Book picks similar to
The Challenge by Susan Kearney


romance
sci-fi
paranormal
time-travel

Blood Magic


Jennifer Lyon - 2009
    But when his little sister is death-cursed by a demon witch, Axel will stop at nothing to save her. He rescues a beautiful witch from a killer, intending to force her to magically cure his sister. The only problem? She has no idea what she is.A deadly passion…Darcy McAllister grew up knowing she was different, but she never imagined she’s a witch. With the life of a child at stake, she agrees to work with the hot, compelling hunter to gain control over her newfound powers. But an irresistible attraction crackles between them, creating a dangerous dilemma—can Darcy trust the man hexed to crave her blood to satisfy her aching desire?Will their forbidden love destroy them?As Darcy and Axel race against the clock, their explosive passion deepens to a fiery love. But when Darcy attempts to heal his sister makes her a target for a demon’s revenge, Axel will sacrifice anything, including his immortal soul, to save her.

The Dracons' Woman


Laura Jo Phillips - 2011
    The next, she is fleeing across the stars from a sadistic crime lord who will stop at nothing to hunt her down and torture her for information about her sister, a psychic undercover agent for a shadowy intelligence organization. Lariah selects as her safe haven the distant, pastoral world of Jasan, known for its peaceful, rural setting, and the practice of its shifter inhabitants of mating three of their men to one human woman.Upon arriving on Jasan, Lariah learns that all is not as it seems. In the company of three incredibly gorgeous brothers she finds herself caught up in a world of danger, interstellar intrigue, and otherworldly desire and it is revealed to her that she may be the fulfillment of a mysterious prophesy, and the key to the survival of the Jasani race. Lariah must choose between preserving her identity as a human being or following a dangerous path that may lead to her true destiny: being soul-linked to the Royal Princes of Jasan, and finding eternal love that reaches across the stars.The Dracons' Woman is a thrilling, fast-paced fantasy of love, desire, and galactic adventure that will have your heart pounding and your blood racing.

Out of Time


Deborah Truscott - 2011
    Then her uncle dies, leaving her the family’s Revolutionary-era home and, she believes, an escape from her chaotic marriage. But one afternoon, while searching for a rake, she discovers a man in her garden shed — and a free fall through the centuries. As her life spins wildly out of control, Kathleen finds her heart and in the process, her own place in time.

The Star Thief


Jamie Grey - 2014
    There's just one problem - all she wants is to get out of the business.But after Renna rescues an injured boy on her final job, she finds herself on the run from the mob instead of enjoying retirement. She unwittingly becomes ensnared by MYTH, a top-secret galactic protection agency who offer her a choice - either help them on their latest mission, or spend the rest of her life on a prison ship.Forced to work under the watchful eye of handsome but arrogant Captain Finn, Renna learns the former mercenary-turned-hero has a few dirty secrets himself. As Renna works to discover the truth about Finn's past and keep the tantalizing man at arm's length, she unearths a plot to create an unstoppable army. The target? The human star fleet.Now Renna must pull off the biggest job of her career - saving the galaxy. And maybe even herself.

Maliciously Obedient


Julia Kent - 2013
    A boss she didn't know she had. Matt Jones now had the job she had been waiting to apply for (and win) for the past year, and to add insult to injury, he's the kind of guy her parents would adore.Damn it.The only kid of six to choose to run off to Boston and leave behind her idyllic family in Maine, Lydia's determined to prove herself in the big city, but she has to keep Matt at arm's length. After a steamy elevator encounter that leaves her missing her panties – and most of her resolve – she decides that maybe it's time to let him get inside her. In more ways than one. But when Matt suddenly closes off she's upset and confused. When he also acts like he owns the place, she decides that malicious obedience – following his every command to the letter – will prove how much the department needs her creativity after he insists he knows best.What Lydia doesn't know is that “Matt” is really Michael Bournham, the CEO of the company, part of an undercover reality television stunt. Keeping his hands off Lydia's luscious curves was becoming an exercise in restraint, but what was harder? Keeping his heart from her. For Michael, Lydia's malicious obedience ignited a night of unbridled passion in the office that made him forget everything – including the rolling cameras – until it was too late. When unscrupulous producers make their lovemaking viral, Michael pulls out all the stops and calls in every favor as Lydia...maliciously obeys.

Veiled Eyes


C.L. Bevill - 2010
    Thais. The trees sit on a black lake that resembles a dark Louisiana bayou with an evocative aura. The dream includes the presence of a man who seems to know Anna all too well and a group of people with strange telepathic powers, sometimes called veiled eyes. An orphan from Texas, she is on her way east to help out a friend when she encounters two terrifying things. Psychically, she begins to see and hear things through the eyes of an unknown individual, a man who knows more about her than she ever would have imagined. The second thing is that she has been kidnapped by a sociopathic trucker intent on making her his latest victim. When she is rescued by Gabriel Bergeron, a member of the elusive Lake People in Northwestern Louisiana, Anna doesn’t realize that he is her psychic counterpart and she has been inexplicably pulled to the area. She shares their strange colored gold eyes and their distinctive mental powers. They are a reclusive lot and know that Anna is one of them, but has been isolated by unknown circumstances. She is drawn into their incomparable world, something between that of the Creoles and Cajuns, and much in addition to those. There Anna finds a romantic link with Gabriel and the spine-tingling fear of not knowing who to trust. Her return has disturbed the inner workings of the group and threatens to expose secrets long concealed in the murky Louisiana bayous. There are secrets to be divulged about her past and why she was spirited away as an infant. Anna isn’t safe until she discovers the answers she so desperately requires.

Demon's Captive


Stephanie Snow - 2007
    Charity is alone, without family or friends and she has eluded capture by the warriors in the sky.Commander Melmanon is furious that the Earth woman has been able to elude capture. Melmanon is known for his terrible bloodlust and ability to torture his captives. His pride has taken a beating and he visualizes his revenge on his enemy.When Charity is finally captured by Melmanon, she is terrified when she sees he looks like a demon. Fearing pain and a slow death, Charity submits to Melmanon and he is surprised that her submission brings him great pleasure. He makes Charity his torture slave so he can keep her with him longer. Nobody is more surprised than Charity when she finds herself liking Melmanon’s attention. But Charity’s loyalties and feelings are put to the test and she will soon have to make difficult decisions. But not as difficult as those Melmanon will have to make…

Amy's Story


D'Elen McClain - 2012
    When her disguise almost gets her killed, she’s saved by one of New York’s most eligible bachelors. His private life is filled with secrets and his story sparks Amy’s interest. Discovering the truth lands her in a world of vampires and werewolves that she never dreamed existed. She also didn't dreamed she could truly love a man or vampire but Marcus shows her the light. Now the two must fight the one person who can destroy their chance at love. With the help of Marcus’ clan of werewolves the war begins.

Dangerously Mine


A.M. Griffin - 2012
    Freedom and escape are her only priorities, but none of her martial arts training could have prepared her for enslavement to the warrior King Taio. Eva finds herself drawn to this sexy alien male who ignites her heart and body.Taio is disgusted with the idea of owning a slave—until now. From the moment he sees her, he knows Eva is his for the taking. Torn between lust and duty, Taio discovers nothing will stop him from protecting his little warrior.

Sarazen's Claim


Isabel Wroth - 2016
    This book is PART OF A SERIES. Not a HEA and not a Cliffhanger...somewhere in between. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------One hundred and fifty years ago the most powerful countries of Earth built and launched five ships. Ships meant to carry what remained of humanity out into the space beyond their known galaxy to find a new home. As a third generation botanist, it never occurred to Clary Starborn that she might some day be in charge of anything other than her little lab. That changed the day their ship was attacked by an alien species straight out of myth. ----------As commander of the Sarazen armada, Tarek had seen some poor excuses for spacefaring vessels. The one currently being attacked by the Na'ah was to date, the worst. So primitive in its design, Commander Tarek was fascinated it had even survived the harsh vacuum of space. Or the time it had taken to launch it. The species was unfamiliar to him, but initial scans suggested the beings within here somewhat intelligent. Though the ship was outside Sarazen territory, it was his duty to eradicate the Na'ah wherever he encountered them. He had not anticipated that by his actions, the course of his life would be forever changed. By a soft, delicate being who studied flowers and trees. One scent, one touch, was all it took to be Claimed.

Renegade Leo


Delores Diamond - 2016
    Explore the ruins of a dead civilization. Take everything worth selling. Buy myself status and an easy life. How hard could it be? Turns out, Kartak is very much alive… and the inhabitants are the stuff of nightmares. When I crash land on Kartak, I lose all my supplies and my only friend. With an inhospitable environment, violent natives, and an apocalyptic cult hunting me… death stalks me at every turn. My only chance to survive is by taking shelter with a brutal alpha lion shifter. Deadly but irresistible, he declares me his fated mate… and leaves me walking on the knife’s edge between pleasure and fear. In the struggle to save my own life, I will have to choose: the danger of a fierce, frightening mate… or certain death without his protection. Renegade Leo is a standalone romance novel set in the Shifter Kings of Kartak universe. No cliffhangers and a sexy happy ending guaranteed!

First World


Jaymin Eve - 2013
    An epic journey. If the Seventine are released, will anyone survive?Abigail Swish might not love her life, living in gang-ridden New York in 2035 and training to fight and survive with Compound 23. But she is grateful for a few things, especially her no-filter-between-brain-and-mouth best friend Lucy and her escape each night into a dream world far different from her own. In fact, sometimes she lives for the fleeting moments she spends at night with the man who fuels every romantic fantasy she’s ever had. But each morning reality returns. She could just cry. But she won’t of course; tears don’t change a damn thing.Then without any warning, a month before her eighteenth birthday, everything does change. A guardian finds her. He explains, in a strangely familiar accent, that she was stashed on Earth for safekeeping and has been lost to her family ever since. And it is time to return home. To the First World; a land of unimagined beauty. Abigail and Lucy find themselves escaping New York, ending up on another planet and traversing through an unforgiving wilderness. Yeah, because that sort of thing just happens every day. Luckily an unexpected saviour arrives; the man from her dream-world. Brace is six-and-a-half feet of gorgeous perfectness, wrapped in an arrogance like no other. Unable to trust his assistance, and unsure which of her instincts to follow - kiss him or punch him in the mouth - Abigail eventually accepts his help to find her family. And what a family. Enter Josian, her father; larger than life and apparently not even human. He is Walker, a planet-less race revered as gods, causing mischief and mayhem through-out this star-system. Unfortunately, there is no time for a cosy reunion, since no one explained that by returning to First World her half-Walker genetics would act as a catalyst setting forth a chain of events which could spell disaster for not only her existence but that of all worlds.First World is book one in the Walker Saga, a seven-book paranormal fantasy series.Spurn - A Walker Saga Book Two release date set for September 2013.

Alien Overnight


Robin L. Rotham - 2007
    Not particularly excited by human anatomy, he seeks nothing more for himself than the occasional slaking of his needs with some anonymous female - which shouldn't be a problem, since she'll have to face the other way to accommodate his special anatomical needs.Dr. Monica Teague is thrilled with her ten-year assignment caring for Garathan's sexual recruits. Her quirky looks and childish excuse for a body guarantee she'll never be expected to put out - which is kind of a bummer, now that she's up to her armpits in horny alien beefcake.But, when an overdose of alien pheromones makes Monica drunk off her ass, Kellen quickly claims the odd little doctor before another Garathani realizes what she is. The overdose sparks a violent chain reaction in her, and when Monica finally wakes, she's got the body of a porn star - and two sexy alien mates who are determined to tame her.If only she were as determined not to let them.Reader Advisory: Contains menage a trois sexual scenes.

Abducting Alice


Angela Castle - 2011
    But this is no mere meteor. It’s an alien probe designed to capture life; specifically female life.Abducted and placed on sale in an alien slave market. Alice soon discovers the pleasures of being a captive in the arms of the sexiest alien man she’s ever laid eyes on.Kerr, high commander of Kelon warriors raids a slaver station only to find a small human treasure he want to keep as his own.

Collision Course


Zoe Archer - 2011
    Blackmailed into helping Commander Kell Frayne infiltrate a treacherous corner of the galaxy, Mara learns that her biggest danger is from her sexy, by-the-book partner. She's a loner with more than a few battle scars on her heart, but something about Commander Frayne stirs up her long-buried need for an intimate connection.An ace pilot for the elite Black Wraith Squadron, Kell's mission is to rescue a lost pilot and ship. Unable to deny his attraction to the beautiful, rebellious Mara, he decides bedding her would cool his ardor. But one taste is not nearly enough, and he finds himself sharing more of his real self with her than he has with anyone.With deadly criminals on their heels and an increasingly dangerous assignment to complete, he's starting to wonder...if they survived, could he let her go? And will Mara want to stay?46,390 words