Enemies to Lovers vs Rivals to Lovers: Meeting Readers’ Expectations

There’s been a lot of talk about tropes and readers’ expectations, mainly enemies-to-lovers versus rivals-to-lovers, and while there is some crossover, there’s also distinct differences that writers and readers should keep in mind. 

So what makes these tropes successful? How do they stand apart from each other? 

Enemies-to-lovers: As it sounds, the love interests of the book are enemies first, then become lovers over time. It’s a very popular selling point, but many readers feel the term is losing its meaning. In other words, some feel as if marketing has been overusing the term or claiming the trope even when it’s not truly present. 

So what’s going on?

For one, there are varying degrees this trope can be applied. Simply put, there are two main categories: 

1. They’re circumstantial enemies: The reason they are enemies comes from an outside force, such as societal or familial expectation. They may not necessarily hate each other, but rather something about the other. This is common in fantasies. For example, when we see two people from warring nations meet and slowly realize that they have a lot more in common than previously thought. Tropes we see alongside this one are arranged marriages (often for political alliances), forced proximity (such as having to work together to overcome a neutral force, like a natural disaster), miscommunication tropes, and more. What is key here is that the hatred is not individualized. Using warring nations as an example: They may hate each other’s nations, but as they get to know each other, they realize that the other person is someone they can sympathize with. The tension is created from following your heart or your loyalty to your upbringing. This could also be blended with the forbidden lovers trope, but be aware that “forbidden” doesn’t automatically equal “enemy.” Enemy requires a level of hatred. Think about Romeo & Juliet. They were forbidden lovers, but not enemies-to-lovers. Despite the fact that their families are feuding, they never dislike each other. That’s the difference.
2. They’re personal enemies: Both characters know each other and hate each other for personal reasons. This one typically relies on a miscommunication trope, so that the characters can later realize that the actions or attitudes that sparked the hatred were misinterpreted and can be forgiven, which builds into the romance. We see this in bully romances in particular. We also see this in rivals-to-lovers, where there is a lot of crossover. So what makes it an enemies-to-lovers?  Well, it’s best to analyze its counterpart: 

Rivals-to-lovers is when two characters have the same goal and are therefore competing against each other for that goal. Think academic competitors or co-workers gunning for the same promotion. In this situation, hatred could happen, which is why sometimes folks might accidentally call this enemies-to-lovers. In the same vein, there are subcategories within rivals-to-lovers, like bully romances, where these tropes could theoretically come together. This is natural crossover, and that’s okay. 

Where I see most folks get disappointed is when either trope is barely used. (Meaning, the characters start as rivals or enemies on page one, but by page 20 they’re over it like it didn’t mean anything in the first place.) Granted, I think this can also be a misconception. There is a difference between insta-love and insta-attraction. Any character could be instantly attracted to an enemy or a rival. That doesn’t mean the trope no longer exists. 

Growing and exploring the tension is key to making these tropes stand out successfully. That starts with setting expectations in your marketing. If you’re marketing your book as a dark enemies-to-lovers, readers are going to expect a lot of hate and more unpacking as the characters get closer. The tension will need to be higher, the reasons for breaking more dramatic. 

Either way, I hope this helps you explore these tropes! 

~SAT