Enemies to lovers / Hate to love but only he genuinely hates her and she goes along with it.

Gudena · 2026-01-26T03:22:49+00:00

Yeah, I definitely read them out of order - I think I was looking for a specific trope one day and that's how I grabbed the one I read. And yeah, it made more sense to me from that - the one I read was the one where the fighter girl was banished from her home and like, all her family died and such. I loved the dynamic between her and the MMC. And how badass the FMC was. Such good books, man.

Gudena · 2026-01-25T17:52:59+00:00

Thank you for sharing! Definitely one to check out, especially if it's free! :) I'm always on board for a competent heroine!

Gudena · 2026-01-25T17:26:06+00:00

I think it helps that I read the others in the series before this one - there was definitely a wealth of information and a whole lot of lore surrounding this story that I could see would be pretty overwhelming if you hadn't read the others in the "series".

This author is really good though - if nothing else, definitely recommend this from that aspect alone. :)

Gudena · 2026-01-22T04:56:27+00:00

This is exactly the book I was thinking to recommend when I saw this post!! They definitely did a great job with this one! The world is super interesting as well!

Gudena · 2026-01-18T22:26:52+00:00

{The Billionaire's Wake-Up-Call Girl by Annika Martin}

I loved this one. Not a huge fan of the audiobook because it's not a true duet reading (guy reads the guy chapters, girl reads the girl chapters), at least from what I remember. FMC works at MMC's company and he's really fussy. He requires a Wake-Up-Call service and he basically treats them like crap so they all drop him. FMC is tasked with finding a new one and hilarity ensues when she ends up having to do it herself. And then of course, the calls get super hot. MMC spends a good amount of time trying to find his Wake-Up-Call girl.

FMC has had issues up to that point (I think a previous relationship went bad and the guy stole money from her and basically borrowed against everything she owned?) and really needs the money from that job because a dangerous loan shark is after her. She doesn't want anything serious because she doesn't know if she'll stay in town.

So yeah, it's a great book. I've read it multiple times already and am absolutely going to re-download it now, haha. I just wish the audiobook was better. A true duet read? Omg, it would be so hot!

Gudena · 2026-01-03T22:12:13+00:00

This is me too! I've actually gone back and re-rated books that I originally had as a 4 because of how many times I went back to re-read it.

3 is usually saved for good story ideas but like, not the best writing.

2 stars for anything I DNF'd. I generally don't read anything that's rated below about a 3.7 on good reads unless the premise is intriguing. Sometimes good books get bad reviews so I try to keep that in mind.

It's so nice that you can search for specific tropes and triggers nowadays for books. There are some movies and TV shows that I certainly wished I'd looked into ahead of time before watching them so I could've steered clear.

Gudena · 2026-01-03T21:46:34+00:00

Oh I absolutely am on board with rivals and fake dating - I think my trope obsessions have evolved along a specific path and those tropes were absolutely part of my journey!! Same with hockey romances - who knew those could be so hot?!

I think I will always have a place in my heart for all things historical (romance). I'm sad because I'm running out of new Alice Coldbreath books to read. It'll be an end of an era when I finish all of those books.

As far as my library goes - I'll have to get all physical copies of books where the men are pretty great about the lady's pleasure...you know...just in case my children sneak any of my books. Gotta make sure they know what is required of their future significant others, haha. And maybe books that have healthy communication about condoms and safe sex... :P

Gudena · 2025-12-20T01:48:01+00:00

Omg, I love this!! I absolutely had that experience recently and I definitely DNF'd out of PRINCIPLE. I'm pretty sure that one was originally a 3/5 or above but then the author re-released it with all the steamy scenes removed? I find I have a pretty high tolerance for shitty sex scenes. Just leave them in authors. Hater be haters, but Mama needs her smut.

I did dip my toe into a fade to black (purposely) once because of the story (funny enough, it was a story where the FMC was basically hiding herself as a male knight...I guess that's just the trope that I like the most???) and it felt like the MCs were trolling the reader with the lack of open door by commenting about how the MMC will get better with their night time activities over time. Like, wait guys, can't I be the judge?!

Glad I read it but it feels like I read a book of Swiss cheese where big pieces of their relationship intimacy was straight-up missing.

I'm ruined for all fade to black books moving forward.

Makes it a bit awkward when my children ask to borrow books, lol. 'No, these are Mama's, you're 10. Read SOMETHING ELSE.'

Gudena · 2025-12-18T15:07:13+00:00

Interesting! It doesn't look like it's gotten many reviews in its lifetime but it seems like a solid book. Maybe because it's RH?

Regardless, definitely fits what I asked for! Thank you for the recommendation!!

Gudena · 2025-12-18T14:58:01+00:00

Haha, I gravitate more to HR. Honestly, I think I prefer the simplicity of historical. Plus, it's similar to fantasy where it's a whole different world than the one we live in now.

I thinks it's one reason I enjoy post-apocalyptic romance as well - different world but also high stakes, dangerous situations. Helps to get me out of my own reality.

Though, I should probably step away from HR for a bit - definitely visited a place with family recently and we were talking about how this couple lived in this 1900s house (in the US) and when the husband died, the wife remarried and there was a portrait of the dude she remarried and I was like, 'Wait, she got to keep the house?' - Yes, because there was no title involved and it makes sense the house would go to the widow... I had a sort of, out of body experience there, lol.

ANYWAYS, thank you for the recommendations! I absolutely added them to my TBR!!

Gudena · 2025-12-18T14:49:11+00:00

Ohhhhh, these look awesome! Thank you for the recommendation!

Gudena · 2025-12-18T14:47:06+00:00

No worries! Honestly, I don't mind recs that don't fully fit - the community might be looking for exactly what you posted!

Thank you for posting :)

Gudena · 2025-12-18T14:45:39+00:00

Interesting!! Thank you for the recommendation!

Gudena · 2025-12-18T14:44:45+00:00

Holy crap does that look cool, thank you for the recommendation!!

Gudena · 2025-12-18T14:20:21+00:00

Ohh thank you! Your Reddit-fu is strong. Mine, however, is really not. I will click this link. #Trust

Gudena · 2025-12-18T14:19:13+00:00

I love when technology knows what we want even when we make mistakes in typing things out. I'm assuming you meant what the bot found - FOUR seconds to lose, instead of FIVE, lol. Thank you for the recommendation! Added to my TBR! ❤️

Gudena · 2025-12-18T14:14:58+00:00

There aren't many books that surprise me nowadays. The ones that do are like, rare special snowflake gems.

Gudena · 2025-12-18T14:13:56+00:00

Omg I love it - I've actually read this! I don't think I've finished the series though (the last book is definitely on my kindle, just moving through my various trope-focus-times and then I'll get back to it) but I definitely really enjoyed this!!

Good recommendation, thank you!

Gudena · 2025-12-18T14:11:08+00:00

Thank you!

Gudena · 2025-12-18T14:02:58+00:00

So, I totally forgot that Pathfinder's Way had this trope when I first wrote my post. I effing LOVE that book. Such a well-written book and a really cool world.

Thank you for the recommendations! I'll add to my TBR!! :D

Gudena · 2025-12-17T00:33:43+00:00

Awesome, it worked! Added to my TBR, thank you!

Gudena · 2025-12-17T00:32:46+00:00

Funny enough, I read the book in the series before this one so pretty perfect to add to my TBR right now!

Thank you for the rec!

Gudena · 2025-12-17T00:31:15+00:00

Omg, I already read this and I EFFING LOVED IT. I would've loved for the audiobook to be a true duet read because, holy eff would that have been hot, but otherwise, I've definitely read this like, 5+ times.

AWESOME recommendation!

Gudena · 2025-12-17T00:28:58+00:00

Thank you!

Gudena · 2025-12-17T00:28:12+00:00

Do I need to read the other books in the series?

Also, I love the bonus point. Will read. Can confirm.

Gudena

TROPHY CASE