Tate James did a great job on this story, the plot was strong, it's packed with many emotions, the story was written well, the characters are strong. MK's fierce, she's been through so much but she's a fighter, her journey with her men was a bumpy one but the connection's strong, the chemistry was steamy. This is a great start to this series, I'm looking forward to reading more.
Thanks, Tate James. Great work :)

Hate is the first book in the Madison Kate series by Tate James, and let me tell you, it's action packed and fast-paced! The action begins within the first few pages, we go right into a riot that changes MK's life. She becomes wrongly accused and out for revenge. As the events unfold, we realize there is a lot more to the story than MK knows.

I wish more questions were answered here. Just when I felt like we were getting somewhere, it was over. It seems like it was mostly just getting us set up for the rest of the series, but at the same time, we get next to no helpful information about neither the characters nor their motivations behind their actions. We just keep asking more and more questions! Not to mention, it ended in my least favorite thing - a cliffhanger 😩.

On the other hand, this was a super fun read. The pacing and the hot guys made it super addicting, and I absolutely need to read the next book so that I can figure out what the eff just happened. MK drove me a little nuts, but I think she was funny and her ignorance didn't turn me off from the story. Overall, I enjoyed reading this, and I would recommend it to anyone who has the next book on hand so they can pretend the cliffhanger isn't there. 🙃

Many thanks to @netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Hate by Tate James is a new adult novel, that I didn't realize was a new adult novel until I had started it.

I'm old-ish and crotchety-ish and this book just didn't do anything for me, reverse harem or not. Madison Kate wants revenge on the people who did her dirty and she's from a wealthy family with a mom that died when she was a child. This is the first in the series and I felt like it was mainly a book to set up the rest of the series. I kept waiting for the good parts and half way through, we weren't there yet.

The revenge didn't really happen as she became involved with the guys.

Like I said, I'm old and this book is geared toward a much younger audience and maybe it is better for them?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was so good. I was obsessed from the first second and could not put it down. Such an easy 5 star read. I’m super excited to get into the rest of the series!

This is not my favourite book.

I can definitely see why a lot of people would enjoy Hate. It's fun, fast paced and the characters are fun to read about. How ever I didn't really click with the writing.

My main problem was the actions and the dialogue of the characters. They don't really talk how most people talk in real life. Often the things they say or do are really cringy and just feel unnatural. Of course it's a fiction book and its not necessarily real life but its something that I personally do not really like.

other than that I would recommend this book to others because I know a lot of my friends really enjoyed this story.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was a page-turner, entertaining and addictive, but some aspects of it were underdeveloped and lacking, and while I enjoyed reading Hate, a part of my brain kept thinking about those details that annoyed me while I was enjoying the ride with Madison Kate and her guys.

Madison Kate, MK, and her best friend Bree decided to go to an illegal fight in the town’s close amusement park on the night of Halloween, and that’s when Madison Kate’s life went to hell. Shots were fired, a girl was killed, and she was framed as the “mastermind” behind what is now called Riot Night. Her rich father managed to make sure she wouldn’t go to jail, but still sent her away “for her protection”, although Madison Kate knows that it was only so she wouldn’t sully his reputation. After almost a year away, she is back in Shadow Grove, where she meets again with the three men who framed her, and she swears that she will get her revenge and destroy them.

Some plot holes make everything just too conveniently fall into place to create the setting the author wanted. For example, the fact that people were blackmailed/forced to attend the city’s new university (how were they blackmailed into it? Why? WTF?), all so they could all carpool and see each other every day, or the fact that Madison Kate’s dad and stepmother left for Italy the minute she came back, leaving her and her and the 3 guys alone in the mansion with no adult figure around, except for the staff that is mostly invisible and never interacted with Madison Kate. There is a stalker plot that appears near the middle of the book that, while intriguing, seems to come out of nowhere.

There is also the lack of backstory on Madison Kate and her dad. We know that she witnessed her mom being murdered when she was 11 and that her father is crazy rich, but that’s about it. Her dad’s image is everything to him, and he turns everything into a publicity stunt. Still, besides that, there is only the unclear part where it’s said that he took it upon himself to unify the city and renovate the more desolate districts, even building a university that he forced people to attend (it was said that people were blackmailed…). Is he an entrepreneur? Did he finance it out of the goodness of his heart (not likely), is it because he wanted to gain the city’s adoration? Why did he do it? I don’t understand his real motivation, and since he’s absent for the whole book because he's conveniently away on a trip, we don’t get to know anything about him. Also, what happened to the gangs that were fighting in the rougher part of the city? Did Madison Kate’s dad smile at them and it all went away? Because we don’t really hear about them anymore, even though both gangs still exist and have active members.

Madison Kate is a great main character, most of the time. Her silly pranks annoyed me more than they impressed me, but she did have one or two nastier plans to get revenge on the guys. She is full of anger and resentment, she has a violent streak when pushed, and she does not back down. I liked her vibe, she felt strong and badass, without overdoing it.

Archer D’Arth is the leader of the little trio, and he seems to hate Madison Kate for some reason… while also being attracted to her and weirdly protective and even possessive at times. I know he is meant to be this way, but he was so annoying with his alpha macho bullshit, always trying to control MK and impose his way on her. I understand why she hated him at first, and his behavior only encouraged this hatred to fester. He needs to turn this around if he wants to have a shred of a chance with MK because there is no way that she will let him get close to her with this shitty attitude, even if he is smoking hot.

Kodiak Jones is a shameless flirt who has an easy vibe and adapts to pretty much everything Madison Kate throws his way. He seems to be the goofier one, the one who takes everything in stride and makes it clear that he is interested in MK, even though she hates him. Max Steele seems to be the sweetest of the three guys, and the only one that might not have been directly implicated in framing Madison Kate. He follows Archer around though and listens to everything he says, just like Kodi does, so he’s not truly innocent either. Steele and Kodi know the secrets they’re keeping from Madison Kate and refuse to tell her out of loyalty for Archer, and I respect that, but I can’t wait for them to stand up to Archer’s shit and be better for MK. It’s not enough to be kind and sweet if they betray her trust and try to control her just like Archer does.

Madison Kate’s relationship with the guys is a hate-to-love, but while I do enjoy a good “push and pull” game, it fell flat at times in this book. I was happy that she hated them and resented them for what they did to her, and I wanted her to hold on to this anger, but while she was trying to get rid of them with annoying (and mostly immature) pranks, she also couldn’t resist them because they are all oh so sexy and muscled. She was thinking of ways to ruin their lives, yet she let them dictate her life, “forcing her” to hang out with them, or letting them be nice and cuddly when she had a panic attack… All in all, it's the same emotions, but the way it was written made it seem like she was so attracted to them that she was forcing herself to remain angry and had to keep reminding herself why she hated them, instead of being full of hate and resentment, but having it slowly chipped away by their sexiness and having to fight her attraction to them.

I have to say that it got better in the second half of the book. She reminded herself why she hated the guys, and she held onto this anger, and when she let herself forget it, it was for a good reason, like them being nice to her, not just because she was drooling over their abs. There are still a lot of secrets between them, and everything would be so much simpler if they just sat down to clear the air and explain what really happened a year ago, but MK is too stubborn, and the guys refuse to explain for some mysterious reason so they are stuck in this weird place where Madison Kate wants to be able to forgive them and understand their actions, but she can’t because they continue to lie to her.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and it was easy to read just one more chapter. It has an addictive quality to it, but there are also some parts of the plot that were just too convenient or glossed over, and the way the hate-to-love relationships are written was not exactly what I was looking for. I will read the second book because I am curious about where this is going, and as I said, there is something addictive that made me keep reading one more chapter and with the way Hate ends, I want to read the next book and see what will happen and how Madison Kate will deal with the three men.

★ ★ ★ ★ //5

Hate

I want to thank the author for giving me the opportunity to read this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Do you love a book that:

✨Reverse Harem
✨Enemies To Lovers
✨Bully Romance
✨FMMM
✨Step-Brother

THOUGHTS:

I absolutely loved this reverse harem slow burn! This book is told by Maddison Kate (MK) through the entire book. I thought that the dialogues between all the characters was well done, the chemistry and relationship development with all of them was spot on as well.

The spice in this book was spicin’ but not over the topThis book had me turning pages from page one to the very end. I read this book in one sitting. I didn’t want to stop reading because I was just completely sucked into it. I cannot wait to get into book 2 next! This book left me wanting more!!

I have been on the market for a new RH series and I saw that Tate James had a few of them and I wanted to try one out.
Now I love RH but I am peculiar in the way I enjoy it because it has to make a minimum amount of sense. For me, the context and the world building of RH romance is almost has important as the romance itself.
Early into the book and I felt that Tate James does RH just like I love them : the plot and the context behind the forced proximity and the ennemies-to-lovers are installed and they actually make sense.
I didn’t expect a rival gang and gang business to be on the background of this book, but for me, it makes for the perfect set up. And based on the few encounters with the boys, I things I might really enjoy this book.
This books was really addictive. Every time I put it down because *life* I want to pick it up again. And my mind keeps going to this story.
I also really liked that we had a taste of every guy in the first book. I felt like it installed a good basis for the reverse harem to settle.
This book was really amazing and I can’t wait to read the others !

5 / 5 stars

I loved this book. This was. first for me from Tate James. The book kept my interest from start to finish and the plot was so detailed. The characters and dynamics was absolutely entertaining. I absolutely loved the characters. The FMC (MK) is strong & independent. The 3 male characters is a favourite of mine, I loved them all and I can’t wait for the next book to see if they will give into their feelings towards MK. What a great start to a series! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series to see how things play out. But seriously the ending??? WTF??? I need to read the next book pronto…

I can’t wait for the next book! This book entertained me from the very beginning and I kept forgetting that I was reading!

Admittedly, I've already read this entire series so this was a re-read for me. When I saw it on NetGalley I requested to be able to leave an official review.

Hate is the first book in the MK series, you'll want to be prepared with the next book on hand because the twists and cliffhangers will keep you wanting more. This is a why-choose, romantic suspense with lots of action and spice. I love the mystery aspect, in addition to the romance.

You'll know this book is for you if you love: very spicy scenes, an enemies-to-lovers reverse harem with a grump, cinnamon roll, and a golden retriever, action, tension, and a great mystery.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

This is definitely one of my favorite authors and series I've ever read I loved all the characters so much especially the female she was such a bad ass character along with all the men definitely recommend this entire series it won't disappoint its so good

Admittedly, I've already read this entire series so this was a re-read for me. When I saw it on NetGalley I requested to be able to leave an official review for the Queen of Cliffhangers and romantic suspense.. Tate James! Though I'm partial to my pretty, discreet floral covered editions, the new cover is eye catching! I'm shocked at the reviews that say 'it wasn't their cup of tea' or 'not captivating' - they were obviously not for the intended audience and maybe shouldn't have requested it - check your trigger and content warnings. For reviews hating on MK character, she may be a little off putting in the beginning but the character development across the series is amazing. Hate is the first book in the MK series, you'll want to be prepared with the next book on hand so that you're not left with your jaw on the floor too long because the twists and cliffhangers will keep you wanting more.
You'll know this book is for you if you love: super explicit spicy scenes, an enemies to lovers reverse harem with a grump, cinnamon roll and golden retriever, action, tension, great banter and more.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

There is huge small town drama, gangs, a spoiled princess and 3 men

Reverse harem

somehow the whole story drags on quite a bit and there are 4 parts

a lot of sexual stuff
Have fun reading it yourself!

This was great. I’m looking forward to checking out other books in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this story immensely. Trying to unravel the twist while attempting to remain impartial to certain characters was a battle on my part, but worth it in the end. At times this balanced on the edge of how much "bully" romance I can handle, but since I have a low threshold regarding that trope it was understandable. In the end it was a great start of what is an even more amazing series.

This was not my cup of tea.
I was really invested in the very beginning of this book. It opens with our FMC, Madison Kate, and her friend Bree at an illegal fighting ring. Madison dragged Bree there to see a fighter she was interested in. This is when all hell breaks loose, and a gun fires. There is chaos and destruction. This is later referred to as "riot night." Fighting for her life, Madison finds herself being hunted down by very dangerous people. In her panic to get away from them, three men help save her life. Little did she know that their aid would lead to her being accused of orchestrating the violence that ensued that night. She is arrested that night and is forced to stand trial. She's eventually found innocent, but not before the entire city places blame on her. To escape this ridicule, she goes to live with her aunt in Cambodia. After her aunt's death, she comes back home to find that the three men who are the reason she was arrested are living in her father's mansion. Turns out they were hired to keep her safe. And now she has to live with the people she hates most in the world.

What I liked:
- The premise of the book.
- How badass the guys are.
- The smut,
- The nicknames they use for each other.

What I didn't like:
- How they called her Madison Kate instead of just Madison or MK. It sounds juvenile.
- The miscommunication.
- How whiney Madison Kate is.
- The fact that I can hardly differentiate between the male characters because they are all basically the same.
- How hardly anything actually happens after riot night.
- Madison Kate's "pick me girl" energy whenever describing another girl other than Bree.
- Her friendship with Bree. There's hardly any substance there.

Overall, I didn't enjoy this book very much, but I might continue the series because I want to know what happens next. Damn, cliffhangers...

2.5/5

So this is a reread! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is probably one of my all-time favorite series! I read it for the first time like over two years ago and I reread it at least twice a year. It was also my first why choose romance ever!

So we have MK the FMC who was framed for a crime at the beginning of the book. It becomes clear pretty quickly that everyone knows it wasn't her but that she was the scapegoat. The charges ended up never sticking but she spent three months in county lockup throughout the trial. She thinks at first that the three MMCs set her up because on the night it happened they gave her a jacket that had the evidence in it that incriminated her in the first place.

The first chapter is about MK coming back home after essentially being exiled to Cambodia for a while by her father. When she gets home she finds out that the three guys she thinks got her arrested are living with her. The first half of the book is her trying to get revenge on them while simultaneously developing feelings for them.

During rereads I sometimes cringe at stuff and MK can definitely be dramatic but this is still a top read of mine. She hasn't developed anything with Archer yet and is only really involved physically with Steele in this one. I cannot recommend a series more than this one. It is pretty dark so check TW but happy reading!

When I tell you this book sent me down a Tate James rabbit hole, you need to believe me.
Reverse Harem? Check.
Grumpy/grumpy? check
Piercings? Check
hot fighters? Check
Twists that will keep you coming back for more? Absolutely.

Not only should you absolutely read this, but you should read the rest of the series as well!

This book was so amazing. I loved it! I do wish there was a little more spice, but nonetheless this book was great! Enemies to lovers!