Love, Hate & Clickbait is a political romance centered around faking dating between two very different people.Apparently the new trend for romance is political romances. I feel like this in a sub-genre I'm going to have to be in the mood for but if it's done well they are great. Luckily Love, Hate & Clickbait is a gem. It's charming, witty and full of chemistry. I wasn't sold on the characters at first, I found Thom and Clay to be impossible to like and a tad annoying. However, they both grew on me and I ended up loving them

With the highest amount of respect and full compliments I say that this book reads like an excellent fan fiction. Fake dating, rivals to lovers, idiots to lovers 'its just to blow off steam' lovers to romantic idiots. All of it is absolutely excellent. Any lovers of a certain late 90's politics based television show are going to absolutely adore this read. The chemistry between the main characters is electric from the moment they connect in that fateful hallway and the slow gradual fall into each others arms is positively delicious. It happens so naturally, so easily while also making it as hard on each other as possible. Love Hate Clickbait is a book that you can fall back into over and over again in such a wonderful way.

This book is adorable. People who loved Red, White and Royal Blue will enjoy the political aspects, though this one was much more realistic. A good enemies to lovers set up and a decent bi representation.

This was a sweet book. A fake dating for political reasons, that moved at a fast pace, this was like a lighter version of Red White, and Royal Blue. Both main characters were flawed, and unlikeable in ways, and I really appreciated that instead of changing, they instead met each other where they were each at.

From my Goodreads review:

For those with an itch for M/M romance set within a political campaign after reading Red, White and Royal Blue... this friends-to-lovers/fake dating novel will satisfy.

Thom enjoys wielding power and influence. He's excellent at his job, a top aid to the Governor of CA, and has no trouble keeping emotions out of the equation as he ruthlessly executes her agenda and manages her brand.

Clay, new to the Governor's staff as a programmer/data analyst, displays his every emotion on his expressive face. He's angry at his former friend, a Silicon Valley CEO who has cut Clay out of the start up they built together. Clay is goofy and good natured but also looking to prove himself and be taken seriously.

Too bad Thom doesn't see Clay as having much worth. When a picture of Thom physically manhandling Clay in a heated moment, it's leaked... it looks like an intimate moment!

When their boss, the governor, asks them to lean into it and fake date (she could use the positive press after a gaffe), the two are forced together and, eventually, they become intimate.

At this point, instead of going downhill (as it happens in so many romance novels), the story actually improves. The characters (main and secondary) gain dimension, become more likeable and relatable, and it is all accomplished more deftly than the exposition.

The ending is nuanced and the author avoids the "Hollywood ending." I'd actually love to read the sequel just to see how the presidential race plays out. A very satisfying read that hits most of the notes.

I really loved the cover art for this one, which initially caught my eye. Fake relationship, enemies to lovers, and sunshine/ grump are some of my go to tropes. So on hearing the premise to this story, I was immediately interested. It had all the tropes I wanted, and sounded as though it would be a political version of Boyfriend Material.

This one wasn’t for me however, I think the premise held a lot of promise but the actual story and characters I struggled to connect with. Instead of enemies to lovers, this one felt a bit more like a bully romance - which is not something I enjoy.

While I enjoy flawed characters, I needed a bit more for Thom to be redeemed. I will admit I’m not the reader for this book, and that those who like the bully romance trope may have an entirely different experience.

I was gifted a copy of this arc, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Thank you to Mira / HTP and NetGalley.

It took me a considerable amount of time to get into this story, since none of the characters seemed at all sympathetic. I am still not a fan of the fake dating/engagement/marriage for political purposes plotline. But I persevered to see if the author could redeem Thom and Clay, who eventually figured out that they were indeed a true match, and I did like the ending.

Cringe. Disappointed so hard in this one.
I love fake dating but there was not a single redeeming character in this book. I draw the line at fake marriage. Toss is disgusting politicians on top? This one is a hard pass for me.
Fanfic of red, white and royal blue and just not done well at all. Huge disservice to the LGBTQ+ community.

Veep meets Boyfriend Material!

Despite hating each other, campaign staffers Thom and Clay start fake-dating to help distract from their candidate's anti-gay gaffe.

I was a little concerned when both characters started out so unsympathetic, but I quickly got caught up in the story anyway and really enjoyed it. Though they do become more likable, they remain quite flawed (which is reasonable based on where they started). I do wish Thom especially would've been a little more sympathetic overall. I liked the way their relationship developed and the general over-the-top tone when the politics came into play. It wasn't very realistic, but it was a fun ride.

A perfect fit if you like the tone of Veep (I absolutely pictured Clay as Jonah the whole time)! Also good for fans of gay romance like Red, White, & Royal Blue and Boyfriend Material.

Set against a political backdrop, Love, Hate & Clickbait follows Thom and Clay as they start a fake relationship all in the name of a political campaign.

I really enjoyed this book. From how much of a douche Thom was to how annoying Clay started out being. As they drop their guard and start to see past their first impressions, you start to see them for the three dimensional characters they are. The cold hearted political world represented was pretty brutal too and to be honest, is exactly how I expect it to be!

3.5 stars, rounded up. This book is sure to be a hit with fans of the enemies-to-lovers or fake-dating tropes. If you like grumpy jerk and ray of sunshine pairings, you'll probably enjoy this as well, even though Clay is more "dumb puppy" than "ray of sunshine." Even after reading and enjoying the book I'm still not entirely sold on whether Thom really redeemed himself enough, but Clay seemed to think so. I look forward to seeing what this author comes out with next. (NetGalley provided me with a digital ARC of this book in return for an honest review.)