Reading notes · September 14, 2026

The anatomy of a five-star romantasy

Yearning, danger, a heroine with teeth. The tiny details that turn a good fantasy romance into an all-consuming one.

When I read a book, I either am obsessed or I just don't finish it. Which maybe makes me not the greatest person in the room to be writing a blog about books that I read, since I would probably tell you "I loveeeeed it," after every...single...one... but here we are! And here you are!

As much as I enjoy all the books that I read, there are definitely ones that I would set apart from the rest. These are the ones that are not simply read and put back onto the shelf. These are the books that rearrange all the thoughts in your brain, make all of your to-dos disappear, and take up SPACE. They leave you contemplating, will you ever be able to read something so magical again???

First, the yearning.

I need longinnng, not instant chemistry and intimacy mistaken for "romance" or "love." I need an enemies-to-lovers or a "love" triangle that has me biting my nails and yelling at the page at the main character to stop fooling around! No, Tamlin (A Court of Mist and Fury) is not who is best for you, he is not waking up with you at night and holding your hair back when you vomit - bye!

Next, a world with consequences.

Still give me the beautiful maps with all their landmarks and the most clever magic systems, but these do not mean anything if I cannot feel their depth in the plot. I want the setting to breathe off the page, but I also want it to press back on its characters. Love should complicate responsibilities, power should have consequences. Aelin shattering the glass castle, Aelin returning to Terrasen, or the Thirteen performing the Yielding (Throne of Glass Series).

These are palpable and brutal moments that elevate these stories

Third, multiple storylines.

It is a masterful skill to interweave multiple storylines into an integrated plot, but it makes it all the more enjoyable. Time jumps, side quests, multiple-viewpoints, and experiencing the same scene from another character's perspective are all tools to create an expansive world and invigorating plot. The Ashen Series is one of my favorites because we get perspectives from almost every main character including the villains.

Fourth, pull on the heartstrings.

I do not need to say more on this one. The best books make you giggle, laugh, rage, and snot-cry. This requires relatability and depth in the characters but also

willingness from the author to make sacrifices...

Last, leave us on the cliff... yep i said it.

Leave me desperate for more. I want to feel, and anxiety is my natural state (jk...sorta). But truly, the desire to know what happens next makes the journey to that point so much more enjoyable. Maybe I have just been reading too many incomplete series lately such as the Shield of Sparrows and the Knight and Moth because what do you meannn when you read those endings?!?! My whole world has been turned upside down, topsy-turvy, a reminder in my calendar set immediately for the next edition.