Review: Better Hate than Never by Chloe Liese

 

Better Hate than Never (Wilmot Sisters #2) by Chloe Liese

Publication Date: October 10th 2023 by Berkley

Pages: 360

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Enemies-to-lovers can be a tricky romance trope. It’s hard to wipe out the negative if the characters are super hateful to each other, but I didn’t think Christopher or Kate crossed over the line. They were more in the habit of being contrary to each other, each for different reasons. Kate lashed out, because she felt hurt and rejected by Christopher over and over, and Christopher wanted to keep her at arm’s length, to counteract his attraction to her. He had no idea that his words and actions truly hurt Kate’s feelings.

I can’t write this without mentioning the absolutely yummy sounding doughnuts in the story! Sentences like this: “tart apples and cinnamon, pumpkin and pungent nutmeg, warm vanilla and rich maple syrup” made me crave a doughnut or five, and that wasn’t the only batch mentioned!

Better Hate than Never was a fun reimagining of Taming the Shrew. Ten Things I Hate About You is one of my all-time favorite movies and there’s a few nods to the film in the story. I liked that there was no over-the-top, last-minute drama once Kate and Christopher sorted out their adversarial relationship and acknowledged their sizzling chemistry. Chloe Liese built the tension between these two which resulted in some hot stuff! I loved the family connections and support as well.

 4 Stars

Book Description:

Childhood enemies discover the fine line between love and loathing in this heartfelt reimagining of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.

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.