This book was a quick read, was fun, was an easy to get through contemporary. It's definitely tropey. There are lots of moments very highly reminiscent of She's All That that make the book feel..almost as if I experienced this story before. It's a read I think younger YA readers would enjoy, even if it wasn't quite unique enough for me.

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This was a cute, fast read. I do have to admit the synopsis hooked me in because it reminded me of 10 Things I Hate About You. It's really not like that movie though, so don't let it fool you like it fooled me.

Wren is awesome. She's smart, ambitious, and she loves her grandfather. She doesn't feel burdened by any of those things and she's just such a good person inside and out. She thinks she's being mean when she tells people her true thoughts but even then she does it in a way that isn't mean at all.

Fuller did what many teen guys do: he liked being popular and found out that if you put someone down other's will follow your lead. He is very sweet with his brother, Hudson, but the way he treated Wren in order to look cool was just wrong.

Overall I enjoyed this novel and I'm glad I got a chance to read this eARC.

I also hated Fuller James.

I have kind of a pet peeve, I can't stand stupid people! And Fuller James is not just a moron, he is STUPID.

Wren was supposed to hate/dislike Fuller James, but she must have been absent when backbone was delivered, since it appears that she have none whatsoever. I mean she was practically swooning after a single conversation, and I was getting whiplash from her alternately liking and disliking him.

The slut shaming of the ex-girlfriend(s) wasn't something I enjoyed either.

On a more personal note; It felt almost embarrassingly politically correct. Sometimes the tone was almost religious. and slipped into being moralistic and/or didactic. I HATE THAT.

What do you do when the one you loathe becomes the one you love?
Do you throw caution to the wind and embrace the change...
...or do you become super suspicious and question every move, motion, sign of devotion, and turn the whole thing inside out and on its head before it even has a chance?
In either case, I can't say I'd blame you.

Here we have Wren. Tortured for years by Fuller and his crew, she's done fine for herself. She has a few close friends, her academics, the cross country team, and a bright future ahead...until one day, a waylaid (or not!) handful of mashed potatoes brings her plans into question. The only solution to wiping the slate clean...tutor the one person she swore she would never have anything to do with, Fuller James. Thing is, things don't go exactly as planned, and feelings start to happen on both sides of this unexpected duo...but trusting in them is a tall order, and the faith placed there could seriously be a big mistake. All is fair in love and war, right?

I ADORED Wren's character for all she was worth, and despite my inclination to fall victim to the title, I actually didn't mind Fuller either. True, he gets better as the story goes on and that grand gesture is really above and beyond (even if slightly unbelievable), but it didn't really seem like he was such a bad person from the start, just misguided by some batting eyelashes and his high school fame. When these two were able to see beneath the surface to what really makes them tick, it was a potential match made in heaven...no guarantees, but a definite pair in the making. Marissa on the other hand (and even Fuller's cronies), I honestly couldn't stand! She went from friend to foe and then started spreading vicious lies, and non-truths just to ride on the popularity train...but really, what good is being popular if your soul is black? (Okay, now I'M being dramatic, but you get the point.)

All in all, a fun read that reminded me of all the great teen movies from yesteryear. It's a lot She's All That with a helping of Can't Hardly Wait and even a dash of Clueless mixed in for good measure, but while the story may have some similarities, it still comes together for a sweetly satisfying read that'll leave you with a smile. (Also, gotta say that cover is definitely a SWEET choice!)

This is a high school romance featuring Wren, who is quiet, caring, kind, clever and has been subject to teasing and bullying for years at school. The main perpetrator of it all is Fuller James, the star basketball player who seems to get away with anything, including leading many of the pranks and verbal assaults. It is after being hit in a food fight that Wren retaliates, though her aim isn’t great and hits his sidekick instead of Fuller. This, however, is used against her by the principal and her uncle, the basketball coach. Her punishment is to tutor Fuller to raise his attainment in AP English or see her dreams disappear . . . . Oh, and it all has to be done secretly so the team don’t realise Fuller, their star player, may be sitting on the bench instead of playing . . . .

As the two work together they discover more about each other but he’s made a bet with his friends to explain why he’s with Wren . . . and they won’t let him cancel it. Will he raise his grades so he’ll get to play and lead the school to the Championship? What will happen when Wren discovers she’s the subject of the bet?

This is a lovely story in which proves that hate and love are opposite sides of the same coin. It has the ‘popular’ (mean) folk, some great friends, plenty of family and school drama and the need for a big move for things to work out. It is an engaging read and I particularly liked how both Wren and Fuller change because of their relationship. Fuller’s brother and Wren’s Grandad are both brilliant secondary characters, as are her two best friends. Welcome back to High School in this enjoyable contemporary romance!

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.

The synopsis of this got my attention, I got all the 10 Things I Hate About You vibes.
I adore that movie, and I adore I Hate You Fuller James!!
It is such a cute read!! The writing style is fun and easy to read. The pacing is great. You could definitely devour this book in one sitting, I did!!

Blount has provided us with cute, relatable and likeable characters, mostly haha.
My favourite element of the book though is the family relationships and friendships within the story, I would love besties like Dae and Brandon.

The author has done a great job on developing the relationship between Wren and Fuller as their understanding of each other deepens. While some awful things happen at during the story I think that the characters redeem themselves and the Big Romantic Gesture was adorable!!!

Overall the plot is your predictable, cliche YA contemporary read, but was written well enough that you don’t mind about knowing how it will end and just enjoy the ride.

I Hate You Fuller James is my first book by Kelly Anne Blount and I will definitely be reading more. I would highly recommend this book to all lovers of YA contemporary or anyone looking for a fun read.

Thank you to Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours and Entangled Publishing for including me on this blog tour for I Hate You Fuller James and for providing me with a copy of the book! this has in no way affected my views or opinions.

'I Hate You, Fuller James' is exactly a book version of "She's All That' movie. There's completely nothing new, the same story as always. Fuller and Wren hate each other but when Fuller needs Wren to tutor him they madly fall in love. To make things interesting Fuller in order to cover the fact that he is failing his AP classes pretends to hang out with Wren saying that it's a part of a bet to pick her up and then to publicly break her heart. Through the whole book I was waiting for something new and innovative but it never came. Don't waste your time, there are thousends of better books to read!

**3.5 Stars**

I would best describe this story as the enemy to lovers theme meets the movie She's All That (I seriously kept having the quote from the movie "Am I a bet?" play through my mind the entire time I was reading) meets Gossip Girl with the anonymous gossip blog following their every move. We have the typical mean girl making the main character's life hell and the reformed bad boy who has a heart of gold under his cocky exterior. There was a lot of tropes smooshed into the book, making sure there was something for everyone.

It was a little odd that this book was basically a love letter to author Angie Thomas. A large part of the time the characters are re-getting to know each other, instead they are in depth discussing her first book, as well as the themes and impact of the book which made it very appropriate for the times but also made me disengage from the actual book I was reading. It was too much off topic for learning about the characters and their dynamic, making this feel more like a book report to me.

Overall this was a fast easy read, full of over the top cliches and cuteness, a nice light YA contemporary for anyone who loved 80's teen movies and giant public gestures of redemption.

(Also posted on my GR acc!)

2 stars rounded up

I Hate You, Fuller James is your typical teenage romance novel. There is this unpopular girl who got stuck with unfortunate 'nickname' since she was younger, there is your popular jock 'bad' guy, and his equally bad on and off girlfriend. Thrown in some parents, a plot on how to get our protagonists together ala A Walk to Remember minus the sad part, and you've get I Hate You Fuller James.

IHYFJ didn't really work for me mainly because author decided to make the ex-gf a bad guy in here and giving the lead male a backstory of 'he's kind to his brother, he regrets everything' like. Nope. I'm not sold.

But I guess it works if you're into this type of story. Ngl, the writing was OK and I can see many would love the book.
It's just not for me.

#IHateYouFullerJames #NetGalley
I have to say it is a sweet, funny romantic comedy about high school. The teenagers are just that teenagers that aren't sure of what the real world will bring them. It isn't a brain teaser by no means, but it is a great escape from the world we live in today for teens.

For times when you need to lie down with a pleasant read that won't disappoint you.

3.5.

Wren has hated Fuller James especially since her best friend became his on-and-off plus turned against her, joining the chorus of Wren-tainer. And Fuller has done nothing to prove he didn't deserve his fame, either. When they get involved in some food war in cafeteria, Wren is punished to tutor him so Fuller doesn't lose his place in the basketball team. Only they need to keep this weird allegiance in secret. What does Fuller do? He gets himself in a bet that he'll win her heart and break it so his friend and Wren's old flame has to take her to the party. He doesn't even notice he is filling each blank of the bet, and more.

Among those predictable YA reads, I say this goes a little above. It is exactly what you expect, and most of times need to read, but it is well written with cute characters and nice situations. I love Fuller's brother, the story behind Wren's grandfather. There are a lot of perks even though you could still call it another YA rom-com of from enemies to lovers.

Another good point is that the writer doesn't waste time convincing us they don't get along. Most books will write in silly arguments with more-than-cheesy retorts that only make my eyes roll or the two singling each other out in the most childish way to show the point until we're finally in the turnaround. This book starts from the turnaround after the big fight in the cafeteria and I feel it was better this way. Not like we can't imagine them not getting along before.

It's still a comfort read, that can be silly to those who long for something else. At the same time, right because of that, you can finish it in a sitting, if you must. It's quick, entertaining and endearing.

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one as much as I expected. From the start it was a rocky journey because the way the story kicked off was a bit too messed up for me to truly invest myself. I just couldn't sympathize with the romance plot and that was a big disadvantage for me.

Simply based on the description, most of us will be able to guess the major plot points of this novel. Predictability is generally not a desired trait, though we're far more inclined to forgive it in a romance than in any other genre. Personally, I can for give a predictable plot if the characters are compelling. And I'll grant Blount this: she's creating believable characters. I simply didn't find them especially likeable. This is largely because of the lengths the book goes to in order to reassure us that Fuller is a "good guy." His bet manipulating Wren is only to cover up his genuine feelings and to protect the basketball team (a thin explanation at best). The bullying he started was actually him repeating what someone else started. And let's talk about that bullying. The nickname "Wren-tainer". I acknowledge that this is a reference to what had been a painful moment for Wren, but she frequently references it as "the worst name ever". But is it really? Or is it akin to continuing to point out that someone vomited in a classroom once. Additionally, the plot relies on a number of tropes: the manipulative athlete, motivation-less mean girl, the surprisingly pretty smart girl. It takes a standard plot through a standard path, never plumbing any new depths.

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review. I loved this story. I love a good character change like this one. Fuller seems like such a nice guy and I’m so glad he turned his attitude around. I’m also glad Wren got everything she wanted. Such a cute story

I Hate You, Fuller James is an adorable young adult romance. With a main character that you'll fall in love with and a funny story there is nothing to hate about this book.

Ever read a book that was so good you had to slow down so you wouldn't finish it too soon? Once you finish, you try to turn the page for more words and there are none. This was me with this book. From page one I was pulled in. I wanted to know what was going to happen. I was mad at parts and cried at others. It is books like this one that make me love to read. I would read another book by this author, in this wonderful world she created, in a heartbeat. I need to know what happens with all the characters.

Rating 4.5 Stars

Dear Fuller James,

As you know, you are one of the lead characters in Kelly Anne Blount’s I Hate You, Fuller James. I read the blurb for your story and I thought, “Yeah. This is something I can really get into.” I then saw the cover for the book. My first reaction was, “I like it. I might even love it. I just don’t understand it.” But more on that later.

You, Fuller James, are why some people don’t like high school. You torment them for your own sick pleasure. Well, I guess the joke is now on you. I hope you enjoyed starting that food fight in the cafeteria because it’s about to land you in the principal’s office and alter your life and way of thinking, as you know it.

You thought you could coast through senior year. That you being captain of the basketball team and one of the most popular guys at Magnolia Valley High would make you untouchable. Well, that isn’t true. You are failing your AP Lit class. If you don’t bring your grade up to passing, you can forget playing in the season opener in two weeks. You know the one where the college basketball scout is going to be at. You know for the school you really, really want to go to and have to get a scholarship to attend? Yeah, that one. Your only salvation is being tutored by one of the smartest, if not the smartest girl in the whole school. Wren Carter. You know Wren, she’s the girl you have made feel horrible about herself and gave the horrible nickname of Wrentainer to in seventh grade. Yes, my friend, for five years, you and everyone else because of you have called Wren this not so lovely name. Now, she’s your only salvation.

Fuller, I have to admit, when I started reading your story, I realized the title of I Hate You, Fuller James, was PERFECT for your story. Because I really hated you. I literally wanted to jump into the pages of the book and throat punch you. Yes, I know that’s a little violent on my part. But let’s be honest, we both know you deserved nothing less. But you, my friend are so much more than you show people. You have so many layers and this amazing and caring heart. Who knew that Wren would or could be your saving grace. The time you two spent together changed both of you and made you see each other in a whole new light. If only you hadn’t made that stupid bet with Marc and he hadn’t told TyShaun. (Sigh) But you know what Fuller, I really liked the way you handled the situation in the end. You and your friends really impressed me. Oh my gosh. How could I forget about your 10-year-old little brother, Hudson? You owe him big time! He’s definitely going to be romance material in the future.

Oh, before I forget...the cover. It makes sense! When you put your heart into it, you are really a thoughtful date.

You, Fuller James, turned out to be a pretty amazing guy. Have you thought about making a movie about the last two months of your life? I’m thinking your story could be a mashup of 10 Things I Hate About You, Clueless, The Breakfast Club, A Walk to Remember, Sixteen Candles, and The Princess Bride mixed together.

It was a pleasure reading your funny, romantic, heart-wrenching, tear-jerking story. I’m sure other readers who love young adult romances will feel the same way.

Enjoy your happily-ever-after,

Kim

Thank you to the publisher for the book in exchange for an honest review.


This is a classic story of the jock falling for the nerdy girl. This book would be great teens (which it was written for) as it may be a fresh story for them. For me, it wasn’t anything new but I still enjoyed it, especially the dialogue between the characters.

Was the story predictable? Yes, but in a good way. Sometimes you just need that book that is a comfort read. Reminds me of the good ol' 80's movies. Wren and Fuller are opposites, which is one of my favs. Fuller was a bit of an ass and bully in the beginning as well as some of his friends. He does work to better himself after being tutored by Wren. I know some reviewers thought it was too convenient but what better time to reinvent yourself than in high school? This is another one that would be great for the summer reading lists.

*2.5 Stars*

I tried to like it. It was just so cliché and predictable I couldn't. I even got cringe-y to me at times and I rolled my eyes too many times to count.
The bet plot is one I feel like I've read so many times. As is the tutoring one. Also, all of their relationship seemed so fast to me. It all evolved too quickly. And it didn't feel right for me.
I don't know. I just couldn't get into their romance story. All the side stories about their family business or school life was pretty interesting though, I did really enjoy that. I just really wasn't into the main plot...