My Dearest Enemy: A Novel

I can't say enough about "My Dearest Enemy," by Connie Brockway. I am an avid reader of historical romance novels and it is one of my all-time favorites. I have read this book three or four times over the years, with enough time in between to have forgotten some of the minor plot points. The characters are very sympathetic and full-drawn. I love the clash of wits between Lily and Avery in their correspondence. When they finally meet in person, the sparks immediately fly. I think some reviewers who gave this book a lesser rating might have mistaken measured pacing of the story line for a slow plot. The author gives herself plenty of time to develop a true friendship between Lily and Avery, while gradually revealing the deeper reasons behind their actions. There are parts that are amusing, witty, sweet, tender, tense and heartbreaking. This is a good book for readers who prefer to watch a relationship build BEFORE the characters get into bed with each other. And Ms. Brockway has a wonderful mastery of language. I found myself savoring many wonderful phrases. "My Dearest Enemy" is a winner!

Avery Thorne is furious! His uncle promised Mill House to him, but it seems his uncle has reneged on that promise. A letter from Lillian Bede says his uncle has deferred the decision about the estate via his will. The will states that Lillian Bede will be given the reins to the estate for five years. If the estate is profitable at the end of the five years, then the estate becomes the legal property of Ms. Bede. If the estate is unprofitable, it cedes to Avery Thorne.Avery decides to travel the world for five years rather than wait around England for the outcome. Lillian is obliged by the terms of the will to deliver a quarterly allowance to Avery, and so starts a correspondence between the hero and heroine that is absolutely hilarious. But the book really gets going when the two finally meet.The premise of this book is refreshingly unique. The book is quite funny, but also encourages the reader to address some very deep subjects. Suffragist ideology of Victorian England, the importance of family and home, the unfairness of the laws that separate families, animal cruelty, men not recognizing women's worth are just some things that are presented. It is quite delightful to read the banter between the H and h about these many social issues. One can get very involved in these issues or choose to just let the story slide by with a degree of shallowness. The secondary characters do just that in a lot of ways.All of the characters drive the plot in a very even, interesting path. The time period, late 1800's, is well-represented, and the morals and social structure of that time period are well-developed. Connie Brockway wins my five stars once again.

I was looking for a book involving letters between the main characters, this was on the list. It was good, and the letters were funny, but it wasn't fantastic. Avery was a bumbling gentleman, not a suave rake, (which was part of his charm), and Lily was shrewish but also not firm enough with the people in her life. Overall, it was good. I would recommend it.

I love how this author writes. Here words just flow. I also love that there are secondary characters in this book, who were interesting. The only think I didn't like about this book, was that it took forever for things to come to a conclusion between the h/h. In fact right up to the last page of the book, she was relentless in her outlook of men and her determination to stay alone for the rest of her life. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but there was a few times I wanted to throw the book against the wall, as she became so annoying. The hero was quite funny and I did laugh many times while reading his thoughts. I also loved the letters in the beginning of the book. ( The editing of this book was great. I read so many digital books that need editing very badly.) Because I love this author's style of writing, I will be reading more of her books.

This is the story of Lillian Bede the beautiful suffragette and Avery Thorne the bored adventurer. The estate is owned by Horatio Algernon Thorne. Upon his death Miss Bede will be appointed manager of the estate for a period of 5 years. If she can turn a profit by the end of 5 years the estate will be hers, if not Avery Thorne will inherit it. Miss Bede writes a letter informing Avery of the details of Horatio Thorne's will and that begins a correspondence between the two of them. Avery is away on one of his many adventures when he receives her letter. Her letters are full of admonishments, pithy phrases and humor. As a form of entertainment Avery begins reading her letters to his fellow adventurers. They love her letters and one of his group even says her wants her as his wife. The letters secretly annoy Avery along with the fact that she sends him a quarterly allowance. Avery never having seen Miss Bede thinks she is an unattractive bossy woman. This book is worth the read just for the letters although the rest of the book is very good too. Connie Brockway has written another great book.

Having been introduced to Georgette Heyer in my teens and to Jane Austen shortly afterwards, I have always had a weakness for Regency Romances - although I almost never read any other kind of romantic fiction. However, I came across All Though The Night under the Regency Romance heading. This, of course, it is not! It is an amazingly powerful love story in its own very individual way and I was totally captivated. When I saw My Dearest Enemy advertised, I remembered Ms Brockway's name and thought I would take a chance on it. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and had difficulty putting it down.Avery and Lily are such well written characters that I feel I know them - and felt quite lost when I got to the end of the story. Once again, Ms Brockway gets a story that does not seem the least bit derivative. Her writing is clear, and the wit comes through beautifully in the letters. She also highlights a great dilemma for intelligent women in the past. Marriage effectively took away their rights and liberty, and the custody of their children. But illegitimacy and 'living in sin' were great social disasters. I will not rehearse the story-line as that is explained in many of the reviews. I will say, though, that the characters were very attractive, the writing style excellent and the book a total joy. I thoroughly recommend it.

This came to my attention as part of an article on Heroes and Heartbreakers in which Courtney Milan explained why she loved the book ( here). As I recalled the article I understood that the bulk of the book comprised Lily and Avery writing to each other, having re-read the article I can see that I was mistaken, however that was my expectation going into the book.Lily is a highly unconventional woman. Born out of wedlock, she has received a good education and she is an advocate (in print) of women's rights. A male relative, who had financed her education, is incensed at her vocal opinions but rather than cut her off or disown her, he offers her a challenge in his will. He is disappointed in his nephew Avery who is weak and sickly and has shown little inclination for farming and therefore to spite Avery he offers to leave Lily a property, the Mill House, if she can run it at a profit over five years then he will allow her to retain it. If she cannot turn a profit he will give the Mill House to Avery and, if Lily will admit that a woman is not as capable as a man, he will give her an annual stipend. During the five year trial period Lily must also provide Avery with an allowance.Lily is thrilled to have the opportunity to live in a fully furnished house AND prove to the world that women can manage a business just as well as a man. Avery has loved the Mill House since he was a child and he is devastated by his uncle's will. However, rather than try to contest the will he does what he has always done - turn the other cheek. In this case, Avery decides to travel the world for the five years.Scared that Avery's flight abroad is an attempt to frustrate Lily's attempts to meet the terms of the will, Lily does everything in her power to send Avery's allowance to him using her network of friends and acquaintances all over the world. Having never met, Lily and Avery both labour under misconceptions about each other in practically every respect.Avery feels obligated to write to his nephew, Brandon, who lives with his mother Evelyn and aunt Francesca at Mill House. His letters telling stories of tiger attacks and eating exotic foods with natives, accompanied often by stuffed animals and other memorabilia of his travels. Lily scoffs at the letters considering them exaggerations and flights of fantasy. her letters to Avery are acerbic and highly dismissive of men in general. In return Avery's letters to Brandon (which he knows Lily reads) refer to Lily as 'She Who Must be Obeyed' and similar derogatory terms. I loved the letters between Lily and Avery and (as I hinted above) I really would have liked this to take up much of the book, instead the five years passes very quickly.Most of the book takes place at Mill House when Avery finally returns home a few weeks before the end of the five years. He and Lily continue to spar with each other, Lily finds that her egalitarian female ideal at Mill House (she takes on pregnant maids and gives them a safe home until they give birth and then helps them to find new situations with glowing references and fake wedding certificates) falls beneath the reality of a man in the house - the staff all revert to the feudal system of kow-towing to the man.Slowly Lily and Avery reassess their opinions of each other. However, they hold diametrically opposite views about marriage and children. How do they reconcile their growing feelings for each other with their opposing views?Given that this book is 17 years old I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't appear dated - maybe that was because it is an historical novel, but even they have changed significantly over the past decade or two. It wouldn't have surprised me if this book was written in the last year or two by someone like Courtney Milan or Grace Burrows.This was my first Connie Brockway book but I don't think it will be my last.Recommended for anyone who likes historicals with unconventional heroines and intelligent heroes.

I think this is my fifth or sixth book by the author and I think it was my favourite. I absolutely loved it - the storyline, the characters, the setting, absolutely everything. I just didn't want it to end, which is the surest sign of a good book. I would definitely recommend this one. Buy it, you won't be disappointed in the slightest!

"My Dearest Enemy" is an original and highly enjoyable love story set in late Victorian England. Avery Thorne receives a letter from his uncle upon his death about the strange and disappointing will he has left behind. Mill House, the Thorne family's country estate is the only thing Avery wanted since he was a child. According to the will he will not be able to inherit it for five years during which period it will belong to Miss Lillian Bede. Avery is furious. Who is Lillian Bede? A suffragette without a family who fights for women's rights and who believes that women are just as capable of doing things as men are. He clenches his teeth and decides to go travelling around the world until he can claim his rightful inheritance.Lily Bede is shocked and surprised by the unexpected will, she is not even a relation but she takes up the challenge and vows to prove her beliefs about women. She starts sending allowances and reports about the estate to Avery and even they have never met their correspondence becomes the essence of their lives during Avery's adventures. Their letters are masterfully witty, intelligent, sometimes ironic and humorous but also breathtekingly beautiful and compassionate between the lines. When Avery suddenly arrives home to meet the exceptional writer of the letters face to face both of them are surprised and their attraction is inevitable. Lily is desperate to keep control over the estate and to hide her growing love from Avery. She has never been in love before and her painful childhood stands in the way of their happiness. Avery is a world-weary adventurer who finally came home to settle down on his beloved estate.He tries to follow his strong code of a gentleman and he tries to keep away from Lilly but his desire for her proves stronger. Ms. Brockway is a unique and original storyteller. Her characters are honourable, deep and compassionate people who have suffered in the past and deserve their happiness. The author creates a tender romance in refreshingly captivating surroundings. I enjoyed reading about the secondary characters to who did their best to help the leading couple find the way to each other.MY DEAREST ENEMY is a heartwarming tender historical romance showing how the ways of love are inpredictable and inevitable.Fans of the genre will cherish this jewel of a love story and come back to re-reading it again and again.

I had forgotten how a Connie Brockway story can move me to laughter and tears. Delightful characters with brilliant dialogue. I couldn't put it down. When I reached the end I felt myself sigh with emotion. What a great gift.