They can't stand each other. They try to ignore it. They say things they don't mean — or maybe they do. And then, at just the right moment, something breaks. And everything that was enmity before turns out to have been something entirely different.
Welcome to enemies to lovers — the most popular romance trope on BookTok and the only one guaranteed to deliver tension from the very first page. Not because they're in love. But precisely because they didn't want to be.
These are the best enemies to lovers books, sorted by genre.
What makes enemies to lovers so addictive?
Enemies to lovers only works if the hostile tension is truly sustained. Tension. Resentment. The slow unraveling. The kind of story where they still can't stand each other on page 300 — but they can't help it.
The trope is so popular because it provides the most direct form of romantic tension: two people deliberately choosing not to give in to what they feel. Every interaction is charged. Every glance has meaning. And when the wall finally falls — it falls hard.
What's the difference between enemies to lovers and rivals to lovers? Rivals to lovers is about competition — two people fighting for the same goal and developing feelings. Enemies to lovers is more personal — true dislike, history, or opposition that leads to something neither expected. They often overlap.
Enemies to lovers contemporary romance
The Hating Game — Sally Thorne
The classic of the genre and the most recommended entry point for enemies to lovers on BookTok. Two executive assistants who have to share an office and a desk. Josh is cold, calculating, and has a way of driving Lucy crazy like no one else. Lucy refuses to give in — to his irritating behavior and to the feelings she's trying to ignore.
The banter is sharp, the tension is palpable, and the payoff is one of the most quoted moments in all of romance literature.
Trope-combo: Enemies to lovers + slow burn + workplace romance
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
Twisted Hate — Ana Huang
The spiciest enemies to lovers book in the Twisted series. Josh and Jules simply can't stand each other — and then they decide to become enemies with benefits. What could go wrong?
Ana Huang writes enemies to lovers with the most direct chemistry of her series. The tension is not only in the banter but also in the way both characters refuse to admit they feel something.
Trope-combo: Enemies to lovers + rivals to lovers + friends with benefits
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Powerless — Elsie Silver
Jasper and Sloane have been each other's personal nightmares for years. He's her brother's best friend — and the man she's been avoiding for years. Elsie Silver combines enemies to lovers with the brother's best friend trope for maximum forbidden-romance tension.
Trope-combo: Enemies to lovers + brother's best friend + slow burn
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
💕 Let yourself be surprised with an enemies to lovers romance
Our Blind Date Book (Romance) is perfect for fans of intense chemistry and slow build-up.
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Enemies to lovers romantasy
Fourth Wing — Rebecca Yarros
Violet Sorrengail and Xaden Riorson are enemies before they even exchange a word — their families are opposed, and the academy only makes it worse. Rebecca Yarros builds their tension with the care of someone who knows exactly when to make the reader wait and when to let them breathe.
Trope-combo: Enemies to lovers + forced proximity + slow burn romantasy
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
The Cruel Prince — Holly Black
The Cruel Prince has the harshest enemies to lovers in romantasy. Cardan genuinely enjoys making Jude's life difficult. Jude refuses to put up with his behavior — and the tension that arises is darker, more dangerous, and more intense than most other enemies to lovers stories.
Trope-combo: Enemies to lovers + dark romantasy + morally grey love interest
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
A Court of Mist and Fury — Sarah J. Maas
In the first ACOTAR book, Rhysand did everything he could to be hated by Feyre. And that's exactly the intention. ACOMAF is the book the entire fandom waited for — the moment when everything you knew is reframed and the hostile tension takes on a whole different meaning.
Trope-combo: Enemies to lovers + forced proximity + slow burn romantasy
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Blood and Ash — Jennifer L. Armentrout
Hawke is the Maiden's guard. He's also the man who treats her like a person instead of a symbol — even though the rules clearly state he shouldn't. The enemies to lovers tension here lies in the forbidden context rather than active enmity.
Trope-combo: Enemies to lovers + forbidden romance + slow burn
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🌙 For the romantasy enemies to lovers fan
Our fantasy bookmarks are specially for romantasy fans — perfect for saving that "finally" page.
→ View fantasy bookmarks
Enemies to lovers sports romance
Icebreaker — Hannah Grace
Anastasia and Nate have to share the ice rink. Neither of them wants to. The tension that arises is the grumpy sunshine variant of enemies to lovers — he tries to ignore her, she refuses to disappear.
Trope-combo: Enemies to lovers + grumpy sunshine + forced proximity
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
Mile High — Liz Tomforde
Zanders is the hockey player everyone finds annoying — including the new flight attendant on the team's private plane. Liz Tomforde writes enemies to lovers with humor and unexpected emotional depth.
Trope-combo: Enemies to lovers + workplace romance + sports romance
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Enemies to lovers dark romance
Twisted Love — Ana Huang
Alex Volkov is not friendly. He is calculating, cold, and has his reasons for each of his actions — including the way he treats Ava. Twisted Love has the enemies to lovers tension of dark romance with the emotional core of contemporary romance.
Trope-combo: Enemies to lovers + dark contemporary + brother's best friend
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Why enemies to lovers is the most sought-after trope
Enemies to lovers is the most sought-after romance trope on BookTok right now — and most lists get it wrong. Enemies to lovers only works if the hostile tension is truly sustained.
There's a psychological reason why this trope is so universally appealing. We are hardwired to respond to conflict — and a conflict between two people who are essentially opposites, but cannot escape each other due to circumstances, is the most direct form of romantic tension.
The payoff is so great because the build-up is so long. Every time they almost give in and then don't, the tension further builds. And when it finally breaks — you feel it as a reader just as hard as the characters themselves.
Which enemies to lovers is right for you?
| Your preference | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Light and fast | The Hating Game — Sally Thorne |
| Romantasy | Fourth Wing — Rebecca Yarros |
| Dark fae | The Cruel Prince — Holly Black |
| Spicy and intense | Twisted Hate — Ana Huang |
| Sports romance | Icebreaker — Hannah Grace |
| Slow burn romantasy | ACOMAF — Sarah J. Maas |
| Want to be surprised | Blind Date Book (Romance or Fantasy) |
Complete your enemies to lovers reading set
💕 The perfect enemies to lovers reading set:
✔ Romance bookmark — for the moment they finally give in
✔ Spicy bookmark — for the hotter enemies to lovers variants
✔ Fantasy bookmark — for the romantasy variant
✔ Enemies to Lovers Tote Bag — for true fans of the trope
✔ Blind Date Book (Romance) — let yourself be surprised with an enemies to lovers story
✔ Book Review Notepad — capture the exact moment you knew it was inevitable
✔ Reading Log (€1.99) — keep track of the enemies to lovers books you've read
✔ Glass Can — for your iced coffee or matcha during the longest wait
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Enjoy your reading — and don't forget: they really do hate each other! 💕📚
Frequently asked questions about enemies to lovers books
What is the enemies to lovers trope?
Enemies to lovers is about genuine dislike, history, or opposition that turns into something neither expected. It's one of the most popular romance tropes because the tension is immediately present, and the payoff is all the greater.
Which enemies to lovers book is the best to start with?
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne is the most recommended entry point — accessible, full of banter, and a perfect enemies to lovers buildup. For romantasy, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is the best choice.
What is the difference between enemies to lovers and rivals to lovers?
Rivals to lovers is about competition — two people fighting for the same goal. Enemies to lovers is more personal — real dislike or history that turns into love. They often overlap.
Which enemies to lovers books are most popular on BookTok?
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, Twisted Hate by Ana Huang, The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, and ACOMAF by Sarah J. Maas are the most cited enemies to lovers titles on BookTok in 2026.
Is there also enemies to lovers in romantasy?
Yes — Fourth Wing, ACOMAF, and The Cruel Prince are three of the most popular romantasy examples. Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout features a forbidden-romance variant of the dynamic.
Where can I buy enemies to lovers accessories for book lovers?
At DopaminePrintsVibe you'll find an Enemies to Lovers Tote Bag, romance bookmarks, fantasy bookmarks, and Blind Date Books — specifically for the BookTok community.