Q&A: Marina Adair, Author of 'Love To Hate You'

We chat with author Marina Adair about Love To Hate You, which is a modern twist on You’ve Got Mail starring an indie bookstore owner looking for true love and a cynical CEO who may ruin everything. PLUS we have the first chapter to share with you at the end of the interview!

Hi, Marina! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hi everyone! I’m a New York Times bestseller of fun, funny RomComs that bring all the feels. I am an avid romance reader who loves Emily Henry and Tessa Bailey. And if I had to choose my OG fav, it would be Julie Garwood!

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

My love of romance came from watching 1990s romcoms, especially ones written by Nora Ephron.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

The first book you ever remember reading: Honor’s Splendor by Julie Garwood
The one that made you want to become an author: Falling For Mr. Dark and Dangerous by Donna Alward
The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The entire Lucky Harbor series by Jill Shalvis

**Your latest novel, Love to Hate You, is out April 22^nd! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?**

Fun, smart, sassy, tender, enemies-to-lovers

What can readers expect?

One spicy heroine who is a hopeless romantic, one grumpy business tycoon, a multi generational family who love to play pranks, a lot of fun antics and a romcom full of all the feels. At its core, LOVE TO HATE YOU is a tender love story about an independent bookstore owner who is looking for true love and a cynical big-chain CEO who launches a bookstore-war that may challenge everything they believe about love.

**Where did the inspiration for Love to Hate You come from?**

I was marathoning Nora Ephron movies and decided to do an homage to her and her fabulous movies. I wanted to bring back those classic romcoms that were full of smart banter, deep emotions and fun antics that make you laugh and cry.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I loved writing the character Aunt Cecilia who is a loud, Italian woman who argues as hard as she loves. She claims to have a third eye and to be able to see the future. Throughout the book she is making predictions about the heroine’s true love that matches the hero to a tee. Even though she is Italian she reminds me of my feisty grandma, who was a spicy Southern woman.

Q&A: Sara Hanover, Author of ‘The Wayward Mage’

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

I wanted this book to live up to the amazing 1990s romcoms I love and that caused some imposter syndrome. To get out of the funk, I studied how they created the loveable and relatable characters. Once I had my characters nailed, the book flew by.

What’s next for you?

My upcoming book Big Chick Energy comes out in 2026, and is a hysterical and timely mix of Below Deck meets Nine to Five. A former luxury yacht steward and newly hired executive assistant, who is trying to find stability in the aftermath of her sister’s death, and a grinch of a boss who sends his assistants cowering in terror, engage in an all-out office war based squarely on loathing, lamenting, and never ending pranks. Oh, and hormones, there are a lot of those flying around—enough that they begin to blur the line between hate and love.