The Sea of Tranquility

"The Sea of Tranquillity isn’t as well-known but I wanted to include it in the list because it’s a favourite of mine. Nastya doesn’t speak but no one knows why and Josh is dealing with immense grief. Both of the characters are isolated, dealing with deep trauma and start as enemies. This book doesn’t fit as firmly into the enemies-to-lovers trope as the other books, but the characters must overcome misconceptions and show vulnerability. It’s so well-written that I think it deserves a spot on the list. There is a line that shouldn’t be crossed in terms of hate and cruelness before they are lovers. We want to like these characters, so they mustn’t be too harsh. They shouldn’t attack the other person’s personality because this is something they should secretly love. In enemies-to-lovers, there may be a reason they need to be harsh and distant, as with Fourth Wing but the reader will discover that was all an act later in the story, and therefore allows forgiveness for any unkind treatment. We don’t want the lead characters to be immature or hurtful with their arguments, as we still want to root for this couple to come together in the end. One Last Night pairs enemies-to-lovers and fake-dating in a contained story. The characters are all trapped together in a restaurant during a once-in-a-lifetime storm. The contained proximity forces Harrison and Agnes to confront misconceptions and engage in conversations they may never have had. There was an inkling that they always had chemistry, but because of misunderstandings and a horrible ex, they never got the chance to explore it. Harrison and Agnes have known each other for six years, so these characters already have history, secretly understand each other better than anyone else and just needed to be trapped in a storm to force it all to the surface. I think the male character falling first is a reader favourite. We love seeing the vulnerability of the MMC as he realises his feelings, but still has to maintain the enemy role. It’s here where Mr Darcy really shines, as does Harrison, by quietly taking care of the woman they’ve fallen in love with, but without pushing their feelings onto the person. They wait for them to realise their feelings when they’re ready. It is a really appealing aspect of the trope – the freedom to be honest with this person, knowing they still love them. For Agnes, she realises Harrison is the only person with whom she doesn’t need to hide her true feelings, people-please and he loves her anyway. Through being rivals and arguing, they’ve learnt how to fight in a healthy way that allows for them both to be seen and heard and their thoughts never to be trivialised. Enemies-to-lovers build a trust with each other over time and an honesty that romance lovers keep wanting to come back to time and again."