Rating: 3.5 stars
This was a highly enjoyable read! Surprising, considering it’s filled with tropes, but somehow that didn’t bother me completely. The Hating Game follows Lucy and Josh, two sworn enemies/coworkers, who are in a constant battle of upping one another. This only intensifies when a promotion between the two is up for grabs. Matters become even more complicated when they start to engage in a romantic relationship.
Overall, I thought the the romance was cute and fun. However, there were a few minor issues that prevented me from rating it any higher.
One, there were a few descriptions or references that felt distasteful, and frankly made me wonder how an editor let them slide. For example, the intensity of the main character’s lipstick was described as “slit-wrist red”, and the r word was used in reference to a character’s inability to understand something.
Secondly, the jealousy was annoying if not borderline oppressive. I think when it comes to romance, everyone has a list of tropes they’re willing willing to deal with/find enjoyable. Unfortunately, jealousy is one of the many ones I don’t understand people’s fascination with, but if you find this element fun, then I imagine you’ll like this novel more.
Lastly, as happy as that ending was it seemed to be tied together too nicely and quickly for me to find it plausible. There tends to be a trend in romance novels where we spend a painstaking amount of time on issues that could be solved quickly (such as miscommunication), but then when the grander issues are brought about it’s usually towards the end and resolved within a matter of a few pages.
Ultimately, despite my tendency to point out the negatives, I would definitely recommend this to anyone in need of something fun and easy. In fact, I’d even consider rereading it, which tends not to be my groove.
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