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πŸ‘‘ 18 Treasures: Favorite Reverse Harem Reads from 2020-2025 (Manga, Manhwa, Webtoons & Novels)

Hello, Wallflowers! This is Ayreesa. I recently shared my 18 Gemsreverse harem reads from 2007–2019 that shaped me. Now it’s time for my personal favorite* reverse harem reads from 2020 to present, listed in the order I read them. Personal favorite = Some are problematic. πŸ˜…Sorry! Who knows, this might turn into one of your treasured favorites, too!

Winning a copy of Mia and the Forbidden Medicine Report back in 2020 gave me the push to request review copies and start covering licensed titles + licensing news.

I’d love to cover even more stories, but both time and budget keep me from reading everything on my list. To make the most of my schedule, I share quick impressions and mini-reviews on Patreon. If you’d like to help me keep exploring new titles, you can support me through Patreon or Ko-fi. Every bit means so much! 

This is Part 2 of 4 of Reverse Harem Garden 18th birthday seriesIn the Philippines, a debut ball includes dancing with 18 boys who each offer a rose—known as the 18 Roses—and receiving 18 candles and messages from girls. Some even add their own twist with 18 gifts, 18 bills, or even 18 shoes… you get the idea.

Disclaimers: 


1. My Dear Cold-Blooded King webcomic on Webtoons  (I made a mistake; this should have been under 18 gems since I read this in 2019😭 )
Webtoon Review

Born a humble peasant, Kihara Mei has lived simply day by day as a merchant in the capitol, and never assumed things would change. But, one fateful day would change the course of her life, when faced with a deadly challenge against dangerous royal assassins. Now, with the eyes of the dreaded Blood King upon her, her life of simplicity would now become a tangled web of secrecy, deceit, and desire.


2. Past Life Countess, Present Life Otome Game NPC?! novel  (kinda rh)
Past Life Countess, Present Life Otome Game NPC?! https://amzn.to/4gHPQzX

Oh dear, it seems I was reincarnated into a modern otome game from a fantasy world! All I ever wanted was to be free of my responsibilities as a countess and I finally got my wish when I was reborn as a commoner in modern Japan. Everything was going perfect, except it turns out this is the world of an otome game and some crazy girl who goes around calling herself the “heroine” is upset at me for stealing all her “events” with the “love interests”… Now she wants me to team up with her against the “villainess”. I’m supposedly just a random NPC, so why am I being dragged into this?!


3. Kit Davenport Book Series
The Vixen's Lead (Kit Davenport Book 1) https://amzn.to/4mA6SkP

I want vengeance so badly that I can almost taste it. It's all I've ever wanted. So, I did what anyone in my unique position would do. I slapped on a secret identity and became an internationally renowned thief, known as The Fox. Nobody knows me. Nobody can catch me. Or so I thought... It turns out; I have what they want. Special abilities. And trust me, these abilities are coveted--and dangerous. Now, I don't know who to trust or where to go. Peril lurks on every corner as I try to uncover my past and origin. Teaming up with unlikely allies may be my only chance at survival or my biggest mistake. Only time will tell. I'm Kit Davenport and this is only the beginning.


4. The Remarried Empress manhwa on Webtoons/ also available in print - with an upcoming kdrama  adaptation
The Remarried Empress, Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/42Ivtgk

Navier Ellie Trovi was an empress perfect in every way -- intelligent, courageous, and socially adept. She was kind to her subjects and devoted to her husband. Navier was perfectly content to live the rest of her days as the wise empress of the Eastern Empire. That is, until her husband brought home a mistress and demanded a divorce. “I accept this divorce… And I request an approval of my remarriage.” In a shocking twist, Navier remarries another emperor and retains her title and childhood dream as empress. But just how did everything unfold?

5. I Fell Into a Reverse Harem Game manhwa/webcomic on Tapas

I woke up in a strange bed, with not just one, but two lovers beside me! In this game of love, affection, and deception, I’m Elvia, the Imperial Princess, with a gaggle of men vying for my favor. Sounds great, right? Except this means I'm also stuck as the villainess while the main character is my manipulative maid, Arielle! She’s out to bring me down, and she’s got plans for my harem of men. But I know all her secrets, because I can see her player notifications. Can I beat her at her own game?


6. Men of the Harem manhwa on Webtoons/ also available in print - with upcoming kdrama adaptation
Men of the Harem, Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/4gTuCPW

Scorned by her lover and thrown into power after the mysterious assassination of her father, Latil must marry to secure her sovereignty of Tarium. Instead of choosing one man to become her Royal Consort, she chooses five young men from all walks of life to join her Harem. Will Latil ever solve her father’s murder, and can she keep the peace in her Harem?


7. Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower light novel on Jnovel/ also available as digital book (kinda rh) 
Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower: Volume 1 https://amzn.to/42bAfCT

Rimi has spent most of her life making food for the protector god of the land. She is suddenly sent as a tribute to the great empire of Konkoku, becoming one of the emperor’s concubines. She comes close to losing the taste of her home country, but she is saved by the cuisinologist Shusei. As she dreams of a reunion with the kind scholar, she does her best to survive in the envy-filled rear palace with the help of her natural cheerfulness and her skill as a cook. Then out of nowhere, she is arrested and sentenced to be executed on the charge of disrespecting the emperor! How will Rimi get out of this mess? Find out in this China-inspired fantasy story about a princess and her love for food surrounded by gorgeous men.

8. I Was Reincarnated as the Villainess in an Otome Game but the Boys Love Me Anyway! manga/also available on INKR
I Was Reincarnated as the Villainess in an Otome Game but the Boys Love Me Anyway!, Volume 1 https://amzn.to/4gJz2IV

Fated to die as the villainess of an otome game, Mystia sets out to change her own unhappy ending! Mystia Aren is the daughter of a noble family, and she just started high school. She’s surrounded by a group of adoring classmates and her charming fiancΓ©. Everything seems perfect. Except that this world is actually a dating sim called Kyun-Love, and Mystia knows she's been reincarnated into the role of the main character's evil rival! Mystia is determined to do everything she can to avoid her fate, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. Especially when all the boys keep falling in love with her!


9. The Reincarnated Princess Spends Another Day Skipping Story Routes light novel on Jnovel/also available as digital book
The Reincarnated Princess Spends Another Day Skipping Story Routes: Volume 1 https://amzn.to/46pjaYC

After an accident, a modern careerist is reborn as Princess Rosemary Von Velfalt. She soon realizes that her new life is identical to that of a rival character in an otome game that she’d once played to “100%” completion. Luxury and magic abound in the Kingdom of Nevel, alongside a collection of attractive men. However, beneath the suitors' dazzling faces lie awful personalities: masochists, necrophiles, and perverts, oh my! But it’s not all bad news—the side characters are perfect, and Rosemary has fallen for the captain of the royal guard. Since the game offers no true route to happiness, Rosemary decides to forge her own path; to avoid marriage with the suitors, she'll have to skip their story routes and fix their deviance. She’ll navigate palace and marriage politics, kidnappings, and the threat of war, all while contending with a world that’s drifting further from the game she remembers. “100%” game completion isn’t all it’s cracked up to be—sometimes, “0%” is the route to a dream life!


10. The Princess's Jewels Manhwa on Webtoons

Princess Ariana de Secramise knows that becoming the first-ever empress of the Arbezela Empire will be no small task. That’s why she collects five beautiful “jewels” -- talented, handsome men from all across the lands -- to help her reach her goal. Can Ariana maneuver her way through court politics to become the empress, and can these jewels help her shine?


11. The Strongest Knight is Actually a Cross-Dressing Noblewoman?! novel
The Strongest Knight is Actually a Cross-Dressing Noblewoman?! https://amzn.to/486xkPK

She Slays Monsters and Hearts Alike! Bernstein, the daughter of a marquess but christened as a boy, attends an all-boys military academy. A knight of idol status, she must hide her gender from everyone—even her friends—to graduate. But she dreams of establishing an order of female knights in a kingdom where knights are exclusively male, hoping that one day she’ll be able to openly serve her nation with honor. When a monster appears, taking down knight after knight, Bernstein sets out to accomplish what no man has done before: vanquish a beast of legend and earn her place in history! What will become of Bernstein as she prepares to fight this legendary monster that slays every knight that faces it? What will her friends and colleagues think when they discover that the strongest knight is actually a woman?!


12. Chloe and the Kaishao Boys Novel (kinda rh)
Chloe and the Kaishao Boys https://amzn.to/4mCFtPq

Chloe knows what it takes to be the perfect Liang daughter—stay in Manila, study business management, and join the family company. But when she unexpectedly gets off the wait list for USC, her dream of becoming an animator in the United States is suddenly within reach. Before she goes, her auntie insists on planning a traditional debut for Chloe’s eighteenth birthday. And while a party with all her friends and family sounds like the perfect send-off, the huge production her auntie wants—complete with ball gowns and a choreographed dance number—makes Chloe want to pass out from stage fright. To make matters worse, her father, intent on finding Chloe the perfect escort for the party, keeps setting her up on one awkward kaishao—or arranged date—after another. Why does her dad suddenly care so much about her love life? And what happens when she actually starts to fall for one of the guys, only to have to leave at the end of the summer? At home in the Philippines, Chloe has her future all planned out for her. In America, nothing is certain. With a career in animation far from guaranteed, Chloe must decide if following her dreams is worth everything—and everyone—she’ll be leaving behind.


13. Your Throne manhwa  (not a confirmed rh) on Webtoons/Also available in print
Your Throne, Vol. 1: A Webtoon Unscrolled Graphic Novel https://amzn.to/4mFyCET

Tensions are brewing under the seemingly calm surface of the Vasilios Empire, a kingdom ruled by the Imperial Family and the Temple. Lady Medea Solon has lost her place next to Crown Prince Eros, but resolves to do whatever it will take to win back what's rightfully hers. Will she reclaim her throne?


14. A Whirlwind Campus Affair manhwa (kinda rh) on Webtoons

Rumor has it that Baram Oh had an affair with her married art school professor. It’s been four years since that debacle, and now she’s back at campus to try and enjoy her college life. But she’s not the only thing who’s returned: there’s rumors of a water ghost roaming the halls, and it just might be following her around.


15. Mystic Prince manhwa on Webtoons 

An immortal emperor rules the Kingdom of Yeol, a divine country blessed by gods with awesome powers. After a thousand years of peaceful rule, the time has come for a new emperor to be chosen. This is determined by a series of trials, in which twenty princes with special powers who have trained since birth must compete. As all princes of varying personalities and agendas gather to partake in the trials, intrigue and possibly even bloodshed seem all but certain. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the other princes, the Fourth Prince Jeok-yeon Ryu hides a secret he must guard with his life.


16. The Kiss Bet  webcomic on Webtoons/Also available in print and soon as novel 
The Kiss Bet, Vol. 1: A WEBTOON Unscrolled Graphic Novel https://amzn.to/3VEjNHC
The Kiss Bet: A Novel https://amzn.to/3KJ5P4N
 
It’s senior year and Sara Lin just turned 18. She’s got great friends, a cool Dad (or so he thinks) and a whole lot ahead of her. The last thing she needs is to worry about having her first kiss. But that’s all about to change because her good pal Patrick just challenged her to a bet that will either lead to love, heartbreak or embarrassment…or maybe all three.


17. My Clueless Love Diary manhwa on Webtoons 

“I’m gonna live a normal life!” Cho-eun, the heir to the powerful underground clan, Hongsal, has entered university. Her only wish? To make lots of friends and enjoy a peaceful, ordinary college life. But who are these four mysterious guys constantly hanging around her? 'Are you my enemy? My ally? Or... do you like me?' Thrown into a whirlwind of emotions at twenty, can Cho-eun finally achieve the campus life she’s always dreamed of?
18. Villains are Destined to Die novel/ Also available on Tapas and in print. Also available as manhwa  on Tapas, Tappytoon and Mantas and in print
Villains Are Destined to Die (novel), Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/4nRnt4L

The original novel behind the hit fantasy romance comic!When a college student with a tragic past picks up the video game Daughter of the Duke’s Super Love Project, she immediately sees herself in one of the characters. Not the adored heroine of easy mode, Ivonne, but the protagonist of hard mode, misunderstood villain Penelope. Little did she know that she’d fall asleep playing the story…and wake up in Penelope’s body! The only way to escape the game world? Charm one of the love interests and unlock a good ending. But with affection meters starting in the negatives and the inability to speak without choosing from pre-selected dialogue, it quickly becomes clear that a single wrong move means her demise― and this villain might just be destined to die!


Bonus- Manga I’ve only read the first volume of, but hope to continue someday: Short Cake Cake, Those Not-So-Sweet Boys, Rosen Blood, Boss Bride Days, and Bite Maker: The King's Omega

What are your own favorite reverse harem reads from this decade?
Which titles can you not believe I still haven’t picked up? 
 

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