Lucy and Joshua are coworkers, both assistants to the two CEOs at a publishing
company. Though the word coworkers implies some cooperation and amiability, that’s nowhere
near the truth. Their mutual loathing, which began from the moment their two companies
merged into one, has been dubbed the Hating Game. It’s just another pretty normal workday for
Lucy (begins with staring hatefully at Joshua and ends the same way), when for some reason
he kisses her in the elevator. This, combined with a new promotion opportunity, an agreement
that whoever doesn’t get the promotion will quit, a paintball competition, and a few days of
Joshua taking care of Lucy after she falls sick, complicates the Hating Game. Over the course of
just a few weeks, the game begins to morph into something less about hating and more about
something quite the opposite.
This book did a great job of making the enemies-to-lovers transition feel seamless and
unforced. It also fleshed out both of its main characters fairly well and they felt realistic and full
of depth. I did think some of the romance scenes felt a little scripted at times, but at others I
thought the conversation flowed beautifully between the leads. I thought the subplot about their
other coworker Danny was odd at times and made Joshua seem weirdly possessive and
controlling, so I wasn’t a big fan of that. But overall, it was a fun and enjoyable read, and I would
give it three stars.