The Hating Game
A Novel
-
-
4.4 • 573 Ratings
-
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
Now a movie starring Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell, USA Today bestselling author Sally Thorne’s 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. 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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
We love it when a rom-com pits two bitter rivals against each other when we just know they’re hiding a secret attraction. Romance queen Sally Thorne offers an utterly charming take on this beloved trope. The Hating Game centers around Lucy, an executive assistant at the Bexley & Gamin publishing house. Lucy is an eternal optimist—at least when her mood isn’t being fouled by her joyless workplace nemesis, Joshua, whom she hates. With a passion. The pair’s low-simmering rivalry boils over when the two start competing for the same promotion, unexpectedly revealing the steamy romantic desires hiding beneath their aversion to each other. Lucy and Joshua’s heated banter is irresistible, and being inside Lucy’s head as she dives into this secret office romance is a sweet, funny, and very sexy trip. We recommend you read Thorne’s book before you see the movie adaptation!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Since the day Lucy Hutton began sharing an office at her publishing company with Joshua Templeman, he's been the bane of her existence. Every day is a constant parade of one-upmanship and mind games. Now there's a huge promotion on the line, and they're both up for it. Lucy knows she couldn't keep working there if Joshua winds up becoming her boss, so she pours everything she has into a project to dazzle her superior but at the same time, she's suddenly gotten to know Joshua on a new level, and she's realizing very quickly that the lines between attraction and hatred are not as clear as she thought. After they acknowledge the heat between them and begin to do something about it, Lucy's paranoia sets in: is Joshua stringing her along in hopes that he'll gain the upper hand and the promotion? The denouement feels slightly off, and though Lucy and Joshua initially have chemistry to spare, the resolution of their story is a little bit too neat. Still, Thorne is skilled at creating Hepburn-and-Tracy-esque banter and an appealing heroine.
Customer Reviews
Smouldering
A nice quick read but very enjoyable. Well written with comedic interludes. Perfect beach read.
Fantastic
I was a little reluctant to read this book but I’m so glad I did! It took a while for me to get into her writing style as it hops around a lot but by the 5th chapter I was hooked. I liked the flirty dynamic between Josh and Lucy and how they end up being an example of a healthy, real relationship. I liked that both Josh and Lucy become deep characters that truly understand and see each other. I also enjoyed the way Lucy’s mind worked. Overall it was endearing and heartening.
Loved it
What a great read! I couldn’t put it down!