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Love Me or Hate Me
After being startled from my sleep in the dead of the night, I'm hit with unexpected news – my best friend reveals that Gabriel, her older brother and someone who has made my life a living nightmare for ten years, is moving in with us. It hits me that the one person I dislike the most is about to become my new housemate for the foreseeable future, and I’ll have to see him every day despite actively trying to avoid him my whole life.
Living with Gabriel means dealing with his arrogant personality, constant arguments, and a history that dates back to our teenage years. What makes it even more complicated? In the midst of this shared living space, a surprising connection begins to unfold, reigniting memories of a teenage crush that I thought I had left behind.
Living with Gabriel means dealing with his arrogant personality, constant arguments, and a history that dates back to our teenage years. What makes it even more complicated? In the midst of this shared living space, a surprising connection begins to unfold, reigniting memories of a teenage crush that I thought I had left behind.
295 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2022
145 people are currently reading
3042 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Alves
11 books1,169 followersStephanie Alves is an avid reader and writer of smutty, contemporary romance books. She was born in England, but was raised by her loud Portuguese parents. She can speak both languages fluently, though she tends to mix both languages when speaking. She loves to write romantic comedies with happy endings, witty banter and sizzling chemistry that will make you blush. When she’s not writing, she can be found either reading, or watching rom coms with her two adorable dogs cuddled up beside her.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
September 26, 2024
There are many books that would be so much better if they had someone proofread or edited, and this is the perfect example of it.
I love both the enemies to lovers and best friend's brother tropes, so this was right up my alley. However, the amount of simple technical errors there were really took me out of it. It was a good story, and I enjoyed it, but I'm sure if someone else read it before publishing, I'm sure that both the technical side and the story would have been infinitely better.
I would rate this a 3.5⭐️ if I could, but I'll round it up to 4 because I did really like it.
I love both the enemies to lovers and best friend's brother tropes, so this was right up my alley. However, the amount of simple technical errors there were really took me out of it. It was a good story, and I enjoyed it, but I'm sure if someone else read it before publishing, I'm sure that both the technical side and the story would have been infinitely better.
I would rate this a 3.5⭐️ if I could, but I'll round it up to 4 because I did really like it.
November 13, 2023
i enjoyed it a lot i just wish it was smaller
3.5
3.5
February 28, 2024
If you like the enemies-to-lovers trope, forced proximity, in love with my best friend's brother, this book is for you. Melisa and Gabriel fell in love from the first time they saw each other (when they were teenagers), but there was a small problem, Zaria, who is Melisa's best friend and Gabriel's sister. 10 years passed, and Gabriel moved in with them for 1 month, and they couldn't take it anymore.
I loved this story, in general, any story where they give me love, I'm going to love it, no matter how cheesy it is. For a moment, I thought there would be a third person involved, but fortunately, no, that would have made me stop reading the book. 5 stars rating because it made me shed a couple of tears and 3.5🌶.
I loved this story, in general, any story where they give me love, I'm going to love it, no matter how cheesy it is. For a moment, I thought there would be a third person involved, but fortunately, no, that would have made me stop reading the book. 5 stars rating because it made me shed a couple of tears and 3.5🌶.
September 1, 2022
I really liked this one and finished it in one sitting! The premise in itself was good and attention-grabbing via the tropes of best friends brother, enemies to lovers, and a secret pining situation!
My only hang up was there had been a few grammatical issues - and as an english major this did hit on one of my pet peeves - however, it had been easy to look over as the plot had me hooked.
I recommend this one if you’re a fan of haters to lovers and love forced proximity!!
{I received an ARC in return for sharing my honest opinions and review}
My only hang up was there had been a few grammatical issues - and as an english major this did hit on one of my pet peeves - however, it had been easy to look over as the plot had me hooked.
I recommend this one if you’re a fan of haters to lovers and love forced proximity!!
{I received an ARC in return for sharing my honest opinions and review}
November 29, 2024
This was nice. I really enjoyed this 🫶
Such a quick and easy read.
4.5 ⭐️
Such a quick and easy read.
4.5 ⭐️
September 18, 2024
“But I want you, Mel. There’s no going back from this. I tried to stay away from you for way too long, I’m not doing that anymore.” - Gabriel
Tropes:
💗 Best friend's brother
💗 Hate to love
💗 Roommates
💗 Forced proximity
💗 Always been you
💗 He cooks for her
💗 Takes care of her
Rating:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ /5
🌶️ 🌶️.5 /5
*Possible spoilers ahead*
I read this book in one day! It's such a quick and easy read (under 300 pages)
Gabriel and Melissa have known each other for over a decade and they can hardly stand to be in the same room for 5 minutes with each other. What Melissa doesn't know is that Gabriel has always loved her but he won't act on it because of his sister who is Melissa's best friend. Melissa used to have a crush on Gabriel but she got over it until he moved in with her and her best friend. Gabriel always teases Melissa because he just wants her close.
Melissa realizes that her crush never went away but he's hurt her before when he would tease her and that broke his heart and her trust in him and thought that he didn't like her. They fake a date for an event to get a guy to leave her alone and when she does go on a date he's there texting her everything that's wrong with the guy. He goes so back and forth with her that when she gets ready to have a redo date he tells her not to go and finally lets her know just how much he wants her. He ends up naming a restaurant after her and they have a little girl together.
"Love Me or Hate Me" is out now and I'm excited for you all to read it!
“Ten years ago, I fell in love with you, and two years ago, I finally went after what I always wanted, and now that I have you, I don’t ever want to let you go.” - Gabriel
Tropes:
💗 Best friend's brother
💗 Hate to love
💗 Roommates
💗 Forced proximity
💗 Always been you
💗 He cooks for her
💗 Takes care of her
Rating:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ /5
🌶️ 🌶️.5 /5
*Possible spoilers ahead*
I read this book in one day! It's such a quick and easy read (under 300 pages)
Gabriel and Melissa have known each other for over a decade and they can hardly stand to be in the same room for 5 minutes with each other. What Melissa doesn't know is that Gabriel has always loved her but he won't act on it because of his sister who is Melissa's best friend. Melissa used to have a crush on Gabriel but she got over it until he moved in with her and her best friend. Gabriel always teases Melissa because he just wants her close.
Melissa realizes that her crush never went away but he's hurt her before when he would tease her and that broke his heart and her trust in him and thought that he didn't like her. They fake a date for an event to get a guy to leave her alone and when she does go on a date he's there texting her everything that's wrong with the guy. He goes so back and forth with her that when she gets ready to have a redo date he tells her not to go and finally lets her know just how much he wants her. He ends up naming a restaurant after her and they have a little girl together.
"Love Me or Hate Me" is out now and I'm excited for you all to read it!
“Ten years ago, I fell in love with you, and two years ago, I finally went after what I always wanted, and now that I have you, I don’t ever want to let you go.” - Gabriel
September 10, 2025
A cute easy read. Enemies-to-lovers and best friends brother tropes. I’ll start by saying how cute I think the cover is! I enjoyed both characters, I liked how Gabriel always knew he loved her and how he struggled with his feelings until he just couldn’t hold back anymore. Everything was easy and flowed pretty smoothly. Between the teasing and arguments to the flirting and acknowledging feelings. I wish Melissa had a bit more confidence in herself. However when it came to those spicy parts she had no problem saying what she wanted! Gabriel had a bit of a dirty mouth and I was here for it! I did catch a few typo errors and each time it caused me to falter a bit to say what was actually meant to be written. Overall I enjoyed the story, it was light and short!
August 11, 2024
i had a great time with this! It was fun, sexy, flirty, the angst and mutual pining was building and it was a quicker read so it kept my attention the entire time.
Best Friend’s Brother
Found Family
Forced Proximity
“Enemies” to lovers
Touch her and 💀
I really enjoyed both Gabriel & Mel. I found myself really loving the MCs. When Gabriel showed up at Mel’s date i was laughing so hard. I had tears with them, laughs with them & anger with them.
I really hate a third act conflict and the fact that this was a shorter book, and there was still a third act conflict was annoying but it didn’t make me hate the book.
I would love to have see Zaria get her own book - could be simultaneous timelines on her relationship with Dominic!
I would definitely return to this author in the future!
Best Friend’s Brother
Found Family
Forced Proximity
“Enemies” to lovers
Touch her and 💀
I really enjoyed both Gabriel & Mel. I found myself really loving the MCs. When Gabriel showed up at Mel’s date i was laughing so hard. I had tears with them, laughs with them & anger with them.
I really hate a third act conflict and the fact that this was a shorter book, and there was still a third act conflict was annoying but it didn’t make me hate the book.
I would love to have see Zaria get her own book - could be simultaneous timelines on her relationship with Dominic!
I would definitely return to this author in the future!
December 5, 2023
(3.75★)
October 6, 2024
3.75 stars- overall sweet read with a few deeper themes woven throughout!
March 19, 2025
Für mich ein bisdchen zu viel friede Freude Eierkuchen uuuund zu vorhersehbar, sonst süße Story. Aber auch der schreibstil war jetzt nicht sooo meins aber gut als erstes Englisch Buch😂
January 29, 2024
The book was cute , predictable but realistic. Has lovey dovey scenes & the nice kind of smut.
August 8, 2024
ta książka była wspaniała 🥹
przeczytałam ją bardzo szybko, zostałam nią oczarowana, styl pisania autorki jest przyjemny, dzięki czemu czyta się naprawdę szybko. główny bohater to chodząca green flaga, a ja bardzo cenię takich bohaterów. Gabriel i Mel skradli moje serca i cieszę się, że zdecydowałam się na tą historię. liczę, że kiedyś jakieś wydawnictwo u nas wyda to cudeńko i przetłumaczy w dobry sposób na polski. TA KSIĄŻKA BYŁA ŚWIETNA. SERIO.
przeczytałam ją bardzo szybko, zostałam nią oczarowana, styl pisania autorki jest przyjemny, dzięki czemu czyta się naprawdę szybko. główny bohater to chodząca green flaga, a ja bardzo cenię takich bohaterów. Gabriel i Mel skradli moje serca i cieszę się, że zdecydowałam się na tą historię. liczę, że kiedyś jakieś wydawnictwo u nas wyda to cudeńko i przetłumaczy w dobry sposób na polski. TA KSIĄŻKA BYŁA ŚWIETNA. SERIO.
February 19, 2024
From what I have gathered, this is the original/first book that Stephanie Alves published, however, the book I read is an updated edition. From comments I have read, the original Love Me or Hate Me, published about 18 months ago, was written in a single POV perspective, from Melissa only. This updated version,Love Me or Hate Me is from a dual POV. I'm not sure if this is correct, as I haven't read the first edition, but if it is, I think this was the correct call. These types of love stories/romances gain much more character connection when we get to see it from the POV of both MCs.
With that said, if this did go through a revision or rewrite, I wish someone would have taken the time to review some of the text. There were a lot of typos. At first, it was little things that bothered me but didn't take away from the plotline. I would find additional punctuations, words capitalized that shouldn't have been capitalized, and vis-versa - words were missing capitalization. But, as the story went on, the typos were worse. With the change of a single letter, the whole word would change and give the phrase a new meaning (or it didn't make sense at all), words were omitted and left the sentence grammatically incorrect.
Some areas of the plot were edited and removed and the following text wasn't modified to reflect that edit. For example, there is a point where Gabriel must let an affectionate nickname he has for Melissa slip out in front of his sister, Zaria. However, the conversation was edited and he does not call Melissa by any nickname. Yet, Melissa still over-analyzes and stresses the fact that Gabriel said the nickname in front of his sister and she is scared that Zaria is going to catch on and find out about their secret relationship.
I feel that there are many examples of scenes being edited, or entire chunks of the storyline being removed, because some of the interactions between Gabriel and Melissa escalate too quickly for the little dialogue and actions that happen between them in specific moments.
Overall, the storyline was fine. It's nothing new or offer any curveballs but it follows the basic tropes that we see repeatedly.
I didn't understand some moments. Why did Melissa's mom come back, out of the blue, for a short interaction? Fine, Melissa was finally offered closure and was able to realize that she didn't need her mother after her father's death. The Anderson's were a second family and were enough for her. But there was no real purpose to Sofia coming back and we didn't gain anything from her short appearance.
Also, I find it hard to believe that Melissa inherited her father's home and left it empty for 5+ years. In the Bay Area of California. Where homes go for thousands if not millions of dollars. And she just had it sitting there, empty. Did she inherit a lot of money as well? Because I know teachers in San Francisco aren't loaded with cash.
Also, I would have liked some background on Melissa, Gabriel, and Zaria on their career choices. Ok, Zaria is a nurse and I assume it is because her father is a doctor (which we don't learn about until the very end). Gabriel is a chef because of Ratatouille? And Melissa? She became a teacher for the third grade because....why? Her parents were realtors, right? She went to Berkley to study to become a middle school teacher. I think we need some more character development there.
Not a bad book. I didn't find it hard to continue to read it but I definitely won't be reaching for it again.
With that said, if this did go through a revision or rewrite, I wish someone would have taken the time to review some of the text. There were a lot of typos. At first, it was little things that bothered me but didn't take away from the plotline. I would find additional punctuations, words capitalized that shouldn't have been capitalized, and vis-versa - words were missing capitalization. But, as the story went on, the typos were worse. With the change of a single letter, the whole word would change and give the phrase a new meaning (or it didn't make sense at all), words were omitted and left the sentence grammatically incorrect.
Some areas of the plot were edited and removed and the following text wasn't modified to reflect that edit. For example, there is a point where Gabriel must let an affectionate nickname he has for Melissa slip out in front of his sister, Zaria. However, the conversation was edited and he does not call Melissa by any nickname. Yet, Melissa still over-analyzes and stresses the fact that Gabriel said the nickname in front of his sister and she is scared that Zaria is going to catch on and find out about their secret relationship.
I feel that there are many examples of scenes being edited, or entire chunks of the storyline being removed, because some of the interactions between Gabriel and Melissa escalate too quickly for the little dialogue and actions that happen between them in specific moments.
Overall, the storyline was fine. It's nothing new or offer any curveballs but it follows the basic tropes that we see repeatedly.
I didn't understand some moments. Why did Melissa's mom come back, out of the blue, for a short interaction? Fine, Melissa was finally offered closure and was able to realize that she didn't need her mother after her father's death. The Anderson's were a second family and were enough for her. But there was no real purpose to Sofia coming back and we didn't gain anything from her short appearance.
Also, I find it hard to believe that Melissa inherited her father's home and left it empty for 5+ years. In the Bay Area of California. Where homes go for thousands if not millions of dollars. And she just had it sitting there, empty. Did she inherit a lot of money as well? Because I know teachers in San Francisco aren't loaded with cash.
Also, I would have liked some background on Melissa, Gabriel, and Zaria on their career choices. Ok, Zaria is a nurse and I assume it is because her father is a doctor (which we don't learn about until the very end). Gabriel is a chef because of Ratatouille? And Melissa? She became a teacher for the third grade because....why? Her parents were realtors, right? She went to Berkley to study to become a middle school teacher. I think we need some more character development there.
Not a bad book. I didn't find it hard to continue to read it but I definitely won't be reaching for it again.
February 8, 2024
Melissa was quiet and an introverted girl for the world but except for one Gabriel her best friend’s older brother, she was so loud when she benter with him, they always argued and hated each other or life.
But suddenly it changed all of sudden Melissa got the situation when she had to share her and her best friend Zaria’s apartment with Gabriel.
Gabriel would cook for her🤌🏻 and take notes of her little behaviour and whenever she looked at him his eyes were already on her😩🤌🏻😍.
Melissa thought Gabriel had always hated her just like she hated him but it was the opposite, he never hated her, she was all he ever wanted but couldn't!!
Melissa was a school teacher and Gabriel was a chef yup hottt chef who cooks for her🥰😍🤌🏻🥺
💭 I liked Zaria Gabriel’s sister and Melissa’s best friend not because she has the same profession as I have well as a Nurse just like me😅 but because of her personality she always knew what she wanted.
💭well my personality matches Melissa she is introverted, does not like to go out always quiet and doesn't know what to do😓😓.
💭 I read this book just because I saw a quote from this book on Instagram and I knew I had to have read it 😍😍 and I'm so glad I saw that quote and read this book💕🥰😍.
But suddenly it changed all of sudden Melissa got the situation when she had to share her and her best friend Zaria’s apartment with Gabriel.
Gabriel would cook for her🤌🏻 and take notes of her little behaviour and whenever she looked at him his eyes were already on her😩🤌🏻😍.
Melissa thought Gabriel had always hated her just like she hated him but it was the opposite, he never hated her, she was all he ever wanted but couldn't!!
Melissa was a school teacher and Gabriel was a chef yup hottt chef who cooks for her🥰😍🤌🏻🥺
💭 I liked Zaria Gabriel’s sister and Melissa’s best friend not because she has the same profession as I have well as a Nurse just like me😅 but because of her personality she always knew what she wanted.
💭well my personality matches Melissa she is introverted, does not like to go out always quiet and doesn't know what to do😓😓.
💭 I read this book just because I saw a quote from this book on Instagram and I knew I had to have read it 😍😍 and I'm so glad I saw that quote and read this book💕🥰😍.
April 22, 2024
"Love Me or Hate Me" by Stephanie Alves is a captivating romance that had me hooked from the start. The story follows the unexpected living arrangement of the protagonist with her longtime nemesis, Gabriel, who happens to be her best friend's brother. Despite their history of arguments and tension, a surprising connection begins to blossom between them once he realises he can't be away from her anymore.
Alves wrote a heartwarming romance that feels both genuine and compelling. The chemistry between the characters is incredible, and I found myself rooting for their relationship to succeed. The storyline is engaging, and Alves' writing style keeps you turning the pages.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the romance aspect of the book, I felt that the resolution of the protagonist's mother's dilemma could have been more developed. However, this minor flaw did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.
In the end, "Love Me or Hate Me" is a wonderful read that shows Alves' talent for creating lovable characters and engaging storylines. I would highly recommend any of her books to anyone looking for a inspiring romance.
Alves wrote a heartwarming romance that feels both genuine and compelling. The chemistry between the characters is incredible, and I found myself rooting for their relationship to succeed. The storyline is engaging, and Alves' writing style keeps you turning the pages.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the romance aspect of the book, I felt that the resolution of the protagonist's mother's dilemma could have been more developed. However, this minor flaw did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.
In the end, "Love Me or Hate Me" is a wonderful read that shows Alves' talent for creating lovable characters and engaging storylines. I would highly recommend any of her books to anyone looking for a inspiring romance.
November 21, 2024
This was so cute! This book is perfect for anyone who loves slow-burn romance mixed with emotional drama and a bit of nostalgia.
The premise immediately grabbed my attention – a forced living situation with a person you’ve despised for years is always ripe for conflict and growth, and this story delivers that in spades. Our protagonist’s tense relationship with Gabriel, her best friend’s older brother, is fraught with unresolved teenage issues and undeniable tension. I loved how the author perfectly captures the raw emotion of a long-standing rivalry, as well as the awkwardness of having to live with someone who has caused so much turmoil in your past.
The dynamic between the characters is complex, with Gabriel’s arrogant attitude clashing with the protagonist’s desire to avoid him. However, as the story progresses, the slow build of a connection between them is surprisingly heartwarming. The author does an excellent job of peeling back layers and showing that people are more than just their first impressions, and sometimes even the most challenging relationships can evolve into something more meaningful.
Huge thanks to Ingram Books for gifting me a copy. All opinions are my own
The premise immediately grabbed my attention – a forced living situation with a person you’ve despised for years is always ripe for conflict and growth, and this story delivers that in spades. Our protagonist’s tense relationship with Gabriel, her best friend’s older brother, is fraught with unresolved teenage issues and undeniable tension. I loved how the author perfectly captures the raw emotion of a long-standing rivalry, as well as the awkwardness of having to live with someone who has caused so much turmoil in your past.
The dynamic between the characters is complex, with Gabriel’s arrogant attitude clashing with the protagonist’s desire to avoid him. However, as the story progresses, the slow build of a connection between them is surprisingly heartwarming. The author does an excellent job of peeling back layers and showing that people are more than just their first impressions, and sometimes even the most challenging relationships can evolve into something more meaningful.
Huge thanks to Ingram Books for gifting me a copy. All opinions are my own
August 1, 2024
This is a captivating romance that had me hooked from the start. The story follows the unexpected living arrangement of the protagonist with her longtime nemesis, Gabriel, who happens to be her best friend's brother. Despite their history of arguments and tension, a surprising connection begins to blossom between them once he realises he can't be away from her anymore. Alves wrote a heartwarming romance that feels both genuine and compelling. The chemistry between the characters is incredible, and I found myself rooting for their relationship to succeed. The storyline is engaging, and Alves' writing style keeps you turning the pages. While I thoroughly enjoyed the romance aspect of the book, I felt that the resolution of the protagonist's mother's dilemma could have been more developed. However, this minor flaw did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the story. In the end, "Love Me or Hate Me" is a wonderful read that shows Alves' talent for creating lovable characters and engaging storylines. I would highly recommend any of her books to anyone looking for a inspiring romance
January 20, 2025
3🌶️/ 4⭐️
This book was a captivating yet predictable romance novel that had me hooked from page 1. I picked this book up back in June of last year and unfortunately dnf but I am so glad I decided to pick it back up! The story follows the unexpected living arrangement of the female protagonist Melissa and her longtime nemesis who also happened to be her best friend’s brother, Gabriel. Although majority of their history is filled with arguments, a surprising connection soon emerges once Gabriel realizes he can’t hide his feelings for her anymore.
I truly loved this book because I am a sucker for a cheesy romance. The yearning chemistry between the main characters is so refreshing to read and I found myself encouraging their relationship the entire time (although they were worried about her best friend Zaria).
Alves talent for writing a story with such lovable characters and a page turning storyline is beautifully showcased in “Love Me or Hate Me”. If you’re looking for an inspiring romance with an enemies to lovers trope, then I highly recommend adding this to the list!
This book was a captivating yet predictable romance novel that had me hooked from page 1. I picked this book up back in June of last year and unfortunately dnf but I am so glad I decided to pick it back up! The story follows the unexpected living arrangement of the female protagonist Melissa and her longtime nemesis who also happened to be her best friend’s brother, Gabriel. Although majority of their history is filled with arguments, a surprising connection soon emerges once Gabriel realizes he can’t hide his feelings for her anymore.
I truly loved this book because I am a sucker for a cheesy romance. The yearning chemistry between the main characters is so refreshing to read and I found myself encouraging their relationship the entire time (although they were worried about her best friend Zaria).
Alves talent for writing a story with such lovable characters and a page turning storyline is beautifully showcased in “Love Me or Hate Me”. If you’re looking for an inspiring romance with an enemies to lovers trope, then I highly recommend adding this to the list!
August 2, 2024
Book Review
Love Me Or Hate Me by Stephanie Alves
Available Now
4.5⭐
This book follows Melissa & Gabriel. Gabriel has to move in with his sister & her best friend Melissa for a temporary time.
The Tension. The Banter. The Chemistry 🥰😍
Melissa is a beautiful shy introverted girl who prefers being at home then going out and dealing with people (Same girl lets be friends 😂) she thinks Gabriel hates her when they first met 10 years ago so she always gives him crap right back anytime.
Gabriel is a confident man & likes to rile Melissa up just to get her out of her shell. He is obsessed with her & does the cutes little things to win her over & show her he cares an never hated her. 🥰🥰
5/5 recommend this book. Stephanie is a new to me author & her writing & story telling is beautiful done & i will continue to read her work. She makes you feel what her characters feel & its so refreshing and beautiful. 💙💚
Love Me Or Hate Me by Stephanie Alves
Available Now
4.5⭐
This book follows Melissa & Gabriel. Gabriel has to move in with his sister & her best friend Melissa for a temporary time.
The Tension. The Banter. The Chemistry 🥰😍
Melissa is a beautiful shy introverted girl who prefers being at home then going out and dealing with people (Same girl lets be friends 😂) she thinks Gabriel hates her when they first met 10 years ago so she always gives him crap right back anytime.
Gabriel is a confident man & likes to rile Melissa up just to get her out of her shell. He is obsessed with her & does the cutes little things to win her over & show her he cares an never hated her. 🥰🥰
5/5 recommend this book. Stephanie is a new to me author & her writing & story telling is beautiful done & i will continue to read her work. She makes you feel what her characters feel & its so refreshing and beautiful. 💙💚
August 15, 2024
Meh.. it was OKKKKAY. HEA, no third act break up.. but a hidden relationship for like .5 seconds?! Idk that I would recommend this to anyone and everyone.. OH, AND, it’s SPICY! like level 5 spice.. so bewarned (no that’s spice is a bad thing, at all, but like damn, every 2-5 pages?! that’s a lot)
Melissa, the FMC, she was damaged.. which i can understand (poster child for damaged here 🙋🏽♀️) BUT, she wasn’t really willing to work on her damage?! idk that’s a red flag for me..
Gabriel, the MMC, yall.. this man.. well he’s a man, so him being dumb is pretty obvious, but he didn’t go after the girl he liked because his sister asked him not to TEN YEARS AGO!! That’s a fuck no from me dawg.. lil sis woulda had to learn to get over it..(spoiler alert, she was upset FOR TWO DAYS!)
Overall, the happy ending was cool.. but idk, it’s not something i’m recommending to strangers on the street or anything…
Melissa, the FMC, she was damaged.. which i can understand (poster child for damaged here 🙋🏽♀️) BUT, she wasn’t really willing to work on her damage?! idk that’s a red flag for me..
Gabriel, the MMC, yall.. this man.. well he’s a man, so him being dumb is pretty obvious, but he didn’t go after the girl he liked because his sister asked him not to TEN YEARS AGO!! That’s a fuck no from me dawg.. lil sis woulda had to learn to get over it..(spoiler alert, she was upset FOR TWO DAYS!)
Overall, the happy ending was cool.. but idk, it’s not something i’m recommending to strangers on the street or anything…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5
Have you ever had a crush on a friends brother, and then hid it for 10+ years????
Melissa and Zaria were childhood friends, now adult roommates. Zaria’s brother Gabriel needs to move in with them for a month - but he and Melissa hate each other!!!!
Zaria makes them promise her that they’ll try and get along for the month so that she doesn’t have to continue being the referee between them. Little did she know how that would end up.
The storyline was a little predictable but very sweet. The banter/flirting was totally believable. I always love a little healthy jealousy from a man and Gabriel’s character was written well for me.🥰
I was pretty happy with the epilogue too.
💗Brothers Best Friend
💗Enemies to Lovers
💗Roommates
💗Forced Proximity
💗It’s Always Been You
💗Sexual Tension
💓Fake Dating
❤️🔥Spice
⚠️TW: death of a parent, abandonment, cancer, and brief mention of past negative sexual experience
Have you ever had a crush on a friends brother, and then hid it for 10+ years????
Melissa and Zaria were childhood friends, now adult roommates. Zaria’s brother Gabriel needs to move in with them for a month - but he and Melissa hate each other!!!!
Zaria makes them promise her that they’ll try and get along for the month so that she doesn’t have to continue being the referee between them. Little did she know how that would end up.
The storyline was a little predictable but very sweet. The banter/flirting was totally believable. I always love a little healthy jealousy from a man and Gabriel’s character was written well for me.🥰
I was pretty happy with the epilogue too.
💗Brothers Best Friend
💗Enemies to Lovers
💗Roommates
💗Forced Proximity
💗It’s Always Been You
💗Sexual Tension
💓Fake Dating
❤️🔥Spice
⚠️TW: death of a parent, abandonment, cancer, and brief mention of past negative sexual experience
May 7, 2025
This book was so cute! It had me smiling like an idiot at times and the banter *chef’s kiss* (no pun intended😉). I’m already a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope, so also having the best friend’s brother on top is really icing on the cake.
Zaria drops news that her brother, Gabriel, the person Mel can’t stand the most, is moving into their apartment after breaking up with his (now ex) girlfriend. For Gabriel, it’s hard since he’s had a crush on Mel for 10 years but told himself to ignore it because she’s his sister’s best friend. For Mel, it was the guy who did anything to annoy her and she wasn’t sure if she could handle seeing him everyday. But what happens when you’re forced to live with someone you can’t stand?
If you enjoy forced proximity and enemies to lovers, this quick read is for you!
Zaria drops news that her brother, Gabriel, the person Mel can’t stand the most, is moving into their apartment after breaking up with his (now ex) girlfriend. For Gabriel, it’s hard since he’s had a crush on Mel for 10 years but told himself to ignore it because she’s his sister’s best friend. For Mel, it was the guy who did anything to annoy her and she wasn’t sure if she could handle seeing him everyday. But what happens when you’re forced to live with someone you can’t stand?
If you enjoy forced proximity and enemies to lovers, this quick read is for you!
September 2, 2024
So Melissa and Gabriel have know. Each other since teenagers. She liked him and he liked her. But because his sister said to stay away, they spent 10 years being mean and rude to each other. And then he decides to move in with her (& his sister) and eventually it all gets too much and he kisses++ her. Talk about doing a 180! And the. There’s all this stress about telling his sister and she won’t take it well.
It’s a really frustrating plot premise. All this angst over the sister’s feelings. The mother shows up, so random. And the ex-gf is pivotal in Gabriel’s dream but Melissa storms off with no faith in him and them. It’s being angsty to drag the story out.
Just frustrating.
It’s a really frustrating plot premise. All this angst over the sister’s feelings. The mother shows up, so random. And the ex-gf is pivotal in Gabriel’s dream but Melissa storms off with no faith in him and them. It’s being angsty to drag the story out.
Just frustrating.
March 9, 2024
This is a 3 stars.
Why?
First of all this book was a short one with approximately 290 pages. We followed two characters that are hating each other until they start falling in love with each other.
Despite the story being a good story and not having a third break-up arc. It is still something we see often. The brother's best friend, enemies-to-lovers trope. Which kind of made it difficult for me to enjoy this book as much as I would love to.
Additionally, there were some typo errors which made it sometimes difficult to continue, as I myself am a perfectionist when it comes to reading. I want things to go smoothly.
In any case, I would still recommend this book to lovers of enemies-to-lovers and brother's best friend.
Why?
First of all this book was a short one with approximately 290 pages. We followed two characters that are hating each other until they start falling in love with each other.
Despite the story being a good story and not having a third break-up arc. It is still something we see often. The brother's best friend, enemies-to-lovers trope. Which kind of made it difficult for me to enjoy this book as much as I would love to.
Additionally, there were some typo errors which made it sometimes difficult to continue, as I myself am a perfectionist when it comes to reading. I want things to go smoothly.
In any case, I would still recommend this book to lovers of enemies-to-lovers and brother's best friend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2024
I don’t really know why i waited so long to read this but it was pretty good i love all of Stephanie Alves’s books. I loved the nicknames and the fact it took like 10 years definitely long time. But like the fact he figured out he liked her ever since they first met adorable. And the way he apologized or just like would say how he didn’t mean to upset her like LOVE. He is in fact gentleman and oml i hate Mason ong so happy Gabriel was there like every time to stop him <3 Anyways i totally recommend reading it’s totally worth it and her other books are as well!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2023
this book is a 4.75 ⭐️ read for me! it was so fucking good. i was laughing and giggling and screaming the whole time i read this book. i adore the way that they hate each other but in reality they always loved each, they way they both liked one another when they first met and also the way that he knows everything little detail about her even when she thinks he doesn’t know anything about her. he always know what’s wrong what her and what makes her feel better!!! 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻
July 30, 2024
I was really expecting to love this book, but I tell you, I was wrong… I loved this book so much I couldn’t put it down! It was so cute, a well written story! And the spicy scenes, my god so amazing!!
Their relationship was goals! And when I got to his POV, it was so heartwarming, he loved her so much!!
One thing I thought it was missing was the birth of their daughter, but the proposal was so cute!
Their relationship was goals! And when I got to his POV, it was so heartwarming, he loved her so much!!
One thing I thought it was missing was the birth of their daughter, but the proposal was so cute!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2024
I really enjoyed this one! Love me or hate me was my first read by Stephanie Alves and it got me excited for more.
Melissa & Gabriel have my heart. I loved the dynamic between these two so much. From the arguing and bickering while secretly having feelings for each other to admitting them.
Also loved the tropes which were: roommates, forced proximity, best friend's brother, kind of enemies to lovers & fake dating.
Melissa & Gabriel have my heart. I loved the dynamic between these two so much. From the arguing and bickering while secretly having feelings for each other to admitting them.
Also loved the tropes which were: roommates, forced proximity, best friend's brother, kind of enemies to lovers & fake dating.
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