Whilst temporarily home from her traveling photography gigs, Kate Wilmot is forced to interact with her childhood neighbour and nemesis, Christopher, who is still close with Kate’s friends and family. After the Wilmot family pleads with Christopher to call a truce, Christopher learns that Kate acts hostile towards him because she wrongly believes that he hates her. Determined to turn over a new leaf, Christopher’s attempts to smooth things over with Kate end in a passionate kiss that forces the pair to re-examine their relationship.
Better Hate than Never is a contemporary Shakespearean retelling featuring the forced proximity and “enemies to lovers” tropes. This would be perfect for fans of “enemies to lovers” romances like The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, You, with a View by Jessica Joyce, Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez, Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood, Twisted Hate by Ana Huang, and The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon. Themes present include family and found family, mental health, change versus tradition, order versus chaos, escapism, communication, meddling, loneliness and isolation, love, death and loss, secrets and lies, travel, world news, and working-class struggles. The obvious moral of Kate and Christopher’s story is that love is better late than never!
Firstly, I want to advise readers who aren’t Shakespeare fans to not be put off by the fact that this book is a Taming of the Shrew retelling. Since this is a contemporary rom-com , it just so happens to use some of the same themes and names as Taming of the Shrew—much like how the movie 10 Things I Hate About You does this too! This book is the second installment of the Wilmot Sisters series and can be read as a standalone, however you should definitely read Two Wrongs Make a Right as it’s also very good!
Better Hate than Never is a “must add” to your fall TBR list as it has a lot of cosy fall vibes and Kate loves all things fall-flavoured, especially donuts! It was also enjoyable to see less-common topics incorporated—like ADHD and migraines—as they were very much present and made the reading experience more unique and memorable. I loved how Christopher and Kate learned to communicate and appreciated that there wasn’t a pesky third act break-up. One of the most memorable scenes was the epic paintball battle, featuring Christopher, Kate, and friends against some annoying misogynists, that then turns spicy. It was also great to see Bea and Jamie, the main characters from Two Wrongs Make a Right, and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
On the downside, I found it kind of cringey that Christopher was almost likened to an adopted sibling in Kate’s family; Christopher even talks about his 6-year-old self holding newborn baby Kate. It was a little disappointing we didn’t really get to see Kate and Christopher’s family and friends’ reactions when they inevitably discover that Kate and Christopher are romantically involved—perhaps a slightly missed opportunity that could have added even more comedy or drama to the story.
Overall, this book was really enjoyable and found it to be a real page-turner, perfect for fans of contemporary rom-coms and spicy “enemies to lovers” romances.
Better Hate Than Never is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of October 10th.
Will you be picking up Better Hate Than Never? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Childhood enemies discover the fine line between love and loathing in this heartfelt reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.
Katerina Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio shared backyards as kids, but as adults they won’t even share the same hemisphere. That is, until Kate makes a rare visit home, and their fiery animosity rekindles into a raging inferno.
Despite their friends’ and families’ pleas for peace, Christopher is unconvinced Kate would willingly douse the flames of their enmity. But when a drunken Kate confesses she’s only been hostile because she thought he hated her, Christopher vows to make peace with Kate once and for all. Tempting as it is to be swept away by her nemesis-turned-gentleman, Kate isn’t sure she can trust his charming good-guy act.
When Christopher’s persistence and Kate’s curiosity lead to an impassioned kiss, they realize “peace” is the last thing that will ever be possible between them. As desire gives way to deeper feelings, Kate and Christopher must decide if it’s truly better to hate than to never risk their hearts—or if they already gave them away long ago.
