8 Magical, Can't-Miss Adult Fantasy Romance Books 

The Sookie Stackhouse Series (adapted into True Blood) helped to redefine the vampire romance for a new generation of readers, and this novella set in the world of Sookie's Louisiana is a bite-sized story perfect for fans and newbies alike. Rue LeMay is desperate for cash when she takes a job as a dancer at Blue Moon Entertainment. It's not ideal, especially since she's now surrounded by vampires, but the money's good and it's only for a little while. 

Being paired with Sean McClendon, a 300-year-old redheaded vampire from Dublin, is an unexpected treat. He's gorgeous and a delight to dance with. When Rue finds herself hunted by a terrifying stalker, Sean may be the only one she can trust, but can you really trust a bloodsucker?

Rachel de Luca is a self-help guru with an uncanny ability to sense people's innermost secrets. It's a safer way to use her abilities, but then she's dragged into a darker world by Detective Mason Brown, the gorgeous officer who knows her own secrets. After one night of passion, they have agreed to keep their distance from one another, but a string of violent murders has forced them together. The race to find the killer heats up as guests start to disappear from a snowbound resort in the middle of the mountains. Rachel knows she's a target, and she needs Mason to help find the culprit. Will letting him in save them all or cause further pain?

Grace Carlyle is on the hunt for her missing brother, which is how she ends up deep in the jungleb seemingly left untouched by modern humanity. She never expected to find a secret world populated by mythological monsters, much less be confronted by a sword-wielding shapeshifter who is tasked with killing intruders. When Grace stumbles into his realm, the guardian known as Darius en Kragin has second thoughts. Suddenly, he's drawn to this human in ways he's never experienced before, and he's tempted to betray his centuries-old vow. Their forbidden love could tear both of their worlds apart, but sometimes true love is powerful enough to bring the worst of enemies together.

Nalini Singh, one of the true queens of urban fantasy, offers her contemporary take on the Beauty and the Beast myth with Craving Beauty. Mira has been married off to a man who she's been told to be scared off. Her mother had worried that he was scarred, both physically and mentally, but Hira cannot help but be drawn to the man known as Marc. He thinks he's irredeemable, but his new bride says otherwise.

Werewolf Cade Thain is the finest vampire slayer in the Northwest. When a witch hires him to take out a pureblood vamp, the assassin thinks it will be business as usual. But then he meets her, and Allison Gray isn't the vicious bloodsucker he expected to find. Beautiful, innocent, and not quite yet undead, she is as far from a predator as he can imagine. Allison hasn't transformed fully into a vampire, and Cade is meant to prevent it from ever happening. So, why does he find himself wanting to protect her? Allison's enemies are closing in, and the coming battle will take Cade and Allison into the darkest realms of the underworld. 

Phineas Smith is seemingly the only human student at Mather’s School of Magick, but his unique ability to tap into unlimited magick has made him a much sought-after ally from both sides of the warring Faerie courts. They don’t realize he can’t actually do anything with it, though, and now he's stuck in the middle of an all-consuming battle. The only one who can help him is Roark Lyne, the unseelie prince he's called his roommate and sworn enemy for over six years. Their mutual dislike is as forceful as their growing attraction, and trusting Roarke could doom Finn to a deadly fate. But who else can he trust?

While working in China, sword-maker and artist Dela Reese visits the dirty market of Beijing and procures a mysterious box. Once she finally pries it open, Hari emerges, a seven foot tall warrior shape shifter who has been enslaved to this box for thousands of years. Now he is bound to this mysterious woman who opened the box, and she seems different from his many cruel masters. He desperately wants his freedom, but for now, he must follow Dela around the world on her adventures. It doesn’t take long for them to give into their passions. 

Dilys Merimydion is a prince of the high seas, one who will do anything to deal with the threat of pirates surrounding the kingdom of Calberna and secure his seat on the Sea Throne. To do both, he needs a good marriage, which is how he finds himself in the court of the three magical princesses of Summerlea. A weathermage like her sisters, Gabriella Coruscate is the gentle force of Summer, but beneath her poise is a mighty warrior queen in waiting with powers that threaten to overwhelm her. She must work overtime to conceal her strengths lest they wreak havoc on the world, so she can't afford to give into temptation with Dilys. But when pirates kidnap Summer and her sisters, Dilys must save them all to prevent disaster. Only by combining his command of the seas with the unleashed fury of Summer's formidable gifts can they defeat their enemies. True love cannot be contained.