The Hating Game
A Novel
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4.6 • 2.3K Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
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. 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
He was in the back room
Hey baby I’m bout to go to bed
New Favorite, Hands Down
If you want to get caught looking like an idiot, smiling while reading a book (basically throughout the entirety of it), this is the one for you. My all time favorite book was Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover (who am I kidding, all her books are amazing), but The Hating Game quickly took that #1 spot. I could not put it down, I read it in less than 12 hours nearly nonstop, and never wanted it to end. The banter between these two characters is hilarious, the slow(ish) burn built anticipation and angst, but I never became frustrated wanting to rush to the “good part”. The entire book is the good part. Seriously, read this. Right now. But only if you have a day to spare... good luck putting this one down. 😉
Meh
It was over hyped and so slow I skipped so many chapters out of boredom