Reader Recommendations – Our Favorite Enemies to Lovers Romance Books

OMG!!! I DO have a category for the enemies to lovers trope on my blog (includes everything from reader questions, reviews, and series tagged this way) but how do I NOT have a favorites list for this? This is one of my FAVORITE tropes and I have quite a few I could add.

Nothing better than that resistance and the push-push (not push pull), that fuming and that agony of the inevitable slow burn when the one she (or he) can’t stand, actually shows a sweeter side. The reluctant friendship (or truce) and then… ahhhhhhhhh the romance relief. Exactly the payoff we were hoping for!!!

And Hvitserk gets us started when she asked:

Hvitserk: The Simple Wild: A Novel Ughhh I think Calla and Jonah ruined me. Do you know any books close to this genre? Any suggestions would be highly appreciated. I love your blog btw, do you have a YouTube channel? If you don’t you should have, your reviews are legit!

Maryse: YAY!!! I LOVED that one, too!!! And I love anything K.A. Tucker. I’d be happy to make a list in this genre for you, but I’d like to pinpoint what you mean by genre (romance books taking place in Alaska, or enemies-to-lovers, or just books that have a similar feel to K.A. Tucker’s writing, or…?) I LOVE making lists, so I’m on it, as soon as I know exactly what you’re in the mood for. 😀

Hvitserk: Yes enemies to lovers would work. I’m not really into that insta-love romance. 😅 But yes I sort of want that similar feelings to Tucker’s writing. I read some recently and it’s either too cliché or I’m just getting picky lol.

If you read Jamie Admans’ The Little Wedding Island and The Chateau of Happily-Ever-Afters I think you’ll get what I feel. I don’t really mind if it’s a 400 pages book as long as it has a good solid story, like the elements are there. Not too heavy but not too cliché. Just perfect imo.

Oh and the most important thing, hopefully it’s not a dual POV. I don’t like to read what the other person thinks and feels. It kind of spoils the story for me. Haha I want the mystery to unfold at the end even if I want to shake them both for being so childish or sefish.

If you read Wooing Cadie McCaffrey by Bethany Turner you’ll understand me. I can’t believe I actually cried a river. I didn’t even like it til I was reading 60% of the book. 😂😂😂  Thanks a lot! I’m excited to see your suggestions!

Maryse: OMG YES!!!!! Everything you said is EXACTLY what I look for, and want to feel when I’m read a love story, too. It’s like you’re my romance book twin!!! 😛

Let’s make a list, shall we?

Maryse: I’ll start us off! A few of my favorites (and I’m pretty sure these are all from her POV only – which means I felt it SO much more. 😀 ):

• The Opposite of You (The Opposites Attract Series Book 1) by Rachel Higginson <— Two competing chefs, and he’s dark and moody and brooding and just not happy that she’s in his space AT ALL and they make each other crazy. I LOVED THIS ONE like crazy!!  Here’s my 5 STAR review.
• Tangled by Em Wolf <— She’s best friends with a guy and his rich best friend insults her shamelessly because she doesn’t fit in with them. Here’s my 4.5 star Book Review.
• Undecided by Julianna Keyes <— The ultimate slow burn. Her new hot male roommate’s best friend calls her out and antagonizes her ’cause he’s sure she’s “in love with her roommate/his best friend” just all the other girls are (and she is). Here’s my 5 star book review.
• That Guy by Kim Jones <— OMG hilarious!!! She decides to stay at a rich stranger’s apartment (she’s hilarious) and when he comes back and sees her there, he loses it!!! And hates her more and more as it goes. Must read!! Here’s my 4.5 star Book Review
• The Plan by Qwen Salsbury <— Her HILARIOUS super-snarky inner voice I will NEVER forget, ’cause she pretty much hates her new boss at first. HE IS NOT NICE. I loved it!! Here’s my 4.5 STAR Book Review
• The Hating Game: A Novel by Sally Thorne <— HECK YES!!! Two co-workers vying for the same position and they antagonize the HECK out of each other. It’s pretty hilarious, and the enemies part lasts good and long!!! P.S. Here’s my 4 STAR Book Review

Ria: One of my favorite enemies to lovers story is The Hating Game.

Kay: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. Fantastic slow burn, enemies to lovers story. Sooo good!

Michele G: I did finish reading Fake Date by Monica Murphy last night – it’s #2 in her Dating series. I think I liked it even more than the first one. It was an enemies to lovers vibe. It was a super fun read.

Alexa R: I love enemies to lovers!!

• Tangled (The Tangled Book 1) by Emma Chase,

JulieO: I love the Tangled series by Emma Chase. Hilarious and she can really think like a man if that makes sense.

Kristen: Tangled is my FAVORITE! That writing was amazing & so funny!!

Maryse: Excellent!!! YES!!! Here’s my Book Review. 😀

• Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James,

Jan: Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James literally made me laugh out loud. Two lawyers, a predictable storyline but some VERY funny scenes.

• Sin (Vegas Nights, #1) by Emma Hart are some of my favs❤️

Leslie M: Hey Maryse, I know how much you love book lists…do you have one for “enemies to lovers”? I didnt see one and thought of it as someone on GR was asking for recs.

• Julie James has some good ones: Practice Makes Perfect, Something About You, Just the Sexiest Man Alive.
• Others that come to mind: Playing for Keeps: A Heartbreaker Bay Novel,
• Beautiful Bastard (The Beautiful Series Book 1),

Jan: …He’s her boss. She’s an intern. They hate each other. Oh, this is going to be so inappropriate……

• Hollywood Dirt

Maryse: OMG I LOVED Hollywood Dirt!!! That one had me grinning and feeling it like crazy. Excellent recommendation indeed. In fact here’s my 5 star Book Review. 😀

Karin: saw your post about recommending your favorite enemies to lover story. My upcoming release RULE OF LAW (Chimera Book 1) fits perfectly.

Lisa: I’m 45% into Grayson’s Vow and loving it. Loving that its a similar premise to Hollywood Dirt of enemies to frenemies to gagging for each other……but done totally differently with a completely different feel between H/h.

Tessa: I’m gonna go with Bully (The Fall Away Series Book 1) by Penelope Douglas. …they were as far from friends as you can get. It went literal enemies to lovers. 🙂 (Still one of my all-time favorite books).

Jan: J.C. and the Bijoux Jolis: The Rousseaus #3 (The Blueberry Lane Series) and it was a really great frenemies read about a very unlikely couple who finally find each other – the eternal player meets the savvy, smart girl who’s totally not his type. At first they HATE each other, but then they fall for each other, hard. There’s also a nice art/painting mystery in the story. I’ve just been rereading it, which is what made me go look up Katy Regnery and I found the new book. Ah, Jean-Christian, mon amour. Sigh………..

Kathy P: My favorite is an oldie but goodie! Loved Wallbanger (The Cocktail Series Book 1) by Alice Clayton. It is an enemies to lovers but also had those laugh out loud moments that made it a great combination!

Maryse: YEP!!!!! I LOVE neighbors that hate each other. Er… in books!! Always and only in books. 😉 Here’s my 5 STAR Book Review.

Michele G: …just finished On the Corner of Love and Hate last night (or early this morning). It was so good that I couldn’t stop reading it. I simply had to see what happened….really good friend/enemies to lovers story (hard to explain they’ve been friends and not friends and then they are lovers…)

Michele G: …I also read Justified: Includes a bonus novella (Loveless Series Book 1) by Jay Crownover earlier in the month. Hubba hubba. It was a good enemies to lovers with a hot alpha male sheriff…need I say more? I loved it!

Nicole: my favorite frenemies books there are so many but my top 2 are:

• The Deal (Off-Campus Book 1) by Elle Kennedy,

Maryse: YESSSSS!!! ONE OF MY ALL TIME 5-STAR favorites ever!! Here’s my 5 STAR review. 😀

MicheleS: You know I cant ever resist a 5-star review from you, Maryse. Started it last night. Finally! No instant love connection. I just love it when they hate each other at the start.

Karen: Totally agree, great review. It was an easy read and such a nice change of pace that it caught me right from the start and kept me there till the very last page.

Jean: Yes MichelleS, no instant love connection…. I love that too!!

• and the original old school Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Sofia: The Tenant (Unlikely Lovers Book 1). It’s hot, it’s snarky and funny, and it totally rocks the enemies-to-lovers plotline. I gave it 5-stars 🙂

Jean: I’m reading Maybe Not: A Novella and it’s GREAT! They hate each other…. Heehee! (I know those words make Maryse squee…..haha)! Great read so far!! Warren’s inner thoughts….hysterical!!!! I’ve been on a roll!

Rebecca: Beneath Blood and Bone (Thicker than Blood Book 2) can be read as a standalone. You would love it, they both hate each other… To start with. But book 1 will introduce you to this world.  If you don’t mind a bit of gore, jump into this series, both 5 stars from me. Book 1 comes with a warning though, very emotional, ugly cry several times emotional, yet hopeful. These concentrate more on the human emotional side, rather than the zombies.

D.G.: Mixed Up by Emma Hart…FLOVED it!!! Hot know it all chef and his new boss let the insults fly…nothing held back. They literally hate each other…until they don’t….Did I mention his boss owns this bar that serves the most ‘unique’ cocktails …umm mixed drinks with obscene names…. But I guess that shouldn’t be surprising with the bar named Dirty. Oh yeah, she is part Greek and her yia-yia comes to visit…so peeps go ahead and read it if not for anything BUT the drink recipes at the end!!!!

Maryse: D.G. I LOVE BOOKS WHEN THEY HATE EACH OTHER!!! And apparently I have a penchant for chef stories. 😉 MINE!!!!! Thank you!!!!

Jean: Mister McHottie: A Billionaire Boss / Brother’s Best Friend / Enemies to Lovers Romantic Comedy, is so freaking funny! Hysterical! These two hate each other and the pranks? They’re great! And it has glitter bombs galore so there you go!

Bev: It’s weird though. I like the bad boy/good girl angsty reads. When they first hate each other but slowly fall. But, and big BUT, not too much hate. Not when it’s all screaming and name calling the whole time. I feel like I’m hearing it. Then they end up unlikable.

I need the barbs to have some humor and love when it turns slowly into banter as they are around each other more. I thought Act Like It: A Slow-Burn Romance (London Celebrities Book 1) did this well though maybe not angst or hate filled enough for some. She disliked him and he just disliked everyone.

Leslie M: Nothing But Trouble (Chinooks Hockey Team Book 5) by Rachel Gibson! That is one of my all time faves too!! I’ve re-read several times as I can’t get enough of Mark and his sexy grumpiness. It’s always a fun story when MCs hate each other at first.

➔➔➔  Looking for more of our favorite recommendations? Browse our “Ultimate Favorites Lists” here. Are you in the mood for a certain kind of story? Browse our favorite “genre/trope categories” here and our reader favorites lists too.

➔➔➔  Love this author? Browse more enemies-to-lovers features and reviews on my blog. 😀