This is such a fun and fresh take on enemies to lovers! I have loved Rosie Dannan’s previous books and Do Your Worst cements her as an auto buy author for me. Plus - no third act breakup!!

Riley Rhodes is a curse breaker from a long line of curse breakers. Looking to make a name for herself, she heads to Scotland to break the centuries old curse on Aldern Castle. On her first night in town, she meets Clark Edgeware and they share a lovely dinner and goodnight kiss. Next morning she finds out he’s the archeologist hired by the historical society to work alongside Riley at the castle. When she arrives on site, Riley overhears Clark disparaging the charlatan curse breaker before he makes the connection to his dinner date. These two try to stay away but the curse keeps forcing them together.

Enemies to lovers is not usually one of my favorite tropes but I really enjoyed this one! The dynamic between Riley and Clark was addictive to read and their chemistry is sizzling. I particularly loved the way they find such comfort with each other’s histories and vulnerabilities. As they work to crack the curse that originated with two fated mates, they both unpack their own family history and identity in lovely ways.

Content flags: both Riley and Clark have challenging family dynamics - Riley’s father abandoned her and Clark’s dad is an asshole. Some elements of mysticism. Casual use of alcohol on page.

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

What a fun read! This book gives signature Rosie Danan spice while taking a different, more supernatural angle than her other books.

Can I be Riley's friend and travel the world sniffing out curses with her? I liked how solidly she stood by her convictions and belief in her practice. The connection she shared with her grandmother and mother because of their gift was so sweet, even though the gift proved to have some bite. Riley's dry humor and bold personality were wonderful. Clark felt a little flatter to me, but his calm demeanor and dubiousness over the curse was a great contrast to Riley's character. Their chemistry at their fist meeting was so great, and it just got more amusing and cute as they traveled their enemies to lovers arc.

The parallel story that unfolds around the origin of the curse was so clever. It felt very Outlander-y and was a creative way to inject some historical and magical components to the plot. It was also so cool to watch the curse-breaking process unfold. The situations Riley and Clark found themselves in because of the curse, and the trial and error that went into breaking it, were funny and endearing.

The setting was absolute perfection. Not just the descriptions of the outdoors and the castle but also the town and Clark's RV. Everything was described in a way that gave both small town charm and a sense that Riley and Clark were in their own world, shrouded in the mystery of the past. Delving a bit more into Gaelic and the fae lore was a nice touch as well.

I think the only thing keeping me from giving a full five stars is that bit of distance I feel from Clark's character. I felt like I never truly got to know him. Despite learning about his backstory and motivations for being at the castle, there always felt like there was more to learn. I would have liked delving more into his head like we got to with Riley. It would have given their attraction toward one another more depth and would have made him feel more real to me.

Despite that, I couldn't stop turning the pages! I would definitely recommend giving this book a read. There's the spice, of course, but what I was really drawn to in this book was the curse breaking, the castle's story, and Riley's relationships with the women of her family and her local friend.

Cute! I liked that the main characters have unique jobs and they matter to the plot. Something about the romance itself left me a bit cold but this book uses sex and attraction in a unique way that I enjoyed.

Rosie Danan has done it again, I read this so fast because I'm obsessed. I LOVE a romance with nuance and chemistry rather than outright smut and she delivers every time. Riley is a curse breaker, like girl can for real sense magic and Clark is our non believer who's just trying to get back legitimacy in his field. I did not know that I could enjoy enemies to lovers this much but I think that's what this would be categorized as. There are so many tropes in here without making the story feel bogged down and over worked. Overall, great story, especially for the autumnal season, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

*3.5 Stars*

I have loved every book that Rosie Danan has written, but this one was a little different for me. It had the same amount of spice, but it was a WAY slower burn than her other books, so if you've read those just be warned that you will be sitting on the edge of your seat screaming at this book for awhile. It did a great job at explaining the background issues that both Riley and Clark had that led them to this moment, but it didn't give too much away. I loved the banter and it seems as if it is supposed to be an enemies-to-lovers but the real question is... were Riley and Clark every really enemies??? The idea of the curse breaking and bringing a supernatural element into this story was a very cool idea, and Rosie executed it perfectly. I did enjoy this book, and I would 100% recommend it to others who have liked her previous books, I will just have to make sure to warn them of the slow burn!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.*

*3.5/5 rounded up to 4 because this was a lot of fun*

Oh this one was so fun. The setting of a crumbling cursed old castle in Scotland was the perfect fall atmospheric read I was craving. The grumpy Scottish hottie was also oh so tasty to read about.

We start the story with our main character, Riley, who has just made it to Scotland on a mission to break the popular and well known curse on an old castle. She is hoping this will put her family of curse breakers on the map and allow her to turn curse breaking into a full time job, not just a side gig. When she makes it to the castle, she meets a grumpy rich architect who happens to be a skeptic and tries to get her fired from the job. Oh, and he's also infuriatingly handsome. I think you can see where this is going...

This book is such a great example of grumpy x sunshine, enemies/rivals to lovers trope. They even make reference to and acknowledge the enemies to lovers trope but no way that's gonna happen to them. Right?

Riley is a positive, fun, take-no-shit kind of badass, and Clark is grumpy, mysterious and maybe a little shy. Put them together and you've got a recipe for either disaster or something wonderful. And it just happens that it was wonderful in this case for them.

While this isn't as spicy as her other book I've read, fans of "The Roommate" - don't worry, you still get some great spicy scenes. With just a hint of kink.

Well this was fun as hell and the perfect way to ring in the spooky szn 👻 I have loved all of Danan’s books and this was certainly no exception.

First off, I fancast Riley and Clark as Nicola Coughlan and James McAvoy so that made everything extra fun for me. And their spicy time (especially Clark’s absolutely FILTHY mouth) were so 🫦🫦 ughh Danan just knows how to write those scenes and I will eat it up every time!! I will say it was a bit tamer than her other books and focuses a lot more of the heartfelt and sappy side of their romance but I wasn’t mad about that at all because Riley and Clark’s growth together was so cute and they really just made each other the best versions of themselves and I felt so warm and fuzzy inside after finishing the book. So if you’re looking for a Highland curse mixed with fluff and spice and a dagger to the throat scene, this is the perfect book for you!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!!

It took me a while to get fully invested in this one, but by the end, I really enjoyed the relationship between these two very unique characters. It didn't fully grab me like Rosie's other books have, but overall, it was an enjoyable read, perfect for spooky season!

✨R E V I E W✨

A fun romance! I love the setting, which takes place in a Scottish castle.

Riley is a cursebreaker, a skill that’s been passed down in her family for generations. Clark is a no-nonsense archeologist. Both of them are working in this castle, and as badly as Clark wants to deny the existance of any magical happenings, weird things just keep occuring.

This book was silly and I felt like it didn’t take itself too seriously, which I liked. I’d pick it up if you’re looking for something fun and a little different than most other contemporary romances!

I really thought I would love this book more. Cursebreaker works with uptight Scottish archeologist in a haunted castle? The premise alone sounds amazing. Unfortunately, the book itself didn't quite hit the mark. Both characters seemed very immature for their age and I did not feel any chemistry between whatsoever. If it wasn't a romance book, I could see past that but because this IS a romance book, the fact that I found their chemistry lacking and their overall romance pretty insta-lovey killed my enjoyment.

While I am sliiiightly annoyed that Rosie Danan made me wait 2 and a half years for a new book release (it is really difficult to top her previous books, The Roommate and The Intimacy Experiment, Do Your Worst definitely lives up to the expectations. A slight detour to Danan's previous releases, Do Your Worst has some hints of paranormal elements mixed in with contemporary that make it scream fun for the fall season. Riley and Clark have such a fun enemies to lovers storyline, and I really enjoyed their blossoming romance when they're literally forced to work together in this cursed castle. Amazing job by Rosie Danan and I cannot wait to to tell everyone how much I enjoyed this book!

Do Your Worst is Rosie Danan at her sparkling best. Ancient curses, American expats, mysticism versus reality – this book has it all, and it wraps it up in a spirited, fun-loving package. A couple of things kept this bubbling under a flat-out A for me, but it’s still a great read and a definite DIK.

Riley Rhodes is on a mission. She’s trying to make a name for herself in the supernatural marketplace as a spellbreaker, having come from a long line of American mystics. Riley is hired to go to a tiny Scottish village called Torridon to break a long-held curse on Arden Castle. The curse is of unknown origin, and she’s trying to figure out how to lift it.

Clark Edgeware is an archeologist whose larger-than-life father, Archie, is known for his showboating. Archie has become the fictionalized subject of a big screen movie, and Clark isn’t wild about this--he's already sick o dwelling in his dad’s shadow. When Clark is given the opportunity to do a minor excavation of Arden Castle so the property can be redeveloped by a new buyer, he jumps at the chance. Clark absolutely doesn’t believe in magic or ghosts, so an enchanting first meeting ends poorly when he finds out why Riley is in town.

Clark and Riley immediately clash over their methodology, with Clark concentrating on what’s in front of him when it comes to possibly salvageable artifacts, and Riley trying to figure out how and why the castle was cursed in the first place and how to free the land. Banter ensues, but can love be far behind?

Not in a Danan novel, and you know you’re gonna have plenty of opposites-attract fire added into the mix along the way. Do Your Worst is funny, fast-paced and well-written, and everything you want in a contemporary romance.

Each of our protagonists is trying to prove themselves as a person in their own right rather than an adjunct to the family line. The chemistry between them is generally aces, and there’s plenty of push-and-pull heat to keep the reader turning pages.

The Scottish setting is fun and well-used. But Do Your Worst does have a couple of flaws. The book could’ve used more flashbacks to explain what was really happening in the castle, and sometimes the banter between Riley and Clark skews a little mean. But overall, everything works beautifully. This is a romantic feast of a novel.

What an imaginative story. When Clark and Riley meet it seems so unlikely they'll ever get along. He absolutely does not believe in her talent. He doesn't respect her. She thinks he's a pompous ass. And he is. As they work and live around each other, they find an attraction.

A sweet love story starts to flourish while Riley tries to break the curse on the castle and Clark tries to determine if there's anything historically significant. As they go about this, the mysticism of Ireland's fay becomes harder to deny. The couple's love isn't quick or easy but it's totally worth it.

I enjoyed the couple, the story, the setting, the other characters, everything. A fun read.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

3.75
I really enjoyed this concept. I loved the idea of falling in love to break a curse and the Scotland setting. Riley and Clark were a great pairing and I loved the verbal sparring they went through at first. Their sexual chemistry was intense and immediate even when they were fighting and I always love stories like that. The beginning was a bit jumbled for me and the end felt a bit rushed. Overall, there just felt like there was something missing. The spice and humor was great which I expected from Rosie Danan, but the romantic feelings felt lackluster. This wasn't my favorite of Danan's after absolutely loving and devouring her other books, but I still enjoyed the paranormal vibe of this one. Thank you to Berkley for the ARC to read and review.

I enjoyed this but I think there was just something missing for me? And I hate saying that because I don’t know what the something is which sounds stupid. I liked Riley and Clark fine and the archaeology/curse breaking aspect was fun and it was sexy ah but the romance felt like it was lacking romance. It felt like it was like completely sexual, which is fine! But then they were in love five days later. Also there was a lot of monologuing and inner thoughts.

This was fun. Nothing revolutionary, even in the terms of romance novels. I liked the characters, and the plot was interesting.

It was an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the dynamic and bickering between Riley and Clark, and the heat was decent.

"Do Your Worst" is a cute romance perfect for fall. With a curse, a castle in Scotland, and a hot English man, what more could you ask for??

Riley and Clark hit it off one night in a pub before quickly finding out that they are both working at the same site, and Clark has some opinions about Riley’s presence there. Cue tension: he doesn’t believe that curses are real and she is determined to prove him wrong.

Although I wouldn’t classify Riley and Clark as enemies, they are definitely rivals. Whether they were begrudgingly working together or doing their best to get on each other’s nerves, it was so fun to read. And the spice just made it even better.

I found the mystery aspect pretty predictable, but I wasn’t really looking to be shocked and I still enjoyed the characters and their journey.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Paranormal romance for spooky season 🏰❤️👻

An English archaeologist and an Appalachian curse-breaker hit it off in a Scottish bar, and this part’s great. Until the archaeologist discovers the curse-breaker’s profession — and that she was hired to work at the same Highlands castle, no less.

At this point we move into the “enemies” phase and things sometimes get ridiculous. I’m happy to suspend my disbelief for 300-year-old curses, but Riley’s breaking into Clark’s camper was eye-rollingly over the top.

There’s no third act breakup, minimal angst, and only one annoying side character — all romance pet peeves of mine. Overall, an enjoyable read, and I hope Danan continues writing in this romance subgenre.

Well, this was magical. It feels like a 90's romcom in the very best of ways: Indulgent, sassy, and unputdownable. Will definitely be watching for more from Danan!

With a balanced mixture of mysticisms, romance, mystery, and a good enemies to lovers, it was the perfect Fall/Spooky Season read!

This was my first Rosie Danan book, and I was eager to get this one after hearing great reviews of her other titles. I was honestly surprised with how unique this romcom felt to what I’ve picked up lately. First off, our main characters are a Curse Breaker and an Archeologist which are two professions I haven’t gotten to read.

There was also a dash of spice (and dare I say some added kink), and the banter had me laughing. Plus, it did not have a third act breakup and that alone made this book worth it. There was enough conflict, character development, and emotional impact without having to use that trope.

The only thing I wished was that there was a tad more tension and chemistry between the two main characters since it felt like the transition from enemies to lovers was quick.