Series Review: The Enemies by Piper Lawson

Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:

Synopsis for Beautiful Enemy (from Goodreads):

I sold my future to the man who ruined my past.

I had a plan:

Sign a contract and board a plane to Ibiza. The anonymous deal would salvage the smoldering wreckage of my life.

It would not involve billionaire Harrison King. AKA, the reason I need saving in the first place.

He’s as beautiful as he is cruel. A British business titan who’s practically royalty and makes a living getting what he wants.

The man flies private. Dates supermodels. But the crisp accent and cocky smirk don’t fool me. He’s a gentleman on the outside, a savage beneath. Dangerous, rough and brutal.

Because after my attempt to publicly stand up for those who needed it…

He destroyed my reputation.

Now, he’s come for the rest of me.

Except it’s not salvation he’s promising. It’s nights in Ibiza, under his roof, rules, his control.

I sold my soul to a man I hate. Now, he owns me.

I can’t back out. No matter what kind of punishment he has in store.

Harrison King knows my secrets…

But kings keep secrets too.

SERIESous’ Top Picks: Favourite Author, Canadian Author
Series: The Enemies Trilogy

This series is a spin-off of sorts from the Rivals Series

Author: Piper Lawson
# of Books: 4 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Chronological Order
Complete?: Yes
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Drama
Heat Rating: Toasty
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Dates: May to July 2022
Source & Format: Author–eARC

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

I’m a huge Piper Lawson fan and have been since she published her debut Schooled years ago. But I was super excited to start this series. We got a little glimpse of our leads interacting for the first time at the end of the Rivals Series (another great read BTW) and could not WAIT to see them come to life in their own trilogy! I love a good “in love with my enemy” story and this one looked extremely promising.

The Concept / The World:

You don’t see a lot of romance series anymore that follow the same set of leads for multiple books. I feel like it was a big trend around the Fifty Shades of Gray era; but eventually, romance series started to focus on a different set of leads for each book in a series. And while I would say that I tend to skew more towards the standalones for a romance lead, this series reminded me why having 3 whole books dedicated to one couple can be freaking fantastic!

By having a trilogy dedicated entirely to them, we are taking our time evolving their characters and the romance. And what a ride!

The Plot:

Everything about this trilogy’s plot felt fresh to me. I loved the slight suspense and mystery behind Harrison’s family’s past. It just gave the story an edge that had me eager to start the next chapter to see what happens next.
At the same time, Rae’s story is just as fascinating to read. She’s got her own thing going on which is great.
But the very best part: the masterful weaving of all the elements together. It just creates a well-balanced and utterly addicting story.

I find most romance trilogies that focus on a single couple often follow a similar formula for each book installment so they can be rather predictable. Not the case here. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect next and I loved that. I think I’ve read 95% of Piper Lawson’s titles and she still manages to make her series fresh every single time.

The Characters:

We have some great, complex characters here. I was truly impressed with the character growth here from both our leads. Both their individual growth and as a couple. It was great to see how far they’ve come from the independent, angry with the world people they were in the first book.

And boy, oh boy, do I hope we get some spin-off books or series about a few of the supporting characters we meet along the way!

The Romance:

I love the chemistry between these two! That (AMAZING) slow burning romance is what makes this series so addicting. It’s just so obvious to me how they fit together and how they challenge each other to be better people. Any time they share a scene together, I’m swooning or laughing or crying…they make me feel everything.

It’s crazy how invested I became in their story.

–July 25, 2022– Book #4: Beautiful Salvation

Who wouldn’t want an extended epilogue featuring some of their favourite characters? This was the perfect cherry on top for this series! It had all the heart, great banter and communication plus lots of cameos from other characters we met throughout the series.

Series Rating: 5/5

Beautiful Enemy 5/5 | Beautiful Sins 5/5 | Beautiful Ruin 5/5 | Beautiful Salvation 4/5

Honestly: I was in a super depressing reading funk when I started this series. But this series reminded me why I love to read. Piper Lawson knows just how to tease you and keep you coming back for more when it comes to her stories and this series is a prime example of her mastery at its finest!

Read if You Like: contemporary romances, romance trilogies
Avoid if You: dislike steamy reads; dislike angsty characters