Top 10 Fantasy Romance Books for Halloween 2023
Ghostly encounters? Pfft. True terror lies in the 'not getting that first kiss' tension. 🎃 If you're looking to fill your Halloween with magical realms, sultry encounters, and tales that might just keep you up at night (for all the right reasons), then step right into our spooky book den. Here are the top 10 fantasy romance books to get lost in this Halloween.
1. "A Discovery of Witches" by Deborah Harkness
Spiciness Level:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Romance Progression: Slow Burn
Dive deep into an Oxford library, where an enchanted manuscript unveils a world brimming with witches, vampires, and daemons. Diana Bishop, a reluctant witch, finds herself drawn to the enigmatic vampire, Matthew Clairmont. Together, they embark on a dangerous journey, challenging age-old taboos and evading dark threats.
Why read? “Because who doesn't want a hot vampire in a dusty library?”
2. "Dead Until Dark" (Sookie Stackhouse series) by Charlaine Harris
Spiciness Level:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Romance Progression: Love at First Sight
Enter the sultry Southern world of Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress with a telepathic gift that's more a curse. When she meets Bill, the brooding vampire, sparks—and fangs—fly.
Why read? "For when you want your romance with a bite."
3. "The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice
Spiciness Level:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Romance Progression: Slow Burn
Step into the lives of the Mayfair witches, a lineage cursed with power and plagued by a seductive spirit. From 17th-century France to modern-day New Orleans, delve into a tale woven with romance, betrayal, and a shadow that lingers.
Why read? "A passionate tale that reminds us - every witch needs her warlock."
4. "Uprooted" by Naomi Novik
Spiciness Level:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Romance Progression: Slow Burn
Agnieszka, a simple village girl, discovers a formidable magic within when she's chosen by the local sorcerer. As they work together to save their land from a creeping malevolent forest, a bond grows between them.
Why read? "For everyone who's ever dreamt of entangling roots with a brooding sorcerer."
5. "Wicked Saints" by Emily A. Duncan
Spiciness Level:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Romance Progression: Love at First Sight
In a land riven by war between heretics and saints, Nadya possesses a rare ability to converse with gods. She forms an unlikely alliance with a prince and a monstrous boy, leading to a whirlwind of dark magic and darker passions.
Why read? "Because saints can sometimes be sinners in disguise."
6. "Serpent & Dove" by Shelby Mahurin
Spiciness Level:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Romance Progression: Slow Burn
Two enemies, a witch and a witch hunter, are bound together in holy matrimony. Amidst schemes and betrayals, Lou and Reid must find common ground, even if it means confronting their own beliefs.
Why read? "Sometimes the line between love and hate is enchantingly blurry."
7. "City of Bones" (The Mortal Instruments series) by Cassandra Clare
Spiciness Level:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Romance Progression: Love at First Sight
Clary Fray's life spirals into the supernatural when she witnesses a murder at a nightclub. Entangled in a world of shadowhunters and downworlders, she finds herself drawn to the enigmatic Jace, with secrets of their own looming over them.
Why read? "Because New York's shadows have never looked so alluring."
8. "The Beautiful" by Renée Ahdieh
Spiciness Level:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Romance Progression: Slow Burn
1872, New Orleans: Celine Rousseau, fleeing dark secrets, encounters the mysterious Sébastien Saint Germain. Amidst a backdrop of sumptuous balls and a lurking serial killer, love and danger intertwine.
Why read? "Who knew the underworld could be so seductive?"
9. "The Bone Season" by Samantha Shannon
Spiciness Level:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Romance Progression: Slow Burn
In a dystopian London, Paige Mahoney, a rare clairvoyant, is arrested and taken to a secret city. There, she meets Warden, her captor and salvation, leading to a perilous attraction.
Why read? "Because sometimes the future is best seen with eyes closed."
10. "The Iron King" (The Iron Fey series) by Julie Kagawa
Spiciness Level:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Romance Progression: Love at First Sight
Meghan Chase finds herself thrust into the world of the fey on her 16th birthday. Pursued by mythical creatures, she seeks the elusive Iron King, with an enigmatic faery prince by her side.
Why read? "Venture into a realm where fairytales meet modern-day, and sparks fly."
From ancient curses to modern-day enchantments, these tales will transport you into worlds filled with magic, love, and suspense. So, light up a candle, cozy up under the blankets, and let these tales bewitch you until the witching hour. Remember, Halloween is not just for the monsters; it's for the lovers too.
Happy Haunting & Happy Reading!
