7 Magical Romances that will Seduce You this Season

The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
On the surface, Le Cirque des Rêves may appear to be just another circus, where people go to lose themselves in wonder and are mystified by what they see. But simmering beneath is an age-old feud between illusionists caught in a game; and when Celia and Marco are drawn into the contest during childhood, they must battle against one another while resisting the inevitable pull of love.

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1), by Deborah Harkness
This series is magical romance candy. Diana Bishop is just another researcher—or rather, that’’s what she pretends to be. Really, she is a witch being pursued by demons, vampires, and even her own kind, for she is the only one who has been able to access the potential key to their creation. That’s when Matthew, a territorial, dangerous, and too-delicious-looking vampire comes in. He wants what Diana has, but he wants her more.

The Magicians (The Magicians #1), by Lev Grossman
Imagine you could go to Hogwarts…as a grown-up! That’s what this wish-fulfillment series about a guy who realizes he’s not a nobody after all, but a magician, does; it brings your childhood fantasies of magic-casting to life. While the series starts when the characters are in high school, it follows them into early adulthood as they navigate their magical training…and how falling in love complicates it. While not technically a romance novel, the relationship between Quentin and Alice in this series is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking I’ve ever read.

Radiance (Wraith Kings #1), by Grace Draven
This is an indie romance, but the magic in it is so compelling that you have to check it out. The Kai are beasts and the Gauri are humans; but their races must be aligned by marriage, which is where Brishen and Ildiko come in. But despite being forced into a political marriage and their kingdom on the brink of war, they find themselves falling for one another. (If you love hate-to-love romances, put this on your list.)

Lessons After Dark (Englefield #2), by Isabel Cooper
Your boarding school fantasies come to life in this series about a school for gifted (aka magical) children. Olivia Brightmore’s husband is dead, and in Victorian England, that doesn’t leave a woman with much options. She takes a job at Englefield and meets Dr. Gareth St. John—and their connection sparks as much as the magic in this novel.

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1), by Darynda Jones
Darynda Jones is well known for her paranormal romances, such as this one, beginning the series about Charley Davidson, a female grim reaper who may or may not be falling in love with someone very dead. Charlie is a kick-ass heroine with a lot of snark; if you like your romance a little bubbly, this is the choice for you.

Shadowland (Mediator #1-7), by Meg Cabot
A girl who can talk to ghosts has one major problem…she’s in love with one. Okay…this one technically IS a young adult series, but I certainly felt pretty scandalous reading it when I was a teen! (The way Jesse called Suze “querida” still has me swooning.) And the best part is that Meg Cabot wrote an adult novel in this series, so the final book is a full-on romance. Coming back to Suze and Jesse (and even her nemesis, Paul!) was like a school reunion (all the scandalous parts, none of the humiliating ones.) Jesse is gorgeous and amazing as ever.