Enemies to Lovers Hits Harder When They’re Actually Enemies

New study finds that “he annoyed me” may not actually be enough.

I love enemies to lovers. At this point, I’m pretty sure I need it in almost every book I read. There are exceptions, obviously, but give me two people who absolutely should not fall for each other and I’m sold.

But I feel like sometimes we use the word enemies a little loosely...

Like okay, he was rude to you. You hate each other. Fine.

But I want ENEMIES.

I want there to be an actual reason these two people should not be together.

So when I wrote Silver’s Ascent, I may have taken that a little far.

Willow doesn’t just dislike Jayce.

His family destroyed hers.

She witnessed the Mystics kill her mother, and now she’s been forced to serve the exact people she hates.

And Jayce?

Yeah. He’s one of them.

So obviously she wants absolutely nothing to do with him.

Which would be a lot easier if he would stop protecting her.

And helping her.

And getting entirely too close to her while they’re arguing.

Like sir??? Could you please act like an enemy for five minutes?

Because the worst part isn’t even that Willow starts having feelings for someone she’s supposed to hate.

It’s that the more she gets to know Jayce, the more she has to wonder if everything she believes about him—and his family—is actually true.

And THAT is the kind of enemies to lovers I love.

Give me the tension. Give me the slow burn. Give me two people who have very legitimate reasons to stay far away from each other and then make them increasingly terrible at doing that.

Apparently this is what I consider romance.

Anywayyyy...

The study has concluded that enemies to lovers does, in fact, hit harder when they’re actually enemies.

Further research is probably necessary.

Preferably involving Jayce standing entirely too close to Willow again.

CASE STUDY: Silver’s Ascent
Findings include: enemies to lovers • slow burn • hidden identities • found family • rebellion • questionable romantic decisions

This study was conducted by the author and is therefore wildly biased.

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Want to investigate the evidence yourself?
Read Silver’s Ascent and decide whether Willow and Jayce should be allowed within five feet of each other.