Subgenre

Paranormal romance books

Vampires, shifters, witches and demons, usually in our world but with a lot more biting. 20 books so far, including Bride, House of Earth and Blood and Twilight.

Personalise: add your spice & hard nos

SpiceWhere to start only

Bride
Ali Hazelwood
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A vampire bride, a werewolf alpha, a marriage of convenience and the bonding scene that broke the internet.
- Arranged marriage
- Marriage of convenience
- Enemies to lovers
House of Earth and Blood
Sarah J. Maas · Book 1 of 3 in Crescent City
Spice 3/5 · Steamy
A party girl, a fallen angel and a murder investigation in a modern magic city. The last 200 pages are a ride.
- Found family
- Secret identity
- Morally grey MMC
House of Flame and Shadow
Sarah J. Maas · Book 3 of 3 in Crescent City
Spice 3/5 · Steamy
The Crescent City finale, with plenty of Prythian cameos for ACOTAR fans.
- Found family
- Fated mates
- Angels
House of Sky and Breath
Sarah J. Maas · Book 2 of 3 in Crescent City
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
Bryce and Hunt finally stop pretending, plus a crossover twist that broke the fandom.
- Fated mates
- Found family
- Touch her and die
Twilight
Stephenie Meyer · Book 1 of 4 in The Twilight Saga
Spice 1/5 · Sweet
The vampire romance that started it all. Still the blueprint, still a little unhinged, still undefeated.
- Forbidden love
- Possessive MMC
- Vampires
A Discovery of Witches
Deborah Harkness · Book 1 in All Souls
Spice 2/5 · Simmer
A historian witch finds a cursed manuscript and attracts a very old, very possessive vampire scientist.
- Forbidden love
- Possessive MMC
- Vampires
A Touch of Darkness
Scarlett St. Clair · Book 1 in Hades x Persephone Saga
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
Persephone is a journalist, Hades runs a nightclub, and they make a very bad bargain. Modern Greek myth with plenty of spice.
- Retelling
- Forbidden love
- Rivals to lovers
Burn for Me
Ilona Andrews · Book 1 in Hidden Legacy
Spice 2/5 · Simmer
A struggling P.I. is kidnapped by the most dangerous magical billionaire in Houston. Fantastic slow tension.
- Morally grey MMC
- Alpha hero
- Smart / nerdy heroine
Dark Lover
J.R. Ward · Book 1 in Black Dagger Brotherhood
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A brotherhood of vampire warriors in leather and the half-vampire journalist they have to protect.
- Found family
- Alpha hero
- Possessive MMC
Neon Gods
Katee Robert · Book 1 in Dark Olympus
Spice 5/5 · Scorching
Modern Hades and Persephone in a city run by the Thirteen. Very kinky, very fast.
- Retelling
- Forbidden love
- Morally grey MMC
Wolfsong
TJ Klune · Book 1 of 4 in Green Creek
Spice 3/5 · Steamy
A lonely boy, a family of werewolves and a love that takes years to arrive. Emotional damage, wolf edition.
- Fated mates
- Found family
- Shifters / werewolves
A Hunger Like No Other
Kresley Cole · Book 1 in Immortals After Dark
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A werewolf king escapes torture and claims a half-vampire as his mate. Classic, feral paranormal.
- Fated mates
- Possessive MMC
- Alpha hero
Electric Idol
Katee Robert · Book 2 in Dark Olympus
Spice 5/5 · Scorching
Eros is sent to kill Psyche and decides to marry her instead. Fun twist on the myth.
- Retelling
- Forced proximity
- Cinnamon roll hero
Her Soul for Revenge
Harley Laroux · Book 1 of 3 in Souls Trilogy
Spice 5/5 · Scorching
A witch summons a demon to take revenge on the cult that hurt her. He is wildly, filthily devoted.
- Revenge plot
- Villain gets the girl
- Morally grey MMC
Pestilence
Laura Thalassa · Book 1 of 4 in The Four Horsemen
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
The literal Horseman of Pestilence takes a firefighter on a road trip to end the world. Wildly romantic, somehow.
- Enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Road trip / vacation
Rhapsodic
Laura Thalassa · Book 1 in The Bargainer
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A siren with a debt to the Bargainer: one favour, one bead on her wrist at a time. Yearning cranked to eleven.
- Second chance
- Villain gets the girl
- Secret identity
Slave to Sensation
Nalini Singh · Book 1 in Psy-Changeling
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A cold psychic woman and a leopard-shifter alpha. Emotionless versus all emotion.
- Opposites attract
- Alpha hero
- Shifters / werewolves
The Ex Hex
Erin Sterling
Spice 3/5 · Steamy
A witch drunkenly curses her ex. He comes back to town nine years later. Halloween rom-com.
- Second chance
- Holiday romance
- Witches & magic users
Wicked Beauty
Katee Robert · Book 3 in Dark Olympus
Spice 5/5 · Scorching
Helen of Troy, Achilles and Patroclus, now a throuple. A spicy Trojan war competition.
- Retelling
- Deadly trials
- Rivals to lovers
Payback's a Witch
Lana Harper
Spice 3/5 · Steamy
Three women dumped by the same player team up for magical revenge. Sapphic and spooky.
- Revenge plot
- Holiday romance
- Witches & magic users

Popular tropes in paranormal

Paranormal: FAQ

What are the best paranormal books?

Reader favourites include Bride by Ali Hazelwood; House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas; Twilight by Stephenie Meyer; A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness; A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair. Use the spice filter above to narrow it to your heat level.

What are the spiciest paranormal books?

For explicit paranormal romance, try Neon Gods by Katee Robert; Her Soul for Revenge by Harley Laroux; Bride by Ali Hazelwood; A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair; Dark Lover by J.R. Ward. These are rated 4 or 5 out of 5 on our spice scale.

Are there low-spice or clean paranormal books?

Yes: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer; A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness; Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews are rated 1 or 2 out of 5, closed door or kisses only.

Are there standalone paranormal books?

If you do not want to commit to a series, try Bride by Ali Hazelwood; The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling; Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper.