Member Reviews
This was a fine romance novel. I found the reason the main characters didn’t like each other to be kind of annoying. It was a fine book overall.
This was a fun read with some good plot twists and points. The writing is evocative that started actively researching vacations in Greece and even a month after reading it find myself day dreaming about the descriptions and the family dynamic that was presented on page.
Being named “Enemies to Lovers”, I was worried that it would be overly trope- heavy but it had a good balance.
This is a great vacation read and super fun!
Parts of this were fun, but in the end I think I disliked more of it than I liked. I also probably shouldn’t have put it off until it wasn’t actually summer anymore but I digress. I liked the Greek setting and the family dynamics and how obsessed with food everyone is.
I thought Flo was a good, well developed character, and she and Jamie had decent chemistry, but I really, really didn’t like that not only did we get the miscommunication trope, but also the fucking violently overprotective older brother trope and that it ended up being his fault that the miscommunication happened (which I predicted but am still so annoyed turned out to be true). I do like that they let Flo be appropriately angry about it at least, but that doesn’t make up for it.
I also REALLY don’t like that it had attempted SA and that Flo had to be rescued by Jamie. And the random long hair on men slander??
I’m giving this 2.5 stars rounded down to 2. Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books to the digital ARC; all opinions are my own.
This is a perfect fit for readers who adore lighthearted, humorous, and emotional romance stories, particularly those who enjoy the forbidden romance trope, brother's best friend romance, and the thrill of watching two adversaries blossom into lovers amidst a picturesque Greek holiday backdrop.
This book was sooo cute! I can confidently say that Enemies to Lovers is my number one trope so when it expected this book I knew it would be a hit for me! The writing was well done and the humor was so funny. I really enjoyed the brothers best friend trope and have recently added that to my list of favorites! This book left me craving an escape to the Greek isles more than ever!!
⭐⭐⭐.✨ (3.5 stars rounded up to 4)
Well one of my favorite romance tropes happens to be the title of this book…Enemies to Lovers by Laura Jane Williams is perfect to throw into your beach/pool bag and enjoy while on holiday or vacay. Flo hates Jamie, and the feeling is mutual – or is it? Flo’s family is on holiday, and Jamie tags along since he’s a pseudo-son to her parents and her brother’s best friend. There was a bit of a falling out between Flo and Jamie the previous Christmas, and she’s not thrilled he’s now on her family vacation. So of course let’s sit back and read as the enemies do become lovers ;) Overall, I enjoyed this book and kudos to the family dynamics which are simply delightful. The book isn’t all fluff as there are some heavy topics that are touched upon (Flo has anxiety and previously had a breakdown and death of loved ones), but they’re done with care. Honestly, this book has inspired me to call up my family and plan a summer vacay – I’m ready to pack my sunscreen and bathing suits as I type. I recommend adding this one to your TBR if you love enemies to lovers, brother’s best friend, and forced proximity!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Laura Jane Williams and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
This book was such a quick read because there was always something happening. Whether the characters were playing games, exploring the island, meeting new people, or just having fun banter as a family, it kept me engaged. I also appreciated how the story touched on mental health, and the moments when Flo sees everyone's vulnerability were really well done. Plus, I’m a sucker for characters who go from “I can’t stand you” to “maybe I actually like you.”
The only reason I didn’t give it a full 5 stars is that, at times, I found the transitions between scenes a bit confusing. For example, Jamie would be in the bedroom, and suddenly he’s swimming, and I wasn’t always sure where the characters were. But despite that, I still had an absolute blast reading this book!
I enjoyed this book but there was a little bit of something lacking for me. Enjoyed the build up but started to not like Flo part way through with all her miscommunications and woe is me. Definitely enjoyed the brother’s best friend storyline though. And with their combined anxiety issues that gave them common ground I feel that connection myself. Overall a good read that did enjoy. Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book.
Though the enemies to lovers trope is one of my favorites (and the reason why I requested this book), this one fell short for me. I didn't really feel the characters were enemies...so it was n't an enemies to lovers book. I didn't connect with the characters and it was hard to care enough to keep going. Bummed this one didn't work for me.
Ok so usually I’m all for the english authors but I couldn’t get my brain to read this one. I have started and stopped this 4 times and just can’t get past 1/2 way.
I’m sure it’s a great story but not for me.
Rating: 3/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date: 8/13
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I absolutely love a good enemies to lovers story so when I was gifted this eARC, I was super excited to start it.
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Enemies to Lovers is a romcom of sorts that definitely has some deeper elements to it which I totally appreciate. There is a lot about mental health in this story which I think is amazing and is something we need to focus on more as a society. I don’t necessarily think that this story followed the whole “enemies to lovers” trope per se, but I can appreciate where the author went with the story.
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I think I would categorize this one in more of a slow burn category, there were definitely points that dragged a bit with this one. But, on the other hand this was a very atmospheric story - I felt like I was right there with the family in Greece. The characters are interesting enough, some have more significance within the story than others, but overall I didn’t feel super connected to any of them, but still enjoyed this story. The big twist to this story wasn’t overly shocking, it was pretty predictable, but I liked where Williams went with the story.
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Overall, I enjoyed this one, I think it was a good beach read, just isn’t something I can rave about. I think people will enjoy this as a beach read! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Laura Jane Williams and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
An easy, fun read that would be perfect for a vacation. I really did enjoy it and read it in one day. If you are easy to please and looking for something to read in the sunshine, pick this one up!
The premise of this one sounded cute and kind of predictable and sometimes that’s exactly what I need in a read. It was enjoyable and easy to read. I just did not connect with the characters and it definitely did not have a true enemies to lovers feel. Overall a solid, quick read if you’re looking for low stakes romance with a little personal growth storyline thrown in.
Florence Greenberg is ready for a vacation and family holiday to Greece is just what she needs. Flo has skipped the last few family gatherings after she embarrassingly professed her love for her brother's best friend and was rebuffed. But when she gets to Greece, she's surprised to see that said best friend—Jamie Kramer—will be joining the family vacation. Flo's furious with Jamie but refuses to let him ruin her vacation. She even meets a potential summer fling, and she will not let Jamie, or her feelings for him, cloud her judgment again. But can she stay away, and what happened last year, anyway?
I really enjoyed this light, funny, easy book. I'm a sucker for an enemy-to-lover troupe and this one did not disappoint. The characters were witty, sharp, and loveable (even Flo, who is a bit type-A). I really liked Flo's character and her struggle with an unrequited love interest, and her internal dialogue, was super relatable. The addition of the potential love interest, who added another fun layer to the relationship between Flo and Jamie, was an entertaining addition to the story. This was an easy, fun read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penhuin Group Putman for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received this e-book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for the copy!
If you enjoy an extremely slow burn or enemies to lovers, then you might enjoy this book! I was 18 days into reading this and only on Chapter 4. The beginning did not keep my interest. I'm not sure if it was because of how immature the Main Character was acting, but she seemed to turn it around towards the end. I think once you get to about 60% in, it starts picking up a bit faster.
This book was a bit slow to me, and didn’t quite fit the “enemies to lovers” that the title implied. It felt more like a one sided dislike than enemies. I agree with some other reviewers that I never felt quite connected to the main characters to care for them or how their story turned out. The story was cute, but it wasn’t enough for me to fall in love with it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this book 😭 As much as I loved the setting of Greece, which was perfect for summer, as well as the mental health representation..this overall this missed the mark for me. I didn’t feel like this was a true representation of the enemies to lovers trope because they weren’t even enemies? Flo is upset that Jamie “blew her off” by leaving her a note under her door and instead of talking to him about it, she decides she is just going to hate him forever. Except that she doesn’t hate him, she still has a crush on him, so it’s actually the miscommunication trope paired with brother’s best friend trope.
I couldn’t connect with either main character and felt they were written too immaturely to be adults.. (aka she calls him a “farthead” and eggs his car).
**Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC and the chance to read and review. All opinions are my own**
Flo can't get over her unexpected and unexplainable breakup from Jamie. When he joins her family on a holiday to Greece as an "adopted son", Flo knows it's going to be a long, excruciating vacation.
Talking about not judging a book by its cover (and title!). I was 100% sure this is going to be a sunny, lighthearted romcom. Boy, was I wrong! This novel is so much deeper than that. It does have its share of humor, but it also follows Flo on her journey to recovery from a breakdown. It was interesting to see how her closely-knit family was also affected by it.
Aside from the seriousness, the narrative gave me some nostalgic Bridget Jones vibes. The humor was a nice escape and the narrative sounded like witty, and at times sarcastic, journal entries. In my opinion, the novel also portrayed family and sibling banter in a very realistic manner. The love triangle was a fun element as well.
Overall, this was a wonderful summer read set in beautiful Greece. The novel had the right balance of thought-provoking and humorous content. It was also a great reminder how a "well-meaning" family can wreck some havoc.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a wonderful book. I really enjoyed reading it!
I didn't connect with this one 100%, but I do think this is the definition of a great beach read. The setting was amazing and the pacing was great. I think the main thing I don't connect with was that the "enemies" portion of Enemies to Lovers felt very light handed. Maybe Aggravation to Lovers? Flo felt a bit uptight and self centered, which seemed to be the real point of "conflict", as Jamie didn't seem to mind her. Not for me personally!