Summer is a true romantic - hoping for the meet-cute she’s dreamed of and a romance that would make the characters in the books of her bookshop swoon. Unfortunately for her, she hasn’t had the best luck when it comes to romance. Being an introvert all her life, she finds it hard to converse with others unlike her twin sister Autumn. Her introverted self seems to hide when it comes to Wes - a blunt CEO who plans on opening a bookstore right beside her own. Wes seems to push her buttons in a way no one else does.

Summer is a bit of a pushover. It also feels as though she hasn’t fully grown up - she seems very reliant on her sister while also envying her and her sister is just living her life the way she wants (albeit selfishly). Summer seems attached to the idea that things need to be a certain way and when it’s not it’s like the world is collapsing. She doesn’t like change (as seen by her constantly referring back to Twin Power and how her and her sister are always connected but her sister is moving on).

I will say I did feel for Summer when they were doing the family games and she came dressed to be on a team with her sister and her sister came dressed for a team with her boyfriend instead. It was clear Summer was upset about it but her aunt and mother made it seem like she would obviously be okay with it so Summer felt like she had no choice but to go along with it. Clearly her sister, her mother, and her aunt have become accustomed to her not having much of a backbone and just taking everything with stride.

As much as I didn’t like Summer in the beginning, she did have some good character development which had me changing my mind about her (just ever so slightly). I’m glad she eventually realized that she was letting her sister get away with so many things and finally stood up for herself.

Wes is your typical British CEO who puts his work above anything else and doesn’t believe in love and romance. However, he slowly opens up to the idea of romance the longer he’s around Summer and he notices things about her that her family don’t seem to pay attention to. He’s willing to step up for Summer because he knows no one else will.

Overall, I’m not a big fan of the writing style - felt very descriptive with not much going on. The third act breakup was also short-lived and I feel like something was missing because it seemed to be a little choppy. However, I will say I found myself invested as the novel went on but wouldn’t say it’s my favourite. I do think there is potential for growth and I’m excited to see how Marina develops as an author!

This is a perfect rom-com for lovers of "You've Got Mail." The book is a light read and spicy. The story moves well.

⭐️ rating - 2.75/3 extra tall British mega bookshop owners.

Love to Hate You is a romance that follows two rival booksellers, Summer, a small indie romance bookshop owner and Wes, an Amazon sized mega book chain owner. It has a cast of characters including Summer’s identical twin autumn and Randy, Wes’ half brother. It follows them as they inevitably go from rivals to lovers.

This book wasn’t really my favourite. I found I struggled to connect with the characters at all. Summer (24 years old!) seemed maddening with her obsession for a meet cute and living her life in a romance book bubble and Autumn was equally frustrating as the self obsessed and self titled “cool” identical twin.

Wes was fine, I understood his motivations, I would have preferred more from his point of view.

There was large portions of drag in this book for me. Particularly when Autumn, Randy, Summer and Wes are at the twins family holiday week.

It’s a super easy read though, it’s definitely a nice summer beach read I think. Wes is hot, so that kept me going until the end.

I will say the scene underwater made me uncomfortable and also I struggled to work out the logistics of making out underwater when you are short on oxygen. Maybe I need to test the theory… all I know is I wouldn’t find it hot I’d find it uncomfortable!

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I’m a big fan of “You’ve Got Mail.” It’s the David versus Goliath of the bookstore world. My favorite characters in this book were Summer, Wes, and Frank.

I loved that no matter what the world threw at her, Summer still kept that hope for the future.

Wes had been through so much in his life, but he was still there for his brother.

Frank was a favorite because he stood up from Summer when others should have.

Wes and Summer had an interesting beginning to their relationship. They both saw things in the other that other people missed. One of my favorite scenes was the scavenger hunt.

A fun and cute enemies to lovers story. I loved how Summer and Wes knew how to push each other’s buttons. I loved the push and pull chemistry and banter. It’s an entertaining and well written story.

Ive enjoyed other books by this author and lets be real, who doesn't love a nod to you've got mail, so I was excited to dive into this one!

I had high hopes and while this was a fine read, the enemies was played up a little toooo much to see the underlying chemistry between Wes and Summer. The drama between her and her sister and him and his brother detracted from the plot and overall it just want more. Other than the two owning bookstores (her mom and pop shop and his corporate conglomerate), there wasn't really any similarities to you've got mail, and just kept hoping for those to be included.

I'd absolutely pick up another book from this author but ultimately, I wanted more from this story. It was fine and a one sitting read, but still just fine.



Thank you Netgalley and 8th Note Press for the ARC in exchange for my review!

REVIEW: Love to Hate You by Marina Adair

Love to Hate You is great for romance fans who enjoy enemies-to-lovers stories, forced proximity, found family, spicy tension, witty banter, and bookstores.

Love to Hate You was a fun romance that made hints at the movie You've Got Mail. It was different enough not to be a carbon copy and still had subtle nods. I love any stories about libraries or bookstore owners, so having Summer own her romance bookstore was perfect. You could tell this book was written as a love letter to romance readers because it shared so much about different meet-cutes and tropes. Even the main characters were aware of the multiple meet-cutes happening. I'm a sucker for a good enemies to lovers trope, and Love to Hate You didn't disappoint me. There was so much playful banter and pranks that eventually turned into some great sexual tension. Summer and Wes had great chemistry together, and their spicy moments brought it out.. I also really liked how the book had a big family dynamic aspect. Both Summer and Wes have their own family struggles they are working through.

I wasn't a big fan of the book's ending. Some of it didn't feel quite realistic, and it seemed too easy a fix. I would have liked a little more to it. Also, some of the side characters were a bit extreme and out of place, which was too much for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Love to Hate You. I'm always up for a good enemies-to-lovers trope, and adding the bookstore owners puts the cherry on top.

Thank you, Netgalley and 8th Note Press, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

An indie romance bookstore owner finds herself up against the seemly cold-hearted corporate chain bookstore owner who moves in down the block in this dual POV, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, opposites attract romcom that is the perfect ode to Nora Ephron's You've got mail (minus the mistaken identity trope). This had a great layer of emotional family drama, open communication between the MCs and some delicious spicy scenes too. Great on audio narrated by Amber Battaglia who pulls off a decent male British accent! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. Recommended for fans of the upcoming Battle of the bookstores by Ali Brady and Battle of the bookshops by Poppy Alexander.

Summer is proud of her independent romance bookstore and podcast, with a book full of tropes and meet-cutes that she hopes will lead her into love. Wes is the corporate drone millionaire opening a big chain bookstore right across the road.

I'm a total sucker for a man who calls her Love, and Wes did this with charm *and* a British accent.

Not quite enemies, given you could tell Wes was into her from the start. They move from snarky banter to more personal banter when they are forced to spend time together when Wes shows up at her family's holiday home, tagging along with his brother who is dating Summer's sister. The two start to make bets with each other, and the tension between them was fantastic, even when they have those first small moments they keep up the banter. But it's genuinely sweet how they managed to really see each other, even when others, including Summer's family, could not sometimes.

When Wes finds out his Board is making moves to oust him, and harm Summer's beloved business and podcast in the process, he needs to decide what is more important to him. His Father's legacy, his brother's desire to succeed, or his relationship with Summer. I'm generally not a fan of third act breakups but I do enjoy a good grand gesture to win her back. 3.5/5

Love to Hate You is a romcom by Marina Adair. While this novel has shadows cast from the movie You’ve Got Mail, and even names writer/director/producer Nora Ephron in the story, the plot veers sharply from the movie and brings in family and the dynamics that drive them.

Summer Russo has borrowed a lot to get the multigenerational bookstore in Ridgefield, Connecticut competitive and running smoothly. Just when she is beginning to feel optimistic about the outcome, a big box book store is being built on the adjacent property. Cool and collected, CEO Wes Kingston taunts Summer almost daily, but Summer gives as good as she gets. Waging the battle alone as her mirror twin Autumn is in Europe chasing Taylor Swift performances while borrowing from Summer under false pretenses, Summer is looking forward to the one week beachfront family reunion at the house her family has rented for many years. But when Autumn arrives with a new beau in tow in the form of Randy Kingston, and accompanying Randy is his older brother Wes, Summer’s archenemy, feathers begin to fly.

This is such a fun story with laugh out loud moments but with much deeper meaning. Ms. Adair puts a lot of heart into her plot line and this brings her wonderfully drawn characters and their circumstances to life. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

📚🔥 BOOK REVIEW 🔥📚
Love to Hate You by Marina Adair

Enemies-to-lovers? Check.
Bookstore rivals? DOUBLE CHECK.
Forced proximity at a family vacation cabin? You know we’re in trouble now. 👀💘

Summer Russo is a hopeless romantic with big dreams and a tiny indie bookstore she’s poured her heart into. Enter Wes Kingston—a ruthless, ridiculously hot CEO of a corporate bookstore chain who does not believe in love… or in playing fair. 😤

When fate (and Summer’s sister) trap them under one roof, sparks fly, banter sizzles, and suddenly “hate” starts to look a lot like foreplay. I couldn’t stop grinning, swooning, or rooting for these two stubborn hearts to figure it out. 🌊📖💕

💬 Perfect for fans of:
🖤 Enemies-to-lovers
🏡 Forced proximity
📚 Bookstore drama
🔥 Spicy tension + snappy banter
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Found family beach trips

5/5 stars for the chemistry, chaos, and all the cozy bookish vibes with a heatwave twist. Marina Adair nailed it again!

Thank you to the publisher and @NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! 💌

#LoveToHateYou #MarinaAdair #Bookstagram #RomanceBooks #EnemiesToLovers #ForcedProximity #IndieVsCorporate #BeachReadVibes #BookstoreRomance #RomComReads #NetGalleyReviewer #ARCReview

4.5⭐️

Just finished Love to Hate You by Marina Adair and wow—SO good. The banter was hilarious, the tension was chef’s kiss, and the romance had me grinning like an idiot. If you’re into enemies-to-lovers with heart, definitely give this one a go!!!

- for fans of Annabel Monaghan: if you love her writing you will love Marina Adair!!

🎵 the louvre by lorde

Thanks NetGalkey for the e-arc!! Loved it sm!!

I always love to read a good enemies to lovers romance. There is just such a fine line there that’s just perfect when it is crossed and feelings come out. I enjoyed this story and these characters. They are opposites in so many ways but their chemistry is undeniable.
Summer and Wes make this a fun read especially with their banter. I feel that is so so important with book characters because it really helps bring you in to their story.

"A modern enemies-to-lovers twist on You've Got Mail starring competing bookstore owners."

I was so excited for this book, but for me it fell short. Too much of a cliche, and I really didn't like her super low self esteem and constant comparison with her sister.

Love to Hate You has all the ingredients for a fun enemies-to-lovers romance, quirky small-town charm, witty banter, and two leads with undeniable chemistry. Summer Russo, the passionate indie bookstore owner, and Wes Kingston, the brooding corporate CEO, are set up for a classic rivals-to-romance dynamic that starts off strong.

The setup is engaging, and the initial tension between the characters is entertaining, with a few genuinely funny and sweet moments. Marina Adair does a great job capturing that lighthearted rom-com energy, and the story flows easily from one chapter to the next.

That said, the book didn’t fully stick the landing for me. While the premise was promising, the emotional depth felt a bit underdeveloped. The transition from enemies to lovers came a little too quickly, making the payoff feel less impactful. It’s like everything was almost there—funny, romantic, emotional—but not quite fleshed out enough to really hit home.

Still, it’s a pleasant, quick read with a feel-good vibe. If you're in the mood for a low-stakes romance with light drama and a happy ending, it’s worth picking up—just don’t expect it to break any new ground

Don’t worry, the solution to the big-box bookstore moving in next door to the small town romance bookstore is not the big-box bookstore absorbing the small bookstore. The solution, in order for Summer and Wes to get their HEA, is a tad bit more palatable than that.

This story was much more emotional than I had anticipated. By all accounts, Summer has a fantastic family and is very close with them. It doesn’t take long to see the cracks in Summer’s relationship with her twin sister, though. And once Summer is stuffed into a cabin with her whole family as well as her arch nemesis, it becomes clear that Summer is the pushover. She does what needs to be done to make everyone else happy and keep the peace, never sticking up for herself. Not that most of her family is bad. They just don’t realize how they hurt her with some of their teasing and meddling since she never voices her discomfort. Wes notices this dynamic immediately and finds himself stepping in time and again to soften the blow to Summer. He may be single-minded and come across as pompous, but Wes is a good egg and turns out to be a swoony hero.

I was trying to figure out my problem with this book, because I did have some issues with not staying fully engaged. I love the characters, there is fantastic chemistry, Summer’s woes are gut-wrenching and were giving me all the feels, so what was the problem? Having sat with this for a few days, I think it’s the intensity of the rivals part of the rivals-to-lovers. Sometimes, Wes and Summer were cruel to each other. While I’m sure some readers eat that up with a spoon, it was a bit too much for my belly…it felt hollowed out at times. So that’s going to be a preference thing for sure.

For me, I loved seeing Wes and Summer lifting each other up…even before they became friends. That means the beginning, before they made it to the cabin, was a rough start for me. Also, I hated Summer’s sister so much and didn’t even forgive her at the end with her groveling.

Love to Hate You by Marina Adair is an enjoyable and humorous enemies-to-lovers journey, with forced proximity, a secret will with stipulations, meddling family members and steamy chemistry between unequal rivals. Summer Russo is the current owner of a local romance bookshop, one that’s been in her family for a few generations. Wes Kingston, one of the heirs to a corporate book chain, is opening a rival store, next to Summer’s store. Their initial meetings are filled with tension, misunderstanding, and conflict. Summer fiercely opposes Wes’s store, fearing it will put her beloved bookstore out of business. Wes, meanwhile, matches her resistance with equal determination, making for a series of entertaining and fiery encounters. When these two discover their siblings’ are dating during Summer’s family annual summer vacation, fireworks might ensue. Forced to interact in a more personal setting, the two begin to see each other in a new light. Through their interactions, they realize that their assumptions about one another were wrong, and what starts as a mutual disrespect and contempt begins to turns into understanding and, ultimately, affection.

Ms. Adair adds a refreshing modern spin to the classic You’ve Got Mail formula, entwining a corporate vs. indie bookstore rivalry. Summer and Wes’s journey is one of personal growth and emotional vulnerability as they move past their initial misconceptions; allowing themselves to trust and love. The family dynamics and the business rivalry add richness, making their transformation from enemies to lovers feel both believable and rewarding. The chemistry between Summer and Wes sizzles, their arguments are foreplay, and their witty back-and-forth leads to some truly swoon-worthy moments.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #8thNotePress # LoveToHateYou

I really enjoyed this book and have to say it’s one of my favorites by this author. I liked our heroine Summer right from the get-go and I wasn’t expecting Wes. I should have figured from all their arguing and bantering that they were meant to be together, but I didn’t see it at first. I really felt bad for Summer being mistaken for her oh so perfect twin sister Autumn but as the story progresses, we find out that Autumn isn’t as perfect or so together as her image projects. So many things I loved about this story - - the discussion of the various colors of pink, Cupid’s Guide to Love; how competitive Summer’s family is; the wonderful bookstore Summer owns and how a weekend away with too many surprises for Summer that a romance started between her and Wes. I wasn’t a fan of Autumn and Wes especially when their true colors started showing at the weekend getaway and yes, they eventually come around, but they’re still not my favorite characters. I did enjoy Cecilia and Frank, however. I liked seeing Summer and Wes together, but Randy does what he does and causes major trouble for Summer when an event she planned has the potential to blow up in her face. Even though they aren’t together or talking, Wes takes care of the situation and it’s a huge win for Summer in the end. I have to say not that anything was a competition between Summer and Autumn, but I feel like in life Summer won hands down and as with any good romance, we got ourselves a Happily Ever After. Great book!

I couldn’t read this book fast enough! I adored this one! Summer is living the life she loves, but also one that passed down to her. She took over her grandmother’s bookstore. She is the type who believes in HEA and wants everyone to get it, even if it’s at her own expense. Wes hasn’t had an easy life and a HEA is the furthest thing from his mind. He’s in town to get a job done and that’s it. But the infuriating woman next door to his bookstore captures his attention! I loved the banter and the hate between Wes and Summer. It was fun watching circumstances change and seeing their walls drop as they got to know each other better. I can’t recommend this book enough! Be sure not to let this book pass you by!