Book picks similar to
The Sea by K.L. Hughes


fantasy
lesbian
short-story
paranormal

Terrible Praise


Lara Hayes - 2018
    But in the last century her family has built a permanent residence in the abandoned freight tunnels beneath Chicago, where anonymity reigns supreme.Navigating the modern world is not easy and Stela, once a fierce warrior, has traded the heat of battle for petty negotiation, her sword for a pen, and her station as Fane’s enforcer to now serve as her family’s financial liaison.When a late meeting forces Stela to visit a nearby hospital, she crosses paths with the beguiling Elizabeth Dumas—a brilliant nurse who sacrificed her academic career to care for her ailing mother. Their charged encounter will threaten the secrecy Stela has sworn to uphold, and the bond they unwittingly forge will irrevocably alter both their lives.Worlds collide and entwine in Terrible Praise, Book One of the The Redamancy Series.Genre: Paranormal

Witches of Lychford


Paul Cornell - 2015
    A supermarket wants to build a major branch on their border. Some welcome the employment opportunities, while some object to the modernization of the local environment.Judith Mawson (local crank) knows the truth -- that Lychford lies on the boundary between two worlds, and that the destruction of the border will open wide the gateways to malevolent beings beyond imagination.But if she is to have her voice heard, she's going to need the assistance of some unlikely allies...

Blurred Lines


K.D. Williamson - 2016
    Only a select few know her as a loyal, loving friend. To a fault, she is committed to her family, friends and her job.As a surgeon, Nora Whitmore is used to being in control. The hospital is her life. There is little else. Respected by her colleagues but ridiculed by the residents, Nora takes what she needs and keeps everyone else at arm’s length, creating unexpected enemies.Tragedy brings them together in a clash of personalities. As the chaos around them continues, they find the lines between them blurring. A friendship forms, understanding grows, and attraction soon follows. Together, they may conquer their own misgivings, but will the outside forces keep them apart?Themes: lesbian · medical · police

Forever and A Day: a Those Who Wait story


Haley Cass - 2020
    They spent months circling around admitting their feelings, but the time for denying their love is over.As the world watches, their lives never stop growing. The only thing that's for certain is that through every hurdle that comes their way, they'll face it together.A collection of snapshots of a life lived and loved. A follow-up to the bestselling novel, Those Who Wait.31,400 words

A Little Familiar


R. Cooper - 2015
    Generations of Russells have lived and died with only their familiars at their side. The presence of a friendly familiar is enough to keep even the loneliest witch sane, and yet Piotr deliberately hasn’t chosen one. He forces himself to keep busy instead, but the emptiness of his house haunts him even more the spirit of Great-Great-Aunt Elysia in the parlor. With Samhain and Halloween approaching, he’ll have much to do, and knowing that, his concerned coven seizes the chance to intervene and sends help to his door in the form of Bartleby Dorchester. The rarest of rare jewels, Bartleby is a human familiar: a witch with no magic of his own, and a desire to find a strong witch to help and serve. In particular, he desires to help and serve Piotr, and everything in Piotr wants to let him. Bartleby was meant to be his familiar; Piotr knows it as surely as he knows when it will rain or when the apples in his garden will ripen. But what Piotr wants from Bartleby, all he’s ever wanted, is for Bartleby to love him, something he thinks is impossible. Russells live and die unloved, and he won’t allow Bartleby to feel obligated to spend his life with him as his familiar if he could be happy in love with someone else. But Samhain is a time for change, when walls come down and borders grow thin, and Bartleby isn’t going to waste what might be his last chance to convince Piotr that they were meant to be. He might have no magic, but love is a power all its own.

Half Lies


Sally Green - 2014
    Their father drowns his pain at the bottom of a bottle.They begin a new life in Florida, where Michele meets a White Witch boy, but the divide between Black and White Witches is as dangerous as ever. Soon Michele is caught between love and loyalty, truth and lies.Could falling in love be the deadliest mistake she's ever made?

Just One Night


Chelsea M. Cameron - 2021
    Not just any revenge; she’s out to mend her recently shattered heart. Her ex, Wyatt, is going to pay, and the best way to make that happen is to seduce the girl he’s always wanted but has never caught: Esme Bell. To be fair, the dark-haired bartender with the infectious laugh is the girl just about everyone wants, and Wyatt is no exception.Paige’s plan is simple, and it’s going to work. Go out with Esme, take her home, and then rub her victory in Wyatt’s face for the whole town of Castleton, Maine to see. She does reconnaissance at the bar where Esme works, and soon, the game is ON.Is Paige just going to head right for the bedroom? No. She’s more subtle than that. Paige has never really seduced anyone like this, but how hard could it be? She’s not completely devoid of sexy skills.What starts as a plot to get back at her ex turns into something a whole lot more complicated when Paige catches major feelings. Is she ready to give up her mission and put her heart on the line again? Or should she just cut her losses and call the whole thing off?

Five Moons Rising


Lise MacTague - 2017
    The presence of these supranormals (“supras”)—werewolves, vampires, demons—is a closely guarded government secret, as is the existence of a cadre of specially engineered Hunters charged with exterminating them.Code-named Malice, Hunter Mary Alice Nolan was genetically modified and rigorously trained to use her great strength, heightened senses, and killer instincts to track and eliminate supras who prey on the innocent. A loner by choice, her only real link to the human world is her close connection to her mother and sister—until the unthinkable happens…Ruri Samson has been a werewolf for more than a century and is comfortably situated as the Beta of her peaceful pack. Until she is betrayed by the woman she loves and an evil outsider massacres her Alpha and his most loyal followers. Barely escaping with her life, Ruri is forced to tread the perilous path of a lone wolf while vowing vengeance against the usurper and his minions.Although these two powerful women should rightfully despise each other, fate will soon compel them to join forces on a dangerous quest to avenge their loved ones—and will ignite a forbidden passion that neither of them ever imagined.

Fallen Elements


Heather McVea - 2015
    Ryan Myers’ life is on the fast track with a new career, a supportive group of friends, and an easy going relationship. Then an unexpected death, a diary that leaves more questions than answers, and a few family secrets turn her life upside down. Will Ryan be able to brave the elements and find the joy she has been searching for?

Undone


Bryce Oakley - 2019
    The kind of songs that her rock band, The Shrikes, would never play. After their successful first album, the pressure for a perfect follow-up is crushing her creativity. Billie’s new songs and sound need an outlet, but she’s not just going to give them away to anyone.Vero De Luca is always in the limelight for making mistakes. The daughter of a famous musician, she’s trying to make smart decisions for the first time in her life as she sets off on a solo career after years in a popular all-female group. Though she knows she’s fully capable of writing her own songs, the label insists that her first single needs a major name behind it, not just her own.Both women think that working together sounds like a match made in hell. Though they can hardly stand each other, sparks start to fly when they’re writing the new single, “Undone.”Will they go up in flames or find a way to work together through the blaze?

That Certain Something


Clare Ashton - 2014
    But when they meet, they definitely have that certain something, and these questions aren't so simple after a night like theirs. Pia Benitez-Smith has her head in the clouds of ideals and romance. She's a photojournalist out to prove herself with her compassionate eye and although not exactly accident prone, most days trouble seems to find her. On one such day, she literally falls into the arms of the beautiful Cate. Elegant, intriguing and classy, Cate is Pia's polar opposite. When the two dispute the importance of love versus money, Cate is adamant that her perfect night will always be an expensive one. Working class Pia can't resist the challenge and with the assistance of a beguiling summer night in London, she begins to enchant her new friend.An irresistible couple, a charismatic city, a priceless supporting cast - That Certain Something is a sparkling romcom from Goldie award winner Clare Ashton.

Blooded


Amanda Carlson - 2012
    The only problem is — she's no wolf. Called a curse, a witch and the Daughter of Evil by the superstitious wolves, Jessica decides to fight for her freedom, at age nineteen, the only way she can — in the ring.When she's brutally attacked right after her fight, is it enough to finally earn her freedom off Compound, or will she be forced to endure the hatred even longer...

Secrets


Jade Winters - 2015
    “Oh my God!” To the outside world, Lauren’s marriage is picture perfect, but she is hiding a secret. Beneath the smile lies an unquenchable yearning: Lauren craves intimacy with a woman. Until now, these desires have been mere fantasy, harmless daydreams. What Lauren could never have known was that a chance encounter on a train would change her life forever. She also had no reason to suspect that money missing from her family business would cause her to question her sexuality, or unravel her father’s deepest, darkest secret… Likewise, Gillian a former model, turned forensic accountant, had no way of knowing that her life was going to be turned upside down when she agreed to help Lauren’s mother unearth the mystery behind the missing money. While Lauren begins a journey of self-discovery that will have far-reaching consequences. Gillian must learn to lay the ghosts of her troubled and traumatic past to rest. Will Lauren and Gillian get the happily-ever-after that they both desperately crave, or will their personal histories prove too difficult to overcome? A secret can be exciting ... it can also be a prison.

Irregulars


Nicole Kimberling - 2012
    It polices relations between the earthly realm and those beyond this world, enforcing immigration laws, the transfers of magical artifacts, and crimes against humanity.The agents who work for the NATO Irregular Affairs Division can’t tell anyone what they do, or how hard they work to keep us safe. It brings a colorful collection of men together:Agent Henry Falk, the undead bum. Agent Keith Curry, former carnivore chef turned vegetarian; Agent Rake, Babylonian demon with a penchant for easy living; and Agent Silas August, uncompromising jerk.Four cities, four mysteries, four times the romance. Is your security clearance high enough to read on?

The Scent of Jasmine


Lila Bruce - 2014
    Now she's back in Cedar Creek, a little older, a lot wiser, and ready to live the quiet life for a while.It's been eight months since her fiancée walked out and shattered Grace Donnelly's dreams of a happily ever after. Her friends tell her it's time to put herself out there, but the breakup with Emma was still just too raw for Grace to wash her hands and move on.After a meeting a chance meeting at her brother's bakery, Jessica finds herself unable to get Grace off of her mind. She's sure she feels an attraction from Grace as well, but will Jessica be able to convince Grace to stop living in the past and take a chance on a future together with her...16,900 words