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> Genre: Romance > Best Kissing Book of the Year and a Cannonball?!

Best Kissing Book of the Year and a Cannonball?!

November 10, 2016 by Mrs. Julien 18 Comments

Here in Kissing Book Corner there’s one book we’ve all been reading and (mostly) heaping praise on. Now it’s my turn to review The Hating Game and I am convinced it is going to be the one of, if not the best romance I read all year – though I welcome competition – and I have already added it to the “Classics” section on my Romance Recommendations Quick List. The writing is fantastically witty and fresh, the love story sweet, and I have already pre-ordered Sally Thorne’s next book.

Lucy and Josh work together in similar roles supporting the co-chiefs of a publishing house. They have a hate/hate relationship which evolves into love/hate but is, of course, actually secretly love/love. How they sort that out makes for a wonderful bit of escapism that almost feels like it could be real life, if one could be as funny as the heroine and men really existed who are romance novel constructs.

I keep a lot of lists for recommendations and such, but particularly of pet peeves for historical and contemporary romances. Logically, I know Sally Thorne didn’t read my lists, but apparently we are of one mind on several items: Josh and Lucy have a significant height difference which they acknowledge and that is unusual in and of itself, but they find it tantalizing and work to manage it; Josh’s not insanely wealthy, just financially secure; he’s romantically experienced enough to know what he’s doing, but not a player; moreover, his body’s “astounding masculine architecture” is justified and the product of tremendous effort. There’s just so much going on in The Hating Game that I appreciate as someone who reads many of these books. It’s not just the writing that’s clever, the construction is, too. Thorne follows tropes that work and plays with the ones that need to be put out of their misery.

As a first person narrator, Lucy’s perspective is an absolute riot. Thorne gives her an insouciantly melodramatic voice that had me in stitches:

  • I begin screaming like an injured monkey.
  • Of their paintball location: The ground is dusty and stark. The trees ache for death.
  • …taking my hand and stroking it like an obsessive sorcerer.

In addition to being wry, Lucy comes across as clearly capable and together, while her interior monologue matches so many of ours in that she feels she is a bit awkward and is convinced she’s not managing as well as she is, even as she works to fulfill her ambitions. She and Josh are just so human.

There have been some great romances featuring difficult men (a few this year alone) and there’s always  something fun in the successful redemption of a man who would potentially be too irksome in real life, but can be matched to the right woman and the two of them work beautifully together as a team*. This is one of those books. The director Billy Wilder said, “You’re as good as the best thing you ever did,” and The Hating Game guarantees I will be checking out every thing Sally Thorne writes for quite some time.

Links to my other reviews can be found on my complete reading list of books sorted by author or Author Commentary & The Tallies Shameful.

*This may require another list. Suggestions are welcome. Harry Rutledge is a given.

Filed Under: Romance Tagged With: #CBR8. #ProlixityJulien, Contemporary Romance, sally thorne, The Hating Game

Post by Mrs. Julien · Genres: Romance · Tags: #CBR8. #ProlixityJulien, Contemporary Romance, sally thorne, The Hating Game ·
Rating:
· 18 Comments

About Mrs. Julien

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My stays are quite binding. View Mrs. Julien's reviews»

Comments

  1. Malin says

    November 11, 2016 at 2:22 am

    Happy Cannonball! You made it! This is just such a delightful book. I may have to re-read it again, The Count of Monte Christo is a bit heavy going right now.

    Reply
  2. emmalita says

    November 11, 2016 at 9:18 am

    Happy Cannonball. I loved Lucy and Josh, and have not yet been able to move on to other characters. I will give some thought to your list.

    Reply
  3. narfna says

    November 11, 2016 at 11:20 am

    Yay, happy Cannonball! And on such a great book. Every time I read a new review of this book, I want to read it again.

    Reply
  4. MsWas Sawsm says

    November 11, 2016 at 8:06 pm

    CONGRATULATIONS!!

    Reply
    • Mrs. Julien says

      November 14, 2016 at 1:27 pm

      Thank you kindly

      Reply
  5. ingres77 says

    November 13, 2016 at 1:13 am

    Congratulations!

    I’m begrudgingly giving Act Like It a shot, and begrudgingly liking it. I’ve heard this book compared favorably, so I’ll maybe add this to my list.

    Reply
    • Malin says

      November 13, 2016 at 6:23 am

      The Hating Game is better than Act Like It, so hopefully you’ll be less begrudging if (hopefully when) you like that. Also, it’s being marketed as just general fiction, so you can even pretend you’re not reading romance (that’s how we get you, all sneaky like).

      Reply
    • Mrs. Julien says

      November 14, 2016 at 1:16 pm

      Obrigado

      Reply
  6. Beth Ellen says

    November 14, 2016 at 7:38 am

    Congratulations!!!

    This really is the best book to Cannonball with! As for Difficult Men we do have Harry, Joshua, Richard (Act Like It), Raven/Oliver (Dukes Prefer Blondes), and I’m thinking one of the guys being set up as a future hero in the new Kleypas series will be another.

    Reply
    • Mrs. Julien says

      November 14, 2016 at 11:22 am

      Those are the three guys I was thinking of to start the list and also three of the best books this year. I started a best of 2016 list but decided to give it a miss when I realised that not all of the best books featured difficult men.

      Reply
  7. denesteak says

    November 14, 2016 at 11:43 am

    Congratulations on the Cannonball!! Reviewing Queen!!

    Reply
    • Mrs. Julien says

      November 14, 2016 at 1:16 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  8. alexis says

    November 15, 2016 at 8:55 am

    Congratulations on your Cannonball! The glowing reviews (along with Malin’s generosity) have made this a must read for me. PS. I share your “best of” list all the time – it’s always exciting when a new book shows up there!

    Reply
    • Mrs. Julien says

      November 18, 2016 at 1:56 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply
  9. faintingviolet says

    November 16, 2016 at 5:35 pm

    Happy Cannonball! I hope someone gets smart and makes this one a movie. 🙂

    Reply
  10. baxlala says

    November 16, 2016 at 9:19 pm

    Happy Cannonball! (Now I’m gonna go read this book again…)

    Reply
  11. Adrenalynn says

    December 2, 2016 at 2:28 am

    Congratulations!
    I downloaded this book immediately after reading your review, and was not disappointed. I am always on the lookout for romance books that don’t read like ever other romance book ever, and this one just had me from the start. Thanks for convincing me!

    Reply
    • Mrs. Julien says

      December 9, 2016 at 2:46 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply

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