The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Nemesis (n.)
1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome;
2) A person’s undoing;
3) Joshua Templeman.
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Lucy can’t understand Joshua’s joyless, uptight, meticulous approach to his job. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy’s overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and Pollyanna attitude.
Now up for the same promotion, their battle of wills has come to a head and Lucy refuses to back down when their latest game could cost her her dream job…But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.
Caroline's Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
OH MY! This novel debuted in August 2016 but it’s a Top Read 2017 for me! It’s a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers, office romance.
“I have a theory. Hating someone feels disturbingly similar to being in love with them.”
Joshua Templeman is tall, dark and handsome, but also humourless, icy and unrelenting in his pursuit to make Lucy’s life a misery. From the first day they met, when he completely blanked her sunny smile, they’ve been rivals and enemies. They play games of one-upmanship and tit-for-tat.
“I’m getting dangerously high on his smiles. This is my third one now? I’m stuffing them in my pockets. I’m cramming them into my mouth.”
Lucy Hutton is a five-foot-nothing firecracker who resembles a Disney princess. She gives back as good as she gets but, deep down, yearns to be Joshua’s friend. Why didn’t he want to be her friend? They sit day-in day-out playing various games – the Mirror Game, the Staring Game, the HR game. Lucy thinks the aim of the games is to make the other one smile. That was never Josh’s aim.
When a new promotion comes up for grabs, the Hating Game begins, but one insane, hot moment in the elevator throws Lucy completely off-kilter, followed by a night of sickness where her enemy shows a hidden side to himself, and her view and perception of Josh start to unravel.
“Shortcake.”
The sweet little word dissolves and I swallow.
“I’m not going to kill you. You’re so dramatic. “ Then he presses his mouth lightly against mine.
I just LOVED everything about this book!! It was refreshing and I adored the author’s writing style. I found the story funny and moving. I loved the hate-flirting, the witty dialogue, the sexy, slow romance of Josh and Lucy’s budding relationship, and the trust and the truths that emerged. I loved how much they understood one another. Once they crossed the enemy line, all their animosity translated and transformed into some electric foreplay. This story made laugh and it made me cry. The conclusion made me melt so much that I was just a useless, slushy puddle by the time I read the final line.
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