... romantic, funny, sweet and easy to relate to, it’s a breezy read that will be like catnip for anyone who likes a good enemies-to-lovers story ... charming in a perfectly relentless way, an incredibly human one. Maddie and Theo are flawed people who act like real human beings – stubborn, loving, soft, giving and tough and stubborn as two cats dueling over a piece of tuna ... I liked the way they eventually came to friendship, then love – with lust, naturally, being the first emotion coupled with hate that faced them ... How much you love Theo and Maddie’s relationship will depend on how much you like love/hate tropery; the book has this in spades, and while normally these kinds of relationships don’t work for me, Guillory’s work sold it completely ... It’s not my favorite Guillory, but it’s a very, very close third, and still a fizzy champagne toast of a cocktail that never flattens out.
... warm summer fun ... Readers will enjoy this telling of the enemies-to-lovers trope and appreciate glimpses of other characters from Guillory’s romances. Maddie and Theo are well-rounded people with authentic flaws who are worth rooting for.
Guillory does such a good job conveying the electricity between the pair that, when the requisite conflict arises, it is overcome pretty easily. Still, this enemies-to-lovers story includes genuinely touching moments as Maddie and Theo learn some hard truths about themselves as they (spoiler!) fall in love. As always with Guillory, relationships with side characters round out this hilarious, satisfying romantic comedy.
Ultimately, the characters display a perplexing lack of initiative as romantic partners: Everything happens to them, they rarely stop to examine their feelings, and they are too afraid to share the truth in their hearts. The sheer lack of action brings the romance to a grinding halt as Maddie and Theo wait for someone else to arrive and propel them into the next stage of their relationship ... Likable characters trapped in a plodding, directionless romance.
