The Enemy: A Novel
From the New York Times bestselling author of Practice Makes Perfect comes an expanded edition of The Enemy—a laugh-out-loud romance about rekindling old flames, with a never-before-seen chapter.
Enemies should never get a second chance. But this one might.
It’s been twelve years since June Broaden has seen her high school enemy (and secret crush), Ryan Henderson. That’s a long time to hold a grudge over some petty feud, but the sharp memory of him dangling a kiss at graduation, then pulling away at the last second, has fueled many angry fantasies since. Now it’s her chance to get even.
Ryan, along with most of her high school class, is back in town for her best friend’s wedding, and June is eager to show the former bully exactly what he’s missed out on. A lot has changed since their teenage days; June is now the Southern queen of gourmet donuts, not to mention one of the most desired bachelorettes in her small town.
What’s she’s not expecting, though, is for Ryan to show up looking like Adonis and touting his own career success as the youngest chef to ever win three Michelin stars. How dare he try to one-up her revenge plot? Luckily, June never backs down from a challenge.
Enemies should never get a second chance. But this one might.
It’s been twelve years since June Broaden has seen her high school enemy (and secret crush), Ryan Henderson. That’s a long time to hold a grudge over some petty feud, but the sharp memory of him dangling a kiss at graduation, then pulling away at the last second, has fueled many angry fantasies since. Now it’s her chance to get even.
Ryan, along with most of her high school class, is back in town for her best friend’s wedding, and June is eager to show the former bully exactly what he’s missed out on. A lot has changed since their teenage days; June is now the Southern queen of gourmet donuts, not to mention one of the most desired bachelorettes in her small town.
What’s she’s not expecting, though, is for Ryan to show up looking like Adonis and touting his own career success as the youngest chef to ever win three Michelin stars. How dare he try to one-up her revenge plot? Luckily, June never backs down from a challenge.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
The Enemy by Sarah Adams — Audiobook Review 🎧💛
Synopsis:
June Broaden, a donut-loving bakery owner, isn’t thrilled when her high school nemesis, Ryan Henderson, shows up for their best friend’s wedding. What starts as playful pranks and snarky banter soon reveals years of unspoken feelings. Between stolen glances and sweet moments, June begins to wonder if the boy she once called her enemy might just be the man she’s meant to love.
My Review:
✨When life feels heavy, I reach for a Sarah Adams audiobook… and my heart always thanks me.✨
I adore Sarah Adams’ books, and her audiobooks are a soothing balm to my heart and soul. So when my monthly credit rolled in, I knew exactly what I needed—another Sarah Adams story. August has been a slower reading month as I’ve been navigating health challenges and life struggles, but audiobooks have been such a gift—letting me enjoy sweet, uplifting stories without the physical strain of reading.
The Enemy came at the perfect time—wrapping my heart in warmth and making me laugh out loud. I swoon over her low-spice rom-coms, witty one-liners, and characters who feel like instant friends. June and Ryan’s story was as sweet as I hoped—like coming home to people you love.
As book two in the It Happened in Charleston series, it’s a cute follow-up to The Match (one of my all-time faves!). While it didn’t top The Match—and the characters sometimes felt immature—it was still fun, heartwarming, and full of moments that made me laugh, ache, and cheer.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 stars)
Here’s what kept it from being a 5-star read for me:
1️⃣ Bar hopping/drunken stupor at the beginning (thankfully not a recurring theme—huge props to Ryan for being the responsible adult!).
2️⃣ Occasional immaturity from June—sometimes funny, other times a bit much.
3️⃣ Characters weren’t as developed as in other Adams books. I actually connected with Ryan more than June, which surprised me. Even with similar life experiences, I struggled to relate to her as much as I usually do with the FMC.
Still, this was sweet, uplifting, and one I’d happily revisit. 🫶
QOTD:
Have you read this one yet? Or do you have a go-to comfort read when life feels heavy?
So, I really liked Ryan. But June drove me nuts. Me thinks the lady dost protest too much, with her professed hatred of her ex high school crush. She was immature to the degree that she seemed never to grow up, though it was 10 years later. Could not see why in the world he would be attracted to her. I think I need to quit reading books that don’t speak to me. But I managed to slog through it. Did the audiobook. The narrator for June may have been one reason I didn’t like her. Way too high-pitched and whiny. I did like the voice of Ryan, and enjoyed it when the story shifted to him.
Enemies to lovers, ela tem problemas de confiança por um ex relacionamento, mas ele não desiste. Lê-se rápido e gostei muito. Um dos melhores livros de romance que já li
June and Ryan have been enemies since high school. They haven't seen each other since the night of their high school graduation, but all of that is about to change since their best friends are getting married. June is dreading the thought of Ryan being back in town, but Ryan can't wait to see her...
This is my first Sarah Adams novel, and even though it says it's number 2 in the series, it's definitely fine as a standalone. I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not reading the first book in the series. This was a cute little story. True "enemies" to lovers. I'll admit I found it a little cheesy and hard to listen to at first (hence the 4 star rating), but it grew on me. The characters are likeable and funny, but as always, these types of novels are usually pretty predictable. I loved the dual narration and both narrators did a pretty good job.
Thank you so much NetGalley and DreamScapes Media for this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: May 10, 2022
This is my first Sarah Adams novel, and even though it says it's number 2 in the series, it's definitely fine as a standalone. I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not reading the first book in the series. This was a cute little story. True "enemies" to lovers. I'll admit I found it a little cheesy and hard to listen to at first (hence the 4 star rating), but it grew on me. The characters are likeable and funny, but as always, these types of novels are usually pretty predictable. I loved the dual narration and both narrators did a pretty good job.
Thank you so much NetGalley and DreamScapes Media for this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: May 10, 2022
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.