By 30% I was so totally invested in Christopher and Kate that I didn't think I could put this down. Liese has crafted one of my favorite kinds of romance- the kind where we start tearing down walls right from the beginning, and it's not a painful dance of miscommunication and hurt.

The way that Christopher and Kate open up to each other is so raw and vulnerable it practically bleeds off the page. They're both flawed and have hurt each other in different ways, but Liese portrays the active work it takes on both sides to overcome bruised feelings, communicate, and rebuild a relationship with honesty and trust.

This is a very insular book- lots of internal feelings and scenes with just Christopher and Kate, but it never feels boring or repetitive. Each time they're together, something shifts in their relationship, from animosity to wariness to friendship and on. I loved that they weren't afraid to do the hard work and it wasn't on one person to take all the blame and make all the changes to adjust the way they interacted with the other. The pace slowed down toward the end and dragged a bit, but I'll take that over a pointless third act breakup any day.

An excellently paced contemporary romance. Christopher and Kate are well developed, well-rounded characters that will delight fans of angsty, slower-burn romance.

Hold on to your hearts, folks! If you thought the first book was a romantic rollercoaster, this sequel is like a love spaceship headed for Mars! I was all in for Jamie and Bea, but then Christopher and Kate stormed the stage, and they're stealing the show!

These two have been at each other's throats since sandbox days, and now they're adults living uncomfortably close. Kate injures her arm, putting her photography career on hold. She has no choice but to high-tail it back to her hometown, where, surprise, Christopher is still strutting around, living his hedge fund life to the fullest.

These two are as different as Netflix and opera. Chris loves his suits and board meetings, while Kate would rather skydive than sit in an office. It's like watching a rom-com where the leads start as enemies, and you're screaming at them to realize they're perfect for each other. And then—BOOM!—a boozy night leads to a closet confession. They both see they've been reading the wrong script in their lifelong drama. Kate thinks Chris despises her, but Chris is like, "Nah, I've just been too confused to realize I'm actually crazy about you." And what happens next? The lines between love and hate blur into something deliciously complicated.

CONTENT WARNING: Grief, Death of Parents (off-page, but mentioned), ADHD, Severe Migraines

Thanks to Berkley Romance for sending me a gifted copy!

Chloe Liese has been my favorite author ever since I discovered the Bergman Brothers and saw myself reflected on the pages of a romance for the first time. That is why I *begged* for this ARC, despite the fact that I don’t typically review books. It’s also why I probably can’t be truly unbiased when it comes to Chloe’s books.

The representation that Chloe Liese includes in her books in so important, and this one is no different. Better Hate Than Never is a tension-filled slow burn Taming of the Shrew retelling between a demisexual FMC with ADHD and an MMC with chronic migraines. Watching these characters seamlessly make accommodations for each other is so uplifting. There’s no third act breakup (amazing) and we also get some super fun nods to 10 Ten Things I Hate About You. Any fan of Chloe’s books will undoubtedly love Better Hate Than Never.

*Thank you to Chloe Liese, the Joyful Chaos Bookclub, and Berkley for the advanced copy of this book*

Childhood enemies to lovers in this heartfelt reimagining of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew? I LOVE IT. Katerina Wilmont and Christopher Petruchio grew up together, they shared backyards as kids, but as adults they can't even be in the same room without.a fight breaking out. That changes, when Kat comes home for a rare visit and their animosity changes into something unexpected after a drunken confession from Kate telling Christopher that the only reason she's so hostile to him is because she's always thought he hated her. Christopher is completely thrown for a loop because all he's ever wanted was for her to hate him, to keep a distance, but he never ever wanted her to be hurt by him and now he's vowed to change it. Christopher and Kate are 6 years apart, she's the girl who is a travel photographer and is rarely home while he is the boy who has never left home. Kate feels like an outsider and that the only way she can love people is from a distance yet Christopher is scared of losing another loved one after his parents' death. Christopher has tried to distance himself from Kate all these years because her job pulls her away and he's afraid of losing her, afraid that if he begins to care for her she'll just leave and he would crumble without her. Yet when he discovers that she thinks he hates her, he can't let that be true, he wants to do everything to make her see just how much he has always loved her, has always cared about her, and he is done keeping a distance, now he is determined to prove to Kate that she is the only one for him. Kate doesn't know what to do with this whole new version of Christopher, she doesn't know if she can trust it, or him. The handsome guy who has only ever done one night stands is suddenly telling her he's been in love with her the whole time?? Yet the more Christopher persists and spends time with her the more Kate is beginning to open up her heart... but can she truly give her heart to him? Or will the fear of being hurt have her running off again? This was such a fantastic and heartfelt story. Christopher and Kate both have their own struggles and difficulties, but they care and are so sweet. Christopher suffers from painful migraines that constantly impact his daily life while Kate has ADHD. The emotional depth and care these characters had was amazing and the romance felt genuine and just so sweet. As a retelling, I adored it so much!! I would highly recommend this series!!

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Chloe Liese can do no wrong in my book! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Kate and Christopher need to be protected at all costs. This Taming of the Shrew retelling is modern and fresh. The story is cozy - a truly perfect fall read. Kate and Christopher’s relationship seemed so natural, as well as the reason why they do not like each other. It felt like I was reading about two friends. This is one of Chloe’s strengths - her character development is so rich. All characters in this book feel so real. Kate’s prickliness was frustrating, but felt familiar as a reader. You are able to connect with Christopher’s fears. You want to go to the Edgy Envelope and hang out with Sula and Toni. This story is so rich and full of swoons and steamy moments. This is going to be an automatic recommend for all romance readers who are looking for a fall romance.

In this captivating story, the duels between the characters are incredibly intense and filled with raw emotion. The way their relationship shifts from animosity to affection is portrayed with such depth and authenticity, evoking a whirlwind of feelings. I was completely drawn into their world, feeling every moment of longing and desire as if it were my own.

The balance between love and loathing kept me on the edge of my seat, yearning for more with each clash. The transformation from enemies to lovers felt so real, like a storm of emotions that I couldn't escape. As the story reached its conclusion, the characters' journey left me utterly enchanted, making my heart race and my soul ache in the most beautiful way possible.

It was a fitting finale to a story that had woven its way into my heart, leaving an indelible mark. This book is not just a read; it's an unforgettable experience that will resonate with me for a long time to come.

This was a lot better than the first in the series. It's a well done re-telling of The Taming of the Shrew.

Kat and Christopher have known each other all their lives and have always rubbed each other the wrong way. Now Kat is home indefinitely from her globetrotting career as a photojournalist and her dad asks Christopher to take it easy on her. Once they're not riling each otter up, it's clear some feelings have been there for a long time. Now that they don't hate each other, what are they supposed to do?!

Enemies to lovers can be hard for me because sometimes the characters are just SO MEAN to each other that I can't get over it. That wasn't the case here. Their rivalry is perfectly understandable and even comic at times. Watching them grow into loving each other was a joy.

Highly recommend for romance readers.

Chloe Liese is a fluffy romance QUEEN. I love the Wilmot sisters series and was so excited to continue with Christopher and Kate’s story! Like Bea & Jamie’s book, this book also was loosely based on one of Shakespeare’s plays. Since I am a huge fan of the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, which is also based on The Taming of the Shrew, I was so excited to read Chloe Liese’s take on it!

In Better Hate than Never we have Kate who is Bea’s younger sister, and Christopher who has been a neighbour and friend of the Wilmots (well most of them anyway…) since he was a child. One of the best parts of Chloe Liese’s writing in this series is her inclusion of diverse characters specifically relating to mental health and having neurodivergent MAIN characters. I feel like sometimes representation in romance books is limited to side characters, but both Bea and Kate have repped different facets of Neurodivergence, Bea who is Autistic and Kate with ADHD. In addition Christopher who is seen struggling with chronic pain, and Jamie with anxiety. I also appreciate that the inclusion doesn’t just end with a description of the character but rather is formulated into the story with the interactions and relationships. I feel like this is part of what makes the romance so special, because we see the characters learn and adapt to each other’s needs. I really enjoyed how Kate and Christopher went from their flaming banter, to really understanding each other. I am always a sucker for an enemies to lovers romance and this one did not disappoint!

It was also nice to see Jamie & Bea’s relationship thriving throughout this book, and we even get to see some sisterly love and a bromance form😉 Overall this book was fluffy, warm and relatable, which I love about Chloe Liese’s writing!

Thank you to Berkley for providing an ARC for review!

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance, Netgalley, and PRH Audio for providing advanced copies of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

I was mildly nervous going into this book. On one hand, I absolutely adore Chloe Liese's stories. On the other, I really (really) didn't like the ending of Two Wrongs Make a Right. And I was nervous about this having a similar fate.

But this book was fantastic (and no 3rd act breakup!).

This is following the youngest Wilmot sister, a photographer, traveller, and free-spirited risk taker. After an accident and some setbacks, she's home for an extended visit for the first time in her adult life. But she has immediate regrets about her stay the moment she runs into their family friend, neighbor, and her nemesis. The guy who can't seem to stand her very existence. But beyond their bickering, attraction lies.

One of my favorite aspects of ever single Chloe Liese book, is the chronic illness & neurodiversity rep she includes. And this was no exception. Following a hero with chronic migraines and a heroine with ADHD, so much care and thought was put into these characters.

On top of that, the sexual chemistry was off the charts. This was enemies to lovers done right. There is so much animosity between the two, but the tension and chemistry was also there.

I just had such a good time with this romance. The hero worships the utter ground the heroine walks on, but wants nothing to do with her wild lifestyle and only wants to see her safe and secure. The way this two pushed, challenged, and balanced each other was fantastic. And I always love when an author can find a way to weave and HEA without someone giving up their dreams and self.

I absolutely cannot wait for the final book in this series!

I always enjoy Chloe Liese books and I really liked book one in the Wilmot Sisters series - Two Wrongs Make a Right so I was really looking forward to Better Hate Than Never but this one fell short for me.

I love Chloe's writing and style but this enemies to lovers was a little too enemies for me. But you don't really know why they hate each other and he's almost like an adopted son to her parents so their hatred was a little too much.. I wanted more of a storyline and I didn't really feel like there was one and this was meant to be a Taming of the Shrew retelling. This was one of the steamier books that Chloe had written though.

If you're a Chloe Liese fan you'll like this book but I wouldn't go on with high expectations.

I was fully prepared to not like this book. The thanksgiving scene made me absolutely dislike both characters. I absolutely was not rooting for them at all but was instead thinking they both deserved each other. Things changed around the half way point and I found myself invested in the story. I’m not sure if it was Christopher’s way of trying to convince her he was sorry or Kate going more in detail with her adhd struggles. As someone who was diagnosed as a child, there was a lot that hit me hard at that point. I definitely ended up enjoying this book at the end but the beginning was definitely rough for me.

4.5 stars rounded up!

This was an amazing addition to the Wilmot Sister series! I truly enjoy Chloe Liese’s writing, every book I have read by her has been such a fun and unique experience. Christopher and Kate’s story was vulnerable, complex, and overall absolutely beautiful.

This book is a childhood enemies to lovers romance with elements of Shakespearean’s “Taming of the Shrew”, which made this book extremely fun and intriguing immediately! I have never read anything like this one and the way that Chloe set up and developed their storyline was amazing! Christopher and Kate were both such guarded individuals that kept their emotions and struggles kept away, but were able to communicate extremely well.

I love how this story was a slow-burn with passion, tension, and angst. I enjoyed how Christopher and Kate were able to understand what they have done in the past to build up this hatred towards each other, and communicated why they felt that way. Christopher was fast to realize that he has misunderstood the relationship they have had their whole lives and was able to connect to Kate on a deeper level, which was touching to read.

The dynamic of these two was so enjoyable to experience, they have such an intense pull to each other that made the slow burn even more rewarding. I love how caring and supportive both characters were to each other, even after being enemies and bantering their whole lives. It was clear that the attraction and chemistry between Kate and Christopher ran deep, these two are undeniably perfect for each other!!

This book was such a great representation of enemies to lovers in the romance world, I loved the banter and teasing between these two that turned into such a heartfelt and meaningful connection. I also always love how Chloe is able to display affection and love through actions AND words! There are so many swoon worthy moments where her characters care for each other through acts of service, which I absolutely adore!

Read if you love/Things to note:
- 10 Things I hate About You
- Childhood enemies to lovers
- ADHD representation
- Chronic migraine representation
- Acts of service (cooking for her, buys her flowers, massages, etc.)
- Demisexuality representation
- Angst & Tension
- Dual POV
- Found family

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review 🩷

This book made me feel right at home. Childhood enemies to lovers can be one of my favorite tropes, and Chloe Liese knocked it out of the park with this one. The secret pining was so delicious. Christopher was such a sweetie, Kate was so relatable, and their banter and chemistry is off the charts.

Since it's Chloe, you know the representation is going to be top-notch. We have a demisexual MC, chronic migranes, and ADHD rep. I really enjoy the opportunity to learn more about these conditions through books like this.

I love reading about this family. Their friend group is so much fun, I really want to be a part of it! I loved how many Bea and Jamie cameos we got. It was nice to see a whole lot of them after loving them in Book 1. I can't wait to see more of all of these characters in Jules' book!

I genuinely do not have the words to describe how much I adore this book. I think it might be my new favorite Chloe Liese book—a top ten romance read, certainly.
Hate to love, childhood friends(ish), so much history and angst, not to mention the top notch banter. From the first chapter I was so in love with these characters, this story. I’d already grown attached to Christopher and intrigued by Kate in the first installment of this series, so it was easy to fall completely into the story.
Kate is such an engaging, spunky, chaotic narrator. She is absolutely nothing like me, and yet it was so easy to connect with her and get swept up in her story. She has so much depth to her character, so much earnestness. It is impossible not to love her. Christopher’s POV was similarly enjoyable, though I didn’t find him to be quite as developed as Kate. I think she outshines him just a little. However, I still completely adored him and seeing his interactions with Kate from both angles.
The star of the show (or, in this case, book) was, as always, the disability representation. Kate has ADHD and Christopher has chronic migraines. From the start, Kate’s ADHD is addressed and discussed and it seemlessly seeps into every aspect of her character, every interaction that she has, in a way that is so authentic to the experiences of a neurodivergent person in reality.
Christopher’s disability, on the other hand, is mentioned only briefly and in passing in the early chapters of the novel. Just mentions of past, off-page migraines. It’s brief, not delving into any details or discussing any of the realities of life with a sometimes-debilitating disorder. I was honestly confused—it felt like such a shallow portrayal. Especially in comparison to Kate’s ADHD and the quality of disability representation that permeates every book that Liese writes. However , as the novel progresses, it comes up more and more often and is explored with more and more depth. At about the 70% mark, the book is really diving into the realities of what Christopher is going through in a much more real way, with Liese’s trademark care and skill. That’s when I realized that the minimal discussion of his migraines earlier on was intentional. Christopher, in the beginning of the book, is closed off. He fears vulnerability, even within himself. His migraines are not addressed beyond the bare necessities, because he does not discuss them with anyone. He doesn’t even address them himself, within his own internal monologue, because he doesn’t—can’t—think about it. As he grows as a person and a character as the novel progresses, he becomes more comfortable. He is able to open up to not only Kate, but also himself, and therefore his acknowledgments of his own disability increase and go into greater depth.
I started the book confused and a little disappointed in the lackluster representation, but by the end I found those very aspects to add even more resonance to Christopher’s character, and the disability representation as a whole.
Every single aspect of this book was beyond what I hoped. I found it to be more character driven than plot driven, but the plot beats that were there ratcheted up the tension and left me unable to put the book down—I actually stayed up until nearly 1 AM to keep reading because I simply couldn’t stop. And there was no third act breakup! I strongly dislike the third act breakup trope—if your characters break up at the first sight of conflict, I am unconvinced that they will be able to last as a couple once the book is over. Conflict is inevitable, and in a book it is necessary even. So there’s a third act conflict—two of them, actually—but instead of blowing up like they have no emotional regulation skills, Kate and Christopher have an actual, adult conversation! They work things out! They communicate! It was so refreshing to see characters in a healthy, rational relationship. Even without relying on the overused third act breakup trope, the pacing and tension didn’t die out. I was still hooked in the conversations and events playing out on page. I had become so completely wrapped up in Kate and Christopher that I could have read another 100 pages of this book.
This is such a testament to everything that Chloe Liese excels at—character, plot, spice, and above all, disability representation. I cannot wait for Juliet’s story last year (though I must admit I am terrified of a Romeo and Juliet retelling). If you only ever pick up one Chloe Liese book in your lifetime, make it this one.

Gah. Chloe is the queen of diverse characters that you just want to wrap up and stuff in your pocket. This book was so sweet but so hot at the same time, full of Liese's signature wit and gorgeous words. I have no notes, and I can't wait for the third Wilmot sisters book!

3.5 STARS
I have to say I am somewhat in a love-hate quandary with this story. There are definitely pieces that I really enjoyed and there are pieces of it that I really didn’t like.

I really enjoy enemies-to-lovers romance because I love the friction between the main characters and then the ultimate fall even when it may take a little bit longer than expected.

In this book, however, the friction was pretty extreme, and sometimes even over the top where they would verbally hurt each other. I understand that a lot of that is protection of self because they actually truly care for each other but it is still tough to read sometimes.

These two had a very long and public case of friction, and while the ultimate connections finally started to vibe, there were some other quirks that got to me, especially with a female main character.

The story is entertaining, and I love the boy next door romance plot. He’s damn near a brother connection, and when they finally did get together, it was sweet and rather steamy. The fact that he cared for her for as long as he did became evident much quicker than her realization of love.

With the author’s depiction of the characters having issues like ADHD and generally being jerks to each other, this is where my love-hate issues come into play. Better Hate Than Never becomes a great story after the halfway mark when the bickering slows, but I hope that Liese dumps the continual negative self-talk that we try to escape in our book choices.

Overall, a simmering romance with intensity all around and a sweet love connection that is a long time coming.

2 ⭐️ Sadly this wasn't for me

WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ childhood pain in the ass
✨ she’s a photojournalist prone to act first and think later
✨ he’s owns a hedge fund who's a control freak
✨ both MCs keep people they love at a distance
✨ enemies to lovers
✨ opposites attract
✨ age gap (27/33)
✨ banter
✨ 3/5🌶️ spice
✨ virgin, demisexual FMC
✨ sexually experienced MMC
✨ no third-act breakup
✨ ADHD rep
✨ chronic migraines
✨ TW: death of parents (past)


What I liked:

- The childhood rivals to lovers romance. I LOVE this trope because there's years of irritation that easily becomes hate-fueled sexual tension.

- The ADHD and demisexual representation. I don't see either represented enough in romance so it was really great getting this rep here.

- I liked the character growth of both Kate and Christopher. By the end of the story, these two open up to each other and work past their fear of getting attached.


What I didn't like:

- The fact that Kate's family never found how Christopher talked and treated Kate to be problematic until Kate confesses it to her sister. How did they not see how damaging it was? Christopher was the older one and they should have never allowed this dynamic to form in the first place. It was very toxic.

- Sometimes the inner dialogue was redundant so I ended up skimming some parts.

- Kate is just such a hot mess. Like, in the real world I don't know how she would have survived. It all seemed a bit unrealistic but it happened to 'work' for her characters because she's the MC. But then, I'm also annoyed that she only starts to get her life together and find her place in the world when she's with Christopher.

- Christopher is THAT romance hero who's way too good looking and well aware of it and has sex any time he can but doesn't get attached because he doesn't want to get too close to anyone. He's 'perfect' and I found his awareness of his looks and charms annoying. But what really pissed me off is how he basically says that he f*cked a whole bunch of people and has been horribly rude to Kate because he was afraid of liking her. This is the epitome of 'oh, honey, that boy is mean to you so he must like you'. I just feel like these actions were incredibly toxic to himself but also to Kate as a byproduct. So unhealthy. He does say he's seeing a therapist at the end of the book but it's not because of that but because he can't handle whenever Kate leaves him so he works with the therapist to get comfortable to travel with her. Like, dude, you need therapy to work through your other issues too.

- I'm so tired of stories where the MC confesses he's been banging a ton of women in an attempt to get his mind off the FMC. I mean, go ahead and do you, but it's gross when Christopher basically blames his philandering because he couldn't be with Kate.

- It was weird that Christopher kept having these inner thoughts of Kate as a little girl. I get that they grew up together, so I would imagine he would, at some point, reflect on their past. But I did not need to be reminded of it constantly, nor did the reminiscing come off as endearing. He's 6 years older and was around when she was born. When his parents died, he basically became part of their family. But unlike Kate's two older sisters who he saw as his sisters, he never did with Kate. In fact, he saw her as an annoying brat he never wanted to engage with. But then when she turned 18 years old, he magically saw her in another way. Idk it all just seemed a bit strange.

- The sexual interactions and some of the intimate dialogue was so unrealistic. First off, Kate has 10 orgasms the night she loses her virginity. Yeah, let's just sit with that. Then, Christopher get's extremely fluffy and lovey dovey so fast. It's all so farfetched that I couldn't remotely believe it.

Chloe Liese is definitely becoming one of my favorite authors. There's something so tender about her romances, they always make me melt a little. I loved following Kate and Christopher in this installment. I'm such a sucker for an opposites attract romance, and especially a starchy, play-by-the-rules, buttoned up type of hero. Their dynamic was so interesting, I don't think I've ever read a childhood hate to love book, but I was living for their banter and back-and-forth arguments. They get under each other's skin like only someone who's known you all your life can, which was so fun to read. But it was also clear how much their volatile dynamic also hurt Kate, and even Christopher at times, so it was so lovely to see them call a cease fire and actually stop fighting and get to know each other, to really see the other person's perspective in a way they were never able to before.

Overall, I really loved this one and I can't wait for the last Wilmot Sisters romance!

I loved Christopher and Kate together. His patience with her ADHD reminded me so much of my husband's patience with mine. It's tricky giving in to a relationship with someone when you don't have a good understanding of yourself. Her gentle massage approach to his migraine headaches was the balm he needed and together these two created hot sparks of chemistry and soothing places of rest for each other. I've never related to a couple so completely. The audiobook is fantastic and I highly recommend listening to this wonderful romance narrated by the amazing Charlotte North and Stephen Dexter.

Better Hate than Never by Chloe Liese is currently scheduled for release on October 10 2023. This is the second book in the Wilmot Sisters series, and I admit to not having read the first. I was able to fully enjoy the story despite the lack, but think those reading the series in order will definitely get more from it than those that do not.


Katerina Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio shared backyards as kids, but as adults they won’t even share the same hemisphere. That is, until Kate makes a rare visit home, and their fiery animosity rekindles into a raging inferno. Despite their friends’ and families' pleas for peace, Christopher is unconvinced Kate would willingly douse the flames of their enmity. But when a drunken Kate confesses she’s only been hostile because she thought he hated her, Christopher vows to make peace with Kate once and for all. Tempting as it is to be swept away by her nemesis-turned-gentleman, Kate isn’t sure she can trust his charming good-guy act. When Christopher’s persistence and Kate’s curiosity lead to an impassioned kiss, they realize “peace” is the last thing that will ever be possible between them. As desire gives way to deeper feelings, Kate and Christopher must decide if it’s truly better to hate than to never risk their hearts—or if they already gave them away long ago.

Better Hate than Never is a fun enemies to lovers romance that treats neurodiversity and trauma with respect and honesty. I honestly loved both Christopher and Kate as characters, and was glad that I got to see the story from both perspectives. I am a big fan of actually knowing what all the main players are thinking. I found that the handling of everyone's differences, needs, and struggles were all handled with great care, and I love that the author made note in the beginning of the book what some of the issues at hand were, and how everyone's experiences with them are different and personal. I thought the balance of fun and the heavier moments was on point and I found myself wanting to get to know the entire friend group, and Christopher's coworkers, a lot more. I really enjoyed this read and think others will as well. Now i need to go back and read the first book, Two Wrongs Make a Right, and hope for the third sister to get her story soon.

Better Hate than Never is an engaging and enjoyable read.