Born of Blood and Ash
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Born of Blood and Ash
Jennifer L. Armentrout
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Forbidden Love
Lovers whose relationship is forbidden by law, magic, family, or circumstance, adding danger and tension.
115 books with this trope
Forbidden love is the oldest romance trope in the book and still one of the best. Two people who cannot be together for reasons that matter. Politics, blood feuds, opposing magic, prophecy, war, family. The taboo is the engine. Every choice has consequences, every stolen moment has a cost, and the romance becomes about whether love can survive what the world has decided for them.
The 115 Best Forbidden Love Books
A Court of Wings and Ruin
Sarah J. Maas
Throne of the Fallen
Kerri Maniscalco
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire
Jennifer L. Armentrout
How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories
Holly Black
Royal Assassin
Robin Hobb
Ship of Destiny
Robin Hobb
Kingdom of the Wicked
Kerri Maniscalco
The Kingdom of Copper
S.A. Chakraborty
From Blood and Ash
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Mate
Rebecca Yarros
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
N.K. Jemisin
The Winter of the Witch
Katherine Arden
A Torch Against the Night
Sabaa Tahir
The Song of Achilles
Madeline Miller
The Empress of Salt and Fortune
Nghi Vo
Shadow Kiss
Richelle Mead
The Mad Ship
Robin Hobb
Trial of the Sun Queen
Nisha J. Tuli
Storm of Secrets and Sorrow
Mai Corland
Storm of Secrets and Sorrow
Mai Corland
Glow of the Everflame
Penn Cole
House of Beating Wings
Olivia Wildenstein
House of Beating Wings
Olivia Wildenstein
Ruthless Vows
Rebecca Ross
Heartless Hunter
Kristen Ciccarelli
Legendborn
Tracy Deonn
The Inadequate Heir
Danielle L. Jensen
An Ember in the Ashes
Sabaa Tahir
A Reaper at the Gates
Sabaa Tahir
A Sky Beyond the Storm
Sabaa Tahir
The Iron Flower
Laurie Forest
The Crown of Oaths and Curses
S.M. Gaither
The Crown of Oaths and Curses
S.M. Gaither
Last Sacrifice
Richelle Mead
Lord of Shadows
Cassandra Clare
The Struggle
Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Power
Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Power
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Lady Midnight
Cassandra Clare
Ship of Magic
Robin Hobb
The Tombs of Atuan
Ursula K. Le Guin
Fate of the Sun King
Nisha J. Tuli
Fate of the Sun King
Nisha J. Tuli
A Fire in the Flesh
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Garden of Serpents
C.N. Crawford
Bloodmarked
Tracy Deonn
A Rivalry of Hearts
Tessonja Odette
A Rivalry of Hearts
Tessonja Odette
Songbird of the Sorrows
Braidee Otto
Songbird of the Sorrows
Braidee Otto
The Night Prince
Lauren Palphreyman
A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty
Stacia Stark
A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty
Stacia Stark
The Unbroken
C.L. Clark
A Fate of Wrath and Flame
K.A. Tucker
Bride of the Shadow King
Sylvia Mercedes
The Wrath and the Dawn
Renee Ahdieh
The Songbird and the Heart of Stone
Bridget E. Baker
The Songbird and the Heart of Stone
Bridget E. Baker
A Cage of Crimson
K.F. Breene
A Cage of Crimson
K.F. Breene
Dark Heir
Alex Aster
Dark Heir
Alex Aster
Frostbite
Richelle Mead
Spirit Bound
Richelle Mead
Caraval
Stephanie Garber
Angelfall
Susan Ee
Queen of Air and Darkness
Cassandra Clare
Crown of Midnight
Sarah J. Maas
The City of Brass
S.A. Chakraborty
The Rivaled Crown
Holly Renee
The Rivaled Crown
Holly Renee
Daughter of the Moon Goddess
Sue Lynn Tan
A Court of Serpents and Souls
Elise Kova
A Court of Serpents and Souls
Elise Kova
A Vow in Vengeance
Jaclyn Rodriguez
A Vow in Vengeance
Jaclyn Rodriguez
Promise of Darkness
Bec McMaster
A Curse for True Love
Stephanie Garber
A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows
Holly Renee
Queen of Chaos
Amelia Hutchins
Queen of Chaos
Amelia Hutchins
Red Queen
Victoria Aveyard
Defy the Night
Brigid Kemmerer
A Court of Honey and Ash
Shannon Mayer
Servant of Earth
Sarah Hawley
Girls of Paper and Fire
Natasha Ngan
Girls of Storm and Shadow
Natasha Ngan
A Curse of Blood and Power
Melissa K. Roehrich
A Curse of Blood and Power
Melissa K. Roehrich
Blood Promise
Richelle Mead
World After
Susan Ee
Daughter of the Salt King
A.S. Thornton
We Free the Stars
Hafsah Faizal
City of Thorns
C.N. Crawford
The Raven and the Dove
Kaitlyn Davis
Servant of the Crown
Melissa McShane
Witchmark
C.L. Polk
Stormsong
C.L. Polk
Captive Prince
C.S. Pacat
Girls of Fate and Fury
Natasha Ngan
Hush, Hush
Becca Fitzpatrick
War Storm
Victoria Aveyard
End of Days
Susan Ee
The Wretched Divine
Adalyn Grace
The Wretched Divine
Adalyn Grace
The Jasad Heir
Sara Hashem
The Hundredth Queen
Emily R. King
Ruinous Creatures
Jessi Cole Jackson
Ruinous Creatures
Jessi Cole Jackson
A Touch of Gold
Annie Sullivan
The Excalibur Curse
Kiersten White
Crescendo
Becca Fitzpatrick
Fallen
Lauren Kate
Lightbringer
Claire Legrand
Furyborn
Claire Legrand
A Dawn of Onyx
Kate Golden
The Hurricane Wars
Thea Guanzon
Blood & Honey
Shelby Mahurin
Court of the Undying Seasons
A.M. Strickland
Court of the Undying Seasons
A.M. Strickland
The Foxglove King
Hannah Whitten
The Hemlock Queen
Hannah Whitten
The Wolf and the Woodsman
Ava Reid
The Camelot Betrayal
Kiersten White
Silence
Becca Fitzpatrick
Torment
Lauren Kate
These Twisted Bonds
Lexi Ryan
In a Garden Burning Gold
Rory Power
In an Orchard Grown from Ash
Rory Power
The Guinevere Deception
Kiersten White
An Enchantment of Ravens
Margaret Rogerson
Nocturna
Maya Motayne
Why Forbidden Love Works
Forbidden love works because the obstacle is external and unavoidable. The characters can't just talk it out. Whatever stands between them is bigger than them, which means every advance in the relationship requires real risk. Romeo and Juliet figured this out four hundred years ago and the trope hasn't gotten less effective since.
What to Watch For
The trope falls apart when the forbidden part isn't actually forbidden. If two characters say they can't be together but face no real consequences when they sneak around, the tension is fake. The good books make the cost visible. People die, families fracture, kingdoms break.
Where to Start
ACOTAR for the fae court version. The Cruel Prince for the political enemies version. An Ember in the Ashes for the war-divided version. Daughter of the Moon Goddess for the celestial version. Each handles the trope with different flavours of doomed romance.