What to expect from this List
At last, here it is: my personal, curated list of fantasy romance releases I’m excited to read this year.
As you may have noticed, this blog doesn’t use AI. It is maintained and curated exclusively by me.
Each book list is put together with extra care, taking into account authors, previous books, and the overall vibe of the titles in question. I may also include a couple of fan-favourite titles here and there because, even if they are not entirely to my taste, I can still recognise when a book or series is genuinely good, even if it is not quite my cup of tea.
How is this book list organised?
I divided this post into two sections: standalones or first books in a series and sequels
You will find well-known authors releasing new titles, as well as a few hidden gems that I predict will be excellent reads.
The Major 2026 Sequels section features highly anticipated continuations of fantasy romance series I loved and that you absolutely need to give a chance. Don’t worry about spoilers. If you haven’t picked up the first book in a series yet, the book cards will not contain any, only my thoughts on why the series is worth reading.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the post!!
2026 Fantasy Romance Releases I'm already obsessed with
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The Best Standalones and First in a Series Fantasy Romances Releases in 2026
Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She lives in an expensive city where the rent is too high, works long hours at a thankless job, and is dating a guy she doesn’t even like in the hopes of winning her prickly mother’s approval.
She just also happens to be a demon hunter.
Ever since her father’s murder, she’s been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider. . . . Until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like her: Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. If she enrolls, she’ll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters, and never be alone again.
But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about. Not when the school might hold the answers to untangling the mystery surrounding Viv’s father’s death. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, and fast. All while trying to ace her classes, not fall for a demon, and make it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?
Why You'll love it
“Who knew a demon and a huntress could have so much in common?”
This one seems so fun!! I haven’t read anything involving demons in a long time, and Half City mixes dark academia and isekai (portal fantasy).
I think dark academia is having a moment these days, maybe because of the upcoming new Harry Potter series? Most likely. And to add to all this… it’s not just demon x huntress, but he is also her instructor?? I’m in!! hahah
Readers, beware: Half City is an adult fantasy, so there is some moderate spice, but nothing too heavy.
Kate Golden is the author of *A Dawn of Onyx*, a classic fantasy romance the likes of ACOTAR and *From Blood and Ash*. I liked her writing in that one, albeit the pacing was a little slow, so I will definitely be checking this one out.
More Dark Academia Fantasy Romances Like Half City
Agnes Aubert leads a meticulously organized life, and she likes it that way. As the proudly type-A manager of a cat rescue charity, she has devoted her life to finding forever homes for stray cats.
Now it’s the shelter that needs a new home. And the only landlord who will rent a space to a cat rescue is a mysterious man called Havelock—who also happens to be the world’s most infamous magician, running an illegal magic shop out of his basement. Havelock is cantankerous and eccentric, but not not handsome, and no, Agnes absolutely does not feel anything but disdain for him. After all, rumors swirl about his shadowy past—including whispers that his dark magic once almost brought about the apocalypse.
Then one day a glamorous magician comes looking for Havelock, putting the magic shop—and the cat shelter—in jeopardy. To save the shelter, Agnes will have to team up with the magician who nearly ended the world . . . and may now be trying to steal her heart.
Havelock is everything Agnes thinks she doesn’t need in her life: chaos, mischief, and a little too much adventure. But as she gets to know him, she discovers that he’s more than the dark magician of legend, and that she may be ready for a little intrigue—and romance—in her life. After all, second chances aren’t just for rescue cats. . . .
Why You’ll Love It
From the author of Emily Wilde (one of my favourite cosy fantasy romances) comes this new cosy fantasy standalone.
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter follows Agnes, a very organised woman who discovers that the landlord of the place where she runs her cat shelter is using it as a charade for a magic shop where they may be doing some not-very-legal magic.
He is, of course, the complete opposite of her: disorganised, sarcastic, aaand… allergic to cats!! haha
You really do not want to miss this one. Heather Fawcett’s writing, and the way she writes dynamics between the FMC and MMC, is just… lovely.
Fun fact: the heroine is 35+ and widowed.
Such a breath of fresh air, and so nice to see women of that age getting a bit more representation in books.
My all-time favourite cosy fantasy romance from the same author, and more similar recs for you:
Touch her and you die slow burn where the heroine wakes up inside her favorite fantasy series
When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn’t take her long to recognize Kair Toren. It’s a city she knows intimately from the pages of a famously unfinished dark fantasy series – one she’s been obsessively listening to and re-listening to, while waiting years for the final novel.
Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem? Her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters’ ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she’s coming to love – a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to return home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes – and attentions – of duelling princes, dukes and villains. This all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the ending she’s seen on the a cataclysmic war.
Why You’ll Love It
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me feels like it came straight out of an anime or manga story. If you told me this was a manga just from reading the blurb, I would have totally believed you.
Basically, the protagonist wakes up inside her favourite dark fantasy series. She cannot be killed, she knows the entire plot, and she will try to help the protagonists of her beloved series and make sure they do not die, because unlike her, they can be killed.
I love the title of this book, and I love that the concept feels so similar to famous isekai manhwas and mangas. I have high hopes for this one!!
Despite this one being labelled as adult, Ilona Andrews writes books with lots of tension but no spice, similar to The Cruel Prince, or what we call in the book community fade to black.
Hundreds of years ago, a brutal war split a land in two. Starside is the realm of magic and immortals—the descendants of the gods, living in a power-rich paradise. Stormside is where mortals fight for scraps of that magic.
Every fifty years, the gates between them open, and fifty challengers are allowed to journey across Starside on a deadly quest to access a pool of magic that can heal, grant wealth, or extend life. Everyone has their reasons for entering, but Aris has only vengeance. As a child, a goddess set fire to her village, killing her family. Aris isn’t after the gods’ magic—she’s going to kill them.
First, she must survive the Culling, the king’s deadly competition to choose his fifty challengers. An orphaned blacksmith’s apprentice, Aris doesn’t have the superior weapons of the heirs from the Great Houses. But the greatest swords—ones that contain power—are not inherited or bought, they are claimed, by both sides. And when Aris claims a great sword, it makes her not just a real competitor—but a target.
Getting past the gates is only the beginning. Starside is deadlier than it seems. If the ancient creatures, magic-wielding beasts, and bloodthirsty immortals weren’t dangerous enough, a new peril has even immortals fearing what rises from the ground at night. With a blade most would kill to claim, Aris can’t trust anyone. Especially not Harlan Raker, the merciless and mysterious king’s guard who betrayed her years ago—and who may now be the key to her survival.
But Aris is hiding a secret tied to her family’s death. And when it’s revealed, not even the gods will be able to stop what’s coming…
Why You’ll Love It
Why is an Alex Aster book on this list?
Yes, I know about the Lightlark controversy, the bad reviews… but surprisingly, I read Lightlark (the debut YA fantasy novel from this author), and it was not as bad as everyone said on social media.
I have a thing for old-school YA fantasy romance. Marissa Meyer, Judly Kagawa, that kind of vibe… and Lightlark gave me some of that. I read it on a whim.
Starside is the author’s first adult fantasy romance. From the blurb, it seems similar to Lightlark in some ways, with trials, games, and all that, but this one feels more quest focused.
She clearly loves writing ACOTAR-style love interests, where you think the kind, good guy is the endgame until you meet the broody dark one who seems to be the enemy, so… please give me more!! haha
More Fantasy Romances like Starside
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Spicy Dystopian Slow Burn Enemies to Lovers, Assasin x Heir, ALERT!! AARON WARNER VIBES
He Is Her Ruin. She Is His Rebellion.
The first thing you’ll learn in New Found Haven is mercy no longer exists. Showing mercy is a weakness, and weakness will get you killed.
The second thing is this-the Veyra are always watching. From the highest glass atrium in the Heart to the windowless slum dens of the Boundary, no movement goes unseen.
The last lesson is the hardest, but you must remember it.
Love outside of your ring is a death sentence.
The city is carved into rings of privilege and poverty, ruled by the masked elite who will do whatever it takes to hold onto power.
Obedience is demanded. Rebellion is crushed.
Greyson Serel has spent his life caught between two worlds. Publicly, he’s the flawless heir to the presidency. Privately, he’s entangled in secrets that could topple the regime. But when he’s forced into a political marriage meant to bind him tighter to the governments brutal laws, he finds himself shackled to a bride who is as lethal as she is unwilling.
Shadera is a mercenary raised to kill, not to wed. Yet when her bullet misses its mark, survival leaves her bound to the very man she was sent to eliminate. Trapped inside the corrupt heart of the city, she becomes both prisoner and wife, her every step watched, her every move tested.
Their union is no love story-It’s a battlefield. As secrets come to light and betrayals fester within the walls of power, Greyson and Shadera must decide between annihilating one another or burning the city to the ground together.
In a world where passion sparks rebellion and loyalty is paid for in blood, their forced bond may be the spark that ignites a revolution. Or the fire that consumes them both.
Why You’ll Love It
“If you shoot me,” he said, his voice dropping, “it will only make me want to fuck you.”
It seems this is the season of dystopian fantasies… and dark academia as well? I know this title was released in December and is not technically a new 2026 release, BUT this book caught my attention like bees to honey.
The only caveat for me is that it seems to be on the spicier side. I haven’t read it yet, so I cannot tell you whether that is a good or bad thing, but usually I find that books with no spice tend to portray angst and slow burn better than books with explicit scenes.
But hey… maybe I’ll be wrong this time??
Readers have been comparing the male love interest to Aaron Warner, and from reading the blurb, that is something I noticed as well. He is one of my top three MMCs (main male character), so I need to get my hands on this one to see whether that is actually true.
More books like Daggermouth
Once there was an island where the dead walked the earth, and seven noble houses ruled by the arcane secrets of necromancy.
A conqueror’s blade brought them low, burning their libraries, killing their lords, and extinguishing their eldritch magic.
But defiant against the new order stands the House of Teeth and its last living members: beautiful Marozia, the heiress to the House, and her cousin, the uncanny Lady Agnes.
Though she has not spoken a word in seven years, Agnes is the true carrier of the House’s legacy. And she has her orders. She must recapture the secrets of death magic and avenge her family’s fallen honor. She must arrange the betrothal of her beloved cousin Marozia to Liuprand, heir to the conqueror’s throne, for access to the forbidden library in his grotesquely grand castle.
Revenge burns in Agnes’s heart but so do stranger passions—and it is Liuprand, the golden prince, who speaks to her soul. This passion is as treasonous as it is powerful, poisoning the kingdom’s roots and threatening to tear the already shattered realm in two.
For Agnes’s final order is the gravest: She must not fall in love.
Why You’ll Love It
“From the moment I met your eyes above Adele-Blanche’s desecrated body. I knew that I would die a thousand deaths waiting for you”
Innamorata has been described as an extremely dark gothic romance with an intoxicating atmosphere.
Seven houses, once ruled through necromancy, have fallen into ruin. Now the House of Teeth wants to regain its lost power by having Agnes marry her cousin to the heir of the conqueror’s throne… but alas, it seems she has feelings for him.
Forbidden romance and royalty is my roman empire, and I am very intrigued by this “excessively gothic atmosphere”. I am aware of Ava Reid’s particular prose, which feels very similar to Naomi Novik’s, especially in Spinning Silver, so you will not be disappointed with this book if what you are looking for is good writing and a true gothic fantasy.
Do not pick this one up if you are in the mood for something more commercial.
More Dark Gothic Romance Books I Highly Recommend
Yaseema is a brilliant scholar and loyal servant of the Empire—or so they think. By day, she catalogs the fae relics of her conquered kingdom. But by night, she reclaims the artefacts in secret to restore magic to her dying land.
Until she finds the long lost key to cross the River into the fae world and save her people. But a ruthless realm awaits her there, ruled by monsters wearing beautiful skin—especially the cold-eyed captain who sees through her lies. But even he isn’t what he seems—under the guise of upholding a cruel regime, he works to overthrow it from the inside. To succeed, he needs the same lost relic Yaseema seeks: the crown of an ancient Fae Queen.
With magic that is a mystery even to her, Yaseema can help him find the crown and save his family from a fate worse than death. Unless she steals it first to help her own.
To survive, they must work together to outwit ancient curses, battle creatures born of nightmares, and find a power that could resurrect their worlds. But as secrets unravel and loyalties blur, they face the greatest danger of all: losing their heart to each other.
Why You’ll Love It
OK, THIS ONEEE. Mark my words… The River she Became is going to be SO GOOD.
Reading the synopsis, I instantly thought:
This has so much Cardan and The Cruel Prince vibes!!! Mysterious, trickster fae , a human crossing into their world, A FAE PRINCE.
I will only say this: please be good!!
Because based on the blurb and the hype around it, The River she Became has all the ingredients to be the next Divine Rivals of the year, at least judging by the hype.
More Books with Royal Fae Princes falling in love with a common girl
Major Fantasy Romance Sequels Releases in 2026
It really seems like this is the year of sequels because, honestly, we have some huge major sequels coming out this year.
As I mentioned in my intro, I won’t be spoiling anything from the first book in these series. I handpicked these fantasy romance releases because I genuinely think they’re worth giving a try.
The modern juggernaut of fantasy romance
Romance, danger, and intrigue await you in the stunning new installment.
The full Court of Thorns and Roses series includes:
1) A Court of Thorns and Roses
2) A Court of Mist and Fury
3) A Court of Wings and Ruin
4) A Court of Frost and Starlight
5) A Court of Silver Flames
Why You’ll Love It
The modern juggernaut of fantasy romance
Well… what can I even write about ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses) that has not already been said before?
I am sure a lot of readers began their fantasy romance journey with the newer Fourth Wing, but before Fourth Wing, ACOTAR was the fantasy romance series.
It completely redefined the fantasy romance space, and it is one of the main reasons we now have a separate subgenre for fantasy romance, or romantasy, as some media like to call it.
ACOTAR transcended bookish spaces and reached social media platforms like TikTok, and even television.
It may not be the best-written fantasy romance, nor does it have the best plot, but what it did was innovative, and it established slow burn as a must-have for this subgenre.
It redefined the genre, set a new standard, and hit exactly what the bookish community was craving. I cannot tell you explicitly what that is because, for a new reader, it is something deeply tied to the plot, and I strongly recommend reading this series, or at least the first two books, which are by far the best, without spoilers so the story is not ruined.
Yes… book 6 is coming in October and book 7 in January, only two months between the two… and ACOTAR 7 is the last instalment in the series. My God, this year is going to be crazy hahaha
I will leave here some guides, recommendations, and a reading order for those of you who are new to the series.
For older fans, I will also include more books like ACOTAR to help you get in the mood!!
Find here Books with the same vibe
Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. Now she wants revenge. To save her sister she needs to get back home and destroy the system that created her. Rosabelle’s greatest strength is her ability to deaden her mind and body; it’s the only way to survive the surveillance state of Ark Island. But lately her heart has been beating harder; her thoughts are spiraling; her defenses are coming undone.
And there’s only one person to blame.
James Anderson had a plan. Now he has nothing but problems. Rosabelle might be the ally they need in a fight against The Reestablishment, but no one wants to trust an enemy assassin. It doesn’t help that Rosabelle’s not much of a talker, doesn’t work well in groups, and kills people on instinct. Taking her side has cost James nearly everything—but keeping her alive might help save his world.
If only he could convince his older brother.
Aaron Warner Anderson has a headache. Something dark is coming, and Rosabelle’s arrival is just a prelude. In her, he sees shades of himself he can’t trust, and worse: he can no longer get a read on the girl. She’s a dead battery, emanating no emotional feedback. At least not until James walks into a room…
Why You’ll Love It
“Here’s the question,” he says. “If J asked you to go to the moon for her, would you go to the moon?”
“Yes.”
Tahereh Mafi, the queen of angsty romance and slow burns!! She writes slow burn so well, and her male characters are always so… chaotic, tormented, and possessive. I just love this author.
Release Me is the final instalment in the duology released last year. Set in the same world as Shatter Me, if you have read the original series, you will find a lot of familiar characters.
And for new readers, fear not!! You can read this one without having read Shatter Me.
A totally recommended series by one of my favourite authors.
One of the best dark academia fantasies with romance. Possibly Leigh Bardugo’s best series after Six of Crows.
Hell is empty and all the devils are here…
Alex Stern made it to hell and back more than once, but this time she left the door open behind her. Demons are creeping through the streets of New Haven and the Yale campus, feeding on the souls of the living, terrifying the dead. Alex and her allies can hunt them, but it’s only a matter of time before the gates to the underworld open and they face a war they cannot win. To stop it, they’ll have to reach deep into the secrets of Yale and its societies, and discover the truth hidden in Alex’s own blood.
While she struggles to hold onto the dream of a future Yale once offered, Alex must contend with the machinations of a corrupt Lethe Board and a deadly vampire with his own connection to the societies. But for the first time in her life, she won’t have to face the fight alone. Dawes, Turner, Mercy, and even Tripp will have a role to play, none more so than Alex’s mentor Darlington, the golden boy who lived so long in her head, now back in the flesh and cursed with dangerous powers of his own. Hell itself is stalking the delegates of Lethe House, and they’re all about to learn that demons don’t play by human rules.
Why You’ll Love It
My most awaited sequel of the year.
I have a thing for Leigh Bardugo. I have read all her books, except The Familiar, but it is in my TBR!! So I consider myself a pretty good source for recommendations when it comes to her haha
Is this her best series? Argh… it is definitely better than Shadow and Bone and King of Scars, but it is competing for first place with Six of Crows
Dead Beat will decide it for me. Strong points in favour of this series are the setting… dark academia, rites, the occult… a strong-as-hell and cool protagonist… and a golden retriever love interest with a wicked side…
If you have not read this one, you are still on time!! The third and final book in the series is only just coming out in September.
Ultra recommended.
Calandra’s five kingdoms are on the verge of destruction. The crux migration is coming. And in the wake of a devastating attack, I’ve been separated from the man who owns my heart.
I’m lost. Terrified. Homesick. Hunted by monsters, driven to exhaustion, and kidnapped by a powerful priest, the only thing keeping me going is the little girl counting on me to keep her safe. It’s my turn to become the Guardian.
Our lives change one fateful night. A night of death. A night of monsters. A night of truths. That night, I learn the real meaning of fear—and the depth of my own strength.
Everyone wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice. But what if I embrace my crown? What if the secrets I uncover save our realm?
What if my sacrifice means salvation for the man I love?
For too long, I’ve feared the monsters we make.
It’s time to discover the monster within.
Why You’ll Love It
“That was good.” “Was that a compliment? In the training ring? I thought praise was for the bedroom.”
I wasn’t going to include this one.
I have been following this book since 2025, and I decided to add it because it has just exploded, and I think it is fair for readers to know that the second instalment is coming this year.
I am hesitant to read Shield of Sparrows because it looks… prefab.
I do not mind if it reads similarly to ACOTAR, FBAA, or Fourth Wing because, at the end of the day, all books take inspiration from others… but I am a bit afraid I will not like the writing.
I promise I will give this one a try, because it simply cannot be that bad if so many of you have already read it and it has skyrocketed in popularity.
Stay tuned for my honest review!!
Jacks and Evangeline Fox have finally found their happily ever after.
Everything here in the Hollow is wonderful and perfect.
Nothing is going to go wrong.
No one is keeping a secret . . . except for maybe one.
But don’t worry, it’s not going to rewrite reality or alter history or change the ending of Jacks and Evangeline’s story.
Definitely not.
Featuring cameos from fan-favorite characters and twenty full-page illustrations by Lotusbubble, the newest installment in the Once Upon a Broken Heart universe will immerse readers once again in this beloved, #1 New York Times bestselling series. Because every story has the potential for infinite endings.
Why You’ll Love It
Another beloved series of mine, Once Upon a Broken Heart is one of the most popular fantasy romance series in the book community. Everybody loves Jacks and Evangeline. At this point, they are basically the fantasy romance couple, and you can find fan art of them absolutely everywhere.
The Mirror of Infinite Endings is a companion book that takes place after the events of A Curse for True Love, the final instalment in the series.
Did this book need to exist? Nope.
Will I still buy it and read it anyway? Absolutely yes.
There is just something about Jacks and Evangeline that makes me so happy, and I hope this book will make you just as happy too :))
Check here all my guides for one of my fav series of all time
My Top picks: Fantasy Romance Releases in 2026
I couldn’t just pick two books for this section as I usually do.
Quite impossible, haha.
So, I picked a fan favourite, my personal favourite, and a hidden gem I have very high expectations for.
ACOTAR is, of course, the fan favourite and also a beloved series of mine.
Dead Beat is my personal favourite, as it is the culmination of the Alex Stern series by Leigh Bardugo.
The River She Became is the hidden gem of the bunch. It really does seem to have The Cruel Prince vibes. I can’t think of many series with so many similarities to Holly Black’s most popular work. However, it doesn’t look like it is going to pull a Divine Rivals and become a huge sensation, but who knows? I have high hopes for this one, though.
