Hating Wren

XO Surveillance #2

by R. Handler

What if the person you want the most wants you gone?

Wren Yao finally found the place she belongs, alongside her newfound best friends, Dev, Alex, and Ames. The only problem? Bex Fitzgerald, Ames’s sister. Bex doesn’t just dislike Wren, she doesn’t see her. And for someone as over the top as Wren, that’s the worst thing Bex could do. That is, until a drunken argument turns Bex from an indifferent acquaintance to Wren’s tormentor, one who’s determined to show that Wren doesn’t belong. Desperate to prove her wrong, Wren is willing to do anything, even if it means taking part in the mind games Bex is so eager to play.

How do you get rid of the person you can’t stop thinking about?

Bex Fitzgerald has been forcibly brought into the family her sister has joined, and sitting on the fringes of their group isn’t quite as terrible as she imagined. The only problem? Wren Yao, the sickly-sweet, obnoxiously bubbly florist that can’t stop sending her puppy dog eyes and trying to be her friend. And when Wren finally stands up for herself, challenging Bex to make her leave once and for all, Bex can’t help but agree. After all, Bex would love to kill two birds with one stone: get rid of this obsession she has toward Wren and drive her away for good.

Genres: Lesbian, Enemies To Lovers, Smut, Romance, LGBT, Found Family, Dark

293 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2023

About the author

R. Handler enjoys writing sweet(ish), morally gray characters who are obsessed with their partners. She believes characters that might operate outside the traditional boundaries of right and wrong also deserve heartfelt, happily-ever-afters, which are what got her into reading in the first place. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in English, she settled down in her hometown in Virginia with her husband and four cats. When not writing, she enjoys reading and tending to the plants that always find a way into her books. Watching Ames is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Unpopmary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐

This was an entertaining dark romance by R. Handler, with a well-developed enemies-to-lovers trope. However, the animosity Bex felt toward Wren didn’t make much sense to me. When the reasons behind her bullying were finally revealed, they came across as a bit superficial and juvenile. That said, I was glad to see Bex grow over the course of the story, enough to regret her actions and become a genuine partner for Wren.

As for Wren, she’s a ray of sunshine with a bit of grit, and I appreciated how she never fully backed down from the games Bex played with her. Still, I do wish her character had been fleshed out more—there was definitely room for deeper development.

The secondary characters were another highlight; their dynamics were fun to watch and added an extra layer to the story. Overall, I enjoyed the book, I'll say it's perfect for those who loved Loathing You by Amina Khan.

[Lady Olenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Honestly I thought of DNFing 9% in because it felt too mean for my liking. Fortunately, I couldn’t decide on my next book yet so I kept on reading. I didn’t realise I was 86% in! So… I guess it got better for me.

[Kaysha · Rating 3 out of 5]

i fear the sadist book i read the other day has ruined my KU recs. i just wanted a nice romance book why is she making her crush cry so that she can taste her tears??

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

for a bullying romance this really falls short. the bullying is on the large kind of pathetic and there are 2 main attempts at bullying before we move onto the sexual tension phase of things. the best part of the book is the haunted house chapter but beyond that it loses its flow and spark.

then when resolving the break-in storyline, it’s so rushed and comes across as an after thought because at one point i genuinely thought that it wouldn’t be addressed.

this is a decent romance book but if you’re looking for a bully romance like that of tryst six venom this is not it.

[Jes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is like the PBS version of dark romance, if you’re into that. Unfortunately for me the endings are just TOO sweet that after finishing it I have a cavity now

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Somehow this book outshines the first book in the series, Watching Ames! I loved Ames and Alex's story and relationship, but R. Handler seems to have turned it up another notch for Hating Wren. This is legitimately my favorite read of the year!

I'll start this review by saying to take the description seriously, this is a bully romance at heart, so be prepared. Wren is one of the most lovable characters around, and you just want to wrap her up in bubble wrap through most of this book. I think Bex's rough and tumble exterior is initially a bit shocking, especially in contrast to the kind, bubbly Wren, but the tension that R. Handler creates with this dynamic is unlike any other I've really read!

Hating Wren has scenes where you feel so bad for Wren, but these are mirrored with scenes that will make your heart melt with how powerful the obsessions are between the two. Bex's obsession with Wren could give Alex's obsession with Ames a run for its money (although it's tough for anyone to top Alex's obsession).

I loved how the bullying and obsession are mixed perfectly with moments where I genuinely laughed out loud. This book balances the cruelty of the bullying, the swoon of the romance, and the comedic aspects perfectly. Definitely don't pass this book up, and I can't wait to see what happens with Dev in the next book!

[Emily G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew! I enjoyed this story more than I expected to. It was not as dark as I thought it would be (which is a definite plus for me), but it also didn't skim on the steam and the dark feelings. This is a good opposites attract story with the perspective of both main characters. The angst level is right up there.
This book happens to be the second in a series but I enjoyed it despite not having read the first book - and you kind of grasp a lot of what happened in that one throughout this story. It can be read as a stand alone, in my opinion. I did, however, grow to like the other characters and am keen to read more from this universe.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Payton R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! It was a great take on bully to lovers on a double FMC stand! This is an honest arc review for an early read.

Showed great representation as well as general story building! Bex and wrens characters showed much depth and emotions to each other as well as just themselves. I’m a dark romance fan but I can appreciate all levels of dark romance and even though this wasn’t black dark I still VERY much enjoyed the amount that it gave!

It’s an easy read but still have a high amount of details for the characters, world, and explicitly! 10/10 highly recommend

[yeonjoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

I don’t even know where to begin. ‘Hating Wren’ was such an amazing book!!! I loved it from the depths of my heart.

Wren spoke so much to me with her little but not so subtle addiction to K-Dramas, because same girl, same… 🫣
She was such a sweetheart and seemed like the type of friend who’ll buy you chocolate because you were craving it the other day. What a cutie, right? 😩

Bex was … a lot. But in a good way. Sis got her sh*t together and knows what she wants. Must admit though, especially in the beginning miss girl was a bit too controlling and mean for no reason. It took me some time to get used to her way and in the end I grew quite fond of her! 🫶
Btw, name me a thing hotter than a woman knowing how to fight?! I’ll wait; bet you can’t find a single thing, because DAMN she was that hot, okay? 🤰🤤

Also, their relationship was too good. Really enjoyed that we got a ‘backstory’ instead of jumping right into the… well, love story? Besides, I loved their banter and their mutual pining was straight up *chef’s kiss*.
Can we talk about the haunted house scene? That was hot…🫢🫢

Tropes:
✨ff romance
✨grumpy X sunshine
✨sister’s best friend
✨bully romance (kinda)
✨bodyguard 😙
✨slow burn

~arc for honest review~

[Jake · Rating 1 out of 5]

what a s****y book.

Apparently R Handler has got some serious issues that they need to work out with a series of therapists.

Overall, the book has words. They are definitely readable.

The main characters are shallow and cliche. Their motivations are not just unbelievable but in the case of ‘Bex’ they turn her into a childish little snot.

‘You’re not tough enough to deal with our world’ she cries repeatedly as she pushes around someone who annoys her. That’s it. That’s her entire motivation.

The fact that the other character Wren is so pathetic that seeing her crush in her underwear makes her run off and cry is pretty cringe. The little power plays are more of the same. So ineffectual that they are more cringe. Bex forces wren to let her drive. Cringe. Bex forces wren to walk to the house. More cringe. Bex talks down to Wren like they’re in an episode of saved by the bell. Even more cringe.

Cringe. That’s what the real issue is with this book. It’s super duper extra cringe. These tough guys aren’t tough. They’re super hackers! Who are ascribed super powers, but really they’re just childish bullies. Creepy, and wimpy, bullies.

Not worth reading.

[Siddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story, but quite dark in places
Bex is outwardly a hardened, disturbed person, with originally only her sister Ames to rely on. Wren is a diminutive, gentle woman, with seemingly little in common with her best friend Ames and her found family.
The Author’s Note mentions morally grey characters, profanity and sex, but the thing that disturbed me most about this story is towards the beginning, how controlling Bex is, her lack of asking for permission, her sadistic assaults on Wren. However as the story continues we see Wren enjoys this, and is mentally and emotionally strong enough to give as good as she gets - and later their relationship seems to thrive on the to-and-fro.
This is the first time I have read a book in this particular style, and I found it so different from my usual reading that it took me a while to get into it. However, once I was in the right mindset, I really enjoyed the story.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hating Wren is the second book in R. Handler’s XO Surveillance series focusing on Bex and Wren’s story.
If you enjoy an enemies-to-lovers, grumpy X sunshine, slow burn, forced proximity, ff romance; this is for you. You will fall for these characters once you get into it deeper. Bex is a highly controlling especially at the beginning, but we support women’s rights AND their wrongs here!
Can technically be read as a stand alone but reading the first book MIGHT help you appreciate it more (I didn’t read the first one yet but now I gotta!)

[Safictions · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bex is a cool, collected, and Stoic computer coder/Hacker but she can't stand her sister's best friend Wren.

Wren is a sunshine in a person, she has a big crush on Bex but too bad that Bex hates her. She works as a Florist with her own flower store and even her outfits have personality.

This book read very fast-paced and I didn't want it to end. I loved the relationship and chemistry between Bex and Wren so much. I already know I'm going to think about these characters a lot!

I adored how the Bex and Wren treated and talked to each other after opening their hearts to one another. The miscommunications were dealt with pretty fast which made me love this book even more.

Bex and Wren are very different people but they just work so well together. Bex is very observant and knows what Wren needs at any given time and can read her so well like no other.

I loved the friend group too. This is the 2nd become in a series of morally grey characters and this is the only Sapphic one.

Would highly recommend this to anyone who loves a sapphic bully romance with a grumpy/sunshine dynamic who is destined to be together forever!!

Now, I really don't want to pick another book as I just want to relive this book for a long time!!!

[Jade ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

MY MAN MY MANNNN DEV 😛

im soooo gonna read dev’s book — every time he was mentioned butterflies were in my stomach 🧎🏾‍♀️

okay usually I don’t spot the grammar/spelling mistakes other people see + I really don’t be caring bcs my brain fixes it before I even process it - if that makes sense..but there was a few I couldn’t ignore 😭. At a point I thought Bex was gonna lick the girl sweat with how much taste testing she was doing (iykyk). Another problem I had was the whole standoff thing..how he’s a trained professional but couldn’t spot her creeping around behind him like a rat 💀 also the scene was like a “omg I forgot to add the big bad guy at the end” type shi🧍🏾‍♀️…The spice was also kinda boring and quick, I didn’t care for alex at all but Ames is a cutie, nd Dev is like the only one to exist in my world 😛💍.

the bullying was kinda nonexistent…I mean yeah bex was shitty to wren but it was like on a petty level..idk if tryst six venom set my standards a little high or what but yea..

there was like a whole bunch of other stuff I wanted to complain abt but completely forgot about it upon writing this review other than that it’s a solid 3 stars for me 🫤.

[Dominique · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.75 ⭐️) PERSONALLY, I will never get over leaving her on the SIDE OF THE ROAD?? But that’s just me I guess. 😂 Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely look into reading more R. Handler books. The building of the world the book lives in felt complete even though I hadn’t read the first book, and is supported by the strong theme of found family with a clear development of social lives outside of the other MC. The writing is very straightforward from the beginning, which makes it easy to get through and see where the characters are coming from. I feel Handler did a good job of pacing out how we learned more about both MCs, but the pacing of the story overall felt uneven to me - the middle of the book dragged a little, and I would have liked a more purposeful conclusion to the break-in storyline. Let’s be honest, the last 100 pages were my favorite, but your girl loves a good “I’m wrong and I need to fix it”…..though I could always use more groveling. 😂

[Chelles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hating Wren

This book was good! You can read it without having read the first book - which I didn't know about until I started.

Great bully romance with so much sexual tension. Bex and Wren are quite the pair. Complete opposites, but I think that's what makes their chemistry work. They are both set on proving each other wrong on everything, only to realize that their differences are what draw them to each other. And when they finally stop resisting... 🔥💥🌶

It's not as dark as I expected, but after the recaps from the first book, I suspect the series as a whole is pretty dark.

[Evone Elia-Clancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF'd at around 73%, pretty shocked I read that far into. 2 stars because the career field is in Cyber Security and I had yet to read any characters in that career field. So that was fun, however,

I didn't really feel the character's vibe together...didn't really get a connection between them.

Bully to romance....meh not really, it was very G rated (not even PG) I wouldn't even consider it bullying since they were "playing a game" ... ?

Found Wren to be pretty childish ....

[Geek · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book i read from this series and i most likely will read the other two books. It was a good book. But some chapters were boring but other were amazing i loved the hunted house chapter. But i wished their fight lasted longer i think it would’ve been better . 3.5/5 over all good to read when you don’t have anything

[Michaela Kutcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

well this was fine, nothing that hasn’t been done before but an easy enough read and a good time while reading but not something that will stick with me or i will think of. at a certain point i was reading to read not because i was really enjoying the story a whole bunch, but still don’t think it was bad at all just didn’t wow me… 🤷‍♀️

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

Emotions can always be misconstrued. It’s difficult at times to know when you are worthy of something that truly belongs to you. If we let ourselves see for what it is, finding a HEA can be the easiest thing to do.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I thought it was an intriguing and a bit dark at times. This is a newer author, for me. And am voluntarily leaving my review.

[AnnaK · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.8 stars. At least she wasn’t that big of an ass

[Elz · Rating 4 out of 5]

prior to this book i always thought of myself as a verse. but after this all i want to be is a Wren. where my Bex at?

[Artemis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Great tension and characters. I'm hoping for more lesbian writing from the author. I'm sure the other 2 books are just as good, but not my cup of tea (hetero).

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

This book was absolutely phenomenal!! I was looking for a dark Sapphic romance and it was perfect. The right amount of dark and the perfect amount of romance!

[Alecto · Rating 2 out of 5]

how many pages does it take to develop absolutely nothing? this was simply a disappointing read......
(no tenia forma de como cagarla mas, pero lo logro)

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really lacking depth and i felt that it was overall a terrible read

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Needed it to be 800 pages

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite toxic, almost BDSM-adjacent, morally grey, BUT at least the romance didn't involve any men. Not my style, but it wasn't hard to read

[Ella G · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5