Lara and Sonny are rival show bizz journalists always trying to one up each other. Their bosses give them an ultimatum to join forces to report on celebrity couple in a top secret tropical resort.

Enemies to Lovers by Portia Macintosh was such a cute read. Its a fast book to finish as well. This book was about two coworkers in parent companies and they have to work together. This book was more Room come and there was no thriller. Lara and Sonny are rival journalist and they go on an adventure to uncover secrets of A-list celebrities. So it reminded me a little like Gossip girl but without the anonymous person spilling secrets. I liked how the story was in Lara's perspective and we get a gist of her time getting to know sonny more as well as the many people on the retreat. I did enjoy the friendships Lara formed and the reader does get to know some of the other couples as well as some details of Eden. To top it off they have to pretend to be a couple and in the beginning , we know they can't stand one another. So as the reader, we see Lara's perspective and we get alot of back in forward banter with Sonny and what she's thinking in her head. My only con is I can say this book was all over the place and there was some many things needing explaining. Some of the moments were also predictable. Also When reading an enemies to lover trope, I expect it to also have POVs in Sonny's voice but sadly that did not happen. This book though was not for me but it was a good bad time reading it. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this story. All opinions are of my own.

📖 𝙀𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝙋𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙖 𝙈𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙨𝙝

Lara is a journalist that is constantly having to compete and be compared to her rival, Sonny. After their petty fight goes too far, they are both on the verge of losing their jobs. They are given an ultimatum, pose as a couple and go to the exclusive Eden, a place full of secrets but boasts a 100% success rate at helping couples overcome their issues. Sonny and Lara are to spy on a famous couple that is there and expose their secrets. Very quickly they realize that Eden hides some huge secrets and they are forced to overcome their own relationship issues.

This was such a bizarre book. At some points it was like I was reading a romantic suspense. I wanted to enjoy this book but the plot was really far fetched and not really developed. The relationship between the two main leads was very flat and I couldn’t really see them as being in love by the end of the book. There was this big build up that there would be drama at the end but nothing happened. As a reader I was just left so confused. Nothing is really resolved, Lara and Sonny just ride off into the sunset without owning up to what they were at Eden for.

Overall I rate this book as a 2.5 ⭐️ rounded up to a 3 ⭐️. This is a closed door romance.

Tropes:
🫶🏼 Rivals to lovers
🚪 Closed Door Romance

Thank you to NetGalley for my eARC so that I can share this honest review!

Just a lovely feel good love story. Two work colleagues in opposition , get in trouble and end up falling in love. You just feel happy reading it. I loved the wind ups. The pink clothes and the handbag she would not let go of. Read it . A perfect ending

Lara and Sonny are very competitive journalists who work for different magazines, but the same publishing group. After trying to outdo each other they end up being sent undercover to an exclusive celebrity retreat - as a couple with relationship difficulties. Cue sunshine and games.
There is an undercurrent of attraction between Lara and Sonny which come and goes during the story. The actual island is not necessarily an idyllic experience, with a hard taskmaster in charge, and you do wonder how people can pay a fortune to be treated in such a way, but there may be method in what they are doing. The celebrities are treated sympathetically, as real people with some issues, rather than just glamorous, untouchable cartoon characters and Lara and Sonny start warming to them. Overall there is a touch of mystery, romance and a hard look at how journalists can hound famous people in the name of public interest giving a book that I enjoyed reading.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Enemies to Lovers is a book about two co-workers who are forced into working together on a project while pretending to be in a relationship.
After a few chapters I was engaged and found myself laughing out loud several times throughout the book. Although I enjoyed it, it left me wanting more from the characters. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sadly, Enemies to Lovers didn't work for me. The title is misleading, the main characters were rivals, and nothing close to enemies, and I found the romance lacklustre and the characters a chore and really couldn't connect with them. There was great promise in this book, however for me it just fell flat

Lara and Sonny have been bitter enemies since college. They both worked as rival journalists, covering juicy celebrity gossip for their respective news outlets. One day, their bosses gave them an unusual assignment: they were to attend an exclusive celebrity retreat, posing as a couple. Their job was to observe the other couples and report on the issues they were facing during the counselling retreat.

Initially, they thought it would be a fun and tropical getaway, but the reality was far from it. They struggled to work together and bickered constantly, making the whole experience miserable. Despite their differences, they were drawn to each other and their relationship slowly began to shift from animosity to something more.

As a fan of the "enemies to lovers" trope, I was hooked from the start. When they were forced to share a bed and bond, it was clear that this trip would change their relationship forever. The couple's retreat, Eden, was shrouded in mystery and I couldn't wait for Lara and Sonny to uncover its secrets.

In the end, they kept their word to their newfound friends and didn't share what they learned. It was heartwarming to see them work together and overcome their differences. Overall, the book was a cute and easy read, but it was the chemistry between Lara and Sonny that made it truly captivating.

#boldwood #bookwoodbloggers #EnemiestoLovers #NetGalley

i was really enjoying this book until the last 50 pages where i got so confused ?

the plot was brilliant but the ending left me with so many questions, like why did they lie to brett? where were they actually? what's the issue with eden ?

so many unanswered questions, icl i didn't enjoy lara as a main character but i did like sonny and the others

im left feeling lost and confused and all over the place

This story is exactly how it sounds and so good! I highly recommend this one to all - it's cute as pie and a new favorite.

I am always a fan of Portia MacIntosh and her stories. As soon as I get a new one, I can't wait to dive right in. This one is no different. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. While this wasn't my favorite of her books, it definitely still kept me engaged. My only complaint is that this one was a little slower than normal. However, I do love the premise of the book. Boy and Girl are archenemies, only to have to work together to keep their jobs. Of course, hilarity and romance ensues!

Lara and Sonny have been enemies since college and now they are rival journalists writing about all the juicy celebrity gossip. Their bosses ask them to work together and go to an exclusive celebrity retreat as a couple too see the problems these couples are dealing with at this counseling retreat. They thought this would be a fun, tropical retreat, but it ends up being a miserable time. Will they be able to work together on this or will they fight the entire time.

Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, but of course when you hear that they are going on a trip where they will be forced to stay in one bed together and bond, you know exactly what will happen. The couples retreat, Eden was so mysterious and I really did want Lara and Sonny to out the retreat in their article instead of the other guests, and I also glad that they kept their word to their new friends and didn’t share what they learned. Overall, I thought it was a cute, easy read!

I love a good enemies to lover book, and just knowing that this is the title of the book made it all the better. I can’t wait to read with the author comes out with next.

I was pretty disappointed in this book, unfortunately. I have a lot of thoughts, so I’ll break them into bullet points.
- Lara and Sonny’s relationship is unrealistic and they have no chemistry at all. I don’t believe that they hate each other or love each other at any point in the story. There is no pining, no slow burn. There is nothing here to love or hate because their relationship is a subplot.
- This book seems pretty uncreative. Calling the book “enemies to lovers” and having three different characters named Lara, Laura, and Lauren is strange.
- this book is not a rom com, or even a romance for that matter. It’s about a woman who comes to resent her career while interacting with the people her job affects. That’s it.
There are some bits I enjoyed, such as Eden’s mysterious nature, and the other couples in Eden. It just feels like that story would have been better used for the thriller the author seemingly wanted to write instead of a contrived “romance”.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for a review. Because my review is generally negative, I will only be posting it to goodreads.

I think I've reviewed this before, but I freaking love Portia Macintosh! She writes FUN, flirty and easy to read books that I can't seem to devour fast enough.

I love love love her writing style and Enemies to Lovers was no different.

The book's title, "Enemies to Lovers," signals its central trope—journalists Lara and Sonny, longtime rivals, are reluctantly sent on a secret mission together. The premise promises a straightforward read as they navigate their animosity turning into romance amid a professional assignment. However, the execution falls short, with forced character dynamics and a struggle to maintain a cohesive tone between romantic comedy and thriller elements.

Thank you to Boldwood Books & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

I usually really enjoy Portia’s stories, and while I did like this one it just wasn’t my favorite of her books.

Sonny & Lara are the ultimate enemies at their magazine jobs. Both doing whatever it takes to get them ahead in their career. Until one day it goes too far and they find themselves in big trouble with their bosses. Instead of being fired they’re sent to the ultra secretive “Eden” resort posing undercover as a couple in need of counseling to get the inside scoop on the other celebrities there with them.

While they’re there and acting as a real couple things start to get weird between them. By the end of their stay at the resort will they still be at odds with each other? Blow their cover? Or work together and return back to work with a smoking story on their celebrity encounters at the resort?

Overall this was a tried and true rom com, that had enjoyable banter between Sonny & Lara. But I just felt like the plot was a little all over the place, especially at Eden; it was just a really bizarre story line. I would choose other Portia books over this one, but it was an okay read!

I rounded up to 3 stars because I’m a fan of the authors but this was definitely my least favorite of her work so far. There are some fun bits but the plot kinda fell flat and was more than a little cliche. The main character was seriously annoying and quite childish, which made her hard to like. It’s a shame because as always the writing itself was good and it had potential to be more than it ended up being. It just never got there for me. The “enemies to lovers “ trope was misleading as they were work rivals at most.
It was all quite underwhelming sadly. Oh well they can’t all be a smash. On to the next one!
Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Okay! I might be a little biased with my review on this one since it was the very first book i received an invite for,
From Net galley or the author, all in all, I'm giddy just thinking about it, Thank you @netgalley and @Portia Macintosh for giving me the honors

Here's my honest review:
Enemies to Lovers is a story about two colleagues/ College mates/ exes who after ending their young relationship on a wrong note have developed into work rivals whose only happiness derives from the misery of the other
After a ''not so intended'' mistake, they find themselves on a spy mission with nothing but each other to rely on

It's presented from Lara's POV and has quick and light chapters that'll keep you hooked but it's a normal , enemies to loves type of a story, they tried to incorporate some twists but they weren't shocking or life changing,

The story itself is fun with horrendous but laughable captivating scenes (not all ... ), I loved all the characters and their roles were very well plotted and portrayed

on the flip coin though
Here's what i didn't like about the book
1. The name - I think something more alluring could be thought of ( spy mission, work retreat etc. )
having this name is too basic and not intriguing
2. The chemistry and the enemity wasn't much portrayed, it was always portrayed in Lara's mind so it came off as a one sided rival that could be due that college incident

Apart from that, This one made me swoon in love and laugh out loud and it's got a 3 solid stars from me
Also, it's only when I'm reading this genre that i realize I'm a hopeless romantic, so if you think you are one too then this book is for you.

I would suggest getting this one when you need a refresh after a series of mystery genre books or a long day at work, it's light and you'll enjoy it best then
I had a good time reading this one, i hope you do too

Lara and Sonny, sworn enemies in the competitive world of showbiz journalism, find themselves reluctantly thrown together for an undercover mission at an exclusive celebrity retreat in Portia MacIntosh's delightful romantic comedy. Forced to masquerade as a couple seeking therapy, their week-long escapade on a tropical island becomes a hilarious journey of unexpected discoveries and comic mishaps. MacIntosh weaves a tale that seamlessly transitions from the icy battleground of rivalry to the warm sands of potential romance. As Lara and Sonny navigate through fake relationships and celebrity secrets, the author delivers a laugh-out-loud narrative that captures the essence of enemies-to-lovers with charm and wit. A delightful summer read that combines humor, romance, and the perfect dose of escapism.