Book picks similar to
City of Thorns by C.N. Crawford
fantasy
romance
paranormal
dnf
The Kiss of Death
Auryn Hadley - 2018
It wasn't. Four years later, I can still remember the exact shade of his skin: a blue so pale it looked like moonlight. I dream of his touch. Mostly, I paint the man under the heavy cowl, including those perfect lips which ruined mine for anyone else. I'm obsessed with him. The doctors say he's nothing more than a hallucination caused by a mixture of head trauma and emergency pain medications. I think he's a really sexy figment of my imagination. I mean, who besides an artist would dream up the Grim Reaper for their hero? Now, something's changed and my drawings are taking on a life of their own. As if college wasn't hard enough, trying to keep this a secret is going to be impossible. Keeping my sanity might be worse. And that's not the worst of my problems. Death is back. He wants another kiss. And he's not alone. The Kiss of Death is a 156,000 word, full-length novel with NO cliffhanger ending. This is a Reverse Harem series which includes multiple love interests, some m/m themes, and graphic scenes of sex, violence, and language. Be warned: everything you thought you knew about the world, religion, and death will be pulled apart, twisted around, and put back together in ways you will not expect.
Song of the Forever Rains
E.J. Mellow - 2021
Many whisper of its existence, but few have found this place, where magic and pleasure abound. There, the mysterious Thief King reigns supreme with the help of the Mousai, a trio of revered and feared sorceresses.Larkyra Bassette may be the youngest of the Mousai, but when she sings her voice has the power to slay monsters. When it’s discovered the Duke of Lachlan is siphoning a poisonous drug from the Thief Kingdom and using it to abuse his tenants, Larkyra is offered her first solo mission to stop the duke. Eager to prove herself, Larkyra accepts by posing as the duke’s potential bride. But her plans grow complicated when she finds herself drawn to Lord Darius Mekenna, Lachlan’s rightful heir. Soon she suspects Darius has his own motivations for ridding Lachlan of the corrupt duke. Larkyra and Darius must learn to trust each other if there is to be any hope of saving the people of Lachlan—and themselves.Welcome to the world of Aadilor, where lords and ladies can be murderers and thieves, and the most alluring notes are often the deadliest. Dare to listen?
Infernal
Linsey Hall - 2020
The hallowed halls are my haven, until the specter of a dark god begins to haunt my days and nights.When he kidnaps me, the lethally beautiful god gains a name: Hades. That should make me Persephone, but I’m no goddess. So why does he want me?While I'm trapped in his castle, I set out to discover what his deadly plans entail. When I learn what he wants me for, I'll do whatever it takes to escape, including seducing the brooding dark god. Yet there’s more to him than I realized. More to us. Despite the cracks that I put in his armor, he still wants me for a darker purpose--something that would bring about the end of the world.
A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor
Kathryn Moon - 2021
Even better, the invitation comes by the hand of the handsome Dr. Underwood, a delicate gentleman with a ferocious alter ego who knows exactly what he wants from Esther.Upon arrival the men and the daily decadence of the manor feel too good to be true for a girl of Esther’s station. There are rules to be followed, expectations to meet, and Esther is afraid she might be too wicked even for a place like Rooksgrave.Temptations lurk around every shadowy corner and Esther has never been a girl able to resist. But the risk of disappointing her new gentlemen isn’t all that’s threatening Esther’s new position. Rooksgrave Manor’s protections for its unusual patrons are failing, the wards are crumbling, and Esther’s new and exquisitely pleasurable life may all come tumbling down.Author's Note: I've returned to Rooksgrave Manor to polish and complete Esther's story (previously published in 2018) and rediscovered a whole world of monsters and devious young women that I absolutely adore!
Stalked by the Kraken
Lillian Lark - 2021
She says that the most we can have are the three nights she promised me, but the dark part of myself isn’t going to let the woman who snared its attention go.I found her. I hunted her. She’s mine.**Stalked by the Kraken is a monster romance that features tentacles. This book is a standalone and takes place in the same world as, and prior to the events of, Three of Hearts with some character crossover.Content Warning: Book includes breeding behavior and mentions infertility.
Master of Salt & Bones
Keri Lake - 2020
He'd ride up on his white steed and break the curse I've been fated to carry since the day I was born.Funny how things changed over time. How the fairy tale twisted into something far more crooked, darker than I ever imagined.In reality, my knight is scarred and broken, living alone in a castle of bones that overlooks the sea. He isn’t searching for me. He never was.Lucian Blackthorne is as cursed as I am, and equally shunned by the locals, the fishers of men, who believe him to be the devil in the flesh.Perhaps he is, with the way his amber eyes draw me in, ignite me like an infernal blaze. And the sins he whispers in my ear are as wickedly intoxicating as the man himself.Yet, his touch is heaven and his will is my weakness.He calls us forbidden, an unsalvageable tragedy, with no happy end. Maybe we are. But in this story, he’s the one who needs saving.
The Scribe
Elizabeth Hunter - 2013
A reckless warrior guards her steps, but will Malachi’s own past blind him to the truth of who Ava might be? While ancient forces gather around them, both Ava and Malachi search for answers. Whispering voices. Deadly touch. Their passion should be impossible... or it could be the only thing that will keep them alive.THE SCRIBE is the first book in the Irin Chronicles, the new paranormal romance series from Elizabeth Hunter, author of the Elemental Mysteries.
Vengeance Born
Kylie Griffin - 2012
There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not pure bred is virtually powerless. Until an unlikely champion is born... Annika, half-blood daughter of the Na'Reish king, longs for more than a tormented life among her father's people. Conceived in hatred and bred as a tool of retribution, she's gifted with a special talent that can heal as well as destroy... With the Na'Reish vastly outnumbering them, Kalan, a Light Blade warrior, knows the future of humankind depends on him alone. Incursions into human territory and raids for blood-slaves by the Na'Reish horde have increased. As chosen leader, he faces the task of stopping the demons—and convincing the Council of aging Light Blade warriors that change is necessary for survival. When Annika learns Kalan is a prisoner in her father's dungeon, her dream of escape seems within reach. She agrees to free him in exchange for his protection once they reach human territory. Now, marked for death for helping him, Annika must learn to trust Kalan as they face not only the perilous journey to the border but enemies within the Council—and discover a shocking truth that could throw the human race into a civil war...
The Sunderlands
Anastasia K. King - 2019
The mortal counterpart to the God of Death, Keres has the power to stem the tide of bloodshed. As brutal civil war threatens to tear her homeland asunder, she struggles to control her gift without succumbing to a curse of unslakable blood-lust. When her people are attacked, she can no longer hold back. The beast within awakens. Gods know there will be no redemption on the other side of her revenge. Wading deeper into the darkness plaguing her land, unraveling the secrets of her heritage, Keres faces a greater challenge: finding her place in this world or being broken by it. Many seek to tame her and use her as a divine weapon. Including a Knight desiring to claim her body and spirit. As the war between Man and Elf stains the Sunderlands with innocent blood, Keres must make a choice: save her people and damn her cursed soul, or forsake the Gods and her homeland to gain freedom.Note: This story is not suitable for persons under the age of 18.
The Darkest Night
Gena Showalter - 2008
To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member—a man trapped in a hell of his own. Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments... and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction—and a soul-shattering test of love...Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive—and unimaginably powerful...
Don’t miss this incredible new paranormal series from Gena Showalter!
Reaper's Pack
Rhea Watson - 2020
Three hellhounds who refuse to bow down to her. A monster hunting them in the shadows…
Ten years ago, I was judged worthy of life after death and returned to the mortal realm as a grim reaper. Scythe in hand, I guide souls to deliverance—and it’s time for a promotion.My new territory is triple the size of any I’ve worked before. High death rates mean one busy reaper, and the only way to keep up is with a pack of hellhounds. Faithful. Strong. Merciless. Hellhound shifters are a reaper’s right hand in the field, shepherding and guarding souls until they can be reaped.We get our pick of the litter from the best breeders in Hell, but for some reason, I’m drawn to the pack no one wants.An alpha who refuses to yield.A beta who doesn’t take me seriously.A runt who flinches at every command.I want them—even if they don’t want me.Because the hunger in their eyes tells a different story. But the fact that they can’t decide whether to love me or hate me, fight me or screw me, is making our situation way too complicated.Still, I refuse to give up. If this infuriatingly handsome trio can’t be trained, if we don’t pass the trials, they go back to a cage and a cruel demon master.Yeah. Not happening.Reapers and hellhounds are natural allies, and the sooner we secure our bond, the better, because as it turns out…All our lives depend on it.Reaper’s Pack is a standalone why-choose paranormal romance and is part of the ALL THE QUEEN’S MEN series. Each book in the series is a full-length standalone featuring layered heroes and a headstrong heroine who never has to settle for just one happily-ever-after. The books can be read in any order and are part of the same supernatural universe.
Morning Glory Milking Farm
C.M. Nascosta - 2021
When a lifeline appears in the form of a very unconventional job in neighboring Cambric Creek, she has no choice but to grab at it with both hands. Morning Glory Milking Farm offers full-time hours, full benefits, and generous pay with no experience needed . . . there’s only one catch. The clientele is Grade A certified prime beef, with the manly, meaty endowments to match. Milking minotaurs isn’t something Violet ever considered as a career option, but she’s determined to turn the opportunity into a reversal of fortune.When a stern, deep-voiced client begins to specially request her for his milking sessions, maintaining her professionalism and keeping him out of her dreams is easier said than done. Violet is resolved to make a dent in her student loans and afford name-brand orange juice, and a one-sided crush on an out-of-her-league minotaur is not a part of her plan—unless her feelings aren’t so one-sided after all.Morning Glory Milking Farm is a short human/monster romance novel, featuring a high heat slow burn with a lot of heart, and a guaranteed HEA. CWs include: cock milking, non-human anatomy, size difference, and a lot of fluid. It is the first book in the Cambric Creek monster romance series, and can be read as a standalone.
Pawn
Karen Lynch - 2020
Jesse’s only concern is how to pay for college, but that changes the night her parents disappear.Equipped with her parents’ weapons and her own smarts, Jesse enters the dangerous world of bounty hunting in search of her mother and father. In her quest, she encounters all manner of Fae, but the scariest is Lukas, the mysterious, imposing faerie who offers to help her find her parents.But there are powerful forces at work, and Jesse is about to become a player in a dangerous game that could decide the fate of everyone she loves. In this world of magic and deception, it’s hard to tell her allies from her enemies in the race to find her parents before their time runs out.
Lucifer's Bride
Skye Wilson - 2021
It’s a tale as old as time itself.Boy meets girl.Boy loses girl.Girl meets devilishly charming bastard who tempts her with everything she’s ever dreamed of—and the Devil doesn’t make promises he can’t keep.You see, darling, that boy never deserved you to begin with.You, my treasure, you deserved the entire world laid out at your dainty little feet—and so much more.No ungrateful, simple-minded boy could ever give you that.But I could.I will.My Evie. My eternal love. Only creature on God’s green earth, Heaven above it or even Hell below, who could ever stir the flames of desire into my my cold, sinner’s heart.I stole you from that pathetic moron you were calling a fiancé again, it’s true.But after the way he messed you over—frankly, this time, it was like he was asking for it.You were never really his, love. He might have put his ring on your finger, but he never owned your body. Your heart. Your mind.Your soul.No matter where you are, what you look like, the name you wear, or the color of that fire dancing in your eyes, you’re mine. Always mine.You’ve been mine before, more times than you’ll ever remember.You’ve been torn away from me more times than you’ll ever know.Now that you’re finally mine again, here’s a new promise for you:This time, it’s forever.I have an army of the damned at my beck and call, more gold to my name than even kings can fathom, the powers of a fallen angel at my fingertips and the command of the Inferno itself in the palm of my hand.Never fear, love. I’ll protect you. I’ll keep you safe.Whether you want it or not.And this time, if anyone dares to try and take you away from me again…This time, there’ll be hell to pay.
Born Sinner
S.L. Jennings - 2016
Statistically, I wasn’t supposed to survive these streets past the age of eighteen. Fate had a different plan. I was bred for one purpose and one purpose only: to unleash death and destruction on my world. My thoughts are power. My words are weapons. Evil created me then grace tried to save me. But first… they tried to kill me. They call themselves the Se7en. They are sin and salvation, and everything we’ve feared from the beginning of time. And their leader is the deadliest of them all. He doesn’t lose. He doesn’t compromise. And most importantly, he doesn’t distract himself with mortal weakness. Not until me. Kill one to save a million. That’s what he told me when he took me as his prisoner. Kill one to save a million. That’s what he’s been trying to tell himself ever since he took me into his arms.Librarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ASIN B01K6HQY8S here.