First off, I love the title "Enemy of My Dreams." It can be interpreted in so many ways. It adds, us, the readers in to intrigue in a way.
Also I love the cover!
I read the ARC e-book thanks to NetGalley. I think this audiobook will be great.
This is an impressive first novel by Williamson. A creative new genre to boot!
It's a sexy and intense adventure. A bit too much war, violence and gore for me but it's to be expected with the Roman Empire setting.
I would have liked a bit more of Julia and Alaric, and less war on the page. I did like and appreciate the relationship dynamics and development between Alaric and his men. Also Julia's growth and relationships are well written.
I hope this book will be widely read and appreciated and that we get more books from Williamson.
I do hope the final published book will have trigger warnings for the violence and war.

The tumultuous last days of the Roman Empire are the setting for the engrossing historical romance Enemy of My Dreams. Their forbidden alliance is tense, full of political intrigue, emotional depth, and intense chemistry between Julia and Alaric. Alaric is a powerful warrior with a heart as complex as the empire itself, while Julia is a fiery, independent heroine enmeshed in a perilous game. Rich historical information and world-building give this work an authentic and engrossing feel. Betrayal, controversy, passion, and gigantic stakes are all present in this novel. This is for you if you enjoy passionate, forbidden love stories with compelling characters!

An EPIC historical romance with high stakes and old-school sensibilities; Enemy of my Dreams has the kind of romantic payoff that feels so satisfying because of how dearly the hero and heroine fight for it.

This story is set in the last days of a crumbling Roman Empire; Julia is a spoiled Roman princess and quite the hedonist (there's a lot of casual and not-so-casual drug and alcohol use in this book) BUT she's also way more clever than her douchebag brother the emperor, and resents being controlled by him... which is why she ends up engineering her own spur-of-the-moment kidnapping AT KNIFEPOINT by biiiiiig baaaad warlord Alaric. For anyone who's a fan of a kidnapping in their romances, this is ABSOLUTELY the book for you: tension-filled horse rides for two as they trudge across Europe on a military campaign, some tying-up action when Alaric is extra annoyed by Julia, Alaric generally being horny-annoyed by Julia...

And Alaric has his moments of menace (which, HOT) and the gravity of his position is not lost on you since he is the leader of a landless, starving people. But he's a Romance Hero first and foremost, so he's not above needling Julia by doing things like attending parties shirtless and flirting with his ex— there's a push-and-pull quality to their relationship that I enjoyed a lot, and Julia gives it right back to him (to the best of her ability lol). But when push comes to shove, Alaric is all-in with Julia fairly early on. He's the one swearing devotion and loyalty and kingdoms to her first, while Julia is like "is this..... what fuckbuddies normally do?". There is a third-act breakup that's quite gut-wrenching, but Jenny Williamson makes both of them WORK for their reunion and ultimately, there is a really moving grovel before they come together again.

Sidenote, Alaric was a real guy and obviously liberties were taken with the historical accuracy of this book (much like, say, Monica McCarty with some of her Highland Guard heroes and heroines who were real people), but I'm not complaining.

The sex:

Can sex scenes be epic? I'm choosing YES because I don't know how else to describe this man thrusting inside her while ardently swearing to be her shield and BURN DOWN THE WORLD for her. There are a handful sprinkled throughout the book, and I do think they're a little less explicit than what I'd expect from a historical, they're there, and they're great.

Overall:

I want more historicals like this— more unique settings like the Roman Empire, more political, more sweeping romances and epic plots that take place over a span of time and countries. I'd absolutely recommend this to any historical romance reader looking for something new and refreshing.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my review.

Rating: 4.5/5
Heat Level: 3.5/5
Publication Date: February 4th

A Passionate, Thrilling Historical Romance – Enemy of My Dreams by Jenny Williamson

Enemy of My Dreams by Jenny Williamson is a gripping historical romance set in the last days of the Roman Empire. When Julia, the rebellious daughter of the emperor, defies her brother's marriage plans, she turns to Alaric, a fierce Gothic warlord, to secure an alliance that could save her. What follows is a high-stakes, steamy cat-and-mouse game full of attraction, tension, and power struggles.

The chemistry between Julia and Alaric is electric, with their constant push and pull making for an exciting, intense romance. Julia is a bold, complex heroine, while Alaric is a ruthless warrior with hidden depths. Williamson's writing immerses you in a vivid world of danger, lust, and political intrigue, making this a page-turner from start to finish.

If you enjoy historical romance with fiery chemistry and thrilling twists, Enemy of My Dreams is a must-read.

I’m always drawn to historical romances set in ancient Rome, and Enemy of My Dreams did not disappoint! Julia, a headstrong Roman princess, and Alaric, the fierce Visigoth warrior, make for an unforgettable pairing. Julia’s refusal to bow to anyone’s demands made her such a compelling protagonist, and Alaric’s sharp wit and commanding presence were the perfect match for her fiery spirit.

The dynamic between Julia and Alaric was one of my favorite parts. Their early journey together was full of tension and hilarious pettiness—Alaric making Julia wash his shirt, or Julia putting nettles in his bed? Priceless moments that kept me hooked. The mix of humor and heat in their interactions made their relationship feel authentic and entertaining.

This book is epic in every sense—rich with drama, suspense, and an incredible cast of characters. There were moments where I genuinely wasn’t sure if some of them would make it to the end, which added to the stakes and kept me turning the pages.

Between the vivid writing, the perfect balance of spice and story, and the captivating setting, Enemy of My Dreams is a must-read for fans of historical romance. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to read more from Jenny Williamson!

Julia, princess of Rome, gets kidnapped by Alaric, King of the Goths. This is true enemies-to-lovers as both main characters discover what they want for themselves and from each other.

I love that Julia is a smart, fierce FMC while also having flaws and a big personality. It was interesting to read about her winning over Alaric, as well as his allies. Although, I think my favorite characters were the twins. I couldn't stop picturing a more brutal version of the twins from How to Train Your Dragon.

While this book doesn't neccessary end on a cliffhanger, I hope there is another book that continues to details Julia and Alaric's next steps. I also want to know what happens with Horsa!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! Honestly this was such an amazing read. The setting, the character building, the drama. *chef’s kiss*. I do wish insta-lust wasn’t at play here, but happy to overlook it for the political intrigue and at least partially played out forbidden love/enemies to lovers trope. Well written, fresh, and genuinely enjoyable.

While the beginning was slow, once I got into the story, I was locked in. The names made it a little hard to follow at first. The casual violence at court was off putting.
At first Julia was a little unlikable. She developed incredibly into a strong heroine whose mind outshone most, which was refreshing for this genre. Her character development was fantastic as she faced different challenges.
I was also so gleeful about the found family. The adventuring part of the story was well paced, and even when they were back in society I was still very invested in their stories. The writing was good, very readable and sucked me in.
Such a well done enemies to lovers story.

This is a historical fiction novel inspired by ancient Rome, drawing from parts of Roman history with a decided fantasy flourish. While there are details about the various wars and politics, it’s also filled with modern feeling characters, and Julia — daughter of Augustus — being described as a “princess.” I picked this book up because, as a fan of I, Claudius, I always felt sorry for Julia who had a very unhappy life, unhappy marriage, and horrific death, so to see a book that put her as a character and waved a magic wand to give her a happy ending? I was all for it.

But this isn’t that Julia, daughter of Augustus. This is some other girl, named Julia, living in a fantasy Rome, which wasn’t quite what I wanted — and that’s on me. I came into this book with certain expectations, that being that this would be a little more historical, and a little less fiction. So, just a heads up. This is a Rome-adjacent fantasy novel.

So, with that out of the way …

Julia is a modern woman with modern sensibilities living in a fantasy Rome where her desire for happiness, safety, and love have caused her to act out against her brother’s wishes. Her brother Honorius, to please his advisor, decides to marry him to Julia who decides to vanish into the hinterlands with a tall, dark and handsome man of mystery: Alaric of the Goths.

Alaric is a warrior who has sold himself and his men as mercenaries in the hopes of being given a new homeland. It’s made him bitter, angry, and mistrustful as — again and again — he’s told go here, fight this, it’s not time to give you land, but we have another battle, so on and so forth. Julia is a potential bargaining chip, and she’s beautiful and sensual and the two of them are very much into one another.

It’s a long game of flirting, fighting, sulking, bratting, scowling, and almost coming together … and then stopping. No matter how much the two of them want each other, there’s always something coming between them; but, to Alaric’s credit, no matter how hot and heavy he and Julia get, when she says stop, no, I want to talk … Alaric stops. He listens to her, respects her, and it’s nice to see that in a romantic hero. Someone with his own agency and personality and wants who doesn’t do the whole caveman “my woman” schtick. The two of them are well matched, and I enjoyed them as a couple.

The plotting is solid, the pace is good and the writing works with the story. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

Y’all this was a MESS.

Headhopping that absolutely kept me from the flow of the story? Check.
Historical inaccuracies that would have been resolved with a simple google search (princesses, really??)? Check.
Insta love from a character who spends 20 pages saying she’ll never be in love? Check.
Excessive miscommunication over the same thing 30 times? Check again!

I wanted to enjoy this so much, but quite literally nothing worked for me outside of the writing. In the sections I could read without being jarred into the next POV, the prose is very nice! But I’m not at all convinced this was the way to go about telling this story.

This is definitely going to be marketed towards fans of Song of Achilles and Circe, but if you DID like those books? You’re probably not going to vibe with this one.

Hmm, this book was okay. First historical details were ignored. The angst was contrived due to miscommunication, and unfortunately, this is not one of my favorite tropes, especially when it gets repetitive. Okay, but not memorable.

#netgalley #EnemyofMyDreams

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for the opportunity to advance read.

I love all things historical fiction and mythology but something was a bit off with this one for me. Parts of the book felt a bit rushed and repetitive. I wasn't a fan of the instant love or the miscommunication.

I did enjoy reading about a different time period and the side characters were a breath of fresh air during this read.

Lush descriptions in a romantic setting but perhaps a little slow for some, but I love historical fiction. Miscommunication can be frustrating at times.

Enemy of My Dreams held great promise, but never quite took off. I’m always excited for a historical romance set in an era other than regency. Although this novel certainly plays fast and loose with historical accuracy, a setting involving Romans and Goths is still a lot of fun. The enemies to lovers aspect worked especially well, but relied far too heavily on miscommunication. Miscommunication, especially with differing cultural backgrounds and languages makes sense, but they kept making the EXACT SAME assumptions over and over until they both came off as idiotic at times. The pacing also seemed a bit off. Where the book shined brightest was the cast of characters and unique setting.

A good read, but not a great one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Picture this: the cusp of the fall of the Roman empire. A tyrant son of the former emperor, a wayward daughter & a 'savage' warlord. Add gladiators, laurel headpieces dipped in gold & an arranged marriage. Sound awesome, right? Well- I wish this had fulfilled any of those descriptions past the surface level. We had mounds of political intrigue, but the romance was insta-lust. This was unfortunately really difficult to get through and needed a lot of work to build any sort of tension.

A solid read. Not my fav to be very honest but the best quality of the book was the writing style and hoe poetic it was. My god it was divine. I just found the pacing to be a bit slow for my liking

⭐️ 4.75/5

“And when they went to war against the Empire, the whole earth shook at their coming.”

WOW I absolutely loved this book! An epic historical romance set during the last days of the Roman Empire. Some characters are based on historical figures and follows events in Roman history but the story overall is a work of fiction.

This was everything I wanted in this type of book: action, adventure, romance, found family, strong female main character, forbidden love, scandal, betrayal, political drama, war, and MORE! The writing was beautiful and you could tell the author had thoroughly researched the time period.

At times there were a few conversations focused on battle/strategy that I didn’t follow as well and times where I had to pause and remember who a character was. I also don’t *love* the title of this book. It sounds like it’s going to be a cheesy love story when it’s actually so much more than that AND it’s a beautiful love story that I think deserves a more powerful title.

Overall, I LOVED this book and recommend it to others who are interested in this genre.

For fans of Clytemnestra, The Song of Achilles, this one is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I basically inhaled this book. I'm very much into the Ancient Roman culture and when I read the summary of this book, I was hoping I'd be able to get my hands on this one. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for granting the opportunity to read this book.

Enemies-to-lovers? Oh, absolutely. This book really lives up to that trope, setting almost a gold standard (for me, personally). The relationship between Alaric and Julia is so perfectly paced and very intriguing. Once I started the book, I could not put it down. I wanted to know exactly where it was headed, keeping me guessing the entire time. There are some very angtsy moments during their relationship that just hit a home-run for me since I'm definitely a huge fan of that in particular. Jenny Williamson does tie in the story with historical aspects very well. Overall, very enjoyable and a quick read if you're into history + romance. Not to mention, there is a good amount of spice in the book.

5/5 stars!

I love antiquity and everything having to do with the Roman world, so now that I know there’s a whole subgenre of historical romances focused on ancient Rome, there is no going back for anyone involved (hooray). Enemy of My Dreams is everything you could want in a romance.

Read if you like…

🏛 Enemies-to-lovers where they actually want to kill each other
🗡️“Can you please get over that time where I kidnapped you?”
🏛 Attack first, ask questions later MMC
🗡️Always have a plan within a plan FMC
🏛 His warriors end up liking her more than him
🗡️Blood Oaths and sworn brotherhoods
🏛 High stakes intrigue
🗡️Hilarious side characters that always seem to be more emotionally mature than the MMC
🏛 A setting semi-grounded in Roman history
🗡️Strategy games that only increase the romantic tension (as they should)
🏛 “I will seduce you before you seduce me.”
🗡️Refusing to give into the passion before the other person because pride
🏛 A lot of (mostly) historically accurate diversity
🗡️Insult her and die
🏛 “Why does he look good covered in the blood of his enemies?”
🗡️ Caring for each others’ wounds
🏛 A FMC who respects herself enough not to put up with MMC’s crap

My one issue with this novel was the number of historical inaccuracies. First, Romans don’t have princesses; that title DOES NOT EXIST in Rome. Imperial women (there is no such thing as Roman royal women since Romans hated kings) would have been referred to as augusta or domina, not as a princess. Additionally, the timeline for the Goths sacking Rome was iffy, but if you treat the story like a romance rather than a historical epic, then the inaccuracies become less of an issue. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and can’t wait to see what else the author has to offer.

First off, thank you NetGalley, Harlequin publishing, and Jenny Williamson for the opportunity to read this book. I absolutely loved it.

WOW this book! It gripped me from the first chapter and kept me guessing the whole time. I am a history lover so naturally the historical context of the book drew me in, but the way the author wove a fictional story within a historical time period was truly incredible. I loved her writing style and the way she crafted and told the story. It was well paced and really had me guessing even until the very end.

While I loved the history, the true heart of our story are our main characters Alaric and Julia. I LOVED them!! The tension with these two was like no other. I wasn’t sure if I loved them together or hated them, but let me tell you I was eating it up!!! I mean truly I loved them together. I loved how protective he was of Julia and wasn’t afraid of her fierce feistiness. They were explosive together, again even till the very end.

The found family that Julia found amongst Alaric’s men was really beautiful. The friendship with her and the twins was probably my favorite.

This was such a fantastic book and one I will be recommending to everyone. Thank you again for the opportunity to read it.