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Best Enemies
New York Times bestselling author Jane Heller focuses her sly wit on female bonding in this hilarious story that proves there are two sides to every friendship. . . .
Jane Heller
"Wildly inventive!" --- People
"Fresh . . . Spirited!" --- Publishers Weekly
Amy Sherman is doing just fine---she has a nice apartment in Manhattan, a good job as publicity director at a publishing company, and a decent social life---until she runs into Tara Messer, the beautiful blond prom queen who was once her best friend. It's been four years since Tara stole Amy's fiancé---four years since Amy swore she'd stop playing second fiddle to spotlight-hog Tara. Amy thought she had finally made peace with herself, but when Tara asks whether she's dating anyone, Amy can't bear to admit there's no man in her life. Instead, she claims she's getting married in six months, figuring she'll never see Tara again, so the lie won't come back to haunt her.
Wrong. The next day, Amy learns that her publishing house has just acquired a lifestyle book called Simply Beautiful by none other than Tara---and that Amy's job will be to make it a bestseller. Now she'll not only have to promote her nemesis to the media, she'll also have to dig up a temporary Mr. Right. When she enlists a commitment-phobic mystery writer as the pawn in her game of payback, she stumbles on the surprising truth about Tara's "lifestyle"---and her own fears about falling in love. What follows is a laugh-out-loud story of betrayal, reconciliation, romance, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship. Told from both Amy's and Tara's points of view, Best Enemies is a thoroughly entertaining tale about trying to keep up appearances, even with the person who knows you best.
Jane Heller
"Wildly inventive!" --- People
"Fresh . . . Spirited!" --- Publishers Weekly
Amy Sherman is doing just fine---she has a nice apartment in Manhattan, a good job as publicity director at a publishing company, and a decent social life---until she runs into Tara Messer, the beautiful blond prom queen who was once her best friend. It's been four years since Tara stole Amy's fiancé---four years since Amy swore she'd stop playing second fiddle to spotlight-hog Tara. Amy thought she had finally made peace with herself, but when Tara asks whether she's dating anyone, Amy can't bear to admit there's no man in her life. Instead, she claims she's getting married in six months, figuring she'll never see Tara again, so the lie won't come back to haunt her.
Wrong. The next day, Amy learns that her publishing house has just acquired a lifestyle book called Simply Beautiful by none other than Tara---and that Amy's job will be to make it a bestseller. Now she'll not only have to promote her nemesis to the media, she'll also have to dig up a temporary Mr. Right. When she enlists a commitment-phobic mystery writer as the pawn in her game of payback, she stumbles on the surprising truth about Tara's "lifestyle"---and her own fears about falling in love. What follows is a laugh-out-loud story of betrayal, reconciliation, romance, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship. Told from both Amy's and Tara's points of view, Best Enemies is a thoroughly entertaining tale about trying to keep up appearances, even with the person who knows you best.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
78 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
About the author
Jane Heller
36 books121 followersJane Heller, a New York native who recently moved from Santa Barbara, CA to New Preston, CT, is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 13 novels of romantic comedy, including "Name Dropping," "Lucky Stars," and "Best Enemies." Nine of Heller's novels have been optioned for film or television, and all of them have been translated in countries around the world. Her first book of nonfiction, "Confessions of a She-Fan: The Course of True Love with the New York Yankees," is a humorous look at her passion for baseball. Her book about caregiving, "You'd Better Not Die or I'll Kill You: A Caregiver's Survival Guide to Keeping You in Good Health and Good Spirits," combines Heller's personal essays about being the wife of a man with Crohn's disease and the daughter of a mother with dementia, plus interviews with other caregivers who deal with everything from autism to Alzheimer's and advice/tips from experts. "You'd Better Not Die" is upbeat and inspirational - a cheerful companion to the over 60 million caregivers in America. Heller's new novel, "Three Blonde Mice," a spinoff of her bestselling novel "Princess Charming," was published on August 2, 2016.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
October 13, 2024
"Two weeks before I was to be married in front of a hundred and fifty guests on the lawn of a precious little country inn in Connecticut, I c aught my fiancee in bed with another woman. To add insult to injury , the woman was my best friend".
Best Enemies by Jane Heller
Really enjoyed this. Loved the story. This reminded me, in its tone, of another Heller book called "Name Dropping" that is a favorite of mine.
What I like about her writing is it is so carefree and fluid. You do not have to try to stay interested, it just happens naturally. And what woman could not relate to at least a little of this? So much fun.
The re has only been one of her books that I did not like. All others are very good. This one is perhaps my second favorite. It is funny, witty sharp writing and a quick read. Highly recommended..especially if you, as I do sometimes, need a break from all the dark reads!
Best Enemies by Jane Heller
Really enjoyed this. Loved the story. This reminded me, in its tone, of another Heller book called "Name Dropping" that is a favorite of mine.
What I like about her writing is it is so carefree and fluid. You do not have to try to stay interested, it just happens naturally. And what woman could not relate to at least a little of this? So much fun.
The re has only been one of her books that I did not like. All others are very good. This one is perhaps my second favorite. It is funny, witty sharp writing and a quick read. Highly recommended..especially if you, as I do sometimes, need a break from all the dark reads!
December 27, 2019
I really enjoyed this. As with almost every book I read lately - did they pass a law or something? - this one is told from alternating perspectives.
Part 1 is devoted to Amy. She tells the story of how Tara, her former best friend, stole Amy's rich and successful fiancé and married him instead. This, unsurprisingly, results in the end of the friendship. Amy spends years in therapy trying to get over this double betrayal by Tara and Stuart.
The former friends run into each other four years later on the streets of Manhattan. Tara, looking beautiful, raves about her wonderful marriage to Stuart and their fabulous house in Long Island. She asks Amy condescendingly how she is doing and Amy invents a great fiancé of her own. They part company.
In a ridiculous coincidence, it turns out that Tara has written a lifestyle book called "Simply Beautiful" which has been purchased by L&T, the publishing house Amy works for. Guess who has to manage the publicity for the book? Amy. It is really a silly setup; but once you stop rolling your eyes about it, kind of fun.
Tara relentlessly presses Amy for more details about her fiancé, and instead of 'fessing up, Amy schemes to come up with one. She quickly goes through various candidates among her male acquaintances, trying and failing to find someone remotely impressive. To her surprise she convinces L&T's star author Tony Stiles, to play along with her charade. Tony happens to be the favorite author of Tara and Stuart, and he agrees for reasons of his own to pose as Amy's besotted lover during various outings with the other couple.
By the time the focus switched perspective in Part 2, I thought Amy was a complete nitwit; so even though she was the villain of the piece up to this point, I was very sympathetic to Tara's point of view. Especially as we learn that Tara has not been completely honest about her "Simply Beautiful" life with Stuart.
The two women unravel each other's secrets, work through their past hurts, and ultimately join forces to solve a mystery and rediscover their friendship. It's all very unbelievable but fun.
Part 1 is devoted to Amy. She tells the story of how Tara, her former best friend, stole Amy's rich and successful fiancé and married him instead. This, unsurprisingly, results in the end of the friendship. Amy spends years in therapy trying to get over this double betrayal by Tara and Stuart.
The former friends run into each other four years later on the streets of Manhattan. Tara, looking beautiful, raves about her wonderful marriage to Stuart and their fabulous house in Long Island. She asks Amy condescendingly how she is doing and Amy invents a great fiancé of her own. They part company.
In a ridiculous coincidence, it turns out that Tara has written a lifestyle book called "Simply Beautiful" which has been purchased by L&T, the publishing house Amy works for. Guess who has to manage the publicity for the book? Amy. It is really a silly setup; but once you stop rolling your eyes about it, kind of fun.
Tara relentlessly presses Amy for more details about her fiancé, and instead of 'fessing up, Amy schemes to come up with one. She quickly goes through various candidates among her male acquaintances, trying and failing to find someone remotely impressive. To her surprise she convinces L&T's star author Tony Stiles, to play along with her charade. Tony happens to be the favorite author of Tara and Stuart, and he agrees for reasons of his own to pose as Amy's besotted lover during various outings with the other couple.
By the time the focus switched perspective in Part 2, I thought Amy was a complete nitwit; so even though she was the villain of the piece up to this point, I was very sympathetic to Tara's point of view. Especially as we learn that Tara has not been completely honest about her "Simply Beautiful" life with Stuart.
The two women unravel each other's secrets, work through their past hurts, and ultimately join forces to solve a mystery and rediscover their friendship. It's all very unbelievable but fun.
April 20, 2018
Best enemies 2.5⭐️
She whom i trust with all my being she is the one who betrayed me above all else.
Stop obsessing over her and move on. Have the life you want and not the life that they have, that you should have had.
She slept with my fiancé. She stole him away. She was my best friend and now she is my best enemy.
She whom i trust with all my being she is the one who betrayed me above all else.
Stop obsessing over her and move on. Have the life you want and not the life that they have, that you should have had.
She slept with my fiancé. She stole him away. She was my best friend and now she is my best enemy.
September 14, 2012
Simply said, I'm a huge fan of author, Jane Heller. I fell in love with her novels after devouring "The Secret Ingredient", "Princess Charming", "Name Dropping", and "Lucky Stars". I'm happy to report that this novel, "Best Enemies", ranks right up there with the rest of her fun, entertaining, and witty books.
If you haven't given this author a try, and you like amusing conflict, smart-dialogue and just an all around good read, you must check out any of Ms. Heller's books. You won't be disappointed, heck, you'll probably thank me.
If you haven't given this author a try, and you like amusing conflict, smart-dialogue and just an all around good read, you must check out any of Ms. Heller's books. You won't be disappointed, heck, you'll probably thank me.
January 13, 2009
Amy Sherman is pretty; Tara Messer is a beauty. Amy has a nice Manhattan apartment; Tara's suburban Tudor castle boasts an actual turret. Amy was engaged to Stuart Lasher, who took maid of honor Tara to bed and then to the altar. Now Tara has chronicled her perfect lifestyle in a book called Simply Beautiful, about to be published by Lowry and Trammell—where her editor plans to make her "the next Martha Stewart, without the baggage" and where Amy is publicity director. Can you spell delicious conflict? Heller (Lucky Stars) goes for the laughs and gets them, but there's more here than meets the funny bone. Just when the reader is ready to kill the perfidious Tara (perhaps by beating her to death with accessories and garnishes), Heller switches out of Amy's point of view and into Tara's. It turns out Tara's a real person, too. And she's in trouble. It seems she did Amy a favor by stealing Stuart, who grabs every passing ass and may bring down the family business with a fake caviar scheme. And it isn't Tara who's pregnant with Stuart's baby. Meanwhile, in another switcheroo, Amy's got a great romance budding with Tony Stiles, the gorgeous mystery author. Of course, they're only pretending to pretend to be in love—Amy to save face (she told Tara she was engaged) and Tony to research relationships—and things are going swimmingly. Though the happy ending is a sure thing, getting there is fabulous fun. Heller makes a familiar story read as brand new, thanks to a rich humanity abetted by smart dialogue, zippy pacing and all-around craft.
I liked his book. There was a bit about Amy's side of the story, then Tara's. Tara's was not written as well. The romance works out with Tony. Amy and he are married and Tara is the bridesmaid. Tara goes on to write a new book about how these events changed her life. Stuart winds up, owing a lot of money, his brother helps him out with his scheme to order high priced gourmet foods (from illegal dealers $15 a lb) and sell at legal prices ($90 lb). He goes to live with Marcy, his secretary in Florida. Light hearted and very different from the light mysteries she usually writes.
I liked his book. There was a bit about Amy's side of the story, then Tara's. Tara's was not written as well. The romance works out with Tony. Amy and he are married and Tara is the bridesmaid. Tara goes on to write a new book about how these events changed her life. Stuart winds up, owing a lot of money, his brother helps him out with his scheme to order high priced gourmet foods (from illegal dealers $15 a lb) and sell at legal prices ($90 lb). He goes to live with Marcy, his secretary in Florida. Light hearted and very different from the light mysteries she usually writes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2012
So, my mom and I end up talking a fair amount about how there are at least two sides to every story. It depends on how many participants are involved, but in your typical good vs. bad story, you hear all about Batman's experiences, and the audience is all, "Poor Batman!" while forgetting that the Penguin has a perspective, too. Which is what made Best Enemies so cool: Heller switches halfway through the novel to tell the "bad guy's" story. And when I saw that, I was, in my 3-am, sleep-deprived overly-emotional, giddy state, unduly upset about this decision. I didn't want to read Tarra's story; I liked Amy. And the first couple of pages were pretty hideous. However, seeing Tara's side to the initial interactions of the pair did that whole-new-light thing on the relationship. I still like Amy better, but I don't dislike Tara, either. The best part of it all, though, is that they both grow up and mature enough to make amends and be friends again. And they aren't perfect at it, either. They don't say, "Aw, sweetie, lets be friends again!" and life is happily ever after. Amy lapses. And she realizes how ridiculous her lapse was, feels terrible, and apologizes, like a sincere, mature adult. And I'm a big, big fan of people being sincere, mature adults. I think it's something we should all strive to be.
February 8, 2014
Thoroughly enjoyed this particular tell of two best friends who through a broken trust and thus a broken engagement become enemies. Amy and Tara were best friends, but yikes ... who can be best friends with the girl you find boinking your fiancee? Flash forward five years and they meet again ... the tale begins, first with Amy's POV and then when the story reaches it's turning point, we get to see what Tara thinks.
Well done using the two-character point of view. Nice characters, inlcuding the new man Tony Stiles. An enjoyable read.
Well done using the two-character point of view. Nice characters, inlcuding the new man Tony Stiles. An enjoyable read.
June 23, 2008
This book was so good I literally didn't put it down. I read it from 4 pm to 5 am one stormy day. It's a great book about friendship and growing up. It teaches you to never ever ever lie. The ending is PERFECT. I never saw it coming.
March 28, 2008
Story was far fetched and it was lousy chick lit, in my opinion.
April 11, 2011
very entertaining and i liked reading about what goes on in the book publishing world. fun chick lit.this would make a cute movie.
March 31, 2020
i like this writer but she's usually hit or miss for me.
this one was a hit.
i liked Amy. And her "frenemy" relationship w/Tara was relatable. Many of us have had that experience. (not the whole stealing fiancee thing but the details of a rocky friendship)
good story. good characters. some humor.
halfway the POV changes from Amy to Tara. I thought that was clever b/c we've spent the first half of the book cheering for Amy & now we get the other side & perhaps start rooting for Tara.
it showed that in reality, there are 2 sides to every story.
and what was interesting is that in each version, Stuart was a jerk b/c that kind of person doesn't change no matter whose POV it is.
my only big critique is that Tony is so smart yet he didn't catch on that Amy wasn't being completely truthful sooner.
this one was a hit.
i liked Amy. And her "frenemy" relationship w/Tara was relatable. Many of us have had that experience. (not the whole stealing fiancee thing but the details of a rocky friendship)
good story. good characters. some humor.
halfway the POV changes from Amy to Tara. I thought that was clever b/c we've spent the first half of the book cheering for Amy & now we get the other side & perhaps start rooting for Tara.
it showed that in reality, there are 2 sides to every story.
and what was interesting is that in each version, Stuart was a jerk b/c that kind of person doesn't change no matter whose POV it is.
my only big critique is that Tony is so smart yet he didn't catch on that Amy wasn't being completely truthful sooner.
October 24, 2012
Before anything else, I want to express my sincerest gratitude to my dearest cousin, Charen, for lending me the book. At first I was kind of hesitant to bring it along with me because I still have other books (take note: they are unread) at home that I want to finish reading before borrowing another. Think about the money that I spent for those if I will just store it in a box and not read it. Haha. But the title really captured my interest and I can't stop thinking about that book until I've decided to borrow it and read the other books next time. And that was it. I was already done with the reading, and now, I'm excited to share it to you. To my cousin, thank you so much for letting me experience the fun of reading it. Very entertaining! All I can say now is that I'm going to look for my own copy of this book. To Ms. Heller, a five-star rating for this story! :-)
There are always two sides of every story. And we will hear it from both Amy's and Tara's perspective. Amy Sherman and Tara Messer were best friends since they were little until Tara stole Amy's fiance two weeks before their wedding day. After that incident, Amy promised herself not to play second fiddle to Tara ever again. She lived her life, according to her, she's centered because that's what her three years in therapy had taught her. But fate always have its ways of bringing up the old days, to give everything its right form of closure. And in this case, fate has given both Amy and Tara the chance to fix things between them. This has started when they run into each other one day and told each other how good their lives were doing - where in fact, it's the opposite, since they are still clinging to what had happened in the past. Tara told Amy that her relationship with Stuart is a perfect one, that they live a simply beautiful life, and that he is such a wonderful husband. Where in reality, Tara marrying Stuart is a favor for Amy because Stuart is such an idiot. But since this fact is not known to Amy, she told Tara that she is engaged so that Tara will not think that she has not moved on yet. What they did not expect from this hiding-the-truth-ego-preserving statements is that it will keep haunting them because they will be working with each other for the publicity of Tara's book. So hidden truths will be gently unfold. So simply saying, at the end, their conflicts are solved by this very common yet so real saying: Honesty is STILL the best policy.
Do I need to elaborate their story? The details on how their conflict was solved? I think, it's not necessary because I want you to know that on your own. Enjoy reading! And good luck to us in finding our own copy of this wonderfully created story! Haha. :-)
P.S.
This review is from my Multiply account, created after I finished the book. I just spared myself the time to create a review as concise as this.
There are always two sides of every story. And we will hear it from both Amy's and Tara's perspective. Amy Sherman and Tara Messer were best friends since they were little until Tara stole Amy's fiance two weeks before their wedding day. After that incident, Amy promised herself not to play second fiddle to Tara ever again. She lived her life, according to her, she's centered because that's what her three years in therapy had taught her. But fate always have its ways of bringing up the old days, to give everything its right form of closure. And in this case, fate has given both Amy and Tara the chance to fix things between them. This has started when they run into each other one day and told each other how good their lives were doing - where in fact, it's the opposite, since they are still clinging to what had happened in the past. Tara told Amy that her relationship with Stuart is a perfect one, that they live a simply beautiful life, and that he is such a wonderful husband. Where in reality, Tara marrying Stuart is a favor for Amy because Stuart is such an idiot. But since this fact is not known to Amy, she told Tara that she is engaged so that Tara will not think that she has not moved on yet. What they did not expect from this hiding-the-truth-ego-preserving statements is that it will keep haunting them because they will be working with each other for the publicity of Tara's book. So hidden truths will be gently unfold. So simply saying, at the end, their conflicts are solved by this very common yet so real saying: Honesty is STILL the best policy.
Do I need to elaborate their story? The details on how their conflict was solved? I think, it's not necessary because I want you to know that on your own. Enjoy reading! And good luck to us in finding our own copy of this wonderfully created story! Haha. :-)
P.S.
This review is from my Multiply account, created after I finished the book. I just spared myself the time to create a review as concise as this.
September 13, 2018
Best Enemies by Jane Heller (Audiobook)
Narrated by Rachel Fulginiti
2.5 Stars - Jealousy, Lies, Envy .. with a hint of romance. This book had more lying than I have seen before in a book. Lies on top of lies. It's a wonder there was a happy ending.
Amy was so worried about what Tara thought of her, that much of this book was spent on how she could one up her. I found it a bit tiresome after awhile and at points, the fact that she was taking things a bit too far on her revenge actually lowered my respect of her.
This book did come with a side dish of romance. I usually like it as the main course, however this one was sweet… once Amy got herself together.
The Narrator did a good job on the voices. She was clear and easy to listen too. It was a decent way to pass some time.
Narrated by Rachel Fulginiti
2.5 Stars - Jealousy, Lies, Envy .. with a hint of romance. This book had more lying than I have seen before in a book. Lies on top of lies. It's a wonder there was a happy ending.
Amy was so worried about what Tara thought of her, that much of this book was spent on how she could one up her. I found it a bit tiresome after awhile and at points, the fact that she was taking things a bit too far on her revenge actually lowered my respect of her.
This book did come with a side dish of romance. I usually like it as the main course, however this one was sweet… once Amy got herself together.
The Narrator did a good job on the voices. She was clear and easy to listen too. It was a decent way to pass some time.
June 1, 2023
This was an amazingly, unpredictable, twisted and humorous mystery.... Excellent dramatic characters development that is capativing with likable perspectives from Amy, Tara, Stuart and Tony.
Highly recommended
Highly recommended
October 21, 2007
I loved this book, it was exactly what I wanted to read for a while now. Thank you for recommending it you guys. I loved the characters, and even in the end I think for some of it Tara got what she had coming to her, carma people. The story ended really well, and I really enjoyed the characters. I will look into more books by Jane Heller now.
I really glad I read it and I look forward to more like it.
I really glad I read it and I look forward to more like it.
August 27, 2011
Reading on the extremely light side here....but also pretty enjoyable. The story of a woman who caught her fiance and her best friend in bed two weeks before her wedding. Four years later, she runs into them again when the former best friend (now married to ex-fiancee) is publishing a book on living with style at her publishing company. Elaborate revenge schemes and double crosses abound.
Extremely fast read but not too flakey.
Extremely fast read but not too flakey.
September 30, 2015
I didn't love it, but it was a good read. I enjoyed the opposing points of view. I've read better books by Jane Heller - but would still recommend to anyone looking for some light, yet entertaining reading.
January 9, 2015
Couldn't put this down, great story about friendship, relationships and the importance of telling the truth. A little bit predictable, with some plot twists thrown in... Looking forward to reading more by this author.
May 10, 2007
Good book, tells a believable story about two women who were best friends, fall apart, and are thrown back together. Recomended for any woman!
January 24, 2021
What a page turner, it was very fun. I finnished this book in one day, and so did my best friend! Very light and fun!
November 30, 2007
Loved it.
August 14, 2009
I loved this book! I really enjoyed that it was told from both characters perspectives...Definitely going to look for more books by Jane Heller to read!
August 12, 2009
handle complex relationship between female friends...
best!
best!
August 24, 2009
Good, not great. The change in viewpoint midway through was jarring.
November 22, 2009
cute beach read
January 31, 2010
Hillarious!
November 29, 2011
I loved the way she wrote this story. Again, very entertaining. It was told from 2 different view points. Clever....and funny.
September 4, 2012
I recently discovered Jane Heller and I am never disappointed! Her books have great characters and interesting plots!
January 28, 2013
Good for what I was looking for - an easy airplane read. Predictable plot, but a different way of looking at the characters. Would read this author again.
September 4, 2013
I just love Jane Heller and have read most of her books I have a couple left I understand she's going to be putting out a new one soon too
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews