When I first began compiling this list I thought that a secret romance was usually forbidden therefore they kept it secret–so basically the same, right? I quickly discovered how wrong I was. Not every forbidden romance is secret and not every secret romance is necessarily forbidden.
A forbidden romance is a relationship in which a third party strongly disapproves or is opposed to. This could be for social, political, cultural or religious reasons.
A secret romance simply means that the couple decides to keep their relationship hidden from someone they would normally tell. Of course their reason could be that the relationship is forbidden but this is not always the case. They could be afraid of judgement, past experiences, fallout etc.
So I have created two lists for you today. One full of sweet and swoony forbidden romances and another list with some sweet and swoony secret romances. (Sweet and swoony meaning clean–YA appropriate reads).
Forbidden Fairytale Romance
Forbidden Fairytales I read & loved:
(Not in order pictured)
The Wolf’s Golden Deception by Alesha Adamson
Stolen magic. Broken trust. Can love save Rafe and Mira from being consumed by the Wolf’s deception? Or is it already too late?
For months, Lord Rafe has been ensnared in a deception that he wishes he’d never fallen for. But what else could he do to protect his family? What started out as something seemingly harmless became achingly complex when he fell in love with Princess Mira. Refusing to see her hurt by his poor choices, he made the painful decision to stay away from her.
Mira still doesn’t understand why the man she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with vanished after the end of the midnight balls. When he finally returns contrite and ready to court her, she wants to forgive him and regain what they once had. But Rafe is accused of a shocking crime and banished just as a tragedy strikes that changes Mira’s life forever. Now they must meet cloaked in secret if they wish to be together.
Pathways by Camille Peters
Eileen has never been interested in love. Ever since her father’s abandonment, she’s vowed to never experience such pain again. But the enchanted forest has different ideas. When the continuously shifting pathways lead her to a mysterious stranger, Eileen finds her promise to fiercely guard her heart increasingly difficult to keep.
Turret by Camille Peters
Princess Gemma has been trapped for years within a magical turret, a fate she deems fitting for a sickly princess with little purpose. The enchanted walls offer security, which she’d do anything to maintain, for though she knows she should want to escape, her prison seems far safer than the outside world. But the magic of the tower has begun to fade, bringing with it not only unpredictable dangers but the very real possibility that soon Gemma will be forced to leave the prison she’s grown to trust.
Forgotten by Camille Peters
Crown Princess Taryn is fully prepared to marry the man her parents have chosen for her in order to save her kingdom from ruin—until she falls for the son of her family’s greatest enemy, Crown Prince Xander. Despite their struggle to be the enemies expected of them, they cannot resist the secret friendship that transforms into a forbidden love. Regardless of their fear of discovery and the obstacles barring their way, they’re determined to find a way to be together, no matter the cost.
Kingdom of Cinders by Deborah Grace White
When you’re hiding forbidden magic, a royal ball is the last place you want to be
Born into a kingdom where power is outlawed, Penny has little reason to love her magic. She barely remembers her mother, and even her father dies unaware of her abilities. Now, magic or not, Penny is powerless to escape the bitter tangle of competition her stepmother has created between her and her stepsisters. And a series of chance encounters with the crown prince only adds to her troubles. The last thing she needs is to attract the notice of the very royals who have turned her existence into a crime.
Ellie and the Prince by J.M. Stengl
Ellie knows better. He’s a dashing prince, sought after by every beautiful lady in sight. She’s an overalls-wearing herder of cinder sprites. No WAY is Omar going to look twice at her!
Working as an employee at the illustrious Faraway Castle resort, eighteen-year-old Ellie is well aware that staff do not mingle with the guests. Period. Which means she has no business thinking about handsome Prince Omar, much less talking to him! For years she has admired him from afar, but a secret crush is the best she can hope for.
The Goblin and the Dancer by Allison Tebo
Grik the goblin spends his days as a janitor cleaning the Metropolitan Dance Hall, drawn to the Elvish world and tired of the darkness of his underground home. He secretly pines for the ballet company’s lead dancer, Rosanna, but his own ugliness and shyness stand in the way of confessing his love.
East by Edith Pattou
Rose has always longed for adventure, so when an enormous white bear appears one evening and makes her a mysterious offer, she accepts. In exchange for health and prosperity for her ailing family, she must live with the white bear in a distant castle. But Rose soon realizes that all isn’t as it seems. As she tries to settle into her new life, she makes a devastating mistake. Now she must choose: return to her safe and loving family or go on a dangerous quest to fix what she has broken—and perhaps lose her heart along the way. A sweeping romantic epic as timeless as any fairy tale and thrilling as only the best fantasy novels can be.
The Princess Companion by Melanie Cellier
Danger and romance await a woodcutter’s daughter in a royal palace.
One dark and stormy night, lost and alone, Alyssa finds herself knocking on the door of a castle. After a lifetime spent in the deep forest, Alyssa has no idea what to expect on the other side.
To Defy a Dream by Mary Mecham
What if Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on purpose?
Princess Aurelia’s kingdom is plagued by the Eternal Slumber, a disease progressively ensnaring the minds of her subjects. After Aurelia wishes for the means to revive her brother, her sinister fairy godmother presents an ominous solution: Aurelia must stab herself with a poisoned spindle.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
At her birth, Ella of Frell receives a foolish fairy’s gift—the “gift” of obedience. Ella must obey any order, whether it’s to hop on one foot for a day and a half, or to chop off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not accept her fate…
Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse forever.
The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson
Sophie has long wished to get away from her stepmother’s jealous anger, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be her chance at freedom—but can she trust another person to keep her safe?
The Healers Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson
Rose has been appointed as a healer’s apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, a rare opportunity for a woodcutter’s daughter like her. While she often feels uneasy at the sight of blood, Rose is determined to prove herself capable. Failure will mean returning home to marry the aging bachelor her mother has chosen for her—a bloated, disgusting merchant who makes Rose feel ill.
Forbidden Fairytales on my TBR:
A Curse of Gold and Beauty by Mary Mecham
What if Rumpelstiltskin and the miller’s daughter fell for each other?
Meg is cursed, bewitched with breath taking beauty at the cost of absolute obedience to her father. Rhys, her best friend, is also cursed. He is able to spin straw into gold, but each pump of the treadle exacts a terrible price. Two souls were never so perfect for each other, but fate seems determined to pull them apart.
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Laurel of Locksley by Mary Mecham
Laurel is slowly falling for her sworn enemy. Doing so may come at the cost of her father’s life… or her own.
Laurel, daughter of Robin Hood, refuses to live in her father’s shadow. But a single life-altering mistake while on a mission for the Merry Men results with Laurel imprisoned by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Too spirited and dangerous for most of the Sheriff’s men to handle, Laurel ends up chained to Baron, a ruggedly handsome bodyguard too wily to be outwitted and too strong to be overpowered.
Song of the Sea by Deborah Grace White
Sometimes the death of your greatest dream is only the beginning…
Princess Estelle has never been happy in her father’s underwater empire, although she’s ready to do her duty—marry at fifteen and pass her three hundred years in service to family and empire. But when she’s finally allowed to ascend to the surface and catches sight of a handsome human prince, a different—and altogether dangerous—dream starts to grow in her heart.
The Itsy Bitsy Liar by Abigail Manning
What if the itsy bitsy spider could only weave a web of lies?
Lacey Arachne has been cursed since she was a child to only speak lies and wants nothing more than to keep it unknown. As a common handmaiden, she’s learned how to navigate her twisted words fairly well. But that all changes when her mistress makes her switch places with her in the prince’s bride competition.
To Shatter a Slipper by Abigail Manning
What if the glass slipper fit the wrong girl?
Kirsi Allerednic was never one to enjoy balls, corsets, or fake smiles. She would much rather chat with the charming servant, Caden, than catch the eye of a prince who is already far more interested in a girl with glass slippers. However, her father insists Kirsi takes every opportunity to elevate her status, even when that opportunity comes in the form of a conveniently sized shoe.
Wilting Captive by Abigail Manning
A duchess, a beast, and a castle full of hungry hostages…
A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
Duchess Mirabel Brantley has spent nearly all her life being sheltered due to her fragile health. With no hope of ever living the life of adventure she dreamed of, Mira agrees to an arranged marriage with the neighboring duke of Dhurin. Their betrothal celebration might have been pleasant if they didn’t already despise each other, but it also might have helped if the entire party wasn’t taken hostage…
The Seven Years Princess by Brittany Fichter
Her kingdom is in ashes.
Her crown is worth even less.
Her betrothed is promised to another.
But this princess is determined to reclaim it all.
On her seventeenth birthday, Princess Maleen’s future couldn’t be brighter. Despite the loss of her parents at a young age and her controlling uncle’s constant paranoia, Maleen is on the cusp of everything she ever dreamed of. Her people adore her. Her coronation is only seven years away. And best of all, her childhood sweetheart, Prince Roburts, has proposed. Their two kingdoms, which have always had an uneasy relationship, will be united in peace for the first time since becoming sovereign nations of their own.
Hidden at Starshine by Leialoha Humperys
She’s hiding a secret. He’s supposed to kill her for it. A union between the two is impossible, so what will happen if they fall in love?
All Sachi wants is to live quietly secluded from the rest of the world. But the threat from her stepfamily forces her to hide as a jeweler in the most crowded place of Starshine Kingdom: the capital. When Sachi’s jewelry catches the attention of Princess Sen, there’s no hiding from the royal family, and especially not the handsome Crown Prince Ryoku. Can Sachi keep her past hidden forever, or will it come back to haunt her?
To Curse a Black Swan by Leialoha Humpherys
What if the black swan was in love with the prince?
Ayane has never admitted her love for her best friend, Prince Bo, until Lady Cordelia moves into town. When Ayane starts working as Cordelia’s maid, Cordelia seems like the sister Ayane never had. But after all Ayane’s secrets are shared, Cordelia turns on her, weaving lies and twisting the truth about Ayane to the rest of the kingdom.
Pippa of Lauramore by Shari L. Tapscott
Thirty Knights. Five Events. One Determined Princess.
In order to avoid a loveless arranged marriage to a man she cannot stand, eighteen-year-old Princess Pippa of Lauramore makes a bold move: she begs her father to hold a marriage tournament.
Reclaiming Ryda by Rachel Rossano
Rydaria lives as a prisoner in a tower library. Captured as a child, her past is a mystery. Maintaining the literary treasures within her care, she studies the world through books that give her a glimpse of the freedom she craves.
A scribe by trade, Crispin has devoted the last three years of his life seeking the lost heir of Avalene. He travels to Worthenave’s famed library in hopes of finding the key. Instead, he discovers a new mystery, a beautiful librarian who is locked in with her books every night.
The Jabberwocky Princess by Cece Louise
He thinks she’s peculiar. She thinks he’s a joke. They’re about to discover that nothing is what it seems.
Kainda is the daughter of a disgraced monster hunter. She longs to use the hunting skills her father taught her, but kitchen maids don’t get to have adventures—especially not a girl everyone thinks is crazy.
The Phoenix Princess by Lichelle Slater
Love at first sight is for other girls.
Fairy tales.
Dreams.
At least, I thought so, until I met Florian. But falling in love with the fairy prince is only one problem. Selina wants my heart. In refusing to give it to her, she banishes me to the Poison Apple Mine to slave away until she can get to Mathias.
The Beast Princess by Lichelle Slater
Do not be deceived by looks alone,
or the truth of your heart has been shone.
Anyone who isn’t royalty isn’t worth a penny. When I wake the dawn after the autumn ball to find everyone in the castle under a spell, and that my beauty is hidden behind the form of a wolf, I am forced to put my fate in a complete stranger. All I wanted was to be rid of the enchantment. Instead, I find myself traipsing about the kingdom alongside a boy I despise.
The Crown Prince by Lichelle Slater
The world I knew was destroyed the day a princess showed me mercy.
Elisa should have killed me for murdering her younger sister, Dahlia. It was her right and my punishment. Justice. Instead, she let me go.
That act of mercy started me down a course I never would have chosen otherwise. Mercy filled me with doubt toward Selina’s motives, and I began to question my orders.
Forbidden Fantasy Romance
Forbidden Fantasy on my TBR:
King Author and Her Knights by K.M. Shea
Long live the King?
When Britt, a modern young woman, is pulled by a magical summons back through time she finds herself smack in the middle of the schemes of the surprisingly young and handsome wizard Merlin. Britt has no interest in the throne, and she definitely doesn’t want to pretend she is the legendary King Arthur, but Merlin has some bad news.
The real Arthur has run off, and the legendary sword in the stone has chosen Britt to take his place.
Hunted by K.M. Shea
Ever feel like you don’t belong? Try being a hunter living with werewolves. I’m the definition of “doesn’t fit in”. I’m not Pack, but I’m not the enemy, either.
I struggle to survive among werewolves who are stronger and faster than me, and are competitive enough to break a bone or two for the sake of “fun.”
Greyson, their alpha, is the worst of them all.
Captives of the Curse by Deborah Grace White
Jonan thought he was ready for anything—he was wrong
With the usurper defeated and Kyona’s throne secure, the responsible course would be to focus on stabilizing the kingdom.
But responsible has never been Jonan’s approach.
Fantasy & Fairytale Secret Romance
Fantasy Secret Romance I’ve read & loved:
The Wolf’s Golden Deception by Alesha Adamson
Stolen magic. Broken trust. Can love save Rafe and Mira from being consumed by the Wolf’s deception? Or is it already too late?
For months, Lord Rafe has been ensnared in a deception that he wishes he’d never fallen for. But what else could he do to protect his family? What started out as something seemingly harmless became achingly complex when he fell in love with Princess Mira. Refusing to see her hurt by his poor choices, he made the painful decision to stay away from her.
Mira still doesn’t understand why the man she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with vanished after the end of the midnight balls. When he finally returns contrite and ready to court her, she wants to forgive him and regain what they once had. But Rafe is accused of a shocking crime and banished just as a tragedy strikes that changes Mira’s life forever. Now they must meet cloaked in secret if they wish to be together.
Forgotten by Camille Peters
Crown Princess Taryn is fully prepared to marry the man her parents have chosen for her in order to save her kingdom from ruin—until she falls for the son of her family’s greatest enemy, Crown Prince Xander. Despite their struggle to be the enemies expected of them, they cannot resist the secret friendship that transforms into a forbidden love. Regardless of their fear of discovery and the obstacles barring their way, they’re determined to find a way to be together, no matter the cost.
Dreamer by Camille Peters
Eden has a secret: she has the ability to see and enter others’ dreams, a most inconvenient power when one is an outcast living in a magic-phobic village and yearning to fit in. When she accidentally exposes her powers, Eden discovers that her uncanny abilities connect her to the Dream World, home to the magical beings responsible for creating dreams, and the first place Eden has felt she truly belongs.
Fantasy Secret Romance on my TBR:
Cinders of Glass by Celeste Baxendell
A traitor in hiding. A prince whose charm is a calculated façade. A conspiracy that can condemn them all.
If there’s only one thing Liora knows about life, it’s this: family is everything. Liora doesn’t mind the drudgery of selling her stepsister’s enchanted matches in the market. Someone has to, and it’s how Liora can provide for them. It’s just not very exciting—until the royal family visits the market and everything goes sideways.
The Siren Princess by Lichelle Slater
Born and raised a pirate in the south seas, I knew a thing or two about loyalty and proving one’s salt. When I returned with a heavy ship’s belly full of treasure, I knew I’d finally proven to my mother I was worthy to be a captain!
Only, the Pirate Queen didn’t see it that way. And who did she choose to give my ship to? Of all people? James “Hook”–or as he now likes to be called, Pan.
Winter Cursed by Nicki Chapelway
Mirror… Mirror…
Elisabeth is cursed. Her kingdom is locked in an eternal winter. And her stepmother Ismena has stolen her throne. When Ismena comes to kill her, Elisabeth is forced to flee to the only place her stepmother cannot reach her.
The Shadow Elf’s Rescuer by Elisa Rae
In a world full of elves, woodwose, gargoyles, and brownies, shadow elves are the most feared. Casimir, brother of the elven king’s spymaster, is constantly reminded of this reputation in his service to his brother and his king. Now, dying slowly at the hands of a crazed magus, he holds no hope of rescue. Who would risk their life for a nightmare like him?
The Tower Princess by Shonna Slayton
A princess in a tower.
A prince hidden at birth.
Together, they’ll tear down walls.
The townspeople call her the Tower Princess, but Gressa’s life is no fairy tale. She’s never understood why she’s been separated from the rest of the kingdom, but now that she’s older the pieces are coming together.
The Midnight Prince by Angie Grigaliunas
A bitter prince. A rejected servant. A revelation that could change everything.
When Prince Kirran of the autumn fey returns home from war, all he wants is food, drink, and sleep. But with his older brothers dead, he’s now the only heir — and he needs a wife. As soon as possible. Which wouldn’t be a problem, except that he’s not over the girl who shattered his heart seven years ago.
The Crownless Prince by Selina R. Gonzalez
A dreamer prince. A princess out of his reach. A second chance to keep their promises.
Four years ago, Prince Marcus was imprisoned in a tower with only his servant-bodyguard for company. His crime? Falling in love with the daughter of his father’s rival.
*Reader recommendations:
Sweet Forbidden Fantasy Romance:
The Awakened Prince by Alora Carter
The Poisoned Prince by Kristin J Dawson
Sweet Secret Fantasy Romance:
To Destroy an Illusion by Kendra E Ardnek
Which ones have you read? Any other sweet & swoony forbidden or secret fantasy or fairytale romances you’ve read and recommend?
I hope you found lots of new books to read and enjoy!
Happy reading!
Alesha Adamson
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Alesha Adamson 