They shouldn't. They know it. Yet, they can't help themselves.
There's something irresistible about a forbidden love. Not despite the obstacles — but precisely because of them. Every touch carries more weight when it's forbidden. Every glance holds more meaning when it's not truly allowed. And every choice they make, knowing they shouldn't, makes the romance more intense than anything that comes easily.
Welcome to forbidden romance — one of the most popular and discussed tropes on BookTok. These are the best books where love is forbidden, tension is unbearable, and the payoff is worth everything.
What exactly is forbidden romance?
Forbidden romance is a trope where two characters develop romantic feelings for each other, but an external force forbids or makes that love impossible.
That prohibitive force can be anything:
- Social class or status — he is a slave, she a princess
- Family enmity — their families hate each other
- Professional boundaries — he is her guard, her boss, her teacher
- Conflicts of loyalty — he is the enemy, her betrothed, her protector
- Magical or divine laws — a curse, a prohibition from the gods
- Identity secret — she doesn't know who he really is, or vice versa
Forbidden romance works so well because it raises the stakes. It's not just about two people falling in love — it's about two people falling in love knowing they shouldn't. And that tension, that battle between feeling and duty, is exactly what BookTok can't get enough of.
The best forbidden romance books
Blood and Ash — Jennifer L. Armentrout
The most-read forbidden romance romantasy on BookTok. Poppy is the Maiden — sacred, untouchable, and reserved for the gods for life. Hawke is her new guard. The rules are clear. The feelings are not.
Jennifer L. Armentrout writes forbidden romance with masterful slow burn — every touch feels heavier than the last because they are all forbidden. The series now has six volumes and is far from over.
Scenario: Sacred character and her guard
Trope-combo: Forbidden romance + slow burn + romantasy
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
A Court of Thorns and Roses — Sarah J. Maas
Feyre is taken to the realm of the fae — a world where humans have no rights. What grows between her and the inhabitants of Prythian should never have existed. ACOTAR is the entry point for forbidden romance in romantasy and the series that defined the genre for many.
Scenario: Mortal and fae
Trope-combo: Forbidden romance + slow burn + romantasy
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
The Cruel Prince — Holly Black
Jude is a mortal in the deadly fae court. Prince Cardan is dangerous, cruel, and fascinating in a way she cannot ignore. The tension between them is forbidden on every level — species, status, and politics make it impossible. Yet, it continues.
Scenario: Mortal and fae prince in a deadly court
Trope-combo: Forbidden romance + enemies to lovers + dark fantasy
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
Twisted Games — Ana Huang
A princess and her bodyguard. The rules are clear: professional, distant, never. But Rhys and Bridget have been confined together for months — and the growing feelings cannot be ignored by rules they didn't make.
Scenario: Princess and her bodyguard
Trope-combo: Forbidden romance + forced proximity + royals
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Twisted Love — Ana Huang
Alex Volkov has one unwavering rule: his best friend's sister is off-limits. Ava Chen is optimistic, warm, and exactly the person he's tried to avoid his entire life. Brother's best friend is the most popular variant of forbidden romance in contemporary settings.
Scenario: Brother's best friend
Trope-combo: Forbidden romance + grumpy sunshine + slow burn
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
The Love Hypothesis — Ali Hazelwood
A PhD student and a professor. Formally forbidden — he has power over her academic future and university rules are clear. Ali Hazelwood combines forbidden romance with grumpy sunshine and STEM humor in a way that has captivated BookTok for years.
Scenario: Student and professor
Trope-combo: Forbidden romance + grumpy sunshine + academia
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
💕 Let yourself be surprised with a forbidden romance
Our Blind Date Book (Romance or Fantasy) is perfect for readers who love forbidden thrills.
→ Order a Blind Date Book
Forbidden romance in romantasy
Romantasy and forbidden romance are almost inextricably linked. The magical setting heightens the stakes — a forbidden love in a fantasy world has consequences that go beyond social disapproval.
King of Wrath — Ana Huang
An arranged marriage where both parties want something different. The forbidden romance isn't in the relationship itself but in the real feelings that grow behind a façade of professionalism.
Scenario: Arranged marriage with real feelings
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
A Court of Silver Flames — Sarah J. Maas
Nesta Archeron and Cassian — two characters who have been sparking for books but stay at a distance for good reasons. The spiciest part of the ACOTAR series and the most direct forbidden romance arc in the series.
Scenario: Two characters whose union has consequences for all of Prythian
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
We Hunt the Flame — Hafsah Faizal
A huntress who hides her identity and a prince who would rather see her die — until he understands who she really is. Forbidden romance in a world inspired by Arabian mythology.
Scenario: Enemies whose union is politically dangerous
Spice level: 🌶️
Forbidden romance in historical settings
Outlander — Diana Gabaldon
One of the most widely read historical forbidden romances ever — a twentieth-century woman who finds herself in eighteenth-century Scotland and connects with a man from another time. The time-travel variant of forbidden romance.
Pride and Prejudice — Jane Austen
The classic of all social forbidden romance. Class, expectations, and family pride stand between Darcy and Elizabeth. Austen's novel is the template for a genre that has never stopped.
Why forbidden romance is so addictive
There's a psychological reason why forbidden romance is consistently the most discussed trope on BookTok. It's about the reactance effect: if something is forbidden, we want it more. As readers, we feel that impulse — every time a character resists their feelings, we feel that resistance as tension in our own chests.
And then there's the emotional stakes. Forbidden romance demands choices. At some point, the characters have to decide: do they follow the rules or do they follow their hearts? That choice — and its consequences — is what makes the best forbidden romance stories unforgettable.
Which forbidden romance suits you?
| Your preference | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Romantasy, spicy | Blood and Ash — Jennifer L. Armentrout |
| Romantasy, fae courts | A Court of Thorns and Roses — Sarah J. Maas |
| Dark fantasy, dangerous | The Cruel Prince — Holly Black |
| Contemporary, academia | The Love Hypothesis — Ali Hazelwood |
| Contemporary, royals | Twisted Games — Ana Huang |
| Historical | Outlander — Diana Gabaldon |
| Want to be surprised | Blind Date Book (Romance or Fantasy) |
Complete your forbidden romance reading set
💕 The perfect forbidden romance reading set:
✔ Fantasy bookmark — for the romantasy variants
✔ Spicy bookmark — for the spicier forbidden romances
✔ Romance bookmark — for contemporary forbidden romance
✔ Blind Date Book (Romance or Fantasy) — let yourself be surprised with a forbidden love story
✔ Book Review Notepad — record when you knew it was inevitable
✔ Reading Log (€1.99) — keep track of which forbidden romance books you've read
✔ Glass Can — for the drink you need with every impossible choice
🚚 We ship worldwide
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Happy reading — sometimes the best things are forbidden! 💕📚
Frequently asked questions about forbidden romance
What is forbidden romance?
Forbidden romance is a trope where two characters fall in love while external circumstances forbid or make their love impossible — social class, family feuds, professional boundaries, magical laws, or conflicts of loyalty.
Which forbidden romance book is best to start with?
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and Twisted Love by Ana Huang are the most recommended entry points for forbidden romance on BookTok.
Is forbidden romance the same as enemies to lovers?
Not necessarily. Forbidden romance revolves around an external force that forbids love. Enemies to lovers revolves around a hostile dynamic that turns into love. However, the two very often combine — many forbidden romance stories start with hostile or tense dynamics.
Are there forbidden romance books without spice?
Yes. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black and We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal are popular forbidden romance variants with little to no explicit scenes. The tension lies in the emotional and political layers, not the heat.
Which forbidden romance books are most popular on BookTok?
Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout, the ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, and Twisted Games by Ana Huang are the most cited forbidden romance titles on BookTok in 2026.
Where can I buy forbidden romance accessories in the Netherlands?
At DopaminePrintsVibe you will find fantasy bookmarks, spicy bookmarks, and Blind Date Books — especially for the BookTok community.