The Ex I'd Love to Hate

I've read all of Nadia Lee's books, and this one has her same billionaire romance magic. Aspen and Grant's story is one in a series about the Lasker boys, born within 4 months of each other to 7 different mothers after their father's failed vasectomy. I love reading about these brothers. Some characters from other previous series show up, too. Funny, heartwarming, sexy. This is a great romp and definitely worth your time.

This is what a love story is all about. Romance, hardships, heartbreaks and reconciliations. It was so easy to get caught up with Aspen and Grant fighting each other, fighting their feelings and then fighting for their love.

This was book was worth the wait! It was another great story about the Laskers. Grant and Aspen’s love story was amazing, heartwarming and funny!

I love Grant and Aspen . It took some time, but I'm glad they finally got their HEA. Can't wait for the other brother's books.

I love their story! Their history together, the enemies-to-lovers trope, absolutely loved everything! I couldn’t put it down! HA! Definitely recommend!

Aspen was raised by her grandparents following the deaths of her parents. She is going to Napa Aquinas college to study and make life better for herself and her grandparents. Grant is going to college, but mostly because his parents do or don't want him to, depending on the parent and the day. He starts pursing Aspen, mostly because she intrigues him but also because there's a bet to see who can be the first one to get her into bed. There's definitely a have/have not dynamic between the two of them, but they are still drawn to each other. They spend time together and get a lot closer. Grant invites Aspen away during spring break and they end up at his mother's house in Malibu. They have seggy times, then when they return to campus, Aspen finds out about the bet. On top of that humiliation, her grandmother dies and she sells the gifts that Grant has bought her to pay bills and for the funeral. Fast-forward 14 years and Aspen applies for a job working as an administrative assistant. She thinks the guy looks familiar, then she realizes that he's Grant's brother Emmett. She ends up being Grant's assistant and he makes her life hell by working her extra hard and for long, long hours. He also makes her come running with him as "team-building". Eventually, though, some long hidden truths come out and they are both faced with choosing how to move forward.I loved the growth that we see through the book with Grant. He's just a playboy looking for a good time when we first meet him, but he changes even while he's with Aspen while they are still in college. He's different with her because she matters to him; she's not just a love them and leave them girl. He's a demon when they meet later and she first comes to work with him, even though he feels like something is off from the beginning. When things become clear to him, all he wants to do is protect Aspen and he goes with it, even though it's obvious that concept is foreign to him. I love his relationship to his brothers. They have done a good job making a family when they didn't have adults to guide them. I love Aspen's character as well, she was always just trying to make the best of a bad situation.

How much did I love Grant and Aspen? Very much. Did I want to smack them both? Yes. But I still couldn't help loving them.This book caught my attention with the word bet. I had a feeling it was gonna be a rough one to read. But sometimes those are my favorites. The beginning, or past, was a little slow for me. They meet because of an assignment he's supposed to be working on. He's intrigued and can't get her off his mind. A few weeks later all h*** breaks loose and instead of talking to each other (or screaming, raging, etc) they assume the worst of each other. Fourteen years later.... and that's the part I see a little far fetched. That it takes fourteen years for the present to happen; but so be it. Fourteen years later they collide together again. Enemies to lovers? Yes please. Aspen's life is worse off than we thought... though she said 3 back to back issues knocked her down I'm still trying to figure out the 3rd issue.I had a love/hate relationship with both Grant and Aspen. I loved how sweet, kind, and attentive Grant could be even if it was with an angry facade. I just wish he hadn't clumped Aspen into the "rich and high maintenance" category and assumed the worst about her. Aspen drove me insane with the fact that she kept running every time something happened between them that her stubborn streak couldn't handle. She could so easily handle her own when it came to her anger at Grant. But she let the words and actions of others walk all over her.I truly enjoyed this story. Yes I though it was slow at first. But it picked up and I couldn't help loving the back and forth. Was Aspen a little to helpless to me? Yes but I also think that's because Grant was very take charge and save her alpha. Still loved them though.*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review*

This felt like two stories in one. We first meet Aspen and Grant when they are in college. We get their love story at that time. Their ending left me broken.They reconnect fourteen years later. Aspen unknowingly gets hired as Grant’s assistant. They both are harboring feelings because of their history. And they just can’t seem to get on the same page. Chance brought them back together; can they reconnect or will they continue to hate each other?Grant is aggravating, but when his true feelings came out it melted my heart. Aspen is stubborn and a fighter. They clash but it only adds to their passion. Both characters are well written. I love that we got the full origin story of their relationship and not just snip its or flashbacks. It’s an emotional ride but well work it in the end.

As always, great pleasure in reading one of Nadia's books. Kept me awake until 5 am reading it, so thanks for that. Now I feel like I have a hangover.I'm not going to give any spoilers or any recounting of the story.All you need to know is: READ IT!Why the 4* you ask instead of 5*?Well then.. I love Aspen. Such a well written character. I feel for her. I laughed with her. I cried with her. I raged with her. Very well developed.However I felt there where some minor gaps in her story that I would've liked being clarifyied. Maybe I was the one misunderstanding, but it just left me not completely fulfilled in places. So that's half a star down.The other half? Well... Grant of course. Infuriating, hardheaded, gorgeous Aphahole Grant. For a man of such declared (and often) intelligence, you sure can be downright slow at times.Where all people make mistakes, I feel like certain situations should not have happened considering Grant is such an intelligent man.But all in all, regardless of my personal feelings for MINOR aspects, such a great book. Worth reading. Worth getting to know the Lasker brothers more and more, and definitely looking forward to see hatch all those little Easter Eggs Nadia's left for us in this book.Get to reading! :D