There are two types of people in the world: those who like to be scared silly, and those who don’t. I am in the latter camp, which can be a little frustrating around spooky season. I like my paranormal books more “spooky and kooky,” not “haunt you with nightmares.” Fortunately for me, the cozy paranormal romance trend is in full swing!
These books feel more like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Halloweentown, or Practical Magic than Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street. They’re full of witches, ghosts, and other paranormal beasties, but they’re not meant to terrify you. Instead, they’re about the bonds of family, the joys (and trials) of living in close-knit communities, and, of course, the ups and downs of romance.
If you, like me, are looking for a magical read as cozy as your favorite sweater or latte, you’ll love these cozy paranormal romance books this Fall!
The Witches of Thistle Grove Series by Lana Harper
For just the right balance between epic thrills and swoon-worthy romance, journey to Thistle Grove, the setting of Lana Harper’s quintet of witchy, mostly queer romances. The magical town is home to four sometimes-competing magical families, descended from the founders who built the town near what may or may not be a goddess’s lake.
The first book, Payback’s a Witch, introduces us to the main players, whose heirs are currently engaged in a once-in-a-generation contest to determine who will serve as magical arbiter. There are the Harlows (studious record-keepers), the Blackmoores (super-skilled, wealthy snobs), the Thorns (gentle healers and plant magicians), and the Avramovs (dark of magic but not of heart). Weaving new characters into each installment, while keeping up with old favorites, it almost has the feeling of a cozy TV series — if you love sprawling casts, you’ll love this series.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Take a cozy, small-town setting, add a dash of magical drama and a light-academia tone, and you’ve got this big-hearted fantasy romance. Mika knows the importance of keeping her magic hidden, and she sticks to it — except for an anonymous online account where she posts “pretend” witchy content.
Instead, that account gets her summoned to a remote house in hopes that she can help three young witches learn to control their magic. She’s quickly caught up in the chaos and mystery of the house, including Jamie, the standoffish and extremely protective librarian of Nowhere House. Their mistrust-to-more romance is just one of the beautifully emotional relationships in the story. It’s a great choice for anyone who likes to feel invested in more than just the central couple. Plus, Mandanna has another book with similar vibes, A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping, releasing next spring!
The Glimmer Falls Series by Sarah Hawley
If Halloweentown were for grown-ups, it would be Glimmer Falls. Cozy and comedic all at once, it puts a lighter and brighter spin on paranormal beasties like demons and vampires. In fact, the most frightening threats to our characters’ growth and HEAs don’t stem from magical goings-on, but rather from something much closer to home: complicated or even toxic family dynamics.
The series begins with A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon, and its delightfully goofy premise (a witch who struggles with her magic accidentally summons a demon instead of flour and is stuck with him until he can collect a soul bargain) sets the stage for the series. Throughout the three books, the main characters spend just as much time learning to free themselves from overbearing family expectations as they do on extricating themselves from magical situations or trying not to fall for someone completely inappropriate. It’s a sweet way of grounding the fantastical genre.
The Graves Glen Series by Erin Sterling
Hexes gone wrong, familial grudges, and a magical town take center stage in this cozy, witch series. We first meet the Penhallow brothers when we meet Rhys in The Ex Hex—the possible target of an accidental spell gone wrong by Vivi, the witch whose heart he broke. Their second-chance romance launches the series and introduces us to a fiercely loyal coven and a town with plenty of old grudges and magical secrets.
Subsequent entries follow Vivi’s cousin Gwyn and Rhys’s brother Wells (The Kiss Curse), and the final book follows the “loner” Penhallow brother, Bowen, and magical merchant Tamsyn (The Wedding WItch). Whether you like second chances, enemies-to-lovers, or opposites-attract, this series offers some of the most beloved romance tropes, all with a lightly magical twist that balances the playful with the eerie.
The Elemental Love Series by Celestine Martin
By the time you’re done with Celestine Martin’s utterly charming series, you’ll wish you lived in Freya Grove, too! The enchanted town is home to all sorts of magical beings and spellcasting hijinks, with a decidedly rom-com sensibility. Take the first installment, Witchful Thinking: it’s an Ella Enchanted-vibes romance where a witch can’t say no to anything – including her merman crush’s request to help with his house.
Later on, we also meet characters like a witch with missing magic, a cursed fae prince, a faltering chef, and an ex-reality star. All of the stories somehow deal with wishes gone wrong — “be careful what you wish for!” as the engine of the plot! Each time, though, the wishes and their resolutions lead to more than just humorous scenes. They’re also powerful tools to reveal these characters’ true selves, desires, and dreams, and to help them find unexpected paths to achieve it all – and that’s something we can all wish for.
Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
When it comes to tourism, the coastal Florida town of Boneyard Key has a leg up on the competition: they’re authentically, historically haunted. Unfortunately for her, Cassie didn’t learn that tidbit of information until after her impulsive purchase of a fixer-upper, desperately trying to get away from a meh career and from a friend group leaving her behind in life. So she’s more than a little shocked to find a) her house is infamously haunted and b) the entire town is actually pretty chill about the paranormal beings that dwell among them.
Cassie winds up leaning on Nick, the grumpy, Luke Danes-esque cafe owner, who advises her on dealing with her supernatural roomie. There’s more than meets the eye to the ghostly presence, though, and the book winds up with a little more intensity than you might expect (in a good way!). It’s a refreshingly different version of the haunted-small-town trope, where the “normal” people are fully aware of the paranormal and it’s just part of life.
Hot Hex Boyfriend by Carly Bloom
Instead of a story where everyone knows about magic, this cozily chaotic story starts very differently. Part of Merriweather family lore is that their family used to have magic, but was cursed generations ago. Delia doesn’t believe in magic—which makes it all the more shocking when she accidentally breaks the (very real) curse and magic comes back! Now, the spotlight is on the Merriweathers, including the attention of Max, their neighbor, and the descendant of the original hexer.
There’s a bit of Charmed meets Gilmore Girls vibes to the story, complete with a witching family, a potential romance with someone “watching” them, and more. The best paranormal stories aren’t just about the magic; they’re about what the magic represents, and this book absolutely captures that. It’s a big-hearted story about family, spreading your wings, and learning just what you’re capable of.
Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi
Being in the kitchen is its own special kind of magic! If you think you’d use magic powers to whip up delicious baked goods with ease, this is the book for you. Dina is a pastry witch, complete with a cafe serving magic-infused (and, obviously, delicious!) pastries to all her loyal customers. Her life isn’t all sweet, though: her love life is cursed, and anyone who falls for her will immediately encounter a horrible string of bad luck.
Enter Scott, a museum curator and best man at a wedding where Dina is maid of honor. Their chemistry is instant, and the growing connection between them is only hindered by Dina’s fears of triggering the curse. It’s warm, cozy, and definitely spicy, with a world full of characters who are willing to lean into their emotions and let their softer sides show. And that, for me, is the best part of cozy romances!
The Witch of Wild Things Series by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
An undercurrent of grief powerfully runs through Raquel Vasquez Gilliland’s otherwise cozy and soft tales of the Flores witches. If you liked Encanto but wished for a version for grown-ups, this is about as close as you’ll get. Generations ago, the family lore goes, a Flores ancestor offended the gods, and now the family is cursed, leaving every Flores woman with a nature-oriented gift that can be hard to control. When we first meet Sage, the heroine of the first Witch of Wild Things, she’s haunted by the past, by her sister, and by the rifts in her family. Her burgeoning attraction to her high school nemesis Tenn should (but doesn’t) fall to the wayside.
With a second book arriving this fall, the series weaves together tough emotions and ancient magic with a touch that never gets too heavy. It touches on the hard parts of life, love, and grief, but it also shows that there’s a path forward. None of us can control the weather or commune with plants, but we know what it’s like to love, yearn, and mourn, and we love to read stories that promise light at the end of the tunnel.
Happy Medium by Sarah Adler
Unusually for a paranormal romance, this charming rom-com doesn’t actually feature a paranormal being (at least not in the usual sense) as one of its leads! The closest thing is Gretchen, a fake medium hired to investigate the strange happenings at a client’s friend’s farm. When she arrives, she doesn’t impress the highly skeptical Charlie — but she does meet Everett, his ghostly ancestor who is positively delighted that someone can finally see him.
The rest of the plot progresses in a romp-y, occasionally unpredictable way. Gretchen has to convince everyone – including herself – that she’s not lying this time, while Charlie is reluctant to let anyone in. Even Everett, initially a voice of comic relief, proves to be a three-dimensional character. It’s hard not to fall in love with everything about this story.
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
Appreciate a good pun? I highly suggest this paranormal-tinged romance about a ghostwriter who finds herself haunted by the apparent ghost of her editor. Florence, the daughter of an eccentric, funeral-home-owning family, has ghostwritten for a prolific romance author for years, but she struggles to meet a deadline after a bad breakup. After clashing with her new editor, Ben, she reluctantly goes to her hometown to regroup… and promptly discovers Ben’s ghost.
There’s a touch of Just Like Heaven in the story (hey, remember when Mark Ruffalo got to be a rom-com leading man? Good times) as Florence tries to help Ben figure out his unfinished business so he can move on. Of course, by the end, she doesn’t want him to! It’s a cozy and quirky story, but also one that can be quite poignant about topics like grief and loss. But never fear: this is a romance, so all will be well in the end – and sometimes, that’s exactly what we need.