Get ready to dive into a captivating world of complex relationships with the I Hate Everyone But You trope. This trope, which explores the dynamics of characters who seemingly can’t stand each other but share a deep connection, adds an irresistible layer of tension and chemistry to storytelling. In this post, we’ll explore seven remarkable books that feature this trope, including standout titles such as We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal, Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco, House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas, and The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. Prepare to be enthralled by these tales of love, hate, and everything in between.
“I Hate Everyone But You Trope” Books:
We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
People lived because she killed. People died because he lived.
Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya–but neither wants to be.
War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds–and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.
Readers are introduced to Zafira, also known as the Hunter, a fearless and tenacious hunter. In order to preserve her identity and insulate herself from the anguish of loss, Zafira harbours a deep-seated contempt for everyone around her. Nasir is the Prince of Death and a master assassin who is constrained by duty and burdened by a similar tragic history.
When Zafira and Nasir are forced to work together on a hazardous mission, their paths cross and what started as early hostility develops into a deep and intriguing connection. Despite their hate for one another, they find themselves forced to rely on each other’s strengths and capabilities in order to survive. Their walls start to come down as a result of their common experiences and the difficulties they confront, and an unexpected relationship develops.
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco
Two sisters.
One brutal murder.
A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself…
And an intoxicating romance.
Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe—witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin… desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost—even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.
Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked Princes of Hell that she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…
Ivy Bloodgood is a young woman with a troubled history and a hardened heart. She chooses to keep others at a distance and projects an attitude of hatred against those who are close to her. Matthias Wolfe is a shadowy and intriguing character with a terrible background. He, too, has an ingrained dislike of making bonds and wants to keep people at a distance. As the plot develops, circumstances unite Ivy and Matthias, compelling them to face their shared contempt and cooperate to achieve a common objective. The exchanges between them are filled with tension, wit, and explosive chemistry despite their initial animosity toward one another.
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Crave by Tracy Wolff
My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.
Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.
Which could spell death for us all.
Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.
Grace Foster is a strong-willed and independent young woman who has been uprooted from her familiar life and sent to an elite boarding school. There she encounters Jaxon Vega, a brooding and enigmatic character who exudes an air of superiority and arrogance. From the moment they meet, Grace and Jaxon clash, their interactions filled with snarky banter and intense tension. Circumstances force them closer together, and she finds herself drawn to him despite her initial disgust, unable to withstand the magnetic pull between them.
The lines between their affection and hatred become increasingly ambiguous as they interact more. The book examines their personal issues, past traumas, and the protective barriers they have put up. Their dynamic changes over time, becoming more complex and intriguing as they learn to negotiate the paranormal world around them and solve the puzzles surrounding Jaxon.
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House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
Bound by blood.
Tempted by desire.
View on Goodertiny.
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.
Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.
As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.
With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.
Bryce Quinlan is a resilient and fiery protagonist who has suffered immeasurable loss. Hunt Athalar is a brooding and mysterious fallen angel burdened by his own painful past. From the moment they cross paths they clashed, and their interactions were filled with tension, banter, and mutual disdain. As a series of brutal murders rocks their world, Bryce and Hunt are forced into an unlikely alliance to solve the mysteries surrounding the killings. Despite their initial animosity, they soon discover that they share a common goal and must rely on each other’s strengths. As they delve deeper into the dangerous investigation, their feelings begin to shift, and a complex connection forms.
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The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.
And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.
Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.
As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.
This series has Jude Darte and Prince Cardan. Jude Duarte is a fierce and determined human girl who is thrust into the treacherous world of faeries. Prince Cardan on the other hand is a cunning and enigmatic fae who exudes an air of superiority and cruelty. From the moment they meet, Jude and Cardan clash, their interactions charged with hostility and mutual disdain.
As Jude navigates the political intrigues and dangers of the faerie court, she becomes entangled with Cardan in unexpected ways. Despite their shared animosity, there is an undeniable spark of chemistry and tension between them. Their encounters become a battleground of wits and emotions, blurring the lines between hate and attraction.
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The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen
They say your first kiss should be earned.
Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.
They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred.
Mine were broken before we left church.
They say your heart only beats for one man.
Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.
I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit.
Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.
They say that all great love stories have a happy ending.
I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter.
One kiss.
Two men.
Three lives.
Entwined together.
And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.
Francesca Rossi, a headstrong and independent young woman becomes entangled with Wolfe Keaton, a ruthless and powerful man from a rival family. From the moment they meet, Francesca and Wolfe clash, their interactions brimming with tension, animosity, and a fierce battle for control. As circumstances force them into a marriage neither desires, Francesca and Wolfe must navigate a treacherous world of power plays, secrets, and betrayals. Their relationship is fraught with passion and conflict, their initial hatred giving way to a complex and intense connection that neither can ignore.
Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa
Callypso Lillis is a siren with a very big problem, one that stretches up her arm and far into her past. For the last seven years she’s been collecting a bracelet of black beads up her wrist, magical IOUs for favors she’s received. Only death or repayment will fulfill the obligations. Only then will the beads disappear.
Everyone knows that if you need a favor, you go to the Bargainer to make it happen. He’s a man who can get you anything you want… at a price. And everyone knows that sooner or later he always collects.
But for one of his clients, he’s never asked for repayment. Not until now. When Callie finds the fae king of the night in her room, a grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye, she knows things are about to change. At first it’s just a chaste kiss—a single bead’s worth—and a promise for more.
For the Bargainer, it’s more than just a matter of rekindling an old romance. Something is happening in the Otherworld. Fae warriors are going missing one by one. Only the women are returned, each in a glass casket, a child clutched to their breast. And then there are the whispers among the slaves, whispers of an evil that’s been awoken.
If the Bargainer has any hope to save his people, he’ll need the help of the siren he spurned long ago. Only, his foe has a taste for exotic creatures, and Callie just happens to be one.
Callie Delgado is a skilled and fierce Siren who has made a name for herself in the supernatural underworld. Desmond Flynn is a brooding and enigmatic King of the Night who exudes power and danger. After they were forced to work together to solve a series of mysterious crimes, Callie and Desmond find themselves drawn to each other in unexpected ways. Beneath their initial animosity, there is an undeniable magnetic pull and a shared understanding that transcends their differences. Their journey takes them through a world of mythical creatures and dark secrets, testing the boundaries of their relationship.
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