[Book Review] If You Hate Me by Helena Hunting

Summary

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.

Facts

Published: March 2024
Length: 448
Genre: Romance
Format: ebook

Review

I love a good hockey romance and the brother’s best friend trope is one of my absolute favs, so when this came out I immediately downloaded and dived in.

When Trix rage quits her job and flees her creepy roommates in one day she ends up moving in with her brother while she gets back on her feet. Unfortunately, her brother’s roommate is his best friend Tristion who Trix happens to hate.

The spice in this book was top tier 🌶️… there is lots of dirty hate f*#king, so if you are not into that I’d suggest you either skip those parts or don’t read it. I’d go far as to say that this is the spiciest book I’ve read this year. Trix and Tristion quite literally bring all the heat to the kitchen.

The story is paced well, I liked all the tension-filled interactions between both the main characters. I enjoyed the build-up of them getting down and dirty the first time. The romance doesn’t really kick in until a bit later, feelings are slow to develop.

The only thing I didn’t like was the length of the story, it dragged a bit towards the end and Triston’s lack of emotional availability/intelligence was frustrating. There were times when I didn’t really understand how Trix liked him, he desperately could have done with some therapy before starting a relationship.

Overall, a very entertaining read and perfect for those looking for lots of spice.

My Rating: 4/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟

About the Author‘s

NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Helena Hunting lives outside of Toronto with her amazing family and her adorable, emotional cat, who thinks the best place to sleep is her keyboard. Helena writes everything from emotional contemporary romance to romantic comedies that will have you laughing until you cry.