Dear Love, I Hate You: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance (Silver Springs)

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ehh idk, even tho i’m glad he owned up to it in the end, i wanted to see him grovel towards Aveena more 🥺. And I think what ive always loved about pen-pal romances is that we see two people who believe that would never connect find an undeniable bond through the letters. I genuinely liked the first half of the book, the confessions were adorable and Xavier was just so easy to like. Those who know me very well, know that high school and college bully romance are my favorite tropes.

A super compelling and interesting story hook, flawed and complicated characters, heartbreak and angst, so much first love over the top drama and high school hijinks, and a deeply rich and captivating chemistry made this such an addictive read. Maybe I need to get my shit together too because high school settings in books are a magnet for clichés, and yet here I still am—clownin' myself. When the female lead's younger sister is dealing with domestic abuse and violence their solution is they just want the situation to be over and to let it go, even at the point where the same abuser drugs and tries to assault the female lead. Xav and Vee finally have a convo and he tells her she is a beauty with brains which was sweet but the moment was ruined since Dia was running out with Finn grovelling, apparently he cheated. Also, the fact, how one could spill those things on paper and put it in a book in the public library and expect no one to find it (other than the person it was meant for off course).When I signed up to the ARC (advanced reader's copy) of Dear Heart, I Hate You (DHIHY) I didn't think I'd get it; however, I was lucky enough to receive it. I honestly can't remember the last time I read a book in one sitting, let alone stayed up all night because I couldn't put it down. I mean sure you can have a bad side and geeky side, but please don’t make comments like ‘… would he ever fall in love with the nerd? What if when Xavier finds out that it's been Aveena, the girl who he bullied when they were kids that he's been talking to, and she's been right under his nose this whole time? This genuinely felt like it was written by somebody that watched Mean Girls thinking it was a documentary, then relayed what they saw to somebody else, then THAT mf wrote a book.

And Vee is a strong heroine, even if she’s been living her life in her gifted little sister’s shadow for years. All of the side characters as well, Diamond, Finn, Theo and Ashley, were also amazing and all were going through their own life situations that sucked but being able to discover themselves and become better individuals makes this book one hell of a read. was rushed up, after the letters were revealed in front of everyone and it was out that Xavier is Zac it just ended abruptly. Deep down he was such a sensitive and troubled soul and you could see how his growing friendship with Aveena was having such a positive effect on him. But then when some stupid girl threatens Xav, he acts like a fucking coward and complies with what she says?The chemistry just flows from the pages and at the heart of this book is a believability that only comes from great writing. But thanks to their chemistry and feelings they have for each other, they manage to survive all barriers and their love only grows stronger. I would absolutely pick up another book from this author, and I’m secretly hoping we get more from this world. They seem to be a mess but I just cant help but find their story amusing and it’s a “friends who are in love with eachother but will not admit it” trope. It feels like Vee’s crush is one-sided and even though it’s sweet that Xav fell for L emotionally, he doesn’t care for Vee even if he finds her attractive.

Our heroine is the quiet, not so social, invisible wallflower, she's counting on getting that scholarship, it's her only way out of town and away from her mother and sister who made it big when she was younger. Now here’s something you should know: while Vee’s deepest confession was that she slept with her sisters boyfriend; xav confessed that he saw his mother sleeping with a minor.

The book follows Finn and Dia, who hate each other, being forced to live in the same house, trying not to kill each other and avoiding each other's secrets and the building of chemsitry between them. Aveena and Xavier become secret pen-pals by chance and their romance is bulding slowly and I really appreciated this. It takes place during the characters Senior year of High school and I found the tone perfect without being too juvenile. If you are looking for an angsty page turner - a painful but beautiful love story with a magical ending, PICK THIS UP. I love Michelle Sparks soft, feminine voice which is terrific, and Lucas Allen had a good voice as well and totally sounded age appropriate for this book.