10 Fantasy Books With Forbidden Romances
Where Magic Burns, and Hearts Dare What Law Forbids
There’s something undeniably magnetic about forbidden love—the kind that crackles in stolen glances, whispered touches, and choices made in defiance of destiny. When set against the rich backdrop of fantasy—where kingdoms fall, magic reigns, and oaths carry deadly weight—these romances don’t just tug at your heartstrings; they tear them.
In these stories, love is not safe. It is subversive. Dangerous. And yet, it shines all the brighter for it.
Whether it’s a witch loving her sworn enemy, a royal caught in a treasonous passion, or souls entangled across enemy lines, these 10 fantasy books with forbidden romances will leave you breathless, rooting for the impossible, and aching for more.
1. Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
🕯️ A witch and a witch-hunter bound in holy matrimony. What could possibly go wrong?
Louise flees her coven and hides in a city where witches are burned. Reid is a devout Chasseur with a blade and a mission. When fate binds them in marriage, the lies between them begin to blur—and desire dares to bloom.
Why it sizzles: It’s sharp with tension, brimming with banter, and pulses with chemistry that shouldn’t exist—but absolutely does.
2. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
👑 He hates her. She hates him. So why does it feel like love?
Jude is a mortal raised in the treacherous world of Faerie, where every smile hides a knife. Cardan is a cruel prince who seems to live to torment her. But as their fates entwine, something darker and more intimate takes root.
Why it sizzles: It’s the perfect enemies-to-lovers slow burn, laced with venom, vulnerability, and just enough tenderness to make you swoon.
3. The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
🌊 She was trained to kill him. Then she married him.
Lara is a spy-princess sent to marry—and betray—King Aren of the Bridge Kingdom. But what begins as a mission of conquest becomes a war of the heart when the lines between loyalty and love begin to blur.
Why it sizzles: Strategic seduction meets genuine connection in this gritty, high-stakes romance where betrayal could cost everything.
4. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
🪽 An angel and a monster meet in a world divided by war—and fall hopelessly, tragically in love.
Karou collects teeth for a creature of shadow. Akiva is a seraph warrior bred to destroy her kind. But when their paths cross, they begin to remember a past life… and a love the world tried to erase.
Why it sizzles: Ethereal and aching, it’s a love story that spans lifetimes and dares to defy fate itself.
5. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
🔥 In an empire built on fear, love is rebellion.
Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Their paths should never cross—but when they do, their bond sparks a revolution. They are enemies by blood, but allies by heart.
Why it sizzles: The romance is slow, simmering, and filled with aching restraint—every touch feels like a revolution.
6. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
🌹 A Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai—where love could get you killed.
Juliette and Roma are heirs to rival gangs, sworn to hate, fated to destroy. But a deadly plague forces them to work together, and love flickers beneath their mutual loathing.
Why it sizzles: Sharp, dangerous, and dripping with tension, their love is a knife’s edge—equal parts poison and poetry.
7. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
🌙 A mortal girl. A cursed fae lord. And a love that could unravel a kingdom.
Feyre is a huntress taken to the faerie lands as punishment. What she finds there is danger, decadence, and a love that could break her—and save a people.
Why it sizzles: Lush and seductive, this romance unfurls against a backdrop of deadly enchantment and impossible odds.
8. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
🌒 He marries a new bride every night. She vows to survive—and kill him.
Shahrzad volunteers to be the bride of the murderous Caliph who killed her best friend. But as she survives night after night, she begins to see a different side of Khalid—one that threatens her hatred and her heart.
Why it sizzles: A tale spun from vengeance, storytelling, and reluctant affection, where love is both a weapon and a wound.
9. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
💔 Their love is illegal, and yet, it’s all they’ve ever known.
This contemporary outlier slips into the list for good reason—it reads like a fantasy with the intensity of myth. Lochan and Maya are siblings, bonded by trauma, raising their younger siblings alone. And then, love crosses a line it was never meant to.
Why it sizzles: Gut-wrenching, controversial, and hauntingly written, it’s a story of love that dares to exist where none should.
10. Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan
🩸 A girl marked by the gods. A boy marked by darkness. A romance carved in blood and ruin.
Nadya is a cleric with divine magic. Malachiasz is a heretic sorcerer. Together, they could destroy their world—or save it. But their bond is forged in chaos, and neither can trust the other completely.
Why it sizzles: Gothic, brutal, and unholy in the best ways, this romance dances along the edge of ruin and rapture.
Final Word:
In fantasy, love is rarely safe—but that’s what makes it magical. These stories remind us that sometimes, the most powerful kind of love is the kind that dares. That fights. That bleeds and burns, and still chooses to be.
So if you’re ready for slow-burn longing, sharp-edged passion, and hearts that break and bind in equal measure—these forbidden romances are waiting to cast their spell on you. ✨🖤📚
