katekate_reads_'s review against another edition
2.0
Do you have a favorite trope that you love to see in a romance? Mine is a fake relationship - I am always so drawn in for those. Hate Crush started with a lot of promise for me - and a lot of tropes:
- princess
- rock star
- fake relationship
- second chance romance
Aish and Sofia had a brief relationship 10 years ago but have both moved on. Aish and his best friend John to a successful band - made most famous by a song he wrote about Sofia but never admitted who it was about.
Meanwhile Sofia was busy building a winery to bring tourism to her family’s kingdom and now needs for it to be a success. When it leaks that the song is about her - they are both given a chance to get what they need. Aish needs some positive press for the band’s next album since he’s reinventing after John’s death by suicide and rumors of stolen lyrics. Sofia needs positive press for the winery. If they pretend to be dating for one month - it can help them both out.
I really liked Sofia a lot - I love that she was a strong woman with a plan to help her country and the willingness to get it done.
However - I felt like the story went too far. It became really over the top and felt more like an overdone soap opera plot to me. I will be sharing spoilers now so stop reading if you don’t want to see them.
John was made to be such an over the top villain that I just couldn’t take it. In the past he stole lyrics, bribed people, stepped in to pretend to be Aish and left Sofia hanging when she called from the hospital. When Aish started to figure things out, he faked his own death. And then he’s back again now to continue wreaking havoc and just in general being a supervillain. It was way too much for me and really ruined what could have been an interesting story between Sofia and Aish. I don’t think it was necessary either - there could have been other reasons for their breakup and conflict.
Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for the advance reading copies.
- princess
- rock star
- fake relationship
- second chance romance
Aish and Sofia had a brief relationship 10 years ago but have both moved on. Aish and his best friend John to a successful band - made most famous by a song he wrote about Sofia but never admitted who it was about.
Meanwhile Sofia was busy building a winery to bring tourism to her family’s kingdom and now needs for it to be a success. When it leaks that the song is about her - they are both given a chance to get what they need. Aish needs some positive press for the band’s next album since he’s reinventing after John’s death by suicide and rumors of stolen lyrics. Sofia needs positive press for the winery. If they pretend to be dating for one month - it can help them both out.
I really liked Sofia a lot - I love that she was a strong woman with a plan to help her country and the willingness to get it done.
However - I felt like the story went too far. It became really over the top and felt more like an overdone soap opera plot to me. I will be sharing spoilers now so stop reading if you don’t want to see them.
John was made to be such an over the top villain that I just couldn’t take it. In the past he stole lyrics, bribed people, stepped in to pretend to be Aish and left Sofia hanging when she called from the hospital. When Aish started to figure things out, he faked his own death. And then he’s back again now to continue wreaking havoc and just in general being a supervillain. It was way too much for me and really ruined what could have been an interesting story between Sofia and Aish. I don’t think it was necessary either - there could have been other reasons for their breakup and conflict.
Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for the advance reading copies.
amanda_lind84's review against another edition
I didn’t connect with the characters
booksumed's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Loved the first half so much! The second dragged a bit (and got a little too dramatic) but it was overall really good
I loved the groveling from the H!
I loved the groveling from the H!
iggyebab's review against another edition
3.0
What if you fell in love with a rock star and he wrote an explicit song about your sex life and for 10 years the public has no idea it’s about you and then he tells someone and it goes viral?
None of us want our past decisions to come Bancorp and bite them s in the ass. Especially not a Princess who is trying to make big changes to her countries wine production.
These two were gaslighted in the worst way. I figured out that the missing person was not really missing. There was a lot of youth dumbassness.
This author knows her way around a sex scene. It’s hot.
None of us want our past decisions to come Bancorp and bite them s in the ass. Especially not a Princess who is trying to make big changes to her countries wine production.
These two were gaslighted in the worst way. I figured out that the missing person was not really missing. There was a lot of youth dumbassness.
This author knows her way around a sex scene. It’s hot.
mommasaystoread's review against another edition
4.0
I love a good second chance romance, and Hate Crush is definitely a good one. This is the second in a series, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this is a standalone - at least it was for me. I didn't have any trouble following any part of the story, and nothing stuck out as a hole that would be filled had I read book 1. Anyway, second chances. One of the things I like is that we can expect the chemistry to already be there. That said, this second chance romance is also a bit of enemies to lovers. This pair surely do have a love/hate relationship, which is another favorite trope for me. There's a fine line between love and hate, and both have one thing in common. Passion. And with that, we come to Aish and Sofia. The blurb mentions a war of wills, and I do love me some witty banter. I will say that Sofia can be brutal, and I actually felt a little sorry for Aish at times. The good thing is Angelina Lopez knows her stuff when it comes to well-drawn characters and this pair may butt head plenty, but they are also plenty great together. The story is interesting and well-paced, the characters are engaging, and the whole thing comes together for a great second chance romance.
astormv's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
happilyruined's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I gotta say, this would've been a 3.25 (good, but the hero was a bit too passive for me) until the most insane shit happened in the last 20% and I just had to slow clap. What a fucking ending. Damn.
stephsromancebooktalk's review against another edition
4.0
4.25 Stars / 4 Steam Fans
Because I could not stop after reading Lush Money, I jumped right into Hate Crush! I wanted more about this family of wine-makers, and more is what I got! I enjoyed the fake dating situation involved, and the steam between the couple jumped off the first few pages. My only issue was, at times, the story was too focused on the technical side of winemaking. I cannot wait to read more from Angelina M Lopez!
Video review available in Week 12: Mar 21 – Mar 27, 2021, full weekly book reviews available on Steph's Romance Book Talk Patreon.
For other bookish content, check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.
Because I could not stop after reading Lush Money, I jumped right into Hate Crush! I wanted more about this family of wine-makers, and more is what I got! I enjoyed the fake dating situation involved, and the steam between the couple jumped off the first few pages. My only issue was, at times, the story was too focused on the technical side of winemaking. I cannot wait to read more from Angelina M Lopez!
Video review available in Week 12: Mar 21 – Mar 27, 2021, full weekly book reviews available on Steph's Romance Book Talk Patreon.
For other bookish content, check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.
clonazine's review against another edition
1.0
Tenía muchas ganas de leerlo pero me atrevería a decir que es el peor libro que leí este año, de los protagonistas no se puede decir nada positivo, es un libro de amar u odiar, yo no logre simpatizar con ninguno y menos con ella que es una resentida de la vida. Ojo, es muy sufrida, sí, pero no conecté con alguien tan lleno de odio y resentimiento. ¿El romance? más toxico imposible, a veces las cosas no se solucionan con el poder del amor y a estos dos les urge hacer terapia.
kaitrates's review against another edition
3.0
Y'all this book is HOT HOT HOT!
Ok now that's out of the way, this soapy romance really has it all: steamy sex, intrigue, angst, tenderness, societal commentary, and more. It takes you on a ride, for sure.
I loved Sofia and Aish as characters and as partners. Sofia is a badass heroine whose awareness blew me away, even if it didn't stop her from making mistakes (I mean...so real). Aish with his golden life could have easily drifted into annoying territory but instead you find yourself rooting for him. They both had their share of demons and the book doesn't shy away from grappling with complicated family dynamics, patriarchal media standards, or privilege. I also loved the flashbacks and the side characters, and so hope that we get Henry's book!
On the downside, the ending felt a bit too rushed and too neat, especially after the many twists and turns. It felt abrupt, especially without an epilogue. I wanted more! I also felt the tension between Sofia and her mom was both too extreme and too neatly wrapped up.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading Book 1 and future novels from this author!
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ok now that's out of the way, this soapy romance really has it all: steamy sex, intrigue, angst, tenderness, societal commentary, and more. It takes you on a ride, for sure.
I loved Sofia and Aish as characters and as partners. Sofia is a badass heroine whose awareness blew me away, even if it didn't stop her from making mistakes (I mean...so real). Aish with his golden life could have easily drifted into annoying territory but instead you find yourself rooting for him. They both had their share of demons and the book doesn't shy away from grappling with complicated family dynamics, patriarchal media standards, or privilege. I also loved the flashbacks and the side characters, and so hope that we get Henry's book!
On the downside, the ending felt a bit too rushed and too neat, especially after the many twists and turns. It felt abrupt, especially without an epilogue. I wanted more! I also felt the tension between Sofia and her mom was both too extreme and too neatly wrapped up.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading Book 1 and future novels from this author!
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.