Fans pick 54 books like Vampire's Kiss

By Ella Summers,

Here are 54 books that Vampire's Kiss fans have personally recommended if you like Vampire's Kiss. 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 Dragon Ridden

JS Kennedy Author Of Green Gryphon

From my list on where females stay strong in the face of men.

Why am I passionate about this?

I got hooked on authors like Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, and Nalini Singh. Where females are tough, men are alphas, and love is a complicated process that takes time and effort. When I tried to branch out, and find new authors, I was constantly disappointed by the puddles of goo. You know, those female characters who talk tough and kick ass, until the man comes into the picture and her ovaries start running the show. Suddenly staying hidden isn’t as important as spilling your deepest secrets to a stranger. Tired of not finding the books for me, I decided to try writing them.

JS's book list on where females stay strong in the face of men

JS Kennedy Why did JS love this book?

I love Tate. She is true to her friends and she stands up for what she believes in. But most importantly, she doesn’t change who she is to please the male protagonist.

With intriguing and humorous side characters, in a world that is vastly different from our own, this book kept me hooked from beginning to end. 

By T.A. White,

Why should I read it?

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


Book cover of Oath Sworn

JS Kennedy Author Of Green Gryphon

From my list on where females stay strong in the face of men.

Why am I passionate about this?

I got hooked on authors like Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, and Nalini Singh. Where females are tough, men are alphas, and love is a complicated process that takes time and effort. When I tried to branch out, and find new authors, I was constantly disappointed by the puddles of goo. You know, those female characters who talk tough and kick ass, until the man comes into the picture and her ovaries start running the show. Suddenly staying hidden isn’t as important as spilling your deepest secrets to a stranger. Tired of not finding the books for me, I decided to try writing them.

JS's book list on where females stay strong in the face of men

JS Kennedy Why did JS love this book?

Jacky is a relatable character who’s gone through a major upheaval.

She’s become a werecat. Not raised in werecat society, she doesn’t let their views against other supernatural species stop her from doing what is right. Despite a surrogate father who thinks he’s always right, and siblings who want her to conform, Jacky very much marches to the beat of her own drum. Life is never dull when you’re a werecat with honor. 

By K N Banet,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Jacky Leon isn’t someone who goes looking for trouble. She owns a bar, pays her taxes, and serves her drinks cold outside a small town in Texas. The fact that she’s a werecat is just something she’s had to live with. Alone in her territory, she’s lived a secretive life for six under the radar, avoiding her past and the baggage that comes with it.

Trouble finds Jacky, though, in the form of an eleven year old girl and a werewolf turf war just outside her borders. Forced to honor an ancient treaty and the Laws of the supernatural world,…


Book cover of Shadow of Doubt

JS Kennedy Author Of Green Gryphon

From my list on where females stay strong in the face of men.

Why am I passionate about this?

I got hooked on authors like Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, and Nalini Singh. Where females are tough, men are alphas, and love is a complicated process that takes time and effort. When I tried to branch out, and find new authors, I was constantly disappointed by the puddles of goo. You know, those female characters who talk tough and kick ass, until the man comes into the picture and her ovaries start running the show. Suddenly staying hidden isn’t as important as spilling your deepest secrets to a stranger. Tired of not finding the books for me, I decided to try writing them.

JS's book list on where females stay strong in the face of men

JS Kennedy Why did JS love this book?

In all honesty, I wasn’t going to read this at first.

This book is a spin-off of her A Beginners Guide to Necromancy series, and I didn’t really like Amelie. But I really enjoyed this series, almost more than the main one. Hadley is as flawed as they come, but she’s compassionate, hardworking, and really wants to change.

This has become a series that I never wanted to end, and I can go back to read each one over and over. 

Book cover of Crown of Shadows

JS Kennedy Author Of Green Gryphon

From my list on where females stay strong in the face of men.

Why am I passionate about this?

I got hooked on authors like Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, and Nalini Singh. Where females are tough, men are alphas, and love is a complicated process that takes time and effort. When I tried to branch out, and find new authors, I was constantly disappointed by the puddles of goo. You know, those female characters who talk tough and kick ass, until the man comes into the picture and her ovaries start running the show. Suddenly staying hidden isn’t as important as spilling your deepest secrets to a stranger. Tired of not finding the books for me, I decided to try writing them.

JS's book list on where females stay strong in the face of men

JS Kennedy Why did JS love this book?

If you like something with a little less spice and a lot of spunk, you want to read KM Shea.

Crown of Shadows is the second trilogy in her Magiford world and in my humble opinion, the best. This world is wonderfully built, with wickedly funny characters and romances that don’t reduce the heroine into quivering limp puddles. Instead, she races around on hellish looking horses and demands to marry an assassin. What a woman. 

By K.M. Shea,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The fae of the Night Court are desperately searching for a new monarch to crown before the Court collapses.

I couldn’t care less.

I’ve done everything I can to bury my fae blood and embrace my human half. That changes when some fae nobles show up on my doorstep and announce that I’m the next Queen of the Night Court.

Becoming an unwilling fae queen? Check. Inheriting a terrible mess? Double check.

The Court is almost bankrupt, my citizens’ favorite hobby is backstabbing one another, and I don’t know who I can trust since someone keeps trying to assassinate me.…


Book cover of Halfway to the Grave

Maxym M. Martineau Author Of Kingdom of Exiles

From my list on fantasy with kick-ass heroines.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a fantasy romance author with a love of creating real, in-depth characters with agency. To me, that’s the very definition of a “kick-ass” heroine. It doesn’t matter how she’s kick-ass (e.g., loud/vocal vs. quiet and cunning; the one charging ahead of the army or the one strategizing the attack), just that she’s in control of her own destiny. It’s important for me to have my characters feel like actual people, facing real decisions and the consequences of said decisions, and then I want those characters to have onus and show off their true bad-assery. 

Maxym's book list on fantasy with kick-ass heroines

Maxym M. Martineau Why did Maxym love this book?

Good lord, Kat simply dominates when she enters a scene.

She leaves no room for argument with all her decisions (some of them bad, some of them good) or dialogue, and even in moments where you’re screaming at her or she’s second-guessing herself, she grounds herself in her resolve and pushes forward.

Plus, Bones is swoon-worthy, and she still honors her own feels in the presence of his…well…everything, haha. I also love her evolution through the Night Huntress series and how her viewpoint toward vampires and paranormals shifts in a way that suits her character development. Also the spice? Heck. Yes.

By Jeaniene Frost,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked Halfway to the Grave as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Kicking off the sexiest, smartest, most badass paranormal romance series out there. You won't be able to stop turning the pages.

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of those deadbeats is her father - the guy responsible for ruining her mother's life.

But when she's captured by Bones, a bounty hunter and a vampire, she finds herself forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for his help in finding her father, and still astonished she hasn't ended up as his dinner, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her…


Book cover of A Flame in Byzantium

Nancy Baker Author Of The Night Inside

From my list on female vampire protagonists.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved books about vampires ever since reading Dracula at much too young an age, but I was always looking for stories in which the women were more than virtuous heroines, objects of desire, or hissing brides. Or wearing negligees. I was also drawn to tales that explored the practical and ethical challenges of being a vampire. Fortunately, the vampire fiction boom beginning in 1980 opened the way for new stories, many by women, that depicted the nuances of vampirism through a female gaze. Travel from 6th century Byzantium to Mexico City to futuristic Mars with these novels that put new spins on the old conventions and introduce some fascinating female vampires.

Nancy's book list on female vampire protagonists

Nancy Baker Why did Nancy love this book?

Yarbro’s tales of the vampire Saint-Germain is one of the most influential and long-running series in horror. This secondary series focuses on Roman matron Atta Olivia Clemons, Saint-Germain’s lover from the age of Nero. In this first installment, she struggles to survive the much different world of 6th Century Constantinople. Full of rich historical detail, it shows that being a vampire is no protection in a world in which women have no rights, rules are rigidly enforced, and spies are everywhere.  If you like history and vampires, you can’t go wrong with Yarbro’s books.

By Chelsea Quinn Yarbro,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Olivia Clems, a vampire, is caught up in the complex political plots of sixth century Byzantium


Book cover of Creatus

Tina Wainscott Author Of Until I Die Again (Love and Light)

From my list on to escape into another world.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been fascinated by things paranormal and supernatural. There is so much in the “real” world that we don’t understand and can’t prove their existence, but there is enough video and photos, as well as stories, that I don’t see how we can say there’s not more beyond our five senses. Many of my own books center on paranormal abilities and events, and I do love reading about them as well!

Tina's book list on to escape into another world

Tina Wainscott Why did Tina love this book?

Carmen has created a more “ordinary world” in which extraordinary people exist in the shadows. There is romance and danger and suspense, but I like that there’s no graphic violence here. Each book in this series focuses on a different couple.

By Carmen DeSousa,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Derrick's desire to save one human girl will ignite a war...

For four thousand years, creatus have concealed themselves from the humans who hunted them almost to extinction. Unwittingly, one creatus will endanger them all...

As with most of his family, Derrick Ashton knows his future and what position he's destined to fill within his unique society. Everything changes, however, when he breaks one of his family's strictest laws and falls in love -- with a human.

In his quest to protect the woman he can never have, a twist of fate propels him into a new role that will…


Book cover of Until the Sun Falls from the Sky

Jami Gray Author Of Grave Cargo

From my list on a fantastical series of alternate worlds.

Why am I passionate about this?

My life has taken a very interesting path with twists and turns that can be found in many peoples’ journeys, but diving into the pages of a book and getting lost fantastical worlds has helped me navigate my way through the rougher patches. There is something about the possibility of worlds so close to our own but touched by the extraordinary that is so alluring, it’s hard to leave. Thus, my love of series was ignited. That little bit of different that these series offered sparked a love for creating my own worlds where magic existed, families weren’t always limited to DNA, and perseverance led to a happy ending. Enjoy!

Jami's book list on a fantastical series of alternate worlds

Jami Gray Why did Jami love this book?

Kristin Ashley’s paranormal fantasy, Until the Sun Falls from the Sky, is a spellbinding first into her Three series.

Told in a first-person point of view, this tale follows the headstrong Leah as she finds herself trapped by her family’s legacy to serve the centuries-old vampire, Lucien and fulfill a prophecy. With hints of Kate from Taming of the Shrew, Leah fights fate and her attraction to the seemingly unbending Lucien to maintain her sense of self and independence.

In true romance style, the push and pull of their relationship, mixed with the twists and turns of an unrelenting prophecy make this a must read for romance lovers. 

By Kristen Ashley,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Until the Sun Falls from the Sky as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Leah Buchanan’s family has been in service to vampires for five centuries. Even so, Leah wants nothing to do with her family’s legacy. But when she’s summoned to her Selection by the Vampire Dominion, under familial pressure, she has no choice but to go.Lucien has been living under the strict edicts of the Vampire Dominion for centuries but he’s tired of these ancient laws stripping away everything that is the essence of the vampire.So he’s taking it back.This is because Lucien has been watching and waiting for decades for Leah to become available for a Selection and he will not…


Book cover of Underworld

T.L. Sturgis Author Of Flirting with Darkness

From my list on paranormal stories that takes a new a fresh approach.

Why am I passionate about this?

My name is Tyeshia Sturgis, aka T. L. Sturgis. I’m an American author of horror, thriller, and fantasy. In the fantasy genre, I wanted to write something that I enjoyed reading about, and who doesn't like vampires right? My passion came from both newer and older authors and I wanted to write my vampire series but with a new world. Through hard work and dedication, I believe that I've accomplished just that. I knew it would be a challenge… but it helped me become a better writer. I write/read 6-8 hours a day and love what I do and also help mentor other authors and try to motivate people to read and write more. 

T.L.'s book list on paranormal stories that takes a new a fresh approach

T.L. Sturgis Why did T.L. love this book?

You're seeing I'm a vampire fanatic right? This is just another one of my favorite books and author. It's also another book made into a movie but trust me when I say the book is so much better than the movie itself. I loved the descriptions in this book and how another talented author created a brilliant world of vampires. It was thrilling and exciting. Another book that put me through a whirlwind of emotions. Not only was it action packed but there was romance topped with unbelievable betrayal. It will keep your interest just like it did for me. I recommend you don't watch the movie before you read the book.

By Greg Cox,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The centuries-long battle between vampires and werewolves has reached a new intensity under the streets of New York City. One young werewolf called Michael is determined to end the conflict, but high-ranking vampire Selene has the strength of ten men, and plans to use it to destroy the werewolves.


Book cover of The Segonian

Krystyna Allyn Author Of Twisted Origin

From my list on sating your paranormal urges.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have loved the supernatural world since my dad took me to see The Lost Boys in the theater. There’s just something about the unbelievable that drags me into this genre. I enjoy the escapism aspect because real life is hard enough. Plus, what girl wouldn’t want to be taken to a castle and live happily ever after with her prince? I know I would.

Krystyna's book list on sating your paranormal urges

Krystyna Allyn Why did Krystyna love this book?

Diane is known for her Immortal Guardians Vampire series, but this spin-off to her fang world includes two things I love, vampires and aliens. I’d be remiss when mentioning alien romance if I didn’t include Ruby Dixon. Both stories expertly combine humor, drama, a heck of spice, and the supernatural excitement that keeps me reading.

By Dianne Duvall,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A USA TODAY Bestseller
One of the Best Audiobooks of 2021—AudioFile Magazine

New York Times bestselling author Dianne Duvall brings readers the second stand-alone novel in a thrilling new sci-fi romance series full of action, humor, and happily-ever-afters.

Eliana's life has never been what one might term ordinary. At least, it hasn't been for a very long time. As a powerful Immortal Guardian, she spends her nights hunting and slaying psychotic vampires that most of humanity doesn't even realize exist. Then an opportunity arises that instantly makes her extraordinary existence seem downright boring. The leader of the Immortal Guardians asks…


Book cover of Dragon Ridden
Book cover of Oath Sworn
Book cover of Shadow of Doubt

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Interested in vampires, Nero, and the paranormal?

Vampires 305 books
Nero 28 books
The Paranormal 258 books