Here are 100 books that After Dark fans have personally recommended if you like After Dark. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Jed Had to Die

Clair McIntyre Author Of Predator of Prey

From my list on for character bonds.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have a passion for character bonds which come from my day-to-day “normal” life. Outside of being a writer, I’ve been working at one of our city’s busiest hospitals for the past 7 years as a communications operator. Every day, I interact with people who are facing challenges, struggling, and in need of help. With that being said, I also interact with people who are supportive, grateful and overall happy. I find myself drawn to how people come together in both the good and the bad times. In my opinion, you need to be able to relate to the characters in order for the story to become a success. 

Clair's book list on for character bonds

Clair McIntyre Why Clair loves this book

I loved this story for many reasons. The first thing that caught my attention was having a strong female lead. Her no-nonsense character was out of this world. She was relatable in many ways, especially with her black sheep antics. She had me caught up in some hilarious moments that had me in stitches. 

The second thing was the murder mystery. This had me hooked right off the bat, wanting to know who the killer was. That really kept me intrigued throughout, and I couldn’t wait to see how it would all play out. Although I was upset to have finished this wonderful story, I was quite thrilled with how it ended. 

By Tara Sivec ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Jed Had to Die as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The happiest day of Payton Lambert's life was the day she graduated high school and watched Bald Knob, Kentucky get smaller and smaller in her rearview mirror. She wanted more for her life than a tiny town where everyone knows your business and you can’t find a decent cup of coffee for at least forty miles. Twelve years later, an unexpected phone call in the middle of the night has her packing up her life in Chicago and racing back home to the one person she ever regretted leaving behind.Upon her return, she sees that Leo Hudson, the scrawny boy…


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Book cover of The High House

The High House by James Stoddard,

The Victorian mansion, Evenmere, is the mechanism that runs the universe.

The lamps must be lit, or the stars die. The clocks must be wound, or Time ceases. The Balance between Order and Chaos must be preserved, or Existence crumbles.

Appointed the Steward of Evenmere, Carter Anderson must learn the…

Book cover of Claimed by the Hunter

Clair McIntyre Author Of Predator of Prey

From my list on for character bonds.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have a passion for character bonds which come from my day-to-day “normal” life. Outside of being a writer, I’ve been working at one of our city’s busiest hospitals for the past 7 years as a communications operator. Every day, I interact with people who are facing challenges, struggling, and in need of help. With that being said, I also interact with people who are supportive, grateful and overall happy. I find myself drawn to how people come together in both the good and the bad times. In my opinion, you need to be able to relate to the characters in order for the story to become a success. 

Clair's book list on for character bonds

Clair McIntyre Why Clair loves this book

I really took a chance with this story, and I’m glad I did. I read the entire series and its spin-off in a matter of days. I wish there were more books like this series. 

What really caught my attention were the characters. I developed a strong bond with them as they struggled to survive in a world that no longer exists. I found this relatable to my own daily struggles. It’s heartbreaking but also, after each obstacle they overcame, each victory they had. I cheered them on, hoping against all odds that not only would they survive but that they would also thrive. 

The apocalypse genre is extremely fascinating to me as a fellow writer because it’s almost a blank slate for creativity and you also get some very interesting takes as to what caused the end of the world, just like in the book. 

By Lynnea Lee ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Claimed by the Hunter as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Alice

My name is Alice, and I live in the Bugpocalypse.

I survived my first post-apocalyptic winter, and spring is here. That’s bad news! With warm weather comes the endless swarms of deadly bugs.

I need to forage for food, but there’s just one little problem. Okay, so “little” isn’t the best word to describe the fierce Xarc’n warrior who is obsessed with me. Kaj’k is freakin’ HUGE! And his sharp claws, pointy fangs, and massive horns are scary AF.

I reject his gift of food and flowers, but my massively muscled alien hunter doesn’t get the hint. He tosses…


Book cover of Draco: An Alien Warrior Romance

Clair McIntyre Author Of Predator of Prey

From my list on for character bonds.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have a passion for character bonds which come from my day-to-day “normal” life. Outside of being a writer, I’ve been working at one of our city’s busiest hospitals for the past 7 years as a communications operator. Every day, I interact with people who are facing challenges, struggling, and in need of help. With that being said, I also interact with people who are supportive, grateful and overall happy. I find myself drawn to how people come together in both the good and the bad times. In my opinion, you need to be able to relate to the characters in order for the story to become a success. 

Clair's book list on for character bonds

Clair McIntyre Why Clair loves this book

I have to say, behind shark shifters, dragon shifters are my favorite kind of people. Generally speaking, if they’re the main characters in a book, it will definitely be on my radar. 

I was not disappointed. These characters were strong, fierce, and brutal, just exactly how a dragon should be. I also found it to be really refreshing to have human characters from the UK. This added a healthy amount of dry responses, especially in the main female lead, Amber. Despite everything Amber has gone through, she still holds onto the core of herself. 

I also loved the world the author created. I found myself getting lost in the intriguing plot and great action sequences.

Overall, I quite enjoyed the entire series, and I will definitely continue to read novels by the same author. 

By Hattie Jacks ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Draco as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

He's the big bad alien dragon shifter with the soul as black as night, and he's claimed me as his fated mate.

I was escaping from my stalker ex when they took me from Earth. Dropped into a hellish alien maze where all I am is potential food. Until I run headlong into a huge, smoking hot alien dragon, covered in golden scales and with an ego which could light up a planet. Draco rules the prison maze they call the Kirakos and he says I belong to him.

Do I get any choice? No.

Do I have any other…


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Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Book cover of Draka's Heat

Clair McIntyre Author Of Predator of Prey

From my list on for character bonds.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have a passion for character bonds which come from my day-to-day “normal” life. Outside of being a writer, I’ve been working at one of our city’s busiest hospitals for the past 7 years as a communications operator. Every day, I interact with people who are facing challenges, struggling, and in need of help. With that being said, I also interact with people who are supportive, grateful and overall happy. I find myself drawn to how people come together in both the good and the bad times. In my opinion, you need to be able to relate to the characters in order for the story to become a success. 

Clair's book list on for character bonds

Clair McIntyre Why Clair loves this book

When there are characters that are not wholly good or evil, this is definitely an eye-catcher for me. In this particular story, I found myself rooting for the ‘bad guys,’ the main characters. 

The female lead is someone who can really think on her feet and I really respect that in a character. This is not always done well. Often times, characters rely on their counterparts, but this wasn’t the case. When it came to the male character, he was the perfect level of nefarious. 

Throughout this story, I was enthralled by their contrasting natures and the environment they were forced to survive in.

By Olivia Riley ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Draka's Heat as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Draka: King of the Mountain

Imprisoned on a desolate ice planet, Draka, a sidonion ex-commander and weapons master, plays a dangerous waiting game. In a world where mercy is a weakness and staying ahead is the only rule, he dominates over the frozen expanse with a numbed heart, haunted by loneliness.

Until he discovers a human female in his territory. One glance, and the unthinkable happens – she awakens something primal in him. For the first time in years he feels alive. She is like the sun breaking away the darkness.

But then she runs from him.

And so the…


Book cover of Reminders of Him

Amy Q. Barker Author Of Rue

From my list on women’s fiction with an unlikely heroine.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a women's fiction novelist with a love for drama without trauma. As an avid reader myself, I write what I know—moving stories written for women and about women. In my books, I sweep you off your feet, lead your heart to a place it's never been before, make you think, make you fall in love, make you yearn for justice, make you aspire and hope and dream. And I promise a happy ending every time, or at least a realistic, thought-provoking tote of warm feelings you can take with you. I hope you enjoy my reading recommendations below! 

Amy's book list on women’s fiction with an unlikely heroine

Amy Q. Barker Why Amy loves this book

I literally could not stop crying through this entire book. When this novel first begins, we find Kenna Rowan has just been released from jail. She is alone, penniless, and scared with all the cards stacked against her, and she is on a mission to find her daughter. Despite the mystery surrounding the incident that causes Kenna’s incarceration, you are instantly drawn into this character’s vulnerability and sheer force of will and determination. She is at once utterly alone on an island while also strong and brave like a warrior, ready to face the demons in her past in order to find a path back to the daughter that was taken from her. I love all of Colleen Hoover’s novels, but this one shredded me. I couldn’t put it down, had to find out what happened, had to know that Kenna was safe, understood, and vindicated.   

By Colleen Hoover ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Reminders of Him as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A troubled young mother yearns for a shot at redemption in this heartbreaking yet hopeful story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover.

After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter's life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself.

The only person who hasn't closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar…


Book cover of Kink: Stories

Zachary Zane Author Of Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto

From my list on overcoming sexual shame.

Why am I passionate about this?

As the sex and relationship advice columnist at Men’s Health Magazine, I’m obviously pretty damn obsessed with sex. I find it fascinating on so many levels, which is why I not only have a ton of it but also made it my career. For so long, I struggled with sexual shame, and one thing I realized as a writer is that I’m not special. Sure, I’ve probably been to more sex parties than you, but if I’m struggling with shame, being bisexual, and embracing my kinks, then other folks are, too. And just like I’m obsessed with sex, I’ve become obsessed with helping others remove sexual shame.

Zachary's book list on overcoming sexual shame

Zachary Zane Why Zachary loves this book

I loved this collection of fictional essays. Each story wasn’t just “hot” and “smutty;” they had a larger message. One story spoke to power dynamics, while another addressed shame or the desire to be loved, etc.

Sexuality, desire, and arousal are so complex and individual, and I feel like this book explored so much. It really “went there.” Through reading these fictional stories, I felt empowered to do more sexually and push the boundaries of what sex can mean to me. 

By R O Kwon (editor) , Garth Greenwell (editor) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Kink as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A New York Times Notable Book

Kink is a groundbreaking anthology of literary short fiction exploring love and desire, BDSM, and interests across the sexual spectrum, edited by lauded writers R.O. Kwon and Garth Greenwell, and featuring a roster of all-star contributors including Alexander Chee, Roxane Gay, Carmen Maria Machado, and more.

A Most-Anticipated book of 2021 as selected by * Marie Claire * O, The Oprah Magazine * Cosmopolitan * Time * The Millions * The Advocate * Autostraddle * Refinery29 * Shape * Town & Country * Book Riot * Literary Hub *

Kink is a dynamic anthology…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of It Starts with Us

Leslie A. Rasmussen Author Of The Stories We Cannot Tell

From my list on captivating stories of women’s life journeys.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always gravitated towards women’s issues both in my writing and how I lead my life. I believe that women need to speak their truth to each other and gain the support of their friends who are likely going through the same thing. I have also spoken about and been on panels about women’s empowerment in midlife. I am a woman in the middle of her life, and I have lived through so many of the issues that I speak about.

Leslie's book list on captivating stories of women’s life journeys

Leslie A. Rasmussen Why Leslie loves this book

Sometimes a woman can get herself into a situation that she doesn’t see coming and is nervous about telling anyone.

In this book, the protagonist, Lily, is one of those women. I’m drawn to stories where you go on a journey with the main character as she finds her voice and begins to stand up for herself and realizes she’s worth much better in life, than the way she’s being treated.

Many women feel shame around getting themselves into these kinds of situations, but we are all human, and it can happen subtly, so subtly that you don’t see it coming. Lily becomes a strong woman, and that strength is something I admire.

By Colleen Hoover ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked It Starts with Us as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Before It Ends with Us, it started with Atlas. Colleen Hoover tells fan favorite Atlas’s side of the story and shares what comes next in this long-anticipated sequel to the “glorious and touching” (USA TODAY) #1 New York Times bestseller It Ends with Us.

Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil coparenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date.

But her excitement is quickly…


Book cover of Paris Blue: A Memoir of First Love

Sephe Haven Author Of A Someday Courtesan: Memoir Stories

From my list on girls as they come of age.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an award-winning author of two five-star rated memoirs: “My Whorizontal Life: An Escort’s Tale” and “A Someday Courtesan,” and the creator/performer of the 90-minute solo show: “My Whorizontal Life: The Show!” I co-host the podcast My Index to Sex. and I am a Juilliard Drama Graduate and the former #1 escort in the country. Thinking about how I grew up in a safe, typical suburb in the middle of America made me wonder if the things that happened to me with men as a girl happened to many women as we came of age in the 70s. 

Sephe's book list on girls as they come of age

Sephe Haven Why Sephe loves this book

This is a lovely memoir of falling in true love for the first time. The author was the same age as me when she fell in love for the first time in a magical Paris when she was there as a serious musical student.

As I read, I was transported with her to that time and sent spinning back into my own life at the same age as a serious drama student falling in love in Amsterdam.

The book is romantic at first and so true to the heart, as well as the experience of losing oneself to another for the first time. I loved experiencing Paris with her and her love of music. A not famous author who deserves to be.

By Julie Scolnik ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Paris Blue as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

PARIS, 1976: Twenty-year-old American student Julie Scolnik had just arrived in the City of Light to study the flute when, from across a sea of faces in the chorus of the Orchestre de Paris, she is drawn to Luc, a striking (married) French lawyer in the bass section. This moving tale of an ebullient young American and a reserved Frenchman will transport readers to the cafés, streets, and concert halls of Paris in the late seventies, and, spanning three decades, evolves from deep romance to sudden heartbreak, and finally to a lifelong quest for answers to release hidden, immutable grief.…


Book cover of Attachments

Fearne Hill Author Of Two Tribes

From my list on romance books set in the 1990s.

Why am I passionate about this?

My life is one of two halves; I spent the first half living in the industrial West Midlands, at school and then training to become a doctor, and the second half living in rural bliss in the southwest of England. For the day job, I’m an anesthesiologist, but my true passion, thanks to my mother being an English teacher, is reading romance and writing my own. I am well-travelled and spend a quarter of each year in France, so my books often have characters from all over Europe as well as characters working in the medical profession or overcoming/ living with a variety of health conditions.

Fearne's book list on romance books set in the 1990s

Fearne Hill Why Fearne loves this book

I loved the uniqueness of this book, centred around the novelty of email in 1999. I love the idea of a nerdy guy whose job it is to read other folks' emails as he struggles with young adulthood approaching the dreaded Y2K. I loved how his POV is beautifully interspersed with cute epistolary exchanges.

By Rainbow Rowell ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Attachments as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wayward Son, Fangirl, Carry On, and Landline comes a hilarious and heartfelt novel about an office romance that blossoms one email at a time....

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now—reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of Warm Bodies

Dee J. Holmes Author Of Three Days In Undead Shoes

From my list on flipping the zombie apocalypse script.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a Canadian author who thought too much about death as a child. But I was also a happy little goblin who grew up watching Disney fairytales and Transformers cartoons—all of which shine in my blend of twisting horror meeting tales of love and friendship. My degree in History helps me add depth and a political thriller edge. Bands of brothers, found family, and loyal hounds round out my books. I adore being scared, but I also want my characters to find happiness. So I’ll put you on the edge of your seat and have you jumping at the next twist—but don’t worry, the dog always lives.

Dee's book list on flipping the zombie apocalypse script

Dee J. Holmes Why Dee loves this book

This book rose out of the grave and grabbed me by the ankles. I’ve always loved (and been completely terrified of) zombies. After 28 Days Later scarred me for life (that one scene with the crow and the blood ACK), zombies became somewhat of an obsession. But I always found myself wanting…more. Then this book shambled in my door, and suddenly, I had the twisted, funny, heartwarming zombie fairytale I never knew I needed in my life. It upended the undead genre, and I will love it forever for giving the mix of zombies and romance a big ole bear hug.

By Isaac Marion ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Warm Bodies as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'The zombie novel with a heart', Guardian

Now a major motion picture starring Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer and John Malkovich, Warm Bodies is the ultimate zombie read this Halloween.

'R' is a zombie. He has no name, no memories, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.

Amongst the ruins of an abandoned city, R meets a girl. Her name is Julie and she is the opposite of everything he knows - warm and bright and very much alive, she is a blast of colour in a dreary grey landscape. For reasons…


Book cover of Jed Had to Die
Book cover of Claimed by the Hunter
Book cover of Draco: An Alien Warrior Romance

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5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in romantic love, museums, and presidential biography?

Romantic Love 985 books
Museums 22 books