7 Romantic Fantasy Books I Have Preordered

📚 Book 2 in This Monster of Mine romantic fantasy duology
🗓️ Releases June 30, 2026

Plot: In book 1, our main girl was thrown off a building in an attempted murder. Years later, she returns to the scene of the crime, pretty sure she knows who’s at fault. But then she has to go work for him.

Why I’m Excited: I LOVED book 1, interesting politics, great FMC, unique story, slow burn tension, BIPOC author and characters

📚 Book 2 in Artisan romantic fantasy trilogy
🗓️ Releases July 21, 2026
🖊️ Same author as the Glacian trilogy

Plot: In book 1, our leads met as children in a ceremony to determine whether or not they had magic, and therefore the trajectory of their lives. What they found out instead is that it’s all a bit of a sham, accidentally starting a class war. Fast forward 10 years later and they meet again.

Why I’m Excited: I read this ARC and I fear it was another 5 star banger. I can tell you Patrick Colson remains the swooniest of swoon monsters, the world expands so deliciously, and I just loved everything.

📚 Book 1 in a new romantasy duology
🗓️ Releases August 25, 2026
🖊️ Same author as Lore of the Wilds

Plot: Magic returns one day, upending Audra’s life and getting her conscripted into a magical war academy. There, the leaders are trying to figure out who the heir to the prophecy is, while the students/prisoners are trying to keep it hidden. Oh and then there’s a hottie who wants to burn it all down.

Why I’m Excited: unique setting, BIPOC author and characters, found family, dark academia, demons, and fae

📚 Book 2 in the Stonewater Kingdom romantic fantasy duology
🗓️ Releases September 1, 2026
🖊️ Same author as the Shepherd King duology

Plot: In book 1, she is used as a vessel for omens from the gods; for each omen she must drown. He is a knight that appears and doesn’t much like this whole religious practice, and her by proxy. But they must go on an adventure/quest together, and they begin to see one another differently.

Why I’m Excited: I ADORED book 1. It had my favorite side character ever, the beautiful writing Rachel Gillig is known for, and an exciting setup for book 2.

📚 Book 1 in The Lyrian Sea romantic fantasy duology
🗓️ Releases September 8, 2026
🖊️ Same author as Red Queen series

Plot: She has lived both as a lady of the empire engaged to a dud and as a queen of a pirate tavern, in charge of her own fate. The empire has decided it’s time to take down the pirates, which includes the life she loves as well as the pirate lord she used to love.

Why I’m Excited: The Red Queen series got me back into reading fantasy as an adult and I just adore Victoria Aveyard. I have an ARC of this in my Kindle right now and I CANNOT WAIT to dig in!

📖 Book 1 in Played by the Piper dark romantasy duology
🗓️ Releases Sep 22, 2026
🖊️ Same author as Plated Prisoner series

Plot: Pied Piper retelling, where in order to banish her town of the Plague, he takes 130 people as captive; including her.

Why I’m Excited: forced proximity, captor/captive, “who hurt you”, only one bed and horse and tent, banter, Plated Prisoner is one of my favorite romantasy series and I just know this will also rule

📘 YA romantic queer horror/fantasy standalone
🗓️ Releases October 27, 2026
🖊️ Same author as Don’t Let the Forest In and Hazelthorn

Plot: Johnathon makes a tithe to an eldritch sea god for a future he deems worth living, and turns out this sea god is real and ready. But as they become more entangled in each other’s world, the dangers of their relationship come forward and it must end one way or another.

Why I’m Excited: Both of the YA romantic queer/horror books I’ve read by CG Drews were absolute 5 star winners for me and I just LOVE their writing style. I’m so ready for another gothic, creepy, beautifully written but messy story.