BOOK REVIEW: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (2024)

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
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Synopsis:

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. 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.

Review:

I type my password: IHATEJOSHUA4EV@.

The Hating Game consumed my every waking thought. I’m a huge fan of enemies to lovers, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I loved this book, but it felt so much more then this isa favorite book.I felt as though I knew Lucy and Josh, as though they were a part of me. Their story had me clinging onto theirevery word and scene. My emotions were tied up in knots. And I couldn’t stop thinking about them long after I read that last page.The Hating Game is a must read for fans of enemies to lovers and adult romance!

“What are you imagining? Your expression is filthy.”
“Strangling you. Bare hands.” I can barely get the words out. I’m huskier than a phone-sex operator after a double shift.
“So that’s your kink.” His eyes aregoing dark.
“Only where you’re concerned.”
Both his eyebrows ratchet up,and he opens his mouth as his eyes go completely black, but he does notseem to be able to say a word.
It is wonderful.

Lucy Hutton and Josh Templemanworked at the same office. Their companies had merged and they were both assistants to the co-COs. They sat across from each other and hated the other passionately. The games they played and ways they tried to mess with the other every chance they got was addicting. They were a complete and utterHR nightmare. With a new position opening, Josh and Lucy found themselves competing for the same promotion. And in the process, both of their lives would never be the same.

“Shortcake.”
The sweet little word dissolves and I swallow.
“I’m not going to kill you. You’re so dramatic.” Then he presses his mouthlightly against mine.

Lucy Hutton was someone I adored. Her thoughts cracked me up and while she was a little eccentric, she was so relatable and loveable. Her attempts to messwith Josh in the best ways possible made me ridiculously happy! Yet when Josh would try and be nice to her, ugh, my heart hurt because I was begging for her not to freak out. Lucy made mistakes and I understood why. She was so lonely and friendless. I just wanted to give her a hug. Or shake some sense into her when she got Danny to go on a date with her.Yes he was kind and helpful to Lucy, but I wanted to shove him down to the ground and instead push Josh into her face and scream pick him!

His lips curve and I touch his face. The first smile Joshua’s ever had in my presence is pressed against my lips. I pull back in astonishment, and in one millisecond his face has defaulted back to grave and serious, albeit flushed.

Obsessedisn’t a huge enough word to describe my feelings towards Josh. He could be such an asshole and mean to Lucy, but at the same time he could also be kind, caring, compassionate and thoughtful *likethe lemonade,sobs*. He seemed to have so much going on under the surface and I desperately wanted to know all of his thoughts. Especially since from the second chapter on, it seemed like Josh was jealous of Lucy’s niceness to other males, when all she gave him was hate. So I was herefor ALL of the jealousy that would play out! But he was so much more then that.From each time he spoke up, toeach time hecalled her shortcake, to each time he made marks in his planner, to every single kind thing he did, Josh made me fall in love with him that much deeper. The more of Josh we got to see, it was so easy to see that he truly was everything.

When I think about his teeth biting softly down on my bottom lip, I get a clenching flutter between my legs. When I think of his hand on the back of my thigh, I have to reach down and feel where his fingers spread. The hardness of his body? I can skip breathing for a bit. I wonder how Itasted to him. How I felt.

Thisbook made me feel ALL the emotions!One moment I’d have tears in my eyes and my heart was in my throat, and the next I’d be laughing so hard I’d have tears in my eyes again. The Hating Game was emotional, heartfelt, seductive and so much fun! When you throw in their fighting and that they could be funny without even trying, this book became a favorite so easily. I swear I smiled from the first page to the last! Especially since their chemistry was electrifying. Any moment they touched felt explosive. And as more happened, this book could be sosteamy and hot! Mix in some matchbox cars and smurfs and this is a story I’ll remember forever.

“Stop calling me Shortcake.” I try to roll onto my side but he presses the heels of his palms lightly against my shoulders. I stop breathing.
“Watching you pretend to hate that nickname is the best part of my day.”

From page one, I was obsessed. I loved Lucy’s voice and the moment Josh appeared, eeps I was a goner. If you love enemies to lovers, fabulous banter, emotional moments, and multi facetedcharacters, thenyou need this book in your life! The Hating Game became an instant favorite and I can’t wait to re-read this one down the road!

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