Top Ten Tuesday – My Favorite Enemies-to-Lovers Quotes

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!

This week’s TTT topic is Book Quotes that Fit X Theme (Pick any theme you want, i.e., motivational quotes, romantic dialogues, hunger-inducing quotes, quotes that fill you with hope, quotes on defeating adversity, quotes that present strong emotions, healing, etc. and then select quotes from books that fit that theme.)

This was such a wide open topic that I struggled a bit to even find a starting point. Since I’ve read so much romances during the pandemic, I decided it would be fun to share some of my favorite quotes from those. That was still a little too broad for me so I’ve narrowed it to my favorite quotes from one of my favorites tropes, enemies-to-lovers. Gotta love that snarky banter!

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My Favorite Enemies-to-Lovers Quotes

1. “How do you tell the person you’ve spent four years trying to destroy that you have a crush on them?”

― Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon

2. “The only coherent thought that comes to mind is how insulting it is that eyelashes like his were wasted on Satan’s Errand Boy.”
― The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

3. “Those of us who aren’t summoned by the Dark Mark consider honesty to be a virtue.”
― The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

4. “The moment you first called me a prick, my fate was sealed. O, fathers of my bloodline! O, ye kings of olde! Take this crown from me, bury me in my ancestral soil. If only you had known the mighty work of thine loins would be undone by a gay heir who likes it when American boys with chin dimples are mean to him.”

― Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

5. “He’s not like any other guy I’ve dated or crushed on. And while he’s capable of making my blood boil like no one else, I feel a magnetic pull toward him that I can’t explain.”

― The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker

6. “It’s not natural for women to fight.”

“It’s not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall, and yet there you stand.”

― Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

7. “You look like you’re cycling through a lot of things right now.”
“Like what?”
“Like whether you should kiss me or punch me.”
“It’s a daily struggle.”

― Dating You / Hating You by Christina Lauren

8. “To what do I owe this honor?”

“Let me in. I need to talk.”

“I don’t know. Are you going to hurt me if I let you in?”

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter

9. “I have a theory. Hating someone feels disturbingly similar to being in love with them. I’ve had a lot of time to compare love and hate, and these are my observations. Love and hate are visceral. Your stomach twists at the thought of that person. The heart in your chest beats heavy and bright, nearly visible through your flesh and clothes. Your appetite and sleep are shredded. Every interaction spikes your blood with adrenaline, and you’re in the brink of fight or flight. Your body is barely under your control. You’re consumed, and it scares you. Both love and hate are mirror versions of the same game – and you have to win. Why? Your heart and your ego. Trust me, I should know.”

― The Hating Game by Sally Thorne