Dating You/Hating You

I am an unapologetic Christina Lauren stan, but I only discovered them with Autoboyography and have read the more recent books that are far more rom-com than romance, but I threw it back to their 2017 book “Dating You/Hating You” and wow wow wow. You know how Tinkerbell needs applause? That’s me with sexual tension, and this book DELIVERS.

Carter and Evie are both talent agents in Hollywood who bond at a mutual friend’s party over their Harry Potter costumes, and they’ve definitely got chemistry, but before they can make it too far in their relationship they are thrown together at work. Evie’s company has merged with Carter’s, and all of a sudden they’re competing for the SAME JOB, and Evie’s asshole boss isn’t making it any easier. All of a sudden that chemistry becomes catastrophe as they try to one up each other to protect their jobs, and all along the tension is building until well…you know. This book has a really satisfying ending in a few ways. Yes, in the romance way, but also in the comeuppance way.

I was a little skeptical about this book at first because it seemed a little more “romance” heavy than rom-com, but it’s great! The tension building is amazing, I loved it, and I loved the backdrop of their agency merger. It felt so real. I love Christina Lauren’s books because the characters and their jobs are so fleshed out, and this one hit it out of the park.