Sally Thorne does a fabulous job with her debut novel, The Hating Game. Not only is her voice endearing and relatable but the world she’s created for these rivals to lovers feels so full. She’s not just telling us the story of these two coworkers, she’s bringing us there. We’re right there with them as they attempt to unravel each other’s complicated emotions. The Hating Game wastes no time introducing you to some very complex and entertaining characters.

Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman are far from perfect and their arguments and little games that they plan are extremely childish. So much so that I was completely turned off by the both of them and their relationship at the beginning of the story. I found their back and forth to be really frustrating but as it went on, their personalities and struggles began to surface. They both feel very real and we can relate to them in multiple ways. Thorne implements small details that really bring these two to life. It’s little details like Lucy’s collection of Smurfs and Joshua’s wardrobe routine that fleshes them out and make them extremely endearing. After the new position is announced, I found myself becoming extremely invested in these two and their journey together as coworkers to friends to lovers. It’s fun, it’s sad, it’s sexy, but most of all, it is unforgettable.

Thorne has really encompassed the idea that love is not straightforward. It’s complicated, irrational, and messy. But that’s what makes it so interesting. I just couldn’t put this book down. The idea of rivals to lovers is nothing new in the world of romance. That being said, there was never a point where I felt that Lucy and Joshua actually hated one another and that is what Thorne gets right. So often do I see two characters that have absolutely no respect, let alone chemistry, between one another and they somehow end up falling deeply in love. A relationship that claims to be love is not founded on the base of disrespect. It’s completely unhealthy and illogical. Lucy and Joshua, however, actually had deep and complicated feelings for one another and it’s the unraveling of those feelings that kept me wanting more. They were more than just superficial and surface level. The end of every chapter leaves you wanting more and Thorne definitely delivers. I would highly recommend The Hating Game to anyone that is looking for something refreshing in the haters to lovers genre.