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Enemies #1
A New Enemy
Book 1 of 2 | Enemies-to-Lovers | Found Family | Best Friend's Brother | Opposites Attract
He put me on edge before he even cruised into town with his cowboy hat, devil-may-care grin, and Southern drawl. Partly because I couldn’t help viewing him as a threat. He was my best friend’s brother—and maybe more importantly, the uncle of Teddy, a special kid who’d been the light of my life for years.
Teddy couldn’t be more excited about his uncle visiting. Me…not so much. No matter how intensely the chemistry sizzled between us when we met, no matter how much my chest seized up at the sight of him, no matter how easily he drew me in.
He could return to his closet in Georgia for all I cared, preferably before I lost my ever-loving mind and had to wage war against the man who somehow got under my skin.
This story takes place in Cara Dee’s Camassia Cove Universe, a fictional town where all books stand on their own, unless otherwise stated, and the reader can jump in wherever they want.
110 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2021
116 people are currently reading
616 people want to read
About the author
Cara Dee
97 books4,085 followers
I'm often stoically silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there's so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex. There's a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly. Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve. Additionally, I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.
Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.
I'm a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, and geeking. There's time for hockey and cupcakes, too. But mostly, I just love to write.
I'm often stoically silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there's so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex. There's a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly. Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve. Additionally, I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.
Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.
I'm a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, and geeking. There's time for hockey and cupcakes, too. But mostly, I just love to write.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
November 2, 2021
3 Stars
Told in single POV, 1st person, it’s the first installment in the "Enemies" series and ends on a cliffhanger. I dive into this expecting an enemies-to-lovers plot but it wasn’t like that. The enemy part came exactly at the end! I actually can’t put it in in romance category because it was insta-attraction and the story gave me a hook-up vibe! I wish instead of a short story it was a full novel so we could see more "enemy" vibe or a good build-up for their romance. Hope I get what need from them in book 2. I admit though I LOVE that cover! Overall, it was an OK read, and hope you enjoy it!
Told in single POV, 1st person, it’s the first installment in the "Enemies" series and ends on a cliffhanger. I dive into this expecting an enemies-to-lovers plot but it wasn’t like that. The enemy part came exactly at the end! I actually can’t put it in in romance category because it was insta-attraction and the story gave me a hook-up vibe! I wish instead of a short story it was a full novel so we could see more "enemy" vibe or a good build-up for their romance. Hope I get what need from them in book 2. I admit though I LOVE that cover! Overall, it was an OK read, and hope you enjoy it!
September 14, 2021
3,5 stars.
This is the first book of a duet.
The title, as well as the blurb, are referring to an enemy, but I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed because of the lack of an 'enemy's vibe' in this short story.
He put me on edge before he even cruised into town with his cowboy hat, devil-may-care grin, and Southern drawl.
This is the first book of a duet.
The title, as well as the blurb, are referring to an enemy, but I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed because of the lack of an 'enemy's vibe' in this short story.
He put me on edge before he even cruised into town with his cowboy hat, devil-may-care grin, and Southern drawl.
I did not really feel that edge either. It is mentioned before the cowboy comes to town that Sebastian is worried he might be trying to convince his sister (Sebastian's best friend Sophia) to come back to the South and take her son Teddy (a kid with special needs and also Sebastian's special friend) with her. But once he gets to know this cowboy - Blake - and notices how hot he is, all reservations fly out the window.
I'll try not to spoil too much, but it's not until the last few pages (hence the cliffhanger) that something happens which - finally - makes Sebastian consider Blake to be an enemy.
Despite that, this was an enjoyable read. It's short and well written (well, it's Cara Dee after all!), but even though the attraction between Blake and Sebastian is hot, most of their steamy encounters are told and not shown. Which only leaves me to conclude this novella was a prelude to the second book, in which I expect all the angry sex and angry kissing, and well, in fact, everything that does turn this story into an enemies-t0-lovers.
I kindly received an ARC and this is my honest, unbiased review
October 1, 2021
3.5 Stars
First, I wanna say -- I fucking love this cover. He's so pretty I could die. And I enjoyed the story ... until it ended like *that*, and I'm trying to figure out just why Sebastian and Blake's story was divided into two books? I mean, this one is barely over 100 pages. That's pretty damn short. It seems cliffy for the sake of being cliffy, you know?
So, book 2 will be out in 3 weeks and it looks to be Blake's POV so I have to assume we'll get the reason why he did what he did at the end of this book. It had better be a damn good reason.
Sebastian's actions at the end seemed a bit much, too. Rather spiteful, actually.
I struggled a bit with deciding how to rate this book... On one hand, the first 99 pages made me want to round up to 4. Their chemistry was yummy and the sex was hot and I even liked their sweetness. I was even ok with the lack of relationship development since both Sebastian and Blake were holding back, and we have another book to look forward to. On the other hand, the last 7 pages royally pissed me off and seemed to come out of nowhere It pains me to round down to 3 stars, but...ugh.
I'm hopeful the second book will redeem the story for me.
First, I wanna say -- I fucking love this cover. He's so pretty I could die. And I enjoyed the story ... until it ended like *that*, and I'm trying to figure out just why Sebastian and Blake's story was divided into two books? I mean, this one is barely over 100 pages. That's pretty damn short. It seems cliffy for the sake of being cliffy, you know?
So, book 2 will be out in 3 weeks and it looks to be Blake's POV so I have to assume we'll get the reason why he did what he did at the end of this book. It had better be a damn good reason.
Sebastian's actions at the end seemed a bit much, too. Rather spiteful, actually.
I struggled a bit with deciding how to rate this book... On one hand, the first 99 pages made me want to round up to 4. Their chemistry was yummy and the sex was hot and I even liked their sweetness. I was even ok with the lack of relationship development since both Sebastian and Blake were holding back, and we have another book to look forward to. On the other hand, the last 7 pages royally pissed me off and seemed to come out of nowhere It pains me to round down to 3 stars, but...ugh.
I'm hopeful the second book will redeem the story for me.
September 25, 2021
3.5*
Two things about this book are fixed in my mind, the first being I knew it was a duo and would, therefore, have somewhat of a 'cliffhanger' type ending.
The second is that, for the majority of the book, I really couldn't work out why it was titled the way it was.
There is nothing in the development of Sebastian and Blake's relationship which would qualify for them to be enemies.
Until the end. Then it's dropped like a tonne of bricks. I'm not sure quite how I feel about it to be honest.
Because even then, it still doesn't feel like justification for the enemies tag.
The reason for what happens is totally legitimate, it makes sense within the context of everything that has gone on before.
However, it also feels utterly contrived simply to split the book up.
Now, as I'm a massive fan of Cara, I'm trusting that everything will become clear in book two and part of that will probably be because it's going to be from Blake's POV.
So, other than this oddness over splitting the book into a duo, the story itself is absolutely fabulous.
Filled with all the usual hallmarks of the Camassia Cove series - found family, great characters, wonderful sense of place and steamy smexy times which are grounded in emotion (although even here a lot happens off page and we'retold they've been burning up the sheets) - I was captured from the start.
So now I'm dying for book two and cursing Cara for making me wait 😁🤣
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Two things about this book are fixed in my mind, the first being I knew it was a duo and would, therefore, have somewhat of a 'cliffhanger' type ending.
The second is that, for the majority of the book, I really couldn't work out why it was titled the way it was.
There is nothing in the development of Sebastian and Blake's relationship which would qualify for them to be enemies.
Until the end. Then it's dropped like a tonne of bricks. I'm not sure quite how I feel about it to be honest.
Because even then, it still doesn't feel like justification for the enemies tag.
The reason for what happens is totally legitimate, it makes sense within the context of everything that has gone on before.
However, it also feels utterly contrived simply to split the book up.
Now, as I'm a massive fan of Cara, I'm trusting that everything will become clear in book two and part of that will probably be because it's going to be from Blake's POV.
So, other than this oddness over splitting the book into a duo, the story itself is absolutely fabulous.
Filled with all the usual hallmarks of the Camassia Cove series - found family, great characters, wonderful sense of place and steamy smexy times which are grounded in emotion (although even here a lot happens off page and we'retold they've been burning up the sheets) - I was captured from the start.
So now I'm dying for book two and cursing Cara for making me wait 😁🤣
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2021
3.5 stars
Even though I knew it had a cliffie, I didn't expect that to be the ending.
Too short to be on its own. These should've been one book.
Even though I knew it had a cliffie, I didn't expect that to be the ending.
Too short to be on its own. These should've been one book.
October 3, 2021
*3.5 Stars*
"A New Enemy" is the first book of a duology, so it's not really a surprise that it has a cliffie at the end. Cara Dee is one of my favorite authors and I'm usually rating her books with 4 stars or more. It's quite rare for me to rate lower, but it happens from time to time and this is one of those times.
My issues aren't so much with the plot, which was really good even if it wasn't the best thing I've read from her, as they are with the length of the book and the title. But let's talk about one thing at a time.
The length of the book:
It's basically a novella, and I can't understand why it needed to be published as two books instead of one. Maybe the second one will be from the POV of the other MC, but I still don't think that's reason enough. It could just as well be one book with two parts. Anyway, I was pretty disappointed when I started reading and I realised it wasn't a full-length novel.
About the title:
Maybe it's referring to the second book, I'm not sure, but it's not really relevant to the plot in this one. I thought I was in for an enemies-to-lovers story, but they're actually attracted to each other pretty much from the get-go and they start a casual arrangement. In my opinion, the title was a miss...
About the characters:
Sebastian is living and working in Camassia Cove. He has a close relationship with his grandfather and with his sister, but he has a complicated one with his parents. Two other people that play a major role in his life are his best friend, Sophia, and her son, Teddy. I didn't understand exactly how he makes a living since he's volunteering a lot, but I guess I must have missed something. He's a very active guy and he has a lot going on, his days are full, but I'm still not 100% certain where his money is coming from.
Blake is Sophia's brother and he comes from the East Coast for a visit. He doesn't have a stable job, but rather he works from time to time in a bunch of different things, mainly construction-related. Despite the many years that his sister has known Sebastian, they have never actually met and he's surprised to realise that Sebastian is Sophia's age and not Teddy's, despite being one of his best friends and Teddy mentioning him all the time.
Sebastian and Blake are two characters that are likable for most of the book, but I don't see them staying with me after this duology is over. There's nothing wrong with them, they're just not special like some of this author's other characters.
Teddy's part in the plot is very significant as he's in the center of many of the events happening. He was born with Down's Syndrome and, in the book, we see the financial struggles of his mother as she tries to give him the best possible care and therapies. He's a happy child and he loves spending time with his friend, Sebastian.
One thing that I never realised is that, despite the family focus that most of Cara's books have, she almost never has pets in them. That became apparent to me because in this one there are three adorable fur babies running around and I was surprised to realise that I couldn't remember another book of hers with a dog or a cat in it. I love it when there are animals included in the plot, so I hope she'll write more of them and give them more scenes and character traits.
About the plot:
It's a contemporary story, of course, light on the angst, but with some drama here and there.
When Sebastian and Blake meet, they realise that they're each other's type and they don't try to fight the attraction. Instead, they start a casual thing, as they know Blake will be leaving soon and there's no point in involving feelings.
I liked their scenes together and how they got to know each other, how they spent their time together, and how their arrangement was slowly changing shape.
There's some drama throughout the book and it reaches the highest point at the end, as it's to be expected. I didn't like Blake's choices or his decisions at the end, but I did like him the rest of the time.
I'm looking forward to the next part and I hope the enemy thing in the title will be more justified there.
~ Copy provided by Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn't a requirement. ~
"A New Enemy" is the first book of a duology, so it's not really a surprise that it has a cliffie at the end. Cara Dee is one of my favorite authors and I'm usually rating her books with 4 stars or more. It's quite rare for me to rate lower, but it happens from time to time and this is one of those times.
My issues aren't so much with the plot, which was really good even if it wasn't the best thing I've read from her, as they are with the length of the book and the title. But let's talk about one thing at a time.
The length of the book:
It's basically a novella, and I can't understand why it needed to be published as two books instead of one. Maybe the second one will be from the POV of the other MC, but I still don't think that's reason enough. It could just as well be one book with two parts. Anyway, I was pretty disappointed when I started reading and I realised it wasn't a full-length novel.
About the title:
Maybe it's referring to the second book, I'm not sure, but it's not really relevant to the plot in this one. I thought I was in for an enemies-to-lovers story, but they're actually attracted to each other pretty much from the get-go and they start a casual arrangement. In my opinion, the title was a miss...
About the characters:
Sebastian is living and working in Camassia Cove. He has a close relationship with his grandfather and with his sister, but he has a complicated one with his parents. Two other people that play a major role in his life are his best friend, Sophia, and her son, Teddy. I didn't understand exactly how he makes a living since he's volunteering a lot, but I guess I must have missed something. He's a very active guy and he has a lot going on, his days are full, but I'm still not 100% certain where his money is coming from.
Blake is Sophia's brother and he comes from the East Coast for a visit. He doesn't have a stable job, but rather he works from time to time in a bunch of different things, mainly construction-related. Despite the many years that his sister has known Sebastian, they have never actually met and he's surprised to realise that Sebastian is Sophia's age and not Teddy's, despite being one of his best friends and Teddy mentioning him all the time.
Sebastian and Blake are two characters that are likable for most of the book, but I don't see them staying with me after this duology is over. There's nothing wrong with them, they're just not special like some of this author's other characters.
Teddy's part in the plot is very significant as he's in the center of many of the events happening. He was born with Down's Syndrome and, in the book, we see the financial struggles of his mother as she tries to give him the best possible care and therapies. He's a happy child and he loves spending time with his friend, Sebastian.
One thing that I never realised is that, despite the family focus that most of Cara's books have, she almost never has pets in them. That became apparent to me because in this one there are three adorable fur babies running around and I was surprised to realise that I couldn't remember another book of hers with a dog or a cat in it. I love it when there are animals included in the plot, so I hope she'll write more of them and give them more scenes and character traits.
About the plot:
It's a contemporary story, of course, light on the angst, but with some drama here and there.
When Sebastian and Blake meet, they realise that they're each other's type and they don't try to fight the attraction. Instead, they start a casual thing, as they know Blake will be leaving soon and there's no point in involving feelings.
I liked their scenes together and how they got to know each other, how they spent their time together, and how their arrangement was slowly changing shape.
There's some drama throughout the book and it reaches the highest point at the end, as it's to be expected. I didn't like Blake's choices or his decisions at the end, but I did like him the rest of the time.
I'm looking forward to the next part and I hope the enemy thing in the title will be more justified there.
~ Copy provided by Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn't a requirement. ~
October 2, 2021
That was a challenging read, nothing I expected. A bit confusing and certainly entertaining.
Sebastian is a happy guy, surrounded by sweet friends and of course Teddy, his dear dear friend Teddy.
When Teddy’s uncle arrives for a three-week visit Sebastian is smitten by the man, they have chemistry and end up in the bedroom.
Blake is far in the closet, not here with Sebastian but back in Georgia.
The family slash Teddy part was amazingly done, the build-up ditto, Sebastian’s busy life was entertaining. Only, I couldn’t really connect with the whole picture. The story didn't impress me. I loved Sebastian and not so much Blake. I didn't get the end, it was very abruptly.
Part two of this duet is from Blake’s pov I’ve been told. I’m curious.
This author’s work is always fabulous, so I have faith in part two.
Sebastian is a happy guy, surrounded by sweet friends and of course Teddy, his dear dear friend Teddy.
When Teddy’s uncle arrives for a three-week visit Sebastian is smitten by the man, they have chemistry and end up in the bedroom.
Blake is far in the closet, not here with Sebastian but back in Georgia.
The family slash Teddy part was amazingly done, the build-up ditto, Sebastian’s busy life was entertaining. Only, I couldn’t really connect with the whole picture. The story didn't impress me. I loved Sebastian and not so much Blake. I didn't get the end, it was very abruptly.
Part two of this duet is from Blake’s pov I’ve been told. I’m curious.
This author’s work is always fabulous, so I have faith in part two.
October 29, 2021
Heartwarming, lots of pets, and likable characters...
We are on Camissia Cove in Washington State, where we see Sebastian in his many endeavors, including charities. He is incredibly close to amazing Teddy, who has Downs Syndrome, and he's the son of Sebastian's best friend, Soph.
Sebastian is 38, a beach cowboy with long hair
in a bun, green eyes, and is the "jack-of-all-trades" in the area. He's got two rescue Huskys and a rescued cat.
Blake comes to town to visit, 25, a southern ranch
cowboy, closeted, tattooed, and hot. He's Soph's brother, brown hair and eyes, so he's also Teddy's uncle.
Much is happening in the lives of this big bunch of people, like Teddy's care, jobs, issues with family, plus the rivalry of our MCs.
These two are fire and ice, hot and sizzling in sex, but ice cold in conversations. Communication is their downfall.
This is continued next in "I'm Not Your Enemy" and I'm getting right to it !
ENJOY !
======
We are on Camissia Cove in Washington State, where we see Sebastian in his many endeavors, including charities. He is incredibly close to amazing Teddy, who has Downs Syndrome, and he's the son of Sebastian's best friend, Soph.
Sebastian is 38, a beach cowboy with long hair
in a bun, green eyes, and is the "jack-of-all-trades" in the area. He's got two rescue Huskys and a rescued cat.
Blake comes to town to visit, 25, a southern ranch
cowboy, closeted, tattooed, and hot. He's Soph's brother, brown hair and eyes, so he's also Teddy's uncle.
Much is happening in the lives of this big bunch of people, like Teddy's care, jobs, issues with family, plus the rivalry of our MCs.
These two are fire and ice, hot and sizzling in sex, but ice cold in conversations. Communication is their downfall.
This is continued next in "I'm Not Your Enemy" and I'm getting right to it !
ENJOY !
======
November 1, 2021
Onto book 2
Ouch that ending was a punch in the gut and has me looking for book 2 now. Dunno how that's getting fixed
Ouch that ending was a punch in the gut and has me looking for book 2 now. Dunno how that's getting fixed
November 14, 2021
Enemies to lovers? Please don't make me laugh.
It wasn't even friends to lovers. It was insta-lust and a quick hook up. I honestly have no idea what the next book will be about because they don't even know each other well enough for them to have any drama. Their entire relationship was based on sex, I can't even imagine what the plot will be like and unsurprisingly I am not interested.
It wasn't even friends to lovers. It was insta-lust and a quick hook up. I honestly have no idea what the next book will be about because they don't even know each other well enough for them to have any drama. Their entire relationship was based on sex, I can't even imagine what the plot will be like and unsurprisingly I am not interested.
November 15, 2021
Really enjoyed this one. Sebastian is a wonderful, sexy guy. I adore his commitment to his found family and his pets. His dominance in the sheets is sexy without being overbearing. I’m eager to read Blake’s story and get to know him better.
September 3, 2023
Meh. I’m glad this was in KU.
From Sebastian’s pov only. He meets Blake and he’s the brother of his best friend. (Who tbh I already forgot her name 😬😬)
The best friend has a special needs child named Teddy. Sebastian is WAY involved with Teddy. Maybe too involved imo. It felt kinda weird/off.
Blake is only there for 3 shorts weeks and they agree to a fling. Sebastian becomes more involved than he’d like and has feelings which he suppresses. That’s his thing. He’s not happy Blake up and leaves without so much as a goodbye and heads back to Georgia. Meh. It WAS a fling. AND their first sex scene was off page. It made me dislike the book at that point. It was hard to make me care after that… ends in cliffhanger.. should I even bother reading the conclusion??? 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
From Sebastian’s pov only. He meets Blake and he’s the brother of his best friend. (Who tbh I already forgot her name 😬😬)
The best friend has a special needs child named Teddy. Sebastian is WAY involved with Teddy. Maybe too involved imo. It felt kinda weird/off.
Blake is only there for 3 shorts weeks and they agree to a fling. Sebastian becomes more involved than he’d like and has feelings which he suppresses. That’s his thing. He’s not happy Blake up and leaves without so much as a goodbye and heads back to Georgia. Meh. It WAS a fling. AND their first sex scene was off page. It made me dislike the book at that point. It was hard to make me care after that… ends in cliffhanger.. should I even bother reading the conclusion??? 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
December 21, 2021
First of all, I would like to start by saying that I am in love with the cover!!
Although it is said that the series belong to the Camassia Cove universe, it isn't related to those books except for the appearances of a few characters from there.
Although the name of the book includes the word "enemy", there is no hostility between the characters. So if you're waiting for an enemies to lovers story, don't wait at all! It is more of an acquaintances to friends to lovers to enemies story, maybe. But I guess I can't say the same for the second book :D :D
My only complaint was that it was too short. This duet should have been one book but there is nothing to be done.
Although it is said that the series belong to the Camassia Cove universe, it isn't related to those books except for the appearances of a few characters from there.
Although the name of the book includes the word "enemy", there is no hostility between the characters. So if you're waiting for an enemies to lovers story, don't wait at all! It is more of an acquaintances to friends to lovers to enemies story, maybe. But I guess I can't say the same for the second book :D :D
My only complaint was that it was too short. This duet should have been one book but there is nothing to be done.
October 1, 2021
I quite enjoyed this. The characters are well written, the world building very well done. I adored Teddy, such a cutie, and Sebastian's love for him is gorgeous. It is a difficult book to review though, cos it kind of ends on a cliff hanger. Now usually I hate the damn things, but saying that, in this case it does make sense, and sets up the next book nicely. Can't wait. Three and a half stars.
October 10, 2021
I typically enjoy Cara Dee books, but I the writing on this one just didn't entirely click for me. I mean, Cara can write the hell out of a smexy scene, but she started our characters' first time together and then... faded to black!? What the actual hell was that?!
And she ended a novella on a cliff hanger that didn't even allow our MCs to have a HFN. I'm sorry... But I read romance novels for the HEA. If an author gives me a HFN, I will begrudgingly accept it as I immediately start the next book, but to not even get a HFN? No. Nuh uh. That's just wrong.
Also... I know the Sebastian's heart is in the right place, but I don't love that Dee is trying to romanticize her character trampling all over his best friend's boundaries and parenting choices. She made a decision for her family. Bastian doesn't have to agree with it, but he DOES have to respect it.
So I'm going to read the second book in the series to get my HEA, but I'm not exactly thrilled about it.
And she ended a novella on a cliff hanger that didn't even allow our MCs to have a HFN. I'm sorry... But I read romance novels for the HEA. If an author gives me a HFN, I will begrudgingly accept it as I immediately start the next book, but to not even get a HFN? No. Nuh uh. That's just wrong.
Also... I know the Sebastian's heart is in the right place, but I don't love that Dee is trying to romanticize her character trampling all over his best friend's boundaries and parenting choices. She made a decision for her family. Bastian doesn't have to agree with it, but he DOES have to respect it.
So I'm going to read the second book in the series to get my HEA, but I'm not exactly thrilled about it.
November 17, 2021
3.5 Not exactly sure how I feel yet, I need to read the next book to fully write a review and give my opinion.....
September 28, 2021
This is veering close to two stars, but I threw in an extra one for some bits about praise versus humiliation kink.
But omg, let me say, I cannot stand when the first sex scene is fade to black. We got all this tease & then NOTHING. Cut to Sebastian & Blake the next morning. Even aside from that, it felt too easy and all told to us. They had good tension in the beginning, but it was wham bam, and they were off to the races. And sweet. Omg, they were sticky. When tension leaves a story, it takes everything in me to finish it. I wanted things shown - sex, intimate moments, an attraction that didn’t move hella fast in three weeks.
The Teddy story is key, but it just didn’t tug me in. I know Sebastian has feelings for the kid, but it’s not his child or nephew. It felt really like he was overstepping boundaries by not giving Sophia a choice as to where to send her own son & what his uncle and grandmother might want. It felt too simplistic and rushed. I could have used more buildup of this and Sebastian & Blake’s relationship, but neither felt fully there.
Also…I just wish the second part of this was just in a single book. I’m not a fan of cliffhangers.
But omg, let me say, I cannot stand when the first sex scene is fade to black. We got all this tease & then NOTHING. Cut to Sebastian & Blake the next morning. Even aside from that, it felt too easy and all told to us. They had good tension in the beginning, but it was wham bam, and they were off to the races. And sweet. Omg, they were sticky. When tension leaves a story, it takes everything in me to finish it. I wanted things shown - sex, intimate moments, an attraction that didn’t move hella fast in three weeks.
The Teddy story is key, but it just didn’t tug me in. I know Sebastian has feelings for the kid, but it’s not his child or nephew. It felt really like he was overstepping boundaries by not giving Sophia a choice as to where to send her own son & what his uncle and grandmother might want. It felt too simplistic and rushed. I could have used more buildup of this and Sebastian & Blake’s relationship, but neither felt fully there.
Also…I just wish the second part of this was just in a single book. I’m not a fan of cliffhangers.
October 10, 2021
Not sure why it’s a novella
I guess prequel? I hope book two is long enough to justify lack of depth to some of the character building, the short length & abrupt ending.
I guess prequel? I hope book two is long enough to justify lack of depth to some of the character building, the short length & abrupt ending.
dnf
October 24, 2021This is just not grabbing me, I'm out 🤷
September 17, 2021
This is part 1 of a duology and it's an enemies to lovers to enemies story.
A bit of a summary:
Sebastian is living alone, close to his Pops and helps with the farm his Pops owns, is a jack of all trades, volunteers at the Quad and helps with kids all around. His weakness is Teddy, Sophia's son who is his best friend, that has Down Syndrome. He loves his found family and dislikes change. Enter Blake, Sophia's brother, that visits from Georgia and is probably here to pester Sophia to return to their family ranch and have all the financial help there from their parents.
Not Sophia nor Sebastian want that because Soph's and Blake's parents are quite overbearing. And Blake should know he is 40yo and is still in the closet. So when the financial aid Sophia was getting from the state for Teddy's needs is getting cut and with a little one on the way, something must give for Sophia and her partner Dylan to be able to make it.
And here is where Blake despite his chemistry and time spent with Sebastian in and out of bed, returns in being his enemy by pushing for Teddy to go to Georgia for 3 months in a school there.
Sebastian and Blake had chemistry and I loved this line in the book:
"The rough-around-the-edges men who owned the ground they walked on- but who bent over like a greedy whore in the bedroom."
That could mean only good things about the heat levels right?! Hmmm not so much! There were a couple of sex scenes but nowhere near the level of dirty talk and description I was expecting.
Back to the story. This was told from Sebastian's POV exclusively, and the other book it'll be Blake's POV, but the thing is that very, very little about them being together was on page. So I have no clue who Blake is, I'm not sure about how close or not they got. It was more a day to day calendar of Sebastian's life and Blake entering for a brief moment than the beginning of their story. Frankly the beginning of their story seemed to start at the end of the book and everything before being a prologue.
I received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.
A bit of a summary:
Sebastian is living alone, close to his Pops and helps with the farm his Pops owns, is a jack of all trades, volunteers at the Quad and helps with kids all around. His weakness is Teddy, Sophia's son who is his best friend, that has Down Syndrome. He loves his found family and dislikes change. Enter Blake, Sophia's brother, that visits from Georgia and is probably here to pester Sophia to return to their family ranch and have all the financial help there from their parents.
Not Sophia nor Sebastian want that because Soph's and Blake's parents are quite overbearing. And Blake should know he is 40yo and is still in the closet. So when the financial aid Sophia was getting from the state for Teddy's needs is getting cut and with a little one on the way, something must give for Sophia and her partner Dylan to be able to make it.
And here is where Blake despite his chemistry and time spent with Sebastian in and out of bed, returns in being his enemy by pushing for Teddy to go to Georgia for 3 months in a school there.
Sebastian and Blake had chemistry and I loved this line in the book:
"The rough-around-the-edges men who owned the ground they walked on- but who bent over like a greedy whore in the bedroom."
That could mean only good things about the heat levels right?! Hmmm not so much! There were a couple of sex scenes but nowhere near the level of dirty talk and description I was expecting.
Back to the story. This was told from Sebastian's POV exclusively, and the other book it'll be Blake's POV, but the thing is that very, very little about them being together was on page. So I have no clue who Blake is, I'm not sure about how close or not they got. It was more a day to day calendar of Sebastian's life and Blake entering for a brief moment than the beginning of their story. Frankly the beginning of their story seemed to start at the end of the book and everything before being a prologue.
I received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.
Read
December 16, 2021two things:
don't know why this book is split into two parts
this is not an "enemy" book at all
don't know why this book is split into two parts
this is not an "enemy" book at all
dnf
January 31, 2022Ana seriyi okumadığımdan benim için anlam oluşturmadı. %35’te bıraktım.
October 10, 2021
Dang it
I didn't realize this ended on a cliffhanger. That was my fault, I should have read ahead. There wasn't much relationship building nor sexytimes but I loved the found family very much.
Now I'll have to read book two to find out what happens.
I didn't realize this ended on a cliffhanger. That was my fault, I should have read ahead. There wasn't much relationship building nor sexytimes but I loved the found family very much.
Now I'll have to read book two to find out what happens.
September 30, 2021
3,75*
Un nouveau Cara Dee, autant dire que je m'y jette dessus sans hésitation aucune !
A new enemy est la première nouvelle d'une duologie qui se déroule dans ma chère ville de Camassia. Et forcément, ce livre marque des points rien qu'avec ce détail :)
Le format est très court mais Cara Dee a habitué ses lecteurs avec ces petits romans de transition, qui nous font gentiment patienter avant un plus gros morceau (et croyez-moi du très lourd arrive, purée j'en salive déjà...). Personnellement, je préfère les livres peu épais donc le nombre de pages plus léger ne me gêne pas, surtout que la suite, I'm not your enemy, arrive bientôt.
Alors attention, le titre est assez trompeur... je m'attendais à un enemies-to-lovers, ce n'est absolument pas le cas ! L'histoire, nous entraîne plutôt vers , voilà de quoi me rendre impatiente de tenir le prochain tome entre mes mains :cheesygrin:
J'ai passé un très bon moment auprès de Sebastian qui habite à Camassia depuis toujours. Il est un peu mon mec idéal, pas seulement pour son physique mais surtout pour sa façon de vivre, ses valeurs... Et puis, il est juste craquant quand il fait des câlinous ou s'occupe avec amour de ses bébés. Quand Blake, le frère de sa meilleure amie, débarque pour une courte visite et bien l'attraction est immédiate et les deux hommes ne perdront pas de temps en blabla inutile ! C'est hot, fun et entre les deux hommes, aucune chance que cela devienne sérieux... Je ne vais pas en dévoiler plus juste que Blake...aaah Blake pour reprendre les mots de Sebastian "That motherfucker. That coward. That piece of shit." Bon, il faut bien avouer que le POV est seulement celui de Sebastian, Blake reste finalement une énigme mais je me doute bien que le roman suivant nous offrira des éclaircissements...
La relation entre Sebastian et Teddy est très émouvante, ce petit garçon est très attachant. On ressent l'attachement profond qui unit Teddy à son "oncle de coeur" et leurs interactions sont juste du bonheur en barre.
La fin est assez "abrupte" et frustrante, heureusement il ne faudra patienter que jusqu'au 21 octobre... Ce qui me rend un peu triste c'est que je pense, qu'en toute logique, le tome 2 sera uniquement du POV de Blake. Arfff c'est dommage de ne pas avoir été dans la tête des deux hommes dans chaque opus, cela n'aurait pu que bonifier l'intrigue et la rendre plus attrayante.
Difficile de mettre une note à ce petit... j'ai choisi de rehausser un peu pour Sebastian et Teddy !
Un nouveau Cara Dee, autant dire que je m'y jette dessus sans hésitation aucune !
A new enemy est la première nouvelle d'une duologie qui se déroule dans ma chère ville de Camassia. Et forcément, ce livre marque des points rien qu'avec ce détail :)
Le format est très court mais Cara Dee a habitué ses lecteurs avec ces petits romans de transition, qui nous font gentiment patienter avant un plus gros morceau (et croyez-moi du très lourd arrive, purée j'en salive déjà...). Personnellement, je préfère les livres peu épais donc le nombre de pages plus léger ne me gêne pas, surtout que la suite, I'm not your enemy, arrive bientôt.
Alors attention, le titre est assez trompeur... je m'attendais à un enemies-to-lovers, ce n'est absolument pas le cas ! L'histoire, nous entraîne plutôt vers , voilà de quoi me rendre impatiente de tenir le prochain tome entre mes mains :cheesygrin:
J'ai passé un très bon moment auprès de Sebastian qui habite à Camassia depuis toujours. Il est un peu mon mec idéal, pas seulement pour son physique mais surtout pour sa façon de vivre, ses valeurs... Et puis, il est juste craquant quand il fait des câlinous ou s'occupe avec amour de ses bébés. Quand Blake, le frère de sa meilleure amie, débarque pour une courte visite et bien l'attraction est immédiate et les deux hommes ne perdront pas de temps en blabla inutile ! C'est hot, fun et entre les deux hommes, aucune chance que cela devienne sérieux... Je ne vais pas en dévoiler plus juste que Blake...aaah Blake pour reprendre les mots de Sebastian "That motherfucker. That coward. That piece of shit." Bon, il faut bien avouer que le POV est seulement celui de Sebastian, Blake reste finalement une énigme mais je me doute bien que le roman suivant nous offrira des éclaircissements...
La relation entre Sebastian et Teddy est très émouvante, ce petit garçon est très attachant. On ressent l'attachement profond qui unit Teddy à son "oncle de coeur" et leurs interactions sont juste du bonheur en barre.
La fin est assez "abrupte" et frustrante, heureusement il ne faudra patienter que jusqu'au 21 octobre... Ce qui me rend un peu triste c'est que je pense, qu'en toute logique, le tome 2 sera uniquement du POV de Blake. Arfff c'est dommage de ne pas avoir été dans la tête des deux hommes dans chaque opus, cela n'aurait pu que bonifier l'intrigue et la rendre plus attrayante.
Difficile de mettre une note à ce petit... j'ai choisi de rehausser un peu pour Sebastian et Teddy !
April 29, 2023
3.5 stars
This story is in the Camassia universe even if it isn't expressly linked to the series on Goodreads. I always love delving into this universe, seeing glimpses of past couples living their lives. I've put off reading this book for so long because this first one is novella-length, and I tend to steer clear of those. I want a story, not a tease. And enemies to lovers is not my favorite trope. But since it's two parts, and the reviews say it's not really a true enemies to lovers in this book, I finally decided to jump in.
I liked aspects of the story. Cara writes really great found families, and the one Sebastian has with his friend Soph is beautiful. I love how he loves Teddy like his own. Bastian being a bossy dominant in the bedroom also pushes all the right buttons.
But Bastian was purposely holding back with Blake so he wouldn't catch feelings, and it showed. I didn't feel that connected to the two of them as a couple. Blake felt kind of like an add-on to the story rather than a major player.
And that ending. That's where the enemies part would come in, for sure. To Bastian, you mess with his relationship with Teddy, he's going to feral. I'm interested to see how it all shakes out in the next book.
This story is in the Camassia universe even if it isn't expressly linked to the series on Goodreads. I always love delving into this universe, seeing glimpses of past couples living their lives. I've put off reading this book for so long because this first one is novella-length, and I tend to steer clear of those. I want a story, not a tease. And enemies to lovers is not my favorite trope. But since it's two parts, and the reviews say it's not really a true enemies to lovers in this book, I finally decided to jump in.
I liked aspects of the story. Cara writes really great found families, and the one Sebastian has with his friend Soph is beautiful. I love how he loves Teddy like his own. Bastian being a bossy dominant in the bedroom also pushes all the right buttons.
But Bastian was purposely holding back with Blake so he wouldn't catch feelings, and it showed. I didn't feel that connected to the two of them as a couple. Blake felt kind of like an add-on to the story rather than a major player.
And that ending. That's where the enemies part would come in, for sure. To Bastian, you mess with his relationship with Teddy, he's going to feral. I'm interested to see how it all shakes out in the next book.
September 30, 2021
A New Enemy is part one of the Enemies duet, set in Cara Dee's world of Camassia Cove, Washington, where many of her novels are centered. This book is a disappointment. At just 110 pages and ending with a cliffhanger, this is far from a complete story or even a satisfying start to one. The romance doesn't even get off the ground. We don’t get to know Blake well, and while there's certainly sexual chemistry, an emotional bond hasn’t formed yet.
In my opinion, this duet should’ve been written as one book. There seems to be a trend lately for authors to unnecessarily break stories into multiple volumes which forces more book sales. It’s not a reader-friendly direction. We like to sink our teeth into meaty books, and we definitely don’t appreciate cliffhangers. At least this cliffy isn’t manufactured drama – it stops at a natural breaking point, but there’s no reason it couldn’t be combined with the upcoming conclusion.
Sebastian Wilder is a laid-back, likable guy. He lives in a house on the beach, helps out delivering for his grandpop's orchard, drives special needs kids to their activities, and volunteers at a youth shelter. He loves feeling useful to the kids there, knowing he’s making a difference in their lives. The most precious part of his life, though, is Teddy.
Teddy is the twelve-year-old son of his best friend of many years, Sophia. He has Down syndrome and Sebastian loves him like his own, and does everything he can to help Sophia with his care. When Sophia’s brother, Blake, comes to town for a visit, Sebastian anticipates that he'll be manipulative like their parents and try to get her to move back to Georgia. What he doesn’t anticipate is being bowled over by Blake's extreme sexiness, his Southern charm, and his obvious adoration of his sister. They don’t start out as enemies, they’re more wary of each other. Sebastian is afraid of Blake encroaching on his special time with Teddy or taking over as uncle, though. Blake isn’t well-developed, so I’m not yet invested in his character.
The best parts of the novella are the side characters: Sophia, her partner Dylan, and especially Teddy. Sebastian’s close bond with him melts my heart. The other thing going for the book is the hot sex. Sebastian doesn’t do relationships but isn’t going to keep himself from having some down and dirty fun with Blake while he’s in town. Sebastian plays Blake like a violin in bed (and on the stairs, in the shower … ). He says he wants someone to be both his baby and his whore.
By the end, Blake has made an enemy out of Sebastian by betraying him in the way that hurts the most – through Teddy. We’ll see how that works out in book two, which I certainly hope is more satisfying and a better bang for the buck.
ARC kindly provided to Love Bytes Reviews in exchange for an honest review.
In my opinion, this duet should’ve been written as one book. There seems to be a trend lately for authors to unnecessarily break stories into multiple volumes which forces more book sales. It’s not a reader-friendly direction. We like to sink our teeth into meaty books, and we definitely don’t appreciate cliffhangers. At least this cliffy isn’t manufactured drama – it stops at a natural breaking point, but there’s no reason it couldn’t be combined with the upcoming conclusion.
Sebastian Wilder is a laid-back, likable guy. He lives in a house on the beach, helps out delivering for his grandpop's orchard, drives special needs kids to their activities, and volunteers at a youth shelter. He loves feeling useful to the kids there, knowing he’s making a difference in their lives. The most precious part of his life, though, is Teddy.
Teddy is the twelve-year-old son of his best friend of many years, Sophia. He has Down syndrome and Sebastian loves him like his own, and does everything he can to help Sophia with his care. When Sophia’s brother, Blake, comes to town for a visit, Sebastian anticipates that he'll be manipulative like their parents and try to get her to move back to Georgia. What he doesn’t anticipate is being bowled over by Blake's extreme sexiness, his Southern charm, and his obvious adoration of his sister. They don’t start out as enemies, they’re more wary of each other. Sebastian is afraid of Blake encroaching on his special time with Teddy or taking over as uncle, though. Blake isn’t well-developed, so I’m not yet invested in his character.
The best parts of the novella are the side characters: Sophia, her partner Dylan, and especially Teddy. Sebastian’s close bond with him melts my heart. The other thing going for the book is the hot sex. Sebastian doesn’t do relationships but isn’t going to keep himself from having some down and dirty fun with Blake while he’s in town. Sebastian plays Blake like a violin in bed (and on the stairs, in the shower … ). He says he wants someone to be both his baby and his whore.
By the end, Blake has made an enemy out of Sebastian by betraying him in the way that hurts the most – through Teddy. We’ll see how that works out in book two, which I certainly hope is more satisfying and a better bang for the buck.
ARC kindly provided to Love Bytes Reviews in exchange for an honest review.
September 14, 2021
I must say, unexpectedly i was kinda disappointed by this. Mostly because it wasn’t at all what i expected from the blurb. I expected rivalry, sizzling heat and some issue about being closeted. In my opinion it definitely would have been better to make it one book instead of two as to me it simply felt like half a book. The second MC didn’t even appear until 30% into the book and even then i was missing some friction and excitement. The best thing were the characters. They were very genuine and especially Teddy is very sweet. Since it ended on a cliffhanger I’ll naturally read the next book since i want to know the full story and the ending seemed to promise more friction and rivalry for the next book.
August 13, 2022
This Ain't Over, Yet!
Sebastian (Mr Beach Cowboy) meets a real hat-wearing, handsome cowboy Blake, his best friend’s brother, sparks fly and his feelings are hurt. This is a good but predictable romantic story. Both MCs are sexy, and beautiful with seemingly good personalities until they’re not so good. I liked that there was an abrupt ending, it added an unexpected punch, in more ways than one. OTOH, this probably could have been a bit longer story, instead of a two-book read. Anyhoo, I’m off to read the second book to find out what happens next! Rating: 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sebastian (Mr Beach Cowboy) meets a real hat-wearing, handsome cowboy Blake, his best friend’s brother, sparks fly and his feelings are hurt. This is a good but predictable romantic story. Both MCs are sexy, and beautiful with seemingly good personalities until they’re not so good. I liked that there was an abrupt ending, it added an unexpected punch, in more ways than one. OTOH, this probably could have been a bit longer story, instead of a two-book read. Anyhoo, I’m off to read the second book to find out what happens next! Rating: 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 17, 2021
3.5 stars
All-around good guy Sebastian Wilder volunteers at a community center for teens and is very close with Teddy, the 12 year old son of his best friend, sort of a favorite uncle to him. When Teddy’s actual uncle Blake comes to visit, Sebastian is expecting a rivalry with him, but instead they are drawn to each other and start an affair with an expiration date a few weeks away.
With a serious and dramatic title like A New Enemy, I was expecting something a little more zing, but this book was actually pretty light and low angst. This is the first book in a duology, and I wouldn’t say the ending is exactly a cliffhanger, but there is some family drama and things are not left on good terms between Sebastian and Blake. They had great chemistry and their power dynamic was quite hot, but there wasn’t much to the story and the family drama causing the rift kind of came out of nowhere. I don’t know what the page count is, but the book is pretty short, and I think maybe it would work better as one book, not sure why she thought this needed to be a duology.
All-around good guy Sebastian Wilder volunteers at a community center for teens and is very close with Teddy, the 12 year old son of his best friend, sort of a favorite uncle to him. When Teddy’s actual uncle Blake comes to visit, Sebastian is expecting a rivalry with him, but instead they are drawn to each other and start an affair with an expiration date a few weeks away.
With a serious and dramatic title like A New Enemy, I was expecting something a little more zing, but this book was actually pretty light and low angst. This is the first book in a duology, and I wouldn’t say the ending is exactly a cliffhanger, but there is some family drama and things are not left on good terms between Sebastian and Blake. They had great chemistry and their power dynamic was quite hot, but there wasn’t much to the story and the family drama causing the rift kind of came out of nowhere. I don’t know what the page count is, but the book is pretty short, and I think maybe it would work better as one book, not sure why she thought this needed to be a duology.
August 3, 2023
When I picked up this book I didn't realise that it was a rather short one. I would have skipped it otherwise because I need my stories to take their time, for the characters to develop and the story to evolve.
I'm just glad I didn't see that it only had 110 pages AND a second book to follow (cliffhanger!!) because I ended up loving the story so much. It would have been a shame to skip it. That being said, I can't wait to get my hands on part two because I NEED to know how Sebastan's and Blake's story continues.
I'm just glad I didn't see that it only had 110 pages AND a second book to follow (cliffhanger!!) because I ended up loving the story so much. It would have been a shame to skip it. That being said, I can't wait to get my hands on part two because I NEED to know how Sebastan's and Blake's story continues.
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