Love Friends With The Monsters? Readers share 100 books like Friends With The Monsters...

By Albany Walker,

Here are 100 books that Friends With The Monsters fans have personally recommended if you like Friends With The Monsters. 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 Dating a Vampire

C. Y. Croc Author Of Matched to Xycho

From my list on sci-fi romance and fantasy with unearthly beings.

Why am I passionate about this?

UK-born CY Croc started her career in the health industry, but later changed professions after obtaining a postgraduate degree in teaching. It was while teaching she discovered her dream profession. An author was invited to the school to showcase her latest book. Inspired, CY wrote over 30 books in the next 3 years in contemporary, sci-fi, and paranormal romance. She loves to include positive subliminal messages in her stories about body image, prejudice, and love from a higher realm and always practices inclusion in her writing. Her main characters practice autonomy and come from all races. CY believes everyone should experience love, and that's why some of her protagonists are not of this world.

C. Y.'s book list on sci-fi romance and fantasy with unearthly beings

C. Y. Croc Why did C. Y. love this book?

Donā€™t let this quirky cover fool you. The pages of this book are smoking hot at times. This is book 1 in a novella series dedicated to hooking up paranormals. It kicks off a dating series with an opposites attract trope, featuring two paranormal beings who couldnā€™t be more differentā€”a witch and a vampire. This is a light-hearted romance that leaves you thirsty for book 2 and wanting to know what otherworldly beings will be featured.

By Abbey MacMunn,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Witch Harper Clarke is pretty sure misfortune follows her around like a bad smell. Her spells end in disaster, her dating agency for supernaturals has an embarrassing lack of clients, and her love life is a washout. So, when a vampire signs up to the agency and she canā€™t find him a match, she agrees to date the vamp herself.

Charmer Damon Vertefeuille has it all: power, status, and wealth. Becoming a vampire to get his errant brother out of trouble isnā€™t what he expected. Newbie vamps arenā€™t supposed to be dangerous, but one look at his witchy date andā€¦


Book cover of Siren's Song

C. Y. Croc Author Of Matched to Xycho

From my list on sci-fi romance and fantasy with unearthly beings.

Why am I passionate about this?

UK-born CY Croc started her career in the health industry, but later changed professions after obtaining a postgraduate degree in teaching. It was while teaching she discovered her dream profession. An author was invited to the school to showcase her latest book. Inspired, CY wrote over 30 books in the next 3 years in contemporary, sci-fi, and paranormal romance. She loves to include positive subliminal messages in her stories about body image, prejudice, and love from a higher realm and always practices inclusion in her writing. Her main characters practice autonomy and come from all races. CY believes everyone should experience love, and that's why some of her protagonists are not of this world.

C. Y.'s book list on sci-fi romance and fantasy with unearthly beings

C. Y. Croc Why did C. Y. love this book?

This story follows the blossoming romance of a half-blood siren Adelle and a nine-hundred-year-old dragon, who is commissioned with the task of protecting her while he helps her to tease out and control her siren song. This enemy-to-lover romance has fantastic world building that continues throughout the series with Adelleā€™s sisterā€™s stories.

By Cynthia Diamond,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

She refuses to give into her nature. Heā€™s built tough walls around desire. Will they survive the heat of a scorching affair?

Adelle Constance buries her feelings for good reason. Despite needing her sister to rescue her from her vampire ex, the half-blood siren doesnā€™t dare risk unleashing her own terrifying powers. But she hates being saddled with a cranky fire-breathing guardian to teach her the art of control.

Jack swore to stay away from heartbreak. So when heā€™s tricked into a vow of protection over his ex-girlfriendā€™s imperiled cousin, the nine-hundred-year-old dragon canā€™t wait to get her trained andā€¦


Book cover of Faded Dreams

C. Y. Croc Author Of Matched to Xycho

From my list on sci-fi romance and fantasy with unearthly beings.

Why am I passionate about this?

UK-born CY Croc started her career in the health industry, but later changed professions after obtaining a postgraduate degree in teaching. It was while teaching she discovered her dream profession. An author was invited to the school to showcase her latest book. Inspired, CY wrote over 30 books in the next 3 years in contemporary, sci-fi, and paranormal romance. She loves to include positive subliminal messages in her stories about body image, prejudice, and love from a higher realm and always practices inclusion in her writing. Her main characters practice autonomy and come from all races. CY believes everyone should experience love, and that's why some of her protagonists are not of this world.

C. Y.'s book list on sci-fi romance and fantasy with unearthly beings

C. Y. Croc Why did C. Y. love this book?

Who said vampires canā€™t dish out love and sex simultaneously? Clarity Townsend does a superb job getting the reader to fall in love with the ultimate cold-blooded killerā€”a vampire. This story displays deep character development in addition to fabulous world building with great substance. It also leaves you wanting to find out more about secondary characters, too.

By Clarity Townsend,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Gaia spends her nights lost in ecstasy, within a world she doesn't believe exists, alongside her gorgeous vampire master, Sebastian. But reality comes crashing down around her when Sebastian reveals the truth; their months together have been anything but faded dreams.

Faced with the revelation of a lifetime, Gaia wonders if she can trust in Sebastianā€™s declaration of love, and the love she feels in her traitorous heart. Meanwhile, with the growing need to keep Gaia safe from the horrors threatening his kind, Sebastian attempts to deny his heart's desires before it's too late.

Yet, a force beyond their controlā€¦


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Book cover of The Ballad of Falling Rock

The Ballad of Falling Rock by Jordan Dotson,

Truth told, folks still ask if Saul Crabtree sold his soul for the perfect voice. If he sold it to angels or devils. A Bristol newspaper once asked: ā€œAre his love songs closer to heaven than dying?ā€ Others wonder how he wrote a song so sad, everyone who heard itā€¦

Book cover of Storm

C. Y. Croc Author Of Matched to Xycho

From my list on sci-fi romance and fantasy with unearthly beings.

Why am I passionate about this?

UK-born CY Croc started her career in the health industry, but later changed professions after obtaining a postgraduate degree in teaching. It was while teaching she discovered her dream profession. An author was invited to the school to showcase her latest book. Inspired, CY wrote over 30 books in the next 3 years in contemporary, sci-fi, and paranormal romance. She loves to include positive subliminal messages in her stories about body image, prejudice, and love from a higher realm and always practices inclusion in her writing. Her main characters practice autonomy and come from all races. CY believes everyone should experience love, and that's why some of her protagonists are not of this world.

C. Y.'s book list on sci-fi romance and fantasy with unearthly beings

C. Y. Croc Why did C. Y. love this book?

Unearthly lovers can physically look human, but with a few exceptions. Hattie Jacks gives her alien wings, but that doesnā€™t stop him from loving his human female any differently than a human would. If you check this story out, youā€™ll find out exactly how caring and sensual a winged alien can be.

By Hattie Jacks,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Heā€™s the monster on the space station. Iā€™m the girl who always runs.

I thought I would die alone in the heap of floating space junk orbiting a planet that's not Earth.
But then he burst through an airlock. And now I know two things:
We are not alone and aliens are not little green men.

Theyā€™re hulking great winged predators with abs that go on forever and a penchant for hunting humans.

My alien has to be the most gorgeous being Iā€™ve ever seen.

From the look in his dark eyes, he wants so much more than first contact.ā€¦


Book cover of Tales of the Enchanted Wildwood: Tales 1-6

Rose Sinclair Author Of The 8th Rank

From my list on fantasy romance to fall in love with fairy tales.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have a passion for fairy tale stories especially ones for adults because they are often the first stories we learned as kids. The ability to look back at how we interpreted them and how our understanding changes over time and culture makes for something that is truly timeless, and therefore like a beloved trope is never the exact same thing twice. Each time only builds on our enjoyment and the many possibilities we can imagine. Not only in worlds of magic, but our own.

Rose's book list on fantasy romance to fall in love with fairy tales

Rose Sinclair Why did Rose love this book?

While my series tend to be on the shorter end, if you want something to really sink your teeth into try Angela J. Fordā€™s interracial romance collection full of action, adventure, and steam. Celtic Mythology is the theme for this six standalone novel collection that tops out at over 600 hundred pages! In a world like it is now, sometimes I just want to escape into a fantasy world a fantasy series is so perfect for that.

By Angela J. Ford,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

This collector's edition includes six stand-alone adult fairy tales blending fantasy action-adventure with steamy fantasy romance.Tales of the Enchanted Forest is a collection of six fantasy romance short stories. The series is inspired by fairy tales with a hint of Celtic Mythology and a nod to the TV show, Once. However, you wonā€™t find your traditional damsels in distress. The women youā€™ll meet in these tales take the future into their own hands, regardless of the challenges. They also have magic. Some of it beautiful, like the magic of the healer, but others have dark magic which torments them asā€¦


Book cover of Prince & Knight

Mark Ceilley Author Of Cinderelliot: A Scrumptious Fairytale

From my list on GLBTQ+ love story picture books.

Why am I passionate about this?

I identify as a member of the GLBTQ+ community. My husband and I had a church wedding. I have written several stories that have GLBTQ+ representation and are love stories. I have also read and familiarized myself with many GLBTQ+ childrenā€™s books. 

Mark's book list on GLBTQ+ love story picture books

Mark Ceilley Why did Mark love this book?

I would highly recommend this book because it is written and illustrated as an animated fairy tale. It is a sweet and charming love story between a prince and a knight.

A prince looks for a partner, but after a dragon approaches the kingdom, the prince prepares to battle the dragon and protect his kingdom. A knight comes along who not only helps capture the dragon but saves the princeā€™s life. The two fall in love, return to the palace, get married, and live happily ever after.

By Daniel Haack, Stevie Lewis (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Prince & Knight as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

"Victorious... the premier queer-friendly fairy tale for this age set." KIRKUS REVIEWS

"An illuminating fairy tale for young readers... a great addition to any library or classroom." THE SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

Once upon a time there lived a charming prince. His parents knew he couldn't rule the kingdom alone, so the three of them set out on a long journey across the land, to find him a suitable bride. But it soon became clear that the Prince was looking for something very special, and none of the princesses were right for him.

Then, when a terrible dragon threatens the kingdom,ā€¦


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Book cover of The Woodland Stranger: A Fairy Tale with Benefits

The Woodland Stranger by Jane Buehler,

Burneā€™s been hiding out in the forest since deserting the Kingā€™s Guard. Each time he tries to return to the village, he begins to panic. And then one day, he encounters a handsome stranger picking flowers and hides behind a tree instead of talking.

He wants to be braverā€”and heā€™sā€¦

Book cover of Hunted

S. Knight Author Of The Girl with Many Names

From my list on retellings combining fairy tales and new perspectives.

Why am I passionate about this?

I developed an interest in classical literature while at university, folklore in particular. Itā€™s fascinating how fairy tales originated in oral form before being written and rewritten all over the world for generations, and as such, many of them donā€™t have a single founding author. But each adaption generally maintains the basic plot points of the original tale, and itā€™s interesting to see how time, culture, and perspective affect a retelling. Thereā€™s always room for interpretation, especially when the traditional narratives often involve exhausted themes and stereotypes, and so with my latest novel, I didnā€™t hold back when it came to the creative possibilities of more than one fairy tale. 

S.'s book list on retellings combining fairy tales and new perspectives

S. Knight Why did S. love this book?

Spooner incorporates a classic Russian fairy tale into her rendition of Beauty and the Beast, creating a rich narrative set in an enchanted forest, both mysterious and dangerous. Though the framework of the original tales is there, this novel does a great job redressing the mannequin (figuratively speaking) so that we get a fresh and enjoyable exploration into the duality of human natureā€”among other things. I loved the tenacious heroine, whoā€™s a skilled archer and feels more at home in the woods, and itā€™s her desire for revenge that sparks the chain of events that follow. The authorā€™s version of the beast goes beyond the archetypal motif of ā€œbad guy with good heart,ā€ and the pacing of the book allows for a more authentic delivery (and transformation) of emotion between the characters.  

By Meagan Spooner,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hunted as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

New York Times bestselling author Meagan Spooner spins a thoroughly thrilling Beauty and the Beast story for the modern age, expertly woven with spellbinding romance, intrigue, and suspense that readers won't soon be able to forget.

Beauty knows the Beast's forest in her bones-and in her blood. After all, her father is the only hunter who's ever come close to discovering its secrets.

So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters out of their comfortable home among the aristocracy and back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there'sā€¦


Book cover of Chlorine

Ephiny Gale Author Of Pick Your Potion

From my list on speculative books with sapphic main characters.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always been eager to read weird, speculative, sapphic stories, but they were difficult to find throughout my early life. As a teenager, I started to write them, creating what I hoped to see in the world, and I havenā€™t stopped since. Iā€™m thrilled to see that this niche is becoming more common and celebrated, particularly in the more experimental short fiction space. As an adult, Iā€™ve had many weird, speculative, sapphic short stories and novelettes published, including one that won the Best of the Net award and two that were shortlisted for Brave New Weird: The Best New Weird Horror.

Ephiny's book list on speculative books with sapphic main characters

Ephiny Gale Why did Ephiny love this book?

I found myself surprisingly captivated by this present-day body horror mermaid transformation tale focused on a high school swim team.

This novel follows a gradual decline from an everyday reality towards an increasingly unhinged climax, and I appreciated how slowly this sneaks up on you. Even though the book makes no secret of where itā€™s ultimately going, I was still pleasantly surprised about how we got there and the weirdness of the ending.

The sapphic relationship between the protagonist and her best friend is a key throughline, with an interesting dichotomy between the best friendā€™s long-term adoration and the protagonistā€™s relative detachment and bitterness.

By Jade Song,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

In the vein of The Pisces and The Vegetarian, Chlorine is a debut novel that blurs the line between a literary coming-of-age narrative and a dark unsettling horror tale, told from an adult perspective on the trials and tribulations of growing up in a society that puts pressure on young women and their bodiesā€¦ a powerful, relevant novel of immigration, sapphic longing, and fierce, defiant becoming.


Ren Yu is a swimmer. Her daily life starts and ends with the pool. Her teammates are her only friends. Her coach is her guiding light. If she swims well enough, she will beā€¦


Book cover of Can't Help Falling

Marie Soleil Author Of Cinder Luna

From my list on rom-com books that feel like fairy tales.

Why am I passionate about this?

For as long as I can remember, Iā€™ve been obsessed with fairy tales and love. I had imaginary friends and would pretend to be the ā€œdamsel in distress,ā€ waiting for my prince to find me. Iā€™ve never lost that love as an adult, but Iā€™ve found that certain books can give me the same feelings I had as a child. And reading these stories always fills me with hope that there is good in the world and that love conquers all!

Marie's book list on rom-com books that feel like fairy tales

Marie Soleil Why did Marie love this book?

I loved the meet-cute for this bookā€”technically, the second meet-cute of the two main characters. Who doesnā€™t want to be saved from a burning building by a hunky firefighter, especially the one you loved as a teenager?

I adored the main character, Emmy, and her belief in love and romance. The setting was especially cozy, and the book made me laugh, too!

By Courtney Walsh,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Can't Help Falling as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sometime all it takes to start a fire is a single match. . .

Owen Larrabee is not my soulmate.

He wasn't when I confessed my love to him on his wedding day, and he isn't now. I should probably say that I wasn't the bride when that happened. I don't have the best timing.

Heā€™s got a temper, he's moody, and he has a history of being misunderstood and making big mistakes.

I, on the other hand, make pumpkin cupcakes, spend my Friday nights curled up with a beloved romance novel and long to be kissed in the rain.ā€¦


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Book cover of Hatching Love

Hatching Love by Heidi Matonis,

This is a story of how the human-animal bond can heal, connect and redeem us all ā€“ even possibly a very jaded ghost!

The story opens with Tomā€™s wife, Beth, receiving a shipment of duck eggs. She has watched a YouTube video and was charmed by the idea of hatchingā€¦

Book cover of The Bloody Chamber: And Other Stories

William Orem Author Of Miss Lucy

From my list on both literary and gothic.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was six years old, and already a lover of Halloweā€™en, when the special joy of stories took hold of my mind. It has never left. By the time I was an adult, I had come to value finely crafted fiction, the beautiful nuances of thought and expression possible in the hands of the greatest writers. At the same time, I never lost my youthful enthusiasm for the ghost, the deep forest just at twilight, the unused room at the back of the house where no one goes. To my delight, I have found there is an entire tradition of such workā€”gothic shapes rendered by the highest quality writers.

William's book list on both literary and gothic

William Orem Why did William love this book?

I am a huge fan of the very-brief gothic. Itā€™s so hard to do well; trivial jump-scares are easy, but to produce a meaningful effect in only a few pages takes real precision. Shirley Jackson holds the crown with "The Lottery," but my second favorite instance of a surprisingly quick read that produces a real gasp is Angela Carterā€™s mini-treasure, "The Werewolf."

It manages to be a fairy tale, feminist critique, a witch, and a werewolf story all at onceā€”and, like the beast in the title, it may not be what it appears. Also wonderful to me are "The Company of Wolves," "The Snow Child," and the eponymous "The Bloody Chamber," that one a revisioning of "Bluebeard"ā€”essentially, Carter updates all kinds of dark fairy tales, bringing out their subversive shadows for a savvy reader. Still so fresh to this day.

By Angela Carter,

Why should I read it?

15 authors picked The Bloody Chamber as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

With an introduction by Helen Simpson. From familiar fairy tales and legends - Red Riding Hood, Bluebeard, Puss in Boots, Beauty and the Beast, vampires and werewolves - Angela Carter has created an absorbing collection of dark, sensual, fantastic stories.


Book cover of Dating a Vampire
Book cover of Siren's Song
Book cover of Faded Dreams

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