Books like 'Playing with Fire'
Readers who enjoyed Playing with Fire by J.J. Cook also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary fantasy romance mystery small town supernatural cozy paranormal ghosts in-uniform
-
Final Fury by Annabel Chase
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWelcome to Chipping Cheddar where supernaturals are hidden in plain sight.I foolishly believed this day would never come, that life in charming Chipping Cheddar would always be pleasant and somewhat predictable—but all good things must come to an end.And it seems the dormant portal is no exception... -
It's a Matter of Midlife and Death by Robyn Peterman
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMidlife is madness—magical, messy and one freaking crisis after another.With a new job I didn’t apply for and an extended family I didn’t know I had—midlife has become somewhat problematic. Gluing ghosts back together is easy compared to my new celestial occupation.The Grim Reaper wants to put a ring on it. Tim wants to be a father... -
Semi-Psychic Life by Elizabeth Hunter
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWho says you can’t live the rock and roll life after forty?You just need a lot more vitamins and a bigger bottle of aspirin.Valerie Costa was pretty sure she was rocking her forties. She had an amazing coffee shop, two cool teenagers, and a new superpower that gave her insight into any random object she touched.Okay, she wasn’t thrilled about that last one... -
Riley Thorn and the Blast from the Past by Lucy Score
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsRiley Thorn and her hot, tattooed, private investigator boyfriend are all moved into their new fixer upper. Not only do they finally have their own place, they also haven’t found any new dead bodies on the premises.Yep. It looks like summer is over and so is Riley’s bad luck... -
-
Fate Interrupted by Elizabeth Hunter
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsShe had her life all planned out; fate had other ideas.How did an accomplished Southern businesswoman, wife, and mother end up living on California’s Central Coast, working for a stubborn wine-maker, newly divorced, and wrestling with sudden psychic powers?Megan Carpenter asks herself that same question nearly every day... -
Fate Interrupted by Elizabeth Hunter
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsShe had her life all planned out; fate had other ideas.How did an accomplished Southern businesswoman, wife, and mother end up living on California’s Central Coast, working for a stubborn wine-maker, newly divorced, and wrestling with sudden psychic powers?Megan Carpenter asks herself that same question nearly every day... -
Beguiled by Darynda Jones
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNewly indoctrinated witch, Defiance Dayne discovers there’s more to life after forty than she'd ever imagined possible. Especially if one is a charmling, one of only three in the world, with enough magics to make her a target for every power-hungry warlock out there. When one of them sends a hunter to town, she knows it’s time to take her talents seriously before the hunter takes her life... -
A Haunting Midlife by Lia Davis, L.A. Boruff
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAva Harper may be a raiser of the dead and a not-so-famous author, but she isn’t vampire hunter. Not even close.With the decision made to stay in Shipton Harbor, she returns to the home she shared with her deceased husband in Pennsylvania to put it on the market. But saying goodbye to the memories of the home they raised their son in is a lot harder than it had sounded in her head... -
Babysitter Bear by Zoe Chant
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHe takes care of other people's kids ... but he craves a family of his own.Enter a single mom waitress with a broken heart and a whole lot of trouble behind her.Army vet Dan is still figuring out how to deal with being a three-legged bear, but it turns out kids don’t care how many limbs he has as long as he’s willing to be a climbing frame... -
Psychic Dreams by Elizabeth Hunter
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsShe’s feeling the heat. Or it might be a hot flash. Sometimes it’s really hard to tell.It’s been four years since Monica lost the love of her life to a sudden and devastating heart attack. She’s held her family together and picked herself up with the love and help of her two best friends. Now Monica has a new business, a new wardrobe, and a new vision for the future.As in actual psychic visions... -
Reckless Road by Christine Feehan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsRefuel your passion with a new installment of the Torpedo Ink series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan.While Gedeon "Player" Lazaroff is one of Torpedo Ink motorcycle club's roughest members, he's also one of the calmest. Little rattles Player, except for the times his gift gets the better of him. When that happens, he has to just lie down in the dark and hope for the best... -
The Best Christmas Ever by Heather Graham
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJackson Crow and his wife, Angela Hawkins, seldom leave the office for a vacation, much less at Christmas, when many of their agents are out in the field. But this year, Jackson wants to spend the holiday away, at an historic home in Virginia that he wants to buy — even if it is too far for them to commute to work each morning... -
The Vampire's Former Flame by Kristen Painter
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWelcome to Nocturne Falls, the town where Halloween is celebrated 365 days a year. The tourists think it's all a show: the vampires, the werewolves, the witches, the occasional gargoyle flying through the sky. But the supernaturals populating the town know better. Living in Nocturne Falls means being yourself. Fangs, fur, and all.Ephelia Moreau doesn’t know she’s in danger... -
Bonbons and Broomsticks by H.Y. Hanna
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCaitlyn is settling into life as a novice witch in an English village chocolate shop - although she's finding the hardest magic to master is making caramel sauce without burning it! When two men are murdered, and a ghostly black hound is seen haunting the countryside, the village gossips are sure dark witchcraft is to blame. Caitlyn decides to do a little magical sleuthing of her own... -
-
A Ghoulish Midlife by Lia Davis, L.A. Boruff
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMoving home isn’t in the game plan.Ava Harper had aspirations for her forties. None included using her Necromancy powers to solve murders.As much as she doesn’t want to move back to Maine, she can’t spend another day in the empty, depressing house with the memory of her dead husband. It’s time for a new plan. Time to start over and learn to live again... -
Hexing with a Chance of Tornadoes by Mandy M. Roth
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI've been told I'm a force to be reckoned with. That I blow onto the scene like a tornado.At age forty I've stopped caring if that's a compliment or a dig. Now I just wear it like a badge of honor. So when life threw me a curveball and I ended up going from a cushy job in New York City to the tiny Southern town of Grimm Cove I thought I was ready for anything.Ha! Not quite... -
Sweet Tea and Spirits by Angie Fox
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSouthern girl Verity Long is about as high society as her pet skunk. Which is why she’s surprised as anyone when the new head of the Sugarland social set invites her to join the "it" girls. But this is no social call. Verity’s new client needs her to go in undercover and investigate strange happenings at the group’s historic headquarters... -
Fire Bound by Christine Feehan
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sea Haven novels returns to the circle of the six sisters of the heart, bound by the elements—and to one who possesses the power to inflame the most dangerous passions of all. Flame-haired Lissa Piner is a skilled glass blower whose delicate gift conceals a burning inner strength that can destroy as exquisitely as it can create... -
Every Witch Way But Wicked by Amanda M. Lee
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhere there’s a witch, there’s a way! Where there’s a whole family of them, there’s trouble. Bay Winchester, editor of Hemlock Cove’s small weekly newspaper, thinks her small hamlet’s upcoming murder mystery weekend is going to be all about fun, food and frolicking... -
The Skeleton in the Closet by Angie Fox
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratings**USA Today Bestselling series!**From New York Times bestseller Angie Fox, the second book in the Southern Ghost Hunter mysteriesA haunted library is no place for a girl who can see ghosts, but when Verity Long stumbles on a dead body in the middle of the main reading room, she has to believe someone…even a dead someone…must have witnessed the crime... -
Lightning In A Mirror by Jayne Ann Krentz
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsListening Length: 8 hours and 33 minutesThe final installment in the chilling Fogg Lake trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz. Olivia LeClair's experiment with speed dating is not going well... -
Hunting Fear by Kay Hooper, Dick Hill
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsHe's no ordinary kidnapper. Not only does he strike again and again, but he collects the ransom, gets away safely, and leaves his helpless hostages dead. Now, after months of eluding the best that law enforcement can put against him, this monster has left nothing in his wake but a cold trail of unconnected victims. He's no ordinary cop... -
Out of the Shadows by Kay Hooper
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsTo catch this killer, she must break every rule and cross every line.Out Of The ShadowsA picture-perfect Tennessee town has just become a monster's hunting ground. Two bodies are found tortured to death. A third person goes missing. What little evidence is left behind defies all explanation... -
Sense of Evil by Kay Hooper
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsKay Hooper is the brightest new star of suspense fiction. Now the New York Times bestselling author who's built a reputation for keeping her readers' pulse in the red zone delivers a thriller that will stun the senses -- all six of them. This time a psychic special agent and a gritty cop must stop a brutal killer with a chilling M.O. and an unstoppable...Sense of Evil... -
-
Ax To Grind by Tonya Kappes
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSoutherners keep their secrets swept under the rug, but what happens when that rug goes up for sale? Bestselling author Berlye Stone, the most famous citizen to ever come out of Cottonwood, Kentucky, has died and put all her worldly possessions up for auction, but not without leaving one more manuscript behind. A hidden tell-all about Cottonwood that’s got more gossip than a ladies’ luncheon... -
Sweet Tea & Spells by Bella Falls
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMagic and mystery are only part of the Southern Charms of Honeysuckle Hollow...Lots of changes in town and in her life, including her ex-fiancé's upcoming wedding to her cousin, have Charli Goodwin trying to be on her best behavior... -
Total Eclipse of the Hunt by Mandy M. Roth
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWelcome to Everlasting, Maine, where there's no such thing as normal.As a centaur, Deputy Jake Majoy (Deputy March), is immortal and has seen and done a lot in his five hundred years. Enough to know that Everlasting feels like home. It’s been perfect for him to fade away and blend in, as the town is anything but normal—and they protect their own... -
Gillette Park by Gerri Hill, Nicol Zanzarella
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGillette Park, a sleepy town nestled in the Rocky Mountains, harbors a secret.Twenty-three years ago, a young girl went missing. Three days later her body was found lodged beneath the footbridge over Gillette Creek. The murder shook the town but they soon found it was only the beginning. A serial killer hides among them—a serial killer who strikes twice, sometimes three times a year... -
Blood, Sweets and Tears by H.Y. Hanna
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMagical chocolates, missing jewels and murder...When novice witch Caitlyn Le Fey heads to the outdoor cinema festival at a beautiful Cotswolds manor, the last thing she expects is for the evening to end in murder. But when a dead man is found with fang marks in his neck and her old vampire uncle, Viktor, is arrested, Caitlyn must use all her newfound magic powers to clear his name... -
Whisper of Evil by Kay Hooper
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSomeone is stalking the little town of Silence...Three victims have fallen to a killer’s savage vengeance. Each of the dead men was a successful and respected member of the community — yet each also harbored a dark secret discovered only after his murder... -
Dance Upon The Air by Nora Roberts
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsWhen Nell Channing arrives on charming Three Sisters Island, she believes that she's finally found refuge from her abusive husband --and from the terrifying life she fled so desperately eight months ago. But even in this quiet , peaceful place, Nell never feels entirely at ease... -
Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors by Molly Harper
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsJust as Jane Jameson's unlife seems to be stabilizing, fate sinks its fangs firmly into her butt. Despite her near-phobia of wedding planning, her no-frills nighttime nuptials to her sexy boyfriend, Gabriel, are coming along smoothly. That is, until she turns a fatally wounded teenage acquaintance, and the Council pronounces her responsible for the newborn vamp until he can control his thirst... -
Oceans of Fire by Christine Feehan
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsCalled “the reigning queen of paranormal romance” by Publishers Weekly, New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan offers an imaginative blend of sensual romance, fast-paced adventure and the paranormal that has thrilled countless readers... -
Ghostly Issues by Lily Harper Hart
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHarper Harlow has the world at her fingertips, and the weight of the world on her shoulders. Whisper Cove’s resident ghost hunter finds that her professional life is soaring – while her personal life is floundering. She’s on a man diet – and nothing is going to tempt her, or so she swears... -
-
The House on Blackberry Hill by Donna Alward
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFamily secrets, a ghost from the past, and new love will draw readers into this compelling story, first in the Jewell Cove series by NYT Bestselling Author, Donna Alward. Abby Foster arrives in Jewell Cove to take possession of the family mansion she’s inherited from a relative she never knew existed. Her plan is to refurbish it, put it on the market, and head back to Nova Scotia... -
The Witch and the Dead by Heather Blake
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Darcy moved to Salem, Massachusetts, she never expected her life to change as drastically as it did. But within a short time, the Enchanted Village has become her home, its mystical residents have become her family, and As You Wish, the personal concierge business formerly run by her Aunt Ve, has become her calling... -
Witch at Heart by Juliette Harper
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsASIN moved from less recent edition hereJinx Hamilton has been minding her own business working as a waitress at Tom’s Cafe and keeping up with her four cats. Then she inherits her Aunt Fiona’s store in neighboring Briar Hollow, North Carolina and learns that her aunt has willed her some special “powers” as well. They say admitting you have a problem is the first step and Jinx has a major problem... -
Born in Fire by Nora Roberts
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 57 ratingsThree modern sisters bound by the timeless beauty of Ireland...The eldest Concannon sister, Maggie, is a reclusive, stubborn and free-spirited glassmaker—with a heart worth winning.Margaret Mary is a glass artist with an independent streak as fierce as her volatile temper... -
una dolce scoperta by Nora Roberts
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 31 ratings#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts introduces you to the Montgomery brothers - Beckett, Ryder, and Owen - as they bring an intimate bed-and-breakfast to life in their hometown.Ryder is the hardest Montgomery brother to figure out - with a tough-as-nails outside and possibly nothing too soft underneath... -
Cloudy with a Chance of Witchcraft by Mandy M. Roth, Allyson Voller
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA Paranormal Women's Fiction Romance Novel (PWF) When it rains, it pours... On the eve of my fortieth birthday, Fate has given me a second chance at the happiness I once knew in the odd Southern town of Grimm Cove. But only if I can come to terms with some rather eye-opening revelations. Supernaturals are a real thing. I'm a witch... -
Deader Homes and Gardens by Angie Fox
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSouthern belle Verity Long is back in business--as a ghost hunter. Now all she has to do is visit the town's creepiest mansion and exorcise a family of vengeful spirits. Piece of cake. After all, ghosts love her and need her...that is until she meets the ghosts of Rock Fall mansion... -
Ghostly Deceits by Lily Harper Hart
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsHarper Harlow and Jared Monroe are going on vacation. Sort of. The newly minted couple are in a good place, so when Jared asks Whisper Cove’s favorite ghost hunter to go to Harsens Island to visit an old friend and his family, Harper jumps at the chance. Josh Stoker and Jared have a lot to catch up on, including the hard financial times the Stoker family is struggling to deal with... -
The Professor Woos The Witch by Kristen Painter
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWelcome to Nocturne Falls, the town that celebrates Halloween 365 days a year. The tourists think it's all a show: the vampires, the werewolves, the witches, the occasional gargoyle flying through the sky. But the supernaturals populating the town know better. Living in Nocturne Falls means being yourself. Fangs, fur, and all... -
Everybody Wants to Rune the World by Mandy M. Roth, B.J. Harrison
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWelcome to Hedgewitch Cove, Louisiana, where there's no such thing as normal.Sigmund Bails ran from his past straight to a supernatural Louisiana town after coming into his shifting abilities later than most, to dire consequences. With help from the colorful locals, the were-kraken has been working hard to gain some semblance of control... -
-
The Betrayed by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOne day on the job and contractor Zach Sargent is ready to believe the dilapidated old LeBeau mansion is haunted. Some intruder – earthly or not – is threatening the youngest LeBeau sister, back to claim her inheritance. And though Danae keeps her distance from the sexy hired hand, he falls for her in a heartbeat... -
An Everlasting Christmas by Mandy M. Roth, B.J. Harrison
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA Happily Everlasting Series Novella Welcome to Everlasting, Maine, where there's no such thing as normal.Wil Messing may own a thriving antique shop in the tiny seaside town of Everlasting, Maine, but the man and the shop are far more than they appear to be. Born into a long line of supernatural hunters, this alpha male has had to make tough decisions all of his life... -
Here Comes The Witch by Ani Gonzalez
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJewelry designer Kat Ramos has come to Banshee Creek to break the famous Hagen House curse and, in order to do that, she must marry Liam Hagen. A vengeful ghost with a deadly history isn’t part of the deal, and neither is love... -
Let Sleeping Foxes Lie by Sam Burns
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMax has settled nicely into life in Welling. He’s got the best boyfriend ever born and a life he never imagined he could have. He’s also written his new screenplay, and the hottest director in Hollywood has snapped it up enthusiastically.So what’s the problem? She’s asked for a two-week long retreat, hosted by him, in his home, with the actors who’ve been cast in the movie... -
Face the Fire by Nora Roberts
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsMia Devlin knows what it is like to love with your whole heart—and then watch your love walk away. Years ago, she and Sam Logan shared an incredible bond built on passion, legend, and fate. But then one day he fled Three Sisters Island, leaving her lost in memories of the magic they shared—and determined to live without love... -
Heaven and Earth by Nora Roberts
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsRipley Todd just wants to live a quiet, peaceful kind of life. Her job as a sheriff's deputy keeps her busy and happy, and she has no trouble finding men when she wants them - which, lately, isn't all that often. She's perfectly content, except for one thing: she has special powers that both frighten and confuse her, and though she tries hard to hide them, she can't get them under control...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.