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.

Thank you PRH audio for the free audiobook, and thank you Berkley & Netgalley for the eARC (for the #joyfulchaosbookclub crew!). All opinions are my own.

OH how I loved this book. Admittedly I haven’t read the original Taming of the Shrew, but I have seen the classic rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You and Better Hate than Never brings the same sizzling enemies to lovers energy you loved from the film. In the second Wilmot sister book, we meet youngest sister Katerina Wilmot, world traveling photojournalist, as she returns home to allow her oldest sister Jules to stay in her home abroad. She has a reunion-disaster with her neighbor and nemesis Christopher Petruchio and their animosity is electric. Their friends and family beg Christopher to be mature and make peace with Kat for the sake of the group balance. As they’re forced to spend time together, they learn that their anger and hatred aren’t that far from desire and love after all.

Read this if you like: Enemies to Lovers, Boy Next Door, ADHD & Migraine Rep, Found Family, Slow Burn, lots of emotion and excellent spice.

I loved this one so much, even more than Two Wrongs Make a Right – it’s another Chloe Liese winner. You can read Better Hate than Never as a standalone but I’d really recommend reading the Wilmot sisters in order to meet the side characters and fall in love with them from the beginning.

Better Hate Than Never is the perfect fall read. Following the ending of Two Wrongs Make a Right, Katerina Wilmot finds herself back in her hometown and once again living next door to her lifelong enemy, Christopher Petruchio (last name ring a bell any Taming of the Shrew fans?!). As a photojournalist who travels the world, Kate is full of wanderlust—a trait that is as opposite from Christopher as possible.

Kate and Christopher have always distanced themselves from each other, but with the Wilmots embracing Christopher as a pseudo son and both Kate and Christopher sharing a friend group, they are forced to face why Christopher treats Kate with such coldness.

I really enjoyed the friend group/found family dynamic because it builds angst and tension behind Kate being hurt that Christopher is cold towards her. Once the two of them stop pushing each other away, Chloe Liese delivers tension, romance, and spice!!!

What makes Better Hate Than Never different from any other romance book is Chloe’s dedication to inclusivity and representation in both romantic and platonic relationships. The bromance between Christopher and Jamie highlights how Chloe Liese is so good at making the reader invested in relationships beyond the main romantic relationship.

Christopher and Kate are the epitome of childhood enemies to lovers! Their love story is refreshingly authentic and human. Chloe Liese captures the essence of romance in Christopher and Kate.

If there is one Shakespeare play that lends itself particularly well to adaptation, it’s Taming of the Shrew. Probably because an author can — and arguably should — change as much of the plot as humanly possible, given that the story of a man nagging and abusing his wife into submission doesn’t exactly scream “happy rom-com.” Fortunately, in the time since, adaptations have diluted the problematic elements right out of the story, giving us things like the classic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, and now Chloe Liese’s sweet, steamy, and heartwarming Better Hate Than Never.

The story follows Kate Wilmot, the youngest of three sisters. The one with the most adventurous spirit, Kate returns home after years abroad, burned out on photojournalism, with the money in her bank account dwindling. While back, she is forced to socialize with longtime family friend, and bane of her existence, Christopher Petruchio, with whom she has always shared an antagonistic, bickering relationship.

Because they share a social circle, Kate and Christopher are continually thrown together and gradually begin to ease up on each other and actually have a conversation without seriously trying to bite the other one’s head off. What results instead is a sweet, slow burn (but oh-so-satisfying) romance, infused throughout with perfect fall-themed vibes that make it a great read for this time of year.

Where this book really thrives, besides Kate and Christopher’s chemistry, and the personal struggles that they each try to work through by the end, is in its honesty. Both Kate and Christopher are working through unresolved childhood issues that they openly acknowledge, and both are called on their “bad behavior” particularly towards one another, without anyone pretending that it’s ok to behave that way in the name of snark or repressed feelings.

While I don’t want to spoil it, I cannot let this go by without mentioning that towards the end, Kate shares something about herself that struck me on such a personal level it actually made me cry. I had seen hints of this throughout (and actually called it long before it appeared on the page), but seeing Liese fully commit to such an underrepresented element in the romance genre — something I have talked about before — warmed my sometimes-cynical little heart.

Better Hate Than Never hits shelves on October 10. Special thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the advance copy for review purposes.

Having not read the first book in this series, I was a little apprehensive at first. I had nothing to worry about...Liese did a wonderful job of summarizing what happened with the main characters in the first book. Unfortunately, that was really the only thing I liked about this book. I didn't really care for the main characters. I also couldn't get past how Christopher and Kate treated each other. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group the ARC.

I love this series and I was super excited for another enemies to lovers book! Kate and Christopher can't stand each other. Kate has ADHD and she never stays in the same place for very long, and Christopher is steady and doesn't get out of his comfort zone at all. Ever since he can remember, Kate has gotten under his skin. They are like oil and water, they don't mix well. But one night, Kate drunkenly confesses something that breaks Christopher's heart and he knows that he needs to fix what he has broken.
These two have sizzling tension and so much chemistry. I know they fought a lot in front of their families, but how they didn't pick up on the tension between them was a shock to me. Christopher never gets close to wormen. He can't because ever since his parents passed away, he is scared to lose everything he loves again. Unfortunately, he loves Kate, but is just too scared to show it and accept it. This causes him to act in such a way that is downright mean at times. He knows he needs to do better, but opening up to her and bearing his soul is going to be hard.
This story would have been a 5 star read for me, and I am sure it can be for you if you don't have my aversions. Christopher runs from committment, and that is one thing, but the other thing is the amount of women he goes through. I know in the book they say, "we don't judge him for this", but unfortunately I do. I can understand a no strings situation here and there, but the frequency he was out and about was actually shocking to me. At one point he said "I haven't been with anyone in the three weeks you have been home." to Kate and she acted shocked. I was actually shocked because it was so incredibly short and apparently that was long for him.
When Kate finds out that apparently hes been in love with her for quite some time and he was with all these other women, she doesn't know what to think. Same Kate, same.
Listen, I know that I am in the minority here, so I would urge you to read this book because you will love these characters and love their story. Every moment they have together in this book seems so genuine and real and full of emotion.
Thank you the Berkely, Chloe Liese and Netgalley for an early copy.

Kate has a wonderful firey personality and is very strongheaded, but incredibly caring about those around her. Kate tends to have a hard time showing that she cares and tends to use her wanderlust of traveling the world to avoid being with her family. Kate also expresses a lot throughout the book about how much she wants to help change the way people see the world and expose injustices around the world. She talks about how she feels like a burden to her family for putting them through so much. Kate also has ADHD and talks about the struggles of doing small tasks and getting stuff done that needs to be done. Kate's character was so well developed and the development throughout the book was outstanding.

Now time to talk about Christopher. Christopher is the CEO of a financial firm that helps out non-profits. Christopher battles with migraines and shows how debilitating they can be to his daily functioning. Christopher's character was also well-developed because you got to see how much of a softie he is and how he cares for those in his life.

Kate and Christopher have known each other since they were kids. Follow Kate and Christopher as they go from enemies to lovers (other tropes, He falls for her first, Slow burn with some spice here and there). Kate and Christopher have a long history between the two of them and Christopher pretty much does anything he can to try and win Kate's heart.

4.5/5 as this book was a fun read and kept me interested the whole way through. If you were a fan of Two Wrongs Make a Right, you will definitely enjoy this book (also there are cameos of Bea and Jamie). Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, Chloe Liese, and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Better Hate than Never was a great childhood enemies to lovers story. Kate and Christopher never got along, but suddenly they’re forced back into each other’s orbits and they can’t help but learn there’s a fine line between love and hate. First, I loved the ADHD rep in this book with Kate and the comfortability in the conversation about it. Christopher nurtured her insecurities so well and it’s just really sweet and steamy. And I loved the build in this enemies to lovers and the organic nature of their change. And the communication! A round of applause to Chloe Liese for making characters who genuinely trust each other and communicate! The community of characters was so warm too! I did, for some reason, take a while to really get into this one and I think it was maybe a little long. But I really did enjoy the characters and the story and the romance and steaminess was so good!

Kate and Christopher feel SO much about each other and you know what they say; there’s a thin line between love and hate. In the most delightful, charming, passion filled, emotionally fueled story of redemption and friendship, Kate and Christopher find their way together. This book is instantly THE book of the fall.

Chloe Liese never disappoints and her latest enemies to lovers, Taming of the Shrew retelling was no exception!! I loved the dual POV, the EXCELLENT ADHD and demisexuality rep (her) and the chronic migraine/panic attack rep (him).

Christopher and Kat grew up together and always had an antagonistic relationship until Kat returns home after travelling abroad and they find themselves stuck together more and more for family and friend events.

The banter and found family in this book is top notch! I loved all the nods to the movie 10 things I hate about you too! This was a slow burn but once things heated up did it ever get spicy! No one does consent and open communication in the bedroom better than Chloe!!

I switched between an ebook and audio format for this book and really enjoyed the narration by Stephen Dexter and Charlotte North! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review! I cannot wait to read the final book in the Wilmot sisters trilogy!!

I am extremely biased because I adore my fellow Virgo and neurodivergent honey, Chloe Liese! She writes romances and coming of ages (for adults) that speak to my soul, and push on bruises that I didn't particularly know were still sensitive. Her writing is so tender, authentic and moving.

That is indeed the case for this stunning book too! I loved the ADHD and chronic migraine representation (would love to hear from reviewers who have chronic migraines, as I can only speak to the ADHD experience). I think Chloe always writes with such great care!

I am a huge retelling/reimagining slut, so this is my *catnip* !!! Taming of The Shrew retellings and remakes are so much fun! 10 Things I Hate About You altered my brain chemistry, and so did this book!

Steam was similar to past books -- you won't be disappointed!

cw: chronic migraine, struggles with ADHD, death of parent, grief, alcohol, medical content, car accident, injuries

Chloe Liese can do no wrong,

This story is the perfect mixture of childhood friends, then enemies to lovers. What happens when you're the family's black sheep in town after travelling for months on end and you end up weirdly attracted to your sisters childhood best friend/ boy next door/ the son you're parents never had? Well awkwardness to start off with.