12 Hidden Gem No-Spice Romantasy Books

Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.

Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir—otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu—who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien’s great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu’s ghost, she can’t resist. A paid vacation at Armand’s country manor? It’s practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.

But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation—and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she’ll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.

But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself.

The kingdom of Cansere is on the brink of war. Young men are conscripted from their homes, and a royal decree from the queen has made healing the only legal form of craftlock. Nym, a healer and beekeeper, is the sole provider for her family of seven now that her younger brother has been sent to the warfront. But when a letter comes from the queen, summoning Nym to the palace to heal Prince Renn, the kingdom’s ailing shut-in, Nym finds herself making the tumultuous journey from her family’s apiary to the capital city. Nym is determined to fail the queen’s mission and return to her younger siblings as soon as she can.

But escaping the castle’s hold isn’t as easy as failing a simple test. Prince Renn is cold and distant, and his illness is nothing like Nym has ever seen before, nothing she could ever imagine treating. In a moment of connection with Prince Renn, Nym manages to remedy the faintest symptom of his ailment―only to discover that no healer before has made such progress. Forced to become the prince’s official healer and a ward of the castle, and with her only hope of returning to her family hinging on the prince’s recovery, Nym must navigate the castle’s cruel and twisted court and uncover the haunting truth behind Prince Renn’s illness―even as she finds herself irrevocably drawn to him.

To find love is a curse …

Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. Thanks to a poorly worded wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand of the kingdom’s heir. Historically, this has been construed quite literally.

Thus, Arris expects that the day after his marriage and murder, he will wake up as a sentient tree alongside the rest of his predecessors. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love. When Arris’s parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for his hand and heart, a slew of eligible, lovely, and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. Amidst glittering balls in Ozorald caves, strolls through menageries of daydream trees and pearl crocodiles, tea time on glass boats and kisses that leave his head spinning, Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him…or lust for power.

Until he meets Demelza.

As a veritas swan, Demelza’s song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides.

While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one’s life, but find the courage to chase a life worth living.

The moment you see a dragon is usually your last…

Since the dragons emerged–along with the scourge that ravaged our lands and people–there’s only one human city that remains standing: Vingard.

But the hellfire from above is nothing compared to the threat from within. For there is no worse fate than being dragon cursed. Slowly and excruciatingly, you’ll be transformed into a mindless beast who destroys everything–and everyone–you love.

Any of us could be tainted. Any of us could be lying. Any of us could be caught and killed by the authorities.

And I’m terrified that I might be next.

There’s only one other person who might suspect my secret. He’s like my shadow, following me wherever I go. Part protector, part tormentor, fully annoying. Sometimes I think I am just one of the million unfathomable secrets he keeps hidden.

Because Lucan definitely knows something.

And if I’m dragon-cursed, death might be the only mercy I get.

Six hundred years ago, Nightweavers, cursed beings with untamed power, claimed the continents for their own. The ocean was meant to be a safe haven for humanity, including seventeen-year-old Aster Oberon and her pirate family. But after Aster’s brother is killed in an epic battle at sea against Nightweavers, Aster and her family are thrust into a new life on land.

When a handsome Nightweaver named Will offers the Oberons protection and work at his opulent estate, Aster is suspicious. As the arrogant and entitled right hand to the wicked prince, Will is everything that she has been taught to hate. But as he shows empathy and kindness, Aster can’t ignore a blooming attraction. And even more, Will opens her eyes to a new threat. There are monsters worse than Nightweavers, monsters who may be behind her brother’s death.

As Aster hunts the creatures responsible, dark secrets threaten to unravel everything she once believed about her family, herself, and her world.

Filled with elemental magic, forbidden romance, and breathtaking twists, this is a propulsive romantasy about an iron-willed heroine avenging her brother and discovering her destiny—perfect for fans of Powerless and Heartless Hunter.

Essie would do anything for her kingdom…even marry an elf prince she just met that morning.

When a diplomatic meeting goes horribly wrong, Essie, a human princess, finds herself married to the elf prince and warrior Laesornysh. Fitting in to the serene, quiet elf culture might be a little difficult for this talkative princess, but she’s determined to make it work.

With impending war and tenuous alliances, it will be up to Essie to unite her two peoples. And maybe get her hands on elven conditioner while she’s at it.

He’s cursed by treachery. She’s bound by wishes. Together, they’ll find salvation. Or utter devastation…

Caleena has spent her career fighting for recognition in a male-dominated field. So when she’s summoned to Jalam to decipher an ancient language carved into the entrance of King Thalorian’s legendary mines, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. But when an accident brings her face-to-face with a dangerously captivating genie, Caleena begins to question everything she thought she knew.

Ranen used to be a powerful king until his brother cursed him into servitude and bound him to a magic lamp. Revenge is all he craves, and he will stop at nothing to reclaim his stolen kingdom. Even if it means forcing his way into the palace by transforming the spirited archaeologist who freed him into a princess—and potentially a bride.

When Ranen uncovers the true scope of his brother’s plans, he knows his revenge—and his growing feelings for Caleena—will have to wait. They must work together to stop the coming darkness. But can Caleena put her faith in Ranen when it matters most? Or is trust a luxury she simply can’t afford?

There are no chains for criminals on Abashi Island, only endless ice.

Born into prison, Kira has only known the arctic wasteland where the worst criminals are sent to be forgotten—including her mother. When a brutal Imperial Inspector sentences her family to death, she unleashes a forbidden magic that comes with a devastating cost: her sister is cursed, transformed into a monster.

Desperate for a cure, she strikes a deal with Captain Ren, a notorious monster hunter whose icy exterior matches the unforgiving landscape. He’s everything Kira despises—rigid, lawful, dangerous—and unfortunately, necessary for survival.

As the two forge an uneasy alliance, Kira discovers the chilling truth about her imprisonment and that more is at stake than her sister’s soul. Now, Kira must risk treason and master her ancestors’ wayfinding magic before she loses her sister—and the beautiful world she’s only begun to discover.

A king desperate to save his kingdom… in search of a woman doing everything she can to never be found…

Vera
I’m a Black Tulip… feared, hated, and hiding. I masquerade behind the magic of other factions while taking all sorts of jobs to survive, and bounty hunting is one of ‘em. I told myself I’d never take another Class A contract; they’re the worst of the worst. But high risk means high reward, and suddenly, I need money—a lot of it.

Now I’m lost in the forest after arresting a bounty I’m more attracted to than I should be. Even worse, he’s asking questions about the Black Tulips and trying to convince me he’s not the criminal I know he is. But I’m determined to get my pay. How hard can it be to haul one cuffed criminal across a kingdom, stay alive, and keep my secrets and heart to myself?

Ikar
I’ll be the last of the High Kings if I don’t find a Black Tulip to restore lucent magic. But after being killed by kings long ago, the Tulips went into hiding… the last person they’ll want to see is me.

I journey to find one of the elusive women, hoping to convince her I’m not a murderer. But my plans go awry when I’m captured by a captivating, wannabe bounty hunter. Time is running out, the stubborn woman won’t believe anything I say, and she’s cuffed me with magic-blocking cuffs, leaving us nearly defenseless. How will I save my kingdom with her in the way?

She’s the heir to a corrupt empire.
He’s the man coming to burn it all down.

I know my place. I’m a Quartz. Meant to serve. For thirty years, I’ve slaved in the mines, stripping magic to fuel the empire’s precious Capital.

But I refuse to die in the dark.

The emperor’s competition for his daughter’s hand is my one chance. If I can win a place among the nobles, I’ll get close enough to stop the tyranny once and for all.

There’s just one problem: Princess Ysabelle is nothing like I expected. And as the Betrothal Games become real, I’ll have to make a choice.

A choice that could change the world.

Dive into the dystopian fairytale world of Smoke and Glass Slippers, a land of lies and deceit where the lines between heroism and villainy blur, and nothing is as it seems. High-stakes fantasy adventure combined with swoony romance awaits in this clean, enemies to lovers romantasy!

Perfect for fans of The Selection and Red Rising.

She never expected to marry a fae. He never expected what would happen when she did.

Hours before Talia is set to win a fortune at the midsummer races, everything falls to pieces at her feet. The only way to save her family from utter ruin is to accept a snap deal with a mysterious fae and become his bride.

Determined to get to know the distant, grumpy man she married, Talia puts aside her fears and attempts to uphold her wedding vows. But every step she takes toward Rafael, he withdraws. She soon discovers that he is hiding a dark secret, and the truth leaves her reeling. Can a sin so dark and wicked be forgiven?

Cora and Adele were meant to inherit the heavens together, ruling as twin stars. But on the night of their ascension, Adele shatters the bond between them and steals the sky for herself.

In doing so, she unknowingly unleashes an ancient beast her sister had kept hidden in her veins. Once a bloodthirsty king, the creature takes a mortal host as it claws its way back to power.

Cora has fourteen nights to find him among the five mortal courts before he grows strong enough that the stars go dark forever. To do this, she aligns herself with the mortal king her sister once loved—posing as his Fallen Bride—for the duration of the Festival of Fourteen Nights, a season of masks and music honoring the beast’s fall centuries ago. They will search between dances and dinners, in secret passageways and glassy lakes, to find an ancient evil before the skies fall.

This year’s Festival of Fourteen Nights promises to be a ruinously romantic one. We hope you can attend.