Whitney D. Grandison

Coming soon A Love Hate Thing by Whitney D. Grandison will be available Jun 08, 2021.

A Love Hate Thing

When they're stuck under one roof, the house may not be big enough for their hate...or their love. When Tyson Trice finds himself tossed into the affluent coastal community of Pacific Hills, he's ready for the questions, the stares and the feeling of not belonging in the posh suburb. Not that he cares. After recovering from being shot and surviving the mean streets of Lindenwood, he doesn't care about anyone or anything. He doesn't even care how the rest of his life will play out. In Pacific Hills, image is everything. Something that, as the resident golden girl, Nandy Smith knows all too well. She's spent most of her life building the pristine image it takes to fit in. After learning that her parents are taking in a teen boy, Nandy fears her summer plans, as well as her reputation, will go up in flames. It's the start of summer vacation, and the last thing Nandy needs is some juvenile delinquent from the 'Wood crashing into her world. Stuck together in close quarters, Trice and Nandy are in for some long summer nights. Only, with the ever-present pull back to the Lindenwood streets, it'll be a wonder if Trice makes it through this summer at all.

Rebecca Hurd

Absolutely loved this!! Black love is so inspiring!!!! I just can’t get over how much I loved the characters Nandy had her moments but she figured it out in the end and Trice was just everything!! Couldn’t put it down!!

Sarah Sammis

I like the dynamics between Nandy and Trice but the setting isn't California. I really wish Lindenwood and Pacific Hills had been left stateless. The housing complex Nandy's family lives in would be east of Lindenwood, not right along the coast. There just isn't real estate there for that sort of building. And cotillions? They're just not a thing here.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2020/comm...

“If you love a good enemies-to-lovers trope, run—don’t walk—to the nearest bookstore or library near you.”—Buzzfeed “A Love Hate Thing is an irresistible romance that you’ll gobble up whole.”—Popsugar When they’re stuck under one roof, the house may not be big enough for their hate…or their love. Despite having been shot, Tyson Trice has survived the mean streets of Lindenwood, so nothing can faze him—not even being tossed into the affluent coastal community of Pacific Hills. Nandy Smith, the golden girl of Pacific Hills, is not pleased when she hears her parents are taking in a troubled teen boy. Nandy suddenly fears her summer plans, as well as her reputation, will go up in flames. The wall between Trice and Nandy’s bedrooms feels as thin as the line between love and hate. Through time, Trice brings Nandy out of her shell, and Nandy attempts to melt the ice that’s taken over Trice’s heart. Only, with the ever-present pull back to the Lindenwood streets, it’ll be a wonder if Trice makes it through this summer at all. “Emotional, gripping love story! I couldn’t put it down!”—New York Times bestselling author Simone Elkeles

honour

dnfed at 85%. i might try and finish the last of it at some point just to satisfy my need to finish every book i read but i really just wasn’t enjoying it. it was slow and repetitive and although i appreciate a young teen romance where the two main characters are black, the pacing of the story and the writing itself just wasn’t my favourite

Raven K

WELL..that was a fun and hectic ride. One I was glad to apart of. Trice and Nandy are two of my fav characters now. Loved this story and definitely look forward to rereading it in the future 🥰!

dorah luxieux

reading a book written by a black author always hits home because there's more chances for me to relate to some things. Nandy and Tyson's love is so real and deep. they went through so much when they were kids until high school. one thing i'll say is i'm glad i never lived in the world Tyson lived in.

It was really slow. Cute story but way too slow

Meghann Harmon

Sven Test

This debut was a wonderful roller-coaster! As most of you know, enemies-to-lovers is my favorite trope in the world, so it's no surprise I wanted to snatch this one up.

I didn't look the same. I didn't act the same. I wasn't the same. And I didn't care.

Nandy Smith is ready for her summer to begin. Nothing could ruin her summer, until her parents bring in a boy from Lindenwood, the bad and shady part of town. Once she finds out he's the same boy who would spend summers with her, she feels angry at him for abandoning her.

Tyson Trice has lost everything dear to him. He doesn't have a choice but to go with the family his grandfather used to work for during the summer at Pacific Hills. He can't believe he's back at Nandy's house and looking at her after ten years. She's still as bossy and with even more spitfire than before.

Right from the start, I was in love with Trice. He's so much more than were he came from. What made his character shine to me from the beginning was when he schooled Nandy on her African roots and how she should really learn about her history, including her name. Something he said spoke volumes to me:

"You can meet a Mexican or Asian who'll speak English and know all of our pop culture, but still have their hands in their roots. Us, we've been here for centuries and little by little our touch with Africa has been lost."

Honestly. if it hadn't been for Trice, I would have stopped reading this book very early on, mostly because of Nandy. I'm glad her character slowly evolved during the story, but at the beginning, I couldn't stand her. She was so stuck up, a brat, and always judging Trice for everything. A lot of the choices Nandy made got on my nerves. But when I read the acknowledgments and found out the inspiration for this world was The O.C., it made a whole lot of sense.

If I were keeping score on the bizarre, twisted teen drama I'd fallen into, I had to take a guess and say I'd just met the extra-bitchy best friend to Nandy's main mean-girl character.

In a way, this story was filled with a lot of stereotypes, but at the same time, it wasn't. I loved seeing the diversity of characters and all the representations. Each one brought their own uniqueness to the story.

Aside from Trice, the friendships shone brighter than the sun in this novel. My favorites have to be Travis and Shayne. These two were amazing towards Trice. They didn't judge at all and were there for Trice 100%. The loyalty Trice's new friends had was a breath of fresh air in this world where only your image and money matters.

We were all different with different hopes and dreams, but at the end of the day, we had each other's backs and tried to relate and understand each other. Nothing beat friendships like this.

Family was another major factor in this novel that I believe was a wonderful addition. Nandy's family was simply amazing. Maxine and Parker Smith were parents who truly cared for everyone. I especially loved how Maxine didn't get wrapped up in the Pacific Hills drama with other women. Instead, she chose to work and also provide for her family, which got her some backlash from the other women.

My mother was the anomaly, choosing to work and get her hands dirty rather than sitting back and playing some cliché role while my father worked. My mother inspired me.

Overall, A Love Hate Thing was an inspiring debut, filled with friendships, family, a dose of reality, and acceptance.

--

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Sofie

I'm such a sucker for those cartoon covers, and enemies to lovers is my SHIT, but this is now my second DNF of the year. Oof.

A Love Hate Thing reads like a 2003 Wattpad story that the author edited together into some semblance of a manuscript.

A Love Hate Thing follows a guy, Tyson Trice, a guy from the ~wrong side of the tracks~ who had to hustle to survive and has a secret heart of gold, as goes to live with a rich, hoity-toity family after his grandpa dies because... his grandpa used to be their gardener? And he asked them to? And they said yes? Because I guess he used to be friends with their daughter, Nandy?

Anyway, Trice shows up to their house and Nandy is judge af because he's from liNDEnwOod and that means he must be a thug or a murderer or a r*pist or something. But, surprise! They actually used to hang out with each other when they were 7 and Trice's grandpa used to bring him to their house on jobs. And, at the ripe age of 7, they were each-others first ~crushes~ and first ~kisses~ and first goddamn HEARTBREAKS?? (i can't remember the name of literally anyone I knew when I was 7, but ok)

And after an ~icey reception~ from Nandy, a big blow up fight like, 20% into the book, it's revealed that Trice's dad (view spoiler)[killed his mom right in front of him, shot Trice, and then killed himself (hide spoiler)] So Nandy feels like a b*tch (cause she was being a b*tch), and then they...make up? Sort of? If that's what you call that God-y, yoU GoTTa hAve FAITH in our LORD AND SAVIOR filled chapter. The literal next day, Trice has to do some illegal job in Lindenwood cause his buddies there ask him to and they're his family, and Nandy walks into his room and he's gasp shirtless. So, she sees his bullet scars. And she... let me just show you.

Drawing my gaze back to the wound, I found myself leaning closer and placing a kiss on it, as if that could make it go away or be better. By some instinct, I knew it was an exit wound, and I went around and placed a kiss on the other side, too.

GIRL. You literally JUST because ACQUAINTANCES YESTERDAY(!!!!) and you have a BOYFRIEND (who's a dick but still) and you're... kissing his scars. Um. Okay.

Mind you, we're like, 25% into the book at this point and I just know the whole "enemies" part of enemies-to-lovers is probably done, and now so am I.

This book is RIDDLED with stereotypes. The black-kid-with-a-shady-history-and-an-icy-exterior-but-a-saint-at-heart, and the black-rich-girl-who-acts-snobby-but-ALSO-has-a-heart-of-gold-and-just-suffers-from-internalized-racism. Nandy hates her name and has never read The Color Purple!!! She must hate herself!!! 

I only got like 30% in, so you can read some of the other critical reviews for a better picture. But apparently, (view spoiler)[ Trice and Nandy have actually been in love since they were 7!!! So that makes everything okay!!! (hide spoiler)]

Yawn. I hate not finishing books but I couldn't do it. Sorry.

Anna Agarwal

Heather Harrington

**I received a copy of this via the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

The last place seventeen year old Tyson Trice wants to spend his summer is in the wealthy community of Pacific Hills with a family he hasn't seen in ten years. Coming from the rough streets of Lindenwood, he knows he's in for nothing but stares and judgments, but after recovering from a gunshot wound and losing his family, Tyson doesn't really care about much. Especially not reconnecting with his childhood friend, Nandy Smith, whose family has taken him in.

Golden girl Nandy has it all laid out for her: she has the perfect boyfriend, the perfect grades, the perfect friends, and the last thing she needs is a thug from the 'Wood ruining the reputation she's taken so long to build. The more time the two spend bickering the more the tension and underlying feelings they have for one another grows. As the pair start to rekindle their friendship, Tyson helps bring Nandy back out of her shell, and Nandy tries to show Tyson that holding onto his anger will do nothing but hurt him more in the end. As they try to navigate through their new way of life, the ever-present pull back to Lindenwood may prove too much for Tyson to resist.

I was a huge fan of The OC back in high school/college and this gave me all the same vibes. There was all the needless drama and overreactions that you'd expect in an early '00s teen drama, as well as its predictability. While I did enjoy it, I was able to tell where the story was going before it got there, so that dropped it down a bit for me. I did really like Tyson and how complex he was. He goes through so much in this, and I love how he sought refuge in his writing. Nandy starts off being a bit of a spoiled brat, but eventually gains a whole new understanding and perspective of her world which was nice character growth. Their romance didn't blow me away, but it was cute. I also really liked the side characters, and would love to read a spin off about Shayne and Kyle. All in all, if you're craving a teen drama in your life, check this one out.

Leelynn Brady

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Netgalley, and Inkyard Press for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Man. I was really hurt reading this one, yet again. I swear, does Inkyard Press specialize in writing some hard core YA contemporary books meant to break you down and make you see the tough side of life? Because this is not the first book that has done that to me and it certainly won’t be the last if I see their pattern. That darn Inkyard Press!

And I mean that with all the love possible.

The first thing that really had me on edge about this book before I even started it was that our main guy Tyson recently got shot and was basically living in the streets in an unsafe environment. Why? Because I feel like that is such a norm these days for young black men, and I didn’t want to have to see that being portrayed in a “fiction” novel. But I mean, if I can’t handle what’s happening in real life – which I absolutely hate that this happens and I can’t do anything about it that will make a difference for everyone, which sucks – then can I even handle it in fiction? Should I complain about it? Which don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about having a character with a real background that is in the real world, that isn’t a cookie cutter back story that we got a lot of times with contemporary novels back in the day, but I just want to see some stories without black men or women having to come from suffering into a life of happiness or love. Let them have happiness, let them have love, without having to fight from the very bottom to get it.

And I get it. Tyson’s life is troubled, but HE himself is not trouble. I think that’s where I get upset with Nandy’s misconception about him in the beginning, when her parents take him in. Like, thank gosh Nandy’s family took Tyson in so he could be away from that kind of environment, but that doesn’t make him a bad person, or someone that’s full of trouble, and I’m kind of ashamed that that was the first impression before it was the first impression, if that makes sense. Sure, having another person in your house that you aren’t used to is going to mess up your flow because you already have a system, but that doesn’t make that person TROUBLE. Ugh I don’t know, that just hurt me because I could imagine my own brother being in Tyson’s situation if we grew up differently, and I wouldn’t want someone saying that he was trouble because of what he had to go through.

Plus are your summer plans really more important than someone’s livelihood? Priorities, Nandy.

Becca Futrell

Thank you to Netgalley & Inkyard Press for providing me with a copy of A Love Hate Thing in exchange for an honest review!

Nandy Smith: Let’s get the elephant out of the room real quick — Nandy Smith is officially on my list of least favorite fictional characters. It would be completely different if she started off as a spoiled and entitled brat, and gradually changed throughout the read — but there’s not one point where I felt her character was redeemed. Sure, there’s a time where she, I guess, tries to be nicer, but the moment Trice says anything that upsets her, she goes back to being the Nandy that we met at the beginning.

She also has huge jealousy issues and wants Trice to herself & this is while she has her boyfriend, Chad. The moment her best friend showed that she had an interest in Trice, and Trice seemed decently happy for once — Nandy made sure to swoop in and ruin it.

& then we have her judgment of Trice. She freaked out when he was sitting on her steps getting his braided hair because apparently that’s not a thing they do in Pacific Hills. Throughout the read, she continued to look down on him; mainly because of him being from Lindenwood.

Tyson Trice: I’m not going to speak too much about the stereotyping that occurs in this book (& wow, it’s a Mess), but please check out other reviews on here that discuss it! 

In the end, he was the only lead I cared about. & granted, there were times when he drove me insane as well. However, I did root for him throughout the read & he is the only thing making this book okay.

Nandy & Trice: If it wasn’t already clear with my Nandy opinions, I did not care for this ship at all. It was incredibly off-and-on & kept going back between love-and-hate, which okay I get it, it’s in the title of the book, but holy heck did it switch to hate over the smallest & dumbest things. They were constantly triggering each other throughout the read.

Plus, there is 0 chemistry at all. & no, I don’t care that they ‘loved’ each other at the age of seven. It’s weird and I hate it.

Religion Mentions: There’s a lot of mention of God in A Love Hate Thing, which cool — total respect, dude. However, it was pointless & in the end, didn’t even mean anything at all. After what Trice dealt with, he ended up losing his faith, and now everyone wants to tell him that they hope he finds his way back. It just felt so incredibly out-of-place in this book.

Cringe Dialogue & Pop-Culture References: To put it simply, the dialogue is le cringe.

As for pop culture references, I was here for it. But that was because I’m pushing 30 & know perfectly well what they’re referencing. But, y’all???? If I was the age that this book was marketed for, I probably would have been so lost.

But I would like to give the shoutout to both leads musical tastes because I too love Kendrick Lamar and Lana del Ray.

A Drag: My final complaint & note on A Love Hate Thing is that it felt incredibly too long. I almost DNF’ed multiple times.

Jessica 

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | You can find my review here.


  As always, a copy of this book was provided by the authors in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. 


We are always taught to never judge a book by its cover. Still, you have to admire that gorgeous and colourful illustration set up on A Love Hate Thing. While part of my interest was sparked by its gorgeous artwork, the majority of my interest came on after reading the synopsis. It definitely had the air of something special.

Fortunately for us: Whitney D. Grandison's debut is what YA contemporary dreams are made of, and is highly enjoyable and maybe a little nostalgic. 

Taking my time with A Love Hate Thing was difficult. It is the kind of novel you want to read in one sitting. Once I met these characters, I was quick to want to know everything. While there were moments in the narration that I felt 'meh' about, mainly choppy use of stereotypes and some incoherent and outdated references (as another reviewer before me has already stated), there was far more good to A Love Hate Thing than bad. 

But, let's focus on the basics. 

The first I noticed about this debut was that Grandison's prose is addictive and easy to slip into. As a reader, I like writing to be witty and sharp to the point. Add in characters that are developed to be complex, flawed, and undeniably youthful, and you've got the perfect balance of archetypes. Bonus points if you sprinkle in romance that features tropes I adore. A Love Hate Thing offers up many tropes that are frustratingly indulgent, angsty and intriguing. 

If you are like me and are a sucker for childhood friends who meet again later in life, you will definitely appreciate this novel. Not only does it feature the use of this trope, there is a specific hate-to-love vibe to the romance at the center. Ultimately, A Love Hate Thing proves to be a fun contemporary that will surely give readers an array of emotions.

Lauren James

Full review on my blog, Storied Adventures!

I really enjoyed this one! I usually go into contemporary romances expecting light hearted cuteness, and this surprised me with how in depth it went with serious issues. I LOVED it! I loved the banter Nandy and Trice had. I loved the character growth both characters had. I loved that Grandison wrote about issues like how a lot of times boys aren’t taught emotions so they act out in inappropriate ways as they get older. I loved how Grandison wrote about how to find beauty no matter where you are, in a uppity community that seems superficial or in a neighborhood that is extremely rough. I think she did great on touching on those issues (and others like judgement, race, feminism) to get young readers attentions!

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

This debut was a wonderful roller-coaster! As most of you know, 
  enemies-to-lovers is my favorite trope
 in the world, so it's no surprise I wanted to snatch this one up.

I didn't look the same. I didn't act the same. I wasn't the same. And I didn't care.

Nandy Smith is ready for her summer to begin. Nothing could ruin her summer, until her parents bring in a boy from Lindenwood, the bad and shady part of town. Once she finds out he's the same boy who would spend summers with her, she feels angry at him for abandoning her.

Tyson Trice has lost everything dear to him. He doesn't have a choice but to go with the family his grandfather used to work for during the summer at Pacific Hills. He can't believe he's back at Nandy's house and looking at her after ten years. She's still as bossy and with even more spitfire than before.

Right from the start, I was in love with Trice. He's so much more than were he came from. What made his character shine to me from the beginning was when he schooled Nandy on her African roots and how she should really learn about her history, including her name. Something he said spoke volumes to me:

"You can meet a Mexican or Asian who'll speak English and know all of our pop culture, but still have their hands in their roots. Us, we've been here for centuries and little by little our touch with Africa has been lost."

Honestly. if it hadn't been for Trice, I would have stopped reading this book very early on, mostly because of Nandy. I'm glad her character slowly evolved during the story, but at the beginning, I couldn't stand her. She was so stuck up, a brat, and always judging Trice for everything. A lot of the choices Nandy made got on my nerves. But when I read the acknowledgments and found out the inspiration for this world was The O.C., it made a whole lot of sense.

If I were keeping score on the bizarre, twisted teen drama I'd fallen into, I had to take a guess and say I'd just met the extra-bitchy best friend to Nandy's main mean-girl character.

In a way, this story was filled with a lot of stereotypes, but at the same time, it wasn't. I loved seeing the diversity of characters and all the representations. Each one brought their own uniqueness to the story.

Aside from Trice, the friendships shone brighter than the sun in this novel. My favorites have to be Travis and Shayne. These two were amazing towards Trice. They didn't judge at all and were there for Trice 100%. The loyalty Trice's new friends had was a breath of fresh air in this world where only your image and money matters.

We were all different with different hopes and dreams, but at the end of the day, we had each other's backs and tried to relate and understand each other. Nothing beat friendships like this.

Family was another major factor in this novel that I believe was a wonderful addition. Nandy's family was simply amazing. Maxine and Parker Smith were parents who truly cared for everyone. I especially loved how Maxine didn't get wrapped up in the Pacific Hills drama with other women. Instead, she chose to work and also provide for her family, which got her some backlash from the other women.

My mother was the anomaly, choosing to work and get her hands dirty rather than sitting back and playing some cliché role while my father worked. My mother inspired me.

Overall, A Love Hate Thing was an inspiring debut, filled with friendships, family, a dose of reality, and acceptance.

--

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Blog ❃ Instagram ❃ Twitter ❃ Bloglovin ❃ Goodreads ❃ Pinterest

A Love Hate Thing

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