Ah, Soulhate—a book that asks the age-old question: what if your soulmate wasn’t the person you were destined to love, but the person you were destined to absolutely despise? If you’ve ever glared at someone across a conference table and thought, “I’d like to debate you and fight you in a parking lot,” then Renza di Maineri is your new literary bestie.

Hannah Kingsley delivers a delightfully chaotic romp through Halice, where politics and fate are as inseparable as Renza and her inner monologue about throttling Idris Patricelli. Renza’s dilemma is peak drama: not only is Idris her political nemesis, but he’s also her fated Soulhate, the anti-soulmate whose very presence sends her blood pressure soaring. Forget candlelit dinners, these two are more “accidental sword fight at a press conference” material.

Kingsley has mastered the art of “angst with a side of chaos.” Every page brims with tension, secrets, and just the right amount of “oh no, they’re hot” moments. Renza’s journey to maintain her political career while navigating the cosmic joke of Idris’s existence is relatable in a way that makes you wonder if the author has secretly attended your work meetings.

The writing is sharp, the worldbuilding is immersive, and the twists are so wild they might make you want to throw a chair at Idris, too. By the end, you’ll be questioning everything you thought you knew about fate, loyalty, and whether grudgingly wanting to murder someone is just another form of love (spoiler: in Halice, it’s complicated).

Highly recommend if you love your fantasy spiced with drama, backstabbing, and just the right amount of existential dread. Not recommended if you’re afraid to find out who your Soulhate might be (hint: check your group chats).

Hannah Kingsley's debut fantasy novel was a fresh, fun read. I loved the concept of "soul mate" and "soul hate," and I can't wait to see what happens in the next installment. Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for an eARC copy of Soul Hate by Hannah Kingsley.

Soul Hate by Hannah Kingsley has an intriguing premise with its blend of political intrigue and supernatural elements. The concept of a protagonist grappling with her destiny while trying to step out of her father's shadow is compelling. However, the execution falls short.

The pacing felt uneven, and at times, the plot dragged with lengthy exposition that detracted from the tension. Renza's internal struggle could have been more engaging, but it often felt repetitive. Additionally, Idris, as the rival and Soulhate, didn’t come across as fully developed, leaving their dynamic lacking depth.

While there are moments of potential, the story ultimately didn't deliver the excitement I was hoping for. With more refinement, it could become a captivating read, but as it stands, it feels like it missed the mark.

Loved it, five stars for sure!
When I saw that the synopsis said that the book was about politics, I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant, thinking that it would be a heavy read, well, I was so wrong! The politics mentioned aren't too complicated for anyone to understand. However, I must admit that I felt a bit overwhelmed by the first chapter as I still didn't have much of an idea of how the politics in this book worked.
The author's writing is very easy to follow, but I found the descriptions of the places to be too detailed and lengthy, but I don't like reading descriptions of places by nature, so my opinion may be a little biased. I also found the plot of the book a little predictable, but it's better to be predictable and good than just plot twists that make no sense.
Another 'critique' I have to make, and beware of spoilers if you haven't read it yet, what was that ending? We had a whole book of getting to know Idris, realising that he never meant any harm to Renza and that their feelings for each other were changing, only to have it thrown away in the last few pages just because she doesn't want to have a romantic relationship while she's working? Since neither of them would change their political beliefs for the other or interfere with the other's work, I don't understand why. Honestly, I think it was just because the author wanted to show that even if two people like each other, it doesn't mean they should be together as they do in reality, but screw that! I read to escape reality! Anyway, as you can see, I was quite revolted, but it wasn't enough to make me dislike the book.
The author could write an epilogue in which she shows how they are after the city has been rebuilt, just leaving the idea here...

This was a truly fascinating concept, and I enjoyed watching it play out. In all my reading and dreaming, I'd never heard of or thought of soulhate as a pair to a soulmate before, and I think the author did a really good job developing the world around an interesting idea.

One of the elements that was interesting, albeit a bit frustrating at times, was the actual way a soulhate bond worked. There were several plot points and twists that I saw coming from the first third of the book that the main character just didn't see (much to my annoyance), but the soulhate bond provided an actual reasonable in-world excuse for the main character's ignorance. So I was frustrated at times, but at least it made sense?

I also really enjoyed the main characters and the worldbuilding. I struggled a bit to keep some of the side characters distinct in my head, but I had a good feel for the two main characters, and I enjoyed watching them interact and learn and grow together. Renzia in particular was a breath of fresh air. I could actually believe that she knew what she was doing, and I appreciated her willingness to set her own struggles aside to care for the people around her. I don't often see characters like her in positions of power in literature, and it was really refreshing to get to see the world through her eyes for a while. As for the worldbuilding, I thought the hints of all the different cultures and people groups that I saw throughout the story added really fun texture that hopefully will be developed more in future books.

One of the biggest detractors for me was the fact that there was an open door sex scene that did very little to actually move the plot along. It was brief and easily skippable, but as a general rule I don't enjoy reading spice--especially when it feels so unnecessary to the book's plot--and so that detracted from the book's overall rating for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and OneMoreChapter for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

i can understand the intention but the book's execution reads like it's confused about its identity. another interesting premise that goes down the drain because of juvenile references and tone for a book with such a serious subject. one can seldom expect the readers to take anything seriously when the thought behind it isn't serious enough. In my opinion, this would have read better like a cozy fantasy with humour instead of what was presented.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for allowing me to read this early, I’m rating it 3.75 - 4.0 stars.

I really like this storyline and how it takes a common concept of soulmates and re-engineers it to be a two sided coin. It also does a great job of incorporating religion, the gods and fantasy into the story. There are core themes of violence and betrayal throughout, the stakes are quite high.

This is a YA fantasy/romantasy, but not too heavy on the romance as it’s quite plot focused. My only gripe is that I wish the ending hadn’t ended quite like that, I wanted more for our FMC.

3.5

This is the first book in a romantasy enemies to lovers trilogy by a debut author. While the writing wasn’t perfect, I did really like the premise. The soulhate aspect and everything surrounding it was super unique. It was a very different take on the enemies to lovers trope. I really enjoyed that dynamic and am super interested to see more. I also really enjoyed the politics and felt this was well done. Will definitely continue the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had an interesting concept, but a few aspects didn’t quite work for me. The shifts between the modern-day setting and the historical fantasy elements felt a bit disjointed and made it hard to stay immersed in the story. The premise was unique and had so much potential, but I found myself wanting more explanation about the gods, goddesses, and the soul hate dynamic. It felt like there were great ideas that weren’t fully developed. While the story had promise, it just didn’t fully deliver for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter, and Hannah Kingsley for the Advanced Readers' Copy.

The concept of a "soulhate" instead of a soulmate was a promising one that unfortunately fell fat. The author, however, excelled at writing politics. In addition, I enjoyed that the main character started out as a strong political figure, because it's not something we see a lot in romantic fantasy novels.

Best wishes to the author in all her future endeavors.

This was interesting and the whole concept of a soulhate makes me glad that doesn't exist in real life.

I did feel the villian was obvious from very early on, and struggled with characters speaking in a modern way in what was very clearly not a modern time. But overall I enjoyed the book. It was different with a unique conflict.

Would have loved a little less emphasis on the FMC getting ready for a date towards the beginner. It just felt odd and very modern and out of place with the environment of the story. I had to modernize everything in my head for these sorts of conversations to make sense, which I think took away a bit from the world building.

I would still recommend this book to others and am curious if there will be a book 2 because we need more with Idris and Renza figuring things out.

Even though I saw a character’s betrayal coming, I was still pleasantly surprised with the two main characters and where everything ended up. The idea of a “Soulhate” is also intriguing, because there is a fine line between love and hate. I feel the relationship between them could have been fleshed out more, but ultimately it’s not 100% necessary. Loved the Italian/Roman inspired world too! Would definitely read more!

Soul Hate by Hannah Kingsley had some intriguing elements but ultimately fell short for me. The cover is beautiful, and I thought the “Soul Hate” concept was a clever twist on the enemies-to-lovers trope. The Roman Empire-inspired setting was a nice touch, and there were some lovely descriptive passages.

That said, I found several aspects of the book frustrating. The mix of an old-fashioned setting with modern references and dialogue felt jarring and out of place. For instance, in a single page we get mentions of heeled gladiator sandals and three-for-two drink deals and it really pulled me out of the story. It felt inconsistent to have modern dialogue like "seriously?" and "I get that" with the setting.

The predictability of the plot was another downside. It was obvious who the villains were, and that lack of suspense made the story feel flat. I also struggled to understand the FMC’s behaviour after the dramatic mid-point incident. While I understand she was mourning, it seemed implausible for someone presented as a strong, competent leader to disengage so completely during a time of crisis. The idea that she would attend a library opening or that markets would be running as usual right after a terrorist attack killing heads of state felt completely out of place. Also, it seemed strange that the city seemed to be carrying on as normal after the explosion? I expected her to be more involved in the fallout and decision-making and less concerned with her new relationship. Her naivety in handing over decisions and actions to other people was frustrating.

The supporting characters lacked depth, and I didn’t feel like they added much to the story. However, I did enjoy the chemistry between the FMC and MMC. It was one of the stronger aspects of the book.

Soul Hate didn’t work for me, but I could see it appealing to a younger YA audience or readers new to the romantasy genre

It was a good read.

Renzia is the youngest elector ever chosen to represent her city. Tragedy strikes and she must work with Halice who is her soul hate.

This story is heavy on politics. If that's your kind of read then definitely pick it up.

*** I received this book as an advanced reader copy.

The plot line and character relationships all felt terribly forced in this. Nothing felt natural. I liked Renza’s character but Idris just seemed very dry to me. The beginning of this book started very strong for me but quickly fell apart. I fairly enjoyed the prologue and up through the first few chapters but then I felt like I was forcing myself to finish reading. The artwork on the cover was beautiful though. I only wish I enjoyed the book more.

A solid 2.5 rounded to a 3 star read. I thought the premise of SOUL HATE was interesting and something different, but the execution fell flat. The idea that everyone in this fantasy world exists with a 'soul-hate' and a 'soul-love' was used as just a concept, but not really further developed as much as I'd have liked to see throughout the story. A lot of telling and not enough showing. I definitely think YA readers looking for an easy fantasy read will be pulled into this one, and that's not a bad thing, but it's not a particularly memorable start. Gorgeous cover though!

Thank you to the publisher and author for this eARC! chose to DNF this because I wasn’t feeling the chemistry between the characters.

The cover and the premise of this book had me absolutely hooked and needing to know more about it from the moment I saw it.

Getting into this book, I found it interesting and initially it had me hooked on the premise and plot. Though it started on a high for me, I didn't immediately fall in love with the characters or plot. The tropes fit the vibes of this book, but it was tough to really get into it on a deeper level.

Definitely can't wait to see what later instalments in this series hold for the couple!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

The begging really drew me and in and I was hooked ever since.

The idea of having an opposite of a Soulmate, a Soulhate, was INCREDIBLE.

The writing will good, the plot amazing and the characters were brilliant.

Looking forward to the next book.

This was a fun, enjoyable read for me. I loved, loved, loved the ancient era setting. The beggining was slower, a lot of politics and getting-to-know the characters, but it took off pretty quickly and then the plot was packed. I had a feeling since the early beggining how it's gonna end and i was right, however it didnt lesser the fun from reading it. The only thing that really surprised me was that the romantic line wasnt as big in the whole scheme of the plot.. i mean there were enemies but not lovers. I wouldnt blink an eye about the missing romance aspect if it wasnt advertised as "epic sizzling enemies to lovers romance fantasy".

Anyway, as said i really enjoyed it, it was well-written and i'd like to thank to the author, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book.