Dear Enemy
Contemporary Romance, Moviestar romance
March 31, 2020
Kindle
386
https://amzn.to/3e0H2o3
As kids, they hated each other. Macon Saint was beautiful, but despite his name, Delilah knew he was the devil. That he dated her slightly evil sister, Samantha, was no picnic either. When they broke up, it was a dream come true: Delilah never had to see him again.
Ten years later, her old enemy sends a text.
Delilah’s sister has stolen a valuable heirloom from Macon, now a rising Hollywood star, and he intends to collect his due. One problem: Sam has skipped town.
Sparks still sizzle between Macon and Delilah, only this heat feels alarmingly like unwanted attraction. But Delilah is desperate to keep her weak-hearted mother from learning of her sister’s theft. So she proposes a deal: she’ll pay off the debt by being Macon’s personal chef and assistant.
It’s a recipe for disaster, but Macon can’t stop himself from accepting. Even though Delilah clearly hates him, there’s something about her that feels like home. Besides, they’re no longer kids, and what once was a bitter rivalry has the potential to be something sweeter. Something like forever.
OM GAWD! This book… I laughed, I cried, I couldn’t put it down. Such an fun and well written story of two people who go from enemies, to friends, to lovers.
Every book I read by Kristen Callihan surprise me with how deep and expertly developed each character is as you read through the story.
This is a sweet twist on a second-chance, enemies to lovers romance with a little bit of a SweetBitter vibe.
The Story
Delilah is forced to come face to face with her childhood nemesis as she, once again, has to clean up the mess her sister has left behind. Not only did her sister cause bodily harm to Macon, she stole a precious heirloom that was the last piece he had of his late mother.
Delilah agrees to “pay” Macon back by serving as his personal assistant / chef while he recovers from a car accident and prepares for his next acting projecct.
But as these two interact with each other more and more, they realize that that love and hate are very similar emotions
The Characters
Delilah: I love D so much because she’s super smart and clever. She’s not afraid of a challenge, especially when it comes to her nemesis, Macon. Despite basically being bullied by Macon throughout her youth, she doesn’t play the victim card. She recognizes that those critiques and his actions made her vulnerable in specific ways, but it never broke her.
But among a bouquet of perfect roses, Delilah is much like her namesake flower – unexpectedly vivid and complex – making you realize that roses are boring in comparison.
Macon: Lawd, I need a Macon in my life. Just as smart and witty as D, he’s suffered through a hard youth and has grown to be a successful actor. A lot of times the moviestar / famous MMC tend to feel “woe is me”, like they want to complain about their fame. What’s different about Macon is he truly loves what he does, and despite some scary things that happen as a result of obsessive fans, he doesn’t resent the lack of privacy in his life.
I also appreciate his ability to be vulnerable, arrogant, and charming all at once.
‘I regretted agreeing to it as soon as the words were out of my mouth. But seeing you again … for the first time in years, I felt something other than being utterly fucking numb, and I pushed my doubts away. Because it mean having you around again, even if it was under shitty circumstances.
Let’s Talk About (the) Sex Baby!
This was a slow burner, but just because it was slow didn’t mean it didn’t fucking BURN! Will I ever forget the scene in the bathtub? Probably not. So sexy and SO worth the wait.
With a groan, he lowers his head and kisses my pussy like a man deprived of air. Pleasure jolts through me, hot and sharp. I writhe against that slowly questing mouth of his. Fucking feasts, and I can’t help but put my hand on the back of his head to hold him there, urge him to take more.
The Writing
I have yet to read a book by Callihan and I don’t like and this book is no exception. It’s a slow burn story that is extremely complex but still simple. There’s nothing extravagant about the story – it’s the story of two individuals fighting to put their past behind them.
One thing I love about this book is how expertly the past is thrown into the timeline of the story. You really get a feel for the dimension of these characters when you put their “hate” into the context of their past and how that has shaped their present.
‘I thank my lucky stars for leading me here. Nothing is possible without them.’
I was speaking of you.
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