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Playing Hard to Hate : Second Chance Enemies to Lovers
They were everything to each other... until life tore them apart.
Tatum Grace is the internet’s favorite fitness influencer, all strength and swagger on the outside. But off-camera, she’s still the girl whose dad walked out and whose mom never recovered. She doesn’t do love. Not anymore.
Griffin Silver was her best friend once until high school popularity and a shot at the majors changed everything. Now he’s the Atlanta Braves’ newest rookie and the last person she expected to face across a jewelry campaign photoshoot.
It starts with a jewelry shoot. Then comes swimwear, a steamy photo leak, and a hotel mix-up that leaves them sharing one bed and headlines they can’t deny..
But when Tate finds herself at gunpoint in a late-night grocery store, it’s Griffin who steps in.
Old feelings resurface. So do old wounds. And suddenly, pretending not to care is the hardest role they’ve ever played.
A steamy, emotional best-friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance about second chances, survival, and the kind of love that never quits.
Tatum Grace is the internet’s favorite fitness influencer, all strength and swagger on the outside. But off-camera, she’s still the girl whose dad walked out and whose mom never recovered. She doesn’t do love. Not anymore.
Griffin Silver was her best friend once until high school popularity and a shot at the majors changed everything. Now he’s the Atlanta Braves’ newest rookie and the last person she expected to face across a jewelry campaign photoshoot.
It starts with a jewelry shoot. Then comes swimwear, a steamy photo leak, and a hotel mix-up that leaves them sharing one bed and headlines they can’t deny..
But when Tate finds herself at gunpoint in a late-night grocery store, it’s Griffin who steps in.
Old feelings resurface. So do old wounds. And suddenly, pretending not to care is the hardest role they’ve ever played.
A steamy, emotional best-friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance about second chances, survival, and the kind of love that never quits.
- GenresSecond Chance
442 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 9, 2025
70 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 8, 2025
Thank you Taylor Jade for my ARC of Playing Hard to Hate in exchange for this honest review!
3.5/5 ⭐️
3/5 🌶️
What to Expect:
-Best Friends-to-enemies-to-lovers
-Second Chance
-Childhood Best Friends
-Baseball Romance
Tatum Grace might be one of my recent favorite FMC. She has been through so much in her life, and even though she has not allowed herself to process all her trauma yet she is strong and determine to succeed. Griffin Silver has a lot to make amends for and he is finally man enough to admit it and put in the work.
These two definitely belong together and I am happy that Tate made Griffin put in the work to prove himself after their initial best friends to enemies arc. Griffin was literally willing to risk his life to protect her and earn his second chance.
While I did like these two together, as well as many of the side characters (hopefully some getting their own HEA soon) I wish somethings had been explained better and that the ending was more detailed.
Griffin puts in the work to redeem himself in Tate's eyes, but we never really get much closure on what happened in their childhood other than "Clearly, you've never heard of the whole guy's being mean to you because he likes you thing." I hate that as an excuse and the fact that he says that to Tate annoyed me. He did own up to being a boy when she needed him to act like a man, but I feel like their background was more superficial than I wanted.
There was also this constant back and forth of them both assuming the other wouldn't want to be with him and I am not sure where this came from on either part and it was never really discussed between them at any point.
Finally so much happens in the last few chapters which include an epilogue, but I wanted more. Don't give me big life events and details in just a few sentences. I want everything!
Always enough reading Taylor Jade and I will continue to add her to my ever growing TBR.
Favorite Quotes:
"I was falling for the guy who had been my best friend, and he would never feel the same way, not when he could have any girl he wanted."
"I wasn't going to mess it up this time. I was going to fight. I was going to show her the man I had become in the last four years. I wasn't a kid afraid of loving a girl anymore."
"I was a man looking for the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. And she was standing right in front of me."
"Lines don't scare me. But the thought of losing my future wife does."
"It's okay. I won't let anyone hurt you. You're safe now."
3.5/5 ⭐️
3/5 🌶️
What to Expect:
-Best Friends-to-enemies-to-lovers
-Second Chance
-Childhood Best Friends
-Baseball Romance
Tatum Grace might be one of my recent favorite FMC. She has been through so much in her life, and even though she has not allowed herself to process all her trauma yet she is strong and determine to succeed. Griffin Silver has a lot to make amends for and he is finally man enough to admit it and put in the work.
These two definitely belong together and I am happy that Tate made Griffin put in the work to prove himself after their initial best friends to enemies arc. Griffin was literally willing to risk his life to protect her and earn his second chance.
While I did like these two together, as well as many of the side characters (hopefully some getting their own HEA soon) I wish somethings had been explained better and that the ending was more detailed.
Griffin puts in the work to redeem himself in Tate's eyes, but we never really get much closure on what happened in their childhood other than "Clearly, you've never heard of the whole guy's being mean to you because he likes you thing." I hate that as an excuse and the fact that he says that to Tate annoyed me. He did own up to being a boy when she needed him to act like a man, but I feel like their background was more superficial than I wanted.
There was also this constant back and forth of them both assuming the other wouldn't want to be with him and I am not sure where this came from on either part and it was never really discussed between them at any point.
Finally so much happens in the last few chapters which include an epilogue, but I wanted more. Don't give me big life events and details in just a few sentences. I want everything!
Always enough reading Taylor Jade and I will continue to add her to my ever growing TBR.
Favorite Quotes:
"I was falling for the guy who had been my best friend, and he would never feel the same way, not when he could have any girl he wanted."
"I wasn't going to mess it up this time. I was going to fight. I was going to show her the man I had become in the last four years. I wasn't a kid afraid of loving a girl anymore."
"I was a man looking for the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. And she was standing right in front of me."
"Lines don't scare me. But the thought of losing my future wife does."
"It's okay. I won't let anyone hurt you. You're safe now."
September 5, 2025
⚾️🩷ARC REVIEW🩷⚾️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This is my first time reading this author, and OMG, this author has a way of making you feel all the emotions these characters go through. Tate has a rough life. She has had to deal with so much: her dad leaving, her mom’s death, her brother leaving her, and her best friend leaving her and bullying her. She has done everything she can to ignore Griffin and become the best version of herself. She is content with her life when Griffin bulldozes into her life and isn’t going to leave. Griffin is the confident best friend of Tate, the one that would do whatever it took to make her happy. But then teenage years happened, and becoming popular, he ended up pushing aside the best thing that ever happened to him. I loved when these two meet up. Tate was convinced she would never see him again, and then the icing on the cake was the photoshoots they had. I loved how they had to be in these couple positions while one absolutely hated the other, and the other one is head over heels in love with his bestie. I also loved how hard Griffin fought to be with Tate, how he showed her that he made a mistake and that he won’t do that again. This book had me so mad and bawling my eyes out at the same time. I just wanted Tate to be happy and stop fighting her feelings for Griffin. This was such a cute, slow-burn baseball book that was so heart-wrenching but heartwarming at the same time. You can go read this book on September 9th on Kindle Unlimited!! You don’t want to miss out.
⚾️🩷Thank you to Taylor Jade for the Arc🩷⚾️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This is my first time reading this author, and OMG, this author has a way of making you feel all the emotions these characters go through. Tate has a rough life. She has had to deal with so much: her dad leaving, her mom’s death, her brother leaving her, and her best friend leaving her and bullying her. She has done everything she can to ignore Griffin and become the best version of herself. She is content with her life when Griffin bulldozes into her life and isn’t going to leave. Griffin is the confident best friend of Tate, the one that would do whatever it took to make her happy. But then teenage years happened, and becoming popular, he ended up pushing aside the best thing that ever happened to him. I loved when these two meet up. Tate was convinced she would never see him again, and then the icing on the cake was the photoshoots they had. I loved how they had to be in these couple positions while one absolutely hated the other, and the other one is head over heels in love with his bestie. I also loved how hard Griffin fought to be with Tate, how he showed her that he made a mistake and that he won’t do that again. This book had me so mad and bawling my eyes out at the same time. I just wanted Tate to be happy and stop fighting her feelings for Griffin. This was such a cute, slow-burn baseball book that was so heart-wrenching but heartwarming at the same time. You can go read this book on September 9th on Kindle Unlimited!! You don’t want to miss out.
⚾️🩷Thank you to Taylor Jade for the Arc🩷⚾️
August 13, 2025
Wow!
Talk about emotions! This books makes sure you feel them all!!
Poor Tate… her entire life has been nothing but one tragedy after another. But that didn’t stop her. She did what she had to do to heal herself and become the best version of herself. Well, aside from being know as the ice queen to Griffin of course
I honestly wanted to thump Griffin right on his pretty face during their childhood. But like any teenage boy, he was dumb and lost the one good thing he had. But! Thankfully he came to his senses as a pro baseball player and fought for what he wanted… her.
This slow-burn book with make your heart break for our sweet Tatum. Make you angry at Griffin. Make you laugh at the banter between them. And make your heart happy when they both finally stop fighting what was ment to be all along 🖤
Talk about emotions! This books makes sure you feel them all!!
Poor Tate… her entire life has been nothing but one tragedy after another. But that didn’t stop her. She did what she had to do to heal herself and become the best version of herself. Well, aside from being know as the ice queen to Griffin of course
I honestly wanted to thump Griffin right on his pretty face during their childhood. But like any teenage boy, he was dumb and lost the one good thing he had. But! Thankfully he came to his senses as a pro baseball player and fought for what he wanted… her.
This slow-burn book with make your heart break for our sweet Tatum. Make you angry at Griffin. Make you laugh at the banter between them. And make your heart happy when they both finally stop fighting what was ment to be all along 🖤
October 6, 2025
I found this book enjoyable but there are others a love more. I don’t understand why she was so angry at him for making new friends tbh and breaking a promise.
I did love Griffin Silver tho he was on another level I loved him so much and honestly going to gun point then fighting and attacker for her omg it had me swooning.
This is probably the first time I haven’t loved an independent FMC. Tatum literally had too much anger towards men just because her dad cheated on her mum. Like seriously?? And because her brother chose their dad and she blamed them basically for her mother’s suicide when she was the one who yelled at her.
I did love Griffin Silver tho he was on another level I loved him so much and honestly going to gun point then fighting and attacker for her omg it had me swooning.
This is probably the first time I haven’t loved an independent FMC. Tatum literally had too much anger towards men just because her dad cheated on her mum. Like seriously?? And because her brother chose their dad and she blamed them basically for her mother’s suicide when she was the one who yelled at her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2025
This story is truly captivating; it has everything! From childhood best friends who become estranged to a playboy who finally meets his match, it’s packed with enough tension, angst, and drama to keep me engaged. Additionally, it explores themes of redemption and found family.
Tate had a challenging childhood, made even more difficult when her best friend Griffin chose popularity over their friendship—a decision he has regretted ever since. But he had his work cut out for him trying to earn forgiveness.
Tate had a challenging childhood, made even more difficult when her best friend Griffin chose popularity over their friendship—a decision he has regretted ever since. But he had his work cut out for him trying to earn forgiveness.
September 13, 2025
I kinda wish there was more!
Definitely not what I excepted. THERES a lot going on in this story but I almost wish there was more story.
Definitely not what I excepted. THERES a lot going on in this story but I almost wish there was more story.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews