18 of the Best Enemies-to-Lovers Books of All Time

Many readers’ first introduction to the enemies-to-lovers trope may have been this beloved classic, in which the headstrong Anne held an impressie grudge against her school rival, Gilbert. Their disdain for each other was sparked by his disparaging comments about her red hair—until, years later, they finally become friends and, eventually, realize they’re each other’s one true love.

Another centuries-old entry in the enemies-to-lovers canon, Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel starts with governess Jane arriving at Thornfield Hall and initially finding her employer, Mr. Rochester, unbearably scornful and arrogant. As time goes by, however, they find themselves falling for one another—though their love story won’t be a straightforward one, thanks to Mr. Rochester’s big secret.

The ultimate tale of two seemingly sworn enemies eventually falling head over heels for one another, Jane Austen’s all-time classic centers on the stubborn Elizabeth Bennet and the arrogant Mr. Darcy. The two come from different worlds and have entirely different worldviews—and openly disgust the other for it—but find themselves pulled together by some force much stronger than contempt. 

You’ll be giggling and kicking your feet through this heartstring-tugging rom-com, which starts with the First Son of the United States and the Prince of England each holding a longstanding grudge against the other, until a very public mishap forces them into a fake friendship for the media. And, as all experts of the genre know, it only takes one powerfully flirty moment to send any fake relationship down a slippery slope into a much sexier, more complicated connection.

Elena Armas’ 2021 book blew up on TikTok, and for good reason: It’s another unputdownable cross between the enemies-to-lovers and fake-dating tropes. Our protagonist, Catalina, tentatively accepts the surprising offer from her infuriatingly patronizing coworker, Aaron, to serve as her (totally platonic) date to her sister’s wedding—and soon learns that there may be more to him than his insufferable exterior.

After suffering through her twin sister’s wedding day alongside her nemesis, Ethan—a.k.a. the best man—Olive is rewarded with the chance to take the honeymoon trip in her sister’s place, as almost everyone in the wedding party has been hit with food poisoning. The only other person who avoided it, of course, is Ethan, setting up an all-expenses-paid tropical getaway in which the duo might discover that they maybe, possibly, actually enjoy getting to pretend to be newlyweds together.

The first book in Sarah J. Maas’ wildly popular ACOTAR romantasy series is basically a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Meaning, it's an excellent example of two enemies—a handsome faerie and the human he’s taken captive—developing an undeniable bond as they spend more and more time working together to save the faerie lands.

Romance lovers can’t stop raving about this novel, the first in a dark fantasy trilogy. It’s technically YA, but readers of all ages will be quickly pulled into the story of Jude, a mortal girl who’s been swept up in a world of faeries and royal intrigue. While navigating that world, she finds herself going toe-to-toe with the wicked Prince Cardan—a volatile matchup that truly puts the enemies in enemies-to-lovers.

In the first book in Rebecca Yarros’ hit Empyrean series, aspiring dragon rider Violet starts training at an elite military academy, and seems to have a budding friends-to-lovers thing going with her lifelong pal Dain. However, she soon finds herself irrepressibly drawn to her brooding, ruthless wingleader, Xaden, who appears (at least at first) to want absolutely nothing to do with her. (Fourth Wing will soon be adapted into a TV show, so read this one soon and start your dream fan casting.)

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is more of a forbidden romance than a true enemies-to-lovers story, but Chloe Gong’s riff on the classic tale leans fully into the latter. The contemporary fantasy novel centers on Roma and Juliette, the heirs to rival gangs in 1920s Shanghai. The two are forced to reunite to save their city from a mysterious monster after a devastating breakup years before left a bitter wall between them.

In this LGBTQ+ rom-com, the titular Delilah returns to the small town where she grew up to photograph her stepsister Astrid’s wedding. There, she crosses paths with Claire, whom she remembers mainly as one of Astrid’s insufferable friends. When they're forced to spend quite a bit of time together amid all the wedding prep, Delilah realizes Claire may mean a lot more to her than she did in the past.

Wild-child heiress Piper gets off on the wrong foot with rugged sea captain Brendan almost immediately after she arrives in the small seaside town where she’s been sent by her stepfather to learn some responsibility. But in tiny Westport, Piper and Brendan are naturally going to keep running into each other, realizing each time that, against their better judgment, there’s a growing attraction between them, no matter how different they are.

In Ali Hazelwood's beloved science-romance novel, theoretical physicist and adjunct professor Elsie has another life working as a fake girlfriend to paying clients. Those worlds collide when her latest faux suitor turns out to be the brother of a notorious experimental physicist who holds Elsie’s academic future in his hands. As the pretend romance brings them together, however, the fiery animosity between them starts turning into something a lot more...smoldering.

Jasmine Guillory is one of my personal favorite romance writers, so it’s no surprise that she’s got an excellent take on the enemies-to-lovers trope. The Wedding Party follows Maddie and Theo, who can’t stand each other…but also can’t stand to ignore the sizzling chemistry between them. Fortunately, there’s plenty of time for secret hookups amid all the lead-up to their mutual best friend’s wedding.

Of course, reigning rom-com queen Emily Henry has dabbled in the enemies-to-lovers trope. This 2022 novel, for instance, focuses on two rivals from the book publishing world. They continue to find themselves in forced proximity throughout their respective visits to a small town in North Carolina, leading them over time to reexamine what they thought they knew about their relationship and themselves.

Often credited with kickstarting the current rom-com book craze, this 2016 fave centers on Lucy and Joshua, two publishing company assistants who outright hate each other. Their passive-aggressive feud ramps up even higher when they begin competing for the same promotion—building up so much that they just might be forced to admit that there are more complicated feelings between them than pure hatred.

The book behind the onscreen sensation is both sweeter and spicier than the hit TV show. And—in a major plus for all the enemies-to-lovers fans out there—it delves even deeper into the complex forbidden romance between rival hockey stars Shane and Ilya, with their fast-moving physical and much slower-burning emotional connections. 

When successful but burnt-out pediatric surgeon London decides to hook up with her former archnemesis, wealthy businessman Drew, following their high school reunion, she expects a purely physical relationship. But, of course, things get a lot more confusing as London spends more time with Drew and begins—very begrudgingly—to realize he might not be quite as bad as she remembers.