WANTED: Awesome paranormal romance recommendations

Not too long ago, I was the biggest paranormal romance fan out there. And no, not because of Twilight. I loved vampires and shifters and witches and fae long before Bella stumbled clumsily into Edward’s arms (and Jacob’s arms, too, for that matter. She sure did stumble a lot, didn’t she?). But lately, my love for the paranormal has waned somewhat. I’m starting to feel like I’ve read pretty much everything out there. I’m seeing the same old tropes and characters over and over (and over and over) again. But I don’t just want to give up on a genre that has brought me so much entertainment over the years. So, what’s a paranormal romance novel addict to do? No, seriously—I’m asking. What should I read, y’all? But before you start offering your suggestions, let me tell you what I’m NOT looking for:

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Stuff everyone has read
No one is denying the awesomeness that is JR Ward, Kresley Cole, Darynda Jones, Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh, Charlaine Harris, Lynsay Sands, and Jeaniene Frost. But everyone (myself included) has already read everything they have in their backlists (twice). Some lesser known picks would be GREATLY appreciated.

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Weak heroines
If the heroine is a whiny wuss who constantly requires a big strong man to save her (*cough*Bella Swan*cough*), then I have no interest in her. Strong heroines are the only heroines for me.

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Rapey, stalkery dudes
I’m not a fan of dudes who don’t take no for an answer. And for some reason, I’ve come across  a lot of rapey, stalkery heroes in PNR lately. At the first sign of a rapey stalker, I’m DNFing the book (and adding the author to my list of “never agains”).

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The pit of despair (no thanks)    
My preferred PNR reads have a good dose of humor in them. I’m not saying everything needs to be a laugh riot all the time, but I can’t handle dark reads that never let up. For example, some authors who do a good job of balancing humor and sexy times and high stakes situations are Jeaniene Frost, Darynda Jones, Isabel Jordan, LE Wilson, and Ilona Andrews. Long-story-short: some comic relief is welcome.

And for a list of funny PNR I’ve already read and enjoyed, check out this list.

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Magical vaginas and penises
If the fate of the world hinges on the hero and heroine having sex, I’m out. I have no patience for that nonsense.

Self-promotion
Look, I have no doubt that the PNR novel you wrote is great. But foisting it on people who’ve asked for recommendations is a little...smarmy. If you’d like me to read and review your PNR novel, please follow the proper channels (aka: our review policy) and kindly refrain from hijacking this post for the purpose of self-promotion.  
 
So, now that THAT’S out of the way, whaddya got for me? I’d love to hear from you! (And thanks in advance!)

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