Cannonball Read 15

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The Hating Game, in three reviews

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

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Re-re-read (December 19, 2021): Yes, I did just re-re-read this one–for the second time this year–after watching the movie. This is definitely getting bumped up to five stars. What is it about this book that is so alluring? I’ve written about it before, but if you scroll through my reviews you can see that I didn’t actually “get” some of the set up Hating Games prior to the start of the romance bits. But now, after having read some lovely reviews of this book and […]

Likable and entertaining

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne

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Second First Impressions (2021) is the third book I’ve read by Sally Thorne. I first heard of The Hating Game through Cannonball and unexpectedly loved it. Because of this, I was very excited when Thorne’s second book, 99 Percent Mine, came out. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my newly raised expectations. However, my memories of The Hating Game were strong enough that as soon as I heard Thorne had written a third book, I scrambled to find it at the library. I generally enjoyed Second First Impressions, but it wasn’t […]

“Brown-eyed sublime being. She of soft, deep cardigan pockets. Bubble-bath taker. Pool jumper. Cheese provider. Sunset glower. Heaven sent.”

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne

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I can see how Second First Impressions, Sally Thorne’s third book, isn’t going to be a five-star book for many readers – heck it wasn’t for me until quite near the end. But this book hit me in the feelings and had just the right kind of relatively low stakes, emotions are the plot set up for me. I was delighted; I understand if you were not. In this outing Thorne is playing with opposites, both in her protagonists and in the thematic work she […]

This is getting a lukewarm reaction from a lot of people, but I absolutely loved it.

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne

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Thank you, Sally Thorne, I needed this exact book. Our cast of characters: Ruthie, a twenty-five going on 125-year old, who has only ever worked at this one retirement village and plans to work there forever, because she loves it, and it’s comfortable and safe there among the old people and the endangered tortoises that wander the property. Among the residents are the Parloni sisters, Aggie and Renata, who hire themselves boys to run ridiculous errands (the inspiration for the book*) and basically take care […]

Just a quick check and yes, The Hating Game holds up

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

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Re-read: After reading Thorne’s latest (Second First Impressions) I wanted to see if maybe my memories of her first novel were being seen through some rose colored glasses. I am happy to report that no, not in the slightest. The Hating Game perfectly nails the first person inner monologue neurosis protagonist and the ETL, two tropes that are very, very frequently given short shift in Romancelandia. Thorne definitely has a very distinct sort of voice that she uses to write her (exclusively female, exclusively white) (I will […]

Not quite The Hating Game but excellent secondary characters

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne

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Like many people, I really liked The Hating Game and was so-so on 99 Percent Mine. This is another 3.5 star book but rounded down, because as an adult woman who lives in the world I never quite was able to lower my haunches where our male lead (Teddy) was concerned. As I noted re: Just Last Night, you need have both growth and tropes to get to a earnt HEA. My issue here was that Teddy never really earned the right to his HEA, especially after spending a […]



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