You know how a book can be recommended over and over to you by people who know you? And you kind of worry in the back of your mind that you won’t like the book and then what? Yeah, this book was recommended to me repeatedly but holy crap it was love at first reading, hitting on multiple tropes I love and ones I didn’t know I loved!

The first thing about this book that I loved and any book lover should love is that its main setting is a book publishing company. It’s really hard for me to not like a book that has that kind of setting you know? That follows closely a library setting or a book store…I’m not sure which of those book settings come first in all honesty, too close to call! Lucy and Josh have hated each other on sight since their 2 companies merged into one, which is unfortunate seeing as they literally share an office. They’re pitted against each other for a promotion and this slowly reveals their true feelings towards each other.

I can’t even begin to describe how well written this was. When I found out this was a debut novel for Sally Thorne I was astonished! This author created such a great slow burn of a romance – which I just recently discovered I really love – out of enemies. On top of that there were these small moments of revelations between Lucy and Josh but then they retreat behind their work. The book revolved solely around these two characters and it was surprisingly enjoyable to get to know just two people so well and then wait to see them figure things out.

There is one particular moment near the end that I reread repeatedly. I was overjoyed at this scene, I don’t know that I’ve read quite as satisfactory scene as this one in any other romance before. I loved Josh and Lucy so much, and the ending made me overwhelmingly happy. You need to read this. You won’t regret it!

 

Rating: 5 stars

Reviewer: Melinda

Title: The Hating Game

Author: Sally Thorne

Release Date: August 9, 2016

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