamed, is vivid.
Josh and Lucy work in a publishing firm in an age where traditional publishing companies are tightening their belts. As an independent author, I appreciated the realism of this plot point. And I enjoyed living vicariously through characters who love the world of books enough to work among them.
5. The Ending is Neatly Untidy
We know these two will end up together. And the mystery of who will work where after Interview Day can be easily deduced. Extended family dramas are well sketched out as Josh and Lucy drive away from a key wedding scene. Yet we don’t “really” know.
Thorne doesn’t beat us over the head with our well-earned happy ending any more than she whacks us with crassly worded slimy sex scenes. The ending reveals as much as it has to, and leaves the colouring-in for our imaginations.
The Hating Game is the book to beat for 2020. What do you think? Did you love it or hate it? Or both?
Either way, Happy New Year!
Office setting, enemies to lovers, cleverly written characters!
Loved Loved Loved this book! Great chemistry between characters.
Absolutely loved this book. Enjoyed the characters and their day to day banter. Recently purchased another book from this author and can’t wait to start reading!
One of the best books I have read. Could not put it down. Loved the slow burn.
Very entertaining. The heroine was a bit annoying…is anyone really that clueless? I found her constantly expecting the hero to murder or hurt her a bit unrealistic. Frankly, it made her seem like a twit. But when I pushed that out of my mind, I enjoyed the book. I think it’s the old trap of a relatively new author trying to hard to create humor at the expense of a character. Just my personal preference, though. Otherwise, a very cute, entertaining story.
What can I say that’s not been said? This book is the perfect romance! Read it now!
A great read. This book has a perfect example of a Byronic Hero, my very favorite romantic hero type. Discovering this character’s true nature and feelings was the highlight of the story. The author also uses a lot of humor, which is always appreciated. It’s a contemporary romance and does contain a couple of steamy scenes. The book has made it onto several top 10 lists for good reason. It’s a very well done enemies to lovers tale. This is a book I’ll read more than once. Thank you Sally Thorne for sharing your novel with us.