I really wanted to love this book. The premise had so much potential—enemies by day, secret spicy fanfic connection by night? Sign me up! And that cover? Gorgeous and absolutely eye catching. But unfortunately, Much Ado About Hating You just didn’t deliver.

My biggest issue was the characters. Micah and Aidan didn’t feel mature at all, and their chemistry was seriously lacking. I usually love a good enemies to lovers dynamic, but their banter wasn’t flirty, fun, or full of tension—it was just mean. There’s a fine line between witty rivalry and outright cruelty, and this book unfortunately landed on the wrong side of it. Instead of swooning over their back and forth, I found myself cringing.

The romance itself felt underdeveloped. The transition from enemies to something more didn’t feel natural or earned, and without that spark, the relationship just fell flat. And for a book with a fanfic heavy premise, I expected more passion, but it never quite hit the mark.

I will say that the concept was great, and I can appreciate what the book was trying to do. But overall, this one didn’t work for me. If you love academia based romances and don’t mind a rougher enemies dynamic, you might enjoy it more than I did. Unfortunately, this just didn’t work for me.

Thank you to Sarah Smith and Harlequin for the eARC of this book.