Love a good enemies-to-lovers romance but want your fantasy romance without explicit scenes? You’ve come to the right place.
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👉All books I feature are no spice or low spice—never explicit. For more details about what you’ll find here, check out this post.
Enemies-to-lovers brings plenty of built-in tension to a romance. When the characters start out on opposing sides, falling in love becomes a whole lot more complicated.
If you’re looking for enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance books with no spice or low spice, I’ve gathered some favorites for you. These books feature rivalries, forbidden attraction, secret identities, political intrigue, and slow-burn romance without explicit content.
You’ll find everything from ruthless fae princes and witch hunters to assassins, rebels, political rivals, and characters who have very good reasons to hate each other. And if you enjoy this kind of high-stakes fantasy romance, you might also like my lists of fantasy romance books with royalty and fantasy romance books with assassins and vigilantes.
New clean fantasy releases are added often, so bookmark this page and visit again when you need fresh TBR inspo. Last updated: September 2026
🗡️ Classic Enemies & Political Rivalries
These books are perfect if you want enemies on opposite sides of a conflict, competing loyalties, political intrigue, and plenty of romantic tension.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Jude has spent years trying to find her place among the dangerous fae of Elfhame, but Prince Cardan seems determined to make her life miserable. This is a captivating portal fantasy filled with unforgettable characters, unexpected twists, and a richly imagined world of Faerie. Jude is a determined heroine, and the tension between her and Cardan adds another layer of intrigue to an already twisty story. ⭐ High-Rated Reader Favorite
For readers who want: faerie x human relationship, political intrigue, betrayal, revenge plots, bully romance
Available on Kindle Unlimited: ✅
🧚 If you love all things fae, you might also enjoy my ultimate list of Fantasy Romance Books With Fae, featuring fairy magic, dangerous bargains and swoony romance.
Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer
Tessa secretly steals medicine to help people suffering under a deadly plague, while Corrick serves as the king’s feared enforcer. When their paths collide, neither knows exactly who they can trust, and their growing connection becomes increasingly complicated as they find themselves caught on opposite sides of a broken kingdom. ⭐ Popular Clean Pick
For readers who want: enemies to lovers, slow burn, secret identities, morally gray heroes, fast-paced fantasy, Robin Hood vibes
Available on Kindle Unlimited: ❌
The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller
Alessandra is a scheming heroine with her sights set on the Shadow King, planning to marry him and eventually kill him so she can take his throne. Their relationship is more of a slow-burn enemies-to-friends-to-lovers progression than true enemies-to-lovers, but the scheming, shadow powers, and complicated attraction make this a fun upper-YA fantasy read.
For readers who want: revenge plots, royalty, enemies to lovers, a ruthless heroine, touch her die, he falls first
Available on Kindle Unlimited: ✅
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Brutal, fast-paced, and emotionally engaging, An Ember in the Ashes hookes immediately and keeps the tension high enough to make you want to keep turning pages. Laia lives under the brutal rule of the Martial Empire, while Elias is a soldier who secretly longs to escape it. Their paths collide at the empire’s military academy, where rebellion, loyalty, survival, and complicated feelings put them on opposite sides of a dangerous conflict.
For readers who want: rebel vs. empire, secret identities, forced trials, oppressed heroines, slow-burn romance, chosen-one energy, morally conflicted heroes
Available on Kindle Unlimited: ❌
Of Song and Darkness by Jessica Spruill
A creative and darker take on The Little Mermaid, blending Greek mythology with pirate-adventure vibes. Rhea sets out to save her kingdom of the Dark Water and turns to her people’s enemy, Blackhearted Kai, for help. The story is fast-paced and packed with twists, while Rhea and Kai’s venomous banter slowly turns surprisingly endearing.
For readers who want: enemies to lovers, retellings, pirates, forced proximity, morally gray heroes, fierce heroines, redemption arcs
Available on Kindle Unlimited: ✅
🏰 If fairytale retellings are your thing, keep the fairtale vibes alive with my list of the Best Clean Fairytale Retellings, packed with reimagined classics, magical worlds and clean romance.
Bounty Hunter by Kaylee Jarvis
Vera is a bounty hunter using borrowed magic when she captures a mysterious prisoner, unaware that he’s actually a king seeking help to save his kingdom. From there, the story becomes an action-packed adventure filled with dangerous magic, creepy creatures and challenge after challenge for Vera and Ikar.
For readers who want: enemies to lovers, a slow-burn romance, fae kingdoms, morally gray characters, monsters, adventure, and plenty of banter.
Available on Kindle Unlimited: ✅
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🖤 Dangerous Enemies & Forbidden Magic
If you prefer your enemies-to-lovers romance with witches, fae, dangerous magic, secret identities, and characters who have every reason to distrust each other, start here.
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
Rune is a witch hiding her identity from the witch hunters, while Gideon is determined to uncover the truth. This is a fun undercover, intel-gathering game of cat and mouse where both sides always seem to be two steps ahead of the other.
For readers who want: witches and witch hunters, enemies to lovers, secret identities, cat-and-mouse tension, slow-burn romance, and low spice
Available on Kindle Unlimited: ✅
🧙 If books with witches are your favorite, don’t miss my list of Fantasy Romance Books With Witches
The Jasad Heir is an impressive debut with a unique setting, intriguing lore, meaningful dialogue, and a fast-paced plot. Sylvia is a forgotten princess and heir in hiding, forced to navigate deadly trials, forbidden magic, political intrigue, and a dangerous forbidden romance.
For readers who want: secret identity, relucant hero, deadly trials, dwindling magic, epic romantasy, and fast-paced fantasy
Available on Kindle Unlimited: ❌
Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson
Kazi is sent into enemy territory on a secret mission, while Jase is the heir to the kingdom she has been sent to infiltrate. Neither has any reason to trust the other. Then circumstances force them into an uneasy alliance where secrets, danger, and attraction become increasingly difficult to separate.
For readers who want: political intrigue, secret missions, royalty, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and will-they-won’t-they tension
Available on Kindle Unlimited: ❌
V.B. Lacey does an incredible job building a unique world around the Four Elementals who have been sleeping for thousands of years. Then a mysterious voice awakens them, entangling Isla’s fate with theirs.
For readers who want: elemental magic, secrets and betrayal, found family, morally grey characters, mysterious lore, and forced proximity
Available on Kindle Unlimited: ✅
Illusion of Stars by Sarah Marie Page
A unique and captivating romantasy filled with heartbreak, danger, mystery, banter, and plenty of romance. An eighteen-year-old royal physician infiltrates an enemy kingdom determined to uncover the truth behind her friend’s murder and exact revenge. But her mission becomes complicated when she finds herself drawn to the enemy general’s son. ⭐ Featured Indie Author
For readers who want: a clumsy spy heroine, magical powers, banter, mystery, betrayal, broken characters finding healing, and forced proximity
Available on Kindle Unlimited: ❌
📚 Before You Go…
If enemies-to-lovers is your favorite kind of romantic tension, you might also enjoy:
- Fantasy Romance Books With Forbidden Love
- Fantasy Romance Books With Fated Mates and Mate Bonds
- Fantasy Romance Books With Unique Magic Systems
- Fantasy Romance Books With Royalty
And if you want to browse all my clean and no to low-spice fantasy romance recommendations, visit the Clean Fantasy Romance Library
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Save this post to come back to when you’re in the mood for an enemies to lovers romance with all the burning tension but none of the spice. 📌
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