Romance Sub-Genre Recs – Steamy Paranormal Romance
Hey, and welcome to my new post series – where I recommend various romance sub-genres to you. The idea came to me the first weekend in February, while I was chatting with Evelina @ Avalinah’s Books. She asked me to recommend romance books to her.
Today, my recommendations have stories where there is sex. Next week will be for paranormal romance recommendations with little to no sex – but still with romance.
There are really many, many books and series I love in this sub-genre, because there’s an added layer of danger when it comes to paranormal creatures, am I right?
To me, the queen of paranormal romance is Nalini Singh! She has not one, but two long-standing, and amazing series going, and I am in love with most of her characters in both. That’s quite a feat. The world-building is well done, and there is a political system in force that is really interesting as well.
As of now, the Psy-Changeling series has 16 full novels and several novellas. There are both shifters and another, evolved, human race called the psy in this series. The psy have mental abilities, some of them both fatal and very strong.
In most of the books, the story follows one couple, and characters from other books are also a part of the story where they are not main characters.
I am mesmerized by both the characters, the world they evolve in, the romance, the danger and the political intrigue.
The Guild Hunter series is filled with complex characters and paranormal creatures that are a bit different as well. Here, we have angels, vampires, shifters and other beings mingling with mere humans. The actual Guild Hunters are there in order to keep rogue paranormals in check. As well as they can.
One of the main characters, Elena, starts out as a hunter, and she is awesome! If you enjoy strong female characters, who are assertive, who can make good decisions, and who are able to ask for help when they need it – this series is for you!
The writing is awesome, and I keep loving this series. 10 full novels have been released so far, with the 11th coming out soon. There is a lot of hotness in this series, but it definitely isn’t the main focus of the stories that unfold!
The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward was one of the first paranormal romance series I ever picked up. And my goodness was I in for a treat! There are sexy vampires. Danger. A society of people who want to kill all vampires. A strange religion the vampires follow. Intrigue. Romance. Friendship. Action. Fights…
As of now, there are sixteen full novels released. Sadly, I haven’t read the last two or three books, but making this post made me want to pick up one again.
Demonica (series), Lords of Deliverance (series), and Lords of the Underworld (series) by Larissa Ione are loosely set in the same universe. And here, we have forgotten gods and goddesses, the horsemen of the apocalypse, shifters, old vampires, and other mythological beings.
The series unfold over several years, and sometimes, there are cross-overs.
One of my favorite characters in these series is Nyx – she’s old, forgets things, but still has strengths and powers you can’t even imagine.
There is also a lot of hotness in this series, which just adds to the appeal in my opinion 😉
The Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost is another favorite of mine, and also among the first paranormal series I started reading. The series follows Cat – in the first book she’s a vampire hunter. And she meets a very intriguing vampire called Bones.
As you might have guessed, something happens between Cat and Bones. And it’s utterly delicious.
This series also has two spin-off series that are set in the same universe – and the new series follow some of the side-characters from the Night Huntress series more closely.
The Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon is also a bit different from most paranormal romances. There are vampires, who actually steal human souls. And the dark hunters exist to hunt them down. Dark hunters are also immortal. They were saved by Artemis just while they were dying a very unjust death. And they are now forced to work for her for eternity – for she holds their souls.
The universe in this series is rather contemporary, even if some of the characters are many millennia old.
There is also the Dream Hunter series, as well as the Chronicles of Nick that spin off of this series.
The Love at Stake series by Kerrelyn Sparks mixes in some humor with the romance and the paranormals. There are mostly vampires in this series, several of them are of Scottish origin – can we say kilt, anyone?
There is also some mystery, and quite a bit of action as well.
I love how these vampires are able to travel over great distances, either by teleporting… or by another means.
I am a little behind in this series as well – I have no idea why, as I love the characters, the humor, the vampires, the hotness – everything about it, really!
The Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole is much darker than most of the paranormal romances I read. I really enjoy the series, even when it sometimes makes me a bit uncomfortable.
There are old creatures here, and often young, human women who are attracted to them.
There is a history to almost everything the characters do – their past is almost always there in the present with them.
I have to mention Eve Langlais in my paranormal romance recommendation as well. I will pick up any book that she has written! Most of hers are paranormal in some way, shifters you’d never dreamed of meeting. Have you ever met a bunny-shifter before? Some have demons, even Lucifer is present. And her stories are always, always very hot! Plus, I am in love with her sense of humor – I have laughed out loud more than once with each and every one of her books that I have read.
Have you read any of the series or authors I love when it comes to steamy paranormal romances? Do you have any you think I should add to my favorites list?
About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.
Good ones! I still need to try Kenyon and Sparks. Maybe give Lara Adrian’s vampires a try or Karen Chance’s Cassie Palmer and Dory Bassarab series, too.
I have actually read both Dory and Cassie… I have no idea why I didn’t include them on the list – I think I’ll have to update it 🙂
I haven’t read Lara Adrian, but I’ll definitely check her out, thanks, Sophia!
I just realized that Cassie and Dory series should not be on your steamy PNR list. I made a mistake and shouldn’t have mentioned them for this list since they are UF and not PNR. Sorry about that, but yay, that you’ve read them. LOL
LOL I realized that, too, they are, indeed in my list for next week 🙂
Amazing post! <3 I really needed a post with paranormal romance recommendations because I rarely ever reach for this genre and I might want to change this thing at some point. I will look forward to reading your book with romance with no sex, your recommendations posts are really great and helpful, thanks for them! <3
Oh, thank you, Marta! I’m glad my posts are helpful, as I think it’s important to help others find books in the genres I enjoy. But still let everyone stay in their comfort zone as much as they want to.
Twitter: ailynk
a bit surprised Jana Aston isn’t on the list, I guess it’s too steamy? nice picks still =d
Jana Aston doesn’t write paranormal, her’s are contemporary, rom-com/erotica 🙂 And yes, very steamy 😉
OMG! So many of my favorite series! I adore them. I also love Thea Harrison’s Elder Races, if you want to check it out.
Fantastic post, Lexxie! I need to check out Kerrelyn Sparks and Sherrilyn Kenyon.
OK, I’ll add the Elder Races to my TBR, I haven’t read those yet 🙂 Thanks, Astrid!
Ha! Cowboys Don’t Ride Unicorns! Gonna have to check that out.
Hahah, if you enjoy LGBTQ stories, you should! It was a fun read 🙂
Thanks for these recommendations. Will definitely check them out. I’ve seen lots of good stuff about Nalini Singh’s books too.
Nalini Singh is one of my favorite authors, Nina. Her stories are so well done, and those series have story-arcs that go really far.
Twitter: Mlsimmons
I’ve read most of these. I haven’t tried Kerrelyn Sparks or Sherrilyn Kenyon. But the others I love so much.
I think you’d enjoy both Kerrelyn and Sherrilyn’s books, Melanie 🙂 They have some really good stories going.
Nalini Singh is my favorite author ever!!!!! I love everything she writes. GAH! Fan girl down, fan girl down!
I don’t read a lot from this genre but enjoyed The Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I need to check out some of the others here. Thanks for sharing!
I’m a bit behind on the BDB series, but it was actually one of my first PNR series 🙂 There are so many great ones, though.
Some of my favs are on this list! 😉 Funny thing…Michelle Parsons just recommended Ione to me this weekend! 😀 I’ll have to give her a try. And of course, I still have to start Singh’s Psy-Changeling series. I got the first one in audio though. I’ll get there! Great recommendations, wifey!
*smooches* {{{hugs}}} and lots of love!!
You haven’t read Ione yet? WOW, how have I not pressured you into that? *giggles*
Miss you!
I do enjoy paranormal stories with or without sex. The paranormal element does seem to add something different to the romances. I haven’t read many of this list. I read the first few books in that Kerrelyn Sparks series a while ago, when I was new to paranormal romance as a genre. I read Angel’s Blood and book 2 in that series, but it wasn’t fully for me. I have read Crazy by Eva Langais, but not the series you mentioned here.
Eve Langlais always makes me laugh so hard! I think that’s what I love the most about her stories, Lola. And I enjoy paranormals both with and without steamy scenes as well 🙂
SO obsessed with the Night Huntress series. I’m trying to restrain myself from reading it again so I can read some new stuff. I’ve got a bunch of these on my TBR and was thinking about starting one of the Nalini Singh series first, do you recommend starting with the Psy-Changeling or Guild Hunters?
Awesome list! I still need to check a ton of these off my TBR but I will forever and always been obsessed with Frost’s Night Huntress series and Cat & Bones