Why am I passionate about this?

Dostoevsky wrote that the opposite of love is not hatred, it is indifference. That’s why I have always been fascinated by the topic of love hate. They are not opposed, they are somehow connected, and when I started writing romance I spent an insane amount of time trying to understand how people cross the bridge from hate to love. It makes for incredible stories of seduction, corruption, resilience, and ultimately happiness. As a ‘villain writer’ who enjoys writing about passionate characters going the extra mile, burning the world down to keep their love warm, I am familiar with the tropes and my imagination knows no bounds.


I wrote

The Director Must Die: A Stardust story

By Dina Thala,

Book cover of The Director Must Die: A Stardust story

What is my book about?

“He was my father’s best friend. Now he is his bitterest enemy. And he has the most disturbing proposition: He…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Shatter Me

Dina Thala Why did I love this book?

Despite a polarizing writing style, Shatter Me did actually shatter me. Juliette has powers. Her touch kills, literally. The villains capture her to weaponize her in a dystopian apocalypse. Her boyfriend himself cannot touch her without being sent to the hospital. If things weren’t bad enough, the young, handsome Chief Commander discovers by accident that he can touch her… And that it makes them both feel things they don’t want to feel. Worse: when they are near each other, they have reminiscences of… something. Juliette loves her boyfriend, even if her thoughts turn toward her enemy, and she doesn’t want to want him… Hatred, guilt, and loss of control ensue.

By Tahereh Mafi,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Shatter Me as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

Stranger Things meets Shadow and Bone in this first instalment of an epic and romantic YA fantasy series - perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas and Victoria Aveyard. Now a TikTok phenomenon.

A fragile young teenage girl is held captive. Locked in a cell by The Reestablishment - a harsh dictatorship in charge of a crumbling world. This is no ordinary teenager. Juliette is a threat to The Reestablishment's power. A touch from her can kill - one touch is all it takes. But not only is she a threat, she is potentially the most powerful weapon…


Book cover of Sea of Ruin

Dina Thala Why did I love this book?

This incredible historical tale will remain with you. Married to a pirate against her parents’ wishes, Bennett gets betrayed so badly when she learns her husband’s heart is already taken, that she runs away from him in hatred. Now a prisoner to an ice-cold English officer who hates pirates, she combats both her memories of her husband and her attraction to the officer who clearly doesn’t want to have anything to do with her. Because he hates her husband and women too, doesn’t he? She wishes to run away, and she wishes to never see her husband again. Until finally the three of them have to meet… 

By Pam Godwin,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Sea of Ruin as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Beautiful, soul-shattering, and utterly delicious." ~ Ilsa Madden-Mills, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today bestselling author
Bennett Sharp is on the run.
Wanted for piracy, she fears neither God nor death nor man.
Except Priest Farrell.

The unfaithful, stormy-eyed libertine hunts her with terrifying possessiveness. Nothing will stop him from coming for her. Not his unforgivable betrayal. Not when she's captured by the ice-cold pirate hunter, Lord Ashley Cutler.
She must escape Ashley's prison and Priest's deceit. But can she walk away from their twisted desires?

Two gorgeous captains stand on opposite sides of the law. When…


Book cover of A Shadow in the Ember

Dina Thala Why did I love this book?

Oh, this one? It is everything. The villain is a virgin! Which deep down we all want. Seraphena is promised to him since childhood, groomed into marrying him and killing him in order to save her country. When the wedding night comes – he rejects her, leaving her behind. People blame her. If she hated him before, she loathes him even more. Until he reappears into her life to save her and they both fight this attraction. She still has a mission, and this is her excuse to try to seduce him. He is a tough nut to crack. He is actually more in control of himself than she is. As she grows to know him in his supernatural surroundings, hatred is hard to keep and so is distance…

By Jennifer L. Armentrout,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Shadow in the Ember as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns with book one of the all-new, compelling Flesh and Fire series—set in the beloved Blood and Ash world.

Born shrouded in the veil of the Primals, a Maiden as the Fates promised, Seraphena Mierel’s future has never been hers. Chosenbefore birth to uphold the desperate deal her ancestor struck to save his people, Sera must leave behind her life and offer herself to the Primal of Death as his Consort.

However, Sera’s real destiny is the most closely guarded secret in all of Lasania—she’s not the well protected Maiden but…


Book cover of Poison Study

Dina Thala Why did I love this book?

This is a classic. Fantasy, literal fantasy. Caught by the King’s army, Yelena is given a choice: death or food tasting for a senior officer – her worst enemy. Gruesome! The man’s right-hand who deals with her daily is cold, conceited but highly intelligent and she cannot help noticing him. Anyway, people say he doesn’t like women. While at first, he shows no interest in her something grows between them, something he defines as poison corrupting him to his very soul. Seems like neither of them will be able to resist… The depiction of food is a real plus.

By Maria V. Snyder,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Poison Study as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

How much is your life worth?

In the territory of Ixia the government maintains control through the Code of Behaviour, forbidding the practice of magic, but danger lurks in mysterious places...

Imprisoned for murder Yelena Zaltana's punishment is death, until she is reprieved - for a price.

As the Commander of Ixia's food taster she will risk assassination from poison daily, a position she would be a fool to refuse... In a world where magic equals death and freedom is for the lucky few, survival is all Yelena has and the battle for her life has just begun.

A CHRONICLES…


Book cover of Call the Coroner

Dina Thala Why did I love this book?

Daniel doesn’t care about life anymore. He only cares about finding the hitman who killed his wife, the only person he ever loved. Unfortunately, when he does find him, his hatred and contempt for the man are only matched by their fiery attraction. Can he betray his wife? With the very man who killed her? This is true love/hate, starting very much on the hate side, and remaining so for a long time, even when the passion is burning high and they have to hide from other Mafiosi. Very much a violent read, I am a fan of the guilt and of the bi trope. This very desperate, very edgy MM mafia love/hate romance will blow your mind, the darkness and the hotness are unforgettable.

By Avril Ashton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Call the Coroner as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the AWARD-WINNING author of the bestselling BROOKLYN SINNERS series comes a dark, twisted tale of pain, revenge, and the deadliest emotion of all...love. 

A clash of wills between predators…

He’s been living underground for a long time, but the only thing guaranteed to bring Daniel Nieto back to the surface is the identity of his wife’s killer. With the whisper of one name, he puts it all on the line for vengeance. He’s got plans for Stavros Konstantinou.

The title of monster fits too well for Stavros to want to be anything other than what he is. Time spent…


Explore my book 😀

The Director Must Die: A Stardust story

By Dina Thala,

Book cover of The Director Must Die: A Stardust story

What is my book about?

“He was my father’s best friend. Now he is his bitterest enemy. And he has the most disturbing proposition: He wants to marry me.”

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Gina, a young, idealistic woman, is recruited by the elusive Rebellion. “The Director must die!” they said. She wants to fight the Empire and this marriage proposal is a golden opportunity. Alas, the innocent girl falls into a trap, putting her beloved father in danger. To counter the Director’s dark plans, she must sort out what happened between the two men decades ago…

You might also like...

Tasha and the Biologist

By Amy Q. Barker,

Book cover of Tasha and the Biologist

Amy Q. Barker Author Of Lap Baby

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Avid reader Nature lover Park ranger wanna be Best Nana ever

Amy's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Tasha and the Biologist is the second book in the "A Better Man" series. It's a contemporary romance about second chances, two lonely birders, and the healing power of love.

Tasha Moore is a visiting nurse with a family secret. She just went through a bad breakup. Caleb Drexel is a bird biologist trying to start a new life in a small town. He just got out of an unhappy marriage.

What happens when hope and romance bloom between these two nature lovers?

Tasha and the Biologist

By Amy Q. Barker,

What is this book about?

Tasha
He was handsome, confident, nice, smart—a good guy.
How did he end up here in the middle of Indiana?
And how did he know so much about whooping cranes?
I’d never met someone as passionate about birds as I was.
Was it too soon for me to be thinking about love again?
Caleb
She was sweet, kind, caring—a nurse and a birder.
I really liked her. Maybe more than liked.
And I’d only spent two hours—three, tops—with her.
Yet, I’d promised myself I wouldn’t get involved with anyone for at least a year after my divorce.


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Brooklyn, Italy, and piracy?

Brooklyn 108 books
Italy 401 books
Piracy 140 books