Scary & Horror Book Recommendations (some even have romance!)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!! ☠️🎃 😀 🎃 ☠️ THIS LIST JUST HAD A HUGE UPDATE (10-31-2019) with more recommendations!!! If you’re more interested in “romance horror” scroll down to the “Scary-Sexy Romance” section. 😀 Also… check out the entire “Horror” category on the blog.

Who’s in the mood to kickoff the Halloween season with a few scary reads? You know what I just realized? I haven’t felt the need to sleep with the lights on, in ages.

I remember way back when… after a scary movie (or book), I’d not only keep all the lights on in the house, I’d wake up after a nightmare (or scary noise) and stare at my closet and tremble. If I was with friends, we’d dare each other to peek under my bed… just in case (and I would totally do it and eeeeeeeep!!).

But if I was alone… I wouldn’t even get up to go to the bathroom. And IF I had to… I’d leap from the bed as far away as I could so nothing would yank on my ankle while I attempted to get up. Why would I DO that to myself, you ask? *grins* I dunno. I JUST LOVE it!!! Oh don’t get me wrong… while I watch (or read) the horror, I ask myself that question all the time.

But it’s just this craving I have to be *jolted* out of the “same old-same old”. Looking for a temporary (and safe) freak-out. To be shocked and appalled. To jump right out of my seat (right out of my skin!), screaming at the top of my lungs, only to giggle like mad as I “come down” and realize what I just did. I used to have a partner in “horror-crime” which was my mom (yep, the one who got me started in books, started me in horror movies even earlier). You see, her excuse was… that she hated to watch (or read) them alone. I get the horror-thrill gene from her. 😉

I was wondering who else here loves ’em too? Any absolute must read favorites? Off the top of my head (when I was strictly a horror reader), I was of course a HUGE Stephen King fan and Dean Koontz. But there’re so many more horror books to experience, right?

So… now you tell me! Any awesome/sleep-with-the-lights-on recommendations? Any new super-scary horror books out that are must reads?

Stephanie: Oh I like this post! Sometimes I want to mix up the steamy and swoony for a creepy, make me feel all “omg did you hear that?”  Kind of book!! Can’t wait to read the recommendations!

Elizabeth: I’m with you on the horror books. Love them…

Mel: This has got to be one of my most favorite posts you’ve done. Thank you for this. Had no idea you loved horror. Awesome! Rob Zombie is the master of horror movies. And, of course, Stephen King is the king of horror books. His movies are totally scared-sh!tless worthy, too!

Maryse’s Book Blog: Horror is/was my first passion. Romance books are my thing now, but I watch at least one horror movie a week! LOVE LOVE LOVE. It keeps me “fresh’ and on my toes. I need to find a book though, that will scare me straight into leaving the lights on for at least a week. THAT is what I’m in the mood for! I’m more of a supernatural girl (ghosts, demonic possessions, exorcisms, anything biblical…) LOVE that. Must be the scared-straight catholic in me. I’m “learning”. 😉

P.S. This is going to be a two-part list. I’ll start us off “slower” with scary-romance books, and then, below it, I’ll switch up to the full-on freaky!

P.P.S. <— I AM ALL EARS (and eyes) for more recommendations in the horror book category. I wanna know the book(s) that scared the daylights out of you!! (also, if you have some good horror-romance recommendations, send those over, too!) 😀

Ready?

LATEST UPDATE: 10-31-2019 <— HAPPY  HALLOWEEN!! 😀

Maryse: I’m still on the look out for a horror book that I can’t put down, and that might even make me sleep with the lights on.

Kristi: Yay! Super excited about some new horror books. Lol i could list a few more authors if anyone is interested..

Tasha J: FantasticLand: A Novel by Mike Bockoven. I’m at around 60% yet and know this will definitely be 1 of my best of 2019 reads. It would be awesome as a movie or mini series. Probably even audiobook if done with the right narrator/narrators. Each interview has a distinctly different voice, I love it. … It’s so well written and different and exciting.

Tasha J: There’s a particular chapter near the end that just *shivers*. Or I’m a baby cuz I never read this stuff and it was exciting to me. We’ll find out when 1 of u read it too! 😜 …Fantasticland for horror/thriller/shock value cuz it tricked me into thinking it was real. Lol

Reese: Thanks to Tasha for recommending Fantasticland. I absolutely loved it.

Reese: As far as a book for what to read after Fantasticland: Night Film: A Novel by Marissa Pessel. It’s really nothing alike as far as plot but it has a sorta similar style and scary vibe and I think you really would like it.

R. Renee: Have you ever heard of the book Hostage to the Devil: The Possession and Exorcism of Five Contemporary Americans? Holy Moses… It’s “non-fiction” and I linked it in the review if you ever run out of scary. …I have a mild obsession with occult stuff…

Kooloo: Just finished Method 15/33 …I know my review will take me awhile to write I am still processing but supremely satisfied. There were so many elements (the writing, the wisdom/stupidity, the science/horror, the emotion/less, the truth/lies) to this story I found perfect… Hands down this is my favourite book of the year!!!!

Maryse: LOVED this one!!! Kept me on the edge of my seat… what I loved is that the victim is the bad guy too. 😉 In fact, here’s my Book Review

Tessa: Alright, Penelope Douglas brought this to her fans attention on Facebook. The Cirque, Act 1 by Ashleigh Giannoccaro. All you horror type should look at it.

A. Meredith Walters: Blood Claim by Claire Riley is an excellent horror read! And it’s in KU. ☠️🎃

Kate:  I liked this book as well.

Amy: Ooh! You should read Blister if you don’t want scary. It has great dark humor. Totally out of the norm for me but I really liked it

Cheryl: Ok, finished Blister. Enjoyed the story, although it wasn’t what I was expecting. Not sure why it was described as scary/horror. I may have been scared for them, but not scared by the story. AND the ending; I wanted more.

I would say it is not scary/horror, but like Amy said has horrific events. Small-town mystery is also a good way of describing it. Funny, not dark humor but laughing about a bad situation and just laughing in general. Lots of funny one-liners from the H. I’m thinking “things’ are not what they seem and I’m at the beginning of the explanations.

Penny: Bird Box: A Novel! Hello Maryse and everybody! I just had to comment on this one…. It is absolutely brilliant, and totally terrifying! But not in the conventional horror story sense…. My whole family read it in one sitting last year and we still talk about it!

Maryse: I read and LOVED that one. Devoured it… creeped me out so bad, and that ending!!!! And of course you KNOW I had to watch the movie. I enjoyed it too. In fact… Ooooh I like the movie intro to Bird Box better than the book-intro, actually. It’s INSANE and chaotic and intense and stressful and SO SCARY!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE how they did that. AND!!! Book #2 (Malorie: A Bird Box Novel) is up for preorder!! 😀 Oh and!! Here’s my Book Review

R. Renee: I was lying in bed in the dark listening to Bird Box and got so freaked out that I’m now sitting up in bed with all the lights on. Still listening of course. 😀

Allison: HOW CAN I FORGET THIS!! My copy of Gerald’s Game disappeared shortly after I read that book. I never lent it out and I have no idea where it went. I’m sure maybe my sister borrowed it and didn’t tell me or whatever. However, because that book scared me so bad I am literally afraid of it now. I sort of want to reread it, but I’m afraid to have it in my home or on my Kindle. Don’t hate me because I’m weird. Just sharing so that Jean knows this book, for me, was the one that kept me up at night with the lights on!

Kim: One thats not here that really scared me and I had to read in the daytime was Amityville Horror .

R. Renee: I started my January challenge book,when I woke up at 3am and it gave me the heebie jeebies! Oh no. What if it was 3:15am? *goosebumps*

TESSA: Okay, so yesterday, last night? I was reading a DARK book. Kissed by Wildfire: A Dark Academy Romance (The Cimmerian Cage Book 1) by Cate Corvin. It’s PNR but it’s the most horror-like story I’ve read in PNR. She’s a witch sent to an “academy” to serve out a sentence for accidentally burning a few things and a person. It is an old asylum and the students die. It’s considered astonishing that a student would be there over a year and still be alive. RH, and the beginnings of a BDSM relationship with one, but the scary/ dark aspect… wow. I have a feeling this is going to be one book that sticks with me. The cover looks like the typical light book, but nope. Just pure dark. Absolutely loved it. 🙂

Tessa: …the dark book I mentioned that you look at the cover, it looks fun, and oooh, RH, so fun, sexy PNR. WRONG! Scare your pants off PNR at times, but the whole time it’s tense and dark. Very dark!

The first bad thing you read in the first book is a student literally being dragged into a wall screaming by “helping hands”. Then it gets creepier.

Jesse: Have you ever read Ravenswood by Christine Zolendz? It’s creepy and romantic and beautifully written. I read it in KU for Halloween.

Kate: I was just going to say this book to. It’s so different we did a book club about it it’s very detailed. I loved it.

Sherry: Anything from John Saul will scare you bad!!

Lauren: I read one about some teenagers in a small town & they did bad stuff (I think a drug company was injecting them with something….the boy’s football coach was iin on it maybe…idk, I read it 20yrs ago) but I remember being so freaked out that for MONTHS, one of my brothers would have to come outside & get me out of my car & walk me inside our house after dark. Sooooo scary.

Merlyn: I believe the book Lauren was talking about is Creature: A Novel by John Saul. I read it in high school as well, along with many other Dean Koontz and John Saul books.

Kristi: Oh geez…where to begin. Lol ok here goes:

• Dan Simmons,
• Griffin Hayes,
• Richard Matheson,
• Ramsey Campbell,
• Guillermo del Toro,
• James Herbert,
• Richard Laymon, and
• Sara Gran–specifically Come Closer…that should be good for now lol.

Georgia: I think you will also enjoy Books of Blood by Clive Barker.

Kimberly: Rose Madder: A Novel by Stephen King gave me nightmares for years!!😳😭🙀

Sanne: Any Yolanda Olson book 😈😈😈

Kathy P: Wow! Has anyone read Abattoir by K. Larsen and Yolanda Olsen? It is an M/M but not what I was expecting. I have never read any books by K. Larsen before although I have a few on my Kindle. Best to read it going in dark. I need wine!!

TRUE HORROR (Classics and more!):

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty <— MARYSE: This will forever be my scariest of all-time movie & book experience. Being raised Catholic, I think I believed every moment of this, and there is NOTHING scarier than the Devil himself. And Adria agrees…

Adria: “The Exorcist (book) was so freaking scary I slept with the lights on for weeks.” and Kryssie was scared out of her mind, too! “I read the exorcist when it first came out. A was only a teenager, and I remember asking my friend’s dad to walk me home that night. Too much imagination. I’d take the books over the films any day.”

Intensity: A Novel by Dean Koontz <— MARYSE: I’m usually a supernatural horror girl (see the above book for an idea), but this one scared me out of my wits! I read it late into the night, and I swear I was checking out my bedroom window, scared that this guy was coming to get me next. She’s kidnapped and held hostage and I trembled in fear. No Stockholm Syndrome here… all I wanted to do was get away, and I think I hyperventilated during quite a few scenes. Like that “tied to the chair” one…

Teri: I read this one a few years ago in one sitting and it took my breath away. I was terrified and excited and on the edge of my seat!

Julie: I read this one a few years ago in one sitting and it took my breath away. I was terrified and excited and on the edge of my seat!

Katarzyna: One of the best horror books I’ve ever read. Unputdownable, chilling to the bone.

Carol: Ohhhh….I read this many, many years ago.

Watchers by Dean Koontz <— Candace: If you like this one (Intensity) read Watchers from the same author. It’s one of the best “scary” books I”ve ever read.

The Long Walk by Stephen King <— I loved the one where they were in a running marathon, and they couldn’t even stop to go to the bathroom, they had to do it while running and or they’d get shot. WHAT HORROR!!!

Thinner by Stephen King <— Oh and I loved Thinner. Freaked me out. (he gets a curse on him that won’t let him gain weight. In fact, he can’t stop losing weight no matter how much he eats!)

Carrie by Stephen King <— Awesome movie and awesome book! Shy and sheltered (abused) girl bullied by her peers, this is a look into her attempt at making friends, falling in love and trying to hide her special abilities…

Maryse: Fun fact? My mom watched this one with me when I was little ’cause she was too scared to watch it alone. And you wonder where my addiction to horror comes from. 😉 No worries… she also gave me my love of reading.

Tap,Tap by David Martin <— Lynetta suggests this one:

Lynetta: The most frightening book I’ve ever read is called Tap, Tap. I was I scared I called my husband who was on duty but sleeping in the berthing. Sorry, sailors!

Pet Sematary: A Novel by Stephen King <— OF COURSE THIS!!

Jan130: I was silly enough to read Stephen King’s Pet Sematary: A Novel as an impressionable teen and it literally gave me nightmares.

Tasha J: My childhood trauma movie was, hands down, Pet Sematary. You couldn’t pay me to watch that again. I remember a year or so ago, I bought my son a backpack “leash” Bc I was so freaked by how careless he was and wild and I kept having panic attacks picturing Gage chasing after that damn balloon! And that wasn’t even close to the worst part of the movie!! *shudders*

Jan: Bringing the kid back from the dead TOTALLY creeped me out and I had nightmares about it on and off for a few months. i could NEVAH see the movie of it.

Tricia: The first book I remember reading that I enjoyed was Pet Sematary by Stephen King.

Sam: Pet Cemetery! Creeeeepy!

Leslie M: True story….years ago when Pet Cemetery was at theaters I went to see it with my now husband. I love scary movies and we would always go see them. Well, that little kid coming back from the dead scared me so much I couldnt sleep and it gave me so much anxiety I threw up! Oh, and his dog was acting weird when we got home and that freaked me out too.

‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King <— Kathy was scared out of her wits!!

Kathy: Salem’s Lot and IT (Stephen King) had me scared out of my wits! I love a good scary horror flick or book, and Stephen King is the master!

Maryse: Yep!! I read this one, along with The Exorcist one summer at our cottage and will never forget how much fun (and how freaked out) I was. A little morbid for summer reads, I know. 😉

The Stand by Stephen King <— Jeannie says: “The Stand is probably one of the best books I have ever read. It is scary (of course) but it also makes you think. I have read it three times.”

JulieO: My favorite “all time” book is The Stand by King. Have read it about 6 times and it’s a huge one! Think that is why I am hung up on apocalyptic books now.

Teri: Julie O I agree. The Stand is one of the best books ever written. I’ve read almost every Stephen King novel out ther and it and the novel It are my favorites. He’s one of the only authors that can write about a huge amount of characters and still capture the intimacy of each individual.

It by Stephen King <—-Jeannie suggests this one:

Jeannie: “…terrifying – and is the reason I am now afraid of clowns (especially with balloons). I could not read it at night.”

Maryse: AGREED!!! I didn’t read it, but clowns scared me before this movie, and CLOWNS FREAK me out, now. GAH!!! Those teeth!

Kryssie: I have clown hang ups too- thank you Stephen King.

Georgia: Huge Stephen King fan as well. IT is one of my favorites.

The Shining by Stephen King <— Elizabeth is re-reading it!!

Elizabeth: I’m a HUGE Stephen King fan, so I’m currently rereading The Shining because the sequel, Doctor Sleep: A Novel just came out. Can’t wait to see what Danny is like all grown up! His books always leave me with the eeriest feelings.”

Maryse: Agreed! One of the creepiest books I’ve ever read. Even the kid creeped me out.

Kim: Oh, I had forgotten about some of these books! The Shining was terrifying.

Doctor Sleep: A Novel by Stephen King (sequel to “The Shining) <— Ohhhhhh DR. SLEEP!!!!!!!!!! Oh you just MADE MY DAY Elizabeth!!!

Heather: I finished Doctor Sleep last week. Stephen King is what got me started reading when I was a kid, and The Shining was one of his best. It was very slow moving with backstory and character development up until the 50-60% point.

However, I felt like it offered some further explanation into “the shining” and provided some closure to the story.

If you are a fan of early Stephen King books, I highly recommend this. Yes, you need to read The Shining first. The movie doesn’t end the same as the book, so be prepared if that’s your frame of reference.

COMA by Robin Cook <— Lisa recommends books by this author:

Lisa: “Robin Cook is scary to me…medical stuff freaks me out more than zombies and rabid dogs. I make myself suffer by reading one about once a year just because I love his writing and the mystery behind it. Oh, and by medical I mean contagious diseases, mutations, and weird diseases.”

Maryse: YES!! I didn’t remember who you were talking about, Lisa, but when I did a search on Amazon, and Coma came up I got really excited. I read this when I was about 10 years old (having seen it on my mom’s bookshelf for years) and it was SO good and SO scary! I think this book is the reason I’m terrified of surgery. And IV’s. *shudders*

Fever by Robin Cook <— another one from this author with GREAT reviews (and more recent).

Harmful Intent by Robin Cook <— and another! (there are SO many that look good, and I’ve only ever read Coma. Thanks Lisa!! Here is a link to more books from Robin Cook)

Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark by  Alvin Schwartz <– Bridget remembers this one: “I love Scary Stores To Tell In The Dark. Collection of scary tories and folk lore. Found it as a kid.”

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill <—- Elizabeth found us a few!

Elizabeth: “Have you read any of Joe Hill’s books? He’s Stephen King’s son. He’s written some books that have gotten great reviews (genre is the same vein as his dad) but I haven’t read any yet. Horns, Heart-Shaped Box, and NOS4A2 sound particularly creepy. I believe Horns is now a movie with Daniel Radcliffe.”

Kristi: “Oh…yea i second Joe Hill ..heart shaped box creeped me out.”

Anna: I love everything by Joe Hill! So far I’ve only read Horns, Heart Shaped Box, and NOS4A2- but all were fantastic!

20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill (and more books from this author here) —> Wow Elizabeth, I think I just found my next batch of reading. Every blurb of his sounds so different and FREAKY creepy and so many awesome reviews. YAY!!!!! Thank you for bringing him to our attention!

H.P. Lovecraft The Complete Collection<— Susan likes “I like to go REAL old school and read H. P. Lovecraft. Some of King’s early short stories are totally reminiscent of Lovecraft.”

Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin <— Susan asks: “Ever read or see Rosemary’s Baby?”

Ghost Story by Peter Straub<— Susan also recommends this author! And Peter Straub’s books are good.

Ground Zero: A Zombie Apocalypse by Nicholas Ryan <— Barb loved this one! “Just read Ground Zero, by Nicholas Ryan. Who is Vivian Sparx’s boyfriend. It was a great zombie book!”

The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter) by Thomas Harris <— this one freaked Terrie out! “The last horrific book I read was Silence of the Lambs. Kept me awake all night. No more!”

Six days with the Dead (Lanherne Chronicles) by Stephen Charlick <— Naomi suggests this series: Lanherne Chronicles. “Six days with the dead by Stephen Charlick. Great zombie reads!”

Dead Bad Things: A Thomas Usher Novel (Angry Robot) by Gary Mcmahon <— Kristi also suggests: “Some more books that weirded me out are dead bad things, apartment 16, outpost and 14.”

Apartment 16 by Adam Nevill “Apryl begins to unravel the hidden story of Barrington House. She discovers that a transforming, evil force still inhabits the building, and that the doorway to Apartment 16 is a gateway to something altogether more terrifying.”

Outpost by Adam Baker –> “They must survive the long Arctic winter, then make their way home alone. They battle starvation and hypothermia, unaware that the deadly contagion that has devastated the world is heading their way…”

14 by Peter Clines <— “…every room in this old Los Angeles brownstone has a mystery or two. Mysteries that stretch back over a hundred years. Some of them are in plain sight. Some are behind locked doors. And all together these mysteries could mean the end of Nate and his friends. Or the end of everything…”

The Wayward Pines Series by Blake Crouch <— recommended by many!!

Theresa: A creepy town that’s not quite what it seems. The main character gets stuck when he travels there to investigate the disappearance of two FBI agents.They’re making a TV series out of it that starts next year.

Nay: The Wayward Pines series by Blake Crouch, which I’ve been recommending for years, …(the trilogy was on my top 10 audiobook list back in 2016). If you watched the series, the books are TONS better, IMO. I very highly recommend the audiobooks (If you have KU, the books and audiobooks are free!)

Julie: I recently read the Wayward Pines trilogy and really like it.

The Dark by Jason Brant <— Eeeeeep!!! Theresa recoomends this one, t

Theresa: A town in Maryland goes dark. Only the people who had a light source when it happened are still around, but that’s not exactly a good thing. Creepy things lurk in the darkness, including what appears to be their friends and family members begging them to turn off their lights.

Maryse: I HATE THE DARK!!!! (and yet I get a secret thrill over movies and books that revolve around it…)

Demon Seed by Dean Koontz <— Mallory recommends it! “This is the greatest idea!! What about Dean Koontz’s books? My fave scary one is Demon Seed!”

Maryse: Mallory, I haven’t read that one yet. Sounds right for me just by the title alone. I put one Dean up there. “Intensity”! Scaaaaary!

The Passage: A Novel by Justin Cronin <— Anna’s choice: “I also enjoyed The Passage by Justin Cronin.”

Jan130: …some might categorise some aspects of The Passage as horror, but to to me it’s not really horror as in Pet Sematary or The Shining type of thang. Being as *weak* as I am about scary books/films I wouldn’t have been able to read it otherwise. …I haven’t read The Passage in a while, but my overriding memories of it are as a wonderful, mysterious, epic, eventful, adventure read, not as horror. I absolutely loved it. I say go for it.

…Not a romance, but a fab post-apocalyptic totally epic adventure with some weird vampires thrown in for good measure! So Cristina, I guess I do read the odd scary book sometimes. Not that the Passage is scary exactly, but if def has some elements of horror at times.

Lisa: The Passage might fall into a horror category in some respects (as Jan130 mentioned its not Stephen King style horror at all) but I would describe as an apocalyptic world building epic. The vampires are NOT Twilight or BDB hotties but a new species of predator. But it has elements we love….like an awesome kicking asses and taking no prisoners heroine in Alicia. And characters so well developed you’ll miss them. Its a tale of survival. I loved it.

100 Days in Deadland by Rachel Aukes <— Shirley recommends this one saying “100 Days in Deadland by Rachel Aukes was fabulous! Intense, glued to my kindle great. It is one of my top 5 of the year so far.”

Shirley: Rachel Aukes second book in the Deadland series is out now. Deadland Harvest… I finished it a couple of days ago and LOVED it. Her first one 100 Days in Deadland was so, so good! I am totally hooked on her series.

SCARY-SEXY ROMANCE (where the romance is, or becomes a BIG part of it)

Mercedes: Any suggestions on a good halloween reads. Scary sexy reads. Oh yahoo. I have already read karina halle. Any others u can suggest?

Maryse: You bet Mercedes. Not a ton of ’em yet, but hopefully the recommendations will come in (’cause how awesome would it be two have my two favorite genres in one?) And then, we can expand on this part of the list. 😀 But here are a few:

Experiment in Terror Series by Karina Halle <— Maryse: My personal recommendation. Ghost hunting for a Youtube show, Perry and Dex work together to “investigate” trying to capture apparitions and demon-ish things on camera. But little do they know these “things” will take a GREAT interest in them… and they, in each other.  OH BEST SERIES EVER!!!! A slow burning potential love-story (Dex can be VERY hard to deal with ’cause he’s both awesome and an absolute jerk), and Perry is totally one of us!

You’ll get plenty of pining, hope and hurt. That’s the best part! And along for that intense romance-ride are the spooky things that they are both somehow connected to. An absolute MUST READ!

MichelleS: Experiment in Terror series, by Karina Halle (Dex is definitely not some giant brooding alpha – ha! but sexy as heck) same couple, modern day …I can’t believe I haven’t read the last book in Experiment in Terror series. Have NO CLUE what I am waiting for or why. And I adored Perry & Dex.

Cristina: Being able to read these books one right after another reiterates my belief as to why I almost always wait until an entire series is released before reading them. I have absolutely LOVED reading these books one by one. AND… AND! They are all included in KU right now! I’m on #7 now and LOVE reading from Dex’s POV! Talk about sexy, witty, hilarious, HOT… I could go on and on about him! I get it Maryse… I TOTALLY get it!!!

Carol: Nothing freaked me out more than the description of Sasquatch in EIT’s Into the Hollow.

Amy: You know what scared me? The EIT book where they are in the cabin in the mountains investigating those creatures (freaked me the FREAK out)

The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning <— Maryse: Another absolute must-read recommendations from me! All-american “Mac” (cute college-girl type) goes to Ireland to try to get to the bottom of her sister’s murder. And once there, she notices she can “see things”. A rare gift (more like curse) that only a few have, where she can see past “human appearances” to the evil Fae lurking underneath. Scary in that the “Fae” in this series are mostly evil, and there’s an evil book out there doing evil-ish things. And then she meets (and teams up with) Barrons. Bossy, arrogant and RUDE!! Absolutely unrelenting.

Lots of scary frights throughout the series, tons of danger, and best yet… an intense “romantic connection” brewing on the absolute wrong guy. Or two. 😉

Chalcie: Apparently a new book is coming for 2020! cant wait to see back Mac and Dani. What is your suggestion what to read for the one who liked the Fever Series?

Mona: Karen Marie Monning’s Fever series! I loved that series!

Michelle M: Oh Maryse, I’m so with you about the Experiment In Terror series and the Fever series! I don’t know which one I love more!

The Devil’s Duology by Karina Halle <— Sam: Hey, what about Karina Halle’s Devil’s Metal series? That was rather spooky! Just finished the first one and waiting for the sequel which comes out right before Halloween! Perfect timing!

Maryse: HECK YES!! I LOVED IT!!! Here’s my Book Review  of #1.

Red Hill by Jamie McGuire <—- A virus is suddenly wiping out the world, and the corpses seem to be re-animating. Feeding on those still alive around them. Yep, ZOMBIES! But this is about trying to escape, find refuge, find your loved ones, and possibly survive in this new world chaos. And while loss (and the fear of loss) is prevalent, connecting, loving and truly living again, is the theme! (Scary and romantic!) Here’s my Book Review.

Jean: I’m reading Red Hill right now (almost finished) and really loving it! WoW will probably be perfect for me next!

Maryse: Jean I enjoyed Red Hill too… nice angsty tension there. 😉 And of course my love of all things chaos is in full swing in that one. 😛 LOL!

Through Glass (Glass #1) by Rebecca Ethington <— recommended by Theresa (oooooooh yesssss!!!)

Theresa: I just finished Through Glass (Book 1 in a series) by Rebecca Ethington. It’s a little hard to classify as it starts out YA based on the character age, but I don’t think that’s where it belongs.

The basic premise is that the world has gone dark and monsters roam the streets. The monsters have rules: No light. No noise. No going outside. The main character is confined to her house alone. Her only human contact is her best friend and crush the boy next door who she communicates with through her bedroom window using sign language.

It’s scary and dark with just the right amount of unforeseen twists.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake <— Maggie recommends it!

Maggie: “Maryse, I think I must have come across this book via your blog but I wanted to recommend it right back if not. It reminded me a tad bit of EIT for YA, and I really enjoyed it.”

A Haunted Love Story: The Ghosts of the Allen House by Mark Spencer <— I haven’t read this one yet, but just came across it while doing searches, and it looks good! A modern family in an old haunted house (and they experience all of the various ghosts) and a love story… LOTS of great reviews for it!

Love and Decay, Volume One (Episodes One through Six) (Love and Decay, A Novella Series) by Rachel Higginson <— Theresa recommends this serial & I LOVE this author!!! 😀

Theresa: Post-Zombie apocalypse, Reagan and her best friend Haley have survived for two years on their own, but after a near escape in a department store, they team up with the Parker brothers.

Flesh by Kylie Scott <— scary ’cause it’s the Zombie apocalypse, and it REALLY is creepy enough on it’s own with that… but OH SO excitingly steamy and sexy and romantic when she runs into Daniel. I swooned and felt so much safer. But things really get mixed up when THEY run into Finn. 😉 (see my Book Review of this one AND book #2 which features another hero and heroine in this Zombie destroyed world – Book Review of Skin)

Michelle M: Kylie Scott’s zombie series definitely has the adrenaline going… for lots of reasons. 😉

Julie O: I also really really enjoyed the Flesh series, can’t get much better than zombies and sex! I wish Kylie Scott would write another sequel or two about these.

The Grace Series by M. Lauryl Lewis <— Petra couldn’t believe I left this one out!!

Petra: You for got the DARK GRACE series!!!! SO GOOD. ZOMBIE with a love story….love triangle might be better

Maryse: you have me VERY excited Petra. I didn’t even know about it until now!

The Last Hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith <— MichelleS: Maryse! Are you ready to dive into The Last Hour of Gann then? It’s described as epic-horror-erotica! It’s scary. And awesome in every way. Might get you out of a funk. It’s addicting, for sure. I will never forget it. I could read a book just like that one anytime.

MichelleS: it’s dark, for sure. Nothing pretty or flowery there. Sci-fi, horror, gritty, dark, just sucks you in. It is LONG, you’re right, but I never got bored or squirrelly. I’m sooooo glad Maryse put it on a list and that I took a chance. Crazy good,

…It wasn’t even the story-line that appealed to me – it was R. Lee Smith and her unique style of horror-sci-fi-erotica that I was in the mood for. She does not disappoint. He’s a beast! Just awful. Talk about Stockholm syndrome. ARGH. I can’t believe I read this stuff.

Jan 130: Finally finished Last Hour of Gann last night. Yeh, it’s a megaread, but so totally worth it. Completely gripping adventure. A lot of it is about desperate people behaving badly, and you just never know what’s going to happen next. The story is actually quite uplifting in many ways. Smith isn’t afraid to show us the worst side of humanity (and of the aliens, who behave just like humans anyway). But she also shows us how people (and aliens) with integrity can grow and develop wisdom.

I usually can’t stomach books or films with too much violence or darkness, but in this case the violence is totally an essential part of the story and the characters. You even find some sympathy for some of the bad dudes (like Zhuqa) when you understand their history and motivations.

And the romance of Amber and Meoraq is totally lovely. This isn’t one of those schlocky human woman meets hot alien with extraordinarily large **** for kinky sex type books. It’s a well-written book that also explores some very interesting philosophical questions through the storyline, without being preachy. Well done, R. Lee Smith.