They Hate Each Other by Amanda Woody

RomanceContemporary

Feb 25

Written By taylor shepeard

Title: They Hate Each Other

Author: Amanda Woody

Publication Date: May 8, 2023

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Romance

Sub-Genre: Contemporary

POV: Dual

Series: Standalone

Format: eBook

3 ⭐

Pros:
✨Cute-sy Characters
✨Fast Read
✨ Easy Read

Cons:
✨Trauma as Plot Device
✨ Underdeveloped/Underexplored Traumatic Backstory
✨ Poor Craft
✨ Repetitive Plot

Synopsis

There are plenty of words Jonah Collins could use to describe Dylan Ramírez. “Arrogant,” “spoiled,” and “golden boy” to name a few. Likewise, Dylan thinks …

… he has Jonah accurately labeled as an attention-seeking asshat who never shuts his filthy mouth. Their friends are convinced Jonah’s and Dylan’s disdain for one another is just thinly veiled lust—a rumor that surges like wildfire when the two wake up in one bed after homecoming.
Mutually horrified, Dylan and Jonah agree to use the faux pas to their advantage by fake dating. If they can stay convincing long enough to end their “relationship” in a massive staged fight, they can prove their incompatibility to their friends once and for all. But the more time they spend together, the more their plan begins to fall apart—and the closer they come to seeing each other clearly for the first time.

*Blurb taken from the StoryGraph

Review

This review may contain spoilers.

This was like a throwback to my Magnus X Alex fanfiction days. Was it cute? Sure. Was I shocked it was published with so many basic plot and prose issues? 100%. Our characters have highly dramatic and traumatic backstories that are underdeveloped and, frankly, seem to exist solely as plot devices. I don’t feel that they were explored in an elegant manner, if at all. The writing was slightly under subpar, the plot was redundant, and the conclusion was abrupt. All of that being said, it’s what I was expecting based on the blurb and the cover. Since the marketing set me up for exactly what this book entailed, I wasn’t mad! Still, I just can’t give this over three stars. It’s a forgettable read overall, and there are plenty of books I would recommend over this one.