Low-angst, hilarious paranormal romance that’ll have you laughing out loud

10/19/2018

The last time we talked about laugh-out-loud paranormal romance, y’all had so many great suggestions for additions that I immediately added a crap-ton of books to my TBR list. And since I’ve now worked my way through that list, I thought we were due for an updated “laugh-out-loud paranormal romance” list this week. So, here are our picks for 11 hilarious, low-angst paranormal romance reads that’ll have you LOLing all over town. Enjoy!

(And yes, it’s arguable that one of these—I’ll let you figure out which one—is urban fantasy or mystery, not paranormal romance. But the story has a strong romantic element in it as a major plot line, so I’m claiming it for the romance genre. It’s also important to remember that no one is the boss of me and this is my list, so I’ll add whatever books I want to add. So there. That said, let’s be adults about this and not engage in a romance/not romance debate. The list is just for fun—and binge-reading.)

The Vampire’s Last Dance by Deanna Chase

She’s a witch who carries a family curse, destined to never get her happily ever after. Felicia Patterson has come to terms with the fact that she’ll never get to be with her one true love… whoever he happens to be. But when the sexiest vampire she’s ever seen walks onto Witch Island, she can’t help her fluttering heart.

He’s a vampire who’s been burned before, destined to never love again. Christoph Parks has sworn off relationships. In the century that he’s walked the earth, he’s only known heartbreak and disappointment. But one smile from the island’s sassy florist has his icy heart melting. And now that the pair have been thrown together to save their loved ones’ wedding from imploding, can they also overcome a brutal curse, find a way to trust, and finally get the love that they deserve?

Summoned to Thirteenth Grave by Darynda Jones

Grim Reaper Charley Davidson is back in the final installment of Darynda Jones’ New York Times bestselling paranormal series!

Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper extraordinaire, is pissed. She’s been kicked off the earthly plane for eternity—which is exactly the amount of time it takes to make a person stark, raving mad. But someone’s looking out for her, and she’s allowed to return after a mere hundred years in exile. Is it too much to hope for that not much has changed? Apparently it is. Bummer.

She’s missed her daughter. She’s missed Reyes. She’s missed Cookie and Garrett and Uncle Bob. But now that she’s back on earth, it’s time to put to rest burning questions that need answers. What happened to her mother? How did she really die? Who killed her? And are cupcakes or coffee the best medicine for a broken heart? It all comes to a head in an epic showdown between good and evil in this final smart and hilarious novel.

NOTE: If you’re new to the series, start with Book 1, First Grave on the Right.

Fashionably Forever After by Robyn Peterman

A movie deal for the Devil’s autobiography slash romance? Priceless.

Maybe I should choose George Clooney to play me in the movie… No. Too gray.

As much as I can’t see anyone playing me but me, I have far more important issues on my agenda—like finding the woman who stole my soul. Well, not exactly stole… I might have made the switch and taken hers, but the Siren, Elle Rinoa, has my soul nonetheless.

Maybe Brad Pitt would be a good Lucifer… No. Too blond.

Fate and I are on a crash course with destiny looking for the one woman who can change both of our lives—mine for the better—Fate’s for the worse. Never in my wildest imaginings did I think the Devil could have a happily ever after, but now I have hope.

Maybe Jamie Dornan would do me justice… No. Fifty shades of wrong.

Armed with a tremendously bad attitude and my two grumpy nieces in tow, I will find my woman and make her stay—even if I have to cuff her to me for the rest of eternity. Elle Rinoa is mine and as soon as she sees everything my way we will be fine.

Maybe Dwayne Johnson would be an excellent Satan… No. Too bald.

Whatever. With my insane mother proposing a disturbingly psychotic plan to find my girl and my father breaking every appliance in Heaven and Hell, I feel I have no choice but to go with my mother’s half baked scheme. I’ve done crazy, but this one will take the cake or put me six feet under—for real.

How about Joe Manganiello playing me… No. I’m prettier.

My Siren doesn’t know what’s about to hit her. I play for keeps and I play to win. Of course I cheat, but that’s neither here nor there.

It’s showtime folks.

NOTE: If you’re new to the series, start with Book 1, Fashionably Dead.

Eat Prey Love by Kerrelyn Sparks

New York Times bestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks is back with Eat Prey Love—another sensational installment in her witty and wonderful Love at Stake paranormal romance series. In this simply fabulous tale of love and desire, vampires and shapeshifters, the sexy daughter of a vampire-hunting CIA agent finds untamed passion in a world she never knew existed. Lynsay Sands, author of the wildly popular romances featuring the Argeneau vampire family, calls Kerrelyn Sparks, “an absolute delight”—and Eat Prey Love will have fans of Charlaine Harris, and Katie MacAlister howling with joy.

NOTE: If you’re new to the series, start with Book 1, How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire.

Vampires Like It Hot by Lynsay Sands

When Raffaele Notte pulls a barely dressed, disoriented woman from the ocean, the last thing he expects is for her to utter that word. The immortal has come to the island resort to help his cousin, but now, it seems, there are rogue vampires dining on unsuspecting tourists. And he soon realizes that not only is Jess a target, she’s also the life mate he’s been waiting for…

Vampires are real. Jess would’ve never believed it until she saw them with her own eyes. She knows she has to get off the island, and her gallant rescuer has offered to help. There’s something about Raffaele that’s unlike any man she has ever met, and his touch sends pleasure through her that is beyond all imagining. But when Jess discovers who he really is, will she risk life as she knows it for a chance of forever by his side?

NOTE: If you’re new to the series, start with Book 1, A Quick Bite.

Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston

It’s not every day that a beautiful naked woman falls out of the sky and lands face-first on grizzly shifter Berg Dunn’s hotel balcony. Definitely they don’t usually hop up and demand his best gun. Berg gives the lady a grizzly-sized t-shirt and his cell phone, too, just on style points. And then she’s gone, taking his XXXL heart with her. By the time he figures out she’s a honey badger shifter, it’s too late.

Honey badgers are survivors. Brutal, vicious, ill-tempered survivors. Or maybe Charlie Taylor-MacKilligan is just pissed that her useless father is trying to get them all killed again, and won’t even tell her how. Protecting her little sisters has always been her job, and she’s not about to let some pesky giant grizzly protection specialist with a network of every shifter in Manhattan get in her way. Wait. He’s trying to help? Why would he want to do that? He’s cute enough that she just might let him tag along—that is, if he can keep up . . .

Semi-Obsessed by Isabel Jordan

Marina Petrocelli’s life is about as mundane as it gets for the sister of an infamous psychic/paranormal PI. Which is why she’s pretty shocked when a couple of vampires try to kidnap her on her way home from work. And don’t even get her started on the sexy-as-all-hell Irish dhampyre who gallantly (if somewhat drunkenly) rushes to her rescue out of nowhere, kisses the ever lovin’ crap out of her, then disappears without a trace. It’s all too weird to comprehend!

Quinn Connell’s life is anything but mundane. As an ex-convict with a shady past and an even shadier employment history, all he has to do is obey the terms of his parole, which are exceedingly simple: get a job, and stay out of trouble. Unfortunately, getting involved with Marina is the very definition of trouble for someone like him. And, as it turns out, her sister is the only employer in town willing to hire him. Quinn’s head tells him Marina’s officially off limits. Too bad his heart—and body, which can’t seem to stop touching her—didn’t get the memo.

But when Quinn and Marina find themselves in the middle of a brutal life-or-death situation, Quinn knows keeping his distance and staying out of trouble is no longer an option. He’ll do anything to keep Marina safe, even if it means relying on a few of his quirky (and sometimes scary) new coworkers and utilizing the very same dubious skills that landed him in prison in the first place. Nab the bad guys, stay out of prison, and (hopefully) get the girl. Easy, right?

Yeah, not so much.

NOTE: You can check out our review of Semi-Obsessed here! And if you’re new to the series, start with Book 1, Semi-Charmed.

Karma Inc. by Melanie James

Waiting for Karma is fine—for the patient. But for the rest of us, it sure would be nice to give Karma a little nudge every once in a while.

Was it one too many dates that turned out to be losers or liars? Have a problem with two-faced backstabbers? And don’t even start with the so-called customer service centers. There comes a day when enough is really, truthfully, enough already. For Kelly and Esmeralda, two snarky single witches, that day was yesterday. After applying their witchcraft to dish out a little magical payback, they realize they have a penchant for the dark art of revenge. And who’s to say a witch can’t make a few bucks with a talent like that?

Doing the odd job was fun and gratifying. Then along came an unusual client with a pitch for an idea, “Karma Inc.-Reality TV.” The witches set up shop in the sleepy little town of Caldron Falls, Wisconsin. By enabling the good citizens to settle old scores, they hoped to transform the town into a virtual coliseum of televised revenge. It didn’t take long before a few inconvenient and unexpected dead bodies began to pile up. To complicate matters, Caldron Falls just happens to have more than its fair share of paranormal creatures, not to mention a Chicago mobster seemingly bent on taking over the town.

Can Esmeralda and Kelly solve the rash of unexplained deaths before they get the blame and end up behind bars? What will Marie Laveau and the Witches Union have to say about this? And as any fool knows, Karma carries a round-trip ticket.

Holy Smokes by Katie MacAlister

I’m Aisling Grey—but you can call me “frustrated.”

The dragon of my dreams—uber-sexy Drake Vireo, wyvern of the green dragons—has finally decided to make an honest woman of me. That is, if we ever make it to the wedding at the same time! Being left at the altar may have cooled my jets, but not my passion...a good thing when Drake disappears and it's up to me to find him.

Most brides just have in-laws to worry about. Me? I have warring dragons, ticked-off demon lords, eternal damnation, and a mage who wants to challenge me for an otherworldly position I don’t even want. At least Jim, my doggie-demon, is always at my side. He’s never let me down—yet…

NOTE: If you’re new to the series, start with Book 1, You Slay Me.

My One and Only by Alanea Alder

Micah has spent so many centuries hiding who he is that he’s forgotten how to be himself, and despite always being there for others, he finds it impossible to ask for help. As weeks of sleepless nights catch up with him, he faces the fact that he needs his unit brothers no more than ever.

Living in Storm Keep with mixed blood, Serenity fought for everything she has. When she disobeys the dictates of her Elders to help the sick in Noctem Falls she is unprepared for the kindness and support she receives from it’s citizens, including her own witchborne mate.

As both of them are forced to reveal their own long kept secrets to save a city, will they be able to overcome their own deep-seated fears to make their mating last.

NOTE: If you’re new to the series, start with Book 1, My Commander.

The Librarian's Vampire Assistant by
Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

NOBODY MESSES WITH HIS LIBRARIAN. . .
Who killed Michael Vanderhorst's maker? It's a darn good question. But when the trail brings Michael to hellishly sunny Phoenix, Arizona, his biggest problem soon becomes a cute little librarian he can't seem to stay away from. He's never met a bigger danger magnet! Even her book cart has it out for her. And is that the drug cartel following her around, too? "Dear God, woman! What have you gotten yourself into?"

Things go from bad to worse when local vampires won't play nice.

Can this four-hundred-year-old vampire keep his librarian safe and himself out of hot water? Can he bring his maker's killer to justice? Yesterday, he would've said yes. But yesterday, he didn't have a strange connection with a librarian. Yesterday, people weren't trying to kill her.

What about y’all? Anything you’d like to add? Let us know! We’d love to hear from you!