Ready to get lost in a story you won’t be able to put down? The enemies to lovers trope might be my all-time favorite romance trope. It’s usually combined with other favorites, such as forced proximity, work rivals, and even one bed tropes for lots of extra discomfort for our poor character friends. My obsession with this one might have started with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, which is the OG and GOAT enemies to lovers story, but there are plenty of new ones that will suck you in just the same.
In fact, I love the trope so much, my first enemies to lovers romantic comedy comes out May 6 (just 3 more days!) and I cannot wait for you to read it. Until then, I have read and watched a lot of enemies to lovers romantic comedies over the years and want to share some of my favorites with you.
These books are not organized in any particular order, so scroll the list and find the one that stands out to you 🙂
6 Of My All-Time Favorite Enemies To Lovers Books:
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Love Unleashed by Elise Eliot:
Am I name dropping my own book? Of course I am! I loved writing this. It might have been the most fun I’ve ever had writing something. I love this trope and I really put my characters through it to get to their HEA. The heart of the story is that the main characters are both veterinarians, but he’s a traditional medicine doctor and she’s a holistic vet, and their clinics are stuck right next door to each other. They hate everything about each other and how they practice medicine, which leads to lots of angry back-and-forth that is pulsing with an undercurrent of attraction.
Then, they start to realize it’s a fine line between love and hate, and some of that anger they feel for each other might be something else. Of course, when you’re dealing with two type-A control freaks, getting them to admit it is going to be a bumpy road. When a terrible accident makes them work together towards a common goal, they have to face their fears and their feelings. You can read a lot more behind the scenes info on the story in this blog post. Or, grab the book on Amazon below and enjoy it for yourself!
Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma:
One of my favorite books of all time and also happens to be an enemies to lovers trope, too! These two characters have such sizzling chemistry, it’s hard to believe at times that they can keep hating each other so much — but that’s what makes it so much fun to read! When they realize that they can both benefit big time from pretending to like each other, they agree to bury the hatchet and work together. But, the entire time, the sparks just fly between these two.
Fair warning: don’t crack the spine unless you’re ready to finish it. So, put on a pot of coffee and settle in for a great ride.
Talk Bookish To Me by Kate Bromley:
This was my first book by Kate Bromley and now she’s an auto buy author for me. I really loved this one. The first chapter of this book is jaw droppingly good. I was really blown away by it. It hooked me immediately and I couldn’t stop reading after that point.
There are some really unexpected twists and turns to this story that you are going to want to hang on tight for. In fact, one of them has made some readers very unhappy. But, it’s all in the name of entertainment and getting to that HEA. I definitely recommend this one.
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne:
Full disclosure: I watched the movie version of this one, but still, I get why people have gone so gaga over this one. I intend to go back and read the book, which I am certain is going to be even better. The movie was also adorable and I absolutely loved it.
Two ambitious workaholics get stuck together in the same office and are gunning for the same promotion. But, oops, they fall for each other and it complicates everything. You’ll have to read it to find out what happens, but it’s a really fun, sexy time.
The Temporary Roomie by Sarah Adams:
Oh boy, this one is so cute. I just fell in love with Drew when he was the brother featured in the first book in this series and couldn’t wait for him to get his HEA. Of course, it doesn’t come easily for him. He ends up having to share a space with the spicy Jessie, when they just hate each other. The pranks they pull and the lengths they go to to try to get under each other’s skin is really fun.
This book also showed me that it’s important to not take things too far, though, when writing an enemies to lovers. Theres a scene at the end that really just gutted me. I found myself thinking – how are they going to get past this one? Of course, we all know there’s a HEA, so they do, but I think with enemies to lover, I find myself pulling away from stories where the people are too mean to each other, or one character is too mean to the other, and they do things that cross the line. We have to always want them to make it work and once we lose that feeling and start to wonder if one or both of the characters are better off without the other, then the story starts to fall apart. Still, the scene with the scrubs is hilarious and I love it.
Baggage Claim by Juliana Smith:
This is another book that starts off really strong. Opposite attract when these two are stuck next to each other on a long flight and their conversation is just hilarious. Then, when he decides to have a little fun and try to help her out — against her wishes — the enemies to lovers trope is in full force.
I really enjoyed this one, but you’ll have to look past a couple of things that reviewers have commented on quite a bit, such as the FMC clearly has some kind of undiagnosed eating disorder and needs some help with that and there’s a lot of emphasis on looks. I think the story would be cute even without those additions and the chemistry between the main characters is palpable.
6 More Page Turning Enemies To Lovers Romance Books:
Sun, Sea, The Billionaire and Me by Harmony Knight:
Loved this fun story about the best friends of a couple that get stuck on an island for a vacation. They can’t stand each other, but they love their friends, so they try to get along so everyone can have a fun vacation, but it doesn’t happen without some challenges.
When a storm blows in and they’re stuck alone together, they’re forced to face the feelings that they’re both feeling and figure out what they want, once and for all.
This is the second book in a series and the first one is absolutely hilarious as well.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry:
I mean, can we talk about enemies to lovers books without talking about Emily Henry’s Book Lovers? I loved this book so much! The first scene between Charlie and Nora just grabs you! It’s so unlike anything else I’ve read. Nora’s own monologue in the beginning is just amazing. I hated that we skipped ahead in the future after the prologue, though, because I felt like I must be missing more interactions between those fiery two!
When they do run into each other again, it’s certainly memorable and then they can’t seem to get away from each other. Of course, then they can’t seem to stay away from one another and that’s when the story becomes even more fun. So good.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren:
This is on my list to read, but only because I have heard so much about it and people love it! For two sworn enemies, anything can happen during the Hawaiian trip of a lifetime—maybe even love. Here’s the book blurb:
Olive Torres is used to being the unlucky twin: from inexplicable mishaps to a recent layoff, her life seems to be almost comically jinxed. By contrast, her sister Ami is an eternal champion…she even managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a slew of contests. Unfortunately for Olive, the only thing worse than constant bad luck is having to spend the wedding day with the best man (and her nemesis), Ethan Thomas.
Olive braces herself for wedding hell, determined to put on a brave face, but when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. Suddenly there’s a free honeymoon up for grabs, and Olive will be damned if Ethan gets to enjoy paradise solo.
Agreeing to a temporary truce, the pair head for Maui. After all, ten days of bliss is worth having to assume the role of loving newlyweds, right? But the weird thing is…Olive doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, the more she pretends to be the luckiest woman alive, the more it feels like she might be.
This book is currently en route to my house and I can’t wait to read it.
Love On The Brain by Ali Hazelwood:
Ali Hazelwood has taken the world by storm with her fun STEM inspired romance stories. This one has two characters who have hated each other from the start –or have they? When they are suddenly stuck together on the same big project, everything seems to go sideways, and they have to decide if the project is more important than their hatred for each other.
While this isn’t my favorite book on this list, I really enjoyed some parts of it. Hazelwood’s writing style is sort of stream of consciousness, which can be difficult to follow at times. I found myself struggling to make sense of the monologues from the FMC, but once things really got going, I had a lot more fun reading it. Plus, some of her descriptions are really fantastic and you catch yourself stopping and just re-reading it to soak it all in.
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez:
This one might be considered “enemies to lovers light” because the enemies part is fairly short-lived. However, they have solid reasons for not liking each other–and then they have really solid reasons for falling in love with each other, too.
I honestly loved this book so much. Every book by Abby Jimenez just keeps getting better. The storyline between these two is so sweet and it brings much needed healing to both of their lives. I really loved the MMC. He is very different from the popular alpha male stereotype that is just not my personal preference at all. When things work out, it feels like a really big hug.
You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle:
Another one that is on its way to me. I have heard a lot of great things about this one and can’t wait to read it.
Here’s the book blurb: When your nemesis also happens to be your fiancé, happily ever after becomes a lot more complicated in this wickedly funny, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy.
Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. They’re preparing for their lavish wedding that’s three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him.
Naomi wants out, but there’s a catch: whoever ends the engagement will have to foot the nonrefundable wedding bill. When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.
But with the countdown looming to the wedding that may or may not come to pass, Naomi finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they’re finally being themselves—and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.
I mean – if that doesn’t make you hit “add to cart” – I don’t know what will!
11 Best Enemies To Lovers Movies:
- The Lost City
- Ticket to Paradise
- The Proposal
- Pride and Prejudice (so good)
- What Happens in Vegas
- The Hating Game (based on a book)
- Something’s Gotta Give
- You’ve Got Mail
- When Harry Met Sally
- How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days
- 10 Things I Hate About You
I’m sure there’s more, so if you have a favorite I’ve skipped, let me know!
I hope you found a new book or movie to enjoy on this list! For some other fun tropes, check out my hilarious love triangle romantic comedy, MISS INDECISIVE, or my sweet revenge and second chance romance, GAME ON.
Thanks for reading,
Elise