My first @netgalley ARC! 😻🙌 Available August 18, #LoatheAtFirstSight by #SuzannePark is a fun romcom about Melody Joo, a Korean American video game producer who is trying to succeed in a white male-dominated industry. But being a smart, resourceful, modern woman with a penchant for junk food and snarky comments, Melody plows ahead and figures out how to succeed despite having an obnoxious CEO who facilitates the boys club mentality in the company and a distractingly attractive, smart, and charming intern who happens to be the CEO’s nephew. While this book throws some serious topics like sexism and racism in as obstacles to overcome, this is isn’t a serious drama that’s going to solve the world’s problems, it’s a light-hearted funny romcom with ridiculous situations that make for a fun fast read. I enjoyed it quite a bit!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Loathe at First Sight by Suzanne Park / Pages: 368 / Genre: Romance / Release Date: August 18, 2020

Melody Joo is a junior game producer at her new company, and she is more than excited to see her creation, Ultimate Apocalypse, come to fruition. However, the fiery loopholes she needs to jump through to become worthy, to be deemed successful, to be acknowledged for all her damn hard work? You will not believe her journey. Way to stick it to The Man, Joo!

Real talk: There was romance, but not the main focus of Melody’s story. Told in her POV (and her POV only), I learned more about the gaming culture, what it’s like to be a female gamer, the insane amount of bashing that occurs on the Internet before a game even releases (much like ARC reviews), and the unfair treatment of women in a male-dominated workplace. The CEO of the gaming company was a total dickwad, but there were also some male colleagues who were on Melody’s team—one of which was her love interest. All the trolling and threats, racist comments that Melody had to endure made me feel so bad for her. Overall, I still enjoyed it! The Korean parental dialogue was my favorite; I laughed almost every single time because they reminded me of my Filipino grandmother.

Tallyho (when you read the book you’ll get that, I promise!)

The title and cover sold me right away, because it’s obviously going to be an enemies to lovers rom-com...or is it?

Melody is a new assistant producer at a gaming studio and Nolan is the intern who has stolen her coffee mug, and, oh yeah, he’s also the nephew of the world’s worst boss and that’s how he got the job (and the ability to steal Melody’s coffee mug). See enemies to lovers and rom-com ready.

While Melody and Nolan do start off on the wrong foot, they don’t stay that way and their relationship development does have it’s funny and charming moments BUT neither of those things are at the forefront of the story. Loathe at First Sight is much more about Melody’s journey as one of few women, and a Korean-American woman at that, in the gaming industry and the ugliness that comes with trying to succeed where you’re not wanted or valued.

Suzanne Park pulled few punches when diving into the nastiness that online trolls, of every walk of life not just gamer trolls, spew at anyone they deem not worthy or as having trespassed. She uses the vulgar language that is spewed at women and the racist slurs that are hurled at people of color and she shows the very real and scary realities of being doxed, including the often ineffectiveness of law enforcement. So you may want to check out some of the more specific content warnings before diving into this one.

But to balance out the heaviness of Melody’s work life there is her personal life. Her wonderfully imperfect relationship with her parents, who only want what is best for her according to them, and her best friends, who both have their own issues but are there for Melody when it counts, provide a perfect escape for Melody and the reader.

And then there’s Nolan! There is a romance there and it’s got some nice slow burn vibes but for me it was very much a tertiary part of the story. However, he comes in big at the end and gave this romance reader a little happy sigh.

I’m excited to read more by Suzanne Park!

I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.

This was not the book for me. I liked the premise, but it didn't deliver. The characters were unlikable and there wasn't good chemistry between the leads.

DNF 26%

While the title of this book is Loathe at First Sight, it is deceiving. The Heroine Melody and the Hero Nolan have a few mild arguments/discussions near the beginning of the story, but that’s it. Not enough for me to consider the enemies-to-lovers trope.

The basic plot is that Asian-American Melody is working at a new job at a video game company. There she experiences a ridiculous amount of racism and misogyny. While that is 100% realistic and does happen in today’s world, it felt exaggerated. She was doxxed on the online gaming community purely for being a woman?! It just felt overdone.

And sidenote: I don’t think Melody was even a gamer. Why work at a video game company if you don’t play video games??

The romance was definitely a secondary plot point. There was very little chemistry between the two characters, and honestly Melody wasn’t even that nice to Nolan. Not sure what he saw in her.

I just…wish I enjoyed this more. My hopes were high and they were not met.

I was hooked on this book almost from the get-go.
Poor Melody working towards being great in her dream job and it turns out that the industry she entered is a misogynistic mess. There's the mandatory romance element of this rom-com, but the elements about Melody working her hardest to finish a project that her boss doesn't even support - - let alone encourage others to - and the horror that is the gaming-troll community are what really made this such an interesting read for me.
Of course, I'm all in with Melody's interactions with the romantic interest Nolan and there are some very entertaining side characters, so it's not just about the travails of trying to produce a video game while female. There are fun parts, romantic parts, stressful parts, just a little bit of everything to make sure that you get pulled into the story and enjoying it.
I also highly approve of the overall messages of not letting the trolls and horrible people of the world take you down, that asking for help doesn't make you less, and of supporting others to get things done.
There is so much to appreciate with this story. I highly recommend it.

Many happy thanks to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Collins Publishers for the great read.

Loathe at First Sight is a story about a female in the gaming industry who, through a series of unexpected events, becomes the producer and creator of her own video game idea.

This book was really frustrating for the first 60% of the book. Melody is a Korean female in the gaming industry. This means that she is subjected to all the racist, sexist, bro, boys club language one would expect in a male dominated organization without appropriate diversity initiatives. As a professional female I was begging her to go to HR, get a lawyer take action. She stood up in small ways, but for the most part she put a smile on her face, did her job, and was kind to others even when they weren't kind to her.

Melody is a girl with a backbone and does find her voice. I am glad I finished this book and got to see how she came into her own, but I was still dissapointed by all the missed opportunities to address the rampant misogyny in the workplace. I think especially due to the events of the Black Lives Matter Movements and Protests of 2020 I felt she should have intervened so much earlier in the story.

That being said, from 60%-100% I couldn't put the book down! There is a bit of a romance in the story, but it was definitely romance-lite. I really want to know how Candace is, and an update on Melody's parents.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily give my review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, & HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

DNF @ 25%

I wanted this one to work for me so badly! There is definitely an onslaught of workplace negativity (in the way of rampant misogyny), and it was hard to read at times, but it wasn't the reason I set it down. I couldn't quite get into the main character's life or why things were happening or what she was doing - she was friends with people she barely tolerated, took a job that was full of jerks because it was somehow a bucket list item (even though I didn't see anything about her being super into video games herself?), and had a weirdly written relationship with her parents. There were also things that didn't seem to add to the story (although they could have come up later), such as Melody being an incredibly poorly related Lyft(er) passenger?

Ultimately, this one just didn't hit right for me - but these feel like personal gripes and I know this one has worked for other people!

CW: misogyny, racism, harassment, abuse

This was definitely women's fic and not a genre romance. I was expecting the storyline to focus on the hate to love relationship between Melody and Nolan, but it's BARELY a side storyline to the tremendous amounts of sexual harassment and abuse she endures at her job. This is DEFINITELY NOT A ROM-COM, and should not be billed as such. Sure, there is a bit of kissing and flirty and fluttery butterfly feelings, but the relationship is definitely not the focus of the book, and billing it as a rom-com or as a romance at all is misleading and sort of rage inducing, and is part of why I'm coming not to trust illustrated covers.

I was rooting for Melody being a minority woman in a male-dominated field. And as anyone who has lived through the #gamergate controversy (or is just a woman who games) can attest, gamers can be an especially hideous breed of troll. I loved the way Melody's brain works, like her joking idea for an apocalypse game with male strippers. And she even had some science (sort of) behind why they needed to be mostly naked!! Which is more than I've seen for some chainmail bikini ladies...

That being said, all of the characters fell somewhat flat for me. They're all just very two dimensional. Why is Jane rich? Why does Melody's other friend have these weird connections? There was just so much focus on Melody's internal monologue and her suffering that no time or attention was really given into fully developing any of the characters beyond cardboard cutouts to stand in for things for Melody to interact with.

There are several SEVERE roller-coaster moments in this book. It's like Melody will have something bad happen followed immediately by something good and then she gets less than maybe 5 minutes to enjoy the good bit when something horrible happens to ruin it all. After about the third little roller-coaster whiplash moment I was pretty sick of it.

I stopped midway through this since it is clear the author doesn't really have a clue what goes on at game companies and decided to take everything to an unbelievable degree. As well, the lead character is thoroughly unlikable, rude to people, constantly labels everyone, then makes everyone's life difficult around her. There are no redeeming qualities in the plot or the character.

Story: Despite having no industry experience, Melody finds herself working at a game company as a producer. The CEO is a sexist narcissist, she loses her office and her new office is shared with a sexist Starbucks addict, the obnoxious CEO's uncle annoys her, and her Korean family constantly harps on her to get a boyfriend. When her idea for a game is stolen, she has to play along - even while planning the wedding for a good friend she doesn't like and being a godmother to her other good friend (who fortunately she does like). Melody's life is about to become very complicated.

Right off the bat, Melody was not a very sympathetic character. Her first days at her new game company work involved instantly sizing up and then stereotyping her co workers. With the exception of the one lone female, they are all self centered and whiney. All make sexist comments "are you PMSing or what?" so Melody spends most of the book being nasty back. At no point in the book did she ever have a friendly word for a coworker, instead instantly sparring and earning enemies. We're supposed to feel she is justified in her hate because they are rude - but in reality, many people are rude who aren't sexist and sometimes just being nice or neutral is a better path. Especially later in the book, she gets confrontational and we're supposed to feel it is cathartic but in reality is would be grounds for being fired. Her home life isn't any better, with some nasty comments about one of her friends despite being quite two-faced to the poor woman. Honestly, I think the author confuses snarky dialogue with what is in reality just plain unpleasantness and hypocritical behavior.

Her male coworkers are sexist pigs, of course. And highly narcissistic. And while we all know how bad the bro-culture is at game companies, these individuals are so condensed in the bad behavior and so over-the-top as to be complete caricatures. In reality, the situation is very pervasive but also much less defined. A lot more nuance would have gone a longer way here so that the characters were more believable. Especially the employees at her company were all petulant man-childs. The reality is that game company employees are much more diverse and while there are may bad eggs, not to the point that you see in the book. I respect creative license but it gets tiring seeing the constant overt sexism. This isn't Mad Men, which made the point so much more elegantly and casually. I really wish Park had taken the time to make Melody's work issues with the bro-culture a lot more nuanced and less "insta fired" as would happen if those sexist comments were made in today's culture/game companies. The game she comes up with is really ridiculous.

I have a hard time recommending this book. I didn't find it amusing, it was dreary to read, it was unrealistic, the main character was just as rude and those she was hating on, and there weren't any redeeming characters in the book. Even the love interest was an over-idealized hero type. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Sometimes covers can be deceiving. Going into Loathe At First Sight by Suzanne Park, I thought I was picking up a romance. It’s marketed as a rom-com, but it’s really a little bit of an office romance woven into a larger, more important story--a story of sexism and racism in the workplace--and one woman’s determination to make it in the male-dominated world of gaming. Given all that, I would classify this one as women’s fiction instead of romance, since the romantic relationship is clearly secondary.

Melody is a video game producer at an up and coming gaming company in Seattle, a company saturated in blatant misogyny. As a joke, she dreams up a game populated with sexy male strippers, an inverse to the typical big bosomed female characters. The game is picked up to be developed, and she’s placed in charge. On her team is the attractive intern, who happens to be the CEO’s nephew, with whom she eventually falls in love (naturally). But seriously--the romantic subplot is less of a focus than the rampant sexism and misogyny she encounters in the office and eventually all the online trolling and cyberbullying she faces as the release of her game approaches.

I enjoyed this story--I gave it four stars--but I think marketing it as a rom-com does it a disservice because it really does confront multiple serious issues that women face in male-saturated workplaces. On top of basic misogyny, Melody also has to deal with the intersection of sexism with racism, as a Korean-American. I always appreciate #ownvoices books, and Park clearly uses her experiences to inform LAFS. Melody’s parents are very Korean, and Melody has an especially complicated relationship with her mother. Showing aspects of Melody’s family culture and heritage add another layer of depth to her character and the book as a whole.

This book should definitely come with a host of content warnings, specifically toxic workplace environment/harassment/stalking/racism/homophobic remarks/cyberbullying. It is ultimately an empowering story with lots of humor and heart but it doesn’t shy away from some very heavy topics.

I have to say I love this book. The premise was enemies to lovers rom com with the backdrop of video games. Melody Joo worked at a video gaming company with misogynistic, and racist coworkers. She becomes a victim of online abuse, harassment, and threatening tweets because she works at a video game company. The level of harassment and racial slurs directed at her because she’s an Korean American and female were awful. She proved to all that she was smart, funny and hardworking. She proved that anyone can work in a male dominated environment and win. I was definitely rooting for Melody throughout the book,

Her friends Jane and Candace were an awesome addition to the story. The scenes between the friends were hilarious. I also have to say I laughed out loud over the mother/daughter conversations. Honestly, the author made me laugh throughout the whole book.

The romance was slow and endearing. I loved Nolan, the intern, and he proved to be a solid and sweet guy.
Overall, I loved it. I highly recommend this book to everyone. I cannot wait for her next book!

I received the ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for my copy

So I picked up Loathe at First Sight on a Sunday morning, figuring I would read a few chapters before starting my day. Four hours later, I hadn't moved and had read three-quarters of the book. I literally couldn't put it down. I did make myself take a break to, you know, eat and drink some water, but I went straight back to the book and finished it a couple of hours later.

I loved so many things about it, but top of the list is definitely the humor. I knew from reading Suzanne's other book that she was funny, and this one had me laughing out loud multiple times. I also really loved and connected with Melody's friends. I'm a big fan of female friendships in my romances and this one felt more realistic than most as there were some somewhat awkward dynamics between the three women. I could see myself in their relationship and I loved that. In addition to amazing friends, Nolan is also an adorable hero (plaid shirts and glasses, yum!). He was so sweet and supportive and I loved the dynamic between him and Melody.

But I think what sets this book apart from many others is the way it handles the sexual harassment and racism Melody faces. It felt real, most of all, and I thought the way each character reacted made a huge impact (whether the character reacted sensitively or poorly). The difficulties Melody faces as a woman in gaming will hopefully be eye-opening for many out there. The way women--especially women of color--are spoken to and treated is pretty appalling, and Suzanne captures these incidences perfectly.

Overall, I enjoyed every second of reading this book and I think it will appeal to so many readers!

Loathe at First Sight is a romantic comedy that delves into cyberbullying, misogynistic work environments, and powerful women. Melody Joo began a new job at a video game development company where most of her coworkers were male. The hostility was apparent from the start. Not only was Melody Joo a woman, but she was Korean-American as well. Discrimination runs rampant in the video gaming world, and Melody has some trouble coping. However, one coworker, in particular, stands out from the rest. Melody starts to think that maybe he isn’t as bad as she first thought he was.

Melody was an excellent character that had you rooting for her to overcome all the obstacles in her path. In typical, rom-com fashion, a happy ending was inevitable, and I loved every page.

The title promises an enemies-to-lovers story that it does not quite deliver. Had I gone into this book expecting a workplace romance that illustrates the frustrations of being a woman (of color) working at a gaming company, I would have given it another star.

Melody Joo has started a new job at a bro-gamer company. She has to contend with a whole lot of white privilege and microaggressions. She responds with grumbling, anger, tears, and some well-timed words.

I went into this thinking this would be a more light-hearted read and heavier on the romance.

Unfortunately that's not what this is. It's a heavier read on some heavy topics and very little romance. And don't get me wrong, I don't go into all romance reads expecting steam. I don't expect all romance reads to focus entirely on the romance either.

While I think that this book is important and definitely deserves its place in the publishing world, it wasn't what I was expecting.

I recently read LOATHE AT FIRST SIGHT by Suzanne Park, and I am confused.
 
This is definitely not your average rom com. The premise of this book is an enemies-to-lovers rom com in the notoriously sexist video game industry. We start off with our protagonist, Melody Joo, jumping in head first to find her way – all the while trying to keep an appealing (and off-limits) love interest at bay. 
 
Content warnings: misogyny and sexism including workplace sexual harassment, internet harassment, and doxxing. 
 
The pacing, along with Melody’s ability to getting scrappy with limited resources, really worked for me. Melody was great at not taking herself too seriously and I loved how she stood up for herself instead of letting the relentless sexism get her down. (Although there was one scene involving salary negotiation that had my blood boiling.) 
 
Overall the romance took a backseat to the gaming, work-related plot, and I’d probably label this more contemporary women’s fiction than romance. Given that the comps for this book are “fans of Jasmine Guillory and Sally Thorne,” you would likely expect more of a leading romance plot with gaming to be secondary. 
 
I spent a lot of time thinking about this book after I read it. Are publishers setting up #ownvoicebook debuts (in this case, adult debut) for failure because they don’t know how to market them? While this book wasn’t a slam-dunk for me, it’s partly because the marketing for this book made me think it was a romance. With a less “coupled” cover, a slightly different blurb, and a different title, I might have felt very differently about the book because my expectations were set. 
 
There isn’t anything quite like this book out there, and I think it’s a useful book if you want to get a peek into toxic gaming culture. I’m just concerned that this book is going to be very hit or miss with readers because of the marketing misalignment. 
 
Thanks to the author, @avonbooks, and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this e-ARC.

Let me start off by saying that this book seems to be marketed as a romance, and it definitely is not. It is 100% women’s fiction. There is a romance, but it is very much a secondary plot. They only kiss twice in the entire book. Not to mention, the person that she “Loathes” throughout the entire book is not who she ends up with. She does have an argument as her first interaction with the hero, but it doesn’t last long. So, the title doesn’t make much sense to me. It’s marketed as an enemies to lovers story, and it isn’t at all.

The main storyline of this book is about how difficult is can be as a woman in a man dominated world. In this instance, the gaming community. While this is a real issue in our world today, it got very repetitive as the book went on. Do to this, it gave the whole book a negative feeling.

2.75 stars (rounded up to 3)
I received this book for free in return for an honest review.

A romance novel about video game producers? Yes please! I love career romance where the main characters are equals. This is a fun, highly readable book with just the right amount of heat and humor,

This was one of those “not for me at this time” books. I had really high hopes for Loathe at First Sight, the blurb sounded right up my alley! But I really struggled with how intense the harassment was that the heroine received. It was pretty triggering and hard to read at times. I also went into this thinking it was a romance? It felt more like women’s fiction to me, I think this one is incorrectly marketed as a romance/rom-com and the love story is the secondary plot. I DNF this book, but I would like to try some of Park’s other books in the future. .