A Love Hate Thing – Blog Tour
A Love Hate Thing by Whitney D. Grandison
Inkyard Press – January 7, 2020
*Book Review copy provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I’m back with a young adult romance as I continue to delve into the romance genre!
I was particularly excited about receiving an advanced reader’s copy of this novel feature two African American teenagers from different classes and neighborhoods written by a woman of color author! I will take a hundred more, please, and thank you! Whenever I have the chance to promote work by authors of color, particularly women, I am thrilled and want to give their work more exposure.
About the Book
A Love Hate Thing
Whitney D. Grandison
On Sale Date: January 7, 2020
Inkyard Press
9781335016041, 133501604X
Hardcover
$18.99 USD, $23.99 CAD
Young Adult Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Ages 13 And Up
464 pages
A fantastic enemies to lovers romance about an It girl whose world is upended when a boy from the past moves into her house after tragedy strikes. For fans of Ibi Zoboi’s Pride, Mary H. K. Choi and Samira Ahmed. Wattpad author Whitney D. Grandison’s traditional publishing debut.
When they’re stuck under one roof, the house may not be big enough for their hate…or their love
When Tyson Trice finds himself tossed into the affluent coastal community of Pacific Hills, he’s ready for the questions, the stares, and the total feeling of not belonging in the posh suburb. Not that he cares. After recovering from being shot and surviving the mean streets of Lindenwood, he doesn’t care about anyone or anything. He doesn’t even care how the rest of his life will play out.
In Pacific Hills, image is everything. Something that, as the resident golden girl, Nandy Smith knows all too well. She’s spent most of her life building the pristine image that it takes to fit in. After learning that her parents are taking in a former childhood friend, Nandy fears her summer plans, as well as her reputation, will go up in flames. It’s the start of summer vacation and the last thing Nandy needs is some juvenile delinquent from the ’Wood crashing into her world.
Stuck together in close quarters, Trice and Nandy are in for some long summer nights. Only, with the ever-present pull back to the Lindenwood streets, it’ll be a wonder if Trice makes it through this summer at all.
My Thoughts
In all honesty, this book wasn’t for me. This doesn’t mean it might not be a fantastic book for another reader, it merely means that for me it didn’t check some of my reader-love boxes. I typically steer away from contemporary YA for this reason.
While I found Trice’s character compelling at certain points at other points wondered if his character veered too close to being stereotypical. Meanwhile, I loathed Nandy and her rich, privileged upbringing even if she was a dedicated student and did a lot for her community. I could never identify with her or even understand all of her actions.
At times I found myself skimming and finding parts of the book melodramatic. There’s nothing wrong with melodrama if that’s your thing, it just isn’t something I love to spend my time on.
I think this is a decent debut novel and I can see the author’s talent only growing from here and I will definitely keep an eye out for her future work. I will definitely being looking for #ownvoices reviews of this book because I would like to hear their thoughts on the book. As I mentioned, I think some folks will really love this book and even the target demographic of teenage readers may well enjoy this book more than me as reader in her late twenties who has different priorities and concerns.
About the Author
Whitney D. Grandison was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, where she currently resides. A lover of stories since she first picked up a book, it’s no surprise she’s taken to writing her own. Some of her works can be found on Wattpad, one of the largest online story sharing platforms, where she has acquired over 30,000 followers and an audience of over fifteen million dedicated readers.
Connect:
Instagram: @wheadee
Twitter: @whitney_DG
Buy Links:
Non-affiliate, publisher provided
