How to Date the Guy You Hate

Eden Hills #2

by Julie Kriss

I hate Jason Carsleigh. Gorgeous, sexy, perfect Jason Carsleigh. He was the golden boy in high school - the one every girl dreamed about. Except me. I have my reasons.

He owes me big, so I’m calling in a favor. I need Jason as my date for my ex’s wedding. Simple - wear a suit, look hot, and pretend he likes me. That’s it. Then I’m done with him forever.

I’m not going to tell him my secrets. I’m not going to see the not-so-golden side no one else gets to see. I’m not going to fall for him. And I’m definitely not going to rip that sexy suit off him and do every dirty thing imaginable.

But every time I get close to Jason Carsleigh, I get in trouble.

One wedding. How bad can it be?

Note: Bad Wedding features some of the same characters as Bad Boyfriend, but can be read entirely as a standalone, with no cliffhanger, no cheating, and an HEA.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Military Fiction, Amazon

Audiobook

First published June 14, 2016

Reviews

[Mia.Mi.Jou (on hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS
Compared to the first book, this one was more entertaining. With the same NA vibe it was a nice and enjoyable read. Julie Kriss excels at one thing, she manages to find two people with different flaws, but who are so perfectly suited to each other that by the end there is no doubt that they were made for each other. Her characters have soul and that's what I like about her books.

My issue with this book was the rushed ending. I liked the first half so much, but the love came seemingly out of nowhere and the ending was abrupt and quick. I needed more closure, more relationship development.

[Penny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this one but unfortunately I didn't. It couldn't hold my interest at all.

I gave up @63%

[MPT · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars ⭐️⭐️

Ummm I’m very confused…how did How to Date the Guy You Hate get such high ratings? 🤨 Sweet Jesus this story was just plain ole boring…Both Characters were meh….I felt no connection to them or to this story…nothing, nada, so I started to skim through it just so I didn’t have to write “Did not finish” again.
I think Julie Kriss isn’t a author for me, this was my second book I’ve read by her and I still feel the same about her writing style….just meh…


Audiobook review: Jacob Morgan and Savannah Peachwood did a great job! 5 stars to both narrators..

[Tink Magoo is bad at reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Melanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this series😍

[Kristiej · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why but when this book was reissued, the name of the book was changed. Curious. So even though they are the same book, there are 2 different titles, Bad Wedding and How to Date the Guy you Hate. I'm bumping the grade up to 4 stars. While not my favourite book by this author, I think I was a bit harsh the first time

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And my reading love affair with Julie Kriss continues with this book. It’s the second in a quick two book series and it works as a stand-alone but since she’s the bomb when it comes to her stories I’m declaring you will want to read the first one anyway. Now having said that, I confess I liked the first book just a wee bit better. Dean, the hero of Bad Boyfriend was the town bad boy whereas Jason is or was, the town golden boy. Back in the day the world was his oyster. He was popular, good looking, girls chased him, a great athlete and, well, the town’s golden boy. The he entered the military, and when he came out everything had changed, most of all him. Considering his earlier popularity, he’s very confused when a waitress friend of his sister gives him the cold shoulder. He’s not used to this kind of reaction from a woman.

But Megan has her reasons for her negative feelings for Jason, good reasons it turns out. But as she gets to know him, she realizes he’s not quite the guy she thought he was and it gets harder and harder for her to hold onto her resentment. She even asks her to be her escort to her ex’s wedding once she lets him into what he did to her. Because he’s a good guy at heart he agrees to go with her and it’s during the road trip to get there and his overall thoughtfulness that she sees she’s been wrong.

I read this one a few months ago and while writing this up from memory I’m realizing it’s not as memorable as many of her other books. I might reread it and then again I might not. That’s kind of how I judge books and while I’m glad I read this one and it’s keeping me on the Julie Kriss bandwagon, I’ll be honest and say it’s not one of my faves.

[Janel Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these books

Love the fact that these characters are common people. Not billionaires, though never having to worry about money is a great fantasy, it is nice to read a book where blue collar people are working hard and ohh so happy just being with the one they love.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tell you what, Jacob Morgan and Savannah Peachwood always raise the books they narrate at least a level or two. They made this story great. This picks up two characters from the first book in the series. In the first book, though, main character Morgan sounds a lot more aloof. Here we see all her insecurities and flaws. Main character Jason is a great guy.
And there's a lot of sex. A LOT. This didn't read like some books where it's just one sex scene after the next, connected by marginal dialogue. It didn't feel like too much. I always like it when there's more of a focus on the friendship, but this tipped the balance slightly the other direction. It turned out ok in the end; I love the way the epilogue had the line "when have we ever done anything in order?" That made these two characters really appealing.

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a reviewer that goes through the story, if you're reading the reviews you know what it's about. I'll tell you what I look for in a review: what I liked (or didn't) about the book itself. I'm beginning to LOVE this author. The book is a quick fun read. The story flows well, no lagging or rushing, the characters are fully fleshed out and likeable, the dialog is engaging, and there's enough steam to fog your windows. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Meg and Jason and watching their tale unfold. Do yourself a favor and read this series!

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/2/2021)! 🎁

[Limecello]

Ok so I got this book as "How to Date the Guy You Hate: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Eden Hills Book 2)" but it doesn't appear to be on GR and the last time I tried to put a book on GR it turned into a giant shitshow so I'm NEVER adding another book again but... you know.


It was just ...
I was over more NA
and the anger, and the ridiculousness of her dad and the "it's a badge of honor to be fired" ... or it "makes a statement" - just the way it was written. Like, honey. No. If you want to make a statement that way, YOU QUIT. You don't let yourself get fired.

It was just ... the tone and attitude really rubbed me the wrong way.

The anger, the oh shit - the hero being ... I dunno. Like he seems like a good guy.

Then when she freaks out at him for kicking a guy who attacked him by sucker punching him...

I dunno.
I liked the other Kriss books I read last year but this one wasn't working for me.

[Carol.Dreamer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like Jason from what I read about him in the previous book (he was a jerk and he told people about what happened with Dean while they were Marines. It was a private, sensitive matter for his bestfriend and he thought is was ok to tell people about it? F*ck that!) and continue to dislike him in this one. So...in fewer words, Jason is a jealous prick and a bad friend and I have zero f*cks to give to this kind of person.

Unrelated, a light and brief touch on a shoulder is evidence that a couple is in it for the long haul? Please.

I was done with this book a few pages in.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

That Megan was a real bitch to Jason, wow. This book felt very similar to “how to date your brothers best friend” just seemed really formulaic. I wasn’t really wowed by this it was just an okay read for me. The chemistry was awkward at some points and I really just didn’t feel them as a couple. Cute epilogue tho

6/10 not likely to recommend

[Kasandra Setrakova · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟⭐

היי חברים וחברות,
רציתי ספר קצר וקולע, וזה מה שקיבלתי.
אומנם זה ספר שני בסדרה, אבל בואו נודה באמת, זה בחיים לא עצר אותי 🤣
הכריכה לא מזמינה במיוחד, אז בואו נתעלם מימנה... ונדבר על הספר עצמו (האני הפנימי שלו)

אז התחלתי לקרוא את הספר בלי לקרוא תקציר..
כי משנאה לאהבה זה תמיד (לא באמת, אבל הפעם כן) טוב.
אין לנו שנאה גדולה מדי... כי הדמות של ג'יסון פה פשוט מושלמת!!!! 🤴🏻 הבחור מתוק, מנומס, חייל משוחרר (זה יתרון ענק בשבילי), שעוזר לכולם, ולא מסוגל לעשות כל רע לקרובים לו.. בכוונה..

כי מייגן שונאת את ג'ייסן, כבר 5 שנים.. בגלל.. אלא מה אם לא לילה שכרות 🥃🍷🍸🍹🥂🍻🍺
הדמות של מייגן מורכבת (אמא ז"ל, אבא לא הכי מתפקד, משפחה מורחבת פח...) פלוס חשש למוות קרוב (תיארתי את זה יותר דרמתי מימה שזה מתואר בספר... אבל...)

ואז... כעבור אותם חמש שנים, שניהם נפגשים.. ובלי דרמה מיותרת מייגן מספרת לו למה היא שונאת אותו.. הבחור מרגיש אשם, אז כאשר מייגן באה לבקש ממנו טובה, הוא מוכן לעשות בשבילה הכל .. והם מתחילים לבלות ביחד עד לפלוט טוויסט... אלא מה ..

חשוב לציין, שאני מאוד אוהבת את הסופרת הזו, היא כותבת טוב ובלי דברים שמעצבנים אותי (וזה קשה!!) ככה שהפלוט טוויסט היה 'נדרש' ולא ממש הכעיס אותי ... כי גם אני וגם הנפגע/ת מבינות/ים.

מי שמעוניין הממתק חמוד וקצר, ממליצה 😘


אז כן, ציטוטים... משמע ~ ספויילרים

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יש לג'ייסן אחלה עבודה 🤣

“Anyone puking—gone. Anyone snorting or injecting anything—gone. Anyone bleeding—gone, assuming they can walk and they don’t need an ambulance. If they’re making out, just break it up, unless he’s being too aggressive. You learn to get a vibe. No fingering, sucking, blowing, or eating out. Definitely no fucking. No pussies or dicks. If her tits are out, cover them up and call her a cab. If her panties are down, instruct her to pull them up, but don’t do it yourself or we’ll have a lawsuit. You got all that?” I’d thought he was joking. I really had.

מייגן, עובדת במכולת/סופר... והם חייבים באותה עיר, אז מין הסתם יוצא להם להיפגש...

Jason knew I didn’t like him—he knew it perfectly well, since I’d made it clear. What he didn’t know was why. Because he didn’t fucking remember.

המפגש לא הכי נעים לשניהם 🤣

“Jesus you’re pissed at me,” he said. “I wish I knew why.”

ומייגן לא מתחילה לשחק משחקים... וממש אהבתי את זה בא... הוא לא יודע? יופי אז היא תספר לו...

ואז היא באה אליו שוב... כדי לבקש טובה

“Show up. Wear a suit. Look hot. Pretend you like me.” Pretend I liked her? All I wanted was for her to drop her arms so I could see whether her nipples were hard. Jesus, it had been months since I’d had sex.

אומנם מייגן מסתדרת לבד בצורה יפה... הוא רואה שיש לה משהו... וכן, בדיקה גנטית כדי לבדוק אם יש לה את אותו גן דפוק שהרג את אמא שלה בגיל 40... זה... משהו...

“Well, I have some free time, and you look upset. Jesus. I can be nice, you know.” “No,” I said, reaching into my jeans pocket and pulling out some money. “I do not need you to come with me. I don’t need you to do anything except pick me up on Thursday morning so I can go to the wedding from hell.”

והוא יודע לקרוא אותה...

I closed my eyes. He was right. I was tough. I could deal with my mother’s sickness and death, my father’s checking out, my shitty job situation, my lack of prospects, my warped genes. I could handle anything, and I could do it alone. But I had one weakness. One big, massive, muscled weakness, and it was currently between my legs. Jason Carsleigh was my kryptonite. And as of now, he knew it.

והוא כזה חמווווווודדדד

“You paid the bill,” she said, her tone accusing. “Sure,” I said, and looked at her face. “Forget it. I have extra money.” “Extra money? What does that mean?” “It means the guy who owns the club three doors down from Zoot Bar hired me for extra shifts last week and paid me cash.” “That isn’t extra money, Jason,” Megan said. “That’s just money.” “Cash is extra money. It doesn’t count.” “It counts. You’re spending it on this trip, which you’re taking because of me.” “Of course I’m spending it on the trip,” I said. “Why do you think I worked the extra shifts?”

ובוווום

Charlotte had never wanted sex. Megan wanted nothing else. And suddenly, I was pissed off. And done.

וגם אחרי שהיא ריסקה לו את הלב, הוא עדיין רצה לטובתה...

She wouldn’t decide for herself. Not right now, in the head space she was in. But I could. I could decide for both of us. I turned and walked out the door.

והם נופלים למצב ביניים...

So, friends. But not friends. As usual, Megan and I were doing things backwards. We were now doing the slightly awkward friends-not friends thing after the breakup and the arguing and the sex and the most intense experience I’d ever had with another person, followed by rejection.

עד שהכל טוב..

“What do you want?” It was easy. And terrifying. And the best words I’d ever said. “I want all of it,” I said to her. “Everything you’ve got.” “Then for God’s sake, Jason, come over here.” “Hold on,” I said, getting out of bed. “I’m on my way.”

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio Review
I love this series and was so happy to get to listen to Jason and Meghan's story. This is book two and they are each stand alone but the characters all tie together so you will love book one How To Date Your Brothers Best Friend, too if you haven't already listened to it.

Jason Carsley is the hometown football hero. Everyone loves Jason except Meghan Perry and he doesn't know why. That is until she jogs his memory and then he is determined to make it up to her.

Meghan hasn't had an easy life and moving into adulthood hasn't panned out like she thought it would. A dead end job, no boyfriend and now she has to go to her cousins wedding alone. That is until Jason wants to help her out.

This book is funny and sweet and extremely hot with the chemistry between Jason and Meghan but it also has heart and feels. Both Jason and Meghan are searching for themselves and just existing until they find each other then they finally begin to live and love.

Jacob Morgan and Savannah Peachwood are wonderful narrating this book. They bring it put the emotion into it. I loved listening from beginning to end. Great job by both.

I loved this book and I highly recommend it.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jason and Megan’s continues as Eden Falls’ former golden boy turned bar bouncer is painfully reminded of a drunken naked encounter that took place between him and his sister’s new best friend. In apology, and because they both remember their sizzling attraction, Jason agrees to be Megan’s date for a ritzy destination wedding in Cape Cod where their long hidden desires and a whole host of painful emotional truths will be shared. There’s a lot of well written sexual exploration in this story but it’s tastefully written as Jason and Megan struggle with painful realities, longing for a soft place to fall in their chaotic lives. Megan struggles with the weight of her mother’s wealthy family’s scorn, her fear of commitment, and the pain of losing her mother to cancer. Jason too struggles with a crisis of confidence after a recent breakup with a wealthy controlling girlfriend who never considered him good enough. It’s a poignant coming of age story of personal growth and maturity that engaged all of my emotions and has me looking forward to exploring more of this talented authors writing.

[Corrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review on with books in this series.

How to date brothers best Fri - was a pleasant surprise! I really enjoyed the simple, easy to read plot. So different to many other 'brother best friend ' books. This one was relatable because there isn't a CEO, billionaire etc just your average joes' which was refreshing. The story of Dean and Holly isn't the 'I've loved you forever ' yes holly had a teen crush but as adults they met again after Dean served in the military.... Dean even tho described as a bad boy, has a big heart and has some self esteem issues which again, was refreshing being the male character. Great pace, great background story.... I couldn't put it down.

How to date the guy.you have - Slighlty faster paced but again Jason isn't what he seems and he again is dealing with self worth. Megan is fierce and together they rock. They start of rocky due to something that happened in high school.... But Megan forgives and their relationship starts. I loved the epilogue!

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title suggests an enemies to lovers... however the "hate" aspect of this story is resolved 5% of the way through the story and during the FMC and MMCs first encounter in our story timeline. Also, the only reason she hated him in the first place is that they hooked up at a party and he was too drunk to remember it happened....... I don't feel like I need to go into the implications of that statement.
The FMC has intimacy issues for no real reason and the MMC has no intimacy issues despute having reason for them.
Also, the FMC mentions twice that she suspects her most recent ex-boyfriend was bisexual. On one of those occassions of her mentioning this fact she immediately follows up that statement by saying she doesn't know how to pick trustowrthy men or whatever. Giving off some homophobic vibes there, Julie. Maybe should've watched the wording on that one.

Other than that, it was a quick read. It was fine. HEA and all that jazz.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can't deny the chemistry of these two!

Julie always does a great job connecting you with her characters, and this time was no different. I really enjoyed the main characters Megan and Jason. The sexual chemistry of these two was off the charts, and is what instantly pulls them together and has them thinking twice about their stance on each other. What started out as a favor and an apology, winds up being the best thing that's ever happened to them both. Two people with no real direction in life find their way through each other.

This one will have you hooked from the beginning, so you better make sure you have some time when you start reading it. Because once you start you're gonna find it hard to put down.

[Valentina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustó bastante! No le tenia mucha fe la verdad, pero superó mis expectativas.

Tenemos a Jason el típico chico bueno que después de regresar de la Marina y terminar su compromiso esta perdido y buscando dinero para salir de la casa de su madre.

Y Megan quien a pesar de tener su departamento y trabajar sigue perdida en la vida hasta que llega Jason (el hermano de su mejor amiga, a quien ha odiado por 5 años)

La verdad es que la trama estaba buena! Me hubiese gustado que Jason a la ex la pusiera en su lugar jajaja me esperaba que le enfrontara.

No tengo mucho que decir de este libro! Solo que se me hizo que los personajes estaban como en sus 18 (los encontré un poco inmaduros) pero a sus 24 tampoco es que ya sean ADULTOS pero bueno……..

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

psi you can find this book online under the title ‘boy wedding’ by julie kriss!!

lol i literally ended the last review saying i wish megan and jason became a thing and here we are!

i think i actually liked this book even better than the last! as much as i loved dean, jason has my heart and the sexual tension!! julie kriss honestly is so good at that!

i only wish this series was longer! fully ready to read every single book she’s ever written hehe she seems to get the perfect balance between romance and spice 🥵🥰

[Lindsay Barnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought Megan and Jason balanced each other out really well. Megan had commitment issues and Jason has never been a one night stand kinda guy. Jason tries never to pressure Megan for anything more that she can handle, but also builds that trust between them. I loved the fake relationship part of the story when in reality, they were already in some type of relationship. I also loved that Jason knew what Megan needed and took her out of a bad situation. They complimented each other so well and brought out the best version of each other. I was so happy that they both pursued their passions in the end.

[Ajaisha Bradford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is hilarious!

This was such an enjoyable read! I actually laughed out loud so much while reading this book. The banter between the FMC and MMC is amazing, and I love both their best friends too.

The pacing of the romance went well considering that this is a short book. It didn’t feel rushed, or weird, or awkward, and the spice was well written with the exception of maybe one line…“She smelled like damp woman and shower soap and hot, musky sex.”

I absolutely recommend reading this book if you want a good laugh and a short read.

[Ren || Reading What I Want · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved being back in this series. I could feel the tension between Jason and Megan in Dean/Holly's book so I was excited to see how that played out.

This book was sex time heavy and I liked it. The chemistry was off the charts and just like Jason pointed out, they did everything backwards. Jason was so amazing. He really was. Sexy, smart, good. Megan was so damn strong. For her it was both a good and bad thing. I'm so glad she bucked up.

And that epilogue? So damn sweet and swoony.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

I honestly did not think I would like this book as well as the first in the series Jason was not likeable in that book. I have it a try because Dean & Holly's story was so good and I did like Megan. And Julie Kriss did it go me again I loved Jason and Megan's romance so sexy, sweet and snarky. They were so perfect together & he was so much more than Holly's perfect brother. Well done!

[Christine Galletly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this was a great book and I couldn’t put it down – I loved it!

It was fast paced and it was a wonderful read – really entertaining.

It was a wild, romantic and sexy story that had me hooked.

The characters were well developed and fun and I loved their interaction and getting to know them as the book progressed.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, very, very highly recommended!

[Maria Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this backward thing, hate/sex/feelings/love.
There are feelings, humor, sex, understanding, all in perfect balance.

Not much drama, sooo much need to learn each other, feel each other...
"A man who has a woman who loves to fuck him can leap tall buildings in a single bound."

need each other in every possible way...
"My body loves you. My brain loves you. My heart loves you. All of it loves you, Megan".

"There's always an us"

[Keewatin · Rating 4 out of 5]

After we met Megan and Jason in "How to Date Your Brother's Best Friend", I couldn't wait to know why there was so much tension between them. Megan hates Jason and I have to know why and, let me tell you it is such a good reason!!! Actually, this whole book is so so good. Seriously, why are you still reading this "review" 😋

[Suzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like the first one in the series, this was an easy listen. Low angst and the characters were enjoyable enough but I no humor. Would be a 3 but the high steam factor pushed it over to a 4 + Jacob Morgan narrating... hello!
Breakdown:
Comedy - low
Steam (rating of 1 to 3 "hots")- hot, hot, hot
Romance - good
Angst - ok
Drama - ok
Narration - swoon!!

[Catarina Águas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I wanted to read Jason's story for a while and I was not disappointed. His and Megan's relarionship was a such a pull and push, and I loved it. I especially liked when Megan screwed up and was the one that tried again with him. Jason was a such a sweet guy, they deserved to be happy