The best cosy fantasy and paranormal romance books

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Cosy fantasy books for spooky season

The Geographer's Map to Romance

Dive into this heartwarming, magical rom-com by bestselling author India Holton, where love and adventure collide.--Their marriage is one of convenience.Inconveniently, they’ve fallen in love . . . 
Professor Elodie Tarrant is an expert in magical disasters. Nothing fazes her?except her own personal disaster, that is: Professor Gabriel Tarrant, the grumpy, unfriendly man she married for convenience a year ago, whom she secretly loves. 
Gabriel is also an expert in magical disasters. And nothing fazes him either?except the walking, talking tornado that is his wife. They’ve been estranged since shortly after their wedding day, but that hasn’t stopped him from stoically pining for her. 
When magic erupts in a small Welsh village, Elodie and Gabriel are accidentally both assigned to the case. 
With the fate of the country in their hands, they face perilous conditions like explosions, domesticated goats, and only one bed. 
These geography professors are lost. But can they find their way into each other’s hearts – and save the day? 
Tropes: 
<ul><li>Sunshine vs. Grumpy</li><li>Marriage pact</li><li>Marriage before romance</li><li>Belated love epiphany</li><li>Single bed</li></ul>

India Holton resides in New Zealand, where she's enjoyed the typical Kiwi lifestyle of wandering around forests, living barefoot on islands, and messing about in boats. Now she lives in a cottage near the sea, writing books about unconventional women and charming rogues. Think slow burn with sudden explosions.

Professor Elodie Tarrant is an expert in magic disasters. Nothing fazes her—except her own personal disaster, that is: Professor Gabriel Tarrant, the grumpy, unfriendly man she married for convenience a year ago, whom she secretly loves. 
 
They’ve been estranged since their wedding day, but that hasn’t stopped Grabriel from stoically pining for her. 
 
When magic erupts in a small Welsh village, threatening catastrophe for the rest of England, Elodie and Gabriel are accidentally both assigned to the case. With the fate of the country in their hands, they must come together as a team in the face of perilous conditions like .... only one bed. But this is easier said than done. After all, there’s no navigational guide for the geography of the heart.

Love's Academic Series Book 1

The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love

From the mastermind behind The Dangerous Damsels series, India Holton delivers another fantastical and whimsical story that's perfect to read with a cup of tea . . .Rival ornithologists hunt through Europe for dangerous magical birds in this historical fantasy romance. If Indiana Jones featured manners, tea, and helicopter parasols – this would be it! 
 
---- 
 Two rival ornithologists. 
Seeking one dangerous, beautiful bird. 
Is the hunt of their lives also how they find the love of their lives? 
 
Professor Beth Pickering is on the verge of finally capturing the rare Deathwhistler bird when Professor Devon Lockley swoops in, stealing both her bird and her imagination. 
 
For his part, Devon has never been more smitten than when he first set eyes on Beth. 
 
When a competition to become Birder of the Year by capturing an endangered caladrius bird is announced, Beth and Devon are forced to team up to have any chance of winning. 
 
They're hunting the rarest of species. But will these rivals discover something even more endangered – true love . . .Tropes:1. Enemies-to-lovers2. One bed / one horse3. Badass feminist4. Who hurt you?---- 
 
Readers are loving The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love‘India's latest novel is nothing short of a fun, wild, and swoon-worthy ride’ ***** Reader Review‘Everything about this was absurd in the best way and I loved it so much’ ***** Reader Review‘I've never before so strongly felt the author's glee emanating from every page-- rife with devious smiles and cackling laughter’ ***** Reader Review‘Truly a love letter to Romance reader’ ***** Reader Review‘This was everything I was hoping it would be! It was charming, whimsical, enchanting, funny, & swoon worthy’ ***** Reader Review

Two rival ornithologists. 
Seeking one dangerous, beautiful bird. 
Is the hunt of their lives also how they find the love of their lives? 
 
Professor Beth Pickering is on the verge of finally capturing the rare Deathwhistler bird when Professor Devon Lockley swoops in, stealing both her bird and her imagination. 
 
For his part, Devon has never been more smitten than when he first set eyes on Beth. 
 
When a competition to become Birder of the Year by capturing an endangered caladrius bird is announced, Beth and Devon are forced to team up to have any chance of winning. 
 
They're hunting the rarest of species. But will these rivals discover something even more endangered – true love . . .

The Secret Service of Tea and Treason

THE RIOTOUSLY FUNNY AND JOYOUSLY ROMANTIC THIRD NOVEL IN THE DANGEROUS DAMSELS SERIES THAT TIKTOK CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF! 
 
 Two rival spies. One fake marriage. What could possibly go wrong . . . 
 
 'A funny, captivating and magical story! I loved the chemistry between the characters' @boekhopper 
 ---- 
 
 When rumours of an assassination plot against the Queen begin to circulate, Alice is immediately assigned to the case. 
 
 However, she won't be working alone. 
 
 Enter Daniel Bixby. Unflappable master spy and Alice's greatest rival. 
 
 Together they must assume the identity of husband and wife in order to gain access to the traitor party. 
 
 Alice is determined to remain professional. This is work after all. 
 
 But when an attraction starts to grow there may be more at stake than just the throne . . . 
 
 Tropes/themes: 1. Only one bed2. Enemies to lovers3. Strong female leads4. Fake marriage 
 ---- 
 
 Readers are OBSESSED with the Dangerous Damsels series 
 
 'Incredible! Sensational! Fantastic! So charming your inner Lizzie Bennet will swoon' 5***** Reader Review 
 
 'OBSESSED. If you love playful dialogue and language, fun characters, and interesting worlds, I recommend' 5**** Reader Review! 
 
 'Witty and entertaining. A literary delight! Think Jane Austen meets Jack Sparrow' 5***** Reader Review 
 
 'Wondrous, whimsical, wiccan follow-up to its flying house pirate predecessor, building upon this magical, Victorian-soaked world deftly and capably' 5***** Reader Review 
 
 'SPECTACULAR. Just the sort of absolute madness which one needs in a book!' 5***** Reader Review 
 
 'Victorian lady assassins fighting the patriarchy, flying houses, AND . . . an ONLY ONE BED trope?! Fun fun fun' 5***** Reader Review 
 
 
 PRAISE FOR THE DANGEROUS DAMSELS 
 
 'As much fun as the English language will permit' New York Times Book Review 
 
 'Melds the Victorian wit of Sherlock Holmes with the brash adventuring of Indiana Jones . . . A sprightly feminist tale that offers everything from an atmospheric Gothic abbey to secret societies' Entertainment Weekly 
 
 'With secret identities, secret doors, and secret histories to spare, this high-octane layer-cake of escapism hits the spot' Publishers Weekly

As much fun as the English language will permit.

There's no literary experience quite like reading an India Holton book. The League of Gentlewoman Witches is a wild, rollicking, delicious carnival ride of a story, filled with rakish pirates, chaotic witches, flying houses (and bicycles, and pumpkins), delightful banter, and some serious steam. You've never read Victorian romance like this before... and it'll ruin you for everything else.

Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Payback's a Witch

"Clever word play, delightful double entendres, and adventurous high jinks will delight fans of smart, witchy romances, including the first in Holton's Dangerous Damsels series, The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels"

The whimsical worldbuilding forms a perfect backdrop to the angsty couple, and Holton's winking narration, which puts her in cahoots with the reader, makes her exaggerated characters work. Overflowing with heart, humor, and hyperbole, this clever romance enchants.

Melds the Victorian wit of Sherlock Holmes with the brash adventuring of Indiana Jones . . . A sprightly feminist tale that offers everything from an atmospheric Gothic abbey to secret societies

A joyride of a debut . . . As if The Parasol Protectorate series met The Princess Bride and a corseted Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

With secret identities, secret doors, and secret histories to spare, this high-octane layer-cake of escapism hits the spot.

If books are truly a portable magic, then The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is a satchel full of powerful spells and glittering fairy dust

The most delightfully bonkers historical fantasy romance of 2021! I enjoyed every absorbing moment

The most charming, clever, and laugh-out-loud funny book I've read all year . . . India Holton's utterly delightful debut is pure joy from start to finish.

Martha Waters, author of To Have and to Hoax

India's debut is charming, clever, action-packed, with masterful bantering-while-dueling choreography: it reminds me of The Princess Bride, except swoonier and more fantastical. It's an instant beloved favorite.

Sarah Hogle, author of You Deserve Each Other

The perfect diversion for a rainy afternoon with a cup of tea. What fun!

Manda Collins, author of A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem

Magnificent in every sense. India Holton's writing is gorgeous and lyrical, her dialogue clever and witty, and her characters loveable and unforgettable

Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, author of Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything

When rumours circulate that a group of dastardly pirates plan to assassinate the Queen, Alice is immediately assigned to the case. 
However she won't be working alone. 
Enter Daniel Bixby. Unflappable master spy and Alice's greatest rival. 
Together they must assume the identity of husband and wife in order to infiltrate a perilous pirate party. 
Alice is determined to remain professional. This is work after all. But when an attraction starts to grow there may be more at stake than just the throne . . .

The League of Gentlewomen Witches

THE RIOTOUSLY FUNNY AND JOYOUSLY ROMANTIC SECOND INSTALLMENT IN THE DANGEROUS DAMSELS SERIES THAT TIKTOK CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF! 
 
 The Princess Bride meets Jane Austen in this swoony second novel in The Dangerous Damsels series - an enemies-to-lovers historical romance with a magical twist . . . 
 'OBSESSED. If you love playful dialogue and language, fun characters, and interesting worlds, I recommend' 5**** Reader Review! --- 
 Charlotte Pettifer belongs to a secret society skilled in witchcraft. 
 
 When rumours of the Amulet of Black Beryl start to circulate, Charlotte is determined to find the jewel before it falls into the wrong hands. 
 
 Which is what happens when the evil Lady Armitage reaches it first. 
 
 Demanding the help of rakish pirate, Alex O'Riley, Charlotte sets off to find the jewel. 
 
 There's just one problem: pirates and witches are sworn enemies. 
 
 But little do they know, sparks are about to fly . . . 
 
 Tropes/themes: 1. Enemies to lovers2. Strong female leads3. Forced proximity 
 ---- 
Readers are OBSESSED with the Dangerous Damsels series 'Incredible! Sensational! Fantastic! So charming your inner Lizzie Bennet will swoon' 5***** Reader Review 
 'Witty and entertaining. A literary delight!... Think Jane Austen meets Jack Sparrow' 5***** Reader Review 
 'Wondrous, whimsical, wiccan follow-up to its flying house pirate predecessor, building upon this magical, Victorian-soaked world deftly and capably' 5***** Reader Review

The whimsical worldbuilding forms a perfect backdrop to the angsty couple, and Holton's winking narration, which puts her in cahoots with the reader, makes her exaggerated characters work. Overflowing with heart, humour, and hyperbole, this clever romance enchants

Holton provides plenty of chuckles...a fun-filled romp in a topsy-turvy world of corset-wearing, knife-wielding, magic-casting women and gun-wielding, light-fingered, charming pirates

Clever word play, delightful double entendres, and adventurous high jinks will delight fans of smart, witchy romances

Sexy, funny, and utterly charming . . .  Buckle up, readers, because this is a ride you won't want to miss

The League of Gentlewomen Witches has punch and verve, and makes for one heck of ride. It's romantic, sensual and a lot of fun, too

A brilliant mix of adventure, romance, and Oscar Wildesque absurdity - one of the wittiest, most original rom coms I have read all year

Evie Dunmore, USA Today bestselling author of Bringing Down the Duke

Filled with wit and an intriguing enemy-to-lovers romance. For fans of Jane Austen and Evie Dunmore

Holton takes readers on a wild ride through a fun, limitless world, where frivolity and whimsy reign supreme and skilled swordwork and grand displays of magic abound

India Holton's joyous, swoony, genre-exploding novel is a marvel, bristling with wit (and weaponry!) and brimming with love. The League of Gentlewomen Witches will steal your heart, fly it to the moon, and return it to your chest, sparking with magic and just in time for tea

Joanna Lowell, author of The Runaway Duchess

Another wickedly funny romp through this glorious world created by India Holton

Harper St. George, author of The Devil and the Heiress

Fantastical, romantic fun! Sparkling with witty allusions to Shakespeare and Austen, whimsical adventure, and tenderhearted romance. A book lover's dream come true

Chloe Liese, author of the Bergman Brothers series

A wild, rollicking, delicious carnival ride of a story . . . You've never read Victorian romance like this before and it'll ruin you for everything else

Charlotte Pettifer belongs to a secret society skilled in witchcraft. 
When rumours of the Amulet of Black Beryl start to circulate, Charlotte is determined to find the jewel before it falls into the wrong hands. 
Which is what happens when the evil Lady Armitage reaches it first. 
Demanding the help of rakish pirate, Alex O'Riley, Charlotte sets off to find the jewel. 
There's just one problem: pirates and witches are sworn enemies. 
But little do they know, sparks are about to fly . . .

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels

THE RIOTOUSLY FUNNY AND JOYOUSLY ROMANTIC FIRST INSTALLMENT IN THE DANGEROUS DAMSELS SERIES THAT TIKTOK CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF! 
Bridgerton meets Peaky Blinders in this swashbuckling tale of scoundrels and society, crime and crumpets. As these enemies turn to allies and might just fall in love along the way… 
 'Victorian lady assassins fighting the patriarchy, flying houses, AND...an ONLY ONE BED trope?! Fun fun fun' 5***** Reader Review 
 --- 
 
 Cecilia Bassingwaite belongs to The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. 
 
 Yet this is no ordinary Victorian lady's society . . . 
 
 Full of pirates, thieves and ne'er-do-wells, these women spend their days pickpocketing and blackmailing their way around the country all before their afternoon tea. 
 
 But when Cecilia meets Ned Lightbourne her world is set to change forever. 
 
 Because he's a paid assassin and she's his next hit. 
 
 Under the employment of the dastardly Captain Morvath - who wants to rid the world of these Lady Scoundrels - Ned knows he has one job to do. 
 
 But when he lays eyes on the feisty, beautiful Cecilia he's faced with a conundrum: 
 
 Does he kill her . . . or fall in love with her? 
 Tropes/themes: 
 1. Only one bed2. Enemies to lovers3. Strong female leads 
 --- 
Readers are OBSESSED with the Dangerous Damsels series 
 'SPECTACULAR. just the sort of absolute madness which one needs in a book!' 5***** Reader Review 
 
 'Witty, entertaining, laugh-out-loud funny and adventurous… Everything I need in a historical romance' 5***** Reader Review 
 
 'The best romantic humorous adventure fantasy of manners you will ever read!' 5***** Reader Review

As much fun as the English language will permit

A joyride of a debut . . . As if The Parasol Protectorate series met The Princess Bride and a corseted Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

A tongue-in-cheek swashbuckling adventure

Cecilia Bassingwaite belongs to the prestigious Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. 
Yet this is no ordinary society - as it's full of pirates, thieves and ne'er-do-wells. 
These women spend their days pickpocketing and blackmailing all before tea time. 
But when Cecilia meets Ned Lightbourne her world is set to change. 
Because he's an assassin and she's his next hit. 
Under the employment of Captain Morvath Ned knows he has one job to do. 
But when he lays eyes on the feisty, beautiful Cecilia he's faced with a conundrum: does he kill her or fall in love with her?

India Holton

Magical-antique experts Amelia Tarrant and Caleb Sterling have been best friends forever, although lately each has begun secretly wishing for more than friendship. But when rumors about their relationship spread, they're forced to fake being enemies to protect their reputations and keep their jobs. 
 
The resulting arguments spark havoc across Oxford University, and when they cause an explosion while fighting over a magical antique, it’s the final straw for their exasperated faculty head. He dispatches them to a job in Cumbria where even they can’t get into trouble.… 
 
Which proves just how wrong one man can be. In a stormbound old manor house, Amelia and Caleb face magical mayhem and rampaging ghosts that make the previous havoc look mild in comparison. Most troublesome of all, though, is the secret of how they feel about each other. When it comes to tackling deadly antiques, hiding the truth in their hearts could destroy them for real.

India Holton

Books by India Holton

Series by India Holton

Dangerous Damsels3 Books

Love’s Academic3 Books

Articles featuring India Holton

Cosy fantasy books for spooky season

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