The Romantic Comedy Book Club
Written on Sep 3, 2022
'Charming, self-deprecating, quick-witted and funny' The New York Times
'The Hating Game is bursting at the seams with love (and hate) and heart' Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners
Now a film starring Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell, globally bestselling author Sally Thorne's hilarious workplace comedy is all about the fine line between love and hate.
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman sit across from each other every day . . . and they hate each other.
Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. HATE. Lucy can't understand Joshua's joyless, uptight approach to his job and refusal to smile. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy's overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and desire to be liked.
Now they're up for the same promotion and Lucy, usually a determined people-pleaser, has had enough: it's time to take him down. But as the tension between Lucy and Joshua reaches its boiling point, it's clear that the real battle has only just begun . . .
This bestselling, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy is an unmissable treat, perfect for fans of Christina Lauren's UNHONEYMOONERS or Emily Henry's BEACH READ.
'Funny, sexy and instantly unputdownable' Paige Toon
'The next Sophie Kinsella' Bustle
'A smart and funny modern romance' Good Housekeeping
'Acerbic and sexy and filled with tension . . . a wicked, witty romance that will capture readers' hearts long before Joshua manages to capture Lucy's' Sarah MacLean, Washington Post
- ISBN10 0349414246
- ISBN13 9780349414249
- Publish Date 9 August 2016
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
- Imprint Piatkus Books
- Edition Digital original
- Format eBook (EPUB)
- Pages 90000
- Language English
Reviews
I found out on Instagram that The Hating Game has been made into a movie and will be released in December 2021. I thought it was finally time to read the book after having it on my TBR for a while now. I always try to read the book before seeing the movie/tv show that the book has adapted. (Sometimes that doesn’t work out, but in this case, it did.) Thanks to my local library for having a copy for me to borrow to tackle reading The Hating Game finally.
Storyline/My Thoughts: Firstly, The Hating Game is the first book I’ve read by author Sally Thorne. I’m going to admit right away I almost DNF’d this book because I wouldn’t say I liked how it was told from only one point of view, and Lucy was driving me crazy. Her details on certain situations were confusing at times if that makes sense. I wish I could’ve gotten Josh’s point of view, but I know it probably would’ve taken away with where Sally Thorne was having the story go as far as Lucy and Josh’s relationship together.
What did I enjoy about this book that prevented me from DNFing?
- The Enemies to Lovers Trope is what kept me reading. Lucy and Josh work together at a publishing company. Neither of them likes each other and makes it challenging to work together. The HR department doesn’t even like these two working together. I actually liked these two characters interacting with each other. (I did wish I could’ve been inside of Josh’s head to see his reaction to Lucy.) They both were fighting over a new managerial position that their bosses had created in their company—the constant banter on who was going to get the position kept the book interesting.
- The minute Josh and Lucy are due to get together, Josh is very respectful of boundaries. He doesn’t want to take it too far and doesn’t want Lucy to forget about him. Lucy was the one who couldn’t handle waiting when it came to Josh. She was confused the whole time.
- I liked getting to know both characters and their backgrounds. Josh is from a family of doctors, and Lucy is from a small-town farm living and now lives in the big city.
Here’s a couple of things that bothered me, though, with the book:
- The ending. It felt incomplete, and I really wish there would’ve been an epilogue. I felt that there was no actual conclusion and happily ever after with the characters.
- There was an issue with Lucy at first since the book was only told from her point of view. She drove me crazy at times with how she handled certain situations, and she described everything. Some of it didn’t make sense. (I’ve stated above in my review.)
Other than those two things, I did like the book. I give it four stars and hope to read more from Sally Thorne soon.
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s a standalone book.
Steaminess: ⭐️ ⭐️
Trope: Enemies to Lovers; Office Romance; One-Bed; Forced Proximity
HEA: Yes. (somewhat) I wish there had been a epilogue to this book.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you enjoy Contemporary Romance, that involves the tropes above that I listed.
scarr
Written on Feb 11, 2021
leahrosereads
Written on Aug 25, 2019
boghunden
Written on Aug 12, 2019
I've heard so many great things about it, but it just didn't do it for me. I felt like nothing happened.
It probably doesn't help that hate-to-lovers isn't exactly my favorite trope, and I also tend to dislike slow burn romances. This book had both of those things.
I also have to admit that the fact that it was several lacking some steam! I'm not even gonna say I'm sorry about that. Part of a good romance novel to me is the steam. This book had one sex scene and it happened in chapter 24, I believe, and it wasn't really all that good. There was potential for so much more, the chemistry was definitely there!
Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate this book. Not at all. It was sweet and swoony, I just expected more. I liked Lucy's character a lot, and I also grew to like Josh. I loved when Lucy told off Julia, and also Josh's dad.
I liked the writing style of the book, it was well written. It didn't read like a debut novel at all! I'm thrilled to read the author's next book.
Joséphine
Written on May 17, 2019
I just wish I could’ve skipped over this one scene that I found uncomfortably aggressive (some might say passionate but I’m not part of that group). Obviously, seeing how this is a romance novel, there were intimate moments but again, I would’ve loved to skipped those parts. Too bad it’s harder to skip ahead without going too far in an audiobook compared to a paperback.
Anyway, besides those parts, I really enjoyed the dynamics among the characters, and I have to say, the conclusions to the story absolutely made this book.
maggiefan
Written on Mar 30, 2019
Mercy
Written on Jul 28, 2018
I don't know how to feel about this book. I'm torn between deciding whether I find it cute or creepy. 😂😂😂
Leigha
Written on Jun 21, 2018
So many reviewers enjoyed this one, but I was not one of them. Personally, I did not like the writing style. It seemed to hover between purple and beige prose. Sometimes the description would be too overwhelming, while at other time I felt like the story was missing a lot of details. I suggest you read a chapter or two prior to purchasing it in case you too have an issue with the writing.
While the plot was enjoyable, I found the characters to be lacking. Lucy is charming, but not all that interesting. Joshua is broody, and occasionally his behavior becomes boorish. The two had chemistry, but their connection was missing. It bothered me that Joshua kept shooting down Lucy's offers of friendship. You can be both friends and lovers, people. You can have it both ways!!! In the end, I couldn't connect to the characters and I couldn't connect to the story.
tl;dr While an enjoyable plot, the characters and writing style were not for me. Perhaps they will be for you!
Cocktails and Books
Written on Jun 7, 2018