Blog Tour + Review + Excerpt | Hate Thy Neighbor by S.M. Soto --> 4 Stars
Hate was all there was to their relationship. At the very least, that’s what she tried to tell herself.
Hate Thy Neighbor, a sexy and LOL enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy from S.M. Soto, is available now!
RELEASE DATE: July 27th, 2020
Fresh out of a failed engagement, Olivia Hales is in dire need of a fresh start. Tired of being the charming and accommodating girl that always gets stomped on, she’s determined to change her outlook on life. When she finds her dream job in a small town in California, she thinks she’s finally found her place in life. That is, until she meets her new neighbor. Roman Banks. Moody. Foul-mouthed. Jerk. And the hottest man on the planet. At a sprawling six foot five, he was coldly distant and physically intimidating. Not only was her new neighbor a God that was good with his hands, he was also a grade-A jerk. Trapped on the same street, sharing the same space together, they’ve become entrenched in an addictive, ridiculous, never-ending game of insults and pranks that result in the destruction of two perfectly good homes. The tension between them is as thick as the walls of their houses are thin. Roman’s touch burned like fire even when his words were ice, and both of them will stop at nothing to make the others life hell. In the midst of the pranks and the hate they harbor for each other, Olivia slowly pulls back the layers of the man next door and finds herself consumed with wanting to fix him and his past. When both enemies start to catch feelings for each other, Olivia finds herself hiding her own secrets, not wanting to lose another man in her life. Lines are drawn. Strict rules put into place. But that doesn’t stop Olivia from wanting to save the quiet, broody man next door. They say you’re supposed to love thy neighbor, but that was the furthest emotion she felt when thinking about Roman. Hate was all there was to their relationship. At the very least, that’s what she tried to tell herself. ** Hate Thy Neighbor is a full length enemies to lovers standalone **
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"𝙔𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙚.
𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙩𝙝 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨."
⭐️ 4 "Sunshine" Stars ⭐️
Hate Thy Neighbor was so entertaining! The palpable pull between Roman and Olivia was electrifying all read long and I was dying for them to jump each other already, lol! While the book started a little slow for me, I loved where the story went with a profound story line. I’ll admit right away that the reason I didn’t rate this novel higher is because the first few chapters, where it’s all about the antagonizing felt a little too much at times for me and I lost interest. Maybe I just wasn’t in a the right frame of mind! Anyway, I put the book aside a couple days, dived back into the story and I never looked back after. I guess that maybe I just needed a little break from reading and I’m glad I could continue this amazing story with a new outlook to better appreciate it. There's just something about an a**hole hero, right? At least for me! Roman Banks is certainly the king one of those arrogant and unpleasant guy at first view. While it’s clear there’s desire simmering between Olivia and him, he callously rejects her countless times. The man is so complex and truly kind-hearted under all this bad attitude. I enjoyed peeling his layers and discovering about his past and what made him act this harshly with Olivia. She certainly doesn’t make it easy for him to resist her with her stubbornness and defiance. She’s always ready to one-upped him. Her vibrant personality makes her highly endearing, but after all Roman’s brush-offs she also shows signs of vulnerability. The development of their romance was a stunning slow burn that had me in awe. When Roman finally let go of his reticence, he’s just the perfect man; so caring and devoted to Olivia. They’re just so beautiful together and the scorching hot encounters they share are WOW! Highly sensual with a side of dirty and emotional! Hate Thy Neighbor is profound and so much more than meets the eye. This isn't your typical angsty and steamy enemies to lovers romance for sure. This novel is touching and so real! S.M. Soto excels at writing well-round stories and this one is another great example!
** ARC received in exchange for an honest review **
I hear a soft pop behind me, and when I turn, I find Olivia sitting cross-legged on her couch, watching me closely, with a lollipop hanging out of her mouth. A smirk tips the corners of her lips. “A girl can get used to this.” “To what exactly?” “A hot guy in the middle of her living room, putting back the pieces of her miserable life together.” Closing the distance between us, I stare down at her fixated on the way the stick of the lollipop juts out between those pink bee-stung lips. Gripping the end that’s hanging out of her mouth, I tug, and she lets go with a pop that goes straight to my groin. Taking the lollipop, I put it into my mouth, and her mouth drops open, her eyes heating with desire. “About that bed.” She licks her lips, pushing to her feet. “Oh, that’s right. What was it you mentioned earlier? You’ve been waiting to fuck me there?” Christ in heaven. My cock goes from half-mast to hard as a fucking rock at her words. That mouth will be the death of me. Knowing the effect she’s having on me, Olivia smiles. It’s downright sexy and full of seduction. Tugging my hand in hers, she pulls me along after her, leading the way to her bedroom. With slow, methodical movements, she strips her shirt off over her head, leaving her in a sports bra. I drop down onto my haunches beside her on the bed, resting my hands on her hips. I hear her sharp intake of breath, as I begin tugging her bottoms down her legs. She bares her center for me, and I groan when I get a closer look at her pussy. Back at the garage, everything was fast and hot, but here, I want to take my time with her. “You stole my lollipop,” she whispers, tucking her bottom lip between her teeth, nibbling on it. “I wanted to taste you.” Her brows dip. “And you thought that was best done with a lollipop?” I hear the amusement in her voice. That’s what makes what I’m about to do next so damn perfect. “I can show you much better than I can tell you, Sunshine.” Taking the lollipop, I drag the sticky ball of sugar down her stomach and pause just over her pubic bone. She gasps, and when I glance up at her, I see the knowing gleam in her eyes. Taking the candy, I swirl it around her clit, enjoying the way she squirms on the bed. The way her hips ride off the sheets and she moans, begging for more. I apply more pressure, swirling through her folds, and then I pause at her entrance. “You like that, Olivia?” “Y-yes,” she pants. As I slide the sucker inside her, she groans, drawing a deep chuckle from my chest. “I thought so.” I fuck her slowly, sliding the lollipop in and out, watching the way her walls grip the candy, the way she glistens and drips. With one last stroke, I pull it out and slide the lollipop over my tongue, tasting her. Her eyes slam shut, and she tosses her head back onto the sheets.
S.M. Soto was born and raised in Northern California where she currently resides with her son. Her love for reading began when she was a young girl, and has only continued to grow into adulthood. S.M. lives for reading books in the romance genre and writing novels with relatable characters. She refers to herself as a bit of a romance junkie. S.M. loves to connect with readers and eat copious of donuts that will surely lead to her demise.
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