The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Hello everyone.  I hope you had a nice Valentine's Day. We don't go out to celebrate but I did receive a huge heart shaped box of chocolates and a dozen roses. I get a fair amount of flowers. I used to receive them for it being a Wednesday, not so much anymore. However, hubby never forgets any special day and, despite my objection and insistence that there are cheaper places, always gets beautiful and long lasting flowers from the florist, who does a great job.

I know I joke my husband a lot. It is kind of our thing. As a side note, when we were at our "pre-marital counseling" at the church where we were to be married, we argued about who was funnier leaving the preacher smiling and shaking her head (yes, a woman). At our wedding reception, the minister looked at my mom and said "they'll be fine, no doubts." The minister is retired now but I have often thought of sending her a photo of that day and telling her we are still indeed together. Anyway, hubby is a romantic. In fact, I could have you sitting here all day with examples but one of the first displays of his overall cuteness was on our first anniversary. Our wedding color was pink, meaning the flowers and bridesmaids wore pale pink. Don't shake your head, it was a spring wedding. What color did you feature, tartan plaid? So I am at the office, and in he walks with one hundred pink roses in his arms. Every woman in the whole office swooned....honestly, I think you could feel the building sway. See men, all those years later and I still remember.

Not all romantic gestures have been as elaborate or costly as a gazillion roses. Several times he has purchased a package of kiddie Valentines and written a memory on the back of each. Once they were all sealed in the envelopes to be explored and another time they were a heart speared by cupid's pixie stick and hidden all over the house. Yeah, he's a keeper.

So for some timely, holiday appropriate reading I just finished a romance novel called The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. Before you go thinking this is any quick hit little story, I'll tell you it is a full on novel of over 360 pages. The premise is two higher-end employees at a publishing company (of all places) hate each other and are about to compete for a single job promotion. One will essentially become the other's boss. Well, that would certainly be annoying. The characters go to a few locations, apartments and such, but the story is basically all about the dialog, which is well done. The banter is witty, quick and sarcastic. Hey, who among us is not aroused by a little sarcasm?  Seriously, it is well done. Now while this story does not push forward at breakneck speed like my beloved thrillers, it isn't one of those read ten pages and pick in up in three months, either. The story will definitely call to you. Is this my all time favorite book? No. Is it likely to be in this year's top ten? No. Is it a nice romantic comedy that I am glad I read? Absolutely. If you are a romance lover, you will surely want to add this to your "to be read" list.

Incidentally, the way The Hating Game relies heavily on dialog reminds me of Nicola Niemc's Addicted to Love. So if you love The Hating Game, you might want to give Nicola's book a go. In either case, reading with the smell of roses wafting through the air is highly recommended.