*2.5 stars


i was enjoying this book for about the first 30%, then i started to get bored and it was hard for me to read more than 10% at a time, then at 75% i just didn’t care about the characters anymore and skimmed the rest. it wasn’t a terrible book, but it wasn’t great either.

the whole reason that the main characters were ‘enemies’ and didn’t like each other was because of a miscommunication which i don’t particularly enjoy in books.

something else i didn’t love about this book is that it’s written in third person dual pov. the chapters are also pretty long and changed perspective multiple times in each chapter which got annoying at times.

at times the characters felt a bit immature and some things they said were cringey. i may have enjoyed this story a year or so ago but it no longer aligns with the taste in books. maybe if it was the same base storyline but it was friends-to-lovers and not ‘enemies’-to-lovers i would have liked it a lot more.

The Valentine’s Hate is a cute enemies to lovers story about two childhood enemies who just happen to see each other after 15 years.

It is a fast paced story with very minimal conflicts that are resolved quickly.

I know, I know, Christmas hasn’t even happened yet, and my reviews are already moving onto the next holiday. Publishing, retail, the whole world is like that, I guess. But if you’re tired of Christmas rom-coms and holiday movies, but still want something light and fluffy, The Valentine’s Hate is perfect.

Lizzie and Brian grew up next door neighbors and “enemies” until they graduated high school and went their separate ways. Now, fifteen years later, they’re at the same Mexican resort and forced to confront the past when they inadvertently stumble into a fake dating scheme. Brian is a reclusive author who needs Lizzie to help him get his most, um, passionate fans to back off, and she just found out her cheating ex is attending her best friend’s wedding. Pretending to date benefits them both.

I mean, we’ve all read enough fake dating and enemies to lovers to see where this one is going. But it’s the little details that make this story shine. I loved that Brian is the writer whose characters’ budding romance has sent fans into a tailspin and Lizzie is the serious businessperson. I loved that their animosity was built on childish misperceptions rather than something serious I’m expected to quickly get over as a reader. And I loved that it doesn’t take them long to acknowledge that their tension is not just anger and hatred.

On the flip side of that, I think things got physical between them too quickly. It felt a little abrupt when it actually happened, and I didn’t get to have that triumphant FINALLY moment because it was way earlier than I expected based on how they were acting. The third act conflict was a bit contrived (because they’d somewhat discussed it earlier and he told her the truth!), but I could have overlooked that more easily if I had the satisfaction of the tension-filled slow burn I know could have been amazing with these two.

**Trigger Warning below

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!

I was swept into this story immediately. I loved how the backstory was set up between younger Brian and Lizzie.

Banter? ✅️

Spice? ✅️

Third Act Breakup? ✅️

Grand gesture? ✅️

I loved how this story had the perfect amount of everything. There was miscommunication, but was explained. There was a third act breakup, but it was expected based on the lead up to that point and was not something out of the blue. I swooned, I laughed, I fanned myself during the spice, and I felt for both characters. They both had rough times throughout the years but were able to grow by the end. I hated having to pause reading to go to bed. Will definitely read more by this author!

TW below
.
.
.
.
.

*parent deaths, parental abandonment, cheating

I had a very fun and good time reading and finishing it. It has this whole vibe of love, quirky humour and festive-ness, at-least to me. So, it was one perfect during these cozy chilled season.

I was interested in this book because of the title. I abhor Valentine’s Day. I dread it and am glad when it’s over.
Lizzie and Brian were childhood enemies, but find themselves thrown together at a friend’s wedding. They dupe everyine into believing they’re a couple, but of course both want to make it real.
I’m a sucker for these stories.
This story didn’t have a lot of pizzazz and I never could bring myself to like Brian.
The thing I liked the most about the story was the background lead up to why neither character liked each other.
I’m not won over with the two of them as a couple.

Childhood enemies, Lizzie and Brian, haven’t seen each other in over a decade. Now the pair find themselves at the same resort. Lizzie is the maid of honor in a wedding and Brian is doing a PR tour for the movie being made from his book series. Due to a problem with the rooms, Lizzie finds herself without a place to stay. Brian offers the extra room in his suite if Lizzie will assist him during his book events. Confusion forces them into a fake relationship with real feelings.

The Valentine's Hate is an open-door contemporary romcom. It has a great mix of humor and spice. My biggest complaint is that it needed to be a bit longer. I would have liked to have seen an epilogue. Without it the book has a “happy for now” ending.

The book is quite fast paced. The relationship develops very quickly. The whole basis of their being enemies is found to be a teenage misunderstanding.

Overall, The Valentine’s Hate is a fun romcom. This is the first book that I have read from this author but I would like to look into more of her work in the future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager (Avon)!

I really wanted to like this more, but I didn’t vibe with the writing style and wasn’t a fan of Brian’s character. Plus, I know it’s a romance novel, but this felt a little too far-fetched even for me.

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was surprised by how enjoyable this romance was. The banter and past memories shared by both Brian and Lizzie were fun to experience and made their present relationship understandable.
The chemistry that developed between them was entertaining also. One issue that I didn't particularly like was Brian 'forgetting' to tell Lizzie that very important news. Sort of a forehead slap moment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing the ARC.

I really wanted to like this book, but it fell really flat for me.

The main characters are painted as enemies, and perhaps rivals is more accurate, but the whole time I was reading about their past relationship, I felt like Brian was a bully. Some of the stuff that happened felt very antagonistic, and there wasn't a really good reason for why Lizzie would want to date him in reality.

Additionally, the whole book felt rushed and clumsily pieced together. The characters went from 0 to 100, and there was little to no build up between them. It was both frustrating and kind of boring to read.

Not my favorite.

This book was cute! At times I thought it was a bit slow and others a bit too fast. Plot isn’t unique but the book is a quick and amusing read

Thank you NetGalley for eARC in exchange for an honest review

This book was so good! This book was full of so many great tropes: enemies to lovers, fake dating, second chance romance, forced proximity.

The main characters were perfection. You have Lizzie who is a bad ass, strong woman who doesn’t take shit from anyone. And then there is Brian who is the introvert with social anxiety, he’s such a sweet guy who has a big heart but often gets misunderstood because of his anxiety.

the banter between them was perfect. A lot of times with enemies to lovers books I get annoyed or bored of the banter. But Halston, did such a great job of writing it and making it playful and fun that it only added to the story.

I understand both sides of why they had issues together as kids. Brian was going through a really rough time when he first moved to Miami after his parents death. Lizzie wasn’t aware of this so she was just trying to be nice to the new kid but he was hurting and took it out on her. And from there it just became a lot of miscommunication between them. So when they finally talk about it all and get clarity, they are able to see how great they are together.

The scene on Valentine’s Day where Brian made an effort to make up for all the past ones he messed up for Lizzie was so sweet and wholesome. He never intentionally ruined them for her, but

I was gutted when Lizzie found out about the “kiss” between Brian and Violet. Since it is Dual POV, we as the reader knew what really happened. But reading it from Lizzie’s perspective was hard. To her, he was just another guy who lead her on and cheated. And when the fight or flight response kicked in, her default reaction was to run.

I think the ending was handled really beautifully. Brian was equally hurt because Lizzie ran without giving him the benefit of the doubt and listening to him. But after some time thinking he realized that he needed to fight for the woman he loved. He got on a plan to London and wrote an ending to his book that showed how much he loved her. Brian is one of my new favorite book boyfriends.

I was not a big fan of the POV switching mid chapter, I wish it would just go to another chapter. Hopefully this will be fixed before the final publication.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC copy of The Valentine Hate.

THE VALENTINE’S HATE – Sidney Halston
AVON
ISBN: 978-0063286399
December 27, 2022
Romantic Comedy

Cancun, Mexico – Present Day

Lissette “Lizzie” Alonso hates Valentine’s Day after some disastrous experiences with it while growing up. But with her best friend Mari having a Valentine’s Day destination wedding in Cancun, she has to put aside her hatred for the day. At least her childhood nemesis, Brian Anderson, won’t be there. However, on her way to Cancun, she runs into the last person she expects to see…Brian. Turns out he is not there for the wedding, but for a convention where he will be comingling with fans and signing books. Brian Anderson writes under the pen name of B. Anderson, the big-time author of a mega-book series that has a cult-like following.

Lizzie gives Brian an earful when they first meet in Cancun, but soon she has to eat her words after he offers to help her when a flood at the resort means she doesn’t have a room. Lizzie will either need to move to a hotel ninety minutes away or accept Brian’s offer to stay in the extra bedroom in a villa at the resort. The wedding venue will still be at the resort, and as the maid of honor, Lizzie would rather be onsite. So, she agrees to Brian’s offer. She might hate the guy, but she can hope to avoid him. But it turns out that Brian needs Lizzie to be his pretend girlfriend to help ward off the advances of the married actress who is the female lead in the movie series based on his books. Can she pretend to like a guy that she hates?

Will Lizzie come to love Valentine’s Day in THE VALENTINE’S HATE, or will it just reinforce her belief that it is a day invented by the devil to scorn her? Things are definitely getting dicey for her once she arrives in Cancun. First there was running into Brian, then the resort kicking her out of her room due to the flood. It also turns out that the groom’s sister is now dating Lizzie’s ex-boyfriend. The guy who cheated on her. Having Brian and her pretend to be dating will act as a buffer since it appears her ex wants to get her attention. Of course, staying in the same villa, even with separate rooms, provides a sense of intimacy. Readers will wonder how long before they’re soon sharing the same bed.

While not a laugh-out-loud romance, there are plenty of lighthearted moments in THE VALENTINE’S HATE, like when Lizzie and Mari get drunk. She wakes up in Brian’s bed the next morning with no idea how she got there. Meanwhile, there are misunderstandings as people assume that our couple are engaged. If Brian denies it, will it give the actress who is after him an opening to try and “break off his romance with Lizzie”? This tale is like a madcap dash to keep ahead of their stories and away from people that they don’t want to see. While there is animosity between Brian and Lizzie to start out, soon they are getting to know each other, and their chemistry together fits together like a pair of gloves. Once the wedding is over, will they want to see where things go from there?

A fun and entertaining tale right from the first page, THE VALENTINE’S HATE is one that I highly recommend, even if you’re not a fan of Valentine’s Day.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today Blog

This should have worked but I just got tired of the pacing. Two childhood nemesis’s are thrown together on a trip to Cancun.

This was cute. Pretty quick read. No intense plot but I had fun reading this story. Characters were well written with depth. I even liked a number of the supporting characters. Some needed to be smacked upside the head.

I laughed and had all the feels throughout this whole book. Resolution is pretty quick with no public grand gesture. It wasn’t bad, but not what you’d expect with a romance.

Some spice. Pretty quick and sparse, but explicit. 18+

Check content warnings

Special thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this digital ARC.

This book has all the tropes: enemies to lovers, fake dating, fake engagement, dating a celebrity, close proximity, opposites attract/introvert and extrovert, etc. Lizzie travels for her friend's wedding and runs into a childhood nemesis. Brian is in Mexico to promote his book series and finds himself face to face with the girl he secretly had feelings for but made miserable in school. Lizzie trades helping out Brian for a room in his hotel suite when her hotel room falls through. They end up needing each other for various work and wedding events and find that they may not hate each other after all.

All of the tropes represented in this book are my favorites. Brian comes across as reserved to the public and most people, but he isn't like that at all with Lizzie. The author showed Brian really open up when he was with Lizzie and even Lizzie tore down her walls when she was with him. I feel like there could have been a little more build up to the two of them, but overall, it was great to have that dual point of view so that you could read how they both felt initially.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Holding review in solidarity with HarperCollins union. Pay livable wages. Meet their demands. Focus on better DEI.

Okay so I was immediately drawn in to this book because I LOVE seeing a Latina lead in romance books! I’m half Cuban and from Miami myself so seeing how Lizzie’s culture was portrayed throughout the story made me so happy. This story had some of my favorite tropes- fake dating, childhood enemies to adult lovers, forced proximity. I loved seeing Brian and Lizzie’s character development and their banter was top tier. I wish I could have seen more of the secondary characters and I would have loved to see more angst and pining (maybe I just wanted the story to be longer lol). Overall, this was a really fun read!

Thank you Avon, NetGalley, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

It is rare that I save a quote from a book, but this one inspired me to do so. "Remember, one act of kindness may change someone's entire day." This wisdom is given to Lizzie by her mom and it really resonated with me. I absolutely loved this book!

Lizzie and Brian have not had a friendly relationship. First meeting as children, on Valentine's Day, they had a bumpy start. Now living in London, 15 years have passed and Lizzie is getting ready to go to Cancun for her childhood best friend's wedding. Just her luck that she is seated next to Brian on her connecting flight.

He is now a famous author going to a convention. His assistant isn't able to make it and Brian has social anxiety, so he is panicking. After he finds out Lizzie is staying in the same hotel, but is being displaced due to flooding, he barters sharing his suite for her to pretend being his girlfriend.

What he doesn't tell her is that he actually liked her as kids... and still does.

This book has all the tropes I love - fake dating, childhood enemies to adult lovers/second chance, forced proximity - but the reason I love those tropes is the general ANGST AND PINING that comes along with it. This felt way too quick for my taste. It was like "oh wait, I don't actually hate you, now let's make out." Worth a fun, quick romance, but did not give me what I wanted emotionally lol.

Thank you to Avon, NetGalley, and the author for the eARC in exchange for my review.