I genuinely do not have the words to describe how much I adore this book. I think it might be my new favorite Chloe Liese book—a top ten romance read, certainly.
Hate to love, childhood friends(ish), so much history and angst, not to mention the top notch banter. From the first chapter I was so in love with these characters, this story. I’d already grown attached to Christopher and intrigued by Kate in the first installment of this series, so it was easy to fall completely into the story.
Kate is such an engaging, spunky, chaotic narrator. She is absolutely nothing like me, and yet it was so easy to connect with her and get swept up in her story. She has so much depth to her character, so much earnestness. It is impossible not to love her. Christopher’s POV was similarly enjoyable, though I didn’t find him to be quite as developed as Kate. I think she outshines him just a little. However, I still completely adored him and seeing his interactions with Kate from both angles.
The star of the show (or, in this case, book) was, as always, the disability representation. Kate has ADHD and Christopher has chronic migraines. From the start, Kate’s ADHD is addressed and discussed and it seemlessly seeps into every aspect of her character, every interaction that she has, in a way that is so authentic to the experiences of a neurodivergent person in reality.
Christopher’s disability, on the other hand, is mentioned only briefly and in passing in the early chapters of the novel. Just mentions of past, off-page migraines. It’s brief, not delving into any details or discussing any of the realities of life with a sometimes-debilitating disorder. I was honestly confused—it felt like such a shallow portrayal. Especially in comparison to Kate’s ADHD and the quality of disability representation that permeates every book that Liese writes. However , as the novel progresses, it comes up more and more often and is explored with more and more depth. At about the 70% mark, the book is really diving into the realities of what Christopher is going through in a much more real way, with Liese’s trademark care and skill. That’s when I realized that the minimal discussion of his migraines earlier on was intentional. Christopher, in the beginning of the book, is closed off. He fears vulnerability, even within himself. His migraines are not addressed beyond the bare necessities, because he does not discuss them with anyone. He doesn’t even address them himself, within his own internal monologue, because he doesn’t—can’t—think about it. As he grows as a person and a character as the novel progresses, he becomes more comfortable. He is able to open up to not only Kate, but also himself, and therefore his acknowledgments of his own disability increase and go into greater depth.
I started the book confused and a little disappointed in the lackluster representation, but by the end I found those very aspects to add even more resonance to Christopher’s character, and the disability representation as a whole.
Every single aspect of this book was beyond what I hoped. I found it to be more character driven than plot driven, but the plot beats that were there ratcheted up the tension and left me unable to put the book down—I actually stayed up until nearly 1 AM to keep reading because I simply couldn’t stop. And there was no third act breakup! I strongly dislike the third act breakup trope—if your characters break up at the first sight of conflict, I am unconvinced that they will be able to last as a couple once the book is over. Conflict is inevitable, and in a book it is necessary even. So there’s a third act conflict—two of them, actually—but instead of blowing up like they have no emotional regulation skills, Kate and Christopher have an actual, adult conversation! They work things out! They communicate! It was so refreshing to see characters in a healthy, rational relationship. Even without relying on the overused third act breakup trope, the pacing and tension didn’t die out. I was still hooked in the conversations and events playing out on page. I had become so completely wrapped up in Kate and Christopher that I could have read another 100 pages of this book.
This is such a testament to everything that Chloe Liese excels at—character, plot, spice, and above all, disability representation. I cannot wait for Juliet’s story last year (though I must admit I am terrified of a Romeo and Juliet retelling). If you only ever pick up one Chloe Liese book in your lifetime, make it this one.

Gah. Chloe is the queen of diverse characters that you just want to wrap up and stuff in your pocket. This book was so sweet but so hot at the same time, full of Liese's signature wit and gorgeous words. I have no notes, and I can't wait for the third Wilmot sisters book!

3.5 STARS
I have to say I am somewhat in a love-hate quandary with this story. There are definitely pieces that I really enjoyed and there are pieces of it that I really didn’t like.

I really enjoy enemies-to-lovers romance because I love the friction between the main characters and then the ultimate fall even when it may take a little bit longer than expected.

In this book, however, the friction was pretty extreme, and sometimes even over the top where they would verbally hurt each other. I understand that a lot of that is protection of self because they actually truly care for each other but it is still tough to read sometimes.

These two had a very long and public case of friction, and while the ultimate connections finally started to vibe, there were some other quirks that got to me, especially with a female main character.

The story is entertaining, and I love the boy next door romance plot. He’s damn near a brother connection, and when they finally did get together, it was sweet and rather steamy. The fact that he cared for her for as long as he did became evident much quicker than her realization of love.

With the author’s depiction of the characters having issues like ADHD and generally being jerks to each other, this is where my love-hate issues come into play. Better Hate Than Never becomes a great story after the halfway mark when the bickering slows, but I hope that Liese dumps the continual negative self-talk that we try to escape in our book choices.

Overall, a simmering romance with intensity all around and a sweet love connection that is a long time coming.

2 ⭐️ Sadly this wasn't for me

WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ childhood pain in the ass
✨ she’s a photojournalist prone to act first and think later
✨ he’s owns a hedge fund who's a control freak
✨ both MCs keep people they love at a distance
✨ enemies to lovers
✨ opposites attract
✨ age gap (27/33)
✨ banter
✨ 3/5🌶️ spice
✨ virgin, demisexual FMC
✨ sexually experienced MMC
✨ no third-act breakup
✨ ADHD rep
✨ chronic migraines
✨ TW: death of parents (past)


What I liked:

- The childhood rivals to lovers romance. I LOVE this trope because there's years of irritation that easily becomes hate-fueled sexual tension.

- The ADHD and demisexual representation. I don't see either represented enough in romance so it was really great getting this rep here.

- I liked the character growth of both Kate and Christopher. By the end of the story, these two open up to each other and work past their fear of getting attached.


What I didn't like:

- The fact that Kate's family never found how Christopher talked and treated Kate to be problematic until Kate confesses it to her sister. How did they not see how damaging it was? Christopher was the older one and they should have never allowed this dynamic to form in the first place. It was very toxic.

- Sometimes the inner dialogue was redundant so I ended up skimming some parts.

- Kate is just such a hot mess. Like, in the real world I don't know how she would have survived. It all seemed a bit unrealistic but it happened to 'work' for her characters because she's the MC. But then, I'm also annoyed that she only starts to get her life together and find her place in the world when she's with Christopher.

- Christopher is THAT romance hero who's way too good looking and well aware of it and has sex any time he can but doesn't get attached because he doesn't want to get too close to anyone. He's 'perfect' and I found his awareness of his looks and charms annoying. But what really pissed me off is how he basically says that he f*cked a whole bunch of people and has been horribly rude to Kate because he was afraid of liking her. This is the epitome of 'oh, honey, that boy is mean to you so he must like you'. I just feel like these actions were incredibly toxic to himself but also to Kate as a byproduct. So unhealthy. He does say he's seeing a therapist at the end of the book but it's not because of that but because he can't handle whenever Kate leaves him so he works with the therapist to get comfortable to travel with her. Like, dude, you need therapy to work through your other issues too.

- I'm so tired of stories where the MC confesses he's been banging a ton of women in an attempt to get his mind off the FMC. I mean, go ahead and do you, but it's gross when Christopher basically blames his philandering because he couldn't be with Kate.

- It was weird that Christopher kept having these inner thoughts of Kate as a little girl. I get that they grew up together, so I would imagine he would, at some point, reflect on their past. But I did not need to be reminded of it constantly, nor did the reminiscing come off as endearing. He's 6 years older and was around when she was born. When his parents died, he basically became part of their family. But unlike Kate's two older sisters who he saw as his sisters, he never did with Kate. In fact, he saw her as an annoying brat he never wanted to engage with. But then when she turned 18 years old, he magically saw her in another way. Idk it all just seemed a bit strange.

- The sexual interactions and some of the intimate dialogue was so unrealistic. First off, Kate has 10 orgasms the night she loses her virginity. Yeah, let's just sit with that. Then, Christopher get's extremely fluffy and lovey dovey so fast. It's all so farfetched that I couldn't remotely believe it.

Chloe Liese is definitely becoming one of my favorite authors. There's something so tender about her romances, they always make me melt a little. I loved following Kate and Christopher in this installment. I'm such a sucker for an opposites attract romance, and especially a starchy, play-by-the-rules, buttoned up type of hero. Their dynamic was so interesting, I don't think I've ever read a childhood hate to love book, but I was living for their banter and back-and-forth arguments. They get under each other's skin like only someone who's known you all your life can, which was so fun to read. But it was also clear how much their volatile dynamic also hurt Kate, and even Christopher at times, so it was so lovely to see them call a cease fire and actually stop fighting and get to know each other, to really see the other person's perspective in a way they were never able to before.

Overall, I really loved this one and I can't wait for the last Wilmot Sisters romance!

I loved Christopher and Kate together. His patience with her ADHD reminded me so much of my husband's patience with mine. It's tricky giving in to a relationship with someone when you don't have a good understanding of yourself. Her gentle massage approach to his migraine headaches was the balm he needed and together these two created hot sparks of chemistry and soothing places of rest for each other. I've never related to a couple so completely. The audiobook is fantastic and I highly recommend listening to this wonderful romance narrated by the amazing Charlotte North and Stephen Dexter.

Better Hate than Never by Chloe Liese is currently scheduled for release on October 10 2023. This is the second book in the Wilmot Sisters series, and I admit to not having read the first. I was able to fully enjoy the story despite the lack, but think those reading the series in order will definitely get more from it than those that do not.


Katerina Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio shared backyards as kids, but as adults they won’t even share the same hemisphere. That is, until Kate makes a rare visit home, and their fiery animosity rekindles into a raging inferno. Despite their friends’ and families' pleas for peace, Christopher is unconvinced Kate would willingly douse the flames of their enmity. But when a drunken Kate confesses she’s only been hostile because she thought he hated her, Christopher vows to make peace with Kate once and for all. Tempting as it is to be swept away by her nemesis-turned-gentleman, Kate isn’t sure she can trust his charming good-guy act. When Christopher’s persistence and Kate’s curiosity lead to an impassioned kiss, they realize “peace” is the last thing that will ever be possible between them. As desire gives way to deeper feelings, Kate and Christopher must decide if it’s truly better to hate than to never risk their hearts—or if they already gave them away long ago.

Better Hate than Never is a fun enemies to lovers romance that treats neurodiversity and trauma with respect and honesty. I honestly loved both Christopher and Kate as characters, and was glad that I got to see the story from both perspectives. I am a big fan of actually knowing what all the main players are thinking. I found that the handling of everyone's differences, needs, and struggles were all handled with great care, and I love that the author made note in the beginning of the book what some of the issues at hand were, and how everyone's experiences with them are different and personal. I thought the balance of fun and the heavier moments was on point and I found myself wanting to get to know the entire friend group, and Christopher's coworkers, a lot more. I really enjoyed this read and think others will as well. Now i need to go back and read the first book, Two Wrongs Make a Right, and hope for the third sister to get her story soon.

Better Hate than Never is an engaging and enjoyable read.

thank you to netgalley and berkley for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts <3

kate wilmot and christopher petruchio can't stand to be in the same hemisphere as each other, but when kate finds herself staying in town for an indeterminate amount of time these childhood enemies find themselves orbiting around each other. when kate drunkenly professes that she's thought christopher has always hated her, christopher does everything he can to make peace. one thing leads to another and they end up in a passionate kiss. now deeper feelings arise, but they have to decide whether they want to continue hating each other or risk their hearts and their feelings for more.

i think kate and christopher are my new favorite chloe liese couple. i was hooked from the start, because hate to love + opposites attract + childhood enemies to lovers is a winning combo for me. chloe liese crafted the perfect characters/romance in bhtn!!! i cried during several parts because of how much i related to each character and their thoughts/lives. i loved everything about this from start to finish and i wish i could read it for the first time again immediately after finishing it!! i can't believe how real this romance felt. christopher was down bad for kate from before the book started and once their romance truly kicked off i screamed!! kate is my little sweet baby and i would do anything to protect her!! as usual chloe did a phenomenal job with the chronic migraine and adhd rep <3

Every time I get to read a new Chloe Liese book it just reinforces that I need more Chloe Liese in my life. This was perfection - equal parts funny, sexy, dealing with tough issues while staying light and fun. I loved Chris & Kate (aka Topher Gopher & Katydid) so freaking much!

✨ADHD & Chronic Migraine Rep
✨Frienemies to Lovers
✨Age Gap

This was the perfect “Ten Things I Hate About You” retelling in modern book form - paintball fight and all.

Kate was such a beautiful representation of feeling like you never quite belong and always chasing an unattainable place to call your own. She was a candle in the wind, constantly on the go, never able to settle - smart, capable, but homesick for a place that was never really home. The way her ADHD was described was incredibly true to my own experiences - I related to the way she felt about her brain, her frustrations and the way she found ways to cope. I also loved how she slowly came to the realization that her role in her family was as important and needed as any other.

Christopher was a gem. Antagonizing Kate as a defense mechanism for years, trying to keep her at arm’s length while he spent his time thinking and worrying about her. The ethical investment business was a refreshing change to the normal “rich business guy” trope - the man talked about worklife balance and investing in good and, honestly, I was all there for it. The way he tried to shoulder all the responsibilities of those around him, quietly keeping himself as useful as possible so he wouldn’t have to feel anyone else leave him…oof, that hurt.

Together, the two were a perfect explosion of long-simmering tension. The heat was something fierce with these two, learning to be together - Christopher with someone for longer than a night, Kate building the emotional connection she needed for physical intimacy. I adored how they propped each other up and supported one another, even though both found it to be a scary feat. They were sweet and loving and bantered and have my whole heart. Plus, he made her pasta from scratch…come ON!

🍂it’s been a long time coming

this review is coming to you better late than never.

you already know that I’m here for all things that Chloe Liese writes. I’ve said it before but it bears repeating, Chloe manages to develop and foster spaces and relationships that are full of vulnerability and authenticity. I always manage to find a new piece of myself to love after reading one of her books (a true balm to my soul)

10 Things I Hate About You might be one of my favorite movies so when Chloe told me that Kate’s story had those vibes I was double in.

BETTER HATE THAN NEVER is the most fun I’ve had while reading childhood enemies to lovers. what really did it for me was that as soon as Christopher realized how he was making Kate feel, he stopped doing those things. until that point he was also my enemy because he was written so well and I related so much to Kate. the softness that these two managed to carve out in the mix of chaos made watching them admit their feelings that much more special.

to no one’s surprise including my own, I cried while reading parts of Kate’s POV where she talked about feeling like the odd one out. her vulnerability was inspiring. the care that these raw emotions where handled with highlight why I love Chloe’s writing; she manages to handle heavy and hard topics with such care and compassion.

also can we talk about the pining?! I’m a sucker for longing; the moments that have me wanting to throw my kindle because they’re so cute and I can’t handle it.

Christopher and Kate grow individually and together for the better. I loved watching them realize that the line between hate and love can be a lot closer than you think.

I want every character in this world to have their own story and I attribute that to Chloe’s ability to create fully realized side characters.

Listening to the audiobook now and I highly recommend either option for reading this one! The narrators really bring both Kate and Christopher to life!

I can’t wait for book 3, I know Jules will be worth the wait. If you read the physical copy you get a sneak peek!

Chloe Liese is becoming one of my favorite authors.
I will devour each and every book she writes.

They are all immediately five stars because shes just that amazing.

I LOVED the first book so much but I am IN LOVE with this one. Chris and Katerina are perfection and I loved them from the first book and was thrilled about this one. Once again, Chloe does not disappoint.

ALSO THE SPICE IN THIS.

I'm torn on how I felt about Better Hate than Never, book two in The Wilmot Sisters series. I loved Two Wrongs Make a Right and maybe I let my thoughts on that book cloud my judgment on this one, but I felt like I had a very hard time getting into this one and didn't really ever sense the attraction between Kate and Christopher.

Christopher is introduced in the first book and I was looking forward to diving into his story in this book, but I found him kind of problematic. He decided he should have thoughts on Kate moving around for her job as a photojournalist when her family just wanted her to be happy. I get that he felt like he was part of her family being neighbors and growing up together, but his treatment of her didn't feel like it was done out of him being in love with her.

I'm all for a slow burn, but I felt this dragged on a little too long for my liking, especially when I was kind of over the way Christopher treated Kate in the beginning, that I was starting to lose interest in seeing the characters eventually get together. When they were together, I do feel like things were kind of rushed between.

Those things aside, I did like the representation in this book of Kate's ADHD, which from my experience felt authentic with Kate's explanations about how her mind works and at times being overstimulated and needing to escape, and Christopher's dealings with his migraines. It was also nice to catch up with Bea and Jamie from the first book, and I'm fully invested in this series and look forward to Julie's book in the future.

Are you ready for fall? If not, Chloe Liese's 'Better Hate than Never' will get you there with all its cozy fall vibes - and I'm not just talking about that beautiful cover. Whether it's an apple fritter, a piece of pumpkin pie, or a cinnamon spice donut, readers are going to want to have some sort of tasty fall treat nearby when they dive into this delicious enemies-to-lovers romance.

Readers first met Cristopher and Kate in 'Two Wrongs Make a Right.' Now the two take center stage in this 'Taming of the Shrew' retelling, and readers get to learn what is behind all of their shared animosity.

Liese, known for her charming romances that feature realistic, neurodiverse characters and disability representation, has delivered once again.

4 stars!

This was the first book I've read from Chloe Liese and I really liked it! I love that the author adds representation to their books, but personally for me it felt a little bit forced in this book. I think there were a couple things I would change but obviously not every book is going to be my favorite. But overall I enjoyed it and will go back to read the first book in the series

Full review will be posted to Goodreads a few days before release date.

If Chloe Liese writes it, I know that I will instantly love it!

I mean, he cooked pasta for her, bought her flowers and he's Italian so... I fell in love. Naturally.

Better Hate than Never was an absolute joy to read that had me grinning and squealing, putting my book down and pacing. You can never go wrong with a Shakespeare remake and 10 things I hate about you and Chloe delivered! It has hate to love, ADHD, demisexual rep, and chronic migraine rep (All things that I have) and I thought Chloe did a wonderful job of portraying what it's like to live with that. As always, it's so nice to be seeing in books where characters have traits that we can see ourselves in, to not been as too much and loved for exactly every part of ourselves is what made the story extra special for me, to see myself in Kate was just the best. Kate and Christopher's banter was top tier, it had me laughing and smiling. I just love banter where they challenge each other and poke at each other for a rise because you just know that they are going to fall so hard and fall hard they did! I love the childhood nemesis trope and Christopher was just so arrogantly swoony. He works a corporate job, is rich, flirtatious, and manages to make her fury grow yet he's so tender and caring and attentive to her wants and needs and watching Kate slowly open up and trust to fall for him and stay in one place where she doesn't have to be scared. I love them so much and I loved this book so much. These sisters already have a place in my heart and I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

I'm not even sure where to start but WOW, Chloe Liese you have changed my life for the better. I was so excited for this book after getting all those bite-sized hints about Kate and Christopher and it did not disappoint. Also, don't even get me started on the representation - it was immaculate per usual. This was magical and I genuinely cannot wait until I can have a physical copy in my hands.

Thank you PRHaudio and Netgalley for my gifted book in exchange for an honest review.


Taming of the Shrew and 10 Things I Hate About You are two of my favorites. I didn’t know what this was about going into it, but once I heard him call her Katerina I had a feeling this is where it was heading.

I loved the adhd and migraine representation in this. As someone who suffers from chronic migraines I feel for Jamie. The dual pov was perfect, and it had just the right amount of enemies to lovers banter.

This has a beautiful cover, and this books is the perfect fall read.

Read if you like:
🧠 Neurodiverse Rep
😡 Childhood Enemies
👦🏼 Boy Next Door
💋 Enemies to Lovers
🥵 He Falls First
2️⃣ Dual POV
🔀 Opposites Attract

I absolutely love how the second installment of the Wilmot sisters was done as a Taming of the Shrew retelling, and was very much looking forward to this enemies to lovers story with the introduction we got to the potential couple at the end of Two Wrongs Make a Right.

Diving into this one I was hooked quickly and absolutely loved the dual pov and getting to see inside the heads of both of these two characters that have known each other since childhood, appear as opposites, and getting to see their vulnerabilities that they each needed to work through in allowing others in and communicating with the people in their lives that love them.

It was truly beautiful to see the He Falls First of this story, as the way Kate was written she truly needing a He Falls First moment to truly open up her heart and be able to be vulnerable and let others in.

I also really appreciated the positivity around listening and going at your partners pace in an honest and respectful way that didn’t push your partners physical boundaries further than they were willing to go with Kate’s boundaries and needs for intimacy.

All in all, this was another great read from Chloe and I truly can’t wait for the next installment in this series!

Childhood enemies, Katerina and Christopher, rediscover their fiery connection when Kate returns home as an adult. Despite their initial animosity, they must navigate their complex feelings and decide if it’s worth risking their hearts for a chance at love.

Better Hate Than Never is the second book in The Wilmot Sisters series. While I loved Bea and Jamie in Two Wrongs Make a Right, Kate and Christopher's love story fell short for me. Both main characters came across as immature, their reasons for hating each other remained unclear, and their chemistry felt choppy. The mix of past and present emotions didn’t make sense. The book’s pacing was off with some chapters feeling like fillers. All in all, this isn’t one I could recommend and I’m not sure how I will feel about Jules’s story.

I've been DYING to get my hands on this book since Chloe teased us in book 1! And am thrilled to say it lived up to the anticipation.

Kate and Christopher nail the childhood enemies to lovers trope and while that's not usually by favorite storyline, Liese nailed the angst, the boundary pushing, the character development, and created this fantastic story. When their truce leads to understanding, sparks fly and everything Christopher and Kate thought they wanted and knew goes out the window, leaving us with nothing less than a beautiful HEA.

Oh and he sends her flowers, makes pasta from scratch, and admits when he wrong. So really... how else could this possibly play out?

Oh and .. again .. there’s a scene in the book that is very very reminiscent of a John Mayer lyric and y’all … I absolutely love me some JM so this part of the book was PERFECTION! So much so I sent Chloe a DM praising her master storytelling.