TTT: Best Enemies to Lovers Romances

For this weeks Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl, I’m going to give you some great enemies to lovers recommendations (in no particular order)! This is my favorite trope, so I’m constantly looking for more. I you have any recommendations that I didn’t mention, leave a comment letting me know!

1.The Folk of the Air Trilogy by Holly Black – Cardan and Jude have a super slow burn romance that takes the whole trilogy to develop. The first book, The Cruel Prince had such amazing sexual tension between the two, and their snide comments and bickering were great! If you love fae, books about royals, and lots of political intrigue, this is the series for you!

2. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuisten – This is such a cute and sexy read about royalty and fame. It follows the first son of the United States (in an alternate reality where the president is a woman), and the prince of England. They’ve always had a rivalry, but in the beginning of the book circumstances force them to spend more time together, and they slowly start to build a friendship (and later even more.) If you are in the mood for a fun and steamy new adult read, check out Red, White and Royal Blue.

3. To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo – This little mermaid retelling is probably my favorite retelling of all time. It follows the original version pretty accurately, but instead of being a mermaid, Lira is a siren trying to steal the heart of the prince to win back her mothers approval (like bring her his actual heart), meanwhile the prince is a renowned siren hunter determined to slay all of their kind. The slow-burn romance was so worth the wait, and if you love a classic enemies to lovers story, read this book asap!

4. Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Manicscalco – This series is very popular, so you’ve probably already heard of or even read it, but the hype is deserved! I love the banter between Audrey Rose and Thomas. Their “enemies” phase was over really fast, and they became friends of some sort, but there is still a slow-burn romance that builds throughout the four books in this series. If you are looking for a darker romance with a murder mystery, this is the book for you!

5. Daughter of The Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller – Now I read this a couple years ago when it first came out, so I don’t remember all the details about the plot, but what I do remember is the romance! Wow, the romance was steamy and fun, and they do start out as enemies because Alosa (the main character) is tasked by her father to be captured by another crew to find out information from the inside. Riden, the love interest, is tasked with interrogating her, and there hatred (and romance!) takes off from there.

6. The Lux Series (Book One is Obsidian) by Jennifer L Armentrout – This sereis is such a classic YA sries that is not for everyone. If you love cheesy paranormal romances, similar to Twilight, this series is up your alley! Katy and Daemon are very much “enemies” in the first book, but neither can seem to deny their attraction to one another. Their relationship is mingled with action scenes and steamy kisses, so if you’re in the mood for an alien-romance, give Obsidian a shot!

7. Cruel Beauty by Rosmund Hodge – If you didn’t know, I’m a sucker for a beauty and the beast retelling, and Cruel Beauty is my favorite! I definitely think that every beauty and the beast is an enemies to lovers story arc, and if you are going to read any retelling, read this one.

8. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell – Basically if you ship Draco and Harry in Harry Potter, you’ll adore Simon and Baz from Carry on. This is an adorable LGBT romance set in a magical boarding school, following rivals, and coincidentally roommates, Simon and Baz. Simon is the “chosen one,” tasked with saving all wizards and Witches from the terrifying Humdrum, but his magic skills are lacking. The development of the boys romantic relationship was so worth the wait, so if you are in the mood for a Harry Potter-esque story, look no further!

9. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren – This adult romance was so fun and flirty, as most of it takes place in Hawaii. Olive and Ethan’s siblings are getting married, but they get food poisoning and are unable to go on their honeymoon. So Olive and Ethan are forced to spend a time on an all-expenses paid vacation, even though they can’t seem to stand each other. This book was so fun, both characters love bickering with each other, and their relationship was so fun to watch blossom! If you want an easy and fun romance, check out the Unhoneymooners.

10. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir – An Ember in the Ashes is an epic high fantasy inspired by the Roman Empire. I follows a few perspectives, including Laia who is determined to save her brother, Elias who is desperate to survive the Academy and his mother. While it’s not obviously enemies to lovers, the romance is doomed from the start, and both characters have prejudices of one another that they slowly overcome. This series is very politically focused, but the romantic tension is a great plus!