17 friends to lovers romantasy books you’ll obsess over

What happens when a human noblewoman and a Kai prince, both considered hideous by each other's standards, are forced into a political marriage? What should be awkward turns into something unexpectedly beautiful, as the two form a friendship grounded in wit, kindness, and shared duty. As they learn to navigate their very real cultural differences, Brishen and Ildiko discover a deep, emotional connection that blossoms slowly but powerfully. Their banter is hilarious, their loyalty is unmatched, and their relationship proves that love built on trust and friendship is just as perfect as any fated mates bond. Radiance is romantic fantasy at its most charming, soft, smart, and surprisingly spicy. You'll be rooting for these two from their first snarky exchange to their final declaration.

Why you should read this: 

This book is the definition of comfort fantasy. Radiance delivers a beautifully tender, slow burn romance between two people from wildly different cultures who genuinely like each other from the start and then fall in love. There's no third act breakup, no drama for drama's sake, just mutual respect, banter, and the kind of emotional intimacy that makes your heart ache in the best way. If you're tired of instant love and craving a story that earns its romance, this one will sweep you off your feet.

Series reading order:

1. Radiance
2. Eidolon
3. The Ippos King

In a world where time magic is banned and humans are treated as lesser, Taly has carved out a decent life thanks to the protection of her best friend, Skye. But when her magic suddenly flares, everything changes. Hunted by the powerful Sanctorum, Taly is forced to flee, and Skye refuses to let her go alone. Their bond is the kind that's lasted through childhood, pain, and quiet longing. tThe kind that feels too risky to name until it's almost too late. With fey secrets, magic fueled rebellion, and an ancient evil rising, this romantasy weaves epic stakes with a romance rooted in shared history and sacrifice. If you love best friends who would burn the world for each other, Shardless will absolutely wreck you.

Why you should read this: 

Shardless is the kind of story that makes you fall for the best friend right along with the main character. Taly and Skye's friendship is layered with loyalty, longing, and sacrifice, making their journey from friends to lovers feel incredibly earned. Add in rich world building, time magic, and high emotional stakes, and you've got a romantasy that will keep you hooked while pulling at every one of your heartstrings.

Series reading order:

1. Shardless
2. Acolyte
3. Dawnbringer

When Kayla saves a mysterious boy from drowning, she doesn't expect him to return, especially not as a cursed fae prince who ages years between each of their meetings. But Kirian keeps showing up, older every time, and determined to see her again despite the rules of his curse. Their friendship stretches across years and realms, growing deeper with every visit until the tension between them becomes impossible to ignore. This story blends modern and fantasy settings, fated love, and forbidden kisses with just the right amount of chaos and magic. It's equal parts fun and romantic, with plenty of heat and heart. If you love the idea of a time bending connection that starts with a rescue and ends in a royal fae romance, this one's for you.

Why you should read this: 

With a time warped connection and years of mutual pining, this story turns the friends to lovers trope into something magical and utterly addictive. Watching Kirian and his human girl grow up on two different timelines, always reconnecting, always caring, makes every interaction more intense. The stakes are high, the kisses are forbidden, and the vibes are pure romantasy gold. It's a perfect pick if you love protective fae princes, destined love, and slow burns that pay off.

Series reading order:

1. The Fae King's Curse
2. The Fae King's Dream
3. The Fae King's Prize
4. The Fae Warrior's Princess
5. The Fae Warrior's Queen

In a society where men and women are strictly separated, only coming together for ritualized, violent reproduction ceremonies, Alta knows she wants something more. What she doesn't expect is to find it in Roan, a kind, steady presence who sees her not as a prize, but as a person. Their forbidden friendship begins quietly, built on curiosity and quiet rebellion, and slowly deepens into a romance that challenges the foundation of their entire world. This is a cozy, hopeful romantasy with low angst and a sweet emotional core. If you're looking for a story where love is soft but radical, and where change begins with a single connection, The Joining of Alta is a lovely, heartwarming read.

Why you should read this: 

This one's for the gentle romance lovers. Set in a world where men and women live entirely apart, Alta and Roan's friendship is both rebellious and refreshing. Their connection grows in secret, with quiet defiance and slow burning hope. If you love cozy fantasy, low angst, and a world that blooms open as the romance does, The Joining of Alta will feel like a warm hug with just enough tension to keep things interesting.

Alina Starkov has always felt invisible, a lonely orphan with nothing special to offer. But when her unit is attacked crossing the deadly Shadow Fold, she unleashes a surge of power that changes everything. As she's swept into the lavish world of the Grisha, trained under the mysterious and alluring Darkling, her oldest friend Mal becomes her only real anchor to the life she left behind. Their relationship is deeply rooted in shared history, but it's complicated by distance, power shifts, and everything Alina is becoming. This isn't a fluffy romance. It's messy, emotional, and full of choices that hurt. But if you love childhood friends trying to navigate a changing world and find their way back to each other, this series has all the angst and magic you need.

Why you should read this: 

Before the love triangles and shadowy villains, Shadow and Bone gives us a classic friends to lovers dynamic with Alina and Mal. Their bond is deep, messy, and complicated by fate, exactly what you'd expect from a romantasy coming of age arc. This isn't a fluff filled romance, but if you love watching childhood friends get pulled apart by power, purpose, and magic and still try to find their way back to each other, this one will definitely hit the spot.

Series reading order:

1. Shadow and Bone
2. Siege and Storm
3. Ruin and Rising

Tisaanah has known only pain and survival. After escaping a brutal past, she seeks out the Orders, powerful magic organizations she hopes will help her gain the strength to save the one person she left behind. What she doesn't expect is Max, the reclusive fire wielding war hero assigned to train her. Their relationship begins with friction, but soon grows into a partnership built on mutual respect, trust, and a deep emotional bond that neither of them saw coming. This is the kind of friends to lovers arc that unfolds slowly and then all at once. With an epic world, high stakes, and a romance that hits like a sucker punch to the heart, Daughter of No Worlds is a must read for fans of slow burns and strong willed heroines.

Why you should read this: 

If you're craving a slow burn that simmers with every training scene and emotional wall slowly coming down, this book delivers. Tisaanah and Max's relationship starts as reluctant allies and gradually morphs into something deeply intimate built on trust, understanding, and shared trauma. The magic system is rich, the politics are layered, and the romance will wreck you in the best way. It's the kind of love story that feels inevitable once it finally unfolds.

Series reading order:

1. Daughter of No Worlds
2. Children of Fallen Gods
3. Mother of Death & Dawn

Lark has spent years on the run, hiding her cursed ability to induce fear, and now her only hope is a city of trolls hanging over a dark abyss. There, she bargains for safety in exchange for fighting monsters with one big catch. If she uses her power on a troll, she dies. Despite the danger, she finds unexpected kinship among the trolls, especially with a grumpy warrior who slowly chips away at her walls. What starts as necessity becomes something softer, deeper, and quietly romantic. Their friendship grows in stolen moments and mutual vulnerability, even as threats close in. The Hanging City is a unique romantasy that mixes monster hunting action with a deeply human love story, even if one of them isn't technically human.

Why you should read this: 

Enemies of her kind. Warriors with secrets. And one unexpected friendship that turns into something a little too precious to lose. Lark's relationship with a certain troll (yes, a troll) is slow, sweet, and full of heart. Their bond sneaks up on you amid the battles and survival missions, and by the time you realize what's happening, you'll be completely smitten. A unique friends to lovers arc set in a wholly original world, The Hanging City is tender, surprising, and quietly romantic.

Marra never expected to be a hero. Raised in a convent and overshadowed by her royal siblings, she's content to stay far from politics until her sister is forced into a brutal marriage, and no one is coming to save her. Marra sets out on an impossible quest armed with nothing but stubbornness, a cursed chicken, and a ragtag group of misfits, including a former knight whose quiet strength and constant presence becomes her emotional anchor. Their romance is never flashy, but it's heartfelt and earned, built on a slow burning connection forged in fire, danger, and mutual respect. Nettle & Bone is a fairytale for grownups. Witty, dark, and full of heart. If you love reluctant heroines, found family, and quiet love stories, this one's pure magic.

Why you should read this: 

This is one of those books where the romance doesn't shout, it whispers. Amidst dark fairy tale vibes, impossible quests, and a team of misfits trying to save a kingdom, a gentle love story grows between two companions who treat each other with quiet care. It's a friends to lovers arc that feels deeply grounded and refreshingly mature, woven into a plot that's as clever and weird as it is heartfelt.

Blackthorn is a healer with a dark past and a bone deep desire for revenge. Grim is the silent, loyal giant who follows her after they escape prison. Bound by a shared promise and their own emotional scars, the two take refuge in a remote village where they solve problems, resist romance, and slowly become the most important person in each other's life. Their relationship is subtle but powerful, woven with care and quiet devotion. There's no flashy declarations, just trust, partnership, and the kind of slow burn friendship that sneaks up on both of them. Dreamer's Pool is earthy, mythic romantasy at its best. A perfect pick for readers who love mature love stories wrapped in folklore and mystery.

Why you should read this: 

This story builds its romance on mutual respect and hard earned trust. Blackthorn and Grim are two damaged souls who rely on each other for survival and over time, that loyalty and companionship evolves into something more. It's slow, subtle, and beautifully understated. If you're into earthy, myth rich fantasy with romance that simmers quietly under the surface, Dreamer's Pool will absolutely charm you.

Series reading order:

1. Dreamer's Pool
2. Tower of Thorns
3. Den of Wolves

Sellah was supposed to serve a goddess. She was supposed to remain untouched, pure, devout. But everything changed when Kaid, a thief with a crooked smile and a kind heart, broke into her life and refused to let go. Their forbidden friendship blossomed into something sacred, something so powerful that even death couldn't destroy it. Now, Kaid is gone and Sellah is tasked with gathering his bones from across the realm in a brutal quest that tests her strength, loyalty, and love. The Scattered Bones is a haunting, epic romantasy with a reverse Orpheus and Eurydice twist. If you love fierce heroines, god tier longing, and love stories that defy fate itself, this book is for you.

Why you should read this: 

This one is for the romantics who love a little pain with their love stories. Sellah and Kaid's connection begins with a forbidden friendship that slowly burns into a soul deep love, one that transcends death, time, and fate. The heartbreak is real, but so is the devotion. With a mythic quest, high emotional stakes, and a heroine willing to walk through hell for the one she loves, The Scattered Bones is an unforgettable journey from friends to lovers to legends.

Merriam was just a girl when she met Mollian, a fae prince with magic in his blood and a fate tied to the realm's most powerful gate. Now, years later, she's earned her place in his world as a respected mercenary but her heart has never stopped wanting more. As threats begin to tear through the realm, Merriam must navigate a brutal hunt for dark forces while also confronting her feelings for the one person who's always been by her side. Their relationship is messy, tender, and rooted in a bond forged through battle and unspoken longing. Leaves May Fall is a high stakes, slow burn romantasy that blends political intrigue, murder mysteries, and epic world building with a romance that simmers just under the surface.

Why you should read this: 

If you like your friends to lovers stories laced with danger, destiny, and just a little heartbreak, Leaves May Fall is for you. Merriam and Mollian share a childhood bond that deepens into something rich and complicated as they grow up on opposite sides of royal politics and magical war. This one blends epic battles with emotional longing, and the result is a dark, immersive romantasy where the romance feels just as important as the fight to save the world.

Series reading order:

1. Leaves May Fall
2. Mountains Will Crumble
3. A Code of Conduct

Hetta thought she left her magical family estate and all its drama behind for good. But when her father dies and the estate itself must choose a new ruler (yes, the land is sentient), Hetta is reluctantly pulled back into a world of power plays, long held secrets, and confusing feelings for the boy she once considered just a friend. As magical threats mount and fae tensions rise, Hetta finds herself leaning more and more on her former companion and realizing he may have always been more than that. The Lord of Stariel is whimsical, charming, and full of dry humor, with a romance that blooms slowly in the background. If you love cozy fantasy with family drama, magical houses, and low key pining, this one will totally enchant you.

Why you should read this: 

With a cozy setting, a magical estate that chooses its own heir, and a heroine who's not afraid to shake things up, The Lord of Stariel delivers a charming slow burn romance. Hetta and her longtime friend have undeniable chemistry, but it's the friendship underneath that makes this so satisfying to watch unfold. Read this if you love whimsical worlds, a sprinkle of mystery, and friends who realize they've been in love all along.

Series reading order:

1. The Lord of Stariel
2. The Prince of Secrets
3. The Court of Mortals
4. The King of Faerie
5. A Rake of His Own

Ox has always felt like an outsider until the Bennett family moves in next door and changes everything. Among them is Joe, the youngest son and a boy who sees Ox in a way no one ever has. What begins as a childhood friendship slowly evolves into something powerful, heartbreaking, and deeply romantic as the years go by and their world is rocked by secrets, violence, and pack loyalty. Wolfsong is emotional, raw, and absolutely devastating in the best way. It's a queer friends to lovers story that spans years and tackles grief, identity, and the kind of love that waits, no matter how long it takes. If you're ready to cry over a book, this one's waiting.

Why you should read this: 

Prepare to cry. Wolfsong is one of those stories that wraps around your heart and doesn't let go. Ox and Joe's relationship is deeply rooted in years of friendship, family, and loss. Watching them navigate heartbreak, distance, and fate makes their eventual connection all the more powerful. It's queer romantasy at its most tender and devastating, with a found family vibe and a romance that howls with longing.

Series reading order:

1. Wolfsong
2. Ravensong
3. Heartsong
4. Brothersong

Tsillah never meant to become an apprentice to one of the most powerful (and possibly most dangerous) archmages in the world, but she'll do anything to save her ailing mother. What starts as a deception quickly turns into something more complicated, especially when she begins falling for the brooding, rule breaking apprentice who's hiding his own secrets. Their friendship is filled with quiet tension, soft support, and the kind of slow burn chemistry that crackles with every shared moment. The Archmage is a cozy romantasy that balances tournament battles, magical politics, and emotional stakes with heart fluttering romance. If you're a sucker for found family and forbidden feelings in magical schools, you'll adore this one.

Why you should read this: 

Set in a magical academy filled with secrets, danger, and forbidden power, The Archmage weaves in a soft friends to lovers thread that grows stronger with every challenge the characters face. Tsillah's quiet bond with a brooding apprentice is filled with tension, trust, and slow realization. It makes the romance feel like a reward, not a given. This is a cozy, character driven romantasy with a gentle love story at its core.

Series reading order:

1. The Archmage
2. Dual Wield
3. Trinity Mage

Every night, she reads his fortune. Every night, he asks if his mate loves him. And every night, she sees the same heartbreaking answer until one night, the cards shift. The Night Market follows a mortal seer enslaved in a magical carnival and the raven shifter she's loved in silence for years. Their story is steeped in mutual pining, unsaid feelings, and the quiet ache of knowing you're not the one until maybe you are. With witty banter, magical matchmaking, and cozy vibes (yes, there's magical comfort cake), this standalone is full of fae drama and slow burn longing. If you love hidden feelings and forbidden love with a fairytale twist, this one's pure romantasy gold.

Why you should read this: 

This book is full of tension and longing, but at its heart is a romance that's been growing quietly between two friends for years. Rhylen and the mortal seer share a forbidden bond, and every Night Market reading is laced with aching, unspoken emotion. If you love mutual pining, high stakes fae politics, and that moment when a friend realizes they've been in love all along, then The Night Market will absolutely enchant you.

Series reading order:

1. Bound by Ravens
2. The Night Market
3. The Heartbreak Show

Henrietta would rather be baking cookies than slaying evil, but as a warrior princess, she doesn't have much of a choice until she's sent to kill the Dark Lord and accidentally becomes besties with him? Keith, the so called villain, is more interested in crafting than conquering, and their unexpected alliance leads to tea time, deep talks, and slow, awkward feelings that neither of them know how to handle. Their romance is soft, funny, and delightfully offbeat, blending cozy fantasy with low stakes political drama and plenty of heart. I Ran Away to Evil is a LitRPG-inspired romantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously but still delivers all the emotional payoffs. If you want something wholesome, nerdy, and absolutely charming, you'll love this quirky gem.

Why you should read this: 

If you're into cozy chaos and romantic comedy with a fantastical twist, I Ran Away to Evil is the perfect friends to lovers romp. Henrietta and Keith have zero interest in fulfilling their respective roles as warrior princess and dark lord, which makes their instant friendship and eventual awkward romantic tension all the more delightful. It's sweet, funny, and filled with ridiculous misunderstandings, magical banter, and slow growing affection that feels like the best kind of surprise.

Series reading order:

1. I Ran Away to Evil
2. I Ran Away to Evil 2
3. I Ran Away to Evil 3

Elara is an elven weaponsmith with a fierce reputation and a heart too soft for her own good. When she's called to aid an underwater city in crisis, she reluctantly teams up with Levi, a broody, sarcastic siren with way too many walls and just enough charm to drive her mad. Their friendship is full of banter, tension, and slowly unraveling secrets, with a magical bond simmering just beneath the surface. Leviathan's Song is lush, immersive, and brimming with emotional slow burn. If you love grumpy/sunshine dynamics, political intrigue, and sea drenched magic, this debut is one to dive into headfirst.

Why you should read this: 

This one's for fans of grumpy/sunshine pairings with a deep emotional core. Elara and Levi start off as unlikely allies, but their easy camaraderie quickly shifts into something more, filled with quiet trust, emotional tension, and sizzling undercurrents. It's a romance that builds on shared goals and unspoken feelings, and by the time things heat up, you'll be completely invested. With political intrigue, magical danger, and siren vibes, Leviathan's Song is a gorgeously layered friends to lovers fantasy.

Series reading order:

1. Leviathan's Song
2. Magpies & Mayhem
3. Seduction of a Psychopomp