So Not in Love wrecked you. Welcome to the club. Whether it was the dark romance adjacent vibes, the enemies to lovers, or Ali Hazelwood's ability to make you forget you have a life outside these pages — we've been there. These aren't random "if you liked X" picks. Every book on this page was matched element by element against what made Not in Love hit different. Same energy, new stories.
We broke down Not in Love into the elements that made it hit — and found books that match each one.
The intense and slow burn and enemies to lovers that made Not in Love unforgettable? Bully channels that exact energy. 352 pages of angsty, intense that'll fill the void.
If Not in Love's intense and slow burn and enemies to lovers energy had you one-clicking at midnight, Punk 57 delivers the same rush. Penelope Douglas knows exactly what you're craving.
If Not in Love's intense and slow burn and enemies to lovers energy had you one-clicking at midnight, From Lukov with Love delivers the same rush. Mariana Zapata knows exactly what you're craving.
If Not in Love's intense and slow burn energy had you one-clicking at midnight, Birthday Girl delivers the same rush. Penelope Douglas knows exactly what you're craving.
You loved Not in Love for the slow burn and slow burn books and one night stand to more? The Heart Principle is your next obsession. Same emotional frequency, different story — and Helen Hoang might just become your new auto-buy author.
The Ballad of Never After hits the same slow burn and slow burn books and forbidden notes that made Not in Love impossible to put down. Stephanie Garber brings magical and dark to every page.
The intense and emotionally complex that made Not in Love unforgettable? Normal People channels that exact energy. 273 pages of quiet, intense that'll fill the void.
The intense and slow burn and enemies to lovers that made Not in Love unforgettable? Bully channels that exact energy. 352 pages of angsty, intense that'll fill the void.
Answer one question and we'll point you to the right book.
Based on mood, trope, and pacing analysis, the most similar books to Not in Love include Bully, Punk 57, From Lukov with Love. Each matches on specific elements like dark romance adjacent and intense that made Not in Love resonate with readers.
We recommend starting with Bully by Penelope Douglas — it shares Not in Love's core Dark Romance Adjacent energy while bringing something fresh to the table.
Not in Love is a standalone novel. You can jump right in without reading anything else first.
Not in Love has a spice level of 4/5. The recommendations on this page range across spice levels — each one is labeled so you can find your comfort zone.
Yes — several recommendations on this page have lower spice levels while keeping the same Dark Romance Adjacent energy. Look for the ❄️ or 🌶️ (1/5) tags.
Every "Books Like" page on Sort By Cravings is built from element-level matching — not surface genre tags. We compare mood profiles, trope density, pacing, heat levels, and emotional tone across our entire library of 12 profiled books to find reads that match on the things that actually matter to readers. Read our editorial standards.