This book was a quick, spicy read.

I felt the immediate animosity between the two characters was a little uncalled for, but their commitment was top notch. An English professor and an auditor hired by the college to review the English department. For one teacher, who feels that his classes can't be measured by numbers, his commitment and passion for his job fairly portrayed, and that the auditor unfairly has it out for him, this audit is going to be the death of his career. He vents his frustration on scribble, where he writes spicy Shakespearean fanfiction.

Fanfiction that auditor Micah happens to love. When she connects with Aiden through the app, he rekindles her love of writing. Something her previous boyfriend killed when he laughed at her manuscript, calling her attempt to write romance mundane and frivolous. The worse things get between them at work, the more the connect online. Until one night, caught in a snowstorm, they discover that the person they've been vulnerable and honest with is the same person they've been venting with. And maybe it's worth taking that step, letting go of their misconceptions of each other and trust in the person they've come to know.

I did like that there were different writing styles between the fanfics - by both authors - and the regular story. It did help make it feel like there were different writers in those sections.

I'd consider this a light read that did have it's moments. The lead up was a little weak, I feel like the inciting incident to their dislike of each other - especially for the level that it was - could have been something bigger. The ending was very satisfying though, and I'd definitely be interested to read other books by this author.

3.5 stars.

For a short and sweet book, I think there was quite a bit of character development tossed in here.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. The messages between the two writers were a little painful to read in how they had been written, but the overall vibes of this book were cute.

The spicy scenes were aplenty, but I did feel they were underdeveloped.

I hated how mean the MMC was without any real explanation, and him trying to get her to quit her job wasn't any different from how her ex treated her and her writing... It was hard to like the characters, separate, or together as a couple.

If you're looking for a quick, somewhat spicy read to pass the time, this book gets the job done.

run of the mill romance. It didn't blow me away, but I had such a great time during the spicy scenes. I'll always finish a workplace romance.

This had all the ingredients for a rom-com I could fall for: banter-fueled tension, academic drama, and a whole lot of nerdy heat. And there are some fun moments! Micah and Aidan have solid chemistry, and the fanfic element added an extra wink of meta charm. But for all its clever premise, the emotional beats didn’t fully hit for me. The tension simmered, but the payoff felt a little more lukewarm than swoony. I wanted to feel more of the shift from adversaries to something real. Still, if you’re into fanfic-in-fiction and love a literary rom-com with a spicy twist, this is a fun ride. It just didn’t quite give me the emotional or romantic depth I was hoping for. Solid, but not my favorite enemies-to-lovers out there.

This was a surprise for me. I like romances well enough, but I really did enjoy reading this book. I think it was the way the characters were able to communicate with each other about their pasts and overcome the struggles together in a realistic and healthy way that endeared me to them. I also love having dual POV for romance, seeing both sides of the relationship gives it more depth. Great fun to read, and I look forward to the author's next book.

This was fine, it wasn't terrible but I wouldn't say it was good either. This book is mainly spice and there's nothing wrong with that but outside of the spicy scenes the characters are... annoying. The story went from hate to love in a matter of seconds which felt unrealistic and I just wasn't into it. It was a short read and very spice heavy but not a read that I ever need to read again.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book! The title and this beautiful cover drew me in and i was excited to read this book! I will be recommending this book to others for readers advisory.

I appreciate the arc copy I received! I was really intrigued by the cover and title so I picked it up but it was not my favorite. If you like spice you will love this!!

Much Ado About Hating You is a fast-paced, fun, and seriously spicy enemies-to-lovers romance. Micah Mila is a tough financial auditor sent to review a university’s English department. She’s smart, focused, and not afraid to speak her mind—even when it means putting Professor Aidan Scott’s job at risk. They argue constantly, prank each other, and can’t seem to agree on anything during the day. But at night, they’re unknowingly bonding over some very steamy Shakespeare fanfic.
Micah loves reading the fanfic. Aidan is the one secretly writing it. Once they figure it out, the chemistry between them gets even hotter—and yes, the spice level is high both in the fanfic and in their real-life story. There’s also a great snowed-in scene, strong banter, and some surprisingly sweet moments as their relationship grows.
The audiobook is well done, with Cindy Kay and J.F. Harding handling the dual narration. Both bring a lot of energy to their characters, and the back-and-forth between chapters works really well. Harding’s chapters stood out the most for me, but both narrators made it easy to stay hooked.
This is a great pick for anyone who likes workplace drama, secret identities, and books that mix heat with humor. It’s not super deep or emotional, but it’s entertaining, fun, and hard to pause once you start.

᪥ Shakespeare Fanfic
᪥ True Enemies To Lovers
᪥ They Unknowingly Meet Online
᪥ Office Pranks
᪥ Spice in the story and in the fanfic
᪥ Dual POV

Much Ado About Hating You is a super steamy and fun romance between a financial auditor and an English professor. The main characters had the best dynamic, and I couldn't stop smiling! Before getting together, their banter was incredible, and I am happy to report they kept that banter even after entering a relationship, which is just the best.

If you're in need of a quick steamy read, Much Ado About Hating You is the perfect book!

Thank you to the publisher for the e-copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fun little romance! Aiden and Micah start off at each other's throats when they meet, though there's a bit of insta lust. I wasn't sure how the author would manage to turn them from enemies into lovers but it works out!

A bit OTT, but that just fits with the drama. I liked how they both had unresolved things from their different pasts that they were able to work through together, I thought that really strengthened their relationship.

Watch out for the third act breakup, if you hate those. A bit cliche, but I didn't mind it too much. Lots of steamy scenes throughout! 🌶️🌶️ Loved Aiden's dirty talk!

I really wanted to love this one because enemies to lovers is my favorite trope, and the fanfic element seemed super fun. Unfortunately it didn’t really work for me. I thought that the switch from enemies to lovers went too quickly, and from there the instalove was hard to believe. It was a fast and easy read but not one I loved.

I had so much fun with this book! Aidan and Micah had so much chemistry. I don't think I have enjoyed an enemies to lovers story as much as this one. It went from zero to hundred in the best way. Though, I wish they wouldn't have moved so quickly in the epilogue. I feel like when characters move in and get engaged within a year of dating, I lose that sense of reality.

Liam was also a very enjoyable character and really has layers that I hope get explored in another book!

Overall, this book was right up my alley. It was a quick read and had easy writing to digest. At times, I do think that easy writing did hinder the flow of the story for me. But I thought the plot was very creative! As someone who wrote fanfiction in my teen years, it is always fun to read a book where the character(s) do as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for the ARC!

Hmm I just couldn't get into the characters here. I think the premise of a woman reading fanfic/flickfic that is written by who she assumes is a woman but ends up being a hottie is interesting, but I just couldn't get on board with them. Just needed a little more build up, believable tension.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

Tropes:
❤️‍🔥Enemies to Lovers
❤️‍🔥Dual POV
❤️‍🔥Hot Professor MMC
❤️‍🔥Corporate baddie to SMUT Writer
❤️‍🔥Funny Pranks

Omg this book was on FIRE with all of the sexy scenes. If you want maximum enemies to lovers SMUT, this delivers. I will not stop recommending this to anyone who asks. I really wasn’t expecting it to be SO good. The chemistry was there once Aidan (MMC) pissed Micah (FMC) off. The best touch is the pranks they do on each other which are ruthless. I loved that this was one of those romances where the characters were chatting online and had no clue they were talking to their enemy. The best part of this book is when they got snowed in, it was giving the one bed trope except there was no bed. Can we please get another book with Aidan’s brother Liam as the MMC? Hoping that the mention of his hotness so much creates another beautiful book that we can all sink our teeth into. This is definitely a re-read for me and I am telling you that you MUST not skip this book.

What I wish could’ve been different:
I did not like the twin sister for some reason, like I get how the relationship was supposed to be playful and stuff but I felt like it was boring as well as the brothers’ relationship (Aidan). It could have been worked on a little better in terms of the dialogue between characters, but eh, it was fine other than that.

The idea and premise of accidental catfish fan fic writers mixed with real life work enemies I was so sold. But the execution was disappointing sadly. Their online "banter" really did feel like how 12 year olds would chat with each other. I wanted more Shakespeare jokes or references if these two really were experts and super fans, and not even being one myself I still thought of some mainstream jokes that could've been made.

And like other reviews have mentioned the workplace side plot also fell apart logically. Which I could overlook if their connection was better.

Thank you to Harlequin Romance for the eARC.

Let me start off by saying that enemies-to-lovers is my *favorite* trope to read. So, you can imagine my excitement when I received a copy of this book. Not JUST enemies to lovers, but a hot professor, office hijinks, Shakespeare fanfic and secret online chemistry between the main characters! This had everything I wanted. Maybe I shouldn’t have allowed myself to get my hopes up so high for this book because I ended up disappointed.

My biggest issue with this book is the behavior of the two main characters, Aiden and Micah. They despise each other pretty much immediately after an altercation during a meeting where Micah, the new auditor for the university where Aiden is a professor, is introduced to the staff. And while it started off great with vicious glares and funny, not-so-subtle digs at each other, it quickly took a turn for the worst. Aiden and Micah are just MEAN. Their interactions felt more like high school bullies than adult coworkers. Is the professionalism in the room with us?

I didn’t feel like their relationship developed at a natural pace, either. Too much was forgiven much too quickly. Aiden constantly undermines Micah’s skills and abilities and rather than stand up for herself and prove him wrong, Micah agrees with him, refuses to turn in her audit and takes his advice to QUIT HER STABLE, WELL PAYING JOB to pursue her dream of being an author. But don’t worry, he gets to keep his job (of course). I will say I enjoyed the spicy scenes and I don’t think those type of scenes are done enough in books.

I think this book is undeveloped. The overall writing wasn’t my favorite and with so many grammatical errors throughout the book, it was difficult to read. I think this story had the potential to be good, and I really wanted to love it, but I’m sorry – I didn’t.

This was such a fun, fast-paced read! I inhaled it in a day. I loved the enemies-to-lovers vibe, but how both characters had a softness underneath that they were each trying protect. It was a delight to see them slowly be honest with one another about not only their attraction but their wounds, and watch them grow from doing so.

A enemies to lovers workplace romance to a T. It has a whiff of You've Got Mail About It as well if you're a fan of that, but this has a Shakespearean twist. I thought this it great! Entertaining and sexy and had some pretty meaty emotional stuff about fathers and sons. Gotta love a hot professor. Nice job, Sarah!

dnf @ about 40%

I was really intrigued by this premise since I love all things fandom culture, but unfortunately every sentence of this book made me full body cringe.

There were a lot of issues I had with this book, overall the writing was just super cringy, but also several more specific issues. First, a lot of the tension between the two characters stems from the MMC blatantly staring at the FMCs breasts in the workplace. Something that she (rightly) calls him on and he then makes excuses and blames her for (despite feeling some guilt in his narration). I think for me this would have been a dealbreaker. Go to HR, girl.

Second, the FMC is not an auditor (despite being called that). She is hired by the university to observe the department and recommend places for cost cutting/increased efficiency. She is doing no financial auditing. She is a business consultant. Call her a business consultant.

Last, the narrative structure was super simple and repetitive. The two characters would interact and then go talk to their respective siblings about the interaction, over and over and over.

Unfortunately this one just wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Afterglow for the eARC. All opinions are my own.