Book picks similar to
Tricky Magic by L.L. Campbell
fantasy
romance
paranormal
adult
Within Obsession and Lies
Stacy Jones - 2021
Obsession. Lies.Other people dream of being special. They wouldn’t, if they knew what a nightmare it is.Arawyn would give anything to be ordinary and rid herself of the power that lives inside her. Dangerous and alluring, it’s caused nothing but pain and horror, making her the dark obsession of anyone who gets too close.After years of barely containing it, Arawyn thought she had control… until the night it bursts free and pulses like a beacon.As threats emerge from the shadows, each one more fixated on her than the last, she finds her life infiltrated by three mysterious men.A mafia boss, a psychopath, and a killer.Rathe, Viper, and Fear are much more than they seem. They taste of power and feel impossibly familiar. They call to her soul in a way she’s never experienced and might have answers to questions she’s been asking her entire life.But darkness and secrets surround them, ones covered in blood and mire.When the monsters stalking her endanger not only her power but her life, she’ll have to make a decision: take a risk and let these dangerous men in, or do what she’s always done—walk away and try to survive on her own.Trusting them would be a mistake. Yet, she may not have a choice.The monsters hunting her aren’t human and they’re out for blood. Rathe, Viper, and Fear might be her only chance of making it through this alive.There’s only one problem. They aren’t human either…From bestselling authors, Stacy Jones and Harper Wylde, comes a darkly seductive new series that blends romance, danger, and the supernatural into an unforgettable read.
The Never King
Nikki St. Crowe - 2022
Sometimes they’re gone for only a day, some a week or a month. But they always return broken.Now, on the afternoon of my 18th birthday, my mother is running around the house making sure all the windows are barred and the doors locked.But it’s pointless.Because when night falls, he comes for me. And this time, the Never King and the Lost Boys aren’t willing to let me go.* Release Date is not final and will likely be much sooner. Target release date is March 2022 *The Never King is a dark retelling of Peter and Wendy. If you like your enemies to lovers romance with hot, ruthless, morally gray love interests, you’ll enjoy The Never King and the Lost Boys. You can expect hate kissing, fighting, bickering, and ‘touch her and I’ll unalive you’ vibes.
Music of the Night
Angela J. Ford - 2021
. .After the death of her father, Aria is left penniless and destitute. To avoid working the streets she becomes the ward of a Count and moves to a remote town called High Tower.High Tower is a gloomy place with one vivid attraction: the theater. Lords and ladies come from afar to be seduced by a night of unforgettable entertainment.Many are warned to stay away from High Tower’s dangerous enchantments, but it’s a warning Aria is forced to ignore. Determined to take her life back into her hands, she and the Count make a deal. She can avoid an arranged marriage if she learns to sing for him.When Aria stumbles across a mysterious man in a dark tower, she begs to learn the power of song from him. Although reluctant, the man agrees to teach her the music of the night. Between midnight meetings and emotional singing lessons, Aria falls in love with her alluring instructor despite his shadowy past.But something deadly stirs, awoken by the desire of its master.Evenings reveries become haunted with terror, blood and murder. Rumors claim the man in the tower in behind the madness that haunts High Tower, a truth Aria is loathe believe. For she just gained the desire of her heart.What she doesn’t know is that her haunted instructor intends to use her for his own purposes. . .Music of the Night is a complete, stand-alone novel inspired by Phantom of the Opera. Perfect for fans of dark and steamy fantasy romance.
The North Wind
Alexandria Warwick - 2022
Dark. Romantic. Introducing a newly reimagined tale written in the vein of Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone.Long before civilization, there were the gods. And before the gods, there was the earth, the celestial bodies, and air given flesh. They are the Anemoi—the Four Winds—and they have been banished to the four corners of the world.Wren of Edgewood is no stranger to suffering. Her parents are gone. Survival is all she knows. For three hundred years, the land known as the Gray has been encased in ice, surrounded by a great barrier called the Shade, which protects the townsfolk from the Deadlands beyond.But day by day, the Shade weakens.Only one thing can stop the Shade's fall: a mortal woman taken captive across the barrier, bound in wedlock to the dark god who reigns over the Deadlands. He is the North Wind, the Frost King, an immortal whose heart is said to be as frigid as the land he rules.And the time has come for the Frost King to choose his bride. The North Wind is a standalone, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance, the first in a series sprinkled with Greek lore. Perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Laura Thalassa, and Scarlett St. Clair.
Wolf Gone Wild
Juliette Cross - 2020
His wolf has taken up residence in his head, taunting him night and day with vividly violent and carnal thoughts. Convinced he's cursed, he needs the help of a powerful witch before he literally goes insane.Evie Savoie has always obeyed the house rules of her coven — no werewolves. They're known for being moody and volatile. So, when a distempered, dangerous werewolf strolls into the bar and almost strangles one of her late-night customers, she's ready to bounce him through the door. But the desperation in his eyes when he begs her to help him softens her heart and convinces her to bend the rules.What Evie doesn't know is that Mateo's wolf has a mind of his own. And now that she's in his sights, he wants only one thing. Her.
Rise of the Witch
C. Rochelle - 2021
If any of those things don't work for you, please don't read it!BLURB:As with most beginnings, it started with death.When I had nothing left to lose, I traveled to the hut in the woods; the one no one dared approach. The witch who lived there recognized the darkness in my soul and took me under her wing—to witness her reign of terror firsthand and eventually, to inherit her legacy as my own.Now I’m the monster they fear; the one humans avoid at all costs. In this welcome isolation, I've attempted to forget my past and the future that was taken from me.Until three men appear, somehow able to break through my protective wards and see me in my true form. While resistant to their intrusion, I recognize they may be the ones I’ve been waiting for—the ones I need to ascend to my full power.Too bad I would rather grind their bones than invite them in.But something is mysteriously devouring the forest, and I suspect the threat may be the same one I barely escaped many moons ago. If it is, he will find me a more worthy opponent than the last time we met.I am the Yaga and I may be broken, but my edges are sharp.--The Yaga’s Riders is based on the folklore of Baba Yaga, with creative liberties taken.The Rise of the Witch is the first book in a steamy, paranormal romance trilogy featuring alphaholes, mysterious forces in magical woods, and a slightly frightening heroine who never has to choose just one man.MMFMMultiple POVThis series is meant for readers 18 and over.Beware: Cliffys ahead!Possible triggers:Sweary dialogueGraphic sex, including kink and various edgeplayGore and violenceToxic masculinity (don't worry - it doesn't last forever! #characterarc)Reference to past sexual assault and pregnancy lossGeneral weirdness and medium-dark elements
Dead of Night
Emily Goodwin - 2019
Never trust a vampire. I might have learned that lesson the hard way. But when I find myself in a vampire-owned bar, I don’t have much of a choice. With vampires still trying to assimilate into mainstream society, I’ve done Lucas King a favor by stopping one of his patrons from draining a human dry in the basement of his bar. A favor he'd prefer to repay in bed than in kind. Vampires and witches have had more than a jaded history, and when witches start showing up dead in surrounding covens, all signs point to something old and powerful. Something that knows the ways of the witches. Something--or someone--like Lucas. What's worse than trusting a vampire? Falling in love with one.
Demon King
Elizabeth Briggs - 2020
Now he’s claimed me as his mate.When my best friend goes missing in Las Vegas, there’s only one man I can turn to for help.Lucas Ifer. Billionaire playboy. CEO of Abaddon Inc. King of Sin City.And…the devil himself?Lucas—aka Lucifer—agrees to help me, but in exchange he wants one thing: me.He’s dark, dangerous, and wickedly handsome. Oh, and evil incarnate. I should say no, but I can’t. I’m that desperate.But when you make a deal with the devil, there's no escaping it. Now he owns my body for seven nights of sin. Even worse, he owns my soul for all eternity.I’m Persephone being claimed by Hades, and I have no choice but to enter his underworld and become his dark queen.Is there any light left in that black heart? Or will his darkness consume me?Demon King is a sinfully sexy retelling of Hades and Persephone with a Lucifer twist, perfect for fans of Jennifer Armentrout, Sarah J. Maas, Laura Thalassa, and Amelia Hutchins.
The Bridge Kingdom
Danielle L. Jensen - 2018
The first is that King Aren of the Bridge Kingdom is her enemy. And the second is that she’ll be the one to bring him to his knees.The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom enriches itself and deprives its rivals, including Lara's homeland. So when she’s sent as a bride under the guise of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture its impenetrable defenses. And the defenses of its king.Yet as she infiltrates her new home and gains a deeper understanding of the war to possess the bridge, Lara begins to question whether she’s the hero or the villain. And as her feelings for Aren transform from frosty hostility to fierce passion, Lara must choose which kingdom she’ll save… and which kingdom she’ll destroy.Passionate and violent, The Bridge Kingdom is a seductive fantasy perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
The Marionettes
Katie Wismer - 2021
A deadly secret. An unlikely ally.Valerie Darkmore’s entire life has been building up to this moment—her initiation into the Marionettes, the prestigious league of witches sworn to serve the vampires. As one of the last remaining blood witches, her spot is almost guaranteed. At least, so she’d thought.The academy is full of sabotage and secrets as the tasks begin, and Valerie quickly realizes she has more than her spot on the line. Her survival seems just as uncertain.The closer she gets to the final trial, the more she learns everything—and everyone—around her isn’t quite what it seems.
A Court of Honey and Ash
Shannon Mayer - 2021
Trained to fight. Raised to fear the power of Underhill. Secretly in love with a man who doesn’t want me.I’m still just Alli, aka the half-human orphan fae, but my life is looking up for the first time. It only took me my whole 24 years. But when Underhill—the ancestral home of the fae—shatters, making it impossible for any fae to enter, I’m the only one who knows who did it. A secret that will be the death of me if I do nothing. A brutal madness spreads through the fae as they lose their connection to Underhill, and to save my people, my only choice is to leave all I have fought for and go on the run.Unless I figure out how the hell magic that has existed since the dawn of time was destroyed with a single touch, well, an entire life spent fighting to prove myself isn’t going to mean anything at all.I must find the answer to the riddle of Underhill’s shattering.Hunted by the very man I loved once upon a time.
Caught in the Devil's Hand
Ruby Duvall - 2007
But love could set them free.In Shumei's world, her black hair marks her as being touched by magic and thereby vulnerable to its corruption. Shunned by her village, she and her family scrape by selling herbal remedies, but a mysterious epidemic has depleted her stores, and she is forced to leave the protection of town to replenish them.With only moonlight to guide her, Shumei does what she can to evade the demons known to stalk the woods, but she finds herself confronted by an alluring man with a wicked smile and desolate eyes—one who somehow knows her deepest, darkest desires...and whose depraved hunger betrays his inhuman nature.Little does she know how a single moment of weakness will end up unlocking her potential, her destiny, and her heart.Caught in the Devil’s Hand is book one of an epic fantasy romance series about the extraordinary sorcerers of the Dark Court in their fight against evil, with love guiding them to triumph. The series features magic, monsters, and steamy sex scenes, set in an imaginary empire that evokes late medieval Japanese life. Perfect for fans of Bec McMaster and Grace Draven!Each book can be read standalone, but consuming the series in order offers the best reading experience.Author Note: story contains sexually predatory scenes (no rape), including some initial dubcon with the MMC. This book is for adult readers looking for a dark, explicit fantasy romance. HEA guaranteed, but story ends in a cliffhanger.
Gothikana
RuNyx - 2021
An enigmatic man. An ancient castle. What could go wrong?An outcast her entire life, Corvina Clemm is left adrift after losing her mother. When she receives the admission letter from the mysterious University of Verenmore, she accepts it as a sign from the universe. The last thing she expects though is an olden, secluded castle on top of a mountain riddled with secrets, deceit, and death.An enigma his entire life, Vad Deverell likes being a closed book but knowing exactly everything that happens in the university. A part-time professor working on his thesis, Vad has been around long enough to know the dangers the castle possesses. And he knows the moment his paths cross with Corvina, she's dangerous to everything that he is.They shouldn't have caught each other's eye. They cannot be. But a chill-inducing century-old mystery forces them to collide. People have disappeared every five years for over a hundred years, and Corvina is getting clues to unraveling it all, and Vad needs to keep an eye on her.And so begins a tale of the mystique, the morbid, the macabre, and a deep love that blossoms in the unlikeliest of places.
Broken Bonds
J. Bree - 2021
This book will end on a cliffhanger. It's recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations.
Stealing Embers
Julie Hall - 2020
A world of lies. She belongs to both.My name is Emberly, and everything I’ve ever been told is a lie.Monsters don’t exist. Wrong.The nightmarish spectrum world is just my imagination. Wrong.In a few months, I’ll finally be free. Wrong.It takes being dragged to a secret training academy in the mountains to unravel the truth. My captors--an elite race of angel-born warriors called Nephilim.The deadliest of them all is an arrogant shape shifter, Steel. He’s gorgeous, lethal, hot-headed . . . and convinced I’ll be the death of them all.Maybe he’s right. As soon as I show up, the monsters that have haunted me my entire life breach the academy walls. My only hope of saving my new friends is learning how to control my powers, but when a stunning betrayal hurts someone I care about, I have an impossible choice.Stay and fight for a place to belong . . . or decide once and for all that I’m better off alone.Enter the spectrum world, a realm in-between worlds where shadow beasts draw blood, reality is a maze of twisted lights and sounds, and life goals are whittled down to just one: survive.Fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Cassandra Clare will love this Crescent City meets Crave mash up!