enemies-to-friends-to-lovers

English

Alternative forms

• enemies to friends to lovers

Noun

enemies-to-friends-to-lovers (uncountable)

1. (often attributive) A trope in romance fiction (particularly fan fiction) involving the development of a rivalry into friendship and eventually romantic love.

   Coordinate terms: enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers

   • 2020, Nathalie Graham, "Sweet As Vanilla Ice Cream", The Stranger, 29 January 2020, page 29:

     I wanted more time for the two together, especially more witty barbs, since I revel in an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trope.

   • 2022, Victoria Mello Veríssimo da Fonseca, "Fanfiction as a Literary Text: A Narratological Study of Fanfiction Writing", paper submitted to the Universidad Federal de Río Grande del Sur, page 36:

     The connection between Emma and Regina goes beyond one of the Saviour against the Villain, though the trope of enemies to friends to lovers played a big part of the initial interest in their interactions.

   • 2023, Megan Freedman, "How When Harry Met Sally... remains a timeless romcom", The Medium (University of Toronto Mississauga), 13 February 2023, page 12:

     The movie's plot is the epitome of the enemies to friends to lovers trope.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:enemies-to-friends-to-lovers.