Chaos. Comedy. Cabin Vibes.
If you’ve ever accidentally fake-dated your workplace nemesis in a panic to avoid your ex… you might be a character in The Nemesis Pact.
Ashley Lynn East’s debut rom-com is a chaotic cocktail of petty sabotage, slow-burning chemistry, and every trope you secretly love. I read this ARC with a smirk plastered on my face—and more than a few laugh-out-loud moments. Here’s what worked, what didn’t, and why I’m now keeping this indie author on my radar.
Hype Report
I read The Nemesis Pact by Ashley Lynn East as an Advanced Reader Copy. This is a fun read for Rom-Com lovers, so Get Hyped!
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Aesthetic
The Cover
The Nemesis Pact cover features a sassy illustration of the enemies-to-lovers back to back with arms crossed, giving each other the side-eye in a woodsy cabin setting. This is completely on point for the content; the illustration is eye-catching and well-delivered. The Nemesis Pact title text’s chunky, rounded sans-serif font speaks to the book’s playfulness and light-hearted rom-com vibes. The author’s name is tiny, as is the teaser text. This was probably intentional because The Nemesis Pact is Ashley Lynn East’s debut novel, and as such, there is not a lot of weight to be carried by displaying the name largely. For readability, I might have increased the font size a point or three, but the lack of impact isn’t a deterrent. The tagline, “They had a plan -until feelings ruined it.”, should probably have been larger, because it sums up the book nicely and adds some initial interest for people browsing covers. There is a tiny “a novel” in a script font on the cabin roofline in the background, which seems totally unnecessary and a little bit distracting. I’d eighty-six it.
Interior
For an ARC, the formatting of the interior of the document as read on a Kindle is in great shape. There are no distracting errors. Chapters are clearly noted and the chapter’s POV is indicated. Well-chosen drop caps begin each chapter. Pull quotes for song lyrics are nicely formatted indicating their separation from other text.
Did the design affect whether I bought the book?
No. I saw a call for ARC readers and a description of the book, and chose to sign up before the cover was revealed. That said, The Nemesis Pact cover is clearly on-point for the genre and could easily be a selling point for other readers.
Summary
In Short
Abby and Jonathan are competitive coworkers who actively sabotage one another until an unexpected situation causes a spur of the moment fake-dating scenario, which spirals into a chaotic and hilarious company retreat where love blooms despite their reluctant efforts.
From the Publisher
Abby was left at the altar four years ago. So, when she runs into her ex—the one who ghosted her on their wedding day—she does what any totally well-adjusted adult would do: grabs the first warm body next to her and kisses him. Unfortunately, that warm body belongs to her cold-hearted work nemesis, Jonathan—the same man who was strutting over to insult her vodka cran and make a snide comment about how she allegedly fumbled her marketing presentation that morning.
(She didn’t. They both know she didn’t.)
The kiss was staged, on Abby’s part. Jonathan, naturally, was shocked… though he can’t exactly say he hated it. But the pretend romance that follows catches them both off guard. The very next day, her ex is introduced as the new owner of their company—and now Abby and Jonathan are stuck faking a passionate relationship at a work corporate retreat, complete with a shared cabin, nosy coworkers and six years of petty sabotage that’s one HR complaint away from disaster.
Of course, nothing about this plan screams HR-friendly. But between forced proximity, a suspicious ex and one very complicated fake relationship, they both start to wonder what’s real and what’s just another performance.
“He tastes like bourbon and trouble…”
Character Analysis
Abby and Jonathan have just enough backstory to make the plot work. Their character development is seen at a high level, but not deeply developed. While this might be off-putting to certain types of Romance readers, fans of jaunty, funny rom-coms will find it completely suitable. The entire cast is a bit quirky and fun. It is easy to overlay character stereotypes on the side characters (the office gossip or the demanding but well-respected and stylish boss), but they don’t necessarily feel generic. I kept thinking the character depth was about on par with the 2012 rom-com This Means War with Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, and Tom Hardy.
“Admittedly, it could’ve been Dolores from accounting in her fuzzy cat sweater, oversized glasses and eternal scent of canned tuna standing next to me and I still would’ve declared her my new lover. That’s how powerfully unhinged I became the second Marcus showed up.”
Writing Style
The writing in The Nemesis Pact is engaging. Abby and Jonathan’s internal monologues showcase their personalities and differing points of view. The story is well-paced. East steadily throws hurdles at the characters in the way that only rom-coms can. I do have a couple of notes about the writing.
First, there is a section, probably a handful of paragraphs, that talks about Abby’s best friend. The section has no impact on the plot, nor does it develop the character. The best friend doesn’t significantly come into play anywhere else in the book. It felt like the whole bit could have been removed.
Second, there were a couple of character inconsistencies. I won’t get into that because if you’re enjoying the read, you might gloss over them.
Finally, a phone call is made to an undisclosed person, whom the reader can probably guess, and somehow changes a character’s way of thinking. This is not explored at all. No details given. I would have loved more about this particular part in the story, because, unlike the best friend bit, this part could contribute to some deeper character development for one of the main characters. It also points directly to another part of the story in which the characters share a moment of vulnerability – the place where connection is made. Expanding this part, I believe, would have deepened the bond and given the story more heart. [Edit: The author reached out for clarification about this part of my review and has changed the segment to be clearer.]
“Come on. Let’s make this walking midlife crisis hate his life.”
Themes
Let’s talk tropes. The Nemesis Pact packs them in. This is a workplace romance that is deeply enemies-to-lovers in a rivalry type of way. The catalyst of the reconciliation of their rival state is a fake-dating scenario that comes about due to the appearance of an ex-fiance, which triggers the jilted-bride microtrope and puts our MMC in a sympathetic mood. Throw them into a forced proximity workplace retreat and a there’s only one bed microtrope and you have the recipe for The Nemesis Pact. Feel like you couldn’t add more in? Well, just wait, there’s also a love triangle when the ex-fiancé wants to rekindle the romance. A miscommunication set-up. And a blow-out, How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days-style karaoke mishap.
“You look like someone about to sell me bootleg DVDs or clean my windshield.”
Critical Evaluation
The Nemesis Pact is not flawless, but it does show a huge amount of potential. Ashley Lynn East has the chops to write an engaging, funny romance. The blend of multiple tropes felt like a foregone conclusion when, in other hands, it might have felt forced. The language was very youthful, filled with slang and real-world references. It is very much of a time and place. So, five years from now, it may or may not resonate in the same way it does today. But who am I kidding, I still rewatch rom-coms from the 90s and 00s, its comfort-media.
“That’s not just a red flag, that’s a fully choreographed warning sign with backup dancers.”
Personal Opinion
Ashley Lynn East, debut author of The Nemesis Pact, is one to watch. She brings a youthful voice and lots of chaotic and hilarious antics to this trope-filled romantic romp. So thrilled to be an ARC reader for this self-published indie author.
Although I did have some criticism, I had a lot of fun reading this book. It was light-hearted and made me feel good. I was smirking by page three and laughed out loud within the first chapter. I think Ashley Lynn East accomplished what she set out to do. There is certainly room for growth, but this book makes me want to follow along on her journey.
Recommendation
Is The Nemesis Pact by Ashley Lynn East for you?
If you enjoyed any of the movies I referenced above, read rom-coms, like light-hearted and not too emotional stories with some light spice, then The Nemesis Pact by Ashley Lynn East is for you.
If you are in the mood for more emotional depth, or are turned off by any of the tropes listed in the theme analysis, maybe skip it.
This book packs in a lot of tropes. Which is your favorite? What other books featuring that trope do you love? Tell me in the comments.
May your life be as full as your bookshelf and as long as your TBR list.
Happy Reading!
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