A Novel by Sally Thorne, William Morrow/HarpersCollins, August 2016.
* An e-galley was provided by William Morrow/HarpersCollins and Edelweiss for an honest review.
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
THE HATING GAME, Sally Thorne's impressive debut work, is one of the cutest books I've read in a long time. It's a story about the love-hate relationship between Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeton, office mates and personal assistants to co-CEOs of the merged Bexley & Gamin publishing company.
From their first meeting, Lucy and Joshua have annoyed, ignored, and pushed the other in a constant dance of one-up-manship. They play little office games guaranteed to irritate (i.e., the Mirror Game, the Staring Game, the HR Game), the ultimate goal being to elicit smiles or tears. She wears bright red lipstick, and her wardrobe is full of knits and retro. His is strictly business suits and ties, colored with an array of starched shirts. She's only five feet tall. He stands over six feet. She takes baked goods to division heads meetings. He scares even the most hardened staff member. And when they become competitors for a newly created position just above their own, they do everything they can to win the sole promotion spot. So what happens when they realize just how much they love their "hate" relationship?
There are so many things I like about this story. First, is the writing style of the author. It's refreshing and engaging, and though I don't usually like books written in present tense, it works here. Second, I enjoy the main story and the subplots. They flow together seamlessly and come to a satisfying conclusion. Also, the two main characters have interesting backstories and are developed so well, I feel like I've known them forever. And finally, by the end of the story, both Lucy and Josh have grown and changed to the point you know that they'll have good things in their future.
THE HATING GAME is a witty, engaging debut book and one destined for my re-read shelf. The lighthearted story is perfect for a vacation or for a relaxing weekend at home and would be a great addition to your contemporary romance library. I look forward to reading future works by Ms. Thorne.
If You Like This, You Might Like: WEDDING BELLES and SEX, LOVE & STILETTO series by Lauren Layne, FBI/US ATTORNEY series by Julie James, GIDEON COVE and BLUE HERON series by Kristan Higgins, CHICAGO STARS series by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, HOT ZONE and LUCKY TRILOGY series by Carly Phillips
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