"Enemies to Lovers" by Portia MacIntosh is a charming rom-com revolving around two rival showbiz journalists who are forced to pretend they are a couple to keep their jobs. I love the fake relationship and enemies-to-lovers trope, so this book fit the bill. Throw in a vacation at a resort, and you've got me hooked.
Lara and Sonny are two work rivals in different sections of the same parent newspaper company. They don't get along, to say the least, due to a loaded past, and they always try to one-up each other. After a screw-up at a work event, they are sent undercover to Eden, an exclusive and luxurious couple's therapy resort reserved for the elite and celebrities, to gather information on a famous couple staying there. They have to pretend they are a couple with issues to keep their jobs. As they have a history, bickering comes easy to them. At the resort, they meet other couples and experience some weird situations. Eden isn't what they expected, and the comic relief moments there make this a fun read.
I enjoyed the book overall. It was just the light reading I needed in these troubled times. The book is written from Lara's perspective, and I found it easy to identify with her. She acted silly at times, such as her choice of packing clothes for a place called Eden or wasting water during a hike, to list a couple. Still, she was a likable character, as was Sonny. The other couples also grew on me. Being rich isn't the bargain it's supposed to be, and those couples were a fine example of it.
Although the book follows some of the tropes of the genre, the premise and execution are original and creative. I enjoyed the dynamics and interactions - both between the couples themselves and among the other couples - and the different problems they had. Each had their own idiosyncrasies, which made them feel like real people. I also enjoyed reading about the daily (and strange) activities at the resort and smiled at some of the antics of the participants. It's one resort I will pass on, though... All of the characters were well-crafted. I could believe that these were real people with their emotions, reactions, and desires.
I have only one complaint about the book, the overuse of the word "insist" throughout the book, which became really irritating after a bit. Besides that, I loved the story and definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys some light-hearted romantic comedy and fun with a happy ending.
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the
opportunity to read this arc. All
opinions are my own.
* For more info about the book: "Enemies to Lovers" by Portia MacIntosh
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