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Do you love the thrill of the unknown, the magic of the supernatural, and a good dose of romance in literature? Then paranormal romance books might just be the perfect combination for you!
Whether you’re new to the genre or already an avid fan, this article will provide you with the top ten best paranormal romances to add to your reading list. From classic tales of werewolves and vampires to more modern stories of witches and faeries, you’ll find something to captivate and tantalize you.
Start your journey into the otherworldly with these captivating tales that will have you hooked from the first page until the last.
Also, if you love fantasy, then you should check out these new thrilling releases of 2023 and for some of the best fantasy romance books, take a look at these 17 explosive reads.
Shades of Wicked by Jeaniene Frost
Veritas has been a Law Guardian for thousands of years, and now she’s out for revenge. She needs a plan and the devilishly charismatic master vampire, Ian, is the perfect bait – only, she soon realizes he isn’t what she expected.
Shades of Wicked, a paranormal romance novel, is the perfect read for when you’re craving an unputdownable adventure of thrilling action, sizzling romance, and supernatural suspense. Ian may refuse to be Veritas’ pawn, but the game is just beginning.
My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
When struggling artist Cassie Greenberg receives an eviction notice, she jumps at an opportunity to live in an idyllically charming Chicago neighborhood—too good to be true? Sure enough, when Cassie meets her new roommate, Frederick J. Fitzwilliam, she finds out he’s a vampire—and that’s only the beginning of their wild ride.
Jenna Levine’s My Roommate is a Vampire is a charming paranormal romance full of laughs and wit. Fans of sexy-as-sin vampires and hilarious situations will enjoy this page-turner.
Hollow Heathens: Book of Blackwell by Nicole Fiorina
After receiving a particularly unsettling letter from her grandfather, Fallon Grimaldi returns to the one place she was warned away from for 24 years: the town of Weeping Hollow.
Upon her arrival, Fallon quickly learns that the stories from her childhood are true: that witches are real, the town of Weeping Hollow has a mind of its own and magic is not just a thing of fairytales.
The one person Fallon never saw coming was Julian Blackwell. As one of the four Hollow Heathens, Julian suffers from a wicked curse that demands he wears a mask at all times, lest he wants to scare a person to death.
Read Hollow Heathens if you’re in the mood for an witchy adult paranormal romance book about four boys whose one chance at breaking the curse resides in the ignorant newcomer.
Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh
Slave to Sensation is a paranormal romance that delves into the world of the Psy, emotionless beings with powerful mental abilities, and the Changelings, shapeshifters.
In the first book of the Psy-Changeling series, Singh follows Sascha Duncan, a Psy that is feeling dangerous emotions, and Lucas Hunter, a Changeling deadset on uncovering the Psy responsible for the murders of his packmates. When Sascha and Lucas collide, nothing goes according to plan—least of all the troubling sparks that fly between them.
Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
Catherine “Cat” Crawfield is on a mission for vengeance: to rid the world of the evil vampires who killed her mother. But when Cat targets the wrong vampire, things quickly go awry. Crispin “Bones” Russel, a 200-year-old British bounty hunter, blackmails Cat into an unlikely partnership. As they work together to take down the undead menace, Cat soon realizes that not all vampires are evil – and that not every stake to the heart is deserved.
Halfway to the Grave is an edge-of-your-seat paranormal romance by Jeaniene Frost. Packed with witty banter, action scenes, and undeniable sexual tension, it has been named one of the best paranormal romance books of all time. It’s a must-read for all fans of the genre.
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Clary Fray’s life changes forever when she visits the Pandemonium Club in New York City. There, she witnesses a murder committed by three teenagers covered in hidden tattoos, who are invisible to everyone else but her. Clary soon learns of the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to the eradication of demons from the world. Among them is Jace, a handsome Shadowhunter with a sharp wit.
Things get even more complicated when Clary’s mother disappears, pushing her into the Shadowhunter’s realm. Here, Clary discovers that there may be more to her than she ever imagined.
If you’re a fan of paranormal romance books, City of Bones is for you! You’ll love the entertaining characters, hilarious banter, and demonic ass-kicking!
Angelfall by Susan Ee
Angels, humans, and test tube creations, oh my!
Six weeks ago, angels of the apocalypse descended to eradicate humanity. When an angel flies away with a little girl, her older sister Penryn will do anything to get her back. Even if that means striking up a deal with an enemy angel.
After eons of fighting his own battles, Raffe never expects to be rescued by a half-starved teenage girl, but when a fight goes awry and he loses his wings, they must rely on each other in order to survive the dangerous wasteland that has become Northern California.
If you love dystopian worlds mixed with forbidden romance (yes, we are talking about interspecies relationships), then this a great paranormal romance book for you.
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Yelena is spared from the gallows when she is offered the chance to become the Commander’s new food taster. Yelena naturally accepts. Valek, the head of the Commander’s security, is not one to leave things to chance which pushes him to feed her Butterfly’s Dust. Taking the daily antidote is the only thing delaying an agonizing death from the poison.
Thrust into a dangerous world of politics, assassination attempts and deadly poisons, Yelena will need all her wits to survive this political warzone.
If you’re in the mood for paranormal romance books with magic, adventure and romance, Poison Study is right up your alley. Also, if you like your romances slow-burn with a dash of espionage, you’ll have a blast with this exciting paranormal romance!
Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa
Siren Callypso (Callie) Lillis is a present day bounty hunter. Back when she was a teenager, she called upon The Bargainer to clean up a mess and with no one to rely on but herself, she continued calling him back for more and more favors. But every visit came at a price. Then one day he ignored Callie’s call and she wouldn’t see him for years to come. best paranormal romance books
Seven years pass before he collects on those favors. Callie must help The Bargainer save the Otherworld from an invisible enemy that only Callie has the power to stop. The question is, will she discover it before it discovers her?
If you’re a sucker for paranormal romance books where the villain gets the girl, Rhapsodic is a great book to check out. And get ready for a slow-burn romance that will give you all the feels.
Nightshade by Keri Lake
Farryn Ravenshaw is lost. Between her father’s suspicious disappearance and the inexplicable oddities of her life, Farryn is desperate to uncover the buried secrets of her past and the dark visions that haunt her dreams – Even if that means leaving behind everything she knows to chase a ghost.
In this breathtaking paranormal romance from Keri Lake, angels, demons, and monsters walk the mortal realm, and an entity known as Death haunts those in a place nicknamed Nightshade. Filled with deadly prophecies, forbidden love, and dark secrets, Nightshade is a romance you do not want to miss.
P.S. I Spook You by S.E. Harmon
Once the golden boy of the FBI, profiler Rain Christiansen is now one mistake away from being the bureau’s greatest failure, what with his paranormal sightings. Shipped to his hometown of Brickell Bay to work on a cold case, Rain is dead set on making it work with his career on the line.
Cold case Detective Daniel McKenna is struggling with his latest case. With zero leads and minimal evidence, Danny can use all the help he can get – even if that means said help comes in the form of a profiler who also happens to be his ex.
Spooky, fun, and romantic, P.S. I Spook You is a second-chance MM paranormal romance overflowing with twists, turns, and awkward supernatural encounters.
A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole
For paranormal romance fans, King of the Lykae Lachlain MacRieve’s story is one of a lifetime. His unexpected predestined mate is Emmaline Troy, a timid vampire/valkyrie hybrid. Despite his distaste for her vampire origins, he refuses to allow Emma to slip away and whisks her off to his secluded Scottish castle. But after a disastrous first impression, proving his worthiness for her forgiveness will be Lachlain’s greatest challenge.
Satisfy your thirst for paranormal romance with A Hunger Like No Other, a stand-out take on vampires that will keep you turning the pages.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Follow Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a reluctant witch, on her enchanting journey in A Discovery of Witches.
When Diana discovers a powerful magical manuscript in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, she unwittingly attracts the attention of supernatural creatures, including vampires and daemons, who have long sought the manuscript.
Among these creatures is Matthew Clairmont, a charismatic vampire with a mysterious past, who offers to help Diana unravel the centuries-old secrets. Together, they explore a captivating world of history, mystery, romance, and witchcraft.
Deborah Harkness draws readers into her bewitching narrative, effortlessly combining historical fiction, fantasy, and academia. If you’re a fan of paranormal romance, this is the book for you.
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Moving to a new town your senior year is hard enough without your hot neighbor acting like a complete and utter jerk. When Katy is attacked one day, Daemon saves her by freezing time. Yes, you read that right. He froze time. Caught red-handed, Daemon reveals that he is, in fact, an alien and during his knight-moment, he accidentally marks Katy. Together they must figure out how to get rid of the mark before it’s too late.
Aliens are always a fun concept and the added enemies to lovers romance makes Jennifer Armentrout’s Obsidian one of the best paranormal romance books to read if you love alien romances.
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Meghan Chase is a high school student whose life changes over night when she learns her younger brother, Ethan, has been spirited off to Nevernever and in Ethan’s place is a changeling. Everything Meghan knew was a lie, from her half-faerie nature to her status as King Oberon’s daughter to the identity of her best friend Robbie who is actually Puck, the mischievous faerie of legends.
With Puck by her side, Meghan sets out to rescue Ethan. During her journey, Meghan finds herself at the center of a deadly war with the attention of a young prince who would rather see her dead than allow her into his ice-cold heart.
If you love your paranormal romance books mixed with forbidden love, you’ll have a lot of fun with The Iron King.
The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon
Shifters, tellers, healers and spinners, oh my! If you have any interest whatsoever in the fantasy genre, then this will be right up your alley. With a shape-shifting king and a girl who can command anything to her will, it’s impossible to become bored.
Read The Bird and the Sword if you enjoy epic slow burn paranormal romance books that leave you speechless.
Pestilence by Laura Thalassa
In the aftermath of the apocalypse, humanity will suffer a great loss with the arrival of the four horsemen. When Pestilence rides into Sarah Burn’s town, she refuses to sit idly by as he kills everyone she knows. Determined to end his reign of terror, Sarah attempts to kill him. It isn’t until he takes her prisoner that she realizes the horsemen cannot be killed.
With vengeance on his mind, Pestilence is looking forward to making Sarah suffer. As they journey across the states, Sarah begins to see a different side of Pestilence, but the question is whether he has the power to change?
For an apocalyptic world that is on the brink of extinction, you should check out Pestilence. It’s the type of paranormal romance book that you read in one sitting because you just have to know how it ends.
Radiance by Grace Draven
Radiance involves a human princess, IIdiko, and an alien prince, Brishen, who are tasked to marry one another in order to unite their kingdoms. The two races find each other physically repulsive, so you can say this was a match made in the fiery pits of Tartarus. While they may not be physically attracted to each other, they share a kinship that goes beyond physical appearances.
If you enjoy couples who banter like an old married couple, Kai and IIdiko do that and more.
Check out Radiance if you like your paranormal romance books slow-burn with a bickering couple to keep you entertained. Kai and IIdiko honestly have the funniest banter. I could not get enough go it!
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
What would you do if you could travel into the past? Gwen’s family is filled with time-traveler’s, but when she fails to show signs of carrying the time-traveling gene, everyone believes it skipped a generation. Then she begins taking unexpected trips back to the past. Suddenly Gwen is figuring out all the intricacies of time travel as she and her time-traveling partner Gideon must figure out who’s behind a nefarious plot.
Read Ruby Red if you fancy yourself an enemies to lovers romance (basically) filled with secret societies and an adventure of a lifetime.
Angels’ Blood by Nalini Singh
When an archangel enlists you to track another wayward archangel, you can’t say no. That’s how vampire hunter Elena Deveraux ends up as the Archangel Raphael’s bloodhound. Soon Elena finds herself thrust into the center of a murder spree all whilst trying to survive her burgeoning feelings for an archangel who has no plans of turning on his humanity (although there’s no humanity switch, this isn’t The Vampire Diaries). best paranormal romance books
Check out Angels’ Blood if you like adult paranormal romance books that bring you forbidden love that is as slow burn as they get.
Dark Lover by J.R. Ward
Delve into the thrilling world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood with Wrath and Beth’s story in Dark Lover, the first book of J.R. Ward’s popular paranormal romance series.
Wrath is the fiercely loyal leader of the brotherhood, consumed by a mission to enact vengeance against his parents’ murderers. But then fate intervenes when Beth Randall, the half-breed daughter of one of his comrades, crosses Wrath’s path.
Join them as their undeniable connection leads them on a journey of love, danger and suspense. Uncover the secrets of the Brotherhood and explore a world of action, passion, and adventure.
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Fans of paranormal romance will not want to miss Richelle Mead’s Bloodlines series, a spin-off of her acclaimed Vampire Academy novels. Follow Sydney Sage, an Alchemist tasked with protecting the hidden existence of vampires from humans, in her thrilling journey toward forbidden love and the unknown. With vivid characters, a unique setting, and a captivating plot, Bloodlines is one paranormal romance you won’t want to miss.
Shunned by Steffanie Holmes
Hazel’s entire life went up in flames when a fire took the lives of her parents and best friend. Barely getting by, she is given a second chance when she is offered a scholarship to an elite academy. Her plan is to coast by, get good grades, graduate and get the hell out of there.
Hazel does not count on Ayaz, Trey, and Quinn: the three guys who practically run the school and who also want her gone. However, what they don’t realize is that it will take more than a few insults and pranks to run Hazel out of town. best paranormal romance books
Read Shunned if you like your paranormal romance books mixed with reverse harem. If you like the reverse harem bully romance trope, then this may be your book soulmate. Side note: they do redeem themselves.
Winter by Audrey Grey
In a world taken over by the fae, humans live in fear.
When half-starved Summer commits treason by attempting to steal from the Fae, she finds herself in a pickle when she’s caught and sentenced to attend the Evermore Academy for four years as a human shadow, the equivalent of a student who is also a servant. Summer’s plans of keeping a low profile are killed when she makes an enemy out of the most powerful student at the academy, the Winter Prince. Things only get worse when she realizes he’s her Fae Keeper. Things have never been more interesting.
If you prefer your paranormal romance books to take place in an academy school setting where you have your humans and your fae (plus royalty), then you should give Winter a try. The sequel is out, Spring, so you can jump right into that after finishing this gem.
Can’t Fix Cupid by Raven Kennedy
Trix is a quirky, malfunctioning Cupid desperate to remain in the Veil which means actually making love matches. Instead of releasing a fragrant lust breath, Trix expels an odorous funk that instantly kills the chances of any potential matches. So, what else is a Cupid with faulty powers to do except watch *obsess* over a single CEO bachelor who never makes it past the first date?
Warren Knight is a cocky, stubborn, broody, and aloof bachelor with a penchant for self-sabotaging every one of his dates. Trix figures it’s up to her to find him love which results in multiple botched attempts.
When Trix’s superior Sev calls her back to the Veil, she learns of her impending exile if she fails to reach her love match quota. Sev’s attempt to help Trix ends with her semi-human form in a rather compromising situation in Warren’s office… naked. To say that their first encounter went poorly would be an understatement. However, it did end with Trix declaring she would be his matchmaker and find him love.
If you love your paranormal romance books with a splash of humor and a dose of awkwardly hilarious moments, you’ll fall in love with Can’t Fix Cupid. No instant love here. Slow burn for the win! Plus, I would say this is sort of like an enemies to lovers / unrequited friendship kind of thing.
Playing with Monsters by Amelia Hutchins
Lena is finally returning to her coven. After experiencing an ugly breakup, running seemed like the only option for the young witch. Now that she’s back, she must participate in The Harvest, a magical witch mating tradition.
Lucian Blackstone is a mysterious man who intrigues Lena, but when strange things begin happening, the intrigue turns into fear as she realizes there is much more to Lucian than what originally meets the eye. See, he’s on a mission and he will do anything to achieve his goal. Even if that means using Lena in the process.
Witches, demons and fae . . . oh my! If you love instant romances (because that’s basically what this is), then this is one of the best paranormal romance books to to a peek at.
City of Thorns by C.N. Crawford
On the night of her 22nd birthday, Rowan Morgenstern never expected to wake up in a dank dungeon. But fate had other plans, and when Rowan’s path crosses with the enigmatic Lord of Chaos, her life takes an unexpected turn. Mistaken for her succubus doppelgänger Mortana, it isn’t until he tastes her blood that he discovers she is mortal.
Bound together by mutual thirst for vengeance, the two form a bargain: While disguised as the succubus, Rowan searches for her mother’s killer. Little does she realize, though, that she’ll have to use more than her wits to get her revenge.
City of Thorns is an alluring slow-burn romance between a captivating demon lord and a mortal who’s learning the art of seduction. Mysterious, thrilling, and sexy, this paranormal romance is sure to draw fans in—so make sure to add it to your bookshelf today!
Flames of Chaos by Amelia Hutchins
When Aria and her sisters return to the Human Realm of Haven Falls, they hope to find their missing sister except she’s not there. They soon discover that the Human Realm has changed and nothing is what it seems, especially Knox, a stubborn and egotistical man who stepped up as the unofficial king in the wake of the sisters’ absence.
Aria and Knox clash in a fiery explosion of sparks when they first meet and the sparks show no signs of dying. Still, no matter how much Knox is falling for Aria’s personality and friendly banter, nothing will stop him from setting the stage for the war he’s been planning for the past 500 years. Not even the descendants of Hecate.
Flames of Chaos is one of those adult paranormal romance books that you cannot get enough of while you’re reading it and then hate yourself after when you realize the sequel will not be released for a couple of months. Well, it could be worse. It could be years.
Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
High school student Anna Whitt is anything but normal and she knows it, especially with her unique ability of seeing other people’s feelings through their auras. Anna feels like a misfit with everyone except her best friend Jason. For her sixteenth birthday, Jason brings her to a band’s gig and it is there that she meets drummer Kaidan Rowe.
Anna is instantly drawn to him when she realizes she is unable to read his aura and comes to the conclusion that Kaidan is like her. With question upon question regarding her identity, Anna decides to go on a road trip with Kaidan which is filled with smoldering moments and funny dilemmas.
If you prefer young adult paranormal romance books with angels and demons, then Sweet Evil is the perfect choice. I read this when I was around 13 or so and I was obsessed with it at the time.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
This fantastic fantasy novel takes place in a land filled with magic, deception and danger. Assassin Celaena Sardothien is summoned to the castle where she is to fight in a competition with twenty-three killers, thieves and warriors. The prize: to serve as the king’s champion and her freedom. However, the Crown Prince doesn’t make it easy on her and the Captain of the Guard tries to help her. In a world where lies are common and death can come right after your next meal, the stakes are high.
If you like paranormal romance books that center around royal competitions (of course this time we’re not competing for the prince’s heart), then you might want to check out Throne of Glass.