Dating You / Hating You by Christina Lauren

I watch him process this for a breath, and he chews on his lip before saying, “Maybe it’s not ideal, but it’s not worth staying away from you because of it.” He just shrugs, like this was a completely normal thing to say.

My heart takes off, a beating drum in the wild jungle beneath my ribs. “You know I’m hoping to kiss you later, no matter how many dorky pictures you show me.” They’re introduced at a party one night through a mutual friend and hit it off strong. They’ve both sacrificed and worked hard to get to where they are and their respective reputations within their industry have been well earned. So the story itself is about these two rival Hollywood agents who are both single - married to their work if anything. He smells amazing and holds me so tight, squeezing a little more just before letting go. My blood hums just being near him, and I can’t stop grinning. I’ve never felt that chemistry before, but I definitely feel it with Carter. Over time, yeah, I can see some effort needing to come into play when the honeymoon phase wears off… But initially, being with someone should feel like the best and most natural thing in the world. But I’ve always felt like it shouldn’t be work right away. My mom reminds me of this all the time, and of the balance it takes for two people to combine their lives into one.

He wraps his arms all the way around me, and I shiver a little when I feel the solidness of his body against mine. It doesn’t feel weird to reach up and hug him. Plus, I felt that the story gave a really fresh, modern portrayal of adulthood. Their draw towards each other was palatable and I really loved their romance. I could feel it and my heart pitter-pattered through most of their scenes together.

It was snappy, witty, intelligent, and addictive!Ĭarter and Evie were both very strong, career-driven character and I loved their chemistry. The pacing was on point, and the story was structured in such a way where I felt like I could see everything playing in my mind like a movie. The words flowed, the characterizations and descriptions were vivid, and it all rounded out by great editing. Every few pages, I’d literally make these little notes to myself commenting on how amazing and strong the writing was. I was so impressed with this story - not only was it entertaining and enjoyable, it also sent a strong message. This book started out as a light-hearted romantic comedy, before taking a turn into seriously angsty territory, and then rolling out incredibly important themes that made it such an relevant story to be told today. “Evie’s in denial, trying to convince herself that she hates Carter.”

Dating You / Hating You by Christina Lauren