10 Books About Love Across Enemy Lines
There’s something irresistible about forbidden love—especially when it blooms between enemies. The stakes are high, the tension is undeniable, and every stolen moment feels like a spark in the dark, a love that shouldn’t exist but refuses to be extinguished. Whether it’s wartime romance, star-crossed lovers from rival families, or sworn enemies forced into reluctant alliances, these stories burn with passion, danger, and longing.
Here are 10 unforgettable books where love dares to cross enemy lines.
1. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
🏮 A Blood Feud. A City on the Brink. A Love That Won’t Die.
In 1920s Shanghai, Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai belong to rival crime families, each sworn to destroy the other. But when a strange plague threatens their city, they must work together—even if it means rekindling a love that once ended in betrayal. Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet meets roaring 1920s decadence, political intrigue, and slow-burning tension.
📖 Read if you love: Historical fantasy, enemies-to-lovers, and gang rivalries.
2. Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
🖤 A Witch and a Witch Hunter—Bound in an Unholy Union
Lou is a witch. Reid is a witch hunter. Their destinies should have ended with one of them dead, but instead, they are forced into a marriage neither of them wants. As their uneasy truce turns into reluctant attraction, their love could be the most dangerous magic of all.
📖 Read if you love: Slow-burn romance, forced proximity, and deadly secrets.
3. The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski
⚔️ A Conqueror’s Daughter and a Rebel Slave—A Love That Defies Empires
Kestrel, the daughter of a powerful general, buys Arin, a defiant slave at an auction. But Arin is no ordinary servant—he’s part of a rebellion against her people. As war looms and loyalties blur, they must decide what matters more: their duty, their people, or the love they were never meant to have.
📖 Read if you love: Political intrigue, forbidden love, and heartbreaking choices.
4. The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
🌊 A Deadly Bride. A Rival King. A Marriage of Deception.
Lara has been trained since birth to destroy the Bridge Kingdom—a land that controls the world’s trade routes. Sent to marry its king, Aren, she’s ready to be his worst enemy—until she starts to question everything. What if her enemy isn’t the villain she was told he was? And what if falling for him means betraying her own people?
📖 Read if you love: Enemies-to-lovers, political deception, and high-stakes romance.
5. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
🔥 A Soldier and a Rebel—Enemies in a World of Oppression
Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier of the empire that enslaved her people. When their paths cross, they should be bitter enemies—but instead, they find themselves drawn together in ways that could change the fate of an empire.
📖 Read if you love: Fantasy rebellion, dangerous missions, and forbidden attraction.
6. Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout
👁️ A Half-Angel and a Demon Prince—Destined to Clash, Fated to Love
Trinity, a girl with secret celestial powers, has been raised to hate demons. Zayne, a brooding demon prince, should be her worst enemy—but when a greater evil threatens them both, they must work together… and fight their growing attraction.
📖 Read if you love: Supernatural romance, fiery chemistry, and unlikely alliances.
7. The Wrath & the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
🌙 A Murderous King. A Vengeful Bride. A Love That Defies Fate.
Every night, Khalid takes a new bride. Every morning, she is dead. When Shahrzad volunteers to marry the ruthless king, she plans to kill him before he can kill her. But as she unravels his secrets, she begins to see the broken man beneath the monster—and her vengeance turns into something far more dangerous: love.
📖 Read if you love: Fairytale retellings, slow-burn romance, and court intrigue.
8. The Folk of the Air Series by Holly Black
👑 A Mortal Girl and a Cruel Fae Prince—A War Between Love and Power
Jude, a mortal girl raised in the dangerous world of fae, has one goal: to outmaneuver her enemies and take power for herself. Her greatest rival? Prince Cardan, the wicked, arrogant heir to the throne. But as she fights to destroy him, she also finds herself falling for him in the most infuriating way possible.
📖 Read if you love: Fae politics, enemies-to-lovers, and morally gray romance.
9. A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair
💀 A Goddess and the God of the Underworld—Fated to Love, Doomed to Fall
Persephone, the goddess of spring, has always been kept from the world. When she strikes a deal with Hades, she never expects to fall for the god she was taught to fear. But the world of the underworld is full of deadly games—and their love might just be the most dangerous of all.
📖 Read if you love: Greek mythology retellings, forbidden romance, and dark bargains.
10. Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
⚔️ A Warrior and Her Enemy—Bound by Blood, Torn by Loyalty
Eelyn has spent her life hating the Riki, the rival clan responsible for her mother’s death. But when she is captured by them, she makes a shocking discovery: her brother, long thought dead, is alive and living among them. Forced to fight alongside her enemies, she begins to question everything she’s ever known—and her growing connection to Fiske, a warrior she once swore to kill.
📖 Read if you love: Viking-inspired fantasy, fierce heroines, and intense battle scenes.
🔥 Love Against the Odds
Love that defies war, prejudice, and centuries-old hatred is the most dangerous—and the most thrilling—kind of romance. It asks: How far would you go for love? What are you willing to risk?
Which of these forbidden love stories is your favorite? Do you have a favorite enemies-to-lovers moment? Let’s talk in the comments! 💖📚
