Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publishers for providing me with an early arc.

Exposure therapy with the enemy?!

My commutes have been so much fun while reading this book. The chemistry between Jamie and Flo is palpable, and their interactions are filled with witty banter and yet an underlying undeniable attraction. As their relationship develops, the tension between them only grows when things from the past begin to arise, making for a captivating read that will have you eagerly turning the pages to see what happens next.

The family dynamics in this book are both heartwarming and hilarious. From adventurous and hilarious parents to chaotic siblings, each character adds depth and humour to the narrative, making it a joy to read. (These characters have no filter, regardless of who is in the room, and I absolutely love it!)

I was completely swept away by this book, racing through the pages with excitement. It was love at first read for me, as I have a soft spot for captivating romances (especially enemies to lovers!) set in sunny locations.

This book is a wholesome, sizzling slow-burn, filled with side eyeing jealousy and a burning conversation that needs to take place on this gorgeous 2-week sunny holiday.

Enemies to Lovers is set in Greece as a family take a summer holiday for two weeks, however, what Flo does not know is that her brother's best friend, Jamie, who she hates because last Christmas they kinda got together but then he slipped a note under her door saying he led her on and to never discuss again, shows up on the holiday.

Let me start off by saying, I was so disappointed in this book, I thought this is going to be the perfect summer read and the concept of the book was good and the book itself had so much potential but it was a MASSIVE let down. Let me explain what frustrated me about this book.

1. The main character, Flo, was so annoying, I did not like her. I found her to be so negative all the time and she seemed so self-centred and wanted everyone to pity her. At one point she pities herself because she was not apart of the family email chain, only, wait a minute, she was, the emails were going into her spam folder!

2. This book was just so cringy, within the first few chapters during a volleyball match with the FULL family, Flo's bikini top comes off and she is flashing everyone but seems in no rush to cover up! Like, babe, c'mon. There is also a scene where Flo is on top of Jamie, just about to kiss and he starts crying! Like imagine the person you have known for years and you fancy and you're just about to press lips and they start crying, if that happened to me I would be laughing and flinging myself off the boat.

3. With an enemies to lovers plot, we expect angst, banter the sexual tension but with Flo and Jamie, we got nothing, they went from not speaking to suddenly being in love, it just felt so rushed. They had NO connection at all. I am a huge romantic and tend to also ship the characters, with these two, I felt nothing. They seemed to have more of a sibling relationship than romantic.

4. Another thing which bugged me was at the start Flo said that it would be embarrassing to move back in with your parents at 26. Honestly, in the things are right now, it is more common for people to still be living with parents for all kinds of reasons. Especially with the renting crisis and how expensive things are right now.

Now, what I did enjoy about this book was the setting, I loved how it was sunny and hot. The family dynamics was the best part of this book, I think this would have worked out better if it was just a book based on a family holiday which maybe had some funny things going wrong

The book was okay, but I would not read again.

Thank you to Netgalley for this e-book arc in exchange for an honest review.

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The topic of mental health and Flo's past experience with a nervous breakdown is an important one, and I appreciate it because it helps to break down the "taboos" surrounding mental health issues.
I enjoyed this book. The dialogues, messy family life, and tension between family members were all well-written and brought to life in a way that made me feel like I was part of the story. The closeness between Flo's family was also well-portrayed, with both love and irritation felt by the reader. Additionally, the book had a cinematic feel to it, with the plot moving along and descriptions of scenes that reminded me of a movie.
Every day, the attraction between Flo and Jamie grows stronger, leading to a series of unexpected and heartwarming moments. As they share more experiences together, they discover hidden aspects of each other's personalities and realize that their initial dislike may not be as deep as they thought. Through laughter, heartache, and self-reflection, "From Enemies to Lovers" examines the complexities of love, friendship, and forgiveness. The story proves that sometimes, the most beautiful love stories start with the least likely of friends.

Thank you to netgalley and Random house UK , Cornerstone for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’m going to start off with the positives which are that this was an okay book. It would be a good one to read whilst on holiday where you don’t want anything with the stakes too high and you can get through it quickly. I also can appreciate the mental health representation and the fact she’s worked so hard to overcome it. Although i didn’t agree with everything, mental health is extremely personal and so no further comments.

Now for the less positive points I’ve found throughout this book. I found it utterly juvenile. The characters, the concept, the language and although this may have led me to read it faster I could not take the book seriously AT ALL. It felt extremely Americanised which isn’t a bad thing but it’s slightly odd if you’re going to mention their backgrounds so often and just people do not talk like this… if they do they need to stop IMMEDIATELY. There were definitely times I thought everyone and everything was utterly pathetic.

One of the main themes throughout the book was Flo’s family still treating her like a glass object that could break at anytime due to her previously mental health struggles. I was not satisfied with how this was resolved- I didn’t think things were completely finished or clarified enough, especially with her mother. The end conversation just turned circular and into a “woe is me” rather than any actual accountability. Further on in this conversation there was the whole “family messes up sometimes but you need to forgive”… no you don’t lol I’m actually sad I like Kate bc she deserved better.

I did recognise the “plot twist” pretty immediately but I thought the writing was trying to hide it too much instead of playing into it. (Side note: very obviously not enemies to lovers but that’s just what you get with contemporary romance). There is no way a conversation about the note wouldn’t have come about sooner… especially with the “do you ever think about christmas” conversation. ALSO why is the whole thing on Flo?? Jaime could have spoken to her directly too.

The reconciliation conversation between Jamie and Flo didn’t hit the way it could have done. It was very much… yes this happened and it was bad, kiss and make up, the end.

If you want a quick read that’ll have you annoyed at every character read on :).

This books whisks you off the sunny Greece. The book was light hearted and as well as being easy to read with a good plot

Really love the idea of this book, as soon as I read the description, I knew I had to give it a read! Only just started but really liking so far, will update as I progress in the book 😌

This book was a perfect Greek Holiday without going anywhere. This book gave the perfect vibe of a sunny holiday away and getting to know Flo was such a pleasant experience.
Throughout the whole book, we are in Flo's life, a girl that is in need for a good holiday. Her whole family has a strong connection to her brother's best friend, Jamie, and whilst Jamie is the best character, you don't get to know much of him since it's only Flo's POV.ꜱꜱ

You get lost in understanding how they got to that position, how they hate each other so much - even though Flo's hate towards Jamie is not much given back.

I definitely recommend adding this book to your TBR for August as it's release date is set for 𝟭𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. It's an easy read, a funny book and the writer definitely got me hooked in wanting to know Flo's best friend a bit more, to know how her summer went. It was lighthearted and funny and a good read for your summer!

This one was short and sweet but more than delivered on the enemies to lovers. Characters gripped me from the get go and it’s the perfect summer read!

wow i loved this so much. if you like emily henry and beth o leary then you will absolutely love this one!! connected so much to the fmc 🩵

The writing style of this book isn't gripping me and I don't feel interested enough in the plot to continue reading it unfortunately.

This book was everything i wanted it to be and more, fast paced, warm, funny and romantic. I absolutley devoured this book in a single day, delightful reading but so sad that it was over too soon. Enemies to Lovers is a trope I have never really explored before but it had me hooked. I think this could be my new favourite book by Laura Jane Williams.

Enemies to Lovers is exactly what I was hoping for. Full of charm, a heartwarming read that more than delivered on its promise of an 'enemies to lovers' swoon-worthy romance. Flo is a relatable and endearing protagonist and I was wholeheartedly rooting for her and Jamie from the get-go. Who doesn't love a brother's best friend storyline? I also really appreciated the emphasis on mental health. It felt authentic and well done. All in all, a great summer read with a lot of heart.

I really enjoyed this book, I actually read it in one day. It was fast paced which kept me hooked, it felt short and sweet, just a simple easy read romance. I kind of wish the ending had a bit more to it, I really wanted to see them completely loved up but it was a very sweet ending. (A note before publishing: there are quite a lot of typos throughout the book, missing words and words where they shouldn’t be)

This is the third book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed this read. It’s a perfect beach read and I really enjoyed her take on a popular trope. The characters were real and believable and their growth was not unrealistic or rushed.

This was such a cute read. It was an easy read and it didn’t feel like I was reading for hours, but all of the sudden two hours past! I truly love the enemies to lovers trope and this book was right up there, which can be noticed right away with the title. What I especially enjoyed about this book was the family aspect, that it was a close knitted family and the love between the characters was felt when reading their interactions. I loved how raw the main male character’s emotions were. This was the type of book that I needed to read right now.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin books for this ARC.
I love an Enemy to Lovers book and this one did not disappoint!! I’ve read a number of Laura Jane Williams books and I think this one has to be one of my favourites yet.

I really loved Flo, initially wondering about the character Jamie but he does grow on you!! I did work out the twist before it was revealed but it didn’t spoil the story for me at all!

Would definitely recommend!
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?

Blurb:

What was supposed to be a relaxing and fun family holiday on the dreamy coast of Greece, turns into Flo’s personal nightmare when Jaime shows up unannounced. In the two weeks they have to spend together, they will have to face each other and, more importantly, their past. However, Flo is determined to have the time of her life and not let her brother’s best friend ruin her summer, she has to make it through. What better way than getting close to him and befriending him to make all that anger towards him go away?

Review:

I was so happy and excited when I got accepted for this book! It was my first ARC ever and I was so curious about it. Also, the Greek setting was an immediate win. I loved the setting of this book from the very beginning, although it did make me crave summer even more. When it comes to the characters, I found all of them enjoyable to read, but the best part was the dynamic between all of them (and their obsession with food!).

Flo is someone easy to relate to in so many ways and I did on more than one occasion. At other times, she made me extremely nervous, and I would have loved to be in front of her for a reality check. That’s what Kate is for and why I liked her so much. Jaime, our main male character, is an extremely nice guy but difficult to figure out. I wanted to shake him and ask him what was wrong with him so many times. As for the secondary characters, they are a quirky and fun family that I loved getting to know.

The story itself was very easy to read and follow, with short chapters that helped the whole reading process. It is full of funny and touching moments that made me keep on reading. I also loved how the author highlights the importance of therapy and mental health and how she navigates these topics, it made me connect even more with the characters and their journeys.

It is, hands down, a perfect summer read and I am so happy I was given the chance to read even before it hit the libraries in August 15th!

I always LOVE Laura Jane Williams, and am always excited for a new novel!

However this one started very slowly, and I wasn't drawn in at first. But when I got to halfway we were back into classic Laura Jane Williams territory - page-turning, hilarious, relatable romance with a gorgeous hero!

Just wish it had drawn me in from the beginning as I would have given it a higher rating!

I have always been a fan of enemies to lovers tropes.. This was a perfect blend for that. Somehow the this kind of tropes give me the feel of slow burn yet passionate love. This was no less. Even though i found the female protagonist a bit annoying, the other one makes up for it.

I’m a big sucker for enemies to lovers so when I saw the title I was like YES. granted I was a tad disappointed I wouldn’t say it was enemies but nevertheless was a good read.

I’ve never wanted to go to Greece this badly before but Laura has me wanting to book a trip right now! Now I’m also a best friend brother trope sucker and didn’t realise it had that trope, so I was beyond excited to see that. I loved how the author tackled mental health and did it very well. It’s a tricky subject especially being addressed with family but was done really well.

A gripping laugh out loud book perfect for a beach read. I read it on a very dreary rainy day here in the UK and it transported me!
Definitely recommend!

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin books for this ARC!