Book picks similar to
Before You Ghost by Debra Anastasia
paranormal
romance
novella
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Blood & Ash
Deborah WildeDeborah Wilde - 2020
Long-lost magic. Can one determined private eye topple a dark conspiracy?Detective for hire, Ashira Cohen is having a no-good, very bad day.When Ash was thirteen, her con artist father disappeared, leaving her with emotional scars and a limp she can't hide. But she toughened up, determined never to be played again. Is history repeating itself?First, she’s hit on the head during a stakeout, revealing a mysterious tattoo on the back of her skull. Even worse? It’s a now-broken ward unleashing dangerous magic that as a Mundane, she shouldn’t possess. And the icing on this crap cake? Her unruly powers nearly kill her long-time nemesis, Levi, the uptight leader of the magic community. One word from him revealing her forbidden abilities, and everything she’s built will be taken from her… by force.The only bright spot is that Levi requires her supernatural skills to solve a spree of abductions. After years of being underestimated by him, it’s Ash’s chance at payback and she’s going to enjoy bringing him to his knees—or stuffing him in a body bag.Crackling with humor and suspense, Blood & Ash features a headstrong heroine tackling paranormal mysteries and an enemies-to-lovers romance. Get this complete series now!"Wilde combines hardboiled noir and Jewish folklore in this action-packed, perfectly paced paranormal romp. ... the real star is Ash's hilariously snarky narrative voice which is archly sarcastic but never mean. ... Wilde balances exuberant wit with deep compassion and handles Ash's chronic pain and fragmented family with care. This giddy, sexy series launch is a delight." - Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
The Plight Before Christmas
Kate Stewart - 2021
And since the last three weeks of my life have been riddled with humbug—another breakup, a broken toe, an office promotion I deserved and didn’t get—I’m not at all in the mood to celebrate nor have the happ, happ, happiest Christmas EVER.When Mom insisted that we all gather at my Grandparent’s ancient cabin for an old school family Christmas, I fully intended to get into the holiday spirit with the help of the three wise men, Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniels, and Jim Beam. But those boys did absolutely nothing to offset the shock or temper the sting of seeing my EX on our doorstep the first day of our holiday soiree.Apparently, Santa missed the memo, and this elf is pissed.Stuck for a week with the man who obliterated my heart nearly two decades ago, I did the only thing I could do and put on my game face, thankful for the home advantage.I knew better than to drink that last cup of eggnog.I knew better than to get tongue tangled beneath the mistletoe with the only man to ever break my heart.I knew better than to sleep with Satan’s wingman on the eve of the Lord’s birthday.I could blame the nog. I could blame the deceitful light blue eyes, thick, angelic hair, and panty evaporating smirk…but mostly, I blame Eli because he always knew exactly which of my buttons to push.I foolishly thought a family Christmas filled with nostalgia was going to turn my inner Scrooge around, but this year’s festivities went up in flames. Leave it to the ghost of my Christmas past to be the one to light the match.Fa la la la la, la FML.
Angels of Darkness
Ilona Andrews - 2011
But in her court, all is not what it appears to be.2 Alphas: Origins by Ilona Andrews — A woman is kidnapped into a world divided by a superhuman civil war. As the captive of an irresistibly dangerous male, she has two choices: submit and become a pawn, or take hold of her own destiny.3 Nocturne by Sharon Shinn — Accepting a position in a secluded and whispered-about mansion, a woman soon discovers the source of its mystery: the blind, tormented angel who lives there, and whose secrets could now destroy them both.4 Ascension by Meljean Brook — When vampires disappear from a community he's protecting, a world-weary Guardian doesn't know what evil he's hunting, but he'd rather hunt alone than accept help from his ex-lover and fellow Guardian, Radha. But Radha refuses to leave him, because she's determined not just to help him save the community...but to save him.
Black Heart
R.L. Mathewson - 2013
That was the only explanation that she could come up with. Why else would she feel this way for the biggest SOB in town? Granted, he was also the hottest man in town, but he was also arrogant, callous, and determined to drive her away even as he drove her crazy with his touch. She should just walk away from him and probably would if it wasn’t for this connection that she’d always had with him that kept making her want more with the one man that couldn’t give her anything more than heartache.He should have left and never looked back when he’d decided to finally do the right thing and push Marty out of his life, but instead he stuck around to torture himself by staying close to the one woman that he could never allow himself to have. She deserved better than him, better than the tortured existence that he led and better than the horrifying future that waited for him.
I Like Big Dragons and I Cannot Lie
Lani Lynn Vale - 2016
One second he’s fetching his brother from yet another situation that could possibly compromise the Vassago name, and the next that brunette is grabbing his assets. Blythe isn’t after anyone’s assets, though. She’s a good girl. All she wants is to graduate from nursing school, get a job, and move out of her hell hole apartment. What she does not have time to deal with is a sexy bearded man that accuses her of grabbing his junk. She tries to forget about the encounter, but fate’s a cruel bitch. One second she’s a normal college student barely living paycheck to paycheck, and the next she’s setting her panties on fire with powers from an ancient immortal dragon. To add insult to injury, she’s hearing voices, and none of them are figments of her imagination. Blythe’s life is turned upside down, and Keifer forces her to adapt even though she doesn’t want to. She likes her life just the way it is. Not to mention she wants nothing to do with that arrogant asshole. She doesn’t care that he rides a dragon. She also could care less about his stupid beard, and his sexy eyes. Yeah, who was she kidding? She wasn’t convincing anybody.
Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble
H.P. Mallory - 2010
If you like your books steamy (this is a paranormal romance series for adults, not for kids or teens!) and you appreciate a good witch, warlock and vampire romance triangle, read on!A self-deprecating witch with the unique ability to reanimate the dead.A dangerously handsome warlock torn between being her boss and her would-be lover.A six hundred year old English vampire with his own agenda; one that includes an appetite for witches.The Underworld in a state of chaos.Let the games begin.Life isn’t bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn’t have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she’s a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost’s demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the Underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand.
Happy Hour at Casa Dracula
Marta Acosta - 2006
Then one night, at a book party for her pretentious ex-boyfriend, she meets an oddly attractive man. After she is bitten while kissing him, she falls ill and is squirreled away to his family's estate to recover. Vampires don't exist in this day and age -- or do they? As Milagro falls for a fabulously inappropriate man, she finds herself caught between a family who has accepted her as one of their own and a shady organization that refuses to let the undead live and love in peace.
Naughty in the Night (Hot Halloween Nights #2)
C.L. Cruz - 2020
CarrieAs the daughter of a psychic, I’ve made it my life goal to debunk the mysteries of the world.When I win a night at the local Haunted Mansion, I can’t pass it up.Little did I know that I would be there with my rival, Bennett Lowe.He’s annoyingly optimistic, superstitious to a fault, and so sexy it’s almost scary.Can I look past our differences and believe that what we have is real?BennettAfter losing my sister, I was obsessed with contacting her on the other side.That’s how I became a renowned paranormal investigator.And this Halloween, I’m given my dream opportunity to spend the night in our local Haunted Mansion.But there’s one catch: I have to do it with well-known skeptic, Carrie Clarke.She’s curvy, funny, and bewitchingly beautiful, and I’m dying to get to know her better.But will I be able to convince her that the attraction between us isn’t just an illusion?
My Favorite Souvenir
Penelope Ward - 2020
Rather than let my breakup get me down, I packed my bags and decided a week at a luxury resort was just what I needed.But one calamity after the next, and suddenly I was stuck without a hotel room, along with a few hundred other people.It looked like my fancy vacation was about to turn into me sleeping on the hotel lobby floor.Until I overheard a gorgeous man pretending to be someone he wasn’t in order to steal a reservation from a guest who hadn’t shown up yet.When I realized there were two rooms, instead of calling him out, I pretended to be his sister. That’s how the story of “Milo and Maddie Hooker” began. We were the Hookers.My depressing trip quickly made a U-turn into an adventure. My fake brother spent the next few days showing me around his hometown. When it was time to leave, neither of us really wanted to go yet. So, instead of flying back to our respective homes, we ventured on a road trip. At every stop, we’d pick up souvenirs.But as hot as our chemistry was, we never crossed the line.Milo knew I’d just come out of a tough relationship and didn’t want to mess with a vulnerable woman.So instead, at the end of our trip, we made a pact to meet again in three months. It was always my intention to meet him.But when I got back home, reality hit in a big way.And I worried I may have lost my handsome stranger forever.Was there a place for him in my future?Or had the memory of him just become my favorite souvenir?
I'm the Vampire, That's Why
Michele Bardsley - 2006
And I, Jessica Matthews, have been a member of that club ever since my husband dumped me for his twentysomething secretary and then had the gall to die in a car accident. Now I’m not just a single mother trying to make ends meet in this crazy world....I’m also a vampire. One minute I was taking out the garbage; the next I awoke sucking on the thigh of superhot vampire Patrick O’Halloran, who’d generously offered his femoral artery to save me.But though my stretch marks have disappeared and my vision has improved, I can’t rest until the thing that did this to me is caught. My kids’ future is at stake…figuratively and literally. As is my sex life. Although I wouldn’t mind finding myself attached to Patrick’s juicy thigh again, I learned that once a vampire does the dirty deed, it hitches her to the object of her affection for at least one hundred years. I just don’t know if I’m ready for that kind of commitment....
True Love
Jude Deveraux - 2013
Set on the magical Massachusetts island, True Love introduces characters from a new generation of Montgomery-Taggerts, the beloved family from Deveraux’s classic novels.Just as Alix Madsen is finishing up architectural school, Adelaide Kingsley dies and wills her, for one year, the use of a charming nineteenth-century Nantucket house. The elderly woman’s relationship to the Madsen family is a mystery to the spirited Alix—fresh from a romantic breakup—but for reasons of her own Alix accepts the quirky bequest, in part because it gives her time to plan her best friend’s storybook wedding.But unseen forces move behind the scenes, creaking Kingsley House’s ancient floorboards. It seems that Adelaide Kingsley had a rather specific task for Alix: to solve the strange disappearance of one of the Kingsley women, Valentina, more than two hundred years ago. If that wasn’t troubling enough, Alix must deal with the arrogant (and extremely good-looking) architect Jared Montgomery, who is living in the property’s guesthouse.Unbeknown to Alix, Jared has been charged with looking after her while she lives on the island—an easy task for him, considering the undeniable chemistry between the two. But Jared harbors secrets of his own, which, if revealed, may drive a wedge between the pair.With a glorious Nantucket wedding on the horizon, sparks fly, and the ghosts of the past begin to reveal themselves—some of them literally. Finding their lives inextricably entwined with the turbulent fortunes of their ancestors, Alix and Jared discover that only by righting the wrongs of the past can they hope to be together.
Inhale
Kendall Grey - 2012
Zoe Morgan is working her dream job: director of a whale tagging research project. She’s in her dream location: the beautiful beaches of Australia. But her sleep is plagued by nightmares—fiery hellscapes, hideous monsters, strange people … and the gorgeous man who rescues her from them. He might be a figment of her imagination, but he sure feels real.What Zoe doesn’t know is that he’s not a fantasy. He’s a Sentinel charged with protecting humans from Fire Elementals, using his own blend of elemental magic. In the Dreaming, anyway. In the real world, he’s Gavin Cassidy, a sexy rock star who indulges in all the excesses that money and fame can buy. Gavin hasn’t been summoned to help anyone since his partner’s death, and he likes it that way—until he meets Zoe in her dreams. With Zoe, it’s impossible to stay detached, impossible to say no.But Dr. Morgan is more than just his muse—she’s the key to restoring order in the Dreaming. Gavin never believed he could fall for someone like Zoe, nor does he realize he may have to sacrifice the woman he loves to save his country.
Bound to Seduction
Elisabeth Naughton - 2012
One power-hungry sorceress. The battle for good and evil has taken a whole new turn...From New York Times Bestselling Author Elisabeth Naughton, the first book in a series about brotherhood, survival and unexpected love in a world filled with magic and betrayal.Careful what you wish for…Sentenced as a pleasure slave, Djinn Prince Tariq of the Marid tribe has but one duty: travel into the human realm and corrupt souls by granting wishes to the women who possess the Firebrand opal, a gemstone of magical power. Ten years of imprisonment have left Tariq bitter, but to save his brothers’ lives, he’ll submit to his endless personal hell, even if it means giving up his own hope for freedom.When Mira Dawson obtains the Firebrand opal, she’s sure the rumors about its magical qualities must be fiction. Until, that is, she touches the stone and a dark and dangerous warrior appears in her living room, offering to pleasure her beyond her wildest dreams. Soon, fantasy becomes a temptation she can’t deny. The only question left is…will the pleasure be worth the price? Because as Mira’s been warned, nothing…not even fantasies…are free.
Deadly Night
Heather Graham - 2007
They've inherited a ghostly presence -- and a long-kept secret.Aidan Flynn, a private investigator and eldest of the Flynn brothers, scoffs at the haunted-house rumors -- especially since Kendall Montgomery, a tarot card reader who has been living in the mansion, is the one to tell him the tale of a woman in white. But when he finds a human bone on the grounds and another by the river, Aidan delves into the dark history of the Flynn plantation.Forced together to uncover the truth, Aidan and Kendall realize that a serial killer whose victims seem to vanish into thin air has long been at work -- and that their own fates are about to be sealed forever unless they believe in the unbelievable.
Shadow Bound
Erin Kellison - 2010
When a demon breaches the barrier between death and life, the salvation of the world depends on the passions of a beautiful banshee just coming into her power and the man willing to use her to avenge the destruction of his family.