If you’re new to paranormal romance books, it can seem overwhelming. There are so many broad categories, and each one has its own subniches, all rabidly defended by their specific fanbase. My advice? Pick a creature! Warm blooded, cold blooded, maybe even zero blood at all. It’s completely up to you. Too much of a good thing that just isn’t for you? Pick another creature and keep reading.
Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the most prolific types of paranormal love story books, characters and phenomena. If one of these categories speaks to you, dig in! You can pick your spice level within any of these romance tropes, from relatively chaste to PAGES ON FIRE 🔥🔥🔥. For most readers, it should be easy to find your space in this expansive genre.
Vampire Romance Books
As far as we’re concerned, this is the OG paranormal romance trope. Vampires have captured the imaginations of readers and lovers alike for more moonrises than we can count. Looooong before Bella and Edward were by turns captivating and repelling us in Twilight, storytellers spoke of immortal beauties brooding away and popping up once in a while to kill livestock or virgins. Readers know the tropes, and they’re all in: vampires and humans struggling to find a way forward without ruining everything for everyone else around them. Stunning, godlike appearances. Attitude problems. So close to realizing all of life’s gifts … until the sun comes up, at least. But there is always the chance that the NEXT book will provide the answers that our hero/antihero so often seeks. And we keep reading.
If you want a modern side-by-side (besides Interview with a Vampire, obvi), don’t miss the chance to compare book vs. TV in real-time with J.R. Ward’s The Black Dagger Brotherhood. The book series is fantastic, and the steamy streaming series brings the heat in hot on Prime.
Dark Lover
Shape-Shifter Romance Novels
If you prefer a lover with a warmer embrace, you may have found your trope! Most characters who CAN shift transform into animals, usually wolves, but readers will also find were-birds, were-lions, and even were-dragons as they dig into this popular niche.
From complicated intra- and inter-pack politics and stringent hierarchies to primal instincts and animalistic sex scenes, shifter books can be intense. If you’re intrigued but cautious, check out Maggie Stiefvater’s The Wolves of Mercy Falls series, starting with book one: Shiver. It’s written for a YA audience, so definitely on the tamer end of the spectrum. If you’re ready to really commit, don’t miss Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changelings series. Slave to Sensation is the first book in the 15-book series, giving you plenty of time to explore author Ali Hazelwood’s self-proclaimed all-time favorite.
Fae & Mythological Love Stories
It’s always easy to love a good girl or a bad boy. But what happens when the love interest is stunningly gorgeous and also morally gray? These stories usually involve foolish, feckless mortals, tricky wordplay, and more often than not, some truly suspect refreshments. Elves, fairies and gods and goddess may be sweet talkers, but their momentary affection might have a long-lasting impact. Just ask Percy Jackson’s mom. There are even romance novels featuring mythological creatures like minotaurs, centaurs, orcs, and monsters.
Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black are the undisputed fairy queens of this trope, and you should read every single one of their books immediately. But don’t miss authors like R. F. Kuang, whose The Poppy War is inspired by Chinese history, or Juliet Marillier, whose retelling of the Grimm Borthers’ The Six Swans, Daughter of the Forest, is set in medieval Ireland.
Looking for more traditional fairytales? Check out our list of can’t-miss fairytale retellings!
Witches, Warlocks & Mages
In paranormal love story books, these characters tend to be 100% human (or very, very close). They’re not magical beings. They just happen to have magical powers. Kitchen witches, nature warlocks (think Tolkien’s Radagast the Brown), and mages, like those found in Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicle series, all use magic to influence the world around them.
Dark academia is another super-popular niche in this trope. Think ivy-covered alters, ancient covens, secret societies, forbidden relationships and some seriously kick-ass libraries. The three-book Serpent & Dove series by Shelby Mahurin is a can’t miss, and we don’t need a soothsayer to tell us that Deborah Harkness’ A Discovery of Witches (book one of the All Souls series) is a modern classic.
Romance Books Featuring Angels, Demons & Ghosts
Often considered the most “spiritual” of the niches, this space is for romance before, during and even after death. Redemption arcs are HUGE in this niche, which tells stories that involve the afterlife and the characters that populate it. Boiled down to essence only, these are true good vs. evil stories, and the ultimate nature vs. nurture. Many mega-fans would immediately recommend Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick or Cassandra Clare’s dramatic The Mortal Instruments series (which could also be classified under “urban fantasy”, which is another rabbit hole entirely). I’ll also put in a plug for Seed and the Keepers of Genesis series by D.B. Nielsen because it’s a personal favorite!
Oh, this is what I meant earlier by “even zero blood at all”: ghosts. Not to be frightened by spirits trapped in between realms, ghosts dropping in on former favorite haunts (ha ha) or amorphous clouds assailing lovers whose nefarious true motives are now known, we love thinking that we too could be part of a love so powerful that it literally resists death itself. Layla by Collen Hoover is an excellent intro into this small but mighty piece of the paranormal romance pie.
Layla
by Colleen Hoover
There are so many amazing books mentioned in this article. If you want to take a swing at something that seamlessly combines nearly ALL of these creatures and tropes, do not miss Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series, which kicks off with Dead Until Dark. Yeah, the True Blood HBO show was hot as hell, but book-Sookie has a self-confidence issue that never made it to the screen that makes her more everywoman than Anna Paquin may have led us to believe on TV.
Not finding anything here that rings your bell? Good news: we’ve barely scratched the surface of paranormal romance books, and there’s a ton more for you to discover! Bad news: your TBR is in trouble, friend.
Summary of Books Mentioned:
- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
- Dark Lover by J. R. Ward
- Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
- Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh
- The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
- Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
- The Kingkiller Chronicle series by Patrick Rothfuss
- Serpent & Dove series by Shelby Mahurin
- A Discovery of Witches (All Souls series) by Deborah Harkness
- Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
- The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
- Keepers of Genesis series by D.B. Nielsen
- Layla by Colleen Hoover
- Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
