Here Are 19 Cozy Fantasy Books For You To Curl Up With This Fall
Cozy fantasy books feel like a warm hug. Personally, I feel they are the perfect choice if you're in the mood for a fantasy book but not in the mood for difficult-to-understand worldbuilding. Think Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones! The fall season is a great time to pick up one of these books and read them in one sitting.
1.Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
Why you should read it: This is a Regency fantasy romance that will surely bring a smile to your face. Half a Soul has intrigue, comedy, and lots of pining. The story starts with Dora, our protagonist, who has lost half of her soul. From a very young age, she has lived with only half a soul, which has created specific problems for her, especially in society. Because of this, she hasn't had any marriage proposals. When her aunt takes her to London for the season, she unexpectedly meets the court magician, Elias Wilder. He might be someone who can help her retrieve her missing soul.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.
2.The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Why you should read it: There is no better book to read during the fall than The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. This is THE book for this season. It not only gives you magic and wonder, but it also provides beautiful writing and a story that will make you both cry and laugh at the same time. It's that feel-good fantasy book you need in your life!
In this novel, Mika Moon has been living a very lonely life. She was taught that, in order to stay alive, she must stay hidden and not have any relationships outside the witches she meets every three months. But when one unexpected message arrives for her, asking for her help in teaching three young witches how to control their magic...it's clear that she feels a bit intrigued. And so, her journey to Nowhere House begins.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.
3.Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle
Why you should read it: Hogle returns with a chaotic holiday romance that will make you smile. Just Like Magic tells the story of Bettie Hughes, a broke influencer who convinces the world to believe she still has money. The truth is that she is currently living in a dead woman's house, waiting for her annual family holiday reunion — but she cannot go empty-handed. Good thing that she accidentally summons a charming Holiday Spirit who is ready to make Bettie's dreams come true.
After reading Just Like Magic, I can assure every single person that whatever Sarah Hogle writes, I'll be reading it.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.
4.The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
Why you should read it: Zombieland meets romantic comedies — The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is wild, hilarious, and full of life. Do you want to have the best time reading a book? Choose this one. It follows Hart, a marshal tasked to kill these zombie-like creatures, and Mercy, an undertaker. Their relationship is not easy; they've disliked each other since their first meeting, and their enmity won't ever change. That is until Mercy receives an anonymous letter. The letter isn't even addressed to her directly. It only says it's "From a Friend," making her question who could have sent this. This fantastic You've Got Mail fantasy romance novel is perfect for fans of the genre.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.
5.Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin
Why you should read it: Who doesn't love small towns that contain magical creatures? This is a rhetorical question. I know everyone loves them! Witchful Thinking brings these two things to the table in such a fantastic, cozy way you won't be able to stop reading. The story starts with Lucinda Caraway, who happens to be a witch living in Freya Grove, a magical seaside town where charms and hexes exist aplenty. But even though Lucinda loves living there, she can't help but wish for more. Until one night, after a spell turns wrong, Lucinda...isn't able to say no anymore.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.
6.A Ghost in Shining Armor by Therese Beharrie
Why you should read it: Therese Beharrie keeps blessing us with her cozy fantasy romance books. A Ghost in Shining Armor is a new release, but you can also read And They Lived Happily Ever After, a story about a writer whose dreams magically appear written in her bestselling novels. Through A Ghost in Shining Armor, Beharrie expands her magical universe. You get to know more about how it functions and the different magical beings who live among the characters, like Gemma Daniels, who has been able to see ghosts for a long time. She likes to help them settle their unfinished businesses...until one ghost decides to help her.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.
7.The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
Why you should read it: Oh, you want another ghost romance? Say less. The Dead Romantics is Poston's debut adult romance novel, and you're going to want to read it. How does a romance between a human and a ghost work, you may ask? Well, you'll have to read to find out, of course!
In Poston's book, Florence Day is a ghostwriter for one of the most famous romance authors out there. But after a horrible breakup, she doesn't believe in love anymore. Not even her handsome new editor can change her mind. When she receives an unexpected phone call, she must pack her bags and return home for the first time in a decade. While going through the motions, she finds a ghost standing at the funeral parlor's front door...and it's there when she realizes her new editor is dead.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.
8.The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
Why you should read it: If you're craving a Regency fantasy rom-com, nothing can fit better than the Dangerous Damsels series. You should start with The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, the first book, and go from there because believe me...you'll want to read them all. (The third book doesn't release until April 2023!)
Imagine Pirates of the Caribbean (2003) with Pride and Prejudice, and you'll get The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. Cecilia Bassingwaite is a prim and proper Victorian lady — but she's also a thief. Her dream is to be part of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, but the ladies there don't think she's ready yet. Everything changes when the Wisteria Society is kidnapped by pirates and Cecilia has to go and save them herself. Maybe the cute pirate who wants to kill her will decide to help her out.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.
9.Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Why you should read it: This slice-of-life cozy fantasy novel has everything you've been searching for. Following your dreams is always important, which is why Viv decides to leave her warrior life behind and open up a coffee shop. But swapping careers is a difficult challenge. Legend and Lattes is a book that shows us that it's hard to start something new when you've only done one thing your entire life — but maybe it's worth it.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound.
10.Good Neighbors by Stephanie Burgis
Why you should read it: This is a cozy paranormal Regency romance that will pull at your heartstrings! Good Neighbors follows a grumpy inventor and her annoyingly handsome neighbor. Mia knows that she cannot allow anyone to find out about her powers. After her neighbors burned down her workshop, she has chosen to live a solitary life. But her infuriating new neighbor, necromancer Leander Fabian, persuades Mia into an alliance. In the midst of midnight balls and necromantic duels, you'll get to see Mia and Leander fall in love.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound.
11.That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming
Why you should read it: What I love about the cozy fantasy genre is that most of the books are very light and not angsty. Some can have heavy themes, but you'll find out that most cozy fantasies are a warm day in the spring kind of books. That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf will provide laughter and swoons from the very first page.
Lemming has created a fantasy world that has charm and instant magnetism. In this second novel, Brie accidentally throws a drink (mixed with a love potion!) at a werewolf, making him fall head over heels in love with her.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.
12.The Charmed List by Julie Abe
Why you should read it: A magical road trip with your former best friend leads to a summer to always remember in The Charmed List. After spending most of her high school as a quiet, shy girl, Ellie Kobata is determined to have a life-changing summer. And it cannot be a life-changing summer without a bucket list, am I right? Ellie has her Anti-Wallflower List, listing 13 items she wants to check off. But everything goes wrong when her former best friend Jack Yasuda tags along on a road trip to a magical convention.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.
13.The Tea Dragon Society by K. O'Neill
Why you should read it: With beautiful art and an intriguing storyline, The Tea Dragon Society is an easily charming read. The story follows Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, and all the people she meets while trying to care for a tea dragon. If you're in between novels and want to read something light and adorable, O'Neill's work is a good choice. But I'm going to warn you that, when you finish reading, you'll want to have a tea dragon of your own. They're literally the cutest thing to ever exist.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound.
14.Garlic and the Witch by Bree Paulsen
Why you should read it: I wanted to mix it up a bit and give you a middle-grade graphic novel that also fits within the cozy fantasy genre. Garlic and the Witch is a stand-alone companion to Garlic and the Vampire that has all the friendship, magic, and cozy cute vibes. Reunite with Garlic once again in this entertaining adventure where she'll have to prepare for a nerve-racking journey to find an ingredient at the Magic Market.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound.
15.Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell
Why you should read it: A cottagecore fantasy romance?! Sign me up. Bakewell's novel is about a girl whose powers tend to be powerful and out of control. When she causes poisonous flowers to bloom from her father's chest, the only way to heal him is to learn how to control her magic. And the only person who can help her do exactly that is her former best friend, Xander, who is not the same shy, sweet person he once was. Flowerheart is for the fans of Howl's Moving Castle who also happen to love plants.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.
16.Into the Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth Meyer
Why you should read it: Joanna Ruth Meyer's fantasy books will enchant you with their fairy-tale vibes, soft monstrous characters, and engaging writing. I chose to highlight Into the Heartless Wood because the plot is so intriguing to me personally. It follows an astronomer's son who has always longed for the stars and the tree-siren who has dreamed of more from her monstrous life. Their meeting is written by the stars, but will this forbidden romance bloom? You'll just have to read for yourself to find out.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.
17.The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Why you should read it: Now that we are entering the last two seasons of the year, I feel like it's a good moment to talk about The Bear and the Nightingale. Following the fairy-tale theme from the previous title, this book is for fans of alluring folktales and lyrical prose.
Vasilisa has grown up at the edge of a village where winter never ends, but she doesn't mind if it means spending the winter nights with her siblings. Everything changes when her father brings home a new wife.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound. You can also try the audiobook version through Libro.fm.
18.Romantic Killer by Wataru Momose
Why you should read it: We love manga here too! Romantic Killer is a witty shonen manga that features a heroine who has no interest in romance. Well, unfortunately for her, she gets a surprise visit from a magical creature who transports her into a dating game! And if you know dating games, you know that the main goal is to fall in love, which is definitely not what Anzu Hoshino wants.
The manga is getting a Netflix adaptation, which is set to release on October 27.
Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore via Indiebound.
19.Bewitched by You by Kendra Mase
Why you should read it: For Practical Magic (1998) fans, Bewitched by You has the witchy vibes you've been craving in a romance book. Set in a small college town, this book follows Luella Pierce, who doesn't have life figured out. At least, not like her friends do. Even her archenemies, Barnett University’s star football player, has plans already mapped out for his future. What does a witch have to do? Procrastinate by planning the biggest and most fantastic Samhain celebration Barnett University has ever seen.
Get it from Amazon.
