The Enemy

Content warning: infidelity

High school enemies June and Ryan reunite at a wedding.

June and Ryan have been enemies since high school who reunite at their best friends' wedding. June runs a doughnut bakery with BFF Stacy and can't wait to rub her success in his face. When she does, she finds out he's a Michelin-starred chef.

When disaster strikes and Stacy's caterer gets the flu before the wedding, she begs Ryan to cook for the wedding. He agrees with one caveat -- June must assist him and volunteer her kitchen for the endeavor. The forced proximity makes June more comfortable with Ryan's presence -- which could be a mistake if she wants to remain his enemy.

The writing style is first-person and narration switches between June and Ryan. I enjoyed June's voice much more as her story sounds like she's one of your girlfriends or a reality TV star telling her story in the diary room. June is probably the least self-aware person on the planet which will come across as either endearing or annoying depending on the reader.

The book mentions Southern accents and I'll say it again for the people in the back -- Charlestonians don't have accents! June's mom is from Kentucky, and she mentions that there's a difference between Southern and country, and the accent pretty much is the difference. Connie Shabshab's narration reflects this more as only June's mother is read with a Southern accent.

Recommended for fans of contemporary romance, especially those who like Southern romance.

Sarah Adams writes historical and contemporary romance. She lives in Nashville.

Series: It Happened in Charleston, #2

Publisher: independently published (print); Dreamscape Media (audio)

Narrators: Connie Shabshab & Lee Samuels

Running Time: 8 hours, 13 minutes

Length: 254 pages

Release Dates: April 21, 2020 (print); April 26, 2022 (audio)

I received an electronic audio recording of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.