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There’s nothing I love more than a good ‘ol enemies-to-lovers trope. Say what you want, but books are just better when the characters start out hating each other, and tension fills the pages as sparks begin to fly. You know exactly what I’m talking about: those stories with two main characters whose sexual tensions create such intense emotions sometimes they can’t even speak… these are my favorite kind of smut books. Even if you aren’t obsessed with reading, a good romance novel might change that or get you out of a reading slump. And trust me, nothing can get you wrapped up in a book more than some steamy scenes and an unexpected romance.
As a #BookTok girlie, I am obsessed with a enemies-to-lovers read. The more tension the better, IMHO. These books might be recognizable from BookTok, might have familiar authors, or even might be completely new, but they’re all perfect for a spicy summer read. So, grab your library card (or head to the bookstore) and cancel your plans for the night — I have no doubt you’ll choose to stay in to see if enemies truly do become lovers.
- Beach Read by Emily Henry
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OK, Emily Henry is simply the queen of enemies-to-lovers, and this is one of her best books. Romance author January Andrews always wants her characters to get a happy ending, even when her life becomes the exact opposite. when she moves to a Michigan lake to spend the summer finishing a book, she quickly realizes that her next-door neighbor is fiction author Augustus Everett — her arch-enemy in college. However, the pair decides to trade assignments for the summer to cure each other’s writer’s block. And of course, when they begin exploring romance for Gus’s novel, the feelings quickly turn real. This book literally is the perfect beach read. See what I did there?
Amazon, $8
- The Spanish Love Deception By Elena Armas
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This one is full of tension. Catalina Martín needs a boyfriend: Not because she wants one, but because she has been lying to her family in Spain about her American boyfriend for months. Now, it’s only a few weeks til her sister’s wedding and she is dateless. But when Aaron Blackford, her arch-nemesis at work, offers to play a role for her, she finds herself on a flight with her least favorite person. The pair realizes that their tension might be based on some real feelings as their spark makes more heat than the Spanish sun. Trust me, you’re going to love this one.
Amazon, $10
- Forever Never by Lucy Score
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You might recognize Lucy Score’s name from Things We Never Got Over, but this book packs extra steamy smut throughout. Brick Callan is the police deputy on Mackinac Island, and while he is known for his friendliness to his community, his willpower makes him come off as cruel to Remi Ford. Remi considers him her least favorite person, but when she comes home in the dead of winter to escape danger in the city, she cannot seem to escape him.
She tries to convince him she doesn’t need rescuing but doesn’t realize all he has ever needed is her. A perfect slow burn turns frenemies into lovers with smut scenes hot enough to melt the snow of Mackinac.
Amazon, $16
- The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
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An enemies-to-lovers book that also has the grumpy and sunshine trope? A must-read. Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman can not stand each other. Lucy doesn’t understand how he can be joyless and Josh doesn’t understand her colorful quirkiness. When they realize they are up for the same promotion, Lucy refuses to lose. When the tension grows, they realize they might not actually hate each other, they might have just been playing a game the whole time. This one is the perfect smut read for all of the corporate girlies out there.
Amazon, $9
- Dating You / Hating You by Christina Lauren
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This smutty read actually starts a little differently: when Carter and Evie meet at a party they actually hit it off. The pair realizes that are competing agents at powerful Hollywood firms, but this doesn’t stop their sparks. But when their firms merge, the pair are up against each other for a role. They could have been lovers, but now? It’s war. Evie needs to figure out her goals while Cartner needs to stop people-pleasing to be able to figure out if they get a Hollywood happy ending or something more dramatic. Career and sexual tension? I’m obsessed.
Amazon, $15
- The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
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Something about fantasy smut always feels a little extra naughty, you know what I mean? After Jude’s parents were murdered when she was seven, she was stolen to live in the High Courts of Faeries. She is struggling with her humanity as she tries to find a place in the court. Despite being one herself, Jude hates humans, especially Prince Cardan. So, to find her place Jude has to defy him. The #booktok girls love this one, so you know it’s smutty.
Amazon, $10
- Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey
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This one is for the perfectionist girlies. (Caps, I’m looking at you.) Bethany does everything to perfection, and the way her family flips houses makes them some of the most sought-after houses on the market. She’s not perfect at dating though, so she swore off dating to focus on flipping a house all by herself. The only problem is that her brother owns the company and doesn’t trust her. The sibling duo is invited onto Flip Off, a reality show, to solve their rivalry.
Bethany wants bragging rights, but can only get Wes Daniels to leave her brother’s team. He is too cute, too Southern, and too much of a cowboy for Bethany… and she quickly realizes the heat between them could burn everything to the ground.
Amazon, $16
- Love On the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
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I love a good intellectual love story. When Bee Königswasser is offered a lead on a neuro-engineering project, she is forced to work with her nemesis, Levi Ward. Levi and Bee have hated each other since grad school, even though she totally finds him attractive. Things start to get steamy in their lab, and soon she learns about another side of her previous enemy.
Amazon, $10
- A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J. Maas
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Another fantasy smut FTW. A teenage huntress, Feyre, kills a wolf in the woods and finds herself whisked away to a land of fairies as a punishment for her crime by a faerie, Tamlin, who is lethal, immortal, and mean. The pair begins their relationship with cold hostility, but things quickly grow hot and heavy. She realizes the myths she had been told of the faerie world and learns that she must break an ancient curse or lose Tamlin forever. This whimsical read is sure to make your naughty fantasies come true.
Amazon, $11
- Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston
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A combo of enemies-to-lovers, fake friendship, and an LGBTQ+ love story? Iconic. After an incident at a royal wedding, Alex Claremont-Diaz, son of the first female president, has to pretend to be friends with Prince Henry of Britain after years of hating each other. But Claremont-Diaz’s mother is up for reelection, and his own relationships cannot upend her political career.
The fake friendship develops real feelings and as the campaign kicks off, Henry and Alex begin a true relationship. Now, they must hide their romance even more than they hid their hatred to protect their families.
Amazon, $10
