Better Hate than Never by Chloe Liese

Katerina Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio shared backyards as kids, but as adults they won't even share the same hemisphere. That is, until Kate makes a rare visit home, and their fiery animosity rekindles into a raging inferno.

Despite their friends' and families' pleas for peace, Christopher is unconvinced Kate would willingly douse the flames of their enmity. But when a drunken Kate confesses she's only been hostile because she thought he hated her, Christopher vows to make peace with Kate once and for all. Tempting as it is to be swept away by her nemesis-turned-gentleman, Kate isn't sure she can trust his charming good-guy act.

When Christopher's persistence and Kate’s curiosity lead to an impassioned kiss, they realize "peace" is the last thing that will ever be possible between them. As desire gives way to deeper feelings, Kate and Christopher must decide if it’s truly better to hate than to never risk their hearts—or if they already gave them away long ago.

 Series: Wilmot Sisters #2 | Publisher: Berkley  | Genre: Contemporary Romance | Source: Publisher | Rating: 5 Cups 

First, this cover is giving me all the autumn vibes. Second, a Taming of the Shrew-inspired romance? Yes, please!

Before I get into my review, I just want to say thank you to Chloe Liese for painting an accurate description of a chronic migraine sufferer. I truly feel represented in this book.

Now to my review…I loved this book. I’m always a little leery when it comes classic retellings, especially when it’s Shakespeare but, I have to say, this checked all the boxes. While it’s a thoroughly modern take, the essence of the characters are there and I loved that.

Christopher and Kate have spent most of their lives as enemies, which is making things difficult with their friends/family (all they want is peace between the two of them for the holidays). When a drunken Kate kisses Christopher, suddenly they start to wonder if there could be a bit more than hate between them, if they’re willing to risk it.

There’s so much going on with Kate and Christopher. Kate’s returned home for the first time in years. She’s dealing with being the younger, forgotten wild child of the family. She’s also dealing with the fact she has ADHD and her mind never stops spinning.  Christopher’s dealing with the loss of his parents at young age. And while Kate’s family practically adopted him and showered him with love, he’s still searching for love. He’s also dealing with chronic migraines, which interrupts his life.

I’m always up for an enemies-to-lovers romance and this one did not disappoint. I loved watching their relationship develop and the way they ended up falling for each other. They had a lot to work through, both personally and jointly, and I’m glad that it wasn’t rushed. And their chemistry was off the charts. This is an age gap romance and while I didn’t mind, there were a few things referenced in the past that I found a bit odd but didn’t take my enjoyment away from the book.

There were a lot of layers to the characters and the plot, which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed the character growth and the maturity of the characters.

Overall, this adorable romance pulled on my heartstrings and I truly related to both characters, which is rare for me. I highly recommend this book.