Member Reviews
Flo is in recovery from an anxious breakdown and off on holiday with her family. When she gets there she realises her brother's best friend has been invited as well - they have history so it makes her holiday awkward right from the start.
The back-and-forth energy between Flo and Jamie is fun to read and provides many moments of hilarity throughout the book, but I would hesitate to say this is a true enemies to lovers book (in spite of the name). Their relationship largely hinges on a lack of communication rather than anything that would make them enemies.
I enjoyed the family dynamics at play - it felt good to see an adult family who enjoy spending time together and actually know each other well. So often, the order of the day is family drama and tension, so I always find it refreshing to see positive family relationships portrayed, even if there is the normal and natural underlying friction to deal with.
I also particularly appreciated the portrayal of mental health. The author's attitude to and understanding of anxiety felt like a warm hug. She tackled the situation with care and warmth, while never making it the main focus of the story. Showing the impact on the whole family was also a lovely touch.
All in all, I found this book to be warm, engaging and fun. A perfect summer read that entertains and doesn't take itself too seriously.
This book had everything I was looking for based on the cover, I got holiday vibes, a family drama and a fractious relationship between two people. I loved the setting, I felt like the descriptions were so beautiful, I could have been there with the family holidaying in Greece. I didn’t love all the characters though, there were a few I couldn’t like enough, and some I loved. I definitely felt the reception between Flo and Jamie was entertaining but could have been a bit more than what it was. This was a lovely light-hearted read, great for a beach read or if you fancy a holiday setting.
Loved this! A real feel good romance read. This was an easy read which was just what I needed and I enjoyed it so much.
A wonderful take on the classic enemies to lovers trope, with a sensitive and accurate portrayal of mental health, ups and downs and all.
What happens when the man you hate (but almost hooked up with) is your brother's best friend, and has been invited on your idyllic family holiday to Greece? Chaos, misunderstandings, a few close encounters, and a whole lot of repressed feeling.
The phrasing took me a little while to get into, but once I did I could picture myself in Flo's place, trying my best to make the most of an awkward as hell situation!
When one of your all time favourite tropes is the title of the book you can bet your beautiful ass I hit that netgalley request button faster than you can say brothers best friend.
This book was funny, swoon-worthy and has one of the *best* summer settings I have ever read. Honestly, I've looked up holidays to Greece twice since I've finished reading because it gave me the craving for a summer beach holiday so badly.
Flo recently suffered a breakdown. Her mental health took a battering, which ended up in her being hospitalised, but she's finally on the mend. Not wanting to cause herself any trouble, she sticks to the safe options and never rocks the boat. So when her brothers best friend, Jamie, turns up on the family holiday, it takes every ounce of Flo's willpower to keep things normal and not attract attention.
Flo & Jamie nearly had a thing at Christmas, but after he stopped it going any further with a conspicuous note slipped under her door, Flo has been furious at him ever since.
It was obvious from the start that there was attraction between Flo & Jamie but they avoided each other like the Plague. Of course circumstances throw them together but there's a lot of bickering, stink eyes and just plain hatred from Flo that Jamie cannot win. And then of course there's Adonis.. the literal Greek God, who gets in the way!
I will say, Flo's family drove me insane for a lot of the book, I think her sister in law and dad were the only characters who didn't make me mad at some point. Her brothers reaction to the whole thing was a childish mantrum.
The story is one huge romance cliché and I was LIVING FOR IT. Enemies to Lovers is literally the perfect holiday read for this summer, packed full of laughter, sunshine and heat - the good kind if you catch my drift 😌 you don't want to miss out!
A fun holiday read.
Flo Greenberg is looking forward to her Greek holiday. Her whole family is going and while she expects all of them, she didn't count on her brother's friend Jamie being included. They have a bit of history, and Flo is determined not to go there again. So how will two weeks in the sun work out for them?
This is a feel-good summer romance read. I worked out what was going on with Flo and Jamie quite quickly so it was just a matter of waiting until it all came out in the book. An enjoyable read with a much needed visit to sunny shores - it's been a wet summer here in Scotland and I enjoyed the escapism. 4*.
My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.
This is the perfect summer read.
It was giving Emily Henry energy which I ate up with relish.
Classic romance, it had underlying tension and the book was a very easy read.
Loved it!
After suffering a breakdown, Flo's life had not been going too well. Just when it seemed like she was recovering, she's jilted by her brother's best friend and left feeling foolish.
She's dodged further family occasions, knowing that Jamie will be there.
Thinking that the family holiday to Greece will be a Jamie-free zone, she agrees to go.
To Flo's dismay, Jamie has been invited—after all, he's almost family. The holiday devolves into a back and forth of misunderstandings, hidden feelings, and secrets. I loved how the Enemies to Lovers cliché was played out.
I struggled to connect with the characters at first. The Greenberg siblings' attitude in front of their parents reminded me of how people would behave among friends or peers, rather than how they would act around their parents. Some of the moments did make me cringe.
I also found Flo's mother-daughter connection to be quite peculiar. They appeared to be very close in one sense, but I didn't like how Flo would continuously make comparisons to her mother and would always come up feeling inferior.
These were just the points at the start of the book that I wasn't so keen on.
But as I read on this book really grew on me and otherwise, this was a wonderfully easy summery read, I devoured it in just a few days!
Thank you to Hope @centurybooksuk for getting in touch and to @netgalley for the #gifted e-arc.
✨Enemies to Lovers✨
It has:
🏖️Holiday Destination
👄 Miscommunication
🤼Brothers Best Friend
☠️Enemies to Lovers
🏡One Room
❤️🩹Mental Health Representation
I really liked this one! I have been a fan of Laura's work for some time and I was so excited to receive an ARC from Netgalley💖
Flo (FMC) goes on holiday with her family to Greece when Jamie (MMC and Flo's brother's best friend) shows up to spend two weeks with her family. After having spent last Christmas together, with things ending awkwardly, Flo and Jamie haven't seen each other for months and Flo is both angry and upset that her holiday will no longer be relaxing with Jamie being there.
Over the two weeks, both Flo and Jamie are cold towards each other due to what happened last Christmas but over time, they realise they both still have feelings for each other and they eventually give in to their emotions and needs.
There are a lot of unsaid things between Flo and Jamie and they have both recently gone through difficult personal difficulties but it's clear they both care for one another deeply and there is a LOT of tension. I really enjoyed this one!💖
I like that the book spans over two weeks, there is a lot of mental health representation and the strong family bonds that are lovely to read about.
If you are looking for a cozy romcom with enemies to lovers, then this is for you!🤩🥇
A Greenberg family holiday, joined by the best friend of one of the sons. Flo and he had a "moment" at Christmas until he suddenly left. Now Flo has to face him again. Can mutual dislike turn to love? Wonderfully written to keep the reader's interest. Loved it.
I feel like it's been a while since I read a rom-com book so I was really looking forward to this one. And as it says on the tin; enemies to lovers, which is one of my favourite tropes.
The setting of this book made me wish to be lounging on a beach or by a pool. The villa this family had chosen to stay in sounded absolutely beautiful and I would give anything to be there right now. This was a perfect beach read, however I unfortunately read it in a grey Wales.
I did fall in love with both characters in this romance. Them being enemies was a bit of a misdirection as I don't think they ever truly were. The chemistry between them was palpable and their issues were around miscommunication more than anything. Both of them had their fair amount of emotional baggage and I think that they both had work to do on themselves before they could consider working on anything between them.
I loved this book, read it super quickly and had all of the love heart eyes whilst I was reading. There hasn't been a book I've read from the author that I haven't enjoyed to date and I can't wait to read more.
The teaser is essentially the entire book in less time. The family vacation to Greece sounds amazing, much like the family itself. However, the "enemies-to-lovers", Flo and Jamie, don't have the chemistry developed for it to be the entire premise of the book.
This is a fun holiday read, bit of escapism, some mental health issues strange family dynamics.
Flo a committed academic and bookworm is on holiday with her family in Greece at a gorgeous villa, when one of her brothers friends Jamie arrives, unexpectedly for her although the whole family are aware of his joining them.
The comedy family dynamics jar with me somewhat, just found them all a bit rude. The mental health issues and strategies to cope also didn’t seem to be consistent. I ended up feeling nonplussed and ultimately not engaged.
Not a favourite for me but think there are many that would love this story. For me the writing and story is a bit formulaic, I could almost hear the planning thoughts. Not one I could recommend particularly.
Thank you NetGalley for the early read.
I haven't read a book from Laura in a while so I had to read this. Plus it's set abroad and I haven't been away since last year so it was nice to read about a beautiful place abroad.
This story was the perfect summer read that I was wanting. Plus you have the trope best friends brother and that's my absolute favourite.
I loved Jamie he was so swoony and Flo was so much fun.
This is another light, warm summer read from Laura Jane Williams and I had a great time reading it. It’s fun and heartfelt, plus I love the forced proximity trope. I do agree with people who’ve said they didn’t really get the “enemies” side of things, so the title “enemies to lovers” didn’t make a whole load of sense, but I enjoyed this one nonetheless, and I think it’s perfect to read by the pool, or sat at home wishing you were in Greece!
Firstly thank you to NetGalley and Cornerstone UK for inviting me to read the new novel by Laura Jane Williams, Enemies to Lovers.
I read 50% before I gave birth and the other 50% I have read whenever I could given I've got a newborn and toddler 🤣🤣 it was a great read and wonderful escapism. Id love to be I'm Greece right now.
Flo is a great protagonist and I appreciate that she's had and continues to progress in her mental health journey. It helped handle the post partum weepies.
Flos entire family sound like people I'd love to have dinner and drinks with.
As for the main man Jamie...yes please. Flo and Jamie sizzle chemistry. My husband had to put up with my random musings and predictions as the story progressed and I'm glad to say I was right in most of what I said.
This is a perfect summer/holiday/comfort read. I'd recommend for Lovers of best friend brother Enemies to lovers slow burn (then spicy pay off) romances. I am off to read more from Laura.
#bookreview #bookish #books #reading #funny #emotional #romance #book #enemiestolovers #secondchance #spicy #slowburn #family #brothersbestfriend
This is such a fun holiday read that would be the perfect poolside escapism read, with its sun drenched Greek setting and the sizzling tension between the MC and her brothers best friend 🔥🥵
I loved the mental health rep in this one, with Flo’s anxiety and her overthinking, it felt really relatable!
I also really liked the family dynamic and the Greenbergs definitely knew how to have fun!
This was the summery escapism that we all love, it’s fast paced, easy to read, with banter, tension and spice 🌶️
Read if you like;
☀️ Enemies to lovers
☀️ Brothers best friend
☀️ Miscommunication
☀️ Forced proximity
☀️ Vacay vibes
Firstly thank you to @laurajaneauthor & @netgalley for my arc, I'm super grateful! This was such a fun holiday read, I loved the fact we also got an anxiety rep I could really relate to that. I absolutely love an enemies to lovers trope and this was so well done between Flo & Jamie I loved their tension & history. Adored the Greek setting 🫶🏻 perfect place for a romance! And the family vibes were everything! It was fast paced and such a cutesy romcom, I would defo recommend this summer read!
I enjoyed this romance between Flo and Jamie and it’s an enemies to lovers trope which I enjoy.
Set on a holiday, it’s an ideal beach reads and the rest of Flo’s family are great characters supporting the story. There is humour in this one, the family are very important to Jamie and he wants to make sure he keeps them close.
There is miscommunication and misunderstanding between the two characters but I liked the development of their romance and I really enjoyed their story.
At work, Lara treats Sonny like her number one enemy who she has to outdo at every turn. He has a more laid back attitude but does seem to delight in getting the better of her. You can't help but notice the chemistry between them and as the story develops, you realise that there is a history between them from their younger days.
There are some amusing moments in the story which makes for a fun read. I also enjoyed trying to work out the dynamics between the other couples who Lara and Sonny meet on the mysterious island, which they spend time on as undercover journalists. The effect of the regime which is forced on everyone adds to the interest and you do wonder just how far the couples will let it happen. This is an entertaining read which is well up to Portia Macintosh's standard and which is a pleasant antidote to the festive stories which I have been reading before Christmas.
In short: New year, new characters, new romcom