20 Paranormal Romance Books That Are Spookily Sexy

Nalini Singh is one of the premier names in paranormal romance, and her Guild Hunter series — starting with "Angels' Blood" ($9) — is one that can't be missed. Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is the best of the best, but even she's not sure she can handle the job she's just been hired for. Raphael, a dangerous and beautiful archangel, has hired her not to hunt a vampire, but a rogue archangel. As she's tossed into a divine war, she'll have to find new ways to complete her quest — all while trying to resist the perilous pull between her and Raphael.

Jasmine Silvera's "Binding Shadows" ($14) takes on the world of witches and necromancers, all set against an eerie academic backdrop. Barbara hides her magic in a mundane library, only using her powers quietly to give herself a knack for finding lost books so that she can avoid the notice of greedy necromancers. Then, she encounters Tobias, a professor with a supernatural secret of his own, and their connection sparks something unexpected. When an enchanted book triggers a curse, they find themselves caught up in a centuries-old revenge plot and a choice that could devastate them either way.

Can't decide which paranormal elements you like the best? "A Curse in Darkness" ($16) by Sherilee Gray has it all: witches, shifters, hellhounds, demons, curses, and more. In this first book of The Thornheart Trials series, Willow is a witch newly promoted to Keeper of her coven, but the role is more than she bargained for. She's soon distracted (or assisted) by Warrick, the beastly alpha with a connection to the dangerous hellhound she's hunting, and their burning romance could put them both in mortal danger.

No list of paranormal romances would be complete without "Dark Lover" ($8), a classic of the genre and the first entry in J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Wrath is the world's only purebred vampire, and he's on a mission: revenge on the hunters who killed his parents centuries ago. When his most trusted lieutenant is killed, however, Wrath is forced to focus on his fallen compatriot's daughter, Beth, who is unaware of her heritage. As Beth is drawn further into the Brotherhood's world, she's also irresistibly drawn to Wrath, with a fire that could consume them both.

"The Dead Romantics" ($12) by Ashley Poston is a ghostly romance with a twist. Florence, a romance ghostwriter (no, really!) is struggling with her faltering belief in love and the arrival of a grumpy new editor, Ben. When she reluctantly returns home to help her family bury her father, she feels just as out of place as ever at her quirky family's funeral home. Then she gets the real shock: Ben, standing in the doorway, in ghostly form. Ben and Florence will have to work together to figure out their unfinished business and find their way to a happy life (or afterlife, perhaps).

Rom-com meets the paranormal in "A Ghost in Shining Armor" ($12) by Therese Beharrie. Gemma has always had an unusual gift: she can see ghosts, and she often helps them figure out how to settle their unfinished business on Earth. When she kisses a stranger on a bet, it transpires that he, too, is a ghost, but this time, he offers to help her. Levi might have a second chance at life if he can help Gemma reconnect with her sister, but the more time they spend together — complete with fake dating — the more he wishes for a second chance at finding love, not just being alive.

Admit it: just the title of Mea Monique's "The Grim Reaper's Lawyer" ($16) has you intrigued, doesn't it? Newly murdered lawyer Joyce is faced with a very upsetting decision: head to her afterlife in hell, or do a favour for the Grim Reaper himself by representing him in the newly-formed Reaper's Court. As Joyce works with the grumpy Grim Reaper (and maybe starts to fall for him, too), she'll soon have to save the whole Afterworld. She's never felt more alive.

"Halfway to the Grave" ($8) by Jeaniene Frost is a paranormal romance with some serious "Buffy" vibes. Half-vampire Catherine is out for vengeance, seeking out her vampire father, who destroyed her mother's life. Then, she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and forced into a partnership with him. They'll have to work together to battle demons and other supernatural killers, all while the forbidden attraction grows until they can't ignore it anymore.

"A Hunger Like No Other" ($10) is the first in Kresley Cole's "Immortals After Dark" series, featuring all sorts of paranormal creatures, both good and bad. Lachlain, the leader of the Lykae werewolf clan, is horrified to find out that his destined soulmate is actually a vampire (or, actually, half-vampire). Emmaline, for her part, is more interested in finding out what happened to her parents, and her fear of the Lykae means she's far from happy about being claimed by Lachlain. The slow burn between them begins to break down both of their expectations, just in time for an ancient evil to threaten their tentative future.

If you like your paranormal romance with a strong side of magical world-building, check out "Magic Bites" ($8), the first entry in the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. In her world, magic rises and recedes against technology, often leaving unpredictable messes in its wake. Kate is a fierce mercenary who makes a living cleaning up after that chaos, but her guardian's death draws her into the power struggles among supernatural factions. Stuck in the middle of an escalating rivalry between vampire-controlling necromancers and powerful shapeshifters, Kate will work to solve the dangerous mystery — and find unexpected romance, too.

Historical romance meets the paranormal in KJ Charles's Charm of Magpies series, starting with "The Magpie Lord" ($9). After two decades in exile in China, Lucien returns to England when his father and brother mysteriously die, making him the new earl. When his family's powerful enemies come calling, he's forced to enlist the help of Stephen, a magician who also has plenty of reason to hate Lucien's family. Even as the dislike between the two men melts into a different kind of passion, the threats surrounding them get more dangerous, and even love might not be enough to fight them all off.

Are fae romances more your style? Try the Fae Prince of Everenne series by Alisyn Fae and Emma Alisyn, starting with "Night in His Eyes" ($13). Inspired loosely by Romeo and Juliet, the story centres on Aerinne Capulette, Lady of House Faronne, who is out for revenge against her mother's killer, Prince Renaud of House Montague. When Renaud wakes from centuries of rest, he has his own ideas for how to deal with Aerinne's plot — including claiming her for himself.

For a lighter approach to paranormal romance, pick up April Asher's Supernatural Singles series, starting with "Not the Witch You Wed" ($10). As teenagers, wolf shifter Lincoln broke magic-less witch Violet's heart. Now, as adults, they find themselves in a sticky situation: the Supernatural Laws require them to find mates. They reluctantly team up to fake date in hopes of buying themselves more time to find their true soulmates, but it quickly becomes apparent that there's nothing fake about the feelings they still have for one another.

"Pack of Lies" ($11) by Charlie Adhara combines werewolf romance with a bit of a mystery. After the mysterious death of his brother, Julien arrives in the small town of Maudit Falls, NC, in search of answers, but his investigations start to turn up secrets that the locals would prefer to stay buried. The only person Julien is able to turn to is Eli, the secretive manager of a half-deserted retreat — and a werewolf, too. Their investigative team-up soon leads to deeper feelings between them, but there's still a murder to solve and plenty of secrets left to uncover.

It's impossible not to fall in love with the witches (and other beings) in Lana Harper's Thistle Grove series. The first book, "Payback's a Witch" ($11) sets up the rules of the secretive, magic-rich small town of Thistle Grove, where four ancient magical families compete each generation to decide which family will take charge. Emmy Harlow returns to town to help her family as arbiters in the tournament, but she soon finds herself in the thick of the competition, fighting against arrogant heartbreaker Gareth and teaming up with mysterious and gorgeous Talia. Emmy and Talia are allies in their quest for revenge, but falling for each other definitely wasn't part of the plan.

"The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy" ($14) by Megan Bannen puts a "You've Got Mail" spin on the paranormal. Hart is a marshal, whose job is to patrol the strange wilds of Tanria and protect civilization from its dangers. He can't seem to stop clashing with Mercy, the daughter of an esteemed but fallen-on-hard-times family of undertakers. When the pair strike up an anonymous correspondence, neither realises their most loathed rival is on the other side of the letters. But when danger draws nearer, the unlikely pair will have to decide what's stronger: their longtime enmity or their blossoming connection.

For a cozier take on the paranormal, look no further than "The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches" ($14) by Sangu Mandanna. Mika has lived her life on the outskirts: orphaned, alone, and hiding her magical gifts to avoid notice — except when she posts the occasional online video "pretending" to be a witch. When she gets a note from a viewer begging her to come teach three young witches to control their magic, she's not sure what to do. Upon arrival, she immediately clashes with Jamie, Nowhere House's prickly librarian, but they'll soon have to work together to protect their young charges and the found family they didn't know they could ever find.

There's a bit more Gothic flair than out-and-out paranormal beasties in "The Widow of Rose House" ($11) by Diana Biller. In 1875, Alva is finally able to return to New York after the death of the monstrous husband she fled. Despite the whirl of scandal around her, she's determined to restore the old mansion and rebuild her life — only to find that the mansion is, unfortunately, haunted. She enlists the help of an eccentric young professor, Samuel, to get to the bottom of the hauntings and the house's tragic past, and along the way, the two outcasts just might find what they've been missing in each other.

Who says all demons are monstrous, hideous hellions? "A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon" ($13) by Sarah Hawley has a much lighter take on this particular paranormal staple, as awkward witch Mariel accidentally summons the demon Ozroth when trying to perform a simple baking spell. Now, Oz and Mariel are stuck together until she agrees to a bargain of some kind, which he desperately needs to restore his own reputation. To explain his proximity, they stumble into a fake-dating arrangement, which soon turns all too real — but the secrets underlying both the world of witchcraft and the realm of the demons could turn them against each other again.

We don't see a lot of merfolk in paranormal romance — at least not as much as creatures like vampires and werewolves — but Celestine Martin's "Witchful Thinking" ($16) will definitely have you wanting more. Witch Lucinda leads a perfectly satisfying life in her small seaside town, but she longs for more. Then, she accidentally winds up under a spell that won't let her say no to any opportunity — and of course, it comes when her high school crush, Alex (a merman), needs her help to unhex his new house. They'll get a second chance at romance when they're stuck together by their mutual magical problems, but when the curses are gone, will Alex be gone again too?