Ever since her mother died, Harper has had rules to protect her twin brother Cole and herself especially since she had to take on the mothering aspect as her father only really wanted her brother. As Harper got older, those rules continued to grow and now in her senior year she has 537 rules and her life is on track to graduating top of her class and heading to Law school. That is until Sterling Lane rocks up to their boarding school and throws her whole life out of whack from the very first day. No matter where she goes, he is there and it's about to get worst as he is rooming and now best friends with her brother Cole. As the book goes along and Sterling pushes all of Ali's buttons, no-one seems to believe he is the bad influence and they are making it out to her being an over sensitive girl. When Cole gets into trouble and it starts to drown him, Harper believes this is Sterling's doing and sets out to ruin him and get him out of her perfectly constructed life for good. Though along the way, we see Sterling isn't exactly the bad guy that Harper has painted him to be and despite their constant pranks and revenge on each other, the pair both have the same end goal in mind - to save Cole from the hole he has dug himself into. Throughout the novel, we also see sparks fly between Sterling and Harper as she is the only one who doesn't put up his rubbish. Will Harper's distaste and hate for Sterling Lane change into love along the way? Find out in this fun angsty love/hate relationship novel featuring Harper and Sterling in Ingrid Paulson's YA novel "Why I Loathe Sterling Lane".

Loved it! It's a cute and fun read. The dialogue was great and smooth. The author's witty voice is great.

This was such a good book! I found it to be cute and quirky but I could not just like the main character. Sure, she had some redeeming moments but I mostly found her to be immature.

This is a great example as to why you should never give up on a book. For the first few chapters, all I wanted to do was quit. The main character, Harper, was the most annoying characters I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time. In the end, my view completely changed of her and I see why the author made her so unlikeable in the beginning. It was such great character development. Sterling was pretty cool, I'll admit and I enjoyed seeing him ruffle up Harper's feathers.

I always love the twin concept in books and life in general. Harper is a twin and other half of her brother, Cole. Who I might add, has gotten himself into some deep crap. It's up to Harper, of course, to save him. The love that Harper has for her brother was probably my favorite part of the whole book. You could tell how much she wanted to help and save him, even when he didn't want her to. Aside from me thinking she was annoying, she's actually pretty clever, quirky, and at times we were able to see her vulnerable side. I always like seeing all the ways a character can show us the good, the bad, and the ugly.

By the last page, I thought it was a nice, sweet YA romance. If you're looking for something sweet and light by not too heavy, this is the perfect read.

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Well, this is just a wonderful contemporary from Ingrid! It’s the first book of hers that I have read, although I have Valkyrie Rising on my bookshelf. This book reminded me some of Sara Wolf’s Lovely Vicious series, which, if you’ve read my reviews recently, you know I love and cherish with all my heart. There was a similar enemies-to-friends-to-possibly-more element to the plot, but Ingrid definitely had her own spin on that timeless contemporary theme. It was written so well, in fact, that I truly didn’t know for at least half the book whether this would be an enemies-to-lovers story or not - and I’m not going to spill the beans here and tell you whether or not it is!

At first I thought Harper was great, albeit unusual, and I too loathed Sterling Lane! Harper is definitely a quirky and unique character, and she did take some getting used to. She is a bit of an outcast, although perfectly happy with that, as she is more comfortable with her 537 rules than she is with any of her classmates. When her twin brother, Cole, gets into some trouble, she is bound and determined to take care of him – that is, after all, Rule 1: take care of her brother. It was the promise she made to her mother before she died, and Harper lives and breathes to make sure that first rule is always adhered to. Unfortunately, she has to figure out whether Cole’s new roommate, Sterling Lane, will be a help or a hindrance in her quest to save her brother.

I loved Harper’s growth throughout the book, and I loved the interplay between her and her temporary roommate Kendall, a girl who is about 180 degrees from Harper. Harper comes to realize that people are not always what they may seem on the surface, whether it’s Kendall, Cole, Parker, Sterling, or herself. There is great character development in this book, and I really love the feel I got from it. I think it teaches us all some lessons, without being preachy or obvious and having great fun at the same time.

I highly recommend this book to fans of contemporary YA, fans of quirky and unusual characters, anyone who identifies with a list-maker and rule-follower like Harper, and fans of potentially douchey but also infuriatingly gorgeous leading men! Thanks so much to Entangled Teen for the early copy of the e-book, and to Chapter by Chapter for including me on the blog tour. This review is purely voluntary on my part.

Rating: 4 stars for 537 (or is that 538??*) Rules!

*You’ll understand this when you read it ;-)

Three Reasons to Read Why I Loathe Sterling Lane

Kendall's dynamic with Harper - they're two completely different people who hate each other at a distance by the mere idea of the person. Seeing Kendall and Harper getting thrown together and their friendship develop is personally my favorite part of reading the book.

Enemies to Lovers - I'm usually not a fan of this trope, but I'm not really complaining since Sterling makes Harper less of a stick in the mud as she may appear to be early on in the book.

Admittedly, I'm also watching Boys Over Flowers, which is way too cute and hilarious.

The format - Each chapter is based off a rule Harper’s that she came up with from early in her life. I think it gave a better understanding of who Harper was and what kinds of rules she had in her life (that would definitely be something I would want to know if they weren't mentioned).

Overall: Why I Loathe Sterling Lane is a slow book to love, but the story picks up after a few rough patches and is perfect for those who enjoy a love-hate relationship between love interests.

I love stories where the main romance is a hate to love romance. They are my favorite type of romances followed closely by romances that build between people who have been friends for ever. So that aspect alone was a selling point in me picking this book up and was by far my favorite part about this book.

When Harper first meets Sterling Lane she feels he will be a bad influence on her twin brother Cole and also he is just an obnoxious pain but as she gets to know him further she slowly becomes friends with him (and believe me she is baffled by this sudden development). I love how Harper and Sterling complement each other, they were both what the other person needed. I love that they play pranks with each other back and forth (even though it started out as something more serious than funny pranks). I love while both characters did change from knowing each other it wasn’t a drastic change so it might it more believable.

Now Harper isn’t the most likeable character but she ends up growing on you a bit. It’s not just something I experienced as a reader but also something that the other characters in the book experience, namely Kendall, Harper’s roommate. I liked Kendall and I felt like her proximity and growing relationship to Harper helped her be more comfortable being herself and overall I really enjoyed their relationship. But like I said, Harper isn’t the most likeable character so it was hard for me to feel for her when she was going through basically any of the problems that she was dealing with. While I did grow to like her more by the end of the book than I did in the beginning of the book it wasn’t by much

This book had the possibility of rating higher with me but for the simple fact that I didn’t like the main character and thus it fell a little flat for me.

I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars

Why I Loathe Sterling Lane was so much fun to read! It's got everything in it that makes enemies-to-lovers so much fun to read: snarky comebacks, laugh out loud one-upmanship, surprise kisses, and partial public nudity--really, what more could one want? ;)

When Harper and her 537 Rules (yes, she capitalizes it--Every. Time.) meet chronic rule-breaker and smoother-than-a-politician truth stretcher Sterling, brace yourself for impact. Their prank war was absolutely epic (and really makes me want to do some experimenting with a classic British Mini Cooper and Mini Moe #2's future dorm room--though if that one didn't work, I'd be beyond bummed. Surely the author did her research there?) I loved that Sterling, Cole, Kendall, and Parker were able to help Harper to finally loosen up and start living her life--almost as much as I adored the fact that his competition with Harper in turn inspired Sterling to start making more of an effort in life. A true example of opposites bringing out the best in each other. As Kendall puts it, "The two of you are just--bizarrely, diametrically opposite, but that makes you fit together somehow."

Truth.

I will absolutely sign up to see whatever Ms. Paulson has in store for us next! Her unique writing style kept me turning the pages, highlighting passages and reading out loud to random passersby, dying to see what Harper and Sterling Lane were going to do next.

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

n an Oyster Shell – It’s a provocative relationship between Harper and Sterling that keeps life interesting.

The Pearls – The rules of Harper life make it an interesting one. It’s super rigid and ripe for someone to come stir things up like Sterling. Sterling does just that and it makes for an entertaining read.

The characters were strong and distinctive. Harper was a league all on her own. She was a well-developed character with lots of quirks to make her memorable. Sterling was good bad boy. Kept things interesting all the time.

The romance was intriguing. It really was a love hate relationship. It was a push and pull until it went all the way. It was a really fun part of the book. It was interwoven into the story beautifully so it didn’t take over but was a nice addition.

The Sand – Harper was a bit rigid as a character.

I know I'm probably the only one saying this but... DNF-ing this book at 48%. I found the heroine really annoying and the love-hate romance just wasn't working out for me anymore.
I do think this could have been a really great book. Maybe this is one of those "it's not the book it's me" moments. I guess I was just not in the mood for this kind of book. I feel really terrible to end up not liking this because I feel like in any other circumstance I would love this. I MIGHT pick this up again but for now to the DNF shelf it goes.

I received an e-arc to read and review.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
5 Frustrating Stars

Ingrid Paulson is a new-to-me author, one I plan on keeping my eye on for future young adult novels.

Harper is the female half of a pair of fraternal twins who go to boarding school. Harper is definitely a type-A personality. With the death of her mother, the need to keep her twin safe (Cole is a free-spirit who is gullible and sees the best in everyone), and the need to prove herself worthy to a misogynistic father. Harper has a list of rules she abides by, is one of the most stubborn heroines I've read to-date, and doesn't have a single cell in her body screaming TSTL (too stupid to live) or damsel-in-distress. She's a force to be reckoned with and makes no apologies for it.

Sterling is a bad boy with a good heart – bit of a rich, misunderstood d-bag. Sterling is Cole's new roommate, and he and Harper do NOT start on the best of terms.

What unfolds on the pages of this love-hate novel (one of the first which truly brings on the hate) frustrated me to no end. So frustrated, I was reading feverishly, while white-knuckling my Kindle from the need to reach in and strangle both Sterling and Harper. This isn't chemistry, tension, and foreplay, at least not at first. It's true hate. I was so frustrated for Harper on every front, but I couldn't help but understand and like Sterling. Cole... oh, brother – Cole. *sigh* Ms. Paulson, please write a follow-up with Cole – I want to see someone knock some sense into him.

Harper and Sterling, they were both wrong. All. The. Time.

The frustration finally abated as our antagonists started working together instead of against each other, and I was able to relax. The pages didn't fly by as quickly, I wasn't snapping at anyone who broke my concentration, but I enjoyed how it did start to feel like foreplay instead of grounds for premeditated murder.

Mad props to the author for the level of frustration I felt. Harper was a right-fighter, no matter how wrong she may have been, and it bothered me how her voice wasn't heard in the beginning. I've been there – often – and it made me feel connected to Harper, even when she was going beyond the realm of rationality.

I don't wish to give plot points out, so I'm being vague. Side characters: there weren't many, but they added to the storyline, allowing Harper and Sterling to shine. I also appreciated how there was no 'girl-shaming.' Harper was one type of girl, and her roommate another, and Harper made sure no one disrespected Kendall for being a girly girl or thought her unintelligent because of it.

Highly recommended to fans of the young adult genre and the love-hate premise.

Young Adult age-range: 14+ due to swearing, drug & alcohol usage, and mild sexual situations (making-out).

Why I Loathe Sterling Lane is a young adult contemporary romance by Ingrid Paulson. Why I Loathe Sterling Lane felt kind of like 10 Things I hate about you, which is a movie that I love. It was a really fun read, and I would love to see more from these characters. Why I Loathe Sterling Lane is a standalone novel, but I really want to see a second book, maybe when Harper and Sterling are in college. That would be a lot of fun.


Why I Loathe Sterling Lane is the story of Harper and Sterling. It is told from Harper’s point of view. Harper lives her life by a crazy, and rigid set of rules. Sterling Lane comes blowing into her life and throws all of her rules into chaos. I got a total kick out of Harper and Sterling. They were so similar it was kind of scary. I liked that they recognized that in one another as well. One of my favorite parts of the book was when Sterling turns to Harper after she just executed her revenge prank, and instead of getting mad he said, well I’m surprised. I had no idea we would be friends. It just cracked me up because they totally loved riling each other up, and watching them admit that to themselves was great.

There were a couple of things that irked me about the book. The first was the cover model. I love the cover of Why I Loathe Sterling Lane, but the young lady did not match the description of Harper and that bugged me. Harper is supposed to have very short choppy dark hair and green eyes. The girl on the cover has medium brown long and brown eyes. I just wished the cover artist did a better job matching, but other than that the cover is beautiful. It is very much a style that I love. The second thing was as much as I loved the enemy portion of Harper and Sterling’s relationship, I really wanted to see more of the romance. The romance that was included was great but it was smashed into the end of the book. I want more. Like I said earlier, I really want another book now that Sterling and Harper have realized that they like one another. I think with the two of them, it would be so much fun.

Harper is a good sister. Sure, she is crazy and uptight, but she really cares about her brother and she would clearly do anything for him. Harper got such a bad rep in the book for being crazy, and while she did have her tendencies and she certainly went way too far a time or two, I think she was misunderstood. I really liked her, and I wished that her brother was a little better to her in the start of the story. She was constantly on his side, and it seemed like he was quick to see the worst in Harper and that bummed me out. But their dynamic got a lot better as the story went on and we got to see just how deep the stuff her brother was involved in. Then everything made a lot more sense.

Bottom line: Why I Loathe Sterling Lane was a fun, antics and prank filled enemies romance that I stayed up late into the night to finish. I really enjoyed this one. It was a little over the top at times, but it was always a lot of fun. There was a great romance thrown in but it doesn’t develop until pretty late in the story, so just hang on and wait for it. I would love to see another book in the series featuring Harper and Sterling. They are truly a perfect match.

Harper has 537 rules for her life and believes all should be followed for everything to be perfect. Her rules cause a few fights with her twin brother, Cole and her nickname at school is "Harper the Hag". When Sterling Lane enters her life, he is constantly breaking her rules. She is furious and wants to stay as far away from him as possible at all times. There's just one problem. He is Cole's roommate and the two of them quickly become friends. Will Harper be able to stay away from Sterling? Will he be able to show her that sometimes in order to really live you have to break your rules?

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I immediately had a dislike for Harper because she comes across as really uptight with all of her rules. If the character development hadn't been excellent throughout, I don't think I would have finished this book. As it is really well done, I ended up being okay with Harper by the end. I'll admit I was rooting for Sterling the whole time with how he would rile Harper up. I could tell he would eventually win her over. This was a good YA romance.

This book has been pitched as a Paris Gellar contemporary YA romance and I couldn't agree more. It's a love-hate rivals romance with a prank war and a frustratingly attractive boy who sparks with the heroine, who's type A and driven. The premise of this book isn't really out there or new, which initially made me wary until I picked up this book and was surprised by how quickly I became invested. Harper is a rather prickly heroine, with her rigid rules and single-minded devotion, but her love for her brother is one of her soft spots. Sterling Lane, the new kid in school, poses a threat in her opinion, and it kicks off some devious pranks that I quite enjoyed.

The pranks were an aspect that was fun and daring to read and imagine, as I was impressed by the ingenuity both Harper and Sterling showed when it came to besting each other. They were clever and fun, while being realistic, and I will say I almost dropped my jaw in admiration at a few of them.

Something I've always found annoying in these types of stories is when the heroine is too intent on destroying her rival that she crosses a line, but is never called out. Why I Loathe Sterling Lane manages to avoid this, and I loved how Sterling is a worthy opponent in that he gives as good as he takes from Harper.

Of course, one of my favorite aspects is the romance. Harper and Sterling have chemistry from the start, but the banter they had was sharp and witty, perfect for antagonistic relationship they shared. Sterling is a charming and arrogant, but it melds well with Harper's self-righteous and earnest nature. Despite his devil care nature, I was pleased by how insightful Sterling was when it came to Harper, and seeing Harper come to terms with that was wonderful. They both crackle around each other, and I can just imagine them getting fired up whenever they either argue or make out haha.

"The two of you are just--bizarrely, diametrically opposite, but that makes you fit together somehow."

Overall if you're looking for a satisfying contemporary YA romance with a love-hate dynamic, Why I Loathe Sterling Lane is sure to please.

I am so happy that Ingrid Paulson is back to YA with a stellar YA contemporary. I have missed books that are set in a boarding school, so this was an absolute delight to read. Add to that a hate to love romance that was done beautifully, I was thrilled with the execution of this book. Why I Loathe Sterling Knight tells the story of Harper, a staunch rule-follower, who is very much of a determined, and hardworking young woman. Though I know some people will struggle with her from time to time, I really enjoyed Harper's character because I saw bits and pieces of myself in her. Despite how rule-driven and no-nonsense she is, she's a young woman with a lot of vulnerabilities, that she tries not to show in public. Her devotion and love for her twin, Cole, was one of the highlights of the story for me. The whole plot of Why I Loathe Sterling Knight was centered around this bond of theirs, though it faces some rough obstacles. I wasn't always keen on Cole's side shenanigans, to be honest, but it wasn't enough to take away from my enjoyment of the story. Sterling was the complete opposite of Harper. He drove me mad in the beginning, but I slowly warmed up to his character as his intentions were revealed. His and Harper's dynamic was full of hate-to-love banter and I loved it. The romance definitely had a slow-burn quality to it that I enjoyed. I'm sometimes iffy about hate-to-love romances because they can be toxic if not written properly, but with Harper and Sterling, it was done very well. The pranks they pull each other, the witty back-and-forth dialogue and the chemistry between the two were great! Definitely add Why I Loathe Sterling Knight to your TBR if you're a fan of unique heroines, and heroes who push their buttons.

I absolutely LOVED this! Harper, Kendall and Sterling were all just such great characters, and the Mini Cooper prank was priceless. I'm not usually a fan of the hate-love kind of relationship but this was just done SO WELL. At the start I too loathed Sterling Lane, what an obnoxious jerk, but then he also started to grow on me and I found it absolutely infuriating because then he'd go and be a jerk again and argh. Ace writing and awesomely fun story! :)

I love YA fiction and so I was really excited to have the chance to review Why I Loathe Sterling Lane. The book is sweet and the characters are quirky, which meant I loved this book! :)

The book's pacing starts off a bit slow, but once the author set the scene and gave some background on the characters the pace picked up. Harper is hilarious and yet strong, and she sort of reminded me of a character that Emma Watson would play. And Sterling was just frustrating enough to be believable and redeemable. Together they made a great pair and the situations they found themselves in (or created for one another) were laugh-out-loud funny.

I'm definitely looking forward to the next Ingrid Paulsen book!

DNF 14% - Let me counter the title: why I loathe books that portray smart girls as being uptight, rigid, b-words. It's not realistic. It's demeaning. It reduces smart girls to a disgusting stereotype. It makes it seem like being a smart female isn't something to aspire to. It makes being smart seem less desirable in a romantic partner. It claims that girls can't be smart and nice and a normal functioning human. Books like this make me SO MAD. Granted, I only read a small fraction of this book, so maybe the author was able to repair all the damage she caused in the first 14% of her book in the last 86%. But I wasn't willing to hang around to find out.

4 “10 Things I Hate About You Feels!” Stars

ARC via NetGalley

Thank you, Entangled Teen.

This book is addictive, hot and gave me major flashback to late 90’s/beginning of 2000’s. If you were a teenager then, you’ll understand why.

Before Heath Ledger became the Joker on that Batman movie, he was a bad boy teenager full of attitude in a movie called Ten Things I Hate About You. I love this movie. Like, LOVE LOVE, so if you haven’t watched it yet, fix it!

For me, Sterling Lane took me back to Ledger’s character. And Harper Campbell, the main character in this book, instantly reminded me of Julia Style’s character in that movie.

Smart, sassy and protective of her sibling, Harper sees new student and known troublemarker Sterling Lane as an unwanted distraction. She has her entire school year (and possibly her life) planned out and she follows an impressive set of rules that will lead her toward success. As far as Harper is concerned, Sterling is the personification of a rule breaker and she wants nothing to do with him.

It doesn’t help that Sterling’s charms (and his family’s influence) prevent him from getting in trouble even when he teases their teachers, lie to everyone’s faces, tries to pay her to do his school work and breaks all sorts of rules. Harper instantly sees him as an enemy. A situation that only gets worse when she discovers he’s sharing a dorm room with her twin brother.

As Harper’s brother starts getting in trouble, she blames Sterling’s influence. But Harper doesn’t stop at that, she tries to get Sterling out of the way by exposing him. That makes Sterling notice her and their little hating/revenge game start.

Watching those two go at each other is half the fun. The other half is watching them try not to be all over each other since their hate looks a little too close to attraction and passion.

The puns and teasing and straight-out insane things they come up with to get even are pretty funny, even if some of them are borderline absurd. I didn’t care. I was too busy turning pages, desperate for me.

The dynamic once again reminded me of that teen movie I was obsessed with.

Sterling was sexy and loved to get under Harper’s skin, but she didn’t stay behind. Girlfriend was a force to be reckoned with. She wasn’t afraid to say the truth and she wasn’t about to turn into someone else just because she didn’t fit some pretty mold.

Something I appreciated was that Harper’s arc didn’t end up changing her into someone else. Sure she learned a thing or two about making friends and being more approachable, but she didn’t become a different person because of that.

The romance was HOT, HOT, HOT and swoony.

The enemies to lover trope was played to almost perfection here. I adored their bantering and how they fought against their chemistry, which was off the charts, and how powerful it was when they gave in.

I got my happy ending, but I thought it ended a bit abruptly. Maybe that’s just me wanting more of them because I seriously couldn’t get enough. I read this in one sitting and was eager for more. Now that it’s done, I’ll go watch Ten Things I Hate About You for the millionth time.

**Amazon review is live**

**4.5 Stars**
Harper likes her life of structure and rules, where the only things that matter are her grades and her brother Cole. When new student Sterling shows up and starts messing with her careful world, as well as turning her brother against her, Harper does what she must to stand up to him. But when her brother is in trouble, Harper will do anything to help him, even if it means working with her enemy- Sterling.

This was such a cute, incredibly fun read. I flew through the pages in one afternoon, in a single sitting because I was enjoying myself too much to stop. Ingrid makes such quirky characters that felt like real people, full of depth and complexity, but still young and fun. Add in a surprising plot, and I was hooked. I thought this was just going to be one of those pseudo-enemies to romance things, but that was not this book. Sure, there was some maliciousness and pranks to get to the end result of a romance, but the story was also a mystery that needed to be solved as well as some over the top, laugh out load antics. I will say, this story kind sorta made me wish that I went to a boarding school in high school... My favorite part was that the story was not weighed down by the typical angst that surrounds teen books- sure, there was moments of sadness and real life honesty, but it did not get in the way of the hijinks and plot.

Harper was great. She was so strict and precise, having such a hard time with any deviations in her plans. But at the same times she was honest, and she never tried to hurt anyone or be unkind, she was just blunt. But then her relationship with Kendall was the best, most honest friendship ever, and actually my favorite parts of the book was the banter between the two of them. For a girl who has no experience with having friends, she was the best type of friend. Her people skills are atrocious, but I find that a endearing trait. She never wanted to hurt anyone, but the truth was a weapon in her hands.

Sterling was much harder to pin down as a character, I would have loved to have a dual perspective with his narration thrown in because I do love myself a romance told from both the love-interest's point of view. I was convinced he was a class a jerk, but them these rare moments of uncertainty and care came through, for example when talking to his grandmother, helping Cole, the hurt of seeing Harper kiss Parker... He had a soul buried deep down there, covered in layers of sarcasm, pranks and intelligence. I liked that he was not actually a player, he just appeared that way, because it would have been harder to root for him if he had been a player to start with. The first moment that I realized I was team Sterling was when he realized that he and Harper were friends. Let's just say he has a strange way of classifying friendship.

I was highly entertained by this book, way more than I first had expected to be. This is my second book by Ms. Paulson and I enjoy her writing style as well as the people and the plots she creates. I look forward to more stories from her, and I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a fun teen romance (and read the dedication- it was the short and to the point, but so hysterical).

I received this title in return for my honest review. For more reviews visit my blog at http://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/