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Forbidden love romance books

They really, really should not. Which is exactly why it is so good. 26 books so far, including From Blood and Ash, Outlander and Twilight.

Spice

  1. From Blood and Ash

    Jennifer L. Armentrout · Book 1 of 6 in Blood and Ash

    Spice 3/5 · Steamy

    A sheltered Maiden, her very flirty guard and one of the most talked-about twists in romantasy.

    • Secret identity
    • Forbidden love
    • Touch her and die
  2. Outlander

    Diana Gabaldon · Book 1 of 10 in Outlander

    Spice 4/5 · Spicy

    A WWII nurse falls through standing stones into 1743 Scotland and is forced to marry Jamie Fraser. Big, epic, steamy.

    • Marriage of convenience
    • Forbidden love
    • Virgin hero
  3. Twilight

    Stephenie Meyer · Book 1 of 4 in The Twilight Saga

    Spice 1/5 · Sweet

    The vampire romance that started it all. Still the blueprint, still a little unhinged, still undefeated.

    • Forbidden love
    • Possessive MMC
    • Vampires
  4. Verity

    Colleen Hoover

    Spice 4/5 · Spicy

    A thriller, not a romance, but it is spicy and everyone asks. A ghostwriter finds an unhinged manuscript. That ending.

    • Forbidden love
    • Gothic
  5. A Discovery of Witches

    Deborah Harkness · Book 1 in All Souls

    Spice 2/5 · Simmer

    A historian witch finds a cursed manuscript and attracts a very old, very possessive vampire scientist.

    • Forbidden love
    • Possessive MMC
    • Vampires
  6. A Touch of Darkness

    Scarlett St. Clair · Book 1 in Hades x Persephone Saga

    Spice 4/5 · Spicy

    Persephone is a journalist, Hades runs a nightclub, and they make a very bad bargain. Modern Greek myth with plenty of spice.

    • Retelling
    • Forbidden love
    • Rivals to lovers
  7. Birthday Girl

    Penelope Douglas

    Spice 4/5 · Spicy

    She moves in with her boyfriend's dad. It goes how you think. Age-gap forbidden fruit.

    • Age gap
    • Forbidden love
    • Forced proximity
  8. Credence

    Penelope Douglas

    Spice 5/5 · Scorching

    Mountain isolation, three men and a taboo setup. Very much a check-the-warnings read.

    • Forced proximity
    • Age gap
    • Forbidden love
  9. Mile High

    Liz Tomforde · Book 1 of 5 in Windy City

    Spice 4/5 · Spicy

    A cocky hockey defenceman and the flight attendant on his team's charter plane. Fraternizing is very against the rules.

    • Workplace romance
    • Forbidden love
    • He falls first
  10. Neon Gods

    Katee Robert · Book 1 in Dark Olympus

    Spice 5/5 · Scorching

    Modern Hades and Persephone in a city run by the Thirteen. Very kinky, very fast.

    • Retelling
    • Forbidden love
    • Morally grey MMC
  11. Powerless

    Lauren Roberts · Book 1 of 3 in The Powerless Trilogy

    Spice 1/5 · Sweet

    An Ordinary thief hides among the Elites in a deadly royal competition, opposite the prince trained to hunt her kind.

    • Enemies to lovers
    • Deadly trials
    • Secret identity
  12. Praise

    Sara Cate · Book 1 in Salacious Players' Club

    Spice 5/5 · Scorching

    Her best friend's dad runs a sex club and offers to teach her. Praise kink, front and centre.

    • Age gap
    • Forbidden love
    • BDSM / dom-sub
  13. Reminders of Him

    Colleen Hoover

    Spice 3/5 · Steamy

    A woman out of prison tries to reunite with the daughter she has never met and falls for one of the few people still on her side.

    • Forbidden love
    • Hurt / comfort
    • Small town
  14. The Sweetest Oblivion

    Danielle Lori · Book 1 in Made

    Spice 4/5 · Spicy

    He is engaged to her sister. She is the good girl he cannot stop looking at. Old-school mafia romance perfection.

    • Forbidden love
    • Morally grey MMC
    • Grumpy hero
  15. An Enchantment of Ravens

    Margaret Rogerson

    Spice 1/5 · Sweet

    A human portrait painter accidentally insults a fae prince with one brushstroke. A pretty, short standalone.

    • Forbidden love
    • Road trip / vacation
    • Royalty
  16. Delilah Green Doesn't Care

    Ashley Herring Blake · Book 1 of 3 in Bright Falls

    Spice 4/5 · Spicy

    A New York photographer comes home for her stepsister's wedding and falls for the bridesmaid.

    • Single parent
    • Forbidden love
    • Small town
  17. Fall of Ruin and Wrath

    Jennifer L. Armentrout · Book 1 in Awakening

    Spice 4/5 · Spicy

    A courtesan with a sixth sense and the dangerous prince she is sent to spy on.

    • Forbidden love
    • Morally grey MMC
    • Badass heroine
  18. Mistakes Were Made

    Meryl Wilsner

    Spice 4/5 · Spicy

    A college senior hooks up with a hot older woman at a bar. It is her best friend's mom. Oops.

    • Age gap
    • Forbidden love
    • Secret relationship
  19. Priest

    Sierra Simone · Book 1 of 3 in Priest

    Spice 5/5 · Scorching

    A priest. A confession. A broken vow. Exactly as sinful as it sounds.

    • Forbidden love
    • Age gap
    • BDSM / dom-sub
  20. Scarred

    Emily McIntire

    Spice 4/5 · Spicy

    A Lion King retelling where Scar is the hero. Yes, really. The royal ward and her villain.

    • Retelling
    • Age gap
    • Villain gets the girl
  21. The Hurricane Wars

    Thea Guanzon · Book 1 of 3 in The Hurricane Wars

    Spice 3/5 · Steamy

    Two enemy weather mages trapped together in the desert. Reylo-coded and proud of it.

    • Enemies to lovers
    • Forbidden love
    • Forced proximity
  22. A Lesson in Thorns

    Sierra Simone · Book 1 of 4 in Thornchapel

    Spice 5/5 · Scorching

    A librarian, a gothic manor and a group of beautiful, haunted people who reawaken old pagan rites.

    • Forbidden love
    • Gothic
    • Dark academia

Often paired with forbidden love

Forbidden love books: FAQ

What are the best forbidden love books?

Reader favourites include From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout; Outlander by Diana Gabaldon; Twilight by Stephenie Meyer; Verity by Colleen Hoover; A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. Use the spice filter above to narrow it to your heat level.

What are the spiciest forbidden love books?

For explicit forbidden love romance, try Credence by Penelope Douglas; Neon Gods by Katee Robert; Praise by Sara Cate; Priest by Sierra Simone; A Lesson in Thorns by Sierra Simone. These are rated 4 or 5 out of 5 on our spice scale.

Are there low-spice or clean forbidden love books?

Yes: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer; A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness; Powerless by Lauren Roberts; An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson are rated 1 or 2 out of 5, closed door or kisses only.

Are there standalone forbidden love books?

If you do not want to commit to a series, try Verity by Colleen Hoover; Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas; Credence by Penelope Douglas; Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover.