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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
I received an ARC and this is my first read from this author. I hadn't read the first 2 books in the series but I was able to read this book without any issues.
This book is all about Carson and Allie. They grew up together and were BFFs until one day they weren't. We learn pretty early on that they were both in love with each other in their younger days but when a traumatic experience for Carson makes him realize that Allie wasn't there for him (so he thought) and that he couldn't put any dependence on anyone but himself.
Things change though when Carson finds out there is a bet happening with some of his fellow baseball players. Pick a name from the hat and get the girl you pick to sleep with you before fall break. When Allie's name is picked by someone he doesn't particularly like, Carson will do anything to not let that happen.
The two of them end up with many interactions, both planned and unplanned and they can't help the pull that they both feel, even when fighting their feelings.
I won't spoil it but the cliffhanger made me so mad!! I think what happens in the last 20% of the book should not be what the reaction is at the end of the book. I feel like there is going to be some good groveling in the next book and lots of feelings being shared. I can't wait. Loved the angst! Bring on part 2 (book 4)!!!
This book is all about Carson and Allie. They grew up together and were BFFs until one day they weren't. We learn pretty early on that they were both in love with each other in their younger days but when a traumatic experience for Carson makes him realize that Allie wasn't there for him (so he thought) and that he couldn't put any dependence on anyone but himself.
Things change though when Carson finds out there is a bet happening with some of his fellow baseball players. Pick a name from the hat and get the girl you pick to sleep with you before fall break. When Allie's name is picked by someone he doesn't particularly like, Carson will do anything to not let that happen.
The two of them end up with many interactions, both planned and unplanned and they can't help the pull that they both feel, even when fighting their feelings.
I won't spoil it but the cliffhanger made me so mad!! I think what happens in the last 20% of the book should not be what the reaction is at the end of the book. I feel like there is going to be some good groveling in the next book and lots of feelings being shared. I can't wait. Loved the angst! Bring on part 2 (book 4)!!!
Carson and Allie used to be best friends. They would do everything together. Until one night changed it all. Now, they hate each other. What's worse? They are forced to work together and Carson is going to make things very hard for Allie during this time. He is cold and cruel, while still trying to sabotage any chance she may have at a normal dating life. And Allie can't handle the hot and cold. These two will either rip each other apart or tear each other's clothes off and honestly, with these two firecrackers, either one would be entertaining.
This book was perfection. There was angst and bottled emotions. There was pain and heartache and misunderstanding and basically just EVERYTHING you want in a new adult romance. And I am here for it all. I cannot wait for more! Look for the conclusion of Allie and Carson's story on September 23rd!!
This book was perfection. There was angst and bottled emotions. There was pain and heartache and misunderstanding and basically just EVERYTHING you want in a new adult romance. And I am here for it all. I cannot wait for more! Look for the conclusion of Allie and Carson's story on September 23rd!!
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Boys of Clermont Bay series just keeps getting better and better! Rife with delicious drama, enchantingly addictive, and exploding with young love heartache and longing, The Taste of the Enemy is angsty second chance perfection. Holly Renee has yet again put us in the throes of the heated chemistry of two friends turned enemies, but Carson and Allie are her most complicated and angsty duo yet. And I can’t get enough of them!
From our first meeting of this mesmerizing duo, I wanted to swim around in the enigmatic tension that seemed to orbit Allie and Carson. But I wasn’t prepared for just how messy their connection would be. A hidden history, a severed bond, broken hearts, betrayals and misunderstandings, these two aren’t just at odds, there is an aching chasm between them. Wounds that have only festered as they’ve matured. Feelings that have grown increasingly conflicted, especially now that their best friends are dating, forcing them to share a physical, and emotional, proximity they’ve both avoided. And now a unique situation draws them even closer- forcing these embittered enemies to confront their long buried feelings- and things get ANGSTY fast.
Allie is hands down my favorite Holly Renee heroine- she’s equal parts sassy spitfire and gentle hearted. There’s a maturity to her, a levelness, that really sets her apart from the Clermont crew- and makes her delightfully relatable. I felt a real connection with her- reveled in her steadiness and her sensitivity, how deeply she feels things. And no one gets to her quite like Carson Hale. The ruthless Clermont king who has stopped at nothing to cut her down. Quite honestly, I wasn’t sure if I could love Carson, if I could see past his bitter vendetta and cruel quips. But Holly surprised me- she let Carson’s immaturity be the catalyst to his redemption. HIs heart is torn between being the kind and empathetic man he could be and the shattered little boy full of heartache that he has nowhere to place- so he placed it on Allie. But we see glimmers of the Carson he can be, his capacity to care and feel. We see him TRY to do the right things- even if he makes mistakes in trying to do them. Holly finds the SWOON in the once cruel Carson.
Their chemistry is SO complicated- that palpable push-pull intensity, a combustible heat, so much love hate-tension, but there is also a heart-hitting intimacy that draws you in. Their shared history is a tether that makes their story special- makes their connection feel more intimate and soulful. It makes for a heady balance of heart and heat, sizzle and swoon. The sweet moments feel all the sweeter, but oh man, the heartbreaking moments cut more deeply. Deftly, Holly finds a narrative approach that really focuses intensely on these two alone, and it makes for some really dynamic character evolution. All while infusing this story with so much contrast- the quiet healing and the heart-smashing mistakes. And the sexual tension?! YOWZERS. I am so enamored with these two together- and so the epically dramatic and heart shattering finale left me in tatters. My heart has not recovered- primarily because I’m not sure these two can recover from this finale. Needless to say, Holly, we need the finale! I’ve never rooted for a Holly couple more.
From our first meeting of this mesmerizing duo, I wanted to swim around in the enigmatic tension that seemed to orbit Allie and Carson. But I wasn’t prepared for just how messy their connection would be. A hidden history, a severed bond, broken hearts, betrayals and misunderstandings, these two aren’t just at odds, there is an aching chasm between them. Wounds that have only festered as they’ve matured. Feelings that have grown increasingly conflicted, especially now that their best friends are dating, forcing them to share a physical, and emotional, proximity they’ve both avoided. And now a unique situation draws them even closer- forcing these embittered enemies to confront their long buried feelings- and things get ANGSTY fast.
Allie is hands down my favorite Holly Renee heroine- she’s equal parts sassy spitfire and gentle hearted. There’s a maturity to her, a levelness, that really sets her apart from the Clermont crew- and makes her delightfully relatable. I felt a real connection with her- reveled in her steadiness and her sensitivity, how deeply she feels things. And no one gets to her quite like Carson Hale. The ruthless Clermont king who has stopped at nothing to cut her down. Quite honestly, I wasn’t sure if I could love Carson, if I could see past his bitter vendetta and cruel quips. But Holly surprised me- she let Carson’s immaturity be the catalyst to his redemption. HIs heart is torn between being the kind and empathetic man he could be and the shattered little boy full of heartache that he has nowhere to place- so he placed it on Allie. But we see glimmers of the Carson he can be, his capacity to care and feel. We see him TRY to do the right things- even if he makes mistakes in trying to do them. Holly finds the SWOON in the once cruel Carson.
Their chemistry is SO complicated- that palpable push-pull intensity, a combustible heat, so much love hate-tension, but there is also a heart-hitting intimacy that draws you in. Their shared history is a tether that makes their story special- makes their connection feel more intimate and soulful. It makes for a heady balance of heart and heat, sizzle and swoon. The sweet moments feel all the sweeter, but oh man, the heartbreaking moments cut more deeply. Deftly, Holly finds a narrative approach that really focuses intensely on these two alone, and it makes for some really dynamic character evolution. All while infusing this story with so much contrast- the quiet healing and the heart-smashing mistakes. And the sexual tension?! YOWZERS. I am so enamored with these two together- and so the epically dramatic and heart shattering finale left me in tatters. My heart has not recovered- primarily because I’m not sure these two can recover from this finale. Needless to say, Holly, we need the finale! I’ve never rooted for a Holly couple more.
I just love this series! I adored Allie's character as part of Beck & Josie's love story, and I loved her even more learning about her and Carson's history and the beginning of their complicated, tension-filled journey. They have one of those relationships where one miscommunication leads to years of heartache even though they both can't seem to stay out of each other's orbit, some intentional, some a forced proximity type situation. And, OH MY GOODNESS, the angst here! You better prepare yourself. You really feel for Carson and how he feels like he is doing the right thing by Allie, but he just can’t seem to help himself when it comes to her. And, Allie really wants to be closer to him but, she also knows he is carrying a LOT of hurt from not only his own family but, a perceived wrong done to him in their past. The frustratingly intense back-and-forth between them really sucked me into this story and kept me there! Love the world of the Boys of Clermont Bay!
challenging
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
TITLE: The Taste of an Enemy
GENRE: Romance
AUTHOR: Holly Renee
TROPE: Enemies to Lovers
TYPE: Series (The Boys of Clermont Bay Book 3)
MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
I found this book to be a quick read since it is shorter than the first two books. It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. It felt like the story was a bit of a slow burn, enemies to lovers with a bit of bullying thrown in. The Taste of an Enemy is Carson and Allie's story, and we finally learn why there has been so much friction between the two of them for years. The story was a bit predictable in the cliffhanger at the end of the book, but I enjoyed Allie and Carson's attraction and angst. For that reason, I gave it four stars.
GENRE: Romance
AUTHOR: Holly Renee
TROPE: Enemies to Lovers
TYPE: Series (The Boys of Clermont Bay Book 3)
MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
I found this book to be a quick read since it is shorter than the first two books. It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. It felt like the story was a bit of a slow burn, enemies to lovers with a bit of bullying thrown in. The Taste of an Enemy is Carson and Allie's story, and we finally learn why there has been so much friction between the two of them for years. The story was a bit predictable in the cliffhanger at the end of the book, but I enjoyed Allie and Carson's attraction and angst. For that reason, I gave it four stars.