This was fun, but it doesn't stand out in my memory or in the sea of romcoms. This also doesn't have the high sexual tension I've come to expect from Danan.

I struggled a lot with this one. The premise really interested me (and still does), but I found the execution was not my style. It felt wordy and repetitive at times, like it was just trying to fill space before getting to the inevitable. It also didn't feel like true enemies-to-lovers, because they don't start off as enemies at all, and the enemies aspect feels very forced after Riley and Clark's first encounter. I just couldn't get myself to buy in, and it felt like there was too much focus on both of them talking themselves into believing they hated each other. It also just seemed unbelievable that neither of them would understand what "an end to enemies" could mean other than literally 'ending' an enemy. They're supposedly in their 30s, so their ignorance just felt unrealistic and clearly a way to keep them 'enemies' longer. It also never felt like there was a build to 'lovers', because them disliking each other was so forced. It wasn't a terrible read, but not necessarily something I'd jump to recommend to people.

Loved this book! think that this book did a fun job at throwing Riley and Clark together. I like their dynamic, it was fun and light and entertaining to read about. It's also the true strangers to lovers that I am always in favor of. I also thought that it incorporated the paranormal/supernatural/spiritual element of Riley being a curse breaker without ever feeling like it was going to veer into full-on fantasy romance territory. It felt like it made sense to be grounded in a contemporary setting.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this!

rosie danan enever disasapoint and if you havent read her books what are you doing??? I loveee Rosie and I am just obsess with everything she writes and this is not the exception I just need more of her every time I need to ge out a reading slump

I wanted to like this book so much. The premise sounded so enabling and original and the writing was strong. I just couldn't bond with these characters and the enemies to lovers trope, that I love so much, just didn't jibe with me. I did finish this book after several attempts, but the something was missing that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Opposites attract in this fun, quirky romantic comedy featuring a down on her luck cursebreaker and a handsome professor who are forced to work together at an infamous Scottish castle. Riley is used to people laughing at her choice of profession, but even so, she approaches life and work with spunk and humor. Clark is still reeling a bit from a professional scandal he was involved in, and he just wants to lay low and do his job. When he meets Riley, however, all bets are off and his plans are completely derailed,..in a good way. Great banter, spicy romance, and fun story line.

Something about this book wasn't for me. I enjoyed it most of the time, but I often found myself feeling like the book was missing something. I did very much enjoy the ending and the paranormal activity was explored in a uniquely fun one. It's just at times the book got weird.

The copy was kindly given to me by publisher and Netgalley for review; all opinions are my own.

This book was a solid 4 stars. Such a fun premise with an archeologist and curse breaker! I don't think it holds to the Mummy as advertised but still this book held my interest the entire time, and despite a few cheesy scenes, I had fun with it! I love the atmosphere and haunted Scottish castle location; the forced proximity, enemies with benefits, broody MMC with a hidden heart. Both characters come with their own baggage, baggage they used against each other at time but it was a point of growth for both characters.

I just love this author and couldn’t wait to read DO YOUR WORST. Her writing pulled me in right away, as we meet Riley Rhodes, a generational curse breaker that is hired to rid the occult in an historic Scottish castle alongside skeptical archeologist Clark. When the two meet at a bar as strangers, they have a connection and chemistry right away, not realizing they will soon be working together to rid the castle of the curse.

WHAT TO EXPECT
-enemies to lovers
-grumpy x sunshine
-Scotland setting
-plenty of spice

*many thanks to Berkley Romance, prh audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

This was so much fun and solidified that Rosie Danan will always be an insta-read author for me.

Do Your Worst drew me in from the start, and while there were some slow parts for me, I still had a hard time putting it down. I loved the dynamic between Riley and Clark, especially when we go from their first time meeting to then meeting a little later and realizing who the other is...a curse breaker and an archeologist tasked with working together to fix whatever is going on at a cursed Scottish castle. I'll be honest, I was hooked just reading the description of this book, and after reading it, I can say I was not disappointed!
Definitely recommend for people who are looking for an open-door romance with lots of angsty moments and sassy quips.

The main trope of this novel is enemies to lovers, but I found the female love interest job too u realistic. It is good for romance fans, but a bit to instalove or lust.

This was so much fun and suspenseful! Reminded me a bit of Romancing the Stone or The Mummy but with a more gothic setting.

This was disappointing given how fun the concept is. There's an old castle in Scotland, which is already cool. She breaks curses, please tell me more. He's a grumpy guy, I'm in.

But neither of them felt particularly great together or at their jobs. Even with some of my favorite tropes propping this book up, I didn't really like it.

I thought this was such a fun fall romance! I loved the tension between the characters and their interactions and chemistry. I would have loved to see them soften up to each other a smidge sooner, but overall it was a super fun read!

If you are a fan of Rosie this is her best yet in the most complimentary way. It’s heartfelt and endearing, but still 5 spice bottles out of 5. So,if that floats your boat, this is the book for you. Seriously. My friends and I joke that this was a book literally written with me as the target audience, but it more than delivered. I laughed. I cried. I blushed on public transport. I did a lap around the room. I giggled and kicked my feet. I gasped dramatically. Plus, Rosie sneaks in some pretty deep points about the general human experience which I think is why Romance as a genre is so beloved and important. I will 100% be picking up a hard copy at the bookstore on release day. <3 <3 <3

It felt like this book wasn't committing to the fantasy or romance aspects enough. The relationship felt disconnected and I wanted more from the magical/fantasy side of the curse breaking business. I included a link to the podcast discussion we had at Feminist Book Club about this book.

Sparks fly--sometimes literally--in Rosie Danan's steamy contemporary romance Do Your Worst, when a feisty curse-breaker meets a skeptical archeologist in a cursed castle in the Scottish highlands.

Riley Rhodes was born into a family with a "unique talent for vanquishing the occult," a skill Riley has tried to make good on in the years since her grandmother's death. She's now trying to turn curse breaking, "a mysterious and often misunderstood practice," into a proper consulting business, so Riley is thrilled to receive an invitation to work at the long-cursed Arden Castle in Scotland, which has driven off dozens of owners over the decades. Clark Edgeware, meanwhile, is at Arden for quite the opposite reason--not to launch a career, but to salvage his name and reputation after a spectacularly public controversy at his last archeological dig.

When Riley learns that the skeptical, yet drop-dead gorgeous, Clark has tried to get her fired from working at Arden, she vows revenge. Her attempts keep going sideways, though, and the two find themselves thrown together in increasingly tense situations in the castle, involving ladder falls, fire sparks, and freak storms, to name a few--all of which leave them both more than a little breathless. ("Her body was just confused from the whiplash of meeting him, kissing him, swearing... revenge, and then having him kinda sorta save her from, if not death, then at least disfigurement.")

In these increasingly inexplicable and seemingly inescapable situations, Danan (The Roommate) shows off her skills working with tried-and-true romance tropes in new and exciting ways: opposites attract, forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers. The two decide to work together to break the curse Clark still refuses to believe in, ultimately leading up to an "enemies-to-lovers sex ritual with a smoldering Englishman," as Riley's friend so accurately sums up. With no small amount of heat and the perfect smattering of steamy bedroom scenes throughout, Do Your Worst offers up a deliciously tense and perfectly believable romance with just a hint of the occult, as two unlikely lovers learn to let their guards down and let each other in. What starts in the name of breaking the curse of Arden Castle becomes a romp through history and modern romance, with a fascinating and entertaining exploration of just what is involved in forgiving one's enemies--and oneself. Full of witty banter, flirtatious provocation, occult matters, Scottish accents, and satisfying character development, Do Your Worst is a perfect read for spooky season. Or, frankly, any season in need of a little extra spice. --Kerry McHugh, freelance writer

Shelf Talker: A steamy enemies-to-lovers romance puts an occult curse-breaker in close proximity with a grumpy, disgraced archeologist in an ancient Scottish castle to great effect.

This was very fun. I loved the premise and the chemistry was just perfectly written. The spice was great - and it made it all the better because it was *spicier* than expected from the characters. This one is already on the shelves of our library and has circulated quite a bit (even making it's round through the staff).

Excellent chemistry, and a very cute premise. I am the biggest fan of Rosie Danan and I was eagerly anticipating this book and it definitely lived up to the expectation

DO YOUR WORST is Rosie Danan at her best! When a curse breaker is hired to work alongside a skeptical archaeologist at a historic Scottish castle, neither can stand each other. But mysterious events keep pushing them closer until their chemistry - and their curse - is undeniable. Laugh out loud funny, steamy, and tender.