This was an exceptionally enjoyable read for me.
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. The plot was okay, but the connection I felt to the characters allowed me to keep reading.
I have to note though that the pacing didn’t work for me, it felt a bit inconsistent. However, I liked the story, and I really wanted to see how it would turn out in the end.

I am going to have to DNF this one and I’m so disappointed. From the cover and seeing two black teens on the cover I knew I wanted to get my hands on this. What made me stop reading was the term of slang and the terrible characters.

This came off very stereotypical and trying very hard to keep up with the times. Trice was the average boy from the hood and Nandy was such a terrible rich girl. Nothing was original and neither one of them were likeable. It's terrible when the only representation of POC I can find aren't great.

A reverse Save the Last Dance? I think the idea is great but I just didn’t seem to connect with the characters. Actually, I connected more with the side characters than anything else. Nandy....well she frustrated me more than anything. I definitely think the story is important and the message got through to me. I just couldn’t connect with the characters. Except Travis lol

This book had great bones. I enjoyed the side characters, Tyson, and most of the writing. There were heart breaking moments and funny moments. I loved that authors note about the OC. I also loved that show. But the book could have used more editing and tightening up. It really rambled in parts and was a little too long. I really liked a lot of the side characters especially Travis. But Nandy was quite grating. I didn’t really get what a lot of the characters motivations were. They switched around so often and were inconsistent.

Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to review this book.

But I just feel like these characters were so stereo-typically written. I can't justifiably rate this story higher because of this. Also, the story just seemed erratically written. As in the characters and plot were all over the place. Honestly, I'm just disappointed in this book.

The premise of this book was intriguing to me; Tyson Trice is used to living in the rough area of town, but after he grandfather dies he is sent to live in the affluent Pacific Hills with the family of Nandy, who is not happy to have Trice back in her life.

This book started out interesting with figuring out the dynamic between these two characters and how Trice has to adapt to a new situation very different from how he grew up. Unfortunately the book just never hit that wow factor for me and I think it was too long for the story it was trying to tell. I was intrigued by Trice, but I was not a fan of Nandy as a character and so her chapters were harder to get through.

This book has some interesting thoughts on privilege and race, but sadly it was just an okay read for me.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book just didn’t grab me. For me it was kind of boring. I felt it lacked depth and was overall very predictable. I find I have a problem with most contemporary books, so I don’t blame the author at all.

It was well written, but for me it fell flat. I did love the racial diversity depicted in this book. It also had a lot to do with adoption which is another trope we don't see very often. It was a cute book but it is not one that will stick with you after. I would consider it a good pallet cleanse.

The author does touch on trauma and that can be triggering for sensitive viewers, especially the parts written from Tyson’s point of view. That part was a bit heart breaking. We can all resonate with that self deprecation, so with that being said this book is very relatable.

Tyson’’s story is also super emotional. He dealt with so much survivors guilt and watching him go from losing his whole family to basically a new life was both inspiring and gut wrenching. I didn’t really connect with Nance at all but I did really enjoy Tyson’s pov.

Thank you so much to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.

When they’re stuck under one roof, the house may not be big enough for their hate…or their love.

When Tyson Trice finds himself tossed into the wealthy coastal community of Pacific Hills, he’s ready for the questions, the stares and the feeling of not belonging. Not that he cares. After recovering from being shot and surviving the rough streets of Lindenwood, he doesn’t care about anyone or anything, much less how the rest of his life will play out.

Golden girl Nandy Smith has spent most of her life building the pristine image that it takes to fit in when it comes to her hometown Pacific Hills where image is everything. After learning that her parents are taking in a troubled teen boy, Nandy fears her summer plans, as well as her reputation, will go up in flames.

Now with Trice living under the same roof, the wall between their bedrooms feels as thin as the line between love and hate. Beneath the angst, their growing attraction won’t be denied. Through time, Trice brings Nandy out of her shell, and Nandy attempts to melt the ice that’s taken Trice’s heart and being. Only, with the ever-present pull back to the Lindenwood streets, it’ll be a wonder if Trice makes it through this summer at all.- Goodreads

Jumping right into this, I can see why there is a lot of love with this book. Although I didn't love it, I can see the love there. 

My first impression of this book once I finished it was . . . it was boring. The story of the boy coming from questionable past and environment meeting the rich girl from a completely different world is nothing new. This book didn't bring anything new to this trope. This does not mean it wasn't an entertaining read because it was for the most part. 

Nandy and Trice were good enough characters to keep the book going. But there wasn't enough development for me to be convinced of their romance but also and most importantly to like them. I did feel there was actual growth and both Nandy's and Trice's turnaround was too fast to be believable. There was no build up. 

This is not to say that the book was rushed because it wasn't. There wasn't enough depth into the book and that is why I didn't love this novel. 

It was cute but it was boring and overall predictable. Yes, I know those words are harsh but to be fair, I know there are plenty of people that will love this book. I just don't happen to be one of them.

I liked the fact that this book is a young adult romance that stars Black characters. It highlighted two types of families, touched on ancestry and adoption. It also touched on class and focused on social status. I liked these parts of the novel. Just wish the characters had more life to them. 

Overall, 

 I would recommend this read for an in-between read, 

2.5 Pickles

A Love Hate Thing is a story about friendship and love. Both Tyson and Nandy have their expectations of how they think the other will be. A Love Hate Thing is about our ability to see beyond the image in front of us. To fight our prejudices and memories. I enjoyed the dual POV format of A Love Hate Thing. It allows the reader to witness events from each character's point of view, their inner thoughts, the stillness under the surface.

Tyson's POV broke my heart, the way he doesn't think he deserve nice things, the trauma of his past. Used to nights with gunshots, coming into Nandy's world of the uber rich is an adjustment to say the least. Not to mention that in Pacific Hills image and conventions are everything. A Love Hate Thing is about Tyson seeing both the good, the bad, and the potential for change within these gilded streets. A Love Hate Thing is a character driven story about people who never leave our hearts. Our battles with the past, and our challenges in accepting the future.

**Review will be posted on my blog on 1/12/20**

**2.5 Stars**

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

Nandy is the most popular girl in town and she’s preparing for her big cotillion debut when a boy name Trice comes to live with her and her family. Trice is from a rougher neighborhood, one that Nandy and the rest of her crew looks down upon. Trice has pretty much lost everything and now lives in an affluent town where he stands out like a sore thumb. Will Nandy keep her cool when Trice threatens to throw her off her game? Think of The O.C. or Laguna Beach, because A Love Hate Thing is drama-filled.

What I Liked:

*Trice’s story is emotional and I felt for him. How do you go from having your whole family killed to moving to a rich neighborhood and having a completely new life? I liked the glimpse we get of his Lindenwood life. Trice as a character is a cool kid, it doesn’t seem like much phases him about the lifestyle in Pacific Hills. He is a very interesting character – he is smart and has a talent for writing yet the dark side of his Lindenwood past haunts him.

*The difference between Pacific Hills and Lindenwood is magnified in this story. Nothing in Nandy’s perfect life in Pacific Hills comes close to being anything as significant as what Trice has had to go through. The author did a good job with depicting the two different towns and how Nandy and Trice represented their neighborhoods. Nandy is the queen of her group and Trice comes in reminding her sometimes appearances does not matter at all.

*The Smiths are good people with big hearts. I’m glad Trice had someone to take him in even though Nandy was so inhospitable at first. As for his past in Lindenwood, I’m glad Prophet set him straight about making most of his second chance in life.

Things That Made Me Go Hmm:

*Personally, for me – this story had too much Pacific Hills drama. I felt like Trice’s story was so strong, but when it came to Nandy and her friends I had to skip a lot of it because it seemed so trivial. It was like night and day in the book and though Trice’s story drew me in – Nandy’s turned me off.

*Nandy is so unwelcoming towards Trice in the beginning. Can we say two-faced? She’s miss popular, queen of Pacific Hills, and supposedly so nice to everyone…except Trice, because he cramped her style? 🙄 When she finally realized she’s being a Queen B towards Trice and decides to be nice to him – I was so over it.
The enemies to lovers trope in this story was a love hate thing. But Nandy has a boyfriend and it’s a relationship for status basically so I was not feeling her and Trice getting together.

*Triggers/Warnings: Violence, and lots of cursing in this book- but it’s real-talk especially when Trice is around his boys in Lindenwood.

Final Thoughts:

Sadly, this book wasn’t for me. I loved getting to know Trice and see his character grow while dealing with the changes in his life, but I did not connect to Nandy at all. I skimmed a lot of the book after I was forty percent in because I thought a lot of the high school drama was so silly compared to what Trice was going through. I’m pretty sure there will be many people that would enjoy this book, but for me it fell a little flat.

A Love Hate Thing is a mid-burn story about learning what love truly is. Tyson Trice is a young man recovering from the physical pain of a gunshot wound, and the emotional pain of loneliness. Nandy is a girl still figuring out that what's picture perfect for her, doesn't have to fit neatly into other people's frames. Despite the animosity between them when they first meet, they soon learn that even though they are very different, their love is the same. Both characters are fleshed out and the ending is a happy one. As a warning, there is cursing through out, but not heavily, and there are about three love scenes, although not explicit.

I loved the book!

I would rate it a 8 out of 10.

Pro's

Tyson/Trice character which was perfectly fleshed out and developed. We grew with the character and really understood his emotions and actions.

Throwback vibe/OC feel. The book seemed like it was meant for a different era of teens. As a 26-year-old it reminded me of my time as a high schooler with the references to proud family and B2K.

It gave me the OC TV show vibe as well as All American which is all about the rags to riches story.

Travis was one of my favorite characters.

Cons
I just think at some parts of the story were drawn out and could have been left out. Like maybe 100 pages or so could have been left out because so much stuff happened I had to stop and skim through and figure out what else can possibly happen.

Nandy was so unlikeable in the beginning it was hard to get over that. Sometimes I would just like to read Tysons thoughts.

Some of the side characters were a little forgettable. Like Nandy's friends.

But overall I would definitely recommend the book. I could see it as a cool teen Netflix movie or Freeform Tv Show.

***2.5 Rating***

Tyson Trice has no one left when he is shipped off from the mean streets of Lindenwood to the upper class suburbs of Pacific Hills to live with family friends that he hasn't seen since childhood. Nandy has the perfect life and won't let it be ruined when her parents let a stranger move in to their home.  

I love the friends-to-lovers trope so much, but this really disappointed me. The basic overall story had a lot of potential. I liked that we were dropped right into the story and then given backstory as the story slowly progressed. I just don't think the story was executed very well. You could tell this was a debut novel. A lot of characters would be introduced and then we would never hear from them again. The writing got too redundant as the story dragged on. I felt like Nandy and Tyson would have the same conversation or argument constantly, without any change to the dialogue. 

With the tough subject manner, I expected the writing to be better. It needed to go through another editing pass or something.  There was a short time jump (a month) that felt like I missed a whole chunk of the book—it could have transitioned a lot better. While I was gripped to the end, it was more for the the characters and to reach a resolution.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC to read and review.

"A Love Hate Thing" was really really good, better than I thought it would be. The story and characters were crafted to with grace and precision, detailed and full of fault. There was a quiet realness that I appreciated about the book. "A Love Hate Thing" was deep, meaningful and passionate. One of the best YA contemporary romances I’ve ever read!

Nandy is a pretty cool person but her initial judgments of Trice without knowing him of the present were rightfully off-putting. But I grew to like her as I learned more about who she really is on the inside, not what people expect her to be.

Trice is the model of perfect main character. I felt such a connection with him. He is kind, loyal, thoughtful, intelligent. He made the story. I was especially invested in the story, compelled to devour and revel in page after glorious page.

This book and Trice make you stop and take notice of your surroundings in a thought-provoking way. The conflict was current and real, reflecting the harsh, cold realities of today. It is voices like Trice’s that push through the noise and make people think about who they are, where they come from, and where they want to be going. I loved that we got all view-points on the issues presented within the story because it allowed everyone to be heard. It created open dialogue, which is important in conflicts and disagreements.

I was about 70% through when I felt like the story was over. I couldn’t guess what more there could be or what ends have been left loose. Well there were indeed much more left. However, the conclusion was gratifying.

"A Love Hate Thing" is remarkable; I recommend this book for sure. It’s such an engrossing read. I appreciate the author for writing such a sublime book that we very much need in today’s world.

The last place seventeen year old Tyson Trice wants to spend his summer is in the wealthy community of Pacific Hills with a family he hasn't seen in ten years. Coming from the rough streets of Lindenwood, he knows he's in for nothing but stares and judgments, but after recovering from a gunshot wound and losing his family, Tyson doesn't really care about much. Especially not reconnecting with his childhood friend, Nandy Smith, whose family has taken him in.

Golden girl Nandy has it all laid out for her: she has the perfect boyfriend, the perfect grades, the perfect friends, and the last thing she needs is a thug from the 'Wood ruining the reputation she's taken so long to build. The more time the two spend bickering the more the tension and underlying feelings they have for one another grows. As the pair start to rekindle their friendship, Tyson helps bring Nandy back out of her shell, and Nandy tries to show Tyson that holding onto his anger will do nothing but hurt him more in the end. As they try to navigate through their new way of life, the ever-present pull back to Lindenwood may prove too much for Tyson to resist.

I was a huge fan of The OC back in high school/college and this gave me all the same vibes. There was all the needless drama and overreactions that you'd expect in an early '00s teen drama, as well as its predictability. While I did enjoy it, I was able to tell where the story was going before it got there, so that dropped it down a bit for me. I did really like Tyson and how complex he was. He goes through so much in this, and I love how he sought refuge in his writing. Nandy starts off being a bit of a spoiled brat, but eventually gains a whole new understanding and perspective of her world which was nice character growth. Their romance didn't blow me away, but it was cute. I also really liked the side characters, and would love to read a spin off about Shayne and Kyle. All in all, if you're craving a teen drama in your life, check this one out.

Though this book follows a plot that has been tried and true, it puts small spins on it that make it unique and enjoyable.
A Love Hate Thing is about the hate to love romance between two teenagers from totally different upbrings. After a family tragedy, Tyson Trice moves to the affluent neighborhood of Pacific Hills, into the home of family friends and their daughter Nancy Smith. At first they can’t seem to stand each other, but as the book goes on it blossoms into something more.
I think that though the plot was easy to guess simply from reading the first chapter and synopsis alone, it was still enjoyable to read and the author put her own spin on things.
I think Nancy was completely unbearable in the first couple of chapters (I know it was intentional), but it just put me off towards her for the rest of the book. I liked pretty much the rest of the other characters, and I thought that character development was well done and I believe that I got good insight to each character.
However, I felt like the plot kind of fell flat for me, and there were some inconsistencies with the storyline and their relationship felt a bit forced, therefore I would only give this book 3 stars.

I really enjoyed this debut YA novel by Whitney Grandison. I thought the chemistry between Tyson Trice and Nandy Smith was captivating. I felt like the book centered more around Tyson's story and how he came to live with the Smiths; the author really dives in to his character, whereas I felt like Nandy just remained a self-centered teenager the entire time. She just wanted what she wanted and didn't care about anyone else; she really only "cared" when she felt like she had to.

I enjoyed this book for the most part. There were elements I really appreciated, movie and music references that had me feeling nostalgic, story aspects that really pulled me in. But there were also chunks of the book that had me skimming and some characters inconsistencies that left me struggling to connect and buy into what was happening at the time. Overall I enjoyed it, I just prefer a story with a bit more depth and a romantic connection that's a bit more compelling. But for a YA romance, this was sweet, edgy, complicated and entertaining. I think readers will enjoy it.

I enjoyed this book. The romance was just average, but while the teenagers often dealt with adult like problems, it seemed very real. One of my favorite parts was the supporting characters. I like seeing the friends of the main characters interact, because it adds depth to the story.

The parents in this book were awful, which is something I would expect for some of the characters, but it was disheartening to see how they treated their children (and other children).

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.

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