HATE (MADISON KATE #1) BY TATE JAMES | REVIEW

HATE Madison Kate #1 by Tate James

Full disclosure, I adore Tate James – something that was cemented when I first read The Vixen’s Lead (shout out to Amazon for dropping that on my recommended reading list way back when). So, I obviously jumped on Hate as soon as I could. It was EPIC and also kind of broke me too because holy cliff-hanger batman… but I’m getting way ahead of myself!  

Shadow Grove is a city divided in two: one side dominated by gangs The Reapers and The Wraiths and the other led by the privileged, namely our MC’s daddy Samuel Danvers. That’s where our MC Madison Kate Danvers comes in. To the outside world MK is like a princess living in a privileged world most could only dream of. However, it soon becomes apparent that her supposedly perfect world reads more like a horror story that’s filled with more trauma than one person should ever suffer and it’s about to get worse.

James throws us straight into life in Shadow Grove and we immediately watch MK’s life explode on one unfortunate Halloween night. With her future completely derailed and following months in exile imposed by her shady AF father MK returns home to a changed Shadow Grove, an absentee father and a house (ahem mansion) she now shares with the three gorgeous bad boys she loves to hate and blames for her misfortunes.   

Forget waiting for retaliation: this was war and there were no fucking rules. No polite etiquette. Only the brutal and bloodthirsty survived.

Let’s take a beat for a second to talk about the boys because it’s time to say hello to some new book boyfriends courtesy of the one and only Tate James:  

New book boyfriend #1: Archer D’Ath is the leader of this little motley crew and he takes alpha to a whole new level – I was getting some serious Austin vibes from Arch and I love me some Austin! One thing’s for sure, Arch may be a dick (that’s putting it mildly at this point) but he’s got some seriously possessive tendencies towards MK and underneath all that attitude is someone who protects the ones he cares about (no, I will not be swayed by that ending!)  

New book boyfriend #2: Kodiak Jones is a tease and a flirt but I truly get good vibes from him unlike some people (#BreeIsBadVibesPersonified). I warmed to Kody instantly; he’s inherently likeable and at this point I love him the most.

New book boyfriend #3: Max Steele came across as the most reticent of the boys, almost leaning towards mysterious throughout the book. Clearly he is as gorgeous as his counterparts but I feel like we’ve only scratched the surface of who Steele really is. The musician in me also loved the fact that he was musical – instant kindred spirits. 

No pretty words or apologies can fix what you three broke.

MK is so fierce and stubborn that she has absolutely no intention of letting these boys get away with anything. I also love how James has interspersed her feisty moments with moments of vulnerability; it makes her even more likeable as a heroine but also helps to make her both relatable and real. These characters are so well written that as a reader you’re instantly drawn to them and their circumstances. 

It was a shame they’d tried to screw me so hard a year ago because I might have just found my soulmates. 

James is the master of mystery. She weaves the storyline into a massive climax that had me on the edge of my seat and questioning everything I thought I knew. I have so many questions and not nearly enough answers. This was an explosive first book in the series and I’m chomping at the bit for book two. Some books stay with you to the point that they’re hard to move on from and this is definitely going to leave me with a book hangover for days! 

If you haven’t read HATE get your copy below and if you have read it let me know your thoughts. Don’t forget to add LIAR (MADISON KATE BOOK 2) to your TBR or better yet click that pre-order button.  


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Check out the blurb for

HATE (MADISON KATE #1)

“Madison Kate Danvers was murdered tonight.” 

Those words changed my life, and not for the better. 

They were wrong, of course. I wasn’t dead. But I was set up. 

After being charged with a string of offences–and made an example of by my political minded father–I’m eventually released back into Shadow Grove with one thing on my mind.

Hate. 

Someone is going to pay for derailing my carefully laid out future. Someone is going to catch the full force of my hate. How very convenient that someone just moved into the bedroom down the hall from me.

Archer D’Ath and his boys messed with the wrong chick and they’re about to learn just how cold Madison Kate’s hate can run.

HATE is a full length mature college/new adult romance with enemies-to-lovers/love-hate themes. This is a reverse harem novel, meaning the main character has more than one love interest. This is book one of four in the series.

Tate James

About Tate James

Tate James is a USA Today Bestselling Author of Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy and sometimes dabbles in Romantic Suspense. She was born and raised in the Land of the Long White Cloud (New Zealand) but now lives in Australia with her husband, babies and furbaby. 

She is a lover of books, red wine, cats and coffee and is most definitely not a morning person. She is a bit too sarcastic and swears too much for polite society and definitely tells too many dirty jokes.

Don’t forget to join Tate’s reader group on facebook!

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