Hated You Then

Love Hurts Duet #1

by M. Robinson

From Wall Street Journal & USA Bestselling Author M. Robinson. A coming of age, enemies to lovers, contemporary romance filled with angst and all the feels.


I couldn’t remember a time before her... Harley Jameson.


Before she owned me.
Hated Me.
Needed me.


Before I hated her…


Things were simple.
We had an understanding.


Bully. Fight. Hate. It’s what we did.


Mind. Body. Soul. It’s how we loved.


I thought nothing would ever change that, until everything did.


She was mine.
Always had been.
Always would be.
Nothing altered that.


Not how much I hated her.
Not how much she hated me.


Especially, not how much I hated…


That I LOVED her.

Genres: Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, High School, New Adult, Young Adult

226 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 17, 2019

About the author

M. Robinson is the Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling Author crowned as the “Queen of Angst” by readers around the world. Dive into her visionary world that will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and leave you wanting more. She writes everything from contemporary to suspense romance and is best known for her novel, El Diablo.

When M isn’t in the cave writing her next epic love story, you will find her shopping and living on a boat in Florida with her real life pirate, her lobster, her husband Bossman. Sipping on Starbucks and hanging out with their two dogs, a German shepherd mix and a gordito Wheaten Terrier reading a good book. Or spending time with her family, who she is extremely close with.

Above all, M loves her readers more than anything and loves to connect with them! She is on all social media platforms @authormrobinson but you will find her in her happy place the most. Her VIP Reader Group on Facebook or her second favorite happy place, Instagram.

Stay connected!

Reviews

[Shelly | VixenReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are so many things that did not work for me (but not listing them because 1. I don't want to post any spoilers for others who might want to read this book and 2. There are just way too many to delve into). And though I read the entire book, this fell very short of hitting the mark.

Harley & Jackson did not talk or act like young kids. I had to constantly remind myself of the age stated at the beginning of each chapter. I’d hoped we’d see more of a progression of their characters (and age) but it never happened. I’m sorry but I don’t want the majority of the story I’m reading to be about 6-12 year old kids (they only reach to be 15/16 in the last portion of the story)...I can’t, and won’t, connect with that.

This could have been so much better. I had to skim over a lot of it because I constantly found myself annoyed and frustrated by the stilted story line. I get it, they hate each other, it's even the title of the book but I DON'T need to read it multiple times per page, every single page. This book should have been told 1 of 2 ways: 1) at their current age with SMALL flashbacks of them "hating" each other when they were young OR 2) starting young with innocent things like pulling pigtails & tattle-telling on each other with BIGGER age jumps (i.e. 5 years old, 10 years old, 15 years old, 20 years old) up to their current age. If told in either of those ways, I might have a few less issues with it...but, let me be honest, I would still have some issues because there were several other things that bothered me with this story.

Truthfully, this book deserves 1 star and the only reason I'm giving it 2 stars is because I continued reading until the end to find out what, if anything, would happen...surprise, nothing does. Overall this was simply a bad read for me. The same behavior/words continued over and over again, page after page. With zero progression for the characters, no actual plot, and some of the ridiculous dynamics between Jackson and Harley, this just didn’t make any sense.

I hope book 2 is better but after reading this, I'm sadly not looking forward to reading Love You Now.

*arc provided for honest review*

[Melissa Best · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this will be a tough one for me but here goes. And I mean no ill will when writing this but I need to call it like I see it. I did not like this book...at all. My biggest issue...the ages of these kids do not match real life behavior. The entire book is oversexualized children. And I'm no prude. I love dark books, I love angst, I love raunch....but this was not right. An 8 year old boy is not talking about girls boobs. A 12 year old boy isnt pushing his dick into a girls ass as she sits on his lap and in one breath speaking like an 18 year old and in the next breath referring to a penis as a willy. Because this book is just wrong with the aging, it sort of sets the whole thing up for failure...its unbelievable and not in a good way.

Lets move past the incorrect aging and thought process of the kids and move on to plot. We have 90% of the book with Harley and Jackson ranging from age 6 to age 13 and 10% at age 16. The entire book is basically over the top dramatic scenes of the two being mean to each other....like how dramatic can scenes be written....well thats what this book is. How many ways can you call someone an assface, a dick, an asshole, a fart breath, etc etc. Its exhausting and instead of plot progression we get chapter after chapter of age progression to get to the next time they get into a fight. In all honesty, I'm betting book 2 will be decent because age wont be an issue and there has to be an actual plot right?? For now, I wish the author would have given us 1 book with a brief history of the 2, the actual story and maybe some flashbacks along the way looking at how they were enemies. That would have been so much better.
Its sad for me because I am a diehard fan of the Good Ole Boys and I wish the writing style would go back to that.

ARC provided for an honest review. Again...dont mean to be rude, just felt the need to share my honest opinion.

[swedishruler B · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve only read one book by this author and that was the first in the good ole boys series and it was enough for me to stay away. She writes little kids having these sexual feelings and doing things at such young ages. I know it happens in real life hence why I don’t want to read it in my books. It’s icky for me as a mom. I wonder if she was a mom if she would still feel the same way.

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY REVIEW AND OTHERS: can also be found on my blog:
➽ KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS 'HATED YOU THEN' is the first 'New Adult' book in M. Robinson's 'Love Hurts' duet. Spoken in 'Dual POV's. In this we meet Jackson and Harley right back at the start where it all began..

All you angst hoes will definitely be wanting to #oneclick this one come release day!
Just make sure those devices are insured because these two will surely make you want to throw your device! God they did my head in..Two hot-messes!! I hated him...He hated me..We hated each other.. Backwards and forwards we went when it came to wanting to outsmart the other made for one extremely entertaining read! The challenge of our dares, the pranks, the on going war between us was addicting to her as it was for me.

I loved seeing them evolve, from kids to teen frenemies to more where the two and fro banter was switched up a notch. ALL THE FEELS..From laughing, to sadness in the blink of an eye, to loving these two characters fully..Oh how I loved Harley with her potty mouth to her kneeing Jackson where it hurt had me giggling out loud, I couldn't get enough of them, I didn't want it to end, until I reached that cliffy and the two month wait with wanting/needing/ spiked up my anticipation to a whole new level..I can not wait to see how the next book unfolds!!

We're first introduced to Harley and Jackson at the age of six..She despised him then.. Jackson Pierce is a stupid, ugly faced booger.

I want a guy who wants to be with me. The one who will do anythin' to make me happy. The man who puts me first before everythin' and anyone. I want the fairytale, my own Prince Charmin'. I know my worth, and I won't stop till I find him. I refuse to settle. It's just not in me.

Harley is such a strong, feisty character, and can stand her own when it comes to Jackson, she'll take a dare like no other, she's even had the broken bones and the scrapes and bruises to prove it.
Jackson is hot stuff in their town, a quarterback with a chip on his shoulder due to a huge loss in their family dynamic. His one saving grace is Harley, the girl he loves to hate, the girl he loves to tease.

[Maia · Rating 3 out of 5]

***2.75 sufficiently enjoyable stars*** I love that cover. Both the man & the font

I don't know how I feel about this. While I enjoyed the chemistry, the banter, the push & pull. While it had all the feels, good enough story & dialogue it was their age that felt inappropriate.

The story starts with the h telling us she's pregnant with her childhood nemesis' child - it's not a spoiler because this is the Prologue.
So we'll be taken back on a journey where the first book covers the first half of their story starting from age 6 to age 16(Jackson) age 5 to 15(Harley) in Book 1. Note: she's not pregnant yet at the end of Book 1, it ends with a conflict b/w the two.

The book has 29 chapters. For 26 of those chapters the characters are no older than 13/14.
So in this book, we're being given a flashback of their entire life/relationship/ childhood enemies who actually love each other but don't realize it yet trope.
It was adorable when they were kids & the banter was still innocent (even though some parts felt too mature for 6 year olds, I don't think 6 year old talk like adults).
I imagined a Junior/Trixie relationship from the movie Problem child. If you've watched that movie you've seen how funny yet adorable those two are in that movie. It's exactly the same here.
It was going good until these 2 hit their teens. When they were 12/13 & the boy started speaking of "cock twitching" & other terms that don't seem exactly age appropriate. I did not feel comfortable reading sexual stuff from 12/13 year olds. The girl had innocent thoughts like any normal person would for your first crush at that age. I get that boys are more sexual but still.. I wasn't comfortable. It felt too mature for their age, their talks. See it's different if I was a teen reading this. Maybe I'd brush it off. But as an adult reading it makes you feel a little weird.

Another thing that didn't sit right with me is his relationship with his first nanny(who's 15 years older to him)who later becomes his step mom. Although the writer never implied anything inappropriate ( he hated her so he was constantly pranking her) there was something weird about how they interracted with each other. I don't know, I got some weird vibes there. Even though it wasn't intentionally put in. I don't think the writer realized it or maybe she did. The nanny came off almost flirty or desperate for approval to me .... towards a 12 year old. See there's a way to write a nanny who's trying to gain the trust of a child vs a nanny who's acting like...well how she'd act around a young dude her age. They were both pranking each other but the vibes were all wrong there. And I kept wondering & fearing wait...is this gonna go in this direction now. Will she be a wedge b/w Jackson & Harley? And even though she wasn't she gets married to his dad I still wasn't comfortable.

The ending is a cliffhanger at age 16 for the boy 15 for the girl... Not a suspense or anything. But a huge dent in the MCs relationship because H loses his virginity to OW & h sees this & tells him she never wants to see him again, storms off & he chases after her

I'm interested enough that I'll be waiting for the 2nd part releasing this November but I'm not happy with the writers inability to write age appropriate dialogue, I don't think she got it exactly right - the mind of a child/teenager but I'm brushing it off because not everyone or everything can be perfect , neither did I like how this one ended -

Because H & h were dancing at a family gathering(they're still each other's nemesis'), H implies to h that he wants to lose his virginity to her & take hers in return (because he's loved her since they were born but doesn't admit it to himself yet) he tells her he's had BJs before but never had sex. So he's waiting for her - that's what's implied. But then just to rile him up the h tells him that she'll never sleep with him, she might even sleep with his enemy Cash (who's her best friend & is secretly crushing on her but is like a brother to her) but never him. H gets pissed off & goes off with his second nanny(not sure of her age but she's just few years older to him). h finds them banging each other later. Meaning he lost his virginity to this nanny while drunk. H chases after h when she finds them but she tells him everything b/w them is now over. I just wish he hadn't lost his v-card that way you know. I don't like this M/W - virgin trope. But now that he lost his to someone else I'm hoping in the second book she loses hers to Cash or someone else just because I'm mean that way & want equality for my characters & their pain needs to be balanced. And then I'll be okay so that's how the book ends & maybe the second one is hopefully when they're older.

P.S I'm not a fan of writers who find it necessary to include all the characters from all their previous books in all their future books. Like okay, we get it you're fond of your characters. And maybe some of your loyal fanbase who've read all your books(this will always be a small percentage compared to new readers) will love it but you have to know that most people will be reading this as a fresh book & not as a companion novel/spin off of a the second or thrid part of some random series. So when you thrust your affections for characters from a book unknown to us & keep the story woven around them for the intitial 5/10 chapters going at length about backstories of characters we're not interested in who are always the parents of the current characters it gets on my fucking nerves man! WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN CHARACTERS WHO ALREADY HAVE BOOKS ABOUT THEM THAT WE HAVEN'T READ, SPEND MORE PAGES ON CURRENT CHARACTERS WHO THIS BOOK IS ABOUT & NOT FANFICTION OF OTHER SERIES PLEASE There is a right way to do that. It's called being fucking subtle. Give a mention if you love them so much & are unable to move past your previous work.
Prime Example : Rainbow Rowell gives a small scene/special appearance to her characters from FANGIRL in her book LANDLINE. And you don't even realize it unless you've read Fangirl. THAT is how you do it. THAT is how you satisfy both new & past readers. Your fanbase will know, but for your fresh readers they'll just be random strangers & THAT'S OKAY!. Don't force your readers to love someone they don't know. Allow them the liberty to treat characters they don't know from your past work as just the support cast of the current characters for God's sake!

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, and i'm probably going to be one of few, but i'm very disapointed with this book , i expected more, much more . As usual M Robinson begins Harley and Jackson story from their young age ( she doesn't improve or evolve much , every book is the same ) , i was expecting something like this, because it's her MO , but i though things would progress and evolve quickly to the present , i'm sorry to say i got a little bored with their bickering and pranks( it was fun and all, but after awhile it became repetitive) , besides it's a pity to say that half of this duet is about 12 to 15 year old kids ( and it really was weird that they didn't talk or act like 12 year olds do , they seemed much older ) also , if we already read The Pierced Hearts duet , there are lots of repeated scenes ( only now, it's from Jackson POV , but still , scenes are the same ) . Hopefully , next and final book of this duet, will tell the present day story , that i so want to read about , of Harley and Jackson , and i won't be so disapointed after finishing it , like i am with this one .

[Lily Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always I’m going to be super honest when I express my thoughts.
First of all to myself, and second to the ones that take time to read my reviews if they come across them.
Honestly? I really liked this story but I felt deeply uncomfortable the whole time I was reading it.
WHY, you may ask?
BECAUSE I FEEL GUILTY DUE TO THE CHARACTERS' AGES .
For most of the story Harley and Jackson and their friends as well (Shiloh, Cash and Trigger) are children.
These CHILDREN are PRE-TEENS that talk and act like adult versions of themselves!

I love the banters, the pranks and the subtle shifts in the relationship between Harley and Jackson but I had to remember that they were only little children. The age issue put a dumper on the story.
I needed to force my mind to believe they were not the actual age indicated in the book but older.

Children can be mature and wise beyond their years but here we have young children whose ages go from 9-12. They act and talk in a way that is too unbelievable and unrealistic with the consequence of making them FAKE and feel me like a perv.
All the time I had to pretend they were much older and suspend reality because this was the only way I could keep reading.
They are 15 (Harley) and 16 (Jackson) only in the last three chapters.
It’s still young but I feel more at ease with their ages now after they’ve behaved like LATE-TEENS since they were 6/7 years old.
These children are hypersexualized.
The sexual innuendos, the double meanings, the sex talking...it's too excessive.
The ages and the behaviors are messed up.
You can't help but notice how discordant and incompatible their ages are with what they say and how they act because most happens when they are very little.
To give you an idea...

Jackson is only 7 years old

“The best part of being MVP were the cheerleaders. They didn’t know I wasn’t twelve yet, and I didn’t tell them otherwise. Just one of the perks of being a football star meant I was popular in all the nearby school districts.”

and…

“Neither the bikers nor the coaches gave a shit if I cussed, talked about all the girls that liked me, or even when I needed to fix my junk in public.”

Harley is 9/Jackson 10

This would be such a great scene but they are CHILDREN for God’s sake!

“I sought out her tongue again, tangling it with mine.
This kiss was slow and sloppy.
Hot and cold.
Familiar yet unknown.
Both my hands found the sides of her face, and I kissed her harder, deeper. Enjoying every second of it before I pecked her puffy lips one last time.
Leaning my forehead against hers, inches away from her mouth, I opened my eyes to find hers already open. Like she never closed them to begin with. They were dark and dilated, luring me into her heated gaze.”

In this scene Harley is 11/Jackson 12

“She was so tense beneath me that I found myself murmuring, “Relax, baby girl, and open your mouth for me.”
She hesitated with a confused expression on her face.
“Please, Harley...”
Acknowledging the desperation in my voice, her lips parted in the same rhythm as mine. It was the most overwhelming feeling I’d ever experienced. When my tongue slid into her mouth, I tasted chocolate cake and vanilla coke.”

Here they are a bit older but still.. Harley is 12/Jackson 13

“Jackson! Don’t you dare!”
I laughed, “Like that’s gonna stop me.” In two seconds flat, I sat her on my lap. With her back facing my front, I bearhugged her from behind and held her in place.
“Jackson! I can feel your willy!”
“Maybe next time you’ll think twice before barging into my room.”
“You’re disgustin’!”
“What’s wrong, Gremlin? Never felt anything so big before? If you get tired of my tongue in your mouth, we could use this.” I thrusted my hip into her ass.
She gasped loudly.
“Why did you come in here?”
“I can’t talk to you when I can feel your balls on my butt, Jackson.”
“You hit them all the time with your feet and knees. How’s this any different? Tell me what you want, or I’ll thrust into your ass again.”

My mind has a huge difficulty connecting ages with actions.
All this sexual tension between children... They are being fed with what? Testosterone and pheromone?

This is a conversation between Jackson and his friend Trigger. They are 13 yo.
I get that boys are more precocious than girls but to me it seems a bit of an exaggeration how they are portrayed.

“Speakin’ about cocks, when are you gonna let Kate suck yours?”
“When I know I won’t need a shot for a STD after.”
“You can’t get herpes from a blowjob. Wait. Can you get herpes from a blowie?”
My eyes widened. “Trigger, keep your dick in your pants for once.”
“But my cock is amazin’, it should be shared wit’ the cheerleadin’ squad. Oh, wait... it has been.”
I laughed, shaking my head.
“Don’t be a hater. They want ya just the same.”
“I’m good.”
He threw my words back at me, “The hell, man? You want to hold hands now? When did you grow a fruity tooty?”
“I don’t have time for that shit.”
“Then ya make time.”
“Trigger—”
“I’m serious, bro. Your balls are gonna fall off. I’m settin’ somethin’ up for this weekend. Me, you, Kate, and Valerie, it’s for your own good.”

In most of the pic teasers posted by the author I’ve seen the quotes are extrapolated by what Jackson or Harley said when they were children but adult couples are illustrated in the background.

I FEEL I’VE BEEN TOTALLY MISLED

These pics are deceitful.

JACKSON IS 10


JACKSON IS 10


JACKSON IS 10


HARLEY IS 9/JACKSON 10


HARLEY IS 12


Given that the author has a certain Modus Operandi I thought correctly that the story was beginning when Harley and Jackson were children. You were going to see how all the hated then started to become the love now.
But the past takes a whole book to be told and some scenes were just a repetition of the ones in The Pierced Hearts Duet but narrated through Jackson’s POV.
When you finish Hated You Then Harley is 15 and Jackson 16, so there are 5 more years to be narrated before you arrive at the pregnancy announcement made by Harley at the end of Choosing You.
I really thought that the tale was ending with the same cliffhanger of the aforementioned book. Instead we get a different cliffy and still years to cover.
I liked their love/hate relationship but the plot progressing was slow so I hope that in Love You Now things, story-wise, will speed more quickly.
I want all the adult angst I didn’t get here. And after dedicating a whole book to the past I'd prefer for the present not to be rushed when its time comes.
It's when things get interesting and the real love story begins.

In regards of the other characters you meet I see the foundations for future stories are laid…

Cash McGraw is one of Harley’s best-friends along with Shiloh Foster .
He seems very much into Harley that has friend-zoned him because she considers him as a brother.
Let’s see how long before he gets tired of staying in the corner and takes more serious action to make his feelings known.

Will he end up being a famous singer... that falls for a much younger girl?
Because you know he is not gonna get the girl in this duet.
I have the doubt his lobster might be Journey... Jackson's lil sister.
There are 12 years between him and Journey Pierce.
In fact lil Journey takes a strong liking to him.

“Cash, you dance wif me!” Journey intervened, grabbin’ his hands.
“I danced with you five times already.”
“Again,” she giggled, lookin’ up at him like he was her everythin’. Makin’ all of us laugh.
“Okay. Let’s go dance.”
She beamed as he led her toward the dance floor. Once they were there, he twirled her around, and then placed her on his shoes.”

Absolutely nothing happens or is said as you can read above because Journey is only 3. Nothing to be misunderstood. But it’s hinted not so subtly there might happen something between them when Journey is older and feelings might get blurred.
Another forbidden age-gap love story in the making?
I hope so.

Trigger, Jackson’s best-friend, is the poster child for a manwhore hero.
And Shiloh the girl that will not fall for him.
He makes his interest obvious but the girl doesn't give the time of the day.
She thinks he sees her as a challenge.
He thinks no one can be immune to him.
Things will go as Shiloh desires?
If they end up together their story will be one you don't want to miss.

“But it was more than that, Shiloh was just smart about everythin’. Especially boys. The girl had her head on right and didn’t allow bullshit into her life.
She wanted to get married a virgin and everythin’. Only allowin’ one lobster to love her for a lifetime.”

About Bailey...
Ahhh poor Bailey! You broke my heart.
I think you were mistreated as a heroine and a character in your own "supposed" duet.
You're such a wonderful mother, friend...a gentle soul like few and only here, in your son's story since in yours it was denied, for brief moments we see how amazing you were.
But still, even if because of your illness, you were spiteful and uncaring toward your son.
And this leads me to wonder... is it common that a person affected with dementia like her hates the people she doesn’t remember?
When she is in a bad phase and forgets there are scenes where she screams at Jackson and spews hateful words at him.
I don’t know the symptoms this illness manifests but if I don’t remember someone how could I FEEL ANYTHING, hate or love, for a person that is a total stranger to me?

Was it necessary to show this side of Bailey? Was not enough, for her and her child, to lose each other without creating these bad memories of her? Was she not mistreated enough?

After all is said and down I’ve had many issues with this story due to the characters’ ages like I've said but
the writing style is amazing and I’ve read the book quickly.
I really can’t wait for Love You Now, and this time I will not feel guilty for liking the story because Harley and Jackson are going to be late-teens and early-twenties.

They know something shifted in their relationship and people tell them in several occasions they are in love with each other but they seem very far from admitting their true feelings.
I hope there’s no hidden twist where it turns out the child Harley is expecting is not Jackson’s.
Please no!

About the second book in the duet now, well I’ve this gut feeling that Harley is gonna marry someone else before she gets with Jackson. This boy has many issues to face and fears to fight so he may make questionable choices that could lead to Harley seeking and getting help from someone else... Cash? Another unknown for now boy?

Bring the Angst on!

[Night reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've never read this author before so I had no prejudice and no opinion. My real issue was that I felt like a perv, borderline pedophile, to read about all the sexual tension of pre-teens. mind you, the book end with a cliffhanger, they are 15 YO and the H is screwing someone else in-front of the h. 15!!! Also, I felt that their dialogues didn't match with their actual age. I had to go back few times to check that I am indeed reading a speech of a 6,7 9 years old kids. They are sexualised in very cringe way. I felt uncomfortable reading it. their speech, the things they say to each other and even the adults in their life left me unsettled.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

What did I just read?
This whole book is a mess.
First of all, kids do not talk like that.
Second, there’s not much of a plot going on here, just two kids pranking each other. Over dramatic scenes that just fails to connect with the readers.
This was too unbelievable. I hope the second book is a little better.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why was this whole book about two very young’s kids? I kept hoping that the next chapter they would suddenly be 5 years older but it never happened. I’m pretty sure no 10 year olds are discussing blowjobs. I’m really disappointed that we are left to wait until Nov for something that should’ve been in 1 book!

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easiest 5 stars I have given in a long time!

★★SPOILER-FREE REVIEW★★

M killed it with Hated You Then! No words to describe how much I FLOVED this book. From beginning to end it had me sucked in. I’ve never read an enemies-to-lovers book where the main characters hated each other since they were kids.

“She was the perfect enemy, up for anything. The challenge of our dares, pranks, the ongoing war between us was as addicting to her as it was for me.”

Jackson and Harley’s dynamic was EVERYTHING! This book had me cracking up, enjoying every minute of it. I loved seeing the whole gang again. Creed as a father had me swooning so hard. The introduction and hints of who will be getting books in the future🙌🏻🙌🏻

If you’re a fan of The Good Ol’ Boys series (think Forbid Me) then you’ll enjoy this one. It has a rom-com vibe to it, but it wouldn’t be a M.Robinson book if there weren’t some emotional moments. That said, I am dying with that cliffy and I.NEED.TO.KNOW.WHAT.HAPPENS.NEXT! Is it November yet?!

[✦ Ellen’s Reviews ✦ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having read and liked 'The Madam', an earlier book by this author, I thought I would try one of her newer books. I am sorry to say that this book was just a confusing muddle from beginning to end. I must have read a different book than all the readers giving this five stars. The grammar, character development and plot all range from bad to terrible.

I did finish this story about Harley & Jackson, so hence the two stars from me. Although I could barely follow any of the dialogue, I did not feel the characters actually spoke like real children would have. Almost all of this story is about young children which did not interest me. M. Robinson has a huge fan base, so maybe they will read anything this author publishes, but the constant use of slang and unnecessary drama fell flat for me.

[Sonya ♕Chatterbooks book blog♕ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been waiting for this book from the minute I finished the Pierced Heart Duet and let me tell you something: these characters took their love/ hate relationship to a whole new level!! From the pranks that I thought would surely send one of them to the hospital, to the all out hostility and hatred these two had for each other certainly made this story entertaining.

Enemies before they learned how to walk, Harley and Jackson were two kids that were bound to each other because of their families. Attending the same school and being around each other in social environments have these two constantly at each other’s throats so much, it’s a miracle they’re alive. Some kids will say a few hurtful things, do some pranks and move on. Not these two. They lived to make the other’s life a living hell!! Told from the ages of six through sixteen, Hated You Then gave us a look into the very complicated relationship between two young kids who loved each other underneath all of the hate.



I have enjoyed this author’s stories so much ever since I read the Good Ol Boys series and I loved that we always get a glimpse of some of our favorite characters. It feels like coming home in a sense and there’s this sort of comfort in seeing that. Now as much as I love this author’s writing and the crazy angst that she always delivers, I have to say that I was expecting something more from this story. Knowing what the storyline was going to be about, I thought that we were going to have a few flashbacks and then be in the present but that was not the case. I love every single one of these characters but I was not expecting them to be so young for the majority of the book and having it feel like a recap.

Aside from that, I enjoyed this one and I'm excited to see where the story is going to go and what the future holds for Harley and Jackson. If you’ve read this author’s books before, then you know you can expect a lot of angst, unbreakable family bonds, timeless love and a cliffhanger that will make you wish you had a warranty on your electronic device.

*Teaser used is from the author's fb page.

[Harlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a weirdly told story. The dialogue from 6-13 yr olds, including the younger siblings, was ridiculous. Kids don't talk like that and the sexual talk/situations were disturbing and (thankfully) unrealistic. Jackson was already a football hero being scouted by colleges in second grade ? At 7 getting all the cheerleaders? Seriously? If the author was going to go in such an adult direction, she should've written more of them as older teens, instead of just a chapter or two at the end.

I never read the prequel books, so all the rehash of all the other characters got confusing. Something else that bothered me A LOT was how Jackson's mom's illness was handled.

- It was never addressed about how premature her dementia was and how rare it was to have it at her age.

- Encouraging a child to find out if he has the gene for it! That is a huge decision, not to be taken lightly and forced upon a child.

- Having another child in that condition was a lame plot point. One day she seemed to be in a nursing home, in and out of lucidity, the next she was pregnant? Insane.

- The nanny not knowing the mother died. Really? And who was spending the nights with the kids before Camilla moved in?

- The father disappearing, then suddenly nanny getting together with dad and a now 16 yr old Jackson wants her to adopt him? I mean it was all underdeveloped and dumb


The ending was cliche as was already starting to pair secondary characters up for future books.

[Tia Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is the first half of the duet, and it's told from the kids' point of view... how their relationship began, how it grew--as they were children into young adulthood... My heart ached for Jackson... Harley was such a hilarious sweetie... Jackson would do hateful things... ahhh... And you're going to need Book 2 right away... It's a fun, fast, angst-filled read... I was immediately pulled in and awake all night reading... Highly recommend!

[Elle G. Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Release Date: September 17, 2019
Genre: Enemies-to-Lovers Romance
Actual Rating: 5+ stars!

This book takes the enemies-to-lovers trope to a whole new level! WHAT A BOOK! I was laughing, I felt the heartbreak, and then was laughing some more. M. Robinson has created a genre on her own with this an emotional comedy and I fell HARD for Jackson and Harley's story! While I am bummed that I have to wait two months for the second book (yes, this one ends in a cliffy) I KNOW M. Robinson will not disappoint and the wait will be worth it.

Now, before I get into WHY I loved this book so much I want to recommend readers to read the PIERCED HEARTS DUET first . I say this because you may find this one contains spoilers for that duet. Not only that, it's frigging amazing! The Pierced Hearts duet is the first books I have read from M. Robinson and I am now head over heels in love with her writing. She writes alpha males like no other and you will LOVE the sass in her heroines! Here is the link to that duet if you are interested THE PIERCED HEARTS DUET.

Now, on to this AMAZING read.

Hated You Then is Jackson and Harley's story. If you have read The Pierced Hearts duet you will realize that Jackson is the son of the hero from those books. He's the kid with a major chip on his shoulders because of the way his family fell apart (I don't want to spoil it and TELL you what happened- you need to read it for yourself). I think his behavior is justified and normal for his situation, but he takes it to a whole new level when it comes to his arch-nemesis, Harley. These two HATE each other with a passion. They write nasty letters to each other back and forth (these letters had me laughing out loud), mercilessly tease one another, and sometimes even get physically aggressive with one another. Their hatred is THAT bad. It's been going on since they were teeny tots and hasn't let up even as they grow into teenagers.

That is, until something starts to shift...

You know how moms would tell their kids that if a boy is picking on you it's because they like you? Well, that's THIS book in a nutshell. Only much more heated!

Throughout the book we see how these two have grown together (along with their growing hatred) and readers are able to experience their lives from a very young age until the age of 16. I love how M. Robinson weaved the story this way because we really gained a sense of how they grew up together. The family dynamics also play a key role in the novel and this is why I suggest you read The Pierced Heart duet first. It will give you a lot of insight into Jackson and his behavior.

Other than this, all I can say is read this book! It's absolutely engrossing from start to finish. Again, I wish I didn't have to wait until November to see how their story will end, but it's so worth the wait! I can't wait to see what other readers think of this book when it releases in a few short days!

[Jenn Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled with how to review this story. I've not read this author before and went in with no opinion. Overall, the emotion, which will sneak up and smack you like a brick multiple times, is still causing me to wipe my eyes. The ups and downs between Jackson and Harley are very intense. My heart goes out to both of them, especially Jackson with all he's had to deal with and his own fight against his emotions. You can feel his struggle and the pain it causes. My real issue is that I feel their ages don't match with how they act and speak. We meet them at 6 years old and grow up with them. They are overly sexualized on their speech, the things they say to each other and even the adults in their life had my jaw dropping. I would expect these things from much older teenagers but not at 10 or 11. This is the first book in a duet and I will be reading book two to see where this explosive hate/hate relationship goes.

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Leeann Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the next generation of the Good Ol Boys, and if you loved these books you will love this one, if not more.


I loved that M went back to contemporary romance with Hated You Then. Add some rom-com and you have yourself an amazing read.

Jackson and Harley love hate.. .more hate relationship was funny at times but also so heart breaking.

Monica is known for her epic cliffhanger and this one is one of the best, at least we wont have to wait too long for the 2nd book.

Cant wait for more Harly and Jackson.

[Tricia Bartley. #AuthorStalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know M. Robinson is the Queen of Angst and definitely HYT is full of Angst!!! Buttt....I believe she should also be called the Queen of Making you Cry!!! OMG I had those big ole crocodile tears and snot running down my face. lol I can not believe how an author loves to torture her readers like this....lmao Anddd she is not even sorry about it...her first question is ALWAYS.....But did you Cry????

Yesss gosh dang it!!!! I freaking CRIED!!!!

But you know what...that makes the book that much more memorable, it makes me fall more and more in love with her writing cuz lord have mercy it is sooo real!!!

Hated You Then is pretty up there with my now "fav book" by you Mrs. Robinson!!! lol

The angst, the banter, the chase and all the tears you gave me made this book 5 fan-damn-tastic STARS!!! I can't wait for Love You Now~the 2nd book in the Love Hurts Duet.

*now to go eat ice cream to mend my heart!!!*

[Michelle Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic Love/Hate relationship!

I love a good rom-com and this definitely did not disappoint me. I loved all the bickering and pranks between Harley and Jackson. Seeing all the older characters from previous books makes me miss them so much, but it was great getting glimpses of them again! I can't wait to see how the rest of the story plays out!

[Sentranced Jem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Hated You Then (Love Hurts Duet #1)
Author: M. Robinson

I will fight anyone who disagrees with the fact that M. Robinson is hands down ...THE QUEEN OF ANGST!

I feel like I've been waiting for Jackson and Harley's duet for ages.. Though technically it's been 5 1/2 months... for a die hard fan..that's years and years hahaha



For all those romance book lovers that love the enemies to lovers trope... Hated You Then is THE perfect example for that trope. A love-hate that spans years...started when they were kids.
If you've read the Pierced Hearts Duet, you sort of know what's going to happen. So knowing that, I feel like Love Hurts Duet gave us the perfect, true in-depth insight into Harley and Jackson's relationship.


I got to tell you... as kids, these two gave me a headache with their constant bickering. But I got to tell, Young Harley is a sassy sassy girl and I LOVE her! I loved that even though she could be a girly-girl with her rainbow tutu, she gave it as good as Jackson. After all, Her Daddy is Creed Jameson (Road To Nowhere Duet) so that makes Harley Jameson, a biker princess 👸🏼
The scenes between young Harley and Jackson, though filled with constant shouting matches and dares, made for one heck of an entertaining read.



I guess Jackson and Harley never realised it then but all that bullying, teasing and taunting behaviour from Jackson was because, as Memaw Alex said , " Jackson is mean to you because he likes you."

Jackson... Gosh. We were introduced to Jackson through the Pierced Hearts Duet. So, we know of all the hardships that the Pierce family went through but reading it from Jackson's point of view was brutal and emotional.



Hated You Then completely captures your attention and I can't wait for you all to read this book...and I can't wait for Love You Now.

One can never TRULY appreciate Jackson and Harley's relationship and the dynamics between them and the secondary characters unless you've read M.Robinson's previous books. So READ THEM!!!

I got to confess that Creed (Harley's dad), is a special one. I love this character so much and Creed as a dad? Oh MY LORD!!! Have mercy! and let's not forget when he says the simplest things like calling Harley's mom "Pippin" or when he grins and says "Ya feel me?". My brain goes all fuzzy hahaha
Disclaimer: I reread Road to Nowhere right after I finished this book. No regrets.

Go grab this book as soon as it' out...meanwhile, GO and Buy her other books! You won't regret it.

[Sarah]

***AVAILABLE***

Full disclosure - I had to DNF, so this is a review of the part of it I read .

There were aspects that I really loved. M. Robinson is the queen of angst after all. But there were also some things that didn't sit so well with me as a reader (personal preference).

The plot moved to slow. It felt stalled at parts, and it just felt like scene after scene of fighting at different ages. I needed growth of characters, for the plot pace to pick up. Something needed to happen of substance.

My biggest issue was the way the main hero of the story talked and the sexualization of younger characters. And listen, I’ve read M. Robinson, and I’ve loved her stuff, but this was too much for me. They are too young to think and say what they say. It felt as though one of her adult heroes was speaking the dialogue of a young boy who turned into a teen. If it was any of her adult heroes, I wouldn’t have batted an eyelash at it, but this was just too much for me. It made me, personally, uncomfortable.

I’m really sad about this. Like I said, I love M. Robinson’s books, but this one missed the mark for me, which is unfortunate because book 2, now that they are older will probably be really good.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

[Keeana Estrada · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a very thin line between love and hate! When you look this up in the dictionary Jackson and Harley names will be written in bold letters... This book Was gripping with a Witty dialogue, with great chemistry and a superb plot...

“M Robinson does enemies-to-lovers like you've never seen before.... hated you then Is the kind of story you think about for weeks...wishing you could read it all over again for the first time." 

From beginning to end, this book was intense, intriguing, captivating, and masterfully written...

“I laughed, I cried, I swooned, my heart broke in half, I felt Jackson and Harley deep down in my soul... they’re chemistry was downright explosive, a Rievting and passionate novel, full of feeling and intensity that will hook you from page ones it’s perfection!!!

unputdownable, utterly captivating, an emotional journey that will leave you wanting and craving for more, 5 easiest stars given!”

[Kim Whitehead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again M has captured my heart! Such an emotional read! So much emotion that you can literally feel it in your soul! A bit of reminiscing, bringing most of her characters back for a glimpse! And reliving tragedy through the eyes of a young man was heart wrenching! Phenomenal story!!

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 2nd generation of Good Ol' Boys is here as the Good Ol' Kids and there is no better way to start it than with Jackson and Harley.

We saw the "hate" of these two in Choosing You/Choosing Us and I couldn't wait for M. to write this book and she did it with some laughter and some tears.  

Dual POV gives us both sides of this love/hate story. So you pretty much fall in love with both characters with ease.  Jackson's inability to stop screwing with Harley was countered with Harley's inability to NOT be caring to Jackson or kicking him in the nuts...which happens A LOT! (and Jackson deserves it every damn time!)

Enemies to lovers that span a lifetime are what M. Robinson has brought to the world with the first installment of the Love Hurts duet and I can't wait for more.  In true M. Robinson fashion -there is a cliffy!

Seeing the Good Ol' Boys again is always a pleasure, seeing Creed as a Dad is always a sight...swoon!!  

[Rhonda Ziglar · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 LOVE, LOVE, LOVE STARS!! This book is in my Top 5 Books for 2019. M. Robinson gives us readers all the feels.....I was laughing so hard at the banter between Jackson and Harley, crying, sobbing and holding my heart. I felt like I was watching a movie with this book, the story is so detailed it seems to come to life. I can't wait for book 2....I am dying right now. You must 1-Click this book now, so worth the money and time.

[Mony · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
The way she portrays these kids and their mentality in this book is just gross and disturbing !!

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

God...this cliffy!!! This prologue!!!! This book!!!😱😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😍😍😍

I was so excited when I found out Monica was gonna write this duet. I wanted to know all about Jackson Pierce and the little spitfire Harley Jameson. Knowing their parents and the story behind them it was a no brainer that it was gonna be a roller coaster! This book didn’t disappoint!

These two have known each other since birth and have made it their life’s mission to despise one another. We get to watch them grow in this book and it was quite frankly hilarious!

Harley honestly made me laugh my ass off! I was crying in the beginning because she was so damn funny😂She was a COMPLETE ball buster! Throughout the entire book she gave as good as she got!

Jackson was funny as well BUT he was also heartbreaking. Reading from his POV, at times, was gut wrenching. I think this book was more about him than it was Harley. It was about him navigating his feelings for everything that life was throwing at him. The anger was palpable! I had such a heart ache for him and shed many tears.

This book is told in alternate POV and states the age that they were with each chapter. While i was reading I felt like they should have been older than what they were because of the vocabulary. They were very mature and talking about very mature content when they were 12&13 years old! That kind of messed with my head and i had to go back and see how old they were because it felt like they were much older. Maybe I’m wrong I don’t know.

Overall this was a great book, it wasn’t “hot” or anything like that. This is the beginning of what is sure to be a major love story and I can’t wait to see where it goes. My heart was ripped out at the end and I can’t wait for the broken heart to be put back together in the conclusion.
I would totally consider this a YA book as we started at a very young age and have grown with them. This was completely character driven and i adored the writing....very well done by our queen of angst author♥️The secondary characters were great and I see several books coming with them.
Now to wait for the second book...is it October yet???

Angst ⭐️⭐️
Cheating nah
Sexy Time none
Epilogue none its a cliffy
Plot⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC kindly provided by the author for honest review

[The Book Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW: 4.5 STARS
"The emotions were running so high, you could choke on them, making it hard to fuckin' breathe."

I'm running on adrenaline right now! What an ending!! Of course, we all know I don't willingly go into duets/trilogies without an end date for my suffering, so I am for SURE hoping Ms Robinson keeps to her release date of November 12th for the final book in this duet because that was an excellent introduction to Jackson and Harley, but also a doozy of a cliffhanger. WOW.

I want to comment on the story itself first - I loved the innocence that these kids possessed. It was my favorite part about this book - no lie, because watching them grow from so young with such strong thought processes was a blast. But I will say, the sexuality felt too hyper-focused at that young age at some times during the story. I'm not saying kids that age don't think and do things that young, but it was a little intense in some spots. Definitely reserved for an older age with the emotions attached - however, having said that, I could also understand the innocence of first looks and first touches and not understanding that zing or that feeling deep in their tummy. That was probably my favorite part. Robinson really set the stage for the love-hate relationship to grow and develop over the years and that was almost comical because of how tenacious the kids were, but more specifically: Harley is most definitely Creed and Mia's daughter. That part was very evident and I feel like Robinson really merged their two personalities well in Harley.

"The irrational thoughts were taking me hostage, and I was right there along for the ride."

These two kids, oh.my.gosh. From a very young age, they fought with pure piss and vinegar. Seriously cracked me up how sharp-tongued and witty Harley was, and how easy going and smooth Jackson was in his comebacks. He was arrogant and she was "proper". It really gave me a chuckle a few times, and that was so fun to watch grow.

It's been a quick minute since I've read M Robinson's books and I missed the last duet and Noah's story - so while I may have felt a little lost in the familial attachments/backstories, it wasn't hard to follow along at all. Most of Robinson's books (lately) have been spin-offs or continuations, and I knew this going in so I am not upset about the connection, because the Good Ol Boys is my favorite series of hers so far. I did struggle with the similarities from her GOB storyline and also her Road to Nowhere series, but not so much that it detracted from the storyline, as you can see from my rating because I really, really enjoyed this one. This can be read as a standalone duet and I can and will happily recommend this book. I liked the emotional ups and downs I felt while reading this story and can't wait for the conclusion.

I cannot help but think of the pain Harley is in right now....but I cannot imagine the fear Jackson is feeling either. Teenage angst - I love it.

"She went from the girl I hated the most, to the one I needed more than anything in this world."
~BEE

Amazon Affiliate links:

Purchase Hated You Then: https://amzn.to/302EFgj
Preorder Love You Now: https://amzn.to/2NkP7d7

Enter here for a chance to win an ecopy: http://bit.ly/2mnsKI5

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

M.Robinson is an am⭐️Zing writer and I can’t wait for this book to come out!!!!