On the Prowl by Christine Warren

Fantasy romance author Christine Warren weaves a paranormal romance that borders on the steamy side with On the Prowl. A tale of an arranged marriage for a pair of were-tigers from a wealthy and important family, it looks at the concept of a dom/sub traditional marriage in a manner that only a paranormal romance could.

Saskia lives up to her nickname Sassy and although she is the kind of woman who is used to being somewhat pampered, it is probably because the Tiguri family tend to be that way with their daughters. On the other hand, with the traditions of this shape-shifting family she will marry Nicolas as arranged by their clans, to ensure the survival of their people. That is as it should be, as far as she is concerned and when she meets up again with her childhood friend, she is more than pleased with the arrangement, as is Nicholas.

For those of us who are part of the modern world, however, Nicolas’s hard-ass traditional approach can be a little hard to take. Luckily, this is a paranormal romance with lots of style, and so we get to see both sides of the story as we watch the two work out the kinks of a marriage unlike any most of us have ever seen. Add in the decision by the clan to move their successful clan business to New York City where they will vie against other shape-shifters for a piece of the pie and you have plenty happening in this story.

There is an understory of business intrigue but the tale really does focus on the paranormal romance between the two and the tensions of that romance. Hot sexy scenes and plenty of working out the problems in bed makes for a sweet but sexy story with lots of tiger in the tank!

A Thief of Nightshade by J.S. Chancellor

Julian, the well-liked writing professor and husband of Aubrey is missing. And although she always hated his dark faery-tale of a land called Avalar, she soon finds out that it is not as much of a fantasy as she thought. Because Avalar is real, and Julian is trapped in it, unable to come home or even remember he has a life outside of the faery realm. He is the prince who pays the price – until his death. And so begins a paranormal romance in the land of dark faeries and ancient pacts.

Aubrey must journey to the dark world Julian wrote of in his stories called A Thief of Nightshade and confront those dark forces that hold him there. As part of her journey she knows she will need to face up to whatever dark secrets she harbors from her past.

But her love is strong and she knows that in the end, whatever horrors await her in this realm she will find a way past them. The bargain the faiery world had made with humans is not her bargain, and she knows that the only way to win her husband back is to find a release from the dreadful agreement that has been forged. She is determined to rescue her Julian and help him find his way home.

This is a novel containing an amazing world view that weaves us all under its spell and in the end creates the drama that holds up throughout the story. While fans of author J.S. Chancellor may regret that this paranormal romance leaves the battle scenes to the background, there is still plenty of action. The characters come alive in her hands and the dark journey through paranormal romance and high adventure weave a tale that brings us home to the heart.

Ninth Crossing: Discovery by Kate Gordon

Ninth Crossing is a new paranormal romance series from author Kate Gordon, and a welcome addition to the genre. The series starts with the first book: Discovery, which introduces the major characters. It certainly is not your usual elves and humans kind of paranormal romance story, and the strong female characters and exciting back story make this a great page turner of a tale.

You could not imagine a more completely modern woman than Reagan Sullivan. Named by her FBI Director Father after his beloved president, she has fulfilled many of his expectations. Smart, a Yale graduate who now works for the Secret Service, his only regret is she isn’t working at his old home base before he retired, the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

But Reagan loves her work protecting the Vice President and even with the demands on her time and life, she wouldn’t trade it. At thirty-one she is the youngest woman to ever head the VP security team, and she knows she is good at her job. When the team accompanies the VP to Norway for a conference, she doesn’t exactly expect to be kidnapped by a pair of six foot  tall and gorgeous elves. But before she knows it she is hip-deep in intrigue when she meets the Elven Queen of the Western Realm, who turns out to be her Great Grandmother, times five.

All is not calm in the world of elves or humans, and Reagan will face challenges like she has never known before, including one in the form of a very compelling man that will open her heart. The problem is, can she control her feelings and accept these new discoveries about herself? To what lengths will anyone go for the one they love? This is a paranormal romance that is about the true value of love.