My sister just got married to her high school sweetheart, and it was a beautiful, magical day. Seeing their love story reach this milestone reminded me of some of my favorite YA fantasy novels where marriage isn’t always about love at first sight—but love that grows through adventure, magic, and unexpected bonds.
If you love:
Enemies-to-lovers tension Slow-burn romance that keeps you hooked Fantasy worlds filled with magic & intrigue Characters forced together but finding love anyway
…then these 5 must-read YA books are perfect for you!
The Wrath & the Dawn
by Renée Ahdiehon May 12, 2015
ISBN: 9780399171611
Series: The Wrath and the Dawn #1
Format: Hardcover
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Fantasy & Magic, Retelling, Romance, Young Adult Fiction
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A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by Thousand and One Nights. Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi’s wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.
She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.
The Selection
by Kiera Casson April 24, 2012
ISBN: 9780062059956
Format: Audiobook, Hardcover
Genres: Class Differences, Dating & Sex, Dystopian, Family, Futuristic, Girls & Women, Historical Romance, Romance, Royalty, Social Themes
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For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
Serpent & Dove
by Shelby Mahurinon July 27, 2021
ISBN: 9780063158849
Series: Serpent & Dove #1
Format: Hardcover
Genres: Fairy Tales & Folklore, Fantasy, Romance, Witches & Witchcraft, Wizards & Witches, Young Adult Fiction
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Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.
Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.
The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou's most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.
And love makes fools of us all.
The Shadows Between Us
by Tricia Levenselleron February 25, 2020
ISBN: 9781250189974
Format: Hardcover
Genres: Enemies to Lovers, Fantasy, Romance, Romantic Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction
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Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:
1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.
But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?
The Kiss of Deception
by Mary E. Pearsonon July 8, 2014
ISBN: 9780805099232
Series: The Remnant Chronicles #1
Format: Hardcover
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy, Fantasy & Magic, Love & Romance, Royalty, Science Fiction
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Princess Lia is set to marry a prince she’s never met in a political alliance. But instead of accepting her fate, she runs away in search of freedom. Soon after, two strangers arrive in her new home—one is the prince she abandoned, the other an assassin sent to kill her. She doesn’t know which is which, and neither does the reader.
Seeing my sister’s wedding reminded me that love takes many forms—sometimes it’s a lifelong romance like hers, and other times, it’s an unexpected spark that grows from the most unlikely of circumstances. Whether it’s a reluctant princess, a powerful queen, or a scheming witch, these books prove that love can bloom even in the most forced situations.
