While the idea of romance in fantasy has been around forever (9 out of 10 Disney princesses agree), the concept of “romantasy” as a spin-off genre of its own is a relatively new concept for readers and publishers (and spellcheckers, as the red squiggles all over this post would attest to as well). However new, like a Fae prince with a brand-new set of fighting leathers and a well-rested dragon, this subgenre mixing fantasy and romance books has really taken off over the last few years!

Trying to define exactly what romantasy is has proven to be difficult, as it’s close cousins to paranormal romance, magical realism, and, of course, general fantasy, but you tend to know it when you see it. Romantasy tends to have a strong protagonist, usually female, who is navigating a fantastical setting in which they live, and their quests along the way are aided by their love interest. Add in a rich cast of background characters, magic, friendships, magical creatures, a little bit of sugar, and (often, but not always) a whole lot of spice, and you've cast yourself a spell for an amazing escape.

“The love’s the thing,” Hamlet would say if he were discussing the central point of a book, and maybe a few of these romantasy book recommendations would've really helped even him out a bit. So whether you’ve devoured all of Sarah J. Maas’s books multiple times (guilty!) or you’re new to the genre, check out this list of some of the best romantasy books from the last decade to see if something calls to you! You’ll love escaping with Jennifer L. Armentrout, Rebecca Yarros, Tracy Deonn, and more of the most popular romantasy authors writing right now. And if you're new to romantasy and curious about the genre, this is a great place to start.

Thanks to your library and free books on the Libby app, you’ll be in another world before you know it.

💖 Explore romantasy book recommendations:

*Title availability may vary.