Let’s talk about hate-to-love for a hot minute here, shall we? It just so happens that this is easily my favorite trope to read…EVAH. No joke. Something about the banter, that repressed sexual tension, the sparks that fly between the H & h when they argue yet you know they’re probably 2 seconds from jumping each other. *shivers* Delicious. So obviously what this means is that I’ve read a lot in this genre…like a lot. So much so, that when I started to put together my list, my brain began to hurt. There are so many books that I wanted to put on this list, but they’ve also been in my previous ones and so I decided not to mix genres. A lot of the hate-love I read in my dark romances, but since that’s not everyone’s cuppa and I already made my ultimate list of Anti-Heroes, I decided not to be redundant and skip this particular genre. If you’re curious about the Anti Hero list, you can read it HERE.
If you’re new to my blog, my Ultimate List is a monthly feature that I do on the last Saturday each month with my favorites in various categories, tropes, and whatever else. If you’ve missed any of my previous ones, you can read them all here:
★ULTIMATE LIST OF DIRTY TALKERS★
★ULTIMATE LIST OF ANTI-HEROES★
But let’s get back to hate-to-love. You’ll notice my list is random and features books that were recently published and some from quite a while ago. I’ve read all the books on the list and they’re my go-to recs for this trope. I loved them! Of course there’s probably plenty that I haven’t read yet, so I’d love to hear about any of your favorites that I may have missed in the comments below. Now without further ado, let’s get to the list!
She was everything he didn’t deserve, everything good, and he’d make sure she stayed safe for the rest of her life, no matter what he had to do.
Rebecca Zanetti’s Sin Brothers series was easily my favorite that I read by her…until I read this book. I’m hooked and there’s no looking back. Now admittedly I’m not a reader that enjoys the post-apocalyptic world in my books. But Rebecca is one of the few authors I was willing to make an exception for because I truly love her work, and boy was I glad that I did because I loved the absolute hell out of this book. It’s not your typical post-apocalyptic zombie story. It’s so much more than that and with an intriguing twist to boot. The world building is rich and captivating, the romance is sizzling hot, and the set up is so enticing that you’ll be hooked from the very first chapter!
Lynn was a fantastic heroine with just enough backbone to make her the right sort of kick ass but also with a vulnerability to endear her as well. Jax was everything I love in a hero; damaged with a hidden vulnerable side with a dash of dirty talker. He was absolute perfection. There’s a slew of secondary characters introduced as well, that caught my attention right away. The main one being Raze. Lucky for me, his story will be next and the set up for it? Shiver inducing.
Oh Danny boy, how I’ve missed you. So much so, that I savored this book as much as I could. See I have a sentimental attachment to this series. 
Confession time: the only thing I remember from 
After the game he designed, Ford’s career blew up. After being burned by people that are interested only in his success and money, Ford is weary about who he lets in. The while out at a bar one night, he spots the girl that’s always held his heart…even though she was also the one that shattered it back in college.
Manaconda was exactly the kind of sexy, fluffy and humorous interlude that I needed in my reading. Admittedly, I was looking forward to a full standalone, but considering that the conclusion will be released on January 26 for free, it lessens the sting considerably. As for the book? Well I read it in one sitting, so what does that tell you?
My only quibble is that I wished it would have been a longer standalone, but that’s because I’m a self professed cliffy avoider. True story. These authors are the only ones that can even pull that off with me and only because I love every single thing they write. Even with the cliffy, I gobbled this up like the starved smut addict that I am and loved every sinfully sexy page of it. Now I’m looking forward to the conclusion and luckily I don’t have to wait long at all.
From the second I read the blurb to Outside The Lines I was hooked. I knew I had to read. You see, I have this obsession with mafia romances. As in, I can’t ever pass one up. And having loved Lisa’s A Little Too Far series, adding this one was a no brainer.
