Do Your Worst

The premise of this seemed so fun at the beginning but it just didn’t land for me

the plot of this book is like nothing i’ve heard of before. it kept me guessing the entire time and the plot didn’t always go where i thought it was going to. i thought this book would be an okay read coming up on spooky season but i was pleasantly surprised!

this was really bad HAHHAHA firstly, she is (honest to god) a bartender at xfinity live and commutes from cherry hill nj (i swear i wish i was joking)… and because of this, she is well versed in scottish whiskey? im sorry what. also i literally couldn’t tell you why they were enemies? why were they constantly fighting with each other? the world may never know. did i mention she is a bartender for xfinity live 😭😭😭 i just can’t like what is this book. there are so many words and none of them mean anything.

the .5 from 5/5 is only because of the curse seemingly falling into the background of the story when it should have stay more present with the plot BUT! this book was GOOD. just what i needed rn actually.

Do Your Worst: 4/5 First book of the year completed!!! This was such a fun and S T E A M Y read. If you like your romance with just a hint of fantasy this is FOR YOU!! The plot alone is outstanding and the way Danan weaves a believable yet immaculate romance right into it is masterful. 100% I'm gonna pick up her other books because this was incredible. I couldn't ask for a better first read of 2024.

Fun adventurous read! Something Wilder fans would enjoy this.

Riley Rhodes has finally started using her talent for breaking curses as a business, charging clients for her services. Her next assignment involves a Scottish castle with a curse dating back hundreds of years. What she doesn't expect is to arrive and discover that she will have to work with Clark Edgeware, disgraced archeologist, who is trying to reestablish his reputation and doesn't believe in curses. He works hard to get rid of Riley, but before long he not only realizes that she may be an asset in his work, but she also triggers feelings he never knew he was capable of having.

Do Your Worst has an interesting premise, pairing a scientist with a purveyor of the occult, however, the story doesn't live up to its promise. While the mystery of the castle is fun, the characters are flat, making it difficult to relate to or care about them. Their relationship seems contrived and friendship unrealistic in a plot that already struggles to be believable. Although there is some banter and humor, a more heavy dose of each would have improved the story greatly. Overall, Do Your Worst develops a unique idea but doesn't provide enough substance to make it a true success.

I’m going to admit this up front- part of the reason I selected this book was the man on the cover looked a bit like Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) from Ted Lasso. Then I proceeded to picture him as the lead throughout the story- with no shame whatsoever. The second reason was the premise. Neither of these reasons disappointed! This was a highly enjoyable story that was a little spicy and a lot of entertaining! There’s a bit of archeology, a couple of centuries worth of a curse, Scottish Highlands, enemies to lovers, and a whole lot of heart. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.