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

Kristen Callihan

THIS! This is why I love reading and this is what has been missing for me lately. The feeling of excitement, being unable to put the book down just to go pee. Yeah, I’m going there people. DEAR ENEMY is a flawlessly executed enemies-to-lovers romance that follows a sassy heroine and a brooding hero with lots of humor, emotions and a pinch of angst to keep it interesting.

Macon was the perfect hero – growing up he was a real jerk to Delilah but there are just enough hints to give the reader an inkling that this isn’t just pure malice, that there is something cooking we aren’t privy to yet. Over the course of the story I fell in love with Macon’s kindness, his thoughts about Delilah and how he opened up to her about his childhood and youth.

Delilah is pretty. Quietly pretty. She will never be the first person everyone looks at when entering a room. Especially not in LA, where beautiful women bloom like flowers in a well-tended garden. But among a bouquet of perfect roses, Delilah is much like her namesake flower—unexpectedly vivid and complex—making you realize that roses are boring in comparison.

He seemed so self-confident, so larger-than-life on the outside that no one bothered to look what’s behind the facade.

With Delilah I got one of my favorite heroines – sassy, snarky, smart, deeply loyal and adaptive. A person who keeps the hero on his toes, who listens and learns, who makes mistakes and knows how to say sorry and how to forgive. And there was a lot to forgive when it came to Macon – he really was the worst and total punk as a teenager. For Delilah it wasn’t the grudge that was hard to get over though but her insecurities that Macon caused and they would flare up frequently. Macon’s openness and his true remorse helped her to get over it though and earned him her absolute trust. He didn’t let up when he realized that it was his childhood enemy he wanted and went after her with every tool in his repertoire.

“Did I take advantage? Yeah, I did. But it was never about control or payback. It was the only way I knew I could be close to you. We parted with so much hate and hurt between us. I wanted a chance to get to know who you are now. For me to show you who I am.”

I also loved Delilah for her steadfastness, her loyalty, her unshakable love for her sister although she wasn’t blind to Sam’s many flaws (boy, did I hate her). Both of the main characters experienced immense growth that left me completely satisfied in the end.

“You’re killing me, Tot. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going with you.”

The stalker aspect of the story was a prominent part of the story and I expected a showdown which I was deprived of. It wasn’t a big deal and didn’t take away from my enjoyment but I thought this could have been handled a liiittle bit better. I loved the food references, the way Delilah expressed herself with food, how she told stories and experiences through it. This was so well done.

I’m a huge fan of Kristen Callihan’s writing – I loved every single book I read by her in the past. She writes with heart and humor, her heroines and heroes are always strong, people who seem real with all their flaws but still so darn likable. DEAR ENEMY falls right into this category. I’m now looking forward to what she has next in store for us. Maybe we get a book about North, Macon’s awesome bodyguard? I think he deserves a HEA.

“I’m going to love you, Macon Saint. So long and so hard you’re not going to remember what it feels like to be without love.”