The Enemy’s Daughter is a sweet standalone romance that I genuinely enjoyed. While I’ve grown a little weary of classic enemies-to-lovers setups, this one worked surprisingly well. The relationship between the characters felt genuine and heartwarming, giving the story an emotional touch I appreciated.

The plot isn’t groundbreaking and follows a fairly predictable path, but that’s not necessarily a downside—it makes for a light, uncomplicated read that’s easy to pick up between heavier books. The shorter length also kept the pacing tight and ensured the story didn’t drag.

Overall, this book doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it’s a charming and satisfying romance that’s authentic, quick to read, and enjoyable from start to finish.

The Enemy’s Daughter

- Melissa Poett

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a YA reimagining of the myth of Tristan and Isolde from Celtic folklore. I do love a myth retelling, and this one I wasn’t overly familiar with, so it did definitely seem like I was reading an original story.

At first, I found the dystopian setting a bit bizarre. When I think of dystopia, I imagine futuristic technology and military compounds (probably a product of my Divergent upbringing). That’s not what we get in The Enemy’s Daughter, and honestly, when I got over the initial shock, I thought it was really fresh and unique. Society has effectively reverted to medieval times (a goated time period to set any book, so I was immediately in).

Five outnumbered clans, who have banded together against Kingsland, the isolationist civilisation that hoard resources and leave the clans to starve. Isodora is the daughter of the clan’s leader, renowned for his brutality and hatred of Kingsland. When Isadora encounters a soldier, shot by a poisoned arrow on the outskirts of her settlement, her healer instincts kick in and she comes to his aid, unaware of the deadly chain of events this will set in motion. That soldier, of course, turns out to be Tristan and there is a lot more to his story than immediately meets Isadora’s eye.

This was super fun and fast-paced - everything YA fantasy romance should be! Tristan and Isadora definitely fall in love quickly, so if you’re looking for a slow-burn, this is not it. Instead, it’s more of a Romeo and Juliet situation - love at first sight and then spending the rest of the story fighting to be together.

Overall, a great debut in my book, and I will definitely be reading whatever Melissa Poett writes next!

The Enemy's Daughter is a dystopian Tristan and Isolde retelling that I had a lot of fun reading! It was a quick, romantic fantasy that I flew through. I liked following Isadora as she became bound to her enemy to save her life, and starts to uncover secrets both about him and her own family. Overall the premise was great, and I liked how the plot played out, touching on feminism and the political situation in our world. I just would've liked everything to be a bit more fleshed out. The world building, magic, and the romance were good, but could've been explored deeper and I was left with a lot of questions about how this world functions.

This was an absolute JOY to read!!! I didn’t know anything about Tristan & Isolde beforehand but I didn’t feel like that took away from my enjoyment! I didn’t expect to love it so much but I had so much fun, the society was so cool & I loved these characters so much 🥹🥹 I wish there was more explanation of the magic and such but it got an extra star just for how much fun i had reading it! What a blast!

The enemy’s daughter by Melissa Poett

Rating: 3/5
Spice: closed door (YA)

The beginning of the book had me, the characters were interesting and the plot had me intrigued albeit a little predictable at times, it was enjoyable. But there was a moment of near insta love from this place of distrust and real enemies to lovers sort of area. Which completely threw me off to be honest.

Now I know with the dynamics of the romance (keeping it spoiler free here) there were certain.. insights that perhaps characters wouldn’t usually have which, yes, I guess a lot could be put down to. But for me it was still lacking a little something something.

Overall i enjoyed reading the book, just perhaps not one for me.

I loved the journey that The Enemy's Daughter took me on. The world, the characters, the magic, it all worked together perfectly. I found the differences between the culture and the customs of the clans and the people of Kingsland really interesting to read about and liked that there were mixed viewpoints on which people were good, and which were bad. I also really enjoyed the developments between Isadora and Tristan. The way they met and how their bond developed throughout the story was written so well and kept the story moving forward with intrigue.

“The only thing I can’t do anymore is get closer to you and let you own more and more of me, if this isn’t what you want.”


In a world divided between five clans and Kingsland, Isadora- healer, rebel, and daughter of the clans’ leader finds herself magically bound to Tristan, a deadly assassin sent to kill her. Their bond saves her life, but at the cost of tying their minds, emotions, and futures together. Now caught between duty, love, and betrayal, Isadora must question everything she was taught and decide if she’ll fight for freedom or fall to the lies that shaped her.

Tropes:
⚔️ Marketed as enemies to lovers, its lite at best
💍 Forced marriage / magical bond
🌌 Tristan & Isolde retelling vibes
💔 Trauma bonding
🧪 Healer FMC, grumpy assassin MMC
👑 Clan politics & betrayal
🌍 Dystopian-fantasy setting
🔮 Questioning tradition & breaking free
😭 Emotional grief sharing

This debut YA romantasy is fast paced, dramatic, and addictive in all the best ways. The meet-cute (aka attempted murder + rope flirting??), the soul-bonded marriage, and the gut punch emotional moments had me glued to the page. The worldbuilding leans lighter (I wanted a bit more depth) especially because I found the dystopian setting entertaining, and the romance sometimes felt too insta love - but the angst, politics, and action absolutely delivered. Isadora is the moment, Tristan is a walking green flag with knives, and together they’re chaos and tenderness rolled into one.

✅ A great entry point for readers new to fantasy/romantasy -easy to follow, emotional, and entertaining. For seasoned fantasy lovers, you might crave more world depth, but the bond, the banter, and the betrayals make this worth the ride. Overall, for a debut I think it's well written, but somehow fast and slow all at once.

As soon as I read the synopsis of Enemy's Daughter I needed to read it. A fantasy romance with enemies to lovers, set in a dystopian setting will always hooks me. However, it sadly fell short for me. While I did mostly enjoy my time reading, some of the pacing and lack of explanation threw off my rating.

I felt the dystopian, post-war setting was used mainly for the “vibe” rather than as a device or to make a statement. People having access to electricity and plumbing in Kingsland was without explanation on how these things would work in this setting. Our main character didn’t really question it, even though she’d grown up without it. I’d have also liked to know more about what the rest of the world was like in comparison, where were the traders getting goods from etc. not knowing, made the world feel small and under developed.

The "magic" system was a little confusing, it felt like a “mates” situation but that anyone can be? It left me feeling their relationship was more of convenience than of actual chemistry or passion for one another.

This book was not bad by any means, but I would have liked less generic storytelling, and more oomph!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the chance to read and review this book.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

The Enemy's Daughter is a YA Fantasy based on the Tristan and Isolde story with some slight changes.

It has all the ingredients I usually adore. A dystopian setting, political intrigue, and an enemies to lovers romance, but while I enjoyed it, it didn’t quite stick with me the way I hoped.

The post-war dystopian setting had so much potential, but it sadly felt underused. We get glimpses of modern remnants like electricity and plumbing, yet no explanation for how they fit into this world, and very little sense of what lies beyond the main community.

The magic element, while unique, was also a bit unclear and, at times felt like it drove the romance more than actual chemistry between the characters. The romance itself did not feel like a true enemies to lovers romance and could have used a bit of a slowburn in my opinion.

That said, I did like both main characters. The smaller-scale plot was refreshing, and there were moments of tension that really worked for me.
The ending tied everything together neatly, even if it felt a little rushed and I wasn't a huge fan of some of the twists.

Overall, a quick, enjoyable read that I just wish had gone deeper into its world and magic. Will definitely be following this author's journey, though as i think there's great potential!!

Isadora is a healer and her clan live in the unpolluted lands which are wanted by a cruel people called the Kingsland.
Isadora goes to help the injured clan soldiers despite the risk to her own life.
She is shot by a poisoned arrow and then saved by the leader of the archer.
She learns the Kingsland may not be what she has been led to believe.
This is a dystopian story set after a disaster takes place.
Isadora is a likeable character and I liked the relationship between her and Tristan and their bond.
Look forward to more from this author.
Thanks o Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC..

I love the story of Tristan and Isolde and this retelling does not disappoint. Set in a dystopian world ravaged by war bands of survivors struggled to eke out a living while also staving off the brutal attacks from Kingsland. But when Isadora is captured by the enemy is everything she’s been told true or is there more to their constant warfare.

This was an emotional rollercoaster of a story with twists and turns that kept me guessing to the end I loved Tristan and Isadoras story.

A different read for me, but definitely a gripping one. Isadora’s voice was a lively mix of inquisitive, shock and amazed. How the author builds up a world view and then flips it in its head, whilst weaving in what the results of incel culture would look like in a dystopian society, was ingenious. Very well done, dystopian novel that read like a fantasy romance.

Thank you very much Harper Collins and Netgalley for accepting my request to read and review this book.

The Enemy's Daughter sounds like everything I should adore in a book, fantasy with romance and enemies to lovers. However, this one sadly fell a bit flat for me. While I did enjoy my time reading it and didn't DISLIKE it, it also was a bit forgettable despite having the groundwork for a more original and memorable story,

My biggest gripe with this book was the fact that it is a dystopian, which could lend itself to a super fascinating setting, however it seemed the author could have simply written this book into a medieval romantasy setting and the story would not have been any different. The dystopian, post-war setting is severely under-utilised and under explained. Characters are seemingly using electricity and plumbing, without an explanation on how these things would function in this setting. We also had no idea what the rest of the world is like, how they have fared.

I also found the "magic" system under-explained and a bit hard to grasp. It felt like a "mates" kind of situation but seemingly anyone can do it? I really wasn't a fan of this element of the book. It felt like the romance was more of a product of this weird bond than any actual chemistry or passion for one another.

Lastly, I felt like the 'reveal' at the end was both very predictable and not entirely believable.

This book was not bad by any means, but it definitely suffers from generic storytelling, which works if the backbone of the romance is strong, but it wasn't.

I am giving this book a 2.5 but rounding it up to a 3.

4.5⭐️

By the time I get around to reading these arcs, I’ve fully forgotten what they’re about and why I requested them - so I pretty much always go in blind.

I was so excited when I realised this was a forced marriage situation - but with a twist! I really enjoyed how it played out and it definitely felt different to other books I’ve read with the trope.

The worldbuilding isn’t the best and leaves a lot to the imagination, but I think it gave enough for the story that was being told. A little bit dystopian, a little bit fantasy. It worked well and I was intrigued.

The relationship between Isadora and Tristan was really cute and I genuinely had butterflies at times reading their scenes together!

I think the book could’ve done with being longer, to build up the setting more, even out the pacing a bit, and to give the characters more depth, but it was an enjoyable read and I had a good time with it still. I’d definitely recommend it if it sounds like something you’d enjoy! :)

One of my best friends got me into reading this book after she got her ARC of it and couldn't stop raving about got great it was, and as usual she wasn't wrong! This book was so good I went and got her it a a birthday gift to say thank you!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, Children's | Harper Fire for a free e-ARC of 'The Enemy's Daughter' by Melissa Poett.

'It's a selfish thought; duty to my Saraf and the clans needs to come first. But when have they ever done what's best for me?'

This is a great YA romantasy read - it is probably one of the best YA books I have read in a long time. I didn't know much about the story of Tristan and Isolde but this was a really interesting reimagining as the blurb suggests!

The Enemy's Daughter was unique, full of suspense, and had intriguing romance and political plots that had me gripped. Isadora and Tristan are great characters and I absolutely love that younger people can read stories like these. The ending was *chef's kiss*.

Both versions of the cover are beautiful, but I've got to say the colourful illustrated cover on NetGalley is top tier for me!

My criticisms are quite minimal - my main one was a personal dislike of mine- that the miscommunication trope features quite heavily throughout the book (although, a lot of it is understandable, given her being ~the enemy's daughter~ and trust obviously has to be built.

"I want this, Tristan." I pause, letting the truth of my words sink in, then I kiss him. I kiss him like he holds my next breath.

Because I have never wanted anything more.

this was a really strong debut for the author

Thank you for letting me read and review this book on Netgalley

Title: The Enemy's Daughter
Author: Melissa Poett
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: YA Romantasy
Tropes: Enemies-to-lovers, Rival clans, Marriage for survival.
Thoughts: Good premise but I found the pacing quite difficult to keep me reading. Some bits were quite slow and others were quicker but it made it difficult to keep invested in the story.

3⭐️ | OUT TODAY! 14th Aug 2025

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Fire (Harper Collins UK) for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Good: This book was an easy and light read. The premise of the story was interesting? Dystopian but make it medieval? Sign me up. Tristan and Isadora were loveable enough main characters.

The Bad: The pacing. Can a book be fast and slow at the same time? I feel like a lot of of things were rushed through and left unexplained. The romance was underdeveloped and insta love which was not what I expected. Thought the two main characters were loveable I was not sold on the romance for a large part of this book. A few points were also built up massively only to be let down with disappointing reveals.

I really didn’t know how to feel about this so I am going to sit in the middle.

Would I recommend it? It’s a maybe from me. You may like this if you enjoyed Divine Rivals!

DNF-While I truly appreciated the premise and the chance to try this book, I found that it just wasn’t the right fit for me personally at this time. This is very much a case of personal taste rather than an issue with the writing or story, and I believe many readers will connect with it more than I did.