Sometimes, you need an escape from reality! These fantasy books are your ticket to worlds beyond even our own. Read on for these must-read fantasy books that will whisk you away from your everyday life, bringing you stories full of adventure, romance, and–perhaps most importantly of all–magic.
Spirit Bear by Delta James
It's the time of the rut...and she's at his mercy. Noa Bishop, investigative reporter, is determined to uncover the truth of the "accidental" deaths of her friend and a conspiracy theorist. She realizes she's on to something after a break-in at her loft and she calls the one man she thinks can keep her safe...Boone Daniels.
Now making a living as a back-country guide and mercenary, Boone agrees to keep Nora safe...for a price: Nora must agree to all of his sexual needs. And he has many.
But when old feelings for each other start to rise to the surface, the truth Nora seeks also brings them both closer to danger. The truth is far too close to home—proof that a parallel species evolved alongside mankind. The secret has been kept for millennia and Boone is one of them… a Spirit Bear Shifter; and it's time to mate.
Kade (Alien Adoption Agency #2) by Tasha Black
She’s the target of an intergalactic bounty hunt. But he’s going to capture her heart. Aurora Day is running from a crime she didn’t commit – or at least, she didn’t mean to commit. But the intergalactic soldiers on the hunt for the woman known as the Fox don’t care about the details. Hiding out on the remote frontier moon of Clotho is her only hope for survival. But to gain access, she has to adopt an alien baby. Aurora is shocked when she learns that a dragon warrior of the Invicta is part of the package.
Kade knows two things about Aurora. The bright-eyed Terran is going to be the mother of the child he has pledged to guard and grown to love. And the mysterious woman is fated to be his mate. But Aurora has no interest in his love, and she doesn’t even seem to be that interested in adorable baby Lyra. She’s clearly hiding some secrets, and Kade is determined to unearth them before his dragon’s wild lust for her burns them both alive.
When Kade runs afoul of the local law enforcement, only Aurora can save him. The perfect life she’s dared to dream of is almost in her grasp, and now it’s all about to come crashing down around her. Will she stand her ground and fight for her new family? Or will the Fox keep running for freedom?
Tyro (Alien Adoption Agency #3) by Tasha Black
Phoebe has nothing but her secrets. Her alien protector is determined to lay them bare. Phoebe arrives on the moon of Clotho with a trunk full of secrets and an imagination filled with preconceived notions about life on the frontier. She’s more than ready to scrap and fight for her own piece of farmland, and a future for the little one she is adopting. When her new land turns out to be underwater, and the baby shows up in the strapping arms of an Invicta dragon-guard, Phoebe doubles down on her promise to herself to live free or die trying.
Tyro never asked to be made guardian to a baby. But little Atlas has his heart, and he is shocked to find that the baby’s adopted mother has his soul. His inner dragon roars triumphant, but his human side must fight to win her over. If only the headstrong little Terran would slow down long enough to let him claim her before mad desire pushes his restraint to the limit.
When the farm is threatened, the two must work together to protect Atlas’s future. But then Phoebe’s past comes back to find her, and she has a decision to make that could derail even the best-laid plans. Tyro is willing to bet the farm on their future together. Will Phoebe run, or will she decide to land herself an alien?
Big Bad Wolf (The Lycans, 1) by Jenika Snow
It was spur of the moment, maybe reckless, definitely a shock to everyone I knew when I decided to take a trip across the ocean to a foreign country and stay for an undetermined amount of time.
Renting out a cottage in a tiny European village whose residents barely spoke English was the perfect escape from overbearing parents, fake friends, and a future that seemed bleak. And helping out an elderly woman with her shopping to earn some extra cash seemed easy enough.
Mindless, hour-long walks through the thick woods that surrounded said village also sounded ideal. No Internet. No television. And just the bare basics to get me by. Perfection. Stress-free. Exactly what I needed. Or maybe I was wrong about it all. I felt someone or something watching me from the darkened, dangerous woods. I felt someone—something—stalking me. I didn’t know what or who it was, but I knew with certainty it wasn’t human… and that it wanted me.
Ren - I wasn’t human, not completely. A Lycan—a centuries-old wolf-like creature that was feared by all, stronger than anything on the planet, and who was only ever after one thing.
My mate. - For over three hundred years, I had one purpose in life. Find her, the one female born to be mine. My female who’d cause the Linking Instinct—that supernatural connection that told me she was mine and I hers—to finally take root and make me whole.
And for hundreds of years, I’d been alone, saving myself for my mate, never stopping the search. Until I scented her, saw her, finally felt my heartbeat and the blood rush through my veins with hope and anticipation. Mine.
She didn’t see me, but she sensed me. And she ran. She couldn’t possibly know how much the chase turned me on. I didn’t know how I’d make her understand I could never let her go, that nothing and no one would stop me from making her mine. Because once a Lycan found his mate… nothing in this world, nothing supernatural or human, could keep him from her.
Darkblood Prison: Supernatural Prison Squad Series Book 3 by G.K. DeRosa
Once you go dark, you never go back… Living in the Underworld with the dark lord himself made giving in to my darkest urges easy. It’s finding my humanity again that’s going to be tough.
There’s only one reason I’d ever go back and that’s two-hundred pounds of male dragon perfection. Even with my she-demon in control, I can’t resist Talon. But will my feelings for him be enough to lure me back to the light?
And if I do go back, will I be alive long enough to enjoy my newfound freedom? Not likely if my blood-thirsty cousin, Thax, has anything to do with it. The dark lord has been playing nice with me under his thumb, but what will he do when I set my sights on his throne?
French Toast
Spend a few extra minutes in the morning serving up fluffy, crisp French toast for your special someone.
YIELDS: 4 servings
TOTAL TIME: 0 hours 25 mins
Ingredients
6 large eggs
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
8 1-inch-thick slices challah bread
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
Yogurt, berries, and pure maple syrup or honey, for serving
Directions
1. In a large, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Working in batches, place 2 bread slices in the egg mixture and let soak 2 minutes. Flip and soak 1 minute more (both sides of bread should be totally coated in the mixture).
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet on medium-low. Once melted, add soaked bread and cook until golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to wire rack. While toast is cooking, soak the next batch of challah slices.
3. Repeat with remaining butter and bread. Serve topped with yogurt, berries, and syrup or honey if desired.