The Disability Book Archive

[ID: A book cover. The title “The Hate Project” is written in the lower half, in large yellow writing. The “j” in project is dotted with a red heart. The author’s name “Kris Ripper” is written in the top right section of the cover in white writing. The tag line “This arrangement is either exactly what they need- or a total disaster.” is below this, in smaller white writing. The background is dark purple, with a mountain of various items of household items in the lower half, behind the title. The figures of two men are standing on it. At the top, a man wearing brown shoes, orange pants and a blue shirt. A cardboard box is at his feet. At the bottom, above the title, a man with black shoes, grey pants and red t-shirt. The second is turned so that only his back can be seen. /end]

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Content Warning:

• Panic Attacks
• Death
• Sexual Content
• Transphobia
• Eating Disorder
• Body Shaming

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Summary:

This arrangement is either exactly what they need–or a total disaster


Oscar is a grouch.

That’s a well-established fact among his tight-knit friend group, and they love him anyway.

Jack is an ass.

Jack, who’s always ready with a sly insult, who can’t have a conversation without arguing, and who Oscar may or may not have hooked up with on a strict no-commitment, one-time-only basis. Even if it was extremely hot.

Together, they’re a bickering, combative mess.

When Oscar is fired (answering phones is not for the anxiety-ridden), he somehow ends up working for Jack. Maybe while cleaning out Jack’s grandmother’s house they can stop fighting long enough to turn a one-night stand into a frenemies-with-benefits situation.

The house is an archaeological dig of love and dysfunction, and while Oscar thought he was prepared, he wasn’t. It’s impossible to delve so deeply into someone’s past without coming to understand them at least a little, but Oscar has boundaries for a reason—even if sometimes Jack makes him want to break them all down.

After all, hating Jack is less of a risk than loving him…

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Notes:

This is the second book in the The Love Study series.

The author uses neo-pronouns.

There is an audiobook.

There is an ebook/Kindle version.

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Archivist Comments:

“Oscar is a grouch.” I love it.

In my notes I originally described this as “your classic m/m enemies to frenemies to lovers”. A bit more digging tells me that I wasn’t too far off-base; that is the general plot line, but it’s not necessarily a very “feel good” or fluffy romance. I saw someone describe it as a “grumpy/grumpy” pairing and I just love that.

The reviews on this book are a bit split, but a lot of them have praised Ripper’s writing style and commented that zir representation of anxiety and depression is very realistic. The book has been described as a bit tiresome to get through in places, and some people have said that, though they liked the story, they wish they had been given Jack’s POV as well as Oscar’s.

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