Hate Notes by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

First thought: I didn't love it and I hardly liked it. 


Why I read it: After seeing some of my favorite authors post pics of this book on their Instas, I added the publication date to my calendar, then downloaded it quickly. If I love a book, I'll finish it in one sitting. This book took three, I just wasn't enthralled. 

POV: Alternating M|F, Past Tense

Setting: NYC & Office

Tropes: Hate to Love, Office Romance, Mysterious Past

Our Hero: Boss romances arn't always my favorite trope, but sometimes I love the idea of a bossy alpha male. Reed just didn't do it authentically for me. His bossy bits always came with instant regret and it wasn't believable. He sure is hot though- made me want to order some suspenders for my hubby. 

Our Heroine: Charlotte is supposed to be quirky, but I felt like some of her characteristics were forced. She's supposed to be a free spirit, and that comes off okay, but is it really plausible that a girl who bounced around after a break-up can afford her own apartment in New York City? Overall, she's likable, but it felt like there were too many character traits pushed into one girl. 

Plot & writing thoughts: Small things pulled me out of the book. The writing was okay and I didn't really feel a shift between the two authors. But the story line was too quick. One minute we're in NYC and suddenly we leave the state. One minute we're considering trying out for something and the next minute we're somewhere else. Everything happens so suddenly in this book that I didn't get to experience the Reed and Charlotte fall in love with each other because they were too busy doing things- with and without each other. I did like watching the characters experience a lot of different events together, but overall the actions pulled from the emotions. 

The sexy scenes: I thought these were quick, but I didn't have any complaints. This was my first book by either of these author's so I'm not sure how their scenes regularly play out. If you're looking for pages and pages of sexy stuff, this book isn't for you. 

Best part of the book: Meddling grandmother, Iris! 

Worst part of the book: The pacing...

TLDR: This book was fine, but because of a weirdly fast plot and limited time to really feel the characters fall in love, it won't be added to my re-read rotation.

How I read it: Free from my Kindle Unlimited Account 

Links: Goodreads, Hate Notes & Amazon, Hate Notes