A small town enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy. For Harper Delaney, moving back to her claustrophobically small hometown is about as appealing as two week old sushi. But, the newly certified elementary school teacher has an empty bank account and mountain of student loan debt. The allure of free rent and a guaranteed summer job are undeniable.On the hunt for her dream job in San Francisco, Harper … San Francisco, Harper just needs to survive the summer without murdering Elijah Monroe. He may have grown into a scorchingly hot fireman, but he’s still her nemesis. Harper gave Elijah her heart when she was sixteen, and never forgave the jerk for not wanting it. Probably for the best, since he’s also her stepbrother.
Elijah still makes Harper’s blood boil and heart race. And he knows it. She’ll wipe that smug smirk off his gorgeous face before leaving town. The only question is if she wants to do it with a kiss or a slap.
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First by this author and I really enjoyed this story! It was cheesy but brilliant! The characters were totally adorable and i had a few proper laugh out loud moments reading this! Look forward to reading more by Amelia
This is a great read with an awesome storyline that has well developed and engaging characters that have lots of chemistry. The smooth flow of the storyline makes for a good reading time.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Harpers father met a woman on line and moved them to a small town. She had a son named Elijah. They could not stand each other. Through out their growing up years they straddled the fine line between love and hate. Would they ever admit to their fiery attraction to each other? Fun and exciting story
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed this book. However, I did not like the way the chapters went back in time then back to the present.
Ever since Harper laid eyes on Elijah, her step brother, she could not help but be attracted to him. She would tell herself as well as everyone else that she did not like him like that.
Elijah would pick fights with Harper and call her short stack because he knew it made her mad. This was his way of saying he loved her too.
I loved the ending of this book. It made me happy.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What an amazing book! I loved watching Harper & Elijah banter back and forth. Their history was so intriguing and I loved that we got to go back to the past and see it. I loved their chemistry and seeing them learn to actually accept it. Such an amazing slow burn, enemies to lovers book!! The whole book was impossible to put down.
Everyone, listen up… Stop what you are doing, put down your book (or child or dinner or whatever) and pick up this freaking book!
I loved everything about it!!! Short stack and Elijah Monroe are my new fave couple. I am a total sucker for enemies to lovers… throw in a sexy fireman, a little forbidden stepbrother, and humor to boot- yep I loved it.
Five hilarious, panty-melting, stay up all night, snap at my husband for interrupting me stars!
I adored this book. The story was so funny, and even though at times I might have been a little frustrated with Harper for not figuring out that she was the one Elijah was in love with, it played out perfectly. I mean the way he acted when they were younger totally would not have given off to me any type of interest. And then there were all the other things that were confusing for her. The girl who he went upstairs with at a party one night. Dating his friend in high school, only to have that be a huge surprise when she got back to town and saw what he was up to.
The banter in this one was so good, I’ve found that I love the way this author writes dialogue. And the characters are great as well. I like the way the author also brings in pop culture type of references, for instance the Bridget Jones moment in the firehouse with the pole.
Now, I know that I have to have read this one at some point because the whole story was so familiar to me! But I hadn’t marked it read on Goodreads, so who knows!
Anyway, I’ve found another author that I intend to read anything and everything by her that I can get my grubby little hands on.
I love a good enemies to lovers story, and this was that on steroids. The emotions are intense from the moment Harper meets Eli, the teenage son of her father’s soon to be wife. Sixteen-year-old Harper is uprooted from her beloved San Francisco to a small town in the northern part of the state, where the trees are taller, but the people are more infuriating than what she’s used to. When Harper first lays eyes on Eli, she’s head over heels in love. Before he utters a single word, she determines that he is “the one” for her. Her everything. Until he opens his mouth. The hate/love/hate relationship begins with sparks that fly through the entire story. Eli’s father died before Eli was born and Harper’s mom abandoned her and her father, leaving both teens with massive scars. Harper suffers from serious insecurities to the point that all Eli has to do is smile at her and she’s suddenly in love with him all over again. Eli is brooding and moody, running hot and cold. The relationship is so fraught, that Harper flees back to San Francisco as soon as she graduates. After college, she returns to the small town, and temporarily moves back in with her dad, stepmom and step-brother, albeit reluctantly, to take a short-term teaching job while she waits to hear about her dream job at a private school in San Francisco. Because, let’s face it, you cannot afford to wait out a job in San Fran without a well-paying job. Not even with a roommate. When Harper returns, old wounds are still festering, and sparks fly even higher when a now grown Elijah is hotter than ever.
Plot
The plot is primarily the relationship between Harper and Eli, told both in current times as well as flashbacks to when the two first meet. These two timelines are interspersed, allowing the reader to learn the history of their animosity as the anger and resentment continue to unfold in current day. Underlying the main plot is Harper’s future and whether she’ll stay in nowheresville Weaverton or return to her beloved city by the bay. The romance aspect is very back and forth and became like watching a tennis match after awhile. The conflict is not only driven by intense emotions by both characters, but also the “forbidden” nature of their stepbrother/stepsister relationship.
Characters
Even adult Harper suffers from the same insecurities as teen Harper, although she has a better handle on her emotions. Eli is far less brooding, but he’s still got issues and he knows how to get under Harper’s skin, and it soon becomes clear he has insecurities of his own. The characters are the best part of the book, though. They are well-conceived and well-executed, with depth and complexity. My only real complaint is some mild slut-shaming of a young character in the early part of the book. Harper’s internal comments on Athena made it a lot harder for me to warm up to Harper, although I did get there. Part of her judgment, I’m sure, came from her insecurities and seeing this girl as a romantic rival.
What I Enjoyed About TRUCE? HATING ELIJA MONROE
1. The Flashbacks. The history of Eli and Harper’s relationship was key to me understanding who they are now, and why they say and do the things they do. Without those scenes, I wouldn’t have been able to get into either of these characters.
2. Enemies to Lovers. One of my favorite tropes.
3. The Parents. Eli’s mom and Harper’s dad are the sanest people in this story and they are needed to ground their kids and reign in their over-the-top emotions.
4. The Setting. I’m like Harper in that I’m a city girl, but escaping to the small town of Weaverton was a breath of fresh air. The author provides stunning details that makes this fictional town someplace I’d love to visit.
5. Romantic Gestures. I won’t give it away, but there is a scene at the very end that was just so wonderfully romantic it melted my heart. Yay Eli.
Bottom Line
An intense hate-to-love romance with strong emotions and in-depth characters.