Title: But I Hate Him
Author: Page Powars
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication date: August 25, 2026
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Summary
Rory is the heir to a well-known tutoring company, which means he’s worked hard to gain his parents’ approval. When he shatters his public image after throwing a smoothie at his rival, Luca, all of his summer plans go down the drain. So, he ends up at the most cut-throat academic camp in the country: BRAIN.
But who else ends up there? Luca. In order to win the summer competition, Rory comes up with a plan: make Luca fall in love with him. And then break his heart right before the finals.
Review: But I Hate Him
Thanks to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for an advanced copy of But I Hate Him by Page Powars to review! And They Were Roommates was a favorite book for me last year, and I’m always a sucker for academic rivals to lovers. Throw in some summer camp vibes, and this is definitely the book for you!
There are a lot of great summer camp hijinks in this book, which make this an entertaining read from beginning to end. Rory and Luca have great chemistry, even as academic rivals. It leads to a lot of great banter, and banter is one of the best parts of a rivals to lovers story arc.
My only complaint was wishing that we got a bit of them actually being in a relationship in the end. A lot of the buildup was for them getting together (rightfully so), but we didn’t get to see them being cute and being in love. I wanted a little bit of that at the end!
If you’re looking for a fun academic rivals to lovers to round out your summer, definitely check this one out in August!
4/5 stars