The Hating Game: A Novel

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I don't know whether there's even much point in telling you the premise of the book itself. Or reviewing it. My feelings towards it are intense and irrational, if you haven’t gathered that already. I think it's one of the best love stories that I've had the pleasure of reading. It's hilarious, heart-warming and the development of it all is spot-on. So well done! I cannot recommend it enough. This is my favorite Sally Thorne novel and it’s also at my top ten all my favorite romance books list! Whenever I feel anxious, sad, tired, I reread this book to brighten my mood and enjoy every second of it! I know it's a romance book. I know, alright. But I like to think readers have gotten a little more sophisticated in their choice of romances. Side plots involving the protagonist's family and/or career are typically told alongside the main romance plotline now. I’m huskier than a phone-sex operator after a double shift”!!!! Good grief!!! Haha! It were sentences like that which immediately caused me to love this book! XD Well, Lucinda’s narration AND the conversations between her and Josh!

Re-read 1/28/17: Yes, my re-read of this book happened only a few weeks after completing my original read because I JUST COULDN'T HELP MYSELF. This book is adorable and phenomenal. I will say however, this re-read was done mostly via audiobook and I will say I didn't enjoy it as much that way as I did by just reading the physical book. I feel like some of the tones and inflections that narrator uses don't quite match up with the Josh/Lucinda in my head. But other than that FLAWLESS AND ADORABLE. I adore this little book. Lucy objectifying Josh to the point that HE gets uncomfortable She keeps on doing it even after he voices this. Trapped in a shared office together 40 (ok, 50 or 60) hours a week, they've become entrenched in an addictive, ridiculous never-ending game of one-upmanship. There's the Staring Game. The Mirror Game. The HR Game. Lucy can't let Joshua beat her at anything—especially when a huge new promotion goes up for the taking. If Lucy wins this game, she'll be Joshua's boss. If she loses, she'll resign. So why is she suddenly having steamy dreams about Joshua and dressing for work like she's got a hot date? WOW! OMG! WHAT DID I JUST READ?! I AM NOT FUNCTIONING RIGHT NOW! MY HEART IS ON THE VERGE OF FAILING.I feel so conflicted about The Hating Game. It was like I was playing out my own version of the love/hate game with the book while reading it. This is another one of those books I've owned since it (almost) came out but I never got around reading it. Funny story: I almost bought another copy of this because I thought I lost my copy of it. I'm embarrassed to admit that I almost cried. Books are expensive. I'm so glad I found my copy and didn't buy a new one though, or I would have been crying but they wouldn't be happy tears. One of the tragic things about being so out of the loop with the book world is I DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS AN EPILOGUE. And not only an epilogue, but probably the best epilogue ever written, anywhere, anytime! I think about what kind of girls he probably dates. Tall, cool blondes. I feel it in my tiny undersized brunette bones." This just screams the "I'm not like other girls he has dated" trope which I hate. And very girl vs girl personality she has. She doesn't hate women, Lucy I mean, but she is always thinking like the girls Joshua would have dated or dated before her and they were always "blonde and tall and beautiful and nothing like her." This bothers me so much. So what the hell does it matter if they were blonde? Being blonde doesn't mean anything and you are just stereotyping people, Lucy. Come on, be better. Joshua is glaring at me with angry eyebrows. I use my brainwaves to transmit an insult to him, which he receives and pulls himself up straight.”

The romance element is there, sure enough. This book is a trope encyclopedia. And though I am not the best at rating spice, I guess a 2/5 seems adequate. But the -com is pretty weak. None of the scenes are particularly funny. Only once did I actually find the dialogue moderately so. And speaking of scenes, that elevator scene is a red flag central. So much so, that after finishing the book I watched the trailer for the film adaptation to try and figure out whether it’s as underwhelming as the book (according to the Guardian, yes it is) and I noticed that they made some pretty significant changes to that scene in the film, so clearly it can’t be just me who found it problematic.Now they’re up for the same promotion and Lucy, usually a determined people-pleaser, has had enough: it’s time to take him down. But as the tension between Lucy and Joshua reaches its boiling point, it’s clear that the real battle has only just begun . . . Strangling you. Bare hands." I can barely get the words out. I'm huskier than a phone-sex operator after a double shift.