So The Hating Game wrecked you. Welcome to the club. Whether it was the swoony vibes, the enemies to lovers, or Sally Thorne's ability to make you forget you have a life outside these pages — we've been there. These aren't random "if you liked X" picks. Every book on this page was matched element by element against what made The Hating Game hit different. Same energy, new stories.
We broke down The Hating Game into the elements that made it hit — and found books that match each one.
You loved The Hating Game for the swoony and witty and enemies to lovers? Beach Read is your next obsession. Same emotional frequency, different story — and Emily Henry might just become your new auto-buy author.
Red, White & Royal Blue hits the same swoony and witty and enemies to lovers notes that made The Hating Game impossible to put down. Casey McQuiston brings fun and swoony to every page.
If The Hating Game's swoony and witty and enemies to lovers energy had you one-clicking at midnight, Book Lovers delivers the same rush. Emily Henry knows exactly what you're craving.
You loved The Hating Game for the swoony and witty and enemies to lovers? Beach Read is your next obsession. Same emotional frequency, different story — and Emily Henry might just become your new auto-buy author.
Answer one question and we'll point you to the right book.
Based on mood, trope, and pacing analysis, the most similar books to The Hating Game include Beach Read, Red, White & Royal Blue, Book Lovers. Each matches on specific elements like swoony and witty that made The Hating Game resonate with readers.
We recommend starting with Beach Read by Emily Henry — it shares The Hating Game's core Swoony energy while bringing something fresh to the table.
The Hating Game is a standalone novel. You can jump right in without reading anything else first.
The Hating Game has a spice level of 3/5. The recommendations on this page range across spice levels — each one is labeled so you can find your comfort zone.
Yes — several recommendations on this page have lower spice levels while keeping the same Swoony energy. Look for the ❄️ or 🌶️ (1/5) tags.
Every "Books Like" page on Sort By Cravings is built from element-level matching — not surface genre tags. We compare mood profiles, trope density, pacing, heat levels, and emotional tone across our entire library of 12 profiled books to find reads that match on the things that actually matter to readers. Read our editorial standards.