Fantasy romance (also known as romantasy) books combine the most popular genre in the world (romance) with high stakes of an epic fantasy. You can get all that swoon and spice, but with dragons, fae, witches, werewolves, amazing quests, ruined kingdoms, and more. Enemies to lovers actually make sense when placed in a fantasy world, and slow burn can be really slow.
I’m a big fan of this genre, and so I’ve put together a list of the best fantasy romance books I’ve read. You’ll find titles you probably expect, but also hidden gems, spicy romantasy, standalone reads, YA books, cozy romantasy and more! So, whatever you prefer, you’ll find your next favorite book here.
One tip: If you plan on reading a lot of romantasy in the future or you just love reading it now, I highly recommend getting a Kindle Unlimited subscription because you can get most of these books for free there, with a monthly subscription ($11.99 with a month free). It’s a great way to save up and still read a lot.
The Road of Bones by Demi Winters
| Series Length | Ongoing series, three parts and one novella are out (of planned 5) |
| Heat Level | Spicy, but not all the time, maybe a few scenes per book |
| Tropes to Expect | Hidden identity, enemies to lovers, magic is forbidden |
The Road of Bones gave me that same feeling that ACOTAR did when I first read it, but this one is (in my opinion) much better written, and has a more compelling plot. I have a full review here if you want to know more. The story begins when Silla and her father have to run from yet another home, though she’s unsure why.
Then her father gets killed while they’re running and she’s forced to find her way to safety on her own. And she does this by sneaking into the caravan of a group of mercenaries, hoping they won’t find her. But then they do, and instead of killing her (which they initially want), they allow her to stay and cook for them.
Silla just wants to get to safety, but she’s also intrigued by one of the travelling companions, Jonas, and equally afraid-slash-curious about the group’s leader, Reynir. I won’t say anything more because it would spoil things but I guarantee it’s one of the best true romantasy reads you’ll get.
“If you wish to rest, I will shield you from harm. If you want to fight, I will draw my sword beside you. If you want a hundred chickens, I will build you a hen-fortress.”
Whispers of The Deep by Emma Hamm
| Series Length | Finished series (?) of 5 interconnected novels (each focuses on a different couple) |
| Heat Level | The spice scenes are usually near the end and they get very spicy |
| Tropes to Expect | Human and merman, forbidden romance, true enemies to lovers, unable to communicate, underwater world |
I’m honestly not sure how Whispers of The Deep isn’t more popular on social media and in general because it’s honestly one of the best romantasy books I’ve read. You have the strong heroine fighting against impossible odds, a competent, handsome hero, and a romance that truly goes from enemies to lovers.
So, Mira is an engineer of an underwater city called Beta. Humans have had to move under the sea in order to survive, but their intrusion is angering the native Undines, or mermaids, that lived there. One day, while Mira is working in an abandoned area, she spots an undine called Arges spying on her, and a few days later he attacks her city with his pod.
The two of them end up saving each other’s lives in the attack, which only makes Arges more interested in Mira — mostly just as a source of information at first. So he kidnaps her and takes her away.
What he doesn’t realize is that humans can’t survive underwater, and that dangerous members of his pod are following. They can’t communicate, and don’t understand each other, but somehow they start becoming friends, and then something more.
This is a wonderful book with a very believable romance that has to suffer many obstacles. There’s some spice but mostly towards the end, and the main focus is on romance, while the plot is in the background. You also get perspectives from both Mira and Arges.
I have reviews for the whole series here:
- Whispers of the Deep Review
- Song of The Abyss Review
- Echoes of the Tide Review
- Call of The Fathoms Review
- Secrets of The Void Review
“You’re going to live,” he breathed. “You’re going to live, Mira. I will not let you go.”
The Irresistible Urge To Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley
| Series Length | Finished duology |
| Heat Level | No spice in the first book (maybe a little), it’s very slow burn |
| Tropes to Expect | Enemies to lovers, slow burn, funny, forbidden romance, mystery |
If you love enemies to lovers and a burn so slow it will leave you breathless, this is the book to read. It took me a while to get into it (despite how excited I was to read it), but once I did, I could not stop. There’s a lot of world dumped on you, be warned, but I promise all you need to do is follow the main couple because that’s kind of the point. Read my full review of this book here.
Our heroine belongs to the order of healers, while our hero belongs to the despicable assassins. But when he gets a wound that could kill him (or make his order kill him), he goes to her, and together they try to repair his magic.
The problem is, they hate each other so much. They’re literally disgusted by the other. But slowly, as they get to know each other, they fall in love.
I adore slow burn, and here are my favorite slow burn romances if you need more!
“What was between them? An ebb and a flow, curiosity and guilt, today’s fatal daydream and tomorrow’s scars.”
Reign and Ruin by J. D. Evans
| Series Length | 4 parts and 2 novellas |
| Heat Level | There’s spice, but it’s not excessive |
| Tropes to Expect | Slow burn, political intrigue, enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, capable heroine (and hero) |
This is a brilliantly written series, with a magic system I loved. And the heroine in this book is magnificent, smart, cunning — I adored her.
The story is this — our heroine is the daughter of a sultan and she’s meant to inherit the sultanate. But the problem is, her father grows ill before he can confirm it, and so he’s easily manipulated by his Grand Vizier to make our heroine marry someone (hopefully him) and let him rule the lands.
Thankfully, our heroine is smarter than that, and she messages another kingdom promising an alliance. Our hero, a spare prince with an agenda of his own, arrives just in a nick of time, and the two concoct a marriage of convenience which turns into something more.
There are many books in this series, covering many of the original characters, so you can enjoy it for a long time.
“I like you at my side, Naime.”
“I am the firstborn, so I believe you’re at my side, by rank,” she teased. Makram opened his eyes and ducked his chin, a slow smile spreading over his mouth.
“All right, Sultana. I am at your side. Command me.”
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
| Series Length | Can be read as a standalone, but there is a book set in the same world that comes before this one |
| Heat Level | Low spice |
| Tropes to Expect | Grumpy/grumpy, forced proximity, found family, slow burn, ice king melts, sentient magical house |
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is a cozy fantasy book with a side dish of romance so delicious, you’ll sort of wish it’s the main course, but also be glad it isn’t because everything else is also fantastic. It tells the story of Sera Swan who used to be the most powerful witch in Britain. But when she resurrects her great-aunt Jasmine, she loses almost all of her powers and she’s practically kicked out of the magic community.
Years later, she finds out about a book of spells that can help her regain her powers, and she decides to try to get her magic back. And at the same time, her inn draws in Luke and his little sister who have their own reasons for hiding from the world.
The story that unfolds is soft, cozy, full of found family and tender moments that will make you tear up, and the romance itself has the most wonderful tension. If you’re craving something cozy, this is your best bet! Read my full review of this book here!
“Like his lonely and her lonely fit perfectly into the empty spaces at the other’s side, saying nothing, asking nothing, just keeping each other company.”
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
| Series Length | A series, unfinished, three books out, one out in 2027 |
| Heat Level | Not spicy |
| Tropes to Expect | Fae, hidden identity, light academia, cottagecore, diary entries |
I wasn’t the biggest fan of this book when I first read it, but it’s definitely a fan-favorite and a staple in the cozy romantasy genre, so I would always recommend it. It’s mainly focused on Emily and her work on the faeries, but there’s a bit of romance in there as well.
So, Emily Wilde is a scientist and an academic with a special focus on the fae (not the sexy, six-foot fae, but the more folkloric ones), and she travels to a distant land (much like Iceland), where she intends to study them. Unfortunately, it’s not going well, she’s very cold, and then she’s followed by a fellow professor who apparently intends to do nothing but seduce local women and bother Emily.
It gets really cute and heartwarming at times, so definitely check it out if you want the more traditional fae.
“Perhaps it is always restful to be around someone who does not expect anything from you beyond what is in your nature.”
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
| Series Length | Technically the first book in a series of interconnected novels, but the other ones are about other characters and there’s no overarching plot so it can be read as a standalone |
| Heat Level | Not spicy |
| Tropes to Expect | Cozy fantasy, fae, dislike to lovers, regency romance |
Half a Soul is a perfectly cozy, quick little fantasy romance that you’ll definitely enjoy. In it, half of Dora’s soul is taken (cut off with scissors) by fae when she’s a child and she spends the rest of her life socially inept, with muted feelings, always feeling othered and different. Her cousin is determined to help, so when they’re of a marrying age, she convinces her mother to take them to London, ostensibly to to find husbands, but really to meet the Great Wizard who the cousin thinks can help Dora.
Only when they get there, the Wizard is rude and invested in helping people from the workhouses, where children seem to be going into this eternal sort of sleep. He’s also very drawn to Dora, especially since she gets just as invested in helping the children and people from the workhouses in general.
This book reminded me of Howl’s Moving Castle in some ways, and it’s a wonderfully cozy story to enjoy on a rainy day.
“I love your wit and cleverness. I love that you are kind but almost never nice. I love your eyes and your hair and your freckles, and the fact that you smell like some monstrous floral perfume all of the time.” He paused, now looking somewhat offended at himself. “And I love to dance with you. That is the worst of it by far.”
Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher
| Series Length | A series of 4 interconnected books, each with its own couple |
| Heat Level | Just a pinch of spice |
| Tropes to Expect | Gods and paladins, cozy romance, adult characters (above 30), good diversity |
Paladin’s Grace is actually the first book in a series of interconnected novels, each featuring one of the Paladins who lost their god and now they feel lost and listless in the world. The first one is about Stephen, who loves knitting socks and wants to protect people, and is also deathly afraid of himself because he blanks out sometimes and goes into rage (because of the dead god).
He runs into a woman one night and helps her out (quite in an interesting way) and from there, their paths intersect. This is one of those books that’s equally funny and tender, and if you know T. Kingfisher, just trademark goofy and silly while also covering some very serious themes.
Both characters are also well into their thirties, so if you’re looking for older characters to relate to, this will be your jam for sure.
“If we limited loving to just the sane, undamaged people, the next generation would have about three people in it and presumably humanity would die out shortly afterward.”
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels (Trilogy) by India Holton
| Series Length | Three connected novels but each is about a different couple (can be read as standalones) |
| Heat Level | Not too spicy, maybe one or two scenes per book |
| Tropes to Expect | Enemies to lovers, flying-house pirates, comedic Victorian fantasy |
I loved parts one and two of this trilogy; part three was so-so for me, but two out of three ain’t bad, especially when the highs are this fun.
Book one introduces Cecilia Bassingthwaite, a proper Victorian lady who also happens to be a pirate, flying around England in a battlehouse with the rest of the Wisteria Society, a crime sorority of lady scoundrels who steal, blackmail, and drink an alarming amount of tea.
Her life gets complicated when Ned Lightbourne, an assassin with far too many aliases, is sent to kill her, but falls for her instead. The real trouble starts when Cecilia’s villainous father, Captain Morvath, kidnaps the entire Wisteria Society, forcing Cecilia and Ned to team up despite him technically still being under orders to end her.
Book two, The League of Gentlewomen Witches, was actually my favorite of the three, and book three, The Secret Service of Tea and Treason, is where things went a little flat for me, though it’s still a perfectly fine way to close things out.
The whole trilogy is completely unhinged in the best way, somewhere between The Princess Bride and a Monty Python sketch, so go in expecting silliness over substance and you’ll have a blast.
“A lady stays tranquil and poised under all circumstances. Instead of panicking, she squares her jaw, protects her heart, and ensures that she has enough ammunition to gun down everyone in her path.”
The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow
The Everlasting is a wonderful book about a historian named Owen Mallory and the mythical woman named Una Everlasting. One day, Owen receives a book that seems to be a diary of Una’s companion and he’s over the moon. This book could make him famous, not to mention it’s everything he’s ever wanted.
But then the book disappears from his apartment and all that’s left is a mysterious card inviting him to come to a certain building. He does, and there he’s pushed back through time into Una’s era, where he’s meant to talk Una into completing her quest and ending her own story the way it was always supposed to end: with her dying for her country.
And yet, nothing is as it seems in this world. So, grab this book as soon as you can because it’s truly earth-shattering, so good, so well-written. You’ll cry, you’ll laugh, you’ll fall in love with these two people more than you can imagine. It’s one of my favorite books, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did too!
See my full review of The Everlasting here!
“Let us lie here forever. Let us be buried as wild things are, by tooth and claw and worm. Let the grasses grow up through the sockets of our eyes. Let them find us in seven years or seventy, and let their brows furrow, because they cannot tell my bones from yours.”
Final Thoughts
These have been my absolute favorite fantasy romance books, and I hope you enjoy at least one of them! If not, leave a comment and I’ll make sure to give you a recommendation that fits your tastes. Until then, here are some other places you can look for more favorite books:
- if you want something like romantasy, only set in our world, try some paranormal romance.
- and if you only like werewolves, these are the best werewolf romance books.
- craving something warm and like a nice hug at the end of a hard day? maybe these cozy fantasy books can lift your mood.
- maybe some perfectly autumn-y books too?
- how about some witchy books?
- hate insta love? here are my favorite slow burn romances.
- and if you’re new to the genre, you can try some of these amazing fantasy romance books for beginners.
What’s your favorite fantasy romance? Do you think there’s a book I missed? Let me know in the comments and let’s chat!
