Find Your Next Romantasy Academy or Dark Academia Romance
We’ve been on a tear this month reading Academy Romance series, one right after the other.
Maybe it’s the time of year that makes us want to devour these. Or maybe it’s that we’ve read some really good ones that push us to keep going.
Whatever it is, we figured you might be feeling the same way so we’ve made it easy to pick your next one. If you’re looking for a quick rec, look on our dedicated Academy Romance page where we collect our ☆ 3.5+ rated books along with elevator pitch reviews, heat scale, and tropes.
Down below, you’ll find some of our favorite and most popular Academy Romance tropes: Bully, Dark, Mafia, Omegaverse, Secret Society, Shifter, “Solving a Mystery”, Sports, “Surpise! You’re magical.”, War College, a section of Academy books we didn’t like, and then a section of all the Academy Romance we’ve read (60+ and counting).
Happy reading! - Cardigan B
Bully Romance
We don’t know why we’re like this, but we love a bully + academy story.
Maybe it’s the immediate push/pull of attraction. The strong-willed FMC who won’t be cowed. The knowledge that the bullies are fighting a war within themselves to simultaneous hate and adore the FMC. Probably a combination of all these things.
☆ 4.5 Rejected Mate by G.K. DeRosa is heartbreaking. It’s the prequel (< 100 pages) to a whole separate series called The Hitched Live Series and it takes place in college when the FMC and MMC meet. They’re fated mates but he’s a douche and rejects her. But he doesn’t just reject her, he decimates her and literally tears her soul. No spoilers, you have to read it.
Jo Brenner is the queen of uncomfortable dynamics and ☆ 4.0 Butterfly is the epitome of “why am I reading this and why can’t I stop?” He’s the arrogant, douchey, popular guy in school. She’s mild, shy, and unsure of herself. And his new stepsister. He can’t keep his obsession in check so he makes her life hell instead.
Zodiac Academy (The Awakening, Ruthless Fae, The Reckoning, Shadow Princess) series by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti is the definition of “bully academia” and if you’re into that, this is a good place to start/continue. The MMCs are mean, nasty, despicable to the twin FMCs because they’re protecting their birthright and the throne to the kingdom. We only made it through book 4, but there are 9 books in the series. Mostly rated ☆ 3.75 because the story cool and unique. But we hated the twin FMCs.
Everlake Prep (Kings of Quarantine, Kings of Lockdown) by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti is a tough series to get through. The MMCs have no redeeming qualities at all and you’ll like the FMC Tatum, which makes the MMCs even worse somehow. When I finished Quarantine, I was desperate to read Lockdown to see if Tatum found a backbone. The answer: sort of. Both were rated ☆ 3.5.
☆ 3.75 Angel of Ashes and ☆ 3.75 Reaper of Ruin by KC Kean chronicle the turning points in an abused and ignored “rich girl” who lives her life for everyone else. She is given the opportunity to leave her station and go to college with her fated mates and…they reject her. Not only does she get four mates, but each one publicly denounces the match. Ultimately, they accept and she’s whisked away to Neverbound Academy to unlock her magical potential, where we find that the world she’s lived isn’t what it always seemed. And she’s crazy powerful. We rated this under 4.0 because the author’s writing can sometimes break your immersion; she’ll use slang or throwaway statements that don’t quite fit the situation, seemingly trying to put an exclamation on a point.
Omegaverse entry: ☆ 3.5 Knot What She Seems by Katie May and Ann Denton. Brylee (ffs with this name) is a princess in the land. Her brother, the prince, is sick and dying of a terminal disease. In an effort to mask this weakness within the royal family, she decides to dress like her brother and attend his Alpha school at the same time as attending her Omega school. She’s immediately put in the spotlight by pack Alpha X, the training professors at Alpha school and knocked around. She rises to the occasion and, oh no, scent matches with them. If you like Omegaverse, this one will probably be interesting for you.
If you haven’t read Omegaverse yet, don’t make this your first. Read our Omegaverse Reviews and pick one from there.
☆ 3.75 Forged in Blood by Sadie Kincaid is the story of an orphan FMC who forms a found family of guys who want to bang her. Axl, Malachi, and Xavier gave me whiplash with their feelings for Ophelia. "Hurt her so she cries." "No don't cry we love you Ophelia." It’s exactly the logic you’d expect from dumb college guys.
Dark Romance
Oooo these are some really troubling plots. You’re gonna love them.
Let’s start with Jo Brenner. If you haven’t read her work, these are where you should start. She specializes in taboo. I was uncomfortable reading her books, which just means she did a great damn job.
☆ 4.0 Butterfly is the story of a stepbrother obsessed with his new stepsister. So obsessed he bullies her until she flees. He then has a change of heart and follows her to her new school, controlling everything about her life.
☆ 3.5 Troublemaker is the story of a teenager who falls for her guardian. And she won’t stop until she’s worn down all of his defenses.
☆ 4.0 Gothikana by RuNyx is about a girl’s curiosity manifesting into obsession to solve a murder mystery and at the center of that mystery is her new professor. She’ll need to get close to him. You know, extra close to him. This one is a mystery thriller, the intrigue keeps you in it.
☆ 3.75 Nocticadia by Keri Lake is the story of a new student who discovers a campus mystery and underground secret organization that rules the school. She finds an ally in a professor, but he’s keeping his distance because he has his own secrets to protect. The story is great; it does slow down in a few places and the author seems highly focused on the campus bus schedules at times.
Rina Kent does a great job of writing gritty, morally black characters and plots. We haven’t generally liked her books in the past, but ☆ 4.25 God of Fury is the exception. In a world of bleak characters, lost morals, and intense moods, this book focuses on the comedic relief. The guy that always has something fun to say and breaks the tension. This is an MM and a great story. Listen to the audio - it’s done by Teddy Hamilton and Shane East. YES.
☆ 4.0 Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux follows our FMC who summons the devil by accident while out ghost hunting. She and the Devil, who goes by Leon, work to uncover what and who are out to kill her. You’ll love the story and Leon. You’ll be frustrated by how absolutely idiotic Rae can be.
☆ 4.25 Until I Get You by Claire Contreras brings our cocky MMC into the orbit of our mild, no fucks given FMC. He is obsessed with her, she is keeping her distance. She has secrets to protect and he’s wrecking her plans for flying under the radar. The twist here is good and you’ll really root for them.
☆ 3.5 Savage Hope by KC Kean is the first in the Savage Six series. She’s had a shit life and this is her chance to be something other than a destitute punching bag. It’s a slow start, but the series picks up. It’s a reverse harem; give it a try if that’s your thing.
Mafia Romance
Bad boys, the underworld, and a culture of crime that spans generations.
There’s only one series in this genre, but it packs a punch. Saint Monarch’s Academy is a college for hitmen. It’s a neutral training ground where every mafia family sends their best and brightest to become the best assassins, bodyguards, mercenaries, and protectors in the underworld.
There are 5 books in the series, we’ve only read the first two.
☆ 4.0 Merciless Saints and ☆ 3.75 Cruel Saints by Michelle Heard. These FMCs are formidable, but as with every great couple, they’re better with the MMC who is always their sworn enemy.
Omegaverse
They’re thrown into pack life as “helpless” Omegas. But Omegas are nowhere near helpless in these series.
One Pucked Up Pack by Sarah Blue (☆ 4.25) is a must read if you love Sports + Academy + Omegaverse. An ice skater meets her mates while out practicing on the ice during Winter break. Her mates welcome her into their lives instantly, but they’ve all got a bit of baggage to deal with. And they’re young so they’re mostly unsuccessful at it. Tragedy strikes and the boys are forced to grovel to win her back.
Plier by Jane Washington (☆ 3.75) is a total head scratcher. You’re going to keep reading because you’ve never read anything like it before. There are 6 books in this series, all over 400 pages. But you keep reading because WOW it’s a crazy plot that keeps getting crazier. This series starts as an academy for the arts. Talented musicians, dancers, artists are invited to live here and create content for the world, performing in showcases, doing dance-offs, etc.. By the end of the series, you will be begging for the simplicity of Plier. Spoiler: The FMC Isobel is fated to TEN MEN on accident. Go read this.
Knot What She Seems (☆ 3.75) is the story of a princess trying to save her sick brother and her kingdom by impersonating him at his Alpha academy. She’s an Omega and scent matches to the new instructors. You’ll need to suspend your expectations a bit. She’s written well and you’ll like the Alphas. Book 2 is more of a traditional Omegaverse where they’ve acknowledged their relationship so just know this plot doesn’t continue.
Secret Society Romance
There’s more to these schools than meets the eye. And the only way our MCs can rest is by unmasking the unknown.
Two standalone favorites:
☆ 4.5 Fox Hunt by Caitlin Breeze starts as a girl joining a prestigious university, feeling completely out of touch with the affluency of her surroundings. It takes a fun left turn when it unveils another dimension full of magic, debts, and lore. A really cool “Gilmore Girls to Alice Through the Looking Glass” vibe.
☆ 3.75 Nocticadia by Keri Lake. Our FMC is the target of strange goings on, but she has no idea why until she learns of the secret society on campus and what they’re capable of. This was intriguing on many fronts: murder mystery, a twins story, dark deals being made.
And three series that are worth trying:
☆ 3.75 Just One Bite by S.L. Cokeley, ☆ 4.25 Avalon Tower by C.N. Crawford and Alex Rivers, and ☆ 4.0 Dark Fae by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti are all about uncovering truths when things just don’t add up. We loved these for different reasons: Just One Bite has a fake dating scheme and personal growth journeys, Avalon Tower is about finding the mole and scheming to suss out the spies, and Dark Fae is the search for a loved one at any cost.
Shifter Romance
They only look human, but these MCs have a whole other form: Wolf, dragon, basilisk.
☆ 4.5 Rejected Mate by G.K. DeRosa is heartbreaking. It’s the prequel (< 100 pages) to a whole separate series called The Hitched Live Series and it takes place in college when the FMC and MMC meet. They’re fated mates but he’s a douche and rejects her. But he doesn’t just reject her, he decimates her and literally tears her soul. No spoilers, you have to read it.
☆ 3.75 Just One Bite by S.L. Cokeley is the story of a girl and her sisters who attend a university for shifters, vampires, and legacy magical beings. Olivia is a human who instantly has a target on her back - why, she has no idea. Parker, a were-vampire shifter, befriends her and fake dates her to protect her and her sisters with the help of his wolf pack. The mystery unravels and as the threats become real, so does their relationship.
☆ The Ruthless Boys series by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti (☆ 4.0 Dark Fae, ☆ 4.0 Savage Fae, ☆ 4.25 Vicious Fae, ☆ 3.5 Broken Fae, ☆ 3.75 Warrior Fae). Five books and we read them all. This series is adjacent to Zodiac Academy, in the same universe and time, but at the less ritzy academy. Elise joins Aurora Academy with a motive: find her brother. Along the way, she infiltrates the two factions of warring gangs, learns her brother’s fate, and makes unbreakable bonds with four boys tied to her brother in different ways. Good series, no bully romance here.
“Solving a Mystery” Romance
Their lives have been plagued with unanswered questions. It’s time these schools and characters reveal their secrets.
These are all fun reads, but our favorites that you can’t miss are: ☆ 4.5 Neverthorn by Shannon Mayer, ☆ 3.75 By the Orchid and the Owl by Mariah Montoya, ☆ 4.0 The Culling Trials by K.F. Breene and Shannon Mayer, and ☆ 4.5 The Fox Hunt by Caitlin Breeze.
Most of these are series so just know that you won’t get resolution right away; you’re going to need to invest some serious time to get to the bottom of what the fucks is going on. If you’re looking for one-book resolution, read The Fox Hunt, Gothikana, or Nocticadia. All three have HEA and a clear ending.
For short & complete series, read Her Soul to Take (3 books) or Avalon Tower (3 books).
If you’re fine reading incomplete series, try Angel of Ashes (3 books out, a 4th in progress), By the Orchid and the Owl (3 books out, the latest released Oct 5, 2026), and Neverthorn (2 books out, the latest released July 21, 2026, 3rd book not announced)
If you like beefy series with many books, read Dark Fae (5 books, complete series) and Shadowspell Academy (6 books, seems to be a complete series)
Sports Romance
It’s almost always hockey, don’t ask me why. But we loved these stories for their obsessive and protective MMCs.
☆ 4.0 Butterfly will make you squirm…in a good way? He’s the arrogant, douchey, popular guy in school. She’s mild, shy, and unsure of herself. And his new stepsister. He can’t keep his obsession in check so he makes her life hell instead.
More dark, taboo sports here from Mila Kane with Bad Intentions (☆ 3.5) and Dark Delights (☆ 4.0). Bad boys of hockey find themselves sweet hometown girls to obsess over. Bad Intentions is about seducing your best friend’s twin. Dark Delights is the coach’s daughter. High risk, high reward.
☆ 3.5 Troublemaker is in the same universe as Butterfly, but focuses on a coach and his ward. He took her in as a kid and now she’s a teenager seeking his lustful attention. He does his best to be upstanding, but she’s persistent and hot.
☆ 3.75 Deep End by Ali Hazelwood is a tale of two competitors who find their middle ground rooted in a dom/sub kink. For real. It’s Ali Hazelwood so it’s well-written and the characters are likable. There’s not as much kink as you’d expect given it’s the thing that brings them together.
☆ 3.75 Summer Thaw by Rebecca Jenshark is a seasonal novella from Amazon (see more of those HERE) about two hockey competitors (M/F) who realize they dig one another when they’re at a summer camp. She’s just broken up with her long-term boyfriend. He’s a friend of that now-ex boyfriend. Apparently he’s been pining for her for ages when she finally notices him. Really notices him. Sweet and short.
☆ 4.25 One Pucked Up Pack by Sarah Blue is an Omegaverse story of a figure skating Omega who scent matches to a group of hockey players out on the ice during Winter break. This story has it all: fated mates, second chances, grovel, heartbreak, and bone deep baggage that nearly costs them everything. One of my favorite books. If you haven’t read Omegaverse, you can start here.
☆ 4.25 Until I Get You by Claire Contreras is the story of a charismatic hockey god who finds he’s enthralled with the girl he can’t have. The girl no man has been able to have. She’s got cinder block walls around her heart. And the more he learns, the more he loves. She’s weary and frankly terrified because her life has been filled with uncertainty and paranoia: she’s being stalked. All he wants is to protect her, all she wants is to protect them both.
The “Surprise! You’re Magical.” Collection
Magic exists, but until now, these FMCs had no idea. These series are all about learning who they really are under extreme pressure. Just save the world, no big deal.
Each one of these books is a series starter or part of the series starter. If you like them, keep reading. They all develop into different paths, which is pretty cool. Where Avalon Tower takes you, Zodiac Academy diverges.
☆ 4.25 Avalon Tower by C.N. Crawford and Alex Rivers (series: Fey Spy Academy) - the FMC learns she’s the lynchpin in a magical war while on vacation. There she is, strolling down a cobblestone street, when she’s chased for no reason. I really loved this book because it was such a left turn from vacationing in the non-magic world to being the hero in a war she had no idea was being fought.
☆ 3.75 Angel of Ashes by KC Kean (series: Neverbound Academy) - she knows magic exists, but she thinks she might be a dud. Oh and her family has kept her under lock and key so she has no idea what she’s capable of. Turns out, it’s a lot. Her story is less about discovering magic and more about discovering the well inside herself. KC Kean is an author I’ll read, but sometimes her use of slang can disrupt my immersion.
☆ 3.75 The Awakening by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti (series: Zodiac Academy) - Two twin FMCs are plucked from a life of petty crime in the non-magic world and sent to a magical academy where they’re the daughters of royalty and rightful heirs to the throne. This is a bully romance where the current leaders do not want this succession to happen. This one is uncomfortable due to the level of cruelty the twins experience, but honestly, the FMCs can be kinda dumb. Read it, but know this isn’t the best of the series. It gets better.
☆ 4.0 The Culling Trials: Book 1 by K.F. Breene and Shannon Mayer (series: Shadowspell Academy) - The best of this group, this story follows an FMC who impersonates her brother and attends a magical school in his place to protect him. The first three books in this series are the entrance exam to the school: get beat the hell up to prove you can cut it. This story is strong on found family and protecting the people you love. K.F. Breene and Shannon Mayer have my undying affection so I’ll read anything they write and this is a great work of collaboration.
☆ 3.5 Savage Hope by KC Kean is the first in the Savage Six series. She’s had a shit life and this is her chance to be something other than a destitute punching bag. It’s a slow start, but the series picks up. It’s a reverse harem; give it a try if that’s your thing.
War College Romance
It’s kill or be killed. Wars are coming, wars are being fought, wars are life. Best your opponents or perish.
Each of the books in this section is about learning defense and offense to end longstanding wars.
We LOVED Fourth Wing (☆ 5.0 ) so if you haven’t read it, start there. The rest of the series is a mixed bag so far (at the time of this blog, Onyx Storm is the latest release and it left an atomic cliffhanger).
Neverthorn (☆ 4.5 ) is a really cool take on a wartime story. Former students who flunked out or struggled are invited back to be trained to fight the war. Apparently they flunked or failed because they were purposely made to fail. Full on sabotaged. But the stakes are too high now and these students have to rise above self-doubt and outright sabotage to save the land.
Never Keep (☆ 3.75) and Avalon Tower (☆ 4.25 ) are both formidable reads and fun stories. But they have a lot of world building and set up. Never Keep follows two FMCs on opposing sides of the war. And if you’ve read Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti, you know they aren’t cutting plot points. Their books are long. So imagine two separate stories in one. Book two in that series, Echo Fort (☆ 3.75) was equally as good so at least you know it holds up. Avalon Tower is less cumbersome with characters and plots, but it does have a lot of set up. You’ve got an FMC who knows nothing about this new magical world and her role in it. Lots of education.
Skip These
Not everything’s a winner.
These are books we don’t think you should bother with - we read them and rated them under ☆ 3.5 which usually means we had trouble finishing them.
If you’ve seen our Skip These page, you’ll know that the biggest reason we rate low or DNF is when a main character sucks.
☆ 2.5 Beautiful Venom by Rina Kent had fake drugs and a really annoying FMC. We didn’t love the non-con/dub-con, either.
☆ 2.5 Corrupt by Penelope Douglas had a clueless FMC. Her house burned down, her mom is missing, her bank account is empty, and she’s hanging with scumbags who have a vendetta against her. She’s trying too hard and she’s not putting the very obvious pieces together: they’re out to get her.
☆ 3.25 On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn has an arrogant, know-it-all, morally superior FMC. She's dropped into a whole new dimension and doesn't have the sense to shut the fuck up for a minute and just learn. She can’t even tell when two pages in a book are stuck together. Literally.
☆ 3.0 God of Fury by Rina Kent features a morally black MMC who cares for no one, gives no shits, and does whatever he wants. He has no moral compass, no heart, and it became tedious for him to be such a jerk all the time.
While we love dark and depressing, these didn’t land.
☆ 3.25 Enigma by RuNyx was just so slow. 85% of this book was all background, set up, building. It was interesting, but it became a slog.
☆ 2.0 Guarded by the Nightmare by Cassie Alexander had too many unknowns. We know nothing about the Nightmare except that he’s spooky and rarely leaves his benefactors alive. The writing was okay, but what a missed opportunity for creative anatomy - he didn’t use his smoke for smut.
☆ 3.25 Promised in Blood by Sadie Kincaid is the sequel to Forged in Blood. It’s just a continuation of the bully dynamic that we saw in book 1. Smutty, but the plot goes nowhere.
☆ 3.0 Shattered Omega Book 1 by Marie Mackay incredibly dark and depressing. The most dark and depressing. Shatter, the FMC (ffs that name), is so desperate for attention you’ll feel secondhand embarrassment every time she interacts with the pack that doesn’t want her. I finished this book out of sheer will.
☆ 3.25 Shattered Omega Book 2 by Marie Mackay was marginally better. Shatter finally, finally, decides not to define herself by those who don’t want her.
That just leaves ☆ 3.25 First Down by Grace Reilly. Honestly, the story was so vanilla and the writing was really rough. She’s trying to help her ex-boyfriend lose interest in her…by fake dating his teammate. These two things don’t go together. And it’s all downhill from here.
All Academy Romance, Read & Rated
Sorted by series.. The standalones and series starters are toward the end and alpha sorted. It’s an imperfect system.
