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Not Your Enemy
Not yet published
Expected 6 Feb 26Win a free kindle copy of this book!
9 days and 16:46:12
100 copies available
U.S. only
Libby Burns is a good girl. She doesn’t take risks or color outside the lines, content to let others take the lead. Especially her assertive best friend Jana, who asks Libby to clean out her childhood home for her alongside Jana’s enemy. Preparing herself to meet the deceitful, sullen bully Jana described to her, she’s surprised to meet a woman who is nothing like that. In fact, she’s quite charismatic and sultry. Which makes it hard for Libby to hate her, or stay away from her.
Jade Thornton is a free spirit. Her parents taught her young that she’d never please them, so now she focuses on pleasing herself. Despite the pain that came with her father’s recent passing, she looked forward to returning to her hometown and cleaning out his home alongside her sister, as this would offer a chance to mend their strained relationship—something she’s been trying to do for years. But her sister sends a a high-strung, buxom sweetheart who Jade can’t help but pine for.
Libby knows getting cozy with Jade spells trouble. Sleeping with the enemy is not something a worthwhile best friend would do. But Jade is persistent in her advances, making it clear she wants more than just a taste.
Are her feelings for Jade worth risking her longest friendship for?
Why does something so wicked feel so righteous?
Libby has no hope of navigating this sticky situation without giving herself a deep-seated wound. She just hopes she chooses the right person to mend it.
Jade Thornton is a free spirit. Her parents taught her young that she’d never please them, so now she focuses on pleasing herself. Despite the pain that came with her father’s recent passing, she looked forward to returning to her hometown and cleaning out his home alongside her sister, as this would offer a chance to mend their strained relationship—something she’s been trying to do for years. But her sister sends a a high-strung, buxom sweetheart who Jade can’t help but pine for.
Libby knows getting cozy with Jade spells trouble. Sleeping with the enemy is not something a worthwhile best friend would do. But Jade is persistent in her advances, making it clear she wants more than just a taste.
Are her feelings for Jade worth risking her longest friendship for?
Why does something so wicked feel so righteous?
Libby has no hope of navigating this sticky situation without giving herself a deep-seated wound. She just hopes she chooses the right person to mend it.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 6, 2026
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61 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
dnf-not-my-cup-of-tea
January 26, 2026DNF at 30%. The characters feel somewhat shallow, and the romance leans heavily into insta-love territory, which isn't my preference. It's a shame because I went into this one really excited! Huge thank you to the author for the eARC though!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I didn’t hate this book, but it also didn’t fully land for me.
The biggest issue was the characters. Libby, Jade and Jana all felt flat and underdeveloped, but Libby and Jana were honestly borderline insufferable at times. A lot of the dialogue felt cringe and weirdly juvenile, even though the themes themselves are more mature. I struggled to connect emotionally because everything stayed very surface level.
Jade, in particular, had SUCH potential to be absolutely swoon worthy, but it just missed the mark for me. She came across as really forward without the charm or smooth energy I’d normally expect from her character type, which made her feel more awkward than magnetic.
The themes of self acceptance, choosing your own happiness and growing emotionally are genuinely great. It’s a real pity that Libby was completely spineless for basically the entire book. Like literally right up until the end, where she almost develops a spine. I also really didn’t love the whole “she saved me because she made me feel special” thing. That didn’t feel romantic to me so much as emotional dependence dressed up as love.
The pacing was also off. Somehow it felt rushed and dragged out at the same time. Important moments were skimmed over, while less meaningful scenes lingered. There was a lot of telling instead of showing, which made it harder to feel immersed. Even the way the characters were described felt flat, which just added to the overall lack of depth.
The spicy scenes didn’t work for me personally, but that’s very much a preference thing and not something I’d judge the book on objectively.
On the positive side, I appreciated the plus size representation (even if it felt a bit surface level), and I genuinely loved the family acceptance around Libby’s queerness. Those moments were genuinely nice to see and stood out as a couple of brighter spots in my reading experience.
Overall, this book explores heavier emotional themes, but I personally struggled with the execution. I was hoping for more depth, stronger character development and smoother pacing. While it didn’t fully work for me, I think readers who connect with the characters more than I did may have a better experience.
The biggest issue was the characters. Libby, Jade and Jana all felt flat and underdeveloped, but Libby and Jana were honestly borderline insufferable at times. A lot of the dialogue felt cringe and weirdly juvenile, even though the themes themselves are more mature. I struggled to connect emotionally because everything stayed very surface level.
Jade, in particular, had SUCH potential to be absolutely swoon worthy, but it just missed the mark for me. She came across as really forward without the charm or smooth energy I’d normally expect from her character type, which made her feel more awkward than magnetic.
The themes of self acceptance, choosing your own happiness and growing emotionally are genuinely great. It’s a real pity that Libby was completely spineless for basically the entire book. Like literally right up until the end, where she almost develops a spine. I also really didn’t love the whole “she saved me because she made me feel special” thing. That didn’t feel romantic to me so much as emotional dependence dressed up as love.
The pacing was also off. Somehow it felt rushed and dragged out at the same time. Important moments were skimmed over, while less meaningful scenes lingered. There was a lot of telling instead of showing, which made it harder to feel immersed. Even the way the characters were described felt flat, which just added to the overall lack of depth.
The spicy scenes didn’t work for me personally, but that’s very much a preference thing and not something I’d judge the book on objectively.
On the positive side, I appreciated the plus size representation (even if it felt a bit surface level), and I genuinely loved the family acceptance around Libby’s queerness. Those moments were genuinely nice to see and stood out as a couple of brighter spots in my reading experience.
Overall, this book explores heavier emotional themes, but I personally struggled with the execution. I was hoping for more depth, stronger character development and smoother pacing. While it didn’t fully work for me, I think readers who connect with the characters more than I did may have a better experience.
January 27, 2026
Cute sapphic romance
Libby & Jana are best friends since college who would do just about anything for each other. Jana’s mom passed away when they were still in college and now, her dad passed leaving the house .. with her parents’ antiques and art left to sort through. But Jana can’t bring herself to return to her childhood home because she’ll have to face her sister Jade and Jade is Jana’s worst enemy for the things she did to her when they were growing up.
So, Jana asks Libby to go in her place. Just stay there for a little while, help sort through the stuff and get it appraised so Jade doesn’t wind up with everything. What could possibly go wrong?
When Libby shows up and meets Jade, she can feel the hostility from a mile away. But over the course of her stay.. that turns into flirtation,
Now Libby is stuck between a rock and a hard place. She has feelings for her best friend’s enemy, her sister. Libby can’t live with her secret any longer and when she returns home and tells Jana that she’s dating Jade, Jana reacts in a way Libby never expected and Libby makes a terrible mistake that can cost her the person she’s in love with and her best friend.
To start off, thank you to Madison Mars for allowing me to ARC read Not Your Enemy. It’s a contemporary, spicy, sapphic romance and it’s a great read for Valentine’s Day. I absolutely ADORED Libby & Jade together. Libby is a plus sized FMC and the praise given to her by Jade? *chefs kiss*. I loved how dominant Jade was and that she was a tattoo artist. Their chemistry was top notch from the beginning.
While I did enjoy this read, the only downside for me was how repetitive Jana was with the negativity regarding her sister, Jade. Every time Libby & Jana spoke, she brought up how bad Jade was. I do believe in second chances, so I would have loved to see Jade & Jana work through their issues at some point during the story. I also did not like the ultimatum that Jade gave to her best friend. Other than that, it was a fun and enjoyable read with lots of SPICE. Giving it 3.75 stars and I definitely recommend for all sapphic romance lovers.
Libby & Jana are best friends since college who would do just about anything for each other. Jana’s mom passed away when they were still in college and now, her dad passed leaving the house .. with her parents’ antiques and art left to sort through. But Jana can’t bring herself to return to her childhood home because she’ll have to face her sister Jade and Jade is Jana’s worst enemy for the things she did to her when they were growing up.
So, Jana asks Libby to go in her place. Just stay there for a little while, help sort through the stuff and get it appraised so Jade doesn’t wind up with everything. What could possibly go wrong?
When Libby shows up and meets Jade, she can feel the hostility from a mile away. But over the course of her stay.. that turns into flirtation,
Now Libby is stuck between a rock and a hard place. She has feelings for her best friend’s enemy, her sister. Libby can’t live with her secret any longer and when she returns home and tells Jana that she’s dating Jade, Jana reacts in a way Libby never expected and Libby makes a terrible mistake that can cost her the person she’s in love with and her best friend.
To start off, thank you to Madison Mars for allowing me to ARC read Not Your Enemy. It’s a contemporary, spicy, sapphic romance and it’s a great read for Valentine’s Day. I absolutely ADORED Libby & Jade together. Libby is a plus sized FMC and the praise given to her by Jade? *chefs kiss*. I loved how dominant Jade was and that she was a tattoo artist. Their chemistry was top notch from the beginning.
While I did enjoy this read, the only downside for me was how repetitive Jana was with the negativity regarding her sister, Jade. Every time Libby & Jana spoke, she brought up how bad Jade was. I do believe in second chances, so I would have loved to see Jade & Jana work through their issues at some point during the story. I also did not like the ultimatum that Jade gave to her best friend. Other than that, it was a fun and enjoyable read with lots of SPICE. Giving it 3.75 stars and I definitely recommend for all sapphic romance lovers.
January 27, 2026
Not Your Enemy by Madison Mars 💖🌶️
Thank you to the author for the eARC — I was excited for this one and immediately understood why because I devoured it in a single day! At just over 200 pages, it was a fun snow day read ❄️🩷
This is a sweet, very spicy WLW romcom told from Libby’s POV. Libby is a pathological people-pleasing, Type A introvert. She somehow gets convinced by her best friend, Jana, to go in her place to clean out her deceased parents’ house. Jana refuses to go because her older sister will be there, who is his archenemy. How Libby agreed to this? I truly may never understand 😂
Enter forced proximity with Jade — the hot lesbian sister who is outgoing, carefree, wildly spontaneous, and absolutely relentless with her flirting. Jade’s blunt, outspoken energy completely intoxicates Libby, and Libby falls hard in the most painfully relatable lesbian way possible.
What follows is tension, banter, undeniable chemistry, and the ultimate impossible choice: best friend loyalty… or potential future partner?
If you love: ✨ forced proximity ✨ sapphic smut ✨ grumpy x sunshine ✨ spicy but heartfelt romances
Add this to your TBR immediately 💘🔥
I rated this book 3.75/5 stars. I do wish it had been a bit longer so we had more time to really get to know Libby and Jade — the characters felt like they were just slightly lacking depth for me. One thing I really enjoyed, though, was how quickly the story got started. You learn the plot in the very first chapter, which I loved. It didn’t take long to get into at all, and that’s something I really appreciate as a reader.
I also lowkey loved the details in the spicy scenes 🤭 I’m not a huge smut reader in general, but the sapphic scenes were written so well, and I genuinely enjoyed them.
Overall, a fun and steamy quick read that’s guaranteed to pull you out of a reading slump.🔥🥰
Thank you to the author for the eARC — I was excited for this one and immediately understood why because I devoured it in a single day! At just over 200 pages, it was a fun snow day read ❄️🩷
This is a sweet, very spicy WLW romcom told from Libby’s POV. Libby is a pathological people-pleasing, Type A introvert. She somehow gets convinced by her best friend, Jana, to go in her place to clean out her deceased parents’ house. Jana refuses to go because her older sister will be there, who is his archenemy. How Libby agreed to this? I truly may never understand 😂
Enter forced proximity with Jade — the hot lesbian sister who is outgoing, carefree, wildly spontaneous, and absolutely relentless with her flirting. Jade’s blunt, outspoken energy completely intoxicates Libby, and Libby falls hard in the most painfully relatable lesbian way possible.
What follows is tension, banter, undeniable chemistry, and the ultimate impossible choice: best friend loyalty… or potential future partner?
If you love: ✨ forced proximity ✨ sapphic smut ✨ grumpy x sunshine ✨ spicy but heartfelt romances
Add this to your TBR immediately 💘🔥
I rated this book 3.75/5 stars. I do wish it had been a bit longer so we had more time to really get to know Libby and Jade — the characters felt like they were just slightly lacking depth for me. One thing I really enjoyed, though, was how quickly the story got started. You learn the plot in the very first chapter, which I loved. It didn’t take long to get into at all, and that’s something I really appreciate as a reader.
I also lowkey loved the details in the spicy scenes 🤭 I’m not a huge smut reader in general, but the sapphic scenes were written so well, and I genuinely enjoyed them.
Overall, a fun and steamy quick read that’s guaranteed to pull you out of a reading slump.🔥🥰
Review of advance copy received from Author
Sweet, satisfying sapphic romance!
Libby is probably the best friend anyone could ask for. When she agrees to go in workaholic Jana’s place to clear out Jana’s late parents’ house, the rules are pretty simple: maintain a healthy distance from Jana’s cruel sister, Jade.
Only, things are never as cut-and-dry as they seem, and when Libby finds herself caught in the middle of decades-old bad blood, she must make an impossible choice.
These characters are easy to love, and there are strong themes of meeting your loved ones where they’re at, establishing boundaries, and finding your own voice in your life.
Libby tries to do the best she can for the people around her, sometimes at the cost of her own happiness, and seeing her character growth over the course of the novel was so satisfying.
If you’re looking for a wholesome sapphic romance to escape into, I absolutely recommend ‘Not Your Enemy’!
Super grateful to have received an advance copy of this story - all opinions are my own!
Libby is probably the best friend anyone could ask for. When she agrees to go in workaholic Jana’s place to clear out Jana’s late parents’ house, the rules are pretty simple: maintain a healthy distance from Jana’s cruel sister, Jade.
Only, things are never as cut-and-dry as they seem, and when Libby finds herself caught in the middle of decades-old bad blood, she must make an impossible choice.
These characters are easy to love, and there are strong themes of meeting your loved ones where they’re at, establishing boundaries, and finding your own voice in your life.
Libby tries to do the best she can for the people around her, sometimes at the cost of her own happiness, and seeing her character growth over the course of the novel was so satisfying.
If you’re looking for a wholesome sapphic romance to escape into, I absolutely recommend ‘Not Your Enemy’!
Super grateful to have received an advance copy of this story - all opinions are my own!
Review of advance copy received from Author
First thank you to the author for this ARC.
I have a hard time getting into books but this one sucked me right in and I read almost straight through. First the best friend in the story is such a unlikable character. How do you pressure your best friend to go deal with your dead parents house with the sister you hate? That was enough for me to hate Janna. Libby I wasn’t sure about for a while but I loved Jade instantly. I love her so much she’s real, self aware, intelligent, artistic, down to earth — can you tell I have a book crush? Ha ha
There were a few cliffhangers and surprises and I kept waiting for Jana or Libby’s parents to walk in on them at different points 🤣.
Overall lovable characters, relatable for those of us with familial trauma (which is most of our generation) and a very meet cute love story.
Thank you to the author for writing this tale - can’t wait to read more sapphic love stories from you in the future!!
I have a hard time getting into books but this one sucked me right in and I read almost straight through. First the best friend in the story is such a unlikable character. How do you pressure your best friend to go deal with your dead parents house with the sister you hate? That was enough for me to hate Janna. Libby I wasn’t sure about for a while but I loved Jade instantly. I love her so much she’s real, self aware, intelligent, artistic, down to earth — can you tell I have a book crush? Ha ha
There were a few cliffhangers and surprises and I kept waiting for Jana or Libby’s parents to walk in on them at different points 🤣.
Overall lovable characters, relatable for those of us with familial trauma (which is most of our generation) and a very meet cute love story.
Thank you to the author for writing this tale - can’t wait to read more sapphic love stories from you in the future!!
January 28, 2026
I read this in one day. I had to find out what happened. The book explores a lot of different relationship dynamics and how they can be toxic, but also how people can mature, change, hold on to grudges, and try too hard to keep other people happy.
The characters are well thought out and work well together. I absolutely loved the communication between Libby and Jade from the very beginning. The author manages a few different layers of tension throughout the book, and that really kept me engaged.
Libby falls for her best friend’s sister, who also happens to be her best friend’s worst enemy. A well crafted story. Wonderfully lesbian characters. An enjoyable journey from start to finish, with plenty heat to enjoy along the way.
The characters are well thought out and work well together. I absolutely loved the communication between Libby and Jade from the very beginning. The author manages a few different layers of tension throughout the book, and that really kept me engaged.
Libby falls for her best friend’s sister, who also happens to be her best friend’s worst enemy. A well crafted story. Wonderfully lesbian characters. An enjoyable journey from start to finish, with plenty heat to enjoy along the way.
January 28, 2026
Other than still slightly being pissed at Libby, i can say i understand too. Blah that was tough but im so happy for the two of them
A whirlwind of unlikely lovers. 🖤 also just love that jade was a tattoo artist & another thing i really weirdly liked was that the author did force the sister reunification. I feel like it made it so much more authentic as well.
Jades dirty talk even had me blushing 🫣☺️
A whirlwind of unlikely lovers. 🖤 also just love that jade was a tattoo artist & another thing i really weirdly liked was that the author did force the sister reunification. I feel like it made it so much more authentic as well.
Jades dirty talk even had me blushing 🫣☺️
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews