If You Hate Me

I went into *If You Hate Me* expecting another formulaic enemies-to-lovers sports romance—you know, the kind where the banter is so thick you could butter toast with it and the HEA arrives like clockwork. Instead, Helena Hunting gave me a book that’s equal parts heart and ham-fisted chaos, and I’m here for it. The narration by Connor Crais and CJ Bloom is where this audiobook truly shines. Crais nails Tatum’s exhausted-but-trying-to-stay-classy energy, especially in scenes where she’s one bad play away from screaming into a protein shake. Bloom, meanwhile, steals every scene as Tatum’s chaotic best friend, delivering lines like *“I will end you”* with the gravitas of a Shakespearean actor performing a TikTok rant. The chemistry between them is electric, making the rivalry subplot feel less like a trope and more like a genuine grudge match. That said, the book isn’t without flaws. The corporate softball league setting, while fun, occasionally feels like a thin veneer for a story that could’ve thrived just as easily in a bar or a bookstore. And let’s talk about the pacing—it stumbles in the middle act, where the physical therapy subplot drags more than a pulled hamstring. But these are minor quibbles in what’s otherwise a rom-com that knows exactly what it is: a gloriously messy, laugh-out-loud ride where the only thing harder than the characters’ feelings is their grip on their dignity. If you’re in the mood for a romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still packs emotional punches, this one’s a home run.