Review: The Way I Hate Him by Meghan Quinn

Why am I holding a box of stolen memorabilia in my arms? It’s called . . . revenge.

After failing my last semester of grad school, I decided to come back to my hometown and wallow in my boyfriend’s sympathetic arms. Instead, he proceeded to dump me . . . for being boring!

Now, I’m not typically a spiteful person, but there’s only so much I can take. Hence why I’m holding the box of his most cherished possessions…stolen possessions no less!

The plan? To give the box back to its rightful owner and rat my ex out. How’s that for being boring?

But plans never go the way you want them, because instead of dropping off the box with a note, I’m pinned with the crime by the true owner of the box himself.

Hayes Farrow is grumpy, arrogant, and stupidly hot in a way that makes it hard to even look him in the eye. Not to mention he’s my brother’s nemesis so I fully intended to stay far far away from the gorgeous jerk.

But to add insult to the injury that has become my life as of late, Hayes gives me two options: turn me into the police and press full charges . . . or work it off. How could I possibly work for someone I can’t stand? Easy, I don’t look good in orange.

But working for Hayes isn’t as horrible as I thought it would be. The way I hate him begins to turn into something else – something I never thought I’d feel. But the way my brother reacts when he finds out I’m working for his enemy? He’d prefer me in prison orange.

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Hattie is struggling after losing her sister, so it’s no surprise she failed her midterms and has to take a semester off. Cassidy was more like a mom than a sister and Hattie didn’t even take any time off of school, it’s no wonder she’s having problems. She decides to use her newfound free time to visit home and what’s left of her family: her older brother and sister, plus the four-year-old orphan Cassidy left behind. She’s excited to return to Almond Bay because she misses home, but nothing is going as expected.

She beelines to her boyfriend’s house as soon as she arrives, but Matt is a jerk and a loser who breaks up with her for being a drag. Her siblings are keeping her at arms’ length and Hattie doesn’t understand why, but there is one bright spot in all the turmoil. Matt stole some really important things from his boss so she’s going to return them and get him fired. Of course, that doesn’t go as planned either.

Hayes Farrow is a rock god but his life is empty and lonely to the point that it’s actually painful. He’s not happy because despite all the fame and money, he can’t write a song and nothing else matters to him. When he catches his enemy’s little sister skulking around his property, it’s obvious that she was returning the items stolen by his douche canoe former assistant. Hattie isn’t someone he wants in his life but he can’t just ignore her either since they’re kindred spirits, even if neither wants to admit it.

Things get off to a bad start since he blackmails her to be his assistant, but he pays well and she needs some way to support herself. There’s a lot of history between them, although it’s mostly Hattie’s secret obsession with her brother’s biggest enemy. It’s obvious they enjoy pushing one another’s buttons but they quickly start to grow on each other and become unlikely friends. They both want more but there are so many reasons it’s a bad idea, not the least of which is that her brother hates his former best friend.

Hayes has other problems too, mostly stemming from his awful parents, particularly his abusive mother who still won’t leave him alone. He’s struggling with his feelings for Hattie not just because of the history but also because he can’t trust anyone. BTW, in my head, he sounds like Jason Wade and I’m dying to hear Electric Sunshine. There was more angst than I expected but it was worth every minute and there was still plenty of humor, heat and heart. I really liked the characters, especially Hattie, and loved their story. This is a book I could not put down. I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.