I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood, for this ARC.

The title of the book seemed a bit random, but I thought it was a ‘What you see is what you get’, or something. It is my favourite trope in Romance novels, so I was really excited about this one….but I was wrong.
This does not have an enemies-to-lovers trope…probably more a kind of second chance or work rivals or fake dating or…well I can go on…almost every trope except the enemies-to-lovers trope. Moving on…..
Lara is supposed to be in her late twenties but behaves like a 16-year-old. There were some funny moments in the book that made me laugh, but then all of a sudden the Romantic novel turned into a kind of Mystery Thriller. I missed the backstory of what actually happened between Lara and Sonny. And then we had the horrific ‘Sexual Harassment Course’….it wasn't funny at all! Both characters felt flat and there was zero chemistry between them. The ending felt rushed and an epilogue might have helped here. I did like the connection between the girls in the retreat. The story idea was really good and I think it could have been a great story if it was better executed. That said I do believe the author has great talent, it just didn't came out in this book. I liked her writing style, but this book just wasn't for me.

Enemies to Lovers was just ok for me. I didn't really get into the plot of this one. I also didn't really feel the love for the main characters or really feel that they were falling in love.

Enemies to lovers is about two colleagues that don’t get along, Lara and Sonny. They work at opposing magazines, until one day they have to embark on a super exclusive and secretive retreat where they have to pose as a couple to try and get a big scoop about a super prominent Hollywood couple.

I was called to this book because of the plot as it sounded super fun, however it was a bit disappointing. Lara and sonny were never enemies, which makes sense in a contemporary romance; however I didn’t like Lara attitude to always say they were enemies when they never were. Also it felt like it was just a mix of all the possible tropes. It was about overwhelming.

The retreat was fun to read about, but the rest was a bit difficult to read at times.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood books for giving me an arc

This story was a ton of fun. There were elements that reminded me a lot of Portia MacIntosh’s previous books, but there were also elements that seemed really unique. It was a really quick and enjoyable read.

I really liked all of the characters. There were quite a few prominent side characters, and I felt like we really got to know them all well in addition to both Lara and Sonny. I didn’t really get a true ‘enemies’ vibe from them, but I do think it was shown well why they had tension, and I appreciated the way that was handled and that their backstory was shown too.

Everything was tied up nicely with this story, but I can’t help but wish for a little follow up novella or bonus chapter one day with the way it ended. I really did like the ending, and I just think it would be fun to revisit the characters again.

Thank you to Boldwood Books & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book! I voluntarily read this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m really enjoying Macintosh’s books, and this one was no different.

It is light hearted and an easy read. A good array of characters and solid dialogue.

That said, this is possibly one of her weaker books thus far. It is wholly predictable (not a bad thing in this genre, but no surprises at all) and some of the language was a turn off for me - if I read that a character “clapped back” again I may have put the book down forever.

A good, holiday read.

Enemies to Lovers by Portia Macintosh is a work rivals/workplace romance including some of my favorite tropes: fake dating, forced proximity, and only one bed. Lara and Sonny are entertainment journalists for brother/sister magazines under the same umbrella company. The two are often at each other’s throats, trying to one-up the other with their stories and interviews, until one incident puts both their jobs in jeopardy. In order to save their careers, the two are sent undercover to an ultra-exclusive couples retreat to get the scoop on a celebrity couple said to be there.

The banter between Lara and Sonny was fun, and I enjoyed the setup. I wish there had been more about the backstory between these two, and the resolution felt a bit rushed. I’d also like to have seen more come from the forced proximity and only one bed situations that our couple was put into instead of it being mentioned a couple of times towards the beginning (still in the rivals stage), but then never again as the two became closer.

The book is told entirely from Lara’s perspective, and while I often wanted to know what was going on in Sonny’s head, I found this to be a very effective choice for that very reason - Lara doesn’t know what’s going on in Sonny’s head, so neither do we. We feel her frustration and confusion.

Ultimately, this book was a fun, quick, enjoyable read, but one I am unlikely to return to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC!

Portia MacIntosh' book feels like a romcom. With much fun and humour the author leads us trough this story.
It lacked some tension for me, it was very predictable and nothing new. Of course they are rivals and find each other in a task that they have to solve together and in the meantime they fall in love. I really liked the style of writing, it was a fun and fast-paced book and I would definitely read something of MacIntosh again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a 2.5-star, rounded up to a 3-star read for me.

With its popular trope-bearing title and vibrant cover, this book by an author I hadn’t yet read caught my attention. Sadly, I found that it wasn’t quite what I had been looking for. I had a hard time connecting with the main characters and their story.

Lara and Sonny didn’t have that amazing couple energy that I look for in a romance book. I didn’t buy that they were rivals. And while their story felt like it dragged out, I also felt like it ended abruptly.

One of my biggest issues is that I feel like the title didn’t quite suit the book. Instead of creating a quirky title that perfectly fits this couple and their story, the title instead feels like a marketing tactic.

In the end, this is a lighthearted romance and a quick read. If you want to check it out for yourself, it’s due to be published in early January, 2024.

The writing was light and easy to get into. I enjoyed reading about the dynamic between the two main characters. I also liked the fact that there were lots of little things touched upon, but we didn't linger too long on anything. There was enough detail to keep my interest and once I put the book down I looked forward to picking it up again to see what was going to happen next.

The chapters were fairly long so you could get immersed in what was going on before moving on. There was a good pace to the book with nothing being overdone, thus resulting in moving quickly through the story.

The characters were excellent. They made me smile with their attitude towards life and one another. The minor characters around them did a good job in highlighting the main characters' personalities and provided good entertainment. I actually would have liked to have read more about the other characters. It felt like there was a good base that could have been built upon further.

Lastly the settings. I loved being taken to a mystery Island and reading about the mix of luxury and basic survival. Again I feel like there was a good base more could have been added here.

Overall an enjoyable story and something that I would recommend for a light, fairly quick, holiday read.

Well I did like this story, it took me a little bit to get into it. It had its great moments and rather weird moments. Sonny and Lara mix like oil and water. I sometimes had a hard time with Lara. I felt she could just never really let go.
Definitely enemies to lovers is true. But it was hard to really feel a love connection between the two of them. I really struggled to find it. It’s almost like Lara has feelings for someone else. In the end Sonny and Lara do find their happiness but it is quite a struggle to get there.

Enemies to Lovers
By: Portia Macintosh
Review Score: 4 Stars

Boogie’s Bulletpoints

-I love a good enemies to lovers story.

-Macintosh does such amazing job of describing the couples resort, Eden, and all the wild things that happened there. I loved knowing so much about the place.

-There are a few plot twists I did not expect, and I really enjoyed what they added to the story.

-Lara and Sonny have amazing chemistry.

-The ending was really sweet.

——

Enemies to Lovers was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Boldwood Books. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful book!

Release Date: 1/4/24

In Enemies to Lover, we meet 2 journalists, Lara and Sonny. They work for magainzes under the same company, and, after some shenanigans, are told to go together to a couple’s retreat and find out dirt on a celebrity couple that is there.

“Eden”, the resort where the therapy takes place, is meant to be a truly mysterious place, where every couple who comes out of it has fixed their relationship issues. I loved reading about Eden, all of the weird activities, and trying to figure out who was legitimate and who was not. It was such a fun place to be immerse in, especially as you watch Lara and Sonny’s relationship evolve.

This is a fun, quick, and entertaining read, and I really enjoyed it.

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i love Portia MacIntosh books! they are always quick to read and full of engaging characters. this was no different and i really enjoyed it, the addition of several couples form different walks of life added to the fun in the story and I really loved reading it, many thanks Netgalley xx

A good Enemies to Lovers story is hand down my favorite trope. I have been a big fan of Portia Macintosh's books and that is why I feel saying that this book fell flat for me. The story had a lot of potential and the premise was good, but it did not keep me engaged.
Lara and Sonny are two journalists who do not get along well. They have been sent on a story together. As the title indicates, they go from enemies to lovers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for the ARC of this book.

Portia MacIntosh always writes my favourite lighthearted and sweet romances. She never fails to tell a great story with some hilarious moments.
I did hope to love this one more than I did. It was a enjoyable read and had some great funny moments, but I didn't quite feel the chemistry between Sonny and Lara. There was just something missing between them, and at times I found Lara more childish than funny.
Portia MacIntosh will always be a go to read for me. I will always recommend her!

Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood and Portia for allowing me to read this book as an ARC. This is my honest review.

4.5 stars!

Oh my gosh was this book adorable and funny and literally perfect.
First off a huge thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood books for giving me the chance to read and review this arc!

‘Enemies to Lovers’ by Portia Macintosh was a lovely read. It follows Lara and Sonny work rivals of a media conglomerate where they constantly try to one-up and argue/banter with the other. When one particular situation escalates into violence their bosses send them on an undercover mission or be fired.
And so, then we embarked on a hilarious, banter filled story with laugh out of loud moments of two rivals pretending to be in a fake relationship so they don’t lose their jobs.

Lara and Sonny were hilarious! Their banter was incredible and had me smiling and laughing throughout the book. This is a perfect light hearted rom-com that still had its deep and meaningful moments throughout.
The other characters were introduced to were sooooo entertaining and I absolutely loved reading about them and honestly wish each of them had a book!

Overall I would most definitely recommend this book! It was fun, quick and a perfect light read when you’re feeling down or just want a good laugh.

This is a cute story about two journalists - Sonny and Lara - forced to work together, despite their frictions, to get a story.

The story is an enjoyable read with some great characters and really fun scenes. The main characters start off as “enemies” and have a life-changing experience as they search for their story.

Although it was an enjoyable read, I wouldn’t say that there was a huge amount of chemistry between the two main characters; which made it harder to invest in their relationship.

A great read for anyone who likes light-hearted romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC.

It was a light quick read. There was no guessing as to what the trope would be. I liked the characters in the beginnng of the book, but they fell flat at the end. I wasn't invested in their love story at the end and the end seemed very unlikely given everything we had read about them in the rest of the book.

This is my first book from this author, and I like to give authors 2-3 books before I decide whether or not I want to continue reading them. I'll look for something else.


Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and the author for giving me the chance to read this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another thoroughly enjoyable novel from the Portia MacIntosh conveyer belt. Nothing overly original, yet there are always scenes that are standout. As ever, I continually chuckled whilst reading.


Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Sparks fly when rival showbiz journalists Lara and Sonny are forced to pose as a couple at a couples resort to get the scoop on an A-list Hollywood couple.

This book was a fun, light and easy read with all the banter that I love about Portia Macintosh's books. There were a lot of funny antics, particularly the extremely unorthodox methods of therapy. It was also refreshing to see Lara, a bit of a workaholic loner, bond with the other women.

However, the main problem I had with this book is that after all that build up, it fizzled out quickly. The ending seemed unlikely given the fact they were there to betray two of the characters. I could've also done without the horrifically unprofessional sexual harassment training course. I know its meant to be funny, but getting colleagues to act out sexually harassing the other as a training scenario is treating a serious topic flippantly.

That said I enjoyed that by the second last chapter, Macintosh did a bit of 'zagging' where most authors would have made Lara 'zig'. Overall, this is a solidly breezy book thats perfect for a beachside (or fireside) read.

Thanks to Boldwood and NetGalley for the ARC.

thank you netgalley and boldwood books for an arc in exchange of an honest review!

"enemies to lovers" was a mixed bag for me. It's got its moments and it’s well-written, but the characters were super cliché and I
couldn’t connect with them for the life of me, so their lives and love story was boring. and while this book was not my cup of tea, i do think it could touch other people and get a decent dose of entertainment.