Dating You / Hating You by Christina Lauren | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

This is my first experience with a Christina Lauren book and I have to say I am very intrigued and impressed. While it had its similarities to The Hating Game and toed the line of being repetitive, it was still sexy and humorous. Beyond the undeniable chemistry of the two leads, and their love/hate relationship that didn't border on unhealthy, there were tones of both glamorous lives (i.e: Hollywood) and a reality the rest of us know. Between the romance and the humor, we were also prone to emotional tugs and tackling the subject of sexism in the workplace.

I think what surprised me about Dating You / Hating You was that it was never cringe worthy (unless you count condom fiasco in a later plot) and remained entertaining in its dramatic aspects. It was fun and fluffy without losing any heart or intelligence. Christina Lauren balanced out the formula of a love story and made it their own; smart, steamy and sweet. More than this, the characters were fleshed out wonderfully. They both had flaws and less than stellar qualities to them that made them obtainable to the audience.

Even the minor characters bring a bit of fun to the plot--despite the fact that one of them is an insufferable prick who you cannot wait to see knocked down a few pegs. Talk about sexist pricks found in the work place, am I right? I thought that they served the plot well but there were still moments (family and friends) that felt underdeveloped and as if they could have been explored better.

I also had the sense that the ending was a bit rushed when it came down to it. A good part of the final quarter of this book seemed to be rushed and I wasn't all that keen on it. It wasn't terrible. But, I still found myself a little frustrated with it and that's that. This flaw doesn't take away from the rest of the stories light tone.

There was something fun about this novel that will perhaps sway non-romance readers to check it out. While, at its core, it is a typical adult fiction/romance, it still had a quality to it that made the experience of reading it enjoyable. This is definitely one of those read-in-one-sitting novels that is perfect for the summer. So what are you waiting for? Grab your favourite drink, lounge around in the sun and lose yourself in a delightful romance.