Audiobook Sample
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- Title: Hating Game: A Novel
- Author: Sally Thorne
- Narrator: Katie Schorr
- Length: 12:18:09
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 09/08/2016
- Publisher: HarperAudio
- Genre: Romance, Fiction & Literature, Rom-Com, Contemporary, Contemporary Women
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
There’s something magical about discovering a story that crackles with chemistry so palpable you can almost taste it – like the first sip of strong Chilean coffee at dawn, or the electric anticipation of a desert storm rolling across the Atacama. Sally Thorne’s “The Hating Game”, brought to life by Katie Schorr’s brilliant narration, delivers this exact kind of visceral storytelling experience that lingers long after the final chapter.
As someone who’s spent years collecting stories in crowded Mexican markets and quiet Portuguese bookshops, I’ve developed a sixth sense for authentic human connection in narratives. Thorne’s workplace rom-com masterpiece, about the razor-thin line between love and hate, reminded me of those late-night storytelling sessions in Oaxaca – where every raised eyebrow and pregnant pause carried volumes of unspoken meaning. The way Schorr voices Lucy Hutton’s internal monologue – all nervous energy and biting wit – transports you directly into that claustrophobic office space where cubicle warfare gives way to something far more dangerous: mutual obsession.
The audio production shines brightest in its handling of Thorne’s delicious tension. Schorr’s performance captures Lucy’s journey from competitive fury to bewildered attraction with such nuance that I found myself pausing the audiobook during particularly charged moments – just as I once stopped my jeep in the Atacama to fully absorb the silence between wind gusts. Her Joshua Templeman voice is a particular triumph: that low, measured baritone perfectly embodies the ‘human spreadsheet’ Lucy loves to hate, making their elevator kiss scene (which I rewound three times) feel as physically real as the desert sun on my skin.
Thorne’s structural genius lies in how she weaponizes workplace mundanity – TPS reports and HR meetings become battlefields where Lucy and Joshua wage their erotic cold war. Schorr’s comedic timing elevates every passive-aggressive sticky note and spreadsheet showdown, though I occasionally wished for more vocal distinction between Lucy’s internal monologue and spoken dialogue during rapid-fire exchanges. The 9-hour runtime flies by, though the corporate setting might feel restrictive for listeners craving the expansive worldbuilding of Thorne’s later work “99 Percent Mine” (included here as a bonus excerpt).
Compared to other enemies-to-lovers audiobooks like “Beach Read” or “The Unhoneymooners”, Schorr’s performance stands out for its emotional intelligence – she doesn’t just recite Thorne’s words, she breathes life into every suppressed longing and competitive barb. When Lucy describes Joshua’s ‘stupidly perfect forearms,’ you feel the visceral pull of attraction beneath the annoyance, just as clearly as I once felt the gravitational pull of storytelling circles around Oaxaca’s grandmothers.
For travelers of the heart who appreciate journey over destination, this audiobook offers a first-class ticket. While the corporate ladder plot occasionally feels secondary to the chemistry (much like how the Atacama’s geography becomes irrelevant once the stars come out), Thorne and Schorr create something rare: a romantic comedy that acknowledges love isn’t about grand gestures, but about seeing – and savoring – someone in all their ordinary, extraordinary complexity.
With pages turned and miles to go,
Marcus Rivera
