Hating You

A Blackthorn Elite Novel, Book 1

By: J.L. Beck, Cassandra Hallman

Narrated by: Blake Richard, Olivia Amayo

Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's Summary

Two years ago, she ruined my family’s life. Maybe, she thought it was only a little lie. That she did the right thing, that the worst was behind her, that no one had gotten hurt. 

Oh, how naive the black haired beauty was! Fate has finally brought her back to me...to Blackthorn Academy. 

Once upon a time, I was obsessed, consumed with the need to make her mine. Now, I just want revenge, and I’ll do whatever I can to get it. 

You see, the beautiful, sweet Willow doesn’t realize the mistake she’s made, yet. She doesn’t realize that she’s entered the lion's den, and there won’t be any escaping her fate. 

I’m Parker Rothschild, and I’ll become her nightmare, her enemy, her bully. 

By the time I’m finished with her, she’ll be begging me for forgiveness and pleading to confess her sins. 

Please note: This is a stand-alone dark bully romance. This audiobook contains scenes that may be triggering to some listeners. This is not a YA romance novel and should be listened to only by those who are 18 or older.

©2019 Beck & Hallman LLC (P)2020 Beck & Hallman LLC

Book one in the series.

Hating you, book one in the Blackthorn Elite series follows Parker Rothschild and Willow Bradford. All Willow wanted was to protect her sister Ashton, so she does as her father asks and enrolls in Blackthorn Academy with the hopes of working her way into getting her father back into the circle of the rich and powerful. What she didn’t expect was to run into Parker Rothschild. Parker has been obsessed with Willow and when she comes to Blackthorn, he finally begins his plans for revenge. At first I just figured that they really did hate each other, but as the story progresses, you begin to see that the lines between enemies and lovers begins to blur and though Willow lets Parker do things to her that are borderline assault, she still has feelings for him. Will have to see what happens in the next book.

Great Story-Poor character/narrator fit

These narrators are new to me and while both did an amazing job, I had a hard time sticking with listening vs reading. This is because the male narrator’s voice didn’t quite match the character, Parker, for me. It was a bit too...soft. It kept throwing me off when I was expecting a deeper growl. Parker was a very aggressive, possessive, and a little over the top. This narrator just wasn’t able to deliver all that (for me).

Overall, an intense story! Definitely worth the read!

Hating You

Loved it. 💖💖 Need the rest in the series.
Willow and Parker's connection was amazing.
True love through and through.

A good book!

This was a good book with a lot of surprises that kept things interesting. The narrator's do a great job of telling it as well.

Epic

This book is amazing! If you are looking for a bully romance then this one is for you! Parker and Willow are hot!! The heat between the two is undeniable and the push pull makes for such a captivating story!!

Loved the story

As always I LOVED the story. I want a fan of the female’s narration. She spoke like every word had a period in between. The man’s narration was great though, I loved his voice and he didn’t hang up on any words. Would definitely enjoy listening to this one again

Heartwrenching and Heartchanding

This is a tremendously fabulous story that will shake you to your very core and leave you wanting so much more!! The story is pulse-pounding and something you could read about in the paper or see lived out by a neighbor. It is nonetheless so powerful and unforgettable. The characters are amazing and will leave you in awe as they fight for what they believe in for all they are worth. They don't give in or back down, and that is where their power comes. Their love and devotion is what will claim your very soul and leave you all the better for it.

I was held in reverent awe by the outrageously talented narrators. Richard and Amayo will steal your heart with their impressive performance. They make this story breath and talk and walk right into your heart. This is not a performance to be missed!! This entire series is demanding and challenging and purposeful, these two fabulous narrators are making sure that you know about it and appreciate each of them!! If nothing else, allow Blake Richard to sear his words on your very bones.

Preferred reading to the audiobook

I read the book and quite enjoyed the storyline. I was excited to pick up the audio version, but was disappointed in the narration. The male actor spoke too closely to and blowing into the microphone; his voice was just loud and lacked crispness. In addition both actors, the male and female, recited all characters, tones, reactions in the same voice, making the characters indistinguishable from each other, and text unremarkable. Unfortunately, I found my attention drifting while listen to this book and would not be interested in another recited by these narrators.

Young Love

Definitely an enemy to lovers theme. My heart went out to Willow. She is an innocent put in a horrible situation worried about her sister and dealing with an angry young man. Parker believes she lied about his brother being responsible for her sister's rape. But everything is resolved in the end.

Heavy storyline

This was a good but dark story. There are twists and turns and sadly tragedy. The narrators were very good.

Hating You

Hating You kept me on the edge of my seat with so many twists and turns. It was dark and delicious and had me guessing right until the very end. This book had a gripping storyline and intense characters with lots of revenge, secrets and lies. This is a standalone but is part of a series with interconnected characters. I loved this book and can't wait to listen to Warren's story in Breaking You. Blake Richard and Olivia Amayo are both narrators that are new to me but they did an amazing job bringing this story to life, and I look forward to hearing more from them in the future. I received this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review.

too much

I really like books that are full of mistakes and pain and remorse... but..he went too far ...he did things that I think I would never been able to forgive...too much... he apologize but he went too far...that is too close to rape in my book. so I will give only 2 star to the plot...really good readers... both of them.

Gritty storyline

This book has triggers so be warned. The emotion in it is on another level of coping with the aftermath of such a brutal event. Written well. Fantastic performance from both Olivia and Blake.

So dark and good!

I love dark romances, and this definitely fit the bill. My first listen by J.L. Beck and C. Hallman, I enjoyed an unpredictable, fantastic story. Willow is a pawn for her father. After losing business associates, he is using Willow to get back in the good graces of the community by using the Parker, the son of his adversary. Now attending Blackthorn Elite, she is thrown into social suicide with Parker leading the way. These two are like water and oil. Parker is determined to seek revenge on Willow's family and will do anything he can to achieve it. Willow is determined not to be broken. But there is a fine line between love and hate. This story has such realism in it, at times it's scary. Beck and Hallman integrate greed, reputation, bullying, mental illness and so much more into this story, it's impossible not to get sucked in. There were times I wanted to hate Parker, but ultimately, it was hard not to understand and sympathize with his situation as much as Willow's. This is an incredible listen and I can't wait to hear book 2!

The narration team of Blake Richard and Olivia Amayo is the perfect casting for this story.They both fit the characters and did justice for the story. Richard portrays Parker with a dark and devious stature, and can turn it in an instant so you feel his turmoil. Amayo adds so much to Willow, with the listener feeling compassion for her and letting us in on her emotional uproar. It's a wonderful pairing adding so much to this performance.