Book picks similar to
Drop Dead by D.N. Erikson


urban-fantasy
dnf
paranormal
fantasy

Firespell


Chloe Neill - 2010
    So was St. Sophia's.As the new girl at the elite St. Sophia's boarding school, Lily is surrounded by an ultra-rich bratpack. She's pretty sure her spoiled, petty, fashion-obsessed classmates are the most monstrous things she'll have to face, and surviving them and their cruel practical jokes is proving even tougher than the homework...But on top of being the punchline to every joke, Lily's hearing strange noises and seeing bizarre things in the shadows of the creepy building. All building have their creaks and groans - but Lily could swear that she's being watched.The only thing keeping her sane, so far, is her roommate Scout. But something strange is going on there too - Scout keeps disappearing late at night, reappearing bruised and tired, and she won't tell Lily where's she's been... until, that is, a prank leaves Lily trapped in the catacombs beneath the school. Lost in the dark Lily hear's footsteps heading towards her - it's Scout and she's running from a real monster.Scout is part of a group of rebel teens with unique magical talents, sworn to protect the city against demons, vampires, and Reapers: magic users who've been corrupted by their power. Much as Lily would love to help, it's too dangerous without powers of her own - especially if she'd have to go up against the firespell herself...

Tempest Rising


Nicole Peeler - 2009
    During her nightly, clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean, a grisly find leads Jane to startling revelations about her heritage: she is only half-human. Now, Jane must enter a world filled with supernatural creatures alternatively terrifying, beautiful, and deadly- all of which perfectly describe her new "friend," Ryu, a gorgeous and powerful vampire. It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: a dog can heal with a lick; spirits bag your groceries; and whatever you do, never-ever rub the genie's lamp. If you love Sookie Stackhouse, then you'll want to dive into Nicole Peeler's enchanting debut novel.

Strange Neighbors


Ashlyn Chase - 2010
    But when Merry MacKenzie moves into the ground floor apartment, the playboy pitcher decides he might just be done playing the field...A girl just wants to have fun...Sexy Jason seems like the perfect fling, but newly independent nurse Merry's not sure she's ready to trust him with her heart...especially when the tabloids start trumpeting his playboy lifestyle.Then pandemonium breaks loose and Merry and Jason will never get it together without a little help from the vampire who lives in the basement and the werewolf from upstairs.

Kiss Kiss Fang Fang


Penelope Bloom - 2021
    Her big eyes that never seem to dim, no matter how far into my blackened soul they saw.I thought I’d lost the ability to care centuries ago, but it appears I was wrong.The insufferable woman won’t rest until she’s forced me to do the unthinkable. To… enjoy her company.It’s ridiculous, but all I need to do is outlast the bond.To outlast my growing fear that I’m not as numb as I thought.I’m in danger of feeling something for this human that I can’t afford to feel. Because the only thing more dangerous for her than my enemies is if I can’t let her go.Author’s Note: Get sucked into this high stakes, fang-fest of paranormal, romantic comedy fun with an out-of-his-element vampire grump and the upbeat woman who refuses to let things go according to plan.

Spelling the Tea


Erin Johnson - 2021
    Now, she’s back in Bath, with the magic of the town’s enchanted springs flowing through her veins, ready to explore her newbie witch powers and pen her novel. Bath inspired her favorite writer Jane Austen, after all. Why wouldn’t it work for her?Only catch is, once the divorce is final, Minnie will be deported back to the US (and she’ll lose her powers all over again) unless she can convince the haughty (and handsome) vampire owner of a struggling tea room to hire her.As if her cup didn’t already runneth over with trouble, an employee drops dead during her interview.Now Minnie’s got to solve the murder to clear the cafe’s name, while figuring out a way to bring in more customers. With the help of her vampire roommate and black cat familiar, she’s hot on the killer’s trail. But when the murderer sets Minnie in their sights, she’ll have to tap into her own inner strength (and magic) to save herself, and bring the killer to justice.Will Minnie solve the murder and save the vampire’s tea room? Or will she find herself in hot water with the killer?

Blood Shadows


Lindsay J. Pryor - 2012
    Despite that, her mission to hunt down Kane Malloy – a master vampire – comes with a death wish. Many have tried, but few have survived.For Caitlin, tracking Kane is about more than just professional reputation. With her parents both mysteriously killed 7 years apart to the day, Caitlin knows that without Kane’s help she is next.She has four days to make a deal with the wicked, the irresistible, the treacherous Kane Malloy. The vampire who despises everything she stands for.Or die.Blackthorn: Book One

Cursed by Fire


Danielle Annett - 2015
    The victims are innocents, chosen to pit the shifter Pack and the vampire Coven against one another.If war breaks out, humanity won’t survive.But controlling fire is my thing, and I won’t let that happen.I’m a mercenary, but this is about so much more than money. It’s my city and someone is threatening it. I won’t stop until I find them.When the good guys start to look more like villains, I have no choice but to question everything I knew, including the people I thought I could trust.It turns out the humans might not be as helpless as they seem, and I'm in more danger than I realized.If you like K.F. Breene, Annette Marie, Patricia Briggs, McKenzie Hunter, CN Crawford, Leia Stone, or Linsey Hall, then buckle up buttercup, and get ready for a fast paced adventure you won't be able to put down.

Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between


J.A. Saare - 2009
    A bartender by trade, a loud mouth by choice, and a necromancer by chance; she managed to keep her nifty talent hidden from those around her—until now.The deliciously good-looking vampire, Disco, knows her secret. When he strolls into her bar to solicit help investigating the mysterious disappearances of his kind from the city, Rhiannon discovers he’s not the kind of person that appreciates the significance of the word no.But in a world where vampires peddle their blood as the latest and greatest drug of choice, it’s only a matter of time before the next big thing hits the market. Someone or something is killing vampires to steal their hearts, and unlike Rhiannon, this isn’t their first stroll around the undead block.

Vampire's Kiss


Ella Summers - 2016
     Leda Pierce is working as a paranormal bounty hunter on the Frontier, the dividing line between human civilization and the plains of monsters. Life is simple and the pay modest, but at least she has her family. That is, until a vampire hunt goes wrong and her brother goes missing, captured by the dark angels of hell. With no magical powers of her own and no way to find him, Leda’s only option is to go to New York and join the Legion of Angels, an elite unit of supernatural soldiers with powers gifted to them by the gods themselves. If she can survive long enough to make it up the ranks, she will gain the magic she needs to find her brother. But Leda soon finds herself on the wrong side of a conspiracy that will shake up the supernatural world—and at the mercy of a fiercely powerful and tempting angel.

Once Bitten


Linsey Hall - 2020
    Sure, my idea of a party is a mini box of wine and hanging out with a feral raccoon, but it works for me.When I’m accused of murder, things get crazy. One, I learn that I have magic. Two, there’s a secret magical city hidden right in London itself. And three, my only hope is a vampire who’s sexy as sin and scary as the devil himself. He's called the Devil of Darkvale, and he all but owns Guild City.Some say I should just quit and turn myself in. Not a chance. I’m going to solve this murder myself, which means surviving in a new world of witch parties, magical guilds, and a vampire with a tortured past. The vampire and I are like colliding stars, and the heat is irresistible. I should avoid him, but if I want to save my own life, he’s my only hope.

Night Shift


Lilith Saintcrow - 2008
    Dealer in Dark Things. Spiritual Exterminator. Demon Slayer.Not everyone can take on the things that go bump in the night.Not everyone tries.But Jill Kismet is not just anyone.She's a Hunter, trained by the best - and in over her head.Welcome to the night shift...

Infernal Magic


C.N. Crawford - 2016
    Too bad her past won't return the favor. Ursula can't remember a single thing from before three years ago, so she has to keep her life simple. All she wants is to earn enough money for rent--and maybe a bit left over for a new pair of boots. But on her eighteenth birthday, all hell breaks loose... quite literally... when a hellhound shifter shows up in her kitchen. Kester's lethally gorgeous, and he's come with a terrifying message: Ursula owes her soul to a demon. No one seems to care that she doesn't remember striking that deal. Thrust in the middle of a demonic war, Ursula fights her way across New York--and through the fae realm to survive. Along the way, she must reclaim her magical knowledge and her long-forgotten skills with the blade if she wants to escape eternal damnation.

Never Dead


M.L. Bullock - 2020
    He hadn’t even opened the door.Ex-burlesque dancer and aspiring author Tamara Garvey just had her world turned upside down.Her best friend died and leaves her as guardian to a teenager. Now, not only is Tamara struggling with her new role but she is also charged with caring for the family home, the Ridaught Plantation known by the locals as the Dead House.To her surprise, the place is already occupied by an angsty ghost named Joey who has a penchant for wearing her clothes and a fascination for paranormal movies and television shows. Tamara and Joey develop an unexpected friendship but questions remain about how and when he got there.In an attempt to fit in with the suspicious small town residents, Tamara turns on the charm and decides to host a community wide Halloween party, right at the historic home. Everything turns out great until the dead begin to show up too. Can Tamara solve the secret of the Ridaught Plantation before it’s too late?Can she protect Chloe from the dead who are assembling?Or will they also become ghostly residents of the Dead House?

Bite of Frost


Gena D. Lutz - 2015
    After Jericha Frost is thrust into a paranormal existence she knows nothing about, she learns that the scorching blood from an infuriating dragon-shifter is her only hope of survival.

Craved


Stephanie Nelson - 2011
    Possessing the rare ability to read the memories of dead, she volunteers to help catch the culprit behind the string of drained witches. Gwen has to team up with the one man who broke her heart, deal with a ghost who pulls her into the deathly realm at will, and a fight off the advances of sexy but frustrating vampire who not only craves what runs through her veins—he wants her heart.