Love the idea of a "grumpy one/grumpy one" romance. Who needs the sunshine one when you have witty banter?

This was so so much fun! A really witty, bantery, emotionally real and tonally perfect enemies to lovers romance.

Though enemies to lovers isn't the best way to describe it; they aren't ENEMIES. Hate to love? Bickering to love? Fuckbuddies to love? Oscar and Jack are part of the same friend group, Jack having been roped in at some point during the course of the last book, and unlike the rest of their friends, they're both pretty grouchy and pessimistic and bitchy. Put together, they're combative, messy, and will bicker about pretty much anything. They end up having no-strings-attached sex at the beginning of the book, and when Oscar loses his job, Jack offers him one, helping clear out his grandparents' house in preparation for a sale.

I don't always have success with hate to love, because a lot of excessive arguing and animosity can just get really exhausting to me, and it's really not fun to read. I think the reason why this worked so well for me is that Oscar and Jack never really hated each other. There was sniping and bickering galore, but it never really got mean or cruel, and from the beginning, their chemistry was so strong, and the potential for a relationship was really obvious to the reader, even if not to the characters. I never thought that it got to be too much, because the underlying attraction was so good. All of their interactions and snarking at each other were light and funny, and their synergy was amazing.

There's really great anxiety and depression rep in this. I really loved the note at the beginning that notifies the readers that Oscar still has his anxiety issues at the end of the book, and that's okay, because having anxiety and experiencing depression doesn't bar you from having a happily ever after. I recognised myself and a lot of my coping mechanisms in Oscar, and I loved the frank ways the author talked about dealing with meds, the social aspects of anxiety (that crop up even with close friends), and some of the misunderstandings that can crop up. The conflict in this book was kind of frustrating, but totally understandable in the circumstances. The book doesn't pull punches when it comes to describing Oscar's conditions, but it never becomes hopeless.

I also really liked the tone and the writing. It was light and humorous, and still deftly handled all of the tougher subjects with skill and care. I enjoyed the first book in the series, The Love Study, but I did think it read a little young in terms of the attitudes and behaviours of some of the characters, even though they're in their late twenties for the most part. This, thankfully, didn't have that problem. It's funny, but not immature. I also appreciated the fat rep, and representations of different types of anxiety, and the diversity of the friend group, and all the themes that were explored through cleaning out a house that belonged to a hoarder; something that wasn't treated with derision at all, which I was thankful for.

All in all this was a really solid romance that I enjoyed a lot, and I'm more and more becoming a fan of Ripper's writing. <3

Content warnings: anxiety, depression, internalised fatphobia, disordered eating, mentions of suicidal ideation.

To be honest, I almost gave up on this story after only reading the first few pages. I found the conversational style of writing distracting, with the various asides and added thoughts that broke up the flow of the text. I left the book for a few weeks before I gave it another go. And I’m glad I did as I ended up enjoying the story and liking the romance that eventually developed between Oscar and Jack. Sometimes the asides were humorous. Other times, when there were a lot of them within a few paragraphs, I became a little frustrated. I’m planning on listening to the audio version narrated by the talented Gomez Pugh. I think the story will work very well as an audiobook.

I could understand many of Oscar’s anxiety issues with himself, the people around him and the situations he found himself in. I thought it might become too much for me, but his issues were well portrayed and were the main focus of the story.

I liked how Jack interacted with Oscar and the relationship that developed between them, even though Oscar couldn’t see where this connection was going. I was a little frustrated with Oscar’s blinkered yet over-reaction to their kiss. Still, I liked the angst of their ‘separation’ and how Oscar gradually started to think things through with the help of others. Indeed, Oscar’s friends and Jack’s grandmother were a great supporting cast. Great for Oscar and great for the story. They knew how to treat him and stayed his friend, despite his grumpiness, mood swings and panic attacks. They could all see what was blossoming between Oscar and Jack and did all they could to point them in the right direction.

The Hate Project is the follow up to The Love Study, which I really enjoyed last year.I didn’t like this one quite as much as the last one and I couldn’t quite figure out why the whole time I was listening to it. Oscar and Jack are basically grumpy and grumpier – which is a combo I love. Jack is the MC whose head we’re in the entire book, we begin when he’s lost his job and is unsure what to do next. He accepts the Herculean task of cleaning Oscar’s grandmother’s house for a good-size amount of money and then the two wind up in a casual no-feelings-attached fling.

But where my problems stem from was around the characterization around Jack. He has a lot of anxiety, which I can relate to so much. I absolutely fell in love with how his friends accept this and make allowances for it. They appreciate how much it can incapacitate him and just make necessary adjustments – it’s so wonderful! But there comes a point in the book where Jack crosses over from anxious to…almost overwhelmingly paralyzed. I’m aware that could have been a specific choice the author made for the character but it threw the pacing off for me because it felt like the book stood still for too long because of this paralysis. This could also be an example of hating characteristic I see in myself so…who knows!? I loved Oscar and the grandmother – their relationship is tender and grumpy, it’s perfect. Ripper’s writing is just really unique.

CW: anxiety, grief, panic attacks

After loving The Love Study I was primed to love The Hate Project, but some elements hit too close to home for me to enjoy myself fully.

The good:

- Oscar comes off as a grouch in the first book and here we learn why - he has social anxiety that can lead to panic attacks. It made past actions understandable and gave me more appreciation for how Ripper set up that first book.

- The dynamics of the friend group are becoming clear and I love the way they interact and support each other. Oscar's friendship with Ronnie is particularly interesting and they shine on the page together. We also learn more about Mason, one of the MCs of the next installment, through his relationship with Oscar. The found family elements, which felt a little forced in the first book, are in delightful full force.

- Jack's grandma is awesome, a no-nonsense type that gets her own mini story arc and characterization.

- Ripper pushes the edges of what's considered du rigueur in romance and I am here for it. The Love Study has an HEA without a solid commitment, and here sex does not lead to the 'I love you' realization that it does in many romances.

- Some people may find the anxiety rep empowering and comforting, however...

The not-so-good:

- ...Oscar's thought spirals are so similar to ones I've experienced (thank you, birth control!) I found myself skimming whole sections. And while Oscar's single PoV works well for the story it also means we're always in his head, close to that anxiety.

I have all the love and respect for what Ripper is doing but unfortunately this book wasn't the one for me. I'm very much looking forward to the next book - a poly relationship, yay!

Content notes: anxiety including panic attacks, grief, disordered eating

This is a hard book to review because while I did not love this book like I did the previous one, I think the author did an excellent job writing from the perspective of a hero we would not normally see in a romance. This author is really good at presenting realistic depictions of anxiety. It makes for a slightly uncomfortable read, but I think it is also powerful.

I think I would have liked the book more if we had spent more time with the other main character, Jack. It was great to revisit the friend group from the first group, but I found the pacing here slower and more awkward, though that does fit the hero, Oscar.

Don’t read this if you what a traditional enemies to lovers romance, as this defies those expectations. It’s not sweet or funny. It’s tough and anxious.

I will definitely still check out the next book in the series.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley in return for a fair review

Perfect for fan of enemies to lovers. The Hate Project was a fun romance with interesting characters.

Kris Ripper's The Hate Project is only okay for me.
I appreciate the way it's written, but it just leaves me unable to connect with the characters.

Oscar's life is in a bit of a shambles having lost his job. It's not good for his anxiety and puts him in a very stressful position. Good thing he has some friends who understand him and his behaviors. Some might say Oscar isn't a people person or that he's not nice. It's like that saying -- you never know what problems others are is carrying around with them and Oscar's anxiety and body image are front and center in his world. This story is told from his POV.

Then there's Jack. He has a similar way of interacting with the world in that he can be curt with his interactions with people. Some might say he's a jerk. You've probably met a person like Jack or Oscar at some point in your life. There is a sense of realism with these characters and their interactions that really did it for me in this story. The uniqueness of the characters in this series kept me turning the pages.

Together, Jack and Oscar aren't your typical couple. They fight. They argue. They have dysfunctional communications. They aren't perfect together, yet they are.

If you are looking for a formulaic romance this isn't it. It doesn't follow the rules and that's what make this a very interesting reading experience. I loved the portrayal of the main characters -- their thoughts, actions and words make for a truly different and unique romance.

A complementary copy was provided by the publisher. This is my honest review.

A funny and well written rom-com that kept me smiling and rooting for the characters.
It's well written, the characters are interesting and I liked the humor.
It's the first book i read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

When I first met this friend group, who call themselves the Motherfuckers, in The Love Study I just knew there would have to be more. At the time, that story was listed as a standalone. I’m so happy the author decided to continue with this group and tell us another tale. But I don’t believe you really need to read the first book in order to enjoy and feel this book.

Just as the description of this book says, Oscar is a grouch. A lot of his grouchiness comes from two things, anxiety and not being good at understanding social cues. He’s quiet, even with his closest friends. That will often come across as grouchy even when it’s not intended to. Although, he really is a bit of a grouch. And Jack, for his part, is pretty grouchy himself. Where he can come across as a bit snobbish, it’s also to do with his inability to always know how he’s expected to act. Jack is very straight forward and matter of fact and doesn’t like when others are not. Which, by the way, is quite helpful to Oscar.

In some ways this story can be looked at as an enemies to lovers tale. Jack and Oscar may be part of the same friend group (Jack is a newer addition to a well-established group of friends), yet due to their personalities they don’t tend to interact with one another all that often. And when they do, it’s generally to snipe at each other. The way their relationship begins is a bit non-traditional but loaded with emotion. Maybe not the emotions you’re expecting, but still overflowing with some kind of feelings.

If you have any issues with anxiety, you will 100% understand Oscar. If you don’t but have people in your life who do, maybe Oscar will help you to empathize with them a bit more. The angst, the self-recrimination, the anger and helplessness. The author captures these moments so honestly and candidly. Of course, all of this boils down to him also having a very low self-esteem. I adore how Jack, in his Jack way, tries to boost Oscar’s self-confidence. Of course, because Jack is often sarcastic and biting, more than half the time Oscar doesn’t take those confidence boosts seriously.

This is definitely a story of two people who need to learn how to talk to one another. With their personalities and pasts, it made sense. I didn’t find myself annoyed with this but instead rooting for them to grasp how much they could have if they’d just tell each other the truth and bare their hearts.

After reading The Love Study I was definitely interested in reading the next book and I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed the fact that this book wasn't necessarily following a formula or always going in the way you thought it might - it was a nice change. I also really appreciated the anxiety rep and direct way Oscar's experiences are discussed and addressed. The writing style was both easy to read while being starkly honest with its portrayal of the characters and their interactions. So many of Oscar and Jack's interactions ran the gamut, from maddening to hilarious at times and that was really heartening since that's how real life can sometimes be. I'm excited to see what the third book is about after enjoying both this one and The Love Study.

The Hate Project is the second book in Kris Ripper's The Love Study series. We meet another part of the Marginalized Motherfuckers: this time, Oscar and Jack. Both are equally grumpy characters, but in a way, they work well with each other.

However, it is important to note that this is not your typical love story. Here, we only see the inner workings of Oscar's mind and how he sees Jack. But, despite this being a love story, a huge chunk of this novel shows us Oscar's struggles, especially with his mental health. He definitely suffers hugely from anxiety and that takes a toll on how he goes through life.

What makes this book unique in its storytelling is the beauty of Kris Ripper's writing style. Ze offers interesting scenes and setups, often very entertaining, but it also gives thought-provoking encounters.

Again, Kris Ripper gave a fun friendship dynamic. It is so satisfying seeing them being there for each other and always helping each other become better versions of themselves. Their banter is super fun and charming.

Overall, I really enjoyed the second installment of The Love Study series. It was realistic, heartfelt, honest, and very entertaining. I recommend this title for people who are curious about the Grumpy x Grumpy trope, loves an amazing group of friends and looking for some fun and fresh entertainment.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

The anxiety rep in The Hate Project is written so well and was relatable at many times. I loved Oscar's grouchiness, and his lack of self-confidence was endearing in a way.

I was happy to see Jack get some of the spotlight, even if through Oscar's perspective. In the beginning, these two seem very much mismatched but, as the story progresses, it becomes apparent how well-matched they are. It's always a wonderful read when characters balance each other out in ways that aren't so typical.

The theme of found family is again a strong point in this second installment of The Love Study series. I just love the Motherf***ers! Every single member of this group of friends is delightful. They all bring something unique the group, and the way the express their love and support for each other is too damn cute.

***Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.***

I remembered Oscar from The Love Study, so I was excited to see him get his own book. Enemies-to-lovers is one of my favorite genres, but there’s such a delicate shift from loathing to… something else. If it happens too quickly, it makes the setup implausible. Fortunately for us, Ripper draws out the sarcastic banter perfectly. Oscar and Jack are still bickering right up until their hookups start, and even then, they don’t always stop.

One thing I appreciated about this book was its honest and unflinching look at anxiety and depression. The narrative is single perspective, so the reader only experiences Oscar’s inner monologue. His actions, especially the “big misunderstanding” might seem disproportionate to some readers, but I found his rigid structure to be highly relatable.

The same friend group from The Love Study, colorfully known as “The Motherfuckers”, plays an important role in providing Oscar with companionship and support, whether it’s playing video games or telling him to get off his ass and apply for jobs. We could all use friends like that in our lives.

I can’t possibly write a review of this book without giving a shoutout to Grandma Evelyn, who stole the show at every opportunity. She’s lived her life and doesn’t care what other people think of her, and I love the way she accepted Oscar into her life almost immediately after meeting him, irrespective of his relationship with Jack.

I would recommend The Hate Project. This is the second book in a series, but it functions well as a standalone. I don’t think there’s enough “backstory” in The Love Study to necessitate starting with it. Reading this book made me even more determined to declutter my house before I end up with years and years of old paperwork. I’m looking forward to reading more from Ripper in the future.

I received an ARC of this book from Carina Press/NetGalley.

Unfortunately this book just was not for me. This is my first book by this author and I haven’t read the previous book in this series yet. Maybe reading the previous book would change my feelings? I’m not sure.

However, I just didn’t really like the characters. I had a hard time connecting to and sticking with the story because of it.

Kris Ripper’s The Hate Project is a warm, quirky and often very funny romance with a difference – a grumpy/grumpy pairing – and I enjoyed it a lot. It’s a well-written mixture of snarky and poignant, and I loved the idiosyncratic and uncompromising voice of PoV character Oscar, whose anxiety and depression are presented in a way that feels very authentic. But while the book is a romance and there is a strong HFN, the overall balance is a little skewed in favour of Oscar’s navigating through life changes and the idea of being in a relationship, so that Jack – his love interest – feels a little distant and is less easy to know.

We first met the group of friends who term themselves the Marginalised Motherfuckers in last year’s The Love Study. Declan, Mason, Oscar, and Ronnie and Mia (who are a married couple) have known each other since college, but now their number is gradually expanding. In The Love Study, commitment-phobe Declan met and fell in love with Sydney (the host of a popular You Tube advice show of the same name) so Sydney is now an honourary Motherfucker, as is Jack whom Dec met at work and decided to invite to join them, too. Jack and Oscar pretty much hated each other on sight and never miss a chance to snipe and snark and bicker, so much so that their friends – not-so-jokingly – tell them to get a room!

Nobody is more surprised than they are when one night – they do.

Oscar has lived with anxiety and depression all his life, but he’s dysfunctionally functional – most of the time. When he loses his job – even though he hated it – it throws him off an already delicate balance, the thought of having to apply for jobs and potentially interview filling him with dread. The MFs rally round, throwing him an impromptu lost-your-job party, understanding his need to just be around them rather than interact with them. Somehow, he and Jack end up leaving the party at the same time and then heading back to Jack’s place; the sex is hot and steamy and, strangely, fun… but things end awkwardly with Jack almost immediately leaping out of bed and hustling Oscar back out to the car. It’s not that Oscar is interested in anything other than sex anyway, but still… Rude.

A few days later, Oscar is still jobless and not doing so well with the lack of routine or the prospect of job-hunting when Ronnie tells him that Jack has to clear out his grandparents’ house and could do with some help. All the MFs rally round to lend a hand at the weekend, but It turns out that Jack’s late grandfather was a hoarder (something which Jack is obviously embarrassed about) and the house needs a LOT more clearing out than they can do in a day. As Oscar needs to earn money while he’s looking for another job and Jack needs help clearing out the house to get it ready to sell and is prepared to pay someone to do it… just like that Oscar has a job. (And the possibility of turning their one-off into a more regular frenemies-with-benefits situation. Win.)

Oscar has good days and not-so-good days, but he finds himself kind of enjoying the work, and even taking pride in it, thoughtfully organising family papers and going above and beyond in many small ways. More than that though, it becomes impossible for him to continue to see Jack as simply the brusque, argumentative dickhead he’s always seen him as; going through the contents of the house Jack grew up in, Oscar can’t remain completely detached as he starts to learn more about him and understand him a little.

While Jack is less well-defined than Oscar, the author does a decent job of presenting him to the reader through Oscar’s eyes. He’s prickly and blunt and sometimes downright rude – but there’s a real sense that it’s a cover for what’s really underneath. It’s clear that he has a lot of emotional baggage associated with the house, stuff Oscar doesn’t know about (none of the MFs do), which brings home to Oscar just how little any of them know about Jack. The introduction of Jack’s feisty, no-nonsense grandmother to the mix serves to shed some more light on Jack’s past and on the guy he really is beneath his armour of sarcasm; he obviously adores Evelyn but is determined not to show it. Evelyn’s immediate inclusion of Oscar into their family group throws Oscar off balance slightly, but he soon finds himself enjoying her company – and being with Jack outside the bedroom, seeing another, slightly less jerkish side of him… well, that isn’t so bad either.

The days and weeks pass, and although neither had intended it, Oscar and Jack end up spending time together hanging out at the end of the day, eating together – and sometimes with Evelyn – and Oscar comes to realise, horror of horrors, that he might… actually… like Jack. And that isn’t something he bargained for or ever wanted.

There’s a lot to like about The Hate Project. Oscar is a terrific character with a very distinctive voice, and I really appreciated that the author doesn’t shy away from showing all the complications and contradictions that go along with severe anxiety and how hard Oscar has to fight some days just to open his eyes in the morning. I enjoyed his inner dialogue – which, admittedly, does meander a bit too much at times – and the self-awareness and raw honesty that show us so clearly how he sees himself. I also loved the way that his friends offer him such unwavering and unconditional support, how they respect his needs and wishes but are prepared to provide tough love if needed.

But because Oscar is such a brilliantly written, vividly realised character, his voice dominates the novel to such an extent that the romance feels unbalanced. I appreciated that, even when Jack isn’t present physically, he’s never far from Oscar’s thoughts, but he is nonetheless a little overshadowed by Oscar, and his issues – dating back to childhood – are strongly hinted at but never addressed in depth.

Despite that however, The Hate Project hooked me in from the first paragraph and kept me there until the last. The terrific banter, Oscar’s dark sense of humour, the diversity of the cast and the author’s frank and unsentimental treatment of mental health issues might not add up to a perfect read, but it’s well worth checking out if you’re looking for something a bit different to the norm.

This was a gem! So awkward, sweet, funny and completely unique! I loved Oscar’s dark sense of humor and the unsentimental way this book dealt with mental health issues. And ‘The Motherfuckers’ were the best group of friends/found family ever!

The Hate Project is the second novel in The Love Study series about a college group of friends calling themselves ‘The Motherfuckers’, but it can well be read as a standalone as each book focuses on different persons from the group and their problems and relationships. This time, focus was on Oscar, who is dealing with some serious issues with anxiety and depression, and who is terrified of relationships. When he gets fired from his job, one of the Motherfuckers set him up to help his friend Jack clean out his grandparent’s house, which is a lot of work considering that the grandfather was a hoarder. Jack also has some serios emotional baggage with trust issues after a bad divorce, and the two men develops a grumpy, frenemies, bickering relationship spiced with some extra benefits… but what should be just casual sex soon develops into something more that threatens Oscar carefully built-up walls to keep him functioning.

This was such a sweet, funny, and incredibly unique story! I loved the unsentimental way in which Oscar’s mental health problems were described and how he was allowed to be totally himself at all times; grumpy, acting out, getting panic attacks and lacking social skills, but still being such an adorable and wonderful person and having such a strong network of supporting friends in The Motherfuckers. And Jack stole my heart from the very start. Not to mention his grandmother, Evelyn was hilarious, strong-willed and simply amazing!

The writing style was very light and easy even though the story dealt with a lot of heavy topics, and the dark sense of humor and the bickering between all characters made it such an enjoyable and fun read. Some things that Oscar did were so awkward, and sometimes I wanted to shake some sense in him and stop him from throwing away what’s good in his life, but this was part of what made this story so real, refreshing and addictive.
All in all, this is one of the sweetest stories about the love of found families I’ve ever read. It’s also such a real and honest story about navigating life with social anxiety, depression and mental health treatments. But most of all, it’s a heartwarming story about finding love, friends and happiness. Even if it presents itself in a grumpy way…

4.5 adorkable stars rounding up to 5!

Thank you to Carina Press and NetGalley for the ARC and blog tour invitation for this wonderful book! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

After having read and thoroughly enjoyed The Love Study (one of my top 5 books of 2020) I was delighted to see The Hate Project available for review. We met Oscar (the grouch) and snarky Jack in The Love Study, where they clearly struck sparks, and here they go from occasional acquaintances-with-benefits to finally achieving a relationship status neither of them are too eager to put a label on but which makes both of them happy.

It’s sometimes hard to like Oscar, who is absolutely his own worst enemy pretty much all of the time, but it’s very, very easy to identify with him, with his anxieties, depression, self-directed fatphobia and absolute conviction that nobody could find him lovable or even attractive. Kris Ripper does not shy away from depicting Oscar’s issues, warts and all, right down to the effects changing medications can have on mental state or libido. If you don’t suffer from anxiety, it might occasionally feel like Oscar is just ‘overreacting’ but if you feel like that, I’d urge you to sit back and take a second look, be more understanding that for someone with anxiety, the smallest thing can be absolutely overwhelming. This is one of the most realistic depictions I’ve ever read of someone just trying to get through everyday life without falling apart, and sometimes absolutely failing at it and needing support to pick themselves up and carry on.

Jack’s got issues too, not least of which is his tendency to use sarcasm as a defence mechanism instead of talking about his feelings, but his willingness to try and his refusal to judge Oscar made me like him a lot. The tone here is quite different to The Love Study, not least in that the sex scenes are both more frequent and a lot more detailed - I get why, the body issues of Sidney from The Love Study made it much more tactful not to go explicit - but I admit I was slightly surprised at least the first time around at Oscar and Jack getting raunchy on-page. I adored Jack’s delightfully willful grandmother Evelyn, who definitely deserves to be an honorary member of their friend group, and delighted in the appearance of Declan and Sidney from the first book here too. The only reason I didn’t love this quite as much is because, as previously mentioned, Oscar’s not all that easy to like. It’s still wonderfully written, though, a very modern real-world love story between two complex people. Five stars, and I’ll be eagerly looking forward to the next in the series.

I liked revisiting some of the characters from Ripper's The Love Study in this one. Oscar and Jack are constantly sniping at each other and arguing, but after a party they both decide to let off some steam with a hookup. This ends up leading to Jack hiring Oscar (recently fired from his phone-based customer service job which was not a good fit for his often crippling anxiety) to help him clear out his grandparents' house so that his grandmother can put it on the market. Jack's grandfather was a hoarder, and the job is huge, but Oscar likes organization and solitude and he gets into a routine with the job while Jack is at work every day. They continue to hook up until Jack takes things a step further, which causes Oscar to freak out, leave, and sink into a deep depression. This is really Oscar's book, so the reader gets to know him really well and to get a glimpse inside his anxiety and depression; Jack's side of things isn't as clear, and sometimes I found myself wishing I knew more about what he was actually feeling. He's all snark and sarcasm, but there are moments when another side of him peeks through - just not many. I was rooting for these two, and that's one of the things I like in a romance novel!