Book picks similar to
Garden of Shadows by Meara Platt


historical-romance
fantasy
historical
paranormal

Prince of Hearts


Margaret Foxe - 2013
    Airships rule the skies, and automatons run the tracks at Ascot. Since the Great Exhibition of 1851, Her Majesty's Empire has been powered by the Steam Revolution and Welding science. It is a time of glorious innovation and dangerous civil unrest. But Miss Aline Finch, prim, plain career girl, has more important things on her mind than the state of the Empire.After her employer, the handsome but insufferable criminologist, Professor Romanov, hares off for parts unknown in a slightly-illegal dirigible, stranding her in France, she has finally had enough. In a fit of pique, she decides to marry her long-time and very proper suitor, quitting Romanov for good.The last thing the Professor expects to come home to is his secretary's mutiny. Finch's timing couldn't be any more inconvenient, for a serial murderer from Romanov's past has set his sights on her. Romanov must keep her close if he has any chance of protecting her life—and the dangerous secrets the murderer threatens to expose. For the Professor is much, much more than he seems, and the secrets that he keeps are centuries old—and hidden deep in his heart.When the Professor discovers Finch is to wed, however, he is forced to confront the truth of the matter: he doesn't just want his secretary back to protect her. He wants her in his bed. Forever. Aline fights Romanov's seduction, but she's no match for her own unruly desires, or the truth of her own heart.But when the Professor's true identity is exposed, destroying the very foundations of Aline's conception of reality, will the Professor lose her forever? Or will the murderer succeed in his evil plot to destroy them both before they can find their happy ending?Warning: this sensual romance will put the steam in steampunk.

Black In White


J.C. Andrijeski - 2015
    Quentin Black."Gifted with an uncanny sense about people, psychologist Miri Fox works as an off and on profiler for the police. So when they think they've finally nailed the "Wedding Killer," she agrees to check him out, using her gift to discover the truth.But the suspect, Quentin Black, isn't anything like Miri expects. He claims to be hunting the killer too and the longer Miri talks to him, the more determined she becomes to uncover his secrets. When he confronts her about the nature of her peculiar "insight," Miri gets pulled into Black's bizarre world and embroiled in a game of cat and mouse with a deadly killer--who still might be Black himself. Worse, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to Black, a complication she doesn't need with a best friend who's a homicide cop and a boyfriend in intelligence. Can Miriam see a way out or is her future covered in Black?Standalone novel. No cliffhanger.*Warning: this book contains graphic language, sex, and violence. Mature readers only. Not intended for young readers.*BLACK IN WHITE is book 1 in the Quentin Black Mystery series - a series set in the Quentin Black World. It is also a spinoff from the Bridge & Sword (Allie's War) series, and takes place in the wider history/world of the seers.Next in the Quentin Black Mystery series: Black As Night, Black On Black, Black Is Back.THE QUENTIN BLACK WORLD encompasses a number of dark, gritty paranormal mystery arcs with science fiction elements, starring brilliant and mysterious Quentin Black and forensic psychologist Miriam Fox. For fans of realistic paranormal mysteries with romantic elements, the series spans continents and dimensions as Black solves crimes, takes on other races and tries to keep his and Miri's true identities secret to keep them both alive.QUENTIN BLACK MYSTERY SERIESBlack In White (Quentin Black Mystery #1)Black As Night (Quentin Black Mystery #2)Black On Black (Quentin Black Mystery #3)Black Is Back (Quentin Black Mystery #4)

Mesmerized


Candace Camp - 2003
    But when Lord Stephen St. Leger requests her help in investigating an alleged psychic’s claims, she can’t deny the ominous feeling she has within the walls of his ancient estate—or the intimately familiar connection she has with Stephen himself. The last time he’d called Blackhope Hall home, Stephen had watched as his elder brother claimed both the family title and the woman he loved. Now, in the wake of his brother’s murder, Stephen has reluctantly returned to find his family ensconced in scandal. Who is responsible for his brother’s untimely death? And what is it about investigator Olivia Moreland that so thoroughly draws him in, reigniting a passion he hasn’t felt in years?

Warrior


Zoe Archer - 2010
    But for Capt. Gabriel Huntley, it’s become quite real and quite dangerous… IN HOT PURSUIT…The vicious attack Capt. Gabriel Huntley witnesses in a dark alley sparks a chain of events that will take him to the ends of the Earth and beyond—where what is real and what is imagined become terribly confused. And frankly, Huntley couldn’t be more pleased. Intrigue, danger, and a beautiful woman in distress—just what he needs.IN HOTTER WATER…Raised thousands of miles from England, Thalia Burgess is no typical Victorian lady. A good thing, because a proper lady would have no hope of recovering the priceless magical artifact Thalia is after. Huntley’s assistance might come in handy, though she has to keep him in the dark. But this distractingly handsome soldier isn’t easy to deceive…

Treasured Find


Nancy Corrigan - 2013
    A protective mother. And a happily ever after…if they can survive long enough to claim their forever. After five centuries, Rafe Alexander knows what to expect from life—boredom, broken by the occasional call from Shifter Affairs.No matter what the job, he always accepts their plea for help. As a Royal shifter, he’s the strongest of his kind. And he knows firsthand the dangers of the shifter world. If there’s a chance he can save someone, he’ll take whatever risk is necessary.But the task that leads him to West Virginia changes everything. A father is dead. A shifter child is missing. And the human female connected to both tragedies is hiding a secret.Rafe must figure out what she knows, but his interest in Jasmine goes far beyond the case. She’s his true mate. But after the horrors she’s seen, she doesn’t trust shifters. That won’t stop him. Neither will the killer targeting her family. Nobody keeps a shifter from his mate.NOTE: This is the SEXY version of Rafe by Dana Archer. Get lost in the Shifter World while enjoying all the blistering hot and steamy aspects of falling in love.

The Absinthe Earl


Sharon Lynn Fisher - 2019
    Their love will shatter worlds. Miss Ada Quicksilver, a student of London's Lovelace Academy for Promising Young Women, is spending her holiday in Ireland to pursue her anthropological study of fairies. She visits Dublin's absinthe bars to investigate a supposed association between the bittersweet spirit and fairy sightings.One night a handsome Irishman approaches her, introducing himself as Edward Donoghue. Edward takes absinthe to relieve his sleepwalking, and she is eager to hear whether he has experience with fairies. Instead, she discovers that he's the earl of Meath, and that he will soon visit a mysterious ruin at Newgrange on the orders of his cousin, the beautiful, half-mad Queen Isolde. On learning about Ada's area of study, he invites her to accompany him.Ada is torn between a sensible fear of becoming entangled with the clearly troubled gentleman and her compelling desire to ease his suffering. Finally she accepts his invitation, and they arrive in time for the winter solstice. That night, the secret of Edward's affliction is revealed: he is, in fact, a lord in two worlds and can no longer suppress his shadow self.Little does either of them realize that their blossoming friendship and slowly kindling passion will lead to discoveries that wrench open a door sealed for centuries, throwing them into a war that will change Ireland forever.

Scent of the Soul


Julie Doherty - 2015
    Once an exile, Somerled the Mighty now dominates the west. He’s making alliances, expanding his territory, and proposing marriage to the Manx princess. It’s a bad time to fall for Breagha, a torc-wearing slave with a supernatural sense of smell. Somerled resists the intense attraction to a woman who offers no political gain, and he won’t have a mistress making demands on him while he’s negotiating a marriage his people need. Besides, Breagha belongs to a rival king, one whose fresh alliance Somerled can’t afford to lose. It’s when Breagha vanishes that Somerled realizes just how much he needs her. He abandons his marriage plans to search for her, unprepared for the evil lurking in the shadowy recesses of Ireland—a lustful demon who will stop at nothing to keep Breagha for himself.

Summoned and Sold


Susan Hayes - 2013
    Born of a fae race of shifters, her exotic beauty and unique powers have damned her to a life of slavery. But as a true Feral, she will never allow anyone to enslave her spirit or claim her soul. Torin is the Prince of Stryx, forced to watch as his father’s madness pushes the kingdom closer to the brink of destruction. Strong and true, Torin’s flaw keeps him from being the leader he is meant to be. Upon learning of his father’s plans to breed Vela’s fae abilities into the family bloodline, Torin agrees to marry her rather than subject her to the cruel perversions of his father’s bed. Worlds collide under the king’s dark reign, but when Torin sets eyes on his bride, her beauty and courage ignite his passions. He knows that he will do anything to keep her at his side and in his bed, but how can Vela ever learn to love a man she is forced to call her master?

The Emperor's Edge


Lindsay Buroker - 2010
    But when ravaged bodies show up on the waterfront, an arson covers up human sacrifices, and a powerful business coalition plots to kill the emperor, she feels a tad overwhelmed. Worse, Sicarius, the empire's most notorious assassin, is in town. He's tied in with the chaos somehow, but Amaranthe would be a fool to cross his path. Unfortunately, her superiors order her to hunt him down. Either they have an unprecedented belief in her skills... or someone wants her dead.

The Winter King


C.L. Wilson - 2014
    But though peace is finally at hand, Wynter's battle with the Ice Heart, the dread power he embraced to avenge his brother's death, rages on.Khamsin Coruscate, Princess of Summerlea and summoner of Storms, has spent her life exiled to the shadows of her father's palace. Reviled by her father, marriage to Wintercraig's icy king was supposed to be a terrible punishment, but instead offers Kham her first taste of freedom—and her first taste of overwhelming passion.As fierce, indomitable Wynter weathers even Khamsin's wildest storms, surprising her with a tenderness she never expected, Kham wants more than Wynter's passion—she yearns for his love. But the power of the Ice Heart is growing, dangerous forces are gathering, and a devastating betrayal puts Khamsin and Wynter to the ultimate test.

My Familiar Stranger


Victoria Danann - 2012
     I accidentally ended up in this dimension. I had nothing.I knew no one. I barely survived the journey, but landed in the best possible place; an ancient society of vampire hunters with the medical means to put me back together. I can't go home, but I can use the extra-abilities I gained from slipping dimensions to work for Black Swan and try to keep my friends alive. When it comes to love, I have options. The knight who saved my life is strength and honor personified. The sexy elf who thinks I'm his mate. And an incredibly attractive six-hundred-year-old vampire.My name is Elora Laiken. This is my story.

The Keepers


Donna Augustine - 2013
    Today, Cormac ordered her shot. If he's real lucky, she won't die. Because if she does, all hope is lost.Click on the download ebook tab to sample the first 20%.

A Touch of Silver


Lynne Connolly - 2019
    He was happier living in seclusion with his sisters. About to become betrothed to the icy daughter of a duke, he meets the vibrant, alluring Annie, who captivates his heart. But if he gives in to his desires, he risks a happy ending for his sisters, and they deserve their chances.Annie Cathcart is a widow from the City of London. Finally, she has the chance to achieve her dream of creating silverware for the table. But she needs Gerald's old Shoreditch home to do it. Expecting a stuffy, pompous aristocrat, she meets a man who sees right through her practical exterior to the passionate woman beneath. She wants him more than the house, her respectability, and her independence.Annie and Gerald are faced with stark choices when her landlord tries to blackmail her into marriage. Either they give in to the pressures forcing them into unhappy respectability apart... or they boldly defy convention in the name of love.

Seduced


Tarah Scott - 2012
    Not the backwater voodoo witches practice where Mississippi Deputy Sheriff Margot Saulnier grew up. But the age-old black magic a woman weaves around a man that draws him under her spell. The kind Margot’s best friend used to kill her husband…and get away with it.Margot chases her friend to Scotland, determined to prove her guilty of murder. No one will stop Margot. Not the SAS agent sent to watch her…and not the Scottish lord legend says murders his lovers when they cannot free him from the spell that has imprisoned him in Castle Morrison for three hundred years.He’s just a legend.And magick doesn’t exist.THIS IS EROTIC ROMANCE

Pride and Magic


Melody Raven - 2019
    Always. Samantha Harris walked away from her family, and magic, years ago. But when a string of murders rocks New York City, Sam can't help but notice that the placement of the bodies screams magic. Except no one in her family seems to pick up the connection. When she tries to give the lead detective a quick hint to send him in the right direction, Sam gets sucked further into the investigation than she ever thought possible. Now Detective Derek Pierce has to put together the half truths Sam is giving him and the facts of the case that get stranger by the second. The killer is closer to Sam than she could've imagined and Derek is the only one who can stop him from tearing her family apart, but only if he knows the whole truth. And the whole truth is exactly what could kill him.