Loathing You Amina Khan
Loathing You by Amina Khan explained: why this Wattpad-born sapphic enemies-to-lovers academy romance became a hit and why readers argue about it.
Loathing You by Amina Khan explained: why this Wattpad-born sapphic enemies-to-lovers academy romance became a hit and why readers argue about it. In short, Loathing You is a dark, high-conflict romance between Adaline Emery, a bisexual outsider at elite Richmond Academy, and Juliette Kingston, the wealthy heiress who has made her life miserable. Amina Khan wrote it at eighteen, built a Wattpad audience of more than a million readers, and published the finished novel on March 2, 2023. That path, plus a crystal-clear trope and a polarizing relationship, is why the book keeps showing up in searches, reading lists and comment sections.
This is not a review. It's a look at why the book worked, what readers are actually debating, and what people want to know before they start. If you want a verdict, heat rating and content notes, read our sister site's full Loathing You review on Lesbian Romance Reads.
Loathing You at a glance
- Author: Amina Khan (debut novel)
- First published: March 2, 2023, after running as a Wattpad serial
- Main characters: Adaline Emery and Juliette Kingston
- Setting: Richmond Academy, an elite private school
- Tropes: enemies to lovers, bully romance, rich girl / poor girl, academy rivalry, slow burn
- Tone: intense, angsty, darker sapphic romance
- Formats: Kindle ebook and an audiobook narrated by Kelsey John Klein
- Reader signal: more than 7,000 Goodreads ratings and 1,100+ reviews (October 2026)
- Heads-up: bullying, homophobia and emotionally unhealthy behavior are part of the story
Jump to: What it's about · Why it succeeded · Why people argue about it · What readers search for · Who should read it · If you loved it · FAQ
What is Loathing You about? (No spoilers)
Adaline Emery has spent years on the wrong side of Richmond Academy's social ladder. She's bisexual, she doesn't come from money, and she has been targeted for both. Juliette Kingston is everything Adaline isn't: an heiress, the school's untouchable queen bee, and the person who seems to enjoy making Adaline's life harder. The only thing they agree on is that they can't stand each other.
The book's tagline sums up the starting point in three words: hate, detest, despise. The story asks whether that hostility, built on years of history and a real gap in money and power, can turn into something else. Expect sharp, confrontational scenes, not a gentle courtship.
Why Loathing You became a success
Loathing You by Amina Khan
1. It was built in public on Wattpad
According to her Goodreads author bio, Khan wrote Loathing You at eighteen and shared it chapter by chapter on Wattpad, where it reached more than a million readers before she published the completed novel at nineteen. Serial publishing creates investment: readers wait for updates, comment on every twist and form opinions about the couple in real time. When the book edition arrived, it already had an audience that knew the characters and wanted to own the story. (The million-reader figure comes from the author's profile and describes Wattpad reach, not audited sales.)
2. The trope is instantly clear
Enemies to lovers is one of the most searched romance tropes, and Loathing You commits to it from the first page. There's no slow reveal of conflict; Adaline and Juliette walk in with a history of grievances, so every scene crackles. A book you can describe in one line ("bisexual scholarship outsider vs. the heiress who bullied her") is a book readers can recommend in one line, which is exactly how titles spread on Wattpad, Goodreads and social media.
3. Class and power raise the stakes
The rich girl / poor girl split makes the rivalry about more than personalities. Adaline has to fight for opportunities Juliette seems to inherit, so their clashes carry weight around money, belonging and who gets protected. That added tension is a big part of the appeal for readers who like their romance with friction.
4. It filled a gap for darker sapphic romance
Much of mainstream sapphic romance leans cozy and low-angst. Loathing You offers the opposite: obsession, possessiveness, confrontation and big emotions. Goodreads readers tag it with "dark romance" and "enemies to lovers," and LRR rates its heat at 3 out of 5, steamy with a slow build. Readers who wanted the intensity of mainstream bully romance with two women at the center found it here.
5. A young author's debut readers wanted to support
A teenage writer turning a free online serial into a published book is a story in itself. Readers who followed the Wattpad version often describe the satisfaction of seeing it become a "real" book, and that goodwill turns into ratings, reviews and recommendations.
6. Multiple formats, steady discovery
With a Kindle edition and a full audiobook narrated by Kelsey John Klein, the book reaches readers wherever they are. Its Goodreads page has grown past 7,000 ratings and more than 1,100 written reviews, an unusually large footprint for a sapphic debut, and every new review adds to the conversation.
Why people talk (and argue) about Loathing You
Part of the book's staying power is that readers don't agree on it. Its Goodreads average sits in the high 3s, which reflects a real split rather than lukewarm feelings.
| What fans love | What critics push back on |
|---|---|
| Explosive chemistry between Adaline and Juliette | The shift from enemies to lovers can feel abrupt |
| Emotional intensity and angst | Bullying is central to the setup, which some readers can't get past |
| Well-written intimate scenes | Uneven or under-edited prose and typos in some editions |
| Memorable supporting characters and friendships | Plot conveniences, especially money smoothing over consequences |
| Seeing a Wattpad favorite become a published book | Some readers expected a more polished, traditionally edited novel |
The biggest fault line is the relationship itself. Readers who enjoy dark romance tend to treat the cruelty as part of the fantasy and the emotional payoff. Readers who want a healthy arc often find the bullying hard to forgive, especially without much on-page accountability. Both reactions are valid, and the debate keeps the book visible: every heated review sends new readers to find out which side they're on.
What readers search for about Loathing You
- "Loathing You Amina Khan spice level": moderate to steamy. LRR rates it 3/5 with a slow build.
- "Is Loathing You a dark romance?": it's commonly tagged that way for its bullying and possessive dynamics, though it's set in a school rather than a mafia or crime world.
- "Loathing You content warnings": bullying, homophobia and emotionally unhealthy behavior come up repeatedly; check full content notes before reading.
- "Loathing You Wattpad": yes, it started as a Wattpad serial before its 2023 publication.
- "Loathing You characters": Adaline Emery and Juliette Kingston.
- "Loathing You audiobook": available, narrated by Kelsey John Klein.
- "Loathing You sequel": Goodreads doesn't list it as part of a series; it reads as a standalone.
- "Books like Loathing You": see LRR's books like Tryst Six Venom and Loathing You and the picks below.
Who should read Loathing You?
Pick it up if you love sapphic academy settings, bully-to-lovers or rivals-to-lovers tension, rich girl / poor girl dynamics, and messy, emotional drama with heat.
Skip it if you want low angst, gentle banter, highly polished prose, or a relationship free of bullying and coercive behavior. A school setting doesn't make it a younger-reader book, so check age guidance and content warnings first.
Read the full Loathing You review on Lesbian Romance Reads →
If you loved Loathing You, read MATELDA next
MATELDA: In Silence We Forgive by Jossef S. keeps the hate-to-love intensity of Loathing You but moves it out of the classroom and into a crumbling mafia empire. Forty-year-old Matelda survived eighteen years beside a monster by turning silence into armor. Twenty-four-year-old Mia Salvatore returns from exile to run her dead father's empire and finds herself locked down with the one woman she swore to destroy. Expect enemies to lovers, a real age gap, forced proximity and a slow burn where love feels like a risk.
Tropes: enemies to lovers, age gap, forced proximity, mafia · Mood: dark, atmospheric, slow burn
Disclosure: MATELDA is written by the author behind this blog.
More in the same vein:
- Enemies to lovers lesbian romance: 25 sapphic books reviewed (Lesbian Romance Reads)
- Dark lesbian romance: 25 sapphic books reviewed (Lesbian Romance Reads)
- Sapphic enemies to lovers books (Eikna Romance)
- Sapphic romance recommendations by trope and mood and our slow burn sapphic romance guide (this blog)
Loathing You Amina Khan: frequently asked questions
Who wrote Loathing You?
Amina Khan. It's her debut novel, written when she was eighteen and first shared on Wattpad.
When was Loathing You published?
Goodreads lists its first publication as March 2, 2023.
Who are the main characters in Loathing You?
Adaline Emery, a bisexual outsider, and Juliette Kingston, a wealthy heiress, both students at Richmond Academy.
Why is Loathing You so popular?
It built a Wattpad audience of more than a million readers before publication, commits fully to a clear enemies-to-lovers trope, adds class tension to the rivalry, and offers a darker kind of sapphic romance than most of the genre.
Why is Loathing You controversial?
Bullying is central to the couple's history, and critics also point to uneven editing and an abrupt shift from hate to romance. Fans love the chemistry and intensity. That split keeps readers talking.
Is Loathing You spicy?
Yes, moderately. Lesbian Romance Reads rates it 3 out of 5 for heat, with a slow build.
What should I read after Loathing You?
Try MATELDA: In Silence We Forgive by Jossef S. for a darker, adult enemies-to-lovers slow burn, or browse LRR's list of books like Loathing You.
Sources: Goodreads book page and author bio; Tome Reader and Goodreads/StoryGraph reader reviews for reception; Lesbian Romance Reads review for heat level. Rating counts change over time and were checked in October 2026. This article summarizes public information and reader reception; it is not a first-hand review.
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