New romantasy books releasing February 2026

Release date: February 3, 2026

Silla has finally returned to Íseldur to claim her birthright, but taking back the throne from King Ivar won't be easy, especially when a shard of a god is living in her mind and bending her will to his purposes. With her warrior love interest at her side, she must rally the northern jarls while keeping her dangerous secret hidden.

Meanwhile, her sister Saga is trapped on a mysterious island, forced to choose between helping the man who kidnapped her or watching innocent people die. As a poisonous mist threatens the realm, both sisters must master their magic and unite against an awakening darkness.

Why you should read this: If you've been following the Ashen series, you already know Demi Winters delivers Vikings, slow burn romance, and morally complex characters like no one else. This installment raises the stakes with dual sister POVs, godly possession, and the epic battle for Íseldur's throne. The ice and fire setting combined with fierce female leads makes this a must read for fans of Norse inspired romantasy.

Release date: February 3, 2026

The performers of the Playhouse wield magic that can reshape reality itself, and eighteen year old Riven knows firsthand how dangerous they are because a Player's curse is slowly killing her. When the Playhouse announces a competition where one mortal can steal a Player's immortality, Riven sees her only chance at survival.

She infiltrates the games and strikes a deadly bargain with Jude, the Playhouse's dangerously charming Lead Player. But as the Playhouse's dark secrets unravel, Riven begins to wonder if she's the hero of this story, or if she's been the villain all along.

Why you should read this: Pitched as Caraval meets One Dark Window. If you love theatrical settings, morally gray heroines who might actually be villains, and bargains with dangerous, charismatic love interests, this one has your name written all over it.

Release date: February 3, 2026

In Andalay, magical gifts are bestowed by the ruling Fates upon society's elite. When a thief named Damien steals a locket meant for the beloved Wren Hayes, he discovers something impossible inside: his own photograph.

That revelation pulls both of them into a dangerous web of secrets, exposing just how far Andalay's upper class will go to protect their power, including murder. Thrown together and fighting an undeniable attraction, Wren and Damien must navigate a treacherous underworld where the truth could destroy everything.

Why you should read this: Katherine Quinn (To Kill a Shadow) brings her signature blend of romance and intrigue to this YA romantasy filled with mystery and forbidden attraction. The "thief falls for his mark" setup combined with a mysterious locket and corrupt ruling class gives major heist romance vibes. 

Release date: February 3, 2026

In Caimor, the wealthy trade bodies like fashion accessories while Anabelle Gage is trapped in one that's slowly killing her. When she fails to gain entry to Paragon Academy, her only hope for a healthy new form, she resorts to theft and gets caught.

The headmaster offers her a brutal choice: execution or becoming his personal mercenary. Now Ana must navigate academy politics, a brewing rebellion, and a dangerous band of misfits including an impulsive assassin, a brooding bombmaker, and an exile who threatens to be her undoing. As she's pulled deeper into Caimor's secrets, the line between hero and villain disappears entirely.

Why you should read this: This dark academia fantasy has a body swapping magic system that is incredibly unique, and Ana's desperate fight for survival in a cutthroat academy gives major Ninth House and Babel energy. If you love morally complex heroines, found family among outcasts, and academia settings with deadly stakes, this is your February must read.

Release date: February 10, 2026

Prince Sloth would rather stay in his enchanted library forever, but a forgotten deity threatens the Underworld. He must find the Book of Nightmares before its master, the Goddess of Night, breaks free. His quest collides with Lore Brimstone, a librarian who accidentally transported herself into a terrifying but strangely familiar world.

They're living out Lore's favorite novels, one by one, except everything's gone horribly wrong. Together, they must survive increasingly dark magic and defeat the Book of Nightmares before the barrier between gods and mortals collapses.

Why you should read this: A librarian heroine literally trapped inside her favorite books with a grumpy prince who'd rather be reading? Sign me up. This has all the dark, romantic fantasy vibes you'd expect from the Kingdom of the Wicked author, but with a meta, book lover twist that romantasy readers will absolutely devour.

Release date: February 10, 2026

Aurora survived the Wolf King, but his bite marked her as his property under wolf law, and now he wants her back. To defeat him, she and Callum ally with Blake, one of the most feared wolves in the kingdom. The problem? Blake has magically tied his life to Aurora's, meaning she can't harm him without killing herself.

As Aurora fights to break their bond, she uncovers hints of a dark power rising in the north and questions about the true nature of her connection to Blake. With her wolf awakening and enemies closing in, she may be the only one who can stop an ancient evil, if she survives long enough to figure out who to trust.

Why you should read this: Wolf shifter fans, this sequel delivers everything you loved about The Wolf King and more with alpha energy, forbidden romance, a love triangle done right, and a captive heroine who's coming into her own power. Lauren Palphreyman has been compared to Outlander with werewolves, and if that doesn't sell you, I don't know what will. The stakes are higher, the romance is steamier, and the political intrigue between wolves and humans is heating up.

Release date: February 10, 2026

Cursed and cut off from her magic, the last surviving member of the disgraced Onyx bloodline infiltrates Nightsbridge Academy on a mission to find the ancient text that can prove her family's innocence and expose the Imperium as liars.

The Academy is a deadly fortress where sorcerers train to fight Horrors and Echoes, and survival isn't guaranteed. She didn't plan for the whispers haunting her dreams or the feelings stirred by two men tied to the institution she's come to destroy. One sees too much and the other is steady and protective. She can't have either, but near them, her curse begins to crack.

Why you should read this: Dark magical academy with a revenge driven heroine, forbidden romance with two compelling love interests, and a curse that's unraveling? Debbie Cassidy delivers all the atmospheric dark academia vibes you crave.

Release date: February 10, 2026

Ivy is a fae assassin with the power of illusion, bound by an enchanted collar that forces her to serve a ruthless king. She plays the obedient pet while secretly plotting his destruction, and her freedom depends on finding one specific artifact.

When a mysterious reaper named Thorne arrives hunting the same weapon, they form a reluctant alliance. He's dangerous, secretive, and ignites something in Ivy she can't afford to feel. But there's a catch because anyone who touches Thorne dies. As secrets unravel between them, their partnership might end in passion, or mutual destruction.

Why you should read this: Enemies to lovers with a "touch her and die" twist where the MMC literally can't be touched without deadly consequences? Yes please. This viral dark romantasy delivers a female assassin plotting against her captor, a shadow daddy love interest, and slow burn tension that will have you turning pages.

Release date: February 12, 2026

King Cethin has barely warmed his throne before new threats emerge in his cursed kingdom. He'll do whatever it takes to protect his people, even if that makes him the villain.

Enter Kailia, who saves the king's life and somehow ends up punished for it (the accidental stabbing a few weeks later probably didn't help). Now she's forced into marriage and onto a throne she never wanted, hiding her own secret agenda. Assigned to guard the new queen is Razik, a dragon shifter with no love for the king and plenty of reasons to uncover what Kailia is really after. The Fates are playing a longer game than any of them realize.

Why you should read this: Forced marriage, a king everyone thinks is a villain, a queen with her own secret agenda, and a dragon shifter guard with a grudge? This book is serving drama on every page. Melissa K. Roehrich's Chaosverse is beloved by dark romantasy readers, and this new duology brings fresh characters while connecting to her wider universe.

Release date: February 13, 2026

In a world where the fae are believed extinct, arena warrior Morana is forced to become bodyguard to the arrogant Prince Adrion of Apollo. She'd rather put a blade to his throat than protect him, but her found family's safety depends on her compliance.

As threats escalate, vampire spies, necromancers, assassination attempts, Morana's suppressed powers awaken. Through her violin, she can command shadows. That magic marks her as the last of her kind, a sworn enemy to the very kingdom she's protecting. She's bled for the prince, maybe even loves him. But if Adrion discovers what she truly is, will he see his protector, or the monster he was raised to destroy?

Why you should read this:This dark fairy tale retelling features a warrior heroine with hidden fae powers, a grumpy sunshine dynamic with an arrogant prince, and a violin that controls shadows. The "sworn enemies by birth but falling in love anyway" tension combined with found family stakes makes this an emotional, action packed read.

Release date: February 17, 2026

Viv Abbot juggles expensive rent, a dead end job, and a boyfriend she only dates to please her mother. She also hunts demons, alone, since her father's murder left her an outsider even among other hunters.

Everything changes when she meets Reid Graveheart, a dangerously attractive reformed demon who tells her about Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. Finally, a place where she belongs. But Viv is hiding a deadly secret, and the academy might hold answers about her father's death. Between strange occurrences plaguing the students, classes to pass, and a demon she definitely shouldn't be falling for, surviving first year is going to be complicated.

Why you should read this: Kate Golden brings us a demon hunting academy romance that's giving Buffy meets dark academia vibes. A heroine hiding secrets, a reformed demon love interest, found family with fellow hunters, and a mystery surrounding her father's death? This has all the ingredients for an addictive new series.

Release date: February 17, 2026

The barrier between worlds is failing, and demons are slipping through. Sorrel, an orphan outcast with mystical abilities, is cursed and tasked with an impossible mission to cross the deadly Badlands, return the Queen's crown, and convince her to save their world.

Knowing she's no hero, Sorrel strikes a deal with Merc, a brooding mercenary, one unforgettable night in exchange for safe passage. But Merc has his own secrets, and as desire ignites between them, danger and betrayal follow at every turn.

Why you should read this: J.R. Ward, the legend behind the Black Dagger Brotherhood, enters the romantasy arena, and she's brought all her signature intensity with her. This slow burn fantasy romance delivers forced proximity, chosen mates, hidden magic, and a dark mercenary hero.

Release date: February 17, 2026

Agnes runs a meticulously organized cat rescue in 1920s Montréal, and now the shelter needs a new home. The only landlord willing to rent to her? Havelock, a cantankerous, eccentric, and not unattractive magician running an illegal magic shop in his basement. Rumor has it his dark magic once nearly caused the apocalypse.

When a glamorous magician from Havelock's past shows up and threatens both the magic shop and the cat shelter, Agnes must team up with the world's most infamous sorcerer to save everything she's built. He's chaos personified, the opposite of everything she thinks she wants, but second chances aren't just for rescue cats.

Why you should read this: From the author of the beloved Emily Wilde series comes a cozy fantasy romance with CATS, MAGIC, and 1920s vibes. Agnes is the type A heroine we need, Havelock is the grumpy mysterious potentially apocalyptic love interest we deserve, and the premise of a cat shelter above an illegal magic shop is pure perfection.

Release date: February 19, 2026

In a holy city where sin and virtue are revealed through touch, Csilla was born without a soul, making her worthless to the Church that raised her. But when murders threaten the city's sacred magic, the Church finds a use for her to assassinate a heretic with angelic blood, and her soulless touch means she won't bear the sin.

The heretic offers a counter deal to help him find the real killer, and he'll grant her a soul. As bodies pile up and Csilla digs deeper into the Church's corruption, she must decide if salvation is worth betraying everything she was raised to believe.

Why you should read this: A soulless assassin, a heretic with angelic blood, a murder mystery within a corrupt religious institution, and magic tied to sin and virtue? This gothic romantasy is dark, atmospheric, and completely compelling.

Release date: February 23, 2026

The final war against the Iceheart Dynasty has begun, and Selena's side is losing. After everything she's endured, the effects of magic are taking a devastating toll, and managing her power while fighting for survival might be impossible.

Her friends are struggling with their own battles, and not everyone will come through unscathed. Tensions explode, loyalties fracture, and hearts break, because in a war of fire and fury, not everyone survives to see peace.

Why you should read this: Series finale alert! Marion Blackwood brings her saga to an epic conclusion with all the high stakes battle scenes, emotional confrontations, and relationship drama you've been waiting for. If you've been following Selena's journey, this is the culmination of everything.

Release date: February 24, 2026

War has engulfed the Enchanted Vale. Rosalina has spent months imprisoned underwater while her three mates search desperately for her. The Summer Realm has fallen to enemies, and there's only one way to reclaim it. The true High Prince of Summer must bond with his fated mate.

Who isn't Rosalina.

She always knew she'd have to give up Dayton eventually, but facing that reality is devastating. They have one last adventure together, fighting in the Sun Colosseum for a weapon only she can wield, while her other mates battle across the realms. Keldarion searches the Below for Rosalina's lost mother. Ezryn escorts young princesses through a deadly desert. And Farron must ally with his worst enemy to confront a dark god threatening the Vale.

Why you should read this: Beasts of the Briar fans, book four is HERE and the emotional stakes have never been higher. The Summer Realm arc we've been building toward is finally happening, complete with gladiator battles, the heartbreaking mate situation with Dayton, and all four princes fighting across different realms. Elizabeth Helen continues to deliver the perfect blend of spice, angst, and epic fantasy adventure.