I read the first book in the Wilmot Sisters series and absolutely loved it so I was really excited for Kate and Christopher's story. Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope and this one was actually legitimate, not simply five seconds of "hate" and then straight into love. Kate and Christopher grew up together and there was always animosity between them, but it hid a deeper desire neither was willing to admit to. This evolved at exactly the right pace and the characters were easy to relate to. I love the communication and respect in this one. These books are spicy and heartfelt and all the characters are likable and fun. I wonder if we will get Jules' story next? Looking forward to it! 5 stars. Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

You would think I, of all people, would like a book inspired by The Taming of the Shrew, that classic enemies to lovers penned by Shakespeare. After all, I did portray Katherina in my high school's staging of the play and made for a darn good shrew, a compliment that it took me some years to realize could also have been an insult.

Anyhoo, all that aside, let's focus on the book.

This book was aggressively fine, the most fine book. It took me 4 days to read, never a good sign. Admittedly, I was dealing with a nasty bout of bronchitis and kept falling asleep but who's to say that was due to my germy lungs and not the book? Christopher and Kate were so...mean to each other at the outset. Normally, I like my enemies to lovers with the kind of fighting that could double as foreplay. Where the MCs are going at it verbally and you know it's not really intended to be mean and cruel, it's just a placeholder for when they can go at it sexually. However, in this book, the banter seemed less sexy and flirty fighting and more...actual fighting. They really went at it and it was uncomfortable and harsh and at times, I wondered, were these two people really suited for each other? These two have known each other since Kate was born and there's no real reasoning for why they are antagonists, other than the fact that Christopher has always treated her with disdain and Kate has always just given it back. Ultimately, it's revealed that Christopher never hated Kate but wanted her to hate him and....well, mission accomplished, I guess. Well played, Christopher...? The book hinges so much on these two disliking each other that you'd think the author could have come up with a better reasoning for their mutual dislike but...nope. This reasoning comes off as kind of twee, like I'm reading an YA and as such, the characters, come off as twee as well though Christopher is well into his 30s (not quite 35 but heading there soon enough) and Kate is late 20s so both of these characters should behave like mature adults and yet, there are far too many scenes where they just...don't.
I do respect the fact that Chloe Liese is committed to disability rep and focusing on neurodivergent MCs. Kate is a pansexual ADHD and Christopher suffers from migraines. They are both written as do-gooders in their own ways, Kate a photographer who travels the world trying to bring attention to the multitude of atrocities that need people's time and attention and money and Christopher, hilariously, is a multimillionaire (courtesy of generational wealth from his parents who died when he was very young) who took the hedge fund his father created and turned into a company built on ethical investing. So, it's fine! He's Richy Rich but with MORALS. It's a bit ridiculous, the way these characters are written to be almost perfect in their dogoodyness that screams borderline ridiculous. Kate is vegan and won't even drink almond milk for the amount of water required to make it. Christopher wants to save Kate from the "fuck up" he thinks he is bc of his migraines and his inability to travel outside of his little bubble. And once again, for taking place in a big city setting, there is an absurd lack of BIPOC characters which makes little to no sense. I know this author gets a lot of kudos for her inclusivity when it comes to neurodivergent rep and disability rep and queer rep but weirdly, when we talk about inclusivity and don't have a single BIPOC character within a book that takes place in a big city similar to NYC, I'm gonna give it (and the author) some major side-eye.
All this to say, this book wasn't my fave, and this author is now one I can honestly said I tried but is clearly a reader/author mismatch. And that's ok. I know many love her and clearly she speaks to a lot of readers with her representation and I can applaud that all the while saying that she's just not for me.

The reason I'm giving it 3 stars instead of 2 or even 1 is because I do appreciate her writing skills and in the sex scenes in both books of hers that I read, she includes the usage of lube in PiV sex and I can appreciate that. Just because the book doesn't work for ME doesn't mean it won't work for others and I can also appreciate THAT.

Content Notes: parental death off page, orphaned at an young age, ADHD, migraines

I cannot say enough good things about this book. It is one hundred percent a new favorite. Chloe Liese has been an auto-buy author of mine for years, and this book just sealed the deal. Their love was so honest and pure AND steamy and the characters felt real and engaging. I think that their flaws were highlighted well and I didn't feel either of them compromised. I laughed, I cried, I swooned! Another AMAZING read from Chloe.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

This book takes all of my favorite things and puts them together. I love everything Chloe Liese writes, and I love The Taming of the Shrew. So an adaptation of it by her?! Yes, please!

But if I am totally honest, even more than The Taming of the Shrew, I love the movie adaptation of it: 10 Things I Hate About You. So I was absolutely delighted to see just as many nods to the movie as to Shakespeare's play.

This is the second book of the Wilmot sisters, and I do recommend reading Two Wrongs Make a Right. But this book entirely stands alone. It focuses on Kate, the sister we got to know the least in the previous book. She has just come home to regroup professionally, so she is back in close proximity with her childhood crush/rival, Christopher.

There is such amazing chemistry and steam between the two of them. And I absolutely loved getting to read his perspective, rather than just hers. I could keep reading about them both for ages.

4.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Readers Copy of Better Hate than Never by Chloe Liese!

Better Hate than Never was an excellent, modern retelling of the Taming of the Shrew.

As a traveling photojournalist, Kate never stays home for long. She’s often running away to far off locations, wild, and a little unreliable. After being forced to return home due to a broken shoulder, Kate is wondering if being home is worth it. She’s always felt like an outsider in her own family and her fights with Christopher Petruchio don’t help matters. Christopher has never left his hometown. He’s steady and reliable and doesn’t understand why Kate never wants to stay home with her wonderful family. After he lost his parents at a young age, he tightly holds on to whatever close connections he has. Their forced interactions at family gatherings always lead to a tense fight with a lot of hurtful words said.

The representation in this book is also wonderful, and Liese always does a great job with that. Kate has ADHD and is demisexual while Christopher has debilitating migraines. I loved how both of these characters showed up for each other and supported each other with their struggles. It’s not shameful to need or want help and this book does a wonderful job at showing how a partnership should look.

I really enjoyed this installment in this series and can’t wait to read the third sister’s book!

Tropes: enemies to lovers, childhood friends, he falls first, opposites attract

It's not an exaggeration to say that I have read and loved everything Chloe Liese has written, but Better Hate Than Never is on a different level. If you also loved 10 Things I Hate About You, you will absolutely adore this Taming of the Shrew retelling - complete with paint ball scene and all!

Kate Wilmot never stays in one place for long. She's a photojournalist, chasing meaningful stories around the globe and never finding belonging in any one place. When her older sister needs a life swap, Kate heads home to the city and literally runs right into Christopher Petruchio, her oldest friend and sworn enemy. Christopher has been in Kate's life since her infancy (there's a six year age gap between them), growing up next door and still attending regular Sunday dinners at the Wilmot's. After a sparring match between Kate and Christopher gets particularly heated at Thanksgiving dinner, Kate's father stages an intervention and asks Christopher to make an effort to smooth things over with Kate. As they start spending more time together, the walls in their relationship come down and each finds in the other the thing they've been after.

I loved every single page of this book. It is beautifully written and the relationship between Kate and Christopher is so very tender and emotional. The book is written in dual POV and it serves the story so well. We see each character grow and evolve, while also seeing enough of their history to appreciate the growth. The chemistry between Kate and Christopher is sizzling, and the steamy scenes are some of the best I've ever read. The representation of Kate's ADHD and Christopher's experience of chronic migraines added a lot of depth to the story as well. As a migraine sufferer myself, I found Christopher's experiences realistic and relatable.

Content flags: Christopher's parents died when he was 12; on page experiences with migraine and ADHD;

I voluntarily reviewed an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Better Hate than Never is a contemporary Shakespeare retelling featuring the forced proximity and “enemies to lovers” tropes. I would recommend it to 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.

Better Hate than Never is a “must add” to your fall TBR lists; it has a lot of cozy fall vibes and Kate loves all things fall-flavoured (especially donuts)! I enjoyed how less-common topics like ADHD and migraines were very much present in this book as this made Better Hate than Never more unique and memorable. I loved how Christopher and Kate learned to communicate and I appreciated that there wasn’t a pesky third act break-up. My favourite moment in Better Hate than Never was an epic paintball battle, featuring Christopher, Kate, and friends against some annoying misogynists, that turns spicy. I enjoyed seeing lots of 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 cringy 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. I was also disappointed that 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; I feel like this was a missed opportunity that could have added even more comedy and/ or dramatics to the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a real page-turner! I highly recommend it to fans of contemporary rom coms and spicy “enemies to lovers” romances.

In this follow-up novel in the Wilmot Sisters series, Liese has fully displayed how incredibly poetic her stories can be. This story follows Bea's sister Kate and their close family friend and next-door neighbor growing up, Christopher. Of the three sisters, Kate has always grated on Christopher's nerves, but not for reasons you would think. She's charismatic and carefree, her need for change carrying her all around the world. And while Christopher accuses Kate of being wreckless and abandoning her family, it's the fact that he is scared she'll get hurt, or worse yet, leave him yet again, that makes him angry. So he creates arguments and creates space between them to protect his heart. But Kate sees Christopher as somebody who hates her and demonizes her ADHD by throwing it in her face that she constantly leaves her family; not to mention the fact that she has harbored feelings for him in the past. But all of that comes to a head when Kate switches spots with her heartbroken sister Jules and moves in with Bea. Christopher is forced to come to terms with his feelings for Kate and swears to make it right and win her love.

I don't want to go into too much detail with these two, but holy hell! These two are so incredibly right for one another, and their chemistry radiates off the pages. Christopher is lyrical and romantic and masculine; Kate is carefree and caring and has such a big heart. Once these two were finally honest with themselves, and then with one another, cartoon hearts danced up from my book and popped in front of my eyes! The end of chapter 13 did me in, though, it was some of the most beautiful writing I have read. I liked this novel more than the first in the series, and will wait ever so impatiently for the third book about Bea and Kate's sister Jules, who is returning to the states after being abroad in Scotland (I believe).

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I will be thinking about Christopher Petruchio forever.

I didn’t expect to love Christopher and Katerina’s story more than Jamie and Bea, but oh, how I did! This reimagination of the Taming of the Shrew (which I have never read) was really outstanding!

One of the best things about Chloe Liese’s writing is how visual and in the head of the characters you will be. I always knew exactly what Christopher and Kate were thinking and I loved that. Dual POV in romance books is a superior choice.

The representation in this book is also fabulous. You have a FMC with ADHD and is demisexual, and a MMC with chronic migraines. Plus, you get the whole family and friends in the story you’ve come to already love dearly from Two Wrongs Make a Right.

The best part of this story is the nicknames! Topher/Topher Gopher but especially Katydid - did me in! And even though Christopher is the epitome of a MMC written by a woman, I’d like to think there are some men out there like him. The smut was also chef’s kiss 😘 we love a man who does anything and everything to make his woman comfortable! Christopher was no exception.

Plus, there is no third act breakup in this book, hallelujah! The characters actually use their BRAIN and don’t act stupid. This story was my favorite of the Wilmot sisters and I really hope there will be a third book with Juliet’s happy ending.

Better hate than never, for never too late.

Book 2 in the Wilmot Sisters series, and while it is a standalone, I am happy that I read Two Wrongs Make a Right first to expand upon the relationship of Katerina & Christopher (and their greater friend/family group dynamics too). There are some aspects of this story that I absolutely LOVED and others that are incredibly cringe.

The enemies-to-friends-to-lovers element was enjoyable, and I love a 'he fell first' trope. Chloe writes great banter and angst, and there are some doozies in here:

Should I tell you that was my confession - that my sad attempt to feel close to you was upheld by the delusion that it was better to have your hate than your apathy? That when I realized how badly I'd fucked up, I hoped it wasn't too late to have you look at me with anything besides loathing burning in your eyes?

Denying myself you has been like battling the tide. If I fight it any longer, I'll drown.

What I don't love, especially with 'he fell first' tropes, is the manwhore aspect. And there is A LOT of backstory about how great of a lover Christopher is, how he has a different girl every night...all coming from his own POV!!

I can handle being ignored, even if I'm not terribly familiar with the experience, thanks to the sheer luck of my genetics. I might have done jack shit to earn my looks and presence, but I have no qualms about thoroughly, frequently enjoying the physical pleasures that transpire from possessing what draws so many women.

Just...EWW 🤢🤢🤢 So, of course because we have a manwhore MMC, we must needs a virgin FMC, right?? Speaking of...

I absolutely love and appreciate what Chloe tries to do with her representation of neurodiversities, sexualities, and those with disabilities, however, sometimes it comes across as a very surface-level approach to inclusiveness...more so 'inclusive for the sake of being inclusive' rather than being a dynamic representation that resonates with readers. Kat's demisexuality seemed like such an afterthought, thrown in to provide an alternate to the oft-virgin/manwhore relationship trope. There was no nuance to it, which I found unfortunate. That aside, their relationship was a lovely slow-burn and Kat's inexperience was handled lovingly with lots of consent and patience.

Happily & surprisingly, there is no 3rd act breakup (I was worried after the horribly-ended book 1). Overall, a solid, cozy, fall read that could use some polishing.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have yet to meet a Chloe Liese book that I don't know, and this was no exception. This is the second book in the Shakespeare-inspired Wilmot Sisters series, featuring Katerina (Kate) Wilmot, the adventurous younger sister of twins Beatrice and Juliet from Two Wrongs Make a Right. Kate is a photographer, always traveling and never home for long enough to deal with the fact that she feels a little out of place in her own family. Things are different this time - she's burned out, recently injured, and exhausted, and she offers to switch places with Juliet, who needs to get away. Almost right away, she crosses paths with Christopher Petruchio, childhood neighbor and long-time enemy. This is very (very) loosely based on the Taming of the Shrew, and I appreciated Kate and Christopher's sharp and witty banter, as well as the various references to the iconic Taming of the Shrew retelling, 10 Things I Hate About You. This was funny, well-paced, sweet, and had good neurodiversity representation. I'm really looking forward to Juliet's book and I hope Chloe Liese can just keep churning them out.

"Because I have loved you a hundred different ways for so long I don't know when loving you began..."

Katerina Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio are the definition of antagonists - thankfully for everyone around them, they haven't spent extended time together since they were children given Kate's world travels as a photojournalist. When Kate finds herself in the position of having an extended time home, Christopher intends to spend as little time together as possible, despite him being one of the closest family friends of her parents and next door neighbors. When an all out verbal brawl occurs on Thanksgiving, their family and friends plead with Christopher to make peace with Kate. When Kate drunkenly confesses how much Christopher has hurt her, Christopher realizes that she cares much more than she has ever let on. And really, he's only been keeping her at an arm's distance because he's been drawn to her for so long and he's worried he's too "messed up" for her.

Oh my word, THIS BOOK! I loved it so much so my thoughts are probably going to be mildly incoherent but this had everything I love out of Chloe Liese's books - the demisexual representation, chronic illness rep, neurodiverse rep, banter, emotion, adult communication - it really does have it all!!

It's pretty well known that I love angst and emotion in my romances and boy did this deliver on both. The angst was top level for a contemporary - I would call this antagonists to lovers vs enemies to lovers. It's a bit of a slower burn than some contemporaries for a few reasons but I think it worked incredibly well for this story - we really needed to see a lot of the antagonism to see why Kate would feel the way she does and how far this couple had to go to learn to understand each other.

As always, the representation in this book is top notch. From Christopher understanding and not judging Kate's ADHD to Kate's explanation of her sexuality and needs, to Christopher's experience with chronic migraines - Chloe's writing is what I wish I had when I was younger and I genuinely think can help people understand themselves better. Christopher just truly *sees* Kate and her greatest fear about not being wanted - and shows her through his actions how wanted she really is.

I was mildly worried we were going to get a very late third act breakup due to Kate overhearing something that Christopher says, but I knew I should have just trusted in Chloe. There's this really beautiful moment where Kate is about to react to what she's heard without waiting for an explanation from Christopher and she takes a breath and says to herself "I won't skip 10 steps and assume the worst. I won't take a fragment of a conversation and fill it in with all my fears and insecurities". And instead of even asking for an explanation (which Christopher gives regardless), she says that she doesn't need proof that he cares for her and that she trusts him. I mean - c'mon!! I was swooning! That level of communication is so rarely seen in romance novels and I just ate it up.

Thank you SO much to Berkley, Netgalley, and Chloe Liese for the eARC and opportunity to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Chloe Liese, NetGalley, and Joyful Chaos Bookclub for the ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

I was ECSTATIC to get the email that I had received an ARC of BHTN from the Joyful Chaos Bookclub - could I have waited until October to read this? Physically, yes. Mentally, no. And it was everything I imagined it would be.

One sentence plot summary: Christopher and Kate are childhood neighbors out with some serious animosity toward each other that really stems from just overprotectiveness and misunderstanding, but slowly work their way toward one another as they grow and process their feelings.

Chloe is a legend in the way she writes neurodiverse characters and characters with chronic conditions, and this book was a classic example of that. I've struggled with migraines for years, and have never seen a character in a book with chronic migraines represented this well. Christopher's anxiety about being away from home and having a migraine was SO REAL and hit so close to home, as it's something I've repeatedly worried about. In a peak level of irony, I ended up getting a visual migraine right when I started the book and had to (regretfully) wait a few hours before I was able to read again - if I had to get a migraine, at least it was on-brand for the content!

I also really strongly related to Kate's ADHD. There are so many passages when she was describing her life and her experience that I highlighted saying "THIS! ME!" because I just felt so seen. And Christopher talking about wanting Kate to have wiggles and adventures because "whatever makes Kate happy...[is] all worth it, for a world filled with Kates" had me crying on the couch. I really cannot emphasize enough how much I treasure Chloe's characters and how real they are; through their struggles, successes, and relationships, they all feel like friends that I want to support and love along their journey. Better Hate Than Never Might be Chloe's best yet, and I am so excited for everyone to get to read it on October 10!

You can expect: neurodivergent FMC (ADHD rep), MMC with chronic migraines, childhood enemies to lovers, slow burn, they've known each other their whole lives (!!!!), forced proximity, demisexuality rep (FMC), age gap, Bea and Jamie make adorable cameos, Cornelius the hedgehog therapist, Christopher has Henry Cavill's ass, how can I apply to work at Verona Capital for those benefits, men who make pasta from scratch, correct use of lube, "I hate the way I don't hate you" energy.

After reading the first book in 'The Wilmot Sisters' series, I was so excited to read the next. I adore Chloe Liese's stories and enemies to lovers is my jam. Not to mention the heroine has ADHD and is a vegetarian- helloooooo! Could she be any more relatable?

Kate Wilmot is back in town for an extended break, which is unusual for her. Unlike the rest of her family, she has wanderlust. She's the baby of her family and a photographer and has spent most of the last 9 years working and seeing the world. Christopher is her parent's next door neighbor and like the son they never had. He's close with everyone in the family, aside from Kate.

Kate and Christopher aren't friends and can't seem to stand each other. But isn't that how some of the best love stories begin? This one was a bit of a slow burn and had somewhat of a slow start, but once it picked up I really started to love it. I loved Kate and Christopher together, how they got each other and once they put their animosity and differences aside, they really clicked.

Chloe Liese is a go to author for me. She writes the most feel good romances with fantastic diverse characters. I loved not only the two main characters, but so many of the supporting characters as well. I can't wait for the next book in this series!

Better Hate Than Never is a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, the classic book that brought us the absolute masterpiece, 10 Things I Hate About You. In true hate to love fashion we have a classic tale of misunderstood childhood enemies who walk the line of hate and love. With a secret cinnamon roll neat freak MMC and an ADHD chaotic FMC opposites attract never felt so good. Read this if you enjoy-

10 Things I Hate About You
Small Age Gap 6 years
Childhood enemies
Capitalist / Liberal
Intimate conversations
Honest communication between characters
Opposites Attract
Lives to please MMC ;)
Cozy family setting
Spice

3.5 stars rounded up.

Better Hate than Never is the second standalone book in the Wilmot Sisters series. It tells the story of Katarina and Christopher, childhood enemies, that try to keep their distance under the guise of preventing animosity just to hide their true feelings for each other.
Kate has always felt like an outsider even in her own family, which made her all the more eager to dive into her profession as a photojournalist traveling the globe. She has ADHD, which adds to her feelings of isolation. (I'm a twin and have a third sister, younger just like Kate. I'd never stopped to contemplate what it meant for her to be on the outside of the twinship. Such a great reflection, personally.)
Christopher is a stand-up guy who's lost his parents very young. He suffers from anxiety and chronic migraines, and the fear of losing more loved ones keeps him from being open to love.

It's beautiful to see these two coming together, sharing their vulnerabilities, and building a beautiful relationship.
No third Act breakup. Yay! I love how the characters grow into their own person and as a couple with enough maturity to have a conversation to resolve their issues.

Kate's become my favorite Wilmot sister, and this book is even better than Two Wrongs Make a Right, which is such a feat because I loved Beatrice and Jamie's story so much and thought no follow-up in the series would be able to top it. I should have known better. This is Chloe Liese we are talking about. Wordsmith and stirrer of emotions.❤️

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Romance and Izzy for coordinating the free e-ARC in exchange for honest review for the #joyfulchaos group. If Chloe Liese writes it i wanna read it and this has been an incredible series a surprise to no one. Chloe is able to set a story characters and ABSOLUTE perfection.

Highly recommend!!!

Better Hate than Never
by Chloe Liese
Pub Date: 10 Oct 2023
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley
Romance
Rating: 4.25/5

Chloe Liese's Better Hate Than Never is the second in the Wilmot Sisters series. I really appreciate Liese's neurodivergent perspective on the story. The plot was exceptionally well-crafted and adds an additional layer of sensitivity. Her writing style is insightful and thought-provoking, making for an engaging read that is both poignant and heart-warming.

Kate Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio may have lived next door to each other since childhood, but they are sworn enemies in real life. Growing up, everyone wished they could let go of their pasts and get along like civilized people. Christopher promises to show her a different side to him, one that will build a bridge between them. But will this newfound connection last, or succumb to past pressures? For a moment can they can imagine what life could be like if they put aside their differences?

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sharing this book with me. It was a pleasure to read this eye-opening novel written by Chloe Liese.

If Chloe Liese writes it, it has to be in my hands as soon as possible!

Kate Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio may have been nextdoor neighbors but realistically, they were sworn enemies. Now, as adults, everyone around them is begging them to make up and be friends. Either won't budge yet, on a druken night, Christopher hears Kate tell him that she believes he hates her. The gentleman that he is, Christopher swears he will change her mindset. Things later start off as a kiss.. and turn into something more but will history repeat itself again, making hate the trademark for both friends?

Better Hate Than Never is the second in the Wilmot Sisters series. I loved how the story picked up right where Two Wrongs Make a Right left off and readers immediately got to see the characters that we grew to love. Chloe writes with such a prose that makes you want to give the characters a hug and yell at them for their antics. I adored the representation of ADHD, as I also have severe ADHD and could relate to Kate that much more. The nod to sequence had me sharing this book with everyone and making me want to play the game again. Readers, run and grab this novel wherever you find your books!