🍂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.

Enemies to lovers, a reimagining of the Taming of the Shrew, plus Chloe Liese's always excellent rep for neurodivergent characters make for an engrossing romance. This is a lovely emotional story with plenty of steam and charm.

A heartwarming re-telling of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew!

Better Hate than Never is the second book from the 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘵 𝘚𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 but can be read as a standalone.

It features the story of 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗲 and 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿, who have known each other since they were young. With their background history and intertwined lives, especially when they were too young to understand their feelings, their actions and barbs throughout their lives created so much animosity and misunderstandings as the years went by that even their own family and friends were concerned.

This book captures the things I love about Chloe Liese's writing. She writes with sensitivity and warmth, with the characters' thoughts tugging your heartstrings with their relatability. I like the good balance of humor and somberness in this book. This slow-burn romance deals with complex topics like grief, fear, belongingness, and pain. I enjoy how both characters come to consciousness of their biased state regarding the other party. I also appreciate how the conversations went in this book, especially when the main characters finally learned to open up and show their strengths and weaknesses. This book also delves with thoughtfulness into experiences of having a chronic migraine and ADHD.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

Better Hate Than Never is the next book in the Wilmot Sisters series and a modern take on The Taming of the Shrew. Katerina and Christopher have never seen eye to eye since they were kids. When Kat returns home, Christopher struggles to get his feelings for her under control. However, one kiss changes everything.

This was a fun take on a classic story and I loved the Fall vibes. Kat and Christopher have steamy chemistry and it was entertaining watching them go from childhood enemies to lovers. I enjoyed this installment even more than the first!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Better Hate Than Never by Chloe Liese
Narrators: Stephen Dexter and Charlotte North
Rating: 4.5 stars
Steam: 3 chilis
Pub date: 10/10

Thank you, Berkely Romance, for my physical copy and PRH Audio for my complimentary audiobook.

Better Hate Than Never is a modern reimagining of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" with a fresh twist. Childhood enemies Kat and Christopher are brought together as adults, sparking a fiery love story. They can barely stand to be in the same room together, but one drunken night, Kat admits that she only hates Christopher because he hated her first. With a little push from his friends, he becomes determined to mend their relationship, which forces him to take a look at the true feelings he’s been hiding.

This book is just delicious. The enemies-to-lovers, the steam, and the banter are all just incredible. Kat and Chris HATE each other. They try not to even exist in the same space together, and their snarky banter made me laugh out loud. Liese's character depth shines through the dual POV, giving insight into their true feelings, along with Kat's ADHD and demisexuality and Christopher's battles with chronic migraines and panic attacks.

The growing chemistry between Kat and Christopher is perfection and impossible to ignore as they begin to spend more time together attending family and friend events. The theme of found family adds a heartwarming connection, and I loved all of the side characters, too.

The consent and open communication made the romance both steamy and respectful. This is Liese’s steamiest book to date, and I am here for it! For audiobook fans, Stephen Dexter and Charlotte North's narration enhances the experience, bringing the characters to life.

And there’s no third-act breakup! Aside from the toe-curling spice, that was my favorite part.

This is a definite must-read for enemies-to-lovers romance enthusiasts. With well-developed characters, clever nods to a classic, and a sizzling slow-burn romance, it's an unforgettable journey.

Read if you like:
*ADHD rep
*no third-act breakup
*enemies-to-lovers
*it’s always been you
*chronic migraine rep
*found family

* I want to point out that I did not read the first book in this series, Two Wrongs Make A Right. That didn’t have any bearing on my understanding of the story, but I think I would have gotten more of the inside jokes and understood more of the group dynamic if I had. Just something to think about before you pick this one up.

At this point it should be no surprise to anyone how deep my level of love is for Chloe Liese and all of her books. Every single one of them. This one included.

I am truly loving the Wilmot family so far. Ok, maybeeee not as much as the Bergmans because they will always have my heart, but the Wilmot’s are a close second. I love how different each one of the sisters is written, yet their bond is so strong. The dedication instantly hooked me; reeling me in with words that I connected with on a deep level immediately. The migraine rep in this was SPOT ON. Ironically enough, this one took me a little longer to read because I myself was actually suffering from a migraine during reading. Each situation and description of how Christopher felt during his migraines was incredibly on point and I appreciated how accurate it was so those who don’t experience them, understand truly how it feels. Which brings me to my next point: I absolutely LOVED Christopher. I honestly don’t think there is a MMC that Chloe writes that I don’t like. But Christopher is one of my favorites; quick witted and a cinnamon roll. And she can WRITE some banter. The steamy scenes were steamyyy. I’ve never wanted to go play paintball more in my life. IYKYK. Yet another Chloe Liese that made me me swoon & hug my kindle afterwards.

Better Hate than Never by Chloe Liese
The Wilmot Sisters #2
Pub day is 10/10 🎉

I love Chloe Liese books so much! This is the second book in a romance series of Shakespeare retellings. My only experience with The Taming of the Shrew is through 10 Things I Hate About You (the masterpiece!) and this book did the vibes exactly right!!! Absolutely loved these feisty but big-hearted characters, Katerina and Christopher! 🥰

• Keywords to pique your interest: childhood neighbors, enemies-to-lovers, feminist retelling, sisters, wanderlust--but settling down now, family dinners, migraines, protective hero, adhd/neurodivergent MC, nicknames, a cat named Puck, paintball(!!!!), belonging, "no words do your loveliness justice". . .

• Non-toxic family dynamics. Chloe Liese does big families and loving parents in romance novels perfectly. I don't mind family drama in romance from time to time, but my preference is to cozy up in a romance with Liese's Wilmots or Bergmans, for sure!

• The perfect kind of slow burn, per usual!!! Tons of teases, overflowing with chemistry, and beautiful, emotion-packed steam. (It's also her steamiest book! No complaints here!)

• The third act conflict👌What happened and the length of the conflict fit this novel perfectly.

Thanks so much Berkley and Netgalley. All opinions are my own

Not only did I already love the first book in this series but this one just knocked it out of the freakin park! I adored this story so so much. Chloe has an incredible way of writing a story that sucks you in from the very first page.

Christian and Katerina have been enemies since childhood. They shared backyards when they were kids but they can’t even stand to be in the same room as each other as adults. But after one drunken night, Kate confesses that she feels like Chris absolutely hates her. That’s when everything changed..

Chris is the perfect cinnamon roll character. I adored him and his love for Kate. Watching their relationship grow throughout the story was incredible. There’s a lot of laugh out loud moments and a lot of happy moments. Honestly, I can’t say anything negative about this book because it’s just that perfect!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley for the e-arc! Make sure to add this to your fall tbr because it’s a perfect read for it! Book releases on October 10th.

Whilst temporarily home from her traveling photography gigs, Kate Wilmot is forced to interact with her childhood neighbour and nemesis, Christopher, who is still close with Kate’s friends and family. After the Wilmot family pleads with Christopher to call a truce, Christopher learns that Kate acts hostile towards him because she wrongly believes that he hates her. Determined to turn over a new leaf, Christopher’s attempts to smooth things over with Kate end in a passionate kiss that forces the pair to re-examine their relationship.

Better Hate than Never is a contemporary Shakespearean retelling featuring the forced proximity and “enemies to lovers” tropes. This would be perfect for fans of “enemies to lovers” romances like The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, You, with a View by Jessica Joyce, Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez, Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood, Twisted Hate by Ana Huang, and The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon. Themes present include family and found family, mental health, change versus tradition, order versus chaos, escapism, communication, meddling, loneliness and isolation, love, death and loss, secrets and lies, travel, world news, and working-class struggles. The obvious moral of Kate and Christopher’s story is that love is better late than never!

Firstly, I want to advise readers who aren’t Shakespeare fans to not be put off by the fact that this book is a Taming of the Shrew retelling. Since this is a contemporary rom-com , it just so happens to use some of the same themes and names as Taming of the Shrew—much like how the movie 10 Things I Hate About You does this too! This book is the second installment of the Wilmot Sisters series and can be read as a standalone, however you should definitely read Two Wrongs Make a Right as it’s also very good!

Better Hate than Never is a “must add” to your fall TBR list as it has a lot of cosy fall vibes and Kate loves all things fall-flavoured, especially donuts! It was also enjoyable to see less-common topics incorporated—like ADHD and migraines—as they were very much present and made the reading experience more unique and memorable. I loved how Christopher and Kate learned to communicate and appreciated that there wasn’t a pesky third act break-up. One of the most memorable scenes was the epic paintball battle, featuring Christopher, Kate, and friends against some annoying misogynists, that then turns spicy. It was also great to see Bea and Jamie, the main characters from Two Wrongs Make a Right, and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

On the downside, I found it kind of cringey that Christopher was almost likened to an adopted sibling in Kate’s family; Christopher even talks about his 6-year-old self holding newborn baby Kate. It was a little disappointing we didn’t really get to see Kate and Christopher’s family and friends’ reactions when they inevitably discover that Kate and Christopher are romantically involved—perhaps a slightly missed opportunity that could have added even more comedy or drama to the story.

Overall, this book was really enjoyable and found it to be a real page-turner, perfect for fans of contemporary rom-coms and spicy “enemies to lovers” romances.

I’ll be forever captivated by Christopher Petruchio. Unexpectedly, I found myself falling deeper in love with Christopher and Katerina’s tale. This fresh take on “The Taming of the Shrew” (which I hadn’t read before) truly impressed me.

Chloe Liese’s writing skillfully immerses you in the minds of the characters. I always had a clear understanding of Christopher and Kate’s thoughts, a testament to her talent. The dual perspective in romance novels is a brilliant choice.

The representation in this book is remarkable. A female main character with ADHD and demisexuality, paired with a male main character dealing with chronic migraines, adds depth. And revisiting the beloved characters from “Two Wrongs Make a Right” felt like catching up with old friends.

What truly charmed me were the endearing nicknames, especially Katydid, and Christopher’s portrayal as a male lead with depth. While he embodies the MMC archetype, there’s a hope that such men exist.

No third-act breakup in this story - a relief! The characters display rationality instead of acting foolishly. Among the Wilmot sisters’ stories, this one shines as my favorite, and I eagerly await a potential third book to complete Juliet’s happy ending.