This started out interesting enough and then very quickly became miscommunication after miscommunication, with Julia really just going off the deep end constantly. The amount of alcohol and drug use was actually wild, I don't think there is a single moment throughout the entire story that Julia isn't at least partially inebriated. It is not passion and definitely not romance if all they do is scream at each other, have sex, then go back to screaming and fighting.

At one point Julia says "I'd have done anything, if you had just told me." Which is such a load of CRAP considering how much she blatantly disregards him and does whatever she feels like. Case in point the literal next day.

There is a general feeling of failure and collapse throughout this story, which I think was actually really well done. Yes it gets painfully repetitive with the lack of communication and trust between Julia and Alaric, but the mood and tone are genuine to the surrounding events. It could have been improved by not trying for a happy ending of them ending up together since it was not believable at all with their constant fighting and distrust.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Canary Street Press for providing an eARC of Enemy of My Dreams in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you Net Galley and Publishers for letting me read an arc of this book in return for an honest review.

What a book. It had almost every trope that I love. Touch her, and you die. Who did this to you. I would die for you. He made her his Queen. Enemies to lovers and all of the action packed of war and betrayal. I loved the story and how it wasn't all romance. It was found family and character growth. I loved all of the characters and wanted to keep reading. I really wanted to read the demise of her brother and the empire. I needed more of an ending. It wrapped up too quickly, but still a really captivating book. I wasn't sure what to think when I started this but I loved every minute and couldn't put it down. 10/10 would read again.

Wow! I really enjoyed this enemies to lovers book and I want more! If you're into a setting of historical Rome you should give this a read! Will definitely be looking to read more by this author! Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this one!

I enjoyed this historical romance! It was a unique, enemies to lovers with opposites attract and a fun cat and mouse vibe.

Set during the Roman empire, we watch Julia, the Roman princess, try to establish her own destiny and escape the plans set for her by her brother. In a time where women are treated as little more than cattle to be bartered, she is determined to be her own master.

By a chance of fate, she throws herself at the mercy of Alaric, the brutal war lord and number one enemy of Rome, to use as a bargaining chip in exchange for her freedom. Throughout their journey back to his people, the pair are in a constant battle of the wills - both sides having no idea what they other has faced and having to grow/adapt. By the time all hell breaks lose, the pair have developed a budding relationship which is quickly tested by political ties, betrayals and battles.

I really enjoyed the story and I was rooting for Julia, even when she was being a spoiled brat. I loved watching her grow and develop into a strong woman. Alaric was hard and brutal, it was not easy for him to develop emotional attachments. Their sarcastic banter was perfection for me!

Enemy of My Dreams is a historical romance set in Ancient Rome. An enemies to lovers, cat and mouse, romance that will appeal to lovers of Roman history.

This was a fun, entertaining historical fiction spin on the infamous conflict between Rome and the Goths.

Here you’ll find:
- an entertaining reimagining of ancient history
- Enemies to lovers (plenty of tension!)
- Drama and high stakes adventure
- Forbidden romance
- Strong willed heroine
- Power struggles and politics

I enjoyed this one but wasn’t just gripped by it. Overall a solid historical romance though!

Thank you to Canary Street Press and NetGalley for sending a copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and HTP Books for the eARC and the opportunity to share my honest thoughts on this book!

As someone who likes historical fiction and historical romance but not always in this particular setting, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I did enjoy this historical romance set in Ancient Rome!

Julia is the only daughter of the Roman Emperor and as you might imagine, she is used to a very extravagant and lavish lifestyle that may even lead toward the debauched. But when her father dies and her younger brother takes over the throne, Julia soon finds that her brother has his own plans for her and she will do anything to avoid his plans of arranged marriage to one she loathes. When all hope seems lost, her salvation comes in the form of the greatest enemy of the empire - none other than Alaric, King of the Goths. With his help, Julia has a plan… but to Alaric, Julia may be the mouse to his cat in a game that may lead to the end of the empire as they know it.

The world-building, the characters, and the prose of this story make you feel like you are there in that time period and world, and the chemistry between Julia and Alaric keeps things interesting as well. Very much enemies to lovers (with a bit of insta-lust), but very enjoyable overall!

Good prose and exciting story. Felt like there could have been more development/fleshing out for the main plot but overall a good read.

I wanted to absolutely LOVE this book - the premise was beyond amazing - I mean, a cat & mouse style enemy to lovers styled book in ancient Rome?? Say less!! The writing was phenomenal, the story was phenomenal, and the character development & growth? Next level good! The action just kept going and I truly appreciated that. The insta-lust from the party really threw me for a loop - it was ravenous and invigorating but I was struggling a bit with it in general. I'm a bit excited but also worried for book 2 to see if it continues with the fun cat-and mouse style game or if it lessens a bit. I really want this couple to last and get some really good times together!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book! I'm a Classics major, so I'm a fan of anything ancient Rome-inspired, and I really liked the ancient Rome/ancient world setting! I thought the plot was pretty interesting and fast-paced, and overall, I had a good time reading this. It did take a bit for me to get into the book, however, and I found Julia to be kind of annoying at times. Otherwise, I enjoyed this debut novel, and am excited to see what Jenny Williamson writes next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Can I give it 10⭐️?

Review: Enemy of My Dreams

This story was absolutely amazing and entertaining from start to finish. Every character was incredibly endearing, even in their more barbaric ways. The brotherhood of the Vikings felt authentic and immersive, making their bond one of my favorite aspects of the book. And then there’s Julia and Alaric— their banter, tension, passion, and love story had me hooked. I just wanted more and more!

Even though it’s a historical story, it was easy to follow, never dragging, and it truly felt like it fit the period. The pacing was spot on, keeping me engaged without feeling bogged down by excessive detail. And I have to mention the narrator— they were absolutely incredible, bringing the story to life in such a compelling way.

If you’re looking for a historical romance with fiery chemistry, rich world-building, and characters you can’t get enough of, this is definitely one to pick up!

I received a copy of this book and audiobook from Net Galley and am voluntarily giving my honest review.

While fun, some aspects of this book felt almost too modern for me, such as the dialogue and the YA-like jealousy between the MMC & FMC. Their relationship felt very one-dimensional as there wasn't really a slow burn between the two and more of an instalust. I think the book could have really benefited from the slow burn as it would have fleshed out their characters and made their romance even stronger. What killed me, though, was the use of modern launage, it just took me right out of the story and made it feel like I was reading more of a fantasy romance than historical romance. I wished I liked this more than I did, but as someone who has a major in history and a solid understanding of Roman times, this just did not click with me the way I hoped. Maybe I'm just picky.
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

Pleasantly surprised I liked this one. The cat and mouse/enemies to lovers vibes offered interesting scenes between Julia and Alaric throughout the book. Both of their character growth throughout the book was great as well - especially for Julia. She was a princess/part of the royal family in Rome, then somewhat suddenly becomes a “hostage” with Alaric and his squad, where she experiences the opposite of royal life. I think those experiences made her stronger. Alaric - the “King of the Goths” seemed vicious at first, but I can see how much he cares for his squad and eventually Julia. I wasn’t much of a fan of the “insta-lust” when Julia and Alaric met, but the growing infatuation between them throughout - especially towards the end - was nice to read. I love the characters in Alaric’s squad - they seem fun and made Julia feel welcome. Heard there’s a second book, so I’m interested in what happens next.

3.5 stars - I had a phenomenal time reading this and I look forward to reading any of Jenny's books in the future! Her writing and the story pacing managed to scratch the romantasy itch in my brain, I thought it was well done.

Sometimes I find that historical/retelling books have a dull and unenjoyable tone as they attempt to give weight to the history or put emphasis on particular moments but this was well balanced and paired nicely with the romance.

Docking a star because I didn't enjoy the constant POV changes - they were too quick and too short at times. I also don't think this is really an enemies to lovers situation since they were immediately attracted to each other.

Ancient Rome.
Enemies to Lovers.

SAY LESS

The way this entire book had me OBSESSED from start to finish. Am I nervous there is a book 2 ABSOLUTELY. But I’ll take it right nowwww

Well, it certainly got the point of endless suffering across! I was excited to see a historical romance from a less common time but found the reading experience to be a slog. The starting conflict was good but it quickly devolved into long and lagging scenes of gory violence and cross-country travel. The characters lack depth and emotionally, the story is flat. We are told Julia and Alaric are in love, but they have no chemistry. Julia is especially one-dimensional - she barely thinks beyond her singular concern: herself. It also lacked a meaningful ending - I feel like the author dragged the story around and then gave up.

eARC provided via NetGalley for review.

So am I the idiot who for some reason thought this was a romantasy? Yes, yes I did. Clearly my attention to detail is poor to say the least. This was a historical romance set in Ancient Rome and holy mother what an experience this audio was.

But first, let's talk about the story. As a reader who has read their fair share of historical romance, I haven't read anything dating past Victorian times. So reading something set in Ancient Rome was definitely a change of pace. The author is clearly a history buff because I was immediately enthralled in this world. It's described as a cinematic experience and I couldn't agree more because it was like a movie reel behind my eyelids.

Julia is the daughter of a Roman emperor who lives a life of luxury and freedom. When she's first introduced, I wasn't sure if I would like her. But this was honestly one of the BEST character growth arcs I have ever read for an FMC and Julia became one of my favorite heroines. When her father dies and leaves her ruthless and power hungry younger brother in power, she's faced with a fate she wouldn't wish on her enemy, escape is her only alternative. So why not ask her father's enemy to kidnap her?

Alaric is there to bargain for his homeland but walks away with something entirely different. Growing up as a slave, he fought in the brutality of the Colosseum, and is now a brutal Gothic warlord, who dreams of a homeland for himself and his people.

While there's definitely some insta lust present here, the relationship development took time and was full of angsty enemies to lovers vibes and I loved every moment of it. Neither Julia nor Alaric see the other for the person they really are and I loved watching them discover the depths of it and grow closer together. There's a delicious push and pull between them that I couldn't get enough of.

This was told in a 3rd person POV so in the audio with single narration, I found myself getting a bit thrown when the narrative switched from Julia to Alaric but I was still heavily enthralled in their story. It was gritty, brutal, sexy, and oh so addictive. I have seen now that there is a second book planned which makes the somewhat rushed ending make more sense. It was still entirely satisfying so I can't complain much.

I enjoyed this immensely and can't wait for more in this world. What a ride!

Dnf
I unfortunately ended up dnfing this book. I really wanted to try and read something out of my comfort zone and found myself drawn to the cover of this book and fascinated by the synopsis. However, I could not get into this, I believe that this type of historical fiction isn’t for me. Just because I ended up dnfing this book, it had nothing to do with the quality of the writing/novel. I would still recommend this to readers who enjoy this era of history and enjoy romance.

A Roman Empire inspired historical romance with cat and mouse vibes. Definitely spicier than I thought it would be but not in a bad way. I really liked Alaric as he was darkly funny and definitely possessive. Julia our FMC had great character development throughout. I listened to the audio and felt the narration was also well done. It was a slower read but still enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the arc copy of "Enemy of My Dreams" by Jenny Williamson.
Publication date 04 February 2025

This book is a must-read for people who loves historical fiction set during roman empire period. Hot, sweaty, savage warlord Alaric and seductive, sly and clever roman princess Julia carried this book to a new height. The world building was well written, not too much that it might bore you.. not too little that might confuse you ; precisely the right amount that I could visualize everything that is happening. All the side characters were multidimensional, complex and had realistic personality. The book was so unpredictable and exciting that I couldn't stop reading, like I had to know what happened next. You must read this book if you love -
- roman warriors
- enemies to lovers
- war and political intrigue
- complex side characters
- well written spice
- adventure and found family
*** I found some inconsistency at page 100