Book Review: The Hating Game

The Hating Game is a fun read and I absolutely loved this book.  It’s been turned into a movie and the original cast fits so well!  They are exactly who I pictured the entire time I was reading it, so I’m a bit bummed that Robbie Amell won’t be playing Josh but I’m excited anyway!  

In the Hating Game, Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman are mortal enemies and polar opposites, despite having the same job –  executive assistant to the CEO.  At their company though, there are two CEO’s, stemming from a merger between two very different publishing companies trying not to go out of business (who similarly dislike one another).  Lucy, like the publishing house she came from, is small, artsy, and a bit quirky with a deep love of books in a romantic way.  Josh is cool, calculated and finance oriented.  And according to Lucy he is also incredibly good looking.  Josh doesn’t seem to care about the substance of the books, just whether or not they are profitable.   Josh and Lucy play unspoken games on a daily basis, trying to best and one up the other.  Their hatred seems mutual until one day Josh surprises Lucy by kissing her in the elevator.  And not only does she like it, but it electrifies her.   

This book is so stinking cute and the author does a great job of placing us in Lucy’s shoes and revealing bits and pieces about Josh and what makes him tick.  Their relationship is a slow build, and it’s unclear to the reader – just as it’s unclear to Lucy – what their relationship is and where they stand.  It’s also a giant reminder not to judge a book by it’s cover (pun intended).  

That being said, there were some things about the ending that made me just sort of… uncomfortable. WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD:

It really bothers me that Josh’s brother immediately starts dating Josh’s ex girlfriend and proposes and marries her within a year of her and Josh’s breakup.  This is an extreme scenario and makes his brother kind of a jerk.  Like WTF?It’s weird.  Really weird.

Second, I didn’t like when Lucy stood up for Josh at the wedding brunch.  I love the concept of her standing up for him, but the manner, location, and language was inappropriate.  I’m sorry but you don’t swear at your boyfriends father, and especially not when he is the grooms father and you’re at a wedding brunch.  It’s just… wrong.  Also, it was out of character for the father to be immediately repentant.  If Josh’s dad was truly a jerk for so long, he’s not going to suddenly see the error of his ways because someone stands up to him.  Sorry but no.   

Still my initial reaction was squeeeee i love this book so I’m keeping it at a 4.5 stars rating because it gave me warm and fuzzies. 

RWR Rating- 5 stars 

Steam Rating – 4 stars.  It has some very sexy and pulse racing moments considering it’s not erotic literature.