Goodreads Just Revealed the Best Romance and Romantasy Books of 2026 So Far

For Larissa, it came when choosing who to ride home with after a concert. That night, she had no idea she’d met the perfect man. She and Chris are great friends. For the first time amid all her side hustles to scrape by, things finally feel easy. But she didn’t choose Chris to drive her home all those months ago—she went with his best friend, and he became her boyfriend. All Chris wants is for Larissa to be happy. Standing by on the sidelines is slowly killing him, but making a move would destroy someone else.

As the first female team owner in Major League Baseball, Reese Remington has spent her entire life preparing for this role. But the public only sees a woman in a man’s world—not the person who’s earned their place on the field. Under constant scrutiny and pressure to prove herself, Reese can’t afford distractions. Emmett Montgomery is a former All-Star turned coach who treats his players like family and the field like home. After years of running the team his way, the last thing he wants is a new boss, let alone one who seems ice-cold and laser-focused on business. When heated banter turns into sizzling chemistry, professional boundaries blur and the spark between them becomes impossible to resist.

Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. Both passionate, impulsive, and headstrong—they’ve always clashed . . . and come back together. Until now. It’s the eve of Frankie’s wedding weekend, and she doesn’t know where they stand or even if George will show up as her best man.

Then, at the start of the festivities, in walks George. For one glorious evening, surrounded by her loved ones, Frankie’s life is finally perfect. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancé dumps her the next morning, leaving only a note as an explanation. Rather than let her wallow, George convinces Frankie to go on her honeymoon—with him. Frankie agrees, seeing the trip for what it really is: one last chance to repair their friendship.

For centuries, from Korea to Los Angeles, Park women have peered into clients’ past lives to find their one true love. This magical secret is why One & Only Matchmaking has a guarantee…for everyone but Cassia. For ten years, Cass has been searching for her fated, a man named Daniel Nam. But he’s still nowhere to be found. And so, on the eve of her 40th birthday, Cass decides to have a fling with Ellis. He’s 28, indecently handsome, and not destined to be the love of her life. But she’s surprised by their connection and their fling feels like something more—up to the moment he introduces her to his boss, Daniel Nam.

AJ Graves is stuck working in a video rental store, with slim odds of escaping her small town. Then in walks Noah Drew, the heir of the Drew acting dynasty, and her life changes forever. The two forge a deep bond first as friends, then as acting partners—until one day, Noah disappears without a word. Seven years later in New York City, AJ finds herself cast in the same TV production as Noah, by then a well-known Hollywood heartthrob. Unable to stay away from each other, AJ and Noah are forced to confront the truth of what happened years ago—and the devastating secret that will send their lives careening apart, even as fate continues to draw them together.

Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart’s run-ins often end in disaster. While Jackson thrives on routine and organization from the comfort of his radio booth, Delilah loves the spontaneity and adventure out in the field. When they’re partnered against their will to cover a historic snowstorm, they find themselves scrambling to figure out how to work together. Delilah offers Jackson a deal: If he can help her ace this assignment, she’ll help him rediscover his long-lost fun side. But when other feelings start to enter the equation, can Jackson and Delilah withstand the storm?

​Calandra’s five kingdoms are on the verge of destruction. The crux migration is coming. And in the wake of a devastating attack, Odessa Cross has been separated from the man who owns her heart. Hunted by monsters, driven to exhaustion, and kidnapped by a powerful priest, the only thing keeping her going is the little girl counting on her to keep her safe. ​Everyone wants her to be something she’s not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice. But what if she embraces her crown? What if the secrets she uncovers save her realm?

Desperate to save his kingdom from ruin, Kaan’s crown has never felt so heavy. His many larks to scattered friends and family remain unanswered, and time is running out. As allies merge and enemies surge with bloodlusting agendas of their own, secrets brew hot enough to burn, but none so mighty as the truth nesting within the icy depths of Raeve’s long forgotten past.

Against all odds, Meryn Cooper has inherited the crown—and a deadly war. As the Kingdom of Nocturna splinters under the weight of generations of lies, it is up to Meryn, her bonded direwolf Anassa, and their allies to bring the country back from the brink. The one person Meryn can trust is Stark Therion—the dark, dangerous Alpha she thought hated her as much as she loathed him. With enemies closing in and shadows stirring in her dreams, Meryn stands to lose her kingdom—and her heart.

Rune Ryker has nothing left to lose. Everything’s been stolen by the Immortals—her family, her home, her freedom. But she’s done playing by their rules. Each year, humans are forced to journey into the Immortal Realms, but 20-year-old Rune orchestrates her own selection, determined to find her family and destroy anyone who stands in her way. Rune is used to doing whatever it takes to survive, and now she must endure the Forge, a cutthroat college for the Immortal druids’ elusive tarot magic. When Rune’s magic reveals itself to be the rarest and most powerful, she must live with its only other wielder—Prince Draven. As arrogant as he is ruthlessly ambitious, he’s the last person she can trust.

Desperate to save her brother, sculptress Ravenna Maffei enters a competition hosted by Florence’s most feared immortal family, revealing a dark power in a city where magic is forbidden. Ravenna is forced into a dangerous task where failure means certain death at the hands of Saturnino dei Luni, the immortal family’s heir. The Pope’s war against magic is closing in, and Ravenna is no longer just a prisoner but a prize to be claimed. Ravenna must survive the pope’s obsession and the seductive immortal who might be the end of her.

Elegy Ahn is happy with her life as a soldier, defending her small country from the Talusar, a powerful nation that worships a deadly Fever that blesses half of its victims with mysterious gifts. But then she’s summoned to hear a prophecy—her, and the ruthless general, Rava Vidar. They learn that one of them will lead their people to victory over the other…but they don’t know which. And at the center of both of their fates: a man that Elegy is told she will fall in love with. She and Rava are destined to collide, with the fate of their nations hanging in the balance.