Book picks similar to
Banish My Heart by Jennifer Youngblood
fantasy
young-adult
romance
fairy-tales
Cornerstone
Misty Provencher - 2011
Nalena desperately wants something to change in her life, but when she receives a sign (and it's the wrong dang one) inviting her into a mysterious, ancient community, too much changes. What she knew of her family, what she thought of her life and what she believed about her future, is no longer applicable. Seventeen years worth of family skeletons come crashing into Nalena's life and it is the boy...the one that smiles at her like he wants to hear everything she'll ever say...that already knows her powerful secrets. But it is only Nalena that can choose between protecting the life that is already crumbling beneath her feet and the one that might sacrifice everything she could ever have.
Queen of Extinction
Gwynn White - 2017
A kingdom in danger. A fight to the death for the throne. Princess Aurora never thought she’d have to rule Ryferia. That was her brother’s job, until his brutal murder at the hands of their uncle. She knows the law. A marriage is her only chance to take the throne. Aurora gambles for her kingdom, invoking the right for a deadly marriage trial. As the most gifted--and ruthless--princes and lords battle to the death for her hand, the forces of evil conspire to snatch Aurora’s throne. But the princess has allies, as well as a secret power long outlawed in her kingdom… Will Aurora find true love and save Ryferia or will the trial’s winner destroy them all? Queen of Extinction is a fresh take on the classic Sleeping Beauty tale. If you like magic, steampunk, and romance, then you’ll love the first book in a new trilogy by Gwynn White and Erin St. Pierre.
Rae of Hope
W.J. May - 2011
Her mother and father died when she was young and it is only when she accepts a scholarship to the prestigious Guilder Boarding School in England that a mysterious family secret is revealed. Will the sins of the father be the sins of the daughter? As Rae struggles with new friends, a new school and a star-struck forbidden love, she must also face the ultimate challenge: receive a tattoo on her sixteenth birthday with specific powers that may bind her to an unspeakable darkness. It's up to Rae to undo the dark evil in her family's past and have a ray of hope for her future.
Cin d'Rella and the Water of Life : Circle of the Rose Chronicles, Book 1
S.J. West - 2018
We are her Thorns. When Cin lost her father, she thought her world had been torn apart. Little did she know it was just the beginning of her story… Being the sole heir to the d’Rella family fortune placed a target on Cin’s back that she wasn’t prepared to deal with at the age of ten. Luckily for her, she had a fairy godfather looking out for her best interests who whisked her away from her selfish step-family and helped Cin discover her true destiny as a Thorn within the formidable Circle of the Rose. Thorns are an elite fighting force trained at an early age to protect Briar Rose and search for a way to awaken her from a seemingly eternal slumber. The city of Briardale has been cut off from the rest of the world for a hundred years by a spell no one seems to be able to break. Only by finding a cure to awaken Rose will the city be released from the magical curse and its citizens allowed to rejoin the world of Faloria. A chance encounter brings Cin into contact with the dashing black sheep of the Prince empire, Coltan Prince. For years, his family has been thwarting the Circle of the Rose at every turn in order to keep Briardale isolated and completely at their mercy. Although Cin knows Coltan is the enemy, she feels inexplicably charmed by him for some reason. When Coltan goes to the Circle with information about the whereabouts of the fabled Water of Life, Cin worries that he’s just using them for his own nefarious purposes. Everyone knows you can’t trust a Prince, but a chance to find the magical elixir is too good of an opportunity to pass up. With her trusty daggers by her side, Cin offers to help Coltan on his quest. Not only does she hope to find a possible cure for Rose but Cin also yearns to discover why she feels so drawn to a man she’s supposed to hate.
Hidden Deep
Amy Patrick - 2015
You might think she'd be happy to see him again. Not exactly. She's a bit underdressed (as in skinny-dipping) and he's not supposed to exist. After her father's affair, all Ryann wants is to escape the family implosion fallout and find a little peace. She also wouldn't mind a first date that didn't suck, but she's determined not to end up like her mom: vulnerable, betrayed, destroyed. Ryann's recently moved back to her childhood home in rural Mississippi, the same place where ten years earlier she became lost in the woods overnight and nearly died. She's still irresistibly drawn to those woods. There she encounters the boy who kept her from freezing to death that long ago winter night and was nowhere to be seen when rescuers arrived. He's still mysterious, but now all grown-up and gorgeous, too. And the more she's with him, the greater the threat he poses to Ryann's strict policy-- never want someone more than he wants you. Seventeen-year-old Lad knows the law of his people all too well: Don't get careless and Don't get caught. It's allowed his race to live undetected in this world for thousands of years, mentioned only in flawed and fading folklore…Lad's never been able to forget about Ryann since that night ten years ago. When he sees her again, his fascination re-ignites and becomes a growing desire that tempts him to break all the rules. He's not even supposed to talk to a human, much less fall in love with one.And the timing is atrocious. The Assemblage is coming, the rift between the Light and Dark is widening, and mysterious celebrity fan pods are becoming more and more widespread and influential. Lad may have to trade his own chance at happiness to keep the humans, especially Ryann, blissfully unaware and safe.
The Mind Readers
Lori Brighton - 2010
Fortunately, no one but her family knows the truth... that Cameron can read minds. For years Cameron has hidden behind a facade of normalcy, warned that there are those who would do her harm. When gorgeous and mysterious Lewis Douglas arrives he destroys everything Cameron has ever believed and tempts her with possibilities of freedom. Determined to embrace her hidden talents, Cameron heads to a secret haven with Lewis; a place where she meets others like her, Mind Readers.But as Cameron soon finds out some things are too good to be true. When the Mind Readers realize the extent of Cameron’s abilities, they want to use her powers for their own needs. Cameron suddenly finds herself involved in a war in which her idea of what is right and wrong is greatly tested. In the end she’ll be forced to make a choice that will not only threaten her relationship with Lewis, but her very life.
Breathless
Scott Prussing - 2010
That’s when her mom started acting weird, refusing to go outside during the day and insisting the sunlight hurt her skin because she had been bitten by a one-fanged vampire…But fascinated doesn’t mean Leesa believes—any more than she believes in blue fire, people who live for centuries, and kisses that can kill. When her beloved older brother suddenly disappears, she is forced to confront all these and more.
The Selkie Spell
Sophie Moss - 2011
On the run from an abusive husband, she seeks shelter on a windswept Irish island and dismisses the villagers' speculation that she is descended from a selkie—a magical creature who is bewitching the island. But when a ghostly woman appears to her with a warning, Tara realizes it was more than chance that brought her to this island. Desperate to escape a dark and dangerous past, she struggles against a passionate attraction to handsome islander, Dominic O'Sullivan. But the enchantment of the island soon overpowers her and she falls helpless under its spell. Caught between magic and reality, Tara must find a way to wield both when a dangerous stranger from her past arrives, threatening to destroy the lives of everyone on the island.
Dirty Blood
Heather Hildenbrand - 2011
I did it with my bare hands and an old piece of pipe I found lying next to the dumpster. But that’s not the part that got me. The part that scared me, the part I can’t seem to wrap my head around and still has me reeling, was that when she charged me, her body shifted – and then she was a wolf. All snapping teeth and extended claws. But by the time I stood over her lifeless body, she was a girl again. That’s about the time I went into shock… And that was the moment he showed up.Now, all I can do is accept the truths that are staring me in the face. One, Werewolves do exist. And Two, I was born to kill them.
Fateful
Cheri Schmidt - 2011
Darcy when she leaves Colorado to attend art school in London. Of course she knows it’s silly to wish for that, naive even. But she’s met enough males who lacked respect for women, a growing trend it seemed. And at nineteen...well... However, on only her second night there she gets lost and is threatened by a stalker who proves to be immune to her martial arts training. Before she is completely overpowered, she is then saved by Ethan Deveroux. While Danielle does find the romance she seeks in Ethan, he’s no Mr. Darcy. Her hero is held by a spell which fractures their chance at a happy ending. During the day Ethan is closer to mortal than immortal and can date her like any other man. Yet, as the sun sets, the powerful magic of an ancient curse returns and the evil of that spell is revealed. When that magic begins, Danielle's fairytale romance ends because Ethan Deveroux is a vampire.Fateful is a clean, coming of age vampire romance that blends fantasy and paranormal with a healthy dose of romance and a dash of humor.
Blood Calling
Joshua Grover-David Patterson - 2011
Her parents divorced, she's earned a DUI, and her grandfather has died. He left her a single possession: A vampire slaying kit with a note that says, "They're real. Fight them."Lucy finds answers in a place she never expected--the homeless shelter where she has to perform her community service. The Sundown Shelter is only open at night, and the man who runs it disappears during the day. But digging into the truth is dangerous. What Lucy learns will force her to abandon her life and confront an ancient vampire out to get her family.
Save Me (The Angels of Paris Chronicles #0.5)
Anna Santos - 2016
Her only chance at survival is to arrive in Paris and pray that what her brother told her about the angels is true. Chased and almost killed upon her arrival, she’s saved by the mythical creatures who protect the city. Plus, Fate gives her a new mate. The one she always dreamed about. But with a price. Jacob had been waiting a long time to be matched to a rejected soul so he could break his curse and become a full angel. Camille is everything he’d been looking for in a mate—she has a good heart and she’s extremely brave. Running against time, they have thirty days to fall in love or he will turn into stone, forever. Peril strikes when Alpha Simon wants to reclaim Camille. In a mad quest for power, he wages war on the other packs. Now more than being saved, Camille needs to be the savior.
Bound by Prophecy
Melissa Wright - 2013
He never wanted to take Morgan’s place among council, never wanted to rule their hidden world. But when the key to the prophecy is found, a young girl named Brianna whom Morgan will destroy, Aern knows he has to take action.What he really wants, is for things to go back to normal. But now he’s kidnapped a girl, and his brother’s men are after him. His only hope is to join with the Division, but they have plans of their own, and it’s the last thing Aern is willing to do.Emily just wants her sister back. She doesn't care about the prophecy, or realize what’s at stake. But when she goes after Aern, the truth of the matter uncoils, and Brianna isn't the only one who’s in danger.Suddenly, they’re at the center of a secret war, and unless they can work together, they’ll both have a sacrifice too big to make.
Pivotal Moments
Trinity Hanrahan - 2016
She’s getting ready for a life beyond senior year, and wonders where she’ll fit in to the world once she’s officially an adult. Though her curves are to kill for, she’s also smart and funny. However, she isn’t at all popular, which is just fine with her.Aislinn’s introverted ways are about to be put to the test...Content with hiding from the limelight, Aislinn doesn’t get bullied like so many other shy kids do—that is, as long as she keeps to herself. But is she really living the life she’s meant to? Or are there unforeseen adventures waiting to shake up her life in the near future?When her brother comes home from college, he brings an unexpected houseguest…Teagan Aldridge is a reformed party animal, ladies’ man, and bad boy. He’s the last person Aislinn thought would ever show her attention. But when Aislinn and Teagan become unlikely friends, he brings out a side of herself she never knew existed. She already knows she’s special, but sexy and adventurous? That’s a first.Are their personalities too far apart, or will opposites attract, making them an unusual, but influential pair? When their vast differences collide, Aislinn is led to some unexpected…Pivotal Moments
Of Cinder and Madness
Nicole Zoltack - 2017
Yes, she is beautiful, with wavy blond hair and big, blue eyes and flawless skin, but her charming façade is a lie, a mask, a deceit. Yes, yes, I’m sure you think me merely jealous. I’m not. I’m the victim, and I can prove it. You see, Eleonore deserves to be locked away. My, she even deserves to be killed! This gripping retelling of a much-loved fairy tale will make you question all you think you know about the girl who steals away to a ball and leaves behind a slipper.