Kitchen Witches, Floating Islands, and Enchanted Swords: Romantasy Report for July and August 2026 - Reactor

(Bramble; July 14, 2026) “Dark cottagecore” is a phrase that I didn’t know I wanted til I heard it, in this latest romantasy set in the same world as Lambert’s Never the Roses. Rose and Thorn are rival oneiromancers, or dream sorcerers, each believing up until now that she was the only one of her kind left. But it’s a prince (surprise, surprise) who alerts them to each other’s presence—and fans the flames of competition. Rose of Northbrooke is about to achieve her every dream, from graduating the prestigious academy to the prince asking for her hand; but his attention is drawn to Thorn, an isolated young woman in a remote cottage just dying to be rescued. But as these two young women draw nearer, each is only more convinced that she should be the sole oneiromancer of their generation.

(Hanover Square Press; July 21, 2026) Cozy horror/fantasy, you say? A queer love story with echoes of Beauty and the Beast? Timid clockmaker Arthur Throckmorton gets the adventure he’s only ever dreamed of when a client offers a life-changing sum of money. The only catch is, he must traverse Shiftleaf, the enchanted forest into which his father disappeared long ago. Deep within the woods, Arthur is stunned to meet Ira, the fairy prince from his father’s stories who now more resembles a beast. Torn between helping heal Ira and returning to his family, Arthur ventures into Shiftleaf’s wooded heart, only to risk losing his way home and losing his newfound love.

(The Crimson Crown #2 — Del Rey; August 11, 2026) This queer duology traces the origins of Snow White’s wicked queen through the perspective of Queen Ayleth, who steals control of a kingdom while mourning her lost love (and fellow witch) Jacquetta. When banished Princess Blodwyn returns and invokes Braxos’ Trials in order to regain her rightful throne, Ayleth must confront her betrayals and her fears of her former coven returning to wreak revenge upon her. And as Blodwyn finds herself potentially falling for one of her rivals in the trials, she stumbles upon an ancient curse that could throw a real poison apple into the mix.

(Saga Press; July 7, 2026) Need something to scratch the itch til Practical Magic 2 hits theaters in the fall? Look no further than the kitchens of Foxe Holler, which may not have midnight margaritas (who knows!) but definitely have resourceful kitchen witch Honey Frost. But when her services are demanded by the moody, mysteriously ill Warlock, she must relocate to his isolated farmhouse, with its gorgeous kitchen and dreamy library… and increasingly alluring owner. But before Honey can consider if the way to a Warlock’s heart is through his stomach, she must protect his soul from the forbidding Widow Witch.

(Ace; July 28, 2026) Polar-opposite magical academics forced to share an office? Not only is Linguistics and Incantation Translation professor Maggie Linden forced into close quarters with grumpy alchemist Arthur Taliesen after an accident at his lab unleashes a haunting pall magic all over campus. But worse, Maggie can’t stop daydreaming about the masked stranger she smooched at the Beltane masquerade. If only Arthur would stop taking up so much of her attention. If only she would put that brain of hers to use and see who’s right in front of her… I can already hear myself shouting at these nerds to put two and two together…!

(G.P. Putnam’s Sons; August 11, 2026) Finally, a relatable faerie bargain for our times: with no job and no health insurance to manage her type 1 diabetes, desperate human Maddox Sinclair promises a dryad queen that she’ll kill the Redwood King if it will cure her illness. But she mistakes the Redwood King’s brother, Prince Castor, for her target—and he’s pledged his own unwise vow, to make a mortal fall in love with him by the solstice. It’s giving How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days but with higher stakes and trickier loopholes.

(Witches of West Harbor #2 — Avon; August 11, 2026) Why did no one tell me the author of The Princess Diaries has been writing a contemporary fantasy romance series set in a Gilmore Girls-esque town exploding with witch tourism? The second installment’s couple is therapist Francesca Giovanni and magical psychic Ash Merit; the science-obsessed skeptic and the man whose kisses ignite literal flames. But they’ll have to put their romance on the back burner in order to find the town’s young witches who’ve gone missing, and figure out what other secrets West Harbor might be hiding.

(Atria Books; July 7, 2026) It’s been a minute since I’ve come across something I would describe as sweepingly romantic, but I think Ernshaw’s latest fits the bill. Ever since the death of his wife, widower Clay Lockhart has been literally adrift, in that a magical storm tore his home and land away from the Scottish coast and sent it out to sea. Thirty years later, twelve-year-old Ellie Mills encounters Clay’s floating island from her home in Nova Scotia, only for him to disappear. Twenty years after that, Ellie is stunned to meet Clay again—and find that although she’s in her thirties, he hasn’t aged a day.

(Spellshop #3 — Bramble; July 28, 2026) This standalone, set in the cozy magical world of Durst’s The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse, looks out into the great beyond. Betrayed by love, with her seafaring dreams dashed, Marin instead sails from island to island as a supply runner with her found family crew. On the mainland, she rescues her friend Dax from a revolution, but the only way to ensure his safety is if he pretends to be her boyfriend at the End-of-Harvest Festival back home. Even though it’s not the life Marin imagined, maybe she can still find adventure out on the waves.

(Dearly Beloathed #2 — Ace; July 7, 2026) This slow-burn enemies-to-lovers duology began with The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy, when assassin Osric Mordaunt bribed healer Aurienne Fairhrim into treating his mysterious illness despite each standing for an Order directly opposed to the other. But their monthly healing sessions have drawn them closer, as well as their shared investigation into the deadly Pox sweeping through their realm—especially once they discover that it might have been spread by a third Order that they both oppose.

(The Silk and Iron Trilogy #1 — G.P. Putnam’s Sons; July 14, 2026) Best known for literary novels like Girl in Translation, Kwok turned to romantasy for comfort when her marriage was falling apart. Now, she’s launching a new trilogy inspired by Fourth Wing, but with battle tygers from Chinese mythology. Refugee Rubi Morningtail has no memory of her life before the four rival Dominions, beyond the singing magic she hides like a secret. But when she inexplicably proves herself in the Bonding trials, binding herself to a tyger instead of being slaughtered, she joins Blake Axefire’s team of royal tyger warriors fighting demons and keeping the Dominions safe. But when Rubi begins to unlock the secrets of her past, she must decide whether to trust Blake or destroy him.

(Delacorte Press; August 18, 2026) A year ago, Theora became queen of Aranea when friend was murdered by the neighboring nation; now, the magic-less monarch must enter into negotiations in the hopes of establishing peace between their lands. No fool, Queen Theora makes sure that she has a bodyguard to protect her—but in order to hide that intel from her potential enemies, the prickly Warrior Argos must be her husband. And not just for pretend, but full rites (even if not full consummation). Oh, we are going all in on the temporary-marriage-to-permanent-love arc.

(Swordheart #2 — Bramble; August 25, 2026) I know we’re still finding ways to sort our OTPs into the Locked Tomb’s necromancer/cavalier dichotomy, but I think that T. Kingfisher has given us an equally worthy system: wielder/warrior. In Swordheart, an unmarried heir unwittingly unsheathes a magical sword, revealing its imprisoned warrior to help win her heart. Now, Daggerbound sees disillusioned scholar Edmund unsheath an enchanted relic, only to release the Dervish, a whirlwind of daggers and fierce resentment. Except, the Dervish can’t help but notice that Edmund is sweeter and kinder than his past wielders—that, perhaps, their relationship could be something more.

(William Morrow; August 4, 2026) This fantasy epic transports us back to the Isle of Skye in 200 BCE, as the brilliant, fierce Queen of Shadow meets the violent, misunderstood Hero of Ulster, the Son of the God of Light. Scáthach has trained great warriors, but she has her misgivings about taking Cuchulainn under her wing, knowing that a berserker lurks within him. But as their deepening attraction inspires Cuchulainn to take charge of his fate, he is forced into a quest deep in the Underworld. How fortunate that Scáthach, daughter of the Underworld’s goddess, can pass between realms, but even she will be hard-pressed to trick death itself to save her beloved.

(Harper Voyager; August 18, 2026) Queer necromancer in a lavender marriage with her undead husband attempts the first resurrection in two thousand years in order to save her secret lover after she was hanged for witchcraft. What a fantastic premise, and already I can tell that it’s going to shred my heartstrings with cover copy like necromancy is the art of saying no—no, I won’t let you go; no, I won’t let you be destroyed. I can’t wait to meet Irene Shallcross Haley, her beloved Agnes (who comes back wrong), and her dear platonic partner St. John.

(Del Rey; August 18, 2026) Getting big A Knight’s Tale vibes with this queer cozy fantasy in which ranger Sage finally gets the chance to lead her own adventuring party to find a magical artifact. Sure, it’s a motley crew that includes an aspiring city-girl bard, and it’s to the most inhospitable part of the kingdom—but an adventure is an adventure, right? That’s what Araphi tells herself, as she embarks on her first and last quest before she settles down as a married woman. She has to make it home to the altar, only to discover that her leader is none other than the ranger she’s been thinking about ever since she first saw her. They can be together just for the quest… right?