⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎭🌭🥛🍕🤺

If I have to give you any advice for this book, it is to make sure you have a lot of time free, because you're not gonna want to put this book down.

My Own Worst Enemy is a cute YA/NA romcom about a butch lesbian actor named Emmy Clooney (no relation) who is the most precious character I have come across. She wants nothing more than to be a successful actress. She's smart, she's funny and she prepares to the max when it comes to roles, and she is more comfortable being someone else and following scripts than she is talking to people on her own. She is shy and anxious, seconds guesses herself and is afraid people are going to abandon her when she's not acting. She's certain she's going to get lots of queer butch roles, because there are so many femme lesbians, but not that many that a butch, so when she meets fellow aspiring actress, Mae Jones, who looks exactly like her, and seems to be way more of a natural actor than her, Emmy feels threatened.

Queue the declared rivalry between the two characters, where there is back-and-forth tension, that borderlines with intense flirting, self-growth and awareness of own faults, and we get this beautiful book. There are laugh-out-loud moments (like seriously, I peed my pants) there are parts that made me cry, and there were parts that made me wish I was a part of their world.

The side characters were great too. I loved the side story going on in the background with Emmy's best friends/roommates. I loved the queer representation throughout the book. (Lesbian, Bisexual, Pansexual, Gay, Non-Binary.) I didn't like Alice, and neither will you when you read this book, but she was a core element of Emmy's growth.

Thank so much to Lily Lindon, Netgalley and Aria Fiction for the copy of the eArc. This review is left voluntary.

2.5

I struggled massively with this book, there were several times I wanted to dnf but pushed through it

I just didn't connect with the main character at all, like I didn't really understand her reasoning behind the decisions she made. Also at the start I found her constant comparison of herself to others, her automatically thinking that other people think they're 100x better than her, and her thinking that others don't want to be around her very annoying very quickly

I enjoyed the last 25% a lot more than the start

A lovely rom com about two females trying t get parts in plays. A lovey easy read novel and one for the holidays when you have time to relax. Well written and a pleasure to read. 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

I think it's a well written story but I wasn't a fan of the characters and the story fell flat.
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

What a perfect time to get into a cute queer rom-com none other than pride month!

Okay admittedly it took me a while to get into this, I felt like the beginning may have lacked a bit of the 'OMGosh you need to keep reading' factor but then a few chapters later I was fully invested in Emmy's love story.

I absolutely found it so endearing how naive she was when it came to not realising how much Mae was into her. Her character was so well written and her insecurities both in the acting world and in the dating world were literally screaming off the page. I enjoyed all the characters apart from Alice I found came across as controlling and honestly really desperate.

The book was paced well and was full of funny and cringe-worthy moments which definitely added to my enjoyment.
Overall it was a cute enemies to lovers romance thay I'd highly recommend to anyone wanting to read a queer romance.

‘My Own Worst Enemy’ was an absolute joy to read! Also a little stressful, but not in a bad way, more that I got really invested in the characters and their story way. There is so much to love about this novel. There are so many elements of the story, from Emmy’s internal monologue to her love of her craft, that made me feel so seen. Something I love to find with queer romance novels I read.

It’s been a while since a book has made me full body laugh. It was wonderful to find this with My Own Worst Enemy (though as I had a bad cough at the time of reading, the laughter sometimes brought on coughing fits, which weren’t so great, but worth it regardless). At times I found myself kicking my legs or burying my face in a pillow at some of the events of the novel, with Emmy managing to put her foot in it or just end up in situations I couldn’t just read with a straight face. It made for a delightful reading experience.

The rivalry between Emmy and Mae was so entertaining to read as they continued to try and one up each other. Though I won’t lie, so me of the things they did I really didn’t expect them to go that far. The chemistry between the two characters was, to me, tangible, from the get go - only making me further invested in their story and relationship. Especially with a certain character that made me feel uneasy with how she treated Emmy, and honestly made me want to sit Emmy down and tell her what was going on (I will protect Emmy with my life if needed).

I loved the emotional growth for Emmy throughout this novel. It made me so happy by the time I finished reading, I just wanted to start the novel over again just to spend some more time with the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for gifting me this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily. This title was published 8th June 2023.

I wanted to like My Own Worst Enemy way more than I did, and, if I’m being honest, if this wasn’t an arc I probably would’ve DNF’ed — there were so many occasions were I thought about it.

It’s a shame, really, because I think this book could’ve been really good. At certain points I thought it was picking up, only to be let down again, the feeling of wanting to pull my hair out returning.

First, I’ll start off with a few things I did enjoy about this book.

I thought the commentary on typecasting was interesting, and very relevant to the industry we see today: not just in musical theatre, but in all areas of the arts.

I also thought the discussion of sexuality, particularly how being a lesbian/sapphic, can impact how you are cast and what you are cast in. Again, I thought the discussion on representation and diversity in the arts was a timely conversation.

I enjoyed Emmy’s growth with her mum. I thought that was a nice plot line, and I liked how it developed. I teared up several times.

Outside all of that, sigh. I just don’t know. Emmy and Mae most certainly were enemies, they were horrible to each other. For most of the book. That’s all there was. Where was the chemistry? Where was the redemption? I couldn’t find it. It just popped up out of no where at the end of the book. Sure, the author tried to weave in *tender* moments in throughout the book but it wasn’t working for me, like at all.

Also, I just didn’t really like any of the characters. I found most of them absolutely insufferable. Nothing was making me root for them — except for maybe Emmys two best friends and roommates.

The ending just came out of no where and didn’t really feel like it was earned. Just wrapped up in a neat bow, because this is a romance book and there should be a HEA and I guess we are at that point now in the book. Terrible.

Also, this book had some serious themes — like an abusive/manipulative partner — but it sort of just like . . . Glossed over it? Which I thought was awful.

Thank you so much aria and Aries for this ARC


My own worst enemies is an easy quick read that I liked but didn’t overall love. A theatre themed enemies to lovers romance which looks into social and personal issues.

I was really excited to receive an ARC for this after reading Lindon's debut, Double Booked.

A big hearted, enemies to lovers, easy read, with the bonus of Shakespeare.

this book did do that thing of like WOW we're talking about BUTCHES we're saying BUTCH FOR BUTCH over here but the butches in question are like v conventially attractive thin soft butch white girls??? but the romance was sweet and the theatre stuff was fun! wrapped up a little too quickly and the burn is EXTREMELY slow, i wanted more romance baby. but a fun readable enjoyable time.

After loving DOUBLE BOOKED by Lindon, I was super excited to receive this ARC (what better way to start pride month?!) but am really sad that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d anticipated.

A story of self discovery, growth, relationships + found family centred around a theatre setting, and involving some heavier topics, particularly toxicity in relationships: there was definitely LOTS to love. I adored Ruth and Raphael, the MC’s two best friends/housemates, it was super interesting to learn more about the acting world + the characters felt realistic and complex.

The queer/gender rep was done brilliantly; there were bisexuals, lesbians, gay, mentions of asexuality, androgyne, butch, non binary + trans. I also loved the fact that Emmy and Mae were both butch characters, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen represented in a book— as discussed in the plot, normally we see fem/fem lesbians or fem/masc.

The main downfall in this book for me (and unfortunately quite a big part) was the MC Emmy and her relationship with Mae. It felt forced between them, and although I love some witty dialogue and banter, their characters just felt immature: had they been eighteen, this could have felt more authentic, but they’re meant to be mid twenties and a lot of the (literal) bullying/suddenly flirting again felt off. Although some of Emmy’s actions were understandable, at times she just felt naive and juvenile.

I also HATED Heather. I know she was meant to be this gaslighting, love bombing, awful character, but even that felt too ‘in your face’. Also *𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧* the majority of the book Emmy is with someone else: Mae and Emmy don’t actually get together till the last 10%?

The ending was cute but overall I just felt like this missed the mark for me sadly. Definitely pick this up though to form your own opinions + I also HIGHLY recommend DOUBLE BOOKED 🫶🏼

📍 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 + 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣. 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 @𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 (𝙄𝙂), 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝.

𝑬𝒇𝒇𝒚 @ 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 🥀

My Own Worst Enemy by Lily Lindon is based on the premise that opposites don't always attract, and is a charming and funny slice of escapism, perfect for Summer reading.
Emmy Clooney (no relation) has just graduated from drama school and is determined to make a name for herself and have a successful career so that she will no longer have to rely on working in her dad's pizza restaurant
As a "butch" presenting mid twenties short haired lesbian she is acutely aware of the limited numbers of roles that are available to her, but she is determined to make the most of every one. Imagine her chagrin when at her next casting she meets Mae, another short haired mid twenties short haired lesbian, who is up for the same role and may be just that little bit more talented and charismatic than Emmy. As they bump into each other more frequently at auditions Emmy finds herself torn between jealousy and her growing attraction , and when they are both cast in an all queer adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night sparks truly begin to fly.
Emmy is a very relatable character, I think many of us experienced similar doubts as we first embarked on our chosen careers, and struggled to figure out how to take our place in the world., and that made me forgive some of her self absorption. I loved several of the support characters too, most notably her pizza obsessed dad with his food based terms of endearment and her career driven housemate and best friend Ruth. Mae, the love interest/rival was also a fun character, though I can't help wishing we had a few chapters from her perspective. I appreciated that while the book was mainly about the love story between Emmy and Mae, there was also a strong subplot involving Emmy's parents, and their separation when Emmy was a young teen. Though this is a fun romance read, its also a smart and funny one, and I really appreciated the skill of the author in creating dialogue that had me giggling as I read.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Reading an author’s second novel is always fun, seeing what stands out as consistent strengths, and trying to work out what the author’s signature themes might be.

One thing that stood out for me in both of Lindon’s books, but especially in this one, is how good she is at writing an unreliable narrator. A lot of the tensions and conflicts in My Own Worst Enemy, we as the reader can solve within a few seconds, and yet Emmy cannot see what’s right in front of her. To keep that going (convincingly) for an entire novel is a skill in and of itself, and it makes for an incredibly compelling story and a very satisfying conclusion.

As with many of the best romances, the romance acts as a vehicle for the characters to realise so much more about themselves. Emmy and Mae push each other, rile each other up, and force each other to confront their own insecurities.

The book also deals with some heavier issues, particularly unhealthy relationships. The relationship that Emmy is in for the majority of the story is a toxic one, and at times upsetting and frustrating to read. I do wish her girlfriend had a bit more of a comeuppance, but it was still good to see Emmy find the confidence to firmly show her the door.

I was gripped from the very beginning of this book, and was desperate to see what would happen next the whole time. I’m excited to see what Lindon writes next – safe to say I’m a fan of her work!

I received a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.

I really wanted to like this book but I struggled to get into the characters, the story and the flow of the writing. One thing that really threw me off and I am not sure if it is present just in the advance reader e-book copies but the constant italics in hot pink really threw me off and really messed with my eyes therefore I think that might also have contributed as to why I struggled with the book which is just simple formatting.

She's her own worst enemy. So why does she fancy people who look like her? The characters focus on themes of growing, self-discovery and confronting personal and social problems. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work.

For me, there is a huge place in my summer reading list for fun, easy stories that just put a smile on my face and let me go with the flow. That said, they have to have something special about them to capture my attention. My Own Worst Enemy absolutely ticked that box, I highly enjoyed meeting Mae and I really liked the messages coming through here, exploring different kinds of love, relationships and perspectives.

The key was how much I was rooting for Mae - she felt like a friend by the end and I was emotionally invested in her story, I highly encourage you to meet her soon!

This book sounded so promising but it fell flat for me. I didn't really like any of the characters. They came across as immature and their actions were frustrating. The pace was also slow going which made the book drag. Unfortunately I ended up DNF'ing because I couldn't motivate myself to keep reading.

I found this a really cute, modern, rom com. The characters were adorable, yet feisty. Sometimes I felt like I needed to give Emmy a shake, but that's what kept me hooked throughout! I loved the theatrics of it all, and I totally related to Raphy mostly. Overall, a fabulous, lovely read.
I'm grateful to have received an e-arc from netgalley, the author and publisher.

My Own Worst Enemy had a promising premise, but unfortunately, it fell short of expectations. From the very beginning, it became apparent that the characters were more frustrating than compelling, leading to my decision to mark it as a DNF (Did Not Finish).

One of the main issues with this book was the lack of relatable or engaging characters. They were not only uninteresting to me but also annoying in their actions and behaviour. The protagonist lacked depth and seemed to make inexplicable decisions, which hindered any connection I tried to establish with them. Similarly, the supporting characters lacked development, coming across as one-dimensional and failing to elicit any empathy or investment in their stories.

Additionally, the pacing of the book dragged, making it difficult to become fully immersed in the story.

Stopped reading when I was over 50% and couldn't convince myself any longer to keep reading a book I didn't enjoy.

Honest update here. I read this book 2 months ago after it was recommended to me by Amy Watson at Head of Zeus, publishers.

Whilst I was on holiday I read this book and I devoured it in two days. I absolutely love the premise. Emmy Clooney (no relation of George) is a self-classed-typical stereotyped gay actor. She is bagging all the niche roles for her type of character.

Then along comes Mae, Amy finds her self up against Mae in all of the auditions. The rivalry between these two, the friendship and Frenemies situation, secrets and the truths are all woven together brilliantly.

I absolutely could see a screenplay in this book, I would love to see it transferred to a movie because it was so compelling, I loved the characters and had many laugh out loud moments as I read the dramas between them.

I loved Lily London’s last book and this one is even better. Many thanks to #NetGalley For. The Opportunity To Read This Book Ahead Of Publication In Exchange For An Honest Review Which I Give 10 Stars Out Of 5