i am sad to say that this is yet another book by Olivie blake that has left me with mixed feelings. This book is by far a less pretentious one from the author, there were parts of the plot that I enjoyed, but the pacing semeed to make the story not flow as well and not entice me unto the page. Quite a lot of times I felt like things were repetitive and too drawn out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I think I'm getting a little tired of YA Shakespeare adaptations, or maybe just YA Romeo and Juliet adaptations, as I didn't love this as much as the synopsis suggested I might. Everything was a bit cliche and the characters didn't really jump off the page as much as they need to when you're adapting a classic. I also find Blake's prose a bit lengthy sometimes - more editing needed perhaps, and it's always frustrating when characters keep getting brought back to life! Enjoyed the read but wouldn't read again.

Olivie Blake's writing is so unique and she never fails to create complex characters that are distinct from each other, with their own cadence of speech. She really is a talent and that's transferred to here as well. Add to the fact that she's based this novel on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and I was immediately sold. And I think it's my favourite of hers so far.

It was as easier read than The Atlas Six, but I still found I needed to take my time with it as it took me a little longer to get into and get used to all the characters in the world.

I'm so looking forward to reading what she does next and seeing what other magical world or love story she produces for us avid Blake fans.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book. We'll I absolutely loved this book. Olivie Blake is one of my favourite authors. 5 star read all day long.

One for my Enemy by Olivie Blake is an amazing delve into dark family conflicts!

The Fedorovs are introduced as an all-male family; A father and his three sons who seek power and status within the community. On the other side, you have the Antonovas a mother and her 7 uniquely magical daughters all striving to dominate the magical market. The relationship between the two families is a tangle of love, debts and loathing and had me absolutely hooked from start to finish! I thought both families' magical abilities were well thought out and suited each individual character and they all played a part in creating a very magical feeling world.

The magical lore was exciting and well-developed throughout the story and also allowed for some amazing plot twists that caught me by surprise more than once. I loved how the story felt really dark and gritty and the magic really added to this with its unforgiving brutal nature. I also have to add that the format of this book is so much fun and I loved the nod to Shakespearian works by using 'Acts' rather than Chapters and little interludes that set the 'stage'.

If you're looking for a dark, gripping story with the added bonus of some romance then I'd definitely recommend this book! I'm very grateful to the author and her publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review and to NetGalley for making this all possible!
4/5

What a great story. I really enjoyed this witchy romeo and juliet style story. The book is set out in acts and scenes like a play which i really enjoyed you could almost see it played out as the story progressed. I was immediately immersed in the story of 2 rival witch families while they battle love, betrayal and family troubles. It was well written and a really good story. I found it very twisty I never knew what to expect especially at the end. My first Olivie Blake story and not my last that's for sure.

This is a beautiful Romeo and Juliet retelling, I’ve yet to read a book I don’t like by this author. She writes in such a beautiful way that the stories and characters stay with you a long time after the book is finished.
Highly recommend.

Olivie Blake's novels have a sublime way of creeping into your soul and leaving you bereft. One for my enemy is a wonderful heart wrenching blend of Romeo and Juliet and Russian mythology set in a dark and magical underworld of New York. As usual her prose is beautiful and unique. I don't think I can get enough of her books!

The Fedorevs led by Koshei are bitter rivals with the Antonova sisters ruled over by the powerful Baba Yaga. When the feud ends in death and bloodshed, the two families seek revenge and retribution.

I loved how this story had so many twists and turns and I was never sure where the story was heading. The relationships and characters are all well built.

A brilliant stand a lone novel. Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an arc in return for an honest review.

A Romeo and Juliet retelling blended with witches, folklore and a criminal underground, One For My Enemy takes all your expectations and turns them on their head. It plays with what you know of Shakespeare’s play, and explores the enmity between the two houses through the eyes of the core players.

The writing is beautiful and creates an atmosphere that fits the story told to perfection – it’s ethereal and mystical while also tense and ominous. It weaves its way around the characters, creating memorable personas and connections, although struggles to translate that to the setting, which feels more of a transient theatre backdrop than a place the characters inhabit.

Of the characters, it’s a limited cast. Each of the main cast easily take on their own personalities, and I enjoyed seeing the cloak of mystery around some of them drawn back as the story progressed. Characters outside the main cast, such as Baba Yaga’s other daughters, failed to feel substantial enough, and I often forgot about them while reading. The daughters we did focus on, however, were fascinating and multi-faceted.

The magic was really interesting to explore, although I did find it difficult to understand the limits or how it functioned in the world, as in some cases the magic seemed all powerful and in others it was heavily limited. There were also other aspects of the world building, such as the different realms, that I would have like to know more about (and that would have made some parts easier to comprehend).

Overall, this is beautifully written story. It wasn’t flawless and there were elements I wish it could have gone into in more detail as I was really intrigued by the world and how the witches fit into it. Even so, the characters really came to life and I loved their schemes and journeys throughout the tale.

5⭐️ A heart wrenching, addictive and bewitching modern Romeo and Juliet retelling

Thank you to netgalley and Tor books for an earc. Here is my unbiased and honest review.

Ok let me start by staying this book devastated me…like it full on ripped by heart out of my chest and had me sobbing on multiple occasions- it was an absolutely stunning read which I 100% recommend… just make sure you have a box of tissues at the ready.

So what can you expect (other than TEARS)?
🥀An addictive and unputdownable modern Romeo & Juliet Retelling 🖤
🥀but they are Rival crime families in New York🗽
🥀 and they are witches!🔮
🥀MURDEROUS CRIME WITCHES🔪🩸

The characters were DEFINITELY morally grey but I absolutely fell in love with Lev & Sasha, they are my lil murder babies and I will defend them to the end🥺

This was so beautifully written, with twists and turns and a glittering poisonous world. I enjoyed the magic system and I felt like the Romeo & Juliet ‘retelling’ aspect of this story worked on multiple different levels- for me, there were 3 couples in the book who embodied elements of the star crossed lovers but 2 of these couples had endings based on ‘what if Romeo & Juliet [blank]?’ I won’t spoil anything and it may just be my English degree brain reading into things too closely haha but if not Olivie Blake - I applaud you 👏🏻👏🏻 (to be honest, even if it was unintentional and is just me talking rubbish, I still applaud you!)

I’m never disappointed with an Olivie Blake novel! One for My Enemy has multiple plot lines and great character dialogue which kept it interesting the whole way through. Overall it was a well built up story full of drama, rivalry, betrayals, love and heartbreak. I’ll definitely be ordering this for the store as I think customers will love it too and it really stands out as something quite unique. Can’t wait to recommend it so others can experience the masterful writing of Olive Blake!

The cover is beautiful and I can't wait to photograph it and share the book on our social accounts.

I also have to add that I loved the character illustrations throughout the book, as with The Atlas Six and The Atlas Paradox the illustrations all add an extra special touch to the books and perfectly suit the characters.

A very interesting take on Romeo and Juliet, I found myself getting very into it! I managed to read a good chunk of it in one sitting which was rather exciting. I do find that it was missing something but honestly couldn't say what. It is a very fun read and Olivie Blake seems to be such a smart writer.

I just finished One for my Enemy by Olivie Blake which is a loose Romeo & Juliet retelling! One for my Enemy is a story of witch families battling for dominance in New York, star crossed lovers and dark, captivating magic. The atmosphere in this book was absolutely phenomenal. I’m not usually the biggest fan of Urban Fantasy but this was executed so well. Something about Olivie Blake’s prose is so completely compelling. It was absolutely beautiful whilst being horrifying at the same time! 😂

It’s a big cast of characters so it was a little confusing at times, but with a character key at the beginning it was easy to flick back and forth!

I absolutely devoured this!

Olivie Blake managed a fantastical feat - making me love a Romeo and Juliet retelling. I didn’t pick up on that element from the blurb (whoops) before I requested an eARC from NetGalley, so when it opened with R&J references I prepared myself for disappointment. Instead I was blown away by the intricate worldbuilding, fascinating characters and engrossing plot, as the rival families try to corner the magical black market, their plans complicated by two generations’ worth of festering resentment and hurt.

Possibly my favourite aspect of this book was the triumphal execution of the ensemble cast. Marya the enforcer, Sasha the sheltered youngest daughter, Dimitri the golden prince, Roma the troubled second son, Lev the romantic, Baba Yaga the stalwart schemer, Koschei the crumbling lord. As individuals they all have depth, but it was within the relationships that Blake’s skills for character-building really shines—romantic, sibling, and parental relationships were all given space and weight within the narrative. It made for delicious complexity that was nonetheless, somehow, accessible.

Great fantasy read. Loved the writing style from this author. Really hooked me in from the start and needed to know more and more.

This one didn't grab/hold my interest the way I hoped it would. I can see it appealing to other readers, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

This was not it for me.

There were some stylistic choices I didn’t really get like staging bits which felt out of place in an otherwise traditionally formatted novel that had nothing to do with theatre other than being Russian-ish?

The plot is so character driven but the characters are so shallow. It’s vaguely a Romeo and Juliet retelling, following similar beats but I don’t know the characters or their motivations at all. Other than, family good, hot person good. Which is the thought process of almost all of them.

Lev and Sasha say very pretty things to each other but it’s ultimately meaningless because I barely know them and they barely know each other. Masha and Dimitri are more interesting but so plot convenient rather than characters. And Roman, I hate Roman. <spoiler> He has not been set up as clever enough to have orchestrated things and how is Dimitri cool with him after he murders the love of his life?? </spoiler> These people don’t have consistent traits. I don’t get it.

The backstory between Baba Yaga and Koschei is stupid and has nothing to do with the folktales the names come from which was very disappointing.

Also, <spoiler> you’re not a better writer for constantly killing and reviving parts of your main cast. It is so so overused here. </spoiler>

Ultimately, these people and their stupid petty squabbles really bored me.

2 stars for an interesting premise but nothing else.

I absolutely loved this book. A modern-day take on Romeo and Juliet set in New York with two warring witch families, the Antonova sisters versus the Fedorov brothers. Forbidden love, loss, grief and oodles of magic make for an emotionally charged story with the impressive world building that we’ve come to expect from Olivie Blake.
As for the writing, it’s just stunning.
Ms Blake has entered the realm of my must-read authors.

Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

A fun, love at first sight-esque novel that follows two rival families in the midst of a turf war.

I really had fun with the huge cast of characters, the easy to follow writing and the plot development. The romance had great chemistry, and the characters jumped off the page. Each one was distinct, and had their own personal motivations that informed their actions and their relationships with the other characters.

This read like a standalone, so I'm not sure if it's a series, but I really enjoyed my time with it. Other than the slight pacing issues, this was a thrilling read that had a bit of everything- action, romance, adventure, and chemistry!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishing house for the e-arc!

What a beautiful, heartbreaking love story. This has love in every shape and size. It deals with family dynamics, soul mates, teenage love, you name it!
And then, just to make it more exciting, they’re all mobster witches.
I loved every second of this book, figuring out where alliances lie and rooting for love to win in the end.