2⭐
Genre ~ contemporary romance
Series ~Capitola Crushes #1
Setting ~ California
Publication date ~ May 6, 2023
Publisher ~ BooksGoSocial
Est Page Count ~ 339 (p+ 35 chapters +e)
POV ~ dual 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ rivals to lovers, love triangle, slow burn, no steamage

Parisa & Malakai are both Veterinarians with different approaches whose practices are next door to each other. They butt heads a lot, like a whole lot. The enemyness was taken to a whole different level at times, especially when they tried to dictate who their assistants dated. Spoiler alert, but not really, they were dating each other and they didn’t like it. Who are they to try to think they have a say in this matter? And they like to argue in front of clients, not very businesslike if you ask me.

For a good bit of the book Parisa is dating another man, which I didn’t like. And she knew he wasn’t for her, but kept dragging him along too afraid to say peace out. And the reason she wanted to drag him along was lame, sorry not sorry, if that makes me a Grinch. She had unsupportive parents, which I am never a fan of. I did, however, like her bond with her sister.

“Come to dinner with me Saturday.”
“That’s Thanksgiving.”

Umm, pardon? From the beginning of time Thanksgiving is always on the last Thursday of November. Is this different for those of Persian and Italian culture?? Or is it the fact that I read an old ARC?

Overall, it took a long time for me to warm up to both characters, and I didn’t really ever do so for Parisa, which really made me not want to root for them at all. I don’t mind slow burns, but I prefer there to be a natural progression to the relationship but the whole triangle thrown in really took time away from their budding romance. Those pages could have been used for them to get to know each other better. Yeah there was tension for sure, but with so little time in an actual relationship makes it feel too rushed. Anyway, there are a bunch of cute dogs mentioned so yay for that. Both of them had a love for animals that was evident, both in their practices and in their volunteer work, so I appreciated that.

So while this one wasn’t really for me I do feel like it might appeal to those that are much more enemies/rivals to lovers lovers than I am.

Series notes:
Malakai’s sister, Gianna, makes quite a few appearances, and actually has her own chapter at the end, which seems to be a set up for the next book in the series. Something she did early on was super weird and turned me off to her character, so not sure I’m interested in her story.

DNFed at 3%

Honestly it was the fact that she is "Persian" curvy and the girl in the cover is a skinny white girl.

Ugh, this book was a massive miss for me, and i hate to say that because i do love a cute, fast romance read. I found the rivalry between the leads to be a bit toxic, the MMC insufferable, and both characters acted super immature, even going so far as arguing in front of their clients. I might've enjoyed this if i was a bit younger

Enemies to lovers, vet vs. healer, and enough puppy love to warm your heart — Love Unleashed is a slow-burn romcom you’ll want to cuddle up with. 🐾💘

Quick Summary: An opposites attract, pet story romance

My Review: Love Unleashed by Elise Eliot is book #1 in the Capitola Crushes series. It was released in 2023.

About the Book: "He’s the beloved veterinarian of a traditional medicine practice. She owns the holistic pet wellness center next door. They hate everything about each other.

In My Own Words: Two vets with opposing philosophies on pet intervention strike sparks off each other. Their fighting boils down to passion and intent. Of course, timing is everything.

My Final Say: Kai and Parisa were explosive together. The tension between them practically poured off the pages. The journey to their true feelings was truly a slow burn (almost too slow). It took them long enough to reach their end. The whole enemies to lovers trope was clear. Their immaturity got in the way at times.

The third party guy was creepy and too heavy. So what if he was accomplished. I didn't care for his incessant presence and pushiness. It took the story in a weird direction. The way he insinuated himself in Parisa's life didn't jive well with this reader.

My frustration with Parisa was that for her to be so strong and vocal professionally, she should have been able to voice her feelings more clearly and assertively in her private life, where Dane was concerned. I get the being nice part and not wanting to hurt the guy, but come on.

All in all, I liked this story, but I did not love the story. It was good. It was long. It was sweet. It was interesting.

The setup for other stories in the series was evident.

Other: Readers who enjoy slow burn romances, romances where pets & vets are featured, stories with an opposites attract theme, and an enemies to lovers trope should like this one.

Rating: 3.75/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status: Clean (closed door)
Level: 💛
Series: Yes
Note: I think this story would do well as an audiobook. I think it would help with pacing and with tone.

This was such a cute and hilarious story! I enjoyed the chemistry between the characters and the love you could feel between them! It truly a great story, one that you can pick up on a cloudy day and make that day feel better

I requested this because my aunt is a vet & who doesn’t love animals. Add in romance & you should have a great story. Wrong. This was not good. The love triangle, the MMC being arrogant & annoying, the unprofessionalism between them. I was not having it. I actually didn’t even finish the book because I couldn’t take it anymore.

Elise Eliot’s *Love Unleashed* combines fiery banter, opposites-attract tension, and a shared love of animals to craft an engaging enemies-to-lovers romance. With a delightful backdrop of neighboring veterinary practices—one traditional, the other holistic—it’s a charming exploration of professional rivalry and personal vulnerability.

Parisa Hadid is an ambitious, driven woman determined to make her holistic pet wellness center thrive, despite skepticism from her parents and the established veterinarian next door, Malakai Dixon. Parisa’s passion for her unconventional approach to animal care is infectious, and her journey to prove herself is both relatable and inspiring.

Malakai, on the other hand, is a grumpy-yet-dedicated vet who can’t stand Parisa’s alternative methods. His disdain isn’t just professional—it’s deeply personal, tied to his past experiences. This depth makes him a nuanced, if occasionally frustrating, character.

The relationship between Parisa and Malakai is the heart of the story. Their fiery clashes are laced with humor and palpable chemistry, and their reluctant collaboration after a twist of fate forces them to work together adds layers to their dynamic. As sparks fly, the gradual thawing of their icy interactions is satisfying, even as both characters grapple with their fears and emotional baggage.

While the romance is steamy and heartfelt, the book shines most in its exploration of personal growth and compromise. Both Parisa and Malakai learn to respect each other’s perspectives, blending their approaches to create something greater than they could achieve individually. The story celebrates finding common ground while staying true to oneself.

However, the pacing occasionally falters, with certain conflicts feeling repetitive and some plot points resolved too quickly. Additionally, while the chemistry between the leads is undeniable, their transformation from enemies to lovers could have benefited from a bit more depth and nuance.

*Love Unleashed* will appeal to readers who enjoy playful banter, slow-burn romances, and stories centered on second chances and personal growth. Fans of Emily Henry’s *The Hating Game* or Lucy Score’s *Things We Never Got Over* will find this a light, fun read with plenty of heart.

I thoroughly enjoyed Love Unleashed and appreciated that it was a slow burn enemies to lovers romance.

I would recommend this to any friends who enjoy books w/ pups and enemies to lovers.

Thank you, NetGalley, publishers, and Elise Eliot for gifting me a copy of Love Unleashed in exchange for my honest opinion.

3/5 stars

Parisa and Malakai are veterinarians with very different philosophies regarding helping their furry patients. Malakai is very medical-focused, while Parisa takes more of a holistic approach. To make matters worse their business are right next to each other so they are always butted heads. As they get to know each other they find they are more alike than they think.

The two main characters were wonderfully written, but I found myself rolling my eyes at how annoying and childish they were to each other. I loved how passionate they are in their careers and I wanted to shake them both at parts of the book to get them to wake up.

The author's writing style was not for me. The scenes were more cheesy than funny and I found myself rolling my eyes more than once at points in the book. Let it be known that the slow-burn was slow and I kept wanting it to pick up the pace as I continued reading.

This is one that I will not be picking up the second book in the series.

Unfortunately, after multiple attempts I have been unable to get into this book. It felt very slow for me and the characters were not likable which made it hard to root for them and enjoy the story. Due to that I have decided to soft DNF the book and potentially pick it up at a later date.

Funny romance! Great book, although predictable still really enjoyable! The characters could have a bit more depth in my opinion but a very easy read. Loved the cover art too.

I loved this book. I think this is my favorite troupe, enemies to lovers. I loved the characters and the storyline so much. I read this book in one sitting. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
I'll read any book where the dog doesn't die. lol
This was a great read!

This was a very good book. I enjoyed reading it. The characters and plot kept me interested. I would read another book by this author.

I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. I went into it thinking it was going to be a light, breezy read and it was, but it was so much more enjoyable than that. We have two main characters, Parisa and Malakai. Both are veterinarians, with Parisa following a more holistic approach and Malakai sticking to traditional medicine. They end up with practices next door to each other, which starts a workplace enemies to lovers dynamic.

They butt heads frequently, which causes tension between the two. While at times they did each act childish, but for some reason it made the book even more entertaining. This book also has a wonderful cast of supporting characters. For example, they have an assistant (hers being Autumn and his being Ren). The relationship between these two helped carry the story along. There was also a lot of information about her Persian background, which helped make her a more rich character.

There was a love triangle that felt oddly placed and unnecessary, but it did not hinder the book for me at all. There was also a dramatic twist, but it completely made sense for the story and I love how it was portrayed. I also loved seeing how when Malakai fell, he fell hard. It was such a fun read overall.

The tropes you get:
-Enemies to lovers
-grumpy/sunshine
-Slow burn
-Rom-com
-Work rivals

If you love a good workplace enemies to loves romance, adore pets in your books and prefer closed-door romance, this is a rom-com for you!

Fairly predictable rom com but it was still a good read that I enjoyed it. It was also a quick read.

The best enemies to lovers romance that I have read. A traditional vet versus a holistic approach vet. I loved the dogs!

It was ok. I felt the book going too slowly. I felt some development in the story was missing, but I liked it.

I enjoyed this cute romance, and any book that features cute animals, especially dogs, is a definite must read for me!