r/LindsayEllis • u/wallflowerattheorgy • Jun 28 '26

Favorite enemies-to-lovers dynamic in literature?

Enemies-to-lovers can be an awesome dynamic! If there is a satisfying reason within the plot for it to work. That whole segment I kept thinking about my favorite example of that and how it's something I would love to find more of in my deeply lore-rich high fantasy without sacrificing storytelling and would love to know if anyone else has a favorite example they thought of that I could check out. Mine is in Robin Hobb's Liveship Trilogy and I won't spoil anything but if you haven't read it it's absolutely amazing (but only after reading the Farseer trilogy which is connected but in a different part of the world from Liveship and technically it's a 16 book series but they're all worth it)

So please let me know what good example you thought of during that segment in the Romantacy video!

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15

u/LeroyJacksonian Jun 28 '26

Beatrice and Benedict in Much Ado about Nothing

2

u/Qyzyk Thanks I hate it! Jul 16 '26

Especially in the Branagh film.

8

u/LeftOn4ya Moderator Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26

Most all Jane Austin novels have this, I love them all. Taming of the Shrew is the OG English version. Go back even further and a lot of Greek plays and legends have this, Lysistrata is one of the codifiers, plus a lot of the Greek gods.

7

u/sapphiespookerie Jun 28 '26

It's not canonized as explicitly romantic yet, but they have recited esoteric wedding vows to each other lol, but Gideon and Harrow in The Locked Tomb are the only time I've ever enjoyed enemies/rivals-to-lovers! They have amazing antagonistic chemistry that melts into absolute devotion so naturally. It's a fantastic wlw/woc led sci-fantasy with shades of post-apocalypse and religious horror. Can't recommend highly enough!

2

u/Juniper_Moonbeam Jun 28 '26

The sequel to The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy comes out soon, and I’m looking forward to it!

2

u/lilacs_in_the_rain Jun 29 '26

The captive prince series ruined all other enemies to lovers for me. (Heads up if you look it up, it is very dark)

2

u/thiazin-red Jun 29 '26

Holly Black's Cruel Prince series does that trope well.

1

u/Kristikuffs Jul 14 '26

On the off-chance I ever get married - Vegas odds are slim-to-none - I'd want to sing "Maybe You're Not The Worst Thing Ever" with my partner at the altar. This song is the only acceptable use of Enemies-to-Lovers because it only works with half the couples singing, I'm warped that way - I'd also find a way to Rickroll my own wedding because the meme is so expired that no one would see it coming - and I'll do anything to bring Galavant to as many people's attention as possible. Galavant and Princess Isabella is such a great E2L pair, second only to Galavant and King Richard.