Wow, that cliffhanger at the end of Primal of Blood and Bone was intense. It left us on the edge of our seats and honestly… it felt heavy. After a book hits that hard, I need something that feels emotionally safe. Completed series only. I cannot risk another cliffhanger when I’m still recovering from one that dramatic.
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So here’s what I reach for next. I added how many books are in each series so you can choose how much you want to commit to. Sometimes a quick duology is all you need to reset. Other times it feels better to disappear into a whole new world for a while, like Kingdom of Lies or Throne of Glass.
And here’s the thing about my ratings. I’m a romance reader first. I want the romance front and center with the fantasy supporting it. If you read the same way, you’ll probably line up with my ratings. If you’re more fantasy-driven and the romance is just a bonus for you, we might not agree every time. That’s totally okay.
Books I’ve Personally Read & Recommend
Duologies (short & satisfying)
These Hollow Vows — Lexi Ryan
Length: 2 books
My Series Rating: 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
Spice: 🌞🌞
Tropes: Fae courts, love triangle, bargains, found family
Summary: A girl determined to save her sister steps into a fae world filled with traps disguised as temptations. Every alliance feels risky, and every moment with the mysterious figure who challenges her resolve crackles with tension she did not expect. The danger rises fast, pulling her into choices that test both her heart and her loyalty.
Start here: These Hollow Vows
My Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this series. It’s easily one of my favorites, and I could not get enough of the characters or the world. The love triangle grabbed me right away, and there were moments that genuinely surprised me in the best way. I flew through these books and didn’t want to come up for air.
Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment) — Rebecca Ross
Length: 2 books
My Series Rating: 🌸🌸🌸
Spice: 🌞
Tropes: Rivals to lovers, anonymous letters, wartime journalism
Summary: Two young writers caught in a brewing war begin sharing anonymous letters that become the one bright thread in an unraveling world. Their connection deepens long before they learn each other’s names, and every page carries the quiet ache of hope in a time that keeps trying to take it away. The romance unfolds with a tenderness that feels hard won and deeply earned.
Start here: Divine Rivals
My Thoughts:
This series was cute. Nothing spectacular, but nothing I disliked either. It felt lighter to me, even with a few real stakes on the line. The love story is sweet and predictable in that comforting way, just not the kind of romance that grabbed me by the throat. I liked it, but it didn’t pull me in deeply.
Trilogies (a weekend-to-week-long escape)
Kingdom of the Wicked — Kerri Maniscalco
Length: 3 books
My Series Rating: 🌸🌸🌸🌸½
Spice: 🌞🌞🌞
Tropes: Demon princes, bargains, murder mystery, enemies-to-lovers
Summary: A determined heroine searching for the truth is drawn toward a dangerous presence who tests every boundary she sets. Their tension simmers beneath every exchange, pulling her deeper into a world of temptation, riddles, and consequences that keep tightening around her. As the mystery grows darker, so does the pull between them, making every choice feel thrillingly high stakes.
Start here: Kingdom of the Wicked
My Thoughts:
Omg I loved this series. I honestly can’t get enough of this world, the characters, or the romance. The banter is everything, and the whole seven-deadly-sins premise just hits in the best way. The spin-off standalones add even more to love, and I was obsessed from start to finish.
Caraval — Stephanie Garber
Length: 3 books (plus novella)
My Series Rating: 🌸🌸🌸🌸
Spice: 🌞
Tropes: Sisters, magical competition, riddles, romantic tension
Summary: A girl steps into a once-a-year game where illusion and reality twist together, and every clue pulls her closer to a magnetic figure she cannot fully trust. The world around her feels enchanted and dangerous in equal measure, turning each revelation into a new temptation. The deeper she goes, the more the game seems to know her heart—and how to test it.
Start here: Caraval
My Thoughts:
Such a cute series, and I definitely enjoyed it. It kept getting better with each book for me. I usually hate when a series switches main characters, and this one does, but by the end it made sense and I actually loved the choice.
Once Upon a Broken Heart — Stephanie Garber
Length: 3 books
My Series Rating: 🌸🌸🌸½
Spice: 🌞
Tropes: Trickster anti-hero, fate vs. choice, cursed kisses
Summary: A hopeful romantic makes a bargain with a charming, unpredictable figure whose promises feel both irresistible and dangerous. Every encounter pulls her deeper into a world where magic, desire, and destiny blur together in ways she never saw coming. The story dances between wonder and heartbreak, drawing her into a connection that feels fated but never safe.
Start here: Once Upon a Broken Heart
My Thoughts:
This series is a spinoff from Caraval, and I definitely enjoyed it. It’s cute, but it also felt like it carried heavier stakes than the original series. I did miss some of the main Caraval characters, but even with that, I still enjoyed this trilogy a lot.
The War of Lost Hearts — Carissa Broadbent
Length: 3 books
My Series Rating: 🌸🌸🌸½
Spice: 🌞🌞
Tropes: Mage heroine, grumpy ally, found family, rebellion
Summary: A woman who has survived every kind of loss steps into a fight far bigger than herself and finds an unexpected pull toward someone who matches her fire. Their bond builds slowly in the quiet moments between battles, growing stronger even as danger closes in on all sides. The story blends aching vulnerability with fierce determination, making the romance hit even harder.
Start here: Daughter of No Worlds
My Thoughts:
I definitely enjoyed this series. The love story was sweet, and I liked watching it grow. It just wasn’t anything mind-blowing or unforgettable for me. The stakes are high and the world is interesting, but nothing ever fully gripped me past “this is good.”
Shadow and Bone (Grishaverse) — Leigh Bardugo
Length: 3 books
My Series Rating: 🌸🌸
Spice: 🌞
Tropes: Chosen one, dangerous mentor, found power
Summary: A young woman discovers a power that thrusts her into a world filled with ambition, secrets, and a magnetic figure who challenges everything she thought she knew. The pull she feels is as unsettling as it is compelling, drawing her closer to truths that change the course of her life. Every step forces her to question what she wants, what she fears, and who she can trust.
Start here: Shadow and Bone
My Thoughts:
This one was pretty meh for me. It leaned way too heavy on the fantasy and didn’t give me the romance I need front and center. The love story felt secondary, so I never connected with it the way I hoped. I still added it to this list because there are a lot of readers who absolutely love this series. If you’re more of a fantasy-first reader and the romance doesn’t have to drive the book for you, this might be the one you end up loving.
4-Book Series (a deeper retreat without becoming a life commitment)
Kingdom of Lies — Stacia Stark
Length: 4 books
My Series Rating: 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
Spice: 🌞🌞🌞
Tropes: Hidden magic, reluctant queen, morally gray love interest
Summary: A sharp-witted heroine finds herself bound to a man whose power and loyalty feel as dangerous as the lies ruling their kingdom. Their chemistry simmers through every twist, pulling her deeper into a web of prophecy, betrayal, and desire she never saw coming. The farther she goes, the harder it becomes to tell whether he is her greatest threat or the one person willing to burn the world for her.
Start here: A Court This Cruel & Lovely
My Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this series. It was an easy 5-star for me. The banter was perfect, the MMC completely stole my heart, and the love story felt truly epic. They’re honestly one of my favorite couples, and I could not put these books down.
Stars & Shadows — Holly Renee
Length: 4 books
My Series Rating: 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
Spice: 🌞🌞🌞
Tropes: Marked heroine, enemies-to-lovers, destiny, found family, forbidden romance
Summary: A girl marked by ancient magic is forced into the path of a powerful protector whose every warning feels like a challenge she refuses to lose. Their tension sparks from the start, growing hotter as secrets unravel and fate tightens around them. Each step draws them closer to a destiny that demands both sacrifice and a connection neither of them is ready to name.
Start here: A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows
My Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this series. The romantic stakes were amazing, and the connection between the couple had me hooked from the start. I’m a sucker for forbidden romance, and this one hit it out of the park for me. The chemistry was on fire, the world was addictive, and the stakes were exactly what I wanted. I devoured it.
Long & Completed
Throne of Glass — Sarah J. Maas
Length: 7+ books (completed)
My Series Rating: 🌸🌸🌸🌸½
Spice: 🌞🌞
Tropes: Assassin heroine, enemies-to-lovers, found family, destiny
Summary: A deadly young assassin is pulled from captivity and thrust into a world of court intrigue, unexpected allies, and a magnetic figure who challenges her in ways she never anticipated. Every victory reveals deeper secrets, drawing her toward a destiny far bigger than survival alone. The tension, danger, and slow-burning connection that follows keep tightening until both her heart and her future hang in the balance.
Start here: Throne of Glass
My Thoughts:
I loved this series. These characters stayed with me long after I finished, more than most others ever do. The FMC is incredible, and the twists with the MMC were some of my favorites. There are surprises everywhere. The world is huge and rich, but the love story still stays front and center, even with the wild fantasy stakes. If you want to get lost in a world for a while and never quite know what’s coming next, this is the series for you.
One tip: read The Assassin’s Blade first. They’re short stories, not the actual start of the series. If you wait, you’ll be too invested in the main plot to go back. I ended up skimming AB because I just wanted to keep reading. Starting with it gives the whole journey more weight.
Bonus: On My TBR (But Not Yet Read)
Bonus: On My TBR (But Not Yet Read)
These are completed series I haven’t read yet but consistently hear amazing things about—and they fit the lighter, romantasy-forward vibe.
Dance of Thieves — Mary E. Pearson (Duology)
Spice: 🌞
Tropes: Enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, heist-y politics
Summary: A talented thief crosses paths with a young ruler who is just as stubborn as he is protective of his crumbling kingdom. Their rivalry turns sharp and compelling as danger forces them together, and every moment between them balances on the edge of trust and betrayal. The tension grows with every step, pulling them into a bond neither of them planned for.
Start here: Dance of Thieves
Sacred Stones — Kate Golden (Trilogy)
Spice: 🌞🌞
Tropes: Morally gray king, enemies-to-allies, forbidden magic
Summary: A young woman is thrust into the hands of a ruler whose power is as unsettling as the pull she feels toward him. Their uneasy alliance sparks with danger and desire as ancient magic awakens around them. Every choice deepens the tension between fear and fascination. The result is a romance as addictive as the world threatening to consume them.
Start here: A Dawn of Onyx
The Wrath & the Dawn — Renée Ahdieh (Duology)
Spice: 🌞🌞
Tropes: Enemies-to-lovers, marriage of convenience, deadly curse
Summary: A young woman enters a marriage shrouded in danger, determined to uncover the truth behind a ruler feared by all. Their unexpected connection grows in stolen glances and quiet moments that challenge everything she believed about him. Each revelation pulls her deeper into a story of longing, sacrifice, and a love she never meant to find.
Start here: The Wrath & the Dawn
Want More? 📚
-Blood and Ash Series Recap
-Flesh and Fire Series Recap: Everything to Know Before The Primal of Blood and Bone
-The Primal of Blood and Bone Recap & Review
-From Blood and Ash Universe Reading Order + Guide
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