Books like 'The Empress'
Readers who enjoyed The Empress by Kristin Cast also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy paranormal funny new adult magic forced proximity m-f fake relationship marriage of convenience
-
Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu Vol. 1 by 墨香铜臭, Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù
Born the crown prince of a prosperous kingdom, Xie Lian was renowned for his beauty, strength, and purity. His years of dedicated study and noble deeds allowed him to ascend to godhood. But those who rise may also fall, and fall he does--cast from the heavens and banished to the world below... -
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series. Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore—she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive of encylopaedia of faeries...Categorized as:
magic m-f political-intrigue neurodivergent caretaking forced proximity hurt-comfort fae -
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
It's difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you're a young lady with only half a soul.Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment - a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal...Categorized as:
magic m-f new adult tortured heroine hurt-comfort neurodivergent caretaking poor heroine -
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love, in this heartwarming and enchanting fantasy.Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries... -
-
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
This isn't the kind of fairytale where the princess marries a prince.It's the one where she kills him.Marra never wanted to be a hero.As the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter, she escaped the traditional fate of princesses, to be married away for the sake of an uncaring throne...Categorized as:
magic m-f bodyguard-hero forced proximity height-difference shy heroine fantasy witches -
How I Stole the Princess's White Knight and Turned Him to Villainy: Miracle 5 by A.J. Sherwood
Part 5! Blurb and tags to come... -
A Rake of His Own by A.J. Lancaster
Marius Valstar doesn’t know which is worse: the dead body in his greenhouse or the naked fae prince on his desk.The only rakes of interest to Marius are garden tools. Not fae princes. Certainly not the arrogant, selfish fae prince he has the misfortune to have a history with...Categorized as:
bad boys magic forced proximity alpha male multicultural political-intrigue bodyguard-hero fantasy -
A Man's Skin by Hubert, Zanzim
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsIn Renaissance Italy, Bianca, a young lady from a good family, is of marriage age. Her parents find her a fiancé to their liking: Giovanni, a rich merchant, young and pleasant. The wedding looks set to go smoothly even though Bianca can’t hide her disappointment at having to marry a man she knows nothing about... -
On the Care and Keeping of Orcs by Kass O'Shire
Stealing some horses from a magical fortress should be easy after raising twins and enduring two weeks with the orc that broke her heart.Catrin's half-orc children are going through a difficult... growing phase. But since their orcish father left while she was pregnant, she doesn't know how to help...Categorized as:
magic m-f height-difference multicultural caretaking forced proximity fetish fantasy -
Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher
From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Hemlock & Silver, a dark reimagining of “Snow White” steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kindHealer Anja regularly drinks poison. Not to die, but to save―seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life...Categorized as:
magic m-f bodyguard-hero multicultural forced proximity insta-love political-intrigue fantasy -
The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton
Two rival spies must brave pirates, witches, and fake matrimony to save the Queen.Known as Agent A, Alice is the top operative within the Agency of Undercover Note Takers, a secret government intelligence group that is fortunately better at espionage than at naming itself. From managing deceptive witches to bored aristocratic ladies, nothing is beyond Alice’s capabilities... -
A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonja Odette
Two rival writers.One prestigious publishing contract.A bargain of hearts and seduction. They say never bargain with the fae. They also say don’t get drunk on fae wine. Yet romance author Edwina Danforth has managed a blunder with both on her first visit to the infamous faelands. Now she's trapped in a magic-fueled bet she barely remembers with a man she’d be happier to forget... -
How I Took the King on a Bone-a-Fide Quest of Piracy, Piemu, and Profit: The Complete Works by A.J. Sherwood
You have found a sentient dragon skull. Accepting this quest entails half a dragon’s hoard. Would you like to assemble the dragon? (YES) (no) My boooOOOOOOoooones Must we take the dragon skull on said quest? Sadly, yes.Add Piemu and Pirate sidequests? (YES) (NO) Tan...Categorized as:
magic multicultural political-intrigue bodyguard-hero alpha male bad boys fantasy queer -
Tryggred by the Orc by Finley Fenn
He’s supposed to run… but he wants to be caught. In a world of orcs and men, Eben of Clan Ka-esh is shy, awkward, and desperately lonely. No one notices the sickroom’s quietest scholar, not even when he’s saving lives, or offering up decadent pleasures in Orc Mountain’s darkest depths.Until Tryggr, of Clan Skai. A tall, shameless, laughing orc warrior, who can have anyone he wants..Categorized as:
praise-kink height-difference forced proximity hurt-comfort other-man-woman alpha male fantasy m-m -
-
Sent to a Fantasy World and Now All the Men Want Me: Volume 1 by Jaclyn Osborn
Evan just wants a quiet life where he escapes into books, drinks a ridiculous amount of coffee, and devours every muffin in sight. But then he's transported to another world with magic, sword-wielding knights with big... hearts, and men who find him too adorable to resist.Complicated? Well, that's the understatement of the century.And for Evan, the adventure is only beginning... -
A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty by Stacia Stark
Risk everything for your kingdom… Or be destroyed by it. In a world darkened by deceit, the truth is a light that won’t be dimmed. Even when it illuminates Lorian’s betrayals more starkly than I could ever want to see. They call him the Bloodthirsty Prince. His reign of terror has left a trail of blood across this continent...Categorized as:
new adult magic m-f forced proximity height-difference hurt-comfort political-intrigue alpha male -
Sent To A Fantasy World and Now All the Men Want Me: Volume 2 by Jaclyn Osborn
Life in another world isn't so bad.Evan has found true love, a group of knights who all like pestering him, a cat-boy best friend who loves cake, and even a job. Okay, so maybe there's still the demons in the dark forest to worry about... and the ultra-powerful demon lord. There also may be bandits sweeping through the surrounding lands, headed straight for the kingdom.But that's okay...Categorized as:
insta-love magic height-difference hurt-comfort new adult caretaking multicultural bodyguard-hero -
Destroy by Sandra R. Neeley
Destroy Whispers From the Bayou Book 2 Destroy is beautiful, strong, charismatic and charming. He is also selfish, shallow, petty and jealous — or is he? One misunderstanding centuries ago resulted in his being labeled as not good enough, untrustworthy, self-serving... -
I’m a Villainous Daughter, so I’m going to keep the Last Boss (Manga) Vol. 3 (I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss (Manga) #3) by Anko Yuzu, Sarasa Nagase
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThird volume of an exciting romantic story.Avoid the BAD END! That's the goal of the villainess in this plot-twisting story!! She has been reborn into the world of an otome game as the villainess, Irene... -
The Leviathan's Debt by Merri Bright
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThere’s a price for everything.Forty years ago, Wren was attacked by King Talon the day after their wedding. She fled and was lost at sea…and then found by an ancient being, who saved her with his blood.The price for her life? Someday, the monster will return to claim it.Now, she’s become the mysterious Ankelsang, the Angel of Blood who protects the vulnerable... -
Under the Oak Tree: Volume 1 (The Comic) by Suji Kim, namu
Most fairytales end with a wedding and a happily-ever-after—but this is no fairytale. The first volume of the official webcomic based on the hit webnovel by Suji Kim.When stuttering Lady Maximilian is forced to marry Sir Riftan, a lowborn knight caught in one of her father’s schemes, her stumbling communication and his gruff manner sour their relationship before it can begin...Categorized as:
forced proximity magic alpha male m-f height-difference caretaking political-intrigue shy heroine -
This Is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland
Set near the Scottish border at a rugged castle on the edge of the sea, this is the story of a courageous lord who lost everything he held dear. Of a strong young woman willing to sacrifice everything for happiness. Two lost souls who find in each other a reason to live again, to laugh again, and to love for the first time.. -
Dragon on Top by G.A. Aiken
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsTry a little dragon tenderness. I am Glheanna the Decimator. I am a warrior. A soldier. I know no fear. No pain. No mercy. I do, however, know acute embarrassment! How could I not after getting dumped by a bastard dragon in front of my own troops? So I tuck tail and return to my cave, drowning my sorrows in ale—as is my family’s way... -
The Midsummer Bride by Kati Wilde
A Barbarian Who Must LieWhen a prideful queen comes to his prison cell with an unbelievable proposal of marriage, Warrick of the Dead Lands is quick to accept … but not merely to secure his freedom. Because he recognizes the powerful jewels the queen wears — jewels pilfered from the temple of a goddess, who unleashed her wrath upon a kingdom... -
-
Cave Man Make Baby by Frankie Love
I never intended on time travelling to the Stone Age during my Special Ops mission – but it’s not the first thing in my life to get effed up.To say I didn’t have a happy childhood is an understatement – that’s why I joined the military first chance I got.And to be honest – living alone on the beach isn’t the worst way to live out my days...Categorized as:
m-f alpha male forced proximity insta-love ancient times historical time travel military -
The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller
A young widow restores a dilapidated mansion with the assistance of a charming, eccentric genius, only to find the house is full of dangerous secrets in this effervescent Gilded Age debut novelIt's 1875, and Alva Webster has perfected her stiff upper lip after three years of being pilloried in the presses of two continents over fleeing her abusive husband...Categorized as:
tortured heroine caretaking insta-love m-f neurodivergent height-difference humor victorian -
Pieces of Silver: A Starian Tale Novella by Iris Foxglove
The coronation of King Adrien de Guillory is fast approaching, but there’s one problem: The crown of Staria is missing. Captain Ferrin Leonhart only has a few clues to go by; A young thief caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, rumors of a man in a green cloak, a city guard captain who knows too much… and Silver, the royal tailor and former thief... -
The Guards' Haven by Merri Bright
They're guarding her body. She's guarding her heart.After thirty years of cruel captivity in Verdan, Haven convinces the new, magic-wielding queen of neighboring Rimholt to allow her to open a school for poor children. It’s everything she’d hoped.Except the school is an abandoned brothel.The students are tiny criminal masterminds...Categorized as:
magic insta-love forced proximity shy heroine tortured heroine alpha male bodyguard-hero medieval -
Catch Me by Reese Rivers
How do you survive time travel to 17th century France…while wearing a bathrobe…with nothing but a chap-stick and an iPhone? How do you avoid being burnt at the stake as a witch for possessing that ‘magical’ evil iPhone?Start by being rescued by 4 hot AF men dipped in sexy sauce. Accept that vampires and wolf shifters are real and then make peace with the fact that you can have them all...Categorized as:
m-f insta-love alpha male magic multicultural height-difference forced proximity hurt-comfort -
Wicked Memories by Nina Bangs
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsReturn to the Castle of Dark Dreams, where USA Today bestselling author Nina Bangs lures readers into a world of pleasure, adventure, and revenge… Thorn Mackenzie was a young Viking when he met Sparkle Stardust long ago. She used him and then abandoned him. Over a thousand years later, he has finally found a way to repay her... -
My Demon of Fire by Rosemary A. Johns
When a billionaire demon prince abducts me in a case of mistaken identity, I never expect him to claim me as his mate…The hot-as-hell Shifter Demons are savage. Deadly. Sexy. And on my birthday, they steal my twin.When the arrogant but gorgeous dragon shifter, the Demon of Fire, mistakes me for my twin, who’s his fated mate, he whisks me away into the secret underworld... -
The Wrath of Ashes by Lilo Quie
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAsha is a kind young man, the bastard firstborn of the earl of a once-thriving valley kingdom. As war has torn his country apart, the earldom has grown poorer by the year, and his father meaner. In a land where man loving man is relegated to the dragons and their lands, Asha vows to be celibate, to earn his keep and flee to live a better life anywhere but there...Categorized as:
magic caretaking hurt-comfort political-intrigue alpha male queer shapeshifters paranormal -
Five Gifts for the Blacksmith's Wife by Lyonne Riley
When her village faces a winter of starvation, Sita draws the shortest straw. Now she’s to be given to the orcs across the river in exchange for food and supplies so her family can survive. Given the chance to choose her own husband from among the eligible orc bachelors, she selects Gurrek, the reluctant blacksmith, who clearly doesn’t want her. He’s the safest option...Categorized as:
m-f forced proximity height-difference caretaking poor heroine multicultural fantasy length-medium -
A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon
On the brink of losing her position as a maid and with no prospects to go on, the offer of a place at Rooksgrave Manor—a house of ill and unusual repute—sounds like a perfect fit for a young woman with Esther’s inclinations. Even better, the invitation comes by the hand of the handsome Dr. Underwood, a delicate gentleman with a ferocious alter ego who knows exactly what he wants from Esther...Categorized as:
magic bondage fetish poor heroine praise-kink height-difference caretaking alpha male -
-
The Brush of Black Wings by Grace Draven
During a foray into the woods of Neith, Martise stumbles upon a ruined temple and reawakens not only a power she thought lost, but also something far more malevolent. An ancient darkness, imprisoned in an eternal cage, sees a chance at freedom in a woman once held in bondage... -
Spice & Wolf, Vol. 1 by Isuna Hasekura
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsWith his carthorse as his only companion, the young merchant Kraft Lawrence slowly wends his way through dusty back roads in search of profitable trade. But this monotony screeches to a halt when, one night, he encounters a harvest goddess in the guise of a beautiful young girl.. -
One Night Of Scandal by Teresa Medeiros
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsProper decorum has never come easily to Carlotta Anne Fairleigh --- not even tonight, when the lovely, impetuous miss is finally making her debut. As she waits to make her entrance, she can't help wondering about the darkened house next door, the supposedly abandoned home of Hayden St. Clair, the man society has dubbed the "Murderous Marquess...Categorized as:
marriage of convenience m-f regency historical paranormal fantasy tortured hero humor -
何为贤妻 To Be a Virtuous Wife by Yue Xia Die Ying, 月下蝶影
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA time traveling romance - from the author's description:"As a virtuous wife, does it include tolerating his cousin, enduring his concubines, bearing his mother?If you will not let me live freely, why would I let you live in satisfaction?Did fate let women time-travel so she could learn the three morals and four virtues?Rather than act like a coward and live, it would be better to live in... -
Spellcracker's Honeymoon by Tansy Rayner Roberts
Our honeymooning heroine must unmask a magical murderer. Happily married, Mrs Mnemosyne Seabourne travels to an island of no magic, for a relaxing honeymoon with her new husband Thornbury.But the magic-free Isle of Aster is not what it seems. There's a monster roaming the hills, a royal scandal brewing on the horizon, and (of course!) an impossible, magical murder to be solved... -
악녀의 남주님 3 by Haron Lee, R.su
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratings어느 날, 눈 떠보니 소설 『달의 마음을 녹이는』의 악녀, 유니페 마그놀리아가 되어버렸다. 남주 이시드 루크렌체를 사랑했던 소설 속 유니페는 여주 라엘을 괴롭히다 그녀의 전 남자친구인 카시안에게 죽임을 당할 운명이다.그나마 다행인 건, 원작 시작 한참 전인 마법사 아카데미 입학식 날의 유니페에 빙의했다는 것. 원작과 같은 불행한 결말을 맞고 싶지 않기에, 유니페는 이시드와 라엘을 피해 무사히 아카데미 졸업에 성공한다.하지만 원작 시작 1년 전, 유니페는 그토록 피해 다녔던 이시드와 아주 진하게 엮여버리고 만다. 단순한 해프닝이라고 생각한 유니페와는 달리 하룻밤 관계는 하지 않는다 단호하게 말하는 이시드... -
Enchanting the Ogre's Heart by Lyonne Riley
Norgren the ogre wants nothing more than a mate of his own, and he’s found the perfect one: a beautiful, curvy woman named Tally, who works as an apothecary in the nearby human town. He expects her to be thrilled about the charming, cozy home he’s built for her, but Tally flees in fear instead—shattering Norgren’s heart...Categorized as:
height-difference forced proximity hurt-comfort insta-love alpha male m-f monsters war -
악녀의 남주님 2 by Haron Lee, R.su
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratings어느 날, 눈 떠보니 소설 『달의 마음을 녹이는』의 악녀, 유니페 마그놀리아가 되어버렸다. 남주 이시드 루크렌체를 사랑했던 소설 속 유니페는 여주 라엘을 괴롭히다 그녀의 전 남자친구인 카시안에게 죽임을 당할 운명이다.그나마 다행인 건, 원작 시작 한참 전인 마법사 아카데미 입학식 날의 유니페에 빙의했다는 것. 원작과 같은 불행한 결말을 맞고 싶지 않기에, 유니페는 이시드와 라엘을 피해 무사히 아카데미 졸업에 성공한다.하지만 원작 시작 1년 전, 유니페는 그토록 피해 다녔던 이시드와 아주 진하게 엮여버리고 만다. 단순한 해프닝이라고 생각한 유니페와는 달리 하룻밤 관계는 하지 않는다 단호하게 말하는 이시드... -
The Nanny's Handbook to Magic and Managing Difficult Dukes by Amy Rose Bennett
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMary Poppins meets Bridgerton in a feel-good blend of cozy fantasy magic, historical romance, humor, and Victorian era charm, as a recent graduate of the Parasol Academy for Exceptional Nannies and Governesses finds her supernatural abilities are little help when it comes to falling for the shy, mysterious inventor who happens to be her employer . . -
The Reluctant Queen by M.A. Lakewood, Kayleigh Allery
Welcome to Selwas, where love and magic reign . . . along with a king just trying to do his job.King Ehmet is exhausted. One year into his rule, he’s juggling a scheming great-uncle vying for his crown and an overbearing mother pressuring him to marry... -
-
-
Wild by Jill Barnett
A legendary warrior. A mission to tame the rebellion of the Welsh Borderlands. A wild Welsh beauty. For years Teleri of the Woods, shunned by superstitious villagers, has lived her life in solitude among the creatures of the forest. But when she discovers a man ambushed and left for dead in her woods, she must try to save him with her healing skills... -
Realm of Sin by K.C. Kingmaker
The legends were wrong. King Arthur and his knights were never the good guys...I’m not the first Guinevere in my family line, or even the tenth. I’m just the newest one. I’m not special. Everyone I know has abandoned me, except Grandma Gwenny, who raised me. And now she’s gone, too... -
Dangerous by Amanda Quick
From a magnificent ballroom ablaze with lights to an imposing country house steeped in shadows comes a breathtaking tale of an impetuous miss--and a passion that leads to peril... At five and twenty, Prudence Merryweather knew very well the risks a woman took by visiting a gentleman in the dead of night...Categorized as:
alpha male m-f marriage of convenience neurodivergent bad boys fake relationship insta-love regency -
The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratings*AN INDIE NEXT LIST PICK * A LIBRARY READS PICK *The beloved author of Holes presents his first adult novel, a modern fantasy classic of forbidden love, a crumbling kingdom, and the unexpected magic all around us.Long ago and far away (and somewhere south of France) lies the kingdom of Esquaveta. There, Princess Tullia is in nearly as much peril as her struggling kingdom... -
The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess Vol. 1 by Akiharu Touka
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsKonoha Satou has a dark history, written throughout middle school—a fantasy adventure of love and magic about the Count’s daughter Konoha Magnolia and the knights who love her! But when it looks like that dark history is going to be uncovered by her mother, Konoha panics and dies in a traffic accident! Opening her eyes, she finds that she’s been reincarnated into the world of her own dark...
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.

