10 Royal Fantasy Romance books where a Prince falls for a commoner
Introduction
Royal Fantasy romance books are my go-to read when I want something magical and lovely.Ā
Princes who fall in love with a common girl, forbidden romance…there is something addictive about this subgenre.Ā
Contemporary romance and rom-com books use this plot device with a lot of success as well.
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Table of Contents
What is Royal Fantasy romance?
Royalty Fantasy romance is a very popular subgenre of fantasy romance. It is often portrayed in an alternate world with magic elements and fantastical creatures.
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There are often not historically accurate, but they take some bits from some time periods. For example, you can encounter a Royal fantasy romance book with a clear Viking influence but with fashion from the Stuart era.
A prince fallings in love with a common girl
Royal Fantasy Romance often brings us back to one of the most addictive tropes ever: forbidden romance.
And in fantasy romance it has the added element of almost always one of them being of magical birth or with powers. And that adds tons of layers to the forbidden romance trope.
A prince in disguise, enemies to lovers, royal fantasy has endless possibilities, and during the last years has delighted us with ver-the-top titles (one of my top 5 belongs to the royal fantasy genre).
So without further ado, letās get into this specially curated list I made for you with super angsty and whimsical royal fantasy romances!!
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Royal Fantasy Romance Books where a Prince falls for a normal girl
Lyrical fairytale retelling about a princess in disguise and the prince who falls in love with her
Shioriāanma, princess of Kiata, hides a dangerous secret ā forbidden magic runs through her veins. When she loses control during her betrothal ceremony, her stepmother curses her, silences her voice, and transforms her brothers into cranes. Alone and powerless, Shiori must find a way to break the spell, uncover a conspiracy to seize the throne, and embrace the magic sheās been taught to fear. Along the way, unexpected allies ā a paper bird, a dragon, and the very boy she swore never to marry ā may hold the key to saving her family and her kingdom.
Why Youāll Love It
āI liked how he said my name. As if the syllables were the first notes to a song he loved to sing.ā
More retellings!! Yes, I love fairytales, canāt help it! (Wellā¦ I think you may have noticed if youāre subscribed to my Fairytales & Villains newsletter hehe.)
This one is a retelling of The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen, with lyrical prose and whimsical worldbuilding.
The romance is pure comfort food: a prince falling in love with a girl who appears to be nothing more than a voiceless commoner.
More Whimsical Romances Like Six Crimson Cranes
In Kandala, a deadly sickness ravages the land while the cure, hoarded for the wealthy.
By night, apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade risks everything to steal petals and secretly deliver medicine to the poor.
Inside the palace, Prince Corrick, feared as the Kingās Justice, must uphold brutal laws to maintain control as rebellion brews.
When cruelty forces Tessa and Corrickās paths to collide, sworn enemies become unlikely allies. Between duty, rebellion, and a forbidden spark, they must decide: destroy each other, or save the kingdom together.
Why Youāll Love It
āBecause despite all outward appearances, Iām not cruel. I donāt delight in pain. I donāt delight in any of this.ā
You can never go wrong with Brigid Kemmerer. She is one of the YA Fantasy Romance queens, and this new trilogy just confirms it.
Tessa is a simple girl who, with the help of Wes, risks her life every night to deliver medicine to the sick.
Prince Corrick is the King’s brother, ruthless and forced to play the villain, yet tormented by his own actions.
Their romance is full of angst, desire, and that perfect āI hate to love youā tension. Plus, this is a complete trilogy full of political intrigue and a well-written story behind the romance, perfect for a binge read without having to wait for the next installment!
More Angsty Romances Like This Woven Kingdom
Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most – a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen and or remain a human forever.
The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby – it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good – but can he trust her?Ā
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Why Youāll Love It
āIāve made a mistake. It started with a prince, as most stories do.”
She was once a siren, now a simple human, and he is a prince, a pirate at heart who lives to hunt sirens…
If you are like me and love retellings and fairytales, this Little Mermaid retelling with a darker twist is just perfect for you.
You will love the banter and the slow-burn romance in this one. (I need to update my Enemies-to-Lovers Book List with this because it definitely has earned a spot as a TRUE enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance!!)
Extra appeal: This is a standalone, so itās the perfect pick to devour over the weekend!
More books with the same enemies to lovers vibes...
Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyinās magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.
Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperorās son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.
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Why Youāll Love It
āI hated him now because I had loved him then.ā
Xingyin was raised in secret and lived as an ordinary girl, until she is thrust into the Celestial Kingdom where she begins training alongside Prince Liwei.
Fairy-tale vibes, yearning, and slow burn mixed with lyrical prose make Daughter of the Moon Goddess a perfect fit for this Book List. A classic YA with whimsical touches inspired by Chinese mythology (a complete duology).
Angsty slow burn where a prince falls in love with a common girl (who wants to kill him)
Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shaziās wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . sheās falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.
Why Youāll Love It
āWhat are you doing to me, you plague of a girl?ā he whispered.
This book genuinely took me by surprise. I wasnāt expecting to like it THAT MUCH, and it fits perfectly on this Book List.
Khalid is a young prince, and Shahrzad enters the castle with the sole mission to assassinate this malignant young prince who has already taken so many lives.
If you love angsty romance, this fantasy romance is definitely for you. Itās like watching a Turkish telenovela but in book format. Exquisite.
Book List with more Tormented Heroes
Evangeline Fox has always believed in true love, until the boy she loves chooses to marry someone else. Heartbroken and desperate to stop the wedding, she strikes a dangerous bargain with the wickedly charming Prince of Hearts: three kisses, to be given whenever he demands. But soon Evangeline discovers that making a deal with an immortal comes at a high price , and the Prince of Hearts may want far more from her than she ever imagined.
Why Youāll Love It
āI’m not going to tell you to trust me, Little Fox, because that’s a terrible idea.ā
Plain and simple, this book took the community by storm and shattered our hearts into pieces.
Our heroine, Evangeline Fox, is a common girl who loves happily ever afters and is desperately searching for a happy ending for herself.
Could she find her perfect and forever love in the person of the dangerous Prince of Hearts?
Only fate will tell
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Want to know why Iām obsessed with this trilogy? Read more here
To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.
The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdomāand the world.
Why Youāll Love It
āI think I might fetch you the moon if only to spare your tears again.ā
This Woven Kingdom is the first book in the new fantasy romance series by Tahere Mafi, the author of the popular Shatter Me series (which you should read, by the way ā it’s so good!).
You can expect a lot of tension and angst, similar to Shatter Me, as well as very well-detailed worldbuilding.
Our crown prince, Kamran, is the perfect example of a ‘golden retriever’ book boyfriend ā the perfect cinnamon roll. He’s incredibly sweet and irrevocably in love with our heroine, Alizeh.
I won’t say much more to avoid ruining the surprise, but Alizeh is a coveted girl, not only by Kamran. Fans of darker and morally ambiguous characters will also rejoice with this series.
More Angsty Romances Like This Woven Kingdom
Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.
And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.
Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
Why Youāll Love It
āCardan grins at me as though we’ve been great friends all our lives. I forgot how charming he can be–and how dangerous that is.ā
One of the most beloved series by the Fantasy Romance community, in this series we meet Jude, a plain and ordinary human girl who was raised by a ruthless Fae general. With the help of his stepfather, she learns the art of the sword and how to avoid becoming a victim in this cruel Faerie World.
Cardan is the youngest heir to the Crown, and with his pompous friends, he will try to make Jude and her twin sister life impossible in hopes of them going back to the human world.
This one is often depicted as one ā if not the best ā enemies-to-lovers fantasy romances of the last 10 years. But IMO what makes TCP so addictive is how well portrayed the hate-to-love trope is. You can practically smell Cardan’s conflict with himself, and he hates himself for it. Just 10/10.
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
Why Youāll Love It
āKai cleared his throat. Stood straighter. “I assume you are going to the ball?”
“I-I don’t know. I mean, no. No, I’m sorry, I’m not going to the ball.”
Kai drew back, confused. “Oh well… but… maybe you would change your mind? Because I am, you know.”
“The prince.”
“Not bragging,” he said quickly. “Just a fact.ā
The Lunar Chronicles is THE traditional dystopian romance. Cinder is a Cinderella retelling with some very hard-to-miss references to Sailor Moon (the author is a declared fan of the anime) and an unique cyberpunk vibe.
In Cinder, we have a charming prince who (of course) falls in love with a simple girlā¦ who also happens to be a cyborg. Ultra-forbidden romance, the best kind of slow burn, and best of all: he is so fucking jealous and possessive (in a very young adult way). I just love this series.
Itās everything that feels right.
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More Angsty Romances Like This Woven Kingdom
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After witnessing her sisterās murder by the Gancanagh, an immortal who kills with a cursed kiss, Keelynn vows to bring her back, even if it means striking a bargain with a witch and hunting the creature herself.
Enter Tadhg, a devilishly handsome half-fae rogue who has no interest in helping a humanā¦ until Keelynn offers him a deal too tempting to refuse
Why Youāll Love It
The memory of how devilishly handsome Tadhg had been last night couldnāt compare to the reality of seeing him in the fading light, with a layer of stubble accentuating the strong line of his jaw and dark brown hair falling into his kohl-smeared eyes.
If you are looking for a book with Pride and Prejudice vibes this one is for you. It has Princes, royalty, and witty banter, all mixed with deliciously wicked Faes.Ā
Our heroine Keelynn is willing to do everything to avenge her sister’s murder and to do that, she allies with a grumpy half-fae who will become a reluctant ally in her quest to find the killer.
A classic gaslamp fantasy romance, with a lot of plot twists and with the love interest Tadgh being a mix of Cardan from The Cruel Prince and Jacks from Once Upon a Borken Heart.
More Angsty Romances Like This Woven Kingdom
Brie hates the Fae and refuses to have anything to do with them. But when her sister is sold to the sadistic king of the Unseelie court to pay a debt, she’ll do whatever it takes to get her back, including making a deal with the king himself to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court.
Gaining unfettered access to the Seelie court is easier said than done. Brie’s only choice is to pose as a potential bride for Prince Ronan, and she soon finds herself falling for him. Unwilling to let her heart distract her, she accepts help from a band of Unseelie misfits.
As Brie spends time with their mysterious leader, Finn, she struggles to resist his seductive charm.
Caught between two dangerous courts, Brie must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.
Why Youāll Love It
āMay you always have a star to wish on, Abriella, and a reason to believeā
A complete duology, this book came out as a total surprise and was a hit among readers.
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Is the first incursion from the author in the Fantasy Romance genre and has everything you could want:
– A very well-done love triangle (very similar to ACOTAR)
– Faes, Princes, royalty and a common girl involved in a battle between two powerful enemies who will have to decide between saving The Kingdom or betraying the love of her life…
Fancy a good Love Triangle?
Final thoughts
I hope this post has inspired you to add a lot of books to your TBR .
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Royal Fantasy romance is one of my favourite subgenres. And is one I crave a lot. I just can’t simply wait to find a good royal romance when Im in the mood for it..I need it right away! haha
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In other words, this List is for all my book besties who love royal fantasy and for all the romance readers who want to enjoy one of the most enchanting and “feel-good” subgenres. Enjoy!!!
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QUESTION: Do you enjoy reading royal fantasy romances? What’s your favourite?Ā
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