Book picks similar to
As Darkness Spreads by Michelle Howard


not-interested
post-apocalyptic
romance
sci-fi

Prime Obsession


Monette Michaels - 2009
    Calls from ships in distress are not all that uncommon in the outermost spirals of the Milky Way. Calls from the warlike Prime were. Now that they were allies, Mel figures she’d better get used to working in conjunction with the chauvinistic race. She never expected to be attracted to one of them.The Prime, one of the oldest species in the galaxy, were known for going their own way. But with problems on Cejuru Prime and increasing attacks by the Antareans, the Prime joined the Alliance to lend their expertise in battling the warlike reptilian species--and ultimately, to survive as a race.Captain Wulf Caradoc, the eldest son and heir apparent of the Prime leader, looked forward to the trip to the Alliance ambassadorial planet. His mission is ostensibly to deliver the diplomatic team to the new Prime embassy. His real mission is to meet his fated mate, his gemate, one of the Lost Ones. Wulf hadn’t anticipated the diplomatic mission being attacked by pirates--and he especially hadn’t anticipated his gemate, Melina Dmitros, being the one sent to rescue his ship.Two strong people pulled together by biology and fate. Their union will be forged in a crucible of survival, treachery and duty.

Mercenary Instinct


Ruby Lionsdrake - 2014
    But Ankari Markovich needs a few archaeological samples for her latest business venture, a venture that might prove lucrative enough to move her family off the impoverished planet where she grew up. Unfortunately, she has no sooner collected her samples than she’s captured by a band of brawny mercenaries. The captain might be handsome, but he’s intent on turning her over to some finance lord who has, for reasons unknown, put a bounty on her head, a ridiculously large one at that. If she can’t figure out a way to escape before she’s delivered to the lord’s home world, she could be forced into a life of indentured servitude—or worse.Captain Viktor Mandrake doesn’t usually take on piddling bounty hunting gigs, but when his intelligence officer informs him of a criminal on a nearby planet, he decides it wouldn’t hurt to take a shuttle down to collect the woman. But Ankari Markovich is trouble from the start, nearly eluding his elite forces, then fighting and tricking his people left and right. He finds himself admiring her spirit, but according to her warrant, she’s a criminal. The safest thing is to keep her in the brig and ignore her until she can be handed off to the man who wants her.But the situation grows more complicated when other bounty hunters show up, wanting to claim Ankari for themselves. Thanks to this woman, Viktor’s ship is in danger, his crew members are going missing, and he’s fighting enemies he never asked for in a jungle in the middle of a hurricane. He’s either going to strangle Ankari… or fall in love. Either scenario could get him killed.Mercenary Instinct is a full-length, stand-alone novel of 90,000 words. It is part of the “Mandrake Company” series of science fiction romance stories and is recommended for readers who enjoy space-based adventure (such as Firefly) and steamy love stories (in the style of Linnea Sinclair).

Turbulence


Lyn Gala - 2013
    Instead he's stuck patrolling a remote corner of the border with cadets straight out of boot camp. They don't understand him, and he sure doesn't have an ounce of respect for them.After a field promotion, Earth sends Commander Zeke Waters to the Candiru for some practical experience in a leadership role. Instead, Zeke falls in lust with the adamantly heterosexual Jacqs. The way Jacqs fights and the way he sees the world draws Zeke closer, even if common sense tells him to walk away.Even if they can find a way to reconcile their sexual differences, they are both still soldiers. The war will eventually take them away from each other unless they can find a way to escape the rules that have defined their lives.

The Warchief's Bride


Ivy McAdams - 2020
    A bachelorette party in Vegas that would rock our socks off. As it turns out, what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas…it gets teleported to a mysterious deadly planet full of monsters and alien savages.As if that’s not bad enough, the alien barbarian chief claims me as his wife.Not exactly the Vegas wedding I was expecting…Now I have to figure out how to refuse the all-powerful king who doesn’t speak a lick of English, especially the word “No.”Getting back home is going to be tricky. Especially when my new husband has hands like vices and a tongue like butter. I need to get back to that portal before it's too late, or I could be stuck in this world forever. And lose my heart to the almighty warchief.

Rozar


Sue Mercury - 2019
    and she's already agreed to become his mate.Nadia knows if she stays on Earth, her mob boss ex-husband's goons will eventually find her. When the opportunity to become a Vaxxlian Mail Order Bride arises, she can't sign up fast enough. She's soon matched with a huge, fierce-looking alien warrior named Rozar who wants to mate with her upon their very first meeting. Whoa there. Slow down. She's desperate to escape Earth, but she also wants to be sure Rozar is a kind, decent alien before she commits to spending her life with him. She rushed into her first marriage and look what that got her--a one-way ticket into the Witness Protection Program. But the clock is ticking. The ship that brought Rozar to Earth departs in two weeks. Should she take a chance on the handsome otherworldly stranger whose kisses make her melt? Or should she rush back to her hideaway and hope for the best?One glance at the little human called Nadia and Rozar knows she's the female meant to become his. Her bottomless blue eyes mesmerize him and her sweet demeanor calls up his protective side. He wants nothing more than to claim her and bring her back to New Vaxx. But the dark-haired beauty is reluctant to mate with him, despite his promises to always keep her safe and provide for her and their future offspring. Before he can convince her of his devotion, the little human disappears without a trace. Word of her dangerous past reaches him and he's more determined than ever to protect her, even if vanquishing her enemies means she no longer has a need to leave Earth. But he's just as determined to claim her as his, and Rozar will do whatever it takes to convince Nadia she's meant to be his female for all time.

The Last Hour of Gann


R. Lee Smith - 2013
    She entered her Sleeper with a five-year contract and the promise of a better life, but awakened in wreckage on an unknown world. For the survivors, there is no rescue, no way home and no hope until they are found by Meoraq—a holy warrior more deadly than any hungering beast on this hostile new world…but whose eyes show a different sort of hunger when he looks at her.It was his last year of freedom:Uyane Meoraq is a Sword of Sheul, God’s own instrument of judgment, victor of hundreds of trials, with a conqueror’s rights over all men. Or at least he was until his father’s death. Now, without divine intervention, he will be forced to assume stewardship over House Uyane and lose the life he has always known. At the legendary temple of Xi’Matezh, Meoraq hopes to find the deliverance he seeks, but the humans he encounters on his pilgrimage may prove too great a test even for him…especially the one called Amber, behind whose monstrous appearance burns a woman’s heart unlike any he has ever known.

Hunter Bond


Carysa Locke - 2016
    Every parent's worst fear. Even if that parent is one of the most dangerous killers in the galaxy. Sanah and Dem always knew any child they had would be special. As the offspring of an empath and a psychically gifted Hunter and Killer, three-year-old Tamari is one-of-a-kind. When a mysterious illness threatens her life, Sanah and Dem would do anything to help her. Even if it tears their marriage apart. Note: This short story in the telepathic space pirates' universe takes place roughly three years after the events in Pirate Bound.

Claimed by the Demon Alien


Ella Maven - 2022
    But I can’t stay—my air filter will only last so long down here, and as for my demon? He can’t survive on the surface. We are from two different worlds that never should have collided… what kind of future is there for a hot, alien demon and a human woman?Claimed by the Demon Alien is a standalone Sci-Fi Romance featuring a horned alien who used to torture his enemies and now spends his time picking flowers for his botanist human girlfriend.

Taming Chaos


Anna Carven - 2018
    Some idiot's been selling Callidum weapons on the black market, and he's been tasked with finding the traitor. The illegal trading station isn't exactly Torin's favorite place in the Nine Galaxies. It's dirty, chaotic, and full of thieves and murderers, but as an elite Kordolian First Division warrior, he's the most dangerous thing on this floating cesspit, and he won't let anything stand in his way. But when he encounters a group of humans who really, really shouldn't be here, his priorities might just have to change, because one of them is about to get betrayed in the worst possible way... And she just so happens to be exactly his type. Taming Chaos is Book 1 in the Darkstar Mercenaries series. It features a lethal silver-skinned alien hero, a curvy human heroine, and the usual action, violence, steamy sex scenes, and HFN ("happy for now") ending.

Die for Her


R.B. Hilliard - 2020
    As president of the Steele Raiders MC, he doesn’t have the time nor the desire to get tangled up in a relationship. But then a beautiful woman—one who has no idea who he really is—steps into his life and makes him want more.Luciana Ferina is not a risk-taker. She’s steady and dependable; a woman who knows what she wants out of life. With a job she loves and a good head on her shoulders, she has everything she could ever need. But then she meets a man who makes her want to risk it all.She’s the woman of his dreams.He’s not who she thinks he is.When secrets unfold, it will be up to Steele to not only protect her but to prove he's the man worthy of her heart.Sometimes you have to fight for love, but sometimes you have to die for it.

The Ending Series: The Complete Series


Lindsey Pogue - 2016
    Billions died. The Ending began. Dani and Zoe may have survived the apocalypse, but the Virus changed them. Making it through the end of the world as they knew it was the easy part; it’s staying alive after the ending that will be the real challenge. AFTER THE ENDING, book one A devastating flu pandemic wipes out 90 percent of the human population…but by some miracle, childhood best friends Dani and Zoe survive. Thousands of miles apart, the young women struggle to stay alive, making risky alliances, heartbreaking choices, and more than their share of dangerous enemies. They’re only certain of one thing—they have to find each other. But as Dani and Zoe make their way across the perilous United States, they come to a terrifying realization—the Virus changed everyone, leaving survivors either insane or evolved. Surviving the end of the world as they knew it was the easy part; it’s staying alive after the ending that will be the real challenge. INTO THE FIRE, book two The Virus changed them, but that was only the beginning—death…mutation…insanity…corruption…terror—all that remains is hope. In the wake of destruction left behind by the Virus, it took Dani and Zoe months to find each other. But their reunion was short-lived. Dani has been taken, and though little distance separates them, they might as well be worlds apart. OUT OF THE ASHES, book three Hope brought them together, but it's now fear that drives them...and threatens to tear them apart. Beaten and broken, Dani and Zoe head west, home to Bodega Bay, determined to leave behind the torment and horrors they experienced in Colorado. Along the way, they learn that danger can take many forms--other survivors, their friends, even themselves--and that things are rarely what they seem. Zoe is desperate to become the woman she sees in others' memories, while Dani struggles to conceal damaging secrets, risking losing herself--her humanity--completely. Together, they must rediscover the true meaning of friendship, love, and trust, and learn just how hard they're willing to fight for what remains of their shattered world. As relationships are put to the test, second chances are given, and new life emerges, death lurks in the most unlikely of places. To survive, Dani and Zoe must accept that sometimes hope alone isn't enough. BEFORE THE DAWN, book four A year ago, the Virus killed off most people in the world. A year ago, strange things started happening to those who survived. Some of them transformed into something dark and sinister, while others evolved, becoming something more, something beyond human. A year ago, Dani and Zoe were lost. They traversed the country to find one another, losing some of the people dearest to them along the way. They fought for their right to simply live, uncovered long-buried secrets, and discovered irreversible truths. And after everything Dani and Zoe have been through—even with the battle wounds that they bear—they’re still not safe. It’s time for the struggle to end, for survivors to take back their lives, their families, their safety. It’s time to really begin to live, and to do that, they must wait for the first rays of dawn. BEFORE THE DAWN concludes the emotionally charged post-apocalyptic series, but there are still more stories from the world of The Ending Series: The Ending Beginnings Omnibus Edition World Before (TBR) World After (TBR)

Humanity's Endgame


Eve Langlais - 2021
    Aliens ended life as we know it on Earth.Not on purpose, I should add, though that didn’t matter to the billions who died. But it turned out, in some respects, surviving was even worse. My family used to say good thing I was pretty. In case you were wondering, it didn’t help when the end of the world arrived. Alone, and afraid, somehow, I managed to hold on. Foraging for supplies. Eking out a hidden existence. Avoiding the mutants that emerged after the alien plague.I’d resigned myself to dying alone, which was when I literally fell into Xavion’s arms.And I managed to find love in the apocalypse.*Stand alone story. Not connected to a series.

Down & Dirty: Books 1-3


Jeanne St. James - 2018
    Get Down & Dirty with the first three books in the series… ZAK: After spending the last ten years in prison, Zak, former DAMC president, has a few priorities: to reconnect with his “brothers,” to get drunk, and to get laid. Not necessarily in that order. When he spots a stunning woman in the clubhouse and mistakes her for one of the club’s strippers, those priorities get a bit skewed. Sophie has no idea what happened to her life. One minute she’s totally focused on building her bakery business, and the next? She’s delivering a cake to the Dirty Angels motorcycle club’s “homecoming” celebration for a member who just got out of prison. Little does she know baking that cake will change the rest of her life, not to mention, make her a target for a rival MC. Normally, Sophie wouldn’t be caught dead with a man like Zak, a tattooed, ex-con, badass biker. When a decades old territory war threatens to rip them apart, Zak will do anything to keep Sophie, his club, and the town safe. But being from two different worlds, the threat they’re under may not be worth the risk. JAG: The only thing Jag, DAMC Road Captain, loves more than his custom bike is Ivy. He’s wanted her ever since he could remember. However, through the years, he’s had to watch her date anyone but him since she avoids dating bikers like the plague. Instead, she gravitates toward the complete opposite: geeks and nerds. Something Jag will never be. Smart and independent, Ivy wants to be the property of no man. Growing up in the club, she knows firsthand how they treat women. She regrets the mistake she made by dragging Jag upstairs to his room at the club one drunken night. Ever since then, she’s been doing her best to keep him at arm’s length, though it’s proven difficult. Especially when she finds out his secret, which only endears her to him even more. Between secrets, lies, and a violent tangle with a rival club, can these two passionate hot-heads find the love and solace they’re looking for in each other’s arms? Or will everything just tumble down around them? HAWK: When strong statements must be made, Hawk, as the MC’s VP, must be the one to make them. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences, like him landing in jail. Though the club keeps an attorney on retainer, the one who shows up isn’t quite who he’s expecting. Not even close. Feisty, classy, and curvy, this attorney pushes his buttons in all the right ways. And Hawk can’t ignore a challenge. However, she’s so out of his league, he can’t hope for anything more than a few chances to scratch all her itches. When Kiki’s boss hands over the club’s account, she doesn’t know what to expect and her meeting with the overbearing, bad boy biker goes anything but smoothly. Like Hawk, Kiki loves a challenge, too. But getting involved in the club and its VP may not be what she bargained for. Especially when it comes to several run-ins with a rival MC, including one which may very well affect the rest of her life. Kiki needs to decide if becoming involved with Hawk is worth not only the judgment from her peers but, even worse, the violent mayhem the club becomes entangled in. Note: This book can be read as a standalone. It includes lots of steamy scenes, biker slang, cursing, some violence and, of course, an HEA. If you like alpha males who like to take charge, this book is for you.

Devor


Enid Titan - 2019
     Stolen from my home. Trapped on a giant spaceship. Taken by the Prince of an alien species I never knew existed. He's more than a man in so many ways. But I can't let myself fall under the telepath's spell. I can't think about his long silver blond warrior's hair... His glowing eyes... His unique tongues... Or the immense equipment dangling between his legs. I have to be sensible -- I have to escape. The only problem is that the Crown Prince will never let me out of his sight. And even if I did escape, I'd have no way to get back to Earth. Enid Titan's debut novel is Book 1 in The Alpha Quadrant Series. This is a NO cliffhanger, guaranteed HEA series of alien science fiction romance standalone novels. At 60,000+ words, this satisfying ultra-steamy read will leave you desperate for more. This full-length sci-fi/fantasy novel will satisfy your deepest, darkest lust. Take a peek inside and see for yourself...

Discovery


E. Jaye - 2013
    Chesara's extraordinary ability means she is coddled, pampered and in high demand from the wealthy of the Universe as she can heal illnesses and injuries far beyond the skills of medical science. Being pursued for herself, rather than her ability is a new experience, and one that thrills her to the core. Unfortunately things that seem too good to be true, usually are. Reverse Harem series. Contains graphic scenes M/F and some violence. It is intended for a mature audience only.