I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand I thought it was cute(ish), on the other hand I felt like the chemistry, setup, and overall general scheme was a bit off. I believe this started as fanfic and it definitely reads as that. I don’t think there was enough background and setup between the two main characters so the payoff wasn’t really there. Also it didn’t feel like the actions and thoughts were of real people, if that makes sense. Did I enjoy it, yes. Would I read it again. Probably not.

This is a good fake relationship/political enemies story. Thom and Clay used to hate each other until they had to fake date to save the governor’s president campaign. They started to become attracted and develop real feelings for each other. I really loved that they figured out that they had feelings for each other by getting to know each other first and realizing that there is something more there. It took me a while to warm up to both Thom and Clay. They both came across as assholes at first but by the end I was rooting for both of them. I do think that the fake relationship trope worked for this book because there were so much tension between Thom and Clay at first that it was sweet once they figured out they had feelings for each other. The political campaign side plot was interesting. This could have been a little better but it is still an entertaining and fun book.

Thank you to NetGallery and to Harlequin Trade Publishing for giving me a copy for.a honest review.

"Love, Hate & Clickbait" is a light hearted, easy beach reader for romance readers that appreciate classic tropes like enemies to lovers and fake dating.

I was iffy about this book at first. Originally I didn't like either of the main characters, but I decided to push through and I'm glad I did!
As you get further into the book, there is some significant character development from our main characters, especially from Thom. I was so glad this character development happened, as you begin to understand where the characters are coming from and their growth.
My one complaint is that the ending felt rushed. I do think the characters got the ending they deserved, but I felt like it could've been expanded.

Love, Hate, & Clickbait is great for fans of enemies to lovers, fake dating, and political romances. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

Love, Hate & Clickbate was such a cute and fun read! I cannot wait to read more from the author and for everyone to get their hands on this book.

I had a hard time with this one. I just did not like the characters very much and it was hard for me to get invested in them. They deserve each other.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and MIRA, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

TW; homophobia, bullying

Thom Morgan is a cutthroat political consultat and he's working on the governor of California's presidential campaign. The only thing he didn't like, or only person, his Clay Parker, a data analyst he finds infuriating. When a journalist snaps a picture of them fighting, but the image makes it looks like they are kissing, the governor asks them to fake it and lean into it to win liberal votes. The animosity between Thom and Clay become more and more intense, leaning into desire and something more in time, something that could cost their jobs and break their hearts.

I have to say I didn't love this book as I hoped I would. I love the fake dating and the enemies to lovers trope and I was so curious to read this book, thinking about another Red, white and royal blue or similar, but it didn't work for me. Not fully.
Even though there are scenes I liked, sweet and steamy and I appreciated the sexual tension between characters, reading Thom's POV couldn't make me like him. I found him condescending and a bit too harsh on Clay, too judgemental and I couldn't like him, while, sometimes both of them seemed a bit too much stereotypical.
Overall, though, while I didn't fully loved it, I liked reading this story. It's a fast read, the sexual chemistry is there and it functions and it could be the book for those who love a enemies to lovers.

I wanted to give this four stars, but if I stick to my original impressions--that this is mostly a bully romance, with the main characters not particularly likeable (Thom) or memorable (Clay)--it lowers it to a three. I felt like the politics were viciously dead-on--an even more unlikable character (here the Governor of California) willing to force a political stunt on her staffers for the sake of distracting the media from a gaffe that could be taken as homophobic.

I wasn't expecting Thom to go against type and go completely soft in Clay's presence in a matter of moments, but to have him still pretty condescending and insulting to Clay more than halfway through the book had me questioning my resolve to finish. Again, Clay quickly went from self-important tech bro to a forgettable submissive personality (emotionally, not sexually), so even when Thom basically uses Clay for sexual release (completely denying any particular feelings he might have for Clay); it's hard to measure the true sexual tension in their relationship against such a blank slate. All it does is reinforces Thom's unlikable character.

Maybe because I was emotionally vulnerable binging the end of this book at 1:30 a.m., but the last half-hour of the book had Emily Henry vibes in terms of gravitas of the main characters, but it was too little too late. You need to transition earlier to Clay basically pulling a Princess Leia's "I love you" to Thom's Han Solo's "I know." But because Thom is still pretty dickish even at the 90% mark, it misses the mark.

Still, I'm interested in what Bowery will write next.

This enemies to lovers romance melted my heart in spite of the animosity between the characters. Perfect for fans of Boyfriend Material this is the rare romance right now that delivers characters with attitude and heart.

Such a CUTE romance. This book was very enjoyable. Great for fans of Red White & Royal Blue and the romance genre in general.

"𝐋𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 -- 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐭, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭."

Most of y'all know I don't usually read the synopsis before diving into a new read. But when I was offered an advanced copy of this politically-centered debut in exchange for an honest review, I had to check it out to make my decision. I saw "𝐟𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠," "𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬," and "𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝗪𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝗪𝐢𝐧𝐠," and was immediately sold. "Say less, Liz Bowery," I thought to myself. "Say less."

And while this M/M contemporary does have some winning elements, the potential definitely outweighed the final product. Let me explain why:

We're first introduced to Thom Morgan, a character you'll despise instantaneously. Working for the governor of California and her bid for the next presidential nomination, Thom is presented as a fame-hungry, workaholic who's as attractive as he is arrogant.

Next, we meet Clay Parker, an immature and naïve data analyst who's often described (even by the governor) as an unattractive oaf. Goofy, yet pure at heart, Clay is seemingly Thom's opposite in every way.

When the governor makes a homophobic remark to the press, she offers these feuding staffers raises and roles in exchange for their help assuaging the LGBT+ base by pretending to date. Thus begins the gay-for-pay/prestige plot line. And while it does highlight two of my favorite tropes, the reasoning behind this fauxmance feels flippant at best.

As for the romance itself, it's a hard one to support. Thom remains judgmental and elitist toward Clay for more than half of the book, which is worsened by his POV chapters. Because the ability to justify Thom's restrictive actions and vindictive behavior goes away when we read his inner thoughts and see he's not remorseful. He does get there eventually, but even the third-act grand gesture felt too little, too late. And watching Clay just take this because Thom's hot? What message is that sending?

With that being said, I did believe the couple was getting there. Their sexual chemistry was strong, and I'd be intrigued to see where they end up in a few years after growing up some more.

At the end of the day, this was a fast read that showed enough promise to have me searching for Bowery titles in the future. I, personally, couldn't get over my bias toward Thom, but if you want a true enemies-turned-lovers story, this could be the one for you!



Trigger Warnings: Bullying, homophobic remarks, emotional abuse/manipulation

Thom can't deal with Clay, but when the campaign he's giving his soul for is in danger, pretending to be his boyfriend and becoming a popular ship on the internet presents as the best solution.

This was a 3+, a safe read to get your mind off stuff.

This is the fake relationship cliché, and yet, it didn't make me feel I've read something similar a thousand times before. It's still in my comfort zone for this trope, but the way it's written and the quick development in the story makes it so you don't feel it.

Also, I found Clay supercute, I really liked that character. Honestly, Thom must be very hot because that's not someone I'd stand to be close to. I'm glad there's character development and we get to a point he becomes more acceptable.

Of course, this won't feel like a novelty either. And the way shipping them could carry a whole campaign... I don't think that wouldn't even get someone elected as mayor. So you do twist your nose at too many times. I also think it was a bit weird how their relationship came to be, I'm not sure I believed that either. But it's a book that you can enjoy if you just keep reading for the trope and don't think of the details.

I think this is the first book I read by Liz Bowery, but I enjoyed her style, how dynamic her pacing is without being too much, how she gives new twists to familiar situations. I look forward to reading more from her.


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

Read if you like: fake dating.
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Thom will do anything for his job, so when it’s suggested that he fake date Clay for the sake of his boss's political campaign, he agrees. He hates Clay, but the more time he spends with him the more he finds himself wanting to be in his company.
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This was a fun fake dating story with a political background. Sometimes Thom was really mean to Clay, which made me a little uncomfortable at times, but their relationship got cute as the book went on.
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CW: sexual content, homophobia, emotional abuse, bullying.

This book was a quick read that was extremely enjoyable. I would not recommend to my current students, but would happily recommend to adults. It had a lot of the same feelings as Red, White, and Royal Blue, which I enjoyed. The character development was pretty quick, but there was not as much diversity in characters beyond the queerness. I liked that it was not really a "coming out" story, but the queerness was just generally accepted, even though it did involve someone coming out to themselves.

This book's premise sounded like something I would enjoy and love, but unfortunately it fell short for me. Right from the beginning, I couldn't get invested into the character's; I didn't really care for them, which in turn made me not interested in the story. Normally, I love characters like these, but the aggressiveness in a rom-com was misplaced (if it had been a Dark Romance, I would be eating it up).

Thom and Clay have loathed each other from the day they met working on the presidential campaign for the governor of California. But after the governor's homophobic gaffe puts the campaign in hot water, Thom and Clay are caught fighting in a viral photo that looks like they're about to kiss. The governor insists they fake a relationship to help her get some good press. Will their passionate hatred of each other morph into a different kind of passion?

I live in DC and have worked in politics long enough to VERY MUCH recognize these hilarious characters and absurd situations! This is a true enemies-to-lovers book, and I loved watching Thom and Clay transform from cheeky villains to amorous little marshmallows. With a great sense of humor and endearing romance, I loved every minute of Love, Hate & Clickbait!

It reads like a good West Wing fanfic. It has that feels to it. Not a bad thing. Thom is an eventually lovable jerk but still a jerk. The political game is driving the story, using really big narrative strings. Sometimes too big for my taste. The fake to let's bone because it's convenient relationship transforming into a real one didn't quite mesh for me. Still enjoyable.

I am always on board for a enemies to lovers story but this book made me jump off that moving train. This was NOT FOR ME. I HATED EVERYONE and while I don't necessarily need to love every character I do need to like something about the story. With this there was nothing i enjoyed. These characters were horrible and there is no relationship to root for. The plot and writing was also very lacking. DNFed. I just can't waste anymore time on this...
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mixed feelings about this one, I think it had a lot of potential. It was a quick read and entertaining and I think readers will enjoy, but it never gave me any strong feelings.