Dear Enemy by Kristen Callihan Published by Montlake Romance on March 31, 2020
Pages: 386
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Maxine Mitchell, Sebastian York
Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
Genres: Romance
Amazon Audible
From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Callihan comes a smart romantic comedy about finding love with the most unlikely of people.
As kids, they hated each other. Macon Saint was beautiful, but despite his name, Delilah knew he was the devil. That he dated her slightly evil sister, Samantha, was no picnic either. When they broke up, it was a dream come true: Delilah never had to see him again.
Ten years later, her old enemy sends a text.
Delilah’s sister has stolen a valuable heirloom from Macon, now a rising Hollywood star, and he intends to collect his due. One problem: Sam has skipped town.
Sparks still sizzle between Macon and Delilah, only this heat feels alarmingly like unwanted attraction. But Delilah is desperate to keep her weak-hearted mother from learning of her sister’s theft. So she proposes a deal: she’ll pay off the debt by being Macon’s personal chef and assistant.
It’s a recipe for disaster, but Macon can’t stop himself from accepting. Even though Delilah clearly hates him, there’s something about her that feels like home. Besides, they’re no longer kids, and what once was a bitter rivalry has the potential to be something sweeter. Something like forever.
Dear Enemy, as the title suggests, is an enemies to lovers story. The romance is of the slow burn variety that I always enjoy.
The animosity between Delilah and Macon begins in adolescence and continues through adulthood. To be blunt, Macon is a grade A alphahole towards Delilah, but with her sharp tongue she is a formidable foe who gives as good as she gets. Sometimes this trope doesn’t work for me because the antihero is overly and unjustifiably cruel to the heroine. That isn’t the case here. Macon makes it easy to sympathize with him even though his behavior is wrong. In fact, he moved me.
At first glance, Macon and Delilah’s conflict seems cut and dry and the characters appear to be one dimensional. In Kristen Callihan’s capable hands, however, the depth of the characters and their hidden emotions are slowly revealed. Delilah’s annoying and consistently self-centered sister is the one exception.
The deal struck between Delilah and Macon feels unnecessary and unrealistic, but I was nonetheless extremely entertained.
About the audiobook:
I’ve probably said this countless times, but Maxine Mitchell is one of my very favorite narrators. Her delivery is wonderfully emotional and engaging. While her impression of Macon sounds more like a teenage boy, it’s passable without being a distraction. If anyone knows of a female narrator other than Erin Mallon who can pull off a convincing male voice, please let me know! Sebastian York is well-suited to Macon’s character. My one complaint is that both characters are from North Carolina, so why does he only give Delilah a southern accent?
Recommended for fans of:
Chefs
Celebrities
Enemies to lovers
Sibling drama
About Kristen Callihan
Kristen Callihan is an author because there’s nothing else she’d rather be. She has written New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestsellers. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. Her debut book, Firelight, received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence and was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, Best Book of Spring 2012 by Publishers Weekly, and Best Romance Book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she’s not writing, she’s reading.
This is an author I just recently found and loved. I still need to read this one and I can’t wait! It sounds so good!