***4 'A very fine line between love & hate' Stars*** 
 With a title like "Hate Story" and the blurb that went along with it, you know without a doubt that you'll be run through the wringer with frustrating moments that make you want to reach out and shake, or smack, the characters and growling a lot. And while I don't care for my eyes to be sore from all the rolling, I couldn't pass this one up. There was something in that blurb, along with the smexy as hell cover, that hooked me and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. It was equal parts sweet, sexy and frustrating and Max was just nummyness! 
 Max, oh, Max. I honestly liked him from the start, even when he wrapped himself in his arrogant aloofness, and that like grew to adoration. There was just something about the man that said he was so much more than what was on the surface and if you dug deep enough you'd find it and want to find a way to yank it out and never let it hide again. His heart has been trampled and considering what he's seen of 'love' it isn't difficult to understand why he's taken a hard stance against a true committed relationship, and yet he has a tender, protective heart and a hidden sweetness that is more about doing for others than for himself. 
 Nina. Overall, I really like Nina, even when I wanted to reach out and Gibbs smack her. I understood her stance on love and emotions and how that emotion in particular can do mass damage. While her stubborn nature rubbed me the wrong way at times, I couldn't help but like the woman she was when her guard was down. She was sweet, had a generous heart for those she called hers and her only true goal was a simple, happy life. 
 A marriage of convenience mixed with epically futile attempts to 'hate' each other made for a fun, if not frustrating, journey for Max and Nina. They did their best to keep each other at arm's length but the kernel of interest and attraction they felt from their first meeting only grew and they soon found that they actually liked each other and more. I loved watching as they tried to stick to the plan, but failed miserably, and ended up having to look long and hard at their reasons for keeping their distance from each other. The shift wasn't quick, or easy, but in the end they came out of it better people. There were quite a few bumps in the road, mostly of their own doing, but it was definitely interesting how they dealt with the ones that were engineered by external forces. The chemistry between them was explosive and though their HEA took awhile, I loved how everything worked out. 
 Hate Story is my first read by Nicole Williams and I really enjoyed the ride. The writing was engaging as was the dual first person POV's. The pacing was good, though there were a few times when I wanted things to go faster, but that was more an 'It's not you, it's me' thing. The one thing I'd have liked a little more of, which is a bit of a surprise to me, was the 'hate' before they transitioned, but what is there was fun. 
 ~ Copy received via Ardent Prose PR & voluntarily reviewed ~