Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Addicts discussion

Ok, so there are tons of books with strong women in them. Especially in UF. But somehow that dominance doesn't often translate into the bedroom. And I get that in traditional romances men tend to dominate in the bedroom even when interacting with strong women, but not only is this the 21st Century, this is paranormal fantasy. Do you really expect a dominant female werewolf who mates with a less dominant male werewolf to be able to hand over the reigns during sex? No way, right? Why would she suddenly/magically change her personality like that? But this is exactly what happens in Nalini Singh's Play of Passion Play of Passion. I can think of a couple UF books where the relationship is relatively balanced (Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels is a great example Magic Bites), but I've been on a PNR kick lately and just can't find anything to match what I'm looking for. Any suggestions?

(This is cross-posted in the Paranormal Romance group, btw - if that's not ok, please let me know)

I just read First Grave on the Right, which had a really likable heroine.

Thanks for the rec! I'll look into it.

Chloe Neill`s Chicagoland Vampire series has a strong female lead. Great series. :)

Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series is great. The Herione is a kick - ass chick

D.B. Reynolds Vampires in America Series is great too

is amazing Cat the the Lead female char. is kick-a*s!

Thanks for the recs! I've read the Chicagoland Vampire series, the Guild Hunter series, and the Night Huntress series and while all of them are strong women, all of them are less powerful than their husband/mate/consort/partner. While each of them has their own individual skills or traits that lead them to have their own strengths, they are still inherently weaker than their male counterpart.

I haven't read Vampires in America and I'll definitely take a look, thanks Carrie!

Really tho Cat grew to be more powerful then bones if not equal to him because of her powers!

But I do get what your saying!

Sunny's Mona Lisa series has a heroine who is more or less worshipped by the males, and who holds the most power. The first couple of books were quite enjoyable.

Keri Arthur's Full Moon Rising etc. seem to have balance in the bedroom- the heroine is unashamedly randy.

Kelley Armstrong (Bitten) has a werewolf series where the heroine is the enforcer for the pack.

Thanks for the recs, Tasula! the Mona Lisa series is on my to-read list, I'll definitely be taking a look at it. Not so sure about Keri Arthur's Full Moon Rising - the first one sounds similar to the later Anita Blake books, aka porno in disguise. Do they get better?

And Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Underworld series is one of my favorites (well, the books about Elena, at least :) ).

Well, if you don't like the sex in Anita Blake's books or Keri Arthur's books, you'll definitely feel the same way about the Mona Lisa books. The sex is really hot in that series too.

Hmm, thanks for the warning, Carolyn. I didn't mind it in the first couple Anita books (1-6 maybe?), but then it just got to be too much. And started taking away from the plotline. Or maybe becoming the plot line? lol.

IMO the sex in the later Anita Blake books was too much and too stupid. Keri Arthur has a few sex scenes in each book, but they are more matter-of-fact- she likes sex and isn't that picky about partners- there isn't too much description of the acts themselves.
PNR isn't really my thing- I prefer UF (and dark UF even better) where sex is a once in a while if any occurence- Harry Connolly's Child of Fire, Kim Newman's Anno Dracula, Richard Kadrey- Sandman Slim
Warren Ellis- Crooked Little Vein
Hal Bodner- Bite Club (gay vamps in W Hollywood)
Dru Pagiasotti, ClockWork Heart
Clay&Susan Mitchell- The Greyfriar
Jim Butcher- any of the wizard Harry Dresden books
Charlie Huston- Already Dead
Warren Ellis- A Crooked Little Vein
Sherry Gottlieb- Love Bite
Lilith St Crow- Working for the Devil
Karen Taylor- The Vampire Vivienne
Patricia or PD Cacek- Night Prayers
Nancy Collins- Sunglasses after Dark or any Sonya Blue books
Poppy Z Brite
T A Pratt- Blood Engines
Mick Farren- The Time of Feasting
Ilona Andrews- Magic Bites
Marianne De Pierres- Nylon Angel
Jennifer Armintrout- The Turning
Gary Bowen- Diary of a Vampire (probably hard to find-fabulous)
Ray Garton- Live Girls
Simon Green- Something from the Nightside
Clay &Susan Griffith- The Greyfriar
Mark Henry- Happy Hour of the Damned
Alan Troop- The Dragon de la Sangre
Faith Hunter- Skinwalker
JF Lewis- Staked
Christopher Moore- Practical Demonkeeping (comedy)
Jennifer Rardin- Once Bitten, Twice Shy
Carrie Vaughn- Kitty and the Midnight Hour
Liz Williams- Snake Agent
Kat Richardson- Greywalker
Phaedra Weldon- Wraith

Not complete, but started to code: V (Vamp) W (Were) SH (Shapeshifter) AH (Alternate History) (R means some romance)

Mario Acevedo- Nymphos of Rocky Flats
Alex Bell- The Ninth Circle
Mike Carey- Vicious Circle

Carolyn F. wrote: "Well, if you don't like the sex in Anita Blake's books or Keri Arthur's books, you'll definitely feel the same way about the Mona Lisa books. The sex is really hot in that series too."

I am still a newbie to pnr & uf, but I am hooked and I love books with very intimate sex scenes. I am definitely going to be reading these author's books :) If there is anymore I should know of let me know I am all ears ^.~

I like good sex scenes myself - and multiple partners don't bother me. If you're okay with both, then you'd enjoy Sunny's books.

There's a couple of great sci-fi romance books that I like too. Kaitlyn O'Connor's books are really funny and great sex scenes. And Laurann Dohner's are really good too. She has one PNR series that she's just published that a mild Lora Leigh, which I mean the sex scenes aren't as emotional or angry. Although I do like Lora Leigh series too. All those are really good Ginnie.

Not quite sure if this qualifies, but have you tried the Mayfair Witches trilogy by Anne Rice? Goes in the order of The Witching Hour, Lasher, then Taltos.

I haven't! Thanks for the rec, Kenecia. I'll definitely look it up!

I would recommend Shelly Laurenston and her other name GA Aikens.

Her females are strong and sometimes dominate in bed but always give as good as they get. Plus she is funny as hell.

I think Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series and Keri Arthur's Riley Jenson series are good, with dominant women.

Has anyone mentioned Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson? Or D.D. Barant's Jace Valchek? Mercy is a shapeshifting coyote VW mechanic. Not to be a spoiler but Mercy has close personal ties to high-ranking werewolves. Jace is an FBI profiler who is conscripted into an alternate Earth where humans are less than 10% of the population and vampires, werewolves, and golem rule. Sex is toned down in Mercy, very toned down in Jace but either of them can seriously kick ass.

Spaqueen wrote: " Has anyone mentioned Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson? Or D.D. Barant's Jace Valchek? Mercy is a shapeshifting coyote VW mechanic. Not to be a spoiler but Mercy has close personal ties to high-ra..."

I'm with Spaqueen on the Mercy Thompson series. Those books are very good. I'd also recommend

which I am reading now. It's a YA book, but is actually a little spicier than Mercy Thompson.

I'm going to toss in by Patricia Leslie. Janet isn't a swords in both hands heroine, but she stands up both to her domineering father (when she becomes pregant out of wedlock), and, eventually, to the forces of Hell.
Dual disclaimers - I love the book, but the author is my wife, so check out the first chapters free on Kindle ("Look Inside").
No overt sex (although, by implication, the sex is both frequent and awesome.)

I love this particular discussion thread, and I have enjoyed reading a number of the authors mentioned. I humbly recommend my Sunset Vampire Series if you’re a reader who enjoys a dominant female vampire who is paired with a beta human male. Many readers who have enjoyed my series say that the personality and sexual dynamic between Katrina and Caleb is quite refreshing, while also romantic. The storylines are fresh and adventurous, and I encourage you to read the reviews on Goodreads and Amazon for verification of my claims.

Most of all please continue posting more wonderful dominant female vampire suggestions for my own TBR list! *grin*

Kindly,
Jaz Primo
http://jazprimo.com