Member Reviews
Portia Macintosh is a rom com readers dream. This was a very clever story. When work enemies go to catch a story under disguise at a therapy retreat only to find insight for themselves. Ten years of disliking each other because of work rivalry. The island was pure magic making the most famous of people show they can be average out of the spotlight. Through the sometimes difficult tasks camaraderie is found. Love and communication being the priority. I really enjoyed all the characters of this book. I felt the ending for the main characters was a little rushed but all in all there was a happily ever after. A warm thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood booked for this free advanced copy. I am voluntary leaving my thoughts on this lovely addition to Ms Macintosh’s works.
This book had a great concept - the idea of two rival entertainment journalists posing as a struggling couple at the worlds most elite couples retreat is a great idea. But for me this book didn’t really deliver on the possibilities that could have come from this plot.
Let’s start with what I liked about this book. The concept was solid, and I really like the characters that were also at the retreat, I appreciated the relationship between all of them and how the grew as the book continued. I also enjoyed the mystery around Eden and their practices. I also was really glad to see Sonny and Lara’s integrity by the end of the book.
But there was a lot of things that didn’t work for me with this story. The first being I could see this being a better script for a campy Netflix movie (which I would totally watch and enjoy) than a 34 chapter novel. I didn’t really feel like the connection between our two leads was that strong, and it also felt very quick to resolve. I also really wish we had of gotten more information on what happens when they get back to the UK. I feel like an epilogue would have been very helpful here. Also I had a hard time wanting to root for Lara because she was often acting like a 13 year old girl rather than a women in her late 20s.
This book was a quick read but for me a miss.
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Enemies to Lovers by Portia MacIntosh ultimately missed the mark for me.
What I didn't like..
The description of the book didn't quite capture the plot. From the get go, we have a potentially fizzy connection between the MMC (Sonny) and FMC(Lara). There are some really funny moments where they both try to harm the other's career. But, the connection between the two mains aren't really enemies to lovers, but, more accurately, coworkers with sexual tension and an unexplored past. It isn't really second chance romance either.
Next, mid book we go from romcom to pseudo thriller as our fake couple has to pose as an actual couple at a high end couples retreat. This place gives weird vibes and is very culty.
Finally, everything wrapped up very quickly and unbelievably. An epilogue may have helped tie things together.
What I did like...
I enjoyed the female connections between the women at the retreat. These characters were sweet, fully fleshed out and were a nice surprise.
Ultimately, this was a mix of The Hating Game my Sally Thorne and Lan Moriarty's Nine Perfect Strangers. It just wasn't for me.
Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. Enemies to Lovers will debut January 4, 2024.
2🌟
In all honesty, I found this book to be quite stereotypical and have some vibes of other books e.g. The hating game and nine perfect strangers, which was an interesting mix.
I wouldn't say I truly felt the romance part of this book to be honest. Whilst it's called enemies to lovers, it didn't feel like that trope was very strong because by the end I didn't feel they were actually in love with each other properly. I also found it quite unbelievable that she immediately agreed to move with him, when it felt like their relationship was only just starting and there are evidently many many trust issues between them.
The characters are decent, and I appreciate what they stand for in terms of honesty and integrity by the end of the book, but I think they could have been developed more.
That being said, it's an easy and light reas if that's what you're looking for.
I wanted to enjoy the book a lot more than I did. Unfortunately it just did keep my attention. Overall a 3/5 for me.
‘Enemies to Lovers’ by Portia Macintosh is a hilarious and fun read which focuses on work rivals Lara and Sonny, who both work as showbiz reporters for a media conglomerate. When their constant banter and one-upmanship culminates in actual violence, their bosses offer them a last chance to keep their jobs… an undercover assignment in so-called paradise. The assignment requires them to pretend to be a nepo-baby couple on the brink and in need of therapy - and while the couple part might be difficult, playing two people who hate each other will be easy, right?
I liked:
- The entertaining banter between Lara and Sonny throughout the novel
- All of the supporting characters began to feel like friends; as a reader I felt connected to all of them
- The mixture of showbiz elements and celebrities feeling like real people
- Hope, the boss at the resort our story is set in kind of reminded me of Nicole Kidman’s character in ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ TV series (based on the Liane Moriarty novel)
- The mysterious island setting and ludicrous situations/challenges the characters had to endure
- Lara and Sonny’s history is revealed slowly throughout the book as their relationship in the present develops
I wish that the ending had been a bit more fleshed out, it seemed to come quite suddenly and not really give much closure. I also felt like the chemistry between the main characters was much stronger when they were bickering than in the moments where they were actually together.
Overall I’m giving this one three stars. I’d recommend to readers who want a light read that will keep them laughing throughout.
I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback. Thanks NetGalley and Boldwood Books!
Enemies to lovers is fast paced along with entertaining read. The book setting is unique, amusing, as well as compelling since its at a couples retweet that celebrities come together to be a part of. It was an interesting read for sure.Enemies to lovers is fast paced along with entertaining read. The book setting is unique, amusing, as well as compelling since its at a couples retweet that celebrities come together to be a part of. It was an interesting read for sure.
Portia Macintosh's latest, Enemies to Lovers, is a fun fluffy read that will entertain you throughout. The premise of a couples retreat and how it is designed to bring couples back together was interesting, and the twist at the end was unexpected. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the ARC ebook I read to complete this review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Meh = Enemies to Lovers summed up in one word. It wasn't bad, but it wasnt great. Our main characters were a little off and disjointed as a love match. They didn't quite seem to fit or have the chemistry to really route for their love. Their history was obvious but wasnt actually mentioned until about 45-50% way through the book. Their current situation of enemies forces them on to an island, that is cut off from the world but is a slightly bizarre paradise where they make friends with other couples and end up forming as their own couple and realising they love each other..I am just not sure how or why. There didnt seem to be any obvious moments or transition from enemies to lovers in their dynamic.
The summary really pulled me in and the story is light and fun and maybe just an easy beach read but it could have been soooo much more!
I received this book as an ARC and provided an honest review.
Hmmm... what to say, and don't sound mean. I just didn't feel this book. It was pkay read, but I thought it would be a little diferent.
Just a 3 stars
Okay this book completely took me by surprise. Partially because I wanted to go in blind but also because it wasn’t something I had ever read before.
Admittedly I spend a good 45% of this book confused as to how they were going to a get together but all that changed when he pulled out the tea.
Overall enjoyed it shown by the amount of colleagues and friends I have banged on about it too.
First of all, the name. Really? You couldn’t come up with anything better? Not something about their jobs, not a pun on Eden, or something like that. Just Enemies to Lovers. Name aside, there were some parts of this book that I genuinely liked. The relationships that Lara shared with the other women, especially Brittany, were really nice. The four of them felt like they were becoming real friends, and I really appreciated that they had conversations not only about their relationships (which was the point of the trip) but also regarding their own insecurities and passions.
Weirdly enough though, I did not find any chemistry between Lara and Sonny. It felt like they were barely finding their way back to friendship rather than falling in love. And casually dropping into the middle that they slept together when they were at university? I feel like Lara would have thought about that the night they went on the almost date.
I didn’t mind the bait and switch of Duane and Brittany being at Eden just because they wanted to get away from the press. It made sense based on their lives, and the kinds of situations they had been put into in the past. I actually liked that they didn’t have anything wrong with their relationship, and that they’re always described as being normal.
A scene in particular that I did not like though, was when Lara and Brittany were talking and Brittany is laying it on so thick. “It’s so nice to have someone I can trust” and “I just feel like I can really trust you.” It felt so unnecessary, and way too in your face.
The ending got to me as well. Lara deciding that she’s going to run off with him to Australia after they have what? A few good days? Seems insane. They haven’t been friends for a long time, they aren’t starting a relationship with a good foundation. They know how they function within one very small world. But have no idea how things will go once they’re back in the real world. I just couldn’t get on board with their relationship, and I would have liked this book way more if it had really leaned into the female friendships.
Enemies to Lovers didn’t feel like a romance to me. There was little to no chemistry between Sonny and Lara. In fact, at the beginning, Sonny seemed a bit mean to me. The couple had a past that was hinted at as the story unfolded, but turned out to be a big letdown. Both MCs were reporters, but neither seemed to show much journalistic instinct, Lara in particular. The yoga instructor, Brett, was up to no good but Lara didn’t seem to pick up on it. The pair is on assignment after a screwup at work, and every situation they found themselves in felt contrived. Some of them were downright uncomfortable. The whole story was really founded in both a lack of communication and honesty, and the reader spends too much time going round and round in Lara’s head.
***Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Portia MacIntosh. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own.***
This book was just shy of so many things it's difficult to quantify why it was...itchy. Because, overall, that's absolutely what we're dealing with. It touched on some interesting, or, maybe not interesting but certainly fun things, but just left it all kinda...weird. The 1.5 page resolution didn't help this feeling dissipate.
The premise was stunning, however I found that the usual incredible slow burn that you get from enemies/rivals to lovers wasn't really present - it was much more just being annoyed at each other. I felt like a lot of different tropes were included in this novel that didn't feel entirely natural and it disrupted the flow of the chapters.
Overall, it was a light and sweet read, but didn't quite hit the mark for me.
So, I really wanted to like this book - the premise is fantastic, and it's the sort of thing I usually love. Sadly for me it fell a bit flat because the chemistry between the two main characters just wasn't there. The enemies to lovers trope really relies on a mix of pure annoyance coupled with total lust, and both of those things were missing for me. The point at which they kissed felt out of the blue, their shared history wasn't hinted at early enough, and the ending felt wildly unlikely to me. The absolute masters of this genre (Emily Henry and Ali Hazelwood) have set the bar extremely high for this kind of trope, and sadly this book never quite hooked me and got me invested in the way I wanted.
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𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐨 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 - 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐬𝐡
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Release Date: 4th Jan 2024
Page Count: 282
Available to Pre Order Now
What a great read! This story is based around two rival journalists, Sonny and Lara, who are sent on a work trip to a remote couple’s retreat posing as wealthy lovers to spy on their fellow guests (celebrities). After spending a week getting to know the celebs, and each other, they come to realise that journalism may not be for them after all! I found this book entertaining, funny, easy to read and lighthearted. I thou-rally enjoyed it and will certainly be reading Portia MacIntosh books in the future!
✨Go and pre-order it ready for something lighthearted to read in January ✨
Thank you @portiamacintoshauthor and @bookandttonic for the opportunity to read it for review
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#portiamacintosh #enemiestolovers #romancebooks #romance #arc #booklover #bookreview #bookblogger #book #quickread #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreviewer #bookwood
Light hearted quick read. The 2 main characters definitely weren’t enemies at all. Would say more like work rivals and some history. Different to what I thought it was going to be due to the title!
I found this book funny, easy to read and it had some very amusing moments. The premise of “we hate each other, oh wait, maybe we’re in love” is a good one and set around the ridiculous secret couples therapy destination is far fetched but funny at the same time. Sonny and Lara’s pettiness was amusing and I couldn’t see quite how they were going to get themselves out of their job pickle until right at the end, even if I knew they’d end up together!! A good, entertaining story
This was rough.
Let's start with my first issue with this book: the title. Although enemies to lovers is probably my favorite trope, I did find it strange that someone would name a book after a very common book trope, one that's barely even relevant. Was Fake Dating taken? Did they think There Was Only One Bed was too wordy?
Here's the thing: Sonny and Lara are not enemies. We're just told they hate each other, and we barely get to see any of their bickering before they're already lusting after each other. Lara basically gets called out for her feelings in the second chapter.
The sexual harassment seminar plotline in the third chapter was super random, and then, in the fourth chapter, our main characters are suddenly on an accidental double date? And then, because the author just keeps throwing plotlines one after another without letting the story breathe, our characters are sent on a secret mission? Then there's also a scene where they get a bunch of expensive clothes, and it just feels like something that would happen in a Totally Spies episode when they're getting ready for a mission?
Although I rolled my eyes at all the challenges and everything else that happened in Eden, I guess that was somehow the best part of the book.
In conclusion, sometimes a book filled with all those cliche tropes can be enjoyable, but this was not it for me.