Laura Jane Williams is always a go to for me when I need a feel-good read full of banter and romance. Enemies to Lovers fell a little flat for me compared to Laura’s previous titles. Mainly because of the lack of witty humour and the pace being a little slower than usual. That said it was still a solid read and well worth adding to your TBR.

Enemies to Lovers by Laura Jane Williams
Rating: 3/5
Publication Date: 15 August 2024
Tropes: Brothers best friend, forbidden romance, enemies to lovers, forced proximity.

Flo is in Greece on a family vacation when she realises that her brother’s best friend (who she has past beef with) will be joining them too.

Unfortunately, Enemies to Lovers just fell so flat for me. There was no banter, no tension, and overall was just slow. I couldn’t connect with the character or the book at all.

The book definitely had potential to be a great romance read, but the lack of romance is what dropped it for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone|Penguin for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Laura jane williams has a way of writing some flawed characters that fit perfectly with a quirky storyline in a blooming brilliant setting.

It should not come a surprise I couldn't put this book down. I.absolutely loved it.

This was a slow read and the second half was much better. You had a family holiday plus a friend . It was an intense love story, with twists, .Families are amazing in good and bad ways. All the siblings were bright. I loved the mum and dad. Flo one of the main characters had had a breakdown and it was covered well. A good beach read.

This was such a cute and fun summery read; a family holiday set on a greek island where the fmc, Flo, is stuck with her annoying brother’s best friend, Jamie. It’s the kind of book that’s just perfect to read all curled up on a sun lounger poolside!

The title sold me - enemies to lovers is my favourite trope - and it did deliver!! I loved the authors witty writing and the banter between Flo and Jamie had me giggling and page turning for more. I especially loved the tension and the forced proximity between them! I also loved that this story had some depth to it. Witnessing the character development of Flo and Jamie individually, their worries and fears and anxieties, added some complexities to the story that made it simply more than just a romance story.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin books for this ARC!

This was a really dreamy romance in Greece, perfect for the very wet and windy English spring day that I devoured it. I didn't take to Flo immediately as some of the depictions of the mental health were slightly offbeat with my own experience but the chemistry with Jamie was great and you can't move for tropes well executed in this one (single bed etc). Really fun, will read her back catalogue now! Thanks to NetGalley for the arc copy.

Thanks so much to Century books, Laura Jane Williams and NetGalley for the eARC, all opinions expressed are my own!

I have mixed feelings about this, I devoured this so quickly, and the writing makes it seem fast paced, but whilst the title suggests it's enemies to lovers, I felt it was really lacking in this department. The chemistry between Jamie and Flo was just a bit meh, and I wouldn't categorise them in the enemies to lovers territory.

In all honesty, the characters weren't particularly likeable, Flo's back and forth was a bit ridiculous and the way the story unravels needed a little bit of work.

At times, the language that was used felt a bit disjointed, it was hard to believe that these characters were in their thirties.

2.5 ⭐

thanks to net galley for providing me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review of this book!

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DNF @ 65%, because life is too short to be reading books that I am not going to like...

There were many things about this book that irked me , but before I start being a hater, let's talk about what I actually liked. (beware there isn't a lot)

For one, I really liked the setting. it was very summery and I could picture myself there, it seems quick (even though it's 400 pages??) and its something that I would read and enjoy and a holiday!

I also liked the family banter ig? the brothers act like they're 3 years old though which annoyed me but is lowkey relatable with my siblings.

Alright now let's move on to what I didn't like and the main reasons why I DNFed this book.

There was NO tension. Right this book was supposed to be an enemies to lovers, as literally said in the title, but tell me why, there was no tension, no banter and no chemistry. THEY WERENT EVEN ENEMIES?? BRO, it's a classic case of the main character having a stick so far up her ass that she couldn't notice the main man thirsting after her. She was just so focused on herself, she didn't once think that after a GROWN MAN snuck a note under her door, she should have had a conversation with him?? she is acting like she's 2 years old. stand up.

also the way they spoke felt very unnatural. As I said in my updates the characters are British, which got on my nerves heavily. NO ONE IN ENGLAND SPEAKS LIKE THAT. Okay maybe sometimes we do, but it felt so extremely forced. Like. every other sentence she would throw in some British slang, and I dont know. It was just not good. Like some other books like a "A good girls guide to murder" are set in England, but aren't distasteful and are enyobale. Also they use tik tok slang... get out of here.

This book was also just written weirdly, idk. the author was just putting tropes scenes in for the sake of putting tropey scenes in.

also slightly nitpicky, why were the characters always flashing eacother? why were Jamie's pupils always dilating? and why were they always looking at eachother's lips?

Anyways thank you for reading my review, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it but it gave the summer vibes, but just didnt work for me.

Hilarious, relatable, sexy, easy to get lost in. Enemies to Lovers is a perfect summer read, Flo and Jamie are exactly what it says on the tin, with witty banter, insults and inevitable love in abundance. Laura Jane Williams creates such a warm cast of characters, I couldn’t help but feel transported to Greece. I hope there is more from this series. Five summery stars.

Huge thanks to the author and publisher, for the chance to read this ARC, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really enjoyable and easy to read. Perfect summer book!
Really loved the main characters, Flo and Jamie. I related to Flo a lot, around her anxiety and it was great to see her grow throughout the book.
The side characters were amazing and added a lot to the story. Would love a book about Laurie and Kate or Alex!
Definitely recommend this book and can’t wait to read more from Laura!

I love an enemies to lovers romance story and as this is titled as such I thought I would enjoy it.
I loved the characters, I think Jamie showed a real raw side to a leading male character that we don't often see.
Some touches towards mental illness which may be a trigger to some people.
The setting on a greek island really suited the book and Adonis was an actual idiot!
The cover of the book is perfect for this day and age and the little notes towards current popular culture, Bluey and Double made me happy :)

Amazing story about Flo and Jamie. She is the youngest in family and on top of it had a massive breakdown. Jame best friend of Flos brother and “adopted “ family member after he lost his parents in an accident. During one Christmas something happened between them but it finished faster than started. Why? You have to read this book to find out. And then the family holiday happened. Where all of them were together. Will Flo and Jamie be just enemies ?

I truly enjoyed this book, from the first pages I laughed out loud. And the slow burn between Flo and Jamie… book full of siblings banter, family love and positive vibes. Definitely worth reading!

This book was absolutely unputdownable! It has a quick pace to it that swept me along, all happy families, hot sun and laps in the pool. The family break is broken up by sibling rows, fears shared and a potential summer fling in a man bun. Woven into all the holiday action is Florence overcoming a breakdown. This is sensitively described and the impact at the time as well as the lasting effects on her and her close ones is meaningful. The amazing parents support the family to have a super vacation and love will always find a way,

A really lovely, enjoyable and easy read; definitely one to get you out of a reading slump!

Laura set the scene perfectly, a family holiday in Greece for Flo turns into a temporary nightmare when Jamie her brothers best friend turns up.

Every family member brought something different to this book which I really liked, and even though it was predictable at times, some of the twists i definitely wasn’t expecting.

Reading this book has definitely made me want to read more of Laura’s books :)

Title: Enemies to Lovers by Laura Jane Williams
Release Date: August, 15th, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars

Flo Greenberg, an over-achiever seeking a relaxing Greek holiday with her family, finds herself frustrated when her brother's best friend, Jamie Kramer, unexpectedly joins the trip. Despite Jamie's annoying presence, Flo must endure two weeks of sharing meals and activities with him. Determined not to let him get under her skin, Flo sees spending time with Jamie as an opportunity to overcome her lingering anger towards him after an incident the previous year.

What a joyride! "Enemies to Lovers" had me hooked from the get-go. It's got one of my all-time favourite tropes, which injected an extra dose of excitement into the story. I couldn't help but burst into laughter, feel the sparks fly between the characters, and revel in those heart-fluttering moments that make romance novels irresistible.

What sets this book apart for me, is the author's skilful balance between the romantic plot line and the main character's development and past traumas. Williams doesn't solely focus on the relationship dynamics but also delves into the characters' personal growth, fears, and vulnerabilities, which adds depth to the story.

I was absolutely glued to the pages—I devoured "Enemies to Lovers" in a single sitting! I was that engrossed in this delightful story and its characters. I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone in search of a delightful, heartwarming read that'll keep you hooked.

Tropes:
Brother’s Bestfriend
Summer Romance
Forbidden romance
Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Romantic Tension



Thank you to The Publisher Random House UK, Cornerstone | Penguin , The Author Laura Jane Williams & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

Enemies to Lovers is the perfect summer read, and is a 5 star read from me. This book follows Flo, an over-achiever who had a breakdown a few years ago. The first person to see her as she is was her brothers best friend, Jamie, until he rejected her last Christmas and left without a word. Now he's turned up on her family holiday and she's still not over what happened. The book follows the development of their relationship as enemies who can't stand to be around each other, and holiday romances. I couldn't put this book down and am looking forward to rereading it in the summer time! At points it was a little predictable but it was a very comforting read so I didn't mind this. Would recommend to anyone looking for an easy summer romance read!

I literally finished this book in about 4 hours. This was the perfect book to read in the sunshine, on a cloudy day, anywhere or anytime. It just really brought a sense of happiness and calm in me, and absolutely hooked me. Enemies to lovers is my absolute favourite trope in romances, and so a book with that in the title? How could I resist? And trust me when I say, this did not disappoint. The characters, the settings, the miscommunication, chefs kiss.

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LJW continues to outdo herself with every novel. She’s one of those rare authors you can’t wait to read every time they have a new book out, and she never disappoints. Can’t recommend highly enough!!

Another super read from this author, and a great book for reading by the beach. Set mostly in Greece, the family reminded me much of my own, lots of siblings, competitive all the time but underneath that, they have each other’s backs- rightly or wrongly!

This was a really enjoyable, easy read!
The enemies to lovers trope played out well, and the characters (including side characters) felt well rounded and added to the story.