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3.23 AVERAGE
3.23 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's a fine rom-com. Not up to her usual standards. Still a quick fun read if you need something quirky and not deep.
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book actually surprised me a bit with how much darker it was compared to the first book. Aaron seriously has issues. It's not surprising, considering the first eleven years of his childhood. It's even more understandable when you take his mom and grandparents into account. We learn what the boys all went through in the first book, though it's still talked about a little bit in this book from Aaron's perspective. I was really starting to wonder how Aaron would be redeemable by the end, and I'm glad Daisy didn't exactly accept him back right away (even if she regretted it almost right away. Good grief.)
Daisy's family comes off as a bit brutal to start. When she receives the news that someone in her family has to marry Aaron, with the exception of her three youngest siblings, everyone throws her under the bus. The oldest of her younger sisters, Alex, acts like an absolute spoiled brat. Daisy's mom tells her to think of other people instead of herself. Daisy's dad clearly feels bad about it, but he's also partially responsible for it.
As the book goes on, her family is written as loving (though perhaps a bit chaotic). However, it wasn't until near the end when her parents admitted they shouldn't have made her go through with it that I found them redeemable enough, in my opinion. Alex never really did, however. She's spoiled, demanding, entitled, and only really comes to her defense once in the entire book.
There are a couple of things that seemed left unanswered in the book (and the extended ending that comes with the newsletter), but perhaps they're mentioned in passing in the future books. If not, it's not a huge deal, but I would be curious to see how certain things end up!
Overall, I liked the first book better than this one. The groveling was decent, but I found Daisy was really whiny towards the end (she seemed strong enough at the beginning), Aaron was not exactly a lovable character for most of the book, and I feel there could have been more opportunity for them to get to know each other better throughout the story, especially since their impressions of each other were mostly off base. However, the high school reunion scene was well done! I love the bit of a twist it had!
Daisy's family comes off as a bit brutal to start. When she receives the news that someone in her family has to marry Aaron, with the exception of her three youngest siblings, everyone throws her under the bus. The oldest of her younger sisters, Alex, acts like an absolute spoiled brat. Daisy's mom tells her to think of other people instead of herself. Daisy's dad clearly feels bad about it, but he's also partially responsible for it.
As the book goes on, her family is written as loving (though perhaps a bit chaotic). However, it wasn't until near the end when her parents admitted they shouldn't have made her go through with it that I found them redeemable enough, in my opinion. Alex never really did, however. She's spoiled, demanding, entitled, and only really comes to her defense once in the entire book.
There are a couple of things that seemed left unanswered in the book (and the extended ending that comes with the newsletter), but perhaps they're mentioned in passing in the future books. If not, it's not a huge deal, but I would be curious to see how certain things end up!
Overall, I liked the first book better than this one. The groveling was decent, but I found Daisy was really whiny towards the end (she seemed strong enough at the beginning), Aaron was not exactly a lovable character for most of the book, and I feel there could have been more opportunity for them to get to know each other better throughout the story, especially since their impressions of each other were mostly off base. However, the high school reunion scene was well done! I love the bit of a twist it had!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Child abuse, Infertility, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Impressively horrible.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Alina Jacob’s "The Art of Marrying Your Enemy" dives headfirst into a chaotic and undeniably spicy world of enemies-to-lovers romance, anchored by a marriage of convenience and fueled by a hefty dose of teenage rivalry and adult obsession. While the cover promises a humorous romp, and the premise of Daisy and Aaron’s forced union crackles with potential, the execution proves to be a rollercoaster of extremes, delivering both entertaining highs and problematic lows that may leave readers divided.
Daisy Coleman, haunted by a mortifying teenage summer encounter with Aaron Richmond, finds herself forced into marriage with him to save her family’s fortune. From the outset, their relationship is less a budding romance and more a comedic battleground. Fueled by years of mutual antagonism, Daisy and Aaron’s wedding day antics are just the beginning of their tumultuous 31-day contractual marriage. As they navigate forced proximity and a legally binding agreement that demands consummation, their carefully constructed walls of hate begin to crumble, revealing fiery chemistry and buried emotions beneath the surface of their animosity. However, their journey is far from smooth, tangled with toxic family dynamics, unresolved past traumas, and a mother-in-law who seems plucked straight from a gothic novel.
"The Art of Marrying Your Enemy" is a book of extremes, offering a high-drama, high-spice experience that may appeal to readers who enjoy intensely flawed characters and chaotic, over-the-top romantic comedies with a dark edge. However, the problematic aspects – including potentially triggering content, unlikeable characters, and questionable relationship dynamics – are significant and should be carefully considered. This is not a lighthearted or fluffy rom-com, despite its genre classification.
Recommended with strong caveats for readers who specifically enjoy enemies-to-lovers with mean MMCs, are comfortable with very spicy content bordering on BDSM, and are willing to navigate potentially triggering themes and deeply flawed characters. Readers sensitive to emotional abuse, fat-shaming, and toxic family dynamics should approach with extreme caution, if at all. Those seeking a light, fluffy, or easily digestible rom-com, or those who prefer well-developed, consistently likable characters and nuanced plots, will likely find "The Art of Marrying Your Enemy" disappointing and potentially triggering.
Provocative and attention-grabbing, "The Art of Marrying Your Enemy" is a 3-star romantic comedy that both titillates and troubles, ultimately proving to be a polarizing read.
I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Daisy Coleman, haunted by a mortifying teenage summer encounter with Aaron Richmond, finds herself forced into marriage with him to save her family’s fortune. From the outset, their relationship is less a budding romance and more a comedic battleground. Fueled by years of mutual antagonism, Daisy and Aaron’s wedding day antics are just the beginning of their tumultuous 31-day contractual marriage. As they navigate forced proximity and a legally binding agreement that demands consummation, their carefully constructed walls of hate begin to crumble, revealing fiery chemistry and buried emotions beneath the surface of their animosity. However, their journey is far from smooth, tangled with toxic family dynamics, unresolved past traumas, and a mother-in-law who seems plucked straight from a gothic novel.
"The Art of Marrying Your Enemy" is a book of extremes, offering a high-drama, high-spice experience that may appeal to readers who enjoy intensely flawed characters and chaotic, over-the-top romantic comedies with a dark edge. However, the problematic aspects – including potentially triggering content, unlikeable characters, and questionable relationship dynamics – are significant and should be carefully considered. This is not a lighthearted or fluffy rom-com, despite its genre classification.
Recommended with strong caveats for readers who specifically enjoy enemies-to-lovers with mean MMCs, are comfortable with very spicy content bordering on BDSM, and are willing to navigate potentially triggering themes and deeply flawed characters. Readers sensitive to emotional abuse, fat-shaming, and toxic family dynamics should approach with extreme caution, if at all. Those seeking a light, fluffy, or easily digestible rom-com, or those who prefer well-developed, consistently likable characters and nuanced plots, will likely find "The Art of Marrying Your Enemy" disappointing and potentially triggering.
Provocative and attention-grabbing, "The Art of Marrying Your Enemy" is a 3-star romantic comedy that both titillates and troubles, ultimately proving to be a polarizing read.
I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this was crazyyyyyyy hahah it was so wild but i couldn’t put it down, i had to find out what was gonna happen. idk if it would have been less wild if i read the first book, maybe if be used to the lore by then, but wow