Too often in Paranormal Romance only the heroes get to be Super.

Here are some wonderful Romance Novels where the heroines breathe fire!

My lists are never in any particular order. Enjoy!

1. The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe

For centuries they’ve lived in secret among northern England’s green and misted hills. Creatures of extraordinary beauty, power, and sensuality, they possess the ability to shape-shift from human to dragon and back again. Now their secret–and their survival–is threatened by a temptation that will break every boundary....

Dubbed the Smoke Thief, a daring jewel thief is confounding the London police. His wealthy victims claim the master burglar can walk through walls and vanish into thin air. But Christoff, the charismatic Marquess of Langford, knows the truth: the thief is no ordinary human but a “runner” who’s fled Darkfrith without permission. As Alpha leader of the dra´kon, it’s Kit’s duty to capture the fugitive before the secrets of the tribe are revealed to mortals. But not even Kit suspects that the Smoke Thief could be a woman. 

Clarissa Rue Hawthorne knew her dangerous exploits would attract the attention of the dra´kon. But she didn’t expect Christoff himself to come to London, dangling the tribe’s most valuable jewel–the Langford Diamond–as bait. For as long as she could remember, Rue had lived the life of a halfling–half dra´kon, half mortal–and an outcast in both worlds. She’d always loved the handsome and willful Kit from the only place it was safe: from afar. But now she was no longer the shy, timid girl she’d once been. She was the first woman capable of making the Turn in four generations. So why did she still feel the same dizzying sense of vulnerability whenever he was near?

From the moment he saw her, Kit knew that the alluring and powerful beauty was every bit his Alpha equal and destined to be his bride. And by the harsh laws of the dra´kon, Rue knew that she was the property of the marquess. But they will risk banishment and worse for a chance at something greater. For now Rue is his prisoner, the diamond has disappeared, and she’s made the kind of dangerous proposition a man like Kit cannot resist...

2. The Dragon's Queen by Michelle M. Pillow

Mede of the Draig knows three things for a fact: As the only female dragonshifter of her people, she is special. She can kick the backside of any man. And she absolutely doesn’t want to marry. 

Mede has spent a lifetime trying to prove she’s as strong as any male warrior. Unfortunately, being the special, rare creature she is, she’s been claimed as the future bride to nearly three dozen Draig—each one confident that when they come for her hand in marriage, fate will choose them. When the men aren’t bragging about how they’re going to marry her, they’re acting like she’s a delicate rare flower in need of their protection. 

But Mede is far from a shrinking solarflower. 

Prince Llyr of the Draig knows four things for a fact: He is the future king of the dragonshifters. He must act honorably in all ways. He absolutely, positively is meant to marry Lady Mede. And she is dead set against marriage. 

Llyr’s fate rests in the hands of a woman determined not to have any man. With a new threat emerging amongst their catshifting neighbors, a threat whose eyes are focused firmly on Mede, time may be running out. It is up to him to convince her to be his dragon queen. 

3. Love in the Time of Dragons by Katie Macalister

Tully Sullivan is just like any other suburban mom-except she's just woken up in a strange place surrounded by strange people who keep insisting that they're dragons-and that she's one too.

4. Dragon on Top by G.A. Aiken

 am Ghleanna the Decimator. I am a warrior. A soldier. I know no fear. No pain. No mercy. I do, however, know acute embarrassment! How could I not after getting dumped by a bastard dragon in front of my own troops? So I tuck tail and return to my cave, drowning my sorrows in ale—as is my family’s way. But instead of leaving me to my misery, I’ve been summoned to the Dragon Queen’s court.
 
As if my life wasn’t pathetic enough, Her Majesty now has me escorting the highborn Bram the Merciful through dangerous territories—not exactly the best use of my military training. And just so he can negotiate with enemy dragons instead of battling them? Honestly, what has my world come to? Then again…Bram is quite easy on the eyes. And the perfect distraction for what ails me. Perhaps I’m looking at all this the wrong way. Maybe there is a place for a little “mercy” in my life…

5. Wildfire by Mina Khan

Lynn Hana Alexander is a 25-year-old Japanese American shape-shifter haunted by guilt. She’s been questioning herself and her dragon abilities ever since she failed to save her grandmother. 

When her best friend is threatened by mysterious fires burning up acres of West Texas, Lynn rushes to the rescue determined not to fail again. However, with a tempting firefighter, a flirty city developer and dragon pheromones distracting her, how is she going to find the arsonist? 

And worse: is her primary suspect a malicious rogue dragon or the love of her life? 

6. Axman Werebear by T. S. Joyce

Arranged marriage, hidden agendas, deep secrets, and heart-pounding romance come together to tell Bruiser’s story in the 5th installment of T. S. Joyce’s bestselling Saw Bears series. 

Diem Daye has led a sheltered life. As the only breeding female of her kind, her father has kept her tucked away and heavily guarded. But when he makes a deal behind her back, and marries her off to a local lumberjack werebear, she fights everything that is expected of her. As the dust settles and she begins to realize just how special her arranged union to Bruiser Keller is, she’ll have to decide to make the ultimate sacrifice for her kind, or live and love in the safety of her new mate’s protection. 

Bruiser made a deal with a legendary shifter to save his family, but the consequences run deep when he returns home to the Asheland Mobile Park. Now he must marry a woman he’s never met, and if Diem’s pissed off countenance is anything to go by, she doesn’t want this pairing any more than he does. Bruiser vows to soften her hardened heart, but her secrets could bring danger to his beloved Ashe Crew, and could alter the course of his life forever. 

Love comes at a cost for shifters like Bruiser and Diem. If they want a real shot at happiness, they’ll have to learn how to survive each other. 

7. Artistic Vision by Dana Marie Bell

Akane Russo, one of the Hob’s top Blades, can’t wait for her current assignment to end. She’s been tasked with protecting Shane Dunne from the Malmayne clan’s scheme to kidnap him once again. But no one—not even her Seer half—warned her she’d have to protect herself from his heated gaze. Or that her dragon half would find him an irresistible puzzle. 

Shane knew his destined bride would never come to him willingly, but she’s stuck with him and he plans to use her predicament to his advantage. It’s only a matter of time before she succumbs to what they both want. Their Claiming will be beautiful beyond even his wildest imaginings—and his wild, free dragoness will finally see herself as he sees her. 

Then his unique, hybrid-borne visions reveal a new danger. The prophecy of the Child of Dunne can only be fulfilled down a path he must travel alone. To a place so dark and dangerous that even his truebond’s flame may not be bright enough to lead him home.

8. Bloodfire by Helen Harper

Mackenzie Smith has always known that she was different. Growing up as the only human in a pack of rural shapeshifters will do that to you, but then couple it with some mean fighting skills and a fiery temper and you end up with a woman that few will dare to cross. However, when the only father figure in her life is brutally murdered, and the dangerous Brethren with their predatory Lord Alpha come to investigate, Mack has to not only ensure the physical safety of her adopted family by hiding her apparent humanity, she also has to seek the blood-soaked vengeance that she craves. 

9. Must Love Dragons by Stephanie Rowe

Theresa Nichols, still stuck in dragon form, acts as interim Guardian of the Goblet. Knowing that she'll freak out the people of Manhattan if she leaves her apartment, Theresa entertains herself by having cybersex with a guy named Zeke. But now Zeke wants to meet her. Theresa wants to meet him, too, but in her present form, this is impossible, and she'll do anything, short of selling her soul to Satan, to regain her human body. Zeke Siccardi is equally determined. Now a private detective, this immortal is ready to put his bloody past as a dragonslayer behind him and become part of the modern world.

10. Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke

Zoë Sorensson is a perfectly normal teenage girl. That’s the problem. She’s always been told she’s destined for great things – she is a dragon shape shifter, a Pyr, and the only female one of her kind. But Zoë’s powers are AWOL, so she's sent to Pyr boot camp.

Zoë quickly realizes that she has to master her powers yesterday, because the Pyr are in danger and boot camp is a trap. The Mages want to eliminate all shifters and the Pyr are next in line -unless Zoë and her friends can work together and save their own kind.

Do you have another Dragoness for me? Yea! 

Vote on my Goodreads list: Female Dragon Shifters in Romance 

Wishes, magic, immortality? Never wears a shirt? Sounds good to me!

These are wonderful  romances with Djinn heroes and heroines!

My lists are never in any particular order. 

1. Oracle's Moon by Thea Harrison

When Grace Andreas's sister, Petra, and her husband are both killed, Grace inherits the Power and responsibilities of the Oracle of Louisville, as well as her sister's two young children--neither of which she is prepared for. Then Khalil, Demonkind and Djinn Prince of House Marid, decides to make himself a part of the household both as guardian and counterpoint to Grace's impudence towards the Elder Races.

2.  Temptation in a Bottle by Shona Husk

His only wish is to be free…

For centuries Gage has existed only to fulfill the most intimate desires of the woman who holds his bottle. Now Gage has a wish of his own—to be a real man and a have a real life even though he knows it’s an impossible dream. This time he plans to take his bottle and break it just to see what will happen.

Paramedic Sasha Watts has seen the damage falling in love does to people and she has no intention of being another of Cupid’s victims. She accidentally frees Gage without knowing he is a genie. After one kiss he walks away and she never expects to see him again, but the goddess Inanna has other ideas.

As punishment for breaking his bottle she erases Gage’s memory of everything but Sasha. Only Sasha can give him the life he longs for and only Gage can be the man she’s always dreamed of, but first she’ll have to open her heart and he’ll have to finish the job Inanna gave him. If he fails, he’ll cease to exist as a man and a genie.

3. Jinni's Wish  by Marie Hall

A long, long time ago there lived a man. A Jinni, who had one wish. To know love. But the woman he thought he knew betrayed him and the love he thought they shared. Tortured for his crimes, he was cast out of Kingdom, stripped of all his powers, left to langour in pain and solitude, until eventually he becomes nothing but a ghost...

Paz Lopez is an artist with a dream. To buy a ridiculously large penthouse in the swankiest section of Chicago. But there's just one hitch, she has no man to share her dream with. A fateful visit to a carnival and Madam Pandora's tent sends Paz on a mission to find the love of her life before it's too late.

But the Madam forgot to tell Paz one very important detail... to meet him, Paz will have to die first.

4.  The Price of Freedom by Jenny Schwartz

As a guardian angel, Mischa must protect the one man who may be able to bring about lasting peace to the Middle East. As a djinni, Rafe must fulfill the wishes of a terrorist leader. Their duties colliding, Mischa and Rafe become foes, but the heat between them is undeniable.

When the terrorist learns that a guardian angel stands between him and his greatest wish, he orders his djinni to remove her. Taking creative license, Rafe spirits her away to his private oasis, where she will be unable to protect the peacemaker.

Beyond their mutual desire, they find common ground in honor and loneliness. Passion quickly grows into love. But it's soon clear to Rafe that love cannot be bound, and Mischa must be true to her life's purpose. Even if Rafe must sacrifice his own taste of freedom to grant hers...

5. I Dream of Genies by Judi Fennell 

He needs to change his luck, and fast!

Matt Ewing would gladly hunt down a fortune in lucky pennies if he thought it would help save his business. But for all his hoping, Matt's clueless when his long-awaited lucky charm falls in his lap in the form of a beguiling genie. He just can't believe that this beautiful woman could be the answer to his prayers...

She's been bottled up for far too long!

Spending 2,000 years in a bottle would make any woman a little stir-crazy. So when Matt releases Eden from her luxurious captivity, she's thrilled to repay him by giving him the magical boost he needs...

But for all her good intentions, Eden's magical prowess is a little rusty and her magical mistakes become more than embarrassing. And though Eden knows falling in love will end her magic and immortality, she can't help but be drawn to the one man who wants her just for herself...

6. Ghostland by Jory Strong

Welcome to a postapocalyptic world, where the afterlife holds beings that only the bravest can summon-or dare to desire.

Taken from her home and family, shamaness Aisling McConaughey must enter the "ghostlands" to save a wealthy man's mistress. But there's a price to pay for her power: She must summon the Djinn prince Zurael en Caym-and yield to his savage, sensual rage.

Zurael intends to kill Aisling after she's served as bait to find an enemy in possession of an ancient tablet. But the more he tastes her innocent spirit, the more he'll use his fiery touch to keep her hungry for his mercy-even as they weave an erotic spell that he cannot escape...

7. Chosen by Christine Pope

When a fatal fever nearly wipes out the entire world's population, the survivors of what became known as "the Dying" believe the worst is in the past. Little do they know…

In the aftermath of the Dying, survivor Jessica Monroe searches for sanctuary in a world unlike any she's ever known before. As fear and isolation envelop her, Jessica encounters the sensitive and helpful Jace, who she believes is another survivor.  But Jace has a past and secrets of his own that's he not ready to disclose. Soon Jessica realizes that the destruction of humanity might actually be the first step in a larger, more complicated plan -- a plan that may very well involve her. Struggling to discover her role in a terrifying new world where everything has changed, she must decide who she can trust. But is the price for that trust just too high?

8. The Djinn's Dilemma by Mina Khan

Rukh

O'Shay, half-djinn and assassin, is used to taking out the bad guys.

But his latest assignment, Sarah White, is nothing like he expected. A

glimpse of her bright aura reveals her gentle spirit, while her luscious

beauty clouds his mind and makes him long for only one thing--to taste

her. Sarah shares the feeling of raw desire at Rukh's touch. He can turn

her on with a glance, and satisfies desires she didn't even know she

had. But Rukh had been hired to kill her--and the only way to save her

is to find out who wants her dead before someone else finishes the

job....

9. Tales of the Djinn: The Guardian by Emma Holly

Elyse Solomon hasn’t had it easy. She lost her dad and her husband under suspicious circumstances, and her relatives know more than they’re admitting about both deaths. Then a mysterious stranger with a briefcase full of cash moves into the basement of her New York brownstone. Arcadius is gorgeous and sophisticated, but nothing about him adds up—that is, until Elyse discovers her sexy tenant is a genie desperate to save his people from a deadly curse. With so much heartache behind her, can Elyse find the courage to help the man who might be her true soul mate?

10. Jinn and Juice by Nicole Peeler

To escape an arranged marriage, a jinni granted Lyla her wish: to live a thousand years as a jinni herself.

Now, her servitude is ending, but there are a few obstacles in Lyla's path to freedom. A Magi intent on binding her again, a jinni bent on vengeance, and not to mention the nightmare from her past that threatens to make her curse permanent -- and claim her very soul.

Jinn and Juice is the first in a new series by fantasy writer, Nicole Peeler set in a world of immortal curses, vengeful jinni and belly dancing.

Want more? Check out my Goodreads list: All Bottled Up: Genies in Romance Novels

The Dark Secrets anthology gives readers a look at six very different paranormal-themed novellas, each with varying degrees of darkness and all with a touch of romance.  

Marion, Missing? by Rachel Caine

Set in post-WWII Texas, Warren Valentine (Val) is mourning the death of his PI partner, Tilde Sands, a negro female. However he’s having trouble since she’s manifested as a ghost that won’t leave him alone until he stops the man who killed her. Marion, Missing? is a decent noir detective story with a twist on paranormal romance. The mystery and crime-solving went a little slowly and felt abstract because Tilde couldn't tell Val directly what she knew. The story was okay, but not really my thing.

My Rating: C

Femme Fatale by Cynthia Eden

The second story in the anthology is another PI mystery. Mick Swayne lives in a world where humans are unaware that the monsters of myth and movies are real. When two young men are found dead, and their bodies drained of blood, vampire Savannah Moreau hires Mick to help her stop the vampire killer and protect her from being the next victim. Femme Fatale reads like a more typical paranormal romance, albeit shorten. I liked the twists the author tossed in; however, sometimes the dialogue felt cliche and corny. And some of the plot points were equally as cheesy, but it mostly works for the story. 

My Rating: B-

Dance with the Devil by Megan Hart

Kathleen Murphy sold herself to the Devil long ago, and now she must do his bidding or give up her soul. She remains lonely and isolated, even from her beloved daughter, in an effort to protect those she cared about. Yet somehow Jake cuts past the walls Kathleen has erected and steals her heart. Dance with the Devil absolutely blew me away! It was an intense and emotionally powerful tale of the lengths one will go to for those she loves. I love how we didn’t typically know what the Devil asks of Kathleen, yet we saw the emotional upheaval and physical results of the manifestations of her guilt. It’s very powerful: horrific without being gruesome. The story is utterly engrossing and compelling, really making me think after I finished reading it. The tale is heartbreaking, yet beautiful in so many ways.

My Rating: A+

The Consort by Suzanne Johnson (set in the Sentinels of New Orleans world)

Faulkner Hearne is the captain of the Fae Hunters, a group who lives in the human realm, tracking down the Fae who cross over without permission. When he is commanded by the Prince of the Summer Court to locate his newest consort, Liandra, Faulkner isn’t certain he’ll be able to turn her over to face the horrors that await her. As a huge fan of Ms. Johnson’s Sentinels of New Orleans series, I completely enjoyed seeing the Winter and Summer Fae Princes again. I enjoyed that the pair knew each other from youth; how he remembered her. Since I love the world and series, this was an enjoyable, quick read; however I’m not sure how it would play out if I hadn’t read the series. Overall, an entertaining paranormal romance.

My Rating: A-

Heart's Blood by Jeffe Kennedy (set in the world of the Twelve Kingdoms)

Cavan, prince and heir to the throne of Erie, was wed via long-distance to Princess Natilde, who has just recently arrived at his castle. He had hoped for a connection, but when he saw her there was none. He feels down and bleak, except when he’s with the servant girl, Nix. The woman formally known as Natilde, now called Nix, is posing as a servant girl in the keep of Princess Natilde. Heart’s Blood shares the sweet romance between two souls. I enjoyed discovering what put Nix in her predicament and watching Cavan piece together the truth. The two make the perfect pair. Both fair, honest, and just, putting the best interests of others before themselves. Their love filled me with optimism and happiness.

My Rating: A

The Djinn in the Mirror by Mina Khan (set in the Djinn World)

This paranormal romance is loosely based on the Cinderella fairytale, with Dahlia playing the part of the abused stepdaughter and Edgar, the evil stepfather. Edgar is a dark witch and sadistic cult leader who wants Dahlia for himself and to use the powerful heritage blood within her for his own power. But when Dahlia discovers a djinn, Ashmael, trapped in a mirror, she frees him and barters for her protection. The Djinn in the Mirror was my least favorite title in the anthology. I didn't care for the continuity of the story. It started with saving Dahlia, then once Ashmael was freed, an entire second story began, with Ashmael traveling home and discovering his family was betrayed and killed. While there were some good parts to that piece of the story, I think the tale would have been much better if it stayed focused on one aspect or the other. Even then, I felt the story dragged. It was a bit cheesy, and I just couldn't get into it. Dahlia was too wide-eyed and idealistic.

My Rating: C-

So in the end, Dark Secrets has three great stories and three not-as-great stories. None were bad, and the three that I enjoyed are certainly worth purchasing the book. It's tough to give the entire book an overall rating because of the spectrum of individual ratings for the parts.

My Rating (for the entire book):  B, Liked It

Review copy provided by author

Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About

While Christmas may be in the title of this book, it is just a really nice wintery read. Selene and Rayez get off to a big of a rough start - seeing as how she captured him and all. But they manage to have a few civil conversations and agree to help each other with one bad guy, and end up doing it with two. Now there is another djinn in the story that may have been mentioned in a previous story? There seemed to be just a tad bit of backstory that I missed.

I loved the take on the sorcerer and how he was using Selene and her brother for power. It was a twist on some of the more common rules of magic to make it something a little more unique and exciting. The big "fight scene" was very intense for being in a novella. The whole story was just very well done.

I did not get a chance to actually try the recipes - a few of the ingredients are not things we normally keep around the house - but then I don't cook much either. However, after reading the recipes - I must say they do sound quite good.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

This book starts well and shows promise, but unfortunately it just didn't deliver. I was determined to finish it but so nearly gave up several times as I found the middle section rather boring and without much substance. The story seemed like such a great idea too. First and last quarters the best, middle half just seemed to lose its way somewhat. Disappointing.