So happy I got the chance to listen to this one - I loved the Atlas Six and Blake's prose is just as good in this book if not better! This is a loose Romeo and Juliet retelling but actually, Masha and Dima were everything!? and the story was a better version of R&J if you ask me. Absolutely loved the inclusion of the Russian/Slavic folktales and of course, all the witches! I did find this story a bit drawn out and felt like we lost some steam along the way with the Sasha and Lev story line but ultimately still a fun read. The narrators were engaging and did a great job!

Content warnings: Death, suicide, grief, murder, drugs, emotional abuse, sexual content, trafficking, sexual harassment.

A huge thanks to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for the audiobook for review. All opinions are my own.

This was an incredible ride! Set in modern New York, this book combines witches, politics, and rival families in a way that hooked me from the start. The atmospheric writing, inspired by Koschei and Marya, and the clever Romeo & Juliet retelling added even more intrigue. The multi-perspective narrative kept me on my toes, eagerly anticipating when characters would catch up to what I already knew. The character development, especially Masha's journey of self-discovery and Sasha's struggles with love and loss, was incredible. The romance was poetic and heart-wrenching, and the last fifty pages had me glued to my seat. Although there were some slow-pacing moments, the intricate plots and diverse characters made it an exhilarating read. I highly recommend the audiobook narrated by Ferdelle Capistrano, whose performance truly brings the story to life.

Thanks to NetGalley & TorDotCom / Macmillan Audio for gifting me an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I must say...I was genuinely surprised on how much I enjoyed this. It is very much a new adult contemporary fantasy twist to Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet with betrayals, forbidden romance, and death. Olivie Blake did a good job in writing the rivalry between the two families and romance between their heirs. In a way, there were two sets of "Romeo & Juliet" equivalents. Although, I didn't like the second set as much. I didn't believe their initial attraction even though they grew on me as I continued to read. I think Blake had one of the rivaling families have so many kids so that Blake could conveniently explain away a very crucial moment in the book. It seemed like a convenience since it involved most of those kids and we, the reader, would hardly see or hear from them again. Nonetheless, the audiobook production was very well done. Ferdelle Capistrano did a great job balancing all of the voices and bringing life to these characters. I think reading Olivie Blake's books are best read via audio for me. I didn't enjoy The Atlas Six, so it was nice to see some improvement here.

Content warnings: death, suicide, grief, murder, drug use, emotional abuse, sexual content (minor), sexual harassment (minor), drug trafficking (minor)

Rating: 3.5 stars!

I was genuinely surprised by this title. At the beginning it seemed pretty bold for someone to take on a Romeo & Juliet retelling in the time of Chloe Gong's immense success with "These Violent Delights" and "Our Violent Ends" then figuring out that the two families are the Antonova's and the Fedorov's, another use of Russian families like Gong's duology? It was a bit on the nose. Then first chapter was (and still is in my opinion) too similar to Gong's follow up series "Foul Lady Fortune." I was eventually able to sink in to Olivie Blake's world and storytelling but this was a huge hurdle to get through for me as a reader. The other issue I had is that Blake gives us zero explanation of her magic system and I was left both confused and wanting. We essentially deal with necromancy in One for My Enemy and it is just brushed aside as common practice....was no one surprised that people kept coming back??

Overall I enjoyed the story line, and this felt infinitely more approachable than The Atlas Six. The plot took several surprising turns yet it was all tied neatly with a bow at the end - almost too quickly...I had a good time reading this title but it wasn't something I wanted to rush back to in any way. If you struggled with the Atlas Six or even if you loved it I think many will be happy with this new book from Olivie Blake. Personally I am waiting to see what she does next and if we can get something as wholly original as the Atlas Six.

Olivie Blake's One for My Enemy is a fun, engaging urban fantasy. In the same way that The Atlas Six developed a wide cast of characters, all complex and compelling, One for My Enemy tells the story of two warring magical crime syndicate families in NYC. A delightful mix of magic and politics, One for My Enemy is perfect for fans of modern fantasy.

Olivie Blake has won me over again!

One for my enemy is a Romeo & Juliet retelling set in modern-day Manhattan where we follow two rival witch families fighting for control over their criminal empires.

This is definitely a romance centric fantasy book, and as someone who usually avoids those I was a little nervous getting into this one, but I found myself genuinely caring about the characters and the relationships.

In the Atlas Six & (especially) the Atlas Paradox, I found much of Blake's writing to be unnecessarily detailed and confusing. One for my Enemy didn't seem to have that same issue. I think that because this book is pretty romance centric, it doesn't have as much world building, and the characters backstories are included pretty naturally into the story. Because there's not as much world building, this would be a great book for someone who wants to get into the fantasy genre.

Overall, this was an enjoyable story that helped break up some of the heavier sci-fi and fantasy books I usually read.

Olivie Blake committed witchcraft on me and I'm totally okay with it. In fact, I welcome it. One For My Enemy is an urban fantasy retelling of Romeo & Juliet, and although this story is well known I was blown away. I fell in love with Marya, Dima, Sasha, and Lev to the point where when they hurt, I hurt. When they cried, I cried. The betrayal, heartbreak, and love was deeply felt. I could not recommend this book more than enough, and the audiobook made my reading experience better.

Reading Blake's backlist has been a joy, and this is no exception. This twist on Romeo & Juliet manages to stay true to the story while also being surprising and twisty -- despite it being one of the most common tales known. The depth within the characters, the journey that they make together... It really lures you forward and becomes a "can't put this down" tale. I'm really excited for all the new readers to access it in this audiobook format, which was well read.

“Hate and love were so very similar. Both were intestinal, visceral. Both left scars, vestiges of pain.”

Thank you Olivie Blake, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

In New York City, two rival witch families fight for the upper hand. The Antonova sisters are beautiful, cunning and ruthless, and their mother - known only as Baba Yaga - is the elusive supplier of premium intoxicants. Their adversaries, the influential Fedorov brothers, serve their crime boss father. Named Koschei the Deathless, his enterprise dominates the shadows of magical Manhattan. For twelve years, the families have maintained a fraught stalemate. Then everything is thrown into disarray. Bad blood carries them to the brink of disaster, even as fate draws together a brother and sister from either side. Yet the siblings still struggle for power, and internal conflicts could destroy each family from within. That is, if the enmity between empires doesn't destroy both sides first.

I love Olivie Blake’s writing style. One For My Enemy is a Romeo & Juliet retelling with crime families and magic. I really enjoyed this audiobook. Ferdelle Capistrano’s narration was fantastic. This audiobook is almost 16 hours long and the narrator kept me engaged the entire time. I definitely recommend giving this audiobook a listen!

“The past is nothing. We are everything.”

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I thoroughly enjoyed this loose re-telling of Romeo and Juliet. Blake’s writing was gorgeous.

In this story, the Antonovas and Fedorovs are two rival New York City witch families. They could coexist in the city for over a decade while maintaining control of their ventures. However, that ends when the Fedorovs tempts to disrupt the Antonovas business.

I fell in love with the characters, the beautiful prose, and the magic elements. I loved that the novel was much more straightforward than Blake’s other novels.

I’m so glad I listened to this as an audiobook. The narrator brought this to life!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the audiobook arc!
4.5

Absolutely one of my favorite reads so far this year! Olivia Blake has earned her spot as an automatic read for me. I am always a sucker for a retelling, especially a Romeo and Juliet one.

I decided not to finish this book. I got about 20% through, and realized it’s just not a book I’m interested enough in to continue reading. The writing was great, and I think other people will enjoy this, but it just wasn’t for me.

Huge Olivie Blake fan right here. I love her fanfic and I'm a huge fan of her published work as well. There's something about her writing style and ability to tell a story that always captivates me.

One for My Enemy is a mash up of Practical Magic, Romeo + Juliet, and the Baby Yaga. It takes place in New York City where we are introduced to rival witch families who have kept their peace until blood is spilled.

THE. DRAMA.

There is so much involved with this story! You have starcrossed lovers, magic, aching hearts, treason, death, rivalry, witches, melodrama, and SO much more.

There are SO many twists in this story, that I really enjoyed being kept on edge. Not knowing what was happening next is always a plus for me when I'm reading something.

My only issue was the pacing at the end of the book. It was like the resolution was dragged out just to make it dramatic. The drama at points felt unnecessary but it's all for the melodrama of the story. The characters are well developed, although pronouncing their names were fun for me. I think getting to know certain characters more would've helped develop the story more deeply, but it was still fun being introduced to so many interesting....witches.

Definitely recommend everyone pick this one up and form their own opinion. It's a wild ride and so unique, plus the writing style is so magical.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Author for an advanced copy and sending the audiobook!

4.5/5
I didn't quite know what to expect from this since I hadn't enjoyed Blake's work in the past, but this was probably my most pleasant surprise of the year and ticked all my boxes!
ONE FOR MY ENEMY is the lovechild of Tolstoy and Shakespeare, raised by Chloe Gong and having binged an awful lot of CHARMED.
Messy family dynamics? Checked
Underground magic crime? Checked
Enemies to lovers? Angst? Yearning? Tension? CHECKED, CHECKED AND CHECKED.
This was truly written with me as the target audience in mind.

I loved the audiobook narration and thought it really helped the story come to life, but I'm not sure if I could quite believe all the Russian name pronunciations (eye-van my behated)

Magical and Mesmerizing!!!
Oh my goodness this was absolutely fantastic! Not only was the story spellbinding but the Ferdelle Capistrano‘s performance was so captivating! Reading this audiobook felt like I was watching a Broadway Play in my head!

“One for my Enemy” follows 2 rival witch families in modern day NYC. Both families are extremely powerful and have a very dangerous criminal history. As they fight to maintain control their empires begin to unravel - making everyone question their loyalty and motivations. Full of magic, action, loyalty, family secrets, betrayal, forbidden love and heartbreak - “One for my Enemy” is an absolute must read.


Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Genre: contemporary fantasy

A modern day Romeo and Juliet with Russian mafia witches. This clever retelling is set against a backdrop of modern New York, with dangerous magic and even more dangerous political alliances. One For My Enemy takes the familiar tale of Romeo and Juliet, and sets up two powerful rival families: the Antonova Sisters, led by their mother who goes by Baba Yaga, and the Fedorov Brothers, led by their father Koschei the Deathless.

While none of the characters themselves are in the YA age range, this book reads a little like darker YA. (Or perhaps that’s a personal association to Romeo and Juliet.) I enjoyed the story, though, at nearly sixteen hours, the audiobook felt on the longer side. But, the plot keeps moving with twists and turns as the eldest Antonova, heir to her mother’s power, is killed by the middle Fedorov, who only wants to prove to his own father that he is the one who deserves to inherit. Sibling dynamics play a key role in One For My Enemy. Ultimately, we get a bittersweet yet satisfying ending, appropriate to that of a Romeo and Juliet retelling.

I loved reading this book in its text form, the audiobook, not so much.

Unfortunately the story and the narrator just weren't a match for me. The way she did the different character voices made me cringe, and at times felt like a mockery of peoples voices (when reading reviews of yelpers).
Even when she was narrating the parts that weren't dialogue, her delivery was just meh. The delivery felt cheesy and I had to stop listening.

I want to reiterate that I loved, the book itself. I read an arc and couldn't put it down, so I was sure I'd enjoy the audiobook but wow, the narrator just made it impossible.

DNF 52%
congrats to one for my enemy for being one of the first book that made me want to not continue.
giving an extra star because i like the prose and the premise had SO MUCH of being amazing. but i just couldn’t connect or feel invested in the story. maybe i’ll continue it another day 🙁

I really enjoyed this book, I haven't read Olive Blake before, but I've heard many good things about her writing, and I have to say this definitely live up to it. One for My Enemy was intoxicating story with a great ensemble of characters. I loved the witchy element to this retelling I honestly couldn't get enough. I will be reading more from her here on out.

thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to experience this story..

Olivie Blake could write about microwaveable meals and I would read it voraciously. One for My Enemy is no different from other Blake works—fresh, interesting, irresistible, and beautiful.

A modern, witchy, magical retelling of Romeo and Juliet, OFME is un-put-down-able. If you love, like, or even mildly tolerate the enemies to lovers trope, this is for you.

I didn’t see the ending coming. I’m familiar with Romeo and Juliet, of course, but the end still caught me off guard in the best way.

I’ll be recommending One for My Enemy to many of my patrons and putting it forward as a pick for our adult book club. It gets a 5/5 from me.