What does it take for Aleksandra to pick up a romance contemporary? A movie trailer where one characters stranglers the other before we see sequences of hot kisses exchanged in an elevator!

After The Hating Game was all over my Instagram feed where everyone kept raving about it, and the release of that trailer, I decided it‘s about time to read the book. The timing couldn‘t have been better as I had a free Sunday (which I could have used to work, but instead decided to recharge) and the binging began. I finished the book within a day, and here I am now, anticipating the movie, and having lots of thoughts about Lucy‘s and Josh‘s, and their games.

We immediately get introduced to Lucy‘s workplace, the B&G publishing company, and to the nemesis that sits across of her, Josh, with whom Lucy loves to hate. A lot. Just as their Staring Game, where one mirrors the others, these two characters mirror each other. Even if aside from their job positions as assistants to the CEOs of both publishing companies that merged, it might not look like it. Lucy loves her job, and is probably the kindest soul in the company. She helps out where she can, even if she can‘t. She tries to see things positive, and her personality is as colorful and bright as her wardrobe and lipstick. On the other side, there‘s Josh whose desk is clean and organized (opposed to what Lucy wants hers to look like), and who knows numbers and finance, and overall is hard shapes and lines - like that mouth of his that never seems to smile. One reason maybe why all the co-workers are afraid of him. At first glance, Josh and Lucy are two opposite poles of a spectrum, and they clearly despise each other for that. On each occassion, they try to outbest each other, and things get to a new level when the position to COO is being offered, and only one of them can become the boss of the others. Seems like these two‘s worst nightmare, right?

As the story moves forward, we get to see these two characters interacting, whether they‘re being forced to or because they play another How You Doing game. Since I knew these characters hate each other, I knew I would appreciate the banter, but I really loved how much tension was filled in each remark, each comment, and each threat to report the other to HR for being inappropriate. When one day, Lucy decides to be extra daring - by putting on that sexy black dress, talking about a weird sexual dream she had and a date she‘s looking forward to -, things escalate pretty quickly during a hot moment in the elevator. And I was all here for it!

I pretty much welcomed the Or Something game these two started playing, and I must say I enjoyed their banter and bickering so much. The fact that they were both still competing for the same position kept things interesting as there was mistrust mixed into the pot of hate, attraction, getting to know the other person, and lots of sexual tension. I fully understand why people have been raving about this book so much, and I must say, I do see myself rereading this somewhen in the future.

However, as much as I liked this book, there were few aspects that didn‘t just click with me. And I‘m not counting the cheesy moments, because I fully expected such to happen. This book had a strong start with the little games and the bickering between these two in the office, the hot makeout session and other events following such as the paintball day and the weekend following that. But then it becomes sort of repetitive, and I rolled my eyes at some scenes. For once, I didn‘t like how clingy Lucy became at some point. And I mean … literally clingy. Lucy, sweetheart, you‘re a woman, not a koala bear. Then there was the fact that this story takes place in the span of a couple of weeks. I just wished Sally Thorne would have extended that a little bit more, as everything started to feel rather rushed at some point. And as much as I liked the ending, that one reveal was too much for me. I guess I wouldn‘t have minded it as much if I didn‘t know how early on Mr. Josh redecorated his apartment, and that‘s all I‘m saying.

Generally, if you‘re in need of a quick and sweet rom-com that will occupy you for a day or night, then go and grab The Hating Game. It‘s got hate-to-love, amazing banter, hot moments in an elevator, intriguing moments during a paintball game, and some sexual tension that will keep you wanting to turn these pages.