“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝. 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬.” ~ 𝑳𝒖𝒄𝒚 𝑮𝒊𝒍𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆, 𝑰 𝑯𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒆


With many years of beauty pageantry under her belt and a taciturn Golden Retriever in lead, Ruby Taylor has what it takes to make her dog win the dog show. Never mind the fact that Wheezy, the Golden Retriever with questionable heritage, isn’t really her dog or may not respond to commands. Or calls. Or anything, really. But with a self-proclaimed dog trainer and numerous cheeseburgers in hand, Ruby and Wheezy have what it takes to win.The only thing standing in her way of winning is one particular dog show judge—Spencer Wilson.

As a veterinarian and dog show judge, Spencer thinks it’s an absolute joke and offence to the Classic Canine show that Wheezy, a mutt, is here to win. But with Ruby’s grit determination, and Wheezy’s unique charm, they may just win more than a gold medal.

𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: I Hate You More
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Lucy Gilmore
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Adult, Romance
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: 🌶 🌶

𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐇:
• The premise alone lured me to this book because who doesn’t love dogs, a veterinarian + dog judge love interest, and a dog pageant?!
• I liked the characters here: the star of the show, Wheezy, the questionable Golden Retriever was the cutest! The main character, Ruby, was ambitious, determined, and strived for more. The love interest was taciturn, strict, yet genuine and shy. The side characters (Mrs Orson, Eva, Caleb, etc.) were fun and endearing.
• This was an entertaining, cute quick read with funny and heart-warming moments. There was little spice but not too much.

𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐄:
• The relationship lacked depth. Whilst I enjoyed the two main characters and their interactions, I failed to see how their attractions developed into love and how they claimed to have loved each other.
• Some scenes felt like it came out of nowhere? I had to reread certain parts to ensure I did read it right.
• I appreciate how they wanted the MC (Ex-beauty pageant) to be more than her looks, however, the story constantly referred her to her outward appearance and it felt counterproductive at times.

𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
✔ dogs
✔ grumpy x sunshine characters
✔enemies (sort of) to lovers
✔slow-burn romance


𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬: self-acceptance, family dynamics

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫: fans of light-hearted romance, dogs, ambitious main characters

𝐂𝐖: mentions of starving oneself, mentions of gambling

Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher (Sourcebook Casablanca) for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠: 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐣𝐨𝐲.𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞.

𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘱𝘺 (𝘈𝘙𝘊) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

This book is about Ruby, a former pageant queen and current nurse assistant, and Spencer, a grumpy as hell vet. Ruby and Spencer meet when Ruby signs up for a dog show for one of her elderly patients.

Right off the bat, this book had me laughing. Ruby is not only the nicest, most dedicated and most hard working character but she is also hilarious. Honestly the interactions between Ruby and Wheezy, the cute chunky golden retriever, were my favourite.

Ruby and Spencer had an instant dislike towards each other when they first met but they were forced to spend time together when Spencer’s twin offered to help Ruby train Wheezy for the dog show.

You slowly see that Spencer isn’t actually a big grump but is actually so sweet and caring but also a bit blind to what’s in front of him.

I loved him and Ruby together, and their first spicy where she challenged him to stroke himself 140 times….. it was soooo good. The tension was *chefs kiss*

Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I Hate You More by Lucy Gilmore tells the story of Ruby Taylor, a former pageant queen who works as a nursing assistant, and Spencer Wilson, a veterinarian who also works as a judge for a dog show. They both meet when Ruby goes to sign Wheezy, the golden retriever of one of her residents at the nursing home, into Spencer’s dog show. From the very beginning they are both set on being competitive towards one another and challenging each other at every step of the way.

This book was such a fun and endearing romcom, this new-to-me author really surprised me with her writing style and characters! Ruby and Spencer have instant chemistry from the very beginning, but they are so different to one another when it comes to character. Ruby is a fierce determined woman that is set on taking whatever life throws at her and speaking her mind at any time, while Spencer is more of the quiet type that tends to keep things to himself. However, spending time together works in favor for their developing relationship and feelings that follow closely behind. With all the witty banter and flirting, something is bound to happen between these two.

I really liked this book, I think the author managed to balance every element in favor of the story. There were funny, passionate and, heartwarming moments that were perfectly tied together. The presence of the dogs was something that I enjoyed very much, I think they provided the necessary cuteness to the story and obviously funny moments.

*ARC kindly provided via NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca in exchange for an honest review.

What do you get when you mix a former pageant beauty superstar now working as a nursing home aide with a taciturn veterinarian who judges dog shows and his bad-boy twin brother? You get romantic hijinks. One of Ruby’s nursing home residents requests the heroine’s help with her golden retriever at a local dog show because she is dying, and it’s her last wish that her untrained, overweight, and very severely behaved golden retriever compete in a local dog pageant. Ruby has only weeks to train this dog for competition, so she hires the bad-news twin brother of the veterinarian to train the dog (he has experience). Still, Caleb also has “issues” that require Ruby to travel to the home he shares with the hunka-hunka-burning-love vet/dog show judge brother, Spencer. Caleb is trouble; the good brother, Spencer, is shy, smitten by Ruby, yet mortified by his brother’s behavior. Everyone, except Ruby, realizes that the golden retriever will never win the dog show even though Ruby doesn’t lose in beauty pageants even if she is not actually the competitor. She’s a winner. This is a low heat, slow-burn romance that is PG13. It’s so light and fluffy it is a book version of cotton candy. However, for those who like their romance on the “light” side and want some fun distraction, this is the book for you.

I love rivals to lovers books, and I love dogs, so this seemed like the perfect read for me! Ruby is a headstrong character who enters a dog showing contest on behalf of one of the ladies she cares for at the nursing home. The only issue is that her dog is not any good at following directions. Spencer is one of the judges of the dog show, and him and Ruby don’t get on well to begin with. Spencer’s brother is a dog trainer and offers to help Ruby, which forces Ruby and Spencer to spend a lot of time together as the two brothers live together.

This book was funny, fairly lighthearted and a perfect romance read. I really enjoyed Spenceer and Ruby’s point of views and their acknowledgement of their feelings for one another. I also loved the presence of dogs and how Ruby uses her experience from her past pageant life to prove that she has what it takes to win.

‘When you set your heart on a thing, you’re unstoppable. You always have been.’

This was a really fun, unputdownable book and I recommend for all romance lovers! Especially if you love dogs and slow burn romance.

Firstly, I love the cover and the synopsis. The book is a fun enemies to lovers rom com and I definitely recommend it! I loved the relationship between Ruby and Spencer. This story would be the perfect movie!

Thank you Lucy Gilmore, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca sharing this digital copy of this ARC for my honest opinion.

Not a big fan of the enemies to lovers trope, but when done right it can be so good. Unfortunately, this wasn’t it for me. The premise sounded fun and the story itself is cute, but I simply didn’t resonate with the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have NO WORDS. I Hate You More by Lucy Gilmore is perfect for any fan of romance novels with quick wit, humorous banter, and pages and pages full of sexual and romantic tension. Five stars across the board.

While this book may seem innocent and cute upon first glance, don’t let the pretty girl and adorable puppy confuse you. I Hate You More may be about a grumpy, uptight veterinarian and an ex-beauty pageant queen with a taste for competition, but this book takes a wild, WILD sexual turn. I’m talking voyeurism, steamy dares and challenges, and the filthy whispers of two people unable to deny their attraction to each other any longer, baby! This book has got it all.

On top of that, the romantic relationship between Ruby and Spencer is anything that anyone reading a romance book could ever want. A man who is willing to fall to his knees and give up everything he’s ever loved for the most beautiful girl he’s ever laid eyes on? I’ll be honest, I was squealing the entire time.

Lucy Gilmore, I would like to personally thank you for giving me Ruby and Spencer, they are my new best friends. Everyone else, please read this book. Please. It’s so cute. I’m crying.

I Hate You More is a must-read rom-com for fans of Teri Wilson's 'Unleashing Mr. Darcy'. Lucy Gilmore wrote a cute and flirty enemies to lovers romance.

Ruby is a nursing assistant in her late twenties who gets roped into entering a dog show. One of her patients asks her a huge favor. The patient has a golden retriever named Wheezy and wants Ruby to help Wheezy win in a dog show as her dying wish. Ruby can't say no. So, she walks in to register Wheezy for the West Coast Canine Classic and the fun begins.

Ruby meets a pair of hot men who also happen to be twins, Caleb and Spencer. Spencer is one of the judges and is a bit of a stickler for the rules. He likes to have things done right and doesn't stray too far from his boundaries. On the other hand, Caleb is a flirt. He is definitely the life of the party.

When Ruby has to find a trainer to help Wheezy, Caleb volunteers for the job. And when she walks in for her first sessions with Caleb at his house, she realizes that both of the Wilson twins will be in her life for some time. That is because they live together...but separated. Trust me, you will understand when you read it.

Spencer and Ruby have instant chemistry but are so different. While Ruby says what's on her mind, Spencer likes to keep things to himself. But they both connect when it comes to dogs. Spencer is so good with them and can be so helpful with Wheezy. And as they learn more about each other the feelings follow.

I really loved Ruby and Spencer's witty banter and flirting. The author really balanced the story well. There were laugh-out-loud moments, passionate moments, and heartrending scenes that tied so perfectly together. And add in a cute dog with a fun personality and you have me sucked in.

I give I Hate You More 5 stars. It's a hilarious enemies to lovers romance that you won't be able to put down. The characters are so fantastic together and the dogs steal the show. I just loved this book because it read like a Hallmark movie. If you love romance and love dogs, then you have to pick up a copy.

“You swore on everything I love,” he said. This was dangerous territory, but he had to say it. She has to know. “That’s you. You’re everything I love.”

Former beauty pageant queen, Ruby Taylor hesitantly agrees to help her friend, Mrs. Orson, by entering her dog into a West Coast Canine Classic – a dog show. However, Wheezy is an overweight, cheeseburger-lovin’ dog that would rather take a nap.

When Ruby registers Wheezy, she meets Spencer Wilson, who quickly judges Wheezy and basically says she’s wasting her time & has no chances of winning. What she doesn’t know is that Spencer is literally a judge and he’s the owner of the competition. This makes Ruby more determined to win so she hires Caleb (Spencer’s twin brother) to help train Wheezy.

Even though they’re constantly challenging and teasing each other, Spencer can barely resist her charms and sassiness, no matter how grumpy and broody he is. The chemistry and attraction between them is unnoticeable and undeniable.

🐶READ IF YOU LIKE🐶
- dogs
- enemies to lover
- witty & playful banter
- grumpy x sunshine
- veterinary/dog show judge hero
- former beauty queen turned nursing assistant heroine
- family dynamics
- cw: mentions of starvation, gambling addiction

Parts of this were funny and enjoyable, but I had trouble connecting to the characters and the story drug for me. Also, the dog show stuff was funny but totally nutso and unrealistic. Since I show dogs myself, I think I've learned I need to stay away from books with that theme as they're never anything remotely close to real world dog showing.

Enjoyed this book. The plot and characters were well thought out and vivid. I would recommend this book to others and can't wait to read what the author does next.

⭐⭐⭐✨
Spice level= 🌶️🌶️
This was bloody adorable.

How do you make a (low-level) enemies to lovers contemporary romance exceptional? Include DOGS.

this was full of charming characters, an extremely loveable love interest, and a protagonist I really loved! I read this in one sitting, it had that can't-put-down quality about it.

Also, I love books that involve eclectic characters in nursing homes? With cute dogs? Amazing

Only one thing annoyed me in this book, and that was how so many chapters ended on dialogue - more of a personal peeve, but didn't distract from the enjoyment this book gave me! I will say parts of the story did feel a bit cluttered - parts of it such as the family dynamics and character backstories could have been better flushed out, but it was still an enjoyable, fast-paced read.

Am still thinking about that living room scene damnnn

Thanks to NetGalley and SourceBooks for allowing me to read an arc! 🥰

On paper, I HATE YOU MORE should have been everything I loved. Grumpy-sunshine trope? Enemies-to-lovers? Sign me up. In practice, this book was actually...not what I was expecting.

Firstly, the characters. While I liked both Spencer and Ruby, they both seemed a bit flat. Along with this, their friends Eva and Lawson had approximately no development besides having kids and owning chihuahuas, respectively. Caleb was arguably the most developed character in the book, and that's saying a lot.

Second, the plot was a bit hard to keep up with. The whole drug thing seemed like it was thrown in as an afterthought and I completely missed how Spencer came into running the dog show. Along with this, there really was no need for all the scenes with the old ladies. Other than being Wheezy's owner, the old lady added nothing to the plot. The scene at the Wilson's house was completely unneeded, too.

The best part of this book was Wheezy, hands down. I loved him. Unfortunately, that was the only thing I loved about this book.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for making this book available to me on #Netgalley
Ruby has given up on the pageant life but she has not really picked up or gone after what she actually wants. She seems to have just settled with what she could get. With that she has been working as a Nursing Assistant (Care Assistant for those in the UK) at a Residential Home (Care Home). She seems to have a routinely peaceful life until when one of her old friends asks her to sign up her dog for a dog pageant (I did not know that it was a thing).

This brings Ruby back into the life she thought she has left behind. This is when she meets Spencer a veterinarian who runs the show. He know everything about dogs and one thing he know is that Ruby's lazy lump of a Golden retriever is not going to the win the pageant no matter how hard she tries. She is hell bent on proving him wrong.

With this book you might think you know what is going to happen but I can promise you that you are wrong. I would hate to be the one to spoil it for you but just be ready to get your heart broken.

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers, for a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

Disclaimer: I've DNFed this novel at 30%.

I love the enemies to lovers trope and I had a Golden in my childhood. This should've been the perfect novel for me, a true five star.

Instead, I find this didn't read like a romance novel. By the 30%, there was a lot of family drama and oddities in this book. I couldn't connect with any of the characters and at the 30% mark of this only 22-Chapters book, the romance wasn't flowing. I get it read as a slow burn but I wasn't buying the banter and Caleb felt like an odd annoying character to include in this romance story of Spencer/Ruby.

Overall, I could see some people liking this novel, but it wasn't for me.

This book was ok. There was one really hot scene, but overall I just didn't care about the main characters. Their relationship (beyond the one scene) was boring. There are so many better contemporary romances out there.

Ruby works in a retirement community and loves the ladies there. She agrees to enter Wheezy, Mrs. Orson's Golden Retriever, in the West Coast Canine Classic. Spencer, a veterinarian and one of the judges, does not think Wheezy has a chance to win. Ruby is out to prove him wrong. She has won so many beauty contests herself and believes her experience will help her with Wheezy. I loved this book, and it was a quick read. Ruby is such a good-hearted person. Spencer is so serious and she is bound and determined to show him how to enjoy life. Ruby's relationship with her mother and Spencer's relationship with his twin brother is entertaining and thought-provoking. Great book full of comedy and romance.

CW mentions of disordered eating
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I HATE YOU MORE is an enemies to lovers romcom following Ruby and Spencer. Ruby hesitantly agrees to use her experience as a former pageant queen to help whip her friends dog, Wheezy, into shape so that they can participate in a dog show, where she meets one of the judges, Spencer. Spencer is a handsome veterinarian who immediately tells Ruby that she’s wasting her time, which of course only makes her more determined to win.
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I had a nice time reading this book. I went through it pretty quickly and easily, but unfortunately I didn’t connect with any of the characters. It had its funny moments, it had its sexy moments, but overall I wasn’t invested in the plot. If you like cute dogs, hot twins and lots of innuendos, give this book a try!
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3 stars, I HATE YOU MORE by Lucy Gilmore is available November 2, 2021!
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Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for sending me an eARC to review.

Okay so the first portion of the book I really did enjoy! Spencer & Ruby made me laugh so much, along with really connect with them as characters. I really appreciated how we were able to peel back the layers to who they were because of their past. The sexual tension between them was a little lack luster I will say & at times when the story was progressing I felt as though it just didn’t have a natural flow. It felt a little awkward & forced once I hit the 50% mark. This is a slower burn which I did appreciate but I felt once they did get together it was almost rushed. I just wish there would have been a little more build up before they finally gave in to each other! The spice was decent, not super heavy with the detail but it was cute. I think the angst with them was done well but my favorite part had to be the banter. This was a quick cute read that is good for those who want to dip their toe into the spicy world without going full fledge smut.