I really liked the characters. Trice was so perfectly developed and brought to the page. Nandy seemed to be set as an opposite to Trice, and I really liked their interactions. A lot in this book was well executed. I really enjoyed the dynamics between the characters, as well as the writing.

2.5 stars

This author is new to me, and though it seems she does have an internet following, it looks like she’s new to the published author’s game. So, I’ll do my best to explain how reading this story went for me. Because it was a roller coaster.

Parts of this book were amazing. I absolutely adore Trice and, for the most part, Nandy’s family. Nandy…not so much. I just couldn’t seem to connect with her character, her personality seemed all over the place. I understand putting up a front, being what others expect you to be and act how others expect you to act, especially as a teenager and young adult. Those weren’t the things that confused me about Nandy. It had more to do with her inner thoughts and feelings. Part of me wondered if the author did this on purpose because of how angst-ridden teenagers can be. Let’s face it, that’s a confusing time and we don’t even understand ourselves when going through that stage in life. Yet, for how smart and well-liked Nandy was in her community, she was just so blind to certain things…especially her boyfriend, Chad.

The cast of characters, more specifically the other teens in Pacific Hills, were a lot of fun. I could see the teen rom-com come to life in my mind’s eye. (Take note: there are some gritty things that happen in this story, hence my R rating. It’s not all light summer fun.) There were your quiet nerds, your super friendly geeks, the rich douche bags, the misunderstood rich girls, etc., etc. For the most part, these characters were fleshed out enough that they didn’t seem to be caricatures, they were true players in the story.

When it comes to Trice’s “before” life, the life he left behind Lindenwood, the author did a wonderful job of painting the picture. The inflections and speech patterns, her description of the houses and families. Beautiful poetry. Of course, I hated when Trice went there. I would get a hollow pit in my stomach waiting for the other shoe to drop. That just means the author did her job in her writing.

All that being said, there were a lot of things that were repetitive in this story. I would find myself falling into the story just to be yanked out and finding myself skimming out of boredom due to the characters going over and over the same issues. On top of that, a lot of their thoughts and actions were contradictory to what had come before. So, there would be sections of this story that I was all in, and sections that I was just waiting to get to something interesting again.

I can definitely see this author’s potential. With some experience and time, I predict she will write amazing stories. She has a voice I haven’t read often, and I mean that as a great compliment. While I’m not giving this one a super high rating, I am looking forward to seeing more from her in the future.

Whitney D. Grandison has written a compelling debut. This was kind of a mash up of the friends to lovers/enemies to lovers trope. Tyson Trice has just gone through a major tragedy and the loss of his beloved Pops. Five months away from turning 18 he goes to live with old family friends who live in an affluent area of Southern California. When they were little Trice and Mandy were the best of friends, but now Mandy is not quite certain of Trice because of his background. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist or a romance aficionado to figure out where this one’s going. Even though this story was predictable and somewhat clichéd I still enjoyed the story.

Trice, (Who prefers to go by his last name rather than his first name, because he was named after his father) was a lovable sympathetic character. Although he was constantly contradicting himself, there were some definite conflicts between his words and his actions. Then there was Mandy, what a spoiled entitled princess she was. I grew up in Southern California somewhere between these fictional cities of Linderwood and Pacific Hills. This is such a diverse checkerboarded area that I really doubt anyone would automatically assume someone was a “thug“ just because they were from a bad neighborhood. Well that is with the exception of dear Mandy. Even though we were constantly told what a sweet person she was I never saw that through her actions. I honestly thought Trice could’ve done much better for himself, possibly with her best friend. But I guess the heart wants what it wants. The story was told from both characters perspectives and I really got quite annoyed when I was in Mandy’s head. While I appreciated the diversity in the story I thought occasionally it was a bit stereotypical. I guess this is all to say I’m a little conflicted on this one. On one handI thought the characters were very vivid and well drawn, but on the other hand I really was not rooting for this couple. I was definitely wanting the best for Tyson, but I could’ve cared less what happened to Mandy. So I guess the title is super appropriate, it was kind of a love-hate thing!

this book in emojis. 📱 💰 📓 🎵 🏖

🎧🎧🎧 The audiobook was narrated by Adenrele Ojo and Barrie Buckner. I thought both these narrators did an outstanding job and really added the perfect voice to these characters (even that Mandy).

*** Big thank you to Harlequin and Harper Audio for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

A Love Hate Thing tows a careful line between a flirty romcom and a terrifying, deadly story about race and class in America.

The cast is very diverse, featuring characters of varying race, sexuality, class, and support systems. At times the text seemed to lean into stereotypes, and at other times to tug at the fraying edges. As always, I'd love to see more of the latter.

The book is a bit of a slow starter, as the exposition lays out the inner and outer turmoils of two black teens in very different levels of privilege. Often the inner landscapes of the characters were laid out a bit more explicitly than I found necessary, and it was easy to hold the story at a distance while the text did all the work for me.

However, as the story goes on, the stakes rise significantly, and the book morphs into an intoxicating, addictive read, building tension between summer romance and brutal violence.

Somehow, despite the blurb, I expected this to be a fun, flirty read with a nod toward social issues, but the social issues do take a central role in this book, and at times, it was very scary to step out of the romantic plot and into the courser elements. I was never sure how the story would end, but I was rooting for everyone to come through!

I really liked this opposites attract YA. Nandy and Trice have a lot of history, back when they were little kids. But now Nandy is queen of her high school, and on the outside, Trice looks like he's nothing but trouble. I loved how the story of what really happened to Trice unravels slowly, revealed to us as it is to Nandy. Trice is a complicated, fascinating guy. He's smart and sensitive, and even his worst decisions in Lindenwood were made with the very best of intentions. He also isn't willing to do things just for the status quo, and in ritzy Pacific Hills, makes his own decisions about who to befriend and which groups to avoid.



Nandy is slightly less developed, and I think that's why I had more problems with her character. She does try very hard to stick to the status quo, even dating a boy (for years!) just because he's the popular, most liked guy in school. Trice's reappearance into her life is met with resistance and melodrama, but even when Nandy thaws toward him, we see more about her reactions toward him than who she is as a complete, complex person.



The cast of supporting characters were terrific, especially Travis and Shayne. I loved pretty much everyone.



Definitely read this book. It was fun, and had some hard-hitting things to say about violence and life in the projects.

"I feel like I have no idea where I'm going in life anymore. The page is unwritten, and that scares me, but I'm going to be strong and face it head on with a pen, not a pencil. Mistakes are bound to happen, but that's life - you grow and you earn from it. Hurt, that's inevitable, and so is growth. You have to let yourself grow and be happy - you can't wallow in this state that you're in."

A good debut! A Love Hate Thing definitely surprised me. Going into it, I was expected a typical Love-Hate romance, however, there's a deeper storyline which made it a more emotional read. The romance between Nandy and Tyson definitely has enough angst for me! But honestly, I think my favourite character was Travis, the troublemaker! Read this and you will definitely fall in love with him. The writing was also easy to read, reason why I flew through this story!

In overall, if you’re looking for a quick fun but yet have an emotional punch to it read, I definitely recommend you picking A Love Hate Thing up!

I received an eARC copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has no impact on my review/thoughts.

Things that Worked for Me:
I feel that this one was very in-depth in the sense that it never felt like anything was rushed. The plot points were fully fleshed out and the author took her time getting the story to where it needed to be. I enjoyed the variations in characters and how each of them felt unique and showed that people aren’t always what you expect them to be.
I really loved the way this story portrays families. It wasn’t your stereotypical family dynamic. Sometimes it seems that when authors venture into other kinds of family, it’s in a negative light. Grandison really highlights the fact that not all families look the same but are no less loving or welcoming.

Things that Didn’t Work for Me:
Oh boy. So I didn’t love the main character Nandy. She was awful. Her character was wishy washy, too concerned with what others think, and she was extremely out of what she says is her “normal character” for the first half of the book. I just couldn’t vibe with her.
As I mentioned above, this story wasn’t rushed in the slightest. Which often felt a bit long and unnecessary. There were several times the story dragged and I had to fight to keep going.

Overall Impression:
Overall, I found A Love Hate Thing to be an enjoyable read, though there were some things I didn’t love. I would certainly recommend it to friends and family, I just don’t see it moving to my favorites shelf any time soon.

The Blind Side meets The O.C. in A Love Hate Thing, a love story, coming of age story and examination of what and how much we owe to the communities we come from.

Tyson Trice, called Trice, hasn’t seen the Smiths in ten years, but a series of tragedies has him leaving the dangerous streets of his hometown of Lindenwood and moving in with the family in the posh community of Pacific Heights. He doesn’t plan to stay long, just until he turns eighteen in six months and can head home where he won’t face questions, stares and the gut wrenching feeling of being an outsider.

Nandy Smith is not happy when her parents advise her that the boy she used to play with ten years ago, the grandson of the man who used to take care of the landscaping, is coming to live with them. It’s taken her a long time to build an impeccable Pacific Heights persona, to become the kind of girl who has the perfect white boyfriend, ideal college resumé, and chic friends that have made her queen of the teen scene in that community. She has no intention of letting some possible gang banger ruin her perfectly planned summer.

Trice doesn’t appreciate Nandy looking at him and treating him like he’s some banger who’s gonna shoot up the house. The first few days he’s in their home, the two are subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) rude to each other. Trice finds Nandy extremely shallow, a young woman so anxious to fit into her superficial world she’s willing to deny her heritage and sell her soul to blend in. Nandy thinks Trice is nothing but trouble, that he represents everything that is low class and dangerous about the community he comes from and she fears he may have the power to change how people view her.

Before the two can come to daggers drawn, Jordy, Nandy’s younger brother, helps them broker a peace. Once they start talking, Nandy learns Trice’s tragic backstory and Trice comes to realize that Nandy is a kind and caring young woman afraid to disappoint those around her.

But Trice still has people back in Lindenwood that he cares for, people who might not meet the laws standards of ‘good’ but who have been good to him. People who know and understand him, who have always been there for him, accepted him and cared about him. Nandy and the rest of the Smith family, the school counselors and social workers all want him to make Pacific Heights work for him, to turn it into his new home and to take the opportunities it offers with both hands. He isn’t sure he wants that. As his feelings for Nandy go from friendship to something warmer, he realizes he may have to choose between the girl he loves and the people he never meant to leave behind.

Some teen novels work for all age groups because they have a story to tell, and tell it in such a way that the book can be enjoyed by everyone. A Love Hate Thing will, I think, work best for a young adult audience. This is a nice coming of age story which explores the things – community, social status, race, family – that can affect how we view ourselves and what we want from our future. For both Nandy and Trice, expectations play a large role in their journey to self-discovery. Trice knows that young men from his neighborhood die young after a trip down the long, dark road of criminal activity. Everyone in Pacific Heights – and plenty of people from Lindenwood – want him to rise above that but he struggles with wanting a better future for himself when he knows that so many of the people he cares about don’t have that choice and that it will mean no longer fitting into the community in which he was raised. Nandy has turned herself into a pretzel being the perfect Pacific Heights girl but encountering Trice again has her questioning whether that’s really what she wants to be or if she has allowed the expectations of her community to shape her into someone she doesn’t like. There is a lot of angst here about being true to oneself that I think older audiences will grow bored with, but that younger audiences, especially those that love teen dramas, will appreciate.

The romance is fairly angsty as well. Trice and Nandy knew each other as children, then Trice stopped going to work with his grandpa and they didn’t see each other for over a decade. Apparently, that childhood relationship was very important to them both and shaped a lot of how they felt about life. While the author alludes back to it often, the relationship itself took place off page, and that left me wondering what was so magical about their connection that the many, many relationships they’ve had since didn’t surpass it. I also felt that while we understood why Trice considered being with Nandy his Neverland back then (her home was free of the domestic abuse rampant in his own, and the wealth, comfort and safety made it seem magical), we’re never told why Nandy felt strongly about Trice. Since their present connection is forged almost entirely from that previous one, it was important to understand why it meant so much to both of them and I just don’t think the author explained it well enough. It was also disappointing to have two people fall in love simply based on the nostalgia factor and not give them a more nuanced, balanced connection built on shared interests in the present.

The ending, which involves Trice being tricked by something which was obviously a trap, is a bit problematic as well.

Fortunately, the other portions of the tale make up for that. Something I think the author does very well is showing that while Trice claims he has no love left to give thanks to the traumas he’s been through, he actually has an incredible amount of love to give. He becomes good friends with some of the quirky kids in the Pacific Heights community and he cares deeply about many in his Lindenwood community. Brilliantly done was capturing the essence of how each group showed love and care in their own way.

The secondary characters are another high point in the novel. Each is a nuanced individual who brings something unique and important to the story. I especially liked Prophet, who embodies a fabulous mix of the good and bad in Lindenwood, and Travis, who shows the best of what Pacific Heights can be.

A Love Hate Thing is not a perfect book but it is a strong début from an author I look forward to seeing more from. I would recommend it to fans of teen drama (Riverdale, the O.C., 90210) and teens who like angsty novels.

Whitney D. Grandison writes very enjoyably about friendship and love in this coming of age story.

After recovering from being shot, seventeen-year-old Tyson Trice finds himself living with the well-off Smith family – Maxine (Max) and Parker their daughter, Nandy and adopted Thai son, Jordy. Having spent most of his life, so far, surviving the rough streets of Lindenwood, Trice, as he likes to be known, doesn’t care about anyone or anything. Meanwhile privileged Nandy has spent most of her young life concerned about her image and status, in her hometown of the Pacific Hills, California. Having just discovered that her parents are bringing a juvenile delinquent into the family home, Nandy fears for her summer holiday plans, as well as her well-cultivated, golden girl reputation. With the two of them living under the same roof, will the house be big enough for all their hate and love?

A Love Hate Thing is told from the alternative viewpoints of Nandy and Trice, an approach that generally works very well for me in this type of story. I anticipated having some problems identifying with both of the main characters, not being a part of the intended audience or target group, although I was surprised to find that this wasn’t the case.

It was fascinating to learn about Trice and Nandy’s former close friendship when they were both aged nine. Both Nandy and Trice face real prejudices as they get to know each other again. I found that protagonist Trice’s viewpoints in particular, were a revelation both in the trauma of his past and the way he believes himself to be undeserving of better things. Whitney D. Grandison’s portrayal of loyal and intelligent Trice being catapulted into Nandy’s world of the über-rich is engrossing and poignant, especially as image and conventionality in Pacific Hills are everything. Trice’s strength and gentleness is arresting as is the need to hide his ingrained grief with impassiveness and a hard exterior.

I gradually grew to enjoy the character of Nandy. Although she displays class prejudice towards Trice in the beginning, I understood where her opinions stemmed from. Her friendliness, kindness, and welcoming nature gradually shone through. I really relished reading about Nandy’s diverse and congenial group of friends which was a very strong element of the novel for me.

Nandy and Trice each struggled with their vulnerabilities and it was interesting to watch them let down their guards as the story progressed. A Love Hate Thing is a gritty character driven story about the potential for change. It is about love, acceptance, friendship, loyalty, trust, and second chances. It also takes a good look at the problems society has with race and social status.

From the first chapter till the last, I found myself connecting with this compelling story. From Nandy and Trice’s personal development to their relationship with one another, I felt as though I knew them personally.

Read A Love Hate Thing if you are partial to a good coming-of-age story full to the brim with interesting characters, strong on bittersweet and sugarcoated friendships and plenty of angst.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin-Inkyard Press and the author, Whitney D. Grandison for the complimentary copy. This is my honest and totally voluntary review.

I only got a few chapters into this book before I stopped reading. The main character, Nandy, was over-the-top spoiled. I also thought it was kind of weird that the reason Trice was moved to a richer neighborhood was to get away from drugs and violence. Yet, one of the first places we see Nandy is at a party with her rich friends were they are all UNDERAGE and drugs and alcohol are in ample supply. Nope, not for me.

*This will be a part of my January DNFs post at the end of the month.

This book was entertaining it grabs your attention since the first page, because that beginning I... I wasn't expecting it. But, as you'll expect from a contemporary romance about a love/hate relationship, you won't be surprised of the developing of the story, how it starts how it ends, how the characters acts, etc.
The characters are not likeable for most part of the book (but this didn't bother me at all because I think the setting was with the idea of not liking them), specially Nandy and some of her friends, mostly her boyfriend, but some of them you'll grow to love them throughout the story. I, at the contrary of other readers, didn't found the characters to be THAT stereotypical. Yes, you get a group of black guys who lives in a "bad" part of the city that are "bad" guys and you get the group of "rich" kids that are too full of themselves. But at the same time you get kids in that "bad" part that focus on their studies, families, enjoy reading and learning.
The writing style is easy to read, is not complicated or flowery or anything like that. Is a nice story, with a predictable storyline but if that doesn't bother you, go ahead and read it. For a debut traditional book, is really good and I recommend it.

I really liked this book. The characters were well developed and I was able to build an emotional connection to them. I enjoyed the multiple viewpoints between Nandy and Trice. The dynamic of Nandy's family was also entertaining and I appreciated her growth as a character. The hate to love trope is one of my favorites and I will be recommending this book to others I know that enjoy this type of story.

Tyson Trice is a 17 year old from the streets of Lindenwood, CA. After recovering from a gunshot wound, he must move to Pacific Hills, a wealthy coastal town, where the Smith's have agreed to be his guardians. The Smiths have an a 17 year old daughter, Nandy, who is Pacific Hill's golden child and doesn't want anything to do with the "thug" from Lindenwood. All Nandy cares about is having the best summer of high school before senior year starts. The relationship between Nandy and Trice, as he likes to be called, is tenuous, but maybe they don't dislike each other as much as they seem to.

This is a debut novel and I must say it is a strong debut. I found that I really cared about the characters and I loved seeing their growth throughout the story. Admittedly, Nandy is a lot to take in the beginning and Trice comes off a little stereotypical, however once you get to know their stories, it doesn't seem so bad. I really enjoyed the way the Whitney unfolded the reveals in the story. I didn't feel like she kept them from us for too long and that the pacing of the reveals was great.

The ending to me was a little contrived and melodramatic in my opinion but I could see why things may have had to go that direction. Also, there is a situation that happens that I felt the parents reaction was a little unrealistic. The last thing that didn't really jive with me were the pop cultural references. They seemed a little dated for the time that the book is set.

Overall, I will definitely be recommending this book to people and I can't wait to see what else this author puts out into the world.

I was provided with an ARC of this title from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a solid read and kept me engaged. I did roll my eyes at Nan, she was a tamer version of Cher a la Clueless, but less self-aware. Trice's character was far more interesting.
What I didn't like:
- The character development was lacking. The author fell back on stereotypical representations that were flat and did not resonate with the complexity of today's society.
- The drama and conflict were too manufactured.
- The enemies to lovers trope fell short because of the lack of character development.

Recommended for a light read for fans of The OC, The Hills, etc. Not recommended if you are looking for a read similar to those of Nicola Yoon or Angie Thomas.

2.5 Stars

A Love Hate Thing is a cute, contemporary love story. Tyson Trice comes from a troubled past and meets Nandy, who hasn't had to deal with anything more horrible than a hang nail or eating takeout for dinner every night. Their worlds collide and high school drama begins as they try to reconcile their childhood friendship and who they are today.

This story kept me engaged and wanting to read until the end. However, this book feels too much like a debut novel. The tropes are a little too cliched for me—boy from a troubled past falls for a rich girl, the troubled past simply can't stay in the past, the rich girls feels like she needs to be on a fruit and vegetable diet to fit into a pageant dress, the classic beach parties, etc. I also had trouble looking past the cliched dialogue tags and constant F-words. But the story is cute and has some great familial relationships in it that isn't often seen in contemporary teen fiction. If you're looking for a cute, surface-level romance, this is a great one!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 3
Plot/Movement: 3
Character Development: 3
Overall: 3

Content Warnings: murder, domestic violence/abuse, child abuse, frequent swearing.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC! This book will be published January 7, 2020.

This book was just okay for me. The characters were hard for me to like or relate to. The writing was kind of all over the place. I think it had promise but was definitely lacking.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review

Title: A Love Hate Thing
Author: Whitney D. Grandison
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out of 5

Tyson Trice is from the hood. He lived his whole life in Lindenwood—until six months ago, when his father killed his mom, shot Tyler, then killed himself. Now Tyler’s staying with the Smith family in a Pacific Hills, a wealthy coastal community, and he knows he doesn’t belong. But he’s leaving as soon as he turns 18, so he only has six more months to kill.

Nandy Smith remembers Tyson from when they were children—and friends—but she’s spent ten years building up her walls and working to keep herself on top of the social scene in Pacific Hills and having a thug from the hood in her house is not going to ruin her summer. But soon she realizes there’s more to Trice than meets the eye—and the hate between them may be a disguise for something else.

I loved the voice in A Love Hate Thing. The contrast between Nandy and Trice seems so startling, but they are more alike than either wants to admit. Nandy’s switch from despising Trice to being sympathetic/nice to him and apologizing was pretty abrupt to me, and there were a lot of teenagers-partying scenes, but I thoroughly enjoyed these characters and this read.

Whitney D. Grandison loved Korean dramas, John Hughes, and horror moves. A Love Hate Thing is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin TEEN/Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Wow, this book was very well written and I enjoyed the plot and characters of the story. I liked how it was through 2 different points of views, Trice who is from a rough part of town called Lindenwood and Nandy who is a rich girl from Pacific Hills. After Trice gets shot and almost dies he is sent to live with family friends in Pacific Hill. The last time he was there he was 9 years old and was best friends with Nandy. Now that he is back things begin out rough, but things get better towards the end. I liked Trice and Nandy's relationship because it was raw and real. This book is about love, acceptance, friendship, loyalty, trust, and second chances. This book also deals with the problems society has with race and social status. Sometimes all people need to do is get to know someone before judging them about how the look, what race they are, and where they come from. People should learn to be open minded.

There was a lot about A Love Hate Thing that I enjoyed and a lot that I was just so/so about.

To start, Trice was a character that I was very much able to feel emotions for. His story was extreme and tough to hear, and I’m glad that I was able to see his development throughout the story. On the so/so side, I could not get into Nandy’s character at all. Her development wasn’t enough for me and even by the end of the book, I still could not see her as a character I would like to know. By the time we started to see any type of interest between Nandy and Trice, I was over her and her attitude, so I couldn’t get into that aspect in the slightest.

I think that the story was definitely believable and could’ve been authentic. The differences between Nandy’s world in Pacific Hills and Trice’s world in Lindenwood were shown perfectly and I really could understand where they came from in both zip codes. I think Whitney Grandison did a fantastic job blending the people and both cities to show what was good and bad about both.

The thing that I wished we had more of was a background. We got a lot of background regarding Trice’s story and why he is the way he is. However, I look at Nandy’s character and since there is no background about why she is this way, it makes her almost automatically unlikable.

Lastly, I think that the writing could’ve been a little better. I understand that this is a debut novel, and I’m not knocking it for that. I’m just saying that in this book, there should’ve been a little bit more of an editing process or something like that. There was a point where it skipped a month I believe and I feel like there was this big chunk of storyline that I missed because of that.

Overall, I think that there were things that A Love Hate Thing that were good, but things that could’ve been a lot better. I think that this was a good debut novel to start with and it’ll only get better from here!

With an ethnically diverse and somewhat stereotypical cast of characters, this book felt really familiar to me, but I’m not sure what book it reminded me of. This is the first book by this author, and it isn’t officially publishing until January 2020.

While Nandy and Tyson had spent a couple childhood summers together while Tyson’s grandfather took care of the neighbor’s landscaping, Nandy sees only an unfamiliar person coming into her home, instead of the boy she spent years missing. As Tyson becomes closer with her friends, Nandy’s jealousy is what finally helps her see Tyson as the boy she loved when they were both much younger.

Most of the characters felt likable and believable, and their Pacific Hills friend Travis was a personal favorite. Some of the characters felt exactly like their stereotypes (inner-city thug, or spoiled rich kid) and I felt that detracted somewhat from the overall feel of the book. There were enough genuine characters to lead the story though, and I definitely was pulling for a happy ending for all the kids.

I’d give this book 3 out of 5 stars. The writing already felt familiar to me, which was a plus or a minus at times. The Smith family were a great unit and I wished I could have friends and neighbors like them.