I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.

Not terrible but nothing memorable either. A next door neighbor/lovers story where the boy leaves to chase his dreams and breaks the girls heart.

typical romance of a boy meets girl, it was a miss for me, but I think most people would enjoy it. Just read as boring from the start.

3.5/4 stars




A really great surprise. I was new to this author.

This book is easy to read, the characters were consistent, there was a lot of humor with all those pranks, but also a great amount of drama and sexual tension, added to Frankie and Austin’s past, the whole story was beautiful.

The flashbacks worked very well for me too, I just wished I had a little more in the end, maybe more scenes of both Frankie and Austin in the future, or more steamy stuff, but this story was really great and made me want to read the previous books in the series, which means the author did a great job!

The secret was so painfully obvious. Bleh.

The reveal was heartfelt though. Austin's heartbreak and anguish.

DNF though. Skipped ahead. Got bored at 18%. Slow pacing, Frankie and Austin sort of annoying.

Ahh…the feel of being young and in love. When you’re seventeen the whole world is at your feet and you just know you’re going to love and marry the boy next door. He’s been there for your entire life and you cannot imagine are you are going to end up with someone else. Life gets in the way you become an adult and you drifted apart. Both of you have your own lives and go your separate ways. You love and care for new people. But what happens when fate brings you back together now that you are adults? What happens when the boy next door turns into the man of your dreams? Well if you’re Frankie DiGorgio you make the best of the situation and turn a summer full of hard labor into a labor of love!

The Breakdown:
Even though this book was third in a series, I found that you could read it as a standalone and not have missed anything crucial. We all know that one boy that held our hearts when we didn’t know what love was and then something happened and all your dreams of marrying the boy next door or in your small town don’t come true. But unfortunately for Frankie in Austin, their path led to them not being fond of each other afterlife got in their way. So in Frankie has to move back home to fix up her house and finds Austin next-door they soon revert to their old ways – pranking each other! Only now it’s more intense because they’re adults have more opportunities to plotted out. Even though Austin seems to hold his hatred first and foremost for Frankie, her quick wit and hilarious personality soon start to win him over even if it is against his will.
The author does a fantastic job of building a world that is easy to fall into and characters that are easy to love. Her style of writing is fine and flirty and I didn’t want the book to end. There’s also a great deal of sexual tension and plot build that will leave the reader breathless.
The Characters Whom I Fell In Love With!
Frankie was the best heroine of any romance book that I have read thus far this year. I could easily relate to her sarcastic and prank-filled ways! I easily could relate to all of the angst and the feeling that come up when you’re first true love resurfaces in your life. All of the hurt, the secrets, and the pain are hard to edge out so it was great to see Frankie using her pranks to further heal her heart. I quickly found that I had a huge girl crush on Frankie and wanted to be her very best friend!
Then there’s Austin- I need a fan because its hot in here! Every time there’s a hot male nerd in a romance story, I find that they quickly become my new book boyfriend! Austin is the exact opposite of Frankie which is what makes them so attracted to each other. While she is extroverted and full of life, Austin is quiet and reserved and holds more patients than any one man should be able to.
Conclusion:
I think the story hit home for me because I was in a similar situation as Frankie and Austin with my first true love. We grew up next to each other and quickly became best friends. I also thought that would be my forever, but fate wasn’t so kind to our love. Which looking back is okay! I’m happy that I’m not a part of their train wreck of a life! So, reading about Frankie and Austin really help me come full circle and imagine what it could’ve been like had life being kinder to the both of us.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a huge fan of romance and of finding your way through the heartache and pain to find your happily ever after.
Thank you so much, NetGalley and to the author Christine Manzarie for approving this binge-worthy book for me to read! I was not disappointed!

*I received and ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It is extremely possible that I now have a huge girl crush on Frankie DiGorgio. With her stubborn, determined mindset not to mention she was hilarious and dubbed the Queen of Pranks by me. She was the perfect heroine.
Austin Stone....SWOON!! He was perfect! He was pretty much everything Frankie wasn't and yet they were absolutely perfect for each other. He was so patient, and passionate, did I mention he was a SUPER nerd, which pretty much makes him perfect.
This story gave me all the feels as it follows Frankie and Austin throughout childhood into adolescence and into their early twenties, and the mistakes they made along the way and how they found their way back to each other.
This book was the perfect mix of emotional, funny, and sexy with just the right amount of angst.
If you love a good second chance romance, new adult romance, or just a really good book This is for you.

Happy Reading Booksies!

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down and literally walked around my house reading and doing house work at the same time. I realized this is the 3rd book in the series, I went and purchased the first two from amazon, I look forward to reading them. I loved that Frankie is such a strong, fiesty character and Austin the sensitive, loving, musician.

I definitely didnt hate Hated, and I’m
Not sure who could. Hated was really great, the story was great and had just enough brooding to make you swoon and dislike at the same time. The characters all went really well together and the story flowed together nicely.

Wow! Plot twists all over the place. How can I even start to describe his book other than it's awesome and I highly recommend you read it!! I added you to my favorite author list! I can't wait to read more!!

I really enjoyed Christine’s Hooked but found both Hitched and Hated were DNF for me. I don’t know what changed really but neither held my attention and come 25% (my general cur off for books if I am not enjoying them) I didn’t feel invested enough to read further. Both books have been liked and loved by other readers so I do feel think is a case of ‘Its me, not you’.

This book just wasn't for me and I could not finish reading it.

It's no secret this is my favorite type of book. Second chance love with enemies back to lovers. I'm a huge sucker for it and this was done beautifully, I loved the plot, the characters, man I want my own Austin. Frankie is my favorite kind of heroine feisty with a good heart. The story progressed well, I felt Frankie and Austins pain and I was fully invested in their happiness.
This story spans from Frankie and Austin 's childhood to now, a few points I got choked up and poor Austin. I haven't truly enjoyed many stories I've read recently but this one broke that trend.

If you enjoy sweet second chance loves with a bit of spice and venom then this is the book for you.

The storyline was well written and the characters were so well described and developed but unfortunately they do not feal real for me. But enjoyable and worth the read.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

This is a fantastic second chance romance, This is the third book in the series but can easily be read as a standalone, but if I was you I would read the other books so they are just as good as this one.This is Frankie and Austin's story I just loved these two when they were younger they were best friends that lead to more.Now back in there home town they hate each other Austin just cannot get over her leaving him without even saying goodbye.I just loved this some of the pranks they pulled on each other had me laughing out loud.A super addition to the series.

Hated is the perfect kind of NA read that doesn't come around too often. I've found with NA I either get children who act as if they're still young teens - immature, spiteful and bratty or would be adults who act as if they think they're mature and try to embody what they think adults are. But, Hated is different. Sure Austin and Frankie are young, and have youthful energy and even act somewhat immature at times. Hello, their prank wars are classic teen behavior, but oh so funny and witty! But, at their core, they are just themselves in a refreshing way. Considering that they were once best friends, and first loves, they can be themselves with each other. There's no trying to be someone else here. No hiding things (with the exception of Frankie's big, pretty predictable, secret). They're just themselves and I appreciate that.

Frankie and Austin were once best friends, best friends who became lovers, first loves. She was the sweet tomboy with older brothers, and he was the twin, nerdy cello playing prodigy. 4 years ago he and his twin left for an important performance in Vegas, but Frankie never showed up. Now in the present, she's happy, but sad, to see that Austin has moved back into his childhood home next to her nana's home, the home she's back in, fixing it up to sell in order to pay for nana's nursing home care. When she hears loud music one night and she goes next door to ask him to keep it down, she's surprised (not really) to see that Austin hates her. When she reacts by pranking him, the war is on and things will never be the same for them. As secrets come out, can Austin ever forgive Frankie? Can they move past the secret and the betrayal by one of the people who should have had his back, and make a relationship work?

I'll admit Frankie's secret was pretty predictable, but the way it's handled is flawless. And both Frankie and Austin's reactions were spot on for their age and their circumstances. There's a touch of angst here, after all, it is NA fiction, but nothing too OTT, a lot of funny, and the sexual tension between the two is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Waiting for it to explode was delicious. And when it did spark? Whew! If you like your NA romances with sassy, sweet, independent heroines, broody, sexy heroes and prank wars to keep you laughing, I highly recommend you 1 click Hated today

You will love this neighbors to friends to lovers to second chances fun read. You will meet Frankie and Austin – who grew up next to each other but four years ago something happened to tear them apart (actually a couple somethings). You cannot help but fall in love with both of them as you go through what has lead up to them meeting up again.

There will be tears and there will the laughter (think glitter and pink pong balls) and hopefully in the end you will come out with a smile.

Hated by Christine Manzari didn't completely knock my socks off, but it's engaging and I am always excited to read a new romance.

The two main characters, motocross racer Frankie DiGorgio, and professional cellist Austin Stone, grew up together. They were madly in love by the time they attended high school and were each other's first. Frankie was crushed when Austin and his twin brother Dallas moved out to Las Vegas to bring their magical music to the masses. Austin had no desire to leave, but he did not want to let his sickly brother down. Frankie promised to visit him in Vegas shortly thereafter, but she never made it because Austin's hateful and devious mother had other plans for Austin's future.

Now four years have past and they are living next door to each other once again. Frankie is getting her Nana's house ready for sale, and she has three months to get the repairing and packing completed. Austin recently bought his childhood home from his parents. Seeing each other again brings back many emotions. The hate that Austin still feels is all encompassing. Frankie would love to share her secrets with Austin, but she has no idea how to go about it. They slowly get to know each other again, by reviving stories and creating new pranks.

I liked this book, however I found the pace to be quite slow. The main characters are well-defined and I enjoyed getting to know them intimately, both inside and out. I felt their love for each other deep within my soul. The author created a believable, beyond manipulative character with Austin's mother, which I attribute to great writing. Overall, a solid read.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Hated the 3rd book in the Hearts of Stone series and can be read as a stand alone as I didn't read any of the other books and I followed it just fine. I haven't read any books by Christine Manzari and I enjoyed her writing style. I love the friends to lovers, and second chance tropes and I got plenty of that in this book. I really liked both Frankie and Austin. I thought they made a cute couple. They were both a little immature at times but since they are young adults it could be overlooked. I laughed so hard at their prank wars. I felt like the author gave us readers a good build up to Frankie and Austin relationship including their backstory. I only had two little problems with this book were the secret that Frankie kept from Austin for so long and Austin's mom. Though the secret and Frankie's age were understandable I hate when there is a secret in a book that last almost the whole book. If Frankie had been up front sooner in the book I would have enjoyed it more. I hated Austin's mom. I mean I hated her guts, and I felt she needed to be punished for being a horrible human being. I needed some karmic payback! Still this was an enjoyable read.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I kind of went about it backwards and read book number 3 first. At least it can be read as a standalone so I didn’t spoil the other books for myself!

This was a really enjoyable second chance romance.

The book starts off with Frankie going back home for the summer to fix up and the house she grew up in. What she wasn’t expecting was to find Austin Stone, her childhood crush and first love living in his old house next door. It’s clear from their first reunion that something bad happened between them, and Austin is none too happy to see Frankie again. What ensues from there is a prank war that had me chuckling like crazy!

The book had a little bit of everything humour, angst, secrets, deceit, betrayal and love.

As I said, this is my first book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing was flawless, the story engaging and the characters likeable and relatable. I have just downloaded Hooked and Hitched and can’t wait to get started on them!

4.5 stars!

*copy received via netgalley*