★ ★ ★ ★ //5

Enemies To Lovers
by: Portia MacIntosh

THOUGHTS:

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Oh boy I loved this book!I love a fun quick romcom that gives us RIVALS with some fake dating scattered int here. I sat down after a really dark read and this was just what I needed to get me over that hump. I loved the characters, the plot/storyline was great and I laughed a lot through this book. This is another book I would introduce to someone who is just dipping their toe into the romance book scene. Absolutely kept me turning pages and I just smiled after that very last page. I will continue to look for books by Portia in the future. Adore her writing!

3.5 stars, rounding up!

Enemies to Lovers was a quick, fun, and fairly entertaining read! I could definitely see this plot being a Netflix romantic comedy, work rivals being forced to work together and faux a relationship? Classic rom-com material! I was even picturing Emma Roberts as the lead, Lara, with her sassy and quick-witted attitude. Lara, our narrator, works as a magazine writer and her work rival with the same exact job at another publication is Sonny AKA Thor, since he looks like Chris Hemsworth (the author never lets us forget this as it's written how hot he is at least 10 times a chapter). They have to fake a relationship, lest they lose their jobs, to get into an elusive couples retreat so they can hopefully dig up some dirt on a very private celebrity couple. It’s of course at a beautiful, lavish island and is run by a therapist who gives them daily challenges they have to work through as a team, and as couples, all while trying to do their jobs AND navigate their attraction, I MEAN HATE, to one another.

While I thought this book was fun, I do think that it struggled to figure out if it was going to be rom-com, or a thriller romance-which I think actually would have been really fun and where I thought it was headed. It kept me reading and wondering what was next, but then felt a little let down when it didn’t really go anywhere and was explained away in a few short sentences. It definitely gave me a mix between the Couples Retreat movie (especially with the flirty yoga teacher) and the Hulu show Nine Perfect Strangers (weird vibes from a retreat with an eerie head therapist where they think something more nefarious is going on). If there was a bit more thriller, or maybe a bit more romance I would have rated this a lot higher. The main characters didn’t really have any true romance, beyond some flirty banter and stolen glances, until about 75% through the book. I love a good slow burn, but with such a short book I wish we would have gotten a lot more of the pair together sooner. I also don’t totally buy that after just a week or so of being together-ish she would agree to quit her job and move to a whole other country for him? But, the romantic in me was like yeah girl, go live your dreams with Thor!

If you’re into a lot of different romance tropes, I think something in here will tickle your fancy, as they say. You have forced proximity, one bed, fake dating, miscommunication, grumpy/sunshine, work rivals, and as the title suggests-enemies to lovers. Although I wouldn’t really classify them as enemies, as they definitely are just flirty work place rivals. I think a better title would have been “What Happens In Eden”, since it seems like the book focused a lot more on what was going on in the couples retreat and how transformative it was for the participants and our main “couple”. I absolutely loved the side characters and the friendships that were forged throughout. I especially appreciated how vulnerable the girls were with each other and how the author didn’t include any cattiness or drama, so refreshing! Additionally, having all the couples end up stronger and healthy in the end made the whole book just feel a lot more Netflix rom-com but in a really good way. I love when you can whole-heartedly root for nearly every character in a book and this was it. I do think this could have used another maybe three or so chapters to really complete the story, but it could also be a great lead off into another fun sequel! All this to say, Enemies to Lovers is fun, light-hearted and while it could use a bit more romance, a more flushed out ending and focus, it has a unique premise and is worth the quick read!

Thank you Portia, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for providing this book for review consideration!

There is no guessing the trope of this novel with a title like Enemies to Lovers. Since this kind of plot device is a favorite of mine, and the two main characters are show biz journalists, another enjoyable aspect of the story, I devoured the novel.

As with many rom-coms, the reader has to suspend disbelief. The two combative journalists are sent by their publications to a very exclusive and expensive couples therapy retreat to get the dirt on a high-profile acting couple who are scheduled to be there. I’m not sure there is that kind of budget these days for journalists, but the premise made for a fun read.

As other reviewers have said, I didn’t really see much heat between the two MC’s. Also, their squabbling was devoid of sexy banter, and the male MC seemed to smirk too much. Still, this was an entertaining quick read.

A light read with a bit of mystery, a lot of gossip and plenty of secrets. Sonny and Lara work as entertainment editors at sister companies. With a long history behind them, they do not get along at all. There are lots of funny moments at the beginning of this book to show just how toxic their relationship is.

When their bosses send them to couples retreat at a mysterious place called Eden under the pretense of finding some celebrity gossip, Sonny and Lara have to pretend to be a couple in order to fit in. Eden is very odd, lots of weird drills, no food, and a crazy woman running the show. What is this place? Can Sonny and Lara put their differences aside and work together?

Quick read but there seems to be a real lack of chemistry between the 2 leads. I enjoyed their story but didn't feel any real heat between them. Great premise though and a solid 3.5 🌟. Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An easy and light read, perfect for the holidays.

So yes, Lara and Sonny are arguably more work rivals than sworn enemies, and perhaps fall outside of the "enemies to lovers" trope (probably a shame given the title of the novel) because of this.
Instead of looking for flaws as a certain number of readers have done, I would rather salute the creativity of the author who constantly looked for the "worst" that could happen to her heroes in order to make it happen. And always with a lot of humor which makes this book so enjoyable.
For a fairly long novel, the ending seemd a bit rushed.

I wasn't bored for a single minute and that's probably what you ask of a romantic comedy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a roller coaster. It was a quick read but I was never sure what the story was doing. I thought it was going to be a romantic comedy but has kind of twisty and dark for my taste.

This premise sounded like my cup of tea, and I actually had a great time reading it, but there were a couple of things that didn't work out for me. The characters were interesting at first, but felt very flat as the story progressed. The plot kind of dragged towards the end, and then wrapped up very abruptly. Some dialogues were cringey and a bit bland. I wasn't a big fan of the romance either.
But I did like the new found friends, how the author explored their dynamics and managed to portray their friendship.
This had so much potential, but overall I was kind of disappointed by the end.

What to expect:
- Forced proximity
- Only one bed
- Rivals to lovers
- Reverse grumpy x sunshine

Final rating: 2.5/5 rounded up
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Pub Date: 04 Jan 2024

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.

This is a five-star read that isn’t really about enemies. I enjoyed this one, it wasn’t as funny, or romantic as some others by this author, but I weas still swept up in it all. I enjoyed how there were underlying stories and characters that you would imagine one way and then when you get to know them, and their stories are so much deeper. This was a confusing one, as on the one hand it was light and didn’t take itself seriously, but then a couple of pages later and we are into deep territory, then flip back to light. Lara and Sonny aren’t really enemies, more work rivals with a shared history, that gets revealed as you read, but that was okay, it made them crazy and that brought the fun.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

This one had promise, I loved the concept, two rival journalists at the same parent company, who get thrown together time and time again.

Sweet overall, but found my interest waining as the plot moved on.

I didn't really love the plot of this book. The characters were okay and I do love the new found friends. I didn't really feel the love between the main characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Portia Macintosh is a rom com readers dream. This was a very clever story. When work enemies go to catch a story under disguise at a therapy retreat only to find insight for themselves. Ten years of disliking each other because of work rivalry. The island was pure magic making the most famous of people show they can be average out of the spotlight. Through the sometimes difficult tasks camaraderie is found. Love and communication being the priority. I really enjoyed all the characters of this book. I felt the ending for the main characters was a little rushed but all in all there was a happily ever after. A warm thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood booked for this free advanced copy. I am voluntary leaving my thoughts on this lovely addition to Ms Macintosh’s works.

This book had a great concept - the idea of two rival entertainment journalists posing as a struggling couple at the worlds most elite couples retreat is a great idea. But for me this book didn’t really deliver on the possibilities that could have come from this plot.

Let’s start with what I liked about this book. The concept was solid, and I really like the characters that were also at the retreat, I appreciated the relationship between all of them and how the grew as the book continued. I also enjoyed the mystery around Eden and their practices. I also was really glad to see Sonny and Lara’s integrity by the end of the book.

But there was a lot of things that didn’t work for me with this story. The first being I could see this being a better script for a campy Netflix movie (which I would totally watch and enjoy) than a 34 chapter novel. I didn’t really feel like the connection between our two leads was that strong, and it also felt very quick to resolve. I also really wish we had of gotten more information on what happens when they get back to the UK. I feel like an epilogue would have been very helpful here. Also I had a hard time wanting to root for Lara because she was often acting like a 13 year old girl rather than a women in her late 20s.

This book was a quick read but for me a miss.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Enemies to Lovers by Portia MacIntosh ultimately missed the mark for me.

What I didn't like..
The description of the book didn't quite capture the plot. From the get go, we have a potentially fizzy connection between the MMC (Sonny) and FMC(Lara). There are some really funny moments where they both try to harm the other's career. But, the connection between the two mains aren't really enemies to lovers, but, more accurately, coworkers with sexual tension and an unexplored past. It isn't really second chance romance either.

Next, mid book we go from romcom to pseudo thriller as our fake couple has to pose as an actual couple at a high end couples retreat. This place gives weird vibes and is very culty.

Finally, everything wrapped up very quickly and unbelievably. An epilogue may have helped tie things together.

What I did like...
I enjoyed the female connections between the women at the retreat. These characters were sweet, fully fleshed out and were a nice surprise.

Ultimately, this was a mix of The Hating Game my Sally Thorne and Lan Moriarty's Nine Perfect Strangers. It just wasn't for me.


Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. Enemies to Lovers will debut January 4, 2024.

2🌟
In all honesty, I found this book to be quite stereotypical and have some vibes of other books e.g. The hating game and nine perfect strangers, which was an interesting mix.

I wouldn't say I truly felt the romance part of this book to be honest. Whilst it's called enemies to lovers, it didn't feel like that trope was very strong because by the end I didn't feel they were actually in love with each other properly. I also found it quite unbelievable that she immediately agreed to move with him, when it felt like their relationship was only just starting and there are evidently many many trust issues between them.

The characters are decent, and I appreciate what they stand for in terms of honesty and integrity by the end of the book, but I think they could have been developed more.

That being said, it's an easy and light reas if that's what you're looking for.

I wanted to enjoy the book a lot more than I did. Unfortunately it just did keep my attention. Overall a 3/5 for me.

‘Enemies to Lovers’ by Portia Macintosh is a hilarious and fun read which focuses on work rivals Lara and Sonny, who both work as showbiz reporters for a media conglomerate. When their constant banter and one-upmanship culminates in actual violence, their bosses offer them a last chance to keep their jobs… an undercover assignment in so-called paradise. The assignment requires them to pretend to be a nepo-baby couple on the brink and in need of therapy - and while the couple part might be difficult, playing two people who hate each other will be easy, right?

I liked:
- The entertaining banter between Lara and Sonny throughout the novel
- All of the supporting characters began to feel like friends; as a reader I felt connected to all of them
- The mixture of showbiz elements and celebrities feeling like real people
- Hope, the boss at the resort our story is set in kind of reminded me of Nicole Kidman’s character in ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ TV series (based on the Liane Moriarty novel)
- The mysterious island setting and ludicrous situations/challenges the characters had to endure
- Lara and Sonny’s history is revealed slowly throughout the book as their relationship in the present develops

I wish that the ending had been a bit more fleshed out, it seemed to come quite suddenly and not really give much closure. I also felt like the chemistry between the main characters was much stronger when they were bickering than in the moments where they were actually together.

Overall I’m giving this one three stars. I’d recommend to readers who want a light read that will keep them laughing throughout.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback. Thanks NetGalley and Boldwood Books!

Enemies to lovers is fast paced along with entertaining read. The book setting is unique, amusing, as well as compelling since its at a couples retweet that celebrities come together to be a part of. It was an interesting read for sure.Enemies to lovers is fast paced along with entertaining read. The book setting is unique, amusing, as well as compelling since its at a couples retweet that celebrities come together to be a part of. It was an interesting read for sure.

Portia Macintosh's latest, Enemies to Lovers, is a fun fluffy read that will entertain you throughout. The premise of a couples retreat and how it is designed to bring couples back together was interesting, and the twist at the end was unexpected. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the ARC ebook I read to complete this review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Meh = Enemies to Lovers summed up in one word. It wasn't bad, but it wasnt great. Our main characters were a little off and disjointed as a love match. They didn't quite seem to fit or have the chemistry to really route for their love. Their history was obvious but wasnt actually mentioned until about 45-50% way through the book. Their current situation of enemies forces them on to an island, that is cut off from the world but is a slightly bizarre paradise where they make friends with other couples and end up forming as their own couple and realising they love each other..I am just not sure how or why. There didnt seem to be any obvious moments or transition from enemies to lovers in their dynamic.
The summary really pulled me in and the story is light and fun and maybe just an easy beach read but it could have been soooo much more!

I received this book as an ARC and provided an honest review.

Hmmm... what to say, and don't sound mean. I just didn't feel this book. It was pkay read, but I thought it would be a little diferent.
Just a 3 stars