Book picks similar to
Ritual of Proof by Dara Joy


romance
fantasy
sci-fi
paranormal-romance

Hers to Command


Patricia A. Knight - 2013
    His contractual bride, Princess Fleur Constante, the beautiful future queen though young and inexperienced, is willing to risk everything, including her own sanity, to save her planet.The inhabitants of the sentient planet, Verdantia, are poised on the precipice of extinction following a brutal invasion by an off-world, nomadic horde. Verdantia’s capital, Sylvan Mintoth, must have its failing energy shield restored, or the planet is doomed. The Elders know the shield can draw energy from only one thing ~ a very arduous and grueling coupling of two specific people who were pre-chosen by the planet Herself and promised by prearranged marriage contract.Verdantia draws strength from the duo, but the sentient planet whispers to Ari that a third is necessary ~ Ari’s aide de camp, Visconte Doral deLorion, an angelically handsome, skilled assassin who silently surrendered his heart to Ari long ago.The trio struggles to make this surprising partnership harmonious, pushing through pride, scars of past abuse, fears of inexperience and distrust. To save Verdantia, they must overcome their individual weaknesses and realize their full potential. Only the Tetriarch and their combined synergy, can harness Verdantia’s immense power to shield its citizens from invasion.Be part of the Tetriarch! Get your copy today!

Wanted and Wired


Vivien Jackson - 2017
    But technology has made him the man he is today. Now he heads a crew of uniquely skilled outsiders who fight to salvage what's left of humanity: art, artifacts, books, ideas-sometimes even people. People like Mari Vallejo.Gun for hire • Texan rebel • always hits her markMari has been lusting after her mysterious handler for months. But when a by-the-book hit goes horribly sideways, she and Heron land on the universal most wanted list. Someone set them up. Desperate and on the run, they must trust each other to survive, while hiding devastating secrets. As their explosive chemistry heats up, it's the perfect storm...

Mama and the Alien Warrior


Honey Phillips - 2019
    But she certainly never expected to find herself and her girls abducted by aliens who intend to sell them as breeders. When they are rescued by a massive alien and his crew, desires she has long suppressed start to surface. She finds herself unexpectedly drawn to the captain who treats both her and her daughter with unwavering devotion. Until his ship intercepts an illegal Vedeckian trader, Captain Hrebec is resigned to spending his life alone. The Cires lost their females to a plague many years ago. Now for the first time, this luscious human female has him longing for a mate and a family. But Abby has to get her girls back to Earth, and Hrebec may have one last chance to save his race. Will their duties force them apart? Or will they finally find a family of their own? Mama and the Alien Warrior is a standalone science fiction romance. This sweet and steamy HEA is intended for adults only.

Taken by the Storm


Cyndi Friberg - 2004
    Little does Tal know the “helpless” female he’s come to save is the key to peace on his war-torn world…or that he’ll long to touch her, take her, make her his.Unaware of her royal roots or alien origins, Charlotte spends her first thirty years on Earth. Then Tal bursts into her life with all the subtlety of a thunder storm. He’s rude, arrogant, and easily the most desirable man she’s ever encountered. With a ruthless madman hot on their heels, they can’t afford to be distracted by the attraction rapidly growing between them, but the emotions are too powerful to ignore.Note: This book was originally published by Loose ID and was then re-edited/re-published by Cerridwen Press, both time under the same title.

Alpha Breeds


Milana Jacks - 2018
    But this one belongs to me. Kingsley At the frat party, someone must have spiked my beer, because I see a bright light and find myself sitting on a bed with a huge, green monster looming over me. I screech and throw every sharp object within reach. But you know what’s really weird? I’m terrified and, at the same time, there’s something about those black eyes, that scent, that purrrr that makes my body come alive. Loven I fight for the honor of someday owning an Omega—a rare breeding female reserved for Alphas hand-selected by the king. For years, fighting alone has been enough. Until I scent this alien female, and my body emits a mating call. Omegas are the king’s property. If I don’t deliver her to the Omega Compound, I’ll lose my life, the lives of my Horde Alphas, and risk starting a full-scale rebellion. And yet, I can’t part from her. This one belongs to me. ***Science fiction alien captive romance with Mf Omegaverse flavor. Inside the pages: No cliffhanger. No cheating. Barbaric unapologetic alpha male who loves HARD. Dystopian (dark totalitarian) world.

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.

Marcus


Anna Hackett - 2015
    It’s her chance to make a difference and make up for horrible past mistakes…despite the fact that its battle-hardened commander never wanted her on his team. When Hell Squad is tasked with destroying a strategic alien facility, Elle knows they need her skills in the field. But first she must go head to head with Marcus Steele and convince him she won’t be a liability. Marcus Steele is a warrior through and through. He fights to protect the innocent and give the human race a chance to survive. And that includes the beautiful, gutsy Elle who twists him up inside with a single look. The last thing he wants is to take her into a warzone, but soon they are thrown together battling both the alien invaders and their overwhelming attraction. And Marcus will learn just how much he’ll sacrifice to keep her safe.

BloodLust


Auryn Hadley - 2016
    And they’re just about to succeed. Lauded fantasy author Auryn Hadley (The Demons’ Muse romantic fantasy series) compellingly blends heart-stopping action-adventure, heart-breaking ethics, and toe-curling sensuality, all through the lens of a Daenerys Targaryen-esque lead—the likes of which the fantasy genre hasn’t yet seen. When you were once a slave, freed only to become a ruthless warrior, "belonging" seems a trite concept. A pipe dream, the stuff of naive fairy tales. But not for Salryc Luxx. Private Luxx—Sal for short—is iliri, a member of an untamable race surreptitiously dubbed "their kind" by humans and bred thousands of years ago to protect them. Humans consider them expendable, barely more than animals. Freaks. But in a karmic twist of fate, they’re also one of mankind’s most feared predators. Abused and enslaved, the only control Sal has over her life is what military unit she serves with – if she's good enough to be accepted – and the only one to consider her is the best in the land, the Black Blades. Everyone has secrets, and the Blades are no different. But acceptance into the Blades gives Sal something she never expected—the family she’s never had, and with it, the undying protection of seven of the greatest warriors the world has ever seen. It also gifts her a devoted line of potential mates. Many of her fellow warriors will submit to the bloodlust that overtakes her in the heat of battle and can only be quenched by rough, passionate lovemaking (making way for the steamiest of love scenes). Though it’s not all war and sex. Sal very gradually cultivates deeply loving, evolving relationships with each of the Black Blades, which morphs as a unit into a reverse harem as sweet as it is fierce, and as protective as it is impassioned. But belonging has its own price. Each of the Blades would die to protect Sal. And it’s only a matter of time before the enemy moves to use this against her.Author Hadley has crafted a unique epic fantasy—and an absolute roller coaster of emotions. Her heroine, Sal, is as loving as she is ferocious, and the demons she battles—and the way she beats them—underlie a delicate exploration of the ethical and political battles we face in every war we fight. Hadley’s clever takes on racial prejudice are subtle, yet damning—and her idea of sexual politics is a rip-roaring turn-on. Every female reader will want to be Sal… and every male, like the guys in the book, will fall for her. The first book in the Rise of the Iliri series. BloodLust does not end with a cliffhanger. It does contain adult themes, thus may not be suitable for younger readers.

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…

Dark Horse


Michelle Diener - 2015
    Sazo's an artificial intelligence. He's saved her from captivity and torture, but he's also put her in the middle of a conflict, leaving Rose with her loyalties divided.Captain Dav Jallan doesn't know why he and his crew have stumbled across an almost legendary Class 5 battleship, but he's not going to complain. The only problem is, all its crew are dead, all except for one strange, new alien being.She calls herself Rose. She seems small and harmless, but less and less about her story is adding up, and Dav has a bad feeling his crew, and maybe even the four planets, are in jeopardy. The Class 5's owners, the Tecran, look set to start a war to get it back and Dav suspects Rose isn't the only alien being who survived what happened on the Class 5. And whatever else is out there is playing its own games.In this race for the truth, he's going to have to go against his leaders and trust the dark horse.Winner of a SFR Galaxy Award 2016 and the Prism Award 2016 for Best Futuristic.

Talson's Wait


Marie Harte - 2006
    It's 2109, and the government has found a way to deal with the national debt. Indentured service. She might have been duped into debt, but she's not stupid. Jamie made sure to put a no-sex clause in her contract. There's just one problem. She can't stop thinking about her boss. Sexy and commanding, he's the face of her ultimate fantasy, and a nightmare employer. She's met every challenge he's thrown at her and refuses to drop, no matter how hard he works her.When Jamie does the wrong thing for the right reason, she assumes Talson will throw her in jail and not think twice. In an effort to escape, she ambushes him and flees, but not before taking a kiss and a bit more from the man.She hadn't counted on him getting free so quickly, that he might be half alien, or that he'd hunt her down with more than vengeance on his mind.Publisher's Note: This title was previously published elsewhere and has been revised for Ellora's Cave.

In the Flesh


Livia Dare - 2009
    

The Protector


Elin Peer - 2017
    Except for the area formerly known as Canada and Alaska, which is inhabited by the Men of the Northlands, a group of strong men, who refuse to be ruled by women. Christina Sanders, an archeologist and professor in history, is fascinated with the past. As a modern woman of year 2437 she knows that women are better off without men, but longing for an adventure, she makes a spontaneous decision and volunteers for a job no one else wants. Now she’s going to lead an archeological excavation in the Northlands, the most secluded place on earth where the mythical males live who are rumored to be as brutal and dangerous as the men Christina has read about in her history books. What will happen when Christina crosses into the men’s territory? Will they allow her to do her job and is there any way they’ll let her leave again – unharmed? The Protector is the first book in Elin Peer’s new romantic drama series Men of the North.

Suddenly a Bride


Ruth Ann Nordin - 2011
    What he longs for is a life mate: someone who'll complete him, someone he can love who’ll love him back, someone who’ll ease the aching loneliness that haunts his life. So he leaves his world, takes on the Earth name Chris West, and makes a payment to Star Systems Unlimited for a life mate.When he bonds with Caitlyn Davis, he thinks life can't get any better. But she was married before, and memories of her deceased husband still linger around her home. Will he find a place in her heart or will he have to become like her first husband in order to get her love?

Naamah's Kiss


Jacqueline Carey - 2009
    But generations ago, the greatest of them all broke a sacred oath sworn in the name of all his people. Now only small gifts remain to them. Through her lineage, Moirin possesses such gifts—the ability to summon the twilight and conceal herself, and the skill to coax plants to grow.Moirin has a secret, too. From childhood onward, she senses the presence of unfamiliar gods in her life—the bright lady and the man with a seedling cupped in his palm. Raised in the wilderness by her reclusive mother, Moirin learns only when she comes of age how illustrious, if mixed, her heritage is. The great-granddaughter of Alais the Wise, child of the Maghuin Donn and a cousin of the Cruarch of Alba, Moirin learns her father was a D'Angeline priest dedicated to serving Naamah, goddess of desire.After Moirin undergoes the rites of adulthood, she finds divine acceptance... on the condition that she fulfill an unknown destiny that lies somewhere beyond the ocean. Or perhaps oceans. Beyond Terre d'Ange, where she finds her father, in the far reaches of distant Ch'in, Moirin's skills will be a true gift when facing the vengeful plans of an ambitious mage, a noble warrior-princess desperate to save her father's throne, and the spirit of a celestial dragon.