(Book review)

“I want to know what’s going on in your brain. I want to juice your head like a lemon.”

The Hating Game is a rom-com book written by Sally Thorne in 2016. This book became popular on Booktok in a glimpse of an eye, and I can relate to that.

It is a story about Lucy and Joshua who work together in a publishing company and truly hate each other.

“I type my password: IHATEJOSHUA4EV@. My previous passwords have all been variations on how much I hate Joshua. For Ever.”

That hate is like a game to them. Sometimes you think that they’re going to literally kill each other.

“What are you imagining? Your expression is filthy.”
“Strangling you. Bare hands.”

However, one day, after a long working day Lucy and Joshua are riding an elevator, and he suddenly kisses her. The tension between them is building and then he just…leaves. Lucy’s shocked. Is he trying to mess with her mind? What was the kiss for? And the most important question: why did she like it?

Sounds like a typical enemies-to-lovers rom com, right? Well, you are not mistaken; still it is a great book to relax. It is obvious, sweet and spicy, yet you want to flip through pages to discover every single part of their relationship.

You all know, that in every book there must be a struggle which needs to be overcome to live happily ever after. However, in The Hating Game it is not very convincing. I felt lack of drama. And I couldn’t catch the idea of Lucy’s and Joshua’s relationship in the middle of the book. I was like: Please, decide, you hate each other or not, but maybe that’s the main point, maybe love is hate?

“Hating someone feels disturbingly similar to being in love with them.”

Overall, The Hating Game is a great book to switch off your mind and laugh at the situations Lucy and Joshua put each other in. It is a typical rom com, so if you read The Unhoneymooners, The Ex Talk, Again, but better or watched similar films The Hating Game is a must read for you.

I give it 8 hating games/10.