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Hate You Most
What happens when two Olympic rivals fall for each other?
Viktoriya Volkova is everything Russian figure skating demands of her: disciplined, untouchable, and entirely in control. American figure skater Dakota Sanchezis her opposite in every way—expressive, reckless, and impossible to ignore.
What begins as a rivalry for gold soon turns into something far more dangerous, unfolding in the stolen moments between competitions, in empty rinks and in hotel rooms. A secret neither of them can afford to have exposed.
Years later, a car crash erases the last eight years of Viktoriya's life. She wakes up in the hospital with no memory and finds her rival beside her, claiming to be her wife.
As fragments of her past begin to return, Viktoriya is forced to confront the life she's built with Dakota. The deeper she digs, the clearer it becomes that the crash was no accident, and the truth may be far more complicated than she’s ready to face—especially when she realizes she's not the only one with buried secrets.
Viktoriya Volkova is everything Russian figure skating demands of her: disciplined, untouchable, and entirely in control. American figure skater Dakota Sanchezis her opposite in every way—expressive, reckless, and impossible to ignore.
What begins as a rivalry for gold soon turns into something far more dangerous, unfolding in the stolen moments between competitions, in empty rinks and in hotel rooms. A secret neither of them can afford to have exposed.
Years later, a car crash erases the last eight years of Viktoriya's life. She wakes up in the hospital with no memory and finds her rival beside her, claiming to be her wife.
As fragments of her past begin to return, Viktoriya is forced to confront the life she's built with Dakota. The deeper she digs, the clearer it becomes that the crash was no accident, and the truth may be far more complicated than she’s ready to face—especially when she realizes she's not the only one with buried secrets.
428 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 5, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
October 8, 2026
not sure this book had much understanding of russian figure skating, or figure skating in general, for that matter. the switching from junior to senior worlds and back to junior GP made no sense, and a woman jumping a quad axel in 2014? the jump placements throughout the programmes were also just odd… the motivation behind wiping her own memory was bizarre and lacked any proper foundation. also, the ages simply don’t add up when you actually look at the timeline.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2026
To me, as a figure skating fan, this book was quite a mess and this review is mainly focused on the figure skating part of the book because I hope no one reads this and afterwards thinks it's anywhere near realistic.
I would recommend getting into the rules of figure skating, talk to people who know about figure skating and go through figure skating protocols of the mentioned time for element-order and the realistic elements at this time (as well as Programme-Component-Scores), so if there is another story about figure skating it is at least realistic enough to be read because with all those things mentioned (and the other things I haven't) it was pretty hard to read and get into. Maybe it's nice if you know nothing about figure skating, if you do you will probably not be able to enjoy it and instead shake your head.
I would recommend getting into the rules of figure skating, talk to people who know about figure skating and go through figure skating protocols of the mentioned time for element-order and the realistic elements at this time (as well as Programme-Component-Scores), so if there is another story about figure skating it is at least realistic enough to be read because with all those things mentioned (and the other things I haven't) it was pretty hard to read and get into. Maybe it's nice if you know nothing about figure skating, if you do you will probably not be able to enjoy it and instead shake your head.
October 9, 2026
The premise had potential, but some parts felt rushed, and the timeline was confusing, especially when it came to Viktoriya's age. She's 18 in November 2011, 26 in 2022, and somehow 30 by June 2023? The math just isn't mathing, and it became distracting trying to make sense of the timeline.
I also found the reasoning behind Victoria choosing to erase her own memories unnecessary. It was a big decision that needed more convincing motivation for me.
I also found the reasoning behind Victoria choosing to erase her own memories unnecessary. It was a big decision that needed more convincing motivation for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
As the author, I can confidently say I know exactly what happens.
And yet I still cried.
And yet I still cried.
October 25, 2026
Complete heated rivalry rip off but worse. The ice skating made no sense, a quad axel? Okay sure lol. The timeline is also weird.
I really wanted to like this but unfortunately there is only so much I can take.
I really wanted to like this but unfortunately there is only so much I can take.
October 17, 2026
Last time I pick up something because of booktok because at this point it is ridiculous how shallow and bad these stories are written. I usually prefer horror or sci-fi genre, but I always read a book for what it is and what it is meant to be. This is why I sometimes enjoy an easy-ro-read book and love stories with modern setting. I'm not expecting much of them, just a good classic love story.
But.
This book is a Heated Rivalry knock-off, especially at first. The hotel room scene, the commercial scene and then teaming up. If you copy something, at least copy something good because that was the most generic plot line ever. Also, the author didn't bother to know anything about figure skating. At all. Why would a professional athlete from the country that dominates the ice move to the US because supposedly the coaches and facilities are better there? She already lives near the best coaches and facilities
Also, it is so apparent that characters don't have depth or soul. Victoriya is a caricature. The author doesn't know anything about Russia, it is so clear. How can you write about a culture and not read at least a Wikipedia page about said culture, since you claim it is so important for the character? Essentially, it is about The Country Of Russia Where Russian Things Happen In Cold Weather And Everyone Is Uptight Because Everyone Is Russian.
Apart from that, everything else was bad as well. Bad day for lesbian literature.
But.
This book is a Heated Rivalry knock-off, especially at first. The hotel room scene, the commercial scene and then teaming up. If you copy something, at least copy something good because that was the most generic plot line ever. Also, the author didn't bother to know anything about figure skating. At all. Why would a professional athlete from the country that dominates the ice move to the US because supposedly the coaches and facilities are better there? She already lives near the best coaches and facilities
Also, it is so apparent that characters don't have depth or soul. Victoriya is a caricature. The author doesn't know anything about Russia, it is so clear. How can you write about a culture and not read at least a Wikipedia page about said culture, since you claim it is so important for the character? Essentially, it is about The Country Of Russia Where Russian Things Happen In Cold Weather And Everyone Is Uptight Because Everyone Is Russian.
Apart from that, everything else was bad as well. Bad day for lesbian literature.
October 7, 2026
I really wanted to love this book because I love figure skating, but it's very apparent that the author doesn’t know much about it.
No woman has ever landed a quad axel, so why is Viktorya landing one in 2014?? Her being able to land a triple axel in combination is already really impressive because most women aren’t able to land a triple axel on its own. A lot of the combination choices and jump placements in the program don’t make a lot of sense either. No skater is taking part in the junior Grand Prix the season following their senior worlds win.
I'm not the biggest fan of Dakoda, but they had some cute moments.
The book is an easy read, and I like how the chapters are structured. Sadly, those are the only things I liked about this book.
No woman has ever landed a quad axel, so why is Viktorya landing one in 2014?? Her being able to land a triple axel in combination is already really impressive because most women aren’t able to land a triple axel on its own. A lot of the combination choices and jump placements in the program don’t make a lot of sense either. No skater is taking part in the junior Grand Prix the season following their senior worlds win.
I'm not the biggest fan of Dakoda, but they had some cute moments.
The book is an easy read, and I like how the chapters are structured. Sadly, those are the only things I liked about this book.
October 19, 2026
imo, this book would have been a lot better if it stuck with the second to third half plot and made the skating flashbacks…
the skating half was so unrealistic that it was comical. it would be naive of me to expect anyone to be completely accurate with the sport in the realms of fiction, but it was clearly so very not researched that it, in a way, became sort of offensive. lol.
also, all the characters did was have sex, they had literally no chemistry at all, we hardly even knew dakota.
the skating half was so unrealistic that it was comical. it would be naive of me to expect anyone to be completely accurate with the sport in the realms of fiction, but it was clearly so very not researched that it, in a way, became sort of offensive. lol.
also, all the characters did was have sex, they had literally no chemistry at all, we hardly even knew dakota.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC review
I truly feel for the characters in this book, and the atmosphere created really shows how passionate and contradicted and devoted the main character is by the end of the story.
At times it feels like some phrases are overly repetitive/certain areas drag a little bit, but the ending is exactly what I was after. Their relationship develops with them as characters and it’s honestly so heartwarming to read, even with the twists in plot. Thank you so much and I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on it!!!
I truly feel for the characters in this book, and the atmosphere created really shows how passionate and contradicted and devoted the main character is by the end of the story.
At times it feels like some phrases are overly repetitive/certain areas drag a little bit, but the ending is exactly what I was after. Their relationship develops with them as characters and it’s honestly so heartwarming to read, even with the twists in plot. Thank you so much and I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on it!!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I had the absolute pleasure of being a beta reader on this!
The characters are so amazing
I love Dakota and Vic they are so complex.
I love the story loads, it is very interesting and unlike anything I’ve seen before🤭
Overall, I really like this but there are definitely some Misses, but they are often outnumbered by character development.
I will say I read an early copy, but I still feel like the timeline was a bit too slow.
I love the entire backstory of the girls relationship, it makes them and their relationship more interesting.
I loved the competition chapters, trust me when I say they are so juicy.
Chemistry was on point like really on point not only do they have lust — intimate scenes, but they are also able to help each other heal.
Reading this was an absolute gift and I would totally recommend and read again.
The ending is something you won’t see coming, but at some point something clicks into place.
So even though I feel like at least in the early copy something was definitely missing this was absolutely amazing.
And this is exactly what I have been looking for in a read!
But despite the story missing bits and pieces, the characters are absolutely 💯
I love how the author managed to show the importance of queer acceptance and human rights + world issues.
So I wouldn’t say that this was a; ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
But it’s definitely close-up; ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.50
And I cannot wait to read it again when it comes out in October!
Thank you again to Kass for letting me beta read on this absolute masterpiece thank you for trusting me with your work and my criticism!
The characters are so amazing
I love Dakota and Vic they are so complex.
I love the story loads, it is very interesting and unlike anything I’ve seen before🤭
Overall, I really like this but there are definitely some Misses, but they are often outnumbered by character development.
I will say I read an early copy, but I still feel like the timeline was a bit too slow.
I love the entire backstory of the girls relationship, it makes them and their relationship more interesting.
I loved the competition chapters, trust me when I say they are so juicy.
Chemistry was on point like really on point not only do they have lust — intimate scenes, but they are also able to help each other heal.
Reading this was an absolute gift and I would totally recommend and read again.
The ending is something you won’t see coming, but at some point something clicks into place.
So even though I feel like at least in the early copy something was definitely missing this was absolutely amazing.
And this is exactly what I have been looking for in a read!
But despite the story missing bits and pieces, the characters are absolutely 💯
I love how the author managed to show the importance of queer acceptance and human rights + world issues.
So I wouldn’t say that this was a; ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
But it’s definitely close-up; ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.50
And I cannot wait to read it again when it comes out in October!
Thank you again to Kass for letting me beta read on this absolute masterpiece thank you for trusting me with your work and my criticism!
October 5, 2026
I NEED scenes from Dakota's pov 😭😭😭 Kassandra I beg
October 6, 2026
I finished this book in less than a day, and I already want to reread it.
I found the book on TikTok and was interested immediately, even though I rarely ever read books, but I’m a huge figure skating nerd, so I wanted to give it a try. I started with very little knowledge of what was happening other than the caption of social media, so I was definitely so shocked at all the twists. This is not a straightforward figure-skating romance like I thought it was going to be 😂😭. It was so good! I loved the narrating style, how the reader was surprised just as much as Viktoriya. I loved that none of the characters were perfect. I could not decide whether I loved or hated Dakota—I loved her at first, hated her after she lied about marriage, loved her again when she was so good to Viktoriya—but eventually I fell just as much in love with her as I did with Viktoriya. They may be some of my favorite main characters of all time.
Everyone should give this book a read, it’s worth it 🥹
I found the book on TikTok and was interested immediately, even though I rarely ever read books, but I’m a huge figure skating nerd, so I wanted to give it a try. I started with very little knowledge of what was happening other than the caption of social media, so I was definitely so shocked at all the twists. This is not a straightforward figure-skating romance like I thought it was going to be 😂😭. It was so good! I loved the narrating style, how the reader was surprised just as much as Viktoriya. I loved that none of the characters were perfect. I could not decide whether I loved or hated Dakota—I loved her at first, hated her after she lied about marriage, loved her again when she was so good to Viktoriya—but eventually I fell just as much in love with her as I did with Viktoriya. They may be some of my favorite main characters of all time.
Everyone should give this book a read, it’s worth it 🥹
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2026
I wanted so badly to love this story as queer figure skating fan. Unfortunately, it seems there was no effort put into researching the sport (I mean no short programs, the jump layouts potentially being the most insane layouts I've ever seen, and attempting a 4A???) Overall, the sport the book was supposed to be about felt like a mess.
Even ignoring the glaring errors about figure skating that made this hard to read, the book felt almost messy. From the decision to erase her memory feeling insane (that was a far too large decision for the reasoning), to the fact that the ages don't line up, I spent more of this book confused than I would have liked.
Even ignoring the glaring errors about figure skating that made this hard to read, the book felt almost messy. From the decision to erase her memory feeling insane (that was a far too large decision for the reasoning), to the fact that the ages don't line up, I spent more of this book confused than I would have liked.
October 21, 2026
I have to say this book is a little hard to rate and review. I really liked it a lot, I like the characters and the story and the writing - I just felt like the timeline didn’t always make sense. The years didn’t always line up with the characters ages. You could also tell the author hasn’t done enough research about figure skating as a sport. However I can just kinda choose to ignore that because I really did like the characters and the story, it was so addicting!
October 23, 2026
Was really looking forward to this book, but, unfortunately, it has nothing to do with how figure skating world works and is really caricaturistic depiction of Russian reality.
October 18, 2026
The plot had potential but it was very choppy and seemed to have gaps that weren’t intentional. Figure skating terminology was all over the place. There’s also a part of the book that seems almost verbatim a scene from the show ‘The 100’ between Clarke and Lexa.
October 22, 2026
Kind of disappointed, there were a lot of inconsistenties, there was barely any real character growth and the plot itself was doing way too much while still being underwhelming.
October 10, 2026
I was so excited for this release.. complete Heated Rivalry rip off. Writing is also terrible.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Such a beautiful book. Both Dakota and Viktoriya will touch ur heart along with ur soul. And it’s not closed door which makes it so much better, don’t get me wrong I do love a closed door romance but it feels more realistic open door. Seeing how much care Dakota showed Viktoriya after her crash was beautiful and really showed to her character. It also has an INSANE plot twist and had me speculating on who did this to viktoriya. Even the end was so beautifully wrapped up. I’m so excited to see what others think of the book once it’s published. I think this could be the start of a long career for the author. Lots of love from, E<3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2026
I started this book yesterday, and today I finished it. And let me tell you, it has been SO LONG since a book had me this glued to my Kindle. I genuinely couldn’t put it down.
I think I felt every single emotion that both main characters experienced. I connected with them on such a deep level, especially Viktoriya. Everything she felt throughout her life, every fear, every doubt, every struggle… I understood it. Coming from a Balkan family, I’ve always been terrified of ruining my life by coming out, and reading about her experiences hit so incredibly close to home. There were moments when it felt like I was reading about my own fears, and I don’t think I can even explain how much that meant to me.
Their love story was absolutely beautiful. The plot twists were INSANE, and I swear I wasn’t bored for even a single second. With every page, I just wanted to know what would happen next. I was desperate for them to get their happy ending, and I’m not even going to lie, I wanted MORE of Dakota and Viktoriya. So much more.
If this book had been a thousand pages long, I would’ve read every single one of them without ever getting tired of it. That’s how much I loved these characters and their story. This is genuinely one of those books I could see myself rereading a thousand times and still falling in love with it all over again.
I read it on my Kindle, which honestly makes me a little sad because I’m such a physical book girlie. I love holding a book in my hands, turning the pages, and having it on my shelves. But I randomly came across this one on my TikTok FYP, decided to give it a chance out of curiosity, and ended up discovering a story that completely stole my heart. Now I just wish I’d experienced it with a physical copy in my hands.
And finally, I just want to thank the author. Thank you for making me feel emotions I hadn’t felt while reading in such a long time. Thank you for giving me Dakota and Viktoriya, for their beautiful love story, and for reminding me why I love reading so much in the first place.
I genuinely wish I could experience this book for the first time all over again. And five stars are not enough.
I think I felt every single emotion that both main characters experienced. I connected with them on such a deep level, especially Viktoriya. Everything she felt throughout her life, every fear, every doubt, every struggle… I understood it. Coming from a Balkan family, I’ve always been terrified of ruining my life by coming out, and reading about her experiences hit so incredibly close to home. There were moments when it felt like I was reading about my own fears, and I don’t think I can even explain how much that meant to me.
Their love story was absolutely beautiful. The plot twists were INSANE, and I swear I wasn’t bored for even a single second. With every page, I just wanted to know what would happen next. I was desperate for them to get their happy ending, and I’m not even going to lie, I wanted MORE of Dakota and Viktoriya. So much more.
If this book had been a thousand pages long, I would’ve read every single one of them without ever getting tired of it. That’s how much I loved these characters and their story. This is genuinely one of those books I could see myself rereading a thousand times and still falling in love with it all over again.
I read it on my Kindle, which honestly makes me a little sad because I’m such a physical book girlie. I love holding a book in my hands, turning the pages, and having it on my shelves. But I randomly came across this one on my TikTok FYP, decided to give it a chance out of curiosity, and ended up discovering a story that completely stole my heart. Now I just wish I’d experienced it with a physical copy in my hands.
And finally, I just want to thank the author. Thank you for making me feel emotions I hadn’t felt while reading in such a long time. Thank you for giving me Dakota and Viktoriya, for their beautiful love story, and for reminding me why I love reading so much in the first place.
I genuinely wish I could experience this book for the first time all over again. And five stars are not enough.
October 20, 2026
I wanted to love this book, but as someone who has figure skated and loves the sport, this book has shown little to no understanding or research of the sport. It could have been saved if a portion of the book wasn’t dedicated to describing the unrealistic programs of the characters, or if the author had just studied the simple logistics that go into a skating performance.
The relationship itself had little chemistry, and after the break off of their relationship at the end on part 1, we are put in the present where Viktoriya has no memory of her further relationship with Dakota. But you don’t really find out much more of the missing 8 years of their relationship. We see two instances of Viktoriya slowly getting her memories back, only two moments before it’s brought up again in part 3, where the past few years are condensed to about 3 or so pages. It leaves the readers with little to no connection to their relationship, losing the most vital moments of the twos emotions, lives, and overall story. The lack of knowledge that is given to the readers make their relationship both confusing and not worth caring about
The reveal of her father being behind the memory erasure is sudden and overall confusing, along side Viktoriya’s decision to erase her memories. I felt as if there were a lot of small plot holes throughout the book, from basic aspects of the characters (if dakota and viktoriya had separated for some time before the erasure, wouldn’t viktoriya have some sort of apartment or place for all of her things instead of staying in a hotel??) to the ages of the characters that suddenly change throughout the book.
I’ll give it to the author, the book had me invested into finding out what happens, but that slowly started to dissolve away as I got closer to the end of the book, leaving me incredibly disappointed in the outcome of the book.
The story has a lot of potential, but all of that depends on building up your characters and research to put into this book which is being advertised as figure skating romance between rivals.
The relationship itself had little chemistry, and after the break off of their relationship at the end on part 1, we are put in the present where Viktoriya has no memory of her further relationship with Dakota. But you don’t really find out much more of the missing 8 years of their relationship. We see two instances of Viktoriya slowly getting her memories back, only two moments before it’s brought up again in part 3, where the past few years are condensed to about 3 or so pages. It leaves the readers with little to no connection to their relationship, losing the most vital moments of the twos emotions, lives, and overall story. The lack of knowledge that is given to the readers make their relationship both confusing and not worth caring about
The reveal of her father being behind the memory erasure is sudden and overall confusing, along side Viktoriya’s decision to erase her memories. I felt as if there were a lot of small plot holes throughout the book, from basic aspects of the characters (if dakota and viktoriya had separated for some time before the erasure, wouldn’t viktoriya have some sort of apartment or place for all of her things instead of staying in a hotel??) to the ages of the characters that suddenly change throughout the book.
I’ll give it to the author, the book had me invested into finding out what happens, but that slowly started to dissolve away as I got closer to the end of the book, leaving me incredibly disappointed in the outcome of the book.
The story has a lot of potential, but all of that depends on building up your characters and research to put into this book which is being advertised as figure skating romance between rivals.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2026
Hate You Most by Kassandra Kulsbjerg is a rivals-to-lovers story set in the competitive world of figure skating. Viktoriya Volkova and Dakota Sanchez are talented skaters from different backgrounds, and their rivalry slowly turns into something more complicated. Years later, an accident leaves Viktoriya with memory loss, bringing their complicated relationship into focus in an entirely new way.
I liked the contrast between Viktoriya’s controlled, ambitious nature and Dakota’s more open and expressive personality. Their competitive dynamic gives the romance plenty of tension, and their shared history adds emotional weight to the story. I also enjoyed the figure-skating setting, which makes their rivalry feel like an important part of who they are rather than just a reason to bring them together.
The writing is direct and engaging, with a mix of sharp banter, emotional moments, and romantic tension. The story kept me interested, especially as Viktoriya’s missing memories raised questions about their past. At times, the repeated focus on their rivalry and feelings makes the pacing feel a little drawn out, but the central relationship remains the strongest part of the book.
Overall, Hate You Most is worth picking up if you enjoy competitive rivals, complicated feelings, and a romance built on years of history. The skating backdrop gives it an extra layer, and Viktoriya and Dakota’s relationship is what makes the story stand out.
I liked the contrast between Viktoriya’s controlled, ambitious nature and Dakota’s more open and expressive personality. Their competitive dynamic gives the romance plenty of tension, and their shared history adds emotional weight to the story. I also enjoyed the figure-skating setting, which makes their rivalry feel like an important part of who they are rather than just a reason to bring them together.
The writing is direct and engaging, with a mix of sharp banter, emotional moments, and romantic tension. The story kept me interested, especially as Viktoriya’s missing memories raised questions about their past. At times, the repeated focus on their rivalry and feelings makes the pacing feel a little drawn out, but the central relationship remains the strongest part of the book.
Overall, Hate You Most is worth picking up if you enjoy competitive rivals, complicated feelings, and a romance built on years of history. The skating backdrop gives it an extra layer, and Viktoriya and Dakota’s relationship is what makes the story stand out.
October 9, 2026
Hate You Most by Kassandra Kulsbjerg
A figure-skating rivalry that turns into something much more complicated? I’m listening.
Viktoriya Volkova and Dakota Sanchez start out as fierce competitors, constantly pushing each other on and off the ice. But years of rivalry, complicated feelings, and a shared history make things messy. When an accident leaves Viktoriya with missing memories, she has to face a life she barely recognizes, including her relationship with the woman she once considered her biggest rival.
Viktoriya is intense, stubborn, and so focused on winning that it's hard not to feel for the loneliness hiding beneath her tough exterior. Dakota brings a different energy, and the contrast between them makes their dynamic especially interesting. I loved the tension between their competitive sides and the feelings neither seems quite ready to admit.
The mix of enemies-to-lovers romance, figure skating, and memory loss gives the story plenty to dig into. The writing is emotional and detailed, though the pacing can feel a little slow in places. Still, the complicated history between these two kept me curious about how everything would unfold.
If you enjoy rivalries that blur the line between hate and love, this one is worth adding to your TBR.
A figure-skating rivalry that turns into something much more complicated? I’m listening.
Viktoriya Volkova and Dakota Sanchez start out as fierce competitors, constantly pushing each other on and off the ice. But years of rivalry, complicated feelings, and a shared history make things messy. When an accident leaves Viktoriya with missing memories, she has to face a life she barely recognizes, including her relationship with the woman she once considered her biggest rival.
Viktoriya is intense, stubborn, and so focused on winning that it's hard not to feel for the loneliness hiding beneath her tough exterior. Dakota brings a different energy, and the contrast between them makes their dynamic especially interesting. I loved the tension between their competitive sides and the feelings neither seems quite ready to admit.
The mix of enemies-to-lovers romance, figure skating, and memory loss gives the story plenty to dig into. The writing is emotional and detailed, though the pacing can feel a little slow in places. Still, the complicated history between these two kept me curious about how everything would unfold.
If you enjoy rivalries that blur the line between hate and love, this one is worth adding to your TBR.
October 12, 2026
""Because honestly, I think everybody deserves to feel what it's like to move freely on the ice." She made a slow, graceful turn, then looked back at Dakota. "Something where everyone gets to fall in love with the ice like we have fallen in love with it.""
Hate you most is about two girls who shouldn't have fallen in love. Dakota from America, smiling and carefree, her emotions flowing out of her on the ice. Viktoriya from Russia, composed, carefully crafted and controlled. The two top level ice skating rivals keep crossing paths and as their feelings towards each other grow more complicated, Viktoriya is forced to choose. Everything she's known or Everything she wants.
Part of Viktoriya's story resonated a lot with mine, the Russian upbringing and the conservative views that come with it. Being unable to express yourself and like who you want to, not being able to accept yourself and feeling shame whenever you do or feel something that you have been told all your life is "wrong".
This book really shows how much your past trauma can keep dictating your life . Viktoriya is still haunted by her upbringing and expectations from Russia and her family. It keeps her in the "right" way of life, even though it is not what she actually wants. And her journey of both her inner feeling and outward presentation is beautiful to follow throughout the book.
There's a big contrast between the highs and the lows, the highs were amazing and filled with so much love, the lows were absolutely heartbreaking it was really hard. 😭
There were some parts where I felt like I was reading the same paragraph I read 5 chapters ago, which confused me the times it came by, like my bookmark had slid into a different page while I was sleeping. The beginning part of the book is very intense and quick, it had me worried that the whole book would be along those lines. Thankfully it wasn't and it bloomed into a lot more.
The ending was super sweet and brought me to tears, I really enjoyed this book and I'm going to remember what I felt reading it for a long time.
Hate you most is about two girls who shouldn't have fallen in love. Dakota from America, smiling and carefree, her emotions flowing out of her on the ice. Viktoriya from Russia, composed, carefully crafted and controlled. The two top level ice skating rivals keep crossing paths and as their feelings towards each other grow more complicated, Viktoriya is forced to choose. Everything she's known or Everything she wants.
Part of Viktoriya's story resonated a lot with mine, the Russian upbringing and the conservative views that come with it. Being unable to express yourself and like who you want to, not being able to accept yourself and feeling shame whenever you do or feel something that you have been told all your life is "wrong".
This book really shows how much your past trauma can keep dictating your life . Viktoriya is still haunted by her upbringing and expectations from Russia and her family. It keeps her in the "right" way of life, even though it is not what she actually wants. And her journey of both her inner feeling and outward presentation is beautiful to follow throughout the book.
There's a big contrast between the highs and the lows, the highs were amazing and filled with so much love, the lows were absolutely heartbreaking it was really hard. 😭
There were some parts where I felt like I was reading the same paragraph I read 5 chapters ago, which confused me the times it came by, like my bookmark had slid into a different page while I was sleeping. The beginning part of the book is very intense and quick, it had me worried that the whole book would be along those lines. Thankfully it wasn't and it bloomed into a lot more.
The ending was super sweet and brought me to tears, I really enjoyed this book and I'm going to remember what I felt reading it for a long time.
October 16, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
I really enjoyed Hate You Most! The chemistry between these two was SO good and I loved how their relationship developed alongside their personal growth. There was plenty of lust but I especially loved seeing how they helped each other heal. Their backstory added so much depth to their relationship, and I really enjoyed learning more about their history.
And the competition chapters? They were JUICY. I was invested.
There were a few things that kept this from being a 5 star read for me. Some phrases felt a little repetitive, certain parts dragged, and the timeline had me questioning the maths because how was Viktoriya suddenly that age? I'm still confused but it didn’t bother me too much.
But the ending? I loved it. I didn't see that twist coming and I really enjoyed how everything slowly clicked into place. The relationship felt so much more meaningful because of everything they'd been through and the ending was exactly what I wanted.
Overall a passionate, emotional romance with fantastic chemistry and characters I genuinely cared about.
Definitely one I'd recommend!
I really enjoyed Hate You Most! The chemistry between these two was SO good and I loved how their relationship developed alongside their personal growth. There was plenty of lust but I especially loved seeing how they helped each other heal. Their backstory added so much depth to their relationship, and I really enjoyed learning more about their history.
And the competition chapters? They were JUICY. I was invested.
There were a few things that kept this from being a 5 star read for me. Some phrases felt a little repetitive, certain parts dragged, and the timeline had me questioning the maths because how was Viktoriya suddenly that age? I'm still confused but it didn’t bother me too much.
But the ending? I loved it. I didn't see that twist coming and I really enjoyed how everything slowly clicked into place. The relationship felt so much more meaningful because of everything they'd been through and the ending was exactly what I wanted.
Overall a passionate, emotional romance with fantastic chemistry and characters I genuinely cared about.
Definitely one I'd recommend!
October 8, 2026
This was worth the wait!😩
Honestly most books get you so hype up and can't deliver HOWEVER, Kassandra didn't do that she Delivered she was on time and so much more.
The tension, the yearning The yearning was immaculate. The spice was so good, you can feel the tension between Viktoriya and Dekota. It was such an eye opener that what's happening in Russia is still happening.(As someone from South Africa) And reading from Viktoriya's Pov you can feel her pain and angst.
The enemies to lovers of this was so good the rivalry was top tier. Not even amnesia can stop these two 🤭 That twist was not expected but so good too.
This book is one of my top 3 possible top 2 for this year. It deserves so much regocnition. And I hope it will.
Is there any possibility for a bonus story of them in the possible future?
There's so much more I wanna say just do yourselves the favour and read Hate you most.
Honestly most books get you so hype up and can't deliver HOWEVER, Kassandra didn't do that she Delivered she was on time and so much more.
The tension, the yearning The yearning was immaculate. The spice was so good, you can feel the tension between Viktoriya and Dekota. It was such an eye opener that what's happening in Russia is still happening.(As someone from South Africa) And reading from Viktoriya's Pov you can feel her pain and angst.
The enemies to lovers of this was so good the rivalry was top tier. Not even amnesia can stop these two 🤭 That twist was not expected but so good too.
This book is one of my top 3 possible top 2 for this year. It deserves so much regocnition. And I hope it will.
Is there any possibility for a bonus story of them in the possible future?
There's so much more I wanna say just do yourselves the favour and read Hate you most.
October 12, 2026
I think I was going through some kind of emotional crisis when I read this cause why was i crying after each part dude?😭😭 idk if this book was supposed to make me sad? Even knowing its a happy ending I STILL KEPT CRYING. Long time since a book made me cry like this lmao. I loved it alot, probably will be a reread in 2 months. I will recommend it to some of my friends (definitely). This was like amazing since ive been waiting for its release for a longgg time. Definitely worth it, 10/10 I almost want to read it again even tho its been a day I’ve finished it😭
October 8, 2026
I love rival figure skaters, I love yuri
October 9, 2026
It’s like a show where season one is amazing and gets you hooked, season two builds up the hype and makes you excited for what’s coming, but then season three leaves you disappointed
October 11, 2026
Part one and two where great but part three was a mess
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