Enemies to lovers is one of the most popular tropes among fantasy romance fans. In today’s post, Lindsay Landgraf Hess explores why we can’t resist it and shares eight book recommendations for those who love it.
When someone asks about my favorite books, I always give the same answer: enemies to lovers until I die. Obviously. Duh. Always.
But why? That’s harder to answer. Because the answer is, really: SO MANY REASONS. I mean, how much time do you have? 🙂
It’s the hatred that gives way to banter that gets me swooning; the chemistry that has me turning page after page. It’s the mounting tension, the delicious yearning, the absolute head-in-the-sand stubbornness. It’s the first kiss. That first moment the couple finally, finally drops their guard and lets the other in. It’s all these reasons, and so many more, enemies-to-lovers is the most addictive trope out there.
And, lucky for you, I’ve rounded up 8 of the best enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance reads out there! Read on, friends.
Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym M. Martineau
Exiled beast charmer Leena Edenfrell is in deep trouble. Empty pockets forced her to sell her beloved magical beasts on the black market—an offense punishable by death—and now there’s a price on her head. With the realm’s most talented murderer-for-hire nipping at her heels, Leena makes him an offer he can’t refuse: powerful mythical creatures in exchange for her life.
If only it were that simple. Unbeknownst to Leena, the undying ones are bound by magic to complete their contracts, and Noc cannot risk his brotherhood of assassins…not even to save the woman he can no longer live without.
A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet
Kingdoms will rise and fall for her… but not if she can help it.
Catalia “Cat” Fisa lives disguised as a soothsayer in a traveling circus. She is perfectly content avoiding the danger and destiny the Gods-and her homicidal mother-have saddled her with. That is, until Griffin, an ambitious warlord from the magic-deprived south, fixes her with his steely gaze and upsets her illusion of safety forever.
Griffin knows Cat is the Kingmaker, the woman who divines the truth through lies. He wants her as a powerful weapon for his newly conquered realm-until he realizes he wants her for much more than her magic. Cat fights him at every turn, but Griffin’s fairness, loyalty, and smoldering advances make him increasingly hard to resist and leave her wondering if life really does have to be short, and lived alone.
A Deal With the Elf King by Elise Kova
Three-thousand years ago, humans were hunted by powerful races with wild magic until the treaty was formed. Now, for centuries, the elves have taken a young woman from Luella’s village to be their Human Queen.
To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the townsfolk. A mark nineteen-year-old Luella is grateful to have escaped as a girl. Instead, she’s dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town’s only healer.
That is, until the Elf King unexpectedly arrives… for her.
Everything Luella had thought she’d known about her life, and herself, was a lie. Taken to a land filled with wild magic, Luella is forced to be the new queen to a cold yet blisteringly handsome Elf King. Once there, she learns about a dying world that only she can save.
The magical land of Midscape pulls on one corner of her heart, her home and people tug on another… but what will truly break her is a passion she never wanted.
Claimed by the Lion by January Bell
Wishing on a falling star is supposed to be a silly family tradition. It’s definitely not supposed to send me and my sisters to another dimension.
When I wake, my sisters are gone, and in their place? A prehistoric-sized lion… who shifts into a man.
He insists I’m his fated mate. Yeah, right. I’m desperate to find my sisters and get back to Earth. But when his touch triggers magic in me, he’s sure it’s proof we’re destined.
Whatever the power is, it attracts a creature out for my blood… and my sisters’. According to Ras, only mating will unlock my full powers and keep me safe.
All I know for sure? It’s getting a helluva lot harder to resist the attraction between us.
Queen of Empire by H.R. Moore
Anita has never been ordinary, she’s been special her entire life; not only can she see the energy of others, a rare skill, but she’s won every Body challenge she’s ever entered. So when the powerful, good looking Descendants, Marcus and Alexander, mysteriously arrive in Empire, her difference attracts and keeps their attention.
Once in Empire, the sudden death of ruling Body Descendant, Christiana, sets in motion a number of events; a quest for the treacherous Austin to find the girl Christiana had been looking for; a challenge where Anita stands out more vibrantly than ever before; a perilous dip in the world’s energy; and a dangerous belief among the people that they will never truly be free.
Powerful factions soon form within the ruling elite and when a trusted friend and mentor reaches out to ask for Anita’s help, she has to make a choice; help her friend and betray the one she loves, or do nothing and watch the people starve.
Radiance by Grace Draven
The Prince of no value: Brishen Khaskem, prince of the Kai, has lived content as the nonessential spare heir to a throne secured many times over. A trade and political alliance between the human kingdom of Gaur and the Kai kingdom of Bast-Haradis requires that he marry a Gauri woman to seal the treaty. Always a dutiful son, Brishen agrees to the marriage and discovers his bride is as ugly as he expected and more beautiful than he could have imagined.
The noblewoman of no importance: Ildiko, niece of the Gauri king, has always known her only worth to the royal family lay in a strategic marriage. Resigned to her fate, she is horrified to learn that her intended groom isn’t just a foreign aristocrat but the younger prince of a people neither familiar nor human. Bound to her new husband, Ildiko will leave behind all she’s known to embrace a man shrouded in darkness but with a soul forged by light.
Two people brought together by the trappings of duty and politics will discover they are destined for each other, even as the powers of a hostile kingdom scheme to tear them apart.
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
A warrior princess trained in isolation, Lara is driven by two certainties. The first is that King Aren of the Bridge Kingdom is her enemy. And the second is that she’ll be the one to bring him to his knees.
The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom enriches itself and deprives its rivals, including Lara’s homeland. So when she’s sent as a bride under the guise of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture its impenetrable defenses. And the defenses of its king.
Yet as she infiltrates her new home and gains a deeper understanding of the war to possess the bridge, Lara begins to question whether she’s the hero or the villain. And as her feelings for Aren transform from frosty hostility to fierce passion, Lara must choose which kingdom she’ll save… and which kingdom she’ll destroy.
STORYSINGER by Lindsay Landgraf Hess (a.k.a. yours truly)
SURPRIIIIIIIIIISE!! I wrote this book. So yes, I’m a little biased in saying it’s one of my favorites. 🙂 I hope you love it.
Ruby Roberts has it all: A record-breaking storysinging career. Legions of adoring fans spanning the three worlds who love her magic-infused spoken word storysongs. A personal-boundaries-challenged cat to lap water from her bathtub and keep her warm at night. But beneath her glittery public persona, Ruby’s newest collection of storysongs is far more raw than the upbeat material she’s known for, more daringly honest about her history of depression and anxiety—and the future of her career lies in its success.
Jack Taylor used to have it all. After his cheating ex-fiancé took him for all he was worth, the fallout burned his elite private security business to ashes. So when Ruby’s manager hires him as the superstar’s new head of security, he jumps at the paycheck. Ruby is Jack’s ticket to financial stability—in more ways than one. He strikes a secret deal with a major press outlet, quietly selling insider info on Ruby’s forthcoming new storysongs.
When the press’ attention hits too close to home, Jack is forced to move into Ruby’s penthouse for ‘round-the-clock protection. Soon the smoldering chemistry between them is too hot to deny. As their relationship heats up, scorching the line between professional and personal, Ruby must decide how much of her heart she’ll risk for this relative stranger when her career’s on the line, and Jack must decide between a massive payout and a future with the woman he’s falling for. All the while, the press is hot on their tail, and Ruby has no idea Jack’s the one who’s been selling them her secrets.
There you have it. Eight delicious, un-put-downable, keep-you-reading-long-into-the-night, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romances. Which is your favorite? Which others deserve to be added to the list? Let me know in the comments!
About Lindsay Landgraf Hess
Lindsay writes strategic marketing content, and books with magic and kissing. She’s the mother of two mostly feral babies, two cats, one dog, and an almost entirely house-broken husband. When she’s not writing or keeping her toddlers from playing in the toilet like it’s their own personal splash pad, she prefers to spend her time devouring as many tacos as she can get my hands on. Learn more about her and her books at www.lindsaylhess.com.