Curses of Enemies to Lovers
Do Your Worst
Romance
Berkley
November 14, 2023
Paperback, Ebook, Audiobook
352
Sparks fly when an occult expert and a disgraced archeologist become enemies-with-benefits in this steamy romance from "go-to author" Rosie Danan (The New York Times Book Review). Riley Rhodes finally has the chance to turn her family’s knack for the supernatural into a legitimate business when she’s hired to break the curse on an infamous Scottish castle. Used to working alone in her alienating occupation, she's pleasantly surprised to meet a handsome stranger upon arrival—until he tries to get her fired. Fresh off a professional scandal, Clark Edgeware can’t allow a self-proclaimed “curse breaker” to threaten his last chance for redemption. After he fails to get Riley kicked off his survey site, he vows to avoid her. Unfortunately for him, she vows to get even. Riley expects the curse to do her dirty work by driving Clark away, but instead, they keep finding themselves in close proximity. Too close. Turns out, the only thing they do better than fight is fool around. If they’re not careful, by the end of all this, more than the castle will end up in ruins.
In stories, when a prince fell in love with a commoner, happily ever after was assured because ‘the end’ was only the beginning. It was a load of narrative hand-waiving if you asked her. Things only seemed like they’d work out because the protagonists had never been truly tested.
Welcome back, Rosie Danan. Readers have missed you dearly.
It’s me. I’m Readers.
Rosie Danan had me captive from the first chapter of “The Roommate” and then sealed the deal with the publication of “The Intimacy Experiment“. Fellow bee Carla was spot on when she said that it was a smart romance book. Danan does an incredible job of balancing spicy, adult content with the deeper dive into humanity and human nature. Even though “Do Your Worst” is a novel about the supernatural and magic, there is also the discovery of loneliness and human connection.
True Enemies to Lovers
Riley is a curse breaker and attempting to legitimize her craft by going pro. She’s spent a lot of time making sure that her profession isn’t considered a joke, leading her to spend a lot of her time working alone. Clark had previously been burned by a business partner, his own brother, who let the world believe that the duo was on the brink of a major archeological discovery that turned out to be lies. Lies that led to the destruction of Clark’s reputation and career.
Riley and Clark meet at a pub the night before Riley starts her next assignment, breaking a 300 year old curse on a Scottish castle. The two catch each other’s eye across the bar, and sparks fly. Flirtation ensues. An epic good night kiss. The possibilities for these two strangers are endless. Too bad Clark was smitten with Riley before he knew they’d be colleagues. Needless to say, Clark doesn’t want Riley the fraud anywhere near the job that’s meant to redeem him in the public and professional eye.
Chaos ensues. Long gone are those romantic, sexy feelings of desire… or are they?
“Kiss me,” he said, his deep voice a siren song.
Riley’s knees wobbled. “What? Why?”
“Because there’s nothing left to hide behind.”
Final Thoughts
I think some readers will be surprised to read this after having read Rosie Danan’s previous novels. “Do Your Worst” feels very different from her Freshman and Sophomore releases. You’ll still get the banter, the dynamic characters feeding off of each other, and the connection. As an added bonus, you’ll have the mystical curse and the need to solve a 300 year old puzzle to release the village from it’s power. My recommendation is for readers to try and read this as if it was a brand-new-to-you author and lean in to the magic and whimsy. You’ll enjoy the story that much more.
I’m Val, and I’m excited to share my love of books with you! I’m a sassy Sour Patch kid from New Jersey, dog mom to Chance the beagle, and much like the rest of the Hive, I’m a coffee lover (I think it’s a requirement to be here). The first book I remember reading voluntarily involved a boy wizard who lived in the cupboard under the stairs, and I’ve been chasing magic ever since. I love Happily Ever Afters, and I love love. My favorite genres are romance and rom-coms, fantasy, and young adult/new adult. If I’m not reading, I’m probably kayaking, watching the Great British Baking Show, or discovering a new craft beer.
