My biggest general complaint with self-proclaimed enemies to lovers novels is how quickly the characters go from enemies to lovers and this one was no exception. I'm automatically going to take a star off the rating if there is no real transition from the enemies to lovers phase. Lizzie and Brian hated each other as kids, but then have hard ons for each other as adults. They went within a chapter from using their internal monologue to reminisce on how much they hated each other to screwing in a massage room bathroom. It just doesn't feel authentic to me. However, the rest of the book was fine and frankly romance novels are going to get me good regardless of these quirks.

This one has humor with emotional weight. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and the witty banter just works!

Whether you are a valentines enthusiast or see it as just another day- this book is exactly what needs added to your February tbr.
The prologue gave us just enough of a background to understand the hate the main characters have between each other to really understand them without being too dragged out. I felt it made moments of them discussing their past throughout the book not feel redundant and instead added more layers to them.
I liked the faking dating/ forced proximity aspect of the story line and that it took place over one weekend- since they had such an extensive history it made sense sparks would fly so quickly. It’s not often the main female is such a girl boss and easy to love but Lizzie was!! 272 pages was the perfect length anything more would’ve made the weekend feel too dragged out and made for a quick read I couldn’t put down

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. It was a great romance and I loved the interaction between the two love interests! Perfect for Valentine's Day or any time of the year. I would definitely consider reading this book again or reading another book by Sydney Halston!

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I was really excited about this book, but I was really disappointed. I absolutely love an enemies-to-lovers story, but this one really fell flat for me. There just didn't seem to be much that was working for me. I found the characters annoying and the character development was really poor. They are supposed to be childhood enemies, but within a day of being together as adults they are suddenly in love with each other. Brian is supposed to be a softie with a tough exterior, but he honestly comes off as a dick and doesn't really have many redeeming qualities.

The plot was ok, but the romance went from zero to 60 immediately and there wasn't any development or build up. The plot itself was a bit all over the place too. There was too much going on - a wedding, a fake relationship, a sci-fi book event, etc. With so many different things happening, it was hard to really gage what the focus of the book was supposed to be. The sex scenes were awkward and cringey and not at all sexy. Also, I was really disappointed in how the Mexican characters were portrayed. Even though the author is a woman of color, the portrayal of the workers at the resort came off a little racist.

I struggled with the writing as well. The conversations in the book felt unrealistic and stilted. I just feel like maybe the writing and the plot needed more development and potentially more editing. Even though it was a short book, I felt like a struggle to get through it.

There did seem to be a lot of people who enjoyed this book. It just wasn't for me.

Rating: 2.5 / 5

This was such a fun read! I loved the valentine's day setting, and the enemies to lovers trope is one of my all time favorites!

Cupid only strikes once. At least that’s what Lissette Alonso believes. Ever since the Most Disastrous Valentine’s Day of All Time™ she has hated all things V-day. But Lizzie’s best friend is having pre-nuptial festivities for a week leading up to her February 14th wedding and Lissette is taking her maid of honor duties seriously, maybe too seriously. Of course of course of course who is the first person she runs into on the way to the wedding? None other than her childhood nemesis, Brian Anderson, the reason for all of her Valentine’s Day hatred.

Brian knows he messed up with Lizzie but give him a break, he was just a kid who was trying to look cool and Lizzie regularly pushed all of his buttons—both in school and out of it. He’s always been gruff and grumpy, but these days, Brian is much better off with his writing; fictional characters never talk back. Unlike Lizzie who always has something to say.

Suddenly the two are back under the same roof and bickering like old times, except that Brian has bigger problems than dealing with Lizzie’s verbal sparring. Someone Brian is desperate to avoid shows up and somehow Lizzie gets roped into pretending to be dating him. And, suddenly, the simmering anger has blossomed into something extra spicy…

This was a cute and easy read! I love a solid enemies to lovers trope and this one did not disappoint. I also love a book that takes place at some ‘destination’ in this case, cancun. And I also loved that the MMC was an author and a socially anxious one at that. He was so good! I thought their chemistry was top notch and I loved the spice too. All around this is a cute read for Valentine’s Day.

This was a fast, fun, and cute read. If you like the Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren then you will probably enjoy this! I enjoyed the duel pov and the forced proximity! The ending brought my rating down a little but because its such a quick read this is still a book I would recommend for friends looking for this type of book! This was a solid 3.75 for me.

"The Valentine's Hate" by Sidney Halston is a passionate and emotionally charged romance that ignites sparks between its characters. Halston's storytelling prowess shines as she crafts a tale of attraction, conflict, and unexpected feelings. The book's well-defined characters and engaging plot create an immersive reading experience that keeps readers eagerly turning pages. Halston's ability to explore the complexities of love and desire adds depth to the narrative, making it a captivating read for fans of romance. "The Valentine's Hate" is a fiery reminder that sometimes, the strongest connections are forged from the unlikeliest of beginnings, leaving readers with a warm and satisfied feeling as love triumphs over initial resistance.

If you love the Unhoneymooners, you will love The Valentine's Hate.

Lissette has not had a good Valentine's Day since the day she met Brian Anderson. When she goes on a vacation to help with her best friend's wedding, Brian Anderson makes an appearance in her life. He saves her life by offering to share his bungalow in exchange for help with his book signing. Will this week cause these enemies to finally put away their differences and become friendly?

Why you should read this:
~Dual POV
~Quick Read
~Enemies to Lovers
~Holiday Romance
~Valentine's Day
~Forced Proximity

Thank you, NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a big believer that unless it's a fantasy book, the enemies to lovers trope doesn't always work that well. It just doesn't tend to have the layers of tension or emotion that the trope should have. So while I'm not very set on that aspect of the story, these characters did have good chemistry! Definitely a quick and easy romance read with some light spicy scenes added in.

This book was cute. I don't have anything bad to say about it. I just wish that it had more drama or more action for me, but it was a very fast read so that is probably why it didn't have more action. Reading this book though did boost my mood, but it still was lacking for my taste.

Fun and cute enemies to lovers, fake dating, close proximity Valentines read but it fell a little short for me. I loved some of her Indie books but this felt a little watered down.

This novel was unfortunately not my saving grace for this Valentine's season. I could barely finish it and this always upsets me as I love to be gracious to authors, editors, and Netgalley for providing me this honor of reading and reviewing their work. My apologies to all.

I liked this book... not quite love, but like. I'm a huge fan of enemies to lovers but I usually love my enemies with a side GRUMP and this was a little more on the cutesy side. Definitely a fun read though! It felt like a perfect palette cleanser between darker stories, so I"m really glad I read it.

It was a really cute book. I love a fake dating/relationship trope. It was quick read and I really enjoyed it. Dual POV is great. I love getting into the heads of both side.

Lissette and Brian have been sworn enemies since grade school, so Lisette’s world kind of comes crashing down when she realizes that Brian not only is the famous author B. Anderson, but also has roped her into an elaborate fake dating scheme. Can she fake date the man who ruined every Valentine’s Day since she was young?

Lissette and Brian are the ultimate enemies to lovers couple, and Brian is the type of man written by a woman that is just delectable. The vitriol between them as enemies is spicy, but the spice between them as lovers burns just as fiery.

I loved watching their evolution, and the story stays interesting and throwing new curveballs all the way through.\

This book was written for you if:
1) You love enemies to lovers
2) You love fake dating
3) you liked books with a celebrity dating a normie like Funny You Should Ask or Waiting for Tom Hanks

This story has beauty and the geek thing going on, which was still very swoon-worthy. The main characters were quirky, had history, and had the whole enemies-to-lovers vibe going. As the storyline plays out, this book has sweet moments and eye-rolling ones, but these characters seem larger than life. I love that Brian was an author, and Lizzie wasn't looking for love. It made the whole premise of this much more realistic. This was a sweet romance with a little holiday feel.

Love a good fake engagement/ marriage of convenience kind of book. This book was wonderful! I also love when it's a childhood nemesis turned lover kind of book. This book was great!

I really was not a big fan of this book I wish there was more substance to it and it really fell flat for me. It was cute though and I enjoyed reading this for valentines day