15 Enemies to Lovers Books in MM Romance You Can’t Miss
If you love enemies to lovers books AND MM romance, what could be better than reading a book that combines both?!
Fans of this favorite trope and genre are going to love this book list in which I share the best enemies to lovers stories in MM romance. You’re going to want to add all of these to your must read book list!
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My Favorite Enemies to Lovers Books in MM Romance
Keaton’s about to fulfill his girlfriend’s fantasy for her birthday – by inviting another dude to join them for the night.
To make this happen, he turns to a dating app to find a willing participant. Only he didn’t expect to get turned on by the back and forth messaging with the other guy
And he definitely didn’t expect the other guy to be his annoying frat brother who’s running against him for house President.
Gah! Is there anything better than an MM romance by Bowen and Kennedy?!
I totally fell for their Him series so I knew that this was going to be another fantastic MM romance. The fact that it was also an enemies to lovers book as well? Priceless.
Keaton and Luke definitely brought some good, heated animosity to this story since they were two frat brothers who did not get along.
They were complete opposites with Keaton having the world spoon-fed to him while Luke was from the opposite side of the tracks, just scraping by. Even though they didn’t seem to like each other, I loved Keaton’s openness to explore the feelings Luke ignited in him.
It made their connection oh so hot and their resulting love even sweeter. This is definitely a must read for fans of MM romance and enemies to lovers stories.
Related: Best College Romance Books
Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are the most talented men in pro hockey. The media may hype up their rivalry but out of the spotlight these two men heat up the sheets.
When secret hookups are no longer enough, it may be time to walk away rather than risk it all.
Talk about hate fueling some major tension! Whoa, does this book have that in spades or what?
The enemies to lovers vibe as well as the secrecy to Shane and Ilya’s relationship was a great hook that has you wanting to see where their story goes on and off the ice.
You’re basically a fly on the wall to their secret trysts over the years while competing against one another as you see them build to more than just a hook-up.
The competitive nature of these two athletes and their apparent hatred of each other only fueled their attraction and the heat between the sheets!
If you’re a fan of MM romance or hockey romances, you’ll love this book as well as it’s follow-up romance, The Long Game.
Related: Best Sports Romance Books
Marc and Chet were once childhood friends but a falling out between their fathers kept their only interactions during high school to those on the basketball court.
Now at the same college, they have been able to steer clear of one another until junior year when they realize they are both interning at the same law firm.
Ever the competitors, the tension to one up each other is turned on, but the tension between them is just as strong.
This was a great, friends to enemies to lovers romance. I loved how the prologue set the stage for their relationship so you could understand their animosity and attraction when they are later paired as interns in college.
While Chet may be out, Marc is not but that didn’t stop them from exploring their ultimate attraction and their desire to be together.
Overall, it’s a great read if you like MM college romances AND enemies to lovers books. Plus, the epilogue was the best! Check out my review of Try Me.
Related: Best Academic Rivals to Lovers Books
First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz isn’t one to hide his disdain for Prince Henry, but when photos of an altercation at a wedding are leaked to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations, he agrees to a fake friendship with the Prince as damage control.
Only the fake relationship leads to a secret relationship that could derail his mother’s re-election campaign and upend two nations.
This book was so good that it made my list of all time favorite romance novels!
I honestly can’t recommend it enough for it’s great writing, amazing story and phenomenal characters but it’s the love story between Alex and Henry that will stay with you long after you hit the end.
This isn’t a story built off of mutual hate, but more of an enemies to lovers book where one character’s stiffness and propriety is misinterpreted.
Once Alex comes to see the true person Henry is, he is all in with this man despite all the reasons they shouldn’t be together.
I can’t recommend this enough for MM romance and enemies to lovers fans. It’s a must-read then check out other books like Red, White and Royal Blue! Check out my review of Red, White and Royal Blue.
Related: Best Fake Relationship Romance Books
Go Luck Yourself
by Sara Raasch
Someone has been stealing Christmas’s joy, and there’s only one clue to the culprit—a single shamrock. With Coal busy restructuring Christmas—and their dad now having a full midlife crisis in the Caribbean—Kris volunteers to investigate St. Patrick’s Day. His cover: an ambassador from Christmas to foster goodwill. What could go wrong?
Everything, it seems. Because Prince Lochlann Patrick, Crown Prince of St. Patrick’s Day, happens to be the mysterious student that Kris has been in a small war with at Cambridge.
They attempt to play nice for the tabloids, but Kris can’t get through one conversation without wanting to smash Loch’s face in—he’s infuriating, stubborn, loud, obstinate, hot—Wait—hot?
Kris might be in some trouble. Especially when it turns out that the mystery behind Christmas’s stolen magic isn’t as simple as an outright theft. But why would a Holiday that Christmas has never had contact with, one that’s always been the very basis of carefree, want to steal joy?
Can a spare prince even hope to unravel all this, or will Kris lose something way more valuable than his Holiday’s resources—like his heart?
This is the perfect MM romance for anyone who loves fantasy romance. I loved the meet cute between the Prince of Christmas and the Prince of St. Patrick’s Day that sparked the beginnings of this fantastic enemies to lovers romance.
It was hilarious how Kris just wanted to defend how he went through the appropriate channels to reserve his beloved study room and would not be kept from it.
From there I got total Red, White and Royal Blue vibes since Kris had to apologize and make nice with Lochlann in front of the press in the spirit of repairing “international” relations when behind the scenes they masked their attraction with incessant teasing and pestering one another. I loved it!
In this romance, Raasch creates the best characters with really interesting internal struggles. If you’re looking for a queer romance that is the perfect enemies to lovers story that weaves in magic, creative arts, family struggles and amazing sibling relationships then you’ll enjoy this book!
Shane Wallace has made a decent life for himself in Last Chance. He’s a far cry from the lonely boy who was picked on but that doesn’t mean he’s forgotten the torment Maxwell Sullivan put him through.
Maxwell Sullivan never planned to step foot in Last Chance again. But now he’s back as “Van,” a provocative artist and photographer who’s only in town to help his mom after his father’s passing and to apologize to Shane.
Despite their history, it isn’t long before Shane and Van find themselves drawn to each other and making creative use of Van’s camera. But with two different lives, can they find a future together?
Can you fall in love with the person who tormented you? If you’re Shane you can. But there is more to Van’s story in this enemies to lovers romance which gives you all the feels.
I especially loved the moments when Van photographs Shane in bed. So incredibly HOT, making this a must read MM romance.
Panther and Solo are both fighter pilots in an elite training program, vying for that number one spot – to be named the best of the best.
Neither will accept defeat and yet neither can seem to ignore their attraction to one another even if a relationship between them could ruin their careers in the military.
This MM enemies to lovers book is fueled by some intense competition in the air aka Top Gun style.
If you loved that movie, then you’ll love this book by another great author duo who knock it out of the park when it comes to writing MM romance.
Straight-laced Panther meets his match in terms of skill and attraction when it comes to his competitor, reckless bad boy Solo.
Given their competitive natures, the chemistry between these alpha males is off the charts. And since they have to keep their fling a secret on base, it only fuels the heat between them.
The best thing about this book? It’s the first in a three book series, so you get MORE of these two bad boys in Need for Speed and Classified.
This is a terrific, enemies to lovers book and series!
More MM, Enemies to Lovers Books
Damen is a warrior hero to his people, and the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos. But when his half brother seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity, and sent to serve the prince of an enemy nation.
Beautiful and manipulative his new master, Prince Laurent, epitomizes the worst of the court at Vere. He has reason to hate the Prince of Akielos but finds himself working with Damen against a common enemy.
If you’re a fantasy romance lover, then this is the MM, enemies to lovers book for you.
I can’t wait to read it to learn how Damen can look past the humiliation and pain he must endure from Laurent and find a man he fully desires.
This is an enemies to lovers book full of fantasy and intrigue that is the first in the three-book Captive Prince trilogy.
Dylan has worked for Gabe for two years. Two long years of sarcastic comments. Two long years of insults, and having to redo the coffee pot four times in the mornings to meet his exacting standards.
But what happens when Dylan starts to see the real Gabe? What happens when he starts to fall in love with the warm, wary man that he sees glimpses of as the days pass?
What happens between two men when rules get broken?
Oh, I do love a good office romance, especially one between an assistant and an annoying boss! This sounds like the perfect enemies to lovers book that simmers with a subtle heat.
Related: Best Office Romance Books
When my life is threatened, I turn to the man who I know can help – the older brother of my life-long best friend, Sean, a detective for the Chicago PD.
I didn’t expect him to sign himself up for the job as my personal bodyguard but now I also have the straight, temperamental man as my fake boyfriend.
Going undercover has never been an issue for Sean in the past but now that he’s looking after Xander’s safety, he’s seeing the man in a whole new light.
A MM romance that includes a fake relationship with a hot bodyguard? It’s too good to be true! If you love your heroes extra surly and gruff then this is the pick for you.
Related: Best Bodyguard Romance Books
When Ash’s NFL football days are done, he finds himself headed back to Fever Falls and face-to-face with Beau Campbell, who hates him even more than he did when they were kids.
Too bad the sparks from their once ill-fated, teenage kiss are still there.
Beau has made a life for himself as a firefighter and he has no room in his life for Ash’s monster ego. But when temptation becomes too great, it’s Ash’s insecurities that may prevent them from winning each other’s hearts.
It’s hard to resist a MM romance between a football player and fire fighter, am I right?!
Especially two who have some teenage history and egos that clash. Add this to your enemies to lovers book list if you like childhood frenemies to lovers!
Related: Best Friends to Lovers Books
Jude Archer is weeks from closing one of the biggest business deals of his life. He’s not about to let some threat or a new bodyguard get in his way.
He’s chased off many a bodyguard already and he’s willing to do the same to Nikolai Falkov, the gorgeous Russian ex-soldier who thinks he can scare him into submission.
This MM, enemies to lovers book is definitely about a clash of two egos with a bit of suspense.
If you love a slow burn romance between a bodyguard and his client, then pick this one.
Related: Best Bodyguard Romance Books
Josh Miller is my new stepbrother but I call him DG for Do Gooder. When he’s not being scouted to play college soccer, he’s playing in the band, earning Boy Scout badges and front-rowing it at the First Baptist church.
I’m starting senior year a whole year late, but I’m keeping the reason why a secret and letting everyone think I just came to play varsity football.
Unfortunately DG is making my life worse than it already is. But I found out a little secret that he plays for the “other” team and that he wants me.
If young adult romances are more your speed then you’ll want to check out this emotional, forbidden MM romance.
James’ Sinful Secrets book series are inspired by a sin and centered on a devastating secret.
I’d say two warring stepbrothers who turn out to have a thing for one another is just the MM forbidden romance worth reading.
John is an exceptionally good lawyer. He’s driven, arrogant and used to people disliking him but for some reason when meeting Matt in London the other man’s open dislike of him bothers him.
He’s therefore surprised to find himself offering Matt a place to stay in his villa in the South of France while he’s working nearby.
As the long hot summer progresses and the two men get closer, John starts to nurse an unexpected attraction to his houseguest from hell.
The only problem is that while Matt is gay John is completely straight and Matt now wants him more than he’s ever wanted anything in his life.
Why not disappear into the South of France with this MM, enemies to lovers romance?
As if you need another reason to pick up a book in this must read trope, you can escape into another world while you envision John and Matt fighting their attraction. A perfect read!
Related: Romance Books That Inspire Travel
When we were kids, Xavier Price understood horses, but somehow, he got me too. He’d made me feel like I wasn’t just the overdressed, too sensitive fifteen-year-old geek who loved math and didn’t always say the right thing.
But all that changed the night he threw my trust back in my face and betrayed my family in the worst kind of way.
Now that I’m back in Eden to make sure my uncle’s horse ranch is operating in the black I never expected to see the man who almost stole my heart ten years ago.
If you love romances with ex-cons, then this is the MM romance for you.
While Xavier and Brooks might have had a brief connection as kids, that has since been destroyed leaving a great enemies to lovers story to check out.
Do you have a favorite, enemies to lovers MM romance book? Share in the comments below. I’d love to know!
Related Book Lists:
- The Best Enemies to Lovers Books
- Must Read MM Romance Books
- Gay Romance Novels: The Ultimate Guide
- The Best Enemies to Lovers Fantasy Books
- The Best Academic Rivals to Lovers Books
- The Best YA Enemies to Lovers Books
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Try the Red Dirt series by NR Walker there are 4 books and they are excellent.She is another I discovered and I haven’t come across anything not worth reading…..
Thanks for the recommendation! I love finding authors I’ve yet to read from fellow romance readers.
Thank you for the recs, definitely gonna check out some, if not all, of these ^_^
I’ve read most of the books and I highly recommend them. I added the other three to my tbr list. Thank you for the recs.
Hi Kenisha, So happy I could give you some recommendations you haven’t read yet! Let me know what you think of them.
Thanks for the Recommendations!
I 2nd your Rec for Top Secret, I love that book! I also would recommend for M/M, enemies to lovers:
Savage Rivals by Becca Steele
Egotistical Puckboy and Face Offs and Cheap Shots by Eden Finley & Saxon James
Frat Wars King of Thieves by Saxon James
The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen
Great recommendations Vanessa!
Leslie, I love your lists – I get so much inspiration and my want-to-read list is getting miles long 🙂
Enemies to lovers: Annabeth Albert’s Beta Test is a must. I return to it again and again. Love it!
Thank you so much Lene!!
Try malum Discordiae
Amazing book
Thanks David- I love that it’s a fantasy!
I loved them all. Going through them one by one. Rule breaker is just too angsty and one sided for me but the rest our amazing.
Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert is another one that’s a brilliant enemies to lover trope.
Yay! So happy to hear you’re making your way threw the list. So fun.
So many choices! I ended up reading “Red, White and Royal Blue” for the June 2023 reading challenge. I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to the movie in August.