This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to click through and make a purchase, Sass Magazine may receive a small commission at no cost to you. We only suggest products we love!
Love a little tension with your romance? Same, girl! Enemies to lovers books give us everything we crave — tension, flirty banter, slow burns, and that moment when the hate finally turns to something else entirely. Whether they start out as rivals, opposites, or simply full-on enemies, watching characters fall for each other in spite of themselves never gets old. f your TBR list is overflowing thanks to BookTok and Bookstagram, we totally get it—but when it comes to this trope, there’s always room for more.
We did the dirty work (read: binge-reading) and pulled together a list of enemies-to-lovers books that seriously deliver. Buckle up—it’s about to get deliciously complicated, and spicy!
You Might Also Be Interested In:
- Our Top 6 Urban Fantasy Romance Books
- 13 Cozy Mystery Books to Read This Fall
- Romantasy Must-Reads to Fill the Onyx Storm Void
Our Favorite Enemies to Lovers Books:
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company.
When they’re up for the same promotion, their battle of wills comes to a head and Lucy refuses to back down. But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Is this just another game?
BUY IT!The Spanish Love Deception By Elena Armas
Catalina Martín desperately needs a date to her sister’s wedding (especially since her little white lie about her American boyfriend has spiraled out of control). Now everyone she knows—including her ex and his fiancée—will be there and eager to meet him. She only has four weeks to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic and aid in her deception.
Enter Aaron Blackford—her tall, handsome, condescending colleague—who surprisingly offers to step in. She’d rather refuse. But Catalina is desperate and as the wedding draws nearer, Aaron looks like her best option. Maybe he might not be as terrible in the real world as he is at the office?
BUY IT!Loathe To Love You By Ali Hazelwood
This is a complication of three enemies-to-lovers stories from the always fabulous Ali Hazelwood.
Under One Roof – An environmental engineer discovers that scientists should never co-habitate when she finds herself stuck with the roommate from hell—a detestable big-oil lawyer who won’t leave the thermostat alone.
Stuck with You – A civil engineer and her nemesis take their rivalry to the next level when they get stuck in a New York elevator.
Below Zero – A NASA aerospace engineer’s frozen heart melts as she lies injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station and the only person willing to undertake the dangerous rescue mission is her longtime rival.
Off To The Races by Elise Silver
If you are into small-town romance (who isn’t?), this one is for you! Plus, the banter is *chefs kiss*
He can’t decide if he hates me or wants me. Vaughn Harding is my new boss. Getting close to him would be career suicide for a female racehorse trainer, and gossip fuel in this small town. I get a kick out of our verbal sparring, but I swore off his type years ago. I’m the new trainer at Gold Rush Ranch and I want to put down roots — I’m not about to let a man distract me. Vaughn’s a reminder of every guy I grew up around; handsome, rich and entitled. But there’s a sadness in him that I can’t seem to turn my back on. The last thing I need is a broken man to put back together. Teasing him for kicks is one thing, but handing over my heart?
BUY IT!Flawless by Elsie Silver
This enemies to lovers book is full on Cowboy romance and we love it! Plus, how can you say no to the whole one-bed-forced-proximity thing?
Rhett Eaton is professional bull riding’s golden boy. Or at least he was, until it all blew up in his face. Now his agent says he needs to clean up his image. So, he;s stuck with Summer Eaton, his agent’s ball-busting daughter, for the rest of the season as his “full-time supervisor.” But Rhett doesn’t need a goddamn babysitter, especially one with skin-tight jeans, a sexy smirk, and a mouth she can’t stop running. And he soon learns that Summer isn’t just another conquest.
BUY IT!Twisted Hate by Ana Huang
Gorgeous, cocky, and quickly on his way to becoming a hotshot doctor, Josh Chen has never met a woman he couldn’t charm ― except for Jules Ambrose. The beautiful redhead is a thorn in his side, but also consumes his thoughts. When their animosity explodes into an unforgettable night, he proposes a solution: an enemies with benefits arrangement with simple rules. No jealousy. no strings attached, and absolutely no falling in love.
It’s a match made in hell, and when their pasts catch up with them, they’re faced with truths that could either save them …or destroy everything they’ve worked for.
BUY IT!The Co-op by Tarah Dewitt
LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds had one short summer fling when they were teens. But a decade later, when their grandmothers leave them with shared ownership of a dilapidated Santa Cruz building, they’re thrust back together. LaRynn has the money, but to access her trust, she has to be married. Deacon has the construction expertise but lacks the funds. So, they strike a deal. Marry each other for however long it takes to fix up the property, collect a profit, and then cut ties. Simple, right?
BUY IT!Enemies to Lovers by Laura Jane Williams
Ever since “The Embarrassing Meltdown Incident”, Flo has been taking a break from life. And the timing couldn’t be better, as her family sets off to Greece for their summer vacation. Enter Jamie Kramer, her brother’s best friend, and the person she wants to see least in the world. He’s also her family’s “adopted” son after he lost his parents at a young age.
Flo and Jamie hate each other. Except, Flo actually has a mortifying crush on Jamie. And nobody—least of all her family—can know. So, Flo is going to have to fix the situation the only way she can think of: by spending time with him. What could possibly go wrong for this pair of enemies to lovers?
BUY IT!The Roommate by Rosie Danan
The Wheatons are infamous among the east coast elite for their lack of impulse control, except for their daughter Clara. She’s the consummate socialite: over-achieving, well-mannered, predictable. When Clara’s childhood crush invites her to move cross-country, the offer is too tempting to resist. Unfortunately, it’s also too good to be true. After a bait-and-switch, Clara finds herself sharing a lease with a charming stranger, Josh.
But, once she looks Josh up on the Internet…Clara realizes living with him might make her the Wheaton’s most scandalous story yet. But when they become business partners, sparks start to fly!
BUY IT!The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Olive Torres is used to being the unlucky twin. 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, 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?
BUY IT!
Love On The Brain by Ali Hazelwood
When NASA offers Bee Königswasser a the lead on a neuroengineering project she accepts without hesitation. But she didn’t know she’d have to co-lead with Levi Ward. Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerful arms when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day. But Levi and Bee have been archenemies since grad school.
Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. And soon, she could swear Levi is softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing.
BUY IT!Cross the Line by Simone Soltani
Formula 1 driver Dev Anderson’s career is on the line. After a social media disaster leaves him with an angry team and sponsors threatening to jump ship, he needs someone to help save his image. At a party in Monaco, he bumps into the woman who can fix it all — Willow Williams, a recent college grad in need of a job. There’s just one problem: she’s his best friend’s little sister. And, okay, maybe there’s another problem—he kissed her last year and hasn’t been able to stop thinking about it since. Willow and Dev are determined to keep things strictly professional, regardless of old feelings and the blazing chemistry between them.
BUY IT!Still craving more enemies to lovers books? Get our entire TBR list — including even more titles filled with fierce rivalries and angsty slow burns — on our Amazon Store Front!
GET MORE TITLES
Katy Cawley
Katy is an entrepreneur, a social media know it all, and a lover of all the vintage things. She started Katy's Flower Wagon in 2020, having recently sold that business to pursue other creative endeavors. She has been working with Sass Magazine as well as local businesses as a social media manager. You can catch her around town snapping pictures, collaborating with local businesses, and working on all things Sass!
Fun facts -
1. She went to University of Maryland
2. She has a dog sidekick named Stitch
3. She shares a birthday with Julie Andrew's
4. You should follower her @adventuresinkatyland


Subscribe so you don’t miss a post
Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates!