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Hate Story
Nina can’t let herself fall in love with the man she’s going to marry. Both of them have experienced the sting and sham of love and have no intentions of falling victim to it twice. Love is expensive—hate is free.
Three years. A million dollars. A solution to both of their problems. They planned it all, from the story of their first meeting to the date of their divorce. Nothing could go wrong.
But what they didn’t consider was chemistry, and Nina and Max have no shortage of it. After too many near-kisses, Nina convinces herself that hating Max is better than loving him, and the more she gets to know this soon-to-be-husband of hers, the more she discovers just how very much she truly, madly, and deeply . . . hates him.
This isn’t a love story. This is the other kind.
Three years. A million dollars. A solution to both of their problems. They planned it all, from the story of their first meeting to the date of their divorce. Nothing could go wrong.
But what they didn’t consider was chemistry, and Nina and Max have no shortage of it. After too many near-kisses, Nina convinces herself that hating Max is better than loving him, and the more she gets to know this soon-to-be-husband of hers, the more she discovers just how very much she truly, madly, and deeply . . . hates him.
This isn’t a love story. This is the other kind.
264 pages, ebook
First published December 23, 2016
144 people are currently reading
2357 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Williams
52 books9,593 followersNicole is a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author who got her humble start dictating books to her parents at the age of three and her big break nearly three decades later when she signed her first publishing deal. She grew up an avid reader and writer who majored in Economics because a Creative Writing degree was lofty and impractical, not to mention a pipe dream. Irony, you wily fiend.
When she isn’t embroiled in a book, she spends her time playing wife and mom to her two favorite people in the world, and referee to their three rescue pets/wildlings. Nicole lives in the Evergreen State on the quieter side, ideal for an admitted recluse who enjoys the diversity of outdoor endeavors the Great Northwest offers.
Nicole loves hearing from her readers. You can connect with her on:
Facebook: Author Nicole Williams
Instagram: author_nicole_williams
Twitter: nwilliamsbooks
When she isn’t embroiled in a book, she spends her time playing wife and mom to her two favorite people in the world, and referee to their three rescue pets/wildlings. Nicole lives in the Evergreen State on the quieter side, ideal for an admitted recluse who enjoys the diversity of outdoor endeavors the Great Northwest offers.
Nicole loves hearing from her readers. You can connect with her on:
Facebook: Author Nicole Williams
Instagram: author_nicole_williams
Twitter: nwilliamsbooks
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 356 reviews
December 21, 2016
➦So this was me upon receiving an email that our blog got approved for an ARC of this book:
WHO SIGNED UP FOR THIS ONE AND DIDN'T EVEN TELL ME???
➦It wasn't even on the list for December! And after everyone frantically checked their kindles and found nothing... I decided to check mine. Just in case.
➦Ok. It MIGHT have been me. #gettingold #memoryfail #needtostartwritingshitdown
Except I already do write shit down. #tryharder
➦Anywhoooo... So I went in blind and imagine my delight when I realize that this is a marriage of convenience trope!
➦Our hero is a rich foreigner wanting a Green card. He isn't into relationships and certainly isn't looking to fall in love. As soon as he sees that a woman he is going to marry actually appeals to him he is determined to make her hate him. #giantdouche
➦The heroine is jumping into this marriage for money. She is struggling to pay the bills and keep her grandmother's house. She doesn't believe in "real" marriage. Being lonely and having no family she is convinced that everyone will leave her.
Go figure two people who don't belive in marriage are getting married. How's that for irony?
➦Once these two move in together interesting things start happening. I obviously will not tell you which things because it was the best part of the book for me. The sexual tension was definitely there.
➦I really loved the first half of the book but I found myself losing the connection with the characters in the second half.
➦Perhaps it was that a hero starts out as a douchebag and then quickly changes into a super affectionate lover? It's definitely one of my pet peeves but I really don't like an abrupt change in character.
➦The whole transformation from hate to love was too abrupt. I felt like I needed more substance there, more interaction, more sharing of secrets. I much rather would have preferred that to the whole family drama in this story.
➦And on a side note, I got a total #ladybonerkiller in this book. The parents seem to be everywhere lol First time these two fool around is with his parents in the house. Then at one point during sex he makes a reference to her parents and how he's not like them and won't leave her. I suppose I'm just not into "deep talk" while getting frisky :D
➦If you are a fan of marriage of convenience tropes give this one a try :)
July 10, 2020
3.5 stars
Nicole Williams is one of those authors that always seems to surprise me. I never know what to expect out of her books. The same author that brought me Jude, and one of my most emotionally epic reads Collared also just wrote this hilarious love/hate story. Hate Story made me laugh out loud. It had a relatable and lovable heroine and a hero that was totally swoon-worthy.
Three years. One million dollars. That is what Nina is signing up for. The price is right for her. Nina doesn’t want love anyways, so this is the perfect plan for her. Then she meets her husband to be, Max. And he’s so much more than she expected in every way possible. Max is handsome, charismatic, and in need of a green card. While he’s a rich and successful business man and could marry any woman of his choosing, he needs someone who won’t fall in love with him. Someone who will give him a clean break. Love is messy. When Max meets Nina he’s also shocked. She is not the kind of woman he expected to accept a million dollars for a marriage. But Nina wants to save the only thing that’s truly important to her. The more time Max spends with her, the more he realizes how extremely difficult it is to hate her. She’s so much more than he expected in the best way possible.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It made me laugh, smile, swoon, and gave me just enough of the feels to keep me invested. Max was a wonderful hero that I really did adore and Nina was a stubborn and head strong heroine and I liked her lots as well. I love the hate/love story line. If you’re looking for a fun and sexy read, this is one I’d pick up!
This wasn’t the story of how I grew to love him—it’s the account of how I came to hate him. That was where this story leads. The path I found myself on which wound down many trails until it came to an abrupt end. This is our hate story.
Nicole Williams is one of those authors that always seems to surprise me. I never know what to expect out of her books. The same author that brought me Jude, and one of my most emotionally epic reads Collared also just wrote this hilarious love/hate story. Hate Story made me laugh out loud. It had a relatable and lovable heroine and a hero that was totally swoon-worthy.
Three years. One million dollars. That is what Nina is signing up for. The price is right for her. Nina doesn’t want love anyways, so this is the perfect plan for her. Then she meets her husband to be, Max. And he’s so much more than she expected in every way possible. Max is handsome, charismatic, and in need of a green card. While he’s a rich and successful business man and could marry any woman of his choosing, he needs someone who won’t fall in love with him. Someone who will give him a clean break. Love is messy. When Max meets Nina he’s also shocked. She is not the kind of woman he expected to accept a million dollars for a marriage. But Nina wants to save the only thing that’s truly important to her. The more time Max spends with her, the more he realizes how extremely difficult it is to hate her. She’s so much more than he expected in the best way possible.
She was like no woman I’d ever met and no woman I ever would. She was everything I wanted in a partner and everything I couldn’t have. She was, at the end of the day, everything.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It made me laugh, smile, swoon, and gave me just enough of the feels to keep me invested. Max was a wonderful hero that I really did adore and Nina was a stubborn and head strong heroine and I liked her lots as well. I love the hate/love story line. If you’re looking for a fun and sexy read, this is one I’d pick up!
December 28, 2016
*****FOUR STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author)
A face meant to be worshiped, a body meant to sin, a smile birthed straight from the depths of hell. My future husband.
You can gather from the title that this is not going to be a hearts and flowers romance story. This isn’t a conventional tale of two people who meet and fall in love and eventually end up marrying each other. No. The couple in this story enter into a contract that involves a marriage. Max Sturm is a German-born citizen who currently lives in Portland and considers it his true home. In order to become a permanent resident, he needs a green card. Nina Burton is a young woman who is barely getting by and who is desperate to hang on to her grandmother’s home. If she doesn’t come up with the funds, she’ll lose the house. She comes across Max’s ad for a wife on a highly top secret website through a friend.
As soon as they meet there is some serious tension building between them. I’d say more so on Nina’s end than Max’s. Nina has never been in a long term relationship because she doesn’t believe in them. Having witnessed how love nearly destroyed her mother and then her grandmother has left Nina’s heart hardened to the notion of happily ever after. She’s willing to marry Max because she needs the one million dollars he is offering and she truly believes that she’ll be able to walk away from him after three years when their contract ends. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t account for the fact that Max would turn out to be the one man who would stir up feelings within her that Nina hadn’t expected.
Max Sturm is a highly successful day trader. He’s also a man who has given his heart to a woman in his past and had it nearly obliterated by her deception. Max definitely believes in love but he’s not willing to put himself out there again because he now protects his heart. But after just one dinner with Nina, he finds that he’s being drawn to her and he forces himself to be cool and aloof in order to keep her at arm's length.
While they enter into a fake courtship and eventually end up living together in order to make things more believable and also to learn about one another, real feelings begin to form between Max and Nina. Now there’s an actual possibility to have a marriage based on love instead of a binding contract. But is it love, or is it just lust between the hero and heroine?
HATE STORY is sure to be another hit for Nicole Williams. Once you pick this one up, you’ll find it hard to put down. One-click it today! You’ll find it impossible not to fall in love with Max.
Amazon US : http://amzn.to/2ig2fO4
Amazon UK : http://amzn.to/2hej76h
Amazon CA : http://amzn.to/2irK9vZ
Amazon AU : http://amzn.to/2irQmrD
Nook : http://bit.ly/2hkRN9u
iBooks : http://apple.co/2h0qYbz
{ARC Generously Provided by Author)
A face meant to be worshiped, a body meant to sin, a smile birthed straight from the depths of hell. My future husband.
You can gather from the title that this is not going to be a hearts and flowers romance story. This isn’t a conventional tale of two people who meet and fall in love and eventually end up marrying each other. No. The couple in this story enter into a contract that involves a marriage. Max Sturm is a German-born citizen who currently lives in Portland and considers it his true home. In order to become a permanent resident, he needs a green card. Nina Burton is a young woman who is barely getting by and who is desperate to hang on to her grandmother’s home. If she doesn’t come up with the funds, she’ll lose the house. She comes across Max’s ad for a wife on a highly top secret website through a friend.
As soon as they meet there is some serious tension building between them. I’d say more so on Nina’s end than Max’s. Nina has never been in a long term relationship because she doesn’t believe in them. Having witnessed how love nearly destroyed her mother and then her grandmother has left Nina’s heart hardened to the notion of happily ever after. She’s willing to marry Max because she needs the one million dollars he is offering and she truly believes that she’ll be able to walk away from him after three years when their contract ends. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t account for the fact that Max would turn out to be the one man who would stir up feelings within her that Nina hadn’t expected.
Max Sturm is a highly successful day trader. He’s also a man who has given his heart to a woman in his past and had it nearly obliterated by her deception. Max definitely believes in love but he’s not willing to put himself out there again because he now protects his heart. But after just one dinner with Nina, he finds that he’s being drawn to her and he forces himself to be cool and aloof in order to keep her at arm's length.
While they enter into a fake courtship and eventually end up living together in order to make things more believable and also to learn about one another, real feelings begin to form between Max and Nina. Now there’s an actual possibility to have a marriage based on love instead of a binding contract. But is it love, or is it just lust between the hero and heroine?
HATE STORY is sure to be another hit for Nicole Williams. Once you pick this one up, you’ll find it hard to put down. One-click it today! You’ll find it impossible not to fall in love with Max.
Amazon US : http://amzn.to/2ig2fO4
Amazon UK : http://amzn.to/2hej76h
Amazon CA : http://amzn.to/2irK9vZ
Amazon AU : http://amzn.to/2irQmrD
Nook : http://bit.ly/2hkRN9u
iBooks : http://apple.co/2h0qYbz
February 9, 2017
5 'Do you love me?' Stars!
ARC provided by the author via Ardent Prose PR in exchange for an honest review.
It’s always the best feeling when you discover a new author and it clicks instantly with you. I’ve had the pleasure of discovering Nicole Williams this year. This is my third book by hers and I am 100% sure I will continue reading her works because I have fallen in love with her emotional love stories. And Hate Story is no exception!
Hate Story is a standalone novel and it tells the story of Nina Burton and Max Sturm. Nina is in need of money because she is about to lose the only place that feels like home to her. Max is a German businessman who loves the United States and needs his visa to stay in what he also considers his home. It all starts when Nina hears of Max’s top secret ad that offers one million dollars for three years of marriage. Neither of them expects what happens next: they fall in love.
This was a story of a storm—the storm that eviscerated everything in my whole entire world.
This wasn’t the story of how I grew to love him—it’s the account of how I came to hate him.
I just ADORED this book. I can definitely assure Hate Story is my favorite work by Nicole Williams! She presents a wonderful love story that starts with hate and evolves to an extremely emotional roller coaster. Both MCs are not very open to feelings getting in the mix: Max has been burned by love before and Nina is afraid of commitment because of her family situation. They definitely do not expect the sparks that start flying from their very first meeting!
I needed to let her hate me. A lot. She needed to despise me or else I’d fuck this up. She needed to hate me for this marriage to work.
We were marrying each other—that was the plan. Desire, attraction, and love were not part of that plan.
Max does whatever he can to make Nina hate him but every time gets more difficult for both of them to ignore what they feel for each other. Hate Story moves from hate to the sweetest, hottest and most emotional love story! Max and Nina have off-the-charts chemistry, in and out of the sheets! But I can I just say that the BEST thing on this book is Max himself? This man was ABSOLUTE PERFECTION. Yes, he does not make the best impression at the beginning but after he falls in love? He made me fall for him SO HARD.
“Liebling, if you think the size of a diamond has to do with compensating for a certain piece of the male anatomy…” Max’s voice dipped a few notes lower as he slid closer. “You’d be getting a fleck of a diamond only visible under a magnifying glass.”
Nina was my sanctuary as much as she was my war zone. Peace and solace one moment, explosions and massacre the next.
As I said, the interactions between the MCs could not be better. Max fights with all his heart to get what he wants: Nina’s body, heart and soul. Now, here is what enters what is the only thing that annoyed me a little about Hate Story: Nina herself. I totally get why she feels afraid of commitment and I love how strong she is but sometimes I did not like how she behaved towards Max. Max gives his everything to her the instant he realizes he is in love but Nina is so afraid to love him back that her behavior changes towards the ending. I just wanted to comfort Max so much!
“Nina?” His voice stopped me. When I turned around, I found him facing me, his forehead lined. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Yeah,” I answered, walking away. “You can keep your promise to not fall in love with me.”
Besides that, Hate Story was absolutely perfect for me! Max and Nina finally get their HEA and it was so beautiful. I feel like Max was the soul of this book and I loved every single second of it especially because of him. Nicole gave us lots of marvelous moments in this novel and the most adorable ending!
“I will always do what’s best for you, even if it means you wind up hating me. Because that’s how much I love you,” I said.
Therefore, my rating for Hate Story is 5 STARS because I loved every word and every feeling I got while reading this book! Nicole is so good with very-emotional love stories and this was no exception! I can’t wait to see what is next because I will definitely read it! If you haven’t read anything by hers or you have enjoyed any of her works before, be sure to check out this book, I highly recommend it!
CHECK OUT MY BLOG HERE:
ARC provided by the author via Ardent Prose PR in exchange for an honest review.
It’s always the best feeling when you discover a new author and it clicks instantly with you. I’ve had the pleasure of discovering Nicole Williams this year. This is my third book by hers and I am 100% sure I will continue reading her works because I have fallen in love with her emotional love stories. And Hate Story is no exception!
Hate Story is a standalone novel and it tells the story of Nina Burton and Max Sturm. Nina is in need of money because she is about to lose the only place that feels like home to her. Max is a German businessman who loves the United States and needs his visa to stay in what he also considers his home. It all starts when Nina hears of Max’s top secret ad that offers one million dollars for three years of marriage. Neither of them expects what happens next: they fall in love.
This was a story of a storm—the storm that eviscerated everything in my whole entire world.
This wasn’t the story of how I grew to love him—it’s the account of how I came to hate him.
I just ADORED this book. I can definitely assure Hate Story is my favorite work by Nicole Williams! She presents a wonderful love story that starts with hate and evolves to an extremely emotional roller coaster. Both MCs are not very open to feelings getting in the mix: Max has been burned by love before and Nina is afraid of commitment because of her family situation. They definitely do not expect the sparks that start flying from their very first meeting!
I needed to let her hate me. A lot. She needed to despise me or else I’d fuck this up. She needed to hate me for this marriage to work.
We were marrying each other—that was the plan. Desire, attraction, and love were not part of that plan.
Max does whatever he can to make Nina hate him but every time gets more difficult for both of them to ignore what they feel for each other. Hate Story moves from hate to the sweetest, hottest and most emotional love story! Max and Nina have off-the-charts chemistry, in and out of the sheets! But I can I just say that the BEST thing on this book is Max himself? This man was ABSOLUTE PERFECTION. Yes, he does not make the best impression at the beginning but after he falls in love? He made me fall for him SO HARD.
“Liebling, if you think the size of a diamond has to do with compensating for a certain piece of the male anatomy…” Max’s voice dipped a few notes lower as he slid closer. “You’d be getting a fleck of a diamond only visible under a magnifying glass.”
Nina was my sanctuary as much as she was my war zone. Peace and solace one moment, explosions and massacre the next.
As I said, the interactions between the MCs could not be better. Max fights with all his heart to get what he wants: Nina’s body, heart and soul. Now, here is what enters what is the only thing that annoyed me a little about Hate Story: Nina herself. I totally get why she feels afraid of commitment and I love how strong she is but sometimes I did not like how she behaved towards Max. Max gives his everything to her the instant he realizes he is in love but Nina is so afraid to love him back that her behavior changes towards the ending. I just wanted to comfort Max so much!
“Nina?” His voice stopped me. When I turned around, I found him facing me, his forehead lined. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Yeah,” I answered, walking away. “You can keep your promise to not fall in love with me.”
Besides that, Hate Story was absolutely perfect for me! Max and Nina finally get their HEA and it was so beautiful. I feel like Max was the soul of this book and I loved every single second of it especially because of him. Nicole gave us lots of marvelous moments in this novel and the most adorable ending!
“I will always do what’s best for you, even if it means you wind up hating me. Because that’s how much I love you,” I said.
Therefore, my rating for Hate Story is 5 STARS because I loved every word and every feeling I got while reading this book! Nicole is so good with very-emotional love stories and this was no exception! I can’t wait to see what is next because I will definitely read it! If you haven’t read anything by hers or you have enjoyed any of her works before, be sure to check out this book, I highly recommend it!
CHECK OUT MY BLOG HERE:
December 28, 2016
4 STARS
”Will you be able to commit to this?”
This is an easy, cute, enjoyable, read that’s storyline is rather simple. The heroine, Nina Burton is in dire need of money to hold onto her deceased grandmother’s house. Sight unseen she has entered into a marriage contract with a German hottie named, Max Sturm. Max’s proposition is very simple a marriage for his green card in exchange Nina will become a millionaire.
”I’m already agreeing to marry a guy so he can get a green card.”
The portion of the story that is amusing is the fact that both characters have zero plans on falling for the other. Yet they are both so obviously attracted to everything about the other. So these two characters find themselves forgetting to hate the other while bonding and falling in love.
Added to the mix is an assortment of surprise visitors and one of our characters not being able to say a certain three letter word back to the other and we have some heartbreak added to the mix.
Overall this made for a very light and easy read that was very enjoyable!
”She was like no woman I’d ever met and no woman I ever would. She was everything I wanted in a partner and everything I couldn’t have. She was, at the end of the day, everything.”
”Will you be able to commit to this?”
This is an easy, cute, enjoyable, read that’s storyline is rather simple. The heroine, Nina Burton is in dire need of money to hold onto her deceased grandmother’s house. Sight unseen she has entered into a marriage contract with a German hottie named, Max Sturm. Max’s proposition is very simple a marriage for his green card in exchange Nina will become a millionaire.
”I’m already agreeing to marry a guy so he can get a green card.”
The portion of the story that is amusing is the fact that both characters have zero plans on falling for the other. Yet they are both so obviously attracted to everything about the other. So these two characters find themselves forgetting to hate the other while bonding and falling in love.
Added to the mix is an assortment of surprise visitors and one of our characters not being able to say a certain three letter word back to the other and we have some heartbreak added to the mix.
Overall this made for a very light and easy read that was very enjoyable!
”She was like no woman I’d ever met and no woman I ever would. She was everything I wanted in a partner and everything I couldn’t have. She was, at the end of the day, everything.”
February 7, 2017
4 WHERE DID THE ALPHA GO STARS
“Nina. Never her. One touch, and I’d want it all. Forever.”
SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD PLEASE PROCEED WITH CARE.
So the hero Max, has been hurt badly by love before and this poor soul has been sadly introduced to sex at too early an age for my liking. Personally, it was a question of statuary rape as he was 15 and it was with his nanny. GROSS!
He is looking to get a green card to stay in the US in his new home town of Portland, Oregon that he loves more than his own country. He plans on hiring a wife to achieve his goals. The heroine Nina, who at 23 has never had a relationship or allowed anyone near her own very guarded heart, is to be his chosen bride.
Together, this couple will have to pretend that they love each other while secretly hating each other. At least, that is the plan! But, somehow their hearts didn't get this text! As these two struggle with their feelings and their delicate futures hang in the balance, one word will have the power to destroy it all...LOVE!
Honestly, if this book had ended at around the 80% mark or so I would have said YAY and had given it 5 stars. At that point the hero was still pushing the heroine out of her comfort zone and trying to keep her safe and protected.
He even told her that
“Didn’t you just hear what I said? I’m not leaving you. Ever.”
"Everyone leaves me. Everyone.”
"Not me.” He reaffirmed.
But then he does, he leaves her on her wedding day! REALLY?
What kind of jerk face butt hole does that?
Honestly, what has happened to my amazingly loving and protective hero Max!? This just seem very inconsistent to me. He was 100% devoted to her and then he just dropped her!?
What is with that!?
After every promise he made to her to NEVER leave he just drops the Love Bomb on their wedding day and when she doesn't or rather can't reciprocate, he moves out!?
What did he think would happen here with his last minute Epiphany i.e. that he needed her love in order to marry and asked her if she loved him.
Seriously, on your wedding day you asked that question?
Have you not been paying attention here!
She is emotionally closed off.
No clue just out of the blue and you hit her with this?
Yes he deserves love, but ON YOUR WEDDING DAY!?
Mostly, I enjoyed this book. It was a very good story and hell yeah I loved their humor and passion. However, I could not give it 5 stars. Too many inconsistencies for that.
I was completely crushing a Max until he left Nina.
Also, I wanted to thank my friend Carvanz for doing this buddy read and allowing me to vent my frustration throughout this book.
YOU ROCKED!
Safety is good with them being completely faithful to each other but some pushing away from both the hero and the heroine.
“Nina. Never her. One touch, and I’d want it all. Forever.”
SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD PLEASE PROCEED WITH CARE.
So the hero Max, has been hurt badly by love before and this poor soul has been sadly introduced to sex at too early an age for my liking. Personally, it was a question of statuary rape as he was 15 and it was with his nanny. GROSS!
He is looking to get a green card to stay in the US in his new home town of Portland, Oregon that he loves more than his own country. He plans on hiring a wife to achieve his goals. The heroine Nina, who at 23 has never had a relationship or allowed anyone near her own very guarded heart, is to be his chosen bride.
Together, this couple will have to pretend that they love each other while secretly hating each other. At least, that is the plan! But, somehow their hearts didn't get this text! As these two struggle with their feelings and their delicate futures hang in the balance, one word will have the power to destroy it all...LOVE!
Honestly, if this book had ended at around the 80% mark or so I would have said YAY and had given it 5 stars. At that point the hero was still pushing the heroine out of her comfort zone and trying to keep her safe and protected.
He even told her that
“Didn’t you just hear what I said? I’m not leaving you. Ever.”
"Everyone leaves me. Everyone.”
"Not me.” He reaffirmed.
But then he does, he leaves her on her wedding day! REALLY?
What kind of jerk face butt hole does that?
Honestly, what has happened to my amazingly loving and protective hero Max!? This just seem very inconsistent to me. He was 100% devoted to her and then he just dropped her!?
What is with that!?
After every promise he made to her to NEVER leave he just drops the Love Bomb on their wedding day and when she doesn't or rather can't reciprocate, he moves out!?
What did he think would happen here with his last minute Epiphany i.e. that he needed her love in order to marry and asked her if she loved him.
Seriously, on your wedding day you asked that question?
Have you not been paying attention here!
She is emotionally closed off.
No clue just out of the blue and you hit her with this?
Yes he deserves love, but ON YOUR WEDDING DAY!?
Mostly, I enjoyed this book. It was a very good story and hell yeah I loved their humor and passion. However, I could not give it 5 stars. Too many inconsistencies for that.
I was completely crushing a Max until he left Nina.
Also, I wanted to thank my friend Carvanz for doing this buddy read and allowing me to vent my frustration throughout this book.
YOU ROCKED!
Safety is good with them being completely faithful to each other but some pushing away from both the hero and the heroine.
December 22, 2016
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars⭐⭐⭐⭐
When I first saw the cover for this, I will admit that I lost ALL of my brain cells at that moment. Then I read the blurb and I knew I had to get this one ASAP because Nicole Williams wrote this shit people! So here I am drooling/ admiring this wonderful cover and then I started the first chapter. After that, I was a goner and I felt sorry for the family members that dared to interrupt me while I was reading this one.
Nina Burton hasn’t had it financially easy for the last few years. At her last resort, she has agreed to marry the wealthy German Business Maximilian Sturm in exchange for one million dollars. We’ve all had that moment where you felt like THIS is the only way something is going to work and come hell or high-water, you’re doing it. This was Nina’s moment and she’s determined to see through.
But giving three years of your life away to a complete stranger is not an easy task. But when she meets the handsome man, Nina soon discovers that three years with him is going to be a very long time without her doing bodily harm to him.
“He didn’t just exude confidence, he defined it. He didn’t just garner respect, he demanded it.
Max has been working hard towards a successful career for a very long time. Being a day trader, he’s well beyond being financially stable and it doesn’t hurt that he’s not a bad looking guy either. So when the time comes for a new business arrangement that involves a woman that doesn’t even bat an eye lash for him, Max is confident that their new partnership will work out beautifully. Strictly business right? But for how long?
“Feelings were fine. Attraction was allowed. Acting on any of it was positively not.
I must say that I really enjoyed this one even though I wanted to shake the hell out of a certain character Nina definitely tested my patience towards the end and I really disliked her for what she put me through! My palms were itching to smack her but lucky for her, she pulled herself together and kept me out of fictional jail.
Max and Nina’s relationship was very unconventional and I loved that about them. They weren’t always nice to each other about some things, but they were very respectful to each other and that to me was the most important thing. I loved their banter, the sexual tension ( fans self) and Max’s ability to keep me swooning throughout the entire story.
If you’re looking for a hot sexy read to end your year right, this one is most definitely for you.
When I first saw the cover for this, I will admit that I lost ALL of my brain cells at that moment. Then I read the blurb and I knew I had to get this one ASAP because Nicole Williams wrote this shit people! So here I am drooling/ admiring this wonderful cover and then I started the first chapter. After that, I was a goner and I felt sorry for the family members that dared to interrupt me while I was reading this one.
Nina Burton hasn’t had it financially easy for the last few years. At her last resort, she has agreed to marry the wealthy German Business Maximilian Sturm in exchange for one million dollars. We’ve all had that moment where you felt like THIS is the only way something is going to work and come hell or high-water, you’re doing it. This was Nina’s moment and she’s determined to see through.
But giving three years of your life away to a complete stranger is not an easy task. But when she meets the handsome man, Nina soon discovers that three years with him is going to be a very long time without her doing bodily harm to him.
“He didn’t just exude confidence, he defined it. He didn’t just garner respect, he demanded it.
Max has been working hard towards a successful career for a very long time. Being a day trader, he’s well beyond being financially stable and it doesn’t hurt that he’s not a bad looking guy either. So when the time comes for a new business arrangement that involves a woman that doesn’t even bat an eye lash for him, Max is confident that their new partnership will work out beautifully. Strictly business right? But for how long?
“Feelings were fine. Attraction was allowed. Acting on any of it was positively not.
I must say that I really enjoyed this one even though I wanted to shake the hell out of a certain character Nina definitely tested my patience towards the end and I really disliked her for what she put me through! My palms were itching to smack her but lucky for her, she pulled herself together and kept me out of fictional jail.
Max and Nina’s relationship was very unconventional and I loved that about them. They weren’t always nice to each other about some things, but they were very respectful to each other and that to me was the most important thing. I loved their banter, the sexual tension ( fans self) and Max’s ability to keep me swooning throughout the entire story.
If you’re looking for a hot sexy read to end your year right, this one is most definitely for you.
December 20, 2016
4.25 "hate and love are two sides of the same coin" stars
Hate.
Love.
Are really just two faces of the same coin.
Max Sturm is a German businessman working and staying in the USA but he needs to make it permanent, as it already feels like home to him. Being burned before, he decides to offer one million dollars to Nina Burton, a USA, Portland resident, a girl with a huge bills problems and a huge chip on her shoulder (she was burned as well, only by lack of love in her life), to marry him.
She was the one who was going to help me earn my freedom in the country I loved. The place that was home.
They are perfect for this agreement, no feelings, strictly business arrangement. The only thing they need to stick to is the promise of NOT to fall in love.
Until they actually meet and feel the undeniable attraction towards each other.
This was a business deal and should be treated like all business deals – with confidence and cool removal.
She needed to hate me for this marriage to work.
BUT the more they engage into this pretence of „relationship“ they develop a friendship fighting the „emotional relapses“ of mutual chemistry...they deny it, they fight it
we were marrying each other – that was the plan. Desire, attraction, and love were not part of the plan.
while they get to know each other's flaws, virtues, habits, perks...it's actually hard for them not to develop and feel more towards each other...
Feelings were fine. Attraction was allowed. Acting on any of it was positively not.
BUT that only brings out more confilct...within themselves...
this had become a matter of the heart now too. Neither of us had planned on that.
And that brought old fears in Nina, fear of abandonment, fear of being betrayed and left behind...just like everyone else did in her life so far...she's ready to bail, but Max is ready to jump inspite the hurt he experienced, he's willing to give up the pretense and work on the real thing between them. And that changed the primary meaning of the actual agreement. It was a moot point, by now.
I didn't want to marry her so I could get a piece of paper telling me I could spend the rest of my life in this country, I wanted to marry her so I could spend the rest of my life with her. She was my home.
And Nina still holds the breaks, she can't admit it, she can't break the burden of her fears, and Max decides to let her go...until she realizes the truth, until she s able to face the fact that she loves him as much as he loves her
“I will always do what's best for you, even if it means you wind up hating me. Because that's how much I love you.“
Nina needs to deal with her own abandonment issues and she needs to face the truth that she's been running from the only thing she should have been running to and that she's been wasting the precious time being afraid of love, instead of living it. Turning to the other side of it, made her only fall deeply...cause
Hate was love not ready to be realized. Hate came from fear and doubt and burned at the same degree as passion.
Our hate story had become a love story
I love Nicole's work and I always anticipate strong emotional journey filled with warmth, sometimes swoon and a skipping hearbeats, with a quality dose of angst too...lovable characters are a must in her books and this is story is not far from all of the mentioned above BUT not quite there yet...
I loved MAX. I really loved this man, I must have a fetish for Germans, I dunno...*shrugs* but he pushed all of my buttons, well all of them that matter and I liked NINA, even though I didn't fully relate to all of her decisions, and actions, i was still rooting for her to „snap out of it sooner rather than later“ and in the end she did.
What I found disputable is the actual reference to the „hate“ part between them, I wouldn't quite call it hate, maybe more like a „set back“ or an „effort to make another person to not be able to stand the other anymore“ but it's still not hate, well at least I didn't percieve it as such.
Then the anticipating point of angst that appeared gradually only to be cut off abruptly leaving me displeased with the NON-resloving angsty feels that I also got piled up inside like I am used to reading about in Nicole's books.
But all in all, I found the story intriguing and appealing, insightful and emotional, and yet the one that held 100% of my attention was the hero...MAX STURM really was the quiet strom that swept me away from the moment he spoke.
And as Boy George (Culture Club) sang a long time ago....
You don't have to touch it to know
Love is everywhere you go
You don't have to touch it to feel
Love is every second we steal
Love is love is nothing without you
Love is love is everything you do
Open up your eyes
And you will see
Love is love is everything to me
You don't have to touch it to be
Wrapped up in emotion like me
Everyone must feel how I do, yeah
Love is just to be close to you
Love is love is nothing without you
Love is love is everything you do
Open up your eyes
And you will see
Love is love is everything to me
And you know that love is love
It's written in black and blue
And everything you say
Must bring her closer, closer to you
Ba-ba (ooh), ba-ba (ooh), ba-ba (ooh)
You don't have to touch it to know
Love is everywhere that you go
You don't have to touch it to feel
Love is every second we steal
Love is love is nothing without you
Love is love is everything you do...
Culture Club - Love Is Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ut11...
Thank you! Nicole, it s always a thrill and a blunt excitement to read one of your books!!!
*fangirling*
December 22, 2016
#hatetolove #sweet #sassyheroine
The blurb really caught my attention. I love the marriage of convenience trope.
In Hate Story, Max needs to marry to remain in the country so he offers Nina 3 million dollars for 3 years of marriage.
These two have some pretty steamy chemistry and they both try to ignore it at first. They want to keep the arrangement all business. The way these two got together was ironic because they did it for different reasons yet they still got together in the end.
This book is a very sweet and easy Happily Ever After Story. A fun read that will give you butterflies from all the sweet and hot moments.
It was a fun, fast-paced read but I would have liked a bit more detail and time with the characters to get to know them. Overall, Hate Story is a clean, fun read, which leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy at the end. I'll give it four stars because it hooked me, it made me laugh, and delivered a happy ending.
In short:
Hero 4/5 | Heroine 4/5 | Plot (Point, Originality) 3/5 | Writing Style 4/5 | Steam 4/5 | Romance 4/5 | Angst-Suspense 3/5 | Darkness 0/5 | Humor 3/5 | Secondary Characters 3/5 | Drama-Conflict 4/5 | Mystery 0/5 | Twists 4/5 | Pacing Fast | Action 3/5
The blurb really caught my attention. I love the marriage of convenience trope.
In Hate Story, Max needs to marry to remain in the country so he offers Nina 3 million dollars for 3 years of marriage.
These two have some pretty steamy chemistry and they both try to ignore it at first. They want to keep the arrangement all business. The way these two got together was ironic because they did it for different reasons yet they still got together in the end.
This book is a very sweet and easy Happily Ever After Story. A fun read that will give you butterflies from all the sweet and hot moments.
It was a fun, fast-paced read but I would have liked a bit more detail and time with the characters to get to know them. Overall, Hate Story is a clean, fun read, which leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy at the end. I'll give it four stars because it hooked me, it made me laugh, and delivered a happy ending.
In short:
Hero 4/5 | Heroine 4/5 | Plot (Point, Originality) 3/5 | Writing Style 4/5 | Steam 4/5 | Romance 4/5 | Angst-Suspense 3/5 | Darkness 0/5 | Humor 3/5 | Secondary Characters 3/5 | Drama-Conflict 4/5 | Mystery 0/5 | Twists 4/5 | Pacing Fast | Action 3/5
February 10, 2017
A German guy living in America needs to get a green card to be able to stay there for as long as he wants and he finds a candidate who will not fall in love with him and create complications. Our girl needs money urgently or she will lose the only home she knows, which is left by her grandmother.
Long story short, they will stay married for 3 years, he will get his green card, and she will keep the house with one million dollars that he is willing to pay.
These two characters have commitment issues. Nina doesn’t believe in love or marriage. Her father left her mother. Her mother left her when she was a child. Her grandfather left her grandmother. And she had one constant all her life long until now: Her grandmother, who raised her! When her first boyfriend proves to be a douche-bag, she is done with all guys and lives a celibate life, not giving another chance to another man to break her heart. Also, she is a strong feminist.
Max is a rich businessman, who was once engaged to be married to the woman he loved but she betrayed him with more than one person. Now, he doesn’t want to have a serious relationship with any other woman, he doesn’t want to fall in love and get hurt again. That’s why, he tries to keep everything businesslike with contracts and all when he is making this deal with Nina.
The problem is that they were not expecting to be smitten with each other when they personally meet because they have been contacting each other online until now.
So when they see each other, sparks fly! But both of them believe that they must hate each other for this relationship to work. So, he says things that will make her hate him… And you feel that you are about to read a delightful book full of tension and fun banter. The more you read, the better it gets…
But… yes, there is a big BUT, unfortunately…
Think of it like that: The first half of the book is a balloon inflated strongly with all the built-up sexual tension and attraction. As a reader, you eagerly wait for the moment they will give in to temptation but then, puff, the balloon starts to leak air and it doesn’t burst!
The first half of the book up until 50%:
1. Full of fun and laugh out loud moments
2. Intriguing characters with witty and promising dialogues
3. Sexual tension is built up very well
4. Slow built-of friendship done well
The 2nd half of the book after 50%:
1. The fun ends... No more fun!
2. The parts in which they confess their feelings and get intimate do disappoint
3. A frustrating and boring plot twist comes
4. It lasts for a long while
5. It ends in a very cheesy way
This is shortly what happens. If you need more details, here you are (but beware of the spoilers if you want to read the book):
* The casual way she says she has feelings for him while his parents are in the living room is no different from saying, for example, “Hey, can you go and get some eggs and flour, I need to make a pie for our guests”... Nope, not romantic... Nope, not sexy... Just bloody disappointing...
Then, their very first intimacy
This was neither the time to do it nor the way to do it. So not romantic or sexy for me… but then I hoped and thought that maybe the real deal would be awesome – this was just the half of it! But, nope, it wasn’t. The real deal was even worse IMO! Maybe it is not the book but it is me. I just couldn't picture the easily embarrassed virgin Nina getting in charge and doing it all by herself the way it is told in the book...
* When their relationship turns to be a real one even before they get married at the 60% of the book, you wonder what kind of plot twist is coming. So, I did wonder!
Well, his parents and his ex come into the picture and I say, “Huh, they have a plot! They are gonna do something awful...” But nope, nothing...
So, what is the plot twist? What happens in the last half of the book?
Wait… here it comes!
*
Reading those parts was really frustrating.
So, the very exciting promise of the first half is ruined by this very boring and annoying second half, which is followed by a very cheesy happy end.
This is a huge information so do not unhide the spoiler if you have any intention of reading this book.
HUGE SPOILER AHEAD! CAUTION!
WTF? Do these officers really work like that? I mean, I really would like a green card, then… really… :)
Thus, here is my rationale for rating this book.
1st half of the book: Solid 5 stars.
2nd half of the book: 1 or 2 stars…
End result: 3 stars! Or 3,25 max…
Some of the fun in the first half:
“You know what else women like?” I didn’t pause for an answer because I guessed he didn’t have a clue. “A man who’s humble.”
He fought a smile and leaned back in his chair when a server approached with a couple of drinks on a tray. “No, they like to think they do, but they don’t.” His head shook authoritatively. “They like the cocky bastard who goes after what he wants and doesn’t take no for an answer.”
***
That was when I noticed what the server had set in front of me. A tumbler with something amber in color. The same thing she was setting in front of him. Although from the curve of her smile, she was offering to give him a blow job on the side, compliments of the house.
***
He looked like a fairy tale princess and a Greek God had gotten it on and he’d popped out nine months later.
***
So what? He had a nice butt. And a nice face. And a nice everything else in between. So he was fun to look at.
**
“Just to clarify . . . There is no expectation, anticipation, or remote possibility that we would have sex. Right?” I had to look away. I couldn’t keep looking at him with the way his expression was changing. From business to pleasure in point two seconds.
“Why?” I heard the same change in his tone. “Have you changed your mind on that bullet point now that we’ve met?”
That welcome surge of anger flooded my system again. When my narrowed eyes landed on him, he was grinning. Almost gloating. Cocky fucking bastard.
“No,” I said slowly. “Meeting you has only solidified my ‘no’ under that bullet point.”
***
“I kind of hate you, you know that?” His eyes challenged that. “I’m asking you to marry me, not like me. Hate me all you want.”
***
I simply couldn’t not stare at her. It would have been like staring at the wall above Mona Lisa. A person just didn’t not look at something that unique and different when it was right in front of them.
***
I’d follow her through the doors of hell if she crooked her finger.
GOOD, right? Sooo, delightful…
Now, the boring and cheesy parts:
"If you have to think about your answer, that’s an answer.”
***
“Love isn’t the enemy, Nina.”
“I don’t know,” I said, my answer finally materializing. “I don’t know if I love him.”
***
“And how is Date Potential Gold supposed to help me decide how I feel about Max?”
“Because if you can’t feel anything for Dean the stud, that tells us something.”
“What does it tell us?” I grumbled.
“You can’t move on from Max.”
***
“I’m sorry, Max. I’m sorry for what happened that day. I’m sorry I couldn’t say back what you said to me. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you what you wanted. I’m sorry I couldn’t be who you wanted. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry for everything.”
“I’m sorry too, Nina.”
***
“I hate you, Max Sturm.”
“Of course you do. Because hating me is less terrifying than the thought of loving me is.”
***
Every morning I rolled out of bed with the goal to move on from Max. Every night I crawled into bed swearing I’d try harder the next day.
***
I didn’t hate Max. I never could. I’d lied. The love part was more confusing. I’d seen it abused by too many people. I’d perverted it too much on my own. I’d convinced myself it could never be experienced within the confines of a romantic relationship.
P.S. Dual point of view, 253 pages…
Long story short, they will stay married for 3 years, he will get his green card, and she will keep the house with one million dollars that he is willing to pay.
These two characters have commitment issues. Nina doesn’t believe in love or marriage. Her father left her mother. Her mother left her when she was a child. Her grandfather left her grandmother. And she had one constant all her life long until now: Her grandmother, who raised her! When her first boyfriend proves to be a douche-bag, she is done with all guys and lives a celibate life, not giving another chance to another man to break her heart. Also, she is a strong feminist.
Max is a rich businessman, who was once engaged to be married to the woman he loved but she betrayed him with more than one person. Now, he doesn’t want to have a serious relationship with any other woman, he doesn’t want to fall in love and get hurt again. That’s why, he tries to keep everything businesslike with contracts and all when he is making this deal with Nina.
The problem is that they were not expecting to be smitten with each other when they personally meet because they have been contacting each other online until now.
So when they see each other, sparks fly! But both of them believe that they must hate each other for this relationship to work. So, he says things that will make her hate him… And you feel that you are about to read a delightful book full of tension and fun banter. The more you read, the better it gets…
But… yes, there is a big BUT, unfortunately…
Think of it like that: The first half of the book is a balloon inflated strongly with all the built-up sexual tension and attraction. As a reader, you eagerly wait for the moment they will give in to temptation but then, puff, the balloon starts to leak air and it doesn’t burst!
The first half of the book up until 50%:
1. Full of fun and laugh out loud moments
2. Intriguing characters with witty and promising dialogues
3. Sexual tension is built up very well
4. Slow built-of friendship done well
The 2nd half of the book after 50%:
1. The fun ends... No more fun!
2. The parts in which they confess their feelings and get intimate do disappoint
3. A frustrating and boring plot twist comes
4. It lasts for a long while
5. It ends in a very cheesy way
This is shortly what happens. If you need more details, here you are (but beware of the spoilers if you want to read the book):
* The casual way she says she has feelings for him while his parents are in the living room is no different from saying, for example, “Hey, can you go and get some eggs and flour, I need to make a pie for our guests”... Nope, not romantic... Nope, not sexy... Just bloody disappointing...
Then, their very first intimacy
This was neither the time to do it nor the way to do it. So not romantic or sexy for me… but then I hoped and thought that maybe the real deal would be awesome – this was just the half of it! But, nope, it wasn’t. The real deal was even worse IMO! Maybe it is not the book but it is me. I just couldn't picture the easily embarrassed virgin Nina getting in charge and doing it all by herself the way it is told in the book...
* When their relationship turns to be a real one even before they get married at the 60% of the book, you wonder what kind of plot twist is coming. So, I did wonder!
Well, his parents and his ex come into the picture and I say, “Huh, they have a plot! They are gonna do something awful...” But nope, nothing...
So, what is the plot twist? What happens in the last half of the book?
Wait… here it comes!
*
Reading those parts was really frustrating.
So, the very exciting promise of the first half is ruined by this very boring and annoying second half, which is followed by a very cheesy happy end.
This is a huge information so do not unhide the spoiler if you have any intention of reading this book.
HUGE SPOILER AHEAD! CAUTION!
WTF? Do these officers really work like that? I mean, I really would like a green card, then… really… :)
Thus, here is my rationale for rating this book.
1st half of the book: Solid 5 stars.
2nd half of the book: 1 or 2 stars…
End result: 3 stars! Or 3,25 max…
Some of the fun in the first half:
“You know what else women like?” I didn’t pause for an answer because I guessed he didn’t have a clue. “A man who’s humble.”
He fought a smile and leaned back in his chair when a server approached with a couple of drinks on a tray. “No, they like to think they do, but they don’t.” His head shook authoritatively. “They like the cocky bastard who goes after what he wants and doesn’t take no for an answer.”
***
That was when I noticed what the server had set in front of me. A tumbler with something amber in color. The same thing she was setting in front of him. Although from the curve of her smile, she was offering to give him a blow job on the side, compliments of the house.
***
He looked like a fairy tale princess and a Greek God had gotten it on and he’d popped out nine months later.
***
So what? He had a nice butt. And a nice face. And a nice everything else in between. So he was fun to look at.
**
“Just to clarify . . . There is no expectation, anticipation, or remote possibility that we would have sex. Right?” I had to look away. I couldn’t keep looking at him with the way his expression was changing. From business to pleasure in point two seconds.
“Why?” I heard the same change in his tone. “Have you changed your mind on that bullet point now that we’ve met?”
That welcome surge of anger flooded my system again. When my narrowed eyes landed on him, he was grinning. Almost gloating. Cocky fucking bastard.
“No,” I said slowly. “Meeting you has only solidified my ‘no’ under that bullet point.”
***
“I kind of hate you, you know that?” His eyes challenged that. “I’m asking you to marry me, not like me. Hate me all you want.”
***
I simply couldn’t not stare at her. It would have been like staring at the wall above Mona Lisa. A person just didn’t not look at something that unique and different when it was right in front of them.
***
I’d follow her through the doors of hell if she crooked her finger.
GOOD, right? Sooo, delightful…
Now, the boring and cheesy parts:
"If you have to think about your answer, that’s an answer.”
***
“Love isn’t the enemy, Nina.”
“I don’t know,” I said, my answer finally materializing. “I don’t know if I love him.”
***
“And how is Date Potential Gold supposed to help me decide how I feel about Max?”
“Because if you can’t feel anything for Dean the stud, that tells us something.”
“What does it tell us?” I grumbled.
“You can’t move on from Max.”
***
“I’m sorry, Max. I’m sorry for what happened that day. I’m sorry I couldn’t say back what you said to me. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you what you wanted. I’m sorry I couldn’t be who you wanted. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry for everything.”
“I’m sorry too, Nina.”
***
“I hate you, Max Sturm.”
“Of course you do. Because hating me is less terrifying than the thought of loving me is.”
***
Every morning I rolled out of bed with the goal to move on from Max. Every night I crawled into bed swearing I’d try harder the next day.
***
I didn’t hate Max. I never could. I’d lied. The love part was more confusing. I’d seen it abused by too many people. I’d perverted it too much on my own. I’d convinced myself it could never be experienced within the confines of a romantic relationship.
P.S. Dual point of view, 253 pages…
December 27, 2016
4.5 stars
LOVED this one! Two commitment phobics make an arrangement to marry for personal reasons and unexpectedly fall in love. I especially ADORED the hero! He made this story so much more enjoyable. He took the first step and was so understanding towards the heroine. Wished she made up her mind sooner but i sort of unserstood her hesitance.
Definitely recommended. Off to check out this authors other books
LOVED this one! Two commitment phobics make an arrangement to marry for personal reasons and unexpectedly fall in love. I especially ADORED the hero! He made this story so much more enjoyable. He took the first step and was so understanding towards the heroine. Wished she made up her mind sooner but i sort of unserstood her hesitance.
Definitely recommended. Off to check out this authors other books
December 30, 2016
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review
A sweet, funny, sexy, and laugh out loud romantic comedy. Nicole Williams doesn’t need to twist anyone’s arm to read her books because stories speak for itself. Hate Story was an enjoyable read that had all the right elements from humor, banter, steam, and romance. So if you are looking for a read that was a riot of entertainment and screams fun then this book is definitely for you.
A sweet, funny, sexy, and laugh out loud romantic comedy. Nicole Williams doesn’t need to twist anyone’s arm to read her books because stories speak for itself. Hate Story was an enjoyable read that had all the right elements from humor, banter, steam, and romance. So if you are looking for a read that was a riot of entertainment and screams fun then this book is definitely for you.
October 26, 2017
I’ve never read anything by Nicole Williams before. But I have some book friends who adore her so I thought I’d give this a go! HATE STORY was really a page turner for me. Had it not been for the regular duties of life, I would have devoured this, cover to cover in no time.
Nina and Max are not your traditional couple in any sense of the word. They are from different worlds, worlds in which they may have never crossed paths if it weren’t for a matter of convenience. Paying someone a million dollars to be your wife with no strings attached to get your green card to stay in America is not really the best way to catch and keep the girl you eventually fall for when you had ZERO plans of that happening in the first place. But fate has another version to all of our stories and it usually goes against everything we initially thought possible.
I loved Nina and her stubbornness. She stuck to her morals (I mean, the ones in addition to getting a million dollars for marrying a stranger), the way she tried to hang on to any sense of control when control was thrown out the window when she stared falling for her fake boyfriend, Max. Despite having had a crappy start in life, and a terrible hand dealt, she makes the best of life she can even though it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
Having be burned before, Max is really putting himself and his heart on the line when he agrees to pay Nina that millions dollars to stay in his home, America. He wants nothing more than to be a citizen-until he realizes that some things are more important that the location of where you live. Sometimes HOME is where your heart is, not the location of your house.
Williams caught me in her web from the get-go. I felt for both of these characters right away. They were relatable, tangible and not so far fetched that I couldn’t see this happing. The writing was quick paced, funny when called for and really engaging at the time time. Really can’t ask for anything more! Also-the passion between these two! It kept off the page. There was just enough to keep me coming back for more. Th scene in the shower...oh, MY!!! Perfection!
I really enjoyed the progression of the story. Nothing was rushed or too stalled. I laughed out loud and I enjoyed the back story of our two mains! Williams can really write an engaging book from start to finish and I truly enjoyed my first ever book by her. I’ll be adding more to my TBR.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review
*reviewed by Jess for Joandisalovebooks blog
Nina and Max are not your traditional couple in any sense of the word. They are from different worlds, worlds in which they may have never crossed paths if it weren’t for a matter of convenience. Paying someone a million dollars to be your wife with no strings attached to get your green card to stay in America is not really the best way to catch and keep the girl you eventually fall for when you had ZERO plans of that happening in the first place. But fate has another version to all of our stories and it usually goes against everything we initially thought possible.
I loved Nina and her stubbornness. She stuck to her morals (I mean, the ones in addition to getting a million dollars for marrying a stranger), the way she tried to hang on to any sense of control when control was thrown out the window when she stared falling for her fake boyfriend, Max. Despite having had a crappy start in life, and a terrible hand dealt, she makes the best of life she can even though it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
Having be burned before, Max is really putting himself and his heart on the line when he agrees to pay Nina that millions dollars to stay in his home, America. He wants nothing more than to be a citizen-until he realizes that some things are more important that the location of where you live. Sometimes HOME is where your heart is, not the location of your house.
Williams caught me in her web from the get-go. I felt for both of these characters right away. They were relatable, tangible and not so far fetched that I couldn’t see this happing. The writing was quick paced, funny when called for and really engaging at the time time. Really can’t ask for anything more! Also-the passion between these two! It kept off the page. There was just enough to keep me coming back for more. Th scene in the shower...oh, MY!!! Perfection!
I really enjoyed the progression of the story. Nothing was rushed or too stalled. I laughed out loud and I enjoyed the back story of our two mains! Williams can really write an engaging book from start to finish and I truly enjoyed my first ever book by her. I’ll be adding more to my TBR.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review
*reviewed by Jess for Joandisalovebooks blog
January 1, 2017
*3.5 Hate stars*
Who else signed up for this book only looking at the title?!
I love everything about enemies to lover’s trope and the title sold it good. Nicole Williams indeed delivered a sweet and sassy entertaining romance, with its witty dialogues, laugh out loud moments, steamy scenes and a sex on a stick-brooding alpha male, Hate Story is a perfect book to kick back and relax this holiday season.
Nina and Max enter into a marriage of convenience. Max wants a green card to be a legal citizen of America and Nina is desperate to save her grandmother’s house. They entered into an agreement where both gets what they want; desire, attraction and love were not going to be part of it. That seems to be easy since Max’s arrogance and overachieving nature just push all her buttons and Nina isn’t exactly the type of a woman Max is used to; she stands her ground and not easily charmed. Theirs was a hate at first sight. Hate was all that they needed to survive this marriage for next three years until love waltz into their life unexpected!
“Nina was my sanctuary as much as she was my war zone.This was a delightful read, a light-hearted romance filled with hate, passion, laughter and love! The characters were superb. They were headstrong, charming and witty to the point of pissing each other off, this crazy love/hate equation was cleverly written by the author, I loved their banters so much. There was a slight hiccup that stopped it from making this a great read, the whole transformation from hating to loving was hasty. Though I loved their chemistry I didn’t see the development of their attraction/love. Also, the ending seemed rushed, I felt the family was just a filler contrary to how they were initially introduced even when there was a lot of room to add some angst to the mix.
Peace and solace one moment, explosions and massacre the next.”
Overall, a well-written feel happy kind of love/hate story!
*ARC generously provided by the author, for an honest review*
December 17, 2016
ARC provided by the author via Ardent Prose PR in exchange for an honest review.
I love, love, love Nicole Williams's books!
Never read one I didn't like, so thank you Nicole for this opportunity to read Hate Story in advance.
I think I discovered her books a few years back, and I've been a fan ever since.
I will not reveal too much, because I think you should just dive in blind.
There's a green card situation going on, and a hero is a very charming german guy.
Grab this one ASAP!
I love, love, love Nicole Williams's books!
Never read one I didn't like, so thank you Nicole for this opportunity to read Hate Story in advance.
I think I discovered her books a few years back, and I've been a fan ever since.
I will not reveal too much, because I think you should just dive in blind.
There's a green card situation going on, and a hero is a very charming german guy.
Grab this one ASAP!
December 27, 2016
From 4 to 3*..
May 29, 2017
DNF @ 77%
I'm a big fan of hate to love story ... but that one was NOT good.
I had some doubts before starting it but I wanted to try it anyway ... I should've listened to my gut instinct ^^
Nina was a bitch running hot and cold without any sense.
Max fell in love in 5 seconds and wasn't convincing just boring.
I'm not even going to point all the bad parts because I'm lazy like that, but it's safe to say that i was thorougly disapointed.
I'm a big fan of hate to love story ... but that one was NOT good.
I had some doubts before starting it but I wanted to try it anyway ... I should've listened to my gut instinct ^^
Nina was a bitch running hot and cold without any sense.
Max fell in love in 5 seconds and wasn't convincing just boring.
I'm not even going to point all the bad parts because I'm lazy like that, but it's safe to say that i was thorougly disapointed.
December 25, 2016
Loved it!!!
This was such a pleasure to read! I'm so happy I got to read this book early!!! Hate Story was so very well written and and the flow of the book was great amazing.
I loved Nina so much, I wish we could be friends, her personality was so interesting and fun! She was feisty but so sweet and caring at the same time!
Maximilian was a total sweetheart. One of the most caring hero's I've read! Even though he tried so hard not to fall for Nina he couldn't help it!!
His jealousy was actually really cute instead of hot or even annoying, I just found it all very sweet...the whole book was just so endearing!! This was a sweet and sexy read that I will definitely be reading again in the future! I totally look forward to it!
This was such a pleasure to read! I'm so happy I got to read this book early!!! Hate Story was so very well written and and the flow of the book was great amazing.
I loved Nina so much, I wish we could be friends, her personality was so interesting and fun! She was feisty but so sweet and caring at the same time!
Maximilian was a total sweetheart. One of the most caring hero's I've read! Even though he tried so hard not to fall for Nina he couldn't help it!!
His jealousy was actually really cute instead of hot or even annoying, I just found it all very sweet...the whole book was just so endearing!! This was a sweet and sexy read that I will definitely be reading again in the future! I totally look forward to it!
February 4, 2017
3 Marriage of Convenience Stars
"She needed to hate me for this marriage to work."
What's it about? German investor pays girl-next-door-type dog walker one million dollars to marry him so that he can get a green card.
The best bits: An awesome start. The first 25% was thoroughly enjoyable and filled with flirty fun and sexual tension.
The worst bits: I think it was important for the characters to agree on the importance of maintaining an emotional distance. It was fine that they went on to remind themselves of this fact every time they felt a twinge of attraction. But after reading it for the fifth and sixth (and seventh) time, I began to roll my eyes.
Also, while this is a hate-to-love story, the transition from hate to love happened so fast, I barely had time to ponder why they thought they hated each other in the first place.
Recommended for: Fans of marriage of convenience romances. This is a fun, easy read with few surprises and plenty of characters to pepper the story with a giggle or two.
"She needed to hate me for this marriage to work."
What's it about? German investor pays girl-next-door-type dog walker one million dollars to marry him so that he can get a green card.
The best bits: An awesome start. The first 25% was thoroughly enjoyable and filled with flirty fun and sexual tension.
The worst bits: I think it was important for the characters to agree on the importance of maintaining an emotional distance. It was fine that they went on to remind themselves of this fact every time they felt a twinge of attraction. But after reading it for the fifth and sixth (and seventh) time, I began to roll my eyes.
Also, while this is a hate-to-love story, the transition from hate to love happened so fast, I barely had time to ponder why they thought they hated each other in the first place.
Recommended for: Fans of marriage of convenience romances. This is a fun, easy read with few surprises and plenty of characters to pepper the story with a giggle or two.
Want to read
January 9, 2018Just letting you guys know that this is currently on sale for $0.99 as I am posting this. 😏 And I just saw that it has a new cover which gives the book a very different feel to it. 😍
Amazon U.S. link
Amazon U.S. link
February 3, 2017
DNF at 50%
All tell, all internal navel-gazing, all reflection, all overdone exposition.
No show, no plot, no actions, no originality, no development, no characterisations, no subtlety, no reason to continue.
All tell, all internal navel-gazing, all reflection, all overdone exposition.
No show, no plot, no actions, no originality, no development, no characterisations, no subtlety, no reason to continue.
December 28, 2016
“Hate never felt so good.”
3.5 stars
Max Sturm is a German businessman who is desperate to stay in the United States. Desperate enough that he is planning a marriage of convenience just so that he can get his green card.
Nina Burton has a mountain of debt. Desperate to hold on to her recently deceased grandmother’s house, she’s willing to do anything to pay the bills. Including marrying a complete stranger.
Max has been burned by love before, Nina has lost everybody she has ever cared for. Neither of them want an actual relationship, but they both see the benefits of what a marriage between them will bring, so the situation is perfect. They plan out their relationship, their marriage and their divorce which will take place over the next three years, all the while plotting to convince their friends and family that it’s the real deal.
Let the fun begin!
Of course we all know where this story is going to go, the fun is in watching it happen, and wow, these two had a rollercoaster! There is a lot of push and pull as they both fight against what they feel for each other, and it sets up a really interesting dynamic from the very start.
And through it all the sexual tension builds and the banter is fantastic.
The shift to ‘more’ was surprising – not that it happened, but the way that it happened, and I like that I never know what to expect with these two. The love/hate concept is fairly loose as the hate is never really there, they just try to make it so to keep things simple. But things between them are far from simple.
There are parts of this romance that I really enjoyed, and the opportunity was there for something really amazing (it certainly began to go that way – and holy freaking hotness!) but I got annoyed at some of the behaviour.
As always though, I really enjoyed Nicole Williams’ writing. It’s smart, emotive, and it draws you into the book. I liked the set up and the direction of the story, I just needed something more from the love story to really love this one.
3.5 stars.
Advanced Review Copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
Max Sturm is a German businessman who is desperate to stay in the United States. Desperate enough that he is planning a marriage of convenience just so that he can get his green card.
Nina Burton has a mountain of debt. Desperate to hold on to her recently deceased grandmother’s house, she’s willing to do anything to pay the bills. Including marrying a complete stranger.
Max has been burned by love before, Nina has lost everybody she has ever cared for. Neither of them want an actual relationship, but they both see the benefits of what a marriage between them will bring, so the situation is perfect. They plan out their relationship, their marriage and their divorce which will take place over the next three years, all the while plotting to convince their friends and family that it’s the real deal.
“I kind of hate you, you know that?”
His eyes challenged that. “I’m asking you to marry me, not like me. Hate me all you want.”
Let the fun begin!
“You know what else women like?” I didn’t pause for an answer because I guessed he didn’t have a clue. “A man who’s humble.”
He fought a smile and leaned back in his chair... “No, they like to think they do, but they don’t.” His head shook authoritatively. “They like cocky the bastard who goes after what he wants and doesn’t take no for an answer.”
Of course we all know where this story is going to go, the fun is in watching it happen, and wow, these two had a rollercoaster! There is a lot of push and pull as they both fight against what they feel for each other, and it sets up a really interesting dynamic from the very start.
I needed to let her hate me. A lot. She needed to despise me or else I’d fuck this up. She needed to hate me for this marriage to work.
Feelings were fine. Attraction was allowed. Acting on any of it was positively not.
And through it all the sexual tension builds and the banter is fantastic.
“I promise I won’t do ‘things’ to you,” I told her…
“Like you even could do ‘things’ to me,” she huffed, gracing me with a look that led me to believe she thought me quite the Quasimodo.
“Believe me.” I waited for her eyes to meet mine again. When they did, the green in them actually looked molten. I didn’t blink as I stretched closer. “If I wanted to – if I put my mind to it, my body into action – I could do all kinds of things to you.”
The shift to ‘more’ was surprising – not that it happened, but the way that it happened, and I like that I never know what to expect with these two. The love/hate concept is fairly loose as the hate is never really there, they just try to make it so to keep things simple. But things between them are far from simple.
Nina was my sanctuary as much as she was my war zone. Peace and solace one moment, explosions and massacre the next.
I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t pull back or slow down or stop. I knew I was going to fall. Hard.
There are parts of this romance that I really enjoyed, and the opportunity was there for something really amazing (it certainly began to go that way – and holy freaking hotness!) but I got annoyed at some of the behaviour.
As always though, I really enjoyed Nicole Williams’ writing. It’s smart, emotive, and it draws you into the book. I liked the set up and the direction of the story, I just needed something more from the love story to really love this one.
3.5 stars.
Advanced Review Copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
December 21, 2016<3
December 29, 2016
I've always enjoyed reading Nicole Williams, but 2016 was such a breakout year for her. She began with a powerhouse in The Fable of Us, then delivered one of my top reads of 2016 with Collared, wrote two other solid books, and ended with an emotional but heartwarming tale in Hate Story. This book has all the feels, and I wasn't prepared for how captivating and emotional the story was, as it unfolded. If you are looking for the perfect romance to end 2016, I highly recommend this one.
I've seen this trope in movies several times but haven't read many books that feature money for marriage. I went in expecting more "hate" but realized right away it was going to be difficult not to adore Nina and Max. Nina has an old soul, and I felt immediately drawn to her despite her somewhat bleak outlook on life and love. While Max appears to be arrogant and closed off, once his POV chapters started, I quickly changed my opinion. The two of them have the best banter and their chemistry is intense. I couldn't stop smiling at their antics, and the pages flew by as these two started their fake relationship.
"Save the flowers, save the poetry. Clean up a pile of dog crap for me or fix the whiney hinges on my front door, and I'm a goner."
Of course, what starts as one thing can slowly turn into another. Max and Nina begin to reveal themselves and their true feelings start to emerge. I adored the push/pull of their relationship. It was never rushed or frustrating; it is romance perfection. In addition, there is an interesting and entertaining supporting cast that rounded out Nina and Max's lives. I read this book in one evening because I was unable to put it aside for a moment.
"I will always do what's best for you, even if it means you wind up hating me."
I cannot wait for whatever Nicole Williams writes in 2017. She has become one of my favorite go to authors. She can make me cry, laugh, and swoon with ease and continues to amaze with her interesting storylines that always have heart and soul.
I've seen this trope in movies several times but haven't read many books that feature money for marriage. I went in expecting more "hate" but realized right away it was going to be difficult not to adore Nina and Max. Nina has an old soul, and I felt immediately drawn to her despite her somewhat bleak outlook on life and love. While Max appears to be arrogant and closed off, once his POV chapters started, I quickly changed my opinion. The two of them have the best banter and their chemistry is intense. I couldn't stop smiling at their antics, and the pages flew by as these two started their fake relationship.
"Save the flowers, save the poetry. Clean up a pile of dog crap for me or fix the whiney hinges on my front door, and I'm a goner."
Of course, what starts as one thing can slowly turn into another. Max and Nina begin to reveal themselves and their true feelings start to emerge. I adored the push/pull of their relationship. It was never rushed or frustrating; it is romance perfection. In addition, there is an interesting and entertaining supporting cast that rounded out Nina and Max's lives. I read this book in one evening because I was unable to put it aside for a moment.
"I will always do what's best for you, even if it means you wind up hating me."
I cannot wait for whatever Nicole Williams writes in 2017. She has become one of my favorite go to authors. She can make me cry, laugh, and swoon with ease and continues to amaze with her interesting storylines that always have heart and soul.
December 21, 2016
4.5 Loved It Stars!
Review by Lisa Kane
I love a romance where two strangers are forced into a relationship out of necessity. In Hate Story, Nina Butler agrees to marry Max Sturm, a man she has never met, for one million dollars. Unlike in the movie, Indecent Proposal, she doesn't have to sleep with him. But she has to stay married for three years until they can pass off their marriage as a real one and Max can get his American citizenship.
Nina is tough, she was raised by her grandmother and has no illusions about herself. She's not the girl who turns grabs the guys' attention; she's not the girl who all the guys queued up to date.
I wasn't a head turner-the body a guy pictured as he jacked off. I wasn't the first girl asked to dance-or the second or third.
She's smart, but never had the opportunity to go to college. Taking care of her grandmother was her focus of her time, until she died. Now she's determined to save the only home she's ever had. She tells herself this is the only way, so she needs to just suck it up.
Then I moved inside the lounge and took my first step toward my future husband.
Max is suave, gorgeous and rich as sin. He's a day trader who is drowning in sex appeal and money. He screened tons of applicants for this "position" but chose Nina because she was always available for his questions. Always responded quickly. In Nina's mind, it's because he thinks she has no real life so why shouldn't she have gotten back to him so fast. But Max needs to know that Nina won't back out on this proposal.
"Because I know exactly what it feels like to have people break their promises, and I will never do that to anyone."
The more time they spend together, the more things become complicated. Nina is obviously different from the women Max dates, and yet, she intrigues him. She won't let him ride over her life, she gives it right back to him. She questions his motives. No other woman has stood up to him. She won't let him pay for one thing that he wants her to have, and if he does buy it anyway, she insists it come out of the million dollars.
"So why pay one a million dollars to marry you when I bet half of the women in this bar right now would agree to marry you free of charge?"
He's attracted to her, but he needs to keep his eye on the prize. If he messes things up, this won't work, and he won't become a citizen. America is the only place he's ever felt really at home, even in his native country he hasn't known such peace.
Hate Story is a fun read. The banter is witty, the chemistry is explosive and the story line has a few twists. Nicole Williams never disappoints me!
"Because attraction comes with complications and I need this to be complication free. I need this to be a business transaction. You do something for me, and I pay you for it. No feelings. No emotions. Simple."
Review by Lisa Kane
I love a romance where two strangers are forced into a relationship out of necessity. In Hate Story, Nina Butler agrees to marry Max Sturm, a man she has never met, for one million dollars. Unlike in the movie, Indecent Proposal, she doesn't have to sleep with him. But she has to stay married for three years until they can pass off their marriage as a real one and Max can get his American citizenship.
Nina is tough, she was raised by her grandmother and has no illusions about herself. She's not the girl who turns grabs the guys' attention; she's not the girl who all the guys queued up to date.
I wasn't a head turner-the body a guy pictured as he jacked off. I wasn't the first girl asked to dance-or the second or third.
She's smart, but never had the opportunity to go to college. Taking care of her grandmother was her focus of her time, until she died. Now she's determined to save the only home she's ever had. She tells herself this is the only way, so she needs to just suck it up.
Then I moved inside the lounge and took my first step toward my future husband.
Max is suave, gorgeous and rich as sin. He's a day trader who is drowning in sex appeal and money. He screened tons of applicants for this "position" but chose Nina because she was always available for his questions. Always responded quickly. In Nina's mind, it's because he thinks she has no real life so why shouldn't she have gotten back to him so fast. But Max needs to know that Nina won't back out on this proposal.
"Because I know exactly what it feels like to have people break their promises, and I will never do that to anyone."
The more time they spend together, the more things become complicated. Nina is obviously different from the women Max dates, and yet, she intrigues him. She won't let him ride over her life, she gives it right back to him. She questions his motives. No other woman has stood up to him. She won't let him pay for one thing that he wants her to have, and if he does buy it anyway, she insists it come out of the million dollars.
"So why pay one a million dollars to marry you when I bet half of the women in this bar right now would agree to marry you free of charge?"
He's attracted to her, but he needs to keep his eye on the prize. If he messes things up, this won't work, and he won't become a citizen. America is the only place he's ever felt really at home, even in his native country he hasn't known such peace.
Hate Story is a fun read. The banter is witty, the chemistry is explosive and the story line has a few twists. Nicole Williams never disappoints me!
"Because attraction comes with complications and I need this to be complication free. I need this to be a business transaction. You do something for me, and I pay you for it. No feelings. No emotions. Simple."
February 4, 2017
This was my first book by this author and I really liked her writing style. There were some witty remarks by the hero/heroine in the beginning that were awesome, and I also liked the idea of the guy offering the girl money in exchange for a green card, which kind of reminded me of the movie Greencard from back in the day. The reason I didn't give it five stars was because it lost a bit of momentum halfway through, there were some typos, the heroine who is sexually inexperienced talked pretty dirty in the sack, and lastly, for a German guy, the hero sounded/acted very American. I would have expected him to be more cold/reserved, but that wasn't the case. Other than that, a good read.
December 28, 2016
I liked the concept, and story. My few issues were:
I felt like I was being told their emotions rather than experience them. It skipped from week one of moving in together to month 2. I wanted to experience that time. Even if nothing big happened, even if no drama happened. It's those moments that make a story and build the characters connection.
The h took way too long to get her shit together, and when she does it's just like boom all is better and forgiven? I'm sorry way too easy for me.
What I liked:
The H, and his point of view. He is a gem.
I felt like I was being told their emotions rather than experience them. It skipped from week one of moving in together to month 2. I wanted to experience that time. Even if nothing big happened, even if no drama happened. It's those moments that make a story and build the characters connection.
The h took way too long to get her shit together, and when she does it's just like boom all is better and forgiven? I'm sorry way too easy for me.
What I liked:
The H, and his point of view. He is a gem.
June 25, 2019
3.5 stars
January 2, 2017
I was rearing to give this book 4 stars at the start of the read. But as it moved forward it came down to 3 and then became 2 due to many many missing bits and peaces. I could have been even 1 but I did enjoy this book somewhat but the shortcomings in it kind of shadowed it somewhat.
For 1 I liked the heroines spunk and back bone, she didn't always come off as talking bravado for bravado sake, but her reasoning actually had some soundness to it and forethought. But this became less and less present as the book progressed and this girls naivete and lack of self-investigation into her own actions made her seem like just a reaction to a certain action and less like a real life person. So she losses this realness to her character, but became like just an insecure little girl make it a play at adulthood. The hero lost a lot of his original character too fast and easily from the start. First he was jaded and adamant that he does not want love no more and then he is just a sucker of it without any sense of self-preservation or doubts. Kind of gave you whip-lash, but not so much as it all seemed to plot-driving.
Also there a lot of real life details missing from this story that make it lose credibility. For one we never get the physical description of characters. Just some generic hair color and eye color and maybe height, but not really as I still do not know what height the heroine is. These jobs h has seem weird. She is supposed to be working 19hours a day, but her coffee job is just a few times a week and the dog walking job takes only like 30mins-1hour... so I don't think what she does with the rest of her time. Take naps? Since she does not seem to sleep at night. I don't even know what season is when this story is happening. They mention the weather is so cold that the h might need her winter jacket but then the weeding is to happen in March, which is in 2 months so I have no idea what kind of time-warping story this is.... Also aren't there any holidays, birthdays and other milestones that this couple should be passing by? All of that seems to be glossed over and even the family and the pesky neighbor fade into the background like yeah, that's what would happen in real life.
All in all this book had potential but it does definitely needed Beta readers and some strong re-write to bump it up a notch. As other than that it had easy and enjoyable to read quality to it and novelty, but it's the details that made it ultimately a bit of a let down.
For 1 I liked the heroines spunk and back bone, she didn't always come off as talking bravado for bravado sake, but her reasoning actually had some soundness to it and forethought. But this became less and less present as the book progressed and this girls naivete and lack of self-investigation into her own actions made her seem like just a reaction to a certain action and less like a real life person. So she losses this realness to her character, but became like just an insecure little girl make it a play at adulthood. The hero lost a lot of his original character too fast and easily from the start. First he was jaded and adamant that he does not want love no more and then he is just a sucker of it without any sense of self-preservation or doubts. Kind of gave you whip-lash, but not so much as it all seemed to plot-driving.
Also there a lot of real life details missing from this story that make it lose credibility. For one we never get the physical description of characters. Just some generic hair color and eye color and maybe height, but not really as I still do not know what height the heroine is. These jobs h has seem weird. She is supposed to be working 19hours a day, but her coffee job is just a few times a week and the dog walking job takes only like 30mins-1hour... so I don't think what she does with the rest of her time. Take naps? Since she does not seem to sleep at night. I don't even know what season is when this story is happening. They mention the weather is so cold that the h might need her winter jacket but then the weeding is to happen in March, which is in 2 months so I have no idea what kind of time-warping story this is.... Also aren't there any holidays, birthdays and other milestones that this couple should be passing by? All of that seems to be glossed over and even the family and the pesky neighbor fade into the background like yeah, that's what would happen in real life.
All in all this book had potential but it does definitely needed Beta readers and some strong re-write to bump it up a notch. As other than that it had easy and enjoyable to read quality to it and novelty, but it's the details that made it ultimately a bit of a let down.
June 13, 2018
***** 3 STARS *****
This is a tricky review. I’ve been waiting for this book for a while. The cover and the synopsis just got me really excited to read it. But now that I’ve finished it, it’s hard to explain what I’m feeling.
First, we meet Nina. Simple girl that has a big financial problem. She walks dogs and works at a cafe for a living, but it’s not helping, so she might lose her house. That’s when her best friend introduces her to a place where you can marry for money. Yep, that’s it. So now she needs to meet her future husband. The one that will pay her one million dollars to marry her so he can get a green card.
Max is the lucky one. He was born in Germany but since he moved to the US, he found here his new home. Now he wants to stay, but to open his own company, he needs the green card. That’s why he’s willing to pay a lot of money to get it. So, that’s when they plan how their next 3 years will be like. Dates, engagement, marriage and then divorce.
Sounds simple, right? But he’s really attracted to her, so he needs to make sure that she’ll despise him. And when they’re hating each order, for me, we have the best part in the book. But since this is a romance, you know that they’ll eventually fall in love.
The book has alternated POVs, which is great to get to know both character’s thoughts. And they have a great chemistry, so that was good. They spend most of the book debating in where act upon their feelings or not, but when they finally do, it’s rushed. It’s weird. It’s everything I wasn’t expecting.
It’s a cute story, not great, not awful, just cute. You’ll probably want to meet a Max yourself because he’s nice hero and such. But it didn’t captivate me as I thought it would. As I was hoping it would.
So yeah, this review will be short. I didn’t even have the inspiration of doing a promo pic for it after finishing. Sorry. But I guess everyone will probably like it more than I did. :)
**ARC provided in exchange of an honest review**
This is a tricky review. I’ve been waiting for this book for a while. The cover and the synopsis just got me really excited to read it. But now that I’ve finished it, it’s hard to explain what I’m feeling.
First, we meet Nina. Simple girl that has a big financial problem. She walks dogs and works at a cafe for a living, but it’s not helping, so she might lose her house. That’s when her best friend introduces her to a place where you can marry for money. Yep, that’s it. So now she needs to meet her future husband. The one that will pay her one million dollars to marry her so he can get a green card.
Max is the lucky one. He was born in Germany but since he moved to the US, he found here his new home. Now he wants to stay, but to open his own company, he needs the green card. That’s why he’s willing to pay a lot of money to get it. So, that’s when they plan how their next 3 years will be like. Dates, engagement, marriage and then divorce.
Sounds simple, right? But he’s really attracted to her, so he needs to make sure that she’ll despise him. And when they’re hating each order, for me, we have the best part in the book. But since this is a romance, you know that they’ll eventually fall in love.
The book has alternated POVs, which is great to get to know both character’s thoughts. And they have a great chemistry, so that was good. They spend most of the book debating in where act upon their feelings or not, but when they finally do, it’s rushed. It’s weird. It’s everything I wasn’t expecting.
It’s a cute story, not great, not awful, just cute. You’ll probably want to meet a Max yourself because he’s nice hero and such. But it didn’t captivate me as I thought it would. As I was hoping it would.
So yeah, this review will be short. I didn’t even have the inspiration of doing a promo pic for it after finishing. Sorry. But I guess everyone will probably like it more than I did. :)
**ARC provided in exchange of an honest review**
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