A Love Hate Thing by Whitney D. Grandison

Reviewed by Ginny

What I drank prior: a really fantastic cider with cranberry and rosemary. I continue to be thrilled that I have a local shop with cool artisanal drinks.

Goodreads Overview:

When they’re stuck under one roof, the house may not be big enough for their hate…or their love.

When Tyson Trice finds himself tossed into the wealthy coastal community of Pacific Hills, he’s ready for the questions, the stares and the feeling of not belonging. Not that he cares. After recovering from being shot and surviving the rough streets of Lindenwood, he doesn’t care about anyone or anything, much less how the rest of his life will play out.

Golden girl Nandy Smith has spent most of her life building the pristine image that it takes to fit in when it comes to her hometown Pacific Hills where image is everything. After learning that her parents are taking in a troubled teen boy, Nandy fears her summer plans, as well as her reputation, will go up in flames.

Now with Trice living under the same roof, the wall between their bedrooms feels as thin as the line between love and hate. Beneath the angst, their growing attraction won’t be denied. Through time, Trice brings Nandy out of her shell, and Nandy attempts to melt the ice that’s taken Trice’s heart and being. Only, with the ever-present pull back to the Lindenwood streets, it’ll be a wonder if Trice makes it through this summer at all.

Drunk Overview: this book had such promise. Tyson survived his father killing his mother and trying to kill him before mocing in with old family friends the Smiths. Nandy smith lives a privileged life and diesnt particularly like the intrusion of the friend she has at 7. This ends up being a loce story.

Spoiler-free Thoughts: like I said this book had so much promise but fell into a few pit traps

• There was a time jump that really hurt the book because the two main characters were just starting 5o be friendly and thenadter the time jump had issues that weren’t wxplained for far too long.
• Nandy is pretty insufferable for wvery character acting as if she’s a saint.
• This is a book that easily could have had the major portions be wnded woth an honest conversation or even a smart fucking question
• Too many instances of parents making blatantly dumb choices or reversing course for plotline reasons.
• Etc.

Characters: theres Tyson who is a fully realized character and has a lot pf depth beyond “the kid from the streets”. Nandy does grow on you regardless of some of the shitty choices she makes. Theres the bestie and the bf and all the people you would expect.

Plot: this book does follow the whole, you should be yourself because theres nonody else to be moral thing pretty much to a T. This book is aboiy Tyson coming to terms with his trauma and Nandy coming to terms with her prejudice and the pressures to be “perfect.” Honestly, that in itself would have been great. The addition of someone from Tysons past wanting to screw him over in a dramatic way felt unnecessary.

Writing Style: this book was a little too dramatic for me, but only in parts. The ending felt like a soap opera which felt out of place because the first 2/3rds didn’t. Basically it ended up being hella uneven.

World building: this book is basically doverse gossip girl with every teenage apparently having sex every single day and drinking constantly and parents never being around. I didnt buy it.

What to pair it with: mikes hard black cherry lemonade. The surface taste is a little funky but you keep drinking it hoping it’ll get better but it just never does

Rating: 2.5/5 Shots

– Ginny