What do you think?
Rate this book
Love You, Love You Not
The glorious new standalone office rom-com from the author of the ebook bestseller Love to Hate You . Perfect for fans of Joanna Bolouri, Cate Woods and Sally Thorne.
There's a fine line between love and hate...
Poppy Peterson is about to be evicted if she doesn't pay her rent. She used to be an actress on a telenovela until her character, Ramona Gonzalez, Executive Administrative Assistant to the CEO, was killed off. Unfortunately, dead characters can't pay the bills.
Ryan Stark is a tough boss - especially if you're his assistant. He's been through five in the last two months and now no one wants to work for him. He needs an assistant who can meet his demands. And he can be very demanding.
Poppy's been an assistant before - well, on screen anyway. It can't be that hard to do in real life, right?
Two things are for sure. Poppy is about to play the role of a lifetime. And Ryan is about to learn a whole new lesson about what's really important in life.
For more laugh-out-loud, swoon-worthy hijinks, don't miss Jo's other rom-coms, Love to Hate You, Burning Moon, Almost A Bride, Finding You, After the Rain and The Great Ex-scape.
Love funny, romantic stories? You don't want to miss Jo Watson:
'The perfect choice for fans of romantic comedies' Gina's Bookshelf
'It was amazing, it was hilarious' Rachel's Random Reads
'A brilliant read from beginning to end' Hopeless Romantics
394 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2019
923 people are currently reading
2836 people want to read
About the author
Jo Watson
33 books1,100 followersBest selling author of romantic comedies and young adult fiction
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews
![Profile Image for Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1746468325i%2F66224803._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
October 25, 2019
If someone was beautiful and hot but absolutely unable to do their job, what would you do?
You know what I would do?
I would probably fire them.
Oooops.
This was a funny, but really unrealistic story. Still enjoyed it a bit.
You know what I would do?
I would probably fire them.
Oooops.
This was a funny, but really unrealistic story. Still enjoyed it a bit.
December 4, 2019
This book was SO funny. I laughed out loud several times on my commute. Poppy Peterson is a down on her luck struggling actress who applies for a job as an assistant to the CEO of a large company. She played an assistant on TV so how hard can it be? Ryan is a cold and emotionally shut down CEO trying to save his fathers company and be a father figure to his niece at the same time. He can't remember the last time he laughed or had any fun. This all changes when Poppy/Ramona/Doris walks into his life. The work place dynamic between Ryan and Poppy was hysterical. There were so many great scenes that I lost count. They had truly great chemistry and I read this in one sitting. I can't believe this was my first Jo Watson book and I can't wait to read more from her. This is a perfect book for if you are feeling down or on vacation. A fun, light and hilarious read.
September 5, 2019
This storyline made no sense. NO F$#$ING SENSE.
February 19, 2024
This might be the funniest book I have written. I laughed throughout the process, so for that reason, I'm giving myself 5 stars for all the amused it caused.
June 15, 2019
Humorous but very very unrealistic.
In the beginning, I was willing to ignore the unrealistic perspective of the book (e.g., getting hired by a big corp using a fake name. Really?) and focus on the humors.
However, the heroine acted like a 13 year old and she annoyed me more and more. I mean, there has to be another way to create humors without making the heroine this stupid (e.g., the misspelling email scene. Really?). And so, I shifted my focus to how illogical this book was and stopped laughing. Completely.
That is to say, my feelings toward this book were mostly negative.
In the beginning, I was willing to ignore the unrealistic perspective of the book (e.g., getting hired by a big corp using a fake name. Really?) and focus on the humors.
However, the heroine acted like a 13 year old and she annoyed me more and more. I mean, there has to be another way to create humors without making the heroine this stupid (e.g., the misspelling email scene. Really?). And so, I shifted my focus to how illogical this book was and stopped laughing. Completely.
That is to say, my feelings toward this book were mostly negative.
May 23, 2019
Funny, romantic, feel good. This is like a hug in the shape of a book. Perfect reading to pick you up if you are feeling blue, great book if you are having a book hang over from the book before and a book that will make you happy and feeling good.
January 5, 2020
Chapter Six and I can't go on. Please tell me why any self-respecting businessman would ever hire an absolutely inept, unstable, lying person as an employee.
And I'm out.
And I'm out.
September 3, 2019
I think I am in the minority on this one but I really did not like this book at all. It was too contrived. It had no true meat to it. Ryan, our main guy was a caricature of a evil villain. People just don't talk to other people like that, even fake people. Poppy got into these crazy scenes and they just didn't make sense. My biggest complaint about these scenes was at the construction site. She is admonished time and again to be careful but then the "men" leave her to climb a ladder by herself while wearing heels. When she falls she gets in trouble for falling but no one seems to care if she was hurt. There are soo many things wrong with this book that I don't know why I bothered finishing it. My TBR has others that will take this book off my mind. I could keep going on with the examples. Put plainly, I wasted my time and can never get those minutes back.
May 16, 2019
4.5 Stars.
Since first discovering Jo Watson early last year, I have been devouring all of her books and have almost read everything that she has written to date. So when I found out about this new release, I was itching to get my hands on a copy. Yet again, Jo has delivered another brilliant read that gave me so much enjoyment to read. I wasn’t disappointed with this new romantic comedy.
"....the second our lips touched, something happened.
Everything happened. Everything around us dissolved. It blurred.
And like condensation slipping down the edge of a glass, we melted."
Jo always creates fantastic and entertaining heroines and this book was no exception. Poppy was the craziest female character I’ve probably ever met. Think Bridget Jones and quadruple the hilarious calamities. When I first met Poppy, I thought she was a little bit over the top. I just couldn’t believe how loopy she was. Chaos followed her wherever she went and probably just like Ryan, I found myself rolling my eyes and thinking what an earth was she doing now. However, again just like Ryan, as time went on, I really started to like her and began to chuckle at all the things she got up to. Ryan was also a character that I changed my mind about. At first meeting, he was a grumpy and stuffy CEO, but I was soon finding that there was much more to him, and I loved what I was seeing. By the time I had reached the final few chapters, he was definitely stealing my heart with his swoony actions and words.
"I feel awake when I'm with you, Poppy.
You woke me up when I didn't know I was sleeping."
Poppy and Ryan’s story was a slow burn romance with a heap of laugh out loud moments and an ending that melted my heart. If you have yet to read a book from Jo Watson, I highly recommend picking up one as soon as you can.
"Somewhere along the way I'd fallen in love with this man.
And now, I felt like I had finally come home. I had a place I belonged.
And that place was with him..."
Since first discovering Jo Watson early last year, I have been devouring all of her books and have almost read everything that she has written to date. So when I found out about this new release, I was itching to get my hands on a copy. Yet again, Jo has delivered another brilliant read that gave me so much enjoyment to read. I wasn’t disappointed with this new romantic comedy.
"....the second our lips touched, something happened.
Everything happened. Everything around us dissolved. It blurred.
And like condensation slipping down the edge of a glass, we melted."
Jo always creates fantastic and entertaining heroines and this book was no exception. Poppy was the craziest female character I’ve probably ever met. Think Bridget Jones and quadruple the hilarious calamities. When I first met Poppy, I thought she was a little bit over the top. I just couldn’t believe how loopy she was. Chaos followed her wherever she went and probably just like Ryan, I found myself rolling my eyes and thinking what an earth was she doing now. However, again just like Ryan, as time went on, I really started to like her and began to chuckle at all the things she got up to. Ryan was also a character that I changed my mind about. At first meeting, he was a grumpy and stuffy CEO, but I was soon finding that there was much more to him, and I loved what I was seeing. By the time I had reached the final few chapters, he was definitely stealing my heart with his swoony actions and words.
"I feel awake when I'm with you, Poppy.
You woke me up when I didn't know I was sleeping."
Poppy and Ryan’s story was a slow burn romance with a heap of laugh out loud moments and an ending that melted my heart. If you have yet to read a book from Jo Watson, I highly recommend picking up one as soon as you can.
"Somewhere along the way I'd fallen in love with this man.
And now, I felt like I had finally come home. I had a place I belonged.
And that place was with him..."
May 30, 2019
Love you Love you not is an absolutely bonkers read, suspend belief and prepared to be taken on a rollercoaster of a screwball romantic comedy.
When Poppy an actress who has just been killed off in her role as an assistant to a CEO in a soap opera she is desperate for a job, being in debt and hardly able to afford to eat. Seeing an advert where a real CEO needs a personal assistant she thinks how hard can it be she’ll just ‘act’ the role.
From then on with great dialogue and crazy situations you just can’t help but smile and laugh out loud with this story. A great story, really feel good!
My thanks to net galley and publisher Headline eternal for the opportunity to review this book honestly.
When Poppy an actress who has just been killed off in her role as an assistant to a CEO in a soap opera she is desperate for a job, being in debt and hardly able to afford to eat. Seeing an advert where a real CEO needs a personal assistant she thinks how hard can it be she’ll just ‘act’ the role.
From then on with great dialogue and crazy situations you just can’t help but smile and laugh out loud with this story. A great story, really feel good!
My thanks to net galley and publisher Headline eternal for the opportunity to review this book honestly.
June 26, 2019
¡Lo he disfrutado mucho! Es una historia sencilla, sin grandes sobresaltos, con capítulos cortos alternando puntos de vista de los protagonistas (aunque me ha chocado que para uno utilice la primera persona y para otro la tercera), con momentos desternillantes y una historia de amor sin dramas, tierna y muy cuqui. Su buscas reírte y tener una sonrisa tonta por momentos, es tu libro.
September 4, 2019
DNF, I started and just could not get past the first few chapters. Everyone was raving about how funny it was. I found it obnoxious and cringy. Main characters were both dull. I guess just not my cup of tea.
October 8, 2021
This was so funny!! I had fun!!
September 2, 2019
this was good until i read that everything happened in the span of 2 weeks and then they already said i love you. after that everything went downhill; their fight was the most ridiculous thing i’ve ever read
July 31, 2019
This book made me grin and laugh when I was feeling down. That‘s enough reason to give it 5 Stars <3
January 13, 2022
Trochu rozpačité 3*. Milé, nenáročné, občas trápne 🙈. "Doris" bola neskutočná...asi nie je prekvapujúce, že hrala v telenovele 😂😂😂. Tie jej situácie boli...noo...nedá sa povedať, že vtipné, ale pobavili určite. Štýlom...booze...to akože naozaj??? Inak príbeh taký priemer.
Read
June 20, 2019dnf
September 30, 2019
This was an OK book. Sometimes it was good and I enjoyed it, but more often than a book should, I was impatient, and moody just to read how stupid the female character was.
Anyway, I gave it a try, and in the end I liked it. However I will only give it 3 stars.
Anyway, I gave it a try, and in the end I liked it. However I will only give it 3 stars.
June 20, 2019
Ok, so, I had some time on my hands and wanted something really easy and this book was a rec. from the similar books with The Hating Game, so of course I said 'why not?'.
First, to clear the rating.
*5 stars for humor - I laughed so much my cheeks were hurting!
*3 stars for character development, or maybe less, but with the humor, things look better.
*2 stars for plot development - it's pretty crazy and unnatural, so, it isn't that possible in real life, some things were completely absurd.
*1 star - well, this makes me think of the absurd TV series Poppy was plying in, that was so bad and I lost my time reading some bad lines etc.
Now, the way I see it, this really is worth it only for the humor, because in all honesty, the plot is so absurd that some people might drop it from the first pages. If someone wants to pay a closer look to how Poppy manages to get hired in such a company, well, there are many points overlooked and just made happen like magic.
The behavior of both characters was weird, for example to start with Ryan Stark, he's so controlled that it was too weird to drop his guard so fast in front of Poppy, doing things he normally didn't and he continued on this path till the end. Some might explain this as part of him evolving and coming to terms with his struggles, but it was too much; as a personal point of view, he wasn't my type of "alpha male".
Poppy on the other hand, was crazy from the beginning to the end and on top of that, a very, very bad actress, and I found the ending quite ironic.
In all honesty, even with all the absurdity of encounters between the two of them, one can easily overlook this and just continue reading, as there are so many funny moments that it just feels right, you can even imagine a cheap movie made out of this that for sure you'll enjoy in one lazy afternoon because it's simply light but full of funny moments. I can say I've enjoyed the first three parts of it so much until they meet Ryan's ex and things just get a little boring as the flame is somehow extinguished, so from here on, I felt that things were slower and written in too many pages.
I would have liked more interactions with Ryan's niece, more family bonding beside what it was presented and somehow, for things to have been presented in a more possible/realistic way. Nonetheless, the humor was bliss!
First, to clear the rating.
*5 stars for humor - I laughed so much my cheeks were hurting!
*3 stars for character development, or maybe less, but with the humor, things look better.
*2 stars for plot development - it's pretty crazy and unnatural, so, it isn't that possible in real life, some things were completely absurd.
*1 star - well, this makes me think of the absurd TV series Poppy was plying in, that was so bad and I lost my time reading some bad lines etc.
Now, the way I see it, this really is worth it only for the humor, because in all honesty, the plot is so absurd that some people might drop it from the first pages. If someone wants to pay a closer look to how Poppy manages to get hired in such a company, well, there are many points overlooked and just made happen like magic.
The behavior of both characters was weird, for example to start with Ryan Stark, he's so controlled that it was too weird to drop his guard so fast in front of Poppy, doing things he normally didn't and he continued on this path till the end. Some might explain this as part of him evolving and coming to terms with his struggles, but it was too much; as a personal point of view, he wasn't my type of "alpha male".
Poppy on the other hand, was crazy from the beginning to the end and on top of that, a very, very bad actress, and I found the ending quite ironic.
In all honesty, even with all the absurdity of encounters between the two of them, one can easily overlook this and just continue reading, as there are so many funny moments that it just feels right, you can even imagine a cheap movie made out of this that for sure you'll enjoy in one lazy afternoon because it's simply light but full of funny moments. I can say I've enjoyed the first three parts of it so much until they meet Ryan's ex and things just get a little boring as the flame is somehow extinguished, so from here on, I felt that things were slower and written in too many pages.
I would have liked more interactions with Ryan's niece, more family bonding beside what it was presented and somehow, for things to have been presented in a more possible/realistic way. Nonetheless, the humor was bliss!
June 2, 2019
The amount of chaos and humor happening in the very beginning of this book drew me in and and definitely endeared me to Poppy and her entire dramatic predicament. Her job interview made my stomach ache from the laughter. I could feel her anxiety as she struggled to talk and then to get away. It was epically written and hilarious. Poppy and all that she was going through certainly qualified her as Queen Hot Mess, but oh how I enjoyed reading all the details of her continued plight.
I liked the differing points of view that alternated in this story. There was the perfect blend of emotion and realness mixed in with the humor and shenanigans.
Jo Watson is absolutely brilliant. This is the funniest book I have ever read and I couldn't put it down. I am already dying to read more from her.
I liked the differing points of view that alternated in this story. There was the perfect blend of emotion and realness mixed in with the humor and shenanigans.
Jo Watson is absolutely brilliant. This is the funniest book I have ever read and I couldn't put it down. I am already dying to read more from her.
November 1, 2024
Finished this in under 24 hours- I was completely immersed. It was so good! A full five stars.
It’s ridiculously silly and obviously would never make sense in reality. This was a laugh and a half! I highly recommend this book if you need a some joy in your day.
I read this book in August and then was kindly given the ebook via the author of the new and improved North American version! I’m pleased and honored to say that this new version- with a new cover, bonus chapter and more spice- is so worth it! I’ll take any additional content to this amazing story.
And that’s how you top an already 5 star book.
It’s ridiculously silly and obviously would never make sense in reality. This was a laugh and a half! I highly recommend this book if you need a some joy in your day.
I read this book in August and then was kindly given the ebook via the author of the new and improved North American version! I’m pleased and honored to say that this new version- with a new cover, bonus chapter and more spice- is so worth it! I’ll take any additional content to this amazing story.
And that’s how you top an already 5 star book.
July 31, 2019
When you’ve read some fan fiction and Mills and Boon books with better writing/plot you know it’s questionable...
February 20, 2020
Zero stars
Was this written by a 14 year old? Don’t waste your time with this one ! It started out ridiculous and just got worse -
Was this written by a 14 year old? Don’t waste your time with this one ! It started out ridiculous and just got worse -
November 23, 2024
I'm going to be honest with you, if I'd read this exact premise with these exact characters written by another author, this would have been another contemporary romance I read 75 pages of and put down forever. Ryan's terribleness as a boss would have driven me crazy. I would have found Poppy too airheaded to be believable. Office romances are always an HR nightmare so I would have let that slide but the general nonsense going on in an office with clear glass walls(!!!) would have thrown me right out of the book.
But when Jo Watson writes it? I love Poppy. I think she's endearingly extra. Ryan is rubbish at his job, yeah, but that's the irony! He expects so much of his employees while failing in every measure himself. Plus he's got that woobie soft squishy core once you get through the grumpy exterior. The assorted hijinks had me literally laughing out loud.
That's not to say Jo Watson is leaps and bounds better than her peers as a writer - although she is very good, I mean no disrespect to her and her work - but she gets me. She gets in there and tickles my funny bone in a way no other contemporary romance writer does. I need to binge the rest of her books!
But when Jo Watson writes it? I love Poppy. I think she's endearingly extra. Ryan is rubbish at his job, yeah, but that's the irony! He expects so much of his employees while failing in every measure himself. Plus he's got that woobie soft squishy core once you get through the grumpy exterior. The assorted hijinks had me literally laughing out loud.
That's not to say Jo Watson is leaps and bounds better than her peers as a writer - although she is very good, I mean no disrespect to her and her work - but she gets me. She gets in there and tickles my funny bone in a way no other contemporary romance writer does. I need to binge the rest of her books!
August 4, 2022
Dnf at 58%.
There's no way in hell someone could be this unlucky.
Started out great but then literally in every other chapter the heroine embarrassed herself with so much chaos & drama that was quite frankly annoying.
There's no way in hell someone could be this unlucky.
Started out great but then literally in every other chapter the heroine embarrassed herself with so much chaos & drama that was quite frankly annoying.
November 18, 2024
Title: Love You, Love You Not
Author: Jo Watson
Series: Standalone
Genre: Rom-Com
⭐️ 4/5
🌶️ 3.5/5
This book was the perfect amount of grumpy-sunshine, ridiculousness, clumsiness and 🌶️🌶️🌶️🙌🏼
A book that already exists but got a bit of an upgrade, and I got to be part of the street team! 🥳 Thank you for this ARC 🫶🏼 I didn’t get to read the first version of the book, so I can’t compare, but I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed this version.
I honestly think it was the FMC that kept me going because her crazy acting and the situations she got herself into were so ridiculous and I loved every second of it!
The character growth of the FMC as well as the MMC, both as individuals and as a couple was so good. I loved that they pushed each other to do better, be better and that happiness counts. Together means something. While simultaneously pushing each others buttons 🤣🤣 No, I’m not talking about the one that got stuck under the door 👀🤫
Honestly though, I think the real main character here was Houdini *insert pigeon emoji that doesn’t exist 😒😅
If you’re looking for a quirky, light hearted (mostly) and fun read, with a bit of spice, then this one’s for you 😌
Author: Jo Watson
Series: Standalone
Genre: Rom-Com
⭐️ 4/5
🌶️ 3.5/5
This book was the perfect amount of grumpy-sunshine, ridiculousness, clumsiness and 🌶️🌶️🌶️🙌🏼
A book that already exists but got a bit of an upgrade, and I got to be part of the street team! 🥳 Thank you for this ARC 🫶🏼 I didn’t get to read the first version of the book, so I can’t compare, but I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed this version.
I honestly think it was the FMC that kept me going because her crazy acting and the situations she got herself into were so ridiculous and I loved every second of it!
The character growth of the FMC as well as the MMC, both as individuals and as a couple was so good. I loved that they pushed each other to do better, be better and that happiness counts. Together means something. While simultaneously pushing each others buttons 🤣🤣 No, I’m not talking about the one that got stuck under the door 👀🤫
Honestly though, I think the real main character here was Houdini *insert pigeon emoji that doesn’t exist 😒😅
If you’re looking for a quirky, light hearted (mostly) and fun read, with a bit of spice, then this one’s for you 😌
January 27, 2021
Chvilama jsem se fakt hodně, hodně smála, ale musím uznat, že to byl docela bizár a že to bylo až moc nepravděpodobné, abych tomu dala víc hvězd.
August 8, 2020
Well, I had some issues with it, especially towards the end. Overall, everything lost a bit of its charm (not only Ryan), unfortunately. It even led to eye rolling. :(
But there's no lie when I say, I was highly entertained at times (more in the 1st half), so much so, that I laughed for minutes (it's been a long while since that has happened).
But there's no lie when I say, I was highly entertained at times (more in the 1st half), so much so, that I laughed for minutes (it's been a long while since that has happened).
June 15, 2019
A witty and engrossing novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was such a refreshing read with likable characters. There are so many hilarious and wild scenes in this storyline, but Chapter 41 (O.M.G.), it was so laugh out loud for me, I accidentally spit out my gum. I loved this story so much and I can't wait to read this author's other releases.
March 20, 2021
This book was utterly ridiculous in so many ways. Why would a high-powered executive hire an assistant without checking a single reference? Why would he not fire her when it becomes clear she lacks just about every necessary skill? How could the fact that Poppy is using a fake name remain undetected? She would have had to fill in hiring and payment paperwork.
That said, the crazy situations Poppy finds herself in, and the ways she deals with the various tasks she is faced with, had me laughing out loud many times. I read it in two days and enjoyed it as an entertaining break. The fact that it was set in South Africa made for a nice change of pace, though the author didn't really create much of a sense of place.
Overall, it's a fluffy, amusing read as long as you can suspend disbelief about the many unrealistic elements.
That said, the crazy situations Poppy finds herself in, and the ways she deals with the various tasks she is faced with, had me laughing out loud many times. I read it in two days and enjoyed it as an entertaining break. The fact that it was set in South Africa made for a nice change of pace, though the author didn't really create much of a sense of place.
Overall, it's a fluffy, amusing read as long as you can suspend disbelief about the many unrealistic elements.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews