Enemies to Lovers: A 10/10 Trope
Tropetastic is back, back, back again. This time with another top ten trope: enemies to lovers. This trope really is the gift that just keeps on giving and there are SO many great choices out there for you to sink your teeth into. For my Jane Austen fans, yes Darcy and Elizabeth do seem to be the OG E2L coupling, so keep that in mind while you check out my list below.
But first, what is enemies to lovers? It’s where our two main love interests start out at major, MAJOR odds. They are antagonistic, competitive, and sometimes genuinely mean to each other. Over time though, that scorching tension turns into straight fire and well, one thing leads to another… and our mains are neck deep in connection and FEELINGS, for the *gasp* enemy?!
I think the most satisfying aspect is watching the progression of feelings between our mains. Most of the time they start out with often large misconceptions about each other, fighting the pull to be more, then realizing that this person who they started out REALLY disliking might be the only person that gets them, is SO juicy. Like I said there are SO many great enemies to lovers books out there, across ALL genre’s (especially Mafia Romances) so here are a few to get you started.
Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
Kleypas, a long time romance novelist can easily be found on many a book recommendation list out there. Including even referenced in other self aware contemporary romance novels. And there is god reason for it.
Renowned rake and confirmed douchebag Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent needs a large dowry, stat. Luckily for him, wallflower Evie is here with a wild offer: marry me and you can have everything I have. Not going to lie, Sebastian is a little mean to Evie, but you can tell he’s hiding behind a soft marshmallow centre. Oh lord watching this man just angrily grapple with his feelings and the sheer confusion of falling in love with his wife was a TRUE delight.
Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
This one was another popular r/romancebooks recommendation that I definitely slept on this year. But I am so glad I picked it up, including marvelling at the fact it was written 1995, 95 y’all.
This is the first Loretta Chase book I’ve read, that includes feisty bluestocking and a scoundrel of a hero, also named Sebastian. Our heroine, Jessica just wants to rescue her idiot of a brother and get him out from under Sebastian’s terrible influence. Watching these two verbally spar was so deeply enjoyable.
You’ll love Jessica for taking absolutely no shit from this rich, entitled ass of a man who she ends up falling so deeply in love with. It’s good, trust me.
Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
This the first in the League of Extraordinary Woman series, that centres the work of suffragettes. My feminist heart was pretty much invested from the get go, and you can’t help but root for these women in their courageous pursuit of repealing the marriage act, wherein a woman’s property became her husbands the moment they were married.
I will say, that these are big, sweeping books that are an investment in both your time and heart. This one has so much story to it that you will find yourself in some moments being totally swept away by the world Evie has created. Annabelle and Sebastian are a great historical romantic pairing, and the class divide between the two makes for some deeply angst-filled moments. Will they be able to overcome it? Pick it up to find out.
From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata (Free on KU
Two high performance figure skaters (I kept thinking Tessa and Scott) end up paired together to compete for world championships. Jasmine and Ivan are SO antagonistic toward each other, that at times you’ll wonder how exactly Mariana will shift these two towards the lovers end of the spectrum. But fear not, this deliciously slow (SLOW) burn pays off with one of the sweetest endings of any of her books. These two work for their happily ever after and our lil grumpy meatball Jasmine will cement herself right in your heart.
By a Thread by Lucy Score (Free on KU)
Y’all this book is HOT AF, and there is SO much going on here. We have a terrible “meet cute”, then a work-place power dynamic that is all kinds of wrong (read: right) then there is all the hate sex (oh and the private dances 🔥🥵), while they are both working through their baggage and feelings. It’s a longer read, but worth it to see Dominic absolutely brought to his knees by Ally.
Battle Royal by Lucy Parker
Two rival bakers compete for the chance to make the cake for an upcoming royal wedding. The background these two have really adds to the enemies vibes at the start of this read. Sylvie is the literal opposite of (another grumpy) Dominic, in SO many ways. He is precise and exacting and she is whimsical and messy. Their forced proximity while they are working and filming and relationship development really tugs at the old heart strings.
Also, you might be asking yourself: what would this list be without Mafia romances?! I have a whole post dedicated to those lil scamps and figured I would send you there rather than recap it here. But BELIEVE me mafia men are the best and should be read thoroughly and often.