Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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Book Description
He’s my heartless stepbrother who despises me. I’m the idiot who accidentally sent him some not-so-innocent photos …
Dayton Copeland is the antithesis of fun, sunshine, and sugar, which is everything I stand for. When tragedy strikes, we break our ten-year streak of no contact when we become co-owners of a dilapidated beachfront bungalow. We have one year to agree on what to do with it.
Of course he wants to sell. He spends his nights counting his money.
Between heated arguments about the budget and him crashing in my bedroom to help ‘oversee’ the project, I’m starting to wonder if I was wrong about Dayton’s true feelings for me all along.
When the salacious photos hit his inbox, he responds in a way my ex-husband could never.
The Florida sun is blazing hot, but the tension between us just got ten times hotter.
Right when I think everything might work out, a tropical storm hits, wrecking our progress on the house. Then Dayton’s ex makes a surprise appearance, leaving me to wonder if his intentions with me are pure or if he was always…
just another summer enemy.
Just Another Summer Enemy is a complete standalone small-town summer romcom with broody/secretly obsessed step brother and a taboo forbidden love story.
About Ariel Hendrix
Ariel is a native Texan who lives in Hawaii with her dreamy husband Justin and two kiddos.
She can't resist pairing a damaged heroine with a southern gentleman who manages to tear down her walls one brick at a time. The men in her books will open every door and carry every bag, just like Justin does.
She's eternally indebted to her writing, which rescued her from the darkest place she has ever been.
Also published under the pen name Mj Hendrix.
Her lifelong dream is to one day write all her books in a house by the sea, with a wine cellar that's never empty and her imaginary characters somehow becoming her real-life friends.
My Thoughts
Just Another Summer Enemy by Ariel Hendrix is a fun, moody, and tension-filled summer escape that absolutely swept me away. Performed beautifully in a duet narration by Alexis Paige and Walker Williams, this story delivers the ultimate sun-soaked beach vacation atmosphere. It drops readers right into a warm, intimate small-town beach community where you instantly feel like you belong. Blending a forced-proximity stepbrother dynamic with a fierce enemies-to-lovers trajectory, the book strikes the perfect balance between a blazing-hot summer rom-com and a deeply moving emotional journey.
The story follows Summer, a sunshine-infused breath of fresh air, and Dayton, the ultimate grumpy, workaholic, and brooding MMC. After a ten-year streak of absolute silence following their teenage years, tragedy pulls them back together as co-owners of a dilapidated beachfront bungalow with just one year to decide its fate. The sharp, emotional push-and-pull between them is charged from the very beginning. Between heated arguments over the renovation budget and a hilarious, accidental text involving some salacious photos sent straight to his inbox, the tension and banter escalate into an undeniable, slow-burn chemistry.
What makes this book truly spectacular is the depth beneath the spice. While the buildup leads to some seriously amazing steam, the core of the story focuses beautifully on rebuilding trust, navigating grief, and healing old wounds. The author handles heavy topics like grief and OCD with immense thoughtfulness and respect. Summer is an incredibly relatable FMC who stands her ground despite carrying deep trust issues, making her journey toward healing so moving to watch. On the flip side, Dayton completely solidifies himself as top-tier book boyfriend material. He has been quietly pining and secretly obsessed with Summer since they were fifteen, and watching him slowly open up and show his tender, fiercely devoted side is pure perfection. (And that pearl necklace he gives her? I am still not over the sweetness of that moment!)
The execution of this book is flawless, utilizing well-placed flashbacks to bring their complicated history to life. The supporting cast, including January and the Bees, injects the perfect amount of fun and humor into the plot. As part of an interconnected series of standalones set in Coconut Beach, it is an absolute treat to see previous characters pop up—including a nod to characters from When Summer Ends—while still being entirely accessible as a standalone read. From the blazing Florida sun and unexpected tropical storms to a beautifully precious epilogue that had me in tears, this book hits every single mark. If you love an enemies-to-lovers dynamic packed with attitude, heavy angst, and vulnerability, you need to pack your bags for this fictional beach town immediately.
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