A Court of Mist and Fury
Sarah J. Maas · Book 2 of 6 in A Court of Thorns and Roses
Spice 4/5 · SpicyRhysand. That is the hook. The sequel that turned a fairy-tale retelling into a found-family obsession.
- Fated mates
- Hurt / comfort
- Found family
Tropes
Found family romance books
The romance is great, but the chaotic group chat of friends is why you will reread it. 21 books so far, including Butcher & Blackbird, House of Earth and Blood and Things We Never Got Over.
Spice
A Court of Silver Flames
Sarah J. Maas · Book 5 of 6 in A Court of Thorns and Roses
Spice 4/5 · SpicyNesta and Cassian: a prickly heroine, a patient warrior and the spiciest book in the series. The training montage is iconic.
- Enemies to lovers
- Hurt / comfort
- Found family
A Court of Wings and Ruin
Sarah J. Maas · Book 3 of 6 in A Court of Thorns and Roses
Spice 4/5 · SpicyFeyre goes undercover in enemy territory, then everybody goes to war. Big Night Court energy.
- Fated mates
- Found family
- Secret identity
Butcher & Blackbird
Brynne Weaver · Book 1 of 3 in The Ruinous Love Trilogy
Spice 5/5 · ScorchingTwo serial killers, a yearly kill competition and the funniest dark romance on the shelf.
- Rivals to lovers
- Touch her and die
- Found family
House of Earth and Blood
Sarah J. Maas · Book 1 of 3 in Crescent City
Spice 3/5 · SteamyA party girl, a fallen angel and a murder investigation in a modern magic city. The last 200 pages are a ride.
- Found family
- Secret identity
- Morally grey MMC
House of Flame and Shadow
Sarah J. Maas · Book 3 of 3 in Crescent City
Spice 3/5 · SteamyThe Crescent City finale, with plenty of Prythian cameos for ACOTAR fans.
- Found family
- Fated mates
- Angels
House of Sky and Breath
Sarah J. Maas · Book 2 of 3 in Crescent City
Spice 4/5 · SpicyBryce and Hunt finally stop pretending, plus a crossover twist that broke the fandom.
- Fated mates
- Found family
- Touch her and die
Things We Never Got Over
Lucy Score · Book 1 in Knockemout
Spice 4/5 · SpicyA runaway bride gets stuck in a small town with her surprise niece and the grumpiest barber alive. Small-town gold.
- Grumpy x sunshine
- Found family
- Touch her and die
A Court of Frost and Starlight
Sarah J. Maas · Book 4 of 6 in A Court of Thorns and Roses
Spice 3/5 · SteamyA short Solstice bridge novella between the war and Nesta's book. Read it before A Court of Silver Flames.
- Found family
- Holiday romance
- Fae
Dark Lover
J.R. Ward · Book 1 in Black Dagger Brotherhood
Spice 4/5 · SpicyA brotherhood of vampire warriors in leather and the half-vampire journalist they have to protect.
- Found family
- Alpha hero
- Possessive MMC
Happy Place
Emily Henry
Spice 3/5 · SteamyExes pretending they are still engaged for one last friends' trip. Sweet, sad, very swoony.
- Second chance
- Fake dating
- Found family
One Last Stop
Casey McQuiston
Spice 3/5 · SteamyShe falls for the girl on her subway train, who turns out to be stuck there from the 1970s.
- Found family
- Time travel
- BIPOC main character
Pucking Around
Emily Rath · Book 1 in Jacksonville Rays
Spice 5/5 · ScorchingOne woman, three hockey players and a team doctor. Why choose, MM spice included, maximum chaos.
- Found family
- Hockey player
- BDSM / dom-sub
The Crown of Gilded Bones
Jennifer L. Armentrout · Book 3 of 6 in Blood and Ash
Spice 4/5 · SpicyPoppy and Casteel step into crowns they never wanted. More gods, more wolves, more yelling at the page.
- Fated mates
- Touch her and die
- Found family
Things We Left Behind
Lucy Score · Book 3 in Knockemout
Spice 4/5 · SpicyThe Knockemout finale: a second-chance romance with one very persistent man.
- Second chance
- Found family
- Small town
Wolfsong
TJ Klune · Book 1 of 4 in Green Creek
Spice 3/5 · SteamyA lonely boy, a family of werewolves and a love that takes years to arrive. Emotional damage, wolf edition.
- Fated mates
- Found family
- Shifters / werewolves
Bonded by Thorns
Elizabeth Helen · Book 1 in Beasts of the Briar
Spice 4/5 · SpicyBeauty and the Beast, but there are four cursed fae beasts and she does not have to choose.
- Beauty and the Beast
- Retelling
- Found family
Can't Spell Treason Without Tea
Rebecca Thorne · Book 1 in Tomes & Tea
Spice 2/5 · SimmerA queen's bodyguard and a mage run away to open a bookshop tea house. Sapphic, cozy, low stakes.
- Cozy / low stakes
- Found family
- Badass heroine
Sorcery of Thorns
Margaret Rogerson
Spice 1/5 · SweetA library apprentice, a sorcerer with a sarcastic demon butler and a world of evil books. Closed door, open heart.
- Found family
- Grumpy hero
- Demons / devils
Ensnared
Rebecca Quinn · Book 1 of 3 in Brutes of Bristlebrook
Spice 4/5 · SpicyA post-apocalyptic why choose: a survivor stumbles onto a bunker of four very different men.
- Found family
- Forced proximity
- Cinnamon roll hero
Twisted Heathens
J. Rose · Book 1 of 3 in Blackwood Institute
Spice 4/5 · SpicyA girl sent to a corrupt psychiatric institute and the damaged boys who become hers. Dark and different.
- Found family
- Morally grey MMC
- Gothic
Often paired with found family
Found family books: FAQ
What are the best found family books?
Reader favourites include Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver; House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas; Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score; Dark Lover by J.R. Ward; Happy Place by Emily Henry. Use the spice filter above to narrow it to your heat level.
What are the spiciest found family books?
For explicit found family romance, try Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver; Pucking Around by Emily Rath; Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score; Dark Lover by J.R. Ward; Bonded by Thorns by Elizabeth Helen. These are rated 4 or 5 out of 5 on our spice scale.
Are there low-spice or clean found family books?
Yes: Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne; Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson are rated 1 or 2 out of 5, closed door or kisses only.
Are there standalone found family books?
If you do not want to commit to a series, try Happy Place by Emily Henry; One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston; Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson.