Jessica Pryde is a member of that rare breed that grew up in Washington, DC, but is happily enjoying the warmer weather of the desert Southwest. While she is still working on what she wants to be when she grows up, she’s enjoying dabbling in librarianship and writing all the things. She's the editor of Black Love Matters: Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Ever Afters, and her fiction has been published by Generous Press. She can be found drowning in her ever-growing TBR and exclaiming about romance on When in Romance, as well as on social media. Find her exclamations about books and internet ridiculousness on BlueSky (JessIsReading) and instagram/threads (jess_is_reading).
‘Tis the season for the dark and creepy, as well as the less dark, less creepy creatures of the night. But it’s always a good time to pick up a paranormal romance, which is a romance set in a world similar to ours but with some element of the supernatural or magical—similar but distinct from monster romance and urban fantasy.
If you want to read more in-depth about what separates paranormal from the other romantic subgenres, check out my list of must-read paranormal romances, where I dig into the specifics. In short, paranormal romance features humanoid characters who are human, were once human, or have evolved from humans—vampires, witches, shapeshifters, ghosts, clairvoyants, and the like. These romances could involve a magical layperson falling in love with a magical being, or any other combination or number of magical and nonmagical interactions. If you’ve never picked one up, here are some of the best new paranormal romance books to try!
Witch You Would by Lia Amador
In a world where magic is everyday, Penelope has been chosen to appear on a magical competition show. Even better, this season includes cast members being paired up with celebrity magicians—but Leandro is the last person Penelope wants to partner with. Little does she know Leandro is actually Gil, her secret pen pal, and he’s as annoyed with this partnership as she is. Because he has to stay in character as his online alter-ego, and the girl he’s in love with can never know.
Jessica Pryde is a member of that rare breed that grew up in Washington, DC, but is happily enjoying the warmer weather of the desert Southwest. While she is still working on what she wants to be when she grows up, she’s enjoying dabbling in librarianship and writing all the things. She’s the editor of Black Love Matters: Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Ever Afters, and her fiction has been published by Generous Press. She can be found drowning in her ever-growing TBR and exclaiming about romance on When in Romance, as well as on social media. Find her exclamations about books and internet ridiculousness on BlueSky (JessIsReading) and instagram/threads (jess_is_reading).
The Devil She Knows by Alexandria Bellefleur
Demons are a gradually rising microgenre within paranormal, and they’re all a little different! In this romcommy demon deal romance, Daphne is just one soul away from the 100 souls she needs to free herself. When she meets Samantha, down on her luck and desperate for a change, she offers her six wishes. Samantha just wants her girlfriend back, but the time she and Daphne spend together leads to both of them considering their priorities.
Now You See Him by Nina Saxena
With her dark/paranormal/fantasy pen name, Nisha Sharma drops us into the world of Tina, who has been experiencing some weirdness ever since she moved to the Poconos. Things are happening in her house, and there is some other mystery afoot. This horror romance is dark, atmospheric, and very, very sexy, so check out content notes before you pick it up.
Looking For Love in All The Haunted Places by Claire Kann
If you want something atmospheric but a little less scary, try Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places. Lucky, our central character, signs up for a television show in which she’ll live in a haunted house for as long as she can, with regular check-ins from the crew, producers, and the show’s host, Maverick. As a clairvoyant, she’s intrigued by the house and spends her time there unearthing the house’s secrets, all the while her regular calls with Maverick leave her intrigued in a very different way.
ZomRomCom by Olivia Dade
Olivia Dade is one of the queens of the rom com, and this one is no different, even with the addition of zombies, vampires, and werewolves, oh my. Edie, a regular human, lives in an area that hasn’t seen many zombies since the big outbreak, but is still in the danger zone, which is why she only has one close neighbor: Chad. When the zombies break through and Chad’s almost murdered, Edie comes to his rescue—only to discover that Chad is actually Max, an ageless vampire with an underground bunker right out of Blast From the Past. When the zombie breach escalates, the pair have to work together to save as many of their neighbors as they can.
The Crownless King by Dria Andersen
In the first in a new series, we meet Levi and Amaya, a vampire king and the witch he’s willing to kidnap in order to preserve his reign and keep his vampires on top. Levi is slowly descending into madness, but Amaya’s magic calms his beast, and he needs her by his side in order to keep moving forward, no matter what. But Amaya isn’t resistant to his plans; in fact, she’s ready to become a queen.
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Want to read more paranormal romance? Check out this list of deliciously scary horroromance. Or if you’d rather lean into romantasy, check out these dark academia romances.
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