Chloe Liese can do no wrong, period. The Shakespeare retellings are here to stay and this play on Taming of the Shrew is absolutely killer. Kat and Christopher have such sexual tension from the get-go, yet they can't stand one another. The burn here is ACHINGLY slow but pays off major dividends in the end. We get to watch Kat cope with her midlife crisis while Christopher struggles with his chronic migraines. As someone who regularly watches a loved one go through the same thing, it's so incredibly painful to read but Chloe nails the portrayal. Should every romcom have a tango scene? Probably.

As an added plus, there's no 3rd act breakup (god bless). Honestly it took so long for them to get together that it would've been pure devastation if they'd had to part. You also get Bea and Jamie cameos, a killer paintball scene, and SO MUCH CHARACTER GROWTH. I absolutely cannot wait for Jules's book and everything else she writes in the future.

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Chloe Liese never fails to pull at my heartstrings with her incredible romances. Also, she writes such a diverse range of characters so beautifully. In this book, she writes about a male MC with migraines and a female MC with ADHD. This was such a GRAND enemies to lovers romance with SO. MUCH. PINING. I was living for them to get together, and was just on the edge of my seat waiting for their HEA. This was an all around great time to read, and I couldn't think of a better way to spend a couple hours than curled up with THIS book in my hand again for the first time.

thank you to netgallery for this arc!!! second books are incredibly hard to write, especially when the first book was so successful, but chloe liese truly created fireworks with katie and christopher. the buzz was strong throughout the whole story, and my only regret is that i didn’t read it slower.

5⭐️
2.5🌶

Better Hate than Never is one of my most anticipated releases of 2023 and Kate and Christopher's story absolutely knocked my expectations out of the park!!

The friendship, representation, and utmost care Chloe Liese takes with every one of her stories is beautiful and inspiring. Every one of her characters is so wonderfully *human* and reading these books feels like they're sitting right beside you, tell you their stories themselves. Our main characters are the focus of the story, of course, but you'll find yourself wondering what each of their friends are doing behind the scenes; what they're up to, how they're feeling, what they're thinking. It's impossible not to be pulled, directly by the heart, into their gravity.

I loved getting glimpses into Bea and Jamie's continued relationship throughout this book. Two Wrongs Make a Right is a top read of 2023 for me (as is Better Hate than Never, now), and keeping up with their story was such a treat. I love how they love each other and how they love Kate and Christopher, too.

The demisexuality (Kate) and chronic illness representation (Christopher; migraines) in this book is honest and attentively represented. The empathetic, world-loving energy in Kate is admirable and heartrending. And if you have a close sibling relationship in your own life, you'll adore the one between Kate, Bea, and Jules.

And, as always, the slow burn led to some absolutely mouth-watering spice and the beautiful breaking of tension. I mean it when I say: Chloe Liese's ~adult~ scenes always deliver. And it's about so much more than the physical.

Overall, BHTN is a wonderfully paced, emotionally exploratory book of belonging, family, friendship, individuality, and trust. I loved the nights out and the nights in with the crew, I adored the blossoming relationships, and I especially enjoyed seeing bits of myself in Kate.

Some of us just take some time to warm up, you know? But being a bit prickly doesn't mean we're any less deserving of patience and love.

I'm already sweaty-palmed waiting for book 3! Chloe Liese, you have my whole heart. Thank you.

**Thank you to Chloe Liese, Berkley, and NetGalley for an ARC of Better Hate than Never in exchange for my honest review!!**

A coworker got me hooked on Chloe Liese's work. I have devoured every single one since and this one is no exception. I have to force myself to put it down to do some adulting because it was sooo good! I can't wait to add this to the collection.

Thank you for the free book PRH International. And thank you Chloe Liese for writing another tender and sweet book about two people who don’t think they are worth a happily-ever-after but they are. Oh, they definitely are. Both Kate and Christopher have my heart now and I just want to wrap myself into this story forever, with some home-made pasta, pumpkin spice doughnuts and cups and cups of apple cider on the side.

This is the second in a series. I felt like the author spent too much time at the beginning of the novel explaining what happened in the first novel. It was unneeded and slowed the plot considerably. Once the previous plot was established, the book moved at a decent clip. There was some repetition. However, the characters are enjoyable and the story endearing. People who enjoyed the first will enjoy this one. However, it would be hard to pick this up and get right into the story.

Absolutely amazing!

I absolutely loved Two Wrongs Make a Right and was so excited to receive an arc of Better Hate Than Never! I immediately dove into the book and was quickly immersed in the world of the Wilmot Sisters again! In this installment we follow Katerina (Kate) Wilmot as she makes a rare trip home to visit her family and runs right into her childhood nemesis and family friend, Christopher Petruchio. (Yes, that Christopher from Two Wrongs Make a Right! 🥊 iykyk) Their long-standing feud starts to cool when they realize they both may have misinterpreted each other incorrectly along the way - but that’s where things really begin to heat up! Packed full of so much tension and banter it will make your heart swoon while being written with amazing neurodivergent and chronic illness representation? 100% yes! Literally singing the praises of this book from the rooftops and cannot wait to see what the next installment will bring!

*There is something so special about how Chloe Liese’s storytelling. From the dedication, the playlists, the authors note and the beautiful story in between - her books are full of such passion, representation, vulnerability and realness. Definitely a insta-read author for me!

Pick up Better Hate Than Never when it hits shelves 10.10.23!

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced copy!

I don't read many romances, but the tension in this sounded too good to resist.
I was pleasantly surprised to find such strong representation for neurodiversity.
Read this for a refreshing, modern take on childhood enemies to lovers.

I'm dead. Deceased. RIP me.

Chloe Liese never disappoints, and Better Hate than Never is no exception. In fact, I would say it's one of my all-time favorites, and that's saying something. BHTN is a modern-day reimagining of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, and it's full of nods to not only the original but also the movie 10 Things I Hate About You (which made my elder-millennial heart so happy).

Katerina Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio were childhood nemeses, and they've spent most of their adult lives actively avoiding each other. But then when Kate unexpectedly finds herself back home if not for good than for a good long while, they can't avoid each other anymore. That simmering tension reaches its boiling point, and neither of them is prepared for what happens next.

Let's talk representation. Chloe is a QUEEN for a reason. Her characters are always so complex and real, and it is their personal struggles and foibles that make them utterly compelling. BHTN has ADHD rep, demisexual rep, and chronic migraine rep. As someone who has ADHD and who is demisexual, I connected with Kate on an incredibly personal level. Her experience with ADHD is weirdly similar to my own, and seeing it on the page was so cathartic and also affirming. While I don't have chronic migraines, I live with chronic pain of a different kind, so I could empathize with Christopher as well; pain we can't avoid does affect our quality of life, and we can't always do what we want to do, and it can make us feel like a burden to those who care for us.

While on the surface their love story looks quite different from mine and my husband's, it still felt very familiar...and then toward the end, when we learned their zodiac signs, I literally laughed out loud. Mine and my husband's and Kate and Christopher's star signs are the exact same. They aren't supposed to work--they're complete incompatible on paper--and yet, for some reason, we work, just like Kate and Christopher.

Thank you, Chloe, for writing such incredible, inclusive romances. Everyone deserves to experience love, to know what it is to be cherished, and seeing love stories like this in print is always so amazing. I'm a forever fan.

I had mixed feelings about the first book in this series, but this one really hit the spot. It was basically the book form of the "My emotions!" Troy Barnes gif. Also, I'm a sucker for a Taming of the Shrew retelling. This book made me realize that I really only like enemies to lovers when there is significant backstory between the characters.

4.5 Stars rounded up

Did I expect this book to be good? Hell yes. I’m a huge Liese fan so I expected a lot and I was absolutely not disappointed.

Quick Synopsis: Christopher and Kate have a mutual hatred. Kate has been traveling for her work as a photographer for years. Christopher has rarely left his home town after his parents death and has found a family in Kate’s. When Kate returns to gather herself back up and figure out her life once again, Christopher and Kate are forced into each other’s company regularly. Only now, the two can figure out where this hatred stems from, and resolve it hopefully.

Trigger warnings: Chronic migraines; broken arm; sexism and misogyny;

What I liked:
-I loved how within 30% Christopher has identified the root cause of the issues between the two and immediately takes steps to fix it. Think Mr. Darcy after Elizabeth tells him off.
-The spice? The SPICE?? Liese outdid herself there. There isn’t a lot, but what is there is real good.
-At the end we almost got a third-act breakup (not a fan of those) but Liese subverts it. Instead, we get rational, adult conversation between the two that is healthy and I loved that.
-Some of the scenes were just so unbelievably romantic between these two. I know we get romance in Two Wrongs Make a Right, but for some reason, this romance just hit different.
-We get demi-sexuality rep which I loved.

What I struggled with:
-I couldn’t get into the book, like fully sink in, until around 40%. Once the party happens however, I was very much in it.
-I do think the pacing was a bit off. There were some scenes where I was very bored throughout but they were always bookended by other glorious scenes, so I’m ok with it.

Another banger from Chloe Liese that only continues to cement my love of her writing and storytelling.

Rating: 4.5/5
Warnings: death of parents (in-past), chronic migraines, ADHD rep
Steam: 3.5/5
Tropes: it's always been you, childhood frenemies to lovers, slow burn, age-gap

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for access to this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

What an absolute delight this book was.. he brought her flowers and pastries, made her homemade pasta, and admitted when he was wrong. Can I marry Christopher?

What started off as a fiery enemies to lovers book faded into a tender love that was absolutely beautiful. It was so vulnerable and raw, and absolutely relatable. I loved these two together and all their chaos. Fantastic steam per usual. The best part? No 3rd act breakup!

I'm biased; I honestly believe that Chloe can do no wrong. This is an easy 5 star for me. I love seeing the characters from the first book and I love a good enemy to lovers trope. Both main characters were likeable and relatable and I loved the fact that chronic migraines were a focus of this book. I suffer from chronic migraines and I have since I was 8, so seeing it represented the way it was made me feel seen. Chloe does a gr at job of that; she brings focus on those who don't usually get the focus or attention. Thank you for this and giving me the opportunity to read this early.

I love Chloe Liese’ books. They are so refreshing. And after reading Two Wrongs Make a Right, discovering these new characters, is something special.

I love the writing, and the characters’ development is awesome. Here in Better Hate than Never, we see Kate and Christopher fall in love with each other. Although at first they “hate” each other, they bicker and fight when in within them, they’re hiding how they really feel. The author does a great job unraveling those feelings, while also creating this loving environment of special friends and family. It’s the little things Christopher did for Kate that made my heart flutter, he bought her flowers, cooked for her, all the little things. They each have their reasons for hating each other and it really shows just how much they really care for one another. Such a great book!

Kat and Christopher have been arch-enemies since they were kids. When Kat has to go home after years away traveling for her photography work, she immediately runs into Christopher (literally) and the fighting begins. But things seem to shift the more time they spend together. Can Kat and Christopher really get along? Or maybe even more? The book was a fun read. Definitely some spicy scenes. I found the jump from enemies to lovers a little too quick on Christopher's end but I appreciate how his character grew throughout the book.

This book was a delightful retelling of the Taming of the Shrew, one of my favorite Shakepeare plays. It incorporates a main character (Kate) who has ADHD. The author did a masterful job of demonstrating daily life for someone with this diagnosis. The romance was sweet, as Christopher and Kate begin to understand each other, and show the art of compromise and opening up about thoughts and feelings. Would highly recommend, and will purchase for our library!

An engrossing new romance that pulls from Shakespeare and classic tropes. Childhood neighbors to enemies to friends to lovers, it’s a well crafted journey with excellent mental/physical health representations. It also takes a dive into multiple relationship dynamics; familial, friendship, and of course romantic. The banter is on point, the push and pull exciting, and the emotional wounds are poignant and then healing.

The pace stalls a bit here and there after the thrilling contentions early on, but overall it’s a delightful romance. It also touches on differing forms of attraction and manifestations of love and lust. It’s smart and highly entertaining. I definitely recommend.

This book is hilarious, sweet, funny and a perfect second book for the Wilmot Sisters.

I love Shakespeare and Taming of the Shrew is one of my favorites. The snarkiness of Kate and Petruchio's relationship is so perfect, and if you love 10 Things then you will love this. It's got smarts and sass and sex and passion.

With that being said, this is getting billed as enemies to lovers and it is not. It is more of a second chance romance than anything. They have loved each other since they were kids but for a variety of reasons felt they couldn't pursue (and honestly shouldn't have with the 6 year age difference!). It's more like lust and snarky to friends to lovers. But their switch from "hating each other" to becoming friends to making out was honestly such a good progression. There is great demisexuality rep, great inexperienced sexually rep, and their first few sex scenes, as well as the penetration sex scene, were so well done. Plus there is face-sitting so there you fucking go.

.5 star off for a few things: Kate was a little immature for being 27 at times (she literally stomps her foot in the beginning lol like why). Christopher's change from being standoffish to all of a sudden being all in and lovey dovey was a little over the top.

But this all is made better by the fact that there is no third act breakup. There is a line: "I am going to communicate like a goddamn adult" and folks I SCREAMED. I said PRAISE THE LORD LFGGGGG. And I love that for us romance readers. They had such beautiful communication once they decided to be honest and truthful with each other.

I cannot wait to find out who Juliet is going to be with.

CW: parent death

Hopefully Chloe Liese had as much fun writing this book as I had reading it. Kate and Christopher had a somewhat rocky past growing up together which led to an antagonistic adult relationship and great banter. I loved how their relationship developed throughout the book. Liese did a wonderful job showing the thin line between love and hate. She made me want these two very different characters together. Plus, this romance was filled with all these really fun moments. I especially loved the paintball scene and the one in Christopher's office. 

I did have two small issues with this book. First, the age gap. Six years is nothing as adults, but it rubbed me the wrong way with this couple at times simply because they grew up together. He can remember holding her as a baby, everything about their relationship over time, and he has a picture with her family on his desk when she's fourteen and in headgear. I get that there wasn't any spark until he saw her as an adult, but it was still uncomfortably close to crossing a line for me and I was reminded of it every time their past was mentioned. The second thing that bothered me was all the nicknames. Pick one for a character and stick with it, please. Katerina goes by Kate, but is called Katerina, Kate, Katydid, and honey by Christopher. Her sister calls her KitKat. It seems like if they all grew up together, Christopher would have the same nickname for Kate that Bea has. 

Overall, this was another fun book from Liese. I'm excited to find out what's next for the remaining Wilmot sister.