Fans pick 100 books like Love and Let Die

By Lexi Blake,

Here are 100 books that Love and Let Die fans have personally recommended if you like Love and Let Die. 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 To Command and Collar

Karen Nappa Author Of Savage Game

From my list on romance to set your body on flames.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up as a single child in an abusive household my fantasy friends kept me sane. Today, my imaginary friends are hot alpha males and sassy heroines, and their stories are a bit (okay a lot!) spicier but still as engaging and always end happily ever after. Active in the BDSM Lifestyle, it pains me what kind of books are marketed as BDSM Romance. The key to a (loving) relationship based on power exchange is open communication and the will to help the other person grow and flourish. The books I write and the books I recommend are examples of what I consider goodreal BDSM Romance.

Karen's book list on romance to set your body on flames

Karen Nappa Why did Karen love this book?

Cherise Sinclair is my number one BDSM Romance author. The reason I love her books is their great storylines, relatable characters, and realistic but steamy sex, and BDSM scenes. To Command and Collar is book five in Master of the Shadowlands. Although I would advise to start reading the series from book one (Club Shadowlands), I chose book five because it is my favorite. I love Raoul and Kim and their hard-won journey to happiness.

By Cherise Sinclair,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

“Ms. Sinclair’s characters come alive on the page with passion and energy in a story that is absolutely riveting. “ ~ You Gotta Read Reviews

Working with the FBI to capture human traffickers, Master Raoul scores an invitation to a slave auction. To his surprise, one slave is the kidnapped friend of a Shadowlands submissive. Although Kim’s body is scarred, her spirit is unbroken, and he can't leave her behind. Ruining the FBI's plans, he buys her.

Kimberly's freedom has come at a devastating price: the other women are still imprisoned. Desperate to help the Feds locate the traffickers, she…


Book cover of Sadie's Little Christmas

Karen Nappa Author Of Savage Game

From my list on romance to set your body on flames.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up as a single child in an abusive household my fantasy friends kept me sane. Today, my imaginary friends are hot alpha males and sassy heroines, and their stories are a bit (okay a lot!) spicier but still as engaging and always end happily ever after. Active in the BDSM Lifestyle, it pains me what kind of books are marketed as BDSM Romance. The key to a (loving) relationship based on power exchange is open communication and the will to help the other person grow and flourish. The books I write and the books I recommend are examples of what I consider goodreal BDSM Romance.

Karen's book list on romance to set your body on flames

Karen Nappa Why did Karen love this book?

Not only is Maren Smith a great person, a quirky ‘little’ with a fondness for dinos, but also, she’s a tireless mentor and advocate for the authors in the BDSM Romance genre. I’m profoundly grateful she took me under her wings at the start of my writing career and to be part of her Red Hot Romance family today. 

While it is incredibly hard to pick just one book from her entire list, Sadie’s Little Christmas is my favorite because it shows a power exchange relationship in all its glory. Seeing Sadie blossom under Derek’s supervision is a treat. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

By Maren Smith,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Sadie has waited all the eighteen years of her life to grow up. Having finally reached the magical age of adulthood, she’s not about to let anything—or anyone—put her back in the nursery. But when her first attempt at stretching her submissive wings turns deadly, not only is her confidence shaken but she finds herself a guest at Rawhide Ranch and, in specific, of Derek Hawkins himself. The ranch owner is handsome, dominant, and he doesn’t hesitate to take charge when she misbehaves. His strong right hand is the balm her soul desires, but Derek is a Daddy Dom and…


Book cover of Wicked Ties

Rose Thorgaard Author Of Treasured

From my list on action packed romance makes you feel larger than life.

Why am I passionate about this?

From the first time I snagged a romance book off my mother's shelf as a teenager, I've always been a hopeless romantic. I'm fascinated by love stories that feel like real life, entwined with the good, bad, and sometimes ugly. This is why I enjoy exploring the duality of life and love in my own novels as a romantic suspense author.

Rose's book list on action packed romance makes you feel larger than life

Rose Thorgaard Why did Rose love this book?

This book both thrilled and shocked me with its twists and turns. Between the steamy scenes and the harrowing escape from a dangerous stalker, there was never a moment of boredom in this book.

The tentative but deep bond between the main characters made me want to root for them despite lies and betrayal.

By Shayla Black,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

She didn't know what she wanted...

Morgan O'Malley has seen a lot of kinky things as the hostess of a cable sex talk show. But she's never met a man like Jack Cole before. A self-proclaimed dominant, he's as alpha as a male can get-and good for Morgan to have around when an obsessed stalker ratchets up his attempts to get to her.

Until he made her beg for it.

Though Jack is a bodyguard, Morgan feels anything but safe in his presence because, slowly and seductively, Jack is bringing her deepest fantasies to the surface. And when he bends…


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Book cover of Fourth and Long

Fourth and Long By Britt Belle,

Fourth and Long is a novel written in the first person with dual POVs.

Ellie: When I meet Slater, an infamous quarterback trying to salvage his career, I know better than to form expectations. Our relationship starts out casual, but I can’t help falling for him. The problem is, that…

Book cover of Board Resolution

Karen Nappa Author Of Savage Game

From my list on romance to set your body on flames.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up as a single child in an abusive household my fantasy friends kept me sane. Today, my imaginary friends are hot alpha males and sassy heroines, and their stories are a bit (okay a lot!) spicier but still as engaging and always end happily ever after. Active in the BDSM Lifestyle, it pains me what kind of books are marketed as BDSM Romance. The key to a (loving) relationship based on power exchange is open communication and the will to help the other person grow and flourish. The books I write and the books I recommend are examples of what I consider goodreal BDSM Romance.

Karen's book list on romance to set your body on flames

Karen Nappa Why did Karen love this book?

Although this book starts out without safe words or careful negotiations, I still recommend all of Joey W. Hill’s work and the Knights of the Board Room series as BDSM Romance. Sometimes, a Dom must dig deep to give a submissive what she needs, and this is what Matt Kensington does in Board Resolution. Savannah is trained to shield herself and I think Matt’s crazy plan is the only way through the tough outer shell and into the soft and loving woman she is. Piece by piece —with help from his team— he breaks her down, only to let her rise like a Phoenix from her ashes. Beautiful story.

By Joey W. Hill,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Savannah has been groomed since birth to take the reins of her father’s manufacturing empire. Her emotional armor is as tough as the steel used in her factories, and no man is allowed past it. Business partner Matt Kensington realizes that the key to entry is not to ask permission, but to command her submission. Calling on the unique sensual talents of his four-man management team, he engineers an aggressive takeover, determined to rescue the woman he’s always loved from the steel cage she’s manufactured around her heart.


Book cover of An Unofficial Marriage: A Novel about Pauline Viardot and Ivan Turgenev

Hilary Poriss Author Of Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville

From my list on nineteenth-century divas.

Why am I passionate about this?

I fell in love with opera history as an undergraduate exchange student in Vienna and went on to pursue my passion in graduate school. Rather than writing about opera composers and their music, I chose the unusual path of studying famous singers from the nineteenth century, especially the prima donnas who exerted extraordinary authority over composers, theater directors, and spectators. In my books and articles, I focus on the power of divas to thrill audiences and to shape the musical culture of which they are an integral part. The books I am recommending explore the lives and careers of some of the most fascinating prima donnas of the nineteenth century.

Hilary's book list on nineteenth-century divas

Hilary Poriss Why did Hilary love this book?

Pauline Viardot (1821-1910) was one of the most celebrated prima donnas of the nineteenth century, but she was much more than a typical diva. She was also one of the most versatile artists of the era, a talented composer, arranger, teacher, autograph collector, entrepreneur, salonnière, and promoter of early music. While fictionalized, this novel sticks closely to historical events of her life, focusing on her marriage to Louis Viardot, her long-lasting affair with Russian author Ivan Turgenev, and the unconventional and loving bonds that formed between these three extraordinary artists. If you’re looking for historical fiction about one of the most fascinating divas of the nineteenth century, An Unofficial Marriage is a great choice.

By Joie Davidow,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

For Fans of Alexander Chee's best-selling novel, The Queen of the Night and opera fans everywhere.

Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous events of 19th century Europe, An Unofficial Marriage dramatizes the equally tumultuous real-life love affair of two great artists—the famous Russian author, Ivan Turgenev, and the celebrated French opera singer, Pauline Viardot. From the moment he encounters her on the St. Petersburg stage, Ivan falls completely for Pauline. Though Pauline returns his feelings, she is bound by her singular passion for her art and her devotion to her gentle, older husband, Louis. Nevertheless, Ivan pursues Pauline across…


Book cover of Vilnius Poker

Ursula Wong Author Of Amber Wolf

From my list on books that changed my perspective on Eastern Europe and Russia.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write about Eastern Europe, both past and present, and what it means to have Russia as a neighbor. I write historical fiction and historical thrillers with a soupcon of espionage. I talk about the politics of the day, whether the story is set during WWII or in modern times. While my stories and characters are fictional, I constantly strive to accurately reflect time, place, and, most of all, history. I hope that my novels entertain and inform about a corner of the world folks may not know much about. 

Ursula's book list on books that changed my perspective on Eastern Europe and Russia

Ursula Wong Why did Ursula love this book?

This book is dense, disagreeable, confusing, uncomfortable, and marvelous. The scenes are vivid, even devastating. The descriptions ring true, from dirty windows in the library to working hard to make nothing appear like something. The characters embody the black and hopeless existence of Vilnius under Soviet rule.

Vytautas, the protagonist, flashes back to his tortured days in the labor camps in Siberia. He is haunted by evil in the persona he calls “they” who roam the streets of Vilnius. He loves and tragically stops loving.

His inflections of the Soviet system come in many forms, like the story about his dying grandfather being kicked out of a hospital before he could affect their mortality statistics. He drifts into and out of the fantastical. The last section is written from a dog’s perspective.

I loved the reality of the book. It presented the essence of an experience, albeit from a man…

By Ricardas Gavelis, Elizabeth Novickas (translator),

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Detailing a man's mental breakdown—and his obsession with a seductress named Lolita, the omnipresent "them," and the need to uncover what's "really going on"—Vilnius Poker is an epic, paranoid novel about the surreal absurdities and horrors of life under Soviet rule. In the words of Kirkus Reviews, "think of it as The Matrix behind the Iron Curtain—unsettling and profoundly interesting."


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Book cover of Return to Hope Creek

Return to Hope Creek By Alyssa J. Montgomery,

Return to Hope Creek is a second-chance rural romance set in Australia.

Stella Simpson's career and engagement are over. She returns to the rural community of Hope Creek to heal, unaware her high school and college sweetheart, Mitchell Scott, has also moved back to town to do some healing of…

Book cover of Gone Too Far

Kel O'Connor Author Of Broken Bits

From my list on romantic suspense with forced proximity as a trope.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a fan of romantic suspense since I was a teen (many decades ago) and started writing my DAG Team Series in 2016. I adore everything about this genre – the puzzles, the intrigue and how they affect the budding relationship between the main characters. Dating is difficult when you are trying to catch a killer or on the run! Despite the central mystery, the focus is on the romance between the couple. The issues serve to add a layer of non-sexual tension. 

Kel's book list on romantic suspense with forced proximity as a trope

Kel O'Connor Why did Kel love this book?

To get the full story of Sam and Alyssa’s love story, start with the 1st book in the Troubleshooters series, The Unsung Hero. However, this is the best book of that series! Former lovers, they now need to work together to solve a complex case that puts them on the run. Forced Proximity is my favorite romance trope.

By Suzanne Brockmann,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Troubleshooters: They Never Let You Down. The sixth addictive romantic suspense novel in New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters series, filled with thrilling adventure, excitement and passion. In GONE TOO FAR, ex-lovers Lieutenant Sam Starrett and FBI agent Alyssa Locke find that sometimes the only way to the truth is to break the law...

Whilst Lieutenant Sam Starrett's career as a Navy SEAL has gone from strength to strength, his private life has turned into a mess. Waiting for his divorce papers was always going to be tough but Sam's life turns into a nightmare when he arrives…


Book cover of The Foreign Student

Don Lee Author Of The Partition

From my list on by now-established Korean American authors.

Why am I passionate about this?

A Korean American author myself, I published my first book in 2001, and in the ensuing years I’ve been heartened by the number of Korean Americans who have made a splash with their debut novels, as these five writers did. All five have ventured outside of what I’ve called the ethnic literature box, going far beyond the traditional stories expected from Asian Americans. They established a trend that is happily growing. 

Don's book list on by now-established Korean American authors

Don Lee Why did Don love this book?

In 1950s Sewanee, Chang and Katherine slowly fall in love and find that the Souths of Korea and Tennessee are not that different after all, both subject to lingering issues of class, family, race, and civil war. I love the poetic language in this novel, as well as its ambitious story and the complexity invested in every relation.

By Susan Choi,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

"This wonderful hybrid of a novel--a love story, a war story, a novel of manners--introduces a writer of enchanting gifts, a beautiful heart wedded to a beautiful imagination. How else does Susan Choi so fully inhabit characters from disparate backgrounds, with such brilliant wit and insight? The Foreign Student stirs up great and lovely emotions."  — Francisco Goldman, author of The Ordinary Seaman

The Foreign Student is the story of a young Korean man, scarred by war, and the deeply troubled daughter of a wealthy Southern American family. In 1955, a new student arrives at a small college in the…


Book cover of The Heiress Effect

Edie Cay Author Of A Lady's Finder

From my list on misfits that should totally be your best friend.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a writer of relatable misfits, and a misfit myself. My outsides and insides have never matched, and my accent has always been wrong. I’ve lived all over the United States, and no matter what, I’m always from somewhere else, no matter how long I’ve lived there. I usually end up good friends with other interesting folx who are the same as me: a little different, a little crafty, and a hell of a lot of fun. 

Edie's book list on misfits that should totally be your best friend

Edie Cay Why did Edie love this book?

This is the book that made me want to write a historical romance. The protagonist, Miss Jane Fairfield, is outlandishly rich. But she can’t get married and leave her younger sister, who has epilepsy, to the well-meaning but cruel treatments recommended by their uncle, who is also their guardian. Since her money makes her an appealing target for many an impoverished rake, Jane has to work extra to become unappealing while still seeming like she’s trying to attract a man. She wears obnoxiously bright clothing, insults people with the kindest tone, and—in one desperate attempt to make a man be mean to her—takes the food right off his plate. This is a book about people trying to put you in your place and keep you small. And let me give you a hint: it’s a romance, so there’s definitely a Happily Ever After, and that includes small-minded people getting their…

By Courtney Milan,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Miss Jane Fairfield has made a career of social disaster. She wears outrageous gowns and says even more outrageous things. The only reason she's invited anywhere is because of her immense dowry--which is all part of her plan to avoid marriage and keep the fortune-hunters at bay. Mr. Oliver Marshall is the illegitimate son of a duke. His acceptance in society is tenuous as it is. If he wants any kind of career at all, he must do everything right. He doesn't need to come to the rescue of the wrong woman. He certainly doesn't need to fall in love…


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Book cover of Not in the Plan

Not in the Plan By Dana Hawkins,

Crushed under writer’s block and a looming deadline, Mack escapes from New York to Seattle. She meets Charlie, a beautiful, generous, nearly bankrupt coffee shop owner recovering from heartbreak. For the first time, Mack has a muse. And then Mack starts using Charlie’s private stories in her novel…

When a…

Book cover of The Sea of Tranquility

Iris St. Clair Author Of Louder Than Words

From my list on girl power I wish I’d read as a teenager.

Why am I passionate about this?

I wrote my book and selected the five other books listed because I am passionate about women’s agency and how women may be empowered to achieve such. I started my career in a male-dominated profession and have many memories of differential treatment from my male peers. There are a few #metoo tales in there as well. I also grew up shy and studious, too timid to seek out empowerment or speak truth to power. If I could go back in time armed with these wonderful stories of girls and young women overcoming adversity, prejudice, assault, and other gender-based barriers, I think I would take that trip. 

Iris' book list on girl power I wish I’d read as a teenager

Iris St. Clair Why did Iris love this book?

Semi-spoiler alert: this book has the best ending line ever so don’t flip to the end or you’ll rob yourself of something very precious. I adore a nice ending twist and although not so much an O’Henry plot twist (love his stories) as an “aha” shift in perspective, it has stuck with me more than any other element of the story.

The book’s blurb very aptly describes The Sea of Tranquility as “... a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.” I’m a sucker for second chance stories, especially following an injustice. The beauty of this story lies not in the how the protagonist, Nastya, recovers her power by confronting and righting the injustice but in how she subtly and simultaneously learns to look forward instead of backward.

By Katja Millay,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her-her identity, her spirit, her will…


Book cover of To Command and Collar
Book cover of Sadie's Little Christmas
Book cover of Wicked Ties

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