While I can trace my love of romance books back to the bookmobile where I checked out every Sweet Dreams and V.C. Andrews book I could every Wednesday, I blame Anne Rice for my lifelong obsession with vampires, shifters, and alphas that go bump in the night. Paranormal romance has been my go-to for two decades, with contemporary romance coming in a close second in recent years. Although I write the stories I want to read, the books on this list have inspired me. The emotions and devotion they cultivate are what I aspire to create with my own books and I hope you love these as much as I do.
Vampire Dominic Kaius is a cleaner, collecting humans others leave behind and bringing them into the Kaius haunt. When a mission triggers a connection between him and the woman he’s sent to acquire, he’s torn between his desire for her and his need to stay away.
Waking in an unknown bed, Molly Wagner faces two choices: death or Tender training. Opting for survival, she’s thrust into vampire hierarchy, where women are schooled as courtesans. She finds solace with Dominic, but when the madness of their connection consumes him, the haunt sells her to an unvetted master. Embroiled in a battle to save his kind from extermination and driven by their connection, Dominic risks everything to save Molly before her new master destroys her body and soul.
Nalini Singh is a master of world creation. Her Guild Hunter series seamlessly incorporates angels and vampires into modern life with such finesse it’s easy to forget her stories are fiction. Every character in the series is artfully developed with a beautiful balance of strengths and flaws. While the overarching storyline of good vs evil ties the series together, it’s Singh’s cast who keeps me ravenous for every installment. This is one of the few series I reread from start to finish with each new release and every pass-through feels like a return to old friends.
Nalini Singh introduces readers to a world of beauty and bloodlust, where angels hold sway over vampires.
Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael. But this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad.
The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other-and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn't destroy her, succumbing to Raphael's seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break.
Sometimes I want to be emotionally destroyed and when I do, this is the series I return to. Kenyon has a way of developing her fantasy world and those who inhabit it so fully that reading this series feels less like an escape and more like an immersion. This series is a different take on the vampire genre, bringing in Greek mythology to expand the lore of Kenyon’s world. The heroines are strong, the heroes are perfectly flawed, and this is the series I turn to when I want to feel every emotion on the spectrum.
It might sound like a man's favorite fantasy - to live forever, destined to be the lover of thousands of women. But for Julian of Macedon, it's a nightmare. Once he was a proud Spartan general; now he's a love-slave, his essence magically held captive in a book, cursed to spend all eternity pleasing women. Then, one day, Grace Alexander summons Julian to fulfill her passionate dreams - and sees beyond the fantasy to the man himself.
Long years as a sex therapist, listening to other people's bedroom problems, have taken a lot of the fun out of the physical…
I make no apologies for being a serial series reader and this one makes every one of my top ten must-read lists. You want action? Read this. Intrigue? Done. Vamps with questionable morals and snarky attitudes? All here. Romance? Definitely. Escapism? J.R. Ward is a queen of storytelling with a flair for walking on the darker side without crossing over. The Black Dagger Brotherhood series is my top recommendation for anyone seeking to dip their toes in the paranormal romance genre.
In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There also exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Among them, none relishes killing their enemies more than Wrath, the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood...
The only pure-bred vampire left on the planet, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But when one of his most trusted fighters is killed - orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage…
A heroine who takes no prisoners and keeps every alpha she meets on his toes? Yes, please. The Chicagoland series has everything I want in a summer binge-read: drama, romance, relevant bloodshed, and humor. Chicagoland is a sweet blend of swords, bites, and heat and anyone looking for a series to become immersed in on the beach will love it.
First in a brand new series about a Chicago graduate student's introduction into a society of vampires.
Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn't exactly glamorous, but it was Merit's. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.
Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she?s traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park…
L. Ann is a new-to-me author and one whose Forgotten Legacy series made me an instant fan. Her writing is smooth, angst is high, and characters are heartbreakingly real. Romance guarantees a happily ever after, but L. Ann keeps you guessing how she’s going to accomplish it until the bitter end. For paranormal romance readers sliding from vampires over to shifters, the Midnight Pack series is a delicious excuse to stay up past bedtime to finish off just one more chapter.
So, really, the sizzling hot alpha male shouldn’t have been surprised when a move to a new town and a fresh start doesn’t go according to plan - especially when Shaun’s wolf lays claim to the beauty he unexpectedly finds on his property.
Passion soars, but Cassie comes with her own brand of trouble in the form of an ex who can't take no for an answer.
To make matters worse, there’s a hunter on Shaun’s tail. One who will stop at nothing to take down the Midnight pack once and for all.
She’s hiding from pain. He’s lost everything but his dog. When fresh air and second chances bring them together, can they rediscover true love?
If you enjoy kind-hearted heroes, small towns, and more humor than heat, you’ll adore this contemporary Alaskan romance! A Darling Handyman is the feel-good first book in the Darling Men series. All books in the series can be read alone and in any order.
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