I will start by saying I don't really feel this is a Enemies to Lovers type trope. I feel it is more brothers best friend, stay away from my sister type thing. Flo and Jamie are our main characters but we only get the story from Flo's POV. Flo and her family are taking a holiday all together. I did like how they were such a close family. Jamie is one of her brother's best friends. He kind of became part of the family. The enemies to lovers type is where we think Flo and Jamie truly don't like each other but what I feel it is, is just them trying to not be near each other. As their holiday is under way Jamie and Flo are then forced to spend more time together. Flo's family will make you laugh, there are moments you will be sad but they quickly fade. You truly do start to root for Flo and Jamie along the way. With family, friends, a holiday, beach, sun, and a little spice to makes for a quick fun summer read!

For starters, they don't exactly feel like enemies. We only see Flo's perspective, but it seemed to me like Flo just hated Jamie and he didn't like her either- there's no tension of an enemies-to-lovers because they don't have any interactions that suggest they're enemies... just two people who dislike each other.

The whole "he blew me off by leaving me a note under my door so I'm going to hate him forever without talking to him about it" thing was also weird. Especially because this man is basically a part of the family and you know he's going to come to the family events, why wouldn't she just... talk to him? There were quite a few moments where it could have come up because he would seem confused about why she disliked him and that was the perfect time to talk about it.

I also disliked almost everything after the 70% mark. It's awkward and they put too much stock into what her brother said eight years ago, and her brother needs to butt out, and there was so much going on that didn't quite get resolved.

I was hoping for more of the familial relationship, too, because there was a heavy emphasis on Flo feeling her family was treating her with kid gloves. Yes, that was addressed, but in a way that didn't quite feel enough.

thank you Netgalley for the arc

3.7⭐️
This book was a lot of fun! A cute quick read that was easy to fall into. I wished for some scenes to be a little more detailed and drawn out. If this book was 50-100 pages longer I could have easily given it 4.5⭐️. I loved all of the characters so much I wish I could have gotten to know them a bit better with a few longer scenes. This family dynamic was so sweet and obviously the setting was magical. Perfect summer read. Despite the length of the book I thoroughly enjoy it!

I enjoyed this book......I liked how it brought some light to and didn't say away from the topic of struggling with mental health. I enjoyed the development between the characters but I would have liked to hear a little more about their past. I did think the ending was a little predictable.

I wanted to like this book more than I actually did, because the premise sounded interesting and funny, but this is not enemies-to-lovers at all! Where's the banter as one reviewer pointed out that it's missing? It's mostly Flo and Jamie ignoring each other, which after awhile gets really boring. A lot of times I also didn't really like Flo. She is so neurotic she's almost insufferable with her constant insecurity pity-party and Jamie is boring and annoying as well. The only tension between them is these two trying so hard not to interact. Not much romance here, and I sensed zero chemistry between Jamie and Flo.
I feel like this book focuses much much more on the family dynamic between Flo and her family, which would have been fine had her family not been so boring with very little to distinguish differences in personality. I mean, yeah, between her brothers, Laurie is about to become a father and is madly in love with his wife Kate, and Alex is gay and wanting to find love of his own. The book also meandered a little too long with the attempts of banter between her and her family, which is odd because it doesn't lend to the development of these characters so they end up kind of flat and dull. There could have been more to work with to make it funny and heart-warming, but...nah.
What I did like is the mental health aspect of the story (psych nurse here!). Fresh off a breakdown from about two years ago, Flo is trying to find her feet and herself. Her confidence has been shattered, she's too tightly wound up. Inside, she longs for adventure and spontaneity, but in the reality she finds herself chained to her desk, behind her books and work because she's hiding behind them instead of chasing after her dreams. I can totally relate to that and appreciate it, but at the same time, I feel like this more or less dominated the whole story instead of a cute, funny enemies-to-lovers.
The last 25% started to get more interesting, and secrets as well as revelations are spilled, which I thought was quite clever. It also explained why Jamie acted the way he did. Nevertheless, it couldn't save the story as a whole because it was a little too little too late. Jamie and Flo barely had chemistry during their scenes together, and Jamie himself was boring. I think what could have saved the story really is to get dual POV, maybe hearing Jamie's side of the story, and also having flashbacks of how they were like in Christmas so that I could see the buildup between them.
Still, it was cute with a good message, and I liked how it all came together in the end.

When I read the synopsis for this book I immediately requested it knowing it was all of the things I love.

Tropes: enemies to lovers, brothers best friend, forced proximity

HOWEVER - this book left me disappointed. There was no banter between the characters and I found Jamie to be short and bleh.

I did like the fact it was a destination book and they were vacationing in Greece (that's my dream vacation), and I liked that there was some mental health representation.

Though I didn't enjoy the chemistry (or lack thereof) between the main characters, this was a quick easy read.

I immediately fell in love with the character Florence (Flo for short). I can relate to the struggle of wanting to let go and be free, which she tries to do on her family holiday to Greece. Even though I wouldn’t really call Jamie an “enemy”, Laura Jane Williams does an amazing job showing the feelings between Flo and Jamie from the very very beginning. I couldn’t stop reading as I wanted to know if they were ever going to put their differences aside and realize that they may be good for each other. If you love a good romance without all the explicit details, this book is definitely a must read.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Flo Greenberg has had a difficult few years, and needs nothing more than a relaxing family holiday. Spending a few weeks in the Greek sun, not having to care about reality, is just what she needs. But when her nemesis, and her brother's best friend, Jamie, appears at the villa, all of Flo's plans are out of the window. She's always had feelings for Jamie, but after he ghosted her last Christmas, she is too embarrassed by what might have been, and wants nothing to do with him. But Jamie might just reciprocate those feelings, and there were other forces at hand keeping them apart. Can these enemies come to the heart of the issue, and open themselves up to love?

I adore the brother's best friend trope nearly as much as the enemies to lovers one, so as soon as I saw the synopsis for this book (and both the UK and US covers) I knew I needed to read it. Flo was a definite overachiever, which led her to have a breakdown due to burnout, and she was on an enforced leave of absence from work. The time with her family was sorely needed, but she also needed to be treated like an adult. I liked the family dynamic, but did also feel like they coddled her a little too much, though perhaps understandably so after her low period. She and Jamie weren't really want I would call enemies, but had always been friends until Christmas happened. Over the holidays they had a "will they, won't they" moment, but then Flo found a note under her bedroom door saying he couldn't break his promise to her brother. I did hate that, and the fact the pair didn't speak about the note until over half way into the story. I guessed what had actually happened, and hated it for them. They honestly were perfect for each other, and were so good together, but had lost out on those months due to other's machinations. The ending was sweet, however, and this was a great book to read over a rainy weekend.

Enemies To Lovers
•
I absolutely loved the setting of this book. The beautiful crystal clear water, warm sand between your toes, the mouth watering Greek food, and the breathtaking sunsets behind your clinking wine glasses. I started liking Flo when she mentioned it would take a week to unclench her shoulders and her love for Bluey…relatable 😂 The story jumps right in and I could have used more backstory about Jamie and Flo. It took me a minute to really feel that connection between the characters, like I didn’t feel the angst because I didn’t know the whole history. There were moments where it was a little inner monologue heavy, I think a dual POV could have helped with that! You’ll find Flo to be really relatable and some of those inner monologues had me laughing. Her questions about life are questions we have all asked ourselves at some point. Am I ambitious enough? Why doesn’t everyone else seem confused? Is anyone else scared? She shared these raw feelings and made our mental health struggles not a weakness, but a superpower and I loved that representation! Enemies To Lovers is an easy breezy summer romance read, the kind of romance that you want to read while lounging by the pool or on the beach. It’s right there in the title, need I say more?

This was a cute beach read: a predictable romance between Flo, the youngest of three, and Jamie, her older brother’s best friend. Flo is two years out from a mental breakdown, and she’s feeling stronger but her family still treats her as though she’s fragile.

The family is vacationing in Greece, and there’s some tension between Flo and Jamie after a “will we/won’t we” moment last Christmas. (When we learn what happened at Christmas, I was sort of like “That’s all?” It felt like more should have happened at Christmas to set the enemies to lovers trope in motion.) It really does come off more like 2nd chance romance or forbidden romance than enemies to lovers. I got pretty annoyed with the Adonis character, too, and was kind of surprised by how quickly her problematic moment with him gets swept under the rug.

I think Flo’s mental health struggles are relatable for a lot of readers, and appreciate what LJW is trying to do with that part of the journey for Flo.

Overall, it’s a cute beach read with some funny moments (the adult coloring book!) and warm, fuzzy vibes in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for ARC copy of the book.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were very complex and the setting was gorgeous. I loved the little details, to me they really make the story. I would definitely recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Flo is still getting over her breakdown. Jamie is sailing the world and living the dream. Both come to a family vacation in Greece (Flo is family, Jamie is a friend of the family) and jump right into angsty-enemies mode. The setting is a Mediterranean paradise and the two are thrown together and forced to work out their issues, issues which span many years into the past.

I enjoyed this book. Unlike a lot of modern romance novels, it is ONLY from her perspective, which I loved. I get tired of switching back and forth and it messes with the mystery of (and the reality of) romance when you can tell what each person is thinking. During the enemies phase of Flo and Jamie, they are written as pretty close to actual “enemies,” and I love that. It definitely felt like real life, and we can’t tell what is going on in Jamie’s mind, and it was refreshing.

I love the dialogue, the messy family dynamic, and the intensity and closeness of Flo’s family members, encompassing both the love and the irritation of a real-life family. It also felt very cinematic. It had motion picture movement in its plot and descriptions.

I didn’t quite understand why Jamie was soooo worried about Laurie, her brother. I also didn’t understand his beefcake-world traveler persona mixed with the loyal-crying-uber family friend. Somehow Jamie’s personality seemed disjointed.

But all in all, I enjoyed this book and thought it was a great addition to the women’s literature genre.

Aside from the minor twist, it seemed pretty predictable. The family dynamic is vey cute and made the main characters more likable throughout the book.

I don't know how I missed it, or if I was being too annoyed with the hot/cold relationship of the MCs - but I was not expecting the minor twist! I suppose that means it was done well. The Adonis storyline was really over done. We could use one scene to get everything we needed from his character. It feels really drawn out. The family dynamic is sweet and their growth and understanding of each other makes the growth of the MCs all the more rewarding. I loved how unapologetically British the humor, language, and references are.

A very enjoyable rom-com with some depth.

- Tropes: Miscommunication, Forced Proximity, Brother’s Best Friend, Vacation, Slow Burn, He Falls First/Harder. Oh, and Enemies to Lovers, obviously!

- What I liked: Flo’s mental health journey is handled very well. The family dynamics were great. Flo & Jamie have great chemistry - it was fun to see them warm up to one another. The setting (Greece) sometimes seems like it’s been overdone, but this didn’t rely too heavily on it or become too cliche.

- What I didn’t like: Jamie is a little all over the place. I get that he’s a softy and that he initially came off as a cocky jerk as a defense mechanism, but the transition felt kind of like whiplash. In the end, I still enjoyed him as a character, I just wish this had been handled better. Adonis was a little too on the nose. Oh, and Alex should have said something.

- A note on the miscommunication Trope: Without giving too much away, there is a slight twist on the trope near the end, but Flo and Jamie do have their wires crossed for most of the book. If that drives you nuts, maybe this isn’t the book for you. I don’t mind the trope. It can be very effective when well done, not to mention more realistic than many common plot devices.

In the end, the good far outweighed the weak spots in this book. Look forward to seeing more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book.

very predictable but still fun, nice summer read fodder, i didnt think there were ever an enemy relationship tho. 3.5. thanks for the arc.

In Laura Jane Williams' captivating novel, "Enemies to Lovers," we are introduced to Flo, a young woman who finds herself on an enforced break from life after a humiliating incident. As her family embarks on a vacation to Greece, Flo's world is turned upside down by the arrival of Jamie Kramer, her brother's best friend and a constant thorn in her side. Despite their mutual animosity, Flo harbors a secret crush on Jamie, a feeling intensified by an unforgettable Christmas encounter. Determined to keep her crush a secret, Flo embarks on a plan to spend time with Jamie in an attempt to resolve their differences. However, as they navigate the sun-soaked shores of Greece, their carefully constructed facades begin to crumble, and the line between love and hate becomes increasingly blurry. With each passing day, Flo and Jamie's chemistry intensifies, leading to a series of unexpected and heartwarming moments. As their shared experiences deepen, they discover hidden layers to each other's personalities and realize that their supposed hatred may not be as genuine as they once believed. Through humor, heartbreak, and self-discovery, "Enemies to Lovers" explores the complexities of love, friendship, and forgiveness, proving that sometimes, the greatest love stories begin with the most unlikely of enemies. Williams' vivid storytelling and relatable characters will captivate readers from start to finish, leaving them rooting for Flo and Jamie's unconventional romance.

This was a quick read. The title does fit the story in my opinion. I didn’t feel that Flo and Jamie were ever “enemies”. The story was very predictable and was just ok for me. I did like the way the family interacted with each other. They seemed to have a great family dynamic and have fun family getaways.

Thanks to Netgalley for this eArc for my review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I couldn't connect with either of the characters and their relationship just felt silly to me. I appreciate the opportunity to review it but I don't recommend it.

did not finish. miscommunication trope? hot mess express trope? really tried to give this a chance but what was even happening here? i just couldn’t follow the storyline and wasn’t interested in trying anymore.