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headcanonheadcase's review against another edition
5.0
Never has a book that made me laugh so much (including a snort that drew stares from those around me) also made me cry so much. Enemies to lovers is a rom-com with an incredible amount of heart and I highly recommend it.
After being rejected by her brother's best friend at Christmas, Flo arrives at her family's annual vacation to find that Jamie has been invited as well. She's determined to ignore him, but a leak forces them to share a room. Believing the key to her problem is exposure therapy, Flo decides to be friendly to Jamie only to discover all the feelings she tried to ignore are still very much there. And Jamie shares them too.
I devoured this story.
-Brother's Best Friend? Check!
-Second Chance Romance? Check!
-Vacation Setting? Check!
-Laugh Out Loud Comedic Moments? Check!
-A Vibrant Supporting Cast? Check!
-Mental Health Rep? Check!
-He Makes Her Feel Safe? You guessed it... CHECK!
Flo was everything. I've walked a mile in her shoes and lived to tell the tale. I loved her journey throughout this book and where she found herself in the epilogue. All her quiet, understated, heart to heart moments with Jamie left my heart so full. I was crying for Flo-for both of them-at multiple parts throughout the book. It was so satisfying to see not only Jamie support her, but for her family to rally around her as well.
Five stars is not enough.
After being rejected by her brother's best friend at Christmas, Flo arrives at her family's annual vacation to find that Jamie has been invited as well. She's determined to ignore him, but a leak forces them to share a room. Believing the key to her problem is exposure therapy, Flo decides to be friendly to Jamie only to discover all the feelings she tried to ignore are still very much there. And Jamie shares them too.
I devoured this story.
-Brother's Best Friend? Check!
-Second Chance Romance? Check!
-Vacation Setting? Check!
-Laugh Out Loud Comedic Moments? Check!
-A Vibrant Supporting Cast? Check!
-Mental Health Rep? Check!
-He Makes Her Feel Safe? You guessed it... CHECK!
Flo was everything. I've walked a mile in her shoes and lived to tell the tale. I loved her journey throughout this book and where she found herself in the epilogue. All her quiet, understated, heart to heart moments with Jamie left my heart so full. I was crying for Flo-for both of them-at multiple parts throughout the book. It was so satisfying to see not only Jamie support her, but for her family to rally around her as well.
Five stars is not enough.
kenzloux's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me the arc of this book! I adored this book sooo much and it was one of my first summer books of this year! The MC’s had amazing chemistry and amazing humour. I loved the family of the FMC and how lovely and funny they were in this book, and I loved the character development of the MC’s as the book went on! I highly recommend this book to everyone, and I will be preordering my physical copy to reread once it is released!
slugwifereads's review against another edition
4.0
This book was SO CUTE. I loved Florence and Jamie and their slow burn, pining relationship full of insults, petty revenge, and huge miscommunications.
I really enjoyed the mental health representation in this book, from the family that always feels the need to be their best to Florence's growth from her breakdown shapes how she navigates her well-meaning family's unintentional missteps to the space she holds for Jamie when he needs it, to the way it adds depth to the relationship that has broken and begins to reform.
I cannot wait for this book to release so I can recommend it to my fellow readers - it's a must read if you love pining, yearning, miscommunication, international romance, family drama/trauma, and brother's best friend tropes.
I really enjoyed the mental health representation in this book, from the family that always feels the need to be their best to Florence's growth from her breakdown shapes how she navigates her well-meaning family's unintentional missteps to the space she holds for Jamie when he needs it, to the way it adds depth to the relationship that has broken and begins to reform.
I cannot wait for this book to release so I can recommend it to my fellow readers - it's a must read if you love pining, yearning, miscommunication, international romance, family drama/trauma, and brother's best friend tropes.
vj_thompson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Flo joins her family in Greece for two weeks of relaxing and eating good food. Ever since her embarrassing meltdown, Flo has needed a break from life. The vacation with family starts out great until Jamie Kramer, her older brother’s best friend, and the last person she wants to see. Jamie was adopted into Flo’s family. They also hate each other. The thing with Jamie, Flo has a huge crush on him that hasn’t gone away even after the thing that happened during Christmas. Pushing her feelings, Flo wants to fix their relationship and the only way she knows how is spending time with him.
Wow, where do I begin? I absolutely LOVED this story and characters. Flo’s whole family made me laugh and tear up (only a little) several times. The relationship Flo has with her older brother Alex was especially sweet, like how they show their sibling love for each other by scrunching their noses. If I could pop into a story, this would be the one. The way Laura Jane Williams described Greece, the water and beaches, the food, and the walks/runs through town was so immersive.
I loved watching Flo and Jamie’s relationship grow and develop throughout the book. Eventually, we find out what happened at Christmas and we learn more about Jamie’s sailboat travels. Flo opens up more about her meltdown to him and her family, and works through remaining feelings from the breakdown. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy and mark up the pages with my thoughts. I have not been able to stop thinking about the characters or the story really since I put it down.
Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC! Enemies to Lovers by Laura Jane Williams comes out August 1st and is the perfect beach read!!
Wow, where do I begin? I absolutely LOVED this story and characters. Flo’s whole family made me laugh and tear up (only a little) several times. The relationship Flo has with her older brother Alex was especially sweet, like how they show their sibling love for each other by scrunching their noses. If I could pop into a story, this would be the one. The way Laura Jane Williams described Greece, the water and beaches, the food, and the walks/runs through town was so immersive.
I loved watching Flo and Jamie’s relationship grow and develop throughout the book. Eventually, we find out what happened at Christmas and we learn more about Jamie’s sailboat travels. Flo opens up more about her meltdown to him and her family, and works through remaining feelings from the breakdown. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy and mark up the pages with my thoughts. I have not been able to stop thinking about the characters or the story really since I put it down.
Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC! Enemies to Lovers by Laura Jane Williams comes out August 1st and is the perfect beach read!!
elmewhy's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
~~3.5 Stars~~ 22nd May 2024
There’s some spoilers mixed in so please don’t read on if you want the mystery…
I really enjoy Laura Jane Williams’ writing but this just missed the mark.
I think the biggest problem is the title, ‘Enemies to Lovers’, it is a very targeted, key word-esque title that holds no compatibility with the actual story. The main couple were more awkward with each other than enemies, I suppose it is a more realistic version of enemies - not as fun though.
Following the title there was an influx of ‘TikTok language’ usage which confused me. The characters are all majority in their 30s but use words like ‘the ick’ and ‘pick me girl’. It’s giving the same vibe as over 21 year olds having a Snapchat..strange.
A theme of dilution continued throughout the book. Many plot points which could have been an opportunity to go in deeper with and explore the emotion and mental fortitude of were simply glossed over. I was upset with this was when it was revealed that Laurie, the brother/best-friend, was the one who wrote the note (in his 30s?!?) . This was because the key problem I had was actually on Flo. Laurie explains he did it to protect Flo and Jamies’ mental health over their respective issues they were dealing with. Now we see a lot of Flo’s battle with her mental health but we continually gloss over Jamies grief of losing both his parents. The man cries, shows a lot of gratitude and love to the family who includes him and follows the word of his best friend even when it’s over the one thing he wants. Yet when we have a chance to go deeper into Jamies struggle we ignore that and focus on Laurie and Flo. Jamie deserved a lot better from Flo. .
Flo continually focused on herself. When her dad suggested that she should check in with her mother about her retirement and her feelings surrounding that, Flo did the bare minimum. I don’t believe they even spoke, it was mentioned later with the whole family but again another missed opportunity to delve into something deeper, facing retirement when you don’t feel ready.
The inclusion of the SA was also weird, I don’t think we needed it for the story. I have too many words and not enough words to explain my feelings on this.
I think there was a strange combination of trying to appeal to a younger audience with the wording and glossing over, but also trying to be adult with the spice and mentions of possible deeper conversations that when paired together it wasn’t cohesive.
Now I did really enjoy the Greek setting it was fun and matched the holiday romance theme. The family bonds were really well done and felt realistic too. The building of the romance could have been given more tension, even though I can’t think of what. When I think back there was plenty of scenes where it probably tried to be tension filled but just weren’t. It was a fun story but I just didn’t feel satisfied with it, nothing felt rounded out in the end.
Details
-Plot: Enemies to Lovers..duh. Holiday romance.
-Romance: 2.5/5 spice - explicit wording. M/F Romances. LGBTQ+ sibling.
-CW: Mental Health. Sexual Assault. Brief mention of parents death.
-Ending Happy/Sad/Unfinished: Happy! Good on you Flo get your man in the sun!
-Gif that reminded me of the book:
<img src="https://tenor.com/en-GB/view/dancing-boat-yacht-mamma-mia-mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-gif-17847518" />
<I>Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for this e-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.</I>
kellysreadingnook's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ansooo's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
aroosa_reads47's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publishers for providing me with an early arc.
Exposure therapy with the enemy?!
My commutes have been so much fun while reading this book. The chemistry between Jamie and Flo is palpable, and their interactions are filled with witty banter and yet an underlying undeniable attraction. As their relationship develops, the tension between them only grows when things from the past begin to arise, making for a captivating read that will have you eagerly turning the pages to see what happens next.
The family dynamics in this book are both heartwarming and hilarious. From adventurous and hilarious parents to chaotic siblings, each character adds depth and humour to the narrative, making it a joy to read. (These characters have no filter, regardless of who is in the room, and I absolutely love it!)
I was completely swept away by this book, racing through the pages with excitement. It was love at first read for me, as I have a soft spot for captivating romances (especially enemies to lovers!) set in sunny locations.
This book is a wholesome, sizzling slow-burn, filled with side eyeing jealousy and a burning conversation that needs to take place on this gorgeous 2-week sunny holiday.
Exposure therapy with the enemy?!
My commutes have been so much fun while reading this book. The chemistry between Jamie and Flo is palpable, and their interactions are filled with witty banter and yet an underlying undeniable attraction. As their relationship develops, the tension between them only grows when things from the past begin to arise, making for a captivating read that will have you eagerly turning the pages to see what happens next.
The family dynamics in this book are both heartwarming and hilarious. From adventurous and hilarious parents to chaotic siblings, each character adds depth and humour to the narrative, making it a joy to read. (These characters have no filter, regardless of who is in the room, and I absolutely love it!)
I was completely swept away by this book, racing through the pages with excitement. It was love at first read for me, as I have a soft spot for captivating romances (especially enemies to lovers!) set in sunny locations.
This book is a wholesome, sizzling slow-burn, filled with side eyeing jealousy and a burning conversation that needs to take place on this gorgeous 2-week sunny holiday.
elegantfantasy_blogs's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
2.0
This seemed like such a good book based on the title but Jamie & Flo were barely enemies. I failed to see the chemistry between them and while I liked Flo, I disliked Jamie to the core. The was a fully grown man, yet his action were that of a fucking stupid teenage boy. The only reason I'm giving this book an extra star is because of the Greece setting and the family. They were all really fun characters and I liked the bond between the siblings. These were the only positive things in the book. Flo deserved better than Jamie tbh.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review