Book picks similar to
Midnight Bloom by Kristina Canady


fantasy-urban
first-reads
interested
paranormal

Immortal


Gene Doucette - 2010
    I like to brag that I’ve been there from the beginning, and while this may very well be true, I generally just say it to pick up girls.” --Adam the Immortal Surviving sixty thousand years takes cunning and more than a little luck. But in the twenty-first century, Adam confronts new dangers—someone has found out what he is, a demon is after him, and he has run out of places to hide.Worst of all, he has had entirely too much to drink. Immortal is a first person confessional penned by a man who is immortal, but not invincible. In an artful blending of sci-fi, adventure, fantasy, and humor, IMMORTAL introduces us to a world with vampires, demons and other “magical” creatures, yet a world without actual magic. At the center of the book is Adam. “I have been in quite a few tight situations in my long life. One of the first things I learned was if there is going to be a mob panic, don’t be standing between the mob and wherever it is they all want to go. The second thing I learned was, don’t try to run through fire.” --Adam the Immortal Adam is a sixty thousand year old man. (Approximately.) He doesn’t age or get sick, but is otherwise entirely capable of being killed.His survival has hinged on an innate ability to adapt, his wits, and a fairly large dollop of luck.He makes for an excellent guide through history . . . when he’s sober. Immortal is a contemporary fantasy for non-fantasy readers and fantasy enthusiasts alike.

The Lantern's Ember


Colleen Houck - 2018
    It’s difficult for him to remember much about his mortal days. So, he focuses on fulfilling his sentence as a Lantern—one of the watchmen who guard the portals to the Otherworld, a realm crawling with every nightmarish creature imaginable. Jack has spent centuries jumping from town to town, ensuring that nary a mortal—or not-so-mortal—soul slips past him. That is, until he meets beautiful Ember O’Dare. Seventeen, stubborn, and a natural-born witch, Ember feels a strong pull to the Otherworld. Undeterred by Jack’s warnings, she crosses into the forbidden plane with the help of a mysterious and debonair vampire—and the chase through a dazzling, dangerous world is on. Jack must do everything in his power to get Ember back where she belongs before both the earthly and unearthly worlds descend into chaos.

Winter's Shadow


M.J. Hearle - 2011
    Ever since their fateful meeting at Pilgrim's Lament. Ever since he looked at her with those emerald eyes. Ever since he saved her life.But Blake isn't all that he seems. There is a strangeness about him, something dark and otherworldly. Something dangerous. In his attic is a secret he would kill to defend, but Winter seems to have a special ability to make him forget his duty. And he is her only protection against the gathering darkness.The only problem is, to protect Winter, Blake must risk exposing her to an even greater danger. Himself.

The Emerald Talisman


Brenda Pandos - 2010
    Life has been difficult since her mother's mysterious disappearance ten years earlier - an event she witnessed, but can't remember. Julia's situation becomes more complicated after a near death experience from a blood thirsty stalker. As high school students go missing it is clear there is a connection to her own experience--past and present. Someone has to stop the madness and a chance encounter with a creepy psychic foretells that only Julia is the key to stopping the madness, but it may require the life of the one she loves.

Volatile: The Empress and the Executioner


Jeanie Johnson - 2007
    She has spent half of her young life avoiding matters of the heart. And she’s spent ninety-five percent of that time avoiding the one male that always sets her heart racing and her blood pumping: Lukas Montague, the Commander of the Locke Brotherhood. Being the only female Scout for The Society and having a peculiar relationship with the ruler of the Vampire Nation has set Star apart from “normal” vamps. Of course Lukas Montague is anything but normal. He’s also not patient. After 200 years of Star avoiding him, he’s decided that it’s time that she realise that she belongs to him. Lukas’ patience is put to the test by events that come dangerously close to spiralling out of control. What happens the end … well read on and you will find out!

Immortal Embrace


Charlotte Blackwell - 2011
    That is until her family decides to move to Wenham, Massachusetts. Her and her siblings have been ordered to protect their little sister, and must return to High school. This is where Sophia finds her soulmate, Nathanial and life as she knows it is about to change.As a vampire, Sophia has always kept to herself, but as a high school student, will she learn to step out of her comfort zone a little? Sophia has found a best friend in a powerful witch and a love to call her own. That is until something tragic happens and blood is spilled. Will Sophia be able to resist the sweet scent of her beloved’s blood?This is Sophia’s story, a story of a girl who finds herself, love and everlasting friendship. The excitement of this story wraps mortals, vampires, witches, and more all into a romantic tale of young love, friendship, the meaning of family. The story of a girl who tries to finds herself when she thought it was all lost.

Undertow


K.R. Conway - 2013
    And yeah, her new town isn't perfect: the cheerleaders are heinous clones, the local rip current can kill you, and apparently her Great Grams was fried by lightning in the harbor square. Still, Eila is hopeful her luckless days are in the past.When Raef O’Reilly becomes her friendly shadow, Eila thinks life is pretty darn perfect. But just as her new hometown starts to feel normal, a beach bonfire party turns into a nightmare when she’s hauled beneath the waves by an undertow WITH ARMS. Raef, no longer able to hide the truth from Eila, must come clean: she’s possibly the last of her kind, a supernatural assassin who should be able to wield the power of human souls as a weapon, just like her murdered Great Grams. Soon Eila finds herself under the protection of Raef and an outrageous crew of allies. Unfortunately, she’s now the hottest Must Have on the supernatural black market, and the teenage gang that is trying to guard her is woefully lacking . . .

Lailah


Nikki Kelly - 2014
    She doesn’t age. She has no family. She has visions of a past life, but no clear clues as to what she is, or where she comes from. But there is a face in her dreams – a light that breaks through the darkness. She knows his name is Gabriel.On her way home from work, the girl encounters an injured stranger whose name is Jonah. Soon, she will understand that Jonah belongs to a generation of Vampires that serve even darker forces. Jonah and the few like him, are fighting with help from an unlikely ally – a rogue Angel, named Gabriel.In the crossfire between good and evil, love and hate, and life and death, the girl learns her name: Lailah. But when the lines between black and white begin to blur, where in the spectrum will she find her place? And with whom?Gabriel and Jonah both want to protect her. But Lailah will have to fight her own battle to find out who she truly is.

Glimmers


Barbara Brooke - 2012
    She can’t explain how or why, but special moments exist inside beloved trinkets — clinging to a letter, a ring, even a worn-out pair of boots. With a simple touch of a cherished token, Paige can relive someone else’s memory, see the world through her eyes, and feel her deepest emotions. When Paige returns from each event, or “glimmer,” a small part of her has changed. Who is this gourmet cook, fashion designer, feisty lover? And how can she explain all of this to her family without their assuming she’s lost her mind? Paige thinks her new talent is a gift … until she’s transported into her sister’s memory and catches a glimmer of her secret life. QUANTUM LEAP meets THE NOTEBOOK meets BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY meets PRIDE AND PREJUDICE when Paige witnesses true love through the eyes of three extraordinary women. Awards include silver-medal winner in the Global Ebook Awards 2013, first place in the eLit Book Awards 2013, runner-up in the New York Book Festival 2012, finalist in the Prize Writer Competition 2015, and finalist in the Kindle Book Reviews Best Indie Books of 2013.

Insidious


Victoria Evers - 2016
    What she got was a death warrant. As it turns out, the quaint little hamlet of Mystic Harbor, Maine houses more than sandy beaches and adorable B&B’s. Beneath the New England charm rests a deadly world where shifters, demons, vampires, and angelic hunters all vie for power. A world where magic is the greatest weapon. Magic that Kat now possesses. After that one fateful night, she can feel the changes beginning to take hold of her. Only problem, she doesn’t even know what she’s turning into. With threats hiding in plain sight, deciphering the lines between friend and foe is nearly impossible. As if things couldn’t get any worse, Kat learns her only real ally rests in the one person she can’t stand: Reese Blackburn, an insufferably handsome magician whom the town fears most. Kat’s very soul is at stake, and destiny doesn't seem to be playing out in her favor. Can these two unlikely partners challenge fate itself before it's too late?

Redemption / Ransom / Retribution


R.K. Ryals - 2013
    "You don't choose a path in life because it's better for you. You choose it because you want something from it."Rebellious Dayton Blainey has always wanted something more out of life. Becoming a nun isn't part of the plan. When she is thrust into a dark world by her delusional aunt, the Abbess of Blackstone Abbey, Dayton finds herself part of a bizarre scheme that could destroy not only herself, but the world. Bound now to a dangerous stranger, what Dayton really wants is her life back. But an insane Demon has other plans. Haunted by a forbidden attraction to a man she should not want, Dayton embarks on a wild journey that will redefine the epic battle between good and evil.

Unblemished


Sara Ella - 2016
    But what if that were only one Reflection—one world? What if another world existed where her blemish could become her strength?Eliyana is used to the shadows. With a hideous birthmark covering half her face, she just hopes to graduate high school unscathed. That is, until Joshua hops a fence and changes her perspective. No one, aside from her mother, has ever treated her as normal. Maybe even beautiful. Because of Joshua, Eliyana finally begins to believe she could be loved.But one night her mother doesn’t come home, and that’s when everything gets weird.Now Joshua is her new, and rather reluctant, legal Guardian. Add a hooded stalker and a Central Park battle to the mix and you’ve gone from weird to otherworldly.Eliyana soon finds herself in a world much larger and more complicated than she’s ever known. A world enslaved by a powerful and vile man. And Eliyana holds the answer to defeating him. How can an ordinary girl, a blemished girl, become a savior when she can’t even save herself?

Chantress


Amy Butler Greenfield - 2013
    Lucy’s guardian, Norrie, has lots of rules, but the most important is that Lucy must never sing. Not ever. Now it is 1667, Lucy is fifteen, and on All Hallows’ Eve, Lucy hears a tantalizing melody on the wind. She can’t help but sing—and she is swept into darkness.When she awakes in England, Lucy hears powerful men discussing Chantresses—women who can sing magic into the world. They are hunting her, but she escapes and finds sanctuary with the Invisible College, an organization plotting to overthrow the nefarious Lord Protector. The only person powerful enough to bring about his downfall is a Chantress. And Lucy is the last one in England.Lucy struggles to master the song-spells and harness her power, but the Lord Protector is moving quickly. And her feelings for Nat, an Invisible College apprentice and scientist who deeply distrusts her magic, only add to her confusion…Time is running out, and the fate of England hangs in the balance in this entrancing novel that is atmospheric and lyrical, dangerous and romantic.

The Shifter's Vampire


T.S. Ryder - 2017
    So she’s terrified when the vampire king asks her to make a sacrifice for the kingdom… to become the mate of the Alpha of one of the most powerful shifter packs in existence. The only thing she knows about shifters is that they are huge and dangerous… But when she sees her new mate, all she wants to do is wrap her legs around his hips. Leon agreed to take a vampire mate to bring peace to his pack. What he didn’t expect was to be paired with the hottest woman he had ever seen, let alone develop feelings for her. Is this a trick, a game of war in which Yuliana is only a pawn? Is the vampire king out to get him? But it's not just the vampires Leon has to worry about. The shifters are angry that he chose to take a vampire as a mate. Before the end of it all, his and Yuliana's bond will be tested. And if it breaks, everything will be destroyed. NOTE: This book includes bonus stories! This is a 60-page stand-alone paranormal action story with BBW, arranged marriage, virgin, werewolf, and pregnancy elements. It has an HEA, so no cliff-hangers! This is a HOT story with mature themes and language. For 18+ readers only.

The Afterlife of the Party


Marlene Perez - 2021
    As it turned out, my feelings were more than justified. That party ruined my life.Tansy didn’t even want to go to the party. It’s hard enough living in one of your best friend’s shadows and secretly in love with your other best friend.And now she’s leaving it a vampire.Now her best friend Skyler is stuck on the road trip from hell, on tour as a groupie with a literal band of vamps. Tansy sets out with Vaughn, her other BFF turned maybe more, to save Skylar’s life and take down the band. But when they find themselves in the middle of a vampire war, will Tansy be able to make the ultimate sacrifice to save her friends?Marlene Perez is the author of paranormal and urban fantasy books, including the best-selling DEAD IS series for teens. The first book in the series, DEAD IS THE NEW BLACK, was named an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers as well as an ALA Popular Paperback. The first three books in the series have been optioned by Disney for television. She lives in Orange County, California with her husband and children. www.marleneperez.com.