Witch romance books are truly having a moment, and I, for one, am thrilled. Some of the stories that are most at the core of romance translate well to witchy settings and themes. For example, romances are often about someone coming into their power and realizing they are worthy of love and capable of loving. That’s witchcraft right there. Another core story is a character being recognized and loved for the trait that made them an outcast to broader society. Again, witches often are forced into the fringes because their power is a source of fear. If you love found family, join a coven, or read about one.
Ultimately, falling in love is a magical experience, and who brings magic into the world? Witches, that’s who. Let’s fall in love with one today. Here’s a fun mix of witch romance books that’ll entrance you with love spells in no time.
Adult Witch Romance Books
Moonstruck by Lauren Dane
If the idea of a town full of witches and werewolves sounds like your ideal destination, head to Diablo Lake. Moonstruck, the first in this series, features witch Katie Grady’s homecoming. She fled town after a humiliating breakup. Upon her return, she’s imbued with more power than ever, making her a tempting ally to both of the rival werewolf clans in the small Tennessee town. Check it out if explosive chemistry between a witch and an alpha wolf as well as an investigation into matriarchal and patriarchal power structures sounds like your thing.
Black Witch Magic by Mila Nicks
The premise of this romance is utterly charming. Aiden, a paranormal investigator, arrives in Brimrock hoping to uncover the story of an evil witch from generations past. He happens to meet Selene, said evil witch’s granddaughter. Selene is secretly also a witch, but she’s not evil, just cursed. This romance takes place during the holidays in a quaint New England town, plus it has a mystery element. So if you’ve been looking for that Christmas cozy mystery that has romance and a touch of Halloween? Mila Nicks brewed that up just for you.
Lars by Aleksandr Voinov
Lars is the first book in the Witches of London series, following our titular character, a young pagan devoted to the gods of Norse mythology. He joins a group of witches, following various pagan practices, and in them finds the community he’s been craving. He also meets Rhys, a man whose health is failing and whose house is falling down around him. Lars and Rhys share a connection that steadily grows into something more. It’s a tender exploration of witchcraft, philosophy, and romance.
What the Hex by Alexis Daria (July 1)
Apologies that this forthcoming book is only available as an Audible Original at the moment, but I’m simply too excited about it not to share. (It may become in print down the road.) It’s about a bruja returning to her island home for a wedding only to discover a demon has everyone under a spell. She needs to team up with her childhood rival to break the spell, and this is romance so you know where that’s going. Given Alexis Daria’s track record, this audiobook is sure to be fun, heartfelt, and deliciously soapy.
The Chocolate Kiss by Laura Florand
Romance and food go together like peanut butter and chocolate. Add witches to that and it’s a true trifecta. Laura Florand teaches college classes about French gastronomy, so you know this book about Parisian witches who brew chocolate is going to be absolutely divine. Magalie Chaudron is suspicious of the new pastry shop set to compete with the one she and her aunts run. Naturally, the competitor shop is run by the alluring Phillipe, whose creations seem to have a magic of their own. This story has that You’ve Got Mail vibe, one of the real blueprints for rivals-to-lovers.
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
Are we always banging the drum here on Book Riot about Talia Hibbert? Yes, but only because she’s so incredibly good at what she does. Take a Hint, Dani Brown is my personal favorite in the dynamite Brown sisters trilogy, in large part because workaholic academic Dani Brown is a practicing witch. She asks the universe to give her a friends-with-benefits, and the universe provides. The trouble is that the ex-rugby player she meets, Zaf, is ultimately destined to become her true love. You can’t question the universe when it knows what’s good for you.
Widdershins by Jordan L. Hawk
Witchcraft is in the air in Widdershins, Massachusetts. Its founders escaped the Salem Witch Trials. Now it hosts the Ladysmith Museum where scholar Percival Endicott Whyborne works. Griffin Flaherty approaches him about translating a mysterious book, and if you guessed that book is full of spells, congratulations. This witch romance book takes on Lovecraftian cosmic horror themes as Whyborne and Griffin team up to defeat the powerful cult threatening Widdershins. If it pulls you in, it’s also the first in a long series.
Xeni by Rebekah Weatherspoon
What makes witch romance books so great is the great diversity of settings and ways people practice their craft. Xeni is a Black bisexual witch who practices energy work. Her witchcraft is not the biggest aspect of the plot, which involves Xeni falling into a marriage of convenience to a plus-sized bisexual Scotsman, but it’s a character detail that adds richness to this sweet story. Weatherspoon’s M/F romances always promise a lovable, complex woman and a man dying to adore her, and they are always a treat.
The Calyx Charm by May Peterson (July 13)
The third book in the Sacred Dark series introduces us to Violetta Benedetti, a trans woman who is a witch and also is in love with her best friend Tibario. Tibario was dead, but has been brought back. He’s immortal now, and his mother is trying to use his powers to take down the rival Benedetti house. The stakes are high, but the romance is very tender. The world of the Sacred Dark, boasting dragons, immortal spirits, and opera magic may be fantastical, but two friends secretly pining for each other is as real as it gets. This series brings incredibly rich world building and lush prose that truly stands out in fantasy romance.
Young Adult Witch Romance Books
A brief caveat: YA romance can be a little frustrating for readers of adult romances used to genre standards. Whereas adult romance series typically feature a different romantic pairing per book, YA series often track a single romantic arc for the duration of a series. This means that if you’re not cliffhanger-tolerant, you may find yourself unhappy after only one book. Moreover, YA can sometimes have more ambiguous endings, more along the lines of a “happy for now” than a “happily ever after.” (It makes sense; the characters are young!) And the romance often isn’t as prominent as other plot arcs. Despite the murky waters you’re staring into, there are plenty of witch romance books within YA.
Sorcery & Cecelia: Or, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede
This book is the cult fave of YA witch romances. Set in an alternate Regency Era England where magic abounds, the book is an epistolary novel, trading letters that track the exploits of two cousins. With a city mouse and a country mouse each getting embroiled in magical misadventures, there’s a lot to appreciate, in particular sparkly and witty dialogue. Because the book follows two women, they are paired with two suitors for double the romance. Although it is the first in a series, this book is a satisfying romantic read all on its own.
Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova
The first in the Brooklyn Brujas series, this novel follows Alex, a powerful witch known as an encantrix, except she doesn’t want that power at all. A spell cast to rid herself of her powers causes her family to vanish. Her quest to rescue them brings her to Los Lagos, a strange and wondrous in-between land. Along the way she gets herself embroiled in a bit of a bisexual love triangle. With sapphic romance, a loving depiction of a tight-knit family, and intriguing world building, this book is a vibrant feast for readers of witch romance books.
The Lost Coast by A. R. Capetta
My favorite romances are ones that show love in many forms. Of course I love romantic love, but I love love in general. Families, friends, communities, nature, self: give me all the love! The Lost Coast is the tale of a group of queer teenage witches, the Grays. Their leader has gone missing, but newcomer Danny brings new magic that rounds out the group and might help bring their missing member back. It’s a dreamy book that gives Danny what she needs — romance, friendship, and self-acceptance.
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Yadriel is a trans boy who needs to show his family that he’s a brujo and not a bruja. Despite his family denying him his initiation rite, he summons a spirit on his own. That spirit is Julian Diaz, the school’s bad boy, who has unfinished business requiring Yadriel’s help. The result is a charming blend of magic, mystery, and romance. As much as the novel deals with intense topics like transphobia and grief, the tenderness and love suffusing the novel ultimately make it an uplifting read.
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
Forbidden love. That’s the good stuff! Marriage of (in)convenience? YES. Enemies to lovers? You know you love it! Ok, now how about a world where witches are burned at the stake, and a young witch named Louise becomes bound by marriage to Reid, a sworn witch hunter? Now that’s what I call drama. This book kicks off a trilogy whose conclusion is forthcoming, meaning Lou and Reid’s fate is up in the air at the moment. So if you’re only interested in truly happy endings, check the reviews for Gods & Monsters upon its release July 27, 2021.
Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker
Witch romance books come in graphic novel form, too. This whimsical comic pairs teenage witches and werewolves in a New England town. Nova, a Chinese American witch who is hard of hearing, has to team up with Tam, a Chinese American nonbinary werewolf, in order to defeat a menacing demon. Mooncakes has a great cast of characters, adorable art, and wholesome vibes all around. It’s got a soft romance you will want to pick up again and again so you can revisit with these precious sweeties.
The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon
The Witch King is the first in a planned duology, so again, the ultimate fate of the romance lies in the future. But if you’re looking for a fresh and funny witch fantasy, look no further. Angry trans witch Wyatt and his betrothed, a sweet and charming faerie prince named Emyr, must marry before Emyr loses his throne. This means Wyatt has to choose between protecting his freedom and protecting his people. Along with a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance, the found family dynamics and the commitment to taking down systems of oppression are major selling points.
Spellhacker by M.K. England
Plenty of witch romance books involve small New England towns, but books like Spellhacker put a very new and futuristic twist on witchcraft. In Spellhacker, magic is a natural resource called maz. Maz is worked by spellweavers with natural ability or tech witches using equipment to direct their magic. Diz and her friends are planning their last heist siphoning maz, but find themselves caught up in a larger conspiracy. The will-they-won’t-they energy between Diz and her nonbinary spellweaver friend Remi will positively tie you up in knots.
I hope that’s enough witch romance books to keep you enchanted for the near future. If you need more, check out witch comics, witchy YA, and broader lists of must-read books about witches. Spell ya later!
إرسال تعليق
0 تعليقات