No one is more surprised than me that I didn't like this book. I was fully expecting a light, entertaining, modern retelling of a Shakespeare classic based on the work of Chloe Liese's I've read in the past. Instead, I was forcing myself to push through this 400 page book over a three day period in the hopes that there would be something salvageable by the end. I'm a big fan of the enemies to lovers trope, but the hate dynamic between Christopher and Kate was essentially based on unwanted attraction and non-communication. The explanation behind their rivalry did not make sense, nor was it filled with enjoyable sexual tension.

Christopher lost his parents at a young age, and afterwards was welcomed into Kate's family as an honorary member. He and Kate grew up along side one another, and she was like an annoying, bratty younger sister for all intents and purposes. That all changed when she got to her teen years and he started developing an unwanted attraction towards her. Why? Because her outward appearance matured? Is there more than that, because if so, I'm missing it. The backstory to their rivalry is poorly explained and unrealistic. They hate each other, say rude and deliberately harmful things to each other, and everyone around them just accepts this as the norm and doesn't question it. I'm told to believe that his unrequited feelings for her make him lash out at her as if he's pulling the pigtails of the girl at school that he likes? From the few reviews I've read, people mostly seem to be ganging up on Christopher for his behavior, but Kate is no saint either. In the first chapter, she stomped her foot like a bratty child while insisting that she's not a child in need of a babysitter. All because he wanted to walk with her a few blocks to her house as a safety precaution. After all, a woman was mugged nearby recently.

“Christopher.” I stomp my foot. “I’m twenty-seven. I don’t need to be babysat.”

She repeatedly calls him a "soulless capitalist" (though has no problem working for his "evil" company when he offers her a much needed job), shames him for eating meat and celebrating Thanksgiving (even though they are celebrating it with her entire family), and berates him for intervening to protect her when she's aggressively arguing with a guy during a game of paint ball.

“Gee, I wonder why men keep acting like vile creatures,” I hiss-whisper. “Oh wait, I don’t wonder—I know it’s because other men enable them. You should’ve been telling him to shut the hell up and exactly why what he said was offensive; instead, you’re corralling me.”

Instead of, I don't know...realizing that he was just looking out for her safety, she said he should have bit the guy's head off and escalated the situation to save her feminine ego.

These two characters were like nails on a chalkboard. A hair in your mashed potatoes. A scratchy tag on your shirt rubbing the back of your neck. Almost every time they spoke, their infractions kept piling up, and yet I kept telling myself they would live up to the potential that drew me in in the first place. So I ignored all of the hypocritical, rude, annoying, illogical behavior and continued. At 80% in the book I literally could not take another word of dialogue between these two. If you can't force yourself through the last 20% of a book, there's a serious problem. I have no doubt that I'm in the minority with my opinions, so my issues may not be yours.

Better Hate Than Never was such a swoony, fall-themed romance! I loved so much about this one, and now I can’t wait to go back to the first book in the Wilmot sisters series, Two Wrongs Make a Right.

Here are some reading vibes/things I loved:
-Childhood enemies to lovers
-Taming of the Shrew meets 10 Things I Hate About You
-the representation! (Demisexuality, chronic migraine sufferer)
-such a diverse cast of side characters. Loved reading about them!
-the communication & conversations about consent were amazing to see
-the angstiest tango I’ve ever read & an epic paintball scene
-so many feminist, girl power moments
-no third act breakup!
-lots of great banter & steam (especially the long scene around 80%)

The one thing I didn’t love was how certain political views were woven in, and at times I felt like it came on strong, which is why this does not get the full 5 stars. I loved the romance though, and Christopher was such a kind, gentle, understanding hero! I love Chloe’s books and the messages of self-love despite the things that make you feel different from everyone else are so uplifting and powerful.

Liese fan here, and this book did not disappoint.

Christopher has a found family in his nemesis home after his parents death. Kate travels for work and is FINALLY able to come home for the holidays after losing her job. This is the opportunity for her to figure out life. Christopher and Kate have a mutual hate for each other.

These enemies slowly take the time to identify what’s not working and how they move forward to fix their relationship but along the way feelings bubble-up.

This is a mature, adult romance with communication and consent told in dual POV. The banter and family are wonderful additions to this story.

Thank you Berkley for the complimentary copy.

4.25 stars!! Chloe Liese has never failed me and this book felt like a warm cozy fall hug and I adored every minute of it!

This is a loose retelling of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew
(or if you're more familiar with the movie 10 things I hate about you). That is my fav shakespeare play so I knew I'd immediately love this.

Kate & Christopher use roasting each other as their love language and the banter in this was A+!! It did take me a bit to warm up to Christopher and how he treated Kat but once he realized what he was doing, and then spent the whole book making it up to her and essentially grovelling, I really started to like him and see his side of things. Kate, for a lack of a better word is described as a "hot mess" but she's also so relatable and struggles with ADHD in a way that makes me feel seen! I loved her as a heroine and really loved their relationship. There is lots of tender caretaking moments which were my absolute fav!!

I wish we got to see more of their life together outside of the bubble they created. We didn't really get to see them tell their family they were together and I wanted to see more of that! There was a few things I wish we got more clarification of towards the end like how Kate was moving forward in her career, and if they were officially living together etc.

Besides that, I LOVED this book and CANNOT wait to read Juliet's story!!

Thanks NetGalley & Berkley for the ARC <3

I sometimes have a hard time putting into words what makes a book so special, but in this case, I know exactly what I loved about this story: it felt like a hug, coming home for a long vacation, and what it feels like to be seen/understood/cared for, for exactly who you are.

I initially was a little hesitant about this enemies-to-lovers, childhood friends, next-door-neighbor, sisters'-best-friend story between Kate and Christopher. I liked Christopher from book one, because he was truly a good friend to the twins. Kate's character blows in from abroad and I'm just not sold on her. She's kind of off-putting and abrasive. But I fell in love with her the minute her character became the main character in this story. She's misunderstood. She's lonely. She loves her life of adventure but also feels like it doesn't matter if she's home or not. She's got ADHD and she struggles to operate "normally" in a world that's only set up for "normal," and that pisses me off so much because I understand. I have my moments in my very standard, semi-small corporate office, that I just feel like I don't fit. Things feel too tight or too warm or too big or too small or too left or too normal for everyone except me, and I hate having to ask for something special because of ME not fitting into whatever the mold is. But it's taken me conversations and caring people in my life to realize it's okay to ask for what I need, that it isn't an inconvenience, that I'm not ruining things, and I don't have to avoid in order to participate at something my way. And for those reasons, I want to thank Chloe for writing Kate.

AT THE SAME TIME, Christopher suffers from migraines, which I have struggled with since puberty (sometimes missing 3-4 days every time I got my period because the pain was unmanageable and I'd be at home throwing up for days on end while my friends just got to have the "normal" period symptoms). While Christopher's migraines are not hormonal related like mine, it was so important to me to see a character like Christopher, who misses out on things or makes a hasty exit from an event or hesitates to say yes to things because he doesn't know how he'll be feeling. And he ALSO feels misunderstood with this challenge. I particularly loved how Chloe had Christopher and Kate talk about all of the "things" Christopher could be doing to help his migraines. I've heard it all. We all have our own unique fixes, but sometimes the ONLY fix is water and rest, which requires time. We aren't all gifted with jobs where time is easily accessible. I'm lucky to have landed with a company that believes in wellness, just like Christopher has set up his company.

Outside of these wonderful, diverse parts of these characters, I give this book a 4.5 star rating. I loved Jamie and Bea, and Christopher and Kate are no different. They're people. They have hard days. They learn to communicate. I loved the bickering, the history between these characters, and the adventures they go on together. I love how Christopher cares for Kate in such a loving way (at first from the very outside, then from as close as he can get). It was spicy. There was some sweetness, but only what felt right for the characters. There were a lot of discussions, which I appreciate because it felt very organic to how relationships should take shape. I just love reading about characters who respect each other's boundaries and needs. I love how Chloe's stories normalize a lot of things that we need to be talking about more, and they help me to understand people in a different light. I love that I learn things from these characters that I can apply in my own life. And I love that this book helped me to see myself within the pages and characters that made me feel more seen/heard/understood/validated.

Thank you to Chloe, Berkley, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. These are my honest thoughts!

Chloe Liese’s books always leave me feeling not only warm and fuzzy and happy, but better and more accepting about myself, and this one is no different.

Kate has come back from traveling a bit injured and a lot broke. She’s burned out.

Her family neighbor Christopher is completely disapproving, as usual. Why can’t she be more responsible? Where has she been for years while he and her family missed her?

Naturally, Kate and Christopher are immediately at each other’s throats.

But do they really hate each other?

This is a late-fall-set romance where Kate has ADHD and Christopher suffers from migraines. And maybe with a little communication and a lot of understanding, these two can move past their squabbling.

From the beginning, their connection was electric. They’re drawn to each other, and have reasons for behaving the way they do.

I love how self-aware and ultimately kind both Kate and Christopher are. Both of them grew so much, and their love for each other? I’m all in for these two.

Bring the bonus content.

This is what you read when you want a book that cares, is filled with heart, and manages to believably shift an enemies-to-lovers in the most satisfying way.

It’s also funny, spicy, and has the best, sweetest supporting characters! I want everyone in this book to be my friend 😅

This author knows how to write peak romance. (I really, really like how the third act is handled here.)

And if you have ADHD like I do, you’ll find yourself relating so much to Kate!

This is one of my top romances for this fall. I highly, highly recommend!

Oh wow! Taming of the Shrew is another one of my favorite Shakespeare plays! I watched the Elizabeth Taylor version with my mom a million times! And I was always Kate in my head.

I love how I always relate to Chloe’s characters! They are so real and they are represented in a raw and beautiful way. Her books always resonate with me so much! Being an Aquarius who suffers from bad migraines, I related to both characters way too much.

Love how I feel like I am there with them and how I can feel their emotions.

I love enemies to lovers! These are childhood enemies to lovers. With major misunderstandings that he had to correct immediately once he realized. Then things moved quickly.

There is also grief and feelings of being left out, both have awful feelings to them. There is open communication in the bedroom which I love. Let's normalize the hero not knowing how to play her like a harp and asking how she likes it. We are not all alike.

Overall, as usual this was a stunner and was the perfect weekend read full of banter, quirkiness, acceptance, chronic illness rep and love.

Read if you love:
✨ Great books
✨ Taming of the Shrew
✨ Rep - migraine, ADHD, autism, anxiety, grief
✨ Enemies to lovers

Thank you berkleyromance for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

I love Kat and Christopher’s bickering so much. Since they grew up together you can definitely tell they had a past which made their hatred of each other so fun to watch them mess with each other. I also love how that hatred wasn’t as filled with hate as they both thought. I also loved how they communicated so well, when there was miscommunication or possibility of it they just talked it through instead of getting angry and fighting. Also the open conversations they had with each both about life and in the bedroom was done so well. I love all the books Chloe has put out and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

This Taming of the Shrew retelling has plenty of bite and ire that melt into vulnerability, tenderness, and fire.

In book 2 of the Wilmot Sisters series, we see Kate returning home tired and sore after a long stint traveling for her photojournalism career, and childhood neighbor Christopher, who has essentially been integrated into her family, still trying to maintain—at the very least—some emotional distance from her (not from the rest of the family, just from Kate). First she was the annoying younger neighbor, and then she was something else entirely to him. And, well, Christopher just couldn’t handle that.

Expect a salty and sweet tango, lots of swoony moments, biting comments, electric chemistry, banter-filled text messages, friendships, found family, and ADHD, chronic illness (migraines), grief, and demisexual rep. And in true Chloe Liese fashion the language is sweeping and beautiful.

It’s a smitten and steamy fall read.

I received an advance copy from Berkley and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

This was a Taming of the Shrew retelling, which I never read but I have seen 10 Things I Hate About You and I definitely saw some similarities between the two - even down to the paintball scene! I LOVED the first book in the Wilmott Sister series, Two Wrongs Make a Right so I was very excited for the second in the series. However, I wasn't a big fan of this one. I did love the representation this book had - ADHD, migranes, demi-sexual. But the age-gap/I knew you when you were born and I was 6 just didn't work for me. I found it creepy that it would flashback to when they were kids and there were a few other cringey things in it for me - how the male MC was a manwhore until she Kate showed interest in him. I do love enemies to lovers but even that trope couldn't save this one for me. I just wasn't a big fan of it. I do look forward to more books from this author though because this content aside, I did love the first book and I enjoy her writing.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

Short synopsis: Kate is a traveling photographer who rarely finds time to go home. In a rare visit she runs into her childhood neighbor nemesis Christopher… is there still an animosity between them, or something sweeter.

My thoughts: What a sweet and tender story of classic childhood enemies to lovers. I loved the neurodivergent/adhd rep, it was displayed so well.

I could feel the tenderness and love Christopher showed towards Kat. I loved that he encouraged her to be HER! He knew all her favorite things (flowers, donuts, homemade pasta) and admitted when he was wrong.

This was such a great reimagining of The Taking of the Shrew and 10 Things I Hate About You, with a lot of found family and banter intermixed in! And one of my favorites parts is there is No 3rd act breakup!

Read if you love:
- Childhood Enemies to Lovers
- Age gap
- 10 Things I Hate About You
- Sibling interconnected stories (this can totally be a standalone)
- Neurodivergent/ADHD and Chronic Pain Rep

Chloe Liese is my hero! A+ romance A+ representation wrapped up in a fabulous childhood enemies to lovers read!

Fans of 10 things I hate about you are going to devour this book! It's fun and feisty and yet very vulnerable and emotional. ALL the feels!

Despite growing up as childhood neighbors as adults, Christopher and Kate live in different hemispheres. When Kate returns home for a rare visit, their deep-seated animosity reignites. Despite pleas from friends and family to make amends, Christopher doubts Kate's willingness to do so. When Kate confesses her hostility was based on a misunderstanding, Christopher decides to seek peace. As the two are further are drawn to each other, they must decide if they should risk their hearts and trust their feelings for each other or maintain their hatred.

I loved reading and learning about these characters and the sexual tension was so well done (and ugh that first kiss), but I loved them even more growing together! They really are relationship goals with good communication and willingness to learn and grow!

Easily a top 10 read of the year!

Better Hate than Never by Chloe Liese, book two in the Wilmot Sisters series, is a modern take on The Taming of the Shrew, and follows Kate, the youngest sister, and her childhood next door neighbor Christopher. The two have been at odds for forever, never seeing eye to eye since they shared a back yard as kids. Growing up, and in their adult lives, they’ve always butted heads. Christopher has always been close to Katerina’s family, and when they beg him to be nice to her after she returns home, he begins to see things in a different light. Finally, his walls come down as he begins to try to make peace and get to know her better. When they come together for a kiss, fireworks go off and they begin to wonder how deep their feelings really go. One kiss, just one kiss changes everything. Once the two opened up more and their relationship bloomed, I couldn’t get enough of their banter, intimacy and honesty as they went from childhood enemies to lovers. Plus, the no third act breakup was refreshing. The representation of chronic illnesses such as migraines and mental health issues such as ADHD is informative, helpful, and realistic along with a demisexuality rep (her) and the chronic migraine/panic attack rep (him). I highly recommend Better Hate than Never to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

I STAYED UP UNTIL TWO IN THE MORNING TO FINISH THIS MASTERPIECE

I’m not disappointed. Chloe Liese can do no wrong, this book was a PERFECT follow up to Two Wrongs Make A Right, following Bea’s little sister, Katerina and Christopher, the family friend.

We have two people who absolutely despise each other, and the TENSION is palpable. The absolute longing between the two characters had me giddy.

And they were both so mature and communicative, what a breath of fresh air that is.

A million out of five stars, I highly recommend. Thank you to Berkley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

I definitely did a little happy dance when I opened a package from Berkley to see this book because after reading Two Wrongs Make a Right last year I could not WAIT to read this one, and it did not disappoint.

Kate and Christopher’s story is CLASSIC hate to love, and the dual-POV amplifies all the angst and tension to another level. Both the characters are very stubborn and headstrong in their own ways, but over the course of the story they also come to realize that they are actually more similar than they once thought. Everything about their love story was to die for, especially after Christopher vows to make things right between the pair. I quite simply could not put the book down until I got to see them open up to one another (I mean, I read SIXTY PERCENT of the book in one sitting, that’s how addicting it is).

Also- Christopher Petruchio the man that you are… I absolutely adored him from the first page and just fell more and more in love with everything he did to make things right with Kate.

And of course I love seeing all the characters from the last book return in supporting roles, especially Jamie and Bea, and I’m just even more excited now for Juliet’s book.

Overall, this is a delightful hate to love romantic comedy (with no third act breakup whaaat we love communication!) that is perfect for fans of 10 Things I Hate About You, and should definitely be put at the top of your fall tbr!

I loved this sequel in the Wilmot sister series! It was so cute and everything I wanted in a story. I really liked reading about Kate and Christopher. The fact that there was past history between them made it all the more angsty and I loved that. I can't wait for the next book! This is for those who enjoy the enemies to lovers trope.

This was literally a perfect fall read!

I loved the first book in this series, Two Wrongs Make a Right, so I definitely had to request this one! I wasn't disappointed. It had some....

• Frenemies to Lovers
• Slow burn
• ADHD and chronic migraine reps
• Opposites attract

There was seriously so much to love about this one! The tension was so good, and the banter was fantastic, as was the spice. It all made the moment they finally get together that much more satisfying.

I loved Kate, and it was so eye-opening seeing things from her perspective. My stepdaughter has ADHD, so I feel like reading books with the rep helps me to better understand her and her needs. Kate is also very correct in her opinion that fall flavors are superior! 😂

I definitely related to Christopher having suffered from migraines myself in the past. I felt like it dealt with his struggles in an honest way.

Overall, it was definitely enjoyable and totally worth the read!

Thank you @BerkleyPub and @Netgalley for the #gifted eARC of BETTER HATE THAN NEVER!

I absolutely adored TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT last year and was thrilled to receive an eARC of BETTER HATE THAN NEVER. And as much as I loved the first book in the series, I think this one may take the spot as my favorite of the series so far.

I’ve never actually read Shakespeare’s THE TAMING OF THE SHREW but the 1999 movie 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU is one of my all time favorite rom coms from my childhood. (RIP Heath Ledger). I think Chloe Liese must also be a 10 THINGS fan because she snuck in a paintball scene that made me so nostalgic.

The tension between Christopher and Katerina is just *chef’s kiss* perfection. They are childhood enemies who can’t decide if they actually hate each other or maybe just really want to be seen and understood by the other. Their chemistry is FIRE. This is definitely more of a slowburn but oh man it's so good.

I can’t wait to get Jules’s story next as I am completely smitten with these sisters!

BETTER HATE THAN NEVER is out today!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5380247695
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CyOTehzrIyv/

One of my top romance reads of the year!

Read if you enjoy:
- Childhood enemies to lovers
- Slow Burn
- Chronic Migraines Rep (Him) & ADHD Rep (Her)
- Dual POV

After reading this book I had to message the author and express my gratitude because this book just made me feel so seen.As someone who suffers from chronic migraines, I was able to relate to the MMC and his struggles. It was just a different experience to be able to relate to one of the characters. I loved the Dual POV. I am the kind of person who likes to understand both sides of the story and this is exactly what I got. Christopher and Kate's story was just so heartwarming and full of tension. Nothing felt rush and I was super invested. It is important to note that Christopher had made it to my list of book boyfriends. He is just so perfect and kind. Just the kind of guys who pretends to be super tough but is really a teddy bear. We love that!! To all my romance lovers, make sure you add this to your TBR. You will not regret it!

Quick Breakdown

Childhood Adversaries
Enemies to Lovers
Age Gap - 6 Years
It's Always Been You Vibes
Slow Burn
No 3rd Act Breakup
Demisexual Rep
ADHD & Migraine Rep
Dual POV
Open Door - Moderate Detail

Thank you @PRHaudio for the complimentary audiobook and @berkleryromance for free physical copy in exchange for my honest opinons.

Better Hate Than Never is a Taming of The Shrew meets 10 Things I Hate About You, enemies to lovers romance between childhood neighbors / adversaries. Enemies to lovers can be an iffy trope for me, mainly because I want the MC's to actually feel like enemies. That's exactly what you get here. The feud here was deliciously intense - these two could barely handle being in the same room together - and I think it worked so well because the underlying circumstances are so realistic. Christopher has had his reasons for pushing Kate away, but after a disasterous family dinner, he's asked to to make peace. He's hesitant to make amends, but after a night of drinking, Kate admits she only hates him because he made it known he hated her first. What follows is a slow burn wooing / low key, long term grovel as Christopher shows Kate that he's never truly hated her. In fact, it's quite the opposite.

I don't think I'm capable of not loving Chloe's writing at this point. Her writting is fan-fluffing-tastic and if you haven't picked up one of her books yet, you 1000% should. Seriously, stop what your doing and add her books to your TBR now. Not only is her writting soft, swoony, full of smart banter & humor, but her characters are so three dimentional, you can't help but see yourself in them. I love how Chloe wrote Kate and Christopher so relateable to readers in giving them / us representation you don't often see in romances (Kate - demisexual & ADHD. Christopher - migraines).

While there are so many little moments I want to save and remeber forever - him making her homemade pasta, the fact thaty he's the only one who calls her by her full name - really, it's the book as a whole that does me in. I loved the effortless transition from intense hate to tender romance filled with raw vulnerability. And while it does come later in the book, the lingering sass mixed with all that heart brings the spicy heat I love & crave.

Moral of my story: go run & pick up this book.