Female Fantasy: A Novel

Book info: Female Fantasy: A Novel (Paperback, 416 pages) – Cosmo Reads, 2025. Language: English.

"Juicy, silly, delightful, hilarious, hot, heartfelt―all the things romance readers love best." ―Elle magazine

NAMED A BEST BOOK by Goodreads, Elle Magazine, Bustle, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and many more!

From Cosmopolitan's Cosmo Reads imprint comes a love letter to romance readers that is in turns chaotic, sexy, and addictively joyful. 

Joonie has two great loves. Writing fanfic about her favorite fantasy romance series and swooning over its hero, Ryke, a broody, impossibly perfect merman. No real-life boyfriend has ever come close. Why settle for ordinary when your fictional crush is…well, an impossibly hot, impossibly wonderful Ryke?

But then Joonie discovers a secret: Ryke was inspired by a real man. And she's determined to find him. Cue a whirlwind road trip, complete with her brother's aggravatingly hot best friend at the wheel, clumsy kidnappers, psychics, and her fiercely loyal fanfic crew. He doesn't believe in love. She refuses to believe in anything else. And neither is ready for the sparks that start flying.

Filled with crackling banter, laugh-out-loud chaos, and swoony heat, Female Fantasy is an unapologetic ode to the romance genre and the readers who love it. Perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood, Emily Henry, and B.K. Borison.

"Clever, delightfully chaotic, and a total joy to read!" ― Lyla Sage, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Wild and Wrangled

"Makes me feel like I'm floating on champagne bubbles. Decadent and dreamy, this one is for the romantics." ― B.K. Borison, New York Times bestselling author of First-Time Caller

Editorial Reviews Review

RECOMMENDED BY Cosmopolitan, Bustle, Goodreads, BookRiot, Swooon, Fated Mates, Bad on Paper, and more

"An ambitious, genre-bending blend of contemporary fiction, romance, and fantasy. Its multiple plotlines―there’s a road trip and a kidnapping and...mer-people―serve as both a sharp cultural commentary and an ode to very online romance fandoms." ― Cosmopolitan

"Equal parts satirical, steamy, and swoony, Female Fantasy is a romance novel tailor-made for book lovers who can’t resist a meta twist…what follows is a hilariously chaotic, self-aware journey through romance tropes that doubles as a genuine story about finding love where you least expect it. This is a joyful reminder of why readers fall in love with the genre in the first place." ― BookRiot

"Affectionately satirizes the romance genre and its tropes through use of absurd, over-the-top plotlines while also genuinely extolling how wonderful and empowering romance stories can be...The whole thing is ridiculous in the best ways...A playful romp and ode to all who believe in true love and happily-ever-afters." ― Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review

"A devoted romantasy fan embarks on an outrageous quest to find her soulmate in this hilarious and intelligent romp...Hariri-Kia skillfully weaves the two story lines into a celebration of the romance genre and a powerful message of self-acceptance. Riotously entertaining and genuinely moving, this will speak to anyone who’s ever felt shamed for being a hopeless romantic." ― Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Clever, delightfully chaotic, and a total joy to read! Female Fantasy is truly a one-of-a-kind novel. Hariri-Kia has crafted a magnetic story that is both fantastically mystical and deeply relatable. As a lifelong romance reader, this is the type of book I’m looking for―a book that makes me feel seen, adored, and brave enough to hope for something bigger. Absolutely stellar." ― Lyla Sage, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Wild and Wrangled

"I had the time of my life reading Female Fantasy. Iman Hariri-Kia’s writing is equally whip-smart, introspective, and hilarious." ― Hannah Bonam-Young, bestselling author of Out of the Woods

"Female Fantasy is fresh, fun, and utterly binge-able. Iman Hariri-Kia writes with a natural rhythm that makes me feel like I’m floating on champagne bubbles. Decadent and dreamy, this one is for the romantics." ― B.K. Borison, New York Times bestselling author of First-Time Caller

"An unapologetic ode to all of what we love in the genre. Iman's love for romance and romance readers shimmers on every page of this fresh-feeling romcom!" ― Tarah DeWitt, USA Today bestselling author Left of Forever

"There is nothing more delicious than being seen as a romance reader, and Iman Hariri-Kia's Female Fantasy does exactly that and more, playfully yanking us into a page-turning caper filled with hilarity, hope, and crackling banter. With an older brother's grumpy best friend, a quirky clan of fanfic besties, clumsy kidnappers, and psychics―and the power of romance novels―Hariri-Kia shows us that being your own main character takes more than determination and verve. It takes knowing you deserve your own happily ever after, full stop." ― Sierra Simone, USA Today bestselling author of A Merry Little Meet Cute and Salt Kiss

"Female Fantasy is a rompy good time, but even more than that it's a beautifully defiant love letter to the romance genre, with a main character who wholeheartedly and unapologetically believes in love in all its forms.. I loved every second!" ― Jessica Joyce, USA Today bestselling author of The Ex Vows About the Author

Iman Hariri-Kia is a writer and editor born and based in New York City. A nationally acclaimed journalist, she covers sex, relationships, identity, and adolescence. You can often find her writing about her personal life on the internet, much to her parents’ dismay.