Review: Natural Enemies by Roan Parrish

Title: Natural Enemies

Author: Roan Parrish

Length: 150 Pages

Category: Contemporary

At a Glance: Highly recommend checking this out when you’re looking for a novella that will make you smile!

Reviewed By: Jules

Blurb: When opposites attract, love blooms in unexpected places.

Buttoned-up botanist Stefan Albemarle has felt like an outsider his whole life. As a result, he mostly keeps to himself—makes it easier not to notice that no matter how he tries, people think he’s a know-it-all and a snob.

Freewheeling urban gardener Milo Rios has worked hard to get where he is, and he’s passionate about his job at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. He can get along with almost anyone, but no one has ever made him care enough to stick around.

When Stefan and Milo meet on Milo’s tour of the Botanic Garden, it’s hatred at first clash. But hatred quickly turns to lust as Milo shows Stefan how exquisite it can feel to lose the control he’s clung to for so long. As Stefan’s mask begins to slip, Milo sees a deep vulnerability in the prim academic. Once he’s experienced Milo’s world, Stefan can admit that he wants more from life than professional success. If they can work together, Stefan and Milo just might be able to cultivate the future they both yearn for.

Review: I really, really enjoyed this one. Roan Parrish’s Natural Enemies is a sweet, sexy, enemies-to-lovers (though they weren’t enemies for long) novella that I found myself completely lost in. It was wonderfully imaginative, and the story is so unique and fresh; I loved how different it was from other things I’ve read by this author.

Stefan is uber intelligent and quirky, and as such, has trouble relating to most people or keeping meaningful friendships. He didn’t fit in with the neighborhood kids growing up, and even in his adult life has had one letdown after another, disappointed by person after person, including those closest to him, because they don’t get him at all. The only things that makes sense, that never let him down, are science and math.

“The deepest satisfaction in my life was seeing the patterns that governed the world. The simple, stark mathematics behind the glorious bursting forth of flower and leaf. It was the only thing I could depend on.”

But Milo sees him. Milo takes the time to see what’s underneath all the buttoned down, fancy clothes and prim manners, and he likes what he sees. He finds it adorable that Stefan is so awkward and inexperienced yet is totally in awe of how Stefan lets go and blossoms when they’re in bed.

I loved Milo bunches. He’s so easygoing, laid-back, and confident. I loved how much he loves his work at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, from giving tours, to research and field work, and including the program he runs with a group of local high schoolers, which Stefan also immediately recognizes as incredibly rewarding.

Things are rocky at first, of course, as Milo thinks Stefan is a pretentious asshole. At first Stefan is jealous of how people respond to Milo, that everyone seems to be smitten with him, just by his simply existing. But, Stefan quickly begins to see what they see. It was wonderful how these guys just clicked. They fit together so perfectly and absolutely—I never had one second of doubt or worry over how quickly things moved between them.

Natural Enemies is gorgeously descriptive and just tons of fun. Massive hearty eyes for Stefan and Milo. Highly recommend checking this out when you’re looking for a novella that will make you smile!

You can buy Natural Enemies here:
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