The quick verdict
Seven years of mutual irritation, one destination wedding, one shared room and enough chemistry to make the enemies part of enemies-to-lovers feel increasingly suspicious.
I loved Calder and Dakota. Their fighting was ridiculous, their attraction was obvious, and the audiobook made every argument, insult and badly concealed feeling even more entertaining.
This landed at 4.5 stars rather than five for one very specific reason: Teddy Hamilton once again made me deeply uncomfortable in peak-hour traffic.
Bluetooth remains the true villain of this series.
The rundown
Dakota and Calder have disliked each other for seven years, ever since a home renovation disaster cemented their mutual belief that the other person was completely unbearable.
Unfortunately, their families are connected. Dakota’s best friend is already married to one of Calder’s brothers, which means avoiding each other forever is not an option.
When another of Calder’s brothers gets married at a tropical destination wedding, both Dakota and Calder end up attending, and family interference leaves the two sworn enemies sharing a room. The close quarters expose something neither of them particularly wants to admit: the fighting may not be the only reason they cannot stop thinking about each other.
What begins as a sexual holiday arrangement follows them home, where Calder agrees to keep helping the newly divorced Dakota rebuild her confidence.
Naturally, this very sensible plan remains calm, uncomplicated and emotionally responsible for approximately no time at all.
Real talk
I loved the whole thing.
Calder and Dakota have the kind of enemies-to-lovers chemistry where every argument feels one bad decision away from becoming something else. Their banter is loud, petty and genuinely funny, but there is also a lot more tenderness underneath it than either of them wants to acknowledge.
Calder was a particular problem for me.
He is a tattooed mountain man, handyman and proud cat daddy who talks far too much for someone trying to pretend he does not have feelings. Beneath all that loud confidence, he is observant, protective and completely gone for Dakota long before he is emotionally prepared to deal with it.
Dakota was just as easy to love. She is rebuilding her confidence after divorce and trying to work out who she is outside the life she thought she would have. I liked that her insecurities did not disappear simply because Calder found her attractive. Her growth felt personal, and the romance supported it rather than magically fixing everything.
The family interference added exactly the right amount of chaos. Everyone around Calder and Dakota seems to understand what is happening before they do, which made their continued insistence that they hated each other even funnier.
The audiobook verdict
Erin Mallon and Teddy Hamilton were an excellent pairing for Dakota and Calder.
Erin gave Dakota the confidence, humour and vulnerability she needed, particularly during the moments when her bravado slipped. Teddy gave Calder the full loudmouthed mountain-man treatment, complete with the teasing, arrogance and occasional softness that made him impossible not to enjoy.
Unfortunately, Teddy Hamilton also continues to treat my car speakers as a hostile workplace incident.
This audiobook should come with a traffic-condition warning: heavy congestion ahead, keep both hands on the wheel, and do not make eye contact with the person in the car beside you.
Tropes & vibes
- Enemies to lovers
- Only one bed
- Forced proximity
- Destination wedding
- Mountain-man romance
- Meddling family
- Sister-in-law’s best friend
- Divorced midsize heroine
- Cat daddy
- Confidence rebuilding
- Coaching arrangement
- Mutual antagonism with suspicious chemistry
- Interconnected family series
The tiny details that did the damage
- Years of secret interest disguised as irritation
- Calder’s cat-daddy moments
- Caretaking when the arguing temporarily pauses
- Everyone else knowing they belong together first
- The nickname that becomes much softer than intended
- Dakota wearing his clothes
- Hot-tub chaos
- The family treating matchmaking like a competitive sport
- Calder being loud about everything except his actual feelings
Read this if…
Pick this up if you enjoy enemies who genuinely commit to the bit, forced proximity, destination weddings, meddling relatives and heroes whose emotional awareness arrives several chapters after everyone else’s.
It is also a great choice for readers who want a heroine in her mid-thirties rebuilding her confidence after divorce, rather than being treated like her romantic life ended with her marriage.
Audiobook readers should proceed enthusiastically, but perhaps not while collecting children, sitting beside a work colleague or driving with the windows down.
EmberSas ratings
- Story: 4.5 / 5
- Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️½ / 5
- Damage report: No thoughts, head empty, 10/10 (💀💀)
- Format: Audiobook
- Narration: Duet narration by Erin Mallon and Teddy Hamilton
- Favourite problem: Calder Fletcher
- Public-listening safety: Headphones required
- Final vibe: Loud mountain man. Fiery divorcee. Peak-hour emotional hazard.
Group chat verdict
Calder and Dakota spent seven years insisting they hated each other when apparently they just needed a tropical holiday, one room and a family with absolutely no respect for boundaries.
I loved their chemistry, their personal growth and the way Calder slowly became much softer than his dating profile suggested.
Would I recommend the audiobook? Absolutely.
Would I recommend listening to Teddy Hamilton during peak-hour traffic again? Apparently yes, because I have learned nothing.
Final vibe
Enemies with benefits. Cat-daddy competence. Teddy Hamilton causing another traffic incident.
