A review by stories_of_the_soul27
One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

This was bit of a miss for me. Normally I love Blake’s flowery prose but this time it felt a tad bit much. The prose made everything way too dramatic and showy when in actuality nothing like that was happening in the story. It was filled with too much frequent and unnecessary declarations of love which became tiresome after a while. 

The book is enjoyable in someways though. I always enjoy variations of Romeo and Juliet.  But the plot was lost to me after a while. Nothing was happening except plans were being made and everyone seems intent on kissing the grounds on which the Antonovas walked. It got a bit tiresome from the middle to the end. The power dynamics were largely heavy on the Antonova side and that doesn’t work out for a Romeo&Juliet-esque story. Maybe if I connected to the characters, I’d have enjoyed more. But the characters were already written out for us. There wasn’t left anything for the readers to judge for themselves. And the characters were becoming frustrating to read about after a while as there wasn’t anything new to discover about them. I really am disappointed with myself that I wasn’t a fan of this book. Olivie Blake is such a great storyteller and weaver of plots and themes. 

However I feel this is a book that will be enjoyed depending on individuality. Two star crossed couples, elder daughter/son syndrome, demanding parents, siblings love - all these are fuel for a great story.