Enemies to Lovers: 10 Fantasy Romance Books with the Ultimate Tension
1. The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
Why you'll love it: Lara is trained from birth to be a spy and assassin, sent to marry and betray the king of a rival kingdom. But as she navigates enemy territory, she finds herself torn between duty and unexpected feelings.
Tension scale: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Spice scale: 🌶️🌶️ (Moderate: romantic tension and a couple of on-page scenes, but not overly graphic)
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, slow burn, spy heroine, morally gray hero
Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆ (4.18)
Hidden gem factor: Overshadowed by more hyped fae romances, this series offers tight plotting, morally gray choices, and a fierce heroine worth rooting for.
2. The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller
Why you'll love it: Alessandra plans to woo the Shadow King, marry him, and kill him for his throne. He has secrets of his own, but she never planned on catching feelings.
Tension scale: 🔥🔥🔥
Spice scale: 🌶️ (Fade to black / minimal heat)
Tropes: Villain romance, enemies to lovers, murder plot, royalty, one-bed (eventually)
Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆ (4.01)
Hidden gem factor: Often overlooked in favor of Levenseller’s Daughter of the Pirate King.
3. To Bleed a Crystal Bloom by Sarah A. Parker
Why you'll love it: A gothic, slow-burn retelling of Rapunzel with a deeply dark and broody protector-turned-enemy dynamic.
Tension scale: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Spice scale: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Explicit scenes with dark, taboo undertones)
Tropes: Retelling, forbidden romance, guardian/protector, morally gray, slow burn
Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆ (4.16)
Hidden gem factor: Indie-published and criminally underrated in the fantasy romance space.
4. Of Thorns and Beauty by Elle Madison & Robin D. Mahle
Why you'll love it: A morally gray fae prince cursed to live in darkness meets a fierce healer. What begins as suspicion turns into something much deeper.
Tension scale: 🔥🔥🔥
Spice scale: 🌶️🌶️ (Mild to moderate steam, more romantic tension than graphic content)
Tropes: Beauty and the Beast retelling, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fae romance
Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆ (4.12)
Bonus: First in a completed series (Twisted Pages), perfect for binge reading.
5. The Savage and the Swan by Ella Fields
Why you'll love it: Inspired by Swan Lake, this fae-laced romance is full of betrayal, violence, and steamy tension between enemies who keep pushing each other’s limits.
Tension scale: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Spice scale: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Steamy and intense with descriptive scenes)
Tropes: Hate to love, forced marriage, fae royalty, revenge, forbidden love
Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆ (4.11)
Hidden gem factor: Darker than the usual fae romance, with less hype but tons of punch.
6. Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan
Why you'll love it: Book two of the Something Dark and Holy series takes the enemies-to-lovers trope to a morally gray extreme. Think magic, madness, and manipulation.
Tension scale: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Spice scale: 🌶️🌶️ (Emotionally intense with light physical intimacy)
Tropes: Dark academia, enemies to lovers, obsession, slow burn, magical corruption
Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆ (4.00)
Hidden gem factor: Often skipped because it’s a sequel, but the romantic tension ramps up here.
7. A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova
Why you'll love it: A human girl is taken to the fae realm to become the Elf King’s bride, but neither expected to fall for the other. Classic beauty-and-the-beast tension with fresh twists.
Tension scale: 🔥🔥🔥
Spice scale: 🌶️🌶️ (One or two mildly steamy scenes, but mostly soft and emotional)
Tropes: Arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, fae romance, reluctant bride, grumpy/sunshine
Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆ (4.06)
Bonus: It’s a standalone in the Married to Magic universe, perfect for a one-sitting binge.
8. Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen
Why you'll love it: Yes, another Jensen title, but this one’s even more underrated. Cécile is kidnapped and forced to marry a cursed troll prince, who resents her but can’t help but care.
Tension scale: 🔥🔥🔥
Spice scale: 🌶️ (Clean-to-mild, focused on slow-burn emotional development)
Tropes: Forced marriage, enemies to lovers, hidden magic, reluctant allies, underground world
Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆ (4.06)
Hidden gem factor: Overlooked in the era of fae-focused romance, but truly rich storytelling.
9. Master of Crows by Grace Draven
Why you'll love it: Martise, a slave with hidden power, is sent to spy on a renegade mage. What unfolds is one of the most mature, slow-burning enemies-to-lovers stories in fantasy romance.
Tension scale: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Spice scale: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Steamy, emotional, and mature, strong romantic and physical chemistry)
Tropes: Mage x apprentice, enemies to lovers, slow burn, forbidden magic, spy heroine
Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆ (4.18)
Hidden gem factor: An older indie classic, still beloved, still underrated.
10. The Song of the Marked by S.M. Gaither
Why you'll love it: A cursed girl and the powerful, broody warrior she’s forced to work with must solve a deadly mystery. Excellent worldbuilding with just the right amount of sexual tension.
Tension scale: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Spice scale: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Medium-high spice, especially later in the series)
Tropes: Enemies to reluctant allies, cursed heroine, forced proximity, warrior x scholar, found family
Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆ (4.24)
Bonus: Book one in The Shadows & Crowns series, great for fantasy romance fans who love the long game.
Why We Love the Enemies to Lovers Trope in Fantasy
The tension, the banter, the moral complexity, it’s the perfect emotional playground for romance. In fantasy romance, where the stakes are literally life and death, watching enemies fall in love feels even more powerful. Each of these titles captures that magic in a unique, lesser-known way.
Ready to Fall for a Fated Rival?
Let us know which one you’ll be picking up first, or share your favorite underrated enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance so we can add it to our TBR!