The real star is the dynamic between Damon and Jade. They are both stubborn, both brilliant, both completely unwilling to lose, and watching them escalate from cold professionalism to all-out prank warfare is delightful. There is a War of the Roses energy to their sabotage, and a meddling ghost, or rather a meddling old lady from beyond the grave, who set the whole thing up with her eyes wide open. Clarabelle might be the best character in the book, and I loved every scene with her.

The romance is a slow burn that builds through forced proximity, and it earns its heat. When Damon and Jade finally stop fighting long enough to talk, the story reveals real emotional depth, wounded family histories and the reasons behind their armor. I found myself rooting for them by the end, though I will say Jade took me a while to warm up to. She is prickly and approval-seeking in ways that can be frustrating, and this is probably the most divided the reviews on this one get: some readers find her brilliant, others find her hard to love. I landed in the middle, and the journey is worth it either way.

It is not a perfect book. The middle sags slightly as the pranks start to repeat themselves, and the pacing is fast enough that the emotional beats could have used a little more room to breathe. But as a palate cleanser, a one-sitting listen full of charm and chemistry, it delivers exactly what it promises. The audiobook is the way to go, with Sean Masters and Brooke Bloomingdale delivering the banter with perfect comedic timing. If you are in the mood for a warm, funny, enemies-to-lovers romcom, this is a very good idea indeed.