Paranormal romance brings the supernatural into the love story: the vampire roommate, the werewolf duke, the ghost who won't leave the house you just inherited. It's romance first, so the relationship drives the plot and the creature is the complication. This list sorts fifteen picks by the kind of paranormal you're in the mood for.
Book descriptions are paraphrased from the sources linked below. All picks are adult romance.
What paranormal romance is
Wikipedia defines paranormal romance as romance that includes elements beyond scientific explanation, drawing on fantasy, science fiction and horror. Vampires, shapeshifters and ghosts are the most common, alongside witches, demons, psychic powers and time travel. The subgenre boomed in the 2000s; Wikipedia notes that the number of paranormal romances published in the U.S. doubled between 2002 and 2004.
The usual difference from fantasy romance is the setting: paranormal romance often happens in our world, with the supernatural hiding in plain sight.
Book Riot's list, which most picks below come from, deliberately leaves out series that aren't technically romance and treats monster romance, where the love interest was never human, as its own category.
Vampire romance books
My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
An artist who rents a room discovers her new landlord is a vampire who needs help adjusting to modern life. A light, funny place to start.
Wanting a Witch by Lauren Connolly
A vampire moves into a witch's guest room, and together they test the old belief that their kinds can't be together.
Frostbite by J. Emery
A vampire prince and a retired vampire hunter get snowed into a cabin together.
Human Enough by E. S. Yu
An autistic vampire hunter is captured and forms an uneasy alliance with a vampire who is also being held prisoner.
Romancing the Inventor by Gail Carriger
A servant in a vampire household falls for an inventor who has no idea.
Werewolf and shifter romance books
Mating the Huntress by Talia Hibbert
A monster hunter who also works as a barista falls for a lovesick werewolf who keeps visiting her family's café.
A Wolf in Duke's Clothing by Susanna Allen
A duke who is secretly a werewolf searches for his mate, while his peers find him unsettling.
The Last Wolf by Maria Vale
A low-ranking member of a wolf pack helps an injured stranger, a wolf who becomes human.
Bear With Me by Lucy Eden
An influencer recovering from a breakup books a stay at what turns out to be a shifter resort, and falls for its grumpy owner, who is a bear.
Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher
A woman from a magical family who has no magic must form a witchbond with her ex, who happens to be the Alpha werewolf of North America.
Ghost and demon romance books
The Tenant by Katrina Jackson
A man inherits a house in Louisiana and has to share it with the ghost who claimed it long ago.
Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole
A ghost and an exiled vampire warrior are trapped together in an old mansion.
Sing Me to Sleep by R. M. Virtues
A grieving woman who suffers from sleep paralysis forms a connection with the demon that feeds on her fear.
Witch romance books
Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin
A teacher accidentally hexes herself so she can't say no, just as she's pulled into helping her crush.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
A witch and a vampire from rival kinds fall in love after she calls up a sought-after alchemical manuscript. It's the first in the long All Souls series, as described by Paste Magazine.
How to choose a paranormal romance
- Pick a creature, then a tone. The same vampire premise can be a rom-com (My Roommate Is a Vampire) or a dark, gothic story.
- Check the heat level. Reedsy notes that most paranormal romance novels include sex scenes. Reviews usually say how explicit.
- Check for series order. Many shifter and vampire books belong to long, connected series.
Write your own paranormal romance
Three original prompts with adult characters, non-explicit:
- A night-shift pharmacist notices one customer only ever comes in after midnight, and only ever buys iron supplements.
- A heritage surveyor arrives to assess a lighthouse whose last keeper died in 1912, and he hasn't left.
- A wedding photographer realizes the groom's family shows up in every photo except the mirrors.
For more, see our romance tropes list and the full romance books guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between paranormal romance and fantasy romance?
Paranormal romance usually brings the supernatural into our world. Fantasy romance usually takes place in an invented or magical world.
Are paranormal romance books explicit?
Many are. Reedsy notes that most paranormal romance novels include sex scenes, so check reviews or the author's site for the heat level.
What is a good paranormal romance to start with?
My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine is a light, funny place to start; for wolves, try Mating the Huntress by Talia Hibbert.
Sources
- Paranormal romance — Wikipedia; definition and history; checked October 9, 2026.
- 20 Must-Read Paranormal Romances — Book Riot, Jessica Pryde, August 28, 2023; source for most book descriptions; checked October 9, 2026.
- 15 of the Best Books for Readers Who Love Fantasy Romance — Paste Magazine, Lacy Baugher Milas, February 25, 2023; checked October 9, 2026.
- Paranormal romance books — Reedsy Discovery; checked October 9, 2026.
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