This is one of those books that I just could not put down. Every spare moment I would be getting my Kindle out, and I stayed up late to finish it because there is no way I was going to get any sleep without knowing what happened!

They Hate Each Other is my favourite kind of romance – that is, the kind where the romance is also a vehicle for the characters to grow and find resolution in the other parts of their lives. Kudos to Amanda Woody for managing to create a realistic fake-dating scenario with no wedding invitations involved! But one of the genius moves of this book is that the fake-dating forced the two main characters to share the secrets they’ve hidden from everyone else.

Both Dylan and Jonah have very difficult home lives, in different ways, and while the romance was the arc that tied everything together, the real story is about both of them finding safety, security and support from their families. They have difficult decisions to make, and without spoiling the plot, I thought these moments were handled really well. If a friend betrays a secret for your own safety, it’s a hard thing to forgive, even if it was the right decision, and all those complexities were portrayed very sensitively.

Of course, you can’t have a romance story without a good couple at the centre, and Dylan and Jonah were exactly that! Their personalities complemented each other so well, and the development of their romance felt so natural and inevitable.

There’s also really great queer representation. Both of the main characters are bi, as well as an asexual character and a transgender character. While Jonah and Dylan overcome a lot in this book, I was really appreciative that the author made a point of not having any kind of queerphobia exist in this world. It really emphasised how for many people, their authentic identity is something that brings them joy, rather than something that adds more negativity to their life.

This book was so different from what I expected (I’ll save the mismarketing rant for another day) but I think it was all for the better. Amanda Woody has proven themselves an excellent voice in queer fiction, and I can’t wait to see what they write next!

I received a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Jonah and Dylan are not friends. They aren't even acquaintances - in fact, most days, they'd both rather pretend that the other doesn't exist at all.

While the two of them are very different, the way that they view each other is very much the same: arrogant, attention seeking and unlikeable.

There is nothing in the world that could ever make Jonah and Dylan work together, not even if the lives of their loved ones depended on it...or so they thought.

People always say that there's a fine line between love and hate, and according to the two boys' friends, Dylan and Jonah are toying with that line like a game of limbo; with every bit of banter and every insult thrown, they get closer to the ground and closer to knocking that line from hatred straight into romance. And, even if what they feel for each other isn't love, their friends are convinced that there must be something, anything, there beyond just blind hatred.

Be it attraction, intrigue, teenage angst, rebellion or lust...something is there. Their friends can see it.

And so can the rest of the world, now that Dylan and Jonah have woken up together, in the same bed, the morning after their homecoming dance.

While both of them are a mixture of both mortified and horrified, it also seemed kind of...perfect. Now they can get their friends off of their backs once and for all, by taking their one wild night of mistaken attraction and heat and turning it into a faux relationship, proving once and for all just how dissimilar, incompatible and unlikeable they find one another.

But as they begin to spend more and more time with each other to perfect their plan, and to make their friends believe the act that they're putting on, they realise that maybe they aren't as different as they seemed.

In fact, maybe, just maybe, they judged each other far too quickly and far too harshly.

As each revelation brings Dylan and Jonah closer to each other, their plan begins to fall apart in a way that neither of them could've ever expected...as they both begin to feel things that had always seemed impossible to feel for each other.

With one plan ever breaking, and feelings ever growing, what are they to do? After all, you can't keep toeing the line between love and hate when the hatred starts to disappear.

They Hate Each Other is a novel that I have been waiting to read for a really long time. In fact, it was one of my most anticipated releases for 2023 - so when I got approved for an e-ARC, I was so excited (and I mean, did a little squeal and happy dance kind of excited).

The characters were so personable, the relationships so full of excitement, angst and passion. It truly reminded me why the enemies to lovers and relationship of convenience tropes are two of my favourites.

I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this book, even more than I expected to (and my expectations were already startlingly high!) and I loved every single second.

Thank you to Amanda Woody, NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book!

4.5/5 stars ⭐️

I actually loved this book, I had a smile on my face the w whole way through! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Such a super cute book.
DEFINITELY hits you in the feels throughout the book and some of it is quite intense
Some characters developed better than others. However overall it was a great YA read about love and the rep in here was really well written.

This was a very enjoyable read, but it didn't stand out to me in any way. I did love the main characters' backstories, and how it was woven into the main story. The romance was also very cute!

This book is one of the cutest and best-est books I've read this year so far. The MMCs have my heart, okay? They're the people I've seen around me and people who I can relate with on a certain level. They are funny, vulnerable, brave, unforgiving and not characters without flaws. And I love them!

First of all, here are the things you'll find:
• fake dating
• enemies to lovers
• slow burn (so worth it)
• bisexual mmcs and super good besties
• interracial romance
• love - friendly, familial and amorous

The best part is that it's not just a romance book. It incorporates issues that needs to be talked more about and shows readers how to be there for people around you. Emotions like guilt and pride are shown so well, it nearly made me cry (which is saying something because I generally never get moved by books). The way Jonah and Dylan are there for each other and become each other's comfort persons! You can't help but root for them, hope that they fall desperately in love with each other. The two different family structures, the two different worlds in which they live and the two different sets of problems they face, it's all written so well, they'll stay in your hearts for a long time.

I feel like this book is very much 'it's not you, it's me;. I'm not sure if it's the way it was marketed or just an idea that I had of what I was going to read, but this book was not what I was expecting at all. The romance aspect was a little lacking for me and should've been front and centre (as it is on the cover) but it didn't feel like it was to me. The book focuses more on the person lives of the MCs rather than their will-they-won't-they romance. I love fake dating as a trope but this didn't really do it for me and I didn't fully believe the chemistry between the MCs.

Maybe it's just me and I was expecting a book focused on fake dating and enemies-to-lovers which I didn't get, but I had high expectations and this book didn't quite live up to them.

It was well written and there were some good elements in here, but I didn't get the gay rom-com that I was looking for.

Someone should have warned me that I'd be sobbing into my Saturday morning cup of tea before I started reading They Hate Each Other, I was expecting YA fake dating turning into a real relationship. I didn't expect to fly through this in less than 24 hours and to be so deeply affected by Jonah's story. Everyone needs to read this right now.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.
Oh, where should I begin? I really flew through these pages. The story grips you tight and doesn't let you go. Jonah and Dylan are very lovable and cute. And both of them are a mess in some way. But through the story, both of them learn that they are worthy to be loved and that it is completely okay to ask for help. They don't have to navigate life alone. They have friends and family (even though sometimes that family might be a bit estranged).
But oh the tension between the two. It was soo cute to read. They gradually stop hating each other and start falling for each other. It's just so heartwarming. I can highly recommend this story.

Jonah and Dylan hate each other. They are not friends. They will never be friends, much to the disappointment of their mutual friends Andre and Hanna. When Andre and Hanna’s meddling threatens to reach new heights, Jonah and Dylan come up with a plan. They’ll fake date, convince Andre ad Hanna that they were right all along and then epically break up, making sure that Andre and Hanna will realise just how bad of an idea Jonah and Dylan dating really is. But then the fake dating starts to feel less and less fake, and somewhere along the line, they realise they may have fallen for each other.

I’m going to be honest—I hate reviewing books I enjoyed. Because I have nothing bad to say about this! Nothing. Not even the tiniest little tidbit. I loved it, just as my friends on Twitter hoped I would. Having nothing bad to say is definitely not a bad thing, but it leaves me going this book was great! This book was wonderful! And it was, I just don’t know how to expand it into a decent review.
I’ll give it a go, though.

For both Jonah and Dylan, I really felt like I was able to connect with them. They had their own problems and issues that they needed to fix separate from each other, and so they really felt real to me, rather than just a made-up blob with a name. I definitely enjoyed the humour—Dylan and Jonah were so different to one another that I was really able to take in each character’s personalities and chapters and truly understand them, rather than having to scramble to figure out just who’s head I was in. I enjoyed the representation in this book, especially how everyone was so out and proud, how there was no one questioning it. It felt authentic and sweet to read. I especially loved Lily, Jonah’s youngest sister.

The development of their relationship was more slow burn than most YA romances and I really loved this, because it gave me the time needed to really see how their relationship developed, and how they were hesitant to really let their true feelings out, rather than their fake dating relationship developing into a real one within the first one hundred pages. This was sweet and enjoyable, while also being real and difficult at times.
I’m truly looking forward to whatever Woody publishes next.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

YA romcom at its best

Jonah and Dylan most definitely hate each other. When rumors of them being together are going around, however, they decide to use it to their advantage: They will make sure to prove their incompatibility to get their friends off their backs.
The fake dating and enemies to lovers trope has certainly been used a lot in the romance genre. If you are a fan of that scenario, you can just grab the book and enjoy. However, this book is so much more than just that.
It’s been a long time since I have been so invested in two characters and the development of their relationship. Following Jonah and Dylan’s story is fun and sweet, it’s both hilarious and heartbreaking at times, and I really was rooting for both of them. They have very different personalities and, yet, they work so well together. But I also loved some of the side characters, especially Jonah’s little sisters.
If you are looking for a fun and emotional read with characters that stay with you long after you finish the book, “They Hate Each Other” is the right book for you. I loved the author’s writing and will definitely keep her on my radar.

They Hate Each Other is a cute YA romance with the perfect mix of humour and vulnerability.

Dylan and Jonah's best friends are dating, and that's the only reason they can't avoid each other. They're also the only bi boys at their school, and everyone seems to think they'd have perfect chemistry and should be together. When the two wake up in the same bed after a drunken homecoming party, rumours escalate.
Dylan and Jonah decide that the easiest way of handling the situation is to fake a relationship, and that everyone would have to accept they're not compatible after a messy fake break up. What they didn't count on is that spending more time together would allow them to see each other clearly for the first time...

Both main characters and the supporting cast felt well written - I could just imagine them stepping off the page. There were so many details I loved, from the space facts to the stress baking, from kissing for practice to the casually organic trans rep. There was a lot of family drama to unpack, but it was refreshing to read a queer YA romance where coming out wasn't the issue. Definitely pick this up if you're looking for a heartwarming read and enjoy the fake dating trope!

This is a cute YA romance with a lot of drama and emotion. Both Jonas and Dylan are multi-faceted and have a lot going on in their personal lives. A lot of their encounters are high tension and whilst at points it did feel a little TOO dramatic, it did work for these characters and this story.

I didn't love the fake dating aspect of this book (seriously why is there so much fake dating right now) it didn't feel that it worked that well for me despite being a key part of the novel.

This was well written and well paced and definitely felt like an authentic portrayal of two teenage boys who both think that the other is 'perfect'.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

They Hate Each Other is the cutest YA romance I've read so far this year! I absolutely loved it! It was so refreshing and humorous with just the right amount of emotional vulnerability to keep me hooked.

Jonah and Dylan hate each other! They're both sure that have absolutely nothing in common and the only reason they hang out is that their two best friends are dating each other. It doesn't help that, being the only two bi boys at their school, everyone is desperate for Dylan and Jonah to get together. In order to finally stop all the speculation, the two boys take the opportunity provided by an innocent drunken sleep over to pretend to date each other, planning a horrible fight to prove to everyone how incompatible they actually are. But, of course, things don't exactly go to plan.

I love the fake dating trope and this book was no exception. Dylan and Jonah were absolutely delightful to read about and the character development was so well done! The supporting cast also felt very fleshed out and I was really able to connect to pretty much every character. I loved that both Dylan and Jonah had stuff going on outside of their relationship and we got to see those conflicts resolved as well as the generic relationship drama. I even felt like the third-act breakup was done well (which I NEVER say!!). The only reason this got 4 stars instead of 3 was because I felt like the fake relationship moved way too quickly for my personal tastes (they were sitting in each others laps in school like days after they'd been at each others throats which I don't feel like would be super believable but what do I know) but outside of that one small qualm, this was really the perfect ya contemporary romance!

For a debut, Woody knocked it out of the park with THEO.

I can’t think of a single thing I didn’t like about it? The space facts and wall leaning scene will go down as one of my favourite scenes in a book to date.

In particular, I thought the representation of how damaging certain family dynamics can be (and I know from personal experience) was written so authentically and I praise them for this so much.

Often, romance novels are so focused on just that, that other important life events get lost in the mix but Woody has interspersed them brilliantly to produce a novel that is as raw as it is heartwarming. Also, to read a queer novel where coming out isn’t the issue the characters face was new and was lovely. I believe this book will become a haven for those seeking to find a book where queer joy is rife.

I cannot wait to see what Woody does next I’ll be following them on their literary journey every step of the way!

Jonah and Dylan hate each other. Their friends all think they should be together. The solution? Fake dating of course!

I am unapologetic in my love for a fake dating trope. Sprinkle in a good enemies to lovers and you are cooking with gas. So rarely are these tropes actually done well, but there’s just something about them.

That said, this is an example of when things just work. I liked the characters, I felt for their situations, I aaaalmost bought into fake-dating being the only possible solution to their perceived problems. It’s just done quite well.

It wasn’t perfect; there were some questions I still had about a few of the side-plots, but this was a really enjoyable read. As with all enemies-to-lovers, the ending is a beacon of obviousness from a mile away, but this is still lovely to read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Staunton for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a delightful read following two petty boys and their love-hate relationship. Their banter and relationship was absolutely charming and fun, while the story also allowed for the duscussion of heavy topics and how those shape our lives. An incredible queer romcom with such depth.

4.5.

They Hate Each Other by Amanda Woody is a stellar debut novel. Very well written and realistic, plus a great use of tropes (enemies to lovers AND fake dating??).

The characters are fleshed out and though I didn't agree with some of their actions, I could always see the reasoning behind them. The romance is a bit of a slowburn (lots of miscommunication sprinkled in) but definitely pays off.

One note is that the book does deal with some heavy subject matters but there's a content warning at the beginning, which I appreciated.

All in all a solid debut that I'm probably going to buy a physical copy of when it comes out on May 9th.

They Hate Each Other is utterly delightfully funny while also giving some real depth to its wonderful characters. I had high hopes for this book which it fully delivered on and then some!

They Hate Each Other takes enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, a chaos gremlin disaster MC, another stress baking disaster MC, opposites attract, practice kissing, and laugh-out-loud funny scenes, and effortlessly combines all that with more sobering topics like poverty, parentification, loneliness, and anxiety.

There were times in this book that I laughed out loud and times that I cried. It just covered so many heavy topics but so carefully. Jonah is carrying the weight of being in adult mode to protect and provide for his two sisters. Reading Lilly’s excitement from getting to read a book featuring a character like her…gosh I want to protect this family at all costs. While Dylan is suffering from anxiety and ptsd from his childhood and too afraid to let anyone in.
Amanda Woody has done a fantastic job at making you feel what the characters feel.

Thank you Hodder&Stoughton for my e-ARC through Netgalley!

This book was amazing. A brilliant, messy, complicated emotional journey through a couple of teens lives that managed to go through some really dark places, while managing to ensure that you emerge from the other side.

Two young guys both think the other one is perfect, and therefore a reasonable reason to hate the other. Jonah may be 17 but he's functioning as a single parent to his two sisters, but his outgoing personality ensures that he is able to attract attention away from things he doesn't want other people to see. Dylan has financial resources, brains, athletic skill and the appearance of a perfect lie, but the calm surface hide a family of remote parents and trauma that has driven them away from each other instead of together. Each boy sees the other's load as the easier, and as their friends push them towards each other, Jonas and Dylan hatch a plan to fake date and them blow up their relationship in order to get their friend to leave them alone. But we all know what happens when fake dating gets involved! And as the boys start to see each others lives, they start to understand that the grass isn't always greener.

Cleverly written and not shying away from some pretty intense topics (Content Warnings include: Neglectful and absent parents, power imbalances in the work place, underage drinking, alcoholism and violence), the narrative still manages to be emotional and meaningful, and leave you in a good place. There were also some delightful little Easter Eggs, scattered the story: references to romance tropes. Very well paced, fully realised characters and a cast of background characters that enhanced without overshadowing the main action made this a very enjoyable read for me.

This book falls very much into the "I think this is pretty heavy for YA" category, along with stories like The Darkness Outside us. While it is heavy, the topics were all managed sensitively enough that, at least for me, it was a journey that I was glad to be on, since healing was a key part of the story.