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What’s your opinion on the enemies to lovers/rivals to lovers trope in YA and NA? (Where it’s more equal/tit for tat and not just a girl forgiving an asshole for one sided misdeeds). Inspired by your legendborn/sel responses :)

I’m not the biggest fan of enemies to lovers, but I think that’s more because of how it’s usually written—which is what you said about a girl forgiving an asshole—and and not the actual trope. I love the idea of the emotional growth it takes to learn to be a better person and fall in love with someone you hate, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in full.

What I really don’t like is that the characters are clearly attracted to each other from the start and there’s usually some revelation that the MMC never intended to hurt the FFC. The attraction thing doesn’t even make sense. Maybe it’s because I’m awkward around most people but I would not be fantasizing about someone I think is trying to kill me. I will admit that makes Legendborn more of an actual enemies to lovers than other books with this trope but I still don’t like what Deonn did lol.

I think the problem is that it’s hard to understand and convey the emotional growth enemies to lovers needs, and it’s much easier to make the characters attracted to each other from the start.

So yeah, I like the idea of enemies to lovers, but not the execution.