High fantasy recs with simple worldbuilding and heavy romance focus?

{Radiance by Tavia Lark} series would be perfect for this. It has D&D style world building but the romance and tropes definitely shine through. Don’t be afraid!

{The Knight and the Necromancer by A.H. Lee} I think would also fit, it’s a same-couple trilogy.

You might also enjoy works by Megan Derr such as {Dubious by Megan Derr}, {Dragon Magic by Megan Derr}, and {The Tales of the High Court by Megan Derr} series.

You might also enjoy {The Orc Prince by Lionel Hart} - it has an arranged marriage, a same couple trilogy. There is mpreg but not on page.

{The Order by Kasia Bacon} is a series of novellas that does great balancing romance and story, especially in a short amount of pages.

I’ve heard great things too for {Magician by K.L. Noone}.

For what it’s worth, I hardly ever read any fantasy (and when I do, it’s usually urban or contemporary PNR stuff) and Im reading Tavia Lark’s series right now. I finished the first one and just started the second one and have not found too complicated. I do not have a tolerance for complicated world building and I think these do a pretty good job of keeping me in the story and not going over my head.

Just here to heartily recommend the Radiance series. I don’t really look to read fantasy often and shy away from complicated world building but these had an excellent balance for me! Very tropey, too, but in ways that kept me both interested and swooning.

I am not sure how complicated you would consider the world building to be, but my absolutely favourite MM fantasy is the Lord of the White Hell duology by Ginn Hale. There are other books in the series, but those are heavier on the fantasy element and lighter on the romance, while this one is the opposite. It can also totally be read as a stand alone.

I'm not 100% sure it qualifies as high fantasy, but {Brute by Kim Fielding} has magic, and once the MCs meet, which does take a little while, the story is really all about them. The worldbuilding is quite straightforward.

The {Of Heart and Wings by Debbie McQueen} is the first of a trilogy with the same main couple. The world building is very simple - a few kingdoms labeled by numbers instead of complicated names, and since it's YA there's basically one bad kingdom you have to remember. One MC is a prince, the other is a dragon shifter (a species long since thought extinct). They meet, they're fucking romantic, and they're adorable after that. The prince does everything to protect his dragon. The first book does have some more amateur writing but I think it wasn't bad enough to quit the book. The next books get better in that regard. Also as I said it's YA so no sex on page.

If you ever want to read easily understandable fantasy with a slightly heavier plot, then {Steal the Wind by Jocelynn Drake} is the first of six (number five releases in two weeks, six in two months) in a high fantasy series that's very relatable to our lives. So there's cellphones, trains, things like that but also magic and kingdoms (again, only a few you have to remember and their names are short and simple). This one has more plot, but because the main cast is four guys who become two couples you get double the romance! There's a prince who suddenly becomes king while he's not home, and he has to save his kingdom while mostly undercover. With him are his best friend, his bodyguard and his advisor. Would definitely recommend these too!

{Oak King Holly King by Sebastian Nothwell} has hurt/comfort and a badass warrior. Romance is the forefront of the plot and most of the worldbuilding is implied. (Half of the world is Victorian England, so not a whole lot needing to be built there.)

You might like Seducing the Sorceror by Lee Welch.

The chosen one series is heavy in fantasy and even heavier on romance. It’s easy to follow and has no info dumping. It is a 5 book series that features a beyond lovable group of fantastical creatures who love hard (in all the ways). Also check out the sons of the fallen series. It’s a romance centered, fallen angels adventure!

My favorite fantasy is by Iris Foxglove -- unique worldbuilding that isn't complicated and really great characters. If you don't like dark, I recommend the Seasons of the Lukoi series. If you like darker themes, the Starian Cycle is my favorite ;)

Monstrous Series by Lily Mayne

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