The best enemies-to-lovers books, from rom-com to dark
The trope that runs on the thin line between hating someone and wanting them anyway. All the banter, the slow burn and the "I can't stand you… don't stop" — BookTok's favorite for a reason. Ranked from rom-com to dark, so you can pick your temperature.
Updated for 2026 · 10 books · From rom-com to dark
The list
Ordered from lightest to most intense — pick your slow burn.
The Hating Game
Sally Thorne
The gold-standard gateway: two co-workers who weaponize a staring game and every elevator ride. Sharp, funny and impossibly swoony — the book that made a generation obsessed with the trope.
+ Add to my libraryThe Spanish Love Deception
Elena Armas
She needs a fake date for her sister's wedding; the last man alive she'd ask is her insufferable, gorgeous coworker. Bickering, forced proximity and a trip to Spain do the rest.
+ Add to my libraryBeach Read
Emily Henry
A romance writer and a literary snob, neighbors for a summer, dare each other to swap genres. Witty on the surface, quietly devastating underneath — Emily Henry's specialty.
+ Add to my libraryFrom Lukov with Love
Mariana Zapata
Zapata is the queen of the ultra-slow burn, and this rink rivalry is her fan favorite: years of mutual disdain between two skaters forced to partner up. The payoff is worth every page.
+ Add to my libraryRed, White & Royal Blue
Casey McQuiston
The First Son of the US and a British prince loathe each other on sight — until a fake truce for the cameras turns into something neither can walk back. Warm, funny and irresistibly charming.
+ Add to my librarySerpent & Dove
Shelby Mahurin
A fugitive witch and the witch-hunter sworn to burn her kind are forced into marriage. Opposing sides, forbidden magic and a slow thaw that crackles — proper enemies to lovers.
+ Add to my libraryTwisted Hate
Ana Huang
Book three of the Twisted series turns up the heat: a doctor and his best friend's little sister who trade insults like foreplay. Banter-heavy, steamy and hard to put down.
+ Add to my libraryA Court of Thorns and Roses
Sarah J. Maas
The series that defined modern romantasy. It starts as a beauty-and-the-beast fairy tale and evolves into one of the genre's most talked-about enemies-to-lovers arcs. The slow build is the reward.
+ Add to my libraryFourth Wing
Rebecca Yarros
Deadly war college, bonded dragons, and a wingleader who'd sooner see her dead than trust her. High stakes, higher tension and a rivalry that turns molten. The BookTok phenomenon.
+ Add to my libraryPunk 57
Penelope Douglas
Two anonymous pen pals bare their souls on paper — then meet in real life and despise each other on sight. Rawer and edgier than the rest, with all the spite and heat Douglas is known for. Check the content warnings.
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What is the enemies-to-lovers trope?
A romance arc where two rivals — or people who genuinely can't stand each other — slowly fall anyway. The push-and-pull, the banter and the slow burn are the whole point.
Which one should I start with?
Gateway → The Hating Game. Fantasy → Fourth Wing. Spice → Twisted Hate. Save Punk 57 for when you want something rawer.
Enemies-to-lovers vs. rivals-to-lovers?
Rivals is the lighter cousin — they compete but don't truly hate (Beach Read, From Lukov with Love). True enemies start on opposing sides, like Serpent & Dove.
Where can I track the tropes I love?
With Niovela: a free reading journal, private by default. Your shelf is yours alone unless you choose to share it.
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