Better Hate Than Never* was such a good read! The banter between Kate and Christopher (!!!!) and their emotional journey pulled me in from the start. It's a fun, heartwarming romance that had me rooting for them the whole way through.

Better Hate than Never by Chloe Liese is a delightful modern retelling of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, featuring Katerina Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio, childhood foes turned lovers. The novel shines with its neurodivergent protagonists, showcasing Kate's ADHD and Christopher's chronic migraines, providing a fresh perspective on romantic dynamics rarely explored in mainstream literature. Liese captures the holiday spirit beautifully, with a cozy backdrop of seasonal treats that enhance the romantic tension between the characters. While the transition from enemies to lovers could feel a bit rushed, the steamy moments and heartfelt conversations ultimately make for an engaging read that will resonate with fans of the genre​.

I actually thought this was a cute enemies-to-lovers story just in time for Autumn with some Fall vibes. Admittedly, I didn't read the first book in the series, but readers don't need to in order to enjoy this story. But Kat and Chris are quite abrasive to one another and it doesn't really feel justified. Kat feels incredibly distrustful towards Chris and I honestly couldn't understand why. With the exception of how cold and dismissive he can be towards her, I didn't think he gave her a reason not to trust him. And Chris' hang-up is his fear of getting attached to people, yet he's completely attached to her family -- with good reason, but still. It felt a bit hypocritical. I really liked the chemistry between the two once they gave up the "hate act", though, even if I thought the earlier animosity didn't make much sense. It was sweet watching them fall in love with one another, and I appreciate that, after so much miscommunication between the two, the author doesn't let them fall into the same trap throughout the plot like so many other romance novels tend to do. There are deeper themes of belonging, finding oneself in the world, what "home" truly means, and how to trust when there's no guaranteed happy ending, and author Chloe Liese navigates them all pretty dang well throughout the story. Definitely would recommend as a cozy Fall romance.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

Precious, sweet romcom by one of the best in the business. Would recommend Chloe Liese to all the romance readers who want to be transported when they read.

This was a fun quick read that had the perfect blend of spice and romance which updated Shakespeare in the most delightful.way by taking a lot of the cringe out of that play. Taming of the Shrew is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays because of the banter, but the males and their agenda also set my teeth on edge. With this adaptation though, i got to keep the wit and charge that is still at the heart of this story's themes along with the chemistry and banter the exists between Christopher and Katerina's story because of the over the fence childhood feud. I loved this newer approach that is more 21st century than 17th and which invited me to see each character as a whole person rather than just a caracture of male and female. Starting this classic enemies to lovers rom com with their childhood misunderstanding was a great beginning because, unlike the play that has such a male centric and male manipulated world view to dominate and control the Shrew, Liese allows this to show more of the emotions and background information. This not only invited me in to the story, but gave me all the feels I want from a great story.

Katerina (Kate, Kitkat, Katydid) Wilmot hurts her arm and has to take a break from her job as a photojournalist traveling the world, exploring different cultures, and engaging in extreme sports. She returns home and moves in with her sister Bea and her partner Jamie, whose story is in the first book in this series. She isn't home long when she runs into Christopher Petruchio, her neighbour growing up, her childhood nemesis, her family's "adopted child" when he loses his parents. Christopher works in corporate finance, is well off and Kate sees him as pretentious and judgmental, as well as being greedy, but she is wrong. It seems he was angry at her for leaving her family and taking chances with her life. It is hard to avoid one another as Jamie and Christopher are best friends, and he is always included in her family's activities. In one drunken night, things change when Kate tells him things he didn't realize. Can these childhood enemies find love together?

If you haven't figured it out, this is a retelling of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Once Christopher decides to make nice with Kate and get her to realize that he is not a bad guy, he can't be kinder to her. There is a sizzle there that once they have that first passionate kiss, there is no turning back. There is steam in this one, but I enjoyed the story, so it wasn't too bad. They begin doing things with others in large groups, but get thrown together, so their relationship grows. I really enjoyed the paint ball adventure, with the humor and quiet realizations. There was a lot of fun banter, especially when they are being antagonistic to each other. There is family and friendship in this story, plus forgiveness and learning to trust. With each of them learning about one another and sharing secrets which had caused them to think badly about the other, I enjoyed seeing them come to the realization that these strong feelings could actually be love that was hidden by fear. I enjoyed this story almost as much as Bea's and Jamie's.

***4 Stars***

Full disclosure, I am NOT a huge fan of the hate-to-love trope but when done right it's simply a delight! Chloe Liese introduced us to the Wilmot Sister's in Two Wrongs Make a Right  with Bea and Jamie's story (Aquarius/Capricorn match). In this book we get Katerina aka Kat and Christopher's story (Taurus/Capricorn match). Why did this one work for me? because it's family centered and there's already a foundation that's built up from childhood. Kat is neurodivergent, she has ADHD and feels most comfortable traveling and making fast connections with people that don't necessarily need to last. She feels like an outsider in her own family and when life brings her back home, she's faced with repressed feelings that were never addressed. Enter Christoper Petruchio, the guy next door she has a hate to love dynamic with. The truth is, she's also been harboring feelings for Christopher. What she wasn't expecting was to be met with so much hostility from Chris because of her detached way of being with her own family. Christopher just can't wrap his head around why or how Kate keep so much distance between herself and her family when family is all he's ever wanted. For Christopher, the Wilmot's are a safe haven. They are his neighbors who took him in as one of their own along side their three girls when he lost his parents. He doesn't shy away from making his disdain for Kate known every chance he gets!

*•.¸♡ 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎, 𝙸 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝙸 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖, 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚏 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚠𝚊𝚢. ♡¸.•*

There were so many moments I loved while reading this book but tbh, this is one where my appreciation only grew the more time passed away from this story. There aren't many books I can say I felt seen in but this is the closest one that  has come to describing the detachment a neurodivergent person feels while also loving those you call family so very dearly. That Chloe Liese wrote Christopher in a supportive way once the puzzle pieces clicked for him, filled my heart up for so many reasons. Having siblings that also are neurodivergent could quite possibly be the reason why Kate's family is filled with the BEST supportive/understanding humans. I just loved seeing her finally feel seen but also spoken up for. To hear her families feelings about Kate be voiced and it be positive was heartwarming and hope inspiring. Also, seeing an MC with ADHD portrayed in the most selfless of ways where they put others before their own needs and wants was reaffirming. This at least has been my own experience as is just being misunderstood. Chloe Liese's back-list is now a priority for me to my way through, I simply look forward to whatever this author writes next.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Berkely Publishing Group for this arc!!

5/5 stars!

This was FANTASTIC!! I've never read The Taming of the Shrew, but know its premise exclusively from 10 Things I Hate About You - which I LOVE - and I love this just as much as that movie haha! Including the different aspects of neurodiversity and chronic illness added a real life and relatable aspect to this story. I loved their love story, enemies to lovers is one of my fave tropes, and this was just so spot on. This will absolutely be one I comfort read again and again, and shove in all my friends faces hahaha!

Taming of the Shrew is a notoriously difficult play, so Liese had a tall order to begin with in adapting it to a modern romcom/dram. I appreciate the effort and the representation of neurodiverse and chronically ill MCs, but the affection that is meant to underly the barbs didn't really hit for me. There are a handful of stand out moments, but still a bit of a mixed bag. I'll definitely look out for other titles from this author though and recommend this title as an option for readers looking for enemies to lovers and neurodiverse protagonists.

4.75
*Thank you PRH International for giving me an eARC!!*


omg I love them, I love them, I LOVE THEM!!


There's a saying in that I've grown up hearing: "caras vemos, corazones no sabemos" which can be translated in english as: knowing faces but not hearts.


I think that saying captures perfectly Christopher and Katerina's story (or as I've named them chriskat). They grew up fighting and arguing a lot, thinking it was impossible to get along, up until the point that they avoided each other in family gatherings and friend reunions. But that was only what they chose to do, the face they put in front of the other person.

When a situation causes them to reconsider the way the other has perceived all the moments and memories they've shared, full of verbal sparring and disagreements, is when they realize things are not what they seemed. Their hearts were being kept guarded and undiscovered by the other person.

What happens next is the most sweet and wonderful journey full of delicious food, heartfelt conversations, vulnerable souls and explosive moments that will guarantee you a lot of happy tears that also represent another wonderful story brought to us by the queen Chloe.

The only tiny reason it's not a 5 star read for me is that it felt short, like I needed more of them. Normally when you feel a book went fast is because the story consumed you, and that is fantastic. This book was all that for me don't get me wrong, but it also felt short in content, like I needed to see more of chriskat after they were officially a couple, how they developed their new routines and dynamics. That would've made this book more perfect than it already is.


I can't wait to get more of them in Jules book (hopefully next year) and to also get more jamiebea my cute babies that made an appearance here and reminded me of their shenanigans.


*This review will be updated with my favorite quotes on pub day*

I have yet to find a Chloe Líese book that I haven’t loved, so this Taming of the Shrew retelling has my whole heart and a full roster of 5 stars.

Chloe Liese is one of my all time favorite authors, but this series (especially this book) are not quite it for me. This book felt like she was trying to push her political agenda way too hard. Had it been woven throughout better, I think it would have read better.

While I definitely enjoyed this book, it won't be my favourite Chloe book and I don't think it'll be super memorable either. The first in this series didn't super vibe for me either, but I still very much enjoy Liese's writing. I will say that I loved this one more than the first in the series because of the communication that clearly improved from the last. LOL. I do think that maybe my opinion is a little swayed because I've read so many amazing romances lately.

I'm not getting into Chloe's characters lately and the two leads in this one had so many annoying interactions. I found him overbearing and her stubborn felt too far. I did really appreciate the deviation from romance script by there not being a massive conflict tearing them apart.

Like everyone else has already said, WHY did they hate each other so much? We need a reason for it to be fun! I guess I just really like Chloe's Bergman Bros series only.

It is impossible for Chloe Liese to write anything bad ever. She is perfect and this book is as well. I loved the unique female character which stands apart from other characters. This was an adorable romance with a lot of heart, like everything Chloe Liese writes. I really appreciated how Kat was both strong and fierce and vulunerable.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and love the way that this series incorporates the Shakespeare plays that are less popular in retellings. With that being said, I was not a big fan of this book. I didn’t like the dynamic between Kate and Christopher, and as someone who hates age gaps, there was no real reason to have this large of an age gap between them. I didn’t enjoy the way that their passive aggressive banter was not actually playful on Kate’s part, and the way that Christopher had to understand this; the excuse about him being attracted to her and that is why he cannot be around her without pointing out her faults made me feel a bit icky. Other than that, I really liked the cameo scenes of the Kate’s family members and friends, and I liked the character growth that she had throughout the book.

This is book two in Liese's Wilmot sisters trilogy. I didn't like it as well as the first because Kate is just so ANGRY. She says her parents loved her and Christopher back in their childhood was like a brother, but she never felt loved, but always like a third wheel because her parents had each other and Beatrice and Juliet were twins. The parents sound very supportive, so I don't understand the self-hate.

The story: Kate, the youngest sister, grew up knowing Christopher Petruchio as a good friend, but they have always argued. Christopher, knowing her hostility, tried to keep away from her, but has always been attracted to her. When Kate comes home for Thanksgiving, not wanting to admit she's down and out, as well as out of a job, she immediately gets hostile to Christopher again and he responds in kind until Kate makes a drunken admission that she always thought he hated her.

The absolutely best thing about this book is that near the end there is one of those romance story situations that almost always happens: "the misunderstanding." Almost, but it doesn't, because the characters act like ADULTS and trust that they've heard the wrong thing. Thank you so much.

Okay now I know this man is not real after all that 🤧 Haha, but no really, I loved this one! How sweet was that MMC

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮:
• romcom
• enemies to lovers
• witty banter

"Promptly, I order a box filled with the doughnuts I know she loves, every autumn recipe rebelling against the Christmas flavors that shouldered their way in the day after Thanksgiving. No chocolate and peppermint or gingerbread and eggnog for Kate. She loves pumpkin pie and spiced apples, cinnamon and maple syrup, everything that reminds her of the grandeur of turning leaves, the cozy joy of starlit bonfires and sipping mugs of cider, the quiet beauty of waking up to a misty autumn morning."