As far as Romeo and Juliet inspired writings go - this was by far, the most perfect I could have expected. On one hand, the trope is familiar to us all but can sometimes come across as cliched and forced.

However, One For My Enemy used so many layers to bring this story to life in a really compelling way.

Using familiar settings of New York and underworld crime families, magic is weaved in to create this love story that focuses not just on our modern-day Romeo and Juliet, but their families.

The writing is stunning, it's extremely plot driven but the insight into the characters is just enough to choose favourites.

This is my first read of Olivie Blake and now I am SO excited to read Atlas Six because her writing is stunning.

And whilst it's completely unrelated, I'm glad that I'd previously read The Witch and the Tsar because it gave some of the Russian family names and terms so much more meaning.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the arc of One For My Enemy by Olivie Blake in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I’ve read a few books by Olivie Blake now and I can truthfully say that to date, this is the one I have most enjoyed, which is probably more of a surprise to me than you. This is a Romeo and Juliet retelling, nothing new there you might say but, the there’s a twist that truly bring this retelling to life…and for the record, I haven’t really been a fan of R&J retellings previously.

Set in an alternative current day New York, Blake sets the scene, magic is currency, two rival witch families rule criminal society, and nothing, not even death can put an end to their rivalry.

Baba Yaga head of the Antonova family, and her seven daughters (yup, that mystical seven,) oversees her empire managed by her eldest daughter Marya, from their elite beauty and treatment store. The Fedorov brothers operate under the watchful eye of their father, Koschei, (God of death,) collect favours and deal in shadows and spirits from their furniture warehouse, open by appointment only.

Amidst this dark, stormy, and striking rivalry lies the past lost love of the eldest from each clan, Marya and Dimitri, and the new storm that has struck the hearts of the youngest, Lev and Sasha.

This book delivers complicated relationships, romance, serious plot and machinations, alongside heartbreaking loss and devastation. This isn’t just a teenage romance or Insta love, this is truly a bitter vendetta, tension and plans within plans, and of course love…I know I should quote Shakespeare here but, IYKYK. Add in the beautiful illustrations by Little Chmura and, this reprint of One For My Enemy truly delivers a beautifully written and illustrated, fantasy romance that will have your heart racing!

I loved it! The atmosphere was so well written! Every character was original, deep a'd useful. The idea is so great. I loved seeing the two families, their adventures. It was really great.

To be completely honest, I'm not a huge fan of Romeo & Juliet story. However, I'm a sucker for its' retellings, especially if they are written by someone as talented as Olivie Blake. Her prose, beautiful but not unnecessary pompous, dark and melodic, holds a special place in my heart and the part of a brain that determines what things I find truly satisfying and just right, how they're supposed to be. 'One For My Enemy' is an emotional story but written in a way that somehow you can relate to. So I'm (not) sorry Shakespeare, but Olivie bested you.
What's more, I deeply believe that women in my family are descendants of the legendary Baba Yaga (yes, my mom is a witch) so when I saw her name in the book blurb, I knew in that moment that I'll never not take advantage of an opportunity to read about Slavic families feud - I guess it's just in my nature.

This is my favourite of Olivia Blake's books yet! Each character is beautifully written, with all their flaws and strengths on full show for us to fall in love with. The New York setting was atmospheric and captivating, mixed in with politics and the rivalry between two witch families as they fight for power. I'm a sucker for a good Romeo and Juliette retelling, and am now very intrigued by the lore of Koschei and Marya. My only complaint was that the ending felt a little dragged out, but I still highly recommend this book!

One For My Enemy by Olivie Blake is a modern day retelling of Romeo and Juliet featuring two infamous witch families in New York.

"In New York City where we lay our scene, two rival witch families fight to maintain control of their respective criminal ventures.

On one side of the conflict are the Antonova sisters, each one beautiful, cunning, and ruthless, and their mother, the elusive supplier of premium intoxicants known only as Baba Yaga.

On the other side, the influential Fedorov brothers serve their father, the crime boss known as Koschei the Deathless, whose community extortion ventures dominate the shadows of magical Manhattan."

I can't emphasise enough how much I adore this book. It's beautifully written and full of twists and turns that had me questioning everyone's loyalties and motives at some point or another. Blake is the queen of writing characters that are slightly broken, deeply flawed, and yet incredibly endearing and charismatic.

There are nods to Russian folklore throughout and the obvious influence of Romeo and Juliet, however, despite this, it still managed to feel very contemporary and intriguing. It's rich in the poetic prose Blake is renowned for but I felt like her writing was slightly more accessible than her previous books which I appreciated.

The ending was a little convoluted, however, it was still very poignant and beautiful. One For My Enemy was a clever, fast paced and addictive read that I'm still reeling from.

I loved this book so much, I'm still thinking about it days later. I had no idea where Olivie was going to take me with this book but the feels and the up and downs were there throughout the whole book. I love these characters, MashaDima forever

Great story- took me a little while to get into it which was the same for me with The Atlas Six!

Olivie Blake seems to go from strength to strength- can’t wait to see what’s next to her even if this book wasn’t really for me.

I absolutely loved One For My Enemy!
This is my second book that I've read by Olivie Blake (the other was Masters of Death) and I loved both books!
I can definitely see the author becoming a new favourite and now I really need to read their other work.
The writing style was beautiful and the story was amazing!
I really do highly recommend this book.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for providing an ARC. All opinions are my own.

I’ve never read Olivie Blake’s works before, so I went into this with high expectations - and she definitely didn’t disappoint. One For My Enemy was an incredible introduction to her writing, and I’ll be looking to pick up her other books soon.

I fell in love with Olivie’s writing style from page one - the book is beautifully written, and I loved how she approached the complex relationships between the siblings in each family as well as the unique dynamic between the two. There were many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and they had me hooked, keeping the pages turning. 5 stars all round. A must read for anyone even slightly intrigued by Romeo and Juliet.

Despite the sharp contrast between the modern setting and the old ways of the witches, they fit together seamlessly in this novel, and it wouldn’t be difficult to believe these characters could exist now.

(More detailed review to follow on @chloekreads on instagram closer to the publication date)

I loved the atlas six by this author so i knew i had to pick up their next work. And wow did it surprise me

This book was lyrical and beautiful and a masterpiece that broke my heart then mended it then broke it all over again.

The prose was beautiful but easy to read, really easy to get lost in. The pacing was perfect and worked well for the story. 4/5⭐️ would definitely recommend.

I don’t think Olivie Blake books are for me. I absolutely love her writing style, her way with words is beautiful but I just didn’t click with the characters. It’s a Romeo/Juliet style book.

The women are fiesty, unapologetic and driven and I LOVED that. The double star crossed romance threw me, and even though I didn’t click with the characters - the fact that I never really knew what was coming was appreciated.

Thank you for the opportunity to review.

I never get tired of Olivie Blake’s writing, and her lyrical prose stands out in particular glory in this book. It’s GORGEOUS.
The romance, the yearning, the gut-wrenching agony… glorious.
Sasha and Lev, Masha and Dima, the twins… they have my heart and I can’t wait for the trad-pub version of this book to be released into the world!
The only slight issue I had was pacing in the middle - things moved very quickly for a few chapters and as a reader, it was a little hard to catch my breath - but not nearly enough of a problem to take it down from 5 stars.

Once again, I owe my eternal gratitude to The Atlas Six getting popular and allowing Olivie Blake the recognition she so deserves. One for My Enemy is a triumph; a masterclass in building tension, intimacy and real all-consuming love in both romantic and familial relationships.

The execution of the lore of the two rival families and the setting of modern-day New York being the backdrop of the witches clans was expertly done. From the very first page, tension and atmosphere was created and I could not stop reading even if I wanted to. Writing from so many different characters point of views can often all clump together as one, but each character had their own distinct voice and motivations, and even the ones I disagreed with I found myself enjoying a glimpse into their worldview.

OFME made my heart race, made it break, tore it out of my chest and stomped on it. I loved every second of it.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.

I love Olivie's Blake's writing and they're absolutely amazing. this book didn't disappoint either, it was brilliant! I was a huge fan of the characters. the plot wasn't as enticing as The Atlas Six but I think I loved that one so much that it was always going to be a tough one to beat.

With every book Olivie Blake writes I'm getting more and more sold on her writing.

This book was absolutely stunning, with the most beautiful dialogue between the characters. Full of twists and turns, you think you know what to expect with the Romeo and Juliet narrative and framework, but Blake manages to keep you on your toes the whole time.

These women are powerful and unapologetic and the whole discourse of loyalty through blood or choice as Marya and Dimitri's story is repeated in Sasha and Lev's was heartbreaking and hopeful.

A book I adored and I know will already be a contender for one of my top books of 2023.

A cleverly novel eeaving together Romeo & Juliet with Russian folklore and magic. Beautiful at a line level and truly cinematic in its scope and style.

I think maybe Olivie Blake's books aren't for me. While I can appreciate the quality of writing, I don't click with her stories or characters.

In this Romeo and Juliet inspired story two rival witches' families fight over wealth and dominion, but you can't side with either of them because they are blackmailers or drug lords. I didn't care about what they did to each other, or if their plans succeeded because they are not sympathetic.

I was a bit taken aback that we have not one, but two star-crossed couples in the same two families. One couple was pure insta-love (and lust), so there was zero investment on my part. The other had more drama initially and seemed more interesting, but because their relationship was in the past, I still didn't really root for them. Overall, I just didn't like the characters.

For me, the worldbuilding was lacking. It's set in New York, but other than name-dropping NY boroughs, it could have been set anywhere. There is also no clear delimitation of what is and isn't possible in this alternate world, or how the magic truly worked, what it could do. I don't like it when pretty much anything can happen, because *magic*.

Parts of the plot were a bit confusing for me and I didn't particularly get the point of it all.

I can see how a lot of people will appreciate the style and just go with it, but it didn't work for me.

I would struggle to be able to review this book due to issues with the file/download. The issues stopped the flow of the book. The issues are:
- Missing words in the middle of sentences
- Stop/start sentences on different lines
- No clear definition of chapters.

I’m not sure if it was a file/download issue but there were lots of gaps and stops/starts which really ruined the flow. I would love the chance to read a better version as the description of the book appeals to me. I would be more than happy to re-read the book with a better file.

Stars have been given due to the book cover being eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.