Romance Reviews: Enemies-to-Lovers Edition

Happy Friday everyone! The work week after a holiday always feel extremely long to me but thankfully it’s finally over. We also just made it through our last big work deadline of the year so I’m looking forward to having some downtime between now and the end of the year.  Even though I’ve been busy, I’ve still been reading as much as possible and this past week, I dove into some of my most anticipated enemies-to-lovers romance reads.  I’m sharing my thoughts on them today and hope you’ll come away with some new books to add to your TBR. 🙂

Next-Door Nemesis Goodreads

Author: Alexa Martin

Publication Date: November 14, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary e- copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.  All opinions are my own.

I always know I’m in for a good time when I pick up one of Alexa Martin’s novels and that was definitely the case with her latest, Next-Door Nemesis.  Who knew a romance between rival candidates for a homeowner’s association presidency could be so entertaining?  Not me, but man, did I laugh my way all the way through this book!

Collins Carter is a television writer who is going through a rough patch and has moved back in with her parents for a while so that she can regroup.  She’s not thrilled about being back in the neighborhood she couldn’t wait to get away from, especially since she keeps running into Nate, her archnemesis from high school, who is now also running for president of her parent’s neighborhood HOA and the culprit behind a recent unjustified complaint her parents received. Collins, who I loved because she’s so sassy and strong-willed, isn’t having it and decides to run against Nate.

All Nate Adams wants is a quiet life in his nice neighborhood.  He figures the best way to make that happen is to become President of his neighborhood’s HOA.  He is not excited to learn that obnoxious Collins has come back to town and he is furious when she announces that she is running against him. Needless to say, the gloves come off!

Both Collins and Nate are ultra-competitive and it is hilarious watching the two of them go after this presidency so hard.  There are endless over-the-top antics and shenanigans along the way, until they finally start to catch feelings for one another. Martin’s dialogue in these scenes is just so smart and fun, and I actually live in a neighborhood that has an HOA so I found the antics and the drama all the more relatable and entertaining.

If you’re looking for a romantic read that is pure fun from start to finish, be sure to check out Next-Door Nemesis. 4.5 STARS

Do Your Worst Goodreads

Author: Rosie Danan

Publication Date: November 14, 2023

Publisher:  Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary e- copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.  All opinions are my own.

I was drawn to Rosie Danan’s new romance Do Your Worst because it features a fun and unexpected enemies-to-lovers pairing, an occult expert and an archaeologist.  Danan is such a great storyteller and I couldn’t wait to see what she was going to do with these characters. I was not disappointed either!

Riley Rhodes comes from a long line of curse breakers and while most of her family has shied away from their talent for dealing with the supernatural, Riley decides to turn it into a legitimate business.  When she is hired to break a curse on an infamous Scottish castle, she expects that she’ll be flying solo the entire trip and is pleasantly surprised when she meets Clark, a handsome archaeologist at a pub soon after her arrival.  They hit it off quite well until Clark learns who she is and why she is in Scotland.  It turns out that Clark is actually surveying the same site.  He is reeling from a professional scandal that has tanked his reputation and feels this new job is his one shot at redemption.  When he learns that Riley is a curse breaker, he assumes that she is running some kind of scam and tries to get her fired.  Needless to say, sparks fly!

I love a good enemies-to-lovers story and had a really good time with this one, especially since the cursed castle seems to have a mind of its own when it comes to Riley and Clark.  Somehow no matter how much the two of them try to stay far away from one another, they keep ending up together and can’t understand why.  The snarky banter between them was hilarious, and oh boy, the steam once they finally stop trying to resist one another was off the charts! I also really loved the book’s setting. It doesn’t get much more atmospheric than a Scottish castle with paranormal vibes!

Do Your Worst is the perfect choice for readers who enjoy stories that are full of adventure, spice, snark, and a dash of the paranormal. 4 STARS

Woke Up Like This Goodreads

Author: Amy Lea

Publication Date: September 5, 2023

Publisher:  Mindy’s Book Studio

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary e- copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.  All opinions are my own.

Imagine being 17 years old and planning for your senior prom one minute and waking up to find that you’re 30 years old and about to marry your high school archnemesis. That’s the premise of Amy Lea’s latest book Woke Up Like This, and boy is it a good time!

I’m a huge enemies to lovers fan and have also been loving time loop romances lately, so this book really called to me.  I’ve not read one before where both main characters ended up traveling through time together so I really appreciated Lea’s unique approach to an otherwise familiar concept.  I also really enjoyed the way these characters are portrayed. Even though they supposedly cannot stand each other, Charlotte and J.T. are forced to rely on one another since they are each other’s only constant as they navigate their future lives.  It was a lot of fun watching them try to puzzle out how in the world they could have possibly ended up engaged to be married at the age of 30 based on the hostile nature of the relationship between their 17-year-old selves. And of course, it’s just chef’s kiss watching their feelings for one another start to change the more they are forced to hang out together.

There’s definitely a theme in this story about the importance of slowing down to appreciate all of life’s moments versus just always speeding ahead to the next milestone. Even with that message though, I’d still say Woke Up Like This is a great choice if you’re looking for a fun and light read that you can breeze through in a few hours.  4 STARS