If you feel like fantasy romance books are having a moment lately, you’re probably right. As the broader romance genre grows in popularity, fantasy grows right along with it. With a romance book, you typically know what you’re going to get — while the tropes vary, you can bet that the two main characters will be in love by the end. Fantasy introduces a whole new twist to the genre: you can have human characters set in a fantastical world, or any variety of supernatural characters, magic, and power in the mix.
Whether you’re reading for the fantasy, the romance, or the “spice” — BookTok slang for steamy sex scenes — the fantasy romance genre has something for just about everyone, as long as you’re interested in the two main categories, of course.
Just remember before diving in: these aren’t your childhood fairies. Additionally, like romance novels, a large number of fantasy romance reads contain a healthy amount of spice, so reading reviews beforehand can help you determine the appropriate number of “peppers,” the BookTok ranking system for spice.
Ahead, browse the 18 best fantasy romance books currently out there.
