Emmy Clooney (no relation) isn't her biggest fan. In fact, sometimes she's her own worst enemy.

She's still waiting for her moment to shine- the moment everything clicks and she's got her life together, but in the meantime she's stuck taking small acting roles as the short-haired, queer young woman - but at least she's good at it.

Until Mae walks into an audition - who is exactly the same as Emmy, which makes her the enemy too. But as their rivalry starts to heat up, she can't deny that as much as she wants to hate Mae, there's something about her she can't stay away from. Not as though she gets much of a choice, anyway because she's everywhere. But you know what they say - keep your friends close, and your annoyingly hot doppelganger enemies closer!

"For a second, I have a sense of an alternate universe, a universe where I'm like myself, but better in every way Then I realise it's not me at all. But Mae is exactly my type."

Lindons follow-up novel is an absolute joy. This playful, fun romcom is one of those love stories that goes beyond the love we find in romance but the love that can be found all around us.

Our narrator Emmy is clearly frustrated with her life, with still having to work at her Dads pizza place when she should be acting, with her place in life. But even with all this self-doubt and loathing, it's interesting to see how much she thinks Mae is threatening, charming, beautiful - even though she reminds her so much of herself. As an ex-theatre nerd, I loved seeing her passion, all the rituals and quirks of the stage, the old superstitions and routines making me extremely nostalgic for the spotlight. As a narrator, she was amazing - always observing the little details and setting the scene, but going off on hilariously witty tangents with us and addressing us like a friend. She makes absolutely ridiculous decisions, over reacts, and misunderstands but she was so authentically human that I didn't blame her.

The entire cast are bright, vibrant, larger-than-life but still have an air of genuiness about them. And anyone who knows theatre kids knows that yes, people really do act like that even first thing in the morning. Her friends were playful and fun, blunt and honest but deeply caring and warm - Lindon gives us a collective of relationships that are beautifully complex and meaningful, but of course sometimes heart-breaking and confusing like people usually are.

Emmys journey was hilariously chaotic - her meet-cute turned rivalry with Mae, her nightmarish career moments, her attempts at dating, her complicated family life, her competitiveness reaching new levels of intensity - almost becoming vital to them, linking them together. There were moments that made me want to hide my eyes and throw away the book because it got so tense, moments that made me want to scream at them, and some moments I saw coming but was bewildered about how we'd get there.

Again Lindon cleverly subverts and explores stereotypes and tropes about queerness and spiritedly plays with them - taking the things that are used to often pigeon-hole us and reclaiming them in her own refreshingly authentic way. Emmys sexuality and identity, and how this plays a part in who she has become is dealt with brilliantly and genuinely, giving us a snapshot of a person trying to figure out their life and who they want to be.

A chaotic romcom with a lot of heart - this book made me happy I was reading on a kindle or the crying would have ruined the pages! An amazing follow-up from a powerful and entertaining voice.

"You're the only person you can't run away from … It's the worst."

This was an odd one for me. The start of the novel was a struggle and I couldn't connect with the main character at all. It picked up in the middle before tapering off again in the last third. There were elements I really enjoyed and the overall premise is hilarious and very cool but overall I think this was just an okay read for me.

In a rare case of “exactly what it says on the tin”, the title gives you an incredibly accurate diagnosis of the novel. The cover is similarly spot-on, with the protagonist gazing into the camera and ignoring what’s happening around her. What is misleading is shelving this as romance. It has romcom vibes, but it would be more accurate to say this is a sitcom with romance in it. There is no three arc structure - just to give you one example, at 48% of the book protagonist only just starts dating a woman, and that woman is not even the love interest, and generally the worldview of the protagonist is in equal parts main-characterish blindsided obstinacy and juvenile understanding of interpersonal relationships. This was quite tiring, and actively got in the way of enjoying what I had hoped to be a feel-good queer romance with not one but two baby butches. I might have had an easier time with the book if the humour had worked for me, but I feel like this is yet another from the series of first person POV neurotic person being socially inept kind of comedies and I don’t find them very funny.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of the book.

A gorgeous enemies to lovers story filled with Shakespeare, a rivalry, housemates, pizza and pride. Emmy Clooney is an actress who is shocked to find another actress, Mae, who looks just like her but is just that tiny bit cooler then her and has that je ne sais quoi, that neurotic Emmy could never hope to live up to. A rivalry begins with Mae and Emmy in a constant competition for the best parts when Emmy discovers Mae's secret.

The story takes a slight turn with a storyline involving nepotism and a controlling partner entering from stage left just as the pair are both cast in a queer production of Twelfth Night. There is a whole cast of characters who help the main couple shine, my favourite always seem to be the housemates but in this case it is justified as they are SUCH a good pair. The rivalry continues until, that moment happens and all is well.. except not this time, Emmy is so very good at the right moment, wrong time and I loved that there was a little more to the story then the classic enemies to lovers with a few extra twists and turns in there until we got to the HEA.

The ending is gorgeous and overall I felt it was the fun bit of escapism I needed mixed in with the queer representation that the rom-com genre needs!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 "Emma Clooney", announces the casting assistant. "No relation," I apologise." This book was an extremely easy and fun read, and the first I'd read where both the love interests were butch lesbians, which was certainly a nice change.

Emmy has just finished drama school and is struggling to find roles whilst also juggling work at her dads pizza restaurant. Emmy is a butch lesbian and whilst auditioning meets Mae, who looks exactly the same as her. They begin a rivalry as they both compete for the same jobs (as there are very limited roles for their casting type). However, the more time they spend together, the lines between rivalry and flirtation seem to blur. The book is mixed in with family drama, Emmy's first relationship, and her ex-friend turned Hollywood actress, Thalia. This book an enemies to lovers as well as a workplace romance and rivalry.

I really really enjoyed the writing of this book. The dialogue was extremely humours and natural, it made for a quick and easy read. The other part of this book I adored were the characters. The friendship between Emmy and her housemates was humorous and easy to understand the dynamics. My favourite relationship however was between Emmy and her mother, in particular towards the end. I really enjoyed how Mae and Emmy met at the start, however, there was a sudden switch and they hated each other when they realised they were in competition. I also found Mae to do some pretty unforgivable things to/ against Emmy at the end, but all is fair in love and war (and I loved the drama.)

My main issue was I saw Emmy to be quite childish. I understand that she has just graduated and has never been with a relationship. But there are moments where she stands up for herself (meeting with Mae and deciding they should compete for different roles), however, there are others where she is pushed around completely are reverts into herself. I understand her insecurities but at some points, I believe she would not have been pushed around as much and done what others wished.

This book was a very easy read and the first I've ever read of a relationship between two butch lesbians. The storyline was very easy to follow, I just unfortunately wasn't the biggest fan of the main character, however, I did adore it when her and Mae got closer, that was a very heart-tingling moment. Thank you netgalley for the arc!

I wanted to love this so much. I adored Lindon’s first book, Double Booked, and I had such high hopes for this one but I ended up DNFing at 33%

The writing was the same fun, gorgeous, easy-to-read style that I’d anticipated, but I hated literally every single character. Everything the main character did annoyed me so much I decided it just wasn’t worth continuing.

Two stars because I love the writing style and I feel bad for not enjoying this book 🥲

I absolutely adored DOUBLE BOOKED and was stoked to get this arc. I loved this one just as much. It did take me some time to get into it but after that, I just fell in love with it. It’s the classic enemies-to-lovers which I love! I loved the characters, their dynamic worked so well together. It’s a fun, light read which I recommend to those who enjoy lgbt romance.

My Own Worst Enemy was a silly rom-com featuring 2 butches and the enemy to lovers trope. While reading I could actually imagine this being a movie, I love the stereotypical romantic comedies at times and this book fit the bill. We got 2 leads, one career, a lot of (false) assumptions, a sort-of villain and some quirky roommates.
I had a lot of fun reading this and gave me good vibes..would recommend it to anyone who's into romcoms!

Firstly, thank you for letting me read this early.
Queer Shakespeare, with so much laughter.
I absolutely adored this fantastic story, I didn't see all the twists and turns coming but very much enjoyed it

whilst seemingly difficult to get into, the beef of this book allowed for an enjoyable read. Albeit the characters seemingly were juvenile, bordering on cartoon, it allowed for easy reading.

A quick, easy and cute read that had me feeling all the feels. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. I loved that it was set in London as I recognised some of the parts being spoken about in the book. A great read.

I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review. Thanks as always to Netgalley for sending this to me!

There were several things that instantly attracted me to My Own Worst Enemy (aside from its amazing cover): the promise of enemies to lovers, the butch lesbian representation, and the fact that it’s about actors.

I love actor books. I love watching gag reels and outtakes/behind the scenes content for my favourite movies and shows---they always make the whole thing seem so fun (even though I know there’s a lot of gruelling work going on behind the scenes!) so I’m always chasing after books with that vibe. I like to come out of these kinds of books feeling jealous of the bonds and the camaraderie shared by the characters, and this book definitely delivered on that front.

Secondly, there is a serious dearth of butch rep out there. I’m not a lesbian myself, but I commonly see it mentioned that most fictional sapphic couples are femme/femme, with the occasional butch/femme. Seeing two masculine woman in a relationship in fiction unfortunately seems rare at the moment (if anyone has any recs, please let me know!) so I was thrilled to see that here, and to have it play an interesting (and quite ironic) role in the story.

I found this book a little hard to get into at first, for several reasons. Firstly, the characters, while likeable, were very juvenile. At times, this felt more like a YA than an adult novel, largely driven by misunderstandings and childish drama, and the dialogue definitely felt like it would have suited far younger characters. Additionally, some of the characters were so oblivious that I wanted to shake them. I’m well aware of dramatic irony, but when the narrative is beating you over the head with certain ‘twists’ and the character remains blissfully unaware of the many clues and hints that are being stated, it gets frustrating very quickly.

Secondly, the ‘villain’ of the book was almost cartoonishly evil. I personally found her to be quite two-dimensional, and I really didn’t enjoy her scenes. She wasn’t the kind of villain you love to hate; she was an annoyance, and the plotline that revolved around her got tedious very quickly. She just seemed to be there to create drama for the characters, and I really didn’t enjoy those parts of the book.

That being said, there were still plenty of things that I really enjoyed about this book! It was super fast paced, and I blew through it extremely quickly, turning pages at a rapid rate. I found the friendships and family bonds super heartwarming; I think those were the real strengths of the book. I also really enjoyed the humour and light-hearted parts of the book, and as mentioned, I loved the actual acting parts and getting to feel like a part of all the behind-the-scenes drama and silliness.

Overall, this was a super fun read!

A very aptly titled book and a terrific fun read. I very much enjoyed the rivalry between Emmy and Mae although towards the end some of their behaviour became a little childish and in Emmy's case overdoing the bitchiness a little which I don't think suited her character. I loved the auditions which were hilarious and the improv scenes that sparked with electricity between the two main characters.The Twelfth Night production was a treat, a wonderful backdrop for the build up to the final momentous events.
Other characters played their parts well, Emmy's family providing solid if under appreciated support and the chemistry between Emmy and her flatmates worked to a tee. The plot was more than a little predictable but there were enough twists and turns to keep the pages turning. All in all I was thoroughly entertained by a book that is well written with style and a great sense of humour.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy.

A very good book that made me reflect on life. The title says it all we are our own worst enemies.
Caught in stereotypes, other's expectations and simply not living our life.
A young actor that has done all by the book, finished acting school, extremely well read and serious at her job suddenly finds competition in an mirror image girl. We get a clash of educated vs. improv acting. Self achievement vs. nepotism. A story of opposites and attractions.
I would suggest this book to everyone even if you are not interested in lgtb themes, young people's problems or acting world.

Romances are always a feel-good genre to turn to when you need an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Whether it's delving into a classic love story or the modern take on them, there is something special about following two characters as they explore the depths of their feelings for each other. This book review is all about one particular romantic comedy that I recently read – if your heart aches for a LGBT enemies-to-lovers story then this is surely worth exploring…

Emmy Clooney was ready to show the world what she's made of, but when an audition brings her face-to-face with Mae—her cool and captivating doppelganger — a fierce rivalry is born. With tensions high between them both in their attempt for screen time glory, will they be able to move past their differences or let it get out of hand? An unlikely love story blooms as My Own Worst Enemy invites you on Emmy’s journey from drama school graduate determinedly chasing her dreams into becoming a successful actress (and possibly finding true love).

While I didn’t necessarily find the characters likeable, Emmy really irritated me, they were well-drawn and authentic. Emmy graduated from her amazing drama school top of her class, but life isn’t panning out quite how she expects, and she doesn’t have many friends which makes her moany and annoying especially when you realise the reason she has no friends is almost entirely her own fault. Mae is far more likeable, she is fun and bubbly, doesn’t care about the acting norms and just wants to make her own way. She isn’t so hung up on the outcome, just trying her best. The fact that they are almost identical butch lesbians means they are directly competing for each role. Their rivalry feels real and authentic and has some nasty and some exceptionally good scenes throughout.

The supporting actors are also real and authentic, I fell in love with Emmy’s dad and Uncle Pete (who I am sure are a secret couple by the way!) and their pizza obsession…pizza is life. While My Own Worst Enemy is primarily a rom-com it also celebrates love in all its forms including parents, friends, family and even the random strangers you meet along the way.

The ending was obvious, as with most romances but that’s expected I feel and it had a lovely ‘happily ever after’ feel to it which felt inevitable from the beginning.

Having read Lily Lindon’s last novel, Double Booked, I enjoy her writing style which is relaxed and free flowing. While I doubt it's true it feels like she just sat down and write the whole story in one sitting and then just popped it out to publishers and here it is!

This is a warm, witty and heart-warming novel, perfect for a weekend escape.

I love a good cheesy rom com as much as the next person. And that us exactly what this is. It's one of those books you can't help but enjoy whilst your reading it. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

This was my first read of the year, and it did not disappoint.

If you are smart but also stupid, this is a book for you; it balances intelligence and wit with silliness and stupidity in a way that is surprising, page-turning and, above all, so much FUN. My favourite example of this is when the protagonist, Emmy, and her enemy, Mae, have a fight in an audition via alternating lines of Viola's ring monologue from Twelfth Night. As someone who is extremely intelligent (see my masterful use of semi-colons as evidence), I found myself shouting the final line of the monologue in my head, because it is omitted, which literally and actually shed new light on Shakespeare for ME, someone extremely intelligent: 'It is too tight a knot for me to untie!' is, like, probably a nod to 'tying the knot' with marriage, right? Anyway.

It also made me cry at the end, twice. Part of me thought, hmm, having your protagonist cry a lot at the end for many different reasons is probably a good way to get the tear ducts of your readers working. But then I also thought that I would not have shed a single tear if I did not feel connected to the characters, and realised that there were at least 7 characters to whom I felt connected and tied emotions to and the confluence of all of these characters, and the emotions I associate with them, at the end made me sob on the tube. The characters are extremely well-drawn, and the outpouring of my own emotions at the end is testament to this.

We all love romance, and it has sexy erotic queer romance in spades. Of course, I fancy Mae and wish she was real and single. But what it also presents is love in so many different forms; if this were translated into Greek, all of those different words for love would be in here. I particularly enjoyed friend love and self-love, though the familial love thread was one that made me cry.

10/10 no notes loved it loved it loved it

I was plesantly surprised with this book.
My Own Worst Enemy was a sweet rom-com. Was it a little cheesy? yes, but I love that. The story and characters are a great mix with serious and silly, although Emmy at times was a little self-depricating...but then, aren't we all?! I really enjoy how queer romance's are seeing more attention in the fictional world of late, and this is a great addition to the collection.
I thought that Lindon intertwined the supporting characters really well and both Emmy and Mae made two great "enemies to lovers" characters. Would recommend this to anyone who enjoys this genre. Great job Lindon,. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy

Emmy is an aspiring actress who encounters another actor at an audition. Mae looks remarkably similar to her and they end up going up against each other for a variety of roles. Emmy and Mae are natural enemies but Mae has the upper hand. This was an interesting enough read that kept my attention throughout though it was a bit predictable.

- 3.5 stars -
My Own Worst Enemy was a sweet sapphic rom-com. A bit cheesy, yes, and at times Emmy's self-deprecation was incredibly irritating - but it was a cute, quick read.
I enjoyed the London setting, and the supporting cast were fun! Also surprisingly topical considering the current spotlight on nepo babies...

This isn't literary genius but if you're looking for a short but sweet, feel-good read, this is the book for you.