The Best New Romantasy Books of July 2026
As many of you probably remember, I used to be the Books Editor at Paste Magazine. But, the realities of online publishing in the 2020s being what they are, the vertical was ultimately shuttered like so many before it — and since! (The steadily shrinking volume of Books coverage in general on Ye Olde Internet these days is disheartening on many levels, but that's probably a rant for another day. Just know that it sucks.)
I've been doing some book coverage at Den of Geek and Jezebel recently, but not nearly as much as I once was. And, quite frankly, I miss it. So welcome to the return of my monthly rec lists, which may be a bit more limited in scope than they once were — don't worry, I won't be doing a half dozen every month — but hopefully will help shine some light on some of the exciting new titles hitting shelves in the world of romance and romantasy. (And even some straight fantasy, if I get excited enough about it.)
Romantasy is a genre that gets a bad rap. How that's possible given both its widespread popularity and the fact that it's one of the major pillars holding up the publishing industry as a whole right now, I'll never know. But far too many people hear the word "romantasy" and immediately discard it, mocking its readers as shallow lovers of faerie smut who prioritise slop over storytelling. This, as I suspect all of you already know, is garbage.
This genre isn't popular because of its hunky, morally gray heroes or spicy sex scenes. Romantasy rules because it recognizes that emotional storytelling is just as important as narrative storytelling, and readers have responded accordingly. These kinds of stories are so popular because they unabashedly lean into the best aspects of both fantasy and romance, with deeply compelling results.
July's romantasy releases include everything from bantery enemies-to-lovers adventures to deadly competitions with impossibly high stakes. High-octane sequels and continuations abound, alongside a buzzy debut or two. And, yes, there's plenty of spice. In short, summer is hot in more ways than one.
Here are the best romantasy titles hitting shelves this July.
The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley
Release Date: July 7 from Ace
Why You Should Read It: The sequel to last year’s hit The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy, the concluding half of Brigitte Knightley's Dearly Beloathed duology is delightfully fun and entertaining — and occasionally unhinged in the best way possible.
Full of the same delicious banter, dark whimsy, and occasionally awkward yearning that made the first book so delightful, The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy turns everything up to eleven as gleeful assassin Osric and determined healer Aurienne dig into the identity of those behind the deadly plague that's been affecting local children. Equal parts medical mystery, dark fantasy, and fully satisfying enemies-to-lovers romance (with a deeply earned pay-off), this is a series conclusion that will leave you giggling and kicking your feet with glee
Publisher’s Description: Osric is a member of the Fyren Order, a guild of assassins who gleefully murder for money. Aurienne is a Haelan, a scholar-healer whose Order’s motto is Harm to none. Clear-cut absolutes separate them: good and bad, right and wrong, light and dark . . .
Until they don’t.
When Osric first bribed Aurienne to heal him, he never imagined those lines would begin to blur. But every healing session draws them closer together. He finds himself developing unwanted feelings for Aurienne as her capable hands heal his body—and his heart.
Aurienne’s perfect life has been flung into chaos in the form of a devastatingly handsome assassin. She should be in her research lab, not illicitly healing a Fyren every full moon—nor wrestling an attraction to him that threatens to slip into something else.
Things go superbly sideways when Osric and Aurienne discover more about the deadly Pox deliberately unleashed through the Tīendoms. The plague may be the work of another Order—an Order far nastier than either of them can handle.
As the lines between Osric and Aurienne continue to blur, the balance between peace and war, and love and hate, trembles, shifts, and hinges on a heartbeat.
The Lure of Wolves and Whispers by Amanda Connolly
Release Date: July 7 from Sarah Barley Books / Simon & Schuster Books
Why You Should Read It: Look, I'm going to read any book whose comps involve The Bachelor and Throne of Glass, but Amanda Connolly's Irish mythology-tinged YA romantasy ticks many of the boxes that fans of this genre tend to love. (Though I might say the more accurate comp here is Lauren Roberts's Powerless.)
Set on an island where magic is forbidden but can be accessed for the right price, Maeve must trade her own life to a secretive rebel group known as the Whisperers for access to the power that can save her gravely injured sister. Forced by the group's (charismatic, attractive) leader into a deadly competition where young women compete to become Eireanne's next queen, she must stay alive long enough to unravel the many secrets of her own past she discovers along the way. First installment in a trilogy.
Publisher's Description: On the mist-shrouded Isle of Eireann, buying magic comes with a price.
But when her beloved older sister is gravely injured, Maeve risks everything to buy the forbidden magic that might save her. In exchange, Maeve trades her life to a ruthless and dangerously alluring rebel leader. Bound to do his bidding, Maeve finds herself thrown into a deadly competition to become the next queen and stand beside a prince rumored to be more brutal than his tyrannical father.
With the isle on the brink of war, trust and survival come at a terrible cost—one that will tear Maeve’s world, and her heart, in two.
What would you sacrifice to survive?
To Drown a Witch by Lindsey Olsson
Release Date: July 14 from G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Why You Should Read It: A debut that's perfect for fans of Kristen Ciccarelli's Heartless Hunter, To Drown a Witch follows the story of Nes, a woman who can smell magic — forbidden in her kingdom — who joins forces with the Prince's Crown (a sort of royal bodyguard) to track down the infamous Witch, a reincarnating magical figure who has been hunted for centuries in retaliation for long ago stealing the Goddess’ magic. If Nes successfully finds the Witch, she'll win her father's freedom (hopefully without revealing any of her own secrets).
Of course, the pair hate each other instantly. But as they're drawn further into their shared quest, rest assured that will change...
Publisher's Description: In Gadore, the Witch is feared above all else. Reborn into each generation, she is the only person with magic running innately through her veins, able to wield that magic with a single thought.
So when guards across the city begin to drop dead, gruesomely murdered by violent and vicious magic, everyone knows the Witch has returned—and no one will be safe until she’s killed.
Toran is the Prince’s Crown, the most highly skilled fighter in the King’s Guard. Tasked with the responsibility of leading the hunt for the Witch, Toran tries to focus on his assignment to forget the ghosts of his past. And after he learns of Nes, a thief with an uncanny ability to sniff out magic, he forcibly recruits her into joining his hunt.
As the two face deadly magic and otherworldly threats, their mutual dislike soon turns to something more electric, and they find themselves drawn to each other in ways they’d never imagined. But the Witch is always a step ahead of them, and with bodies piling up, secrets threaten to come to light—secrets that could destroy everything from the fragile trust between them to the very city of Gadore itself.
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Dominion by Jean Kwok
Release Date: July 14 from G.P. Putnam's Sons
Why You Should Read It: The romantasy debut from literary fiction author Jean Kwok, Dominion mixes familiar tropes with a hefty dash of Chinese-inspired mythology for a series opener that builds to a twist-filled, dramatic climax.
Set in a world divided into four rival Dominions, the story follows Rubi Morningtail, an amnesiac ribbon dancer who lost her memory in the cataclysmic event that essentially destroyed her homeland of the Azure Kingdom. Now a refugee in the Dominion of the Silver Tyger, she's keeping her head down and trying to hide what little magic she still possesses. But her life is thrown into chaos when she catches the attention of a Silver general and is chosen as a rider by one of the kingdom's prized battle tygers.
The story's larger worldbuilding — the intertwined history of the four kingdoms and the demonic threat facing them all — is somewhat thinly sketched in terms of specifics, but the strong character and relationship development gives Kwok's story stakes, particualrly in its final quarter, where a relentless series of shocking twists will leave readers' jaws on the floor.
Publisher's Description: In a world divided into four rival Dominions, power is everything—and Rubi Morningtail has almost none. Three years after the Annihilation destroyed her homeland and shattered her memories, she lives as an Azure refugee in the Dominion of the Silver Tyger, scraping by as a ribbon dancer and hiding her little bit of singing magic. When she wounds a massive battle tyger on her doorstep, she draws the notice of Blake Axefire—supreme metal mage, leader of the royal tyger warriors, and the last man an Azure should trust. His sentence? Cast her into the Bonding, a brutal trial where tygers choose their riders and slaughter the rest. Surviving is unthinkable.
But survive she does. Now she’s stuck on Blake’s elite team racing to reseal the Anchors to the demon realm. With rebels striking, demons rising, and the Dominions at each other’s throats, Rubi must unlock the truth of her magic and her past…while resisting her dangerous attraction to the ruthless warrior who could be her redemption—or her ruin.
Among the Thorns by Jennifer K. Lambert
Release Date: July 14 from Bramble
Why You Should Read It: Jennifer K. Lambert's Never the Roses was one of 2025's most underrated romantasy titles, and Among the Thorns is a beautifully atmospheric return to the world of its story that follows two powerful sorceresses raised in very different circumstances. (Note: It's not a direct sequel to Oneira and Stearanos's story from Never the Roses, but there are plenty of callbacks to that book.)
Publisher's Description: Ambitious young sorceress Rose of Northbrooke is about to graduate. She’s the only known dream sorcerer of her generation and she's a remarkable one. No wonder she has a prince of the realm trailing her skirts.
But when rumors of dream magic gone awry reach her ear, Rose discovers she’s not the only oneiromancer of her generation. And she might not be the most powerful.
In a faraway cottage, Thorn has lived a simple and isolated life. She longs to be a part of the world and to be rescued by a prince who could love her with his whole heart. When she discovers there’s another dream sorceress out there who owns everything Thorn has ever wanted, she hungers even more for all she’s been denied. Everything Rose has.
When Rose and Thorn meet, the outcome is clear: only one sorceress can live out in the open and claim the prince’s loving hand… Perhaps, only one can live at all.
Prince of Swords by Elise Kova
Release Date: July 21 from Del Rey
Why You Should Read It: Elisa Kova's Arcana Academy was basically created in a lab to appeal to romantasy readers. There's an elite magical boarding school, a feisty heroine with a unique ability, dark academy vibes, and a fake engagement to a powerful man with his own agenda.
Its sequel, Prince of Swords, takes everything up to eleven, answering questions, expanding the series' world even further, and shaking up what we thought we knew about the story we were reading. Clara and Kaelis's relationship gets even more complicated as Kova deftly wrestles with questions of choice and destiny.
Publisher's Description: Clara Graysword is Oricalis’s most wanted. Hunted and cornered, not even her mastery of tarot can save her this time . . . until the mysterious Worldkeepers appear. This secretive order may hold the key to changing Clara’s fate. If she dares to trust them.
But the most dangerous alliance of all is one she’s already deeply ensnared within: Prince Kaelis.
Kaelis, second-born prince of Oricalis and headmaster of Arcana Academy, is the one man she can’t escape—maybe she doesn’t want to escape. Ruthless, dangerous, and bound to Clara by destiny and desire, Kaelis tests her heart as much as her loyalty. Together, they grow closer to the most powerful secrets of the tarot . . . and to the truths they both hide that could destroy the passion that they no longer deny.
Hidden in plain sight within Arcana Academy, Clara walks the dagger’s edge. Revelations about Oricalis threaten everything she thought she knew, and every choice she makes is the difference between salvation and ruin.
To change the world, Clara must risk everything—her power, her beliefs, and her heart.
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Tides of Fortune by Lauryn Hamilton Murray
Release Date: July 21 from Roaring Brook Press
Why You Should Read It: Lauryn Hamilton Murray's YA romantasy Heir of Storms flew a bit under the radar when it was released last summer, so here's hoping that the second installment in her Storm Weaver series manages to stir up some of the buzz it deserves.
Follow-up Tides of Fortune picks up right where its predecessor left off, as Blaze embarks upon a quest to secure her position as Queen of the Aquatori by finding a powerful weapon known as the Eye of the Soul. We're introduced to two new POV characters — Blaze's brother Flint and a servant girl named Elva — who carry the story even further beyond the walls of the palace and open the door to even more dramatic twists.
Publisher's Description: Having survived three treacherous trials to win her crown, Blaze is soon to become Queen of the Aquatori. However, before she can take the throne, she must set out to find the Eye of the Soul, one of the realm’s most powerful weapons, lest another claim it for themself.
Her journey will take her deep into the forests of Ostacre and into a temporary alliance with the infuriating yet undeniably compelling Fox. She can’t resist feeling drawn to him, even as she questions if she can truly trust him. Fortune favors the brave, but will it protect the Storm Weaver on her most dangerous mission yet?
A Forsaken Prophecy by Stacey McEwan
Release Date: July 21 from S&S/Saga Press
Why You Should Read It: The highly anticipated sequel to A Forbidden Alchemy, the second installment of Stacey McEwan's Artisan Trilogy, takes everything fans loved about the first book and turns it up to eleven. Picking up pretty much immediately where its predecessor left off, the story doubles down on the political intrigue, introduces several new POV characters, and Patrick and Nina's relationship is more complicated than ever. And that cliffhanger? Whew.
Publisher's Description: Belavere Trench, the Artisans and the Craftsmen are at war. Patrick, the last Alchemist, and Nina, the world’s only known earth Charmer, have been captured by the Artisans, putting Patrick’s rebel union in a precarious position.
Though he hasn’t forgiven Nina her betrayals, Patrick has other things to worry about. He is finally reunited with his father, a prisoner of the Artisans, and the group lands a narrow escape only with the help of Nina’s first love, Theo. Decoding an ancient prophecy, they set off in search of an infinite supply of idium that will determine the course of the war, should it prove more than a myth. Fleeing across Craftsman towns on the brink, they will encounter old friends—and enemies—in search of answers.
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