One thing that brings me so much joy is the insurgence of fae stories. I’ve been devouring Sarah J. Maas books since 2015 and now, with the sudden and intense and well-deserved popularity of ACOTAR, I finally get to satiate my appetite for books based in fae lore. Especially ones with a strong dose of romance and spice.

Not all of these books revolve around fae characters; however, a near majority of them do.

To Carve a Fae Heart
by Tessonia Odette

Every young woman dreams of marrying a king.
Everyone except for me.
Because the king I am to wed has razor sharp fangs and a thirst for blood.

An enemies-to-lovers wrapped in a bow of forced marriage, two tropes that I love but that also raise concerns about myself.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night
by Carissa Broadbent

Human or vampire, the rules of survival are the same: never trust, never yield, and always – always – guard your heart.

A human trapped in a world of vampires, though what’s even more fearsome is the legendary tournament she must compete in to save her own fate.

Daughter of No Worlds
by Carissa Broadbent

Her life for freedom. Her blood for love. Her soul for vengeance.

After abandoning her best friend, she seeks mentorship from a reclusive, mysterious, and powerful magic wielder whose bloody past could be their doom.

Fortuna Sworn
by K. J. Sutton

We were meant to be seductive. We were designed to lure humans in.

There are no more of her kind. She has no family. She hides amongst humans. Until a powerful faerie makes an offer she can’t refuse.

Scarred

by Emily McIntire

She doesn’t belong to him… she belongs to the crown.

Sara didn’t expect the Scarred Prince when she plotted to marry the king and end his line. Nor did she expect to fall for a man she was sent to kill.

An Heir Comes to Rise
by Chloe C. Peñaranda

In a clash of steel, a mortal body may fall. But in a clash of dreams, a powerful heir may rise.

Never draw the attention of the fae. Faythe knew this. But Nik, a royal guard, awakened powers within her frightening to human and fae alike.

Court of Ravens and Ruin
by Eliza Raine

A defiant human woman. A dark fae Prince. Two enemies bound to a marriage that could destroy their world.

A slave with freedom in sight, that is, until she is kidnapped by the fae prince. Announced as his betrothed, she must find another way out.

A Deal with the Elf King
by Elise Kova

The elves come for two things: war and wives. In both cases, they come for death.

Taken from her human village by the treacherous Elf King, Luella learns that the world of wild magic she was taught to fear may be far from what she expected.