December 2025
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    In need for a good, beautifully and descriptively written ACTUAL ENEMIES TO LOVERS book. Now, i dont understand why the authors call their books "enemies to lovers" when there is literally an early insta lust/attraction between the characters. Listen. An enemies to lovers or an actual HATE to love book must NOT have sexual tension between the characters in the early stage. Thats not even hate. That's literally your sexual frustration talking, your lust driving you forward. I am so done with booktok, and honestly i want to sue the people who claim that "The Predator" by Runyx is an actual enemies to lovers. I am sorry if this offends anyone, but this is not how enemies to lovers work. There has to be tension between them, yes, but that tension shouldn't be "physical" or "sexual". It has to be hostile, anger, loathing, vengeance, power play. Not flimsy sexual feelings. Its so frustrating when they keep describing the tension as something along the lines of "He could smell her scent and he hated how much it was driving him insane" or "His proximity was making her heart race in a way she couldnt stand"- just stop. Enough. Its so cringey. I do not want them appreciating each other's physical attributes in their first meeting or whenever, while they are hating each other. I do not want them to feel a "pull" towards each other while hating. I DO NOT want them to feel any weird physical reactions whenever they are near each other. No. What I want is for them to be absolutely REPULSED by each other. Absolutely disgusted by each other. At least from the guy's side, i want this exact feeling and reaction. At the very least.

    Now, I LOVED "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black but for me, it lacked the development of their relationship from hate to love. It wasnt enough for me. It was perfect for me in the following ways:

    1. It had NO insta lust or insta attraction.
    2. Jude and Cardan actually hated each other (or it was written in a way that made us believe that they actually hated each other and didnt want anything with each other. Even when Cardan had said "Crawl to me" to Jude, it was a pure power play. His ego, his pride was speaking. It was NEVER IN A LUSTFUL MANNER. It never had such cheap disappointing dynamics)
    3. Even if Cardan had wanted Jude from the very first, WE got to know about it at the ver end of the book. Which was satisfying and felt EARNED.

    It wasnt enough for me for the following reasons:

    1. Cardan didnt actually hate Jude.
    2. Their interactions/moments were so so less that their relationship from hate to want felt rushed for me. Like, it wasnt satisfying enough for me. I understand it was mainly a political book but still i wanted to see the gradual process of their hate transforming into want and love.
    3. I didnt like the concept of wanting and hating at the same time. Like when they kissed but still kept insisting that they "hated" each other.

    With all these examples, i would like to conclude that i want a book where the characters actually definitely loathe each other, are literally disgusted by each other, and DONT FEEL ANY PHYSICAL REACTIONS TO EACH OTHER IN THE BEGINNING. The tension should be hostility, power play, loathing, vengeance and pure rage. NOTHING PHYSICAL OR SEXUAL. PLEASE. i just want to see the long process of this hate turn into love through many slow moments. ALSO I DO NOT WANT THAT FAMOUS "fuck it" moment where they start tearing each other's clothes literally after a moment of declaring their hate for each other. Ew no please. I literally want to SEE THE PROCESS of them falling in love after all that hate. Just the hate should be real, not sexual frustration lol. Enemies to reluctant allies to lovers also seem okay. I know authors suck at writing real enemies to lovers but there should be atleast one book like this right? Please, please please help.

    by aggressivebutsweet

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