Here are 100 books that The Girl in the Sequined Dress fans have personally recommended if you like The Girl in the Sequined Dress. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Book cover of Noctifer Magick

Cassandra Joy Author Of Death & Chaos

From my list on spicy paranormal romance you’ve never read.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always loved both the fantasy and romance genres. (CS Lewis may or may not be directly responsible.) Discovering paranormal romance was the best day of my life. Since then, many years ago, I’ve read thousands of PNR books, both popular and less well-known, and love sharing my favorites with anyone who will sit still for five seconds. I even worked on a degree in English Literature for a while before switching to a more “practical” major. Blah. Because of those years of analyzing why some books are truly loved, I know you’ll enjoy these titles as much as I do.

Cassandra's book list on spicy paranormal romance you’ve never read

Cassandra Joy Why Cassandra loves this book

I love Chosen One books. But I love them even more when, like Forsythia, they know why they’re chosen and what their destiny is. 

What Forsythia didn’t see coming was her fated mates. Between the three of them… can they bring all the factions of supernaturals together to defeat the Creatori? 

Yes, yes they can!

Loreweaver’s characters are hilariously real. They have deep emotions, wit, and sarcasm. What more could you ask for in main characters? Great sex? Check. Defeating the bad guy… check (though not in this book). 

This series has everything you crave from a great PNR.

MFM: Witch, Fae, Demon

By G.R. Loreweaver ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Saving the world would be so much easier without two left feet…

When her magick returns, Forsythia must face the creature that killed her mother. Fortunately, a yummy monster hunter offers to help. Too bad she got off on the wrong foot by breaking his nose…

The most powerful witch in a generation, she’ll need his help to survive. So maybe she should quit thinking about his cute butt.

The first of a series, Noctifer Magick is a slow-burn paranormal menage romance intended for readers over 18. If you enjoy competent but clumsy heroines and the men they love, you’ll…


If you love The Girl in the Sequined Dress...

Ad

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 Dark Spirits

Cassandra Joy Author Of Death & Chaos

From my list on spicy paranormal romance you’ve never read.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always loved both the fantasy and romance genres. (CS Lewis may or may not be directly responsible.) Discovering paranormal romance was the best day of my life. Since then, many years ago, I’ve read thousands of PNR books, both popular and less well-known, and love sharing my favorites with anyone who will sit still for five seconds. I even worked on a degree in English Literature for a while before switching to a more “practical” major. Blah. Because of those years of analyzing why some books are truly loved, I know you’ll enjoy these titles as much as I do.

Cassandra's book list on spicy paranormal romance you’ve never read

Cassandra Joy Why Cassandra loves this book

Jameson decided to make this series a slow-build harem. Each book shows just one of the lives of Alana as she does her best to fulfill an ancient prophecy that will determine the fate of the world.

I’m not sure what I love more: Jameson’s structure for the series, Alana’s sweet but sassy personality, or each of Alana’s guys as we get an in-depth look at each of their lives. (And why they’re all perfect for Alana.)

While the first four books can be read as standalone MF books, I don’t recommend it. Because the fifth book is when they’ll all come together in the same timeline and finally fulfill the prophecy. We hope.

I love absolutely everything about this series. Don’t skip it.

MF (for now): Witch, Vampire

By N.A. Jameson ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

It’s the summer before my senior year in college and I had a plan.

Move to Atlantic City.

Bartender at the most popular bar in town.

The plan did not include vampires.

It did not include falling for my ridiculously hot boss, who happens to be one.

Nor did it include an ancient prophecy supposedly about my sister and I.

No, this was not the plan. Yet here I am expected to take my “rightful” place and save the world.

I just wanted to be a bartender. How is this my life?

Dark Spirits is an adult dark paranormal romance.…


Book cover of Blood Moon

Cassandra Joy Author Of Death & Chaos

From my list on spicy paranormal romance you’ve never read.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always loved both the fantasy and romance genres. (CS Lewis may or may not be directly responsible.) Discovering paranormal romance was the best day of my life. Since then, many years ago, I’ve read thousands of PNR books, both popular and less well-known, and love sharing my favorites with anyone who will sit still for five seconds. I even worked on a degree in English Literature for a while before switching to a more “practical” major. Blah. Because of those years of analyzing why some books are truly loved, I know you’ll enjoy these titles as much as I do.

Cassandra's book list on spicy paranormal romance you’ve never read

Cassandra Joy Why Cassandra loves this book

Nothing is ever truly what it seems. That’s certainly true for Delilah and the bar where she works with her uncle. But when her uncle sells to a new business partner, Delilah finds herself in much more trouble than she’d originally thought.

Because vampires are real… and one of them is now her boss.

I love the depth of background on these characters. All three of them have so much at stake. They’ve all lived very hard lives where nothing has gone their way. But maybe, the three of them together can find the peace that they’ve all been searching for.

My favorite thing about this series is just how much each of them grow. There’s nothing like a great character arc. And three is better than one.

MFM: Human, Vampires

By M.P. Starkweather ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Two vampires want me, but they want to destroy each other more.

Now, I’m trapped in the middle.

After discovering there was more to the secret dealings in the back of Midnight, my uncle’s bar, I’m thrust into a supernatural turf war between two powerful men. Viktor and Strain—two sexy leaders of rival corporations—not only fight over the city, jeopardizing humanity, but they also want to claim me. Neither wants to share—the city or me—and this feud might be the end of life as I know it.

My trust in Viktor weakens as things stop adding up and secrets threaten…


If you love Leslie Ayla...

Ad

Book cover of The Year Mrs. Cooper Got Out More: A Great Wharf Novel

The Year Mrs. Cooper Got Out More by Meredith Marple,

The coastal tourist town of Great Wharf, Maine, boasts a crime rate so low you might suspect someone’s lying.

Nevertheless, jobless empty nester Mallory Cooper has become increasingly reclusive and fearful. Careful to keep the red wine handy and loath to leave the house, Mallory misses her happier self—and so…

Book cover of Dark Prince Rising

Cassandra Joy Author Of Death & Chaos

From my list on spicy paranormal romance you’ve never read.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always loved both the fantasy and romance genres. (CS Lewis may or may not be directly responsible.) Discovering paranormal romance was the best day of my life. Since then, many years ago, I’ve read thousands of PNR books, both popular and less well-known, and love sharing my favorites with anyone who will sit still for five seconds. I even worked on a degree in English Literature for a while before switching to a more “practical” major. Blah. Because of those years of analyzing why some books are truly loved, I know you’ll enjoy these titles as much as I do.

Cassandra's book list on spicy paranormal romance you’ve never read

Cassandra Joy Why Cassandra loves this book

This fantasy romance comes from a slightly different place than the rest of my recommendations. There isn't as much sex, but there's plenty of emotional angst... and growth.

Two young men meet and make a huge impact on each other's lives. But when one of them is beaten to death before the other can rescue him, the survivor gives up on ever being with his soul mate again.

Good thing he was reincarnated. Bad thing he forgot his previous life. The story begins 1300 years in the future when they finally run into each other again.

There is a lot of jumping back and forth between the present and past, but that only enhances the story. I cannot wait for the second book to come out.

MM Immortal, god

By Quinn Holt ,

Why should I read it?

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


Book cover of The Waste Lands

T.S. Beier Author Of What Branches Grow

From my list on quests through a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve clocked so many hours on Fallout 3 and New Vegas (and, less so, on Fallout 4) that it’s disgusting, but my real love of wastelands began with T.S. Eliot. His poem (The Waste Land), with its evocative imagery, fascinated me in university. While not about a literal wasteland, it inspired me to seek out stories of that vein. I even have a tattoo with a line from it! What Branches Grow was the focus of my grad certificate in creative writing and has won two awards. I am a book reviewer, writer at PostApocalypticMedia.com, and the author of the Burnt Ship space opera trilogy. 

T.S.'s book list on quests through a post-apocalyptic wasteland

T.S. Beier Why T.S. loves this book

Another ultimate post-apocalyptic quest novel is The Stand, one of King’s most read (and longest) books, but I was more heavily influenced by (and love more) The Waste Lands (book 3 of The Dark Tower series). This is because the latter focuses less on the how of the collapse than the aftermath. King’s casual prose and quick, realistic dialogue have always been an inspiration in my writing. The found family connection between Roland, Eddie, Susanna, and Jake is at the heart of The Waste Lands. It is palpable and endearing, and something I strove to emulate with Delia, Gennero, Perth, and Mort in my own novel. There is an allusion to The Waste Lands in my book that big fans of The Dark Tower will catch.  

By Stephen King ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The third volume in the #1 nationally bestselling Dark Tower Series, involving the enigmatic Roland (the last gunfighter) and his ongoing quest for the Dark Tower, is “Stephen King at his best” (School Library Journal).

Several months have passed since The Drawing of the Three, and in The Waste Lands, Roland’s two new tet-mates have become trained gunslingers. Eddie Dean has given up heroin, and Odetta’s two selves have joined, becoming the stronger and more balanced personality of Susannah Dean. But Roland altered ka by saving the life of Jake Chambers, a boy who—in Roland’s world—has already died. Now Roland…


Book cover of Hauntings

Kit Domino Author Of White Stones

From my list on supernatural phenomena and why they shouldn’t scare you.

Why am I passionate about this?

I don’t believe in ghosts, but fascination with the supernatural has been with me since childhood, my inquiring mind constantly seeking answers. Research through books and documentaries and talking to people on the subject leads me to conclude there has to be a scientific and rational explanation for every paranormal happening. Theories abound, none are conclusive, but one accepted theory stands out, and this is explored and expanded upon in my novel White Stones. The books chosen here are excellent examples in the world of the supernatural and paranormal and are worth reading whether you believe in ghosts or not. Some just might make you change your mind.

Kit's book list on supernatural phenomena and why they shouldn’t scare you

Kit Domino Why Kit loves this book

This book by real-life ghost hunter Peter Underwood is an amazing attempt to demystify some of the most famous haunted sites across the globe, seeking out evidence, personal and witness experiences in an attempt to explain the inexplicable. In many cases he comes up with possible answers, often using the excuse of mental instability in those witnesses to prove his argument. For me, many of his conclusions were not convincing enough, this paucity of believable truth inspiring my own research and desire to debunk the whole concept of ghosts and hauntings. From it, I have learned that though most occurrences can be explained away, there is still much in this world that defies rational logic.   

By Peter Underwood ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

In this fascinating account of the best-attested cases of haunting - Hampton Court, the demon drummer of Bedworth, the Wesley ghost, Glamis, Borley Rectory and many others - Britain's foremost ghost-hunter has brought to light a wealth of valuable new evidence. Using the results of his many years of research and personal investigation into ghosts and hauntings, and providing detailed plans and original photographs, Peter Underwood puts forward some exciting and startling theories which will radically change our ideas about these hauntings.

Many hauntings can be explained without resorting to the supernatural or the paranormal. The author shows indisputable evidence…


If you love The Girl in the Sequined Dress...

Ad

Book cover of That First Heady Burn

That First Heady Burn by George Bixley,

Don’t mess with the hothead—or he might just mess with you. Slater Ibáñez is only interested in two kinds of guys: the ones he wants to punch, and the ones he sleeps with. Things get interesting when they start to overlap. A freelance investigator, Slater trolls the dark side of…

Book cover of The Big Fix: Hope After Heroin

James Brown Author Of The Los Angeles Diaries: A Memoir

From my list on addiction and recovery from someone who has been there.

Why am I passionate about this?

I took my first hit of marijuana when I was 9. I had my first drink at 12 and my first shot of heroin at 14.  My brother and sister were also alcoholics and ended up taking their own lives. I abused drugs and alcohol for over 30 years, and after many failed attempts to turn my life around, I now have 15 years of continuous sobriety. I’ve also read almost ninety books on the topic of substance abuse and have written several myself about my personal struggles to get clean and sober and stay that way.  Addiction, sadly, is a subject I know all too well.

James' book list on addiction and recovery from someone who has been there

James Brown Why James loves this book

Another underrated and underread book, this memoir traces one woman’s descent into heroin hell and, ultimately, her recovery and redemption. I’ve known many heroin addicts in my day, and I hate to say it, especially publicly, but very few have been able to turn their lives around. Mitchell is one of the exceptions, and she sets a wonderful example for others to follow and not lose hope. Many memoirists simply make a record of their lives, or, worse, glorify their drug addiction, but not Hanson. Her book is one of insight and soul-searching into the madness of addiction. She pulls no punches about the ugliness of the addict’s life, yet at the same time, she offers hope to the most seemingly hopeless among us. At the heart of this book is a powerful message of recovery by someone, who by all accounts, should be dead.

By Tracey Helton Mitchell ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

After surviving nearly a decade of heroin abuse and hard living on the streets of San Francisco's Tenderloin District, Tracey Helton Mitchell decided to get clean for good.

With raw honesty and a poignant perspective on life that only comes from starting at rock bottom, Tracey tells her story of transformation from homeless heroin addict to stable mother of three-and the hard work and hard lessons that got her there. Rather than dwelling on the pain of addiction, The Big Fix focuses on her journey of recovery and rebuilding her life, while exposing the failings of the American rehab system…


Book cover of Righteous Dopefiend

Johannes Lenhard Author Of Making Better Lives: Hope, Freedom and Home-Making among People Sleeping Rough in Paris

From my list on understanding poverty today, from the bottom up.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an anthropologist and studied homelessness in Paris and London for the last decade. I was drawn into the world of people on the streets when I moved to London and started observing their parallel world. I spent almost a year with people on the street in London and two years in Paris. I volunteered in day centers, safe injection facilities, and soup kitchens and slept in a homeless shelter. Since I finished my first book on my observations in Paris, I have advised both policymakers on homelessness and written countless journalistic articles. My goal is always to provide a clearer picture of homelessness through the eyes of the people themselves. 

Johannes' book list on understanding poverty today, from the bottom up

Johannes Lenhard Why Johannes loves this book

Bourgois’ and Schonberg’s accounts opened up the ‘parallel world’ of homelessness for me and inspired me to do my own research on homelessness.

They spent years trying to understand people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco, following them on their daily journeys through institutions and city landscapes; they intimately understood their struggles, from mental health and addiction to systematic exclusion.

Their long, in-depth, and grassroots accounts of people on the street made me grasp their varied experiences for the first time.

By Philippe Bourgois , Jeffrey Schonberg ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

This powerful study immerses the reader in the world of homelessness and drug addiction in the contemporary United States. For over a decade Philippe Bourgois and Jeff Schonberg followed a social network of two dozen heroin injectors and crack smokers on the streets of San Francisco, accompanying them as they scrambled to generate income through burglary, panhandling, recycling, and day labor. "Righteous Dopefiend" interweaves stunning black-and-white photographs with vivid dialogue, detailed field notes, and critical theoretical analysis. Its gripping narrative develops a cast of characters around the themes of violence, race relations, sexuality, family trauma, embodied suffering, social inequality, and…


Book cover of Sugar Man's Daughter

Audra Middleton Author Of Hitchhiker

From my list on weird and wonderful, indie, sci-fi and fantasy.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a kindergarten teacher and a mother of three boys, I live at the intersection of weird and wonderful, so I expect nothing less from my library. Indie authors offer unique points of view, aren’t afraid to break the rules, and are motivated by their passion for the craft of writing. I'm drawn to those writers who let the voices in their heads lead the way, creating characters you become invested in from page one. I love writing around my characters, because once I have them developed, the books tend to write themselves. Some of my best storylines are ones where my characters took over and led me in weird and wonderful directions.

Audra's book list on weird and wonderful, indie, sci-fi and fantasy

Audra Middleton Why Audra loves this book

Sugar Man’s Daughter follows Nicola’s journey as she tries to escape her demons by returning to her childhood roots. It’s mysterious and dark; the characters are vivid and perfectly flawed; it sucks you in and keeps you turning the page. Sugar Man’s Daughter is an introspective piece that examines the dysfunction created in the wake of illegal drugs and corruption.

By Lucy Crowe ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

“Dear Daddy: It’s been a year tomorrow. A whole long and sorrowful year gone by, and I still looked for you to be at the kitchen stove tonight, a cigarette propped between your lips, and a scowl set in deep around your eyebrows . . . “ The alleged suicide of heroin king Jimmy “Sugar” Thomas has a lot of the locals in the backwater town of Mount Bloom asking questions. And the fall-out from his death has his only daughter delving – albeit unwillingly – into the spirit world and running from some harsh allegations made by her current…


If you love Leslie Ayla...

Ad

Book cover of My Book Boyfriend

My Book Boyfriend by Kathy Strobos,

Lily loves her community garden. Rupert wants to bulldoze it. When feelings grow, will they blossom or turn to rubble?

"It literally had everything! - Bookworm Characters - Humor - Banter - Swoon-worthy lines."  - Book Reviewer.

Book cover of Dark Fae

J.D. Astra Author Of The Chimera Bounty

From my list on dark romantasy with winged book boyfriends.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been a smut connoisseur for many years, as well as a lover of well-done sci-fi/fantasy worlds that feel real. I would list my qualifications as a smut connoisseur, but it’s probably not appropriate for this site 😉. I have a number of books under my belt that include sweeping fantasy world building that’ll make you hallucinate vividly. After resisting deeper romance plots in my writing for so long, I finally surrendered. I’m just starting my journey as a dark romantasy smut peddler but can’t wait to share all my winged book boyfriends with you!

J.D.'s book list on dark romantasy with winged book boyfriends

J.D. Astra Why J.D. loves this book

This is a RH, urban fantasy academy setting book about a girl seeking vengeance for her brother, whom she believes was murdered by someone at the school.

The interesting part to this story is that the FMC’s main suspects are the men she ends up desiring. It’s a delicate balance of getting closer while investigating them, and other strange/horrible shenanigans going on around the school.

I do warn you, dear reader, that book 1 ends on a super cliffhanger, and the mystery is not solved. I’m currently reading the third book and everything just goes deeper (that’s what she said).

One of the book boyfriends is a literal dragon shifter, it counts, and the other one is a harpy shifter, big black feathery wings. Dreamy.

By Caroline Peckham , Susanne Valenti ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

***Now a complete series***

What do a heartless Dragon Shifter, a cold-blooded Basilisk, an arrogant Lion Shifter and a brooding, tattooed Harpy have in common…?

Me.

Elise Callisto. Vampire. Angel of vengeance. And a girl on a mission to destroy one of them for murdering my brother. I just don’t know which one did it yet.

When I interrogated/accidentally killed a Werewolf who was high on a new and dangerous drug called Killblaze, his final words painted a dark reality for me. The King of Aurora Academy killed my brother. The trouble is, there’s four kings at the academy and…


Book cover of Noctifer Magick
Book cover of Dark Spirits
Book cover of Blood Moon

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,276

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in heroin and heroin addiction, the supernatural, and ghosts?

The Supernatural 391 books
Ghosts 275 books