12 Best Gothic Romance Books to Obsess Over

There’s gothic, and then there’s gothic romance, where the haunted mansions come with morally gray love interests, and the tension is just as likely to kill you as the cursed family legacy.

We’ve read a lot of these. In fact, we love the gothic atmosphere no matter the genre. Enough to say with our whole chest that these are our 12 favorite gothic romance books. The ones we recommend on dark rainy nights, the ones we can’t stop screaming about in the group chat, and the ones that gave us a permanent thing for brooding men who may or may not be ghosts.

Looking for more? The full gothic books archive has everything from classic gothic books to Kindle Unlimited gothic gems. And if you want a proper definition of the genre, check out what is gothic romance and the history of gothic romance. For the hot takes? It’s always about those gothic men.

Now let’s get into it.

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Must-Read Gothic Romance Books

The Darkest Waltz by Ashley R. King

In 1927, a fierce bootlegger queen strikes a deal with a mysterious man who needs a wife to secure his inheritance. Moving to his isolated island seems perfect, until dark secrets, eerie visions, and a haunted mansion make her question everything, including the man she’s reluctantly falling for. Moody, mysterious, and full of emotional heat.

Grab The Darkest Waltz on Amazon

The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning

Zo Grey inherits a crumbling Louisiana mansion, but the catch? She has to live in it for three years to claim it. As she unearths family secrets, the town’s eerie energy and her own powers begin to surface. Classic Southern gothic meets a heroine stepping into her legacy.

Grab The House at Watch Hill on Amazon

A Lesson in Thorns by Sierra Simone

When Proserpina returns to Thornchapel twelve years after leaving the boys who once held her heart, she finds herself entangled in a seductive, secretive world. With the past pressing in and centuries-old rituals awakening, this book delivers a sensual and ritualistic gothic experience that’s hard to shake.

Grab A Lesson in Thorns on Amazon

Nocticadia by Keri Lake

Keri Lake is the queen of gothic romance. In Nocticadia, after her mother’s death, the heroine escapes to Dracadia University. A secluded, haunted island campus, determined to uncover a cure for the disease that claimed her. But the eerie school holds dark secrets, including Devryck Bramwell, a brooding professor with a haunting past. Their forbidden chemistry simmers while ghosts of the university’s past demand to be seen. Broody, forbidden, and chillingly atmospheric.

Grab Nocticadia on Amazon

The Headmaster by Tiffany Reisz

When Gwen takes a job at a remote boarding school, she’s drawn to its enigmatic headmaster, and disturbed by the eerie presence that haunts its halls. A love story wrapped in ghost story, with all the vintage gothic vibes you crave.

Grab The Darkest Waltz on Amazon

The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox

Lydia Montrose moves to Willow Hall to escape scandal, but the house has its own secrets. With ghostly visions and a legacy of witchcraft stirring, she must embrace her powers to protect her future. Atmospheric and classic with just the right hint of supernatural.

Grab The Witch of Willow Hall on Amazon

A Stitch in Time by Kelley Armstrong

Bronwyn returns to her ancestral manor only to find her childhood friend, who’s been dead for centuries, still very much alive. Ghosts, time slips, and a slow-burn romance give this book an aching, melancholy beauty. It’s the kind of gothic that lingers long after the last page.

Grab A Stitch in Time on Amazon

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

To save her sister, Ophelia must survive nine deadly challenges in a haunted mansion with one wish as the prize. The only way through? Teaming up with a dangerously charming stranger named Blackwell, who demands ten years of her life in return. This is gothic fantasy meets steamy romance with all the eerie vibes of a deadly game.

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The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

Alva Webster wants to rebuild her life and restore a haunted mansion. Enter Samuel Moore, a genius professor who sees past her scandal. With ghosts in the walls and tension in the air, this story balances romance and mystery in the best way.

Grab The Widow of Rose House on Amazon

Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne

Victor Frankenstein’s younger sister decides to DIY her own soulmate, from corpses. When her creation wakes up with amnesia and zero chemistry, things get complicated. Playful, irreverent, and weirdly sweet, this is gothic romance with a mad-scientist twist.

Grab Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match on Amazon

Nightshade by Keri Lake

Raised on stories of “messengers” in a bleak world, the heroine meets Jericho Van Croix, a man who’s all danger and devastation. Their connection is forbidden, fierce, and deeply romantic. If you want gothic that flirts with the underworld and doesn’t hold back, this is it.

Grab Nightshade on Amazon

Beyond the Sea by L.H. Cosway

Orphaned and trapped under her stepmother’s rule, the heroine meets her mysterious uncle by marriage, a man who challenges her heart and her reality. Set on a cliffside mansion with secrets as deep as the ocean, this is gothic romance at its windswept, heart-wrenching best.

Grab Beyond the Sea on Amazon

Final Thoughts

If you’re ready to spiral into haunted love stories, morally gray love interests, and the perfect amount of dread, these are the gothic romance books you need in your life. Let us know your favorites in the comments!

And if you want more gothic books, we have the perfect one for any mood. Whether you want romance or horror.

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