Book · 2016
The Hating Game
by Sally Thorne
Two rival executives who despise each other are stuck sharing an office, until the hating starts feeling like something else entirely.
What does Reddit think of The Hating Game?
Fifty-six hundred plus mentions across seven years, most of them in r/RomanceBooks, is enough that the book itself became a unit of measurement: request threads for years asked for 'Enemies to Lovers like The Hating Game' as shorthand (↑325). That saturation cuts both ways. One reply (↑211) remembers when 'every third post' in the sub referenced it and notes it's 'faded a lot' since. Another (↑223) frames the backlash directly: 'A lot of people liked it, then when it became overly popular, a bunch of people started trashing it,' pinning the pile-on on overexposure rather than the writing itself. The specific complaint that recurs is the FMC's persona, 'smol with a side of quirky' (↑197), while a separate r/suggestmeabook reply calls Lucy 'annoying' outright and flags 'problematic aspects' (↑227), a harsher read than anything displayed from r/RomanceBooks. The film adaptation gets singled out too, called 'absolutely devoid of what made the book work' (↑582).
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · Enemies-to-lovers as reddit's default measuring stick
- · Backlash as a side effect of overexposure, not the writing
- · The FMC's "quirky" archetype under scrutiny
- · The film adaptation judged against the book
Common praise
- + One reader (↑465) calls it 'my first contemporary romance that started it all,' crediting it as their entry point into the whole genre.
- + The line 'I'll fit you just right' gets singled out by name as a standout moment, even from a reader who says the book wasn't especially explicit (↑215).
- + For years it was the default answer to 'enemies to lovers' requests, cited by name as the shorthand comparison itself (↑325).
Common criticism
- − r/suggestmeabook's displayed reply (↑227) calls Lucy 'annoying' and says the book has 'problematic aspects' that get overlooked because of its popularity.
- − The film adaptation is described as 'absolutely devoid of what made the book work' (↑582), worth knowing before watching it in place of reading.
Who it's for
New to romance and looking for the genre's on-ramp? Multiple readers here point to this exact book as their first contemporary romance (↑465). Want the enemies-to-lovers trope specifically? For years this was reddit's default answer when someone asked for it (↑325), though more than one commenter notes the recommendation has faded since. A spunky, quirky female lead a dealbreaker for you? That's the exact complaint one reader raises about Lucy (↑197), and r/suggestmeabook's harsher take calls her 'annoying' outright (↑227). Planning to watch the movie first? One reply describes it as 'absolutely devoid of what made the book work' (↑582).
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for The Hating Game?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“The Hating Game! I will always have a soft spot for it because it was my first contemporary romance that started it all
“I really disliked *The Hating Game* because Lucy is such an annoying character and considering how popular the book is, there are some really problematic aspects of the writing and also the characters behaviours
“A LOT of people liked The Hating Game. Then when it became overly popular, a bunch of people started trashing it. I feel like anything that becomes that popular will eventually be mocked. I personally like that book because it focuses almost every page on the romance and doesn’t have much else going…
“Josh saying “I’ll fit you just right” to Lucy is up there for me. The Hating Game was the first romance book I ever read and while it wasn’t super explicit (esp compared to what I’ll read now lol), that line just shook me when I read it 😂
“I liked the Hating Game, but I felt like the FMC's whole personality was smol with a side of quirky. That's definitely not the only book where it happens, and it does happen with other body features (big boobs, plus size, red hair, etc.) but for some reason small/short has been making the rounds in …
“{The Hating Game by Sally Throne} I read the description. Thought it sounded very ordinary. But people kept telling me to read it, so I gave in and read it. It is an incredibly funny, romantic book. Excellent writing, interesting characters. I was hooked from the first page. Just a perfectly e…
“The Hating Game (book). I’be read it and hated it and went to rate it one star on Goodreads only to realize that I had already rated it one star a few years prior. So I hated it twice. I was shocked to discover how beloved this book is by this sub.
“🫣 Sally Thorne The Hating Game was so good. Haven't connected with any of her new books at all.
“Ah, *The Hating Game* or as I think of it, "the workplace romance that should have been an email." I slogged my way through the whole thing secure in the knowledge that everyone in that office hated both of them for making all of those meetings 1) longer than they needed to be and 2) weird. Flashed…
“I can’t stand the obsession with size in a lot Romance novels. I almost quit The Hating Game bc she was so obsessed with how tiny she is. It was her whole personality. “I’m tiny, I like smurfs bc you know they’re tiny like me, omg He is so tall and I am so tiny…”
“I guess the elevator scene in {The Hating game by Sally Thorne} is absolutely a f*** it and kisses her situation.. Absolutely love the book and their chemistry!
“Is not the best book I’ve read, is not super deep, is not novel material but I have never enjoyed a book more: The Hating Game. First of all, I don’t think I’ve laughed that much reading a book, secondly, when I tell you I’m a SUCKER for slow burns I don’t think you can understand, I love the tensio…
“I don't mind it as long as the female isn't emphasizing how small she is constantly (\*cough\* the hating game \*cough\*). If it's explained in a more humorous way like "he's built like a tree and I wanna climb him" then I can enjoy it!
“That’s one thing that I liked about The Hating Game. The MMC was ripped but he worked out on his lunch break and after work and basically subsisted on protein shakes and super healthy food. Like all he did was work, gym, pine for FMC. It checked out! I have read books where the MMC is super fit but…
“Josh and Lucy from The Hating Game. I found both the book and the two leads insufferable and obnoxious three years ago and it hasn’t changed. Especially the heroine and her “slit-wrist red lipsticks” (wtf?!) Also petty but they both have blue eyes and everyone remembers that painted room scene lma…
Convinced? Pick up The Hating Game
What else does r/RomanceBooks read?
Other books mentioned in the same sub, ranked. Shared-sub overlap with this title breaks ties.
The Hating Game — frequently asked
Is The Hating Game still recommended on Reddit for enemies-to-lovers fans?+
It used to be the default answer, less so now. One longtime r/RomanceBooks member (↑211) recalls 'every third post' referencing it when they joined the sub four years ago, but says it's 'faded a lot' since. Request threads for years used it as shorthand, 'Enemies to Lovers like The Hating Game' (↑325), its own kind of endorsement even as direct recommendations cool off.
Why do some Redditors dislike The Hating Game?+
The sharpest complaint comes from r/suggestmeabook (↑227), which calls Lucy an 'annoying character' and flags 'problematic aspects' that the book's popularity tends to obscure. A separate r/RomanceBooks reply (↑197) makes a related point about the FMC's persona, describing it as 'smol with a side of quirky,' a type the commenter says recurs across other romance leads.
Is the backlash against The Hating Game about the book or its popularity?+
Popularity, according to the excerpt that addresses it directly. One r/RomanceBooks reply (↑223) argues 'a lot of people liked' it, and the trashing started only 'when it became overly popular,' framing the backlash as the predictable cost of overexposure, separate from a verdict on the writing.
Is The Hating Game movie worth watching instead of reading the book?+
Not according to the one displayed opinion on it. A r/RomanceBooks reply (↑582) uses the film adaptation as a cautionary example while discussing a different project's casting, calling it flat out 'absolutely devoid of what made the book work.' That's the only take on the movie in this sample.