But I Hate Him brings me back to the summer camp pranks of The Parent Trap. As someone who never went to a camp, But I Hate Him, was the perfect escapist read! I also love a good rivals to lovers! Keep reading this book review of But I Hate Him for my full thoughts.
Summary
Rory is academic royalty.
As the heir to the most successful tutoring company in the world, he can be nothing less than perfect if he wants to gain his parents’ approval. So it’s simple. Rory studies harder than anyone else. He does not make mistakes. And he never loses.
Except to Luca Melendez. The infuriatingly good-looking hockey player who wins every academic competition without even trying.
When Rory has a very public meltdown, throwing a smoothie at Luca and shattering his own public image in the process – it feels like one more thing Luca ruined.
To salvage his reputation, Rory has his sights set on winning the most cutthroat academic camp in the country, BRAIN. There is nothing standing between Rory and the final medal.
Until, Luca Melendez shows up.
This means war and Rory has the perfect plan: Make Luca fall in love with him.
And then break Luca’s heart right before the final competition.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
But I Hate Him made me laugh and tear up. It’s this book about living up to expectations. We can become so committed to our legacy, our image, our family. But what happened to ourselves? But I Hate Him is certainly a story about academic rivals we’re just a bit too obsessed with, but it’s also a story about making our own path forwards. About seeing the pressure of all these external forces, these people who have their own vision of our happiness. But if we let ourselves be controlled by those visions, we will never be happy. But I Hate Him is about team playing, unexpected friendships, and making our own future.
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There’s plenty of camp pranks and science – which I loved – with a sweet group dynamic. I loved seeing the side characters and their unique personalities jump off the page. They all have their own motivations, privileges, and secrets. But I Hate Him reminds us that revenge never tastes as good as we think it will. That when our mistakes continue to pile up, the truth is going to be the only thing which can set us free. Find But I Hate Him on Goodreads, Storygraph, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.