16 reviews for:

The Hating Game

Talli Roland

2.83 AVERAGE


Not for me,

I do not like reality shows in real life, ...at all. But I loved this book. The characters were fun and pretty believable. And your kept on the edge of your seat wondering what's going to happen next.

It was a super fun read!

"`IF I GET PNEUMONIA, HE'S GOING to pay,' Mattie Johns muttered as she gripped the chains of the dunk- tank swing and looked down into the murky water."

The first scene already had me laughing so I was hooked. The story unfolds seamlessly. When I began the book, it was a busy time for me but I made time to read. I finished it in four days.

At first I found Mattie unlikeable. But even in the beginning, I could detect her vulnerability within her uncompromising exterior. This is a woman who wants to be in control, so it's interesting to see how she grows as her life becomes more and more out of her control.

Every character has depth in this story, which is a feat because there are quite a few important characters. Too many books have a friend who is little more than a sidekick, only existing to provide humor. I liked the best friend and learned much about the main character through her. The ex/love interest isn't too domineering or too wimpy. I found myself rooting for him early on, even when Mattie seemed to have good reasons to stay away.

The premise is clever. Reality TV with all the behind the scenes backstabbing exists in spades. I had a hard time putting the book down, wondering what would happen next. No predictability here.

This book is appealing to read and would make a great film. I could see the movie version clearly - probably because much of the time the reality television show is filming. And if this becomes a movie, I will definitely see it.
adventurous lighthearted reflective
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Orginal Review: Thoughts of a Mad Hatter!

The Hating Game is a great spin on reality TV. I can admit I love reality Tv shows. So this book really appealed to. Talli has took the simple dating game show and twisted it into something fun, exciting and yet dangerous.

The story follows Mattie (our main character). Mattie is almost bankrupt and is getting desperate, so when Nate appears in her office one to with an offer she can't refuse she signed up for a reailty TV show, Thinking it will be an easy way to collect some cash, as the show starts thing aren't all as they seem.

I really liked Mattie, she was quite funny and even though she comes across as a man-eater and maybe a bitch to some. I found myself really connecting with her. She deals with the Tv show in a very professional way. Even though they producers are throwing her alot of unexpected twists. As well as Mattie there are a few other characters, I would be here forever if I mentioned them all. However, I will mention a few that stand out. Nate, is a man behind the original idea for "The Hating Game" he is quite shy and very likeable. Kyle, is Mattie ex. The love of her life. Kyle seems like a really nice guy and quite down to earth. At first I didn't want to like him because he "cheated" on Mattie but I couldn't help but like him. My least favourite character was Adam. He was obsessed with Mattie. And not in a heathly way. He just plan weird lol.

I loved how the story flowed really well. Although my personally I don't like alot of changing POV and we have alot in this. However, apart from that I really liked. And I loved how Talli has put fun facts at the start of each chapter. They made me laugh.

I can't wait to read more of Talli's work. This is an outstanding debut novel and a must read for those who like chick-lit and reality Tv.


It was the body shaming and slut shaming for me. There’s always gonna be characters that rub you the wrong way and the FMC in this just really does exactly that for me. I love a strong woman but she’s simply cruel and overtly judgmental; very high school mean girl and I find that unbearable. I’ve lost interest on if the FMC can / will grow and how she’ll develop. Honestly, Jess is the only character at this point that I have a positive opinion of. Unfortunately, her presence can’t carry the whole novel when everyone else makes me want to slam my head into a concrete wall in the worst sort of way.

Easily the worst book I’ve read all year

This book was recommended to me and I liked the premise of behind-the-scenes of reality tv. It sounded different enough for me to buy straight away. Maybe I was expecting too much... I didn't really like the protagonist until almost the middle of the book. There's realistic, there's cynical, and then there's bitchy . Mattie is the definitely latter, and though I understood how much of the blame for that fell on her upbringing, it seemed overdone. The characters felt two dimensional, the growth and HEA contrived. Maybe this was supposed to be a satire? Even so, it fell short of the mark for me... or maybe I'm just over thinking it...

This book was really good! I loved the humor and I found myself turning pages without knowing it!! If you're looking for a funny, romantic story, this is definitely my suggestion.

Am loving this so far, very funny. Does make me wonder what would happen if I was faced with all my exes!!