While fun, some aspects of this book felt almost too modern for me, such as the dialogue and the YA-like jealousy between the MMC & FMC. Their relationship felt very one-dimensional as there wasn't really a slow burn between the two and more of an instalust. I think the book could have really benefited from the slow burn as it would have fleshed out their characters and made their romance even stronger. What killed me, though, was the use of modern launage, it just took me right out of the story and made it feel like I was reading more of a fantasy romance than historical romance. I wished I liked this more than I did, but as someone who has a major in history and a solid understanding of Roman times, this just did not click with me the way I hoped. Maybe I'm just picky.
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

Pleasantly surprised I liked this one. The cat and mouse/enemies to lovers vibes offered interesting scenes between Julia and Alaric throughout the book. Both of their character growth throughout the book was great as well - especially for Julia. She was a princess/part of the royal family in Rome, then somewhat suddenly becomes a “hostage” with Alaric and his squad, where she experiences the opposite of royal life. I think those experiences made her stronger. Alaric - the “King of the Goths” seemed vicious at first, but I can see how much he cares for his squad and eventually Julia. I wasn’t much of a fan of the “insta-lust” when Julia and Alaric met, but the growing infatuation between them throughout - especially towards the end - was nice to read. I love the characters in Alaric’s squad - they seem fun and made Julia feel welcome. Heard there’s a second book, so I’m interested in what happens next.

3.5 stars - I had a phenomenal time reading this and I look forward to reading any of Jenny's books in the future! Her writing and the story pacing managed to scratch the romantasy itch in my brain, I thought it was well done.

Sometimes I find that historical/retelling books have a dull and unenjoyable tone as they attempt to give weight to the history or put emphasis on particular moments but this was well balanced and paired nicely with the romance.

Docking a star because I didn't enjoy the constant POV changes - they were too quick and too short at times. I also don't think this is really an enemies to lovers situation since they were immediately attracted to each other.

Ancient Rome.
Enemies to Lovers.

SAY LESS

The way this entire book had me OBSESSED from start to finish. Am I nervous there is a book 2 ABSOLUTELY. But I’ll take it right nowwww

Well, it certainly got the point of endless suffering across! I was excited to see a historical romance from a less common time but found the reading experience to be a slog. The starting conflict was good but it quickly devolved into long and lagging scenes of gory violence and cross-country travel. The characters lack depth and emotionally, the story is flat. We are told Julia and Alaric are in love, but they have no chemistry. Julia is especially one-dimensional - she barely thinks beyond her singular concern: herself. It also lacked a meaningful ending - I feel like the author dragged the story around and then gave up.

eARC provided via NetGalley for review.

So am I the idiot who for some reason thought this was a romantasy? Yes, yes I did. Clearly my attention to detail is poor to say the least. This was a historical romance set in Ancient Rome and holy mother what an experience this audio was.

But first, let's talk about the story. As a reader who has read their fair share of historical romance, I haven't read anything dating past Victorian times. So reading something set in Ancient Rome was definitely a change of pace. The author is clearly a history buff because I was immediately enthralled in this world. It's described as a cinematic experience and I couldn't agree more because it was like a movie reel behind my eyelids.

Julia is the daughter of a Roman emperor who lives a life of luxury and freedom. When she's first introduced, I wasn't sure if I would like her. But this was honestly one of the BEST character growth arcs I have ever read for an FMC and Julia became one of my favorite heroines. When her father dies and leaves her ruthless and power hungry younger brother in power, she's faced with a fate she wouldn't wish on her enemy, escape is her only alternative. So why not ask her father's enemy to kidnap her?

Alaric is there to bargain for his homeland but walks away with something entirely different. Growing up as a slave, he fought in the brutality of the Colosseum, and is now a brutal Gothic warlord, who dreams of a homeland for himself and his people.

While there's definitely some insta lust present here, the relationship development took time and was full of angsty enemies to lovers vibes and I loved every moment of it. Neither Julia nor Alaric see the other for the person they really are and I loved watching them discover the depths of it and grow closer together. There's a delicious push and pull between them that I couldn't get enough of.

This was told in a 3rd person POV so in the audio with single narration, I found myself getting a bit thrown when the narrative switched from Julia to Alaric but I was still heavily enthralled in their story. It was gritty, brutal, sexy, and oh so addictive. I have seen now that there is a second book planned which makes the somewhat rushed ending make more sense. It was still entirely satisfying so I can't complain much.

I enjoyed this immensely and can't wait for more in this world. What a ride!

Dnf
I unfortunately ended up dnfing this book. I really wanted to try and read something out of my comfort zone and found myself drawn to the cover of this book and fascinated by the synopsis. However, I could not get into this, I believe that this type of historical fiction isn’t for me. Just because I ended up dnfing this book, it had nothing to do with the quality of the writing/novel. I would still recommend this to readers who enjoy this era of history and enjoy romance.

A Roman Empire inspired historical romance with cat and mouse vibes. Definitely spicier than I thought it would be but not in a bad way. I really liked Alaric as he was darkly funny and definitely possessive. Julia our FMC had great character development throughout. I listened to the audio and felt the narration was also well done. It was a slower read but still enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the arc copy of "Enemy of My Dreams" by Jenny Williamson.
Publication date 04 February 2025

This book is a must-read for people who loves historical fiction set during roman empire period. Hot, sweaty, savage warlord Alaric and seductive, sly and clever roman princess Julia carried this book to a new height. The world building was well written, not too much that it might bore you.. not too little that might confuse you ; precisely the right amount that I could visualize everything that is happening. All the side characters were multidimensional, complex and had realistic personality. The book was so unpredictable and exciting that I couldn't stop reading, like I had to know what happened next. You must read this book if you love -
- roman warriors
- enemies to lovers
- war and political intrigue
- complex side characters
- well written spice
- adventure and found family
*** I found some inconsistency at page 100

Early days of the Roman empire, the DRAMA was amazing and the enemies to lovers was the best part of this entire story!

Set in the early days of Rome, a woman tries to take control of her life after her brother, the Emperor, tries to force her to marry. Julia takes matters into her own hands by forcing the King of the Goths to kidnap her.

This had everything. Enemies to lovers, who did this to you, where is my wife, and SO MUCH ANGST. I loved the companionship between Julia and the twins, Riga, and Thorismund, and how they all came for her in the end. Alaric was a complicated character, as was the relationship between him and Julia. The twins were the perfect comic relief. Once I started, I devoured this book. Couldn’t put it down.

4.5⭐️

Um, WOAH. So well written, amazing characters, and THE DRAMA. One of the best ARCs I’ve read in A WHILE.

Alaric & Julia? Wow what a love story that was. And the found family?? Are you kidding? So cute (nothing about them was cute really but they all tugged on my heart strings), I loved every single member of the quest squad.

There’s definitely an egregious betrayal. There’s definitely bad choices made in literally epic proportions, but it all came together in the end.

Yes, there’s insta-attraction here but watching it grow into more than that between Alaric & Julia was so rewarding.

War, raiding, alliances, betrayals, new leaders and old empires…battle, tension…all of it exceptionally cinematic.

I also loved the multi POV. For me it was easy to follow and the transition between characters was perfectly executed.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ebook.

"Enemy of My Dreams" by Jenny Williamson introduces us to Julia, the intelligent and *fiercely* spoiled daughter of the Roman emperor. When her younger brother ascends to power, he gives Julia an ultimatum: marry someone she despises or be exiled. In an act of defiance, Julia convinces Alaric, King of the Goths and an enemy of Rome, to kidnap her for ransom. The premise sets the stage for a dramatic and intriguing story, one full of tension and complex political maneuvering.

While the chemistry between Julia and Alaric is evident to the reader, it’s frustratingly unclear to the characters themselves. Their relationship dynamics are built on a constant push and pull—enemies turned lovers, then back to enemies, only to return to lovers by the end. This constant back-and-forth, driven largely by miscommunication and misunderstandings, felt repetitive and strained after a while. It’s the kind of conflict where, rather than feeling the tension build, I found myself growing weary of the emotional rollercoaster, especially as it played out in petty actions and decisions that seemed unnecessarily drawn out.

The pacing of the plot is generally quick and engaging, and the author does a good job keeping the story moving forward. However, the romance element feels overshadowed by the constant tension of "will they or won’t they?" Julia and Alaric’s relationship could have benefited from a deeper exploration of their emotional growth rather than repeating the same back-and-forth patterns. Their path from enemies to lovers to enemies again felt more like a forced plot device than a natural progression, which diminished the impact of their eventual reconciliation.

The ending, where Julia and Alaric marry in front of the Goths and hint at a potential siege on Rome, felt abrupt. While I appreciate a dramatic conclusion, this one left me wanting more—more resolution, more emotional depth, and a clearer sense of where the characters’ futures were headed.

In conclusion, Enemy of My Dreams offers a quick, action-packed read, but the repetitive nature of the romance and the abrupt ending left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied. If you're a fan of enemies-to-lovers stories with lots of tension, this might be an enjoyable read for you. But for those who crave more nuanced character development and a well-paced romance, it may fall a little short.

First book I've read by this author, definitely a bit out of my usual reading range.
Julia, the only daughter of the emperor of Rome, lives a life of luxury and carelessness. She finds herself brutally thrown into reality when, after the death of her father, her brother, little more than a boy, becomes emperor. Julia, without any power, is promised in marriage to Alaric. Undisputed "enemy" of Rome. Julia is not used to being commanded like this, and she rebels, her brother, to teach her a lesson, punishes her lover, in the Colosseum, in front of the whole city. Julia finds herself forced to turn to the only person she believes can help her, Alaric himself. This is the first volume of a trilogy, definitely an interesting read and worth following. Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read it, it's a little pearl, waiting to be discovered.

Enemy of the Dreams is the story of Julia. As an Emperor's sister, she is being forced into a loveless marriage to allow her brother to consolidate power. Out of options, she turns to Alaric, King of the Goths, to rescue her from Rome and allow her to overthrow her brother.

The book take full advantage of the historical setting, to really let the internal politics of the Roman Empire give it incredible specificity in its settings - it is unusual for the action to be centred around Ravenna, the capitol of the latter Roman Empire. Williamson is an expert in Roman history and it certainly shows. I enjoyed getting to see more diversity than typical in Roman Empire epics - there are characters from Asia, from the Alps, and from Scandianvia. I hope the author will continue a sequel and recommend to anyone who loves history about the Roman Empire, historical romance or a bit of romantasy. It would be great to continue to see more of the Roman Empire in this later time period.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for the ARC!

3.5 rounded down. Julia is an icon, she is the moment. Alaric? My dude. My broski? My broheim, you got a LOT to work on.

I did really enjoy the Roman elements of the story, as a history WHORE, I am always looking for ancient myth/historical retellings. And like, a Roman princess getting kidnapped by the king of the goths? COME ON BRUV.

But like,,,I felt that this was way to focused on the romance than it was on the history. I felt a lot of the plot/conflict arose a bit outta nowhere at the last 40 pages, and it seemed to just go SUPER quick. Also Alaric did a whole 180 for like no reason and just,,,brother ehhhhh.

I did enjoy it though, and Julia and Horsa absolutely SLAY. Writing was good, but also? Where did Julia’s bro go?

I think my opinion would have been a bit different if I hadn’t read the BEAUTY that was Babylonia. Read THAT shit

I struggled with the historical perspective of this book - which is entirely my fault, or perhaps whatever history teachers I had. I couldn’t help but feel pretty stupid reading this, as it ended up reading more like a fantasy world-building experience rather than a historical fiction. I appreciate that this is a historical romance from an entirely different timeline that is usually used which definitely made the book feel fresh and different. The romance was lacking for me, and leaned heavily on instant lust, and there wasn’t much tension or buildup. It felt a bit long at times, but overall an interesting read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The author did an excellent job with both the characters and the story line. This was an interesting and fun read that hooked me from the beginning, and I couldn't put it down. I loved how it kept me on my toes with the tension between the FMC and MMC. It was well written. I can't wait to read more from this author. I definitely recommend this book to other readers.

Thank you Net Galley, Harlequin, and Jenny Williamson

This books was so much fun! It really kept me on my toes and I LOVED the tension to begin with between Julia and Aleric, and the raw reality of Julia dealing with her recent traumatic events.

I received an ARC copy to read and listen to. I was super excited for the book as I felt it started off with a good plot and had so much potential.

Where it succeeded: the storyline was unique and the plot moved along fast. Some twists and turns I definitely wasn’t expecting along the way. I love an enemies to lovers trope and bantering between the MC’s. A few steamy moments that make you blush which is great. Nothing over the top 🌶️ here.

Where it failed for me: the enemies to lovers trope was more of an insta lust so it lacked in relationship development and he enemies part for my taste. Also, like others have said, the POV changed randomly throughout the book which made parts hard to follow along to and caused a little bit of whiplash.

Overall, I thought it was a decent book that did have room for improvement. I love books set in a historical setting but with a modern twist or modern speech. This fit that bill.

My reviews floats between 3-3.5 stars.