Blog tour ~ guest post: Addicted To Love by Abi Harvey

I am delighted to have Abi on the blog today ~ thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for organizing.

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Genre: Romance

Publication Date: September 3, 2026

Estimated Page Count: 382

Standalone Second Book in the The Billionaires & Bad Decisions Series

Enemies to Lovers Is Like a Tennis Match

By Abi Harvey

As a romance novelist, the enemies-to-lovers trope has always been my favourite to write. I’m also an avid tennis player and it was as I was playing the last week that I had a sudden realisation! The narrative arc of every satisfying enemies-to-lovers romance has the same rhythm as a great tennis match.

Why, I hear you say?

Because both are built on competition, strategy, quickly shifting power dynamics and the tantalising uncertainty of not knowing who will win. In my latest novel, Addicted To Love, I explored this enduring dynamic and, just like a good game of tennis, neither Maisey Green nor Beau Jackson wants to be outplayed!

1. The serve: making your opening move

Every tennis match begins with a serve, and every enemies-to-lovers romance needs an opening move that establishes the power dynamic between the characters. Depending on the novel’s setting, it could be a character challenging the other’s authority and igniting the conflict which the other is forced to respond to. This kickstarts the match and ensures that they keep having to engage with each other.

2. The return: refusal to be outplayed

A good tennis player won’t just accept the serve, they will return it with force and this is when a couple’s chemistry will begin! The male character makes a move, the heroine pushes back, and suddenly neither of them are in as much control as they would’ve liked. The heroine might be unimpressed by the hero’s arrogance, while he discovers that his usual charm doesn’t work on her.

In Addicted To Love, Maisey Green recuperate after the events of the first book, Alcatraz For The Rich. Only to discover that she must share a villa with Beau Jackson, an American playboy whom she despises and would prefer to avoid! Neither is prepared to concede ground, and their mutual determination to hate each other makes every shot an opportunity for another verbal takedown.

3. The rally: keep raising the stakes

This is the most entertaining part of the match, and the most addictive part of an enemies-to-lovers narrative arc.

On a tennis court, you vary your shots; you send your opponent deep towards the baseline, follow with a drop shot or a cunning slice and force them to work hard for every point. In romantic fiction, the equivalent is a battle of wits: sharp dialogue, competitive challenges and moments when their unexpected attraction threatens to undermine their mutual hostility.

Neither character wants to concede and, depending on the novel’s set-up, this could be due to their pride, principles or a stubborn belief that they’re right. Yet, like in tennis, they keep returning the ball because, despite everything, they’re enjoying pushing each other!

Each rally will reveal a little more about their personalities, expose a weakness and keeps shifting the balance of power. The sexual tension builds because they’re evenly matched.

4. The forced fault: when the game changes

Eventually, someone miscalculates. A remark goes too far, an assumption is proved to be wrong, or a character makes a decision that exposes a vulnerability that they’ve been trying to keep secret. This is when the momentum of the match switches and the characters’ pre-conceived ideas start to falter. Perhaps there’s an unexpected act of loyalty which makes the hero no longer the person the heroine thought he was.

5. The change of ends: seeing the other player differently

The best enemies-to-lovers narratives don’t just end when one-character wins; the arc evolves as the characters’ perspectives change. Usually, they recognise that they share more in common than they realised: ambition, determination, trauma or even the same values.

And that is the draw of enemies-to-lovers romances for readers all across the world. Ultimately, the best tennis matches and the best enemies-to-lovers romances have something in common: two determined opponents, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, who keep playing and adapting because the joy of the game is more important than a singular win.

Book blurb:

Dark, emotional, and irresistibly intense, Addicted To Love is the seductive sequel to 2025’s spicy summer read Alcatraz For The Rich. In this next chapter, temptation is louder, the stakes are higher, and the past refuses to stay buried. Power still controls the game, secrets still have a price, and loving the wrong man could cost Maisey everything.

FREEDOM

Maisey Green has escaped to Tuscany, determined to rebuild her life on her own terms. Away from the chaos, temptation, and heartbreak she left behind in London, Maisey loses herself in horseback rides and long sun-drenched days. But her peace is interrupted by the arrival of Beau Jackson, an American playboy who has returned to restore his family’s vineyard.

POWER

In New York, billionaire Otto Ravenesky is growing his empire while carefully managing his image during a high-profile media campaign. Powerful and untouchable, Otto is always in control but no matter how hard he tries to suppress it, Maisey remains the one woman he cannot forget.

DESIRE

In a world where power, temptation, and danger are tightly entwined, every choice Maisey makes will come with consequences.
Torn between two men and the two different lives they offer, Maisey is forced to confront her past but will she be strong enough to accept what she truly desires?

Perfect for readers who crave morally complex characters, high-stakes romance, and love stories that refuse to play it safe.

Purchase Links for Addicted To Love:

Amazon – paperback and kindle formats – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1036989763
Waterstones – paperback only – https://www.waterstones.com/book/addicted-to-love/abi-harvey/9781036989767

Previous book in the series, Alcatraz For The Rich:

Waterstones – paperback only – https://www.waterstones.com/book/alcatraz-for-the-rich/abi-harvey/9781036917142
Amazon – paperback and kindle formats – https://amzn.eu/d/05AziM8l

Author Bio:

Abi Harvey, born and raised in the picturesque seaside county of Devon, England, discovered her love for storytelling early on. After earning a degree in English Literature from the University of Exeter, she honed her craft by studying screenwriting, mastering the art of weaving gripping stories. “I always write what I want to read,” says Abi, whose talent for spinning captivating tales began in childhood, entertaining family and classmates with her vivid imagination. After moving to London, she built a successful career in luxury fashion, but her passion for writing never faded. A true creative force, Abi writes every day and is always working on a new novel or script. Now, she splits her time between South Devon and London, where she enjoys painting, staying active, and traveling for inspiration.

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