6 Book Series So Addictive I Could Not Put Them Down

Travel and reading go hand-in-hand for me. When I’m on the road with my family—whether we’re road-tripping across Utah’s red rock landscapes or checking into a new hotel that feels like an adventure in itself—books are the quiet thread that anchor me. They’re the me time in the middle of the chaos, the worlds I can slip into once the kids are finally asleep, or even the ones I sneak in while waiting in the school pickup line.

This past year, I devoured some incredible series. Some kept me company on long drives and flights, while others became the comfort I reached for when we were home, wrapped in blankets with Snowball curled at my feet. Here are the standouts—and why you absolutely need to dive all the way in.

The Ravenhood & The Ravenhood Legacy by Kate Stewart

While this series is often described as a modern-day Robin Hood retelling, it is anything but. The Ravenhood trilogy is its own masterpiece—characters so deep and layered that you carry them with you long after the last page. The story doesn’t just span chapters, it spans lifetimes, weaving a tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption that is as beautiful as it is devastating. Two out of the three books had me in tears, the kind where you have to close the cover and just sit in the silence for a moment because it feels like your own heart has been cracked open.

What makes it unforgettable is how much you fall in love—not just with the romance, but with the entire world Kate Stewart builds. It’s dangerous, thrilling, addictive—the kind of read that feels like a road trip soundtrack. I started the trilogy on a trip and, honestly, it was impossible to put down between stops. Late-night reading in hotels, stolen chapters in the passenger seat—it consumed me. And just when I thought I’d recovered, The Ravenhood Legacy came along, reigniting all those heart-racing emotions and keeping me up long past midnight.

And now? The final book in the Ravenhood Legacy series is set to release in November of this year—and I couldn’t be more excited to dive back into this world one last time.

The Everflame Series by Penn Cole

The Everflame series has the kind of slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers tension that keeps you holding your breath long after you should have gone to bed. This is the series I reached for when the house was quiet, the kids were asleep, and the world finally felt still. Magic, betrayal, romance—it’s everything I love about romantasy but told with its own unique voice.

It doesn’t just sweep you into a fantasy realm; it makes you feel every ounce of longing and conflict between the characters. The pacing builds like a simmer that turns into a full boil, and by the end of each book, I was desperate for the next one. It became my late-night companion at home, and there’s something beautiful about reading a series like this where you can let every chapter linger. This is not a complete series. The next book is due to release next year.

The Plated Prisoner Series by Raven Kennedy

I cracked open Gild on a flight, and suddenly the hours melted away. This series reimagines the King Midas myth in a way that’s dark, raw, and deeply addictive. It’s not just about golden cages and glittering halls—it’s about survival, power, and what happens when a woman finally realizes her own strength.

What I loved most is the transformation arc—it’s slow, it’s painful, and it’s powerful. There’s no easy fix, no instant magic. Just grit, growth, and moments that make you want to stand up mid-flight and clap for the heroine (don’t worry, I restrained myself). These books are perfect for travel because once you’re in, you won’t even notice the turbulence or the endless hours of sitting still—you’re too wrapped up in the danger and desire woven through every page.

The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros

I read the first book on a flight, listened to the second book on a road trip and devoured the third book right here at home. This series took over my life in the best way. This was also the series that had me give the romantasy genre a chance, and I havent looked back since.

Whether we were checked into a hotel on the road or back at home, I could not put it down. Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm—each book gripped me with its dragon-rider adrenaline and fiery romance. It’s fast-paced and emotional, with battles that left me breathless and a romance that made me want to dog-ear every single page.

It’s the kind of series you want to carry everywhere: on trips, at home, even to the grocery store if you’re like me and can’t stand the thought of being stuck in a long line without your book. Rebecca Yarros doesn’t just write stories—she creates obsessions.

My Forever Favorite: A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) by Sarah J. Maas

No matter how many books I read, I always circle back to ACOTAR. Some books feel like home, no matter where you are—and for me, that’s ACOTAR. I’ve reread this series more times than I can count, and every time, it feels like slipping into a world that knows me. It has everything: fae courts, battles, curses, and above all, love stories that feel epic and timeless.

Sarah J. Maas has a way of making you fall in love with characters so deeply that they feel like family. This is the series I return to when I’m between trips, when life feels hectic, or when I just want to remember why I love romantasy in the first place. And with the sixth book officially in the works, my forever favorite just keeps growing.

Books are the souvenirs I carry from place to place—not the kind you display on a shelf, but the ones you carry in your heart. Whether I’m stretched out on a hotel bed after a long day of exploring or curled up on my own couch, these series remind me that adventure isn’t only outside my front door. Sometimes, it’s waiting in the pages of the book in my hand.

So pack your bags, grab your favorite bookmark, and let’s go—whether “going” means across the country or just across the living room.