New to Romantasy? Here's How to Find the Books You'll Actually Love

Romantasy is one of the fastest-growing genres in fiction — and one of the most confusing to navigate when you're new to it.

Every week there's a new "if you liked X, read Y" recommendation. Every corner of BookTok has a different favourite. And if you pick the wrong book first, you might write off a genre you'd actually love.

This guide is designed to help you find your entry point based on what you already know you like.

Start with What You Love in Regular Romance

The fastest path to finding great romantasy is to identify your favourite romance tropes and find the fantasy version.

If you love enemies-to-lovers: Look for books with a court fantasy setting. The political tension of rival courts gives enemies-to-lovers a structural foundation that really makes it sing. Two people on opposite sides of a war who slowly realise they're falling for the enemy.

If you love forced proximity: Dragon rider academies and quest-based fantasy are your best bet. Characters who are literally stuck together — assigned the same mission, bonded to the same dragon, trapped by circumstance — with nowhere to go but closer.

If you love forbidden romance: Fae romance is built for this. The human/fae divide, the court politics, the consequences of crossing lines — forbidden romance has genuine stakes in fae settings.

If you love second chance romance: Look for books with characters who knew each other before a war, a political upheaval, or a long absence. The fantasy world gives them real reasons to have been separated, and real obstacles to getting back to each other.

Decide How Much Fantasy You Want

Romantasy exists on a spectrum.

At one end: books where the fantasy setting is mainly backdrop. The magic system doesn't need understanding, the world doesn't require much investment. The romance is the point.

At the other end: books where the fantasy plot is as developed as anything you'd find in epic fantasy. The romance is central, but you're also getting a full world with history, politics, and a magic system that matters.

Neither is better. But knowing which you want will help you pick the right book.

If you're new to fantasy in general, start lighter. You want to fall in love with the genre, not get lost in lore.

What to Look for in Reviews

When you're reading reviews to decide whether to try a book, look for mentions of:

• The pacing of the romance — does it develop gradually or happen quickly?
• The fantasy worldbuilding — is it immersive or minimal?
• The heat level — romantasy ranges from sweet to explicit
• The ending — does the romance resolve in this book, or is it a series?

The last one matters more than people say. If you need a satisfying romantic conclusion, make sure you're reading a standalone or at least a book where the romance arc closes before the series continues.

Common Mistakes New Readers Make

Starting with book 2 in a series. Some romantasy series are everywhere on social media for the later books, but they assume you know the world and the characters. Always start at book 1.

Expecting the fantasy plot to be secondary. Some romantasy books have genuinely complex fantasy plots. If you come expecting a light romance with magic wallpaper and find a full epic fantasy, you might bounce off it — even if it's a great book.

Giving up too early. Fantasy romance often takes a few chapters to establish the world. Give it 50 pages before you decide whether it's for you.

You're Going to Love This Genre

Romantasy readers are some of the most enthusiastic in fiction — they re-read, they fan-cast, they make playlists for specific scenes.

Once you find the book that clicks for you, you'll understand why.