LIST: hate to love

Posted on by michelle
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I’m a huge fan of the hate-to-love trope because I feel like it adds a tension to the book that is unparalleled. Also, amicable bickering can be so fun. Anyways, I know that a lot of other people love this trope as well, so here’s a list of books that have the hate-to-love trope!

The enemies-to-lovers trope is often thrown around like it’s synonymous with rivals-to-lovers or just hate-to-love, but they’re really different dynamics so I wanted to differentiate between them. Thus, this list is split into four different categories:

dislike-to-love
hate-to-love
rivals-to-lovers
enemies-to-lovers

Click this to see how I differentiate between these categories.
The dislike-to-love trope is almost synonymous with irritation; the ship dislikes each other and they might bicker, but they don’t actively hate each other. This is basically when I hesitate to say a book is hate-to-love because it lacks that proper emotion.

Hate-to-love, on the other hand, is more visceral. The ship argue constantly and genuinely do not get along in a way that has more weight to it than dislike-to-love. There’s more feelings here. Both rivals-to-lovers and enemies-to-lovers fall under the hate-to-love umbrella but they’re more specific.

Rivals-to-lovers differs from enemies-to-lovers in that the dynamic lies more in the ship competing for something. The two of them might actually get along if they weren’t competing against each other.

However, enemies-to-lovers deals more with the ship being on opposing sides, whether that be of an issue or warring countries. This type of hate is deeper than that of rivals; it’s something that’s been ingrained in the two of them for a while, and they’re working on changing that. I will say that there are some romances that are technically “enemies-to-lovers,” but aren’t hate-to-love, so they fall more under a forbidden romance. These are not included as this is a hate-to-love list.

I suppose after explaining all of this that I should clarify that I try very hard not to include toxic / extremely unhealthy ships. The ones that are on this list may come off as this at first, but I personally think the book progresses in a way that there’s growth in the characters so that this is not the case throughout the entire book.

That being said, I haven’t actually read all of the books on this list, so please let me know if you think otherwise.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. dislike-to-love
  2. hate-to-love
  3. rivals-to-lovers
  4. enemies-to-lovers

bolded = series
🌈 = LGBTQ+ romance
🖤 otherwise
(all romances are in the main ship unless otherwise noted)

DISLIKE-TO-LOVE
dislike-to-love

FANTASY

bookinfo
Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett🖤 f/m
Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett
(read my review here)		🖤 f/m
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
(read my review here)		rep: bisexual protagonist, gay love interest and side character
🌈 m/m
Fire (Graceling Realm #2) by Kristin Cashorerep: bisexual protagonist
🌈 f/m
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco
(read my reviews of book one
and book two)		rep: bisexual biracial (Mexican, Jewish) protagonist, gay protagonist
🖤 f/m

SCIENCE FICTION

bookinfo
Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff🖤 f/m
The Fever King by Victoria Lee
(read my reviews of book one and book two)
(cw: sexual assault and child abuse, domestic violence, references to suicide, and depections of eating disorders and substance abuse)		rep: bisexual biracial (Mexican, Jewish) protagonist, gay protagonist, lesbian side characters
🌈 m/m

CONTEMPORARY

bookinfo
Dating Makes Perfect by Pintip Dunn
(read my review here)		rep: ownvoices Thai-American protagonist, love interest, and side characters
🖤 f/m
I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forestrep: ownvoices Black protagonist, love interest, and characters; gay side character
🖤 f/m
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
(read my review here)		rep: gay side characters
🖤 f/m
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
(cw: depression)		🖤 f/m, side f/m
First & Then by Emma Mills🖤 f/m
Fake It Till You Break It by Jenn P. Nguyen
(read my review here)		rep: ownvoices Vietnamese-American protagonist
🖤 f/m
Meet Me at Midnight by Jessica Pennington
(read my review here)		🖤 f/m
Running with Lions by Julian Wintersrep: bisexual protagonist, gay British-Pakistani Muslim love interest, ownvoices gay Black side character, gay side character
🌈 m/m
A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen
(read my review here)		rep:  ownvoices Taiwanese-American protagonist, love interest, and side characters; bisexual Taiwanese-American side character
🖤 f/m
HATE-TO-LOVE
hate-to-love

FANTASY

bookinfo
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdiehrep: Persian-inspired world and characters
🖤 f/m
The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad
(read my review here)		rep: Asian-inspired world and characters
🖤 f/m
Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena
(read my review here)		rep: ownvoices Indian-inspired world and characters; wlw side character
🖤 f/m
A Crown of Wishes (The Star-Touched Queen #2) by Roshani Chokshirep: ownvoices Indian-inspired world and characters, wlw side character
🖤 f/m
The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco
(read my review here)		rep: lesbian protagonists (f/f)
🖤 f/m
Of Silver and Shadow by Jennifer Gruenke
(out February 16, 2021)		rep: wlw main characters (f/f)
🖤 f/m
Finnikin of the Rock (The Lumatere Chronicles #1) by Melina Marchetta
(tw: rape)		🖤 f/m
An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson🖤 f/m
Sweet & Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley
(out March 9, 2021)		rep: ownvoices wlw protagonists
🌈 f/f

SCIENCE FICTION

bookinfo
These Broken Stars (Starbound #1) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner🖤 f/m

CONTEMPORARY

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Prom Queen Perfect by Clarisse Davidrep: ownvoices Filipino protagonists and characters
🖤 f/m
Keeping the Distance by Clarisse Davidrep: ownvoices Filipino protagonists and characters
🖤 f/m
How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You by Tara Eglington🖤 f/m
Amelia Westlake Was Never Here by Erin Goughrep: lesbian protagonists, bisexual Vietnamese-Australian side character
🌈 f/f
A Love Hate Thing by Whitney D. Grandisonrep: ownvoices Black protagonists
🖤 f/m
The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall
(read my review here)		🖤 f/m
Unconventional by Maggie Harcourtrep: wlw side characters, mlm side characters
🖤 f/m
Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins🖤 f/m
Prince Charming (Royals #1) by Rachel Hawkins
(read my review here)		🖤 f/m
Her Royal Highness (Royals #2) by Rachel Hawkins
(read my review here)		rep: bisexual protagonist, lesbian love interest
🌈 f/f
Things I Should Have Known by Claire LaZebnik
(read my review here)		rep: side characters with autism
🖤 f/m
Five Ways to Fall Out of Love by Emily Martin
(out March 16, 2021)		rep: bisexual love interest
🖤 f/m
When Dimple Met Rishi (Dimple and Rishi #1) by Sandhya Menonrep: ownvoices Indian-American protagonists
🖤 f/m
10 Things I Hate about Pinky (Dimple and Rishi #3) by Sandhya Menon
(read my review here)		rep: ownvoices Indian-American protagonists
🖤 f/m
Glimpsed by G.F. Miller🖤 f/m
She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen
(out April 20, 2021)		rep: ownvoices lesbian protagonist, lesbian Indian-American love interest, Black side character
🌈 f/f
Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi
(read my review here)		rep: wlw ownvoices Bengali/Persian-American protagonist, wlw Jewish-Mexican-American protagonist
🌈 f/f
P.S. I Like You by Kasie West🖤 f/m
Maybe This Time by Kasie Westrep: Black side character
🖤 f/m
If I’m Being Honest by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
(read my review here)		rep: Japanese-American love interest
🖤 f/m
Pride by Ibi Zoboirep: Tahitian-Dominican protagonist, ownvoices Black protagonist
🖤 f/m

MYSTERY

bookinfo
Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price
(out March 9, 2021)		🖤 f/m
RIVALS-TO-LOVERS
rivals-to-lovers

FANTASY

bookinfo
The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwellrep: Chinese side character, lesbian side character
🖤 f/m
Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift
(read my review here)		rep: Indian-inspired world and characters
🖤 f/m
Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley
(out 2022)		rep: ownvoices wlw protagonist and love interest
🌈 f/f

SCIENCE FICTION

bookinfo
We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejiarep: ownvoices Latinx protagonists
🌈 f/f

CONTEMPORARY

bookinfo
The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Andersonrep: Korean-American side character
🖤 f/m
I Kissed Alice by Anna Birch and illustrated by Victoria Yangrep:  lesbian protagonist, bisexual protagonist
🌈 f/f
I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre
(out March 2, 2021)		rep: ownvoices lesbian protagonist, bisexual protagonist
🌈 f/f
Sources Say by Lori Goldstein🖤 f/m
The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
(read my review here)		rep: ownvoices lesbian Bengali protagonist, bisexual biracial (Afro-Brazilian, Irish) love interest
🌈 f/f
Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon
(read my review here)		rep: Jewish-Mexican-American protagonist, ownvoices Jewish-American main character/love interest, bisexual side character, lesbian Cambodian-American side character
🖤 f/m
ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS
enemies-to-lovers

FANTASY

bookinfo
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugorep: plus-sized bisexual protagonist, South Asian-coded protagonist, bisexual biracial (Black, white) protagonist, gay protagonist
🌈 f/m
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
(read my review of book two)		rep: bisexual side character, wlw side character
🖤 m/f
Rosemarked by Livia Blackburnerep: ownvoices East Asian-coded characters
🖤 f/m
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brownrep: ownvoices West African-inspired world and characters
🖤 f/m
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo🖤 m/f
Ruinsong by Julia Ember
(out November 24, 2020)		rep: ownvoices wlw protagonist and love interest
🌈 f/f
Beyond the Ruby Veil by Mara Fitzgerald
(read my review here)		rep: lesbian protagonist, wlw love interest, gay main character
🌈 f/f
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
(read my review here)		rep: ownvoices Chinese protagonist and characters, Chinese trans girl main character, gay main character, Korean main character
🖤 f/m
The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Greyrep: gay main character, Black bisexual main character, Latina main character
🖤 m/f
Froi of the Exiles (The Lumatere Chronicles #2) by Melina Marchetta
(tw: rape)		rep: gay side character
🖤 m/f
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
(read my review here)		rep: wlw side character
🖤 f/m
These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy
(out April 20, 2021)		rep: ownvoices wlw protagonist and love interest
🌈 f/f
Bone Crier’s Moon by Kathryn Purdie
(read my review here)		🖤 f/m
Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes🖤 f/m
The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhalarep: ownvoices Indian-inspired world and characters
🖤 f/m
Crier’s War by Nina Varela
(read my reviews of book one and book two)		rep: bisexual protagonist, lesbian protagonist
🌈 f/f
Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf
(read my review of book two)		🖤 f/m

SCIENCE FICTION

bookinfo
This Shattered World (Starbound #2) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spoonerrep: biracial (Black, Chinese) protagonist
🖤 f/m
Zero Repeat Forever by Gabrielle S. Prendergastrep: biracial (Black/Métis, white) protagonist, Asian character, LGBT character(s)

CONTEMPORARY

bookinfo
Vendetta by Catherine Doyle🖤 f/m
Summer Skin by Kirsty Eagar
(read my review here)		🖤 f/m
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta🖤 f/m
Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menonrep: ownvoices Indian protagonist and side character
🖤 f/m

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25 thoughts on “LIST: hate to love”

  2. Thank you for putting this list! I always enjoy this dynamic and I love how you differentiate the 4 categories within. I admit I love rival to lovers/dislike to love dynamics, especially in academic (such as senior year) setting 😀 I’ve read a couple from this list and I really enjoyed them, so this list is pretty spot on for my taste and I can’t wait to read the others!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. michelle!!! i love this so much and i appreciate all the work that went into creating this ❤ i especially really love how you "classified" the different hate-to-love types, it can be disappointing going in to a book and expecting a certain a level of hate and not receiving it lmao 😭 you're amazing!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  7. GREAT POST. this list is so detailed and i love it so much. also really loved that you differentiated the different types because you’re right, they ARE so often thrown around like they’re the same thing, but they’re so different?? so EXCELLENT TOUCH right there.

    theres a lot of books here i haven’t read so i will be adding a ton of these to my tbr! as for the ones i have read… 10/10 agree with TWEET CUTE (SO adorable), SAVING FRANCESCA, FIRSRT & THEN, A CROWN OF WISHES. your post has also shown me that i apparently have only read dislike-to-lovers contemporaries so It Is Time To Branch Out.

    thanks for this list!!! ♥︎

    Liked by 1 person

  10. […] Michelle @ Magical Reads has made the ultimate hate-to-love book list, and it is glorious! This is one of my favourite tropes, and each of the books is broken down into different categories. This is another post I have bookmarked and can see myself referring back to often. I cannot imagine how much work went into putting this together! Thanks Michelle! […]

    Liked by 1 person

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