Fantasy romance books is a sub-genre of fantasy fiction, featuring romantic relationships as a key plot element along with magic, mythical and supernatural creatures, or the arcane and esoteric. Fantasy romance is a perennial favorite amongst teenagers and adults enamored with paranormal abilities like telepathy or psychic activities and alternative worlds full of angels, demons, faeries, werewolves, witches, vampires, dwarves, elves and dragons. As such, fantasy romance books are a great choice for readers looking to escape stress, anxiety and the mundane. With their enchanting plots and fascinating characters, these stories will transport you to an entirely new reality where anything is possible.
Best fantasy romance books
Best romance fantasy books are characterized by the following traits:
- A world that is completely different from our own.
- A central character who is not human but has a human form.
- The presence of magic, which can be used for good or evil purposes.
- A quest or adventure that takes the main character through strange lands and encounters with magical creatures.
- The discovery of a secret that changes everything.
Fantasy romance books are ideal for children and adults who love to escape into another reality full of magic, mystery and adventure. Let’s take a look at some noteworthy titles and honorable mentions among the best in the genre.
Romance fantasy books for adults
Romance novels could be your secret guilty pleasure, but who’s to judge? Dive into our selection of the best fantasy romance books for adults on the market today, and we promise not to tell anybody! We have a variety of hot and steamy novels, including paranormal romance and fairy tales that would make your boss and colleagues at work blush!
Martina Flawd: a Novel on Lucid Dreaming, Sorcery & Love (2018) by D. Rudoy
The story begins when young Martina discovers she can control her dreams. She quickly finds herself in trouble after showing off her newfound powers at school and gets sent home from school for two weeks. As if that wasn’t bad enough, her parents decide to send her off to summer camp. Martina is not a fan of change and isn’t very fond of anything new, which makes this whole experience even more unpleasant.
At camp she meets the other two main characters in the novel: Arthur and Lucid Dreamer. Arthur is a magician who has been trained from birth to use his powers for good while Lucid Dreamer is an old man who can enter into people’s dreams and manipulate them however he sees fit in order to help them achieve their goals.
Bride of the Shadow King (2022) by Sylvia Mercedes
This is a powerful, mystical fantasy romance novel that will transport you to another world full of magic and adventure!
When Lina’s village is destroyed by the evil Shadow King, she vows to fight back. Along with her two best friends, she embarks on a quest to find and kill him before he can destroy their home forever. But when they finally confront him, nothing could have prepared them for what happens next. The Shadow King takes Lina captive, and she soon discovers that he is not only a terrifying enemy but also a powerful ally. As they work together to defeat an even greater evil, Lina begins to feel a connection with him that goes beyond all reason.
Mageborn: An absolutely gripping fantasy novel (2020) by Jessica Thorne
Mageborn is the story of a young woman, who after being thrust into a magical world, must learn to harness her powers and find her way. The novel is set in a world where mages are trained to use their powers, which they call the Gift.
The main character, Astrid, comes from a place where magic is not used and so when she finds herself thrust into this new reality, she must learn how to harness her power. She does this with the help of her teacher and mentor, Valka. But things go awry when Astrid finds that there are those who want to use her for their own purposes.
A Dance with the Fae Prince (Married to Magic, 2021) by Elise Kova
When Princess Kallista is banished from the Fae, she is sent to Earth as a human. She must find her way back home and earn her place in Fae society. To do so, she is to discover three powerful artifacts that will reveal the secrets of her past. But there’s one problem: the only person who can help her is a sexy fae prince who, despite his overwhelming appeal, wants nothing to do with humans or their problems… until, of course, the best of them can prove her value to him!
Young adult fantasy romance books
Young adult fantasy romance books usually differ from their counterparts meant for an older audience in that the story is told through the eyes of a teenager who is experiencing his or her first love. They also tend to be more adventure-based, but that never gets in the way of true romance. Check out the following novels to see for yourself!
A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015) by Sarah J. Maas
The first book in Sarah J. Maas’s world-famous “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series was a New York Times bestseller and Amazon UK #1 bestseller in Fantasy & Science Fiction. It follows Feyre, a human girl who once lived with her family at Tamlin’s estate and who is tricked into entering the world of Faerie, where she must face off against some very powerful creatures to save her lover Tamlin’s life. If you’re looking for a young adult fantasy romance with a strong female lead and a love story that will leave you breathless, this is the book for you.
A Court of Thorns and Roses is the first in a series of six novels that also includes: A Court of Mist and Fury (2016), A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017), The Fae Queen’s Lover (2018), Winter of Enchantment (2019), and The Darkest Prison (2019).
The Alpha’s Fated Encounter: An Opposites Attract Shifter Romance (2022) by Roxie Ray
She’s lying behind the counter with blood trailing from an injury to her head. My desire to protect her stuns me almost as much as her beauty.
But it’s the smell of her blood that stuns me the most—it’s something not quite human.
The Alpha’s Fated Encounter is a shifter romance novel for adults that will take you on an adventure of self-discovery and hot, steamy love. The story follows the life of Avril, who has been living in fear for the past decade after being left by her former pack leader. She thought she was safe now that he was gone, but she soon finds out that there is more to fear than just one man. Avril must find a way to escape from the clutches of her evil ex-boyfriend or risk losing everything she’s worked so hard for—including her life.
Golden (The Golden Wolf, 2022) by Shannon Mayer
The Golden Wolf is a young adult paranormal romance series with an intriguing storyline and lovable characters. The first book in the series, Golden, introduces us to Lia and her twin brother Rafe who are being hunted by an ancient evil.
Their only chance for survival is to reach the Golden Wolf and ask for his help. But getting there isn’t easy, especially when they have no idea where he is or how to reach him. To make matters worse, their mother has been kidnapped by a dark sorcerer named Arok who wants to use her power for wrongdoings.
Frost (Frost and Nectar Book 1, 2022) by C.N. Crawford
Frost is a young girl who lives in the magical land of Nectar. She has been raised by her mother to believe that her father was a great hero who died when she was very young. But one night, Frost’s life changes forever when she meets an old man named Rorke who tells her that everything she knows about herself and the world around her is a lie. When Frost learns that her father is actually alive and imprisoned in a place called Frostmelt, she must decide whether or not to leave behind everything she loves and risk everything on an impossible quest to save him…
The Last Dragon King (2022) by Leia Stone
The Last Dragon King is a fantasy romance novel by Leia Stone, set in an alternate world where dragons walk among humans.
A young woman is forced to flee her home when the kingdom’s leader becomes obsessed with her. She escapes across dangerous lands on the back of a dragon, hoping to find safety in another land. But soon she discovers that her troubles are just beginning when she meets an enigmatic stranger who may be able to help her get revenge against the Dragon King—if only she can trust him…
Broken Bonds (The Bonds that Tie, 2021) by J Bree
The second book in J.Bree’s The Bonds that Tie series, Broken Bonds picks up right where Bonds of Blood left off.
When we last saw Kade and Grace, they were both mourning the loss of their son and preparing to go after his killer. Now that they are back together, they find themselves facing new challenges—one being that Kade isn’t sure if he can trust Grace anymore after what happened with her father.
This action-packed fantasy romance novel features a strong heroine who must decide between two powerful men vying for her affection—one good, one evil—in a world where magic is real and can be used to make one’s wishes come true…or destroy everything around them.
Conclusion
Fantasy romance books are a great way to escape into an entirely different world with supernatural characters that you can still relate to on some level. And while they may not be real, they sure are fun! There is something about the classic themes of magic and adventure that we can’t get enough of, and we hope our list helped you come across some captivating reads. In the meantime, we are inviting you to continue your journey into the world of best contemporary romance books and check out the other popular categories: