by Helena Hunting
ASIN/ISBN: B0CN5B11QM
Publication: March 7, 2024

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Cover Designer: Hang Le
Artwork: Rosie’s Fables

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DESCRIPTION

A brand new standalone hate-to-love, brother’s best friend hockey romance.

My new roommates are two pro hockey players. 

First, my manwhore older brother, and second, his seriously hot best friend (who I seriously hate). 

This was a last resort. 

No one should be sleeping on a futon that smells like Cheetos and ball sweat. 

But here I am, trying to get my life together.

Tristan Stiles is the bane of my existence.

He never wears a shirt. 

We can’t seem to stop fighting. 

He’s an arrogant playboy with a filthy reputation. 

Sure, I had a crush on him when I was fourteen, but that was a long time ago. 

I know better than to trust him.

I just need to survive long enough to find a new job and get a new place.

And not accidentally let Tristan rail me into next week. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

NYT and USA Today Bestselling author, Helena Hunting lives outside of Toronto with her amazing family and her two awesome cats, who think the best place to sleep is her keyboard. Helena writes everything from contemporary romance with all the feels to romantic comedies that will have you laughing until you cry.

Website | Newsletter | Instagram | Twitter

BookBub | Facebook | TikTok | Goodreads

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REVIEW

If You Hate Me was a spicy enemies-to-lovers/forbidden romance (brother’s best friend) that I enjoyed. I honestly didn’t expect any less since Helena Hunting is one of my favorite romance authors.

Rix moves in with her brother and his best friend after quitting her job and finally deciding she can no longer tolerate her roommates. While her brother does not mind having her there, Tristan is a different story. He wants her gone as soon as possible. Rix and Tristan have an antagonistic relationship, but underneath it is their unwanted attraction to each other. It is this mix of the two that creates tension and multiple tension-filled moments that eventually leads to their inevitable hate f*ck, which is sweltering hot.

This is one of Hunting’s spicier books with multiple wipe-the-steam-from-my-glasses scenes, but it was the tender moments that sealed it for me. Tristan got under my skin because of how mean is to Rix. For the most part, Rix evens things out by giving as good as she gets, but I understood why Rix could not help her childhood crush on him or why she was attracted to him in the present. While Tristan easily hurts her, his willingness to atone for his mistakes makes it hard not to want them together. Tristan is somewhat closed off and might not necessarily understand his own feelings, but he tries for Rix, and I loved that about him. For the most part, Rix tries to be more communicative and understanding of how Tristan is.

Overall, I liked the book but felt it was longer than it could have been. Although I understood why, I thought it could have easily been incorporated or resolved sooner. I was a little frustrated by the end, but it did not stop me from enjoying their HEA. I’m ready for the next book.