Black sheep here. I liked The Hating Game, but I sadly didn't love it, which I had expected based on all my friends' GLOWING reviews. 
 First of all, while I like quippy banter and skme tension, I don't care for characters actually hating each other and being horrible. Yes, yes, I know the book is literally titled The Hating Game, but I didn't expect actual bald hatred, and Lucy and Josh are quite awful to one another. 
 Secondly, while Sally Thorne KILLS the swoony scenes with beautiful language and gorgeous, unique descriptions that are simultaneously real and almost fantasy, I didn't care for her writing style during most of the novel. I have a reading quirk that means when I see the word "again" or something similar, I am compelled to search the preceding scene intul I find the first instance of X thing. Thorne constantly refers to things in a way that suggests she's mentioned them before, but she never has. An example is when Lucy says, as she weirdly scurries around Josh's apartment for the first time, that she needs a workout basket. BUT SHE NEVER MENTIONED SEEING ONE, AND I KNOW SHE DIDN'T BECAUSE I READ THAT SCENE FIFTEEN TIMES. I know this is small and weird, but it drove me crazy. 
 Thirdly, and this is kind of tied into #2, I didn't love Lucy as our narrator. I really would have preferred dual povs with Josh because Lucy was too much. I do not love how Lucy views the world. It was really hard to follow her thoughts for me, and sometimes she did really weird, immature things. It's like.... how is this woman, who supposedly runs a publishing company (lol, right), so childish sometimes? 
 Fourthly, there's some definite problematic word choice going on. So many casual, flippant conversations about insane and crazy thigs, and toward the end, Josh calls himself (I think. It may have been Josh calling Lucy) socially retarded. THIS. LANGUAGE. IS. NOT. OKAY. 
 Fifthly, the story took a sharp turn toward The Proposal at the end, and I find that lack of originality frustrating. I literally felt like I was watching Ryan Reynolds and Craig T Nelson shouting at each other and then Mary Steenburgen yelling at CTN to "fix it, Joe. Fix it NOW." As much as I love The Proposal, I kind of wanted this book to not take a literal plot point from it. 
 You're probably wondering how I managed to like this book at all since I'm finding fault with everything, BUT I thought the games Lucy and Josh play are hilarious and thankfully unique. They have great snark when it's not hateful, and the tension during the private scenes was A+++++. As I said above, Thorne's language during those scenes was G O R G E O U S. It wasn't flowery and soft-focused; it was visceral and honest. One problem I have with romance covers is that the models never have enough tension in their bodies that makes it look wholly believable. Like if they're embracing, their fingers aren't GRIPPING each other like they never want to let go. Josh and Lucy are most definitely gripping. Their body language, everything from their eyes to their fingers, their whole bodies, is so intense. And the sweet moments--watching tv, Josh giving Lucy a foot rub, etc--are just as amazing to read, the tenderness and quiet not at all interfering with that intensity. GAH. Slow burn is gooood. I also liked the tiny bits of humor sprinkled throughout. 
 Overall, The Hating Game is fun and fluffy, with great tension and lovely writing, but I feel like the story, the characters, and the narration could have been stronger.