enemies-to-lovers book

/ˈɛnəmiz tə ˈlʌvərz bʊk/

Very Common

A romance novel where the two main characters start out hating each other before falling in love.

Readers distinguish between true enemies-to-lovers (actual conflict, mutual dislike) and what they call 'grumpy/sunshine' or 'rivals-to-lovers'. Calling something enemies-to-lovers when the hostility is shallow will get corrected fast.

Real-world examples5 examples

#	Example	What it means	Source
01	need an enemies-to-lovers rec where they genuinely hate each other please, not just one awkward conversation	Requesting real, sustained conflict before the romance, not a shallow version of the trope.	x, 2024
02	the enemies-to-lovers tension in chapter 12 physically hurt me	The slow-burn conflict and building attraction was emotionally intense for the reader.	tiktok, 2024
03	this is enemies-to-lovers done so right, I genuinely believed they hated each other	The author built enough real animosity that the eventual romance felt earned.	instagram, 2023
04	cannot stop recommending this enemies-to-lovers book to every person I know	The book was so good they are actively pushing it on everyone.	reddit, 2024
05	started this enemies-to-lovers book at 11pm and now it is 4am so	The book was compelling enough to read through the night.	x, 2023

Use it when

Recommending or requesting a romance with an enemies-to-lovers arc.
Tagging a book that features two characters who genuinely hated each other before falling in love.
Discussing trope preferences in book communities.

Do not use it when

The characters are more rivals or competitive than actual enemies.Use “rivals-to-lovers” instead.
Only one character dislikes the other.

Variations and related forms

ETL

Abbreviation for enemies-to-lovers used in book communities.

e2l

Alternate abbreviation for enemies-to-lovers.

Enemies-to-lovers vs rivals-to-lovers