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For a holiday that began in honor of various martyrs, Valentine’s Day tends to be pretty tame. Candy hearts and teddy bears. It’s 2025; if you’re going to bring me roses, they’d better still have thorns on them. It’s time to bring back the gore to Valentine’s Day and give the goths what they want. After kicking the year off with Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, it’s impossible to think of Valentine’s Day reads without a few vampires and blood sacrifices.
Gothic Influences
Even though horror and romance may seem like complete opposites, they actually work quite well together. Thanks to 18th-century Gothic literature, romantic horror is a natural subgenre. Borrowing the claustrophobic atmosphere, use of supernatural elements, feeling of dread, and themes of morality and desire, romantic horror books fit in with Jane Eyre and Dracula.
Monsters do not necessarily a romantic horror novel make. There are monster romances without any fear. There must be a feeling of terror and emotional tension, led by ultimate optimism in a romantic horror. The romantic interests find solace in one another as they fight against the darkness. Romantic horror explores the dark side of love, playing with tropes from both horror and romance. Everything from cryptids to psychological horror is on the table, as long as the love story is there, too. Whether you’re a horror reader ready for romance or a romantic at heart with a curiosity about horror, these five romantic horror will get you started.
Note: You may be wondering about the difference between romantic horror and horror romance, also known as horroromance. For simplicity’s sake, romantic horror does not necessarily conclude with an HFA/HFN. Some of the titles on this list would be considered horror romance! Those without the HFA would fall more generally into romantic horror. For more on this subgenre, check out our primer on horroromance and this list of horroromance recs.
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Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
This book has everything: vampires, historical fiction, romance, cowboys, snark. In 19th-century Mexico, Nena’s home has been threatened by multiple kinds of monsters for as long as she can remember. Attacked as a young girl by one of the creatures, Nena is wary of strangers and of Nestor, a childhood friend who left the rancho years ago. When the creature attacks grow more frequent, Nena follows Nestor and the men into the unforgiving landscape. Atmospheric and filled with tension, this book is the southwestern gothic of your nightmares.
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A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson
Saved from the brink of death by a stranger, Constanta is transformed into a bride for Dracula. Drawn into Dracula’s private world of secrets and evil, Constanta finds both comfort and rivalry with Dracula’s other consorts. Spanning centuries, this novel is told as an emotional open letter from Constanta to Dracula.
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Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison
When Rory moves home to care for her pregnant sister, she’s angry about having to return to small-town life. After a night out at the bar, where she meets up with her old friend, Ian, Rory hits a large animal with her car and is attacked by it. A month later, Rory has incredible eyesight and hearing and a new aversion to silver. As Rory learns to understand her body’s changes, she must also work on her past traumas and her relationships. Dark and comedic, this novel is such an entertaining read.
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House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson
Desperate for an escape from poverty, Marion accepts a position as “bloodmaid” in the luxuriant North. Countess Lisavet rules over the House of Hunger, a hedonistic, secretive world. When Marion finds favor with Countess Lisavet, she notices that the other bloodmaids are going missing. Caught in a dangerous game, Marion must choose between pleasing the Countess and saving herself in this gothic sapphic tale.
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Bones & All by Camille DeAngelis
Maren, a compulsive cannibal, wakes up to find that her mother has abandoned her. She sets out on a cross-country road trip to find her birth father. In her travels, Maren meets Lee, a boy with her same condition. Intimate and tender, this book about cannibalism is also about first love.
So what do you say, Valentine? If you’re seeking more horror, try these 6 Horror Books for Valentine’s Day. For something sweeter, try the sampler box of 2024’s best romance books.