Reviewed by True
TITLE: The Hate Project
SERIES: The Love Study #2
AUTHOR: Kris Ripper
PUBLISHER: Carina Adores
LENGTH: 352 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 27, 2021
BLURB:
This arrangement is either exactly what they need–or a total disaster
Oscar is a grouch.
That’s a well-established fact among his tight-knit friend group, and they love him anyway.
Jack is an ass.
Jack, who’s always ready with a sly insult, who can’t have a conversation without arguing, and who Oscar may or may not have hooked up with on a strict no-commitment, one-time-only basis. Even if it was extremely hot.
Together, they’re a bickering, combative mess.
When Oscar is fired (answering phones is not for the anxiety-ridden), he somehow ends up working for Jack. Maybe while cleaning out Jack’s grandmother’s house they can stop fighting long enough to turn a one-night stand into a frenemies-with-benefits situation.
The house is an archaeological dig of love and dysfunction, and while Oscar thought he was prepared, he wasn’t. It’s impossible to delve so deeply into someone’s past without coming to understand them at least a little, but Oscar has boundaries for a reason—even if sometimes Jack makes him want to break them all down.
After all, hating Jack is less of a risk than loving him…
REVIEW:
Oscar is surrounded by a supportive circle of friends (The Motherfuckers) who know how to deal with his anxieties and even help him through some. He’s grumpy, not happy with himself, and looking at his own body isn’t helping either. A lot in his life is because of his anxiety. Oscar isn’t only his anxiety, depression, or meds, he’s a lot more. I think he doesn’t know but he’s so funny with his grumpiness. I think a lot of people can relate to him, stressing out in a car, being horrified by the company of other people, feeling incompetent and insecure. His home is a safe place.
There is a new friend, Jack, Oscar doesn’t like him. Jack is an ass.
They insult and snapping at each other and always arguing. It’s exhausting. To get the edge off they end up in bed, a one-time thing, right! Until there is another reason to do it again.
Jack sees him in a different way than Oscar sees himself. Jack loves to touch him, though Oscar hates to be touched.
“I wanted to hate him, but hearing my name in that I’m-just-about-to-come voice made it impossible.”
Oscar lost his job, mostly because of his anxieties.
For an exorbitant amount of money, Oscar will help clean out Jack’s grandparent’s house, where Jack grew up. His grandfather was a hoarder. There is a lot to clean and run through.
Oscar finds private papers and can’t help being interested in Jack’s life. Did I say interested? Nope, Jack is… irritating, rude, judgmental, has great hands, and looks delicious in a suit. It brings chaos to Oskar’s head.
– Don’t ask what happened. Don’t ask what happened.
Don’t ask what happened. “What happened?” –
Many wars and conflicts are racing through Oscar’s head, those were devastating and hurtful moments.
How dare Jack tells him he’s hot. How dare he! The f word presented itself a thousand times.
This is not a typical romance. But slowly there is some kind of consistency in their relationship, until there is not.
There are so many wonderful passages, It’s almost impossible to choose a quote.
I adored Oscar’s inner conversations, his view on his awkwardness, the honest, blunt, thoughts, about his body, his behavior, his changing feelings of Jack! The denial, the self-sabotage, the loathing, all heavy emotions!
I adored this story, it was amazing, don’t expect something super romantic, you will not find it, but there is a romance between them, in their own awkward way, their way, and that’s what really matters. Oskar was awkward, exhausting, and adorable, he has some amazing, nurturing friends.
The story is told from Oscar’s point of view, at times I was really curious what was going on in Jack’s head. I loved his personality and the way he was with Oskar. Let’s not forget Jack’s awesome grandmother Evelyn, what a wonderful personality!
Again, I adored this story, even though it was for me tiresome. The writing style was excellent, very entertaining, and consistent, the story felt in every way plausible.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: