Soul Hate offered an interesting take on soulmates and what would happen if instead of love you felt intense hate, a premise I was excited to explore.
I did struggle whilst reading this, the writing style wasn't my favourite and I found parts overly descriptive, but this is a debut novel. Overall I'm sure people will enjoy it.

Isn't it funny how facing the truth can bring out the violence in weaker men? They rarely react so viscerally to lies. But the truth? Even if they're afraid to admit it? Oh how they erupt...Violence is the mark of a weak man's truth."

Okay, so Soulhate was definitely not what I expected. And not necessarily in a good way. 😬 I feel like this book was advertised as some deep fantasy with an intense soulmate vs. soulhate dynamic, but… where was it?? 👀 Because what I got was mostly politics. 🏛️📜💼

Like, I barely got any fantasy vibes at all. 🧙‍♂️❌ The whole soulmate/soulhate concept was supposed to be central, but aside from the main characters and their tingling ✋⚡ it was barely explored. It just felt like a cool idea that got pushed aside for government drama. 🏛️🗳️💬

And the ending?? 🤨 It straight-up felt unfinished. ❌📖 I get that there’s probably a second book, but the first one should still feel somewhat complete, you know? 🤷‍♀️ Instead, I was left feeling like I read half a book. 😤📖➡️

Thanks, NetGalley. 👍🏽👀⭐

This debut novel delivers an intriguing premise: political rivals bound by a supernatural curse, destined to destroy each other. Renza di Maineri, the youngest leader in Halice’s history, faces mounting pressure to prove herself—only to discover that her fiercest competitor, Idris Patricelli, is also her Soulhate, triggering a primal urge for violence whenever they’re near. As scandal and distrust spread, Renza must navigate the treacherous world of politics, power, and fate.

The worldbuilding is solid, and the central conflict between duty and destiny creates real tension. Renza is a compelling protagonist, torn between ambition, responsibility, and an almost uncontrollable force pushing her toward destruction. Idris, though formidable, feels somewhat underdeveloped, making their dynamic less impactful than it could be. The political intrigue is engaging, though at times predictable, and the pacing dips in the middle before regaining momentum toward the end.

While the novel doesn’t break new ground, it’s a strong debut with an interesting twist on rivalries and fate. Fans of political fantasy with a touch of the supernatural may find it enjoyable.

🎶The Other Side – Ruelle
🎶Dynasty – MIIA

A fantastically unique concept! What if you didn’t only have a soul mate (someone to truly be the love of your life) but there is also the opposite a soul hate – a person who evokes feelings so visceral that you literally want to kill them with your bare hands! Throw in a murder plot, with some politics, and you have a story that is gripping and packed full of intrigue. Impossible to put down once you’ve started!

Ech... It took me a lot to finish it. I like the idea, soul mate - soul hate, and the story would be great, but.. it wasn't.
For me, this story is a little bit like a draft - nice, but not polished. A little bit too short, some elements are left unsaid and I feel a bit empty and absolutely no engaged.

Ironically, given the premise of this book, I had a love hate relationship with it. It has some really intriguing elements and a great concept overall, but there were some glaring clues (or plot holes) that I struggled to believe the characters wouldn't have seen immediately. We see Renza as this formidable politician, incredibly clever and kind, but expect her to be both a great investigator and completely oblivious in other regards. It really did her character a disservice. I also found it a shame that as a romantasy, the romance we're meant to be rooting for doesn't exist until near the end of the book and instead we watch another romance unfold (complete with spicy scenes) for a good chunk of the book. Why put me through this? I needed to see more of a connection developing between Renza and her soul hate and from earlier in the book. It wasn't given enough attention in the story to truly develop into anything which I found so frustrating.

On the other hand, I thought the development of the plot, with the political intrigue, the overwhelming obstacles, and a great group of characters teaming up was really good. The premise had great potential, there were simply elements that weren't as well crafted which overshadowed it overall but I enjoyed Hannah Kingsley's writing and would be interested to see what she writes in future.

I receive a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

I wanted to love Soul Hate. The title, the cover, the premise—it all had so much potential. A city-state ruled by seven elected politicians, a soulhate bond (essentially a fated enemies concept), and political intrigue? Exactly my type of story. Unfortunately, what I got was a painfully predictable storyline, one-dimensional characters, and a main character so oblivious I started questioning how she got elected in the first place.

Let’s start with the plot. Soulhate builds up its betrayals and political schemes as if it’s weaving a masterclass in deception, but the problem is, I saw the ‘big twist’ coming by the 35% mark. And that’s being generous. If I, a mere mortal, can see it, how is it possible that Renza—one of the seven people leading this entire city—remains clueless for over half the book? It made it really difficult to stay invested in her journey when she kept making the most painfully obvious mistakes. And when the twists do arrive, the book rushes through them without giving enough time to properly explore the fallout.

The characters were another struggle. Renza and her powerful, intelligent female allies should have been an amazing cast, but they all blurred together. The villains? As predictable as they come. Idris was easily the best part of the book—his travels, his knowledge, his dynamic with Renza—but he’s barely present until halfway through. Worse, the book completely undersells the soulhate concept. It’s one of the main reasons I picked this up, but by the end, I didn’t feel like I understood it any better than I did when I started. Where’s the depth? The tension? The emotional payoff?

Now, a separate issue: this book contains explicit content, yet it’s categorised as Young Adult. This is a conversation I am tired of having—YA is for teens, and explicit content does not belong there. Romance? Sure. Full-on bed gymnastics? Absolutely not. Please, let’s stop advertising adult content to minors.

Things I did enjoy: the setting. Halice felt vivid and well-crafted, and I really liked learning about Idris’ travels. The writing itself is smooth and descriptive, making it easy to follow. But overall, Soulhate just wasn’t for me. It had so much potential, yet missed the mark with its execution.

Though the story's concept is intriguing and exciting, the execution leaves much to be desired. The ARC is riddled with mistakes, from the spelling switching between American and British English (on the same page) to the incorrect homophones. The FMC, Renza, is frustrating and, despite everyone calling her a genius, utterly blind to the true villain (which, if you're an avid reader, should feel obvious from the story's start). The story would have benefited from switching to Indris' POV, who was honestly the more interesting of the two. There are too many characters in play (it's easy to confuse all of Renza's friends, since they barely stand apart). While the prose is strong and captivating, the descriptions eventually becoming exhausting and unnecessary, especially during would-be fast-paced, action-packed scenes. The cover is the strongest element of the entire novel. Ideal for fans of political intrigue stories, Threads That Bind, and Red Queen.

Soul Hate by Hannah Kingsley is a fresh take on fated pairings. Kingsley crafts a new world that feels foreign and intriguing with enough familiarity to feel entirely plausible. Rife with political intrigue, Soul Hate follows Renza, an enigmatic young politician striving to make her own way and advocate for her people, as she grapples with duty, grief, love, and wholly consuming Fate-ordained hatred for her political rival Idris Patricelli. Readers will fall in love with Renza and her people, I can't wait for the next opportunity to dive back into this world!

3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wanted to love this book. The title drew me in— the play on soul mate. I always love a good enemies to lovers. The concept of this book is intriguing over all— soul mate vs soul hate. There’s tension, angst , and a focus on the political dynamics of the world/ characters. This story has so much potential, and I can appreciate the creativity and effort the author put into this work. I would read from this author again.

I picked up this book purely based on the vibes — the description sounded intriguing, and the cover is absolutely stunning. Unfortunately, despite the interesting premise, the story didn’t quite deliver for me.

The book follows Renza di Maineri, the youngest elected leader in her city, who is determined to prove herself and escape her father’s shadow. But her world is turned upside down when she meets Idris Patricelli — her main political rival and her Soulhate, the person she’s fated to destroy. The more time she spends around him, the stronger her violent urges become, threatening her reputation, her leadership, and her grip on herself.

What I liked:

- The premise: The Soulhate concept was fascinating — true enemies with an almost uncontrollable urge to harm each other? That’s a bold twist on the soulmate trope.

- The setting: A faux-Italian world with Italian-inspired names and locations. It made me chuckle, especially since I read most of this while on holiday in Italy.

- The cover: I can’t stress enough how gorgeous cover art is to me.

What didn’t work for me:

- Characterisation: The story is told in first person from Renza’s perspective, but I struggled to connect with her. I found her frustrating, and the supporting characters — including the love interests — felt underdeveloped, making it hard to care about their dynamics.

- Pacing issues: The flow of the story felt inconsistent — either dragging or rushing through key events. Some pivotal moments were so abruptly written that I had to reread sections, thinking I’d missed something.

- Believability: An 18-year-old as a seasoned parliament member? Sure, why not.

- The ending: I didn’t realise this would be a series, so reaching the end without much resolution was a bit of a letdown.

Overall, this book had potential, but the execution fell short for me. However, if you enjoy YA fantasy with a unique enemies dynamic and don’t mind an open-ended conclusion, it might still be worth a try.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Confession time- when I first read the plot of this book, I swore it was a published fanfic. Full of the classic tropes that haunt fanfiction (soulmates!!!), it can be a little disconcerting in moments. The info-dump during the beginning chapters is done a little rapidly- I had to go back and consult details from it several times. The veritable parade of characters can be overwhelming at times. It's not perfect- far from it, in fact, but the story is just so charming that you forget about its' imperfections.
At times, I found the book meandered on certain narrative arcs, particularly around the political relations between the Maineri and Patricelli families. The intricacies of these alliances and betrayals are clearly well thought out but the story lingers too long on these elements, to the point where it disrupts the pacing. For readers eager to explore the emotional development between these characters, the frequent detours into politics may come across as unnecessary or distracting.
The mind-blowing twists, however, were something to behold, and completely changed my opinion of Idris's character.
Renza is a standout protagonist—intelligent, fierce, and determined. Her journey navigating the treacherous politics of Halice while wrestling with the primal urge to destroy Idris is fascinating. The political drama in the book is brilliantly executed, and Kingsley does an incredible job of painting a picture of a city filled with power struggles, moral ambiguity, and shifting alliances. Kingsley has a gift with the intricacies of worldbuilding, constantly drawing in readers with vivid depictions of far-away lands. The scope of her world felt fully realised, vast and foreign compared to the growing familiarity of Halice.
At times, Soul Hate really makes you question whether destiny can truly define relationships, or if free will can change your fate.
Fans of politically charged fantasy with morally gray characters and intricate world-building will absolutely devour Soul Hate. If you're looking for a book that combines political intrigue with unique twist on the romance genre, then Soul Hate is a must-read. Kingsley has created something truly special, and I can't wait to see where the story goes next.

3.5 stars.

Everyone has a soulmate and a soulhate. Soulmates are associated with intense feeling of love but soulhates are associated with a burning rage that almost blinds them. Of course, there is no guarantees that the paths cross of either one. BUT if the soulhates do cross paths... The typical way to handle soulhates is to have a duel to the death. There are stories of those that fight fate, but they don't have good outcomes.

Renza is a strong willed, clever girl that loves her city, Halice, and serves as an elected leader.
Idris is a... shoot, I don't know how to explain him. Highly educated... thoughtful... takes control of his life... passionate about Halice also.
Both of their families are widely respected throughout Halice so when these two become recognized as soulhates, they have to work together without killing one another to maintain their reputations.

This book is mainly political intrigue which was not what I was expecting, so it took a little bit of time to settle into that. Once I did, I was fully invested.
The premise of the story is wonderful. I would have liked to have had some dual POV to know what's going on in Idris head because some things just don't quite make sense and I'm unsure why. I feel like his perspective could have helped iron that out.
The pacing is steady throughout, but the end just... came fast. It feels like pieces were missing.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for an advanced reader copy of this book.

What a nice and unique concept has Hannah Kingsley come up with! The idea of soul mates in fantasy/romantasy books is not new (but still concept I love to read) but Hannah here introduces a counterpart, a soulhate, a person you are destined to destroy. In the world Hannah created each person has god given soulmate and soulhate, and her story focus on Renza (FMC) who meets her soulhate Irids (MMC). Both are children of political leaders within the same city, who run in the same political circles now.

I enjoyed the nuances Hannah managed to put in the book and how she plays with the ideas of soulmates and soulhates and how those fates might not be as straightforward as we think. This really made the story work in my opinion.

There are quite a few plot twists in the book, however some of them were quite predictable. The political system that Hannah created was neat and interesting and I am looking forward to learn more about that.

My biggest flaw with this book is however that it is marketed as a romantasy, and while I can definitely see it developing in one in book 2 (fingers crossed), this book falls in my opinion more under a political fantasy with a romance subplot that mostly starts around 2/3 of the book. But I see the potential for the romance to develop more later. Moreover, I hope that in the next book we will have some chapters from the point of view of Irids as I feel that this could have strengthened the book a lot.

But all in all I think this is a good start of a new series that will fall well with fans of books such as the Cruel prince or Shatter me.

3.5 stars from me :)

DNF at 20%. I can see some people liking this but the world building isn’t gripping whatsoever and it was hard to get into because of the writing.

DNF at 10%

I did not like all the politics in the beginning of the book. It was too much for my liking, and couldnt get past it.

I know the book is YA, but it gave major YA writing vibes which I'm not the biggest fan of. This book has good potential for the right reader.

Thank you, NetGalley so much for the eARC and opportunity!

I did enjoy this book and I thought the writing was really good. But this was way too political for me, I wanted more fantasy/romance elements but it just didn’t do it for me.

I did like the writing style though and it flowed well. I would definitely read more from this author. I may reread this as I have been in a big book slump so will try again and see if my opinion changes when I’m not feeling slumpy :).

For a debut novel this had some really good things: the idea about soul hate and the premise of the story. The moment I read the synopsis I wanted to get my hands on this!

I enjoyed the political aspect of the book although I didn't quite expect there would be so much of it, but it was the best part and what kept me reading. However, we very quickly came to problems that made me give this three stars: the confusing time period. My mind kept putting it into ancient Roman times, but then we had modern stuff and ideology that just confused the heck out of me. Second thing is that sadly the main pairing comes together way late in the book and without knowing this wasn't a standalone, that was also really confusing. And... Sadly, I didn't like our FMC.

I also didn't vibe with the writing style but that's more of a personal preference, so that wasn't included in the rating. I wish I would have liked this more and be able to rate it higher because the original idea of a soul hate is just really really good.

First of all, thank you for an arc possiblity! I am forever grateful.
On to the review: this book could have been an EASY PEASY 5 star read. I loved and immediately applied when i saw 'What if you fall for the one you are destined to destroy?" IM SOLD. AMAZING.
I loved the introduction to our worldbuilding. You are destined to your soulmate and soulhate. One to marry one to kill. So far great. I could never asked for a better introduction.
Our characters were also doing fine(I guess?) Nuois would be as cute and protective as i wanted my male leads and Idris was the complete oppositte. Renza was also very smart and hardworking, being the youngest electi. LOVED HER CHARACTER!

But then things get slightly complicated when Idris and Renza are forced to work together. They could not stand each other. Want to destroy and rip each other's throats. And the way Nouis was acting? No suspicious AT ALL.

But come on. This was more about the politics and saving the city instead of the fates. If the worldbuilding is based on a magical myth, i would like to see how that develops. Unfortunately we got none of that except that it was tingling on their skin and they felt dizzy bla bla. I dont even know if they have actually fallen for each other. Have they? WHERE????

Lets assume they did, how does this affect the fate? Jusr because they eliminated the thread doesnt mean they are not soulhates anymore. What do you mean they will have to learn to live like that? Unfortunately it is sad that the author did not come up with a solution to that...

Talking about eliminating the threat, what was that ending... I loved the scene where Renze focused on the threat while Idris rang the bells but oh come on why would they leave it so unguarded if it was so important? I think the ending was slightly rushed and not clearly explained.
While that being said, there were so many unnecesary details.. Whats with the Askerler company? Just because they shut the gates they just turn around and go back? Sorry, not really realistic.

Lets unwind a little. I absolutely devoured this book. THough i would do some changes to clear up misunderstandings, it was overall a very nice read <<<333333