The Hating Game

Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman are executive assistants at a publishing company, working directly across from each other and engaging in a daily battle of passive-aggressive games and mutual antagonism. Their workplace rivalry intensifies when they both compete for the same promotion to Chief Operating Officer. The relationship between Lucy and Joshua begins to shift as they're forced to interact outside the office, revealing layers beneath their practiced hostility. Their competitive dynamic takes unexpected turns as they navigate their evolving feelings while maintaining their professional responsibilities. The story moves between Lucy's workplace duties, her personal aspirations in publishing, and the increasingly complex situation with Joshua. Through their interactions, both characters must confront their assumptions about each other and examine their own behaviors and motivations. The novel explores themes of workplace dynamics, professional ambition, and the thin line between hatred and attraction. It offers commentary on how first impressions and defense mechanisms can mask deeper truths about human connection.

Readers describe this as a slow-burn office romance with strong enemies-to-lovers tension. The book maintains high ratings across platforms: 4.1/5 on Goodreads (1M+ ratings), 4.5/5 on Amazon (31K+ ratings). Readers praise: - Sharp, witty dialogue between leads - Sexual tension and chemistry - Humor and banter - Character development of Lucy and Josh - Clear character motivations - Professional workplace setting Common criticisms: - Repetitive internal monologue - Predictable plot points - Lucy's immaturity and fixation on height - Workplace behavior that seems unrealistic - Slow pacing in middle sections Many reviewers note the book works best for readers who enjoy enemies-to-lovers tropes and don't mind workplace romance clichés. Several mention rereading multiple times for the banter and tension. Critics point out the characters could resolve conflicts through basic communication. Some readers find the antagonistic behavior crosses into harassment territory.

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🎯 Sally Thorne wrote The Hating Game as her debut novel during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in 2013. 🎬 The book was adapted into a movie in 2021, starring Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell as Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman. 📚 The novel helped popularize the "enemies-to-lovers" trope in contemporary romance literature and is often credited with inspiring a new wave of workplace romance stories. 💫 The book's original working title was "The Hating Hour" before it was changed during the publication process. 🌏 Though Sally Thorne is Australian and lives in Canberra, she chose to set the story in an unnamed American city to appeal to a broader international audience.