I will be thinking about Christopher Petruchio forever.

I didn’t expect to love Christopher and Katerina’s story more than Jamie and Bea, but oh, how I did! This reimagination of the Taming of the Shrew (which I have never read) was really outstanding!

One of the best things about Chloe Liese’s writing is how visual and in the head of the characters you will be. I always knew exactly what Christopher and Kate were thinking and I loved that. Dual POV in romance books is a superior choice.

The representation in this book is also fabulous. You have a FMC with ADHD and is demisexual, and a MMC with chronic migraines. Plus, you get the whole family and friends in the story you’ve come to already love dearly from Two Wrongs Make a Right.

The best part of this story is the nicknames! Topher/Topher Gopher but especially Katydid - did me in! And even though Christopher is the epitome of a MMC written by a woman, I’d like to think there are some men out there like him. The smut was also chef’s kiss 😘 we love a man who does anything and everything to make his woman comfortable! Christopher was no exception.

Plus, there is no third act breakup in this book, hallelujah! The characters actually use their BRAIN and don’t act stupid. This story was my favorite of the Wilmot sisters and I really hope there will be a third book with Juliet’s happy ending.

Better hate than never, for never too late.

Book 2 in the Wilmot Sisters series, and while it is a standalone, I am happy that I read Two Wrongs Make a Right first to expand upon the relationship of Katerina & Christopher (and their greater friend/family group dynamics too). There are some aspects of this story that I absolutely LOVED and others that are incredibly cringe.

The enemies-to-friends-to-lovers element was enjoyable, and I love a 'he fell first' trope. Chloe writes great banter and angst, and there are some doozies in here:

Should I tell you that was my confession - that my sad attempt to feel close to you was upheld by the delusion that it was better to have your hate than your apathy? That when I realized how badly I'd fucked up, I hoped it wasn't too late to have you look at me with anything besides loathing burning in your eyes?

Denying myself you has been like battling the tide. If I fight it any longer, I'll drown.

What I don't love, especially with 'he fell first' tropes, is the manwhore aspect. And there is A LOT of backstory about how great of a lover Christopher is, how he has a different girl every night...all coming from his own POV!!

I can handle being ignored, even if I'm not terribly familiar with the experience, thanks to the sheer luck of my genetics. I might have done jack shit to earn my looks and presence, but I have no qualms about thoroughly, frequently enjoying the physical pleasures that transpire from possessing what draws so many women.

Just...EWW 🤢🤢🤢 So, of course because we have a manwhore MMC, we must needs a virgin FMC, right?? Speaking of...

I absolutely love and appreciate what Chloe tries to do with her representation of neurodiversities, sexualities, and those with disabilities, however, sometimes it comes across as a very surface-level approach to inclusiveness...more so 'inclusive for the sake of being inclusive' rather than being a dynamic representation that resonates with readers. Kat's demisexuality seemed like such an afterthought, thrown in to provide an alternate to the oft-virgin/manwhore relationship trope. There was no nuance to it, which I found unfortunate. That aside, their relationship was a lovely slow-burn and Kat's inexperience was handled lovingly with lots of consent and patience.

Happily & surprisingly, there is no 3rd act breakup (I was worried after the horribly-ended book 1). Overall, a solid, cozy, fall read that could use some polishing.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have yet to meet a Chloe Liese book that I don't know, and this was no exception. This is the second book in the Shakespeare-inspired Wilmot Sisters series, featuring Katerina (Kate) Wilmot, the adventurous younger sister of twins Beatrice and Juliet from Two Wrongs Make a Right. Kate is a photographer, always traveling and never home for long enough to deal with the fact that she feels a little out of place in her own family. Things are different this time - she's burned out, recently injured, and exhausted, and she offers to switch places with Juliet, who needs to get away. Almost right away, she crosses paths with Christopher Petruchio, childhood neighbor and long-time enemy. This is very (very) loosely based on the Taming of the Shrew, and I appreciated Kate and Christopher's sharp and witty banter, as well as the various references to the iconic Taming of the Shrew retelling, 10 Things I Hate About You. This was funny, well-paced, sweet, and had good neurodiversity representation. I'm really looking forward to Juliet's book and I hope Chloe Liese can just keep churning them out.

"Because I have loved you a hundred different ways for so long I don't know when loving you began..."

Katerina Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio are the definition of antagonists - thankfully for everyone around them, they haven't spent extended time together since they were children given Kate's world travels as a photojournalist. When Kate finds herself in the position of having an extended time home, Christopher intends to spend as little time together as possible, despite him being one of the closest family friends of her parents and next door neighbors. When an all out verbal brawl occurs on Thanksgiving, their family and friends plead with Christopher to make peace with Kate. When Kate drunkenly confesses how much Christopher has hurt her, Christopher realizes that she cares much more than she has ever let on. And really, he's only been keeping her at an arm's distance because he's been drawn to her for so long and he's worried he's too "messed up" for her.

Oh my word, THIS BOOK! I loved it so much so my thoughts are probably going to be mildly incoherent but this had everything I love out of Chloe Liese's books - the demisexual representation, chronic illness rep, neurodiverse rep, banter, emotion, adult communication - it really does have it all!!

It's pretty well known that I love angst and emotion in my romances and boy did this deliver on both. The angst was top level for a contemporary - I would call this antagonists to lovers vs enemies to lovers. It's a bit of a slower burn than some contemporaries for a few reasons but I think it worked incredibly well for this story - we really needed to see a lot of the antagonism to see why Kate would feel the way she does and how far this couple had to go to learn to understand each other.

As always, the representation in this book is top notch. From Christopher understanding and not judging Kate's ADHD to Kate's explanation of her sexuality and needs, to Christopher's experience with chronic migraines - Chloe's writing is what I wish I had when I was younger and I genuinely think can help people understand themselves better. Christopher just truly *sees* Kate and her greatest fear about not being wanted - and shows her through his actions how wanted she really is.

I was mildly worried we were going to get a very late third act breakup due to Kate overhearing something that Christopher says, but I knew I should have just trusted in Chloe. There's this really beautiful moment where Kate is about to react to what she's heard without waiting for an explanation from Christopher and she takes a breath and says to herself "I won't skip 10 steps and assume the worst. I won't take a fragment of a conversation and fill it in with all my fears and insecurities". And instead of even asking for an explanation (which Christopher gives regardless), she says that she doesn't need proof that he cares for her and that she trusts him. I mean - c'mon!! I was swooning! That level of communication is so rarely seen in romance novels and I just ate it up.

Thank you SO much to Berkley, Netgalley, and Chloe Liese for the eARC and opportunity to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Chloe Liese, NetGalley, and Joyful Chaos Bookclub for the ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

I was ECSTATIC to get the email that I had received an ARC of BHTN from the Joyful Chaos Bookclub - could I have waited until October to read this? Physically, yes. Mentally, no. And it was everything I imagined it would be.

One sentence plot summary: Christopher and Kate are childhood neighbors out with some serious animosity toward each other that really stems from just overprotectiveness and misunderstanding, but slowly work their way toward one another as they grow and process their feelings.

Chloe is a legend in the way she writes neurodiverse characters and characters with chronic conditions, and this book was a classic example of that. I've struggled with migraines for years, and have never seen a character in a book with chronic migraines represented this well. Christopher's anxiety about being away from home and having a migraine was SO REAL and hit so close to home, as it's something I've repeatedly worried about. In a peak level of irony, I ended up getting a visual migraine right when I started the book and had to (regretfully) wait a few hours before I was able to read again - if I had to get a migraine, at least it was on-brand for the content!

I also really strongly related to Kate's ADHD. There are so many passages when she was describing her life and her experience that I highlighted saying "THIS! ME!" because I just felt so seen. And Christopher talking about wanting Kate to have wiggles and adventures because "whatever makes Kate happy...[is] all worth it, for a world filled with Kates" had me crying on the couch. I really cannot emphasize enough how much I treasure Chloe's characters and how real they are; through their struggles, successes, and relationships, they all feel like friends that I want to support and love along their journey. Better Hate Than Never Might be Chloe's best yet, and I am so excited for everyone to get to read it on October 10!

You can expect: neurodivergent FMC (ADHD rep), MMC with chronic migraines, childhood enemies to lovers, slow burn, they've known each other their whole lives (!!!!), forced proximity, demisexuality rep (FMC), age gap, Bea and Jamie make adorable cameos, Cornelius the hedgehog therapist, Christopher has Henry Cavill's ass, how can I apply to work at Verona Capital for those benefits, men who make pasta from scratch, correct use of lube, "I hate the way I don't hate you" energy.

After reading the first book in 'The Wilmot Sisters' series, I was so excited to read the next. I adore Chloe Liese's stories and enemies to lovers is my jam. Not to mention the heroine has ADHD and is a vegetarian- helloooooo! Could she be any more relatable?

Kate Wilmot is back in town for an extended break, which is unusual for her. Unlike the rest of her family, she has wanderlust. She's the baby of her family and a photographer and has spent most of the last 9 years working and seeing the world. Christopher is her parent's next door neighbor and like the son they never had. He's close with everyone in the family, aside from Kate.

Kate and Christopher aren't friends and can't seem to stand each other. But isn't that how some of the best love stories begin? This one was a bit of a slow burn and had somewhat of a slow start, but once it picked up I really started to love it. I loved Kate and Christopher together, how they got each other and once they put their animosity and differences aside, they really clicked.

Chloe Liese is a go to author for me. She writes the most feel good romances with fantastic diverse characters. I loved not only the two main characters, but so many of the supporting characters as well. I can't wait for the next book in this series!

Better Hate Than Never is a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, the classic book that brought us the absolute masterpiece, 10 Things I Hate About You. In true hate to love fashion we have a classic tale of misunderstood childhood enemies who walk the line of hate and love. With a secret cinnamon roll neat freak MMC and an ADHD chaotic FMC opposites attract never felt so good. Read this if you enjoy-

10 Things I Hate About You
Small Age Gap 6 years
Childhood enemies
Capitalist / Liberal
Intimate conversations
Honest communication between characters
Opposites Attract
Lives to please MMC ;)
Cozy family setting
Spice

3.5 stars rounded up.

Better Hate than Never is the second standalone book in the Wilmot Sisters series. It tells the story of Katarina and Christopher, childhood enemies, that try to keep their distance under the guise of preventing animosity just to hide their true feelings for each other.
Kate has always felt like an outsider even in her own family, which made her all the more eager to dive into her profession as a photojournalist traveling the globe. She has ADHD, which adds to her feelings of isolation. (I'm a twin and have a third sister, younger just like Kate. I'd never stopped to contemplate what it meant for her to be on the outside of the twinship. Such a great reflection, personally.)
Christopher is a stand-up guy who's lost his parents very young. He suffers from anxiety and chronic migraines, and the fear of losing more loved ones keeps him from being open to love.

It's beautiful to see these two coming together, sharing their vulnerabilities, and building a beautiful relationship.
No third Act breakup. Yay! I love how the characters grow into their own person and as a couple with enough maturity to have a conversation to resolve their issues.

Kate's become my favorite Wilmot sister, and this book is even better than Two Wrongs Make a Right, which is such a feat because I loved Beatrice and Jamie's story so much and thought no follow-up in the series would be able to top it. I should have known better. This is Chloe Liese we are talking about. Wordsmith and stirrer of emotions.❤️

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Romance and Izzy for coordinating the free e-ARC in exchange for honest review for the #joyfulchaos group. If Chloe Liese writes it i wanna read it and this has been an incredible series a surprise to no one. Chloe is able to set a story characters and ABSOLUTE perfection.

Highly recommend!!!

Better Hate than Never
by Chloe Liese
Pub Date: 10 Oct 2023
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley
Romance
Rating: 4.25/5

Chloe Liese's Better Hate Than Never is the second in the Wilmot Sisters series. I really appreciate Liese's neurodivergent perspective on the story. The plot was exceptionally well-crafted and adds an additional layer of sensitivity. Her writing style is insightful and thought-provoking, making for an engaging read that is both poignant and heart-warming.

Kate Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio may have lived next door to each other since childhood, but they are sworn enemies in real life. Growing up, everyone wished they could let go of their pasts and get along like civilized people. Christopher promises to show her a different side to him, one that will build a bridge between them. But will this newfound connection last, or succumb to past pressures? For a moment can they can imagine what life could be like if they put aside their differences?

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sharing this book with me. It was a pleasure to read this eye-opening novel written by Chloe Liese.

If Chloe Liese writes it, it has to be in my hands as soon as possible!

Kate Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio may have been nextdoor neighbors but realistically, they were sworn enemies. Now, as adults, everyone around them is begging them to make up and be friends. Either won't budge yet, on a druken night, Christopher hears Kate tell him that she believes he hates her. The gentleman that he is, Christopher swears he will change her mindset. Things later start off as a kiss.. and turn into something more but will history repeat itself again, making hate the trademark for both friends?

Better Hate Than Never is the second in the Wilmot Sisters series. I loved how the story picked up right where Two Wrongs Make a Right left off and readers immediately got to see the characters that we grew to love. Chloe writes with such a prose that makes you want to give the characters a hug and yell at them for their antics. I adored the representation of ADHD, as I also have severe ADHD and could relate to Kate that much more. The nod to sequence had me sharing this book with everyone and making me want to play the game again. Readers, run and grab this novel wherever you find your books!

Better Hate than Never is the second book in the Wilmot Sisters series and I didn’t think it was possible, but I loved it even more than the first one. Chloe Liese continues to write compelling and relatable characters that I cannot help but love.

Christopher Petruchio and Katarina Wilmot grew up together and “hate” each other, but their relationship is full of complicated feelings toward each other. Kate is the youngest of three sisters and although her family has always been loving and supporting, she has always felt like an outsider - due in part to her ADHD and other personal insecurities. Christopher lost his parents at a young age and the Wilmots have always been like family, but he has always had a contentious relationship with Kate.

Kate has spent the majority of her adult life away from home and her family while traveling for her job as a photographer. After suffering an injury and a mental burn out, she is back home trying to recuperate both physically and emotionally. Kate is feeling a bit broken and more than a little lost and she desperately hopes to avoid Christopher and any in-depth scrutiny from her family.

Christopher is disconcerted by his feelings toward Kate and his best method of defense has been to either antagonize or keep his distance. It’s not until he realizes how deeply his actions have hurt Kate that he begins to try to make amends. It takes a while, but slowly Christopher and Kate lower their defenses and what follows is a truly charming love story.

Christopher and Kate experience a lot of character growth in Better Hate than Never and learn to be vulnerable with one another and communicate effectively in order to form a true and honest relationship. They go from childhood enemies, who secretly longed for one another and hurt each other, to soulmates. The way they were so gentle with one another and took care of each other left me breathless.

I adored everything about this story and I really hope we get to see more of Christopher and Kate in Juliet’s story.

Loved it! I don’t know what else to say. Unfortunately I did not read the first book in the Wimot Sisters series but you can bet it’s on my TBR now. This was just the sweetest childhood friends, enemies to lovers rom com. Everything about it made my heart happy. Thank you for the chance to read this wonderful book and introduce me to this author.

✔️ Enemies to Lovers
✔️ Forced Proximity
✔️ Drunken Confession
✔️ He Fell First
✔️ Retelling

Aside from the musical Kiss Me Kate, this is the only other Taming of the Shrew retelling that I've enjoyed. Mostly because the taming wasn't really happening in a "she's terrible and has to change" way; rather, it was "hey, my actions bring out the worst in her, how do I change myself to cause less pain". So lovely and my fave kind of hero's journey: once he finds out he's being hurtful, he changes and apologizes. ❤️

I do enjoy a Chloe Liese read, particularly for the rep: Christopher's migraines and Kate's ADHD are treated tenderly in the author's hands and I love how both characters found nothing but support when opening up about their struggles.

If you love retellings, cinnamon roll MMCs, and a delightfully non-angsty enemies to lovers, this is the read for you. 4⭐️. While thisnis book 2 in the Wilmot Sisters series, it's standalone and not necessary to have read the first (I haven't!)

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕

This was so intense! Enemies to lovers truly has a meaning in this book. Kate and Christopher’s relationship has always been terrible and their fights at the beginning made me hurt so bad for them and everyone else who was caught up in the middle of it. However, deep down, I could see that they both were scared and being angry was easier than letting themselves have feelings because that would mean loss could happen.

I have to say that at first I struggled with Kate. She was always so determined to see the worst in Christopher and to make him a villain. I can understand her side and feelings… but to be fair, her family never pushed her away or did anything to exclude her. I don’t really get what her problem was. I did love her character development and how she trusted Christopher in the end, and I also loved how the ending was managed. I was fearing something similar to the end of Two Wrongs Make a Right but it didn’t happen.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this book. You can always count on Chloe to write the most tender romances ever. Her books feel like hugs!

Rating: 4/5
Steam level: Open door, 4-5 scenes, high level of detail

ARC provided by PRH International and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!

Better hate than never by choke liese. This is a story of two people who have passion for each other. He has always been through conflict , but now it is sparks. This is not a book that I could snuggle down and get involved in.

In this 2nd book of the Wilmot Sisters series, Liese gives her readers a delightful, modern interpretation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. Christopher Petruchio suffers from chronic migraines and anxiety and has spent 20 years (since his parents died in a car accident) trying to keep himself from letting anyone else too close for fear of losing more people he loves. His neighbors, the Wilmot family, pretty much adopted him, but it’s Kate Wilmot, six years his junior, who really captured his heart, although he masks his feelings by acting like she’s the bane of his existence practically from the moment she was born.

Kate, the youngest of the three Wilmot sisters, has ADHD and has always felt like she doesn’t quite belong. Her parents have a loving relationship, her older twin sisters have each other, and Christopher is the son they never had. However, her feelings for him have never been brotherly, despite the animosity between them that escalated once they both reached adulthood. She’s convinced that Christopher hates her when all he ever wanted was for her to hate him, to keep her at a distance. Unfortunately, after years roaming the world as a photojournalist, she’s home indefinitely and is being forced to face the feelings she ran away from years before. Is it possible for two people, who have seemingly hated each other and purposely kept their distance, to mend the rift while still protecting their hearts?

Liese, who is neurodivergent herself, is a master at writing feel-good romances featuring characters dealing with chronic illnesses, neurodivergency, or both, proving that they are able to find their happily-ever-afters despite their disabilities.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Overall this was fun and just fine. Classic trope of messy dysfunction heroine meets wealthy manwhore that has his own baggage. There were some good parts and some eh parts so solid 3 stars. Romance novels are definitely in that between stage where they want to be updated and inclusive (amazing), but you don’t need to hit the audience over the head with things. I think subtly would work better!

This one is cute!! I liked it a lot and loved the fall theme. The romance was perfect for me and this was my first book by this author. I think I’ll check out her other one now!

As always, Chloe Liese fills her novels with humor, heat, and grace.

Better Hate than Never, the latest book in her Wilmont Sisters series (all inspired by Shakespeare plays) grabbed me from the first page. This modern retelling of The Taming of the Shrew is reminiscent of many people's favorite romantic comedy, 10 Things I Hate About You. Christopher is a progressive, caring, playboy (a man of contradictions) and Kate is a tenderhearted yet fierce advocate for what she believes in. After decades of clashes in front of their friends and family, these two set their weapons (harsh words) aside and discover passion has been hiding behind all that animosity. Full of tender moments and heartfelt humor this book is a must read.