Who let the dogs out??

I had to! Wheezy is the cutest dog in this book! I really liked this book, it was sexy, it was fun, it had all the banter and I was SO here for it! I read it in a day because I couldn't put it down, I needed to read more!! Enemies to lovers will forever be a top favourite trop of mine, also banter. Lots and lots of banter. It's my weakness, so automatically, this book is my weakness.

If you love dogs, enemies to lovers romance, banter for dayssss and old ladies who have no filter, you should read this book! Highly recommend!

And that cover!!!! I adore the cover, it's gorgeous, the artist did a fantastic job!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the earc in return for an honest review.

I got a free copy through Netgalley, this in no way influenced this review.

This book was honestly what I needed. A nice romance story with a bit of enemies to lovers and one stubborn dog thrown in the mix.

The one thing that was holding me back from giving this book 5 stars, was that the pacing in the beginning felt kind of off for me. Suddenly the two main characters are falling all over each other and I honestly couldn’t see where it all came from.

I really think this will be a good book to read when it’s cold or snowing outside and you really want to have that Hallmark feeling but in a book.

Thank you Netgalley for sharing an early copy. This is probably more of a 3.5⭐️ book, but i’m rounding up because I had fun reading this adorable, puppy-filled rom-com. I HATE YOU MORE is a fun contemporary romance between an uptight dog show judge and the former pageant queen competing in his contest (with a lazy, unqualified golden retriever, of course). Due to the main couple’s dynamic, I would recommend this read to fans of Tessa Bailey’s IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER.

Tropes and high points include:
-The grumpy/sunshine dynamic
-Idiots-to-lovers (enemies-to-lovers lite™️)
-Himbo golden retrievers
-Cute kids and soft puppies
-Lovable side characters
-Two excellent steamy scenes
-Strong solo character arcs for both POVs

My main qualm with this book was how the main character Ruby lied to Spencer about something and it wasn’t addressed until the third act break up near the end. Because this was supposed to be a love story about Ruby accepting love as she is, this on-going white lie made some interactions between our lead couple feel less genuine. I was ultimately rooting for them and enjoyed how Ruby and Spencer brought out the best in one another, but I think this plot line could have been executed better.

Additionally, that there could have been more tension in the first half of the book as the pair went from enemies/rivals to lovers. I appreciate that they always had mutual respect for each other, but the transition between I-am-at-war-with-this-person and I’m-crushing-on-this-person happens QUITE FAST for both leads. Hence, this is why I (kindly) deem this an idiots-to-lovers story more so than enemies-to-lovers.

That said, I still had a great time reading this soft, cozy rom-com. I loved how often dogs and puppies played a part in I HATE YOU MORE. I did overall really enjoy rooting for Ruby and Spencer as a couple.

LOved it!!!!!! such a fun book!! I loved the concept and the execution. I will recommend to all my friends!

DNF at 20%.

This is my first time trying this very popular author and the voice just isn’t working for me. Like AT ALL. Every character comes off as overly childish (Caleb, the MMC’s twin, FMC Ruby) or overly judgmental (MMC Spencer, Ruby’s mom), manipulative octogenarians, or an actual criminal (Henry? Harold?). Idk, in theory, this should be cute, but there’s all this subtle judgment from the mom about Ruby’s appearance and ughhh, yeah, I’d rather not spend time reading a book that isn’t really making me very happy. Also, Caleb and Ruby’s mom both seem like total users and I don’t want to read a book with what appears to be a lot of toxic family relationships. Maybe it gets better but I don’t want to read further to find out - I’ve sadly lost interest. So far, the two dogs are my favorite characters, and if that’s the best I can do in a romance novel about 2 humans finding love, something has gone very, very wrong, indeed.

I Hate You More will leave the reader smiling with each page turned. This romance is my favorite trope - enemies to lovers. Gilmore has gifted the reader an entertaining, adorable book, full of snarky banter, fun four-legged friends and a grumpy vet who will leaving you wanting more.

All I'll say is 140 strokes! Read this book to find out. WOW

This story was super fun, a little steamy (that one scene got me good!) and just downright adorable. Wheezy is probably the worst dog ever, but in the best of ways. I also loved how Spencer’s brother kept flirting with Ruby just to get a rise out of him. The banter was delightful and the tension was wheeew. I also loved Wheezy’s owner, she was hilarious!

✨I Hate You More by Lucy Gilmore✨

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Trope: Strangers to Enemies to Lovers
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5
Steam Rating: 🥵🥵🥵
📚: 272 Pages
🗓Release Date: November 2nd, 2021
📖: 89th read of 2021


🐶a grumpy dog show judge
🐶a determined former beauty queen
🐶a Golden Retriever more interested in stealing bacon than winning Best in Show
🐶Quirky nursing home gals

Ruby Taylor walked away from the parent circuit a decade ago, we find her working as a nursing assistant in a nursing home, friendly with the residents content with life. That is until her favorite resident asks her to enter he beloved, yet lazy chunk, Wheezy in the local dog show and it flips her life on its head. Ruby has gone through her whole life with people treating her a certain way based on her beauty and assuming she is nothing but an empty headed blond. Ruby was one of my favorite characters I have read this year in my romances. She was strong, determined, stuck to her guns, and refused to give up when she was told something was impossible.

Spencer Wilson is a hot, grumpy veterinarian who runs the dog show. He is impatient, honest to a fault, rule follower and quite honestly the perfect person to balance Ruby. Hot on one page, awkward as heck on the next, it made him feel more human and real versus the typical male romance character who is strong/sexy all the time.

This book has everything: Cute twins who couldn’t be more different, Chonky pup named Wheezy, Badass/Determined Former Beauty Queen, an enemies to lovers story entwined with puppies on puppies on puppies. I Hate You More was such an entertaining romantic comedy! I flew through this in a day and loved every page! The cover immediately drew me in and then the blurb solidified my need to read this ASAP!


👏Thank you NetGalley/Sourcebooks Casablanca/Dreamscape Media for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review

🏷 #IHateYouMore #LucyGilmore #NetGalley #ARC #AdvancedReaderCopy #DreamscapeMedia #OctoberReads #NovemberRelease #EarlyReader #ContemporaryRomance #DogShow #EnemiestoLovers #steamyreads #SourcebooksCasablanca

A huge thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5⭐️ 4🌶

I loved this so much!!! The adorable cover first attracted me to requesting it but I’m so glad I did because this was everything from swoony to heartfelt to dog lovers’ heaven!

I love the premise of this former beauty pageant queen turned nursing assistant helping out her old friend in signing up her overweight, untrained yet adorable golden retriever in a dog show competition. Things become complicated when a grumpy veterinarian/dog-show judge tries to stop them from ruining the competition by deeming them unqualified. Being competitive all her life, she’s determined to prove him wrong.

I’m obsessed with the characters in this both main and side! Firstly, I loved Ruby! She was such a strong, determined and relentless heroine. Despite the regret she felt from competing in beauty pageants most of her life, she took what she can from those experiences and used it to prove herself. Her friendship with Mrs. Orson and the rest of the nursing home residents was so wholesome but I especially loved seeing her work hard with bby Wheezy! Also, her continuous relationship with her mom despite all the complications was proof of how maturely she’s dealing with her past.

Then we have Spencer Wilson whom I loved the moment I met him! (I may be biased towards grump heroes and animal lovers 🙈) Not only did I enjoy seeing his wholesome relationship with animals especially dogs but his relationship with the people around him was equally interesting namely his twin brother, parents, friends/co-judges and especially Ruby! I loved his character arc especially towards the end, it was hard not to fall in love with him (seeing him do 100+ push ups may be one of the reasons too 🤣)

The grumpy/sunshine trope was everything!! I love those moments when they would make fun of Spencer for being the serious, broody character from the way he talks, acts and even dresses 🤣 There was also a forbidden feel in their relationship with Spencer being a dog-show judge and Ruby being an entrant in his competition. I loved their chemistry, banter and the tension between them! I enjoyed the deliciously steamy scenes as well!

What surprised me was all the heart tugging scenes that had me tearing up especially towards the end! Both the main leads’ issues as well as Mrs. Orson’s and Caleb’s made it so easy to relate to them and love them more than I already did. I also enjoyed those scenes when the characters would read and talk about the erotitca/romance novels they were reading 🙈

I personally just wish there was more build up in Ruby and Spencer’s relationship before that first kiss and I was hoping for more dog show scenes!

Overall, it was hard not to fall in love with this book especially with all the dog content, steamy romance, memorable characters and heartfelt moments! I highly recommend this and I’ll definitely be on the look out for more from Lucy Gilmore.

3.5/5 stars.
Ah, this was so cute! This is really the perfect, quick book to get you out of a reading slump. What's better than dogs? Especially chunky goldens like Wheezy (my man, he holds my entire heart lol). Ruby and Spencer had a fun dynamic and I enjoyed getting to explore their story!

I had a couple of problems with I Hate You More, but it didn't necessarily detract from my enjoyment. Ruby and Spencer's relationship is a little insta-lovey, which I normally don't mind, but it's not my favorite when a book is touted as enemies-to-lovers. It's less enemies as "two insanely hot people are attracted to each other, disagree on something, but quickly get over it," lol. While I enjoyed both Ruby and Spencer, they felt a little one dimensional at times, especially towards the end. The first half is significantly stronger than the latter because the characters become less complex and more archetypes of who they should be. I wanted a bit more of an emotional payoff that didn't exactly come to fruition.

the 140 strokes scene earned this an extra half point however, so...

The only other issue I had with this book was its discussion of food and bodies. I found some of the sections about calorie limitations and body weight to be a little triggering to me, so if that is something that is difficult for you, then I would maybe skip this. As a former pageant girl, Ruby has some deeply seeded biases (as does her mom).

In all, I enjoyed this book and definitely think it's worth a read!

Grump x Sunshine with enemies-to-lovers? HELLS YES. This was my first time reading from Lucy Gilmore and it did not disappoint. Plus, we had an adorably lazy dog, how can you not love that? This will be a fan favorite of many readers with the unique premise mixed with tried and true tropes.

Wow! What an adorable book. Just as adorable as it's cover. This is a great enemies-to-lovers romance with a dog that is definitely my spirit animal, a determined female MC, and a male lead who is just misunderstood. I loved all the characters, especially Mrs. Orson and Wheezy. The sexy scenes were HOT for a more lowkey romance novel. That first one was way different than I expected and anything else I have read. If you love great character development, puppies, and amazing side characters, check this book out November 2nd!!

Thank you Netgalley, Lucy Gilmore and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the e-ARC. I am so glad I requested this read!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

I Hate You More is another fun Lucy Gilmore dog-oriented romance. It’s charming and fun, and a fun read between more intense books.

Wheezy the golden retriever is the cutest thing. He’s ill-suited to be a dog-show champ, given his bacon-stealing ways, but that’s what made me love him.

Ruby is also a surprise and a delight. I love her enthusiasm for romance novels (can you say meta?!), one she shares with others, although admittedly, I did find the joke about the cheesy covers ironic, given this book’s cover, as well as the direction a lot of mainstream romance covers are trending toward (not that the shirtless guy/clinch has completely died, but still, the joke would have probably landed better a few years ago).

But the romance was weirdly written. While I did know Spencer was meant to be the love interest, thanks to the blurb, it was odd the way his brother, Caleb, was positioned in the story. It’s not a love triangle by any means, but I found myself very…distracted…by him…and much more so than you’d typically be by a secondary character, even one you’d expect to get their own book at some point down the line. Spencer isn’t a bad guy, and I actually really liked the brotherly relationship between the two. But it was weird seeing Spencer and Ruby develop a relationship, as I didn’t fully buy into their chemistry.

This book is cute, in spite of any flaws in execution. If you love cute, fluffy romcoms that include dogs, you might enjoy this more than I did.

YES YES YES!! I am all about the enemies to lovers, + Grumpy/Sunshine + DOGS!!
This is a sweet book that I relished the unique plot of. I felt that the characters were authentic too. I thought the character growth especially in Ruby was well done. I enjoyed seeing her come into her own. I liked how she had goals and was able to work towards them. Ruby and Spencer overall had a great dynamic and I loved the slow build between them. Overall a great quick read!

I Hate You More
Lucy Gilmore
ARC provided free of charge in exchange of honest review.
Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4285234354

Ruby is a former pageant queen who knows what’s it’s like being paraded around. When one of the residents at the retirement community where she works asks her to show her dopey and uncooperative Golden Retriever Wheezy, Ruby buckles up and gets ready to wow the judges.

One of those judges is Spencer, who is immediately unimpressed with Ruby and Wheezy, but can’t deny their connection. Set in his ways and having a hard time letting go of control, Ruby shakes Spencer to the core as they work to see if Wheezy has what it takes to be a show dog and if they might have chemistry.

This book was cute and I immediately loved the grumpy/sunshine dynamic between Spencer and Ruby, but the book felt a bit chaotic. There are a number of side characters, like Spencer’s brother Caleb, who have a lot more personality than the main characters. I often found myself more interested in them and because of this, it felt like there was very little build-up to the relationship. The writing is good and the banter is funny but I had a hard time getting into the plot.

Additionally, the name of the book confused me: at no point did I feel Spencer and Ruby hated each other, just that they were antagonistic in the start.

this did just not do it for me. it wasn't badly written, but it just didn't have my attention and I just finished reading it so I could add a book to my goodreads

Rating: 3.5

I Hate You More has the cutest dogs among the books I've read so far. The story is cute and light, it is perfect for those who are taking a break from heavy/emotional reads. I loved how the main characters, Ruby and Spencer, were both portrayed as independent and strong––both an alpha in a sense––and yet the author was still able to make them perfect for each other. I was also amazed at how the author was able to describe the dogs' expressions and actions clearly that I could actually imagine how they react and move, from my imagination, the dogs were really cute!

While I admired the ending of Ruby and Spencer's love story, I still find the build up lacking. I was kind of hoping for more interactions between the two, laying out their connection, before jumping to the living room scene. Overall, this book is still a great read! Brace yourselves for Wheezy and Caesar!

I Hate You More by Lucy Gilmore
Published: November 2, 2021
Sourcebooks Casablanca
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Lucy Gilmore is a contemporary romance author with a love of puppies, rainbows, and happily ever afters. She began her reading (and writing) career as an English literature major and ended as a die-hard fan of romance in all forms. When she's not rolling around with her two Akitas, she can be found hiking, biking, or with her nose buried in a book.

“Life is so much better when you live it on your own terms.”

Ruby has grown up being looked at, judged, and paraded about. When she has finally had enough, she doesn’t know what to do. Until she falls into being a nurse's assistant, she falls in love with her patients, developing solid bonds in short amounts of time. Spencer feels as though he’s lived his life in his twin brother's shadow. Despite having a thriving veterinarian practice, a home, and being the founder of a local dog show that has received high praise, Spencer feels that something is missing. What happens when a tornado meets a field?

This was very sweet. I enjoyed that the plot was unique, and the characters were so genuinely true to who they are. The comedic timing with the charming romance was so delightfully well played.

Ruby was such a fantastic character. I adored her. I found it very endearing that despite being beautiful physically, Ruby didn’t want to be just a pretty face. She wanted to be valued. To be seen as someone with substance. She had wit, sass, charm, passion, and her stubbornness was terrific.

Spencer is a hardworking character who has found himself stuck in his ways. He has insecurities regarding himself and his twin, and he feels stuck. Smart, and charming, with an endearing sweetness, Spencer is a genuinely good guy.

The side characters were all memorable in their ways, and they all added so much to the overall story. But by far, my absolute favorite character was Wheezy. His attitude and love of cheeseburgers are so great.

This is the sweetest love story, with a pinch of spice and a lot of fur-and-glitter-filled laughs. This is an adorable story, with beautiful characters, comical quips, and a happy ending.

I Hate You More by Lucy Gilmore is another one of her fun romance novels that center on dogs. We meet Ruby Taylor, our heroine, at the start, when she is trying to enter a Golden Retriever named Wheezy to a Canine Classic show. Ruby was a pageant queen, who gave up that life when she turned 18; now she is a nursing assistant at Parkwood Manor home, and one of her elderly patients convinces Ruby to enter Wheezy. The problem: Wheezy is overweight, hard to train and lazy. How in the world is she going to be able to register him?

Spencer Wilson, our hero, is a veterinarian, who is also one of the judges. When Ruby tries to register, Spencer takes one look and advises her that Wheezy does not belong at the show; especially detailing everything wrong with him, including not a pure bred. But Ruby is determined to show the grumpy judge that Wheezy will win the contest. She hires Caleb (Spencer’s brother) to train the dog; both Spencer and Caleb can’t take their eyes off of the gorgeous Ruby.

Ruby and Spencer in a short time have sizzling chemistry, though they get off on the wrong foot. Spencer is a nice guy, loves dogs, but is a stickler for rules. This is an enemy to lovers’ slow build romance. Ruby is smart, savvy, charming and always speaks her mind. When Ruby realizes that Caleb gets nowhere in training the impossible lazy Wheezy, it is Spencer who gives her tips, and she quickly learns that his stern voice gets all the dogs (and humans) to immediately pay attention. Spencer finds himself totally enamored by Ruby, who also finds herself attracted to him, and slowly their feelings become very sensual and wild.

Gilmore gave us some great secondary characters, including Wheezy’s mom, Ruby’s mom, Eva, Caleb, etc. Getting to know the relationships between the families and the elderly residents at the home was well done. But Ruby and Spencer were the show (with Wheezy), as the banter between them was hilarious.

I Hate You More was a fun, flirty, cute read, with some great characters, very well written by Lucy Gilmore. If you enjoy enemy to friend romance, with humorous banter, flirty sexual chemistry, I suggest you read this book.

A heartfelt thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for my e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Give me a rom-com with a dog on the cover and watch me go crazy.

I Hate You More is an enemies to lovers romance that follows Ruby, a former pageant queen, and Spencer, a grumpy veterinarian, who meet when Ruby goes to sign up her dog for a dog show. It was fun watching them bicker and pretending like they don't want to kiss .

Loved it! It was well written and the plot well executed that loving the book was a no-brainer.