Hate You More

Author: Donna Alam  Title: Hate You More Publisher: Montlake Date Published: 10/15/2026

Read Dates: 10/04/2026- 10/05/2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 📖 I received a gifted e-book ARC. The following is my honest review✍🏻

Hate You More is a dual POV second-chance romance. Troy and Clara had a brief passionate fling in their youth, when she was a spoiled rich girl and he was the son of the housekeeper, that went up in flames. A decade later they run into each other when the tables have definitely turned: Troy’s business is now valued at billions and Clara is making ends meet at various gig jobs after being cut off by her father. When a photo of them starts rumors of a relationship the two see an opportunity to control the narrative to both their benefits. A marriage of convenience will give Clara access to a trust fund to get her life back, and will give the appearance of stability Troy and his company need. All they have to do is agree to terms, set boundaries, and avoid falling in love again!

I really enjoyed this one! Told mostly in present day with a few flashbacks that shed a light on their previous relationship and how it fell apart, it’s a great second chance story. I loved that Clara, who was in many ways a victim of her circumstances in her youth, didn’t shift blame to others. She recognized the role she played in how things fell apart, understood why Troy was angry, and tried to make amends through words and actions. I loved how passionate things were between the two of them, their moments of playful banter and that Troy, even at his angriest, was never deliberately cruel or hurtful. Seeing Clara map a new future based on her experiences and seeing Troy wrestling to measure the woman he knows now against the narrative he thought he knew makes this a fantastic read!

Clara Forbes had it all — until she didn't.

Locked out of her Park Avenue inheritance, scraping by on gig work in a city that once bowed to her name, Clara needs one a husband. Enter Troy Templeton, the former help’s son. Now a billionaire mogul, he’s never forgiven her for what happened between them.

When a chance encounter goes viral, they strike an uneasy deal. She gets her trust fund. He gets the clean image his investors demand. Strictly business.

But surviving a marriage of convenience with your ex is anything but simple. Beneath old wounds, something far more inconvenient stirs. In public, they are the perfect couple. In private, every boundary they set begins to shift.

Before long, the problem isn't keeping things professional. It's admitting they both want something they swore they'd never risk again.

A scorching romance about temptation, desire and the kind of chemistry that burns through every rule you make.