Book picks similar to
Taken with a Grain of Salt by Aaron Galvin


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Frozen


Melissa de la Cruz - 2013
    Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.

Witch Way Bends


Olivia Hardin - 2011
    After discovering the true nature of her father's business--he sells children to vampires--she's focused on only one goal: stopping him. Along the way, the people who join the quest help her discover a life-changing truth about herself and her origins, but only one will capture her heart and soul.Kent Crosby doesn't have time to deal with the daughter of the man he's trying to take down. He has orders, and she doesn't fit in with the plan. But when he discovers who--and what--Devan is, he can't let her go. Drawn to her despite himself, in her arms he finds more just magic.Fans of Charmed and Supernatural will love this series. One-click today!

Gray Wolf Security (Shifters)


Glenna Sinclair - 2018
    6 Paranormal Romance Books. Full Length. No Cliffhangers. More than 1,000 pages :) In a largely unincorporated county in Minnesota, the newest office of Gray Wolf Security have just moved in... BOOK ONE Tunstall Grayson has been on the run longer than he can recall. He thought living among humans would be easy, but it’s one of the hardest, and loneliest, things he’s ever done. After causing the death of a woman he cared deeply for, Tunstall has shut himself off from all human relationships. Therefore, when Ash Grayson finds him—with a little help from a friend—Tunstall tries to push him away. But Ash knows more than he lets on and he wants to offer Tunstall something he has never had: a true family. With the responsibility of growing a new office of Gray Wolf Security, Ash has not only given Tunstall a place to call home, he’s given him a reason to gather other misfit shifters and build his own pack, one that won’t betray him or hunt him down. One he can truly trust. But if Tunstall thinks he can continue to avoid human contact, he’s got another think coming. BOOK TWO Tunstall has a list of things he needs to do to make a success of his branch of Gray Wolf Security: find a good office manager, hire a strong technology expert, and develop a good relationship with local law enforcement. Tunstall has successfully fulfilled the first two requirements, but he finds himself struggling to develop a relationship with the local sheriff, Erik Os. Ironically enough, Erik is also a shifter like Tunstall and his band of operatives. Unfortunately, Erik is a wolverine, a bear-like creature whose natural enemy is the gray wolf. Erik doesn’t want Tunstall in his county. However, when Erik meets Regan Smith, Tunstall’s young office manager, he can’t quite dismiss the instant attraction that develops between them. BOOK THREE Orson was assigned to a simple case: watch the lawyer representing the men who attacked the lodge. Nothing more. However, while performing this task at the only hotel within fifty miles, Orson meets Talia - the wife of his biological brother, a man he barely knows. Orson has no interest in revisiting a past he’s closed the door on, but when he sees a man bribe a waiter to poison Talia, he has no choice but to rush to her rescue. Where that rescue will take them is something he never could have predicted. BOOK FOUR Tunstall travels to Austin to get help from Gray Wolf security expert, David Grayson, for the security system that seemed to fail his people in Minnesota. He’s joined unexpectedly by newest recruit, Garrick Hamilton, a naive, but likeable shifter with almost no experience at the security game. They’re not in Austin more than an hour before Garrick invites himself onto a case, protecting a pretty, but terminally ill, social worker who’s been getting threats from someone wanting to find one of her young wards. BOOK FIVE Clancy Drake was minding her own business in Austin when Tunstall walked into her life and turned it upside down. Now she finds herself in Minnesota, watching the man she’s been crushing hard on pine over a woman who’s been keeping time with another guy. She wants nothing more than to be there to pick up the pieces when Tunstall gets his heart broken, but the wolf, Ciarrai, walks into her life, making threats she knows he’ll follow through on. He leaves her with two choices: betray Tunstall or allow him to learn her truth about her past. BOOK SIX Tunstall knows now that war is coming. The new leader of the Mahoney Cartel has a personal vendetta to carry out against him.

Relentless


Karen Lynch - 2013
    Now at seventeen, she is still haunted by memories of that day and driven by the need to understand why it happened. She lives a life full of secrets and her family and friends have no idea of the supernatural world she is immersed in or of Sara’s own very powerful gift.In her quest for answers about her father’s death, Sara takes risks that expose her and her friends to danger and puts herself into the sights of a sadistic vampire. On the same fateful night she meets Nikolas, a warrior who turns Sara’s world upside down and is determined to protect her even if it’s the last thing she wants.Sara’s life starts to spin out of control as she is hunted by an obsessed vampire, learns that her friends have secrets of their own and reels from the truth about her own ancestry. Sara has always been fiercely independent but in order to survive now she must open herself to others, to reveal her deepest secrets. And she must learn to trust the one person capable of breaking down the walls around her.

Fire & Flood


Victoria Scott - 2014
    . . .Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to the middle of nowhere for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying--and she's helpless to change anything.Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?Victoria Scott's breathtaking novel grabs readers by the throat and doesn't let go.

Fire & Heist


Sarah Beth Durst - 2018
    It's a chance to gain power and acceptance within your family, and within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated, especially when you're a wyvern--a human capable of turning into a dragon.Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky discovers secrets about her mother, who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family's wealth and rank in their community.With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist, and get her boyfriend and mother back in the process. But then she uncovers a dark truth about were-dragon society--a truth more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be.

A Lion's Cage: a Lion Shifters novel


Ella Wilde - 2019
    Hearts change. Africa awaits. Life as a slave in the fight pits of Kenya is vicious and brutally short, and no one knows this better than lion shifter Lazarus Kiprop. As a prized champion, he lives with blood on his hands and guilt in his heart. He's survived longer than most, at a cost. With no end in sight, Lazarus has given up on ever seeing another sunrise. The last thing he needs is a vampire youngling taunting him with impossible promises of freedom. A newly made vampire, Willow has gaping holes in her memory and a burning desire for revenge. With less than a week before her new master arrives to claim her, she’s determined to find a way out of captivity. And if the leather-clad guy in the cell next door doesn’t believe it’s possible? That’s too bad, because she’s going, with or without him. But while Willow may be able to escape her cage, will she be able to escape her heart? “A Lion’s Cage” is the prequel to “The Lion Shifters” series. Escape to a land where everything is possible. Start your adventure today!

The Lost Code


Kevin Emerson - 2012
    Located inside the EdenWest BioDome, the camp is an oasis of pine trees, cool water, and rustic charm.But all at Camp Eden is not what it seems.No one will know this better than 15-year-old Owen Parker. A strange underwater vision, even stranger wounds on Owen’s neck, and a cryptic warning from the enchanting lifeguard Lilly hint at a mystery that will take Owen deep beneath Lake Eden and even deeper into the past. What he discovers could give him the chance to save the tattered planet. But first, Owen will have to escape Camp Eden alive…

Scales


Nicole Conway - 2019
    Koji Owens is the new kid … again. As the only son of an Air Force F-16 pilot, he’s learned to adapt and survive every time they move. It’s not easy starting over with new friends and schools every two years, but when the Owens family makes their final move to New York, Koji finally has hope for a normal high school life—that is, until he finds a strange bracelet in his locker. Transformed into a storm-summoning dragon warrior, Koji finds himself caught up in a world of ancient powers, secret identities, and colossal monsters threatening to destroy his new home. But these awesome powers come with strings attached, and revealing his true identity could mean losing everything he loves. With his family and friends now in mortal danger and New York City in flames, Koji must find the courage to become the hero they need and face down an enemy hiding in plain sight. A comic-obsessed teenage misfit embraces his inner hero in this action-packed adventure that will leave you ready to get your scales on!

Fledgling


Natasha S. Brown - 2012
    A life threatening heart condition smothers her future and she yearns to feel normal. Her hopes are pinned on a fresh start in a remote town far from her native Colorado. Among the locker filled hallways in Clark Bend High, Ana keeps to the shadows, not wanting to draw attention to her violet tinged lips and wilted silhouette. And she almost succeeds, until she meets Chance Morgan. Struggling to keep up appearances, she soon suspects Chance is hiding something as well. His animal-like senses, miraculous healing ability and peculiar reaction to her Thunderbird necklace compels Ana to question if there’s more to the stories about his Navajo ancestry. Without any other explanation, she fears he is playing tricks on her. But the truth may prove too much for Ana’s delicate heart…

The Rest Falls Away


Colleen Gleason - 2007
    If not for the vampire slayers of the Gardella family, these immortal creatures would have long ago taken control of the world. In every generation, a Gardella is called to accept the family legacy, and this time, Victoria Gardella Grantworth is chosen, on the eve of her debut, to carry the stake. But as she moves between the crush of ballrooms and dangerous moonlit streets, Victoria’s heart is torn between London’s most eligible bachelor, the Marquess of Rockley, and her dark, dangerous duty. And when she comes face-to-face with the most powerful vampire in history, Victoria must ultimately make a choice between duty and love.

Seeds of Discovery


Breeana Puttroff - 2011
    She has good friends, a family that she loves, good grades, and an after-school job she enjoys. And, she's just been asked out by Zander Cunningham, a popular football player and great guy. But one day when driving home after picking up her little sister from the baby-sitter's, she nearly hits a boy who, after running blindly into the street, mysteriously disappears.The mystery only deepens as she figures out who the boy is; William Rose, a reclusive, awkward boy from school who always has his nose in a pile of books.As she becomes more aware of his behavior it becomes more obvious how out of the ordinary William is and how hard he deliberately tries to blend into the background. This only intrigues her more and she finds herself working to find out more about him, and exactly where he keeps disappearing to.On a whim one night she follows him and suddenly finds herself in a new world. One where William is a prince, literally, and she is treated like a princess. She also discovers that she is stuck; the gate back to her own world isn't always open.Quinn finds herself smack in the middle of a modern-day fairy tale, on a course that will change her life forever.

Atlantia


Ally Condie - 2014
    But in a single moment, all Rio’s hopes for the future are shattered when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected choice, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long silenced—she has nothing left to lose.Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the corrupted system constructed to govern the Divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths.

Man Made Boy


Jon Skovron - 2013
    When you’re the son of Frankenstein’s monster and the Bride, it’s tough to go out in public, unless you want to draw the attention of a torch-wielding mob. And since Boy and his family live in a secret enclave of monsters hidden under Times Square, it’s important they maintain a low profile.Boy’s only interactions with the world are through the Internet, where he’s a hacker extraordinaire who can hide his hulking body and stitched-together face behind a layer of code. When conflict erupts at home, Boy runs away and embarks on a cross-country road trip with the granddaughters of Jekyll and Hyde, who introduce him to malls and diners, love and heartbreak. But no matter how far Boy runs, he can’t escape his demons—both literal and figurative—until he faces his family once more.This hilarious, romantic, and wildly imaginative tale redefines what it means to be a monster—and a man.

Ignited


Desni Dantone - 2013
    Good thing she has her guardian angel to protect her...sort of.Kris is aided by Nathan, the mysterious man that ends up being anything but angelic when he rescues her for the fourth time in fourteen years. Even if the handsome hero illusion is shattered by his harsh treatment of her, he knows how to fight this strange enemy and is determined to keep her safe at all costs. As the body count rises in their wake, Nathan introduces Kris to a world in which not everyone is human and the battle lines between good and evil are clearly drawn. Kris's piece in the puzzle is something neither is aware of and, as they uncover the truth, neither is prepared for what they find. Overcoming twists and revelations that shatter both of their lives, they discover that nothing is as it seems and nothing, least of all their hearts, are safe. From debut author, Desni Dantone, Ignited is the first novel in a tale of first love, mystery and adventure that will introduce you to an exciting new world as Kris discovers how she fits in it.