Hate at First Sight by Lizzie O'Hagan | Book Review

 

Hate at First Sight by Lizzie O'Hagan

Published: May 25th 2023 by Headline

Other works: The Visa, What Are Friends For?

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This in no way affects my review.

Synopsis

Kate hates feeling out of control. Her incessant need to overprepare has always served her well. Yet nothing could have prepared her for today.

Not only is she being evicted from her flat . . . by her best friend , but now her boss has announced cost-cutting measures that will put her job in jeopardy. She may not love the company she works for, but she's worked too hard for too long to just give up. So she's ready to prove herself.

The catch? If she wants to save her job, she'll have to work with creative, happy-go-lucky Harry . The one man she's spent the last five years trying to forget.

But what happens when that line you've drawn starts to blur?

Review

Warning - potential spoilers!

After reading and really enjoying O'Hagan's The Visa last year, I jumped at the chance to read her newest work, and it didn't disappoint! I really enjoyed the work-oriented nature of the book, and how working on a project together led to Harry and Kate interactions with each other, as I felt it really gave readers an insight into their dynamic, and was a great format for watching them fall for each other. The fashion website and their differing roles for the company as a data analyst and a more creative role really hgihlighted their opposite natures, and I felt that Kate's anxieties about her work and her posititon within the company was really realistic. I liked that this was a major subplot rather than being sidelined in order for the romance to shine; O'Hagan manages to find a good balance between the two. The whole 'pitching to a Gen-Z audience' felt a bit on-the-nose at times, although clearly very relevant, but I ended up loving the big reveal at the end of the book and the message that it portrayed.

I always tend to enjoy enemies-to-lovers romances but I don't seem to read too many of them, so this was really nice to dive into. I found the chemistry between Kate and Harry to be really authentic - it didn't happen overnight, but their little friendship turning into something more was sweet, and I hated that things seemed to be going so well for them before things ended, albeit temporarily. Although at times it did seem as though their banter with one another leaned a bit too far into genuine irritation and rudeness than flirtation, I really wanted things to work out between the two, and I'm happy that Kate believing in herself more in a work setting led to success in her personal life too.

My heart broke for Kate while reading this, as it seemed she had one bout of bad luck after another, but seeing her making amends for her mistakes and building up her self-confidence leading to her happy ending was so satisfying. Once again O'Hagan has written a solid romance, and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next.