"The Love Interest" is a rom-com written by Victoria Walters.

Light, fun and sparkling romance, characterized by a fast pace and short chapters. Between an excellent enemies to lovers and a hilarious forced proximity, I laughed, smiled, and swooned a lot! In addition, I loved the various references to Mr. Darcy and the famous lake scene with Colin Firth!

The story follows Liv Jones, a university librarian with a passion for romance, who has always dreamed of writing a romance novel. The only problem? She is stuck when it comes to creating a romantic hero, since she has nobody in real life to base him on. When her brother suggests that his best friend, who has just moved to London for work, stay in their shared apartment for a few weeks so he can settle down, Liv can't believe her bad luck. Because Aiden Rivers is not only her brother's best friend, but also her historical nemesis. An irritating, proud, and pompous man, capable of poking her and crawling under her skin. To make matters worse, he is handsome, has a sexy accent, and reminds her of her all-time favorite character, Mr. Darcy. Suddenly Liv finds herself inspired to write, and the romantic hero of her novel begins to bear an uncanny resemblance to Aiden, something he must never find out, because Aiden can only be her romantic interest in the pages of her book, not in real life. Or can he?

I liked Liv, the protagonist with her only first person pov! Ironic, chatty, dreamy and a lover of romance, she won me over! And then there is Aiden, an apparently arrogant, gruff, and irreverent film professor, who captured me right away! The interactions between Liv and Aiden are hilarious, with exchanges of banter that had me rolling with laughter. I enjoyed the development of their relationship, the sizzling chemistry they unleash, and the spicy scenes present! I admit that I found the motive behind their enemies to lovers a bit weak and that I didn't particularly enjoy the sudden break-up, which I thought was a bit forced, but overall they absorbed me.

All in all, it is a cute, light and fun romance that gave me a few hours of cheerfulness!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.4 rounded down to 3/5

Victoria Walters' "The Love Interest" takes readers on a journey through the complexities of love and creativity, with librarian Liv Thomas at the helm as she navigates the challenges of transforming her irritating roommate into the romantic hero of her dreams.

The novel introduces us to the delightful world of Liv, a budding romance novelist seeking inspiration for her perfect leading man. The enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes provide a promising foundation, creating an engaging dynamic between Liv and Aiden Rivers, Liv's brother's best friend and her new, albeit unwelcome, roommate. The banter between the two characters is a highlight, injecting humor and charm into the narrative.

The progression of Liv's book writing is a captivating subplot, offering readers a glimpse into the creative process and the evolution of her characters. The enemies-to-lovers trope is well-executed, and the cute cover sets the tone for the sweet and lighthearted atmosphere of the story.

However, the novel is not without its shortcomings. One noticeable drawback is the slow growth of Aiden as a love interest. While Liv's initial dislike is clear, it takes a while for Aiden to develop into a character worthy of the romantic connection. The surface-level nature of the conflict driving their animosity feels somewhat forced, lacking the depth needed to fully immerse readers in the emotional journey.

The pacing of the narrative is a mixed bag, with moments that feel like a quick and enjoyable read, but also stretches where the story drags on or moves too slowly. This uneven pacing may disrupt the flow for some readers, making it challenging to maintain consistent engagement.

A missed opportunity in the narrative is the absence of Aiden's perspective. Introducing his point of view would have added depth to his character and enriched the overall storytelling. A deeper exploration of the personalities of both Liv and Aiden could have elevated the novel, creating more nuanced and relatable characters.

Furthermore, the spicy scenes, intended to add heat to the romance, feel awkward and somewhat out of place. The lack of seamless integration into the narrative may leave readers cringing instead of swooning during these moments.

In conclusion, "The Love Interest" offers a charming enemies-to-lovers tale with enjoyable banter, creative insights into novel writing, and an appealing premise. However, the surface-level conflict, pacing issues, and the absence of Aiden's perspective hinder the novel from reaching its full potential. Despite its shortcomings, readers who appreciate a light-hearted romance with a touch of humor may find "The Love Interest" a pleasant escape into the world of love, imagination, and unexpected connections.

What a fantastic read! This is my first book that I've read by this author. A solid 4 stars. A great enemies to lovers trope (one of my favourites) with a lot of laughs and heart. I loved Aiden and Olivia....they were so cute together. A fun read - I recommend to everyone who loves romcoms.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

4.25🌟
The Love Interest centres around Liv, who is a romantic through and through, who is trying to write her very own romance novel. Enter into the scene, Adrien, long term nemesis and constantly irritating.

The book explores their dynamic, their history and how past relationships can impact their emotions and actions even now. Add that to the fact that her brother is an influencer and his boyfriend is an artist, this book feels very modern and up-to-date.

Perfect for people who love the enemies-to-lovers trope.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in return for an honest review.

I picked The Love Interest on NetGalley because I was looking for a sweet, lighthearted romance and for the most part it did not disappoint! At the start I really wasn't into Aiden but as the book progressed he really grew on me. There were some parts of the book I felt were slow where I found myself wanting to rush through but when the big moments came it made the slower moments worth it. This one is definitely for all the hopeless romantics who regularly dream about Mr. Darcy.

Simple easy to read book that definitely follows the enemies to lovers formula.
Great book for that week between Christmas and New Year when you are full of cheese and have no idea what day it is!!

Fans of romance novels and enemies to lovers will love this book! It feels like an ode to the genre and to the trope in the most perfect way. Aidan and Olivia are great main characters, the side characters are great, and the resolution is very satisfying.

This was a great read and I enjoyed reading the development between the characters. It was one I didn’t want to put down and would love to read a sequel!

I marvel whenever I read a book that sucks me in to the point that the writing and plot disappear and the dialogue and story take me on an adventure. For me, The Love Interest doesn’t ascend to that level.

The main characters and supporting cast are all like able, but their stories lack depth and their conversation always felt stilted. In fact, the plot feels awkward and contrived, mirroring Liv’s inability to write her own novel. The premise for the decade-long antagonism wasn’t believable and often the conversations, particularly between Liv and Stevie, felt more like high schoolers talking than women approaching their 30’s. For me, the book missed the mark.

This book had me hooked from the beginning!

Liv and Aiden are the definition of miscommunication. They had a love-hate relationship from the time they first met to ten years later when Aiden is moving in with Liv and her brother, Dan (who's also his best friend). During this book they navigate working together, living together, and their feelings for one another.

I found the characters really relatable with how they tried to hide their feelings behind anger and indifference when they were actually just embarrassed and didn't want the other one to know. This book also does an excellent job of showing how everything is not always how it seems and there is another side to every story.

Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Boldwood Books, Victoria Walters, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

good romance and this is an enemies to lovers book. she is writing a book and ends up using her hate man in the book. They have been fighting for 10 years. He ends up getting a job where she works and from there they end up figuring out their relationship. would love to see stevie find love. I loved both of their grand gestures to each other.

This book was just okay. Nothing special at all. Nothing stood out to me.

The dialogue was cringy most of the time.
The main characters were insufferable

Tropes
♥️ Enemies to Lovers
♥️ Forced Proximity

Thank you to NetGalley, The Author and Boldwood Books for providing this ARC exchange for an honest review.

Olivia is a die hard romantic looking for her Mr. Darcy. Such a cute rom-com with our main character who writes a love story tailoring it after her own life. I thought it was funny and loved the enemies to lovers storyline. The other scenes I enjoyed are the kissing in the rain, young love is so sweet.! I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for love.

I loved this book! It's got enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and a grovel scene (FROM THE WOMAN).

I could not put this book down, I started and finished it in one day. I skirted all other responsibilities, Aiden Rivers had me in a chokehold!

Liv is a part-time librarian who is trying to write a romance novel, the only problem is she has never been in love, nor does she have a man in her life to base the love interest on. That all changes when her brother's best friend moves into their apartment.

Aiden Rivers is a film professor that gets a new job. at the university where Liv works, while he gets settled he needs to stay with Liv and her brother. During their forced proximity they are forced to acknowledge that things between them are different and that things may just work out.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Love Interest follows Olivia and her brother's best friend, Aiden as they're forced to live together. Being enemies for 10 years definitely complicates the matter. Will they be able to stop arguing long enough to resolve a decade long misunderstanding?

I wanted to like this book but the characters felt flat to me. The main character was very cliche, but not in a lovable way. Throughout the story, I was hyper aware that I was reading a book. I just couldn't get into it. The writing tended to 'tell' the story rather than 'show'. Around the 75% mark is where I started kind of getting into it, but it just wasn't the book for me.

I don't know what else to say about this book except that I absolutely loved it. I could not put it down and finished it in one night. The enemies-to-lovers trope is my favorite and this one did not disappoint at all. This was my first Victoria Walters book and I'm going to have to track down all the rest of them now. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review it!

The Love Interest is a fun and flirty story of enemies to friends to lovers. I was rooting for Liv and Aiden to have their happy ending. The story was rather predictable, but still worth reading! It wraps you up in a fun love story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book was fine. I did feel it took the ‘enemies’ in enemies to lovers a bit far (I certainly wouldn’t be forgiving someone who did some of the things he did in the past), and it felt like I was tiptoeing into a high school bully romance reading some of the history. The overall idea was cute, but I just felt as though the writing made it feel as it was targeted towards teenagers, not adults, as it felt a little juvenile. I couldn't help it, I just was uncomfortable reading some parts,, as for the majority of the book I felt like I was in the head of a teenager with how this woman ‘thought’ and ‘spoke’. Perhaps would be suited to a ya crowd and a closed door romance. Not everything needs smut to be good. Was definitely a fun idea though, because who hasn't had the thoughts do write a romance like this?

This is the first of Victoria Walter's books I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Firstly, I love a book set in the book world (A library), with literature and writing at the heart, as well as romantic films!
Liv is working in her dream place, in a university library, with a colleague turned best friend, Stevie, living with her brother Dan, in London. Her dream of writing a romantic book floats in her mind, but she feels it will never happen, seeing as she can't even sort her love life out.
Enter her brother's best friend, Aiden. Annoying, and her nemesis for the last ten years. She suddenly finds herself living with and working with him as he changes jobs and needs a place to stay,
But, the thing is, they have history. A past event which haunts her, and an annoyingly sexy Irish accent to go with his annoyingly Mr Darcy-esque looks...
As Liv battles to control her emotions, inspiration strikes and she begins writing her first ever romantic novel, with, annoyingly, Aiden as the base for her romantic lead. And as she writes, life begins to imitate her art, or is it the other way round?
This was a fun, easy read, I loved Liv and her fantastic dress sense! Her confusion at her feelings makes for a great story, and Aiden reads like the perfect romantic hero. A great enemies-to-lovers story with a little bit of a spice alert, too!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

I really loved this, Aiden was so hot and the banter between him and Liv was great, very little cringe and it felt authentic.

Yes, it was predictable, but I really liked how self aware it was. The author steers into the tropes and calls parallels out with the help of Liv being a romance author too