This is a mesmerizing tale that dives deep into the tangled lives of two couples: Masha Antonova and Dima Federov, and Sasha Antonova and Lev Federov. Against the backdrop of a fierce family feud, they face an impossible choice—walk a path of love, littered with thorns, betrayal, and devastating magic, or uphold their loyalty to family at the cost of their hearts.

Set in a spellbinding, magical Manhattan, the story captures the city’s dark allure, filled with betrayals, murder, love, and heartbreak. The Antonova sisters, driven by vengeance and ambition, set off a chain of events that unravel their lives and become the catalyst for the story’s gripping conflict.

The writing is pure magic—lyrical and atmospheric, it pulls you in like a siren’s call. Every sentence feels deliberate, painting a world that’s as haunting as it is beautiful. Combined with morally grey characters who defy traditional notions of heroism, this book is a feast for anyone who loves complexity and nuance in their protagonists.

This is a perfect pick for readers who enjoy:
Enemies-to-lovers romance
Morally grey, anti-heroic characters
A lush, modern fantasy setting
Fairytale retellings with a dark twist
Tense family rivalries
Angst-filled, high-stakes love stories
Fierce, resilient heroines

One for My Enemy expertly weaves together love and loyalty, revenge and redemption, in a realm where magic thrives but comes with a price. Will the lovers triumph, or will their families’ enmity tear them apart? Dive in to find out—you won’t regret it.

Russian folklore. Romeo and Juliet. Literally, I think that's all you need to know. I'm not even a fan of Romeo and Juliet, but mix anything with Russian folklore and I'm there for it. Ultimately, this feels inspired by R&J, rather than a straight retelling (from what I can recall from my school days) and I massively appreciated that too.

The book is written almost like a play, with scenes, or vignettes, of the characters. Initially, I found this off-putting, but I quickly got used to it and actually wound up loving it. The pace is cracking and the way it's written makes it extremely vivid- I could almost see it on-stage.

Romance, magic, feuds. Fantastic world-building and characterisation. It was impossible not to fall in love with this book. Highly recommend.

This was such a beautifully written novel. I have read a few of Blake’s novels and sometimes struggled with how they are written - they can often border on pretentiousness, but this perfectly balanced the Shakespearean feel with gritty plot points. I was captivated from the start and I really loved how we got to see every character’s own individuality. I thought we spent enough time with them to see their development and motivations. Every character was flawed and I absolutely loved it!

My only issue would be that it felt slightly repetitive in nature. I’m not sure whether that was because it was a retelling, but certain plot points within the story seemed to be re-used. Saying this, I was still mesmerised by the atmospheric and witchy goings-on - I would highly recommend it.

TW: death, violence, suicide, drug use, sexual harassment

A modern day, Magical, witchy vibe version of Romeo and Juliet that is a quick read and very character-heavy, which I think is a theme for Olivie books. One for My Enemy was certainly not my favourite retelling of R&J but it was still readable. Maybe one day i will give this book another go and update my review in the future

I do think I enjoy Olivie Blake's books more as audio than physical; for some reason, i struggle to read them physically but that is a me issue.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publishers for this e-arc,

A modern day Romeo and Juliet retelling with rival witch families? Sign me up!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

Olivie's writing style is so beautiful and through her careful wording you can really understand the emotions of each of the characters. There was a little less focus on the setting and world building than I am used to but I did not miss it as the characters really drive this story.

If you enjoyed her Atlas Six series I highly recommend giving this a try!

Ooh, a Romeo and Juliet retelling with witches in modern day New York, a Slavic folklore twist and more than one tragic romance unfolding.
Like a lot of people, I got into Olivie Blake via her The Atlas Six. This book is rather different but very good and certainly intriguing. I was grateful for the dramatis personae because some names can refer to the same person.

One for my enemy is a fantastical Romeo and Juliet re-telling with a magical twist. Centred around two rival witch families, we see how actions from the past have shaped the Antonova daughters and Federov sons resulting in a heart-wrenching story of loves, heartbreak and family bonds.

Be prepared for the cast list - because oh boy is there a host of characters, and not only that they all seem to have at least one or two nicknames. At first I hated this and found it hugely confusing, however once you get further into the story you can see how these names develop to help show us the deepening of relationships.

Olivie Blake's writing is beautiful, almost lyrical, the words spoken by our male love interests (no spoilers here!) were so emotional I felt them so deeply, it was truly amazing.

I would say, there is a lot going on - I almost wished this was a duology to give the characters the space they needed to really shine.

If you're looking for a beautifully written book, star-crossed lovers with a magical twist, then you will really enjoy this.

In One for My Enemy we join 2 rival witch families - the Antonova sisters and the Fedorov brothers.
The parents in the families are ruthless but the brothers and sisters are struggling to keep their parents happy but also experience life, love and friendships for themselves - even if that means fighting against the rivalry between families.

I admit I was hoping for a more fantastical element where this was quite relationship building focused. However I love Olivie Blake's writing, I really liked some of the characters and the magic involved.

This is my second Olivie Blake read, I didn't like the first, but liked this one slightly better.

This is about two witch families that are rivals. One family as all girls the other all boys and it seems a few of them are romantically involved with each other.

This is sort of loosely based on Romeo and Juliet with the rival families and the forbidden love etc. But even though they are witches, I didn't find the book very witchy, if that makes sense? It didn't go into their magic abilities very much. And there was just too much mis-communication between everyone that I found irritating.

An ok read, but not one I will remember for long
3/5 stars

I really enjoyed this book, although I thought we had reached the end of the story 100 pages in! I couldn't see where the story would go from there. Somehow the author has managed to keep the story going and for it to be entertaining. I did feel that the author didn't explain some of the plot too well (like how two characters can come back from the dead - how did that happen?!?!). My curious mind would like to know how in the future please

One For My Enemy by Olivie Blake is a mesmerizing urban fantasy set in modern-day New York City. It follows the intense rivalry between two powerful witch families, the Antonovas and the Fedorovs. The Antonova sisters, led by the formidable Baba Yaga, and the Fedorov brothers, under the command of Koschei the Deathless, have been locked in a tense stalemate for years. The story takes a dramatic turn as love and betrayal begin to unravel the delicate balance.

What makes this book stand out is Blake’s ability to blend Shakespearean elements with a contemporary urban setting, creating a narrative that feels both timeless and fresh. The characters are vividly drawn, each with their own complexities and motivations. The romance between Mayra Antonova and Dimitri Fedorov, and the budding relationship between Sasha Antonova and Lev Fedorov, add layers of emotional depth to the story, making it a tale of forbidden love and inevitable tragedy

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The writing is rich and evocative, with scenes that seem to leap off the page. Blake’s descriptions are particularly noteworthy, adding a cinematic quality to the book that makes it easy to visualize the unfolding drama. The dialogue is sharp and witty, enhancing the interactions between characters and keeping the narrative engaging.

Overall, One For My Enemy is a beautifully crafted story of ambition, sacrifice, and the enduring power of family legacies. It’s perfect for fans of Blake’s previous works and those who enjoy a mix of magic, romance, and intricate family dynamics in their reads. This book is a high-stakes, emotional rollercoaster that leaves a lasting impression.

I went to finally go read this one as I finally found myself in the right mood for it but I stupidly didn't update it to my kindle so I messed up badly.

Will buy a copy and update once I've read.

So sorry!!

A modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Two warring families and the love between them to try and settle the differences. We flip between the characters in the family with the twists and turns throughout. I enjoyed this book very much and grew attached to certain characters and what could have been if things turned out differently between the families.

if you loved the atlas six then you’d no doubt enjoy this! it’s a romantic and compelling urban fantasy novel set in modern-day manhattan, full of complex characters and themes of love, family secrets and relationships.

Any Romeo and Juliet inspired book is an instant read for me and this one and this did not disappoint. It was my first book by Olivie Blake and and I will definitely be reading more in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me this arc!

I requested this book because I love Olivie Blake’s other books ‘The Atlas Six’ series and I wanted to give her other books a go.

This did not disappoint!

I think I need to admit to myself that Olivie Blake is not for me. It's the writing style. It just doesn't draw me into the stories, and I find that instead of being invested and wanting to read on I just get easily distracted by the overly descriptive, waffly pretentious paragraphs that provide no substance whatsoever. The world building is nonexistent. I also didn't like the characters, which I found to be very one dimensional and lacking in chemistry - both in the past and present.

One For My Enemy is a Romeo and Juliet retelling, but with Russian folklore. You have the Antonova sisters and their mother Baba Yaga, and the Fedorov brothers and their father Koschei the Deathless. These families are rival witch clans – but then a chance encounter challenges everything.

Olivie Blake really does like to write morally grey or frankly unlikeable characters, morally grey can be interesting in that it creates a complexity, but an unlikeable character is difficult to spend time with especially when you just don’t care what happens to them or feel like you understand them enough to try. Unfortunately, for me, One For My Enemy is riddled with unlikeable characters that I really struggled spending time with while reading this book and didn’t make this a particularly enjoyable read. I do fully respect an author not filling a book with happy, good characters because it can be boring time, but also, there are a lot of insufferable people in this book – Sasha and Lev I’m looking at you!!!

Sasha and Lev are in rival witch-clan families and the babies of their families, they instantly fall in love after meeting when they shouldn’t (you just have to accept they fall in love straight away and nothing and no one else matters (don’t try to understand it). Then there’s Masha and Dima, the older siblings of the duel families who have loved each other for 12 years but from afar, Masha is married, Dima is broody, but they’re all about family responsibility. Oh and the parents, Baba and Koschei, even have a thing, a complex love-hate thing with misunderstanding and bitterness. Basically both families are petty and bickering throughout the book.

A lot of characters die, a lot of characters are brought back from the dead so there doesn’t really feel like there’s a lot of threat or high stakes because of it. Of all the relationships I did enjoy Masha and Dima the most but it was still a struggle, any time spent with Lev or Sasha made me want to pass out. The concept of witch clans is interesting but not really explored enough for me for it to feel fully developed enough to be a plot point.

I never know how I feel about Blake’s writing, sometimes I find it beautiful and almost poetic, other times I find it a little overwritten and self indulgent. There’s no denying Blake is a great writer but I still sometimes feel that I am being spoken at rather than to and it leaves me outside the story at times.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story of two rival witch families whose fragile truce is shattered when one of them discovers that the other has been making a profit off their back. How can a family's fate be defined so terribly by the hatred between two people that carries on through the ages? So much miscommunication! Makes for a frustrating, but fun read.

I did struggle to get into the book initially, but it was worth powering through.

First I would like to say thanks to Netgalley for giving me early access to this book prior to release. (Apologies it took me so long to get to it….)

This book is something else, never did I think I would read a reimagined mash up of classics (Romeo and Juliet + A Midsummer Night's Dream) with a hint of magic and a splash of faerie and a drop of Russian folklore and actually enjoy it.

One for my Enemy, Brings together 2 magical families who are from 2 different worlds, with 2 very different timelines of Love, power and absolute betrayal.

There are quite a few characters because of this to keep track of, but once you understand who the important Antonova Sisters are it is pretty clear who the Fedorov Brothers are.

It is harrowingly romantic throughout this story, but because of this the books pacing felt like it dragged on forever, struggling to find the plot (this is where it lost 1 star), it sometimes felt like a slog to get to the part of the plot that was important and then to see how this would neatly come together to build the conclusion of the book.

The character development was something that kept me going, and I am aware with most of Blake's books this is what is most important. Marya and Dimitri were definitely my favourites - their love story was so tragic but came to a satisfying conclusion. Sasha and Lev I loved from the beginning their initial banter and small interactions were what made me fully invested.

I'm not normally one for lyrical prose but Olivie Blake does this so well that it really sucks you in, and if you don’t annotate your books want to get a highlighter at the ready to revisit all the romantic quotes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cant wait to see what Olivie comes out with in the future.