Introduction: The Best Fantasy Romance Books I Read in 2023 (out of the +150 books I read)
Despite being a reader of more than 150 books per year, I had the five books that make this List in my mind for quite a while.
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I’m a highly emotional reader; feelings just surface when I’m immersed in a book, and I can instinctively tell when a book is going to be THE one for me.
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That sensation you experience while reading, the feeling that you’re in the presence of THE book that will shatter your heart, and you’ll carry its memory for months… well, these are the fantasy romance books that evoked that feeling in me.
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Certainly, I enjoyed the other 145 books I’ve read, hehe, but the emotional impact I felt with these five… was like savoring a decadent chocolate cake.
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As of today, I find myself revisiting these books in my thoughts, yearning for a button to wipe my memory clean and read them all over again for the first time.
With no further ado, let’s dive into the list!
Emily Wilde is good at many things: she is the foremost expert on the study of faeries; she is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encylopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good atĀ people.
So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby.
But as Emily gets closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones – the most elusive of all faeries – she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all – her own heart.
An underdog who made the List by its own merits
āI could have thrown my arms around him. Indeed, I almost did, but for some perverse reason, I found myself needing to argue with him instead.ā
I first heard about Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries at the beginning of 2023.
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The title seemed catchy, though not enough to grab my attention. Surprisingly, it kept popping up in my recommendations, even though it wasn’t popular on Bookstagram or BookTok at the time.
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By September, I decided to give it a shot.
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After reading Divine Rivals, I was in the mood for some academic rivals-to-lovers, and I knew this book portrayed that trope.
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And let me tell you, it was the best decision I’ve made!
This book is truly special; it has absolutely no spice, and it doesn’t need any.
Wendell Bambleby, Emily’s colleague, completely steals the show.
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Emily’s character is okay, a bit ‘I’m not like the other girls’ at the beginning, but trust me, you forget about that with Bambleby.
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He’s incredibly well-written, a cinnamon roll with funny, ingenious lines and banter that’s a solid 10 out of 10, maybe even the best I’ve read in fantasy romance in 2023.
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The story is simple and straightforward, with some world-building and information about the folk that Emily and Wendell study. However, it never feels like a burden to the main plot.
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The story includes a significant plot twist that you might anticipate, but the author skillfully foreshadows it, ensuring it doesn’t seem like she intended for you not to predict it
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Who will enjoy this book:
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is perfect for readers who love fantasy romances with Jane Austen vibes, leaning more towards the romantic side, featuring a great slow burn, low stakes, and incredible banter.
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On the contrary, Emily’s story might not be your cup of tea if you’re seeking a more profound narrative with an intricate magic system and some spice.
Evangeline Fox ventured to the Magnificent North in search of her happy ending, and it seems as if she has it. Sheās married to a handsome prince and lives in a legendary castle. But Evangeline has no idea of the devastating price sheās paid for this fairytale. She doesnāt know what she has lost, and her husband is determined to make sure she never finds out. . . . but first he must kill Jacks, the Prince of Hearts
"An epic conclusion for one of the most beloved series by the book community
āI’m your monster, Evangeline”Ā
So, I’m sure many of you are probably wondering, why is this book in 4th place and not First?
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Trust me, deciding this was a real tough decision. But sinceĀ A Curse for True Love is part of a three-book series, I wanted to be fair to the other amazing titles on my ‘Best Fantasy Romance Books I Read in 2023’ List.
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A Curse for True Love was good, but not the standout in the series.
We all knew it would be tough to top the extraordinary second book, The Ballad of Never After.
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While A Curse for True Love wraps up the series nicely, it didn’t hit me the way ‘Ballad’ did.
Was it a good book? Absolutely! That’s why it got a spot in my top 5 best fantasy romance books of 2023.
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It delivered everything I craved and even sparked a tiny hope for a spin-off??
‘A Curse for True Love’ sticks to the same writing style as the first two books and adds Jack’s and Apollo’s POVs.
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Despite what most readers think, I enjoyed Apollo’s POV. He makes for the perfect story villain, and I love how Stephanie tricks us into thinking her stories are all about fairytales, innocence, and roses… but Apollo..he is truly WICKED and mean…
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A Curse for True Love was my most anticipated read for 2023 BY FAR. And it lived up to the hype.
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Who’s going to love this book:
Basically, anyone into fantasy romance.
I’ve seen even readers who usually go for spicy books get hooked on this series (no spice here, though).
It goes beyond the typical YA fantasy romance and is a must-read for newcomers to the genre.
Violet is a seer and a liar, influencing the court with her cleverly phrased – and not always true – divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not-charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to banish her once he’s crowned.
But when the king orders her to predict Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball, Violet accidentally awakens a dreaded curse that could ruin them all. Her wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can’t change her fate – nor the doomed attraction growing between her and the prince . . .
An enemies to lovers masterclass
āSometimes I want to kiss him and sometimes I want to ruin him, but most of the time, I want those actions to be one and the same.ā
I can’t help but keep recommending this book. Violet Made of Thorns nails the enemies-to-lovers theme perfectly.Ā
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A badass heroine, a carefree prince with a witty attitude, and the perfect mix of banter, angst, and hate-to-loveāwhat more could I ask for?
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While it might not be the most flawlessly written book, every little detail adds to the enemies-to-lovers trope, making Violet Made of Thorns stand out as one of the best in the enemies-to-lovers category..
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Drawing many parallels with The Cruel Prince, what I admire is how the author didn’t just copy-paste Cardan and Jude’s story. Instead, she embraced ‘The Cruel Prince’ characters and crafted a completely original book with the same captivating vibe.
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Who would enjoy this book:
If you’re into the hate-to-love trope and slow burns, this book is a must-read.
And, of course, if The Cruel Prince ranks high among your favourite fantasy romances, you’re bound to devour this series
This Book also appears in:
Isobel is an artistic prodigy with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobelās paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patronāRook, the autumn princeāshe makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyesāa weakness that could cost him his life.
What Fairytales are made of
āIf you must stare at something for hours on end, Iād prefer it to be me alone.ā
Another book that has been mentioned countless times on this blog, and rightfully so.
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While I am aware that it is not a 2023 releaseāin fact, it dates back to 2017āconsidering that all the other books on this list are from 2023, with one from 2022, I made an exception for this one.
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My Roman Empire are fairytales, and despite a significant portion of the book community favoring the more popular ‘Sorcery of Thorns’ by the same author, I personally did not find it as enjoyable.
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In contrast, An Enchantment of Ravens is a better-rounded book with a strong emphasis on the romance and is definitely more faerietale-ish.
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Reasons for An Enchantment of Ravens to be in My Best Fantasy Romance Book List of 2023:
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It stands as one of the best well-rounded standalones you can read (alongside anything from Naomi Novik).
Both characters – Isobel and Rook- are sublime, each with their own personalities, and the pacing of the relationship is just perfect.
The book has a very original yet easy-to-follow world-building, which significantly enriches the story.
The romance takes center stageāa Disney movie but in book format.
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Who would enjoy this book:
An Enchantment of Ravens is ideal for all the Disney movie princesses out there who love a compelling love story with princes who fall first for the girl and badass heroines.
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Faeriacore lovers, and anyone seeking a fantasy romance with a strong emphasis on the romantic aspect (featuring a cinnamon roll hero), will be enthralled with An Enchantment of Ravens as well.
This Book also appears in:
My absolute fav book in 2023
Eighteen-year-old Iris dreams that one day her writing will make a difference. A war between gods is raging, and sheās landed a prestigious job at theĀ Oath Gazette.
But at home, sheās barely holding it together. Her brother is missing on the frontline. Her mother is lost in a haze of addiction. And each night Iris pours her heart out in letters to her brother.
Letters that will never be answered. Or so she thinksā¦
Theyāve made their way into the hands of the last person Iris trusts: Roman Kitt. Her cold, unforgiving rival at the paper.
The fantasy romance revelation of the year along with Fourth Wing
āI am coming to love him, in two different ways. Face to face, and word to word.ā
Nobody saw this one comingānot even the author herself.
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Rebecca Ross was what I’d call a ‘potentially popular author.’ Before Divine Rivals,’ she was known for A River Enchanted and, my favourite, Dreams Lie Beneath. Both novels (‘River Enchanted’ is a series) share with ‘Divine Rivals,’ the pacing and beautiful writing.
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Rebecca Ross was somewhat a ’boutique’ authorāsomeone with great talent, but her books weren’t mainstream enough.
Divine Rivals came to change this radically.
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The key to the success of ‘Divine Rivals’:
Sometimes, it’s not just the story but also the timing that matters for a book to become popular. It helps when the title is catchy like this one.
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Because… excuse me… ‘Divine Rivals’?? It’s just a beautiful and short title that encompasses everything I need to know about the book. AND both covers, the US and UK ones, are delightful.
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But going back to timing… When was the last time we saw a book centred on epistolary elements?
The atmosphere and overall aesthetic helped TONS to catapult the book to the first place.
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With a setting similar to WW1 in terms of architecture, vehicles, and the overall war scenes, and a fashion style inspired by the Utility garments from the 40s, it was just the perfect formula.
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It only needed a good romance story behind it.
And boy… ‘Divine Rivals’ excelled at that.
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Because this book is primarily a romance story. It is completely centered on Iris and Rowan with the exact amount of world-building to avoid overloading the story with useless information.
Iris wants to be a good journalist; she is tenacious but has feelings as well. Not a trait from ‘I’m not like the other girls’ characters; she is just like you and me.
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Rowan comes to turn the tables. He is the opposite of every dark and morally grey character who emerged in recent years.
He is kind, understanding, funny, with the right amount of banter and zero inches of problematic traits.
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In a world where red flags as love interests are the norm, Rowan Kitt comes to give a little bit of green to our lives.
I can confidently say that we can attribute him a great part of the popularity of this book.
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The use of emotions: ‘Divine Rivals’ over the top ending.
It wasn’t uncommon to read on social media things like ‘Hey, read Divine Rivals, but be wary; you will be torn into pieces by the end of the book!!’
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Everyone was recommending the book AND advising to be careful with the ending. But NOT in a bad way like ‘Hey, this book is good, but the ending… better forget it existed.’
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Similar to The Ballad of Never After‘ and Iron Flame, ‘Divine Rivals’ has a heart-wrenching ending that makes you yearn for more… like it is physically impossible to not grab the next book to know what happens.
So, as you can see, it’s not just a 1+1=2 thing that made this book from a not-so-well-known author become popular…
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It’s a sum of things, the right time, and good artistic choices that made Divine Rivals become a bestseller and the winner of a Goodreads Choice Award.
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Read it. You won’t regret it.
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Final Thoughts: Best Fantasy Books I've read in 2023
I hope you enjoyed My List of the Best Fantasy Romance Books I’ve read in 2023.
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2023 was, for me, a spectacular reading year. I feel there are tons of options nowadays for everyone in the fantasy romance department.
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I sense that authors are truly experimenting with more tropes and original world-building, mixing a lot of elements, not only Fae like in previous years.
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This year, we got vampires, Fates, lots of princes and princesses, and fantasy romances Ć la Mistborn.
I can’t wait to discover more enthralling titles in this new year and share my thoughts with you all!
