Authors Like Gena Showalter (14 Book Recommendations)

Gena Showalter is a writer of young adult fiction that centers around the paranormal world.

Her short stories have made it into Seventeen Magazine and her books have appeared in the Red Hot Reads list of Cosmopolitan.

Authors Like Gena Showalter (14 Book Recommendations)

All of Gena’s novels are set in the contemporary world while most of them have a fantastical element to them.

Of course, we cannot ignore the romantic tinge each story has, but most of us are here to read about how the characters deal with supernatural gifts.

Gena is most famous for her Lords of the Underworld series. It’s an adult fantasy book about a woman called Ashlyn Darrow who is tormented by her past.

She travels in search of a rumored group of supernatural men, asking for their help. But in getting close to her, she puts them and herself in danger.

Other series favorites include the White Rabbit Chronicles and Angels of the Dark.

If you love the setting of contemporary worlds that have a touch of magic and a burning romance, then you should read content from J.R Ward, Kresley Cole, Nalini Singh, and Larissa Ione.

Some of these authors are darker than others and most write adult, not young adult fiction. Look through our descriptions to see which one best suits your mood.

Books By Gena Showalter

The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld Book 1)

The Lords of the Underworld series starts with The Darkest Night where Maddox has been taken over by the god of violence and death.

Each night he is cursed to die and each morning he is plagued with the urge to kill.

When Ashlyn Darrow finds Maddox, he finally has someone worth risking it all for.

This story about unbreakable love, irresistible passion, and otherworldly monsters is common in all of Showalter’s novels.

Alice in Zombieland

In the Young Adult series White Rabbit Chronicles, (which starts with Alice in Zombieland) Alice has to learn to fight the undead, just like the rest of her family, but in a twisted turn of events she has to trust the worst boy she has ever known – Cole Holland.

But Holland has his own secrets, which could be even more dangerous than the zombies which surround them.

Again in this series, we see unbreakable love, irresistible passion (although this is tamer, for young adult audiences), and otherworldly monsters.

Wicked Nights: A Fantasy Romance Novel (Angels of the Dark Book 1)

In Gena’s third most popular series, Angles of the Dark, the first novel Wicked Nights follows the leader of a powerful army of the heavens and an innocent woman locked up inside an institution for the criminals inside.

Zacharel refuses to help Annabelle as his mission is more important, but her vulnerability melts his icy heart.

In this theme, the otherworldly monsters are angels and demons trapped in an immortal war.

Authors Like Gena Showalter

J.R Ward

Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1)

J.R. Ward also loves to write about otherworldly monsters and irresistible passions.

In the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, starting with Dark Lover, we are shown a purebred vampire. He is the only purebred left in the world and wants to kill the slayers who made this his fate.

In his blood rage, he comes upon Beth, a half-breed. An attraction too strong draws them together, but it’s her heritage that might pull them apart.

Blood Kiss (Black Dagger Legacy Book 1)

The Black Dagger Legacy series follows the same world as the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

The blooded daughter of the king’s advisor goes to Brotherhood training and realizes that the school is not what she expected.

Lessons are hard and her classmates are really her enemies. She ends up falling for a common civilian putting both her and him at risk.

In all of J.R Ward’s stories, we see the internal struggle between love and death, as her characters try to subdue the animalistic parts of themselves.

Admittedly J.R Ward’s stories are rather samey, but if you know what you like then why go looking for anything else?

Pros

  • Realistic Characters
  • Emotional Scenes
  • Erotic

Cons

  • Repetitive
  • Cliched
  • Average Writing

Themes: Romance, Erotic, Paranormal, Contemporary

Kresley Cole

A Hunger Like No Other (Immortals After Dark Book 2)

Kresley, like Gena, has a paranormal series, another which is aimed at young adults, and a third which is nothing short of erotic.

No matter which version of Gena’s storytelling you preferred, you can find a perfect replacement or continuation in Kresley.

In the Immortals After Dark series, which starts with A Hunger Like No Other, we follow the stories of vampires and werewolves.

They become unlikely soulmates while uncovering a secret that had been buried for centuries.

Poison Princess: Arcana Chronicles, Book 1

In the Young Adult series called The Arcana Chronicles, (which starts with Poison Princess,) the main character Evie is haunted by horrifying hallucinations.

She sees an apocalyptic-level event that kills everyone she loves. It doesn’t take long for Evie to realize these are visions of a possible future, and she has to save her loved ones. To do that, she has to speak to the resident bad boy, Jack.

The Professional (The Game Maker Book 1)

The last series we mentioned was an erotic one. The first of The Game Maker collection is called The Professional, as it follows the Mafiya enforcer Aleksei who will do anything for his boss. That is until he meets the boss’s daughter.

Aleksei’s priorities change when he decides to protect and possess this curvy and feisty redhead.

The Immortals After Dark series is the closest connection you’ll get to Gena Showalter, but if you prefer the fantasy or sensual storylines she creates, the other two series could also win you over.

Pros

  • Complex World
  • Comedic
  • Erotic

Cons

  • Problems Around Consent
  • World Are Initially Confusing
  • Sometimes Reads Like A Parody

Themes: Romance, Erotica, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Nalini Singh

Angels' Blood (Guild Hunter Book 1)

Nalini’s writing style always includes a romantic connection, but most of her stories also indulge in fantastical, science fiction, or paranormal activities.

Following Gena’s love of otherworldly monsters, we suggest looking at Nalini’s Guild Hunter series.

Starting with the book Angels’ Blood, we follow the vampire hunter Elena Deveraux who has been hired to take down an unusual enemy. Not a stalker of the night, but an archangel who went rogue.

Can Elena resist the temptation of her employer, and is she even capable of killing an angel?

If you enjoy the stories of war in Gena’s collection, then you may prefer Nalini’s series Psy-Changeling.

This story takes place in a world where two humanoid creatures (the Psy and changelings) are on the cusp of war after several Changelings have been brutally murdered (If you liked this, check out Books Like Kiss Of Snow and similar works here).

We follow Lucas Hunter, who is both human and animal, as he hungers over sensations that the Psy finds disgusting.

Slave to Sensation (Psy-Changelings, Book 1)

Starting with Slave to Sensation, this erotic novel includes all the tropes we love in a Gena Showalter series.

Pros

  • Great Battles And Conflicts With Morality
  • Genuinely Scary Villains
  • Erotic

Cons

  • Not A Lot Of Depth
  • Not A Lot Of Character Development
  • More Sensual Than Plot At Times

Themes: Romance, Erotica, Paranormal, Fantasy

Larissa Ione

Bound by Night (The Moonbound Clan Vampires Book 1)

Larissa is an Air Force veteran from the US who writes exclusively in the romance and paranormal fiction genre.

Her most loved series is called MoonBound Clan Vampires, and it starts with the novel Bound by Night. This story starts off with 8-year-old Nicole Martin who barely survived a massacre of her vampire family.

She now spends her life researching ways to cure vampirism, when she runs into a member of the Vampire Moon Clan.

Their histories are intertwined, as both their lives changed on the day of the massacre.

Unlike some of the other stories we have suggested, the MoonBound Clan Vampires collection has a strong history making the world-building even more tangible.

Pleasure Unbound: A Demonica Novel (Demonica series Book 1)

However, if you prefer supernatural romances to be filled with longing and separation, then you may like the series Demonica more.

Starting with Pleasure Unbound, a demon hunter lands herself in a hospital run by demons in disguise. Saved by a creature she was taught to despise, Tayla has to betray her hero to stay loyal to her peers.

But can she let her team take down a demon with such tenderness?

This story has a burning passion between two people who cannot mix.

The writing is steamy, the attraction is palpable, and the urban fantasy world Larissa has created would fit wonderfully into a Gena Showalter world.

Pros

  • Interesting Characters
  • Good Character Development
  • Erotic

Cons

  • Not A Lot Of Focus On the Plot Or Story
  • Problems Around Consent
  • Clunky At Points

Themes: Romance, Erotica, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Final Thoughts

All of Gena Showalter’s stories follow the same pattern of unbreakable love, irresistible passion, and otherworldly monsters.

So, if you are searching for another author that creates these types of novels, you’re probably looking for something passionate, and fantastical but you can imagine happening in the real world due to their urban fantasy setting.

This is why you should start reading books by J.R Ward, Kresley Cole, Nalini Singh, and Larissa Ione. Each of them follows the three themes set up by Gena, making them the perfect fit for your home library.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Genre Is Gena Showalter?

Gena fits into three categories of the genre – young adult, contemporary romance, and paranormal romance.

Her contemporary and paranormal romances are very passionate and should be read by adults, while her young adult fiction also contains romance and the paranormal but in a child-friendly manner.

Does Beth Get Pregnant In Black Dagger Brotherhood?

Beth becomes mated to the Vampire King Wrath. The two of them have a child together, also called Wrath – Wrath IIII or little Wrath.

Who Is The Best Paranormal Romance Author?

This is a matter of opinion, but many people put J.R Ward and Stephanie Meyer at the top of the list for their work on the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and the Twilight series.

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Anna Davis