Dragon My Heart Around: 8 of the Best New Cozy Fantasy Romance Books

Readers who eagerly awaited the follow-up to Mandanna’s debut, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, were delighted by this book that arrived in the summer of 2025. Sera Swan was exiled from the world of magic for some light necromancy. But she longs to regain her magic, and Luke Larsen, a historian staying at the inn where Sera works, may be able to help. Their slow burn romance is full of whimsy, and there’s a cast of quirky characters you’ll love.

If you’re looking for a witchy sapphic YA cozy fantasy, here you go! Sage is trying to keep her family’s apothecary afloat, and then her nana hires Ximena, Sage’s first crush. These ex-best friends are thrown back together to solve the mystery of who broke into their shop and stole some potent tonics. This book is fun and comforting, and its fresh setting imagines a contemporary world with magic.

I’m all in on cozy fantasy romance that is also steamy! This story pairs a magical jewelry maker and a hot purple half-giant. Elikki, our jewelry maker, is on the run after an unpleasant encounter with a creepy customer, and Barra, the half-giant, is there to protect her. They end up in some sticky situations, including the legendary “just one horse” scenario. If you love a cinnamon roll man, you will be charmed by this heartwarming story.

Here’s a historical fantasy with a Mary Poppins twist. Emmeline is widowed and looking for a job so she can support her incarcerated father. Naturally, she graduated from the Parasol Academy for Exceptional Nannies and Governesses and then accidentally teleported to the rooftop of Xavier Mason, Duke of St. Lawrence. Turns out he’s got three squirrelly little wards that could use looking after while he tries to perfect his clock design for Westminster Palace.

There’s a whole genre of fanfiction in which characters from a beloved property exist in an alternative universe, where they interact at a coffeeshop for some reason. This YA novel takes that idea and runs with it. Brenda shows up at Kat’s family’s coffeeshop in search of an internet connection and finds a love connection instead. The trouble is that Brenda and Kat come from different universes that somehow collided at the coffeeshop. Now they have to figure out how they can be together and what caused their collision in the first place. It’s sweet and sapphic, with characters you’ll love and impressive worldbuilding.

This book has a little cat-dragon, and that might be all you need to know. Certainty (yes, that’s her name) is trying to earn the status of mage, so she’s accepted an assignment. She and Mage Aurelia are setting up a warehouse in a boring little village to house magical objects. Along the way, they come to see what they might be able to do to improve the village, and of course, they fall for each other. This one is so funny and wholesome.

The tagline on the book reads “Two heroes. One brain cell.” Juniper is our himbo character, who has volunteered for a quest to kill a monster. His totally platonic roommate, Mo, is the more capable of the two, so he can’t really let Juniper go it alone. The two have been pining for each other forever, and this quest of theirs finally forces them to confront their feelings. It’s also one of those monster stories where you have to reconsider who really is the monster after all.

In Glenmere, magical wards keep the land safe, and two people must maintain that magic. Since Meira’s parents died, she’s been doing it alone. And it’s tearing her apart. After a dramatic incident, the village council demands she find a partner, so she blurts out that she’s being courted by a forest fae named Calder. And he goes along with it! I love such an inventive use of the fake dating trope. This one’s also a slow burn, but it’s steamy.