2025 Fantasy Romance Book Releases: Top Romantasy Picks
Upcoming Romantasy Novels in 2025: Must-Read Fantasy Romance Releases
If your idea of a perfect escape includes magic, court intrigue, slow-burn romance, and brooding heroes with swords (or wings), you’re in the right place.
Fantasy romance—aka romantasy—is taking over bookshelves and BookTok feeds everywhere, and 2025 is already shaping up to be a year full of can't-miss releases.
Whether you’re into star-crossed lovers tangled in political rebellion, enemies-to-lovers dynamics with magical stakes, or fae princes who probably shouldn’t be trusted but we love them anyway…this list is for you.
I’ve rounded up the most anticipated fantasy romance books coming in 2025, from swoony debuts to the next installments of beloved series. If it has magic, romance, danger, or morally gray characters, it’s on my radar—and probably about to end up on your TBR.
What to Expect:
Court politics, magical intrigue, and forbidden love
Spicy slow burns and high fantasy world-building
Dark romance vibes with powerful heroines and seductive villains
Dragons, fae, witches, monsters—you name it
These books will make you want to cancel plans, ignore chores, and live in their worlds just a little longer.
Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work.
Need Help Choosing Your Next Read?
Try making TBR scratch-off cards! I included these in my last post, but I wanted to include them again because they’re so cute! Write down the titles you’re most excited for on index cards, cover them with scratch-off stickers, and randomly pick your next read when you’re feeling indecisive. It’s a fun way to keep your TBR exciting—and a great idea for book clubs too!
Best Upcoming Romance Novels of 2025
May 2025
Shield of Sparrows
Release Date: Already Available
Cursed Kingdoms / Monster Hunter Romance / Forgotten Princess Turned Warrior
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, forced proximity, reluctant alliance, ancient curse, secret identity, “I don’t want you—but I need you,” reclaiming power, warrior heroine
Summary: The gods sent monsters as punishment—and the five kingdoms learned to kneel. Especially her kingdom. Especially her. A forgotten princess raised to obey, to marry, and to bleed if asked. But when a legendary monster hunter lands on her kingdom’s blood-soaked shores and a prince ruins everything she thought she knew about duty, she finds herself on a perilous path she never chose.
Now she’s bound to a stranger she can’t trust, traveling through cursed lands crawling with monsters, prophecy, and betrayal. Her name may be written in blood on ancient treaties, but she’s done kneeling. Done obeying. And if the crown weighs too heavy, maybe it’s time to trade it for a sword.
Why You’ll Love It: Shield of Sparrows is a lush, slow-burn romantasy with serious bite. Devney Perry dives headfirst into high-stakes magic and emotional warfare, giving us a heroine who sheds the title of princess to become her kingdom’s most unexpected weapon. The enemies-to-lovers tension crackles between a cursed warrior with secrets and a royal who’s done being underestimated. Think ancient monsters, crumbling thrones, betrayal with heat, and a romance that builds with delicious tension until it finally breaks.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Slow-burn, emotionally rich, and rewardingly steamy. Expect intense stares, sharp-edged attraction, and the kind of forced proximity that forces confessions—on and off the battlefield.
Perfect for fans of:
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Battle-forged romance and knife-to-throat intimacy
Warrior heroines who rise from the ashes of expectation
Grumpy monster hunter x sharp-tongued royal dynamics
Big Themes: Defiance and destiny, the power in being underestimated, what it means to choose your own path, the danger of love in a cursed world
Filthy Rich Fae: Fallen Court (Filthy Rich Fae, 2)
Release Date: May 20, 2025 (This one is already released but felt it should be added to the list)
Fae Realms / Dark Magic / Mortal Heroine with a Hidden Past
Tropes: Mortal x fae prince, deadly bargain, forbidden love, forced proximity, reluctant alliance, “I’d burn the world for you,” ancient prophecy, war between courts
Summary: Cate’s world flipped when a deadly bargain tethered her to Lachlan Gage—the shadowed, ruthless fae prince ruling the Nether Court. What began as a twisted deal for survival has turned into something far more dangerous… and intimate.
As Cate tries to navigate the deadly beauty of the fae underworld, she learns that being Lachlan’s bonded mortal makes her a prize—and a target. With the Wild Hunt stalking her and the power struggle between fae courts intensifying, it becomes clear: Cate is at the center of something ancient, something powerful, and something the fae will kill for.
And while Lachlan is her fiercest protector, he’s also the one most likely to shatter her heart.
Why You’ll Love It: The second installment in the Filthy Rich Fae series is darker, sexier, and even more emotionally charged. It perfectly blends high-stakes court politics with irresistible slow-burn chemistry. Cate is a resilient mortal heroine you’ll root for, and Lachlan is the morally gray fae prince of your dreams (and nightmares).
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Seductive and emotionally intense. Expect possessive fae dynamics, forbidden heat, and tension-filled, steamy scenes that toe the line between devotion and obsession.
Perfect for fans of:
Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas
King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair
Ruthless fae royalty with secrets and claws
Mortal women who upend entire magical courts
Forbidden bonds + slow-burning desire with sharp edges
Big Themes: Power and vulnerability, the corruption of beauty, forbidden desire and political intrigue, freedom through fire
The Knight and the Moth
Release Date: May 20th, 2025 (This new release is also available)
Gothic Mist Fantasy / Reluctant Allies / Divine Prophecies
Tropes: Enemies to reluctant allies, gothic atmosphere, forbidden magic, one bed (maybe), slow-burn romance, reluctant protectors, gods vs. mortals
Summary: Sybil is a Diviner—one of the prophetic girls pledged to serve a decade in a haunted cathedral, offering visions of the future from six eerie entities known as Omens. She’s longed for the day her service ends... until her fellow Diviners begin disappearing under mysterious, magical circumstances.
The last person she wants help from is Rodrick, a brooding, skeptical knight who seems immune to her visions—and disturbingly immune to her charms. But he may be the only one with the strength (and heretical mindset) to stand against the divine forces behind the disappearances.
As they journey together through the mist-choked kingdom of Traum, Sybil must rely on the one man who throws her entire world into question. And as the gods grow more dangerous, so does the pull between her and the knight whose future remains hidden—even from her own eyes.
Why You’ll Love It: If you adore slow-building tension, brooding knights with secrets, and divinely cursed quests in gothic fantasy landscapes, The Knight and the Moth is your next obsession. Rachel Gillig blends lyrical prose, dark lore, and aching romance into a tale that feels like Gideon the Ninth meets A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ – Slow burn with increasing emotional intensity; romance laced with danger and divine mystery.
Perfect for fans of:
Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Flesh and Fire series
Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House vibes
Dark fairytale quests, reluctant guardians, prophecy tropes
Big Themes: Faith vs. doubt, light and shadow in devotion, truth as a weapon, duty vs. desire
The Wishing Game
Release Date: May 25, 2024
Deadly Trials / Divine Politics / Enemies-to-Lovers with a God
Tropes: Competence kink, trials and tests, enemies-to-lovers, forbidden romance, gods among mortals, found family
Summary: Every century, the gods host the Wishing Game—a brutal contest with one rule: win and get your heart’s desire… or die and lose your soul forever. Lucero Archibald is out of options, broken by grief, and desperate to bring back the love she lost. Her invitation to the game is a chance at redemption—or complete annihilation.
Luce quickly discovers the gods are cruel, the competitors are cutthroat, and one particular ancient, enigmatic god seems disturbingly invested in her failure. She teams up with a trio of unpredictable allies, but trust is hard to earn in a game built on sacrifice. As she fights for her wish, the line between victory and damnation blurs—and so does her resistance to the dark god determined to stop her.
Why You’ll Love It: Imagine The Hunger Games meets Lore Olympus with high-stakes divine manipulation, morally gray characters, and a dangerously magnetic god who just might lose his cold immortal heart. This one crackles with intensity, banter, and soul-shaking tension.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Tension-filled enemies-to-lovers with godlike heat and celestial stakes
Perfect for fans of:
Squid Game with a mythological twist
Divine Rivals meets Lore
Romantic tension with deadly consequences
Big Themes: Sacrifice, fate, grief, rebirth, and the cost of impossible choices
Beneath the Burning Sea
Release Date: May 27, 2025
Greek Mythology / Reluctant Allies-to-Lovers / Quest-Based Romantasy
Tropes: Reluctant allies, slow-burn romance, only one bed (probably under a volcano), powerful female lead, forced proximity, epic quest, divine politics
Summary: Bellanca is a fire-wielding warrior on a mission from Zeus himself: travel to the legendary realm of Atlantis, survive its deadly traps, and retrieve the Shard of Olympus to break a centuries-old curse. At her side—whether she likes it or not—is Carver, her brooding, loyal companion who's left everything behind to protect her.
As they navigate a labyrinth of divine politics, ancient magic, and lethal obstacles, the heat between them rivals the flames of Bellanca’s magic. But gods don't play fair—and the deeper they go, the more the lines blur between duty and desire, trust and betrayal, survival and sacrifice.
Why You’ll Love It: This is classic Amanda Bouchet—myth-inspired worldbuilding, fierce heroines, emotionally charged banter, and a love story forged in fire. If you like your romantasy with divine stakes and a couple that goes from sparring to soul-deep devotion, this one’s for you.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Passion that simmers under the surface until it explodes (emotionally and magically)
Perfect for fans of:
The Song of Achilles meets The Witcher
Greek gods, but make it deadly and swoony
Slow-burns that end in fire
Big Themes: Destiny vs. desire, sacrifice, loyalty, power, and the spark of love in a war of gods
June 2025
Can You Take It
Release Date: June 10, 2025
Fae Realms / Forbidden Romance / Final Battle Between Love & Destiny
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, journey through the underworld, forbidden attraction, sibling legacy, morally gray heroine, redemption arc, reluctant hero
Summary: The grand finale of the Infatuated Fae series is here—and it’s a descent into Tartarus, a race against fate, and a romance so forbidden it threatens the realms.
Prince Aurelius—Eli to his friends—has always been the savior. But his final mission might be the one that destroys him. He's tasked with guiding Ana, the long-lost sister of Queen Caly, to the Fates in Moirai… but Ana is no innocent soul. She's powerful, cunning, and bent on claiming the Underworld as her own.
Caught between desire and duty, Eli must navigate the ten terrifying tiers of Tartarus—all while resisting the pull toward a woman destined for ruin. Ana is everything he shouldn't want. Which makes her impossible to resist.
Why You’ll Love It: Jeneane O’Riley wraps her romantasy saga with gods, monsters, realms at war, and a love story that’s equal parts destructive and redemptive. Can You Take It is a thrilling blend of mythology-inspired peril, enemies-to-lovers heat, and fae politics at their most dangerous.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Expect a slow-burn tension that finally combusts in the depths of the underworld.
Perfect for fans of:
The Hades Saga by Scarlett St. Clair
A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova
Dark fae magic, epic romantic stakes, and mythic realms
Big Themes: Redemption through love, duality of heroism and desire, fate vs. autonomy, resurrection and reckoning
The Robin on the Oak Throne
Release Date: June 17, 2025
The Oak & Holly Cycle, Book #2
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, second chance romance, he falls first (again), forced proximity, morally gray love interest, fantasy heist, fae/magic world
Summary: Kierse McKenna has done it again—broken the Monster Treaty and landed herself in the middle of another magical mess. What was meant to be a clean steal—a goblin-crafted bracelet from the Queen of the Nymphs—goes disastrously wrong. Enter Graves: the brooding, charming warlock who once betrayed her…and is now the only one who can save her.
Graves is a monster cloaked in allure and secrets. He’s also her best shot at uncovering the truth of her past—if she can survive one more job with him. The target? An ancient artifact guarded by monsters and the infamous Oak King himself.
Now they must work together—thief and villain, ex-lovers and enemies—to pull off the impossible. But letting Graves close again is dangerous…because once you let a monster in, there’s no walking away unscathed.
Why You’ll Love It: Tension crackles on every page in this fantasy full of magical intrigue, banter, betrayal, and undeniable chemistry. Graves is the ultimate dark, dangerous love interest who falls hard—and Kierse might not be able to resist falling right back.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ — Steamy and intense, with plenty of slow-burn tension and irresistible push-pull dynamics.
Perfect for fans of: The Serpent & the Wings of Night, A Deal with the Elf King, and The Cruel Prince
Big Themes: Rising from ruin, love as resistance, legacy and leadership, truth beneath tradition
July 2025
A Forbidden Alchemy
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Magical Class Wars / Childhood Friends to Enemies to Lovers
Tropes: Fated connection, star-crossed lovers, childhood friends turned enemies, rebellion vs. privilege, love triangle, slow-burn romance, morally grey decisions
Summary: Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson were just twelve when they were plucked from their bleak mining towns and taken to Belavere City to train in elemental magic. For Nina, becoming an Artisan meant escaping her past. For Patrick, it was a betrayal of everything his Craftsman family stood for.
Years later, they’re on opposite sides of a rising civil war. Nina has become a powerful earth-charmer, while Patrick is part of the rebel force seeking to take down the ruling elite. When Nina is captured by Patrick’s group, the reunion reignites unresolved tension, heartbreak—and a mission that could change everything.
Torn between loyalty to her people and the boy who once held her heart, Nina is faced with an impossible choice. Especially when her first love reenters the picture, tempting her to betray everything for the cause.
Why You’ll Love It: This romantasy delivers the emotional gut-punch of a love caught between revolution and duty. With layered world-building, high-stakes betrayal, and a fierce but vulnerable heroine, it’s perfect for fans of stories where love blooms in the ashes of rebellion.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ – Emotional, slow-burn intensity with romantic tension, longing, and high emotional stakes (steam levels to build across the series).
Perfect for fans of:
An Ember in the Ashes
The Poppy War
The Atlas Six
Star-crossed lovers, elemental magic, and ethically complex choices
Big Themes: Forbidden knowledge, forbidden love, moral ambiguity in magic, trust forged in fire, the line between savior and destroyer
The Curse That Binds
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Ancient Soulmates / Magic Awakening / Tragic Power Romance
Tropes: Fated mates, soul bond, reluctant queen, enemies of empire, power couple with secrets
Summary: Before Bewitched, before Selene, there was Roxilana—just a Roman girl hearing voices… until one of them turned out to be her fated soulmate: Memnon, a powerful Sarmatian king with magic in his blood. Swept away to his kingdom, Roxilana finds herself awakening to a magic she never knew she possessed—and to a life she never chose.
But fate has claws. With kingdoms at stake, secrets unraveling, and a love as deadly as it is destined, Roxilana must decide if she’ll let herself be bound by the curse that claims her, or if she’ll rewrite a fate written in fire and blood.
Why You’ll Love It: This is a gorgeously haunting prequel set in the world of Bewitched, blending ancient magic, fierce romance, and dark destiny. Laura Thalassa brings her signature mix of angst, passion, and power games to a love story born in battle and shaped by sacrifice.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ – Slow-burn steam with a tragic, mythic undercurrent (think fated mates meets empire-building tension)
Perfect for fans of:
The Bargainer series
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair
Epic lovers with even bigger stakes
Big Themes: Fated love vs. free will, the seduction and danger of power, sacrifice for legacy, love across empires
Rose in Chains
Release Date: July 8, 2025
Dark Romantic Fantasy / Fallen Princess / Enemies to Lovers
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, dark ruling class, forbidden magic, fallen royalty, survival and seduction, morally gray love interest
Summary: The hero is dead. The kingdom has fallen. Evil reigns.
Princess Briony Rosewood once had magic, a throne, and a future as the savior of her people. Now? She's a prisoner of war, stripped of power and dignity, auctioned off to the highest bidder. That bidder turns out to be Toven Hearst, heir to a family known for cruelty, dominance, and secrets buried deeper than any dungeon.
As Briony is forced into a gilded cage of servitude, she must navigate a treacherous court full of enemies while untangling the truth behind Toven’s enigmatic cruelty. But her flame of resistance refuses to be extinguished.
Even as darkness surrounds her, hope lingers—and it just might come from the man she’s supposed to hate most.
Why You’ll Love It: Rose in Chains promises all the high-stakes emotion of From Blood and Ash with the court intrigue of The Shadows Between Us. It’s a lush, seductive romantasy where every chapter pulses with tension—romantic, magical, and political. Julie Soto delivers dark glamour, rich worldbuilding, and a heroine who refuses to bow.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Intense enemies-to-lovers with high romantic tension and darker emotional beats.
Perfect for fans of:
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
Court politics, captive princess tropes, and smoldering slow-burn
Big Themes: Love in captivity, resilience after ruin, power dynamics and intimacy, hope as rebellion
Never the Roses
Release Date: July 8, 2025
Retired Sorceress / Rivals-to-Lovers / Epistolary ( (through letters/writing) Romance
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, powerful sorcerers, forbidden correspondence, slow-burn romance, morally gray characters, magical creatures
Summary: Retired and resigned to her final days, Oneira—the infamous Dread Sorceress—is ready to fade into legend… until fate (and boredom) lead her into a reckless game of magical theft. When she steals a book from her longtime nemesis, Stearanos, it sparks a forbidden and electric exchange of magical messages that stirs something long-dead inside her: desire, humor, hope.
But Stearanos serves a wicked king, and his next battle will be against the queen Oneira once protected. Their bond is as dangerous as it is undeniable. With a mythical wolf at her side and magic breathing through every whispered note, Oneira must choose: a spark of life rekindled… or the death of everything she once fought for.
Why You’ll Love It: Lambert’s debut blends poetic prose with mythic depth and tender, high-stakes romance. Think The Witch’s Heart meets a darker, war-torn You've Got Mail with ancient beasts and sorcery. Emotional, enchanting, and utterly unique.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ – Slow-burn tension, laced with longing and emotional intimacy
Perfect for fans of:
Circe by Madeline Miller
The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
Romantic tension driven by letters, legend, and morally gray magic
Big Themes: Monsters who crave love, enemies on opposite sides of fate, the morality of power, loneliness and legacy
Soul of Shadows
Release Date: July 29, 2025
Hidden Worlds / Mythic Powers / Fated Romance
Tropes: New girl meets mysterious boy, hidden identity, supernatural secrets, fated love, gods and monsters, coming-of-age romantasy
Summary: Charlie Hudson is just trying to survive high school—until a classmate vanishes in the woods, leaving behind only shoes and cryptic carvings. Her search for answers leads her straight to Elias Everhart, the enigmatic new guy in town with secrets as dark and dangerous as the shadows that follow him.
As Charlie begins to uncover truths hidden just beyond the veil of the everyday world, she’s pulled into a realm of gods, monsters, and ancient enchantments. But nothing is more captivating—or more dangerous—than Elias himself. As their connection deepens, so does the mystery surrounding him… and the fate Charlie never saw coming.
Why You’ll Love It: Soul of Shadows blends moody atmosphere, intense romantic tension, and a world of mythic wonder. If you love your fantasy with an edge of gothic mystery, slow-burn romance, and a boy who might literally be made of shadows—this is your next obsession.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ – Emotional intensity and swoon-worthy slow-burn; more yearning than steam (perfect for fans of romantic tension with supernatural stakes).
Perfect for fans of:
The Vampire Diaries
Heartless Hunter
The Raven Boys
Star-crossed lovers, shadow magic, and uncovering ancient secrets in modern-day settings
Big Themes: Sacrifice vs. self-preservation, the mask of the monster, love as a weapon—and a salvation, the burden of destiny
Demon with Benefits
Release Date: July 29, 2025
Demon Brother / Grumpy x Grumpier / Spicy Paranormal Romance
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, found family, grumpy x grumpy, emotional healing, witty banter, damaged heroes
Summary: Mephistopheles, the joker of the Hell Bent demon brothers, hides deep pain beneath his devilish grin. Iris, a fierce blue-haired witch with no tolerance for BS, has no time for flirtatious demons—especially not one who sees through her every shield. But when a deadly threat reemerges and the pair are forced together, sarcasm and side-eyes give way to sizzling chemistry.
Haunted by trauma and guarded hearts, Iris and Meph must face their pasts and each other. Can love survive the fire of their darkest selves—or will it burn them both down?
Why You’ll Love It: Ascher blends scorching spice with snappy dialogue and heartfelt emotion. This is for readers who want their romance laugh-out-loud hilarious, heartbreakingly raw, and demonically hot. Think: therapy but make it supernatural, sultry, and chaotic.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Full on steam, with emotionally charged intimacy and lots of tension-filled banter
Perfect for fans of:
My Funny Demon Valentine by Aurora Ascher
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming
Sexy, snarky paranormal pairings with deep emotional payoff
Big Themes: Healing through humor and heat, found family through fiery chemistry, taming inner demons—literally, enemies-to-lovers with heart
August 2025
Warrior Princess Assassin
Release Date: August 12, 2025
Royal Alliances / Deadly Secrets / Magic & Betrayal
Tropes: Political marriage, love triangle, morally gray assassin, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, forbidden love, magic-fueled kingdoms
Summary: Princess Jory of Astranza has one mission: marry King Maddox “Ky” Kyronan and save her fading kingdom through an alliance of elemental magic. But Jory’s family is hiding the truth—their magic is nearly gone. King Ky, equally desperate, needs her magic to quell his burning lands… while concealing a dangerous secret of his own. Their fragile trust begins to spark into something deeper—just as the assassin sent to kill them enters the picture.
Asher, once Jory’s childhood friend and now a lethal Hunter’s Guild assassin, is tasked with killing both Ky and Jory. But the job turns personal. Torn between past loyalties and his growing feelings, Asher must choose: complete the mission or protect the people he once loved—maybe still loves.
Why You’ll Love It: This high-stakes love triangle is the perfect mix of heat, heartache, and magic. With lush world-building, explosive chemistry, and the razor-sharp tension of three interconnected POVs, Warrior Princess Assassin launches a fantasy trilogy with unforgettable characters and slow-burning romantic chaos.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Sizzling attraction, emotionally fraught moments, and tension-soaked scenes that promise steam and heartbreak in equal measure.
Perfect for fans of:
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J. Tuli
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni
Elemental magic meets political intrigue
Lovers who might also be enemies—or executioners
Big Themes: Duty vs. desire, revenge and redemption, survival in a world of betrayal, becoming your own weapon
September 2025
Wicked Beasts
Release Date: September 18, 2024
Gothic Romance / Paranormal Mystery / Beauty & the Beast x Jekyll & Hyde Vibes
Tropes: Isolated manor, brooding love interests, dual love interests, gothic suspense, unraveling sanity, forbidden desire, hidden monster(s)
Summary: Amara Rose takes a job as a personal assistant at the eerie, remote Black Manor on the northern edge of O’ahu—an escape that quickly turns into a descent into mystery. The manor’s strange beauty is matched only by the two men who inhabit it: the intelligent and enigmatic Mr. Black, and his dangerously alluring older brother, Dr. Shadow.
But the deeper Amara falls into the web of the brothers’ secrets, the more the manor—and the skeletal woods that surround it—begin to warp her sense of reality. As whispers echo in the trees and shadows stretch too long, Amara must confront a chilling truth: there may be a beast within the manor's walls… and it might not be just one.
Why You’ll Love It: Dark, seductive, and dripping in gothic atmosphere, this is Beauty and the Beast with sharp teeth, moonlit madness, and two potential monsters to love or fear. If you crave suspense with your swoon, and a little horror in your heartbreak, Wicked Beasts delivers.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ – Steamy tension with a touch of danger and dark yearning
Perfect for fans of:
Belladonna meets Crimson Peak
Moody mansions, romantic dread, and morally gray love interests
Paranormal tales with dual-identity twists and mind games
Big Themes: Identity, perception vs. reality, desire vs. danger, the duality of human nature
The Primal of Blood and Bone
Release Date: September 23, 2025 (tentative)
Epic Fantasy / Slow-Burn Romance / Mythical War of Gods
Tropes: Fated mates, gods and mortals, chosen one, ancient prophecies, found family, political intrigue, rebirth and transformation, enemies-to-allies
Summary: In the wake of unimaginable sacrifice, Poppy has awakened… and nothing will ever be the same.
With the Blood Crown fallen and ancient forces stirring, a devastating prophecy begins to unfold. The true Primal of Death has returned, more powerful and dangerous than any foe before him. Weakened but cunning, his reach extends like shadow over the realms, threatening not just kingdoms—but fate itself.
As Poppy, Casteel, and Kieran reckon with transformations none of them expected, the gods themselves awaken with cryptic agendas and buried secrets. Together, they must navigate alliances both fragile and uneasy, battle rising enemies born of fire and flesh, and confront the terrifying truth behind destiny, power, and love.
The stakes are higher than ever, and the bonds that have held them together may be tested beyond breaking. In a realm where every choice carries weight—and consequences—can love survive the end of gods?
Why You’ll Love It: Primal of Blood and Bone plunges you into a world of divine power, aching intimacy, and mind-blowing twists. Jennifer L. Armentrout raises the bar once again with gut-wrenching stakes, passionate reunions, and a slow-burn, high-fantasy romance that sears and soars. Expect heavy lore, high emotion, and the kind of epic battles that make your pulse race and your heart ache.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ – High spice. Intense chemistry, sensual scenes with emotional depth, and plenty of heat balanced by raw vulnerability and connection.
Perfect for fans of:
Forbidden romance between god-like beings
Political and divine intrigue
Epic fantasy with sweeping romance
Battle scenes and emotional reunions
From Blood and Ash series, ACOTAR, Furyborn
Big Themes: Gods, monsters, and the thin line between them, immortality and intimacy, sacrifices written in blood, epic love as cosmic battle
Never Ever After
Release Date: September 23, 2025
Fairytale Retelling / Chinese Myth-Inspired / Court Intrigue
Tropes: Cinderella retelling, thief heroine, palace politics, love triangle (?), rivals-to-lovers, hidden identity, morally gray love interest
Summary: In the unforgiving Iron Mountains, Yining survives as a clever thief and liar, her heart hardened by loss—until a magical ring with the promise of freedom is stolen from her by a vengeful step-aunt. Her pursuit of it leads her deep into the imperial palace, where gold glitters and secrets rot.
There, Yining catches the attention of a ruthless prince who offers her everything she’s never dared want—power, security, a dazzling future. But she finds herself drawn instead to his rival’s cunning advisor, whose secrets may be just as dangerous as his charm. In a kingdom built on masks and manipulation, Yining must unravel her past and choose between temptation and truth, survival and sacrifice.
Why You’ll Love It: Sue Lynn Tan brings her signature lush prose and mythic depth to this Cinderella-inspired tale, reimagined with courtly danger, cunning heroines, and a romance pulsing beneath layers of betrayal. If you love palace intrigue, powerful heroines, and slow-burn tension with high stakes, this one will sweep you off your feet.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ – Romantic tension with an edge of danger, sensuality, and possibly a slow-burn triangle
Perfect for fans of:
The Wrath and the Dawn meets The Shadows Between Us
Intrigue-laced fantasy like The Red Queen or These Hollow Vows
Stealing hearts (literally and metaphorically)
Big Themes: Power, agency, fate vs. freedom, who we are vs. who we pretend to be
October 2025
Bonds of Hercules
Release Date: October 28, 2025
Greek Mythology / Dark Romantasy / Gladiator Competition Chaos
Tropes: Extreme enemies-to-lovers, forced marriage, morally gray alpha males, found family, "who did this to you?", chosen one, slow-burn seduction, gods vs titans, secrets and betrayal
Summary: After awakening deadly powers on her twentieth birthday, Alexis thought things couldn’t get worse—until they did. Now married to her sworn enemies, entangled in divine politics, and stalked by a killer with a vendetta against the gods, she’s caught between survival and surrender.
Olympians are being slaughtered. Titans are mutating. The chthonic gods are rising. And amidst all of this chaos, her dangerously seductive husbands want more than just a truce.
With ghostly secrets clawing their way into the present and the lines between love and manipulation blurring, the real fight might not be in the arena—but in her own fractured heart.
Why You’ll Love It: Bonds of Hercules amps up the chaos, betrayal, and romantic tension in this high-octane sequel to Blood of Hercules. Think gladiators, gods, and jaw-dropping plot twists with some of the steamiest morally gray love interests in romantasy right now. Jasmine Mas doesn’t hold back—expect blood, betrayal, and irresistible heat.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Very high spice. This one is intense, filled with sizzling slow-burns, steamy tension, and dangerous, possessive love interests. Consent is clear, but the vibes are very "I hate how much I want you."
Perfect for fans of:
Zodiac Academy
Quicksilver by Rina Kent
When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker
Greek gods in morally gray situations
Gladiator-style trials + violent fantasy court intrigue
High angst, high spice romantasy
Big Themes: Myth reborn in romance, fated mates and fatal flaws, strength in vulnerability, reclaiming identity
December 2025
The Dark is Descending
Release Date: December 2, 2025
Star-Crossed Lovers / Wrathful Gods / Curse-Breaking Quests
Tropes: Fated mates, enemies-to-allies, lovers on opposite sides, quest fantasy, god vs mortal, betrayal and redemption, dragons and destiny
Summary: In the electrifying finale of the Nytefall trilogy, Astraea—the last Star Maiden—faces her most harrowing test yet. After a soul-crushing betrayal, her world teeters on the edge of collapse and her love, the cursed immortal Nyte, slips further from her grasp. To save him, Astraea must ally with the unthinkable: darkness itself—or the enemy she once swore to destroy.
As celestial power wanes and ancient gods awaken with vengeance in their veins, Astraea and her fractured allies embark on perilous quests to retrieve the shattered key that alone can kill a god. But as dragons take flight, old loyalties fracture, and divine bloodlines threaten to burn the world to ash, the choice between duty and love becomes a weapon deadlier than any blade.
Why You’ll Love It: Think Throne of Glass meets Furyborn in a mythic, emotionally charged finale that blends cosmic romance, dragon-fueled warfare, and gods at war. The tension is breathtaking, the betrayals hit hard, and the love story? It's the kind that burns stars into oblivion.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Passionate, high-stakes intimacy between two doomed souls fighting fate
Perfect for fans of:
Slow-burn fated mates in a world on fire
Serpent & Dove meets The Witcher energy
Romance entwined with end-of-the-world consequences
Big Themes: Love vs destiny, trust after betrayal, the cost of power, sacrifice, and the reckoning of gods and mortals alike
Sneak Peak at 2026 releases…
The Ballad of Falling Dragons
Release Date: February 24, 2026 (Deluxe Limited Edition Available for Preorder Now)
Dragons / Epic Fantasy / Star-Crossed Romance
Tropes: Fated mates, found family, epic quest, enemies-to-lovers (continuing), dragon magic, slow-burn passion, high-stakes adventure
Summary: Raeve and Kaan return in the breathtaking sequel to When the Moon Hatched, the internationally bestselling romantasy that took the genre by storm. With the fragile thread between worlds unraveling and power gathering in dangerous hands, the stakes are higher than ever.
In this next installment, prepare for deeper magic, deadlier foes, and the evolution of a bond forged in fire. As ancient prophecies twist into new shapes and dragons stir in the dark, Raeve and Kaan must decide what they’re willing to sacrifice for each other—and for the fate of their realm.
Why You’ll Love It: If When the Moon Hatched consumed your soul with its intoxicating romance, fierce heroine, and jaw-dropping worldbuilding, The Ballad of Falling Dragons promises to plunge even deeper into heartache, heat, and high fantasy glory. Expect more dragons, more secrets, and a love story that may defy destiny itself.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Expect an intensification of the slow-burn spice and emotional intimacy from book one
Perfect for fans of:
Fourth Wing meets The Bridge Kingdom
Soulmates entangled in prophecy and peril
Intense chemistry, dragon lore, and emotionally charged fantasy
Big Themes: Destiny vs. choice, sacrifice for love, survival against fate, the power of belief
Preorder Alert: The Deluxe Limited Edition Hardcover is available now with stenciled edges, foil detailing, and exclusive bonus content—only while supplies last!
Burn of the Everflame (Cover yet to be revealed)
Kindred's Curse, Book 4
Expected: July 2026 (not yet available for pre-order)
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, Fated mates, Found family, Secret royalty, Prophecy, Slow burn, Rebellion & war, Morally gray love interest, Political marriage
Summary: The long-awaited finale of The Kindred’s Curse Saga is nearly upon us—and it promises to bring the heat (and the heartbreak). War is tearing Emarion apart from both the north and the south, and Diem Bellator must face her most impossible challenge yet: saving a divided realm when hope has all but vanished.
As secrets threaten to unravel the fragile alliances of Lumnos, one truth becomes terrifyingly clear: a heart without its mate will burn the world down to fulfill its fate.
Expect deadly political stakes, enemies-to-lovers angst, fiery banter, a powerful magic system, and the emotional payoff we’ve all been waiting for. With dragons, rebellion, and a heroine you’ll want to follow to the ends of the earth, this slow-burn epic is sure to land on every romantasy lover’s TBR.
Why You’ll Love It: If you’ve been craving a romantasy that blends fierce heroines, forbidden love, and pulse-pounding stakes, Burn of the Everflame delivers it all—and more. With rich world-building, a unique magic system, and a slow-burn romance packed with emotional tension, this finale will hit every note for fans of epic fantasy and character-driven drama. Diem’s journey from outcast to warrior is both empowering and heart-wrenching, and the high-stakes battle between love, destiny, and rebellion will keep you glued to the page. Plus, there are dragons—need we say more?
Perfect For Fans Of
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
Gild by Raven Kennedy
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Themes: Power and sacrifice, love as both weakness and strength, destiny vs. free will, trust, betrayal, and redemption, the cost of rebellion, light and shadow, both literal and emotional
Not yet available for pre-order, but it’s rumored to release in July 2026. Subscribe to the blog and I’ll let you know once it’s available!
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Final Thoughts
2025 is already proving to be a magical year for romantasy lovers, and these releases are just the beginning. Whether you're a die-hard fan of fantasy romance or dipping your toes into the genre, this list is the perfect place to start planning your reading year.
As always, I’ll keep updating with more releases as they’re announced—so be sure to bookmark this post and follow along on Instagram or TikTok for more recs, reviews, and bookish fun.
Now tell me: which fantasy romance release are you most excited about? Drop a comment, share the post, and let’s build our TBR mountains together.
Happy reading, romantasy lovers!
About the Author
I’m a mom of two spirited girls and one oversized Saint Bernard. I have a degree in English from the University of Wisconsin. By day, I work in health care as a Health Literacy expert; by night, I’m off wandering swoony fictional worlds, chasing plot twists and happily-ever-afters. I’ve been in love with the romance genre for as long as I can remember—I've read thousands of love stories and even had my own meet-cute with my library director husband… in a bookstore, of course.
-Frances
Mom Needs A Chapter