3 “Team Gordon FTW” Stars

ARC via NetGalley

Thank you, Entangled Teen!

After reading and loving the first book in this series, I was anxious to get my hands on this!

With one of my favorite romantic tropes, Love Between Enemies shares a parallel timeline with Love in the Friend Zone. Like the first book, the story of Gordon and Zoey start at graduation day and stretches into the grad party, where we get most of the interactions between the two main characters.

I know not everyone is a fan of this format, but I think it works well for this series because these characters have all known each other for a really long time. They’ve seen each other almost every day for years, so I can’t really classify their feelings as “insta”-anything, even when it only takes one night for them to realize those feelings exist. You know what I’m saying?

Here, Zoey and Gordon have been each other’s closest competitors. This competitive dynamic makes them work harder every time to try to win/be the best student/get the prize or whatever is at stake. So though they aren’t exactly enemies, it’s clear they’re nemesis. Until Gordon loses a much-needed prize to Zoey and decides to act stupid because of it.

Of course Zoey can’t let it slide, so she comes up with a revenge plan of her own. But her revenge involves distracting Gordon, a.k.a. spending too much time with him, and that’s when things start to turn from hate to something else entirely.

Here’s the thing, though…. Gordon’s little revenge started the whole thing, but I still rooted for him the entire time, mostly because I could understand why he did what he did, but I couldn’t connect with Zoey’s reason…or how far she took her revenge plan.

The author did an amazing job establishing Gordon’s motivations and building a heartwarming relationship between Gordon and his dad. I was drawn to him instantly, and a few chapters in I was already tearing up reading scenes between those two. The love and respect in that relationship was beautiful and real and warmed my heart.

I also loved how hard Gordon worked to get the things he had and how serious he was about school and the family’s business. They weren’t exactly poor, but they were hard-working people, and that always gets to me.

Zoey, on the other hand, came from a place of privilege. Her family was wealthy and, despite my admiration for how hard she worked to prove herself, she had her future set for her. I’m not saying she should’ve have been upset at how people thought she had everything handed to her and judged her for it. Or that she shouldn’t be proud of herself for working just as hard as Gordon for her academic success. But she still needed to acknowledge her place of privilege. I understood her intentions and motivation, but I was annoyed that she didn’t see there were people who needed that prize a lot more than she did.

And here’s the thing, Gordon was wrong to do what he did, but his actions didn’t have half the consequence as her revenge plan did. She was plotting to ruin a person’s academic future and that was seriously messed up. Her revenge plan could also lead to much bigger problems for Gordon and his father—legal problems. There was simply no way I could get behind her and what she was doing.

I also expected Zoey to come into her own and do something about that terrible revenge plan much earlier, but things didn’t go exactly that way. For me, Zoey went too far into the bad side and took too long to come out of it. And even when she did, she didn’t exactly acknowledge her place of privilege. In the end, she did the right thing, but even that left a bad taste in my mouth, because it ended up making Gordon look like he only got the things he did because she interfered.

So while Zoey didn’t do it for me, Gordon was the real star of this story. I loved everything about him, especially the way he owned up to his mistake and immediately sought a way to apologize for what he did. And even if he didn’t get his happy ending the way I wanted him to, I was still thrilled for him.

I was so excited when I found out that Zoey was going to get her own story. I really enjoyed her character from the previous book. It's even better that this is an enemies to lovers story. There is just something about two people who go from not being able to stand each other to falling for each other that gets me every single time! You can't help but to root for the couple and that applied here to Zoey and Gordon.

I absolutely loved Gordon! He was such a sweet guy.

I also liked that this story takes place in a 24 hour period. It makes for a fast read but there is enough meat in the story that you don't feel like you are missing out on anything.

At this point, it’s definitely safe to say that I have a weakness for Entangled Teen Crush books. They’re incredibly cute, satisfyingly sweet, and  so much fun. Love Between Enemies by Molly E. Lee was no exception and surely made me swoon.  

In the span of about two days, a long-lasting rivalry between ambitious and highly competitive teens --Gordon and Zoey, will finally come to an end… But not without some  shenanigans, mixed signals, swoony flirting, and sexy kisses.

Gordon had my heart from the very beginning. He was such a great lead character and I loved reading his POV. He did make some mistakes, but more than makes up for it throughout the story. He's genuine, sweet, passionate and very caring. Oh and his relationship with his father, so heartwarming. That was definitely my favorite part of this book. I loved all their scenes together -- you could just see how much they both cared about each other and how they were willing to do anything for what they love.  

Zoey was a little bit more difficult to like. She just seemed so cold, unforgiving, and even heartless at times. But, once I got to know her more, I realized that she’s not as tough as she appears to be. She’s just any other normal teenager who just wants to be able to make her own choices and be seen as an independent and intelligent person.

I have to admit, it took me quite a while  to warm up to this story and there were a few things I didn’t like. With that being said, I still really enjoyed the book. There were plenty of moments that made me laugh and smile and swoony scenes that definitely made my heart flutter. I even teared up a bit at one point. I do wish there had been more romance and build up -- Absolutely wanted more steamy scenes with Gordon and Zoey. 

This book  was a quick and adorable read that you could enjoy in one sitting. I may have had a few issues and the ending did feel a bit rushed, but overall, the story was filled with fun, drama, and swoon -- all the things I enjoy and love in a YA romance.

Love Between Enemies was just the right kind of medicine I needed today to make me feel better. I first discovered Molly (Author) when I picked up Love in the Friend Zone (Book #1 in the Grad Night series). I even commented on that review that I wanted to see what Zoey and Gordon's story was and was excited when I say this book was available.

The book goes back to the day of graduation like Love in the Friend Zone did, but this time we find out exactly what Gordon said to upset Zoey so much and then what Zoey did. I didn't think I'd love these two characters as much as I did , but I really was rooting for them as I read this book. Zoey had a lot more depth than the glimpses we got of her in the first book and Gordon had his own story too (I'm not giving spoilers).

The pace was perfect, this was easily a one sitting read and it had me smiling much of the book. There was some times in this book where I did that 'sigh' thing as it was so sweet. But not in an over the top way. In fact the sacrifices in this book and ones I don't know if some teens would ever do. It was such a beautiful tale and I loved the ending. It was prefect.

This was a great YA read with a light romance/humour element. I think people outside of the YA age range (Like me) will enjoy this too. I loved the characters, I'd have been proud to call either of these two my children. 4 stars, if you haven't read Love in the Friend Zone, make sure to read that first. Looking forward to seeing what happens in book #3 now in the series!

Review on http://www.readbymel.co.uk

*ARC received in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts are my own and in no way biased.*

Love Between Enemies follows the story of two graduating seniors – Zoey & Gordon. They’ve competed over everything right from kindergarten – from science fairs to debates to scholarships and exams. Everything. This deep rooted rivalry has never let them become friends, but they respect each other. Everything is going fine for them till their graduation day. Gordon was hoping to win the scholarship he’d tried hard to secure to pay for Stanford, but on graduation morning he finds out that Zoey was the one to win it. He’d received some upsetting news in the morning, add to that the fact that Zoey won the scholarship he so desperately needed when he thought she wasn’t even competing for it. It causes him to snap and he uses mean words to introduce her as the valedictorian in his salutatorian speech at the ceremony. He regrets it immediately and hunts Zoey down to apologize to her. But, Zoey is hell bent on getting revenge for what he did and plays him. Over the course of the night, she actually starts developing feelings for him, but by then, the damage is already done. Will they be able to trust each other after everything?

As far as stories go, it was an enjoyable read, though it was pretty predictable. Also, the insta love was a bummer. Granted, they didn’t profess their undying love for each other by the end of the night, but it seemed as if they just had these intense feelings about each other in a matter of hours. They’ve known each other since they were in kindergarten and they’ve never felt anything about each other. But, now, all of a sudden they’ve realized that they’re sort of perfect for each other. What is this sorcery? It wasn’t really believable.

Zoey, I liked. I loved that her father had a huge business and more money than he knew what to do with, but Zoey didn’t think of herself better because of it. In fact, it made her work harder because she didn’t want to ride on her father’s coattails. That is admirable. She worked hard year round to earn the scholarship and to apply for the internship (again, her and Gordon are the prime contenders for it) before she went to Stanford. She refused her parents’ help for anything school related because she wanted to do it on her own. But, what I felt was no other facet of her personality apart from this need to prove herself were showcased in the book. I would have like to know more about her other than that she wasn’t a glory hound and that she knew how to hold a grudge (hence the whole revenge against Gordon plan).

Then, there’s Gordon. He’s smart and hardworking and humble. I love how much he loves his father and how much he wants to help his father save their restaurant. It’s really endearing. We know he can be a little spiteful when vulnerable, but he has a good heart and he regrets stuff when he knows he’s wrong. He wants to be a good man – someone like his father. He’s selfless and understanding in light of his father’s troubles and is ready to give up on his dream of going to Stanford because of it. I thought that was really nice of him. He’s also wicked smart and has the knack of a good businessman as shown in the book. His was a really nice character.

I would have liked if both Zoey & Gordon’s parents would have had more screen space, especially Zoey’s, because they were such interesting and good characters and their relationship with their kids was great! I liked how they were involved in their kids’ lives despite being busy, even if I abhorred the fact that Zoey’s parents didn’t make it to her graduation to listen to her speech because of a business meeting. I mean, what parent misses their kid’s valedictorian speech with the excuse that “they’re heard it hundreds of times before and it’s really good” because they have business to attend to?

Overall, it was a good, enjoyable, lighthearted read.

Zoey and Gordon were everything I wanted from this book. High school competitors over grades (and everything else) with sparks and lies and tricks and epic kisses... Loved it!

I gave this book 2 stars. Not my favorite book, it actually annoyed me quite a bit. Also pretty cheesy at times. I didn't hate the book with a burning passion, but I'd rather never see this book again.

As I’ve said before, having likable main characters, or at least ones you respect, is very important in novels. As for this particular novel, I only liked Gordon. Zoey was immature, spoiled, and just plain annoying. Gordon did something to mildly embarrass her because he thought she did something awful to him and her solution was to destroy his entire future. Good job Zoey, you’re a fucking bitch.

I liked Gordon. Although he was a bit misguided in the beginning, he realized he had done something wrong and wanted to make it up to Zoey. Gordon is also a bit too forgiving in my opinion, but he’s noble and can’t hold a grudge.

I was pretty annoyed throughout the book because of Zoey, but I kept reading mostly because I wanted to see if she could somehow redeem herself. Spoiler alert, she didn’t. She did some nice things, but I don’t think she really grew as a character.She admits that she feels bad about everything she did because she loves him, but what if she hadn’t loved Gordon? Would she have felt okay with just ruining another person's life?

Plot-wise it wasn’t my favorite. It mostly takes place at a high school party with all these characters that I don’t know too well. So if you do plan on reading this book I would suggest reading the first book in the series first. I didn’t feel anything for a lot of these characters because I didn’t know them too well.

All special thank you goes out to Entangled Teen for allowing me to read this early. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars.

Please note: even though this say #2 of the Grad Night series, you can read this as a standalone.

This was such a fun book, even though I struggled to rate it. I felt 4 stars was too much but 3 stars was too low. It took my favorite trope, the friends to lovers trope, and reworked it into something that was totally different but still the same trope I know and love. I just didn't click with the characters like I wanted too. I think part of that might be this book happens in a span of two days. We don't get a chance to really bond with the characters in two days.

Speaking of the characters, we follow the two MC's, Zoey and Gordon. Two seniors who are in constant competition with each other, even though they graduated high school. they are the two smartest people in their grade, constantly trying to one up each other. After a huge misunderstanding, Zoey plots her revent. But she didn't expect to catch feels.

The book really appealed to my competitive nature. Just as Zoey and Gordon are constantly trying to outdo each other, I do the same to myself with gaming. Say I heal for 10k as Mercy in Overwatch. I will try and up that. This book was all about competition and I liked it.

As for the characters, I liked them both equally. I didn't super bond with them but I appericated thier POVS nonetheless. I liked how much Gordon cared. He cared about his dad, the restaurant and even Zoey when he beat her at the different competitions. I loved Zoey's tenacity. Despite being bullied for having money, she always kept her head up and didin let the haters bring her down.

A couple of rep points. One is for poor people (which I'm really liking when books have that rep. It's something that I can very much relate too). Another is for a guy wearing makeup. One character, named Jesse, wears makeup and it's totally accepted.

Overall, this was a fun read. If the friends to lovers trope is your thing, like it is mine, then be sure to pick this up!

Love Between Enemies by Molly E. Lee

I loved loved this book! It was such well written and cute. The characters made me absolutely fall in love with them! I didn’t know it was book 2 in a series but it didn’t even matter cause it was a great stand alone book!! Can’t wait to read them all!!

5 Stars!!!

This is the second book in the Grad Night series and features Zoey and Gordon who you have met in book one. After seeing their sparring in book one I was completely intrigued to read their story. I had a feeling it would be quite interesting and I wasn't' wrong.

Zoey and Gordon are the top two students in the school and are constantly battling it out for the top spot. Its normally a friendly competition but they have never become friends due to their rivalry. When Gordon finds out Zoey won the scholarship he had been desperately counting on this kicks off a war between them that starts off at graduation and heats up throughout the night.

I really do enjoy a enemies to lovers troupe and if you are looking for a gripping quick read then this is for you.

I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next in this series

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from the author and Entangled Publishing

DNF @ 46%

I am all for healthy competition between people. But somehow the bad blood between Zoey and Gordon's just didn't sit well with me. The whole revenge plot? Nope. Sorry.
And to think I was so excited to read this. Sigh.

I had an absolute blast reading this book!

I'm a sucker for a great enemies to lovers book and this one delivered in every way. We get just a taste of these two in the previous novel, Love in the Friend Zone and I couldn't wait to uncover all the tension that lies between them.

Oh and what fantastic tension we get!

I loved these two immediately. It helps that we get some solid character development at the start of this novel to set the stage for what is about to happen. These two have been friendly rivals for so long that they don't see the similarities they share or the attraction that has been lurking under the surface.

Which is what makes this book so wonderful to read. Gordon and Zoey are perfect for each other in every way but they've never taken a step back to see the other person. Sure, they make great rivals--constantly driving the other to put forth their best work--but they'd also make great partners if they could see that.

It was such a treat to watch them discover that as the party went on. As the reader, you feel every range of emotion. You swoon at the cute moments they share; you laugh at the antics that occur around them but you also have this impending feeling of dread because you know Zoey's plan for revenge is going to stop this wonderful partnership from truly starting.

I was completely addicted to their story. From the banter, to the competitions to the moments of vulnerability, this book had everything I love in a great YA romance.

Love Between Enemies by Molly E. Lee is the 2nd book in the Grad Night series,and a fun YA romance book. Gordon Meyers and Zoey Handler have been rivals since grade school, and both are desperate to win the college scholarship for their own reasons. This was a very enjoyable book. I enjoyed seeing how the different threads tied together and how the dynamics between the characters played out. This was the first time I've read this author and it definitely won't be the last! I recommend this book for people who enjoy YA romance and a light read.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

3,5 Stars

It's graduation day for Gordon Meyers and Zoey Handler.

After a speech gone wrong, Zoey decides all bets are off and she will get her revenge, hurting Gordon just like he did her. But as the night's events unfold, Zoey discovers more about Gordon than she expected. Between misunderstandings and burgeoning feelings, could there be more than revenge between those enemies ?

I liked that all happen in one night and we had glimpses in the stories of the other couples of the series. Gordon is genuine, sweet and level-headed, Zoey is proud, driven and focused. Together they could easily run the world. I enjoyed discovering with them what they could be as a team and as friends, if only they took the time to be.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3,5 -4 stars

I have already read before books from this author and I liked them,This one was a little bit different from her other books.At first I thought it was going to be your typical YA read but not at all.It deals with some issues all the young people going through. I liked how innocent Zoey and Gordon were.Overall it was a fairly enjoyable book and for those looking for Love Hate drama !

DNF'd at 25%

I couldn't read any more. I hated what Zoey was doing, so much so that I could not get onboard the ship.

There are levels to being mean.

Mean: giving a passive aggressive speech about someone at graduation
Downright NASTY: plotting to ruin someone's financial and academic future

I get that Zoey wants to do things on her own, but at the end of the day, if she doesn't get an internship or scholarship, guess what? Her parents can still pay for her to go to college. But just because she has that backup, doesn't mean other people do, and yet she seemed to assume that other people can afford college easily (despite there being a massive problem in the US with tuition fees and student loans). I understand she was mortified and hurt, but playing with Gordon's future took things way too far. It was too risky and immature.

Before anyone comes at me about her being a teenager and not perfect and I'm expecting too much from an adolescent girl. No. Go away. If she's so smart and has worked so hard, she should know better. I can understand wanting to get revenge, but then embarrass him back, not deliberately choose to take opportunities for him that she wants but he needs. And yes, I would feel the same if this was a guy doing the same thing to a girl.

Other reviews have said that this happens over the span of 24 hours. They've also said that Gordon apologises for hurting Zoey at graduation, and yet she still continues with her revenge plot. As such, I could not stomach reading any more about her behaviour and choices, and I could not believe at all that they'd end up ~in love~ the next day.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Entangled for this opportunity and sorry this book and I didn't get on.

Check out https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ for more book stuff!

Gordon woke up ready to take on the world and his graduating class speech, but after his dad drops a bomb about the family resturaunt closing, he feels like it can;t get worse- well, it did and that meant he was beat out for the full ride scholarship to Stanford by his arch-nemesis Zoe, the girl who has everything. In a spontaneous moment of crazy, Gordon puts Zoe in her place- in front of the whole school and their parents. This means war to Zoe and she will make Gordon pay in the worst way- even if she thinks he is attractive and he may be sweeter than she ever knew...

Entangled Teen, you might as well just assume that I will read any and all contemporary (as well as all the fantastic YA sci-fi/fantasy) books that you guys publish because I have yet to be disappointed. It is pretty much a given that I will fall head over heels for the characters and love every moment of the book as seen by all previous reviews. This was another example of such a freaking cute contemporary read that I sat down to read a few chapters of one afternoon and next thing it was hours later and I had finished the book- I was lured in by Branch, to be honest.

Aww I can't get enough of the cute, contemporary teen reads that I have encountered over the last year, and this was another fun example! I blew through the book in an afternoon, completely emerged in this unfolding drama and I loved how the entire story plays out within a day, pretty much the length of the graduation party mostly. It was a fun, fast book, low on the angst but big on the feels and it was just so freaking adorable! This is one of those books that I need a physical copy of to hug with joy and force on friends to read.

I love Gordon, he was such a sweet, considerate, hard working guy- most certainly not your average high school boy, and his first act of punishment was so out of character and he tried all he could to fix the problem. I just wanted to give the boy a hug, and then probably have an intervention between him and Zoe before things escalated. Zoe had her reasons for her actions and her character quirks, but really Gordon stole my heart with his smart boy charm that he had no idea he even possessed. And his relationship with his dad was heart-melting. I did find it interesting that Zoe had more of a relationship with her father than mother, making a kind of parallel between the characters with that dynamic as well. I did enjoy the mutual respect Zoe and Gordon had for each other, fully aware that the competition forced them to be the best they could be. Zoe stepped up and did an amazing thing, completely redeeming her in my eyes and it made me sigh with contentment with how the story played out.

I enjoyed the cast of characters that Molly brought to life, all different types of kids with unique situations and personalities. It was interesting to meet Braylen and Fynn and see the drama that was their relationship and I now I need the first book in the series to see how their Grad night played out (there were no real spoilers here since the events of both books take place at the same time and the same party!) I enjoy how this is a standalone but with peeks into the character that are featured in the other books in the series, which I now MUST get my hands on. Well done Molly, this is my first book of yours but it most certainly won't be my last!

​I received this title in return for reviewing purposes

I am a sucker for the “enemies to love” trope in romance, so when I read the blurb on this book I was super excited! The end result, however, left me with mixed feelings.
Gordon and Zoey are two graduating seniors who have spent their entire school careers in friendly competition. But “friendly” ends senior year, when Zoey receives the scholarship that Gordon not only wanted but desperately needed. He humiliates Zoey, and she sets out to get the ultimate revenge on her enemy.
The set-up was there. I was ready for the feels. But I feel like this book didn’t quite fit into the drama-filled “enemies to love” trope that I was expecting, and played out to be much more tame than one would anticipate. After all, Gordon and Zoey were more friendly competitors than enemies. The fact that all of these events take place within twenty-four hours was another sore spot for me.
Love Between Enemies is a fast-paced young adult read, perfect for younger readers of the genre. While I wanted more drama and “feels” from this book, overall it was a cute read. It had me hooked to see how Zoey’s revenge would unfold, and it leaves just enough loose ends to be resolved in the other standalone books in the Grad Night series.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

YA Enemies to more...

I didn't know the backstory to this one as it's my first read of this author and this series, but it wasn't necessary, This is a different type of premise. Zoey and Gordon are highly competitive and seem to constantly be competing with each other. This doesn't lend itself to romance.

After a misunderstanding leads to hurt feelings and public humiliation - their friendly competition turns into something more. The book basically focuses on Grad Night (the night after HS graduation). There is more drama than was probably necessary, but overall I enjoyed the story and really rooted for these two to get their heads out of "space" and figure out they have something special.

There is a little bit of sizzling romance, but it's mostly about their competitive spirits. It's a lighthearted and enjoyable read.

I submitted a request to the publisher to read and voluntarily review an uncorrected advance copy of this book via Net Galley.

Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite types of stories. The chemistry is beyond explosive and the phrase 'there's a thin line between love and hate' is always taken to another level. This book absolutely defined enemies and I loved how thin that line was for Gordon and Zoey.

Gordon and Zoey have known each other since kindergarten and have been competing in virtually everything for almost just as long. The competition has always been healthy between them but at their graduation that changes and revenge becomes the name of the game for both of them.

The amazing thing about this book is that all of it takes place over a 24 hour period but there was so much packed into that day. I couldn't stop reading once I started. While Zoey seems to have everything and Gordon seems to be losing it all, at the foundation, they are exactly the same. It takes bad decisions from both of them for them to learn that they are absolutely perfect for each other and that they could have had so much more if they had ever bothered to look past the constant battle to be first.

Love in the Friend Zone, book one in this series, has been on my TBR forever and this book has pushed it to the top. I can't wait for the final book in this series.

*This is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*