100 books like Branded

By Addison Cain,

Here are 100 books that Branded fans have personally recommended if you like Branded. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Born to be Bound

Vivian Murdoch Author Of Dark Hunger

From my list on darker dystopian omegaverse with a large dash of kink.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been writing since I was in kindergarten. Granted, it started out with poetry, but words are still words. When it comes to omegaverse, I made sure to devour some of the great writers before I even stuck my toe in. The great thing about omegaverse is that you can put it in almost any setting, and it fits. I just happen to like dystopian, and now historical regency England, as my backdrop. I’ve been writing professionally since 2020, and I have never looked back once. This is my passion. This is my calling. This is what I’m meant to do.

Vivian's book list on darker dystopian omegaverse with a large dash of kink

Vivian Murdoch Why did Vivian love this book?

This was the book that broke my Omegaverse cherry. It was dark, raw, and unapologetic, and it left an impression. It’s one of the few reasons I write omegaverse today. This trilogy was the first time a book ever broke me. I was sobbing so hard my husband worried for me, but it left an impression. I have devoured every book since.

By Addison Cain,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Born to be Bound as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Unapologetically raw and deliciously filthy, Shepherd & Claire's dark, gritty story is an emotional punch to the gut!” - Anna Zaires, New York Times bestselling author

At the mercy of a jealous, possessive villain, gentle Claire begs her city’s savage conqueror to save the vulnerable Omega females, from the violence his soldiers have inspired in her fallen city. Not only does Shepherd refuse her, he takes the desperate and rare Omega woman for his own.

The first book in Addison Cain's exciting, raw, and suspense-filled Paranormal series is an addictive Dark Romance that will consume you mind, body, and soul.


Book cover of The Game Maker

Vivian Murdoch Author Of Dark Hunger

From my list on darker dystopian omegaverse with a large dash of kink.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been writing since I was in kindergarten. Granted, it started out with poetry, but words are still words. When it comes to omegaverse, I made sure to devour some of the great writers before I even stuck my toe in. The great thing about omegaverse is that you can put it in almost any setting, and it fits. I just happen to like dystopian, and now historical regency England, as my backdrop. I’ve been writing professionally since 2020, and I have never looked back once. This is my passion. This is my calling. This is what I’m meant to do.

Vivian's book list on darker dystopian omegaverse with a large dash of kink

Vivian Murdoch Why did Vivian love this book?

This book grabbed me from the moment I picked it up. It was dark, delicious, and one of the best mindf*cks I’ve read in a long time. It kept me on the edge of my seat with the twists and turns I never expected. And as far as the spicy scenes go…they were beyond magnificent. There was no skimming there, I devoured every morsel.

By Kitty Thomas,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Game Maker as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

I was too isolated. I was about to be evicted. I made a final desperate call to the man who ruined my life, but he didn't come for me.

Someone else did.

And then there was Seven. When I first woke in the cell, I thought he was my captor, but he is a pawn, like me.

Seven is beautiful and kind. I want him so much I can barely breathe. He wants to protect me from our captor, but he can't.

We are both locked inside a game neither of us can ever hope to win, and even though…


Book cover of Broken

Vivian Murdoch Author Of Dark Hunger

From my list on darker dystopian omegaverse with a large dash of kink.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been writing since I was in kindergarten. Granted, it started out with poetry, but words are still words. When it comes to omegaverse, I made sure to devour some of the great writers before I even stuck my toe in. The great thing about omegaverse is that you can put it in almost any setting, and it fits. I just happen to like dystopian, and now historical regency England, as my backdrop. I’ve been writing professionally since 2020, and I have never looked back once. This is my passion. This is my calling. This is what I’m meant to do.

Vivian's book list on darker dystopian omegaverse with a large dash of kink

Vivian Murdoch Why did Vivian love this book?

When I tell you this book took my heart and ripped it out, I’m not even joking. I knew it was a dark book. I went in with this knowledge, but knowing and knowing are two totally different things. This was my first foray into contemporary omegaverse and I was fascinated beyond belief. This is one of those books that kept me up all night, downloading the next just so I could get my fix and find out the end of the story. Some of the scenes still live in my head rent-free.

By Eva Dresden,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Street smart, stubborn, and struggling.

Quinn Ivers scrapes by one day at a time in a world where Omegas are viewed as less than nothing and are subject to the whims of others. Slinging drinks in a nightclub with a wicked reputation, she just wants to make it to the next day. Her world is rife with an array of dangers, but it's hers and she answers to no one.

Until Tobias Kahler appears and ruins everything, including her.

The man who owns the city has set his eyes on the waitress, and he won't be denied. Merciless and without…


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Book cover of Philip's Rules

Vivian Murdoch Author Of Dark Hunger

From my list on darker dystopian omegaverse with a large dash of kink.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been writing since I was in kindergarten. Granted, it started out with poetry, but words are still words. When it comes to omegaverse, I made sure to devour some of the great writers before I even stuck my toe in. The great thing about omegaverse is that you can put it in almost any setting, and it fits. I just happen to like dystopian, and now historical regency England, as my backdrop. I’ve been writing professionally since 2020, and I have never looked back once. This is my passion. This is my calling. This is what I’m meant to do.

Vivian's book list on darker dystopian omegaverse with a large dash of kink

Vivian Murdoch Why did Vivian love this book?

When I first started reading romance, I read nothing but historical. But then, I got bored with it because it all felt the same. That changed when I read this book. It was kinky and filthy, and still had that amazing historical romance mannerisms that I love and crave. I didn’t know books could be like this. I was smitten. Because of her, I fell back in love with historical romances.

By Golden Angel,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Philip's Rules as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Pride and Prejudice meets Fifty Shades of Grey in this steamy tale of a stern lord and his new wife…

Lady Cordelia knows the Marquess of Dunbury did not marry her for love. Still, as he awakens her passion and pleasure, she begins to hope their marriage can become something more.

The Marquess of Dunbury rules his household with a stern demeanor and a hard hand. His new wife has begun to soften his harsh edges, engaging his more tender emotions. Their passion burns bright, but no relationship is without its tests.

Will a wicked stepdaughter and Cordelia’s own insecurities…


Book cover of The Devil's Bargain

Aveda Vice Author Of Feed

From my list on short monster romances doing things differently.

Why am I passionate about this?

Monsters intrigue me. I’ve always enjoyed the weird and obscure – the creatures who are recognizably not human. Being a queer, autistic person, I’ve often felt as if I didn’t understand the world…or the world didn’t understand me. Reading and writing about monsters sheds a new light on the parts of myself that I was taught are undesirable. By conventional standards, the monsters in these stories are horrifying, yet they find people who love them and their monstrosity. Monsters get their happy endings – and I can get mine, too.

Aveda's book list on short monster romances doing things differently

Aveda Vice Why did Aveda love this book?

We all know the story: someone messes around with magic and ends up indebted to a demon. In this short, however, our main character is a queer Black man, and the devil that finds him won’t take no for an answer. For fans of Omegaverse, dubcon, and monsters that look like monsters, definitely check this out!

By Rian Fox,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Devil's Bargain as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The last thing Silas Cromwell expected was for a book to change his life. When a rare first edition book from a famous 19th-century Occultist ends up in Silas's lap at an auction, life as he knows it suddenly changes. Pressured into performing one of the rituals from the book by a friend, Silas gets a tease of regret. Now Silas can’t sleep, is having nightmares that end with him waking up terrified. Something obscene, dark and deadly wants Silas and he isn’t human. Bazaduil lusts for Silas and won’t take no for an answer, even if it means tricking…


Book cover of Ruthless King

E.J. Frost Author Of Snowburn

From my list on scifi and fantasy romance.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been fascinated by “other worlds” since I found my father’s battered copy of Dune when I was eleven. I’ve been seeking that experience of transportation, of transcendence, that I got from reading Dune, ever since. I’ve found it in diverse places, from the very alien worlds of Jo Clayton’s Diadem from the Stars series to the somehow-familiar woods of Richard and Wendy Pini’s ElfQuest comics. I’ve tried to give that experience back to my readers, in creating worlds wondrous and strange but entirely relatable. The books on this list sparked that same sense of transcendence and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

E.J.'s book list on scifi and fantasy romance

E.J. Frost Why did E.J. love this book?

I’m always enamored of a truly dark, gritty setting. I want to see the dirt under the hero’s nails. Smell his sweat and hear his harsh breaths as he fights or...does other things. Aimes’s world in the Ruthless Warlord series is visceral. It grabs you by the throat, shakes you, throws you down, and smothers you. It’s brutal and in some ways unbearably harsh. But Aimes’s books are always tempered with humor, warmth, and ultimately, triumph of the human spirit. I may shiver and shudder my way through Nikolai and Dahlia’s story, but I feel hopeful by the end, and that’s why I return to Aimes’s books again and again—to be, ultimately, uplifted.

By Alison Aimes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ruthless King as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"I tore myself away to throw dinner at the kids and then hurried back. Ruthless King was EVERYTHING I want in a romance and more." -5 Star Reviewer
He's the most brutal crime boss in the galaxy—and she belongs to him now.
Payment for a debt owed. Pawn for an act of vengeance. Property to be used.

Irresistibly gorgeous mafia king Nikolai Skolov is dominant, hard, possessive—and determined to bend innocent Dahlia Lundin to his will. But she is equally determined to resist. The lives of those she loves depends upon it.

Except Dahlia isn't prepared for the insatiable hunger…


Book cover of Fever

Elizabeth Stephens Author Of Taken to Voraxia

From my list on alien romances featuring heroines of color.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a woman of color, impassioned reader, and author to boot, I'm always advocating for inclusion in my romance reads. All of my romances feature a lead or leads of color and I'm particularly drawn to books where I can identify myself in the heroines. I like to provide other readers of color with the same experience through my books, while writing compelling romances that can be enjoyed by anyone. I have published 12 novels, with 4+ coming out in 2022. I've hit the bestseller charts on Amazon in SciFi romances and multicultural romances with every new release. You can expect my Xiveri Mates series in audio, French, and German as early as March 2022.  

Elizabeth's book list on alien romances featuring heroines of color

Elizabeth Stephens Why did Elizabeth love this book?

I am obsessed with these books!!! I have read every Alpha Horde book Milana has written (there are over 10 across two different series). There’s a very, very sexy amazingly possessive alpha alien hero who is paired with a strong heroine who wants absolutely nothing to do with him. Slowly, she’s convinced. This recommendation is omegaverse with Alpha males and Omega females thus you’ll see traditional ABO kinks such as knotting. 

By Milana Jacks,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The Fever Hordesman sits outside my house, wailing punny lyrics while beating a rock rhythm on his armor, and I'm late for work. My Omega heat’s coming on early, throwing a monkey wrench into my single-minded plan to ignore his single-minded quest to mate me. I have to admit—privately—his strong jaw, full mouth, and a scent that can send over a dozen Omegas into heat, make my girly bits quiver. Just a little.When the Swarm approaches me with an offer I can’t refuse, keeping Sotay at arm’s length is no longer an option. He’s got something the Swarm wants. If…


Book cover of Chronic City

David Thurlow Author Of Piggyback to the End of the World

From my list on dystopian novels about the underdog.

Why am I passionate about this?

I think of dystopian fiction as simulations writers conduct to see how things will go if we don’t wise up. Given that the nonsense of everyday life today leads to these future scenarios, we are inherently part of their stories. That makes them personal. Optimistic tales of future utopias don’t manage the same trick. There’s no part of life today that appears to be the seed for Star Fleet to form and dedicate itself to exploration and knowledge. We can hope for that, but any turning point towards it hasn’t happened. When I look at futures of ecological ruin or commodified genetic code, I feel connected because those seeds are being cultivated as we speak.

David's book list on dystopian novels about the underdog

David Thurlow Why did David love this book?

Jonathan Lethem’s language and story structure are wonderful just as their own experience. What I enjoy even more is that, while dystopian fiction almost inevitably leads to a parable, this book manages to lean into that while still insisting the characters live life as fully existing people. I felt welcomed to spend time with Chase Insteadman and his small circle of friends as they meandered through a harsh urban winter, confronting mortality in a world that doesn’t quite fit any of them. They were good company during a pandemic when actual friends couldn’t be while I was confronting mortality in a world that doesn’t quite fit me.

By Jonathan Lethem,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Chronic City as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Chase Insteadman is a handsome, inoffensive former child-star, living a vague routine of dinner parties and glamorous engagements on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Meanwhile, his astronaut fiancee, trapped on the International Space Station, sends him rapturous love letters. Like Janice, Chase is adrift.

Into Chase's life enters Perkus Tooth, a wall-eyed free-range pop-critic, whose soaring conspiratorial riffs are fueled by high-grade marijuana, mammoth cheeseburgers and a desperate ache for meaning. Together, Chase and Perkus attempt to unearth the Truth - that rarest of artifacts on an island where everything can be bought.

At once beautiful and tawdry, poignant and funny,…


Book cover of Survival Instincts

Amy Marsden Author Of Survivors

From my list on post-apocalyptic with a variety of 'apocalypses'.

Why am I passionate about this?

Survivors was actually inspired by a video game, The Last of Us, but after discovering my love of post-apocalyptic stories via games I quickly moved on to books. There’s something freeing about these kinds of stories, to people who feel society can often be suffocating, it’s nice to imagine it burning down and something new and better rising from the ashes. My Survivors duology is the first of many books I hope. I’m a biomedical scientist in microbiology, and while these types of stories always require a certain suspension of disbelief, I’ve used some of my knowledge to create the world of Survivors. I hope you enjoy it! 

Amy's book list on post-apocalyptic with a variety of 'apocalypses'

Amy Marsden Why did Amy love this book?

This is a post-apocalyptic book set well after a war decimated civilisation. We follow two main characters, and it was lovely to see their relationship unfold and grow. Survival and trust are two big themes in this book, as they are in my own, and it was nice to read a similar book. This is for those who are more romantic at heart, as romance is a major part of the book. I really liked the characters. Plus, there’s a dog!

By May Dawney,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Survival Instincts as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Civilization ended long before Lynn Tanner was born. Wild animals roam the streets, but mankind is still the biggest threat to a woman alone in the ruins of a world reclaimed by nature. Lynn survives by sleeping with one eye open at all times and trusting no one but her dog.
When she is forced to go on a dangerous journey through the concrete jungle of New York City, Lynn does all she can to scheme her way to safety. Her guard, Dani Wilson, won’t be played that easily, however. As their lives become entwined, Lynn finds herself developing feelings…


Book cover of Prep For Doom

Yvonne Ventresca Author Of Pandemic

From my list on on pandemics published pre-COVID.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm the author of short stories and novels including my young adult debut, Pandemic, which continues to be a timely read about surviving a widespread deadly virus. After the H1N1 pandemic of 2009 (commonly called Swine Flu), I was fascinated with the idea of a global illness that could be much, much worse. I researched historical diseases, interviewed public health officials, and the idea for my novel was born. Written and published before COVID-19, some of the details are eerily predictive of coronavirus. Pandemic won SCBWI’s Crystal Kite Award the year after its publication, and a June 2022 reissue of the original novel includes updated resources and backmatter.

Yvonne's book list on on pandemics published pre-COVID

Yvonne Ventresca Why did Yvonne love this book?

This collection of short stories by twenty different authors explores how a fictional deadly disease affects a range of people, from scientists to government officials to everyday teens. (My contribution is chapter 13, “Escape to Orange Blossom.”) What I especially enjoyed about this anthology is the way that the characters from one story might appear in another. Using a single incident to drive the plot, the collaborative nature sets this collection apart.

By ER Arroyo, Laura Albins, Amy Bartelloni , Brea Behn , Casey L. Bond , TK Carter , Kate Corcino , Harlow C. Fallon , Kelsey D. Garmendia , Caroline A. Gill , DelSheree Gladden , John Gregory Hancock , Casey Hays , Kate L. Mary , Jon Messenger , Monica Enderle Pierce , Cameo Renae , Hilary Thompson , Yvonne Ventresca , Megan White

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Prep For Doom as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the imaginations of twenty authors of dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction comes PREP FOR DOOM - an integrated collection of short stories that tell the tale of a single catastrophe as experienced by many characters, some of whom will cross paths.

What begins with a seemingly innocuous traffic accident soon spirals into a global pandemic. The release of Airborne Viral Hemorrhagic Fever upon New York City’s unsuspecting populace brings bloody suffering within hours, death within a day, and spreads worldwide within a month.

An online community called Prep For Doom has risen to the top of a recent doomsday preparation…


Book cover of Born to be Bound
Book cover of The Game Maker
Book cover of Broken

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