Fans pick 65 books like Dark Skye

By Kresley Cole,

Here are 65 books that Dark Skye fans have personally recommended if you like Dark Skye. 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 Ain't She Sweet?

Katherine Grace Author Of Just a Fling

From my list on second-chance romance.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been reading romance novels since I was way too young to be reading romances and I love the romance genre. I’m a fan of many tropes, but second-chance romance is one of my favorites and it is the main trope in my debut novel, Just a Fling. When I read romance, I want to read stories that make my heart break and then stitch it back together. Second-chance romances do that because they capture the essence of hope and forgiveness. They give readers the opportunity to experience the beauty and power of forgiveness and to believe in the transformative power of love.

Katherine's book list on second-chance romance

Katherine Grace Why did Katherine love this book?

Ain't She Sweet is my favorite second-chance romance. It will make you laugh, cry, and fall in love all over again.

It's about Sugar Beth Carey, the ultimate mean girl, who returns to her hometown and tries to make amends for all the drama she caused in the past. And of course, there's a handsome man from her past, Colin Byrne, who she just can't resist.

With hilarious banter, relatable characters, and steamy scenes, Ain't She Sweet is a must-read for romance junkies.

By Susan Elizabeth Phillips,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Ain't She Sweet? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In high school Sugar Carey had reigned supreme. She alone had decided what or who was cool. Her spiral perm had been the perm against which all others were measured, and her opinion on which boys were acceptable to date the only one that counted. A beautiful, blonde - if not always benevolent - dictator, she had a reputation for being the wild child of Parrish, Mississippi, the girl most likely to set the world on fire, and leave a trail of destruction in her wake. When she left home she swore she'd never return. Only now, fifteen years and…


Book cover of Again the Magic

Katherine Grace Author Of Just a Fling

From my list on second-chance romance.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been reading romance novels since I was way too young to be reading romances and I love the romance genre. I’m a fan of many tropes, but second-chance romance is one of my favorites and it is the main trope in my debut novel, Just a Fling. When I read romance, I want to read stories that make my heart break and then stitch it back together. Second-chance romances do that because they capture the essence of hope and forgiveness. They give readers the opportunity to experience the beauty and power of forgiveness and to believe in the transformative power of love.

Katherine's book list on second-chance romance

Katherine Grace Why did Katherine love this book?

Again the Magic, by historical queen Lisa Kleypas, is a gorgeous historical romance that'll transport you to another time and place while tearing your heart out.

Aline Marsden and John McKenna are childhood friends who reconnect after years apart and realize they've been in love all along. There's tons of drama, including societal pressure and family expectations, but their chemistry is off the charts.

It has Kleypas' gorgeous writing, swoon-worthy romance, and plenty of tension.

By Lisa Kleypas,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Again the Magic as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

She gave him her innocence . . .

Lady Aline Marsden was brought up to marry a man of her own class, but from the moment she meets John McKenna, she risks everything to be with him.

He gave her his heart

Although their love is forbidden, McKenna's passion for the beautiful Aline is too compelling to deny.

When their secret is discovered, their world is shattered. McKenna is forced to leave forever, unaware that the only reason Aline has given him up is to save him.

Now McKenna has returned, a powerful man determined to take revenge against the…


Book cover of Love and Other Words

Katherine Grace Author Of Just a Fling

From my list on second-chance romance.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been reading romance novels since I was way too young to be reading romances and I love the romance genre. I’m a fan of many tropes, but second-chance romance is one of my favorites and it is the main trope in my debut novel, Just a Fling. When I read romance, I want to read stories that make my heart break and then stitch it back together. Second-chance romances do that because they capture the essence of hope and forgiveness. They give readers the opportunity to experience the beauty and power of forgiveness and to believe in the transformative power of love.

Katherine's book list on second-chance romance

Katherine Grace Why did Katherine love this book?

This is a sweet and sexy contemporary romance that'll have you swooning.

Macy Sorensen, a successful doctor who reconnects with her childhood best friend and first love, Elliot Petropoulos. But there's a reason they lost touch in the first place, and Macy has to confront her past and figure out if there's a future for them.

The book features witty banter, relatable characters, and steamy scenes. 

By Christina Lauren,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Love and Other Words as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An uplifting and unforgettable read that will make you fall in love with life again . . .

'You can never go wrong with Christina Lauren!' Paige Toon

'A true joy from start to finish' Kristin Harmel

Macy is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new paediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.

But when she runs into Elliot - the first and only love of her life - the careful bubble she's constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot…


Book cover of The Sweet Gum Tree

Katherine Grace Author Of Just a Fling

From my list on second-chance romance.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been reading romance novels since I was way too young to be reading romances and I love the romance genre. I’m a fan of many tropes, but second-chance romance is one of my favorites and it is the main trope in my debut novel, Just a Fling. When I read romance, I want to read stories that make my heart break and then stitch it back together. Second-chance romances do that because they capture the essence of hope and forgiveness. They give readers the opportunity to experience the beauty and power of forgiveness and to believe in the transformative power of love.

Katherine's book list on second-chance romance

Katherine Grace Why did Katherine love this book?

This book is a tearjerker contemporary romance that'll tug at your heartstrings.

It centers on Alix French and Nick Anderson, childhood friends who fall in love but are torn apart by a devastating event. Years later, they reunite and try to rekindle their romance, but there are still so many obstacles in their way.

With beautiful descriptions of the American South, relatable characters, and an emotional storyline, The Sweet Gum Tree is a must-read for anyone who loves a good second-chance love story.

By Katherine Allred,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Sweet tea, corn bread and soup beans; everyday fare for eight-year-old Alix French, the precocious darling of a respected southern family. But nothing was ordinary about the day she met ten-year-old Nick Anderson, a boy from the wrong side of town. Armed with only a tin of bee balm and steely determination, Alix treats the raw evidence of a recent beating that mars his back, an act that changes both their lives forever. Through childhood disasters and teenage woes they cling together as friendship turns to love. The future looks rosy until the fateful night when Frank Anderson, Nick’s abusive…


Book cover of Wanderlust

Kay Freeman Author Of The Devil You Know: Gothic Romance Suspense

From my list on gothic with obsessed characters.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always had an interest in art, growing up a military brat and constantly moving, left me time to doodle and read. I spent the first part of my life as an art professor and artist. I began writing three years ago when my manuscript was chosen for RWA’s Ramp program in 2021. With my art, my interest leans more towards the bizarre and unexplained. I believe the romance stories I write follow suit, dark and gothic romance my primary interest, but always with spiritual and hopeful undertones. I also write some non-fiction for a local magazine where I live, The Greenville Stroll and on substack a newsletter for romance writers.

Kay's book list on gothic with obsessed characters

Kay Freeman Why did Kay love this book?

Skye Warren is one of my favorite romance authors. Her Endgame Trilogy got me hooked on romance. However, I love Wanderlust even more.

It chronicles the story of a budding photographer who leaves her overbearing mother to work in another city. On her way there, a trucker kidnaps and holds her in the back of his truck as they cross the country. This book has a similar theme as my book and some of the others I've listed and deals with captivity and power.

I've read this book several times, once as a reader and then as a writer, analyzing how to transform a morally gray character or someone despicable into someone readers could care about. Turning hatred for an abductor into pity and wanting him to be with the heroine is no easy feat. I'm still impressed with her skill.

By Skye Warren,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

"I loved the story! I loved that it made me feel, that it turned me on, turned me off, made me pause and think, twisted my stomach into knots..." - Haydee's ReviewsCan love come from pain?Evie always dreamed of seeing the world, but her first night at a motel turns into a nightmare. Hunter is a rugged trucker willing to do anything to keep her--including kidnapping. As they cross the country in his rig, Evie plots her escape, but she may find what she's been looking for right beside her.Wanderlust is a full-length dark romance novel that explores captivity and…


Book cover of Private Property

Nancy Brown Author Of Mr. Black: A Black Stone Series - Book 1

From my list on romantic thrillers to escape your busy life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a voracious reader who loves to escape my hectic busy life with a good book when I don’t have the opportunity to do so in person. I’m a sucker for a good love story with a little angst and mystery. I read all genres but sexy romantic thrillers are my absolute favorite. I love them so much I started writing my own sexy stories in this genre. It has become my passion. I currently have three published books, Mr. Black, Mr. Stone, and Mr. Bennett, books one, two, and three of A Black Stone Series. My fourth book, Luke, the first book in my new Cross Security series is scheduled for release later this year.

Nancy's book list on romantic thrillers to escape your busy life

Nancy Brown Why did Nancy love this book?

I am a sucker for dark, broody, and mysterious heroes. And Private Property is a promise of rough emotions mixed with shattering sensuality that will take the reader to the most unexpected and amazing journey. I was so consumed by the mystery, deeply entangled in this dark story that took over my head and soul. Mr. Rochester is a brooding billionaire consumed by secrets and our plain Jayne is an innocent nanny. Both characters’ souls are broken in a way that only the other can fit the empty spaces of their souls. Enter here a permanent and continuous storm, salty air, and a gothic contemporary mansion. There is something forbidden and hunted about the storyline that woken up goosebumps on my skin.

By Skye Warren,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

"This. Book. The characters. You will fall in love with them, and you will devour this book so quickly, you'll end up wanting to read it all over again. I loved it!" - New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy


When I signed up for the nanny agency, I didn't expect a remote mansion on a windswept isle. Or a brooding billionaire who resents his new role. His brother's death means he's now in charge of a moody seven year old girl. She's lashing out at the world, but I can handle her. I have to. I need the money…


Book cover of A Thistle in the Mist

Lynelle Clark Author Of Love at War: A Love Story

From my list on provoking plotlines.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a very realistic person, curious by nature, who loves a good thrill. A good twist—no matter the genre—that has all the above recommendations captures my attention. A feel-good chick flick or book does nothing for my curious side but adds a twist or two and you have me hooked. Love at war is that kind of book. It has a few twists that touch on important topics and leave you with a few thoughts to think about afterward. Life is not only marshmallows and sprinklers. Life is real and I like my books like that, too. Therefore, I call myself a multi-genre author. I don’t want to be bound by one genre.

Lynelle's book list on provoking plotlines

Lynelle Clark Why did Lynelle love this book?

I absolutely loved this book based on true events. Don’t be fooled by the name either. This is intense as it gets. A historical thriller slash romance that made you wonder how much the heroin can endure. Believe me, you are in for a ride. 

So much heartache poured from the pages, and you keep on reading in the hopes that love will conquer, and the evil will be stopped. Every character's persona was well developed and got under your skin as you became part of their lives and struggles. One of my favorites and a book I would read again.

By Megan Denby,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Meara isn’t thinking about Death when she kisses her mother good-bye, but hours later she is as her fingers slide into the back of Mother’s shattered skull. Meara thinks her world has ended. She has no idea… Ebullient and feisty, Meara MacDonald lives an idyllic life on the mist-enfolded Isle of Skye, dreaming of the day she will wed her heart, the gallant Duncan MacLeod. Fate, however, has other plans and when Aunt Deirdre and Uncle Sloan arrive, Meara’s family is taken, one-by-one, for reasons she discovers are both personal and nefarious. Unable to rein in her spirit or her…


Book cover of Coming Home to the Loch

Mary Karlik Author Of Hickville Crossroads

From my list on contemporary romances with a Scottish accent.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love everything Scottish. My grandfather was Scottish. I never met him, but mom passed the pride of her heritage and culture to me. Mom used to throw out an occasional phrase or poem that I thought was Gaelic. (I later learned it was Scotts but that’s another story.) I decided I wanted to learn the language and found a short course at a small college on the Isle of Skye and it changed my life. After that short course I committed to learning the language and enrolled in the distance learning program. I travel to Skye for the short courses between my semesters and have made lifelong friends.  

Mary's book list on contemporary romances with a Scottish accent

Mary Karlik Why did Mary love this book?

This is the first book in the Loch Lannick series. I love that this book is set on the Isle of Skye because I know the area fairly well. Like Colgan’s books, she has created a world that I can’t wait to travel back to. She has created a close-knit world on the loch full of highland culture and hospitality. I am only three books into the series but so far I’ve loved the heartfelt humor in each one.

By Hannah Ellis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Coming Home to the Loch as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What happens when you meet the right person, at the right time, in the wrong place?

Twenty-two-year-old Leana Mackenzie is looking for adventure. Full of excitement, she leaves her home in a remote Scottish village and heads for the bright city lights. 

In Edinburgh she meets Alasdair – a cute and charming singer/songwriter. As their relationship develops everything feels perfect. 

But as the sparkle of her new life begins to fade, Leana finds herself longing for her cosy home on the Isle of Skye, and the close-knit family she left behind. 

When Alasdair is offered the career opportunity of a…


Book cover of To The Lighthouse

Jan Eliasberg Author Of Hannah's War

From my list on exploring the world from a female point of view.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was raised to believe that I could do everything a man could do, just as Ginger Rodgers did, “backwards and in high heels.” My discovery that social expectations and boundaries for women were vastly different than those for men came as an enormous shock, and struck me as deeply, tragically unfair. I take strength from women in history, as well as from fictional female characters, who passionately pursue roles in a man’s world that are considered transgressive or forbidden. As a glass-ceiling-shattering female film and television director I take inspiration from women who have the gritty determination to live on their own terms. And then tell it as they lived it.

Jan's book list on exploring the world from a female point of view

Jan Eliasberg Why did Jan love this book?

Virginia Woolf knew – she insisted – that a life spent maintaining a house, throwing dinner parties, and taking children on sailing expeditions was not necessarily, not categorically, a trivial life.

Even a modest, domestic life is still, for the person living it, an epic journey, however ordinary it might appear to the outside observer. Woolf refused to dismiss lives that most male writers ignore or even denigrate.

And you can get lost in her magnificent sentences; no one puts words together as beautifully as Virginia Woolf.

By Virginia Woolf,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked To The Lighthouse as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Radiant as [To the Lighthouse] is in its beauty, there could never be a mistake about it: here is a novel to the last degree severe and uncompromising. I think that beyond being about the very nature of reality, it is itself a vision of reality.”—Eudora Welty, from the Introduction.The serene and maternal Mrs. Ramsay, the tragic yet absurd Mr. Ramsay, and their children and assorted guests are on holiday on the Isle of Skye. From the seemingly trivial postponement of a visit to a nearby lighthouse, Woolf constructs a remarkable, moving examination of the complex tensions and allegiances of…


Book cover of The Chief

Jayne Castel Author Of Highlander Deceived

From my list on historical romance set in Scotland.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always had a fascination with the past. After graduating with an Honors degree in English Literature, with a minor in History, I spent years working as an English Language Teacher, while I wrote stories in my free time. Writing is a compulsion for me. It’s my escape and entertainment – my solace in tough times. Now, as a full-time author, I’m lucky enough to get to spend my days in Ancient and Medieval Scotland. I write the kind of stories I love to read: with vibrant characters, richly researched settings, and action-packed adventure romance that transports readers to forgotten times and imaginary worlds.

Jayne's book list on historical romance set in Scotland

Jayne Castel Why did Jayne love this book?

Set upon the Isle of Skye in the early 14th Century, The Chief is an exciting historical romance, with a lot of depth. The hero, Tormod MacLeod, is a man on a mission, to support Robert the Bruce in his struggle against the English. When he’s tricked into marrying Christina Fraser, a young noblewoman whose father was imprisoned for supporting William Wallace, he’s determined to keep his wife in her place. He has no time, or interest, in love. However, control slowly slips from his grip. This novel has one of the best kiss scenes I’ve ever read, and the setting at Dunvegan Castle upon the Isle of Skye is beautifully researched and depicted.

By Monica McCarty,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

AN ELITE FIGHTING FORCE UNLIKE THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN . . .

Scouring the darkest corners of the Highlands and Western Isles, Robert the Bruce handpicks ten warriors to help him in his quest to free Scotland from English rule. They are the best of the best, chosen for their superior skills in each discipline of warfare. And to lead his secret Highland Guard, Bruce chooses the greatest warrior of all.
 
The ultimate Highland warlord and a swordsman without equal, Tor MacLeod has no intention of being drawn into Scotland’s war against the English. Dedicated to his clan, the…


Book cover of Ain't She Sweet?
Book cover of Again the Magic
Book cover of Love and Other Words

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