Enemies to Lovers by Laura Jane Williams

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Penguin and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Flo Greenberg: highly strung. Over-achiever. And desperate for a relaxing Greek holiday with her family.

Jamie Kramer: her brother's best friend. Pain in the arse. And somehow on Flo’s relaxing Greek holiday too…

With two surprise weeks of sharing meals, boat trips and sun-loungers, Flo must endure the company of this irksomely chiselled Lothario. But after what happened last year, she’s determined not to let him get the better of her.

In fact, spending time with the enemy will be the perfect cure for Flo's all-consuming anger towards Jamie, right?

(Spoiler alert: wrong…!)

My Opinion

Enemies to Lovers was an enjoyable read. This will make for a great holiday read. With a fast pace this was a relatively quick read.

Rating 4/5

I absolutely adore Laura Jane’s books and this was no exception! The perfect summer / beach / holiday read, set in Greece I really felt transported there!
As you can imagine from the books title, it’s an enemies to lovers trope plot-line and I loved seeing Jaime and Flo’s situationship change through the course of the book! I definitely wanted to bang their heads together at points though!
Super excited for Laura Jane’s next book that release in June, I’ll definitely be reading all future books from this author! 💕

Florence Greenberg, eine ehrgeizige Akademikerin, verbringt nach einem Burnout mit ihrer Familie einen Urlaub in Griechenland. Unerwartet stösst Jamie Kramer, der beste Freund ihres Bruders und ihre frühere Schwärmerei, zur Reisegruppe hinzu. Die erzwungene Nähe führt dazu, dass alte Spannungen und unausgesprochene Gefühle zwischen Florence und Jamie wieder aufleben.​

Williams gelingt es, die sommerliche Atmosphäre Griechenlands lebendig einzufangen und die Dynamik innerhalb der Familie authentisch darzustellen. Besonders hervorzuheben ist die sensible Behandlung von Florences mentaler Gesundheit und ihrer persönlichen Entwicklung. Themen wie Burnout, Selbszweifel und der Versuch, sich selbst wieder zu finden werden glaubwürdig dargestellt.

Fazit: eine leichte Sommerlektüre mit humorvollen Momenten und einem ernsthaften Kern.

I loved this cosy, easy enemies to lovers story and felt it was so relatable. When Flo goes on holiday to Greece with her family she is livid to find out that her brothers best friend is going too as she is still peeved and upset after the way things ended with her after a fling when he decided to end things over a letter.
I loved the change of scenery in Greece and the fact she is clearly trying to catch a break and then Jamie is there which is the last thing she needs....but in true romcom style (which is what I want when I pick up the book) they manage to eventually have a conversation and find closure, despite being stubborn and avoiding talking to each other and ending up in some hilarious situations, it all added to the story.

Ehhh. This was somewhat of a disappointing read, because I’ve really loved all the other Laura Jane Williams books I’ve read. But this one was too obvious from the title, and I struggled to like the character from the start due to the very obvious miscommunication trope, she was very frustrating and annoying. But the tension writing was 👌

This was a quick summer read. The setting of Greece was fun and the plot had a definite rom com vibe which I enjoyed, however I struggled to get attached to any of the characters, especially Flo. Her interactions with Jamie felt more like they'd had a disagreement rather than being enemies as the title suggests. I enjoyed the ending of the book and wasn't disappointed.

Despite my issues with this book, it's definitely a typical romance novel and I would recommend it for anyone who loves an fun, easy read.

Thoroughly enjoyed my journey to Greece with Flo, her family and the delectable Jamie in #EnemiesToLovers. A sexy, escapist page turner with real emotional heft behind the romance and the comedy.

'I always know where you are'

SWOON!

This was a joy to read and really pulled me out of a ready slump. The story was believable and I really enjoyed the family dynamics presented. Can't wait to read more by this author!

I was initially excited to read this book, as the title intrigued me; however, it ultimately fell short of my expectations, leaving some untapped potential. The anticipated "enemies" dynamic never fully materialized, and instead, I found the story to be driven more by underlying tension between the characters rather than overt conflict. While the book is certainly an easy read, it has its flaws. Although I appreciated the depiction of family dynamics and the summery atmosphere, the title seemed misleading, as the main characters never truly felt like enemies. Some characters were likable, yet I struggled to form a deep connection with them, and I never became fully invested in their journeys or outcomes. Despite these issues, the book succeeds in providing light entertainment, making it a good option for readers looking for a relaxing story with elements of romance, humor, and personal growth. Ultimately, while it wasn't to my taste, I can understand its appeal to those seeking a breezy, feel-good read with a touch of family drama.

this book kind of felt like a comforting hug. it wasn’t too suspenseful or intense and it was a fun, enjoyable read for me. i will say that i wouldn’t quite describe the romance as true enemies to lovers and i think the title is slightly misleading which is becoming increasingly common among romance books to be labelled as enemies when it’s more of a dislike or tension. however, i did really enjoy seeing the character growths and the atmosphere was really suited for the book and definitely added to it.

A cute summer read, perfect for the beach. It was funny in places, a little sad in others but overall a good rom com. The characters have a bit of depth and the back story is cute.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC copy of this book (Read August 2024)

I was initially drawn to this book based on the cover and the synopsis, it sounded and looked like a lovely book to read on holiday, maybe on a beach. There were some elements of this book that I enjoyed, however I found that our characters weren't really "enemies" as I had expected. I also found it tricky at times to be connected to the characters in the story. Despite this, it was a quick and lighthearted read.

I really get along with LJW’s writing - and this book was no different. My only slight grievance is … the books title. There isn’t really anything enemies to lovers about Flo and Jamie.

Rating: 3.5/5

Enemies to Lovers is exactly what it says on the cover - it’s an entertaining story filled with humorous banter and great chemistry.

The book follows Flo as she embarks on a holiday with her family. She can’t wait to unwind and relax, away from her stressful day-to-day life.

Unfortunately for her, that’s not so easy to do when she discovers her brother’s best friend has joined the getaway. Jamie is essentially Flo’s worst nightmare and she can’t think of anything worse than spending time with him, even though her family all adore him.

The setting in Greece is perfect for this romantic story. The author manages to transport the reader to the picturesque destination with all the beautiful descriptions.

We are shown the backstory to Flo and Jamie’s present day feud and while it does make sense to an extent, it did sometimes feel difficult to support Flo and her reasonings for being so cruel. There’s a lot of miscommunication which did work at times but could have been resolved sooner.

The family dynamic was interesting to read about. I love romance stories where we see more than just the two love interests and this one didn’t disappoint on that aspect. It added a lot more depth to the story and made the two main characters feel more true-to-life.

While this story is mostly lighthearted, there are mental health discussions mentioned in the plot. I thought this was done well and sensitively.

Laura Jane Williams is a wonderful writer. I think fans of Lindsey Kelk and Anna Bell would love this novel.

A fun story by a new author to me, it was enjoyable and fun, as you'd expect from an enemy to lovers trope. I nice poolside read.

A rollercoaster of a read. I enjoyed this one and will attempt to find more books by this author in the future. A great escapism book which made me forget life for awhile. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This is my first book from this author and unfortunately I just don’t think it was the book for me. This is just my opinion and I know lots of people have enjoyed it.

I just felt this wasn’t really a lovers to enemies book especially with it being the actual title. I didn’t enjoy the writing or the characters.

Maybe this author is just not for me.

Enemies to Lovers by Laura Jane Williams is a witty, lighthearted romance that delivers all the fun and tension of a classic enemies-to-lovers story. Flo Greenberg, an overachiever craving a peaceful Greek getaway, finds her plans derailed when her brother’s irritating best friend, Jamie, unexpectedly joins the trip. Forced into close quarters, the two are bound to clash, especially after a difficult history. But as they spend more time together, the lines between animosity and attraction blur. With sharp humor and undeniable chemistry, Williams crafts a charming tale of love, rivalry, and unexpected connections. Perfect for fans of slow-burn romances and vacation settings.

In this fun, holiday romance read, we meet Flo as she arrives on holiday with her mum, and dad, two brothers, and sister-in-law. What starts as a well-needed rest for Flo turns tense as she realises they’ve also been joined by her brother’s best friend, Jamie.

Having been spurned by Jamie in the past, Flo harbours a certain amount of resentment towards Jamie, which is reciprocated. However, as the sun shines down and the wine gets flowing, they realise there may be more behind their feelings than dislike.

This was an entertaining read, which lots of lovely descriptions of Greece, its scenery, and its food. It gives great holiday vibes and, while the ending didn’t contain anything unexpected, it was satisfying.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

This is a quick easy beach read which I enjoyed. I liked the characters and their relationships and I recommend this if you're interested in. reading a romance that will make you smile.