Love spells, cursed gods, enemies-to-lovers tension, and lush magical worlds: romantasy continues to dominate the reading scene, and July 2025 is packed with titles destined to become obsessions. Whether you crave sweeping high fantasy with romantic undercurrents or slow-burn tension set against deadly quests, this month’s lineup has something to offer.
From long-awaited sequels to fresh debuts, these books promise magic, danger, and emotional devastation in equal measure.
Here are 10 romantasy books hitting shelves in July that you won’t want to miss.
1. A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Set in a crumbling empire ruled by magic and political betrayal, A Forbidden Alchemy introduces a powerful enchanter hiding her true abilities to survive. When she’s forced into an uneasy alliance with a rogue alchemist, one with his own secret past, their chemistry is as volatile as the spells they brew. Stacey McEwan blends enemies-to-lovers tension with morally gray worldbuilding that readers of A Court of Thorns and Roses will devour.
With its gothic atmosphere and layered mystery, this story explores how power is shared, stolen, and surrendered in the name of love. Fans of slow-burn romance, magical academia, and twisty betrayals will find plenty to swoon over. McEwan’s sharp dialogue and lyrical prose continue to impress, making this a must-read for romantasy lovers.
Why we recommend it: For readers who want their enemies-to-lovers with a splash of potion bottles and sass, A Forbidden Alchemy mixes sharp banter, found family, and alchemical yearning with chaotic good energy. Think: The Atlas Six but hornier and with less existential dread.
2. Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon
Release Date: July 1, 2025
If the name sounds familiar, it should: Tusk Love is a spicy in-world fan-favorite from the Critical Role universe, now reimagined by Thea Guanzon into a full-length romantasy novel. Set in a lush realm of beasts, magic, and forbidden love, it follows a fierce beast hunter and the noble she’s supposed to betray. Their relationship, charged with mistrust and desire, is as tangled as the jungle vines they navigate.
Guanzon brings heart, heat, and humor to a story that plays with classic tropes while still offering genuine emotional stakes. Readers can expect witty banter, jaw-dropping worldbuilding, and a romance that challenges loyalty and fate. Equal parts playful and poignant, Tusk Love is the kind of book that will have you laughing one minute and blushing the next.
Why we recommend it: This is for all the romantasy girlies who grew up on fanfiction, DnD memes, and the messy magic of Critical Role. Tusk Love is absolutely unserious about being serious, and that’s exactly what makes it irresistible.
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3. Tenderly, I Am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Known for her atmospheric gothic tales, Lyndall Clipstone returns with Tenderly, I Am Devoured, a hauntingly romantic story of grief, monstrosity, and desire. Set in a drowned village cursed by ancient magic, a girl who hears the whispers of the dead is drawn to a mysterious boy with secrets deeper than the lake that surrounds them.
This book reads like a dark fairytale, drenched in longing and laced with the uncanny. Clipstone’s prose is poetic without sacrificing narrative drive, and the emotional depth she brings to her characters is devastating. Perfect for fans of The Wilder Girls or An Enchantment of Ravens, this is gothic romantasy at its most aching and beautiful.
Why we recommend it: Recommended for lovers of The Secret History vibes dipped in swamp water and heartbreak. This is melancholic feral romance at its finest: best enjoyed with muddy feet and an aching heart.
4. Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
Release Date: July 8, 2025
Julie Soto returns with a romantasy dripping in tension and raw emotional stakes. In Rose in Chains, a princess is imprisoned by a rebel leader whose revolution may hold the key to saving, or destroying, the realm. What begins as a game of power and manipulation shifts into something far more complicated as their walls come down.
Soto’s dialogue crackles with wit and desire, and she doesn’t shy away from the darker implications of love born in captivity. This isn’t your typical fantasy romance: it’s about finding trust in unlikely places and redefining what loyalty means. Bold, sexy, and unflinchingly honest, this is a story that lingers long after the final page.
Why we recommend it: If you like your romances complicated, your dialogue razor-sharp, and your power dynamics delightfully unbalanced, Rose in Chains is pure catnip. Bonus points for Soto’s ability to make Catholic guilt somehow… hot?
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Subscribe to our weekly newsletter5. Lore of the Tides by Analeigh Sbrana
Release Date: July 8, 2025
Set on an archipelago shaped by ancient sea gods, Lore of the Tides tells the story of a storm-wielding priestess and the pirate prince she’s sworn to hunt. Their fates collide as a forgotten myth awakens beneath the waves, pulling them into a prophecy neither wants to fulfill.
Sbrana delivers a sweeping seafaring fantasy filled with tempestuous romance and pulse-pounding adventure. The ocean itself becomes a character, shifting with the lovers’ moods and motives. If you’re looking for a romantasy that captures the feeling of salt in your hair and danger on the horizon, this is it.
Why we recommend it: For those who crave enemies-to-lovers with a side of sea curses and bone-deep longing. Lore of the Tides reads like a saltwater spell: slow to build, impossible to break, and quietly devastating.
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6. The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam by Megan Bannen
Release Date: July 8, 2025
Bannen trades necromancers for knife-sharp romantic tension in The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam, a standalone about rival magical contractors forced to team up on a cursed restoration job. Think Fixer Upper meets The Hating Game, but with enchanted tools and sentient wallpaper.
Witty, heartfelt, and delightfully weird, this romantasy leans into cozy fantasy vibes while still delivering a romance that simmers beneath every banter-filled interaction. Rosie and Adam’s slow descent from mutual loathing to reluctant affection is deliciously well-paced, making this a perfect pick for fans of Legends and Lattes who want a little more spark with their sweetness.
Why we recommend it: Fans of Emily Henry with a high tolerance for chaos will devour this one. It’s heartfelt, messy, sharp, like a romcom that spilled wine on your soul and said, “Oops!”. You’ll be laughing, crying, and maybe texting your ex.
7. The Nightshade God by Hannah Whitten
Release Date: July 15, 2025
Whitten returns with another fierce, feral romantasy full of dangerous bargains and darker gods. The Nightshade God follows a reluctant prophet and the deity bound to her soul as they journey through a decaying realm on the edge of war. With every step, their bond deepens, and so does the threat of annihilation.
As always, Whitten writes with poetic rage and romantic ruin. Her newest novel blends body horror with moments of quiet tenderness, weaving a romance that is as doomed as it is divine. Expect morally complex characters, slow-burning chemistry, and stakes that stretch beyond life and death. This is Whitten at her most potent.
Why we recommend it: If you’ve ever wanted a dark god to notice you just a little too much, welcome home. Whitten delivers divine ferality, morally grey obsession, and a female lead who could kill you, and you’d say thank you.
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8. A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
Release Date: July 15, 2025
If your soul needs a warm hug in book form, A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is the answer. This standalone follows a burnt-out witch who inherits a crumbling inn in the magical countryside, only to discover that the inn has secrets, and so does the mysterious handyman who refuses to leave.
Mandanna crafts a gentle, hopeful romantasy filled with found family, healing, and just enough mystery to keep the pages turning. With its low-stakes plot and deeply emotional core, this is a perfect escape for fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea or Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. It’s cozy fantasy at its best.
Why we recommend it: Imagine Gilmore Girls if the Dragonfly Inn had spellbooks, bisexual chaos, and a ghost in the pantry. It’s cozy fantasy perfection for anyone who wants to cry, heal, and maybe hex a rude guest.
9. The Jasad Crown by Sara Hashem
Release Date: July 15, 2025
This explosive sequel to The Jasad Heir returns to a world where magic is outlawed and thrones are contested with both swords and secrets. In The Jasad Krown, the exiled heir and the usurper she can’t stop thinking about must face the consequences of rebellion and the cost of power.
Hashem expands her world with intricate political maneuvering, breathtaking action, and a romance that cuts as deep as any blade. This is enemies-to-lovers at its most agonizing and addictive, with enough twists to keep you gasping. If you loved the first book, prepare to be destroyed, in the best way.
Why we recommend it: For readers who miss The Poppy War but need less war and more slow-burn tension. The Jasad Krown blends political fantasy with buried magic and trust issues so thick, you could cut them with a scimitar.
10. Soul of Shadow by Emma Noyes
Release Date: July 29, 2025
Rounding out the month is Soul of Shadow, a dark romantasy steeped in revenge, curses, and aching love. When a cursed assassin is bound to protect the royal she was trained to kill, they must navigate courtly intrigue, ancient prophecies, and their growing, dangerous connection.
Emma Noyes brings lyrical intensity to this story of vengeance and vulnerability. Every chapter builds with quiet dread and emotional yearning, making the payoff all the more powerful. This is a tale for romantasy fans who like their love stories sharp-edged, beautifully written, and emotionally rich.
Why we recommend it: Come for the soul-bonding angst, stay for the lyrical prose and a heroine who would absolutely gut you for the greater good. Perfect for readers who love Throne of Glass but wish it hurt more. In a good way.
From stormy seas and shadow gods to cursed assassins and cozy inns, July 2025’s romantasy offerings showcase the genre’s incredible breadth. These books delve into desire, power, vulnerability, and transformation, each with a unique voice and unforgettable world.
Whether you’re in the mood to swoon, sob, or scream into a pillow (and ideally all three), there’s a story on this list waiting to sweep you off your feet.
Happy reading, and good luck choosing where to start first.
