What do you think?
Rate this book
Book Nemesis
Serenity Brooks:
Fanfiction isn’t just my hobby—it’s my escape. My passion. My lifeline.
So when my ex crashes back into my life with a book deal based on my stolen fanfic, I decide to play dirty. Starting by telling him I’m dating his ex-roommate.
Luckily, Ezra plays along without missing a beat.
Together, we’re plotting the ultimate literary takedown, diving headfirst into conventions, book signings, and meddling parents.
But what started as a strategic alliance—a fake romance for revenge—is quickly becoming something neither of us expected.
Something deliciously, dangerously hot.
Revenge might be sweet—but falling for Ezra? That might be inevitable.
Ezra Sullivan:
Serenity’s ex has always been my rival. Now I’m her fake boyfriend, and her co-conspirator.
For a guy who’s spent most of his life as a constant disappointment, suddenly I’m center stage—with the girl I’ve loved from the wings.
But while I’m helping her pull off this perfect act of payback, I’ve got to keep my heart under control.
Because I fell for her ages ago—and if I’m not careful, I’ll be the fool who loses her all over again.
All’s fair in love and fanfic… until the final act.
Fanfiction isn’t just my hobby—it’s my escape. My passion. My lifeline.
So when my ex crashes back into my life with a book deal based on my stolen fanfic, I decide to play dirty. Starting by telling him I’m dating his ex-roommate.
Luckily, Ezra plays along without missing a beat.
Together, we’re plotting the ultimate literary takedown, diving headfirst into conventions, book signings, and meddling parents.
But what started as a strategic alliance—a fake romance for revenge—is quickly becoming something neither of us expected.
Something deliciously, dangerously hot.
Revenge might be sweet—but falling for Ezra? That might be inevitable.
Ezra Sullivan:
Serenity’s ex has always been my rival. Now I’m her fake boyfriend, and her co-conspirator.
For a guy who’s spent most of his life as a constant disappointment, suddenly I’m center stage—with the girl I’ve loved from the wings.
But while I’m helping her pull off this perfect act of payback, I’ve got to keep my heart under control.
Because I fell for her ages ago—and if I’m not careful, I’ll be the fool who loses her all over again.
All’s fair in love and fanfic… until the final act.
- GenresRomance
303 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 16, 2025
4 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 4, 2025
An incredibly fluffy and sweet modern romance that is a love letter to fandom and fandom culture while highlighting the importance of mental health. This debut novel has it all for me as someone who was raised in the depths of tumblr and ao3 as a preteen. With revenge against a shitty man sprinkled in there? Absolutely yes.
February 17, 2025
I received this book as an ARC (my very first one ever) and it was so exciting to be able to read it over the past couple of weeks.
I’m not that familiar with the fan fiction community as a whole, but I enjoyed this ode to it. This story involved the main characters finding love while overcoming past and current traumas. It also features fake dating, which is a trope that usually sucks me in pretty quickly. I enjoyed that the main characters valued mental health and feminism.
Overall it was a quick and light read!
3.5 stars
I’m not that familiar with the fan fiction community as a whole, but I enjoyed this ode to it. This story involved the main characters finding love while overcoming past and current traumas. It also features fake dating, which is a trope that usually sucks me in pretty quickly. I enjoyed that the main characters valued mental health and feminism.
Overall it was a quick and light read!
3.5 stars
February 22, 2025
Short Review: If you want a characterful drama that absorbs you, makes you grin, laugh, raise your brows in surprise, wrinkle that brow in vicarious anger on the MC’s behalf, and feel terrifically satisfied by how things wrap up… buy this book.
Slightly Longer Review: Sammie’s novel functions as a window. The frame is the plot, the glass is the characters, and the view beyond is the central message. It’s a good frame, nice and sturdy. We have a story about a young woman whose fanfiction is stolen by her ex-boyfriend. He is powerful, and boasts a strong reputation. The odds of outing him as a fraud are stacked against her. It’s a story about Serenity (our gifted writer) overcoming Duvall (our thieving rogue), and at the same time it’s a story about falling in love. You may be surprised by a close examination of the narrative frame, because there are fun, engaging, downright sweet details to discover.
That brings us to the glass, the characters, and we can imbue a discussion of Sammie’s prose here too. There’s a diverse and compelling cast, my personal favorite being the extremely goofy but rather charming Oz. Sammie’s characters are a little larger than life, but that fits well with the style employed here: each sentence drips with melodrama. Characters bite their lips to conceal their secrets. There is an abundance of tears and bitter arguments. Characters think about punching walls, and are one or two steps away from rending their garments as in ancient Greek tragedies. While I’m no stranger to more restrained fare, I happen to admire and enjoy melodrama. Here, with Book Nemesis, it is executed just right.
Lastly, we have the view our window offers. As I read, I could not help but see that view with a gradually sharpening clarity. Book Nemesis is a fabulous story full of gripping characters, and it is also a love letter to fanfiction. More broadly, it is a fondly blown kiss to creativity, its trials and obstacles, its triumphs. Sammie loves to create. You’ll love what she has written here. I believe that.
Slightly Longer Review: Sammie’s novel functions as a window. The frame is the plot, the glass is the characters, and the view beyond is the central message. It’s a good frame, nice and sturdy. We have a story about a young woman whose fanfiction is stolen by her ex-boyfriend. He is powerful, and boasts a strong reputation. The odds of outing him as a fraud are stacked against her. It’s a story about Serenity (our gifted writer) overcoming Duvall (our thieving rogue), and at the same time it’s a story about falling in love. You may be surprised by a close examination of the narrative frame, because there are fun, engaging, downright sweet details to discover.
That brings us to the glass, the characters, and we can imbue a discussion of Sammie’s prose here too. There’s a diverse and compelling cast, my personal favorite being the extremely goofy but rather charming Oz. Sammie’s characters are a little larger than life, but that fits well with the style employed here: each sentence drips with melodrama. Characters bite their lips to conceal their secrets. There is an abundance of tears and bitter arguments. Characters think about punching walls, and are one or two steps away from rending their garments as in ancient Greek tragedies. While I’m no stranger to more restrained fare, I happen to admire and enjoy melodrama. Here, with Book Nemesis, it is executed just right.
Lastly, we have the view our window offers. As I read, I could not help but see that view with a gradually sharpening clarity. Book Nemesis is a fabulous story full of gripping characters, and it is also a love letter to fanfiction. More broadly, it is a fondly blown kiss to creativity, its trials and obstacles, its triumphs. Sammie loves to create. You’ll love what she has written here. I believe that.
February 26, 2025
I went into Book Nemesis not knowing what to expect, but I ended up loving every second of it. The story really draws you in—Serenity, a talented writer, has her fanfiction stolen by her ex, Duvall, who has the connections to get away with it. But she refuses to let him win. It’s about standing your ground, proving your worth, and falling in love along the way.
The characters are big, dramatic, and ridiculously entertaining. There’s lip-biting, storming out of rooms, and barely contained rage—it’s all very intense, but in the best way. Sammie’s writing leans into the melodrama, and it just works.
But at its heart, this book is a love letter to fanfiction and creativity. It gets what it’s like to pour your heart into something and fight for it.
Not my usual read, but I had a blast. If you want something fun, dramatic, and full of characters you’ll get way too attached to, Book Nemesis is worth picking up.
The characters are big, dramatic, and ridiculously entertaining. There’s lip-biting, storming out of rooms, and barely contained rage—it’s all very intense, but in the best way. Sammie’s writing leans into the melodrama, and it just works.
But at its heart, this book is a love letter to fanfiction and creativity. It gets what it’s like to pour your heart into something and fight for it.
Not my usual read, but I had a blast. If you want something fun, dramatic, and full of characters you’ll get way too attached to, Book Nemesis is worth picking up.
March 1, 2025
I enjoyed this book a lot and it showed me a side of fanfic and conventions that I would never have known about. This was a rom com centered around getting revenge for one’s work being stolen, along the way old friends reconnect, characters develop a backbone, new and unlikely friendships are made. In the end we get a nice twist and some cosmic karma.
February 16, 2025
Thank you to the author Sammie Trinidad and Spare Oom press for the unedited ARC!
As the ARC I received was unedited, I am going to try and refrain from commenting on areas that may change in the final version.
I want to stick to the story, concept, and character creation in this review as any areas I may have had an issue with may change in the final draft.
With that, let's get into it!
Book Nemesis is a love letter to the fanfic community! The characters feel real and well developed, and the supporting characters are whole and dynamic! (Chloe, Ursula, and Oz are absolutely favorites of mine!).
Working through trauma that has ties to culture, race, childhood, family, generations, relationships, and so much more, the characters take responsibility for their own healing and show that you can find happiness and love in all your imperfect beauty!
Going from fake dating to book related dating apps, to cons and conventions, and finally bringing women together in a force to take down a serial scumbag!
The writing is clean, easy to follow, and would make for a great beach read!
Hope you enjo ity!
P.s. no MC pregnancy tropes.
3.5
As the ARC I received was unedited, I am going to try and refrain from commenting on areas that may change in the final version.
I want to stick to the story, concept, and character creation in this review as any areas I may have had an issue with may change in the final draft.
With that, let's get into it!
Book Nemesis is a love letter to the fanfic community! The characters feel real and well developed, and the supporting characters are whole and dynamic! (Chloe, Ursula, and Oz are absolutely favorites of mine!).
Working through trauma that has ties to culture, race, childhood, family, generations, relationships, and so much more, the characters take responsibility for their own healing and show that you can find happiness and love in all your imperfect beauty!
Going from fake dating to book related dating apps, to cons and conventions, and finally bringing women together in a force to take down a serial scumbag!
The writing is clean, easy to follow, and would make for a great beach read!
Hope you enjo ity!
P.s. no MC pregnancy tropes.
3.5
February 19, 2025
Rom Com with spice!
Not my normal read but this was a fun foray for me into the romance genre. Heads up this book is spicy. Ezra and Serenity are vulnerable and oh so relatable. Set against the background of publishing and comic cons you feel like you are there. Definitely worth a read.
Not my normal read but this was a fun foray for me into the romance genre. Heads up this book is spicy. Ezra and Serenity are vulnerable and oh so relatable. Set against the background of publishing and comic cons you feel like you are there. Definitely worth a read.
June 16, 2025
So I got this book because I met the author at a book convention and immediately knew what she was writing, I needed to read. This book was fantastic and I loved seeing Serenity and Ezra fall in love with a friends to strangers to friends to lovers. I can't wait to see what else she writes because I have no doubt it will be amazing. My stress with Duvall and how they would bring him down, when I tell you my eyes were flying across the page to see what happened. Also I think we can all agree that we love love to be able to throw a book at someone, because I could give a small list. 10/10. 5 stars, will be recommending to all my reading friends.
July 1, 2025
Fantastic debut novel! I can't wait to read the next installment.
The characters really come alive, and I enjoyed how full both protagonists are. Too often, one lead is simply love-sick, but both are supporting each other through some tough times. The therapy tactics interwoven were well-chosen and done well.
I appreciated the author's note in the beginning.
And who doesn't love a book about authors?! Fantastic!
The characters really come alive, and I enjoyed how full both protagonists are. Too often, one lead is simply love-sick, but both are supporting each other through some tough times. The therapy tactics interwoven were well-chosen and done well.
I appreciated the author's note in the beginning.
And who doesn't love a book about authors?! Fantastic!
July 15, 2025
Never a dull moment with this book! I was hooked right from the start. The Book Mate app is actually such a genius idea, what 😍 Also, the kpop world has its own fanfic culture so as a stan a reader, and a Filipino, I felt like I was the perfect audience for this book ☺️ I liked the banter, I felt the romance (well I always loved the fake dating trope), I liked the idea of having a story-within-a-story, and I especially liked the mental health advocacy. What I learned from this book is that while a person could be broken by another, that same broken person can make another person whole. (did I make sense haha)
I did, however, realize the fanfic and real life connection right away. I don't wanna spoil it, but for those of you who read it, you know what I mean ☺️
I did, however, realize the fanfic and real life connection right away. I don't wanna spoil it, but for those of you who read it, you know what I mean ☺️
February 13, 2025
I had the pleasure of getting to read this as an ARC. It was an easy read and you’ll be invested in these characters as if they were your own friends. I enjoyed every moment I spent in this world.
February 12, 2025
Hello bookish fiends and book mates. Sammie Trinidad, the author here. This was my love letter to women looking to take back their stories after trauma, violation, or heartache. It’s also an ode to the fandom world, the fanfic world, and frankly, a love letter to creativity. The characters warmed my soul at a time when I thought the darkness was stronger than the light. I truly hope you enjoy them and their stories as much as I do. Happy reading!
December 22, 2025
My friend and I bought this book at a Dallas Get Lit Book Fair after chatting with the author at her booth. Because of her work + school schedule and my pregnancy tiredness, we waited some months to co-read it.
My friend made it 50 pages and I had to struggle to finish. For more context, my friend is getting a degree in counseling and training as a yoga instructor. The amount of awkwardly detailed trauma dumping from BOTH our leads in the first 10 pages was hard to take for me, let alone someone getting a professional license in multiple methods of support.
For something positive: I liked the diversity of characters (especially Filipino after a Superstore rewatch) and the Austin setting (as a Texan). And women writing sci-fi/fantasy will always be good. Anne McCaffrey is a pillar of the genre!
But there is so much bad about this debut that I can't recommend it. I tried really hard not to be too judgemental of fan fiction being placed on such a high pedestal and garnering such massive crowds in this book...but my disbelief couldn't be suspended that far.
-Trauma dumping (had to be restated)
-Poor setting descriptions (where are they in the space, in the day, in the scene)
-Too many styles (fan fic excerpts and play scenes made the pacing clunky)
-Inconsistent backstory (major timeline details would change from one page to the next)
-Overall lack of strong editing (it's a debut, but this was worse than most)
-Overly dramatic or cringe metaphors (crossing galaxies, pucker of a smile, throaty gargle laugh)
-Immature characters (are they 18 or 30?)
-Overabundance of therapy (it's not a magic cure all. So many characters mention self-soothing that it feels trite)
-Clunky spice scenes (draw some stick figures or act it out because actions and body parts were missing or unclear)
My friend made it 50 pages and I had to struggle to finish. For more context, my friend is getting a degree in counseling and training as a yoga instructor. The amount of awkwardly detailed trauma dumping from BOTH our leads in the first 10 pages was hard to take for me, let alone someone getting a professional license in multiple methods of support.
For something positive: I liked the diversity of characters (especially Filipino after a Superstore rewatch) and the Austin setting (as a Texan). And women writing sci-fi/fantasy will always be good. Anne McCaffrey is a pillar of the genre!
But there is so much bad about this debut that I can't recommend it. I tried really hard not to be too judgemental of fan fiction being placed on such a high pedestal and garnering such massive crowds in this book...but my disbelief couldn't be suspended that far.
-Trauma dumping (had to be restated)
-Poor setting descriptions (where are they in the space, in the day, in the scene)
-Too many styles (fan fic excerpts and play scenes made the pacing clunky)
-Inconsistent backstory (major timeline details would change from one page to the next)
-Overall lack of strong editing (it's a debut, but this was worse than most)
-Overly dramatic or cringe metaphors (crossing galaxies, pucker of a smile, throaty gargle laugh)
-Immature characters (are they 18 or 30?)
-Overabundance of therapy (it's not a magic cure all. So many characters mention self-soothing that it feels trite)
-Clunky spice scenes (draw some stick figures or act it out because actions and body parts were missing or unclear)
July 27, 2025
The story here was really great!! I don’t do a ton of fanfic myself but I get the community. And I’ve been doing some conventions here and there the last few years so I understand that part so well. It was really fun to read a book with these as underpinnings. The characters were also well thought out and full of life! I loved Serenity and Ezra both, and the larger cast was delightful.
That being said, the book has a few grammar issues throughout that were a little disconnecting for me; mostly not egregious, but they were there.
Also I don’t love reading sex scenes. Not that these were badly written (actually I skipped them as I usually do so idk about that tbh) they just aren’t my cup of tea and that usually makes me drop the book overall rating.
Overall, this is a really fun and quick read that I’m glad I brought on vacation! Sammie’s debut novel is definitely one that makes me want to read more of her books.
That being said, the book has a few grammar issues throughout that were a little disconnecting for me; mostly not egregious, but they were there.
Also I don’t love reading sex scenes. Not that these were badly written (actually I skipped them as I usually do so idk about that tbh) they just aren’t my cup of tea and that usually makes me drop the book overall rating.
Overall, this is a really fun and quick read that I’m glad I brought on vacation! Sammie’s debut novel is definitely one that makes me want to read more of her books.
August 2, 2025
Each page of this book was fun to read. The way the author uses different writing formats throughout really enhanced the way the story was told, illuminating the inner voices of the two main characters.
I absolutely adored it. I'm so emotionally connected to the characters at this point (BECAUSE THIS AUTHOR IS THE ACTUAL QUEEN OF DIALOGUE AND IT BRINGS THE CHARACTERS TO LIFE), that I will honestly miss hanging out with them now that the book is over 😭
I absolutely adored it. I'm so emotionally connected to the characters at this point (BECAUSE THIS AUTHOR IS THE ACTUAL QUEEN OF DIALOGUE AND IT BRINGS THE CHARACTERS TO LIFE), that I will honestly miss hanging out with them now that the book is over 😭
June 8, 2025
This book was equal parts cozy and empowering, with a kick-ass blend of swoony romance, neck-wringing drama, and moments of "hell yeah!" fist-pumping. From the characters, to the setting, to the epistolary storytelling devices, this book is something special. Perfect for geeky, book-loving, romance peeps.
February 12, 2025
Love this book soo much please going with the series
January 3, 2026
Inspiring book! Loved the connection to fanfic, and a healthy focus on self-improvement for each character, very real.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews