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Quick answer: If you loved The Hating Game, try Beach Read, Book Lovers, The Unhoneymooners, The Spanish Love Deception, The Love Hypothesis and Red, White & Royal Blue. Each one delivers sharp banter, slow-building chemistry and the push and pull of two people who start out at odds.
Sally Thorne's office rom-com pits Lucy Hutton against Joshua Templeman, two executive assistants who sit across from each other and compete for the same promotion. The fun is in their rivalry, the pranks and the gradual realization that all that hate might be something else. If that is your favorite kind of story, these enemies-to-lovers and rivals-to-lovers romances deliver the same witty sparring, with a few slower burns and a few spicier picks for variety.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Trope | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beach Read | Emily Henry | Rivals to lovers | readers who want banter with depth |
| Book Lovers | Emily Henry | Enemies to lovers | fans of prickly heroines |
| The Unhoneymooners | Christina Lauren | Enemies to lovers | readers who want a light, fast read |
| The Spanish Love Deception | Elena Armas | Fake dating | fans of a long slow burn |
| The Love Hypothesis | Ali Hazelwood | Fake dating | readers who like STEM settings |
| Red, White & Royal Blue | Casey McQuiston | Rivals to lovers | readers who want a big, swoony romance |
| The Kiss Quotient | Helen Hoang | Opposites attract | readers who like character-driven romance |
| Get a Life, Chloe Brown | Talia Hibbert | Grumpy and sunshine | fans of witty British romance |
| The Flatshare | Beth O'Leary | Forced proximity | readers who like a gentle build |
| Well Met | Jen DeLuca | Enemies to lovers | readers who like quirky settings |
| People We Meet on Vacation | Emily Henry | Friends to lovers | readers who like dual timelines |
| Bringing Down the Duke | Evie Dunmore | Opposites attract | readers who want historical banter |
| The Wedding Date | Jasmine Guillory | Fake dating | readers who like an easy, feel-good romance |
| Boyfriend Material | Alexis Hall | Fake dating | fans of very funny romance |
| 99 Percent Mine | Sally Thorne | Friends to lovers | readers who want more Sally Thorne |
1. Beach Read by Emily Henry
A romance writer and a literary novelist, neighbors at the beach, bet that each can write in the other's genre. Funny and emotional, with grief and family secrets beneath the flirting.
Best for: readers who want banter with depth.
2. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Literary agent Nora Stephens keeps running into a rival editor during a small-town vacation with her sister. Sharp dialogue and a heroine as driven as Lucy.
Best for: fans of prickly heroines.
3. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Olive takes her sister's free honeymoon to Maui and has to pretend to be married to the groom's brother, a man she cannot stand. Breezy and very funny.
Best for: readers who want a light, fast read.
4. The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
Catalina needs a date for her sister's wedding in Spain, and the only volunteer is her infuriating coworker Aaron. A slow-burn office romance with plenty of tension.
Best for: fans of a long slow burn.
5. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Ph.D. student Olive kisses the first man she sees to convince her friend she is dating, and it turns out to be the department's most feared professor. Smart and playful.
Best for: readers who like STEM settings.
6. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
The son of the U.S. president and a British prince have a public feud that turns into a secret relationship. Political drama and lots of heart.
Best for: readers who want a big, swoony romance.
7. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Stella, an economist with autism, hires an escort to help her practice dating. Tender, funny and steamy, with real growth for both characters.
Best for: readers who like character-driven romance.
8. Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
After a near-death experience, Chloe makes a list to get a life and hires her grumpy building superintendent to help. Warm, sexy and full of banter.
Best for: fans of witty British romance.
9. The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
Tiffy and Leon share a one-bedroom flat but never meet, since she works days and he works nights, communicating only through notes. A sweet, clever premise.
Best for: readers who like a gentle build.
10. Well Met by Jen DeLuca
Emily volunteers at a Renaissance faire and clashes with the uptight organizer Simon, who plays a flirty pirate in costume. Charming and full of small-town warmth.
Best for: readers who like quirky settings.
11. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Poppy and Alex took a summer trip together every year until something went wrong, and now she wants to fix it. Nostalgic, funny and full of longing.
Best for: readers who like dual timelines.
12. Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
In 1879, suffragist Annabelle recruits a powerful duke to her cause and ends up in a battle of wills with him. A smart historical romance.
Best for: readers who want historical banter.
13. The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
After getting stuck in an elevator together, Alexa agrees to be Drew's date to his ex's wedding. Fun and affectionate.
Best for: readers who like an easy, feel-good romance.
14. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
Luc, a scandal-prone son of a rock star, needs a respectable boyfriend and convinces stuffy lawyer Oliver to play the role. Laugh-out-loud funny.
Best for: fans of very funny romance.
15. 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne
Darcy has loved her twin brother's best friend Tom for years, and renovating her grandmother's cottage brings them together again. Same quirky voice as The Hating Game.
Best for: readers who want more Sally Thorne.
How to Choose
For the closest match to Lucy and Josh's office rivalry, start with The Spanish Love Deception or Book Lovers. If you want the same humor but less heat, try The Unhoneymooners, The Flatshare or Well Met. Fans of fake dating will enjoy The Love Hypothesis, The Wedding Date and Boyfriend Material. If you want more by the same author, go to 99 Percent Mine. Most of these include open-door scenes, so check reviews if you prefer clean romance.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Hating Game a slow burn?
It is a medium burn. The tension builds for much of the book before the couple gets together.
What trope is The Hating Game?
It is a classic enemies-to-lovers and workplace romance, with rivals competing for the same promotion.
Is there a sequel to The Hating Game?
No. It is a standalone. A film adaptation came out in 2021, and Sally Thorne's other novels include 99 Percent Mine and Second First Impressions.