3.25 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the ARC.

I read Laura Jane Williams' previous book 'Lovestruck' last year and when I found out that she had a new book coming out, I was so excited to finally read it. I'll be honest, it didn't hit the right notes for me. I liked the premise and the characters, but it was so fast-paced and I just didn't feel like I knew the characters as I would have. They were sometimes quite childish even though they were supposed to be adults.

I also don't think there was any element of 'enemies to lovers' in this book as the title claims it to be, which I found strange. Don't get me wrong, like I enjoyed the book and it was a very easy beach read but there were so many things about this book that just didn't work out for me at all.

Stunning book, set in an idyllic setting with characters that you can like. It ticked all the boxes for the perfect summer read.

Enemies To Lovers ticked every box for the perfect summer read. Beautiful setting in Greece , the ups and downs of family relationships. The slow burn between Flo and Jamie was so heartwarming and had me reading the book in a day. Loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and Cornerstone for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very cute, quick, light-hearted read. Blessed to have read this whilst the weather where I am almost emulated the warm climes of the gorgeous Greek setting - the perfect summer vibes.

There were some sensitive topics mentioned throughout that weren’t just brushed off for the sake of the romance, which I appreciated greatly - I felt oddly seen by the FMC and her backstory.

The only thing I would say, is the final 15/20% of the book went through quite quickly. A lot of the plot points that led to this moment were tied up in a prompt fashion. Without saying to much, certain bonds were rekindled at a rate that threw me a little (but maybe that's because I'm petty as hell).

Even with all things considered, I still recommend this as a summer beach read for 2024!

2⭑

Tropes;
- guy falls first
- forced proximity
- brothers best friend
- summer romance
- single POV

I have to say it’s quite bold to have the title of your book be Enemies to Lovers and have no enemies in sight 🥴. This was a petty dislike to lovers at best.

This book follows Flo and Jamie, who had a moment at Christmas but then he rejects her via a note under her door. She then realises he’s been invited to the summer family holiday and has to spend time with him, when this is the last thing she wants.

I struggled to believe that Flo and Jamie are supposed to be adults. They had very cringe behaviour, including using the insult fart face🥴. I just can’t take characters serious if they use such childish language😅.

I also didn’t really believe the “love” they had for one another. We are supposed to believe that Flo has hated Jamie since Christmas but after this summer holiday, she now loves him?!

One thing I did like were all the scenes with the whole family. I loved their dynamic and all the banter they had with one another.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for sending me an early copy of Enemies to Lovers in exchange for my honest opinion.

A perfect holiday read that made me feel like I was in Greece on holiday with the family. It’s a bit silly and predictable but it also had me laughing out loud. An easy bit of escapism.

I really enjoyed this book as a light summer read. ☀️
I liked that Laura Jane Williams wrote a character with mental health issues but didn’t make them the focus point of this story. I also really liked reading about a sensitive male character.
The bond between the siblings was mostly relatable but sometimes a bit weirdly forced. But I liked how the family talks to each other about their problems and really enjoyed how they’re trying to be there for each other each in their own ways (sometimes it’s not in a good way).
Flo and Jamie were a couple of their own. Normally I don’t really like the miscommunication but in this book it was relatable why and I really enjoyed the baby steps and wrong turns they took towards each other to become a couple.
I definitely would take this book on my own Greek vacation!🌼🌸🏝️

Thank you to Random House UK, Laura Jane Williams and Netgalley for the ARC copy.💕

DNF @17%. It was clear to me immediately that I couldn't stand the main characters and I wasn't gelling with the writing style at all.

Thank you to Random House UK and Netgalley for this arc.

A quick, light hearted read with a wonderful setting and an interesting cast of characters. I understand some of the way Flo behaves is due to the way her family treat her. But she just came across much younger than she actually is. A bit petulant. I would have liked to get to know more about Jamie other than the fact he is very fit and he wants Flo only due to miscommunication she is unaware of this. Overall this was a fun, summery read that I enjoyed. Thanks Netgalley and the publisher.

Thank you NetGalley for my advance copy of this book. I really enjoy Laura Jane Williams books so was delighted to be approved. At times this was a 4 star read for me. I really loved the concept and really like the characters. However, at points it was not a 4 star read and I felt it was just missing that little something. On the whole an enjoyable read and I will continue to read this authors books.

My main issue with this book was the very immature sounding voice for our main character. She did acronyms and exclamation marks and dated slang too much for my liking.

Her family were immediately obnoxious, constantly on her case, going on at her because of her mental health and other things. And they're very ..insular? And seemingly unable or unwilling to consider viewpoints outside of their own life experience. Which, as we constantly mention, they are all incredibly privileged - yearly family holidays, often abroad, are constantly brought up. So the viewpoints they're always sharing are from the lofty heights of being rich and white.

Also Flo is very judgy and assumes a lot about Jamie. His parents died suddenly only a couple of years ago and she's incredulous at the idea that he might be struggling with his mental health in any way at all.

Although, I have to admit I'm not very fond of Jamie either. He's very two dimensional. His interests in life appear to be pining after Flo and being buff. He sulks around the place whilst Flo acts oblivious to the fact that his hot-and-cold nonsense means that he fancies her. He gets jealous and petty and borderline violent towards a man who takes a sexual interest in Flo - regardless of how warranted that became in the end.

I just never really grew to like Flo either. She was always so juvenile, considering she had a university teaching position. Her anxiety came and went depending on how convenient it was for the plot, and we mentioned it in a past sense sort of way a few times despite earlier in the book giving the old "you don't get over mental health issues, you're in recovery from them forever" speech.

This was a super quick read, nothing too serious, just a bit silly. It's perfect for a light holiday read, especially because of the setting, which is in Greece, where Flo (FMC) and family are on a vacation that is joined by Jamie (MMC), much to Flo's dismay. Jamie is Flo's brother's best friend, who she has developed feelings for one Christmas assuming it was mutual, but only it wasn't, as Jamie lets her know via a note slipped into her bedroom. As expected she pretty much hates him for this and cannot stand his arrival for the vacation. But as time passes these two start to understand each other better and the sparks might fly once again.

So coming to things I liked about this book, 1. the setting, as I mentioned before was scenic, and summery and had a nice vibe, 2. the sibling/family dynamic and banter, it was extremely adorable and funny, especially since they all act pretty juvenile around each other, 3. it was pretty fast paced and easy to finish. Now coming to things I did not like, 1. the title, I really did not think the title matched, since there wasn't really that much rivalry or banter like you expect in an enemies to lovers trope, it was mostly both of them confused/misunderstood during the whole story, 2. Flo, I have mixed feelings about her, I didn't hate her, but she was a little dense and you would think that someone who has gone through what she has in terms of the mental health issues would be a bit more understanding of others (which the MMC rightly points out in the book) 3. Jamie's dress sense, I'm sorry but I'm just really not into short shorts and nipple revealing vests on men, just not my thing, but otherwise he was pretty cute.

All in all an entertaining story, that's light and easy to finish.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House UK, and the author for this ARC.

Greece lends itself to be the most perfect setting. An easy to read page turner. Ideal for a holiday. Lighthearted and funny!

I wouldn't class this as enemies to lovers. The book was an easy read, perfect to take with you on those beach holidays this summer. It was lighthearted and funny, with a brother’s best friend romance and a nice HEA to end.

This was an okay, Summer romance read. I liked the setting of Greece and the Greenberg family (plus Jamie) are great characters whom I enjoyed getting to know and spending time with.
I did think the plot was very cheesy and almost cringeworthy at times. However, it got better as the book progressed (or I got used to it!). Either way, by the end of the book I was invested in the story and the characters and enjoyed my time in Summer paradise.
If you can look beyond the cringeworthy moments you will find there is an easy, Summer read to enjoy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for an advance copy.

dnf at 50%

I really tried to enjoy this story, but the fact that I even made it to 50% is a miracle. There were so many rather cringeworthy moments in the book from the first chapter, and the book title does not fit the theme of the book at all.
If a book is titled 'enemies to lovers' you would expect at least some hatred/enemy behaviors, there was nothing. The main character Flo hates her love interest Jamie because he rejected her, but it's pretty obvious that the hate is not reciprocated on his part.
'Enemies to lovers' doesn't really fit with a romance novel anyway, in my opinion, so titling a romance novel 'enemies to lovers' was bold, and definitely captivating, the writing just feels lackluster unfortunately.

It really wasn't for me, but if you can look past some really awkward moments, then give it a try. It was a fast read, the location felt realistic, and the family dynamic was actually fun to read about.

Thank you netgalley and penguin books for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me the arc of this book! I adored this book sooo much and it was one of my first summer books of this year! The MC’s had amazing chemistry and amazing humour. I loved the family of the FMC and how lovely and funny they were in this book, and I loved the character development of the MC’s as the book went on! I highly recommend this book to everyone, and I will be preordering my physical copy to reread once it is released!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an arc of this!

If you're looking for an easy romance you can pick up and read by the pool, this is perfect. It's brother's best friend and second chance romance wrapped up in the summer setting of a family holiday to Greece.

Full review below (minor spoilers):

Overall this was a fun by the pool read, it had romance and well-rounded characters. I loved the conversations on mental health, especially to do with our main character Flo who has experienced mental health issues around anxiety and burnout. I also loved the family dynamics and this real family-holiday vibe that made me excited for summer!

There were some things that I had some issues with. The pacing was never quite consistent and we didn't quite get enough tension between the main characters to actually have this as an "enemies to lovers". It was a bit of an up and down rollercoaster that made the end payoff fall a bit flat for me. I was also quite confused about the main characters age, who is meant to be in her mid-late 20s (I think) but was using "slang" more suited so someone into their 30s.

Also, and more specifically, there was this moment between Flo and Jamie:

'And it hasn't gone away since the day I first met you. I remember it so clearly, out on your back lawn. You were still at school. Sixteen or seventeen?'
'Eighteen,' I say.
'Well, at twenty-three I was too old for you."

Him guessing she was 16/17 when he first met her and felt that pull to her (as a 23yo) just felt strange? Someone who can be old enough to have a degree and be 1-2 years into a professional job found the love of their life in a 16/17 year old? Yes she was 18 but the need to bring up "oh 16 or 17" felt a bit needless and gave me a bit of the ick for Jamie.

All in all fun summer romance, and definitely a by the pool read!

I really enjoyed this book! My first Laura Williams book and I’ll definitely be picking up more. The style of writing was perfect, it was fast paced but the story wasn’t rushed. I loved the storyline I was gripped from chapter one. And the characters were just perfect!

This book is a bit of a pot luck. There’s some good, some bad - and some questionable.

The good
- I adored the family holiday element and the different members of the family dealing with their struggles
- I loved the positive representations of mental health and the different perspectives
- I appreciated that the male lead was secure in his masculinity, and also able to express emotions
- I felt like I was on holiday in Greece and made me want to take a holiday stat.
- I appreciated when the characters called out Flo for being an asshole - she definitely gave main character energy for a girl afraid of being pick me

The bad
- the age of some of the characters made certain behaviours seem incredibly immature. Particularly the catalyst for the whole enemies arc
- Adonis’s character and the situation that eventuated felt a bit cheap and unrealistic- it just came across as a tacky conflict to bring the characters together
- The enemies to lovers arc didn’t really have the necessary “begrudgingly allying” and “friendship” phases, which I think cheapened the romance.

The questionable
- the fact that NO ONE thought it was a big deal what Laurie had done and it’s just kinda glossed over, despite him kinda ruining his best friend and his sister’s relationships?? AT 30. No. Also, the fact BOTH brothers knew - dick move.
- On sand…??? Please no.
- The title? It’s bit on the nose

This book is an easy, entertaining read, perfect for reading on an airplane on your way to a holiday destination. If you love a good enemies to lovers trope, with some miscommunication and family banter - you might enjoy this one!

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an early access copy!