Yes, I know… my crazy obsession with fantasy & romance, but I really wanted to recommend these books because they’re personally four of the best works in my opinion <3 There’s more books on my TBR list that I need to read (examples like the popular ‘Shatter Me’ series, etc.) so if you also adore romantasy like me stay tuned for more recs!!!
Don’t worry though! Spoiler: There will be classics reviews coming up as I’m taking literature and I’ll probably make one on ‘realistic fiction’ / more ‘rom-coms’ sooner or later (I also loveeee realistic fiction/middle grade fiction)! If you have any ideas for genres or book recommendations, please do drop them in the comments 👇
(note: I wanted to include ‘The Folk of the Air’ series by Holly Black, ‘Bring Me Their Hearts’ series by Sara Wolf, ‘I Am Not Jessica Chen’ by Ann Liang, and ‘Rogue Heart’ by Axie Oh here, but I’ve written reviews for them/the first books of the series before so- 😔 Definitely check these out though!! 😀 There’s also ‘Six of Crows’ by Leigh Bardugo but I’ll write about it sometime later hehe)
(notex2: caution for minor spoilers)
(notex3: also, please check out the trailer of my book, ‘Fractured Bones’ here! I posted this like 2 days ago hhh but yeah)
──── Caraval (series) ────
by Stephanie Garber
“Every person has the power to change their fate if they are brave enough to fight for what they desire more than anything.“
– Stephanie Garber, ‘Caraval’
Genre: Fantasy | Romance | Young Adult
Age Rating: 13+ (mentions of death, some gore, etc.)
Series: Trilogy (with a novella, ‘Spectacular’)
So, around May/June(ish?) I picked up Legendary by Stephanie Garber at my school’s library (I know, and I DON’T know why there wasn’t Caraval, and from the first page I was HOOKED. The worldbuilding was soo cool (the idea of Fates/ageless or immortal and the Caraval! I didn’t read Caraval to begin with, but from the start the characters were all very interesting (Donatella, Dante, Scarlett, Julian, the Fates, etc.) and I loved each of their relationships! It was actually complicated and filled with twists hehe^^
I especially loved Jacks. He had such an intriguing personality (also if you want to know who he is he’s a Fate, and his power is that he can control people’s emotions, hearts, also inject his thoughts in people’s brains ? this was revealed in OUABH, and his curse is that any girl who kisses him will die except for his ‘true love’, and Tella’s supposed to be his true love (sorry for the spoiler hehe but yeah), but there’s a twist on that so DO READ OUABH), and I actually really enjoyed reading about his relationship with Tella. They were so hilarious together lol (yes, EvaJacks fans, please don’t come at me but I may or may not have shipped them at the start and I was actually kind of sad they didn’t end up together- but yeah, I ship EvaJacks and TellaDante (is that even their ship name? idk but I don’t want to reveal the other name, if you’ve read this you know, either) now ❤️)
I despised Jacks though for what he did to Tella, but he was actually pretty heartbroken-
The tension between Tella and Dante were also so 😌 and I LOVED READING IT. Additionally, having to sacrifice something (a bit of a spoiler here but like that’s pretty vague) in order to truly love another person and the simple idea of it was just like so realistically planned out/written in my opinion?
OH MY GOD Scarlett (who’s Tella’s older sister) and her love interest Julian WERE ALSO SO ADORABLE !! THEY NEED THEIR OWN SERIES AND DEFINITELY CHAOS X LALA <3
Anyway, the Caraval Series were just so original (?) I ADORED the worldbuilding and the characters (here I go again) and everything was just so well-written (yep. Sorry but I’ve grown to known that I, uh, shouldn’t really spoil anything unless it’s a ‘book review’ but like nothing TOO PARTICULAR too so yeah-)
So, if you enjoy a fun Caraval game (I, well, actually haven’t read Caraval yet still…), a mysterious person named Dante, a strong-headed, sassy (?) main character called Donatella, complex relationships and arising secrets, as well as the mysterious ‘Deck of Destiny’ with Fates of different powers and magic, do check this out!!
──── Once Upon A Broken Heart (series) ────
by Stephanie Garber
“She wanted to be someone’s love, not their curse.”
– Stephanie Garber, ‘Once Upon A Broken Heart’
Genre: Fantasy | Romance | Enemies-to-Lovers | Young Adult | Time traveling
Age Rating: 13+ (mentions of blood, gore, vampires, etc.)
Series: Trilogy (with an upcoming novella, ‘The Mirror of Infinite Endings’)
Okay, so, this is the spin-off series of Caraval about Evangeline Fox, the main character who has been head over heels for her first love Luc but then found out that he was marrying and in love with her stepsister, Marisol. She thinks he’s been under some kind of spell and goes to strike a deal/bargain with the Prince of Hearts/otherwise known as one of our Fates, Jacks to stop the wedding but it kind of, uh, goes wrong / not EXACTLY wrong actually but not just the way she intended it to ‘end’ (she’s also really lucky AHH he’s always been her favorite Fate I think and that’s just so cool hehe! Like fictional book boyfriend, and she actually succeeds in opening the door to his church and praying, which is basically how they met ! )
They start working together where Jacks’s bargain is that she has to kiss three people that he wants her to at random times (? sorry if this is a bad explanation) and their relationship is basically full of banter, actions, saving/traveling with one another, and they’re just so cute. Sorry if this is a bit of a spoiler but I was swooning because Jacks was kind of melting haha and kept eating apples every time he saw her like AHHHHH <3 He’s always so sharp and evil and wicked and murders people and finds happiness in inflicting pain on other people but he was melting for our Evangeline 🫶🏻🥹 THEY’RE JUST SO CUTE AHH I WAS SCREAMING AND SWOONING ALL THE TIME THE TENSION WAS CHEF’S KISS. SPOILER BUT HE ALSO CALLS HER ‘LITTLE FOX’ 🥺
He was so heartbroken too (I won’t tell you why and DO NOT search it up guys- I was heartbroken too, but he did something that shows that he genuinely loves her although he believes that their relationship will never work)
Btw I want to murder Apollo & Aurora & Chaos like OMG- (like I said. if you know you know, but I guess we can’t really place the blame on Chaos because he can’t, like, overcome the desire? also yeah, a lot of secrets resurface/the past/etc.)
Anyway *cough cough* THERE WERE SO MANY TWISTS AND I NEARLY ALWAYS CRIED (OKAY SO I CRIED NEAR THE END OF I THINK BOOK 2, TBONA, SO BEWARE, AND I HAD A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TRILOGY AND MY HEART WAS POUNDING SO FAST SO BRACE YOURSELF!!! Sorry if this is another spoiler but don’t worry it’s a HEA (there’s also a novella, ‘The Mirror of Infinite Endings’ coming out on Sep 22/29th/in~ a month but I THINK it’s also a HEA, so excited !! more Chaos x LaLa too I’m sure)
(Now I know I sound like I loved OUABH a lot more, but I just reread the entire trilogy like yesterday so yeah. Personally, I DID actually like OUABH a little bit more than the Caraval series though? I’m always in for a sassy FMC but Evangeline is just so relatable imo and different from all the FMCs in most fantasy novels nowadays, she believes in fairytales and happy ever afters and stuff like that and she’s just so sweet and innocent sometimes, and her personality contrasts Jacks’ because he’s sworn to never fall in love!!
But of course Caraval and OUABH are both awesome, I suppose I don’t really remember Dante that much because I never read Caraval which I should, but do check them out ❤️❤️)
I just really adore Stephanie Garber’s writing, her works are always so poetic and filled with the most amazing quotes (I haven’t read ‘the Alchemy of Secrets’ yet but yeah I love her writing style for Caraval & OUABH) and also purest love (?)
There’s also the mysterious Valory which you’ll learn about later on and the three Stones so do check it out!
──── If You Could See the Sun (duology) ────
by Ann Liang
“Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. Thrice is a pattern.”
– Ann Liang, ‘If You Could See the Sun’
Genre: Magical Realism | Romance | Young Adult | Fantasy
Age Rating: 13+ (other than the scandals the rest is a pretty light read to be honest)
Series: Book 1 (the second book being ‘I Could Give You the Moon’)
This is more of a magical realism than fantasy, but it’s about a Chinese-American girl called Alice Sun who’s always felt invisible in her elite Beijing boarding school (and then actually TURNS invisible). The last time I read it was like a year ago I think but I really enjoyed it (not as much as ‘I Am Not Jessica Chen’ but it’s still an amazing read)
It’s also an enemies to lovers (well, ACADEMIC RIVALS to lovers if we need to specify <3) between Alice Sun and Henry Li! Because after she finds out about her ability to turn invisible for a few minutes (I think) she makes a deal with Henry Li. He builds this app for her, and she uses her ability to find out about other students’ scandals and secrets (because the students who go to her school are all like the children of celebrities and famous people). This is also because of the pressure placed upon Alice as her parents tell her that they can’t pay for her tuition anymore (right I forgot to mention that these students will pay her money in exchange of helping them solve some sort of situation/take videos to blackmail other people with), and through this app and what she sees, Alice starts to realize people aren’t as perfect as they seem, and they always have secrets.
I love Alice and Henry’s banter SOO MUCH (OMG THEY’RE SO ADORABLE TOGETHER AND HENRY’S JUST SO FUNNY LOL 🤣🤣) and hey, I’m always up to a good academic rivals to lovers!! The idea of enemies being forced together (forced proximity) to work together on this project that could definitely get them thrown out of school is also just soo entertaining !! Their relationship also builds over time which is great, and they need to have each other’s backs in the time of need so yeah!!
But personally (like just in my genuine, GENUINE opinion) the scandals these students asked her to help with were a bit… overboard almost? I probably feel this way because I’m not involved in any scandals (LMAO) and I’m not in like the industry or something where celebrities/elites have to deal with several secrets/blackmail, but I just feel like for their age these were kind of mature to be honest? Just my own opinion though^^
Finally, do check out Ann Liang’s other books as well (‘I Hope This Doesn’t Find You’ and its sequel is also great hehe, another enemies/academic rivals-to-lovers where they’re being forced to work together <3 They’re all mostly enemies to lovers I believe and Chinese mythology/Chinese-American stories/magical realism. I love the idea of Chinese culture being incorporated into novels and Ann Liang just gets the writing to flow so smoothly (this is phrased so weirdly I’m sorry 😭)
──── Better Than the Movies (series) ────
by Lynn Painter
“When I brought my eyes back to his, I knew without a doubt that if we were anywhere else—alone—he would kiss me. He swallowed, and my eyes tracked down to his throat before slowly climbing back up by way of his strong chin, nose, and dark-as-night brown eyes.
He raised one eyebrow, an unspoken question, and I realized at that moment that I wanted it. I wanted Wes. Michael had been my endgame, but I couldn’t bring myself to care about that anymore.
I wouldn’t run through a train station for Michael. But I would do it for Wes.
Holy shit.”
– Lynn Painter, ‘Better Than the Movies’
Genre: Rom-Com | Romance | Enemies-to-Lovers | Fake-Dating | Young Adult
Age Rating: 11+ (a pretty light read to be honest!)
Series: 3 books (a book from Wes’s perspective & the sequel)
I’ve seen this in a lot of recommended book videos/other posts/people’s recs, and I finally read this over the summer (perfect summer read it suits the mood perfectlyyy)! It’s actually soo good/worth it as well (if you haven’t read/ever heard of this, it’s not fantasy but instead a rom-com) and I especially lovee Wes and Liz’s relationship. They are just so adorable and they’re always arguing haha <3
So, here’s a general overview: Liz is a hopeless romantic, whereas Wes (who’s an athlete/I think he plays baseball, which is a super important detail in the sequel) is Liz’s annoying neighbor, classmate, and enemy since… elementary school/kindergarten/I think maybe third grade? I forgot what it was exactly but yeah you get the point! They’ve hated each other since FOREVER and are always fighting over parking spots, but things are about to change when Liz’s childhood crush, Michael, comes back, and they go through this ‘fake-dating process’ where everything begins to feel real o_o
They get to know each other more and their bickering assumes, but they finally have something like a love-hate relationship (?) above all they’re helping each other now (I think it was fake-dating Liz/helping her attract Michael’s attraction in exchange of having the parking spot for something for the duration they’re dating ?? I forgot, or maybe longer hhh)
I WAS SWOONING THIS ENTIRE TIME AND I WAS LIKE, ‘Y’ALL JUST KISS ALREADY…’ 😭🙏 the tension is always there, and my heart broke for two of them when it was ‘too late’, but I was SOO HAPPY WHEN THEY GOT TOGETHER !!
Oh yeah if I forgot to mention, Liz is also fond of wearing dresses, but then Wes helps her pick out her clothes which is just so cute haha <3 Their relationship is also written so realistically (I mean, it’s a rom-com and set in their senior year of high school, of course it’s going to be realistic but still! it just felt so genuine if you get what I mean? like high school strained relationships between Liz and her friend, dealing with the loss of a family member, hanging out/parties, etc.)
By the way the sequel, ‘Nothing Better Than The Movies’ is just as good and heartbreaking (it’s about their college life and how they broke up and the secret behind why Wes left and now Liz is fake-dating one of her roommates, but the tension is there QUICKLY and Liz and Wes both can’t move on)
Also ‘Betting On You’ by Lynn Painter is also really fun to read <3 it’s also a fake-dating scheme where the main characters, Bailey and Charlie, met on a plane a year ago and are trying to get over their exes (they’re now working as co-workers in the present and met a few times in the past)! It’s so entertaining haha especially how Charlie teaches Bailey to respond to her ex and like Bailey and Charlie start catching feelings EEEK 🤭
Anyway, that’s all for this blog, and I hope you check the books listed above out!! Happy reading, and have a lovely day/afternoon/light, wherever you are~ .𐙚✨
8/29/26 ♡
Sources
Works Cited
“Caraval Quotes by Stephanie Garber.” Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/45697227-caraval. Accessed 29 August 2026.
Garber, Stephanie. Caraval Boxed Set (Caraval, #1-3). 2019, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43599456-caraval-boxed-set. Accessed 29 August 2026.
Garber, Stephanie. Once Upon a Broken Heart Series Hardcover Boxed Set. 2025, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/81067678-once-upon-a-broken-heart-series-hardcover-boxed-set. Accessed 29 August 2026.
Liang, Ann. “If You Could See the Sun.” Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60099660-if-you-could-see-the-sun. Accessed 29 August 2026.
“If You Could See the Sun Quotes by Ann Liang.” Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/89044509-if-you-could-see-the-sun. Accessed 29 August 2026.
“Once Upon a Broken Heart Quotes by Stephanie Garber.” Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/87627402-once-upon-a-broken-heart. Accessed 29 August 2026.
Painter, Lynn. “Better Than the Movies (Better Than the Movies, #1).” Goodreads, 4 May 2021, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55710822-better-than-the-movies. Accessed 29 August 2026.
“Better Than the Movies Quotes by Lynn Painter.” Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/71767711-better-than-the-movies. Accessed 29 August 2026.
