Ruthless Enemy

Ruthless Enemy #1

by Marion Blackwood

The mission is simple. Do not fall for the enemy.

All her life, Eve Sterling has hated dark mages. They are arrogant, domineering, and will do anything to get what they want. Due to their immense power, they have been able to carve out their own kingdoms on the south side of the city, where they fight each other for dominance. Ordinary people are expected to bow down or face the consequences. But Eve refuses to accept their rule.

Levi Arden is one of those dark mages. As a metal mage, he has used his powers and his cunning mind to take control of a large part of the lawless south side. And his ambition doesn’t stop there. He plans to rule it all someday. But he faces great resistance from both the other dark mages and from the democratic northern side who wants to reclaim their city.

When a new threat to Levi appears, there is only one person who can help him dismantle it. Eve. But working together will not be easy. Levi is used to complete obedience from his people, but Eve will instead do anything she can to mess with his plans. However, as they spend more time together, complicated feelings arise and previously held certainties are turned on their head. Can the two ruthless enemies stay true to their separate missions? Or will their changing hearts doom them both?

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Dark Romance, Spicy

316 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 2023

About the author

Marion Blackwood is the author of The Oncoming Storm series, the Court of Elves series, the Ruthless Villains series, the Ruthless Enemy trilogy, and the Flame and Thorns series. She has a Master's Degree in English and History Education, and she worked as a high school teacher before becoming a full-time author. When she's not busy writing fantasy books or traveling the world, she reads, binges shows, and loses at video games. Marion has previously lived in the US and China, but now she once again calls the beautiful country of Sweden home. To find out more, visit: www.marionblackwood.com

Reviews

[Natalia]

Dnf at 47%

The h gets a prize for one of the most annoying characters ever...

She is always angry, bitching about something... Has the self-preservation of a pea, made a lot of assumptions, hates the H to death but is always considering riding his disco stick!

[Kiandra 🦋]

Well…. I finished it 💀

[Sophie]

“Oh, spitfire, don’t you know that you’re supposed to bargain from a position of power?” ❤️‍🔥

Disclaimer: I received this ARC in exchange for a free honest review.

Oh my days!!! I don’t know if I am mentally in a position to write this review given the fact I just smashed half this book in an evening and my brain is mush on the floor! But my Gods… this book! That ending! I did not see that coming and I am on dire need of the next one.

I think to begin the review I must outline the following:

✅Badass female main character
✅Incredible slow burn tension
✅Peak enemies to lovers storyline
✅Swoon-worthy male main character
✅Fantastic magic system and world building

Honestly, where do I even begin? I loved Eve and Levi from the moment they were on the page and the tension between these two was palpable. This really was a slow burner and THE TENSION!!! Eurgh… I loved every minute of it.

This book is a really great quick read for those who are looking for a fantasy romance with enemies to lovers and a sprinkle of spice. The plot twists in this book are incredible and I just couldn’t put it down as I wanted to know more.

If you’ve read the Villains series by this author, you’ll love this book as it’s a prequel for that series. You don’t need to read that series to understand this book though, as I am yet to finish the series. There are cameos for certain characters but the reference isn’t lost on you if you haven’t read the books.

The only criticism for this book (and the Villains one) is that I need a map. I do feel like sometimes I can’t picture where the characters live, where they’re from and personally… what’s a fantasy book without a map! That’s all I have to say on the matter. It’s something that I struggled with but that’s just me. It doesn’t impact the book that greatly but it’s something that would make it a better experience in my opinion.

So, what are you waiting for… preorder this bad boy for June 26th! ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[Mathie]

A Great Author, But This FMC Wasn't for Me

I’m a big fan of Marion Blackwood, and I usually really enjoy her writing, so I was excited to pick up Ruthless Enemy. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t hit the mark for me.

I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance, and the premise and world-building definitely had potential. But my biggest issue was the FMC.

I appreciate a strong, independent heroine, but her constant headstrong and reckless behavior became frustrating for me. There were quite a few moments where I found myself questioning her choices rather than rooting for her, which made it difficult for me to fully connect with her character.

That said, Blackwood's writing style is still there, and I can absolutely see why this FMC might work for other readers. If you enjoy fiercely stubborn, defiant heroines who aren't afraid to make questionable decisions, you may have a much better time with this one.

For me, though, the character dynamic kept me from fully connecting with the story, making this more of an okay read than a favorite.

3⭐️ — I’ll still be picking up more from Marion Blackwood, though!

[charlene ✿]

A new Marion Blackwood has dropped! it's release day my dudes!!

I would trust Marion Blackwood with my life so I just assume this will be another banger of a series. I will not be reading any alternative opinions because I love being right and I don't like getting my feelings hurt.


**I was provided with an ARC from Marion Blackwood for an honest review**

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[Nainika Gupta]

Gotta love a romatasy

[andrena]

has the potential to be so much better.
There’s no real character development of the two main characters. Nor any side/ support characters.
Would have loved to get more in depth about callan betrayal or even get to see the personalities of his henchmen/women. Matter of fact, any other character too.
The world system also felt unfinished/ not properly fleshed out. He’s a self-anointed king of his court but everyone else are just leaders of their “gangs”?.
Maybe the lack of development/ personality shown on eve’s side was to keep the element of surprise for the plot twist towards the end? But at least give us something. Like, making eve have a conversation with a friend (let’s say a bartender at the bar she frequents) at least that would have made her cover more believable esp. if she’s trying to give off the impression she’s from the south side.
Idk this book just needs some major editing 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Brittany]

I have never given 5 stars to a whole series. Some have come close in high 4's but this series and the characters. Oh it was so good. Slow claps for Marion Blackwood, that was a true delight from intro to finale.

[Ashley LeBaron]

Ruthless Enemy by Marion Blackwood literally checked every single one of my boxes. Magic, dark mages, elemental wielding — fire, wind, water, lightning, shadows, metal… it had ALL of it.

There is insta-lust, which normally annoys me, but honestly with everything else going on, I didn’t mind it nearly as much here. My biggest complaint was probably the enemies-to-lovers aspect feeling a little forced at times. A lot of the FMC’s internal dialogue started to feel repetitive with the constant “he’s the enemy, I shouldn’t feel this way about him” over and over again.

But this book? Never boring. The magical fight scenes were SO good and there’s action throughout the entire story. I seriously could not put it down once I started.

Also, I generally hate pet names… but somehow “Spitfire” just WORKED. It fit her perfectly. The attitude on this woman was unmatched, and honestly her personality bouncing off Levi’s controlling, domineering, “everyone obeys me” energy made for some top tier banter. Their dynamic was such a good time.

There’s not really a ton of yearning, but the tension? Absolutely there.

AND THAT BETRAYAL?! I genuinely did not see that coming. Then to immediately follow it up with THAT cliffhanger ending?? What even was that?! Now I’m over here desperate to start book 2 because there’s no way I can leave things there.

Overall, I had a blast reading this one and absolutely flew through it.

[Jessica]

Marion Blackwood always knows how to captivate me with her romantasy books. I have been waiting so long to read Levi’s books and I’m so glad I finally got the chance to read them! Levi and Eve are the absolute best couple! Their banter and chemistry is top tier! The betrayals and twists were unmatched and just so well-written!

[Shreya]

Lowkey mid. Just another barely civilized man getting praised for saying please and thank you. Won’t continue with the series but may continue reading this level of storytelling because it was what I needed trope wise.

[Jill]

Stars 🌟🌟🌟
Spice 🌶️🌶️
Audio 🎧🎧🎧duet

Insta lust
Dark mages,
Morally grey MMC
Strong/feisty FMC
Enemies to lovers

I really struggled with this book.
I felt the book lacked world building and character development.
It’s fast paced and fun but I won’t be continuing the series

[Charline ♎️]

First of all
How dare she do that to Levi 😡
Secondly Levi 🥰🫶🏻

[bookgirlie]

There wasn’t enough foreshadowing for the twist but I’m here for the romance & banter and the author DELIVERED.

[Jess]

A not so serious fun time

[Kate]

Woah that plot twist at the end came out of no where! For once, I didn’t see it coming a mile away and it was completely unexpected.

[Megan Lewis]

Has the potential to be so much better, lacked the depth and world building. The spice was SPICY tho 🌶️

[꧁Brutally Honest꧂]

I hate mafia books disguised as a vampire or mage book. I’ve noticed a lot of vampire romances lately are being written by mafia authors and it shows. Barely any magic, you can read the whole thing and wonder how was this a paranormal story. And I hate mafia books. They are so stupid and rely on the FC being dumb and child like.

[bids]

damn didnt expect the ending. that probably made reading this whole book 5% worth it

[Pamela Fitzgerald]

Instantly knew I was going to be starting book 2 right after the first less than half way through the book. This series introduced me to Marion Blackwood and it quickly became one of my favourite series ever

[Gina M]

Idk how many times I have to say this - you cannot have a backstory reveal if it’s a first person pov. I understand the desire, truly. But it’s so annoying. This book was wild - most of the interesting scenes were cut and then next chapter began with the next day. The characters backstories were sparse and unbelievable. All in all, this was an annoying book.

[Silvia]

A mafia Romantasy about a throbbing p*ssy that gets horny while carried around as a potato sack on the shoulder of the very morally grey MMC.

[bread baby !!]

Out of all the books in my TBR, something in my gut drew me to this story in particular, and boy am I grateful for that because it had me hooked! This is my first introduction to the author, and it's got a 4.5 star rating from me. The way I binged this all in one night because I simply couldn't put it down is unreal. An easily digestible yet thrilling read with a plot twist at the end that had my jaw on the floor. I'm already itching to read the next book and see where the MC's romance takes off next.

Eve's character, for me, was refreshing and loveable. It's typical to go into an enemies-to-lovers and expect both characters to have a strong sense of pride, of course. But I really enjoyed how she went about things when wanting to screw him over, and how she stood her ground whenever she could. The way she would justify her efforts in helping Levi to make her actions seem more morally right to herself felt so genuine, a great reflection of representing how someone like Levi probably became himself. Eve is also someone who enjoys fighting, is unafraid to tap into her femininity, and is overall unashamed about her lifestyle and tastes, which I loved. It was great to see a female main character that wasn't a cliché of either being oh-so-innocent or a complete stereotypical tomboy that complains about dresses. We root for her based off of what we know about this society and what we've seen Levi do around town, which is great. The plot twist at the end/how it all wrapped up was really just a chef's kiss from me, and I can't wait to read more of her character and her moral dillhema.

And of course, Levi is here to suit all of our morally grey needs. A dark soul willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants- but of course, he still cares about the innocent and keeps them out of it when he can. I was so glad this wasn't a typical captive scenario where one person is simply helpless/in distress. Instead, their love story plays out like a pawn game of them both trying to get what they want and falling for eachother during the process. Levi is the type of antagonist you can't help but cheer for, especially when he's up against the other dark mages... and the hints at his backstory and moments of softness make him loveable and entertaining all together.

I'm not someone who cares too much for smut, but there are a few scenes in here that laced in rather nicely and show off their dynamic quite well! (The over the shoulder part was a bit forced in my opinion, but hey, I was still turning every page to see where it went.)

Is the worldbuilding in this book the most astounding thing in the world? No. Did the narrative voice sometimes feel dry or repetitive? Yes. But at the end of the day, I was still hooked and drawn into this story chapter by chapter, surprised with every turn it took, and enthralled with would happen next. It exceeded my expectations and was a scrumptious read, even with it's flaws. If the writing was just a bit juicier, I would have totally bumped this up to a 5.

Pick this book up if you're hungry for an enemies-to-lovers story that will draw you in with every page. It's filled with wit and lust and a delightful battle between two people constantly at eachother's throats, all while working their way to the top. Can't wait to read the next book in this series and see where they go next!

[cátia]

okay after reading flame and thorns series by marion blackwood i was interested in reading other series by her too and this one called to me and also is short and only has three books that aren't bigger than 400 pages so it's perfect and it didn't disappoint!! there's a few predictable scenes and cliche scenes not gonna lie but eve and levi had a great banter, he a dark mage and she's just a civilian but she hates dark mages, her past made it that way and then levi doesn't really help his reputation because he's arrogant sometimes too brutal and grumpy but when he kinda manipulates her into working for him and they start to be around each other way more, we start to see a side his doesn't let others totally see so we understand him a little better also his pov helps so but the banter the back and forward between them is hilarious and fun and there's so much sexual tension there too it's glorious loved it, definitely one of my fave things about this book!! the plot is also intriguing, levi wants to basically kill all the other dark mages from the different houses that exists in this world and with the help of eve he kinda does it and throughout the book we have good moments between them, some are more emotional when he find out about their past and others are just so hilarious and sexy it's amazing actually u really liked it!!
the ending at some point i predicted what was going to happen but still it was surprising and intense i am excited to see what happens in book two like eve she's a badass with a heart of gold but oh man she is good at deflecting and that ending shows how much growth they had with each other but not everything is what it seems soooo book two will be wild even maybe worse than book one but im here for the good banter we're going to definitely have between levi and eve i can't wait but im scared, they kinda know each other now and it will be so much different!!! levi has such a difficult and brutal past i really feel bad for him and him being so alone but doesn't want to fully trust someone because of the past betrayals he has its sad hopefully we will see him work in that tho it didn't went well this time either but no spoilers promise you have to read it it's a fun read!! the world building isn't that complicated to understand, there's magic there's dark mages who are more powerful than anyone and it's really entertaining not like really different from other books not gonna say it's truly unique but it's fun, the development between levi and eve is good it's not slow burn like i love it but still not fast burn and we do have a enemies to lovers more from her side but still !! excited for book two!!

[Jennifer Davis]

This book…this book, y’all, was everything I hoped it would be! Marion knows how to write a deliciously sexy villain. She makes them so morally grey and ruthlessness, but with just enough softness that you can’t help but fall in love with them! Levi is villainous to perfection! This man is more than just the King of Metal, he’s the King of the villains in my opinion. And Eve was honestly a perfect match for his hardness. She refuses to cower before him, or show him the respect that he thinks he deserves. She goes toe to toe with him and bucks against his authority through the whole story. But Eve begins to see the man behind the King of Metal persona, and she realizes that there’s a lot more to Levi than just a heartless villain. As they begin to soften towards each other things get really spicy! But things are not always as they seem. It wouldn’t be a Marion Blackwood story without schemes, blackmail and of course a touch of betrayal. Marion gives us an excellent beginning to what is going to be an exciting, villainous series! Definitely recommend reading this one!

[Karrie]

“Rest, spitfire. We have blood to shed and a city to conquer tomorrow.”

Where do I even begin?! Levi.. The king of Metal… He is a total asshole, but a sexy asshole… All I have to say is Metal 👏🏻 Bed Frame 👏🏻 🥵. I think deep down Levi cares, he’s got such a hard exterior but I fully believe deep down, underneath his scars, he’s a softie… or as soft as the Metal King can be!

Eve is such a badass. She doesn’t cower to Levi. We love a FMC that takes zero shit! These two butt heads right away and it’s interesting to watch them let their guards down here and there! I won’t give any spoilers, but the ending… I was so caught off guard!! Definitely will be looking forward to book two! If you like grumpy MMC, badass FMC, and true enemies to lovers, Ruthless Enemy is definitely up your alley!

Release date: 06/26/2023

✨4/5✨

[Frommailenesbookshelf]

Thank you Marion for the opportunity to receive an ARC of this book 😍

Some of the best enemies to lovers and plot twists I've read are from Marion. I was so excited to realize we're getting Levi's story here, since we see quite a bit of him in the Ruthless Villains series (you don't have to read it to understand this one, but I highly recommend reading it anyways because it' really good).

Who knew underneath all that cold, villainous persona Levi has going on, there's a soul? And don't get me started on Eve. Best female badass I've seen in a while.

Can't wait to dive in again to this world! And you know I' ordering a physical copy of this one too 😉💕

This book is out today! So make sure to grab it if you like:

📚 Enemies to Lovers
📚 Strong Willed FMC
📚 Morally Grey MMC
📚 Slowburn Romance but Spicy
📚 Plot Twists
📚 Set 5 years before Ruthless Villains Storyline

[Karina *kari_reads*]

Another amazing villain story from Marion Blackwood. I absolutely loved being back in this villainess world. 😍
Brutal, dark, bloody and smutty! 😍 Hell, yes!
Ladies, clutch your pearls, because we get the spice! 🌶🌶 Hard, kinky spice.
Includes: bondage, breath play, domination, begging, rough s3x 😏 All of the good stuff. 😄

Because I have read her previous series "Ruthless Villains" first I must say that I love her character there, Callan and Audrey, better than Levi and Eve because they had this delicious hate to love story arc. But still Levi and Eve were very enjoyable characters. I loved how strong Eve is as a female character even if Levi was more powerful than her.

And Levi... 😈 He is a delicious villain and I loved him. Arrogant domineering asshole 🤣 If you have read the book, you know. 😏

And that damn plot twist at the end 😱 So good!

[Clara]

3,5⭐️
epa, pues el final me ha sorprendido (un poquet) y me ha gustado, le ha subido la nota al libro.
no es una obra maestra ni mucho menos, pero es entretenido, corto y fácil de leer, cosa que era lo que yo buscaba. me ha dado lo que quería y me quedo muy satisfecha con el resultado.
eve y levi me han sido bastante sin más, quiero decir, están bien los personajes pero tampoco son muy memorables. al principio me parecía que hacían las cosas un poco por la cara pero al final me han convencido. eso sí, EL SPICE??????? histórico me ha parecido buenísimo y súper hot.
la historia tampoco tiene mucho misterio ni es nada súper novedoso, pero es una trama que engancha y que es sencilla de seguir, y creo que ha estado bien desarrollada.
voy a ir directa a leer el segundo mientras lo compagino con la lectura de the secret history de donna tart, que ese sí que me va a llevar un ratillo leerlo.

[Cat Bowser]

I received a free ARC of this book and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

Ooo, boy! Now, that’s a hot bad-boy. Levi is such an awesome bad guy but has just enough good traits to not make you hate him. But make no mistake, this guy is going to get his hands dirty and not lose any sleep over it. You should hate him but you can’t help loving him.

Eve is appropriately named a Spitfire. That’s exactly what she is. Faced with overwhelming odds, a dark mage and essentially a magical mafia, but she stares it all down without blinking.

As always the world set up is so well fledged out with outside influences, inside influencers and a fun magic system whet fun political ramifications.

But Levi and Eve’s back and forth is where the spice lies.