I think this might be the best spin on Romeo and Juliet I've ever read. It takes several themes from the play (and some of the mischief from A Midsummer Night's Dream) and dives deep, which most attempts at a retelling don't do, focusing instead entirely on the starcrossed romance. In short you get the sense that Blaje really understood the play before she decided to mess with it, while most retellers half read it for GCSE and it went over their heads.

Not that this is merely a R&J retelling. It's very definitely its own thing as well, documenting the feud between two powerful criminal families of witches, and delving into the subjects of legacy, establishing yourself when you're 2nd gen immigrants, desire vs love and familial loyalty. It has a large cast and several sub plots tangle through the main weave. Structurally it was perfect for me - I need more than a linear plot to get excited about. I can see how readers picking this up and expecting a straight forward dark romance would be disappointed. Similarly if you don't want a book that asks you to keep up then it's probably not for you.

However, I loved every second of it. Blake writes such interesting, complex characters capable of both great and dispicable acts. Her prose is intricate and rich, more literary than genre. I've read several of her books now and I'm always newly surprised and delighted. This is in my opinion her best one so far. Highly recommend

this book is an amazing Romeo and Juliet retelling, but with witches and mafia families. This was a super interesting take on the play we all love and know.

I felt like I was gripping the book tighter with every twist and turn and I was suddenly rooting for characters that I hated 2 chapters ago.

I was slightly let down by the development of relationships between characters. The main love interest didn’t grip me quite the way that I wanted it to, so I was left feeling slightly apathetic at times when I felt like I should be moved. But overall this book was super fun, and Blake’s writing, as always, moved me.

Olivie’s writing is just so amazing - if you haven’t read any of her books then you really do need to. This book is just so good, it has a bit of a Romeo and Juliet vibe, rival families, magic and a lot of plots! Olivie is really in depth with her story telling which is what makes her books stand out as so intriguing and unique.

A completely underwhelming and overwritten retelling!

In this Romeo and Juliet retelling, rival witch families in New York City fight for supremacy. This book deals with love, loss, struggles for power with a sprinkling of magic.

For a book marketed as a fantasy, this really missed the mark. The magic element of this novel was not developed and was largely missing. The magic system is not explained at all which is something I struggled to get past when reading One For My Enemy.

In addition to a lacking magic system, the characters were completely flat. They lacked emotional depth which made it hard to be invested in the love stories presented.

Finally, the story was completely convoluted and overwritten. This is my first try with an Olivie Blake novel, so maybe the writing just isn’t for me. Overall I struggled to enjoy this Romeo and Juliet retelling.

I don't know if I will ever feel clever enough to read Blake's writing... But, I'll always be here for it! I enjoyed this one, who doesn't love a spin on our much loved Romeo & Juliet?!

The prose, as always, was stunning, I found at times the multiple POV a bit difficult to keep up with, but I very much appreciated them.

I did find it lulled a little, but I loved the character building. Its a longer read for me though as I have to get my head around the complexity.

This was such an interesting read! I found myself so engrossed in the story, the characters had such incredible arcs, and I can't wait to follow this author's journey!

I really enjoyed this and will be re-reading in the future. I really enjoy this authors writing and can’t wait for her next book

This was meant to be Romeo and Juliet with witch families but I just couldn't finish the book.

I don't know if there were just two many voices, if the editing was nonexistent or if I just can't get along with the writing style (surprising as I love My Mechanical Romance by her) but I just found myself dragging myself through the story rather than flying through it like I usually do with books. I wasn't invested in any of the characters, they seemed to stay 2D all through the 1/3rd I made it through and none of them made me emotionally attached in one way or another

This book is a hard one to rate because there are some elements I really loved—the writing, the Russian folklore and the Romeo and Juliet vibes, whereas the plot and the narrative structure were all over the place and made me lose interest in the story as it progressed.

One for my Enemy

Two rival families of witches fighting for control and power. Throw in a Romeo and Juliet. Retelling with a bit of a mafia style makes this a gripping read. I was so invested in this story. I LOVED IT.

Thank you to Netgalley, Pan Macmillian, and Olivie Blake for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Following a Romeo and Juliet style storyline, One for My Enemy follows two magical families in an alternative modern day New York. The families are both aiming to be the ones with the most power, although approaching it in different ways - reflecting their old and new money backgrounds. What they don't bank on is their first and last borns being star-crossed lovers; the double threat. I loved the Fedorov boys - particularly Lev - and was a little terrified of what the Antonova girls would do next, so I loved them all the more. Through the chaos and magic, the romance was well balanced and heightened the stakes of the story without hindering it in platitudes and romance that didn't feel true to the characters style or motivations. I was caught up in the web of deceit and still managed to feel surprised by the twists and turns of the tale, even with the core influences making some elements more obvious. Mostly though, it feels like Blake finally has her narrative balance right for me as a reader - poetic but still serving the overall point of the story.

Unfortunately that formatting in this copy made it unreadable. I have bought a copy and will update this review when I read.

I went to see the author talk last month and I am very excited to read this book, I know I’m going to love it from what she said!

I requested this after reading The Atlas Six series and after seeing all the hype surrounding Olivie Blake on social media.

I gave this book 3.5 stars. I enjoyed this reimagining of Romeo and Juliet. the characters were well written and interesting. I look forward to reading more books from the author.

Such a beautifully written fantasy romance. I'm so obsessed with how interwoven all the stories seemed to be from the eldest to the youngest couples. The premise of crime syndicates run by these witch families was also really fun. It's not lovey dovey, it's bitter, raw, laced with revenge and seat gripping

Gorgeous book! A retelling of Romeo and Juliet that's based in Russian Folklore with witches and fae? Absolutely count me in. Being a big fan of The Atlas Six series, I adore the magical way in which Blake writes, she makes magical realism one of the most poetic things to read and for this I cannot thank her enough. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Everything you would expect from Olivie Blake. This is, in my opinion, a thoroughly enjoyable book. The writing is great, it produces emotions and really keeps you invested in the story.
Such a well written re-telling of the classic Romeo and Juliet story.

This will be filed firmly under 'not for me'. I really enjoyed The Atlas Six but disliked Alone With You in the Ether, so I was interested to see where I would fall for One For My Enemy. From the description it sounded just like my thing, but in practice it just wasn't.

I don't really know how to review it because I think Olivie Blake wrote the book she wanted to write - it was just a miss for me! I do really love her prose, but in this set up I wanted more that it wasn't giving me.

- World building
What world building? Where was the magic system? What were the limitations? What were the consequences? I know it was set in New York but other than this being mentioned a handful of times, it could have been set in a white box.
- Characters
I love Olivie Blake's character work, she really knows how to write a good character and always smashes dialogue out of the park. It didn't work for me quite as well in this book though, as I had absolutely no clue what any of the characters were doing or what their motivations were for the entire final third of the book.
- Plot
What was even going on? I completely lost the plot in the final third, and this is coming from someone who followed TA6/TAP fine. There was also a lot of just going to the Bridge whenever we needed a problem to be solved, may as well have just set the whole book in his office

On the whole this book felt very underbaked and in need of a bit of tightening up, which made for a frustrating reading experience because it was *so close* to something I would have enjoyed. I would still recommend giving it a try though, especially if you like Olivie Blake's work, as most people really enjoy this story.

This was a fascinating story about Witches. It was a very long book but had me absorbed fron beginning to end. Some really good descriptions which made it possible to visualise what was happening. Interesting conclusion.

Olivie Blake had me out again! What an amazing read! She has a unique storytelling skill that manages to hook you from the very beginning and keep you on your toes until the end.

I was surprised to find that even though One For My Enemy is a fantasy, the tone of voice was lighter than I was expecting and there was inherent humour in the story, even though the characters were dealing with difficult emotional and life choices. I love how Blake creates a character-driven story, where everyone has a distinct voice and personality, and even when you think you know them, they still manage to surprise you.

I have read many stories about Baba Yaga, but I've not met a similar reimagining. Taking the witch out of the forest and making her, essentially, the leader of a magical drug dealing coven in New York was great fun. I also enjoyed the structure of the story and the presentation. It felt like a play meets a novel. The short chapters made it more engaging and easy to read.

I'm really excited to read the next work by Blake. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.