30 Best Enemies-to-Lovers Books: From Slow Burns to Explosive Romance in 2026

Looking for the best enemies-to-lovers books? This list covers 30 standout titles across fantasy, contemporary, historical, dark romance, and new adult — all built on that irresistible tension between hatred and attraction. Whether you’re new to the trope or a longtime fan, you’ll find your next obsession here.

There’s something deeply satisfying about watching two people who can’t stand each other slowly — or sometimes not so slowly — fall in love. The enemies-to-lovers trope is one of the oldest in fiction, stretching back centuries to the sharp-tongued sparring of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. It works because it gives us conflict baked right into the romance. There’s no need to manufacture external drama when the two leads are already at each other’s throats.

The appeal is obvious: all that friction has to go somewhere. Enemies-to-lovers books thrive on tension, on loaded glances and arguments that crackle with something more than anger. When the shift from hatred to love finally happens, it feels earned. Readers on BookTok and Bookstagram have turned this trope into one of the most searched and recommended categories in romance, and for good reason. A well-written enemies-to-lovers story delivers emotional payoff that few other romance structures can match.

This list spans multiple sub-genres because the trope works everywhere. You’ll find it in high fantasy courts where rival fae plot against each other, in office settings where two coworkers compete for the same promotion, in historical ballrooms where propriety masks desire, and in darker stories where the line between love and obsession blurs. I’ve read every book on this list and picked them because each one does something genuinely interesting with the dynamic.

For more romance recommendations, check out best dark romance books, best romance authors, authors like Colleen Hoover, and authors like Emily Henry.

Table of Contents

Fantasy Enemies-to-Lovers

Fantasy is arguably the best playground for enemies-to-lovers romance. When your characters belong to warring kingdoms, rival courts, or opposing sides of a magical war, the stakes of falling for the enemy are life-and-death — not just awkward.

1. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (2018)

Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince is the book that launched a thousand BookTok recommendations, and it deserves every one of them. Jude Duarte is a mortal girl raised in the High Court of Faerie after her parents were murdered by a fae general who then took her and her sisters to live among the Folk. She’s tough, scrappy, and determined to earn a place in a world that despises her for being human. Standing directly in her way is Prince Cardan, the youngest and cruelest son of the High King, who takes particular pleasure in tormenting Jude.

What makes this book exceptional is that Black doesn’t soften the cruelty or rush the romance. Cardan is genuinely awful to Jude for much of the book, and Jude gives as good as she gets. Their dynamic is rooted in power — who has it, who wants it, and what they’re willing to do to get it. The romance that eventually develops between them feels like a natural consequence of two people who are obsessed with each other, even if they’d rather call it hatred. The political scheming and twists are sharp enough to keep the plot moving even without the romance.

“If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.”

2. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (2023)

Rebecca Yarros took the fantasy romance world by storm with Fourth Wing, set at a brutal war college where students bond with dragons or die trying. Violet Sorrengail is smaller and more fragile than her classmates, forced into the Riders Quadrant by her commanding general mother instead of the Scribe Quadrant she’d planned for. Xaden Riorson is a squad leader, the most powerful rider in the college, and the son of a rebel leader that Violet’s mother helped execute. He has every reason to want Violet dead.

The enemies-to-lovers arc here is fueled by legitimate political grudges. Xaden’s hatred isn’t petty — Violet’s family destroyed his. Watching these two navigate genuine animosity while being thrown together by circumstance and dragon bonding is addictive reading. Yarros writes action sequences with real momentum, and the romantic tension builds in the spaces between life-threatening challenges. The book is a page-turner in the purest sense, and the sequel, Iron Flame, picks up the tension without missing a beat.

“Xaden Riorson is the most dangerous cadet in the quadrant, and not just because his dragon is the biggest.”

3. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout (2020)

Jennifer L. Armentrout’s From Blood and Ash features Poppy, a Maiden chosen by the gods who has been sheltered and controlled her entire life. When a new guard named Hawke arrives, he challenges every rule she’s been taught to follow. The twist — and this isn’t much of a spoiler since it drives the whole series — is that Hawke is not who he claims to be, and his true identity makes him Poppy’s natural enemy.

Armentrout excels at building tension through dialogue. Poppy and Hawke’s verbal sparring is sharp and funny, and the physical tension between them escalates in a way that feels organic rather than forced. The world-building borrows from vampire and fae mythology in interesting ways, and the book doesn’t shy away from violence or sensuality. It’s a thick read, but the pacing never drags because Armentrout knows how to end chapters on hooks that make putting the book down feel physically painful.

“I will not be taken from this world without a fight. I don’t care what they say I am. I know what I’m not.”

4. Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco (2020)

Set in 19th-century Sicily with a generous helping of demon mythology, Kingdom of the Wicked follows Emilia, a witch whose twin sister is murdered in a ritual killing. Desperate for revenge, Emilia summons Wrath, one of the seven princes of Hell. He’s arrogant, infuriating, and far too attractive for a demon prince. Emilia hates that she needs his help and hates even more that she’s drawn to him.

Maniscalco builds the enemies-to-lovers tension slowly and deliberately. Emilia and Wrath are adversaries by nature — a witch of the light bargaining with a prince of darkness — and neither trusts the other. The Sicilian setting is vividly drawn, the murder mystery at the book’s center provides genuine stakes beyond the romance, and Wrath is the kind of brooding, morally gray love interest that readers of this trope tend to adore. The series gets steamier and more emotionally intense with each installment.

“I was willing to sin to find out who’d hurt my twin. And I’d gladly go to Hell to avenge her.”

5. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (2015)

Sarah J. Maas practically built an empire on enemies-to-lovers tension. A Court of Thorns and Roses starts as a Beauty and the Beast retelling: Feyre, a mortal huntress, kills a wolf that turns out to be a fae, and is dragged to the faerie lands as punishment by the High Lord Tamlin. While the first book sets up one romantic dynamic, the series famously pivots in A Court of Mist and Fury, where the true enemies-to-lovers pairing emerges with Rhysand — a character introduced as a villain who turns out to be anything but.

The Rhysand and Feyre dynamic is the backbone of the series and one of the most discussed in modern fantasy romance. Their initial interactions are antagonistic and laced with power games, but Maas reveals layers to Rhysand’s character that reframe everything readers thought they knew. It’s a slow burn that stretches across multiple books, and when it finally pays off, it hits hard. The series is long and sprawling, but the emotional core between these two characters holds everything together.

“To the stars who listen — and the dreams that are answered.”

6. The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen (2019)

The Bridge Kingdom is one of the best pure enemies-to-lovers fantasy romances I’ve read, and it doesn’t get nearly enough attention. Lara has been trained since childhood to be a weapon — specifically, to infiltrate and destroy the Bridge Kingdom by marrying its king, Aren. She’s been fed propaganda about Aren’s cruelty her whole life. When she arrives as his bride, she expects a monster. What she finds is a good man trying to protect his people, and everything she believed starts to crumble.

Jensen nails the internal conflict that makes this trope work. Lara genuinely cares about her mission and her own kingdom, so falling for Aren isn’t just inconvenient — it’s a betrayal of everything she was raised to be. The political intrigue is smart, the world-building around the bridge kingdom is creative, and the romance builds through mutual respect as much as attraction. The sequel, The Traitor Queen, is equally strong.

“She was no hero. She was a spy and a traitor and a villain. Yet as she fought, it was for him.”

7. Zodiac Academy: The Awakening by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti (2019)

Zodiac Academy: The Awakening is a polarizing series — readers either devour all eight books in a frenzy or bounce off the first one — but there’s no denying its enemies-to-lovers credentials. Twin sisters Tory and Darcy Vega discover they’re the lost heirs to a fae kingdom and are sent to Zodiac Academy, where four “Heirs” — powerful fae students who stand to lose everything if the Vega twins claim their birthright — bully them relentlessly.

The bullying is intense, and that’s what divides readers. But if you can stomach the cruelty of the early books, the slow-burn romances that develop between the twins and their tormentors are some of the most emotionally charged in fantasy romance. The series is massive, and the payoff takes patience, but fans are fiercely loyal for a reason. The magic system based on zodiac signs is inventive, and the plot twists across the series are genuinely shocking.

“We were the lost princesses of a kingdom we’d never known, and these four brutal boys were determined to break us before we could claim our crowns.”

8. Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat (2015)

Captive Prince is an M/M fantasy romance where Damen, a prince, is stripped of his identity and sent as a slave to the enemy kingdom, where he’s given to Prince Laurent — a man who has every reason to despise him. Laurent is cold, calculating, and dangerously intelligent, and he has no idea that the slave kneeling before him is the prince of the nation he hates most.

Pacat writes the shift from enmity to respect to love with extraordinary precision. Every interaction between Damen and Laurent is loaded, and the power dynamics shift constantly as the truth of Damen’s identity looms. The worldbuilding draws on Greco-Roman and Byzantine influences, and the political scheming is genuinely compelling. The trilogy is tight — three books, no filler — and the romance earns every moment of its resolution. Content warnings for sexual violence and slavery are important here; the series doesn’t shy away from the ugliness of its premise.

“He was used to being the best. He’d been raised to lead. To be a prince. And here he was, in the sweating dark, a man in a collar.”

Contemporary Enemies-to-Lovers

You don’t need swords and magic for enemies-to-lovers to work. Sometimes all you need is a shared office, a forced road trip, or a wedding where two people who can’t stand each other keep getting thrown together.

9. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (2016)

Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game is the gold standard for contemporary enemies-to-lovers. Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman are executive assistants who sit across from each other at work and have turned their mutual loathing into an elaborate series of competitive games. Lucy is small, sweet, and obsessed with Smurfs. Joshua is tall, cold, and infuriatingly unreadable. They keep score of every interaction, and neither plans to lose.

What Thorne does brilliantly is show us the romance through Lucy’s unreliable perspective. She’s convinced Joshua hates her, and every interaction is filtered through that lens. As a reader, you start picking up on things Lucy misses — a look that lingers too long, a comment that cuts a little too close to honest — and the tension becomes almost unbearable. The office setting is used perfectly, trapping these two in close quarters with nowhere to hide. The elevator scene alone has inspired thousands of BookTok videos for good reason.

“I have a theory. Hating someone feels disturbingly similar to being in love with them.”

10. Beach Read by Emily Henry (2020)

Emily Henry is one of the best romance writers working today, and Beach Read is the book that proved it. January Andrews writes romance novels. Augustus Everett writes literary fiction. They were college rivals who haven’t spoken in years, and now they’re spending the summer in neighboring beach houses. Both are blocked creatively, so they make a bet: swap genres for the summer. January will write something dark and literary; Gus will write a romance. Each will be the other’s research guide.

The premise is clever, but it’s the execution that makes this book special. Henry writes dialogue with a naturalistic snap that makes every conversation between January and Gus feel real. Their rivalry is rooted in genuine philosophical differences about what stories should do, which gives the banter intellectual heft. But underneath the witty back-and-forth, both characters are dealing with painful family secrets, and the book doesn’t flinch from that darkness even as it delivers a satisfying love story. Henry walks the line between funny and heartbreaking with a confidence that makes it look easy.

“I think you’re my favorite person I’ve ever met, January Andrews, and if I’m being honest, I’m not surprised.”

11. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (2021)

Henry’s second novel, People We Meet on Vacation, is technically more of a friends-to-lovers story, but the central conflict — two best friends who had a catastrophic falling out and haven’t spoken in two years — gives it strong enemies-to-lovers energy. Poppy and Alex are polar opposites: she’s spontaneous and chaotic, he’s cautious and reserved. They took a vacation together every summer for a decade until something went wrong. Now Poppy is trying to get Alex to agree to one more trip.

The dual timeline structure, alternating between their past vacations and the present-day trip, is perfectly calibrated to build tension. You know something terrible happened between them, and Henry parcels out the truth in small, agonizing doses. The will-they-won’t-they tension is excruciating because you can see how much these two people love each other and how badly they’ve hurt each other. It’s a book about the terror of risking your most important relationship for something more, and Henry makes that fear feel completely real.

“If you never take the time to really look at your favorite person, eventually you’ll forget what they look like.”

12. The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Arkas (2021)

Elena Arkas’s The Spanish Love Deception went from a self-published Wattpad sensation to a bestseller, and it’s a textbook example of the workplace enemies-to-lovers setup. Catalina Martín needs a date for her sister’s wedding in Spain. She’d rather ask literally anyone than Aaron Blackford, the tall, irritating colleague who’s been a thorn in her side for months. Naturally, Aaron is the one who volunteers.

The fake dating trope layered on top of enemies-to-lovers gives this book a double dose of tension. Catalina can’t stand Aaron, but she has to pretend to be in love with him in front of her entire family. Arkas sets most of the book’s second half in Spain, and the warmth of the setting — the food, the family gatherings, the Spanish dialogue — contrasts nicely with the frosty dynamic between the leads. Aaron Blackford belongs to that beloved category of romance heroes who are cold to everyone except the heroine, and watching his walls come down piece by piece is enormously satisfying.

“Aaron Blackford didn’t do sweet. He didn’t do kind. He didn’t do anything that would make me think he was anything other than a robot in a very well-fitting suit.”

13. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (2018)

Helen Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient offers a fresh take by flipping the gender roles of the Pretty Woman setup. Stella Lane is an autistic econometrician who is brilliant with numbers but struggles with physical intimacy. She hires Michael Phan, a part-time escort, to teach her about sex and dating. Michael, a Vietnamese-Swedish tailor who escorts on the side to help his mother with medical bills, isn’t Stella’s enemy — but their dynamic involves plenty of friction, misunderstanding, and walls that need to come down.

Hoang, who is autistic herself, writes Stella’s experience with care and specificity that feels genuine rather than performative. Michael’s initial resistance to genuine feelings and Stella’s anxiety about being “enough” create a push-and-pull dynamic that scratches the enemies-to-lovers itch even though the animosity is more internal than external. The romance is tender and explicit in equal measure, and the cultural details around Michael’s Vietnamese American family are richly drawn.

“She liked knowing she could make this beautiful man fall apart. It made her feel powerful in a way spreadsheets never did.”

14. The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary (2019)

The Flatshare has a brilliant hook: Tiffy and Leon share an apartment but have never met. He works nights; she works days. They share the same bed but are never in it at the same time. They communicate exclusively through Post-it notes, and their relationship progresses from irritated strangers to reluctant friends to something more — all without being in the same room for the first several chapters.

O’Leary uses the alternating POV structure to great effect, giving Tiffy’s chapters a rambling, chatty energy and Leon’s a terse, clipped voice that reflects his reserved personality. The initial friction — Tiffy’s mess encroaching on Leon’s space, Leon’s judgmental notes — gives way to genuine curiosity and care. When they finally do meet, the tension that’s been building through written words translates into something electric in person. It’s a cozy, warm book with more emotional depth than its premise might suggest, particularly in its handling of Tiffy’s abusive ex-boyfriend.

“It’s strange, falling for someone you’ve never seen. You’d think it would feel like less, but actually it feels like more.”

15. You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle (2020)

You Deserve Each Other starts where most romances end: with an engaged couple. The twist is that Naomi and Nicholas can’t stand each other anymore but neither wants to be the one to call off the wedding and lose the nonrefundable deposits. So they wage war, each trying to be so unbearable that the other person breaks first.

Hogle’s humor is razor-sharp, and the escalating pranks between Naomi and Nicholas are genuinely hilarious. But underneath the comedy, the book is asking a real question: can two people who’ve lost sight of why they fell in love find their way back? The answer, delivered through a gradual peeling-back of misunderstandings and unspoken resentments, is deeply satisfying. If you’re writing anything yourself — fiction or even business emails — having clean, punchy prose matters. Tools like Grammarly can help you tighten your sentences the way Hogle does here.

“I want to be the villain in your story. I want to be the one you love to hate.”

16. Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert (2021)

Talia Hibbert’s Brown Sisters trilogy closes with Act Your Age, Eve Brown, the story of disaster-prone Eve Brown and Jacob Wayne, the uptight bed-and-breakfast owner she accidentally hits with her car. When Eve ends up working for Jacob to make amends, their opposing personalities create constant friction. Eve is chaotic, impulsive, and warm. Jacob is rigid, orderly, and autistic, though he’d never use the word “cold” — he simply has systems, and Eve disrupts every single one.

Hibbert writes neurodivergent characters with honesty and warmth. Jacob’s autism isn’t a quirk or a punchline; it’s a fundamental part of how he experiences the world, and watching Eve learn to understand and respect that while Jacob learns to let go of his need for control is genuinely moving. The enemies-to-lovers arc here is softer than some entries on this list — more irritation than hatred — but the emotional payoff is enormous. Hibbert’s prose is funny without being flippant and romantic without being saccharine.

“He liked her. He liked Eve Brown and her chaotic energy and her terrible cooking and her laugh.”

Historical Enemies-to-Lovers

The trope has deep roots in historical fiction, where social constraints and rigid class structures add extra obstacles between lovers who shouldn’t want each other.

17. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

You can’t make an enemies-to-lovers list without Pride and Prejudice. It is the trope’s origin story, or close to it. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy’s mutual dislike — she thinks he’s proud, he thinks her family is beneath him — drives one of the most beloved novels in the English language. Austen was writing social comedy, but she was also writing the blueprint for two hundred years of romance fiction.

What still works about Pride and Prejudice after two centuries is how precisely Austen maps the shift from prejudice to understanding. Darcy’s first proposal, where he tells Elizabeth he loves her despite her inferior connections, is one of literature’s great romantic disasters. His letter afterward, defending himself and revealing Wickham’s true nature, is the turning point — not just of the plot but of Elizabeth’s entire worldview. She has to reckon with the fact that she was wrong about him, and he has to reckon with the fact that his pride cost him the woman he loves. The second proposal, when it comes, feels inevitable and earned.

“In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”

18. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (2000)

The Bridgerton series got a massive boost from the Netflix adaptation, and The Viscount Who Loved Me — the second book, adapted as Season 2 — is the strongest enemies-to-lovers entry. Anthony Bridgerton has decided to marry, and he’s set his sights on Edwina Sheffield. The problem is Edwina’s older sister, Kate, who thinks Anthony is a rake and is determined to protect Edwina from him. Anthony and Kate clash at every social event, their mutual antagonism becoming the talk of the ton.

Quinn writes Regency banter with a modern sensibility that makes it accessible without feeling anachronistic. The Pall Mall scene — a cutthroat family croquet game where Anthony and Kate’s competitive natures are on full display — is one of the most delightful set pieces in romance fiction. The slow build of attraction underneath genuine dislike, complicated by the fact that Anthony is supposedly courting Kate’s sister, creates a tangle of emotions that Quinn resolves with grace and humor. The Netflix adaptation amplified this dynamic beautifully, but the book remains the richer experience.

“I find you to be the most maddening, confounding, exasperating woman in all of England.”

19. Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters (1975)

Elizabeth Peters’ Crocodile on the Sandbank introduces Amelia Peabody, a Victorian spinster who inherits a fortune and sets off for Egypt, where she encounters the infuriating archaeologist Radcliffe Emerson. They argue about everything — excavation methods, local politics, the proper role of women — and their bickering is one of the great pleasures of the series.

Peters was a trained Egyptologist, and the historical detail in these books is impeccable. But the real draw is Amelia’s voice: sharp, opinionated, and deeply funny. Her adversarial relationship with Emerson, who she considers boorish and hotheaded (he considers her meddlesome and domineering), drives the first book’s romance and sustains a twenty-book series. The mystery element — involving a mummy that appears to walk at night — is entertaining, but the Amelia-Emerson dynamic is the reason readers keep coming back.

“I am not being obstinate. I am being right, which is a very different thing.”

20. An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn (2001)

Another Quinn entry, but An Offer From a Gentleman deserves its spot for its Cinderella retelling twist. Benedict Bridgerton meets a mysterious woman at a masquerade ball and spends two years searching for her. When he finds Sophie Beckett, she’s working as a servant — the illegitimate daughter of an earl, cast out by her cruel stepmother. The enemies-to-lovers tension here comes from class: Benedict doesn’t know Sophie’s true background, and the gap between their social stations creates friction, misunderstanding, and an agonizing slow burn.

Quinn uses the power imbalance between Benedict and Sophie to generate real conflict. Benedict’s offer — which isn’t marriage — is a turning point that forces both characters to confront what they actually want versus what society allows. Sophie’s pride and Benedict’s privilege clash in ways that feel honest to the period while still delivering the emotional satisfaction romance readers expect. It’s a quieter entry in the Bridgerton series but arguably one of the most emotionally layered.

“She would have her pride, even if she could have nothing else.”

Dark Romance Enemies-to-Lovers

For readers who want their enemies-to-lovers with sharper edges, darker themes, and higher heat. These books don’t shy away from morally gray (or outright morally black) characters and situations.

21. Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas (2016)

Penelope Douglas’s Punk 57 is a dark contemporary romance built on deception. Misha and Ryen have been pen pals since fifth grade, writing letters back and forth but never meeting in person or exchanging photos. When Misha discovers that the real Ryen is nothing like the girl in her letters — she’s the popular mean girl at her high school — he enrolls at her school under a fake name to see who she really is.

Douglas writes tension that borders on unbearable. Misha hates who Ryen pretends to be, and Ryen hates the mysterious new student who seems determined to destroy her social standing — not knowing he’s the pen pal she’s confided in for years. The dual identity creates a knot of deception and desire that tightens with every chapter. This is a book with genuine bite; the bullying and manipulation are uncomfortable by design. But beneath the darkness, it’s a story about authenticity and the masks people wear, and the romance burns with an intensity that Douglas handles with confidence.

“I played my part. She played hers. And everything we wrote in those letters was just smoke between two strangers.”

22. Twisted Love by Ana Huang (2022)

Ana Huang’s Twisted Love is the first book in the Twisted series and has become a dark romance staple. Alex Volkov is cold, calculating, and harboring a secret vendetta against Ava Chen’s father. When Ava’s brother asks Alex to watch over her while he’s abroad, Alex agrees — not out of kindness but because proximity to Ava serves his plans for revenge. The problem is that Ava’s warmth and stubborn optimism start to crack the ice around his heart.

Huang writes possessive, morally gray heroes with precision. Alex isn’t a good person — he’s manipulative and capable of violence — but Huang makes his vulnerability visible beneath the ruthlessness. The tension between Alex’s feelings for Ava and his need for revenge against her family creates genuine stakes. The Twisted series went viral on BookTok for good reason: it delivers exactly what dark romance readers want without apology. Just know what you’re getting into; this isn’t a gentle read.

“I didn’t have a heart. It’d died with my family. But if I did have one, it would be hers.”

23. Corrupt by Penelope Douglas (2015)

Corrupt is the first book in Penelope Douglas’s Devil’s Night series, and it’s the darkest entry on this list. Erika (Rika) was sixteen when she got tangled up with Michael Crist and his three friends during a Devil’s Night gone wrong. Three years later, the four men are out of prison and they want revenge — specifically on Rika, who they blame for everything that happened.

This is enemies-to-lovers at its most extreme. The power imbalance, the revenge plot, and the morally bankrupt cast of characters push boundaries that will be too far for some readers. Douglas doesn’t pretend these are good people; the attraction between Michael and Rika is tangled up in manipulation, fear, and a twisted kind of ownership. But if dark romance is your thing, the Devil’s Night series is one of the most acclaimed in the sub-genre. The writing is atmospheric, the tension is relentless, and Douglas commits fully to the darkness of her premise.

“They were the monsters in the dark, and I had been fool enough to love one.”

24. Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton (2021)

H.D. Carlton’s Haunting Adeline became one of the most talked-about dark romances in recent years. Adeline inherits her grandmother’s old Victorian manor only to discover she has a stalker — Zade Meadows, a vigilante hacker who becomes obsessed with her. The book doesn’t pretend Zade’s behavior is acceptable; it leans into the discomfort fully and trusts readers to separate fiction from reality.

This is not a book for everyone, and it comes with heavy content warnings. But Carlton has tapped into something that resonates with a specific segment of the romance audience: the appeal of danger made safe by fiction. The writing is atmospheric, the stalker dynamic is genuinely unsettling, and Carlton balances the dark romance elements with a thriller subplot involving human trafficking that gives Zade’s character a vigilante edge. Love it or hate it, it’s become a defining title in modern dark romance.

“He watched me like I was his last meal, and he intended to savor every bite.”

25. Credence by Penelope Douglas (2020)

Credence is another Penelope Douglas entry that pushes boundaries. Tiernan de Haas, newly orphaned at eighteen, is sent to live with her father’s stepbrother and his two sons at a remote mountain cabin in Colorado. Cut off from the outside world, the four of them navigate grief, isolation, and an attraction that breaks every taboo.

Douglas sets the story against the harsh Colorado wilderness, and the isolation becomes a character in itself. Tiernan’s awakening — sexual and emotional — happens in a pressure cooker environment where normal social rules don’t apply. The book is controversial for its taboo elements, and it requires readers who are comfortable with fiction that operates outside conventional moral frameworks. But Douglas’s writing is strong, the character development is real, and the emotional arc of Tiernan finding her voice after a lifetime of numbness gives the story genuine weight beyond the shock value.

“I didn’t come here to be wanted. I came here because I had nowhere else to go.”

Young Adult and New Adult Enemies-to-Lovers

These picks skew younger in protagonist age but don’t skimp on the tension, banter, or emotional complexity that make the trope work.

26. The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (2016)

Nicola Yoon’s The Sun Is Also a Star isn’t a traditional enemies-to-lovers book, but the central tension between Natasha — a pragmatic, science-minded girl facing deportation to Jamaica — and Daniel — a dreamy, romantic Korean American boy who believes in fate — creates friction that mirrors the trope’s appeal. They meet on the streets of New York and spend a single day together, arguing about whether love is real or just brain chemistry.

Yoon structures the book in short, alternating chapters that also include brief perspectives from minor characters whose lives intersect with Natasha and Daniel’s. The opposing worldviews — Natasha’s skepticism versus Daniel’s romanticism — generate the same kind of sparring that drives traditional enemies-to-lovers stories, and watching them challenge and change each other over the course of one day is compelling. The book also deals honestly with immigration, identity, and the pressure of family expectations, giving it substance that extends well beyond the romance.

“I don’t believe in love at first sight. I believe in pulling someone close and not letting go.”

27. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong (2020)

Chloe Gong’s These Violent Delights is a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai. Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov are heirs to rival gangs, former lovers turned bitter enemies after a betrayal four years ago. When a mysterious plague sweeps through Shanghai, they’re forced to work together to save their people — while fighting the feelings they never fully buried.

Gong’s Shanghai is richly realized, packed with historical detail about the political tensions of the era, and the gang war between the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers provides a backdrop of constant danger. Juliette and Roma’s relationship is complicated by genuine hurt — their betrayals weren’t misunderstandings but real choices with real consequences — which gives the enemies-to-lovers arc stakes beyond simple attraction. The writing is lush, the action sequences are vivid, and Gong commits to the Shakespearean tragedy of her source material in ways that are genuinely gutting.

“He was her enemy, and she was his, and yet they moved like two halves of the same cursed whole.”

28. The Cruel Prince graphic novel adaptation aside, Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series continues with The Wicked King (2019)

After The Cruel Prince established one of fantasy’s most electric enemies-to-lovers dynamics, The Wicked King escalates everything. Jude now holds power over Cardan — she’s the puppet master, and he’s the puppet king. But Cardan is more dangerous and unpredictable than Jude anticipated, and the power balance between them keeps shifting. Their relationship in this book is a chess match where every move is both political strategy and emotional vulnerability.

Black deepens Cardan’s character substantially in this installment, revealing the abuse and neglect that shaped his cruelty. Jude remains one of the most compelling protagonists in YA fantasy — morally gray, fiercely ambitious, and unwilling to be anyone’s victim. The ending of The Wicked King is a genuine shock, and it reframes the entire Jude-Cardan dynamic in a way that makes the third book, The Queen of Nothing, absolutely essential reading. The trilogy as a whole is one of the best executed enemies-to-lovers arcs in modern fiction.

“He is the High King of Faerie, and I am but a mortal, yet he kneels before me.”

29. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (2011)

Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me follows Juliette, a girl whose touch is lethal, locked up by a totalitarian regime. Warner, the young commander of the sector, is her captor and the book’s initial antagonist. He’s obsessed with Juliette and her power, and his methods of persuasion range from chilling to outright cruel. The enemies-to-lovers arc between them unfolds over the course of the series, and it’s one of the most debated in YA fiction.

Mafi’s prose is distinctive — lyrical, fragmented, full of crossed-out text that reflects Juliette’s fractured psyche. Warner’s redemption arc (or corruption arc, depending on how you read it) is the engine of the series. In the first book, he’s a villain. By the later books, Mafi has revealed enough of his backstory and motivations to make readers question everything they thought they knew. Whether you end up rooting for Warner or not, there’s no denying the tension between him and Juliette generates real heat, and Mafi plays the long game with their dynamic masterfully.

“I spent my life folded between the pages of books. In the absence of human company, I formed bonds with paper characters.”

30. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (2019)

Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue is a joyful, funny, and deeply romantic enemies-to-lovers story between Alex Claremont-Diaz, the First Son of the United States, and Prince Henry of Wales. They’ve had a public rivalry for years — a mutual dislike that becomes tabloid fodder after an incident at a royal wedding. To manage the PR fallout, their handlers force them to fake a friendship, which turns into something neither of them expected.

McQuiston writes with warmth, wit, and a genuine affection for the characters that’s infectious. The book is unabashedly optimistic about love and about the possibility of queer joy in public life, and it’s a refreshing contrast to the darker entries on this list. Alex and Henry’s banter is sharp, their emails and texts to each other are swoony, and the obstacles they face — geopolitics, family expectations, the closet — are handled with both humor and genuine emotional weight. It’s a comfort read that also manages to be one of the best enemies-to-lovers romances of the past decade.

“History, huh? Bet we could make some.”

Where to Start

If you’re new to enemies-to-lovers, your entry point depends on what you’re already reading. Fantasy readers should start with The Cruel Prince or Fourth Wing. If contemporary romance is more your speed, The Hating Game is the purest expression of the trope in a modern setting. Pride and Prejudice is required reading regardless. And if you want the trope with sharper teeth, Punk 57 is an excellent gateway to dark romance without being as extreme as some of the later entries on this list.

Whatever you choose, the promise of enemies-to-lovers is always the same: two people who are wrong for each other in every obvious way, who fight and resist and deny, until the moment they stop fighting — and that moment, when it’s earned, is one of the most satisfying things fiction can deliver.

For more book recommendations, check out best dark romance books and authors like Emily Henry.