spooky romance recs
just in time for hallowe'en here are some recs for paranormal romance reads
We are just under two weeks out from Hallowe’en, but right now in Vancouver, it feels like it could still be late August. Global Warming is not great for the planet AND it’s ruining my usual autumnal wallowing period which is supposed to consist of grey skies, warm knitwear, hot tea, and good books. Instead, we have hazy/smoky skies, sweaty knitwear, and dehydration. I am NOT a fan. So, in order to get myself into feeling like Fall has truly flung, I have been rewatching Practical Magic and reading a lot of paranormal romances. This is an area of Romancelandia that I have never gotten into before, mainly I think because living through the heyday of Twilight as a teen girl was scarring. But here I am, and I am loving it. This subgenre is very fun, and the escape-y-ist of all escapist romance. So, here are a few recs, read at your own peril….
*As always, just because I like a book, that doesn’t mean you will like a book and that is totally ok! Also hi to everyone who found me because of the lovely shoutout from Perrye and Gaby, welcome to the chaos :)
Cold Hearted by Heather Guerre (m/f - contemporary - shifter)
Grace runs away to Longtooth, Alaska, where she finds herself living next door to the cold and cantankerous bush pilot Caleb Kinoyit, and in the midst of a town full of mysterious secrets. This is the first of Guerre’s Tooth & Claw series, and is easily my favourite. If you liked The Simple Wild, then this is a good paranormal comp!
Tropes: forced promimity, enemies to lovers, slow burn
Mating the Huntress by Talia Hibbert (m/f - contemporary - werewolf)
A short novella that is incredibly high-steam. I love everything that Talia Hibbert writes and this one was a fun diversion from her usual contemporary romances. Luke Anthony is a cute cinnamon-roll werewolf and Chastity Adofo is a badass heroine who is trying to kill him. One might expect this to be full of angst, but it’s actually a light read with funny dialougue and maximum chaos all set around Hallowe’en.
Tropes: star crossed lovers, fated mates, virgin hero.
Wolf Gone Wild by Juliette Cross (m/f- contemporary- werefolf/witch)
Werewolf Mateo Cruz can’t shift. Assuming he is cursed, he sets out to find a powerful witch to help solve his problem. What he didn’t expect was to find Evie Savoie who yes, is a powerful witch, but also, in accordance to the rules of her coven, lives by the mantra: no werewolves.
Tropes: Forced proximity, friends to lovers.
A Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (m/f - contemporary- witches)
Orphaned, and alone, Mika Moon finds herself heading to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House, to teach three young witches how to harness their magic. When she gets there she finds herself thrust into the lives and secrets of not only her charges, but the other people that inhabit the house, including the handsome, starchy librarian Jamie. If you are looking for the perfect book that epitomizes British autumn-core, it’s this one. It is a warm cup of tea and cozy blanket in book form. It is also a have your heartstrings pulled, sob quietly at the tender cuteness of it all, kind of book.
Tropes: sunshine & grump, found family, low steam.
Cemetary Boys by Aiden Thomas (trans-man/m- contemporary ya- magic/ghosts)
When Yadriel’s traditional Latinx family struggles to accept his gender, he becomes determined to prove himself by finding the ghost of his murdered cousin and setting it free. But instead, he accidentally summons the ghost of Julian Diaz
However, the ghost he summons is actually bad-boy Julian Diaz, and now he is stuck having to help him. I’m not a big YA reader, but this one was really delightful and the worldbuilding Thomas does is nuanced and fun, but also delves into some pretty complex and complicated problems that marginalized folks face everyday. (note: Aiden Thomas is a trans, Latinx author, also check content warnings/trigger warnings)
Tropes: enemies to friends to lovers, star crossed lovers.
Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin (m/f - contemporary - witches)
Lucy Caraway lives a good life, but she can’t help but wish for more. Then one day, that wish becomes a spell and suddenly she finds herself unable to say no to anything (hello, who remembers the greatest children’s book of all time Ella Enchanted ??!!), including her newly returned highschool crush who needs help unjinxing the house he needs to sell so that he can leave town again. If you like Erin Sterling’s The Ex Hex, then this is a good comp!
Tropes: small town romance, slow burn, second chance.
Hopefully you find something in here to enjoy!
-Georgia