10 Romance & Romantasy Novels With Forced Proximity

Ava is newly engaged to the regimented Alexander and ready to settle down. She promises him one final trip to end her nine years as a flight attendant, and then she'll give it all up to be his dependable wife (not a red flag at all).

Upon boarding the plane, Ava is absolutely horrified to find that she'll be stuck in a cabin at a few thousand feet in the air with none other than Jack Stone. There's a backstory here, but in short, Ava can't stand Jack Stone... Like at all.

If sharing a plane with Jack wasn't enough, their 24-hour turnaround in Belize is extended due to technical issues with the plane. Jack and Ava end up spending a lot more time together than they bargained for! 

While I didn't love that Ava was in another relationship at the beginning of this book, if you can get past that, this book is charming and entertaining.

With a surprisingly deep theme about learning to accept yourself and choosing your own happiness in relationships, this is the perfect light and funny read, full of forced proximity.

The exploration of what a life on the road means, both the highs and lows, was fascinating to me as someone who plans every detail and loves a good home base. 

The Layover looks for every excuse to throw two people reluctantly into the same space and won't let up until the sparks fly! 

A Photo Finish is the second book in the Gold Rush Ranch series. I'm reading it as a standalone, but the first book, Off To The Races, also features forced proximity, so if you're interested, be sure to check out the whole series! 

Cole Harding and Violet Eaton initially met online. The platform was supposed to be anonymous, and Violet, in particular, hoped her youthful indiscretion would stay that way. When Cole recognizes her at a horse race, he makes sure she knows it before promptly disappearing. 

One year later, Cole has to move back to Ruby Creek to manage a new acquisition in a nearby town. Violet and Cole find themselves living under the same roof, angry and frustrated. The forced proximity slowly thaws through the ice between them, and they find themselves wanting more, but Cole has reservations as his traumatic past has him questioning whether he can manage his trauma enough to be in a relationship. 

This book is not just a romance, but a story of healing and being vulnerable. It's a story of trying to overcome past trauma and trusting a partner not to shy away from your darkest parts, and I absolutely loved that about it.

Josie and Ryan manage bookstores situated on the same street. When the new owner of the stores wants to combine them, only one manager can remain. Josie and Ryan will have to compete for the position, which will be decided by whoever turns the biggest profit over the summer.

The two clash immediately. Josie takes the competition far more seriously than Ryan, and their differences in personalities only escalate the tension. They turn to their online book forum to escape, where they have an anonymous friend they chat with. Perhaps you can guess who this friend might actually be? 

This book came out in June 2025, and I haven't had a chance to pick it up yet, but I'm very excited about the reviews I've seen so far. Readers promise a charming and fun book, with some steamy moments as well. I can't wait to finally read it and see what all the hype is about.

I also read Problematic Summer Romance as a standalone, but to avoid spoilers, you should read Not In Love first. 

Conor Harkness is Maya Killgore's brother's best friend and business partner. Maya is 23 to Conor's 38, but Maya can't stop thinking about him. It's not totally unrequited, but the age gap matters a lot more to Conor than Maya. He's worried that this naturally causes a power dynamic. Any form of romantic relationship between them is shut down when he tells her that there's someone else.

When they have to spend a week under the same roof for her brother's wedding, Maya braces herself to see Conor again. Yet as the week unfolds, Maya finds herself wondering what's so problematic about a summer fling? 

I loved Maya, who was funny and relatable. Conor is more frustrating in his "I want her, but I shouldn't" vibes. Yet the yearning in this book is top-notch.

One of the most addictive parts of forced proximity, in my opinion, is when you could cut the tension with a knife, and you are just slowly waiting for it to reach its breaking point… and that's exactly what's waiting for you in this book.

Twisted Hearts is the fourth book in the Dark Hearts series, where all books are considered standalone. This book provides all the necessary background information, but it was overwhelming at times, so reading the previous books would have been good for sure. 

Billionaire Gavan Tsarenko is the head of a mafia organization. In an initiation to enter a secret society, Eilish Kildare (of the rival Kildare mafia) tries to steal a Fabergé egg from Gavan and is confronted by him in his office.

Eilish and Gavan come to an arrangement to avoid escalating tensions between their families into an all-out war. This arrangement ensures the close proximity between Eilish and Gavan every day at his office. 

If you're looking for something dark and very steamy , this is for you.There are parts of the book where the plot feels quite secondary to the spice; however, there is an important subplot involving mafia politics that keeps the story moving. 

I will preface this by saying that you could argue The Jasmine Throne leans more to fantasy with romance, rather than romantasy. However, there's a compelling slow-burn sapphic romance, which is a crucial element in driving the plot forward. Beyond that, there's rich worldbuilding with Indian influences and an exciting plot, which makes it worthy of this list.

Malini, a princess whose cruel brother is sitting on the throne, is imprisoned at an ancient temple. Her brother found her inability to willingly sacrifice herself quite offensive and sent her to contemplate her failings in isolation.

Malini is only permitted to contact Priya, who's a maid. Priya has some extremely relevant and magical secrets that are difficult to hide in the close quarters with Malini, and it's only a matter of time before they get discovered.

This book is a dark, gritty story of rebellion. It's the first installment of a completed trilogy, and it follows several perspectives as they each rebel against the empire in their own way. 

There are strong themes of injustice and vengeance, as well as an exploration of morality that I found fascinating. I was deeply immersed throughout this book and very emotionally invested in the fierce relationship between Malini and Priya as they take on an empire.

2025 has been a good year for romantasy, because up next is The Knight and The Moth, which is also one of my absolute favorite reads!

This book follows Sybil Delling, a foundling-turned-dreamer at Aisling Cathedral. One of six dreamers, she dreams of visions of the six Omens and predicts the fates of those who seek out her services. 

However, all is not what it seems at the Cathedral. A visit from the new king introduces Sybil to the irreverent soldier Rodrick, who immediately riles her up. Shortly following their visit, dreamers start disappearing, and Sybil has no one to turn to except Rodrick and his allies. She reluctantly strikes a bargain to help them on their quest and, in return, uses their resources for her own mission. 

This book features beautiful Gothic imagery and a highly lovable talking gargoyle. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey, from Sybil's character growth to her and Rodrick's banter. I honestly can't recommend this book enough!

Published in April 2025, this is the first book in a new romantasy series. It's Shalini Abeysekara's debut novel, and honestly, I'm obsessed.

This Monster of Mine is a story of vengeance for Sarai, who survived a brutal attempt on her life in the city of Edessa. Four years later, and she's back, ready to uncover who tried to kill her and exact her revenge.

Sarai becomes a Petitor (think human magical lie detector) and ends up getting assigned to the cold and abrasive Tetrarch Kadra. Tetrarchs are the judges of Edessa, and Sarai quickly learns that Kadra rules by his own moral code. For some reason, Kadra is keeping her very close, and by very close, I mean having her move into his tower. 

Sarai has reason to believe that Kadra might have been involved in her attack, and she leverages their close proximity, in which she is forced to work with him to investigate him. All the while, political forces are moving to crush the reign of Kadra and, along with it, her chances at solving her murder. 

This Monster of Mine was dark, intriguing, and addictive. I can without a doubt say that it's been one of my favorite reads of 2025 so far!

If you, like me, really enjoy Norse  Mythology-inspired stories, then A Fate Inked In Blood will be the perfect next read for you!

Freya is stuck in a loveless marriage when her husband betrays her to Jarl Snorri, and her magical secret is revealed. Freya is a shield maiden blessed with magic from the goddess Hiln.

Jarl Snorri seizes upon this fact, binding Freya to him and assigning his son, Bjorn, to be her bodyguard. Snorri hopes to unite the nations of Skaland and believes Freya is the key to achieving this. That's how she ends up stuck with Bjorn while she trains her magic and undergoes trials to prove her worthiness. 

A Fate Inked in Blood is an adventurous, magical, one-horse romantasy. Freya's plight sucked me in; she goes from being used by one man to another, and I was rooting for her to find her own path. 

This book ends on a cliffhanger, but the sequel, A Curse Carved in Bone, came out in early 2025, so it's an excellent time to start this series!

Throne of the Fallen is set in the same world as the Kingdom of the Wicked series, and there are references to the backstory and the original main characters, but Throne of the Fallen can be read as a standalone. 

Envy is a prince of sin embarking on a deadly game that could save his court or ruin it. Camilla's being blackmailed, and her one chance at saving herself is to make a bargain with Envy. The pair will have to work together to win the game or face the consequences.

I loved the chemistry and banter between Envy and Camilla. Camilla is not fooled by Envy's charm, and Envy couldn't dare to stoop to admitting he has feelings outside of his sin.

This book has everything; from the mortal world to the Underworld, there are demons, vampires, and fae. Read this book if you're looking for a forced proximity adventure between two reluctant allies!