The Best Supernatural Romance Novels

Before the phenomenon that we call the Twilight saga, I was never really into supernatural or paranormal romance. Most of the novels I read didn't involve vampires or werewolves or spirits. I think that with this genre especially, you either love it or steer clear it.

I loved the Twilight series though (and yes I can say that proudly). Those novels allowed me to open my mind to even greater worlds than what I'd ventured before through reading. I admire anybody that can take a concept (such as vampires or werewolves) and put their own twist on it; even if nobody wants to accept that vampires could sparkle! After Twilight, I discovered the works of L.J Smith (author of the Vampire Diaries and Secret Circle series) and many others. So here is my list of what I believe are some of the best supernatural/paranormal romance novels out there right now.

The most recent fantasy romance novel I've read (twice so far!) is called Ripple by Mandy Hubbard. It's about a teenage girl named Lexi who is a siren, basically a mermaid that sings to lure men to their death;a curse that has been passed down through the generations. After a tragedy two years ago, when Lexi accidentally drowned the boy she loved (before she knew of her curse), Lexi closed herself off from all of her friends in order to keep them safe and out of guilt too. But when Cole, a boy from her old clique and best friend of the boy she loved and killed, keeps getting closer to her, she's faced the hardest choice; whether to allow herself to get close to him or keep away and keep him safe. To make things even more complicated, as Lexi and Cole are becoming closer, a new mysterious boy arrives at school who says that together they can break Lexi's curse,but she has to give up Cole to do it.

The main reason I loved Ripple so much is its uniqueness. Stories about vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and witches are everywhere, but this was the first one I came across about sirens. I think Mandy Hubbard portrays Lexi's character very well, as a teenage girl and as a siren. She makes references to Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid to help Lexi explain her curse, but does so in a way that doesn't make it feel unoriginal. She puts a refreshing spin on the love triangle concept so often used in romance novels. I recommend the novel for it's originality and for how well it was written.

Cryer's Cross is a novel about a quiet, small town where violence and crime is hardly heard of. So when teens start disappearing, everyone is distraught. Kendall, the main character, is especially lost when her best friend and boyfriend Nico suddenly disappears without a trace. She puts all her dreams and wishes of leaving the town aside and puts all her energy and time into searching for Nico. Even when that means being in the company of a new guy in town that challenges (and frustrates at times) her and makes her question her feelings for Nico.

Cryer's cross is one of the most unique novels I've ever read. It's one of those novels that you keep reading because you love the characters and their relationships with each other and are intrigued by the suspense. However, you don't know the reasons for the disappearances until close to the end (but not in a frustrating "will this book ever end?" way). Lisa McMann did a good job at leaving out just enough details until the latest possible page, while still managing to keep me intrigued and wanting to read more. I would recommend this novel to anyone that loves suspense!

New Moon is the second installment of the Twilight saga. Soon after the novel begins, the whole Cullen clan decides to leave town after Jasper attacks Bella at her own birthday party. Edward leaves Bella brokenhearted and lonely without a hardly proper goodbye. Bella becomes depressed and hardly leaves the house until Jacob and her become better friends. As they spend more time together, the status of their relationship becomes harder to define. Bella also learns the truth about Jacob and his "pack," and a series misunderstandings eventually lead Bella back to Edward and land them all in trouble with the Volturi; whose rule is that a human who knows of vampires existence must be killed or transformed.

Personally, I loved all of the novels in the Twilight series, but New Moon is favorite. The first time I read it, I did not feel that way. After Twilight, I was definitely Team Edward (still am), so I found it kind of hard to really approve of Bella and Jacob's relationship. After reading the rest of the series however and then rereading them, I changed my mind. When I read New Moon for the second time, I really began to appreciate Jacob's unconditional love for Bella and the heartbreak their friendship put him through (and Bella too). Even though I still wanted Edward and Bella to end up together, I admired how much Jacob cared for Bella and how he would've done anything for her. I also enjoyed this novel best because Stephenie dove a little deeper into the ancestry of the Quileute tribe and that really interested me.