The very best of paranormal shapeshifter books

Written by Silke, updated 08 Jun 2021

Animal instincts and raw behaviorisms - while this might not be something to look for in your real-life partner, it sure is delicious to read about. Talk about true alpha men. We have put together a list of the very best romance novels with dragon shifters and werewolves, and lion shifters, tiger shifters, and on and on.

  • #1 Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega #1) - Patricia Briggs

    Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega #1) - Patricia Briggs

    contemporary urban fantasy fantasy abuse suspense

    Anna never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack... and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she'd learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. Then Charles Cornick, the enforcer—and son—of the leader of the North American werewolves, came into her life.

    Charles insists that not only is Anna his mate, but she is also a rare and valued Omega wolf. And it is Anna's inner strength and calming presence that will prove invaluable as she and Charles go on the hunt in search of a rogue werewolf—a creature bound in magic so dark that it could threaten all of the pack. more

  • #2 Silver Silence - Nalini Singh

    Silver Silence - Nalini Singh

    fantasy urban fantasy shapeshifters science fiction paranormal

    Control. Precision. Family. These are the principles that drive Silver Mercant. At a time when the fledgling Trinity Accord seeks to unite a divided world, with Silver playing a crucial role as director of a worldwide emergency response network, wildness and chaos are the last things she needs in her life. But that’s exactly what Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater Bears, brings with him.

    Valentin has never met a more fascinating woman. Though Silver is ruled by Silence—her mind clear of all emotion—Valentin senses a whisper of fire around her. That’s what keeps him climbing apartment buildings to be near her. more

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  • #3 Red Havoc Bad Bear - T.S. Joyce

    Red Havoc Bad Bear - T.S. Joyce

    shapeshifters fantasy paranormal contemporary

    The countdown is on. Crazy Lynn Matheson has six days until she’ll join all the other shifters who have lost their minds and been put down by their alphas. All she wants to do is get through the next week with the Gray Back Crew as quietly as possible, but some of the big, dominant males in Damon’s Mountains are pushing her to fight her destiny. The main culprit? A tatted-up, motorcycle-riding, trouble-making giant of a man named Jathan Barns. He’s watching her every move, angering the panther inside of Lynn. She wants nothing to do with love, but Jathan is stirring up emotions she never thought she would feel again, and now he’s making her question everything—her destiny included... more

  • #4 One True Mate: Shifter's Rogue - Lisa Ladew

    One True Mate: Shifter's Rogue - Lisa Ladew

    witches demons angels shapeshifters fantasy

    Mac knows Rogue is his from the moment she holds him hostage, but she'll never let him claim her...

    If Mac ran the world, everything would be better. Everyone would say what they felt, mean what they said, and never, ever get offended. At least that's what he thought his own personal utopia would look like, until he met Rogue.

    Rogue's life was just fine, thank you very much. An expert in her chosen field of danger and lies, she was well on her way to retiring by 30, as long as she could keep her curious mental slide under control. Until that hot-as-sin cop showed up, turning her life upside down, bringing her everything she'd always-and never-wanted. more

  • #5 Bring the Heat - G.A. Aiken

    Bring the Heat - G.A. Aiken

    shapeshifters fantasy paranormal urban fantasy friends to lovers

    HE SAYS . . .
    I, Aidan the Divine, am . . . well, divine. My name was given to me by the Dragon Queen herself! I’m a delight! Cheerful. Charming. And a mighty warrior who is extremely handsome, with a very large and well-hidden hoard of gold. I am also royal-born, despite the fact that most in my family are horrendous beings who don’t deserve to live. And yet, Branwen the Awful—a low-born, no less—either tells me to shut up or, worse, ignores me completely.

    SHE SAYS . . .
    I’ll admit, I ignore Aidan the Divine because it annoys him. A lot. more

  • #6 Titanium - Terry Bolryder

    Titanium - Terry Bolryder

    witches demons shapeshifters fantasy paranormal

    A dragon contractor? Expensive. Unless you're the woman Titus Kroll just fell madly in love with. As a decisive, capable, and newly awakened metal dragon, Titus is used to seeing what he wants and going after it. Right now that's Bree Durell, a sweet, curvy woman who needs help with her house badly and can't afford to pay. Still, his heart says she's his mate, and no matter the price, he's ready to serve her every need, whether that's repairing her home, healing her heart, or restoring her trust.

    Bree Durell isn't looking for romance. more

  • #7 Darkfever (Fever #1) - Karen Marie Moning

    Darkfever (Fever #1) - Karen Marie Moning

    urban fantasy paranormal fae love triangle shapeshifters

    MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

    When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. more

  • #8 Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night (Immortals After Dark #4) - Kresley Cole

    Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night (Immortals After Dark #4) - Kresley Cole

    contemporary vampires paranormal highlander strong heroine

    Bowen MacRieve of the Lykae clan was nearly destroyed when he lost the one woman meant for him. The ruthless warrior grew even colder, never taking another to his bed—until a smoldering encounter with his enemy, Mariketa the Awaited, reawakens his darkest desires. When sinister forces unite against her, the Highlander finds himself using all his strength and skill to keep her alive.

    Temporarily stripped of her powers, Mari is forced to take refuge with her sworn adversary. It's rumored that no one can tempt Bowen's hardened heart, but soon passion burns between them. Though a future together is impossible, she fears he has no intention of letting her go. more

  • #9 Here Kitty, Kitty! (Magnus Pack #3) - Shelly Laurenston

    Here Kitty, Kitty! (Magnus Pack #3) - Shelly Laurenston

    paranormal contemporary alpha male werewolves strong heroine

    What do you do when you’ve got a hillbilly tiger by the tail? Or maybe the question should be: what wouldn’t you do…

    Nikolai Vorislav likes his single life just as it is. Simple, relaxing and quiet. What he doesn’t need is some foul-mouthed Texan hellcat living in his house, eating his food, flirting with his idiot brothers and shooting holes in his home with his granddaddy’s gun. But those long legs, dark eyes and lethal tongue are making Nik insane and he fears he may be caught in the sexiest animal trap ever.

    Angelina Santiago doesn’t know how she got from Texas to North Carolina in a night or how she ended up in some hillbilly tiger’s house wearing only a sheet. more

  • #10 Bitten (Women of the Otherworld #1) - Kelley Armstrong

    Bitten (Women of the Otherworld #1) - Kelley Armstrong

    contemporary fantasy urban fantasy demons alpha male

    Elena Michaels is the world’s only female werewolf. And she’s tired of it. Tired of a life spent hiding and protecting, a life where her most important job is hunting down rogue werewolves. Tired of a world that not only accepts the worst in her–her temper, her violence–but requires it. Worst of all, she realizes she’s growing content with that life, with being that person.

    So she left the Pack and returned to Toronto where she’s trying to live as a human. When the Pack leader calls asking for her help fighting a sudden uprising, she only agrees because she owes him. Once this is over, she’ll be squared with the Pack and free to live life as a human. Which is what she wants. more

  • #11 Feral Sins (The Phoenix Pack #1) - Suzanne Wright

    Feral Sins (The Phoenix Pack #1) - Suzanne  Wright

    contemporary paranormal possessive hero magic abuse

    If your inner wolf and your body react rather enthusiastically to a psychotic Alpha male who’s own wolf has a tendency to turn feral, it can’t be a good thing, can it? Entering into a bargain with him wouldn’t be good either. Unfortunately, Taryn Warner, a latent wolf shifter, doesn’t have many options open to her right now. Okay, she has no options. Basically it comes down to whether she’ll do what it takes to escape the arranged mating with the sick SOB that her father set up. As the answer in this case is yes, it looks as though she’ll have to agree to Trey Coleman’s deal…she’ll have to mate with him instead. more

  • #12 Magic Bites (Kate Daniels #1) - Ilona Andrews

    Magic Bites (Kate Daniels #1) - Ilona Andrews

    contemporary fantasy urban fantasy fae suspense

    Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for the magic…

    When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake.

    Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta’s magic circles. more

  • #13 Written in Red (The Others #1) - Anne Bishop

    Written in Red (The Others #1) - Anne Bishop

    contemporary fantasy urban fantasy witches suspense

    As a cassandra sangue , or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

    Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. more

  • #14 Beyond Bridalveil Fall (Dwellers of Ahwahnee #1) - Sheryl Seal

    Beyond Bridalveil Fall (Dwellers of Ahwahnee #1) - Sheryl Seal

    contemporary fantasy urban fantasy

    Oria is celebrating her eighteenth birthday in Yosemite Naltional Park when she goes into the pool at the bottom of Bridaleveil Fall, only to come out beyond it.
    In another world she learns she is The Golden Queen fairy of the Ahwahneechee tribe, and that she is a shapeshifter. Here the Dwellers of Ahwahnee fight the Evil that tries to get into the world of man. Will she find her soul mate in Grey Wolf or is he more than he appears to be? One thing is for sure, with all the magic and shape shifting happening, only the all knowing grandfather can guide her through the Evil Beyond Bridalveil Fall. more

  • #15 Dragon Bound (Elder Races #1) - Thea Harrison

    Dragon Bound (Elder Races #1) - Thea Harrison

    contemporary paranormal possessive hero vampires suspense

    Half-human and half-Wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the Wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their Dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful—and passionate—of the Elder Races.

    As the most feared and respected of the Wyrkind, Dragos Cuelebre cannot believe someone had the audacity to steal from him, much less succeed. And when he catches the thief, Dragos spares her life, claiming her as his own to further explore the desire they've ignited in each other. more

  • #16 Kiss of Snow (Psy-Changeling #10) - Nalini Singh

    Kiss of Snow (Psy-Changeling #10) - Nalini Singh

    contemporary paranormal tortured heroine alpha male magic

    Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.

    Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would’ve been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.

    Then Sienna changes the rules and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. more

  • #17 Night Play (Were-Hunter #1) - Sherrilyn Kenyon

    Night Play (Were-Hunter #1) - Sherrilyn Kenyon

    contemporary fantasy urban fantasy paranormal alpha male

    Bride McTierney has had it with men. They're cheap, self-centered, and never love her for who she is. But though she prides herself on being independent, deep down she still yearns for a knight in shining armor.

    She just never expected her knight in shining armor to have a shiny coat of fur...

    Deadly and tortured, Vane Kattalakis isn't what he seems. Most women lament that their boyfriends are dogs. In Bride's case, hers is a wolf. A Were-Hunter wolf. Wanted dead by his enemies, Vane isn't looking for a mate. But the Fates have marked Bride as his. more

  • #18 Dragon Actually (Dragon Kin #1) - G.A. Aiken

    Dragon Actually (Dragon Kin #1) - G.A. Aiken

    contemporary paranormal medieval war strong heroine

    It's not always easy being a female warrior with a nickname like Annwyl the Bloody. Men tend to either cower in fear - a lot - or else salute. It's true that Annwyl has a knack for decapitating legions of her ruthless brother's soldiers without pausing for breath. But just once it would be nice to be able to really talk to a man, the way, she can talk to Fearghus the Destroyer.

    Too bad that Fearghus is a dragon, of the large, scaly and deadly type. With him, Annwyl feels safe - a far cry from the feelings aroused by the hard-bodied, arrogant knight Fearghus has arranged to help train her for battle. more

  • #19 Seven Years (Seven #1) - Dannika Dark

    Seven Years (Seven #1) - Dannika Dark

    contemporary young adult paranormal abuse suspense

    It's been seven years since Lexi Knight lost her brother in a tragic accident. On the anniversary of his death, her brother's best friend shows up unexpectedly - a man she hasn't seen since the funeral. He is no longer the boy Lexi once knew, but a dangerous-looking man with tattoos and dark secrets. He broke her trust and abandoned her family, yet what he reveals makes it impossible to stay angry. Lexi has been secretly infatuated with Austin since childhood, so finding out he's a Shifter just makes him sexier. Dammit.

    Austin Cole has returned to the city where he grew up, and just in time. more

  • #20 Desire Unchained (Demonica #2) - Larissa Ione

    Desire Unchained (Demonica #2) - Larissa Ione

    contemporary fantasy suspense paranormal bad boys

    Pleasure is their ultimate weapon . . .

    Runa Wagner never meant to fall in love with the sexy stranger who seemed to know her every deepest desire. But she couldn't resist the unbelievable passion that burned between them, a passion that died when she discovered his betrayal and found herself forever changed. Now, determined to make Shade pay for the transformation that haunts her, Runa searches for him, only to be taken prisoner by his darkest enemy.

    A Seminus Demon with a love-curse that threatens him with eternal torment, Shade hoped he'd seen the last of Runa and her irresistible charm. more


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