These 16 picks are for adult readers; we left out the many high school and young adult titles that appear on most lists. Descriptions are paraphrased from Book Riot and Bustle, linked below. Heat levels vary, so check reviews if that matters to you.
Rivals and rom-coms
The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa
A wedding planner who was left at the altar has to work with her ex-fiancé's brother, the man who helped sabotage her wedding, to win a big hotel contract.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
A woman who can't stand her sister's new brother-in-law has to pose as his wife on a free honeymoon after the whole wedding party gets food poisoning.
Battle Royal by Lucy Parker
Two rival bakers with a grudge from a baking show compete to make the cake for a royal wedding.
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Two writers with opposite styles, staying in neighboring beach houses for the summer, bet on who can write in the other's genre.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
A skeptical scientist starts fake-dating a notoriously prickly professor to convince her best friend she's moved on.
For Butter or Worse by Erin La Rosa
A cooking-show co-host and a cocky chef have to pretend to be a couple for their fans, while still hating each other.
The Layover by Lacie Waldon
A flight attendant on her last trip is stuck with her nemesis, a former pilot, during an emergency layover in Belize.
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
A precise bed-and-breakfast owner reluctantly hires a chaotic woman after she hits him with her car.
Fake relationships and public feuds
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
A man who needs a respectable public image hires a lawyer he dislikes to pose as his boyfriend.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
The son of the U.S. president and a British prince are forced to fake a friendship after their feud becomes an international scandal.
Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev
Two exes are thrown together on a televised cooking competition, where their public feud draws attention and old feelings resurface.
Historical enemies to lovers
To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters
A quarrelsome marquess and a widow make a wager about his marriage prospects, and their rivalry turns into an affair.
A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin
A woman hunting for a rich husband during the London season to save her family meets an eligible bachelor who sees straight through her plan.
Wild Sweet Love by Beverly Jenkins
A former train robber working as a cook for a wealthy Philadelphia family clashes with the employer's son, who suspects her of returning to old habits.
Fantasy and sci-fi foes
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Two agents on opposite sides of a war across time leave each other taunting letters that slowly become love letters.
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
An imprisoned princess and a maidservant with a hidden connection to magic are drawn together in a sapphic epic fantasy.
What makes enemies to lovers work
- A real reason for the hostility. Opposing goals, a past wrong, a rivalry, not just bickering.
- Respect before romance. The turn usually starts when one sees the other's competence or honesty.
- Forced proximity. A shared job, a fake relationship or a snowed-in cabin makes avoidance impossible.
- The banter. Sharp dialogue is half the appeal.
Want to write your own? Our enemies to lovers roleplay ideas have premises to start from, and our romance tropes list covers the trope alongside 20 others. For rival-family and darker setups, see forbidden romance books and mafia romance books.
Frequently asked questions
What is an enemies to lovers book?
A romance in which the leads start as rivals or people who dislike each other and gradually fall in love.
What is the best enemies to lovers book to start with?
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren and Beach Read by Emily Henry are popular adult rom-com picks. For fantasy, try This Is How You Lose the Time War.
What is the difference between enemies to lovers and rivals to lovers?
Rivals to lovers is a lighter version: the characters compete rather than truly dislike each other. Many readers use the terms together.
Is Pride and Prejudice enemies to lovers?
It's often called the classic example: Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy start with mutual dislike and misjudgment before falling in love.
Sources
- The Best Enemies to Lovers Books — Book Riot, Julia Rittenberg, December 7, 2021; checked October 25, 2026.
- Enemies to lovers books — Bustle, K.W. Colyard, updated February 20, 2024; checked October 25, 2026.
Related articles
Our editorial approach
Be My Story publishes these guides and selected industry news. We check factual claims against linked sources, attribute company statements, and label our analysis. Send corrections through Support.
Explore Be My Story
Discover romance and drama stories shaped by your words in the mobile app.