*4.5 Stars*

I had a great time with this one. It made me feel a lot, and I even shed a few tears. The characters were layered and captivating and I fell for them almost as hard as they fell for each other. I loved how it wasn't only about their relaitonship but also their complicated family lives. More than the romance, this really kept me glued to the page.
Basically, this was a great debut and I cannot wait to read more books by Amanda Woody.

It's so adorable!
We follow around two main characters, Jonah and Dylan, who really dislike each other.

The author made the characters feel so really with so many layers and complexity to them. They're not as one-dimensional as others perceive them to be, and for a time, they look at each very superficially. But that's what it's about.

Both of them are under the burden of their own personal burdens and traumas and responsibilities but somehow despite making mistakes and hurting each other, they are able to get past all that and fall in love.
Both of them are going through very tough situations caused by absent parents and bad financial situations, forced to take on responsibilities that they are not meant for, such as earning and full time caring for 3 younger siblings.

Jonah has nobody to depend on, and that has conditioned him to never even ask for help or rely on someone in the first place. He's not comfortable with somebody lending him a hand, and gets defensive. And this is one of the dysfunctional habits that he learns to overcome throughout the journey of the book.

Dylan often struggles with anxiety and panic attacks because of an estranged relationship and a violent attack he witnessed when he was a child.

The true impact of the book lied in their individual character development journeys.
I also loved seeing the interactions between their families and their daily life.
The Spanish endearments, the banter, the DENIAL uff… absolute perfection.

I always say make sure to point it out when I find it in romance books- YA or adult- are that the best kind of Romance books are stories where the characters are just as compelling as individuals as their relationship.
I think the author created two amazing characters whom we got to look deeply into their vulnerabilities, flaws and personalities. I got so attached to them by the end of it.

It was fun, engaging that also makes you feel. It is also one of those books that along the line, teaches you empathy.

The writing is also perfect because it matches the tone of the story. I find that I'm losing my preference for books where the tone of the dialogue or descriptions is a little young? If you see my blog or Instagram, you'd notice that I mostly read fantasy, and the last few months I have been mainly adult fantasy. So I've gotten more comfortable reading more description-heavy stories.

QUOTE-

“Jonah’s hanging on by a thread,” Dylan says, speaking over me. “He spends his week working to provide for his sisters. His dad is an alcoholic
and isn’t around to help manage anything, so he’s basically raising his sisters by himself.”

“I can do it!” I half yell, half sob. My shirt sags and my body itches from rainwater, but I don’t care. The things I’m feeling within me are far worse, far more painful. “I have the resolve! It’s all I’ve ever had! I have me! I take care of them! I protect them! It’s my job to stay in control, and nobody can take that away from me!”

It’s a great balance between these highly emotional, and impactful moments vs moments like these:

QUOTE:

“Piss,” he says. “Shit. Balls. Fuck.”
With that heartfelt message, he swivels and stomps back down to the snow-slicked driveway.

And in this story the writing felt very age appropriate. More in the upper YA range. It matches the seriousness of some of the themes it deals with.

And one of my favorite kinds of descriptions in the story were the food descriptions. Dylan’s Brazilian culture is an important part of his personality.

To conclude: I highly, highly recommend picking this one up.

I giggled, I kicked my feet, I squealed and I felt everything! Jonah and Dylan were so adorable together, I absolutely loved this book. I appreciated that homophobia was simply not mentioned or depicted in this book, it's a nice escape from everyday struggles to be honest. I thought the hating part was a little petty and silly but I was fully entertained and suspension of disbelief am I right? 4.5 stars

This book! Woody has completely stolen my heart with this story - Jonah and Dylan are going to hold a very dear special place in my heart for the remainder of my life.

I can not coherently put into words the amount of emotions this story made me feel but I am going to try. Jonah and Dylan’s relationship is the most beautiful, raw thing I have ever encountered. I am a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope - and it was executed so perfectly with these two. I just adored how they complimented each other, as their friends would say, they are genuinely made for one another and they just needed to get over themselves to realise their hatred was actually undying attraction for one another.

Aside from the romance aspect of this book that has me giddy, grinning and kicking my feet in the air. Woody presents such raw and heart-wrenching topics into the plot. This was done with the utmost care in my opinion and brings light to the damage that unhealthy/troubling family dynamics can cause. Jonah, my sweet Jonah, I empathised and related to his situation more than I care to admit but it made me love him all the more. I sobbed and cried in multiple parts of the book, both sad and happy tears alongside these two characters.

A special shoutout to Mik and Lilypad who absolutely stole the show in their scenes. Two of my favourite younger sibling characters I have ever come across in a book.

It was also lovely to read a queer book where the coming out wasn’t the main plot point or where the troubles in this story lie. I think it will help a lot of people - although this is an important thing to highlight which queer people face every single day - to read a story where queer joy and acceptance is prominent & help them through other problems they may face in their lives.

All in all: an utterly beautiful, heart-wrenching, soul shattering debut that had me sobbing, laughing, grinning ear to ear and feeling all the feels. Woody I applaud you, and I can not wait to see what you do next! X

Ahhh loved these two!!! Such a good rivals to lovers story and the background of these characters fully had me!! 🫶🏼🫶🏼

Jonah Collins and Dylan Ramírez are like oil and water, with Jonah viewing Dylan as arrogant and spoiled, while Dylan sees Jonah as an attention-seeking loudmouth. However, after waking up together post-homecoming, rumors about their supposed hidden lust spread rapidly. To quash these rumors, they decide to fake date, planning to end it with a dramatic breakup. But as they spend more time together, their act starts to crumble, leading them to see each other in a new light and challenging their initial perceptions of being enemies.

That they could bond over having less then perfect families but in complete diffrent ways was what gave this story heart. They both where bisexual which was refeching as it is uncomen in litterature for men to be bi and felt like good repersention. This story had a lot of heart and I loved Jonah's sisters.

What an absolutely stunning read!! This was one of those reads where I genuinely fell in love with the characters and was absolutely rooting for them. I really enjoyed both Dylan and Jonah’s personalities and voices and thought they were very well rounded characters that you just immediately cared about.

I am an absolute enemies to lovers fan and sometimes the trope can fall a little flat, this did not! This had me absolutely gripped and ahhhh the feels!! So many emotions and my heart went on a rollercoaster reading this but in the best way.

I will definitely be recommending this to anyone at any opportunity I can. I just absolutely adored it. The characters, the writing style, the plot? chefs kiss! This was just so comforting even when they were really going through it, it warmed my lil heart.

5 ⭐️'ˢ

“They Hate Each Other” By Amanda Woody

📕 Edition: eBook & Audiobook

I can't believe I waited so long to dive into this one, I loved it!

The story revolves around Jonah and Dylan, two characters who seem to despise each other, but fate has other plans for them. The fake dating ploy adds a delightful twist, and as they navigate this charade, their perspectives on each other shift in the most surprising ways. 🔄

The author crafts characters that are so real and flawed, making them incredibly relatable. Jonah and Dylan's dynamic is a perfect blend of humor, tension, and undeniable chemistry.

What I appreciated most was the gradual development of their connection. As the staged relationship begins to feel more authentic, the lines between love and hate blur, leading to heartwarming moments and unexpected revelations. 🥺💖

Thank you @Netgalley , @amandawoody_ and @hodderbooks for providing me with this copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved everything about this book, the premise was so fun and our two main characters had so much enjoyable banter and chemistry.

"They Hate Each Other" proved to be a delightful read, despite my initial reservations about the characters hating each other without apparent reason. The evolution from animosity to a fake dating scenario added excitement, and the careful development of Dylan and Jonah's relationship felt well-paced. The book offered refreshing casual queer representation, featuring bisexual main characters, a non-binary friend, an asexual character in a loving relationship, and Jonah's trans younger sister. Amanda Woody deserves credit for seamlessly integrating these identities without question.

They Hate Each Other is a tale old as time yet a delicious treat to those who love Fake Dating Romance!

“The only kind of chemistry Jonah and I have is nuclear.”

A pastry enthusiast, Dylan, agrees to fake date the school “clown” (Dylan’s word) Jonah Collin- the loudest and the most annoying person he’s ever known, to put the school rumors about them to rest.

True to the title, both Dylan and Jonah hate each other. They could never go without exchanging insults. Their mutual friends being in relationship made them orbit around in the same friend circle. When one night Dylan and Jonah ends up being in the same bed, their friends tease them relentlessly about being in secret relationship. To put all these rumours to rest, Dylan suggests Jonah to be his fake boyfriend. They keep butting their heads despite trying to convince others they are dating.

Only then does Dylan learn how different Jonah is at school and home. At school, Jonah might be the social butterfly, the one that makes everyone smile but at home he is the adult, who’d drop everything he does for his sisters.

Jonah also learns about the fractured dynamic of Dylan’s family and then slowly begin to bond.

Their romance is slow and cute rom-com, with a pinch of mouthwatering food.

Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for the DRC of the book!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Following the lives of Jonah and Dylan who have an enemies to lovers trope in this book. Jonah and Dylan dont think verty highly of each other but end up being forced together following a fake dating ploy to prove to their friends that they actually dont like each other - but it back fires the more time they spend with each other.

Loved this story, covering LGBT / queer, YA romance fiction.

Und hier ein Buch mit dem ich mich etwas schwer tue obwohl ich viele der Themen mag. Fake-Dating, Enemies-to-lovers, deeper Mental Health Shit unter der Oberfläche ... aber irgendwie. Ich muss gestehen, ich kann nicht mal mehr GENAU sagen wer jetzt Jonah und wer Dylan war. Tut mir leid, aber ist Ne Weile her.... aber den einen fand ich nervig mit seiner Planerei des Fake-Datings und der andere war der Jock. Klar war ich Team Jock. Oh mann, ich bin so berechenbar. Was cool war, beide Charaktere hatten ihr jeweiliges Coming out hinter sich und der übliche "Oh nein ich bin schwul / bi" Subplot fällt weg. Vielleicht war es der Ausgangspunkt... die anderen Freunde in der Gruppe nerven mit "Ha, ihr hasst euch so sehr, ihr steht aufeinander" und darum der Nicht-Jock um seine Ruhe zu haben das Fake-Dating mit dem Jock, der echt anderes als das queere Prinzchen an Problemen zu bewältigen hat. Und da wurde es eigentlich besser und auch der Nervige wurde sympatisch. Aber trotzdem bleibt es für MICH nur ein mittelmäßiges Buch. Zumindest was meine Hitliste angeht und nicht die schriftstellerische Qualität. Aber ich kann ja auch nicht jedes Buch lieben.

'They Hate Each Other' by Amanda Woody is a classic tale of enemies to lovers (my favourite trope) with a dash of fake dating (my other favourite trope). But if you go into this novel expecting only fluff and fun, you will be sorely disappointed. Woody masterfully threads together romance with gritty teenage domestic drama which is often heart-breaking in its execution.

Jonah and Dylan are in the same friendship group but always hated each other. In a bizarre turn of events, they decide to fake date in order to get their friends off their backs about 'how great they would be together'. Unlike other romance novels, there is genuine hatred in the enemies phase and these two are vile to each other. This just makes the inevitable romance all the sweeter!

The surprisingly brutal part of this novel comes from Jonah's home life. I do not want to give anything away but I love his two sisters and can see why he would do literally anything to protect them. Dylan has to choose between his love for Jonah and doing the right thing by him and it is devastating.

There is so much more to this novel than meets the eye. You will love it - 5 stars.

WHAT! A! BOOK!

i am an absolute sucker for a queer YA romance and i have read many amazing stories over the years, and this book has joined the greats in my opinion!

jonah and dylan are absolutely fantastic main characters who both allow some incredibly difficult topics to be discussed (e.g. alcoholism, gender, abuse, PTSD and absent parents). they had me giggling right from the beginning with the stupid remarks that they would make toward each other! what gives this book such a high rating for me is the fact that they both have so much depth and i was completely invested in their stories. it doesn't happen often when i am reading, but i even shed a little tear.

fake dating is one of my favourite tropes and it was done so well here as we see two boys faking a relationship basically to get their friends to shut up, but as they are forced to spend time together they realise they actually care for each other more than they could have expected. the theme of family is really strong throughout the book, and how blood ties doesn't mean someone has to stay in your life. the idea that it is okay to ask for help is also a really important message, especially for young people who will pick up this book.

if you didn't realise already, i bloody loved this book!

Hilarious, messy, complicated and a great read is the best way to sum up They Hate Each Other. An over done trope but with an original plot and relatable characters this a book you can't help but fall in love with.

I loved this book from this amazing up and coming author! They Hate Each Other is a fun read. Well developed characters and setting. Enjoyed reading about the relationships between the parents and their children as well as the teens who "hate each other". Can't wait to read the sequel! Highly recommend this book and author!

I knew I was going to love this book from the very first page. Fake-dating and enemies-to-lovers at their absolute finest. I loved the tension and the chemistry between Jonah and Dylan. A big explosive break-up is planned from the very beginning but I love how it was handled in reality with their own personal conflicts and trauma getting in the way and messing things up as opposed to miscommunication or anything like that. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t have much to say expect that this was incrediblev and I am very excited to hopefully read more by this author. Warmly recommended, though it does deal with some heavier topics (though with great care), but it also manages to be incredibly sweet. Definitely what I want from contemporary enemies to lovers. Take notes you guys.

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.