What kind of blurb gives away things that happen 90% of the way into a book? This author literally spoils her own book by detailing every major plot point in the blurb, and I am genuinely confused by that. So it’s not that I didn’t like this strangers to instant enemies rom com, but the elements I was looking forward to the most didn’t even kick in until the back half – and our heroine was pretty nasty at the start. She’s (understandably) upset that her family’s finances have forced them to consider selling the farm, but she takes that out on a guy who has done nothing wrong. It comes off as childish and unnecessarily mean, so I had trouble connecting with her. The hero, on the other hand, was a total sweetheart. I loved how he was with his nephew, and it was easy to see what a nice guy he was. I struggled with the “enemies” portion of the story, but it simmers into a soft and sweet small town romance somewhere along the way. The back half had me considering a 4-star rating, but there were just too many things that bugged me to get there. I’d definitely try something else by this new-to-me author, because a lot of it was good.
The story follows Ellie, a woman who helps run her family’s dairy farm. She loves working on the farm, and she has devoted her life to making it work. So it was a shock to the system to discover that the farm’s finances are so bad that her parents have determined that they need to sell – ASAP. A corporate suit is on his way to review the farm’s operations and negotiate the sale, and he’ll be shadowing Ellie until that happens. Once Ellie realizes how little the guy actually knows about the day-to-day business of running a farm, she takes out her frustrations on him in an effort to send him packing. But Hayes settles into farm life better than Ellie anticipated, and their feuding soon shifts into something else. It’s not long before these two instant enemies are finding common ground, but Hayes is still tasked with doing the one thing that is sure to devastate Ellie.
Let’s talk about the good for a minute. I liked the overall vibe, which is a small town rom com. It’s definitely got a closed door feel, but the romance is such a slow burn that I didn’t miss the heat. I also really enjoyed the connection between Ellie and Hayes once she let go of her anger, especially after his nephew enters the picture. There’s some humor and plenty of feel good moments, so I have the feeling that I would like other books by this author more. Especially now that I know the blurbs might be a little too descriptive, lol. The main thing I struggled with is the enemies to lovers element, which is usually one of my favorite tropes. It just felt mean-spirited for no good reason, and it definitely does not paint Ellie in a flattering light. I considered DNFing a few times, but I wanted to see what the vibe would be like once that part of the story wrapped up, and I do think it’s much stronger in the back half. So this wasn’t quite what I was hoping for and certain things disappointed me, but it shifted into a pretty solid read by the end. Mixed feelings, for sure!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3KIlZbi
Blurb:
If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that I’ll do anything to prevent some suit from walking onto my family farm and buying it from us.
Hayes may think he can show up at our home, fling a contract in my face, and I’ll drop to my knees and thank him for saving the day, but he’s got it all wrong.
Even if it means Hayes has to spend more time on the farm, sleeping in the bedroom next to me, and almost getting a limb cut off.
When I learn that Hayes needs his job to care for his nephew, I see a different side to the grumpy businessman and understand his motives. He may be the enemy, but soon I can’t deny the chemistry that sizzles between us.
But his boss gives him an ultimatum to finalize the sale or get fired, and I make the greatest sacrifice of my life and sign the contract so he can raise his nephew right. Even if it means losing the man I love.
Meet Hate is an enemies-to-lovers rom-com with crackling chemistry full of laughs and heart set on a dairy farm. All the tension without the explicit bits. It’s the third book in the Meet Cute Series, but it can be read as a standalone.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3KIlZbi
About the Author:
Abi Sabina writes sweet closed door romance full of swoon, sass, and humor. She traded in the big city life for small town living when she moved to Spain.
She hasn’t wrangled herself a country boy yet, but she writes books based on charming heroes and small town charm. (And maybe throw in the city setting every so often.)
She loves coffee, country music, and the mountains. Her goal is to write stories that make you feel, smile, and cheer on love.
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