Book Review: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

The Hating Game is a debut novel by Sally Thorne. Seriously?! How can she write so profoundly, keeping you hooked with all the expectations and amazement while reading ? Dear Sally, I love you. You have excellently defined the thin line of hate and love and how love exists under all the intricacies, always!

Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers (08/09/2016)

The Hating Game is an adult contemporary romance novel which revolves around the love-hate relationship of Lucy Hutton & Joshua Templeman. Man! I loved his character. They hate each other so much so that they could strangle. Though it is predictable they will ultimately fall in love. But it is just not about love, Sally Thorne has described the complexity of one’s personality and relationships.

Lucy is quirky, always joyful and everyone “likes” her but it’s because she comes across as a ‘people-pleaser’. Saying ‘No’ is difficult for her.

Joshua is uptight, with no smile, esoteric and a complete badass at workplace. Why is he so hard to please and employees are scared of him is a result of his life as a child and young adult.

Lucy and Joshua are busy with the Staring game at work, neither of them waving the white flag. Their love blooms in first few chapters. Confessing love doesn’t come easy for either Lucy or Joshua.

 

I had expected the office romance will come to a steamy end. But I was baffled the way the story goes on.

Lucy comes up close to the hard shelled Joshua and can see pleasant personality underneath his rebellious nature. Female readers will swoon over Joshua Templeman. He is a character you will find difficult not to fall for and wish for him to be true.

The highlight of the book for me is second half where Lucy uncovers the mystery behind Joshua’s sternness.

Sally Thorne portrays how expectations from parents can damage a child’s mind. “Fitting in” and carrying on family profession is not a hard fast rule. Joshua gets entangled in his father’s expectations and after being labelled as a ‘quitter’ wears an armour of disgust. With all this going on, Lucy hates him a little more and finally loves him more than the hate.

I will summarise this book as: Hilarious. Addictive. Incredible writing.

I can't help but share few of my favorite lines from the book:

Both love an hate are mirror versions of the same game - and you have to win. Why? Your heart and your ego. 

His smile is worth a thousand of anyone else's. I need a photograph. I need something to hold on to. I need this entire bizarre planet to stop spinning so I can freeze this moment in time. 

There's a little candlelight flicker in the vicinity of my heart. 

Photo by Crystal Shaw on Unsplash