- 3.5 stars -
My Own Worst Enemy was a sweet sapphic rom-com. A bit cheesy, yes, and at times Emmy's self-deprecation was incredibly irritating - but it was a cute, quick read.
I enjoyed the London setting, and the supporting cast were fun! Also surprisingly topical considering the current spotlight on nepo babies...

This isn't literary genius but if you're looking for a short but sweet, feel-good read, this is the book for you.

My Own Worst Enemy is a romantic comedy novel about an up-and-coming actress who runs into someone with the same casting as her in an audition, who also happens to be just her type, and they spark up a rivalry that threatens to turn into something else. Emmy Clooney is obsessed with acting and came top of her year at drama school, but now she's graduated, she's floundering, not quite getting anywhere and overthinking everything. At an audition she meets Mae, who looks similar to her—short, dark hair, masc clothing—and is, in Emmy's eyes, far more charismatic. Clearly, they must become rivals, as there's not much room in acting for two people like them going for roles, but things get more complicated than that.

This has a classic 'enemies to lovers' set up, combined with a romance between two butches, so it is likely to appeal to plenty of people looking for those elements. Emmy makes a lot of classic romantic hero mistakes—she makes a lot of assumptions about people and their thoughts and motives without actually checking, she assumes that her new crush must be much more popular and confident than she is—and though she can be frustrating, she's also written in a way that does make sense to have some of these traits, particularly in such a competitive business. We learn less about Mae as what we see is through Emmy's eyes, but the hints towards more than her exterior are interesting. Emmy's flatmates (who are also her best friends) are fun supporting characters (and believable potential London flatmates), though Emmy's pizza-obsessed dad's disapproval of her acting felt a bit random, as his entire character is 'loves pizza and doesn't outwardly support her acting'.

The twists and turns of Emmy' new relationship, the queer Twelfth Night production, and Emmy's relationship with her mum bring a lot of the later plot, with one character in particular a bit of a comedy villain who raises red flags from the start, but that is often the case in romance novels. This is a fun novel, a light read that doesn't delve deep into things, but keeps the enemies to lovers plotline and the acting world at the forefront.

Full disclaimer I am very much in a book slump and have been struggling to connect with and enjoy books lately but this genuinely felt like a chore to read. I really really wanted to love this. The premise is amazing (TWO butch lesbians??) but I had to DNF it at about 48%. Emmy just... I could not like her at all and I was done with her pretty quickly. I might try and give it another chance eventually but I just couldn't get into this at all and outright disliked Emmy no matter how much I tried to connect with her and her perspective.

Emmeline Clooney (no relation) has no chill whatsoever. An unapologetically nerdy, geeky and masculine-presenting lesbian, she loves acting, graduated at the top of her class at drama school, and is determined to be the Top Short-Haired Female Actor in the UK. Then she meets Mae Jones, her charismatic doppelganger and instant frenemy, in the loos during an audition for an updated production based on (what else)? Tipping the Velvet. As Emmy tries to beat Mae at her own game, she meets a new woman, glamorous, femme theatre critic Heather, who can make - or break - them both.

I really enjoyed this author's first novel, Double Booked, and my only complaint with it was that it didn't always live up to its complex 'double life' premise. With this one, the premise is simpler - if sillier - and the author gets to have more fun with it, including setting up a queer pirate-themed production of Twelfth Night with a dancing squid puppet. Exactly what you need after a tough year or two - pure, unadulterated fun. Cheers, Lily, and thanks for the Shakesqueer!

Lily Lindon's My Own Worst Enemy is another sweet, queer romcom along the lines of Alyson Derrick and Rachael Lippincott's She Gets The Girl and Adiba Jaigirdar's The Henna Wars. Twenty-five-year-old Emmy, a butch lesbian, is an aspiring actor who's all too aware that there's usually only room for one masculine-presenting woman in any given film, play, advert or TV show. All's going well until she meets Mae, who's her spitting image - except more confident and perhaps more naturally talented, despite her lack of formal training. Emmy and Mae become declared enemies - but they keep bumping into each other on the same casting calls. Will their mutual obsession become something more?

I enjoyed this fun romance and the representation of a butch lesbian/bi pairing, although I felt the secondary characters, with the exception of Emmy's parents and her refreshingly non-stereotypical straight best friend Ruth, were a little thinly drawn. In particular, I found Heather caricatured and unbelievable. Emmy herself could also be a little too clueless and dithery at times for my liking, as well as intensely self-absorbed - I wanted to hear more from Mae. However, although this wasn't on a par with the titles mentioned above, it's still a warm, likeable read. 3.5 stars.