Book Rewind · Review: Hate: A Love Story by Laurel Ulen Curtis

Hate: A Love Story by Laurel Ulen Curtis is today’s pick for our Book Rewind feature. I originally reviewed this book back in 2014, and it was one of my favorite reads that year, so if this review seems familiar that could be why.

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Book Rewind is a meme where we review a backlist title to distinguish reviewed books that are not a new release. We noticed we tend to review almost all new or newly released books and wanted to have a feature to spotlight some older books that we either just read or are just reviewing because we never got around to it, or possibly didn’t blog back then! This meme will be posted on Thursdays as a ‘Throwback Thursday’ kind of deal.

We totally encourage others to participate in the Book Rewind Review meme! Backlist books need love too! Feel free to use our banner and be sure to link back to our page and tag us on social media so we can help promote your posts too!

 

Hate: A Love Story by Laurel Ulen Curtis

Category: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publication: October 11th, 2014
Purchase: Amazon

Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
Life can be messy,
And love can be too.

Most people say that it’s not important where you’re going, but instead, how you get there.

Unfortunately for me, the journey to love was absolutely agonizing. Love and Hate wrestled with my life day after day, year after year, and the only way to stop it was to let one of them win.

Which one?

I fought to love harder. But I loathe my love story.

Warning: This standalone novel contains explicit language, sexual content, and potential triggers.

 

Review:

[book rating=5/5]

There are times when you find a book – a true gem, a rarity in this book world that is over-saturated with the typical stories of bad boys and virginal girls, and be completely blown away. When I signed up to review Hate, I had no idea what it was about. I simply liked the cover. Its simplicity drew me in. There was no ‘sexy couple’ featured, or a man with well-defined abs. It was just a pretty purple, and had hands holding a cracked heart. It made me curious. What would I find inside?

The answer to that is simple, and yet complex. BRILLIANCE. EMOTIONS. FEELINGS. A story that is so touching I can’t get it out of my head. And I’ve tried! I’ve read a few books since, but I keep going back to Hate. I’ve not felt this way since The Sea of Tranquility a couple years ago. Before that, I’d say Beautiful Disaster. I know these are big comparisons to make, but for me, it’s the only possible way to convey my hardcore love and adoration for this story.

Hate: A Love Story is told through the words of one Whitney Lenox. She is not the stereotypical female voice we are used to, and that alone was enough to win me over. Her voice is refreshingly unique. She is the kind of person you could see yourself becoming friends with – if only she’d be willing to let you in. Whitney’s downfall is her inability to let people in. She tends to focus on one aspect of her life, and cannot see past whatever it is. Her best friends were forced upon her by the “Can’t-Help-But-Fall-In-Love-With-His-Charm” Blane, who later added Franny into the mix. They become her everything.

“I’ve heard people say that a true connection with someone else goes beyond the reasonable. It goes beyond science and fact, and instead, takes root in the connection of your souls.”

The above quote means more to me than just a romantic connection. This can be witnessed throughout the story while watching Whitney and Gram interact. Gram provides much needed comic relief through the entire story. And believe me, it’s perfectly integrated in situations which were at times overwhelmingly depressing. The two of them have a real bond that goes beyond just being related by blood. Their relationship is honestly one of my favorite things about Hate.

From page one, I was transfixed by the story. Laurel Ulen Curtis somehow perfectly intertwined comedy and devastation, giving me relief in times when I was almost at my own emotional breaking point.

“One meant holding on. The other meant letting go. And I just couldn’t seem to commit to either one. How do you let go of the person you’re in love with? But how do you hold on to someone who’ll never love you back?”

And minutes later,

“You’re the one keeping me in Soaps for now. As long as I’m getting something out of you, I figure it pays to try not to screw this up.”

Curtis’s storytelling skills are remarkable. Amidst all the sadness and heartbreak, you are still hoping that Whitney will get what she wants out of life. You will fall in love with Gram, and most likely, aspire to be her. You will want to quit reading out of frustration for what these characters go through. The romantic scenes are breathtaking and perfectly complement the story. You will feel every emotion on the spectrum. Most importantly, this book will make you FEEL. ALL. THE. FEELS. I know I did.

Filled with angst, love, humor, loss, fate, and redemption, Hate: A Love Story is EVERYTHING. It has all the elements I look for in a favorite read, and it rocketed into position 1 for my favorite of 2014. Now, it’s your turn to fall in love with Hate.