User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Four let’s make a party to congratulate we have a new evil-genius, sarcastic writer in the town who knows how to write a great mean romantic comedy stars!!!
I think promoting this book as a great choice for the fans of “Hating Games” might be wrong. Only thing there is similar with Sally Thorne’s book is “HATING”part. The characters are not colleagues. This is not slow burn enemies to lovers story. They’re already engaged. This could be best defined as friends-lovers-enemies-friends-again lovers story. Because the chronology of the couple’s relationship developed as I summarized.
At first the book a little irritated me. Because both characters acted like spoiled toddlers, immature brats who were evil minds trying so hard to sabotage each other or they were mostly each other’s throats! Sometimes I wanted to put duct tapes on their mouths and scold them to learn act like real grown-ups.
Let me introduce you Naomi who is about to lose her job, has limited connection with her family. She is making A,B,C,D plans for her life but she doesn’t get any action. And her fiancée, our hero, Nicholas, charming, successful but also a little arrogant, snob, annoying and truly mother’s boy.
Yessss, we had a MOTHER-IN LAW-ZILLA OR MOMAZILLA ALERT! Deborah, the evil queens of mother-in laws is quiet mash-up of Miranda Presley( Meryl Streep’s Devil Wears Prada character), Mary Louise Wright ( Meryl Streep’s Big Little Lies character), Eleanor Shaw ( Meryl Streep’s Manchurian Candidate character)! Okay she’s definitely evil version of Meryl Streep!
SO I was about to give two stars to this book! Because first 100 pages I hate the guts of the characters. Both of them were definition of shining, rising “DOUCHEBAGS” I found it ridiculous their decision to stay together. If they hated each other so much and said so many things to ruin what they had before, they should take time off or begin to communicate about what’s happening to them.
Playing games, working on multiple creative pranks might look like fun but they didn’t do anything about the elephant in their living room that not only broke all the valuable, fragile things but also is about to destroy their relationship.
Naomi seemed like too much coward to get an important decision about her life and Nicholas seemed like too stubborn to end things with her. But I have to admit, the pranks they’ve orchestrated were so entertaining.
Few pages later you began to root for Nicholas who was really trying to save their relationship. Without asking Naomi, buying a new house and making decisions about their lives seemed like a wrong move. But later we realized he did the right thing. Because he didn’t only buy a house, he also bought a place they could become a couple who still love each other and make things work.
THINGS MADE ME RAISE MY STAR POINTS:
- The second half of the book the couple made peace and realized the reasons why they fell in love with each other and they learned from their mistakes and turned into PARTNERS IN CRIME.
- The part how they met made me smile too much!
So yes, I had a little bad start but the witty, entertaining writing mesmerized me. I laughed so much especially the part Naomi and Nicholas’ hiding behind the closed door not to invite Deborah inside their house and telling their excuses from alien abduction to Nicholas’ real identity as Shia LaBeouf!
I had great time with this debut novel. So happy I lately meet with fantastic new writers.
Special thanks to Putnam and NetGalley for sharing this amazing ARC COPY with me as exchange my honest review.
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Rating: really liked it
The best things in the world are as follows:
- when you perfectly toast a bagel. I mean we all know how easy it is to underdo that bad boy so it’s still a weird squishy bread circle or even more likely, burn that baby till it’s glorified charcoal but when you really find that sweet spot...(chef’s kiss)
- baking cookies and then eating them while they’re still warm, and then you eat a whole tray because if you made them they don’t count as caloric
- genuine, believable enemies to lovers where you really feel them fall in love and also it’s funny and also everything is perfect.
https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...
Aka this book.
Because I am extremely picky about books and am disappointed by most of what I read, I like to do this very adorable and charming thing where when I like one thing, I assume I will like everything that is similar to it.
I very much enjoyed The Hating Game (possibly to an extent in which I compared myself both to a jack o’lantern and a gif from Disney’s Tangled in my review, I don’t know, who’s to say), and so I assumed I would like every rom-com. Especially ones that were actually funny.
Especially-especially of the enemies to lovers.
And, like the new Star Wars movie and orange-flavored Skittles and every other disappointing thing, that was not to be.
But finally, FINALLY, my suffering has been rewarded.
Because...dare I say it…
This book is better than The Hating Game.I KNOW.
Look at us. Hey! Look at us. Who would’ve thought?
Not me.
This is The Hating Game in terms of tropes and plot and the overall yay-falling-in-love feeling it gives off, but with better characters. And more humor.
GOD. This is so funny it doesn’t make sense. Since when are books funny? When was the last time I truly laughed at a book and I wasn’t laughing out of all the anger and hatred in my cold dark soul?
Not sure. Well before this, I’ll tell you that.
But it wasn’t just a barrel of laughs my friends. It also made my heart hurt, but in the good emotional way where you’re like, oh my god...fools...just love each other...kiss already...except also don’t because the drama and conflict and miscommunication and will-they-won’t-they (they will) is the fun part.
Basically what I’m saying is: I don’t know how to love anything without being obsessed with it, and I already want to read this eleven more times.
Bottom line: I didn’t play Animal Crossing for this! ANIMAL CROSSING!!!
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reread 3 updateworks every time.
desperately trying to stave off post-sarah hogle release depression with lily
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reread 2 updateserotonin: peaking
buddy (re)read with my taste twin and the one who has to cave to peer pressure--------------
reread 1 updatesimply rereading this so i can write a kickass review and not because i've been searching for a reason
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pre-reviewplease don't tell anyone i burst into tears at the gushy part of this book. it'll ruin my bad-boy image.
review to come / POSSIBLY FIVE STARS
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tbr reviewjust saw this quote from this book:
“I’m a miserable cynic (a newer development) and a dreamy romantic (always have been), and it’s such a terrible combination that I don’t know how to tolerate myself” and instantly started reading it because girl if that ain't me
Rating: really liked it
i appreciate the message that this story provides about putting work into your relationship and going the extra mile for your partner. plus, some of the last 30% was pretty cute.
BUT
this couple was...hard to care about. rather than the flirty, snappy banter that i associate with enemies to lovers; naomi and nicholas spent much of this book being childish, manipulative, and vindictive towards each other. they fucked around and pushed boundaries instead of just having a conversation about the problems in their relationship (which i get is realistic sometimes, but i am personally not a fan of stories that hinge on miscommunication ALONE). and once things improved, i was unable to suspend my disbelief that they would turn around as quickly as they did.
Rating: really liked it
5/5 "this book cracked me up" ⭐
Full review on my Blog: The Dacian She-Wolf 🐺
Not having any idea what this whole book was about except for the few exciting prompts that the synopsis promised, I dove head-first into it and boy, that was an experience I wasn’t expecting.
I mean, yeah, by now I realised that enemies-to-lovers tropes are my jam, but lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers plot with insanely good comedy? Sweet baby Jesus, YES.
Given the fact that this was my fifth rom-com novel of the week, I thought I was going to be kind of passive about it but honestly, it was one of the best rom-coms I’ve ever read and I don’t exaggerate when I say that I put it on my “Favourite Books” shelf because I might consider re-reading it someday.
This is how much I enjoy it.
The whole plot felt somehow fresh.
It started when Naomi and Nicholas were at the beginning of their relationship and everything was candy floss and unicorns. You know, the usual “I’m so in love with this perfect and gorgeous person omg I can’t believe how lucky I am” shit. Which is cute, but this is how rom-coms usually
end, not
start with.
The rest of the book until at least the half of it it’s what happens after two years of relationship and,
whoopsie, an engagement. Finally, I get to see how love dies in a romance book! Thank the divinity.
Naomi hates Nicholas with a passion. With two passions, actually, because she has to deal with his Mummy Dearest too.
Just picture it, Nicholas is Mummy’s adult boy, the Perfect Son™ who gets out of his way to please his parents (who are some sort of ungrateful snobs, btw) and he always puts Naomi on the second place just because she is not assertive enough to rub it in his face.
At first, I honestly hated both Nicholas and his mother (Deborah, Deb for friends *wink wink*) and I had this vivid image in my head of a perfectly shaped hoof on either of their faces because boy, they deserved a donkey-kick in their mouths. (Nicholas is a dentist so, pun definitely intended).
Nicholas was being a total pig with Naomi and by the time she realised that, Hurricane Naomi was unleashed. And it felt so damn good. She hated him and she wanted nothing more than make his life a living hell until he, eventually, called the wedding off. But the thing is, two could play this game and so Nicholas launched in this little war of marriage, not letting Naomi have her way.
I honestly loved the comedy in this. I haven’t laughed like that in such a long time it felt like aeons. But this book was so witty with words that I couldn’t help but crack up every five pages. The banter is just amazing.
The second half of the book was extremely sweet – it was a journey of discovering lost feelings and learning how to fell in love all over again. It was tender and fun and lovable and nerdy and delicious and it felt like that childhood blanket that you forgot about but when you found it again and held it tight to your chest it brought back all the good times.
I am so happy I picked up this book because it was the best combination of comedy and romance – one of the most balanced novels of this genre that I’ve ever come across.
To me, this book felt more like an actual film, where I could see perfectly with my mind’s eye everything I was reading. To me, it was like that comfortable romantic comedy that one watches over and over again and never gets tired of because it feels somehow safe and true.
I am definitely impressed and I am – for sure – going to re-read this at least once.
(Book-styled)
Rating: really liked it
you know the feeling when you discover a new trope, you love it, and now you want to read all the books that have it? thats me right now. this whole ‘refalling back in love’ theme is both the cause and cure for my heart arrhythmias.
seriously, have i been living under a rock? why is this trope not more popular? the whole process of two people trying to remember why they fell in love with each other can go in so many good directions. in the case of this novel, its cute and fun and flirty and touching.
i loved the banter between naomi and nicholas. it made me so sad when they fought because of just how good they are together. i love the how they rekindled their friendship and saw what they had was worth sacrifice and fighting for.
i really enjoyed this and i am looking forward to what SH puts out next!
↠ 4 stars
Rating: really liked it
I'm not sure I've ever laughed that hard while reading a book.Ever.
Like, out loud with tears running down my face. Not even kidding a little bit.
Ok, and that may be because the timing on this was nigh on perfect. I was very much in the mood to Carole Baskin my husband when I came across this book, and it hit me directly in the funnybone.
See, my spouse & I were at the time going several rounds over this hideous thing he did to our mailbox after a few too many Margaritas.
He got this brilliant idea to use these rocks he found on the side of the road, some ratty sort of half-dead grass plant, and CACTUS that (I'm assuming) he also found on the side of the road. Then he stuffed all of his redneck plants into the ground and dug up the surrounding grass at some sort of an off-kilter angle and plopped his nasty roadside rocks all around my poor mailbox.
WHO THE FUCK DOES THAT?!
I was so mad I kept getting up that night to peer angrily out the window at it. Eventually, I stomped downstairs and slept on the couch.
For THREE days. 
Each morning I would put on a pot of coffee and make my way upstairs while he was getting ready for work, just so that I could Google things in front of him like this:
Cute Mailbox Landscaping.
The Proper Way to Landscape Your Mailbox.
How Not To Look Like a Hillbilly When Landscaping Your Mailbox.
How to Fix Fucked Up Mailbox Landscaping.My vacation to the sofa pinched something in my spine, causing my leg to tingle unpleasantly for days afterward. In fact, I'm
still revving up the heating pad at night to make up for sleeping on that caved-in monstrosity that my children have ruined with their inability to sit down on anything gently.
And yet, even with the knowledge that my big toe and right ass-cheek will likely continue to have the odd twinge for the next few weeks, I'd still sanctimoniously snatch up my pillow and loudly make my way downstairs.
Why?
Because I wore him down!
Was there ever a doubt in your mind?And right now when I look out my window and peer at my mailbox, there's a nice set of pavers surrounding some colorful bushes and tasteful plants accented with white rock.
Here's how it went down:
7am Day 3Him: So. What? Are you saying you
don't like what I did to the mailbox?
Me:
Him: Fine then. I guess I'll just go out and move it all BEFORE I GO TO WORK THIS MORNING.
*pauses for me to tell him not to trouble himself*
Me:
Him:
*happy sigh*
Gone are the half-dead sprigs of roadside weeds. Gone are the mismatched rocks thrown haphazardly in an off-centered half circle. Gone are the torn clumps of cactus pushed into the ground with all the finesse of a drunken toddler.
Although the mailbox itself still tilts slightly to the left because he ran it over with the U-Haul on the day we moved in. This was apparently my fault, though, because I had parked my car in such a way that it obscured his field of view. Whatthefuckever.
Idiot.
I said all that to say this, the level of gleeful pettiness in this book is something that you can only have between two people who realize they are financially & socially trapped together - in my case, till death do us part. These two were only engaged and already they were feeling the pinch!
Now add 20 years to that...
At some point, every part of a couple's life becomes unbelievably twisted together. What should be comforting can start to chafe, and then the quiet realization sets in that you two are fucking stuck together. You
can't leave because then you're the asshole that
left. You can kiss your mutual friends goodbye because they are inevitably going to side with your poor discarded ex.
Also, you usually get stuck footing the bill for shit if you leave.
BUT.
If you get the other one to pull the plug on the life support? Well, then you can skip-a-dee-doo-da right out the door free and clear as the
injured party!
How exactly do you go about getting someone to leave you once you realize that
they have the same plan in mind?
That is the story
You Deserve Each Other is telling.
The insidious future mother-in-law, the preppy snob of a fiancee, the feelings of annoyance mingled with embarrassment...
And when our hilarious heroine pulls off her gloves and throws away all of her fucks it turns into a giant game of relationship chicken.
I honestly can't believe this was Sarah Hogle's debut book. How? This woman is legitimately so funny she may be responsible for saving my husband's life.
Instead of feeding him to a tiger, I just went and read a little more of this book. In fact, I'm buying the book so the next time he pulls something stupid (and he will) I will have something to do with my hands other than choke the life out of him.
It's a win-win situation!
Highly Recommended!PS - I'm looking for a reasonably priced meat grinder.
Asking for a friend.2021 Audiobook ReviewI listened to the audiobook this time around because I saw that my library purchased a copy. I ran across it accidentally and was soooo excited. I wasn't even planning a re-read any time soon, but I couldn't pass this up. You know how a funny narrator can make even a mildly funny book
hilarious by adding extra inflections and whatnot?
Yeah.
Well, this narrator wasn't
bad, but let's just say it was funnier when I read it myself. It was still a cute book, but I wouldn't shell out the extra $$ for the audiobook.
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Edition: Unabridged
Taylor Meskimen - Narrator
Rating: really liked it
5 stars 
You Deserve Each Other is Sarah Hogle's debut novel and it blew me I away! I haven't laughed so hard or felt so much while reading in quiet a while. Definitely one of the best books I've read this year.
Naomi is in a rut. She's engaged, but half the time she doesn't even know if she wants to be with her fiancé anymore. Too bad the wedding planning is so far along, or else she'd probably call it quits. Her mother-in-law to be is a nightmare and she's finding it hard to tell if her fiancé even cares. Eventually, they get in this war of sorts. Pranks ensue and all bets are off. And let me tell you, it's a wild ride. I'm not sure if I've ever had this much fun reading a book before.
We already know each others worst. We've battled right through it and come out the other side unbreakable.
Naomi and Nicholas... I couldn't tell you which one I loved more. At the start of the book I couldn't tell if I would like Nicholas or not but he grew on me and I fell hard. Naomi is fierce, strong, and a take no crap heroine. Nicholas seems like a weaker hero and a bit of a mama's boy at first, but the second half of the book, boy did he shine. He showed Naomi through his actions that she was his priority and I laughed and swooned so hard.
This story captivated me from the start. I love when a book can keep me fully engaged, and this did just that. The characters are endearing and their back and forth was top notch. Plus, the writing was strong and witty. I couldn't put this one down. It was emotional, hilarious, sweet, fun, and just everything I wanted.
This book was truly fantastic and I couldn't have loved it more. The enemies to lovers, the banter, and the romance... sigh. It was perfect for me. I'll be reading whatever else this author rights. I have a feeling that this will be my favorite debut of the year and maybe even my favorite book. I give this the highest of 5 stars and can't recommend it enough!
Rating: really liked it
this book is genuinely bizarre. i'm still struck by how it was written like a thriller. but i also didn't hate it. more thoughts later.
Rating: really liked it
2.5 StarsIt is a truth universally acknowledged that the enemies to lovers trope—of which I pride myself in being a true fan—is SUPERIOR.
You Deserve Each Other takes the ‘hating you to loving you’ debacle to the NEXT LEVEL. It’s glowing with
bitterness that only a special someone (who’s not me) can absorb. I’m not overstating when I say I’m tremendously devastated by how much of a disappointment this book is.
Nicholas and Naomi are engaged. But they’re having a not so little trouble in paradise.
“All I know is that a few months ago I woke up from a very long sleep and discovered I was engaged to someone I can barely stand.”
The two of them decided that the best way to get out of the situation is to lock themselves in a battle of wills where one voluntarily goes the extra mile to be OBNOXIOUSLY DESPICABLE to the other. The endgame is to see which one of them will raise the white flag first. Ikr, how very mature of them!
“My engagement to Nicholas Rose is a game of chicken.”
From here on out, what shall be the pettiest, nastiest, and most childish ‘pranks and emotional warfare’ to ever go down in history ensues.
I’m genuinely confounded. How anyone thinks this book is fun and entertaining is beyond me. These two prideful sons of bitches are NOT bantering, let alone
communicating—they don’t have that word in their vocabulary. They are BICKERING, and it’s not funny nor it is sexy. I could probably accept it if the delivery had come off sounding playful, teasing, and held the underlying pretext of affection.
But that is not the case.The words that run out of their mouths are plain offensive, rude, and condescending. Idk, maybe I need a medical check up with Dr. (insert any world famous comedian) to see if there’s something wrong with my sense of humor, but
I COULD NOT for the life of me STAND these two. Furthermore, Naomi’s cynicism is really not helping.
I’ve never wanted to STRANGLE someone as much as I did her.
I hated that everytime Nick tried to communicate his feelings, she only belittled him and turned whatever he said against him to make herself the victim. I’d been understanding of her predicament, but any sympathy I had for her was gone, PUFF! Goodbye, consider yourself CANCELED!
But worry not!
The book did get BETTER.
For everyone else at least.
There are a number of sweet re-falling back in love moments in the second half. The problem is,
the first half SCARRED me so deep I had a PTSD. Everytime I found myself swooning, smiling, blushing, and laughing under my breath over the adorable things these two fools did (view spoiler)
[(Leon’s car fiasco, the fishing scene, the notes, the flowers, the cat fight and almost dry hump scene, the teaming up against evil mother in law scene) (hide spoiler)],
I chided myself for feeling anything but contempt.
I’m not a relationship expert, but I do believe that what these two are going through is not uncommon. What’s implausible to me is how any real couple can fall back in love with their significant other by purposefully being mean spirited, stubborn, vengeful, and vindictive to each other. And not in a love disguised or misunderstood as hate kind of way.
I can kinda see Nick’s intention has always been to save the relationship. Naomi’s is the opposite because she’s such a cynic. Maybe it’s enough that one person is fighting for both. But we didn’t even get Nick’s POV. And
inside Naomi’s head, there was too much HATE and NEGATIVITY that I just didn’t buy what this book was selling me. I don’t get this book, and I’m okay with it. If not, maybe a little hurt.
(Read as an Audiobook)
Rating: really liked it
I woke up thinking about this book this morning and already wanting to reread and that alone warrants it a 5 star. It’s safe to say I am obsessed with it.
But if you need reasons to pick it up then I have some, I guess. This is generally a trope that works for me. I enjoy second-chance love stories. I enjoy seeing what makes a couple fall in love again, or in this case, save their relationship as well.
There are always a whole load of factors that come into play when a relationship almost breaks down. And whilst this story covered that up with humour, sarcasm and pettiness which I highly enjoyed, the dislike between them was still palpable. To the point where I had doubts these two characters would make their relationship work. I didn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.
But then it gets to a point where they’ve had enough and fighting becomes exhausting and we get exposed to these glimpses of vulnerability and tenderness - which made me choke up a bit - and makes them remember why they fell for one another. And had they communicated from the beginning and boundaries been set, it could’ve all been avoided.
However choosing to be open with someone isn’t always that easy. I always dislike it when characters get questioned about why they couldn’t communicate their feelings. It doesn’t come naturally to most people. Being vulnerable isn’t something that is taught and frankly, is tough as fuck. Especially when you’ve already feel like you’ve been dismissed several times. But they chose to make it work.
All in all, every part of this story clicked for me. They formed and defined their own family, they chose to work hard at their relationship again and through all of that, it made their relationship all the more better than when they initially got together. They became a team.
———————
GIVE. ME. THIS. BOOK!!!!
Rating: really liked it
—MARCH ‘22 REVIEW—THIS IS MY SECOND TIME READING IT AND WOOOOOW, it’s even better than the first time.
It’s not just the humor and the hijinks and the love between them, but ALSO THE HATE. And not just in an “enemies to lovers” kind of way, but seeing and feeling the struggle in their relationship and seeing them come full circle is so satisfying and beautiful to read about.
I genuinely love the issues they have in the beginning. I love that they lost sight of themselves and their love for each other. I love that they played chicken in their relationship. That Naomi doubted so many parts about herself. Every bit of it felt so real and raw to me and I think what makes me love it even more is the fact that I’ve felt that way before!! Both in being in a relationship with someone else and with myself. And reading about it with a dose of lightness and humor makes it a story that sticks with me.
Is me relating to the book a large factor in why I love this book so much?? Yes… probably. But take that away and the same thing stands to be true: THIS WAS JUST SUCH A WONDERFUL BOOK ALL AROUND!! You won’t regret it, 1,000% recommend.
It’s hilarious, it’s witty, it’s romantic. I found myself laughing out loud in so many parts because Naomi delivers her lines so well. None of it felt forced. It wasn’t cringy to read for me. You get to see her go a little unhinged and she speaks out loud all of my thoughts 😂
Discovering the little, but significant things they do for each other and reading about how they come to appreciate that themselves makes me wanna fall in love all over again.
Reading it for the first time was an absolute treat.
Reading it again for the second time WAS EVEN BETTER.
Maybe I’ll come back a third time later this year 🤪
It’s a comfort read. I just feel so happy and at ease in this book and I hope you find some semblance of this when you read it! I can pick up this book at any time and find comfort in it. It’s probably unhealthy to be this obsessed with a book!! It’s honestly hard to flip through and enjoy segments because it just makes me wanna reread it all over again.
Side note: I hate falling in love with books because how the fuck am I supposed to move on?!?!
I’m supposed to just pick up another book and… read?! 😫 NO THANKS
—JULY ‘21 REVIEW—Under 4 star average??? STOP IT.
This was phenomenal for me. It’s the perfect blend of romcom and I also thoroughly enjoyed the internal monologue from Naomi. Learning how she felt and all of her personal insecurities 😩 It just made me love her even more.
Nicholas is SOOOO sweet. He remembers everything about her, everything she likes, and he’s so proactive in making them work as a couple.
You get to experience and feel the 360 of their relationship and wghrddslkdnc GODDAMN IT. One of my favorite comfort reads now.
5 out of 5. 10 out of 10. HIGHLY RECOMMEND I loved it so much😩❤️🔥❤️🔥
Rating: really liked it
First Read June 2020Thank you to Sarah Hogle for blessing 2020 with my new favourite comfort book. It's been days since I've finished this one and I'm not gonna lie-
I'm having serious withdrawals. “Enjoy your Thanksgiving!” he calls over his shoulder.
“You two are assholes!” she calls back. “You deserve each other.”
I send her a thumbs-up. “Thanks!”
Naomi and Nicholas are
that perfect couple. The one who everyone envies. The one who's sickeningly cute instagram posts make you hate and love them at the same time.
What started out as love has slowly turned into resentment, Naomi is tired of faking happiness, because in a few months time they will be walking down the isle and Naomi has to figure out a way to back out of this engagement without it seeming her fault. Because she knows that if
she's the one to break it off — Nicholas's controlling mother will make sure she pays the extensive and nonrefundable wedding bill.
Much to Naomi's surprise, it seems Nicholas has been ‘faking happy’ too. Trying to push her away so that he doesn't have to end their engagement.
And so commences a war of pranks and sabotage between two stubborn people.
When I’m in the bathroom, he orders me a Dr Pepper, which he knows is my favorite.
Before we leave, I wipe all the crumbs and used napkins from the table onto our plates and stack them, which I know he appreciates because he tries to be helpful to the busboys.
When we get back out to the car, we plot how to ruin each other’s lives.
Okay so everyone was right about this being like
The Hating Game. Sarah Hogle wrote Naomi in a similar style that Sally Thorne wrote Lucy — with rambling inner monologues and crazy exaggerated thoughts.
Please don't think I'm complaining. I. LOVED. IT. I was
laughing so much while reading this book, I had a permanent smile on my face! The pranks, the pettiness — were top notch. I found myself reading right through the night laughing at the juvenile antics of both Naomi and Nicholas, it was endlessly entertaining!
Let's talk about the lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers ( or does love-to-hate-to-love fit better? Idk) trope. I have come across this trope many times before. It's quite popular as it usually goes hand in hand with the ‘second chance romance’ trope.
But none other was as good as this one.What I loved most was the growth! In between the pranks you get the sense that neither of them has ever been real with the other. When both Naomi and Nicholas start to let their guard down bit by bit and begin reflecting on their own contribution to the problems of their relationship. They've both been faking perfect and it was lovely to see them both rediscover the other.
I inadvertently let him in to see the ugly parts but instead of running away like I’d counted on him to do, he wrapped his arms around all of that ugliness and didn’t let go. They go from hating each other, to becoming friends and a team. It was so beautiful.
If I'm being completely honest, both characters came off a bit annoying in the beginning with how immature they can be but they grew on me and I love them to pieces!
I wish we had some Nicholas POV, that would have been a great insight to have.
The next time I fall into a reading slump you can bet that this is the book I'll be picking up for a reread!!
___
Second Read October 2020Just as good as the first time! I listened to the audiobook this round and it took some time getting used to the narrator. I think because I already loved the book so much the narrator didn't spoil the experience for me.
Rereading this just made me even more excited for future works from Sarah Hogle!!
This won't be the last time I reread this book.
___
innitial reactionThe funny thing is that I received an ARC of this book a long time ago and I just...I didn't read it? I forgot? What a damn fool I was.
I finished this at 3AM and it was the first thing I thought about when I woke up a couple hours later. Will I reread? Most definitely.
___
My good friends May and Warda told me this is similar in style to The Hating Game ( which I have read 4 times and am complete trash for). I haven't read a romance since March (I know,
i know wtf right?!) and I'm overdue for some feels!!
Rating: really liked it
This is probably one of the most chaotic romances I have read. But what can I say... I loved it.
Rating: really liked it
This book is The Hating Game if The Hating Game snorted three lines of cocaine and drank thirty cups of coffee and also had ADHD
Rating: really liked it
I read this book three times in one week. I think that should tell you something. I hope that something is: PICK UP THIS BOOK!!!This book is marketed for fans of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne.
And they are so right because this book is like
The Hating Game turned up to eleven! Naomi and Nicholas were hilarious in their efforts to mess with each other. The length they went to were both juvenile and petty and I loved every second of it!
Mixed in with all their pranks and not so subtle jabs at each other, it is very obvious that the two still do care for each other and that was probably the best part. They knew all of each other's weak spots and used every advantage at their disposal, all while somehow remaining amicable enough to coinhabit.
I think the following passage describes their relationship best of all:
"When I'm in the bathroom, he orders me a Dr. Pepper, which he knows is my favorite.
Before we leave, I wipe all the crumbs onto our plates and stack them, which I know he appreciates because he tries to be helpful with the busboys.
When we get back out to the car, we plot how to ruin each other's lives."
Throughout the book there are a lot of arguments, some of them petty and some of them valid. There is lots of family drama and character growth.
But there was also the underlying romance that grew throughout it all.
Naomi and Nicholas were great to read about. I loved their antics, but more than that I loved the complexity of their relationships. They love so much about each other and yet don't actually like who the other is, or rather, who the other has become over time. They are trying to figure themselves, and each other, out and that was the best part of the book. I loved seeing their journey to being people who they themselves, and the other, both love.
I did originally give this book four stars and it's because I have to admit, the characters are kind of annoying at first. They act like spoiled brats. They barely tolerate each other and acted as if they were justified in their behavior while the other was obviously wrong. Naomi is whiny and self-absorbed. Nicholas is an arrogant momma's boy. That does change as the book progresses and it was something I sort of overlooked in my rereadings since I knew what went down later.
Still, I don't doubt that I will probably be rereading this book yet again in the future.If you're a fan of
The Hating Game, I highly recommend this one. And if you haven't read The Hating Game, then I recommend this even more. If you're one of the few who hated it, then maybe this won't be for you, but also, I say give it a shot.
All of that said, if you simply like great and hilarious and well written contemporary romances, then this is the book for you.
I can't wait to see what else this author has in store for the future!**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
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