The heroine Kate is a woman who runs a support group for families of compulsive gamblers. In this romance, the hero Liam is a Las Vegas casino hotel owner. The one closest to my heart is Vice, Vegas Sins 1. I couldn’t resist writing a couple of enemies-to-lovers romances. All that tension can now manifest as passion. After holding our breaths, we can finally sigh and relax. When they finally give into temptation, it’s a sweet reward for both character and reader. They begin to see each other through a flattering new filter and the reader swoons. But then, little by little, they learn about each other’s pasts and motivations, and something snaps. We have two characters who despise each other, who would do anything to be able to stop obsessing about the other. The most delicious moments in these romances, in my opinion, is the inevitable surrender. It is the gift that just keeps on giving. We see it in contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance and so on. What I love about this trope is that it lends itself so easily to the various subgenres of romance as well. Sometimes the stakes are high, with life-or-death consequences. The protagonists may be competing for the same job or they may be on opposing sides of a political squabble. In many of these romances, the reader sees real conflicts at work.

Most enemies-to-lovers romances hit harder than my grade five flirtation with Shane McKenzie. Now, of course, this is an innocent example. What began as conflict turned into the spark of attraction. All the tension I’d felt around Shane transformed into something mellow and warm. In that moment, I think I realized the potential of an enemies-to-lovers romance. Let’s just say I didn’t mind Shane teasing me from that point onward. I suddenly noticed how his blue eyes sparkled. In short, Shane drove me up the wall.īut one day, I looked at him, armed with a glare and a sharp word, and something strange happened. He even got me in trouble with the teacher once during a test because he wouldn’t stop chatting. He always had a mischievous glint in his eye. By the way, I’ve changed his name to protect his identity and not embarrass the poor guy. Shane McKenzie was one of my first crushes in grade school. When I hear about a new enemies-to-lovers romance novel, my one-click finger immediately starts to twitch. One of the most enduring examples is that of Elizabeth and Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. The protagonists begin the story hating each other for valid reasons, but they end up falling in love. What do I mean by enemies-to-lovers? It’s just as you would imagine.

The one I gravitate to most is the enemies-to-lovers plotline. Like most romance readers, I have favorite tropes as well. Secret babies, fake relationships that lead to genuine love, modern twists on classics, fated mates. Many people who read romance will tell you they have favorite tropes, or reoccurring themes.

Toxic Desire by Robin Lovett