Book Review — Hate Story by Nicole Williams

“I will always do what’s best for you, even if it means you wind up hating me. Because that’s how much I love you.”

• Buy HATE STORY (Kindle)

I’ve loved several of Nicole Williams’ books in the past so when this was released, I had to check it out and was immediately intrigued by the idea of a marriage of convenience that turned into real love. The hero was a cocky millionaire totally thrown off his game by this sassy headstrong woman who he’d just agreed to “fake” marry for mutually beneficial reasons. These two were genuinely complete opposites who were determined to hate each other and never fall in love… and yet despite everything, they couldn’t help but be drawn back together! I read the book in one sitting today and while it was admittedly over-dramatic at times, but I quite enjoyed the read!

“Wouldn’t you do just about anything to stay in the place you call home?”
I didn’t have to think about that question. My answer to it was the very reason I was sitting across from him.
“I would,” I said… “I’d even marry a stranger.”

The story starts when the heroine, an American woman desperate not to lose her grandmother’s house, agreed to a crazy business transaction wherein she’d engage in a three year marriage of convenience in exchange for a million dollars. The man she was to marry — a German millionaire — would get a green card out of the deal. It was supposed to be a simple, emotionless, mutually beneficial deal. All business — no sex, no feels, no strings. But she didn’t count on hating him. At first glance, he was everything she disliked in a man — arrogant, cocky, rich and bossy — and yet the thought of spending three years tied to him was preferable to losing her family home. He too had no intention of ever falling for her. He’d been burned badly in his past and was determined to never again give his heart to anyone.

“Go figure two people who don’t believe in marriage are getting married. How’s that for irony?”

However, they both found themselves thrown by their attraction to each other. In an effort to stick to their agreement, they both pushed the other away, but it was only so long before they had to give in to their true feelings…

I genuinely enjoyed their banter. Their personalities couldn’t have been more opposite and more importantly, they were both bound and determined to hate each other and to stick to their plan of never falling in love — which, given their differences, wasn’t actually that hard — so their unexpected attraction took them both by surprise. I found it sweetly heart-warming to see them slowly fall in love against everything they’d planned.

“You’re kind of possessive, you know that?”
His attention was back on his laptop again, but his head shook. “Not possessive. Protective.”
I made a face. “There’s a difference?”
“Possessive’s for my benefit. Protective’s for yours.”

Now, in the interest of honesty, I’ll say that I found the second half of the book to be unnecessarily over-dramatic in an eye-roll worthy kind of way, and I also did feel that their progression from hate to love was a little insta-love-y rushed, but overall this was still an entertaining romance! It’s a standalone romance told in alternating first person POVs and I was feeling a little more “drama-tolerant” today than I usually am so I quite enjoyed it. If you’re a fan of opposites attract types of love stories or are intrigued by the marriage of convenience storyline, do check this out!

Rating: 4 stars. Standalone romance.

• Buy HATE STORY (Kindle)