Do you think all paranormal romance novels full of brooding dark men and steamy encounters? Granted, there can be plenty of that but that is another side to the genre. There are some authors and series that have the supernatural elements well mixed with some witty, laugh inducing dialogue and situations.
Let start with Dakota Cassidy’s Accidental Werewolf, which begins the Accidental series. This start to a hysterical series make me laugh just thinking about it again. The main character is Marty, a carrier oriented cosmetics sales guru who has let all other aspects of her life fade in the pursuit of success and the perfect color palette. She is constantly trying to be the perfect, cheerful saleswoman. Then one night while out walking her tiny poodle and things take a strange turn. The poodle attacks a huge ‘dog’, and poor Marty is the one that ends up getting bitten. Her life starts getting crazier from there as her cosmetic trainees have a little trouble fitting in the community, a hunky guy comes around apologizing for biting her and turning her furry, and her old color palette just doesn’t seem to work for her anymore. While all this my sound a little silly, let e assure you, it is but in a good way. Cassidy makes her characters funny but real, with realistic concerns and doubts even in the strangest of circumstances. What makes it even better is that knowing when you finish this book you can immediately read about Nina and then Wanda, then Wanda’s sister as they experience there own strange turns of fate. If all this just makes you want more, Cassidy has now written over thirty books and is still going strong,
Now for Katie Macalister the tough part was which book, or series, to start with because I have yet to read anything from this author that disappoints. So, lets just go with the fist paranormal book of hers that I read, the Aisling Grey book You Slay Me. This book sets of that series, and two follow up series with overlapping characters. As you may have guessed by the name of the series You Slay Me revolves around the adventures of Aisling Grey, apprentice Guardian, as she goes on what should have been a simple delivery but is quickly embroiled in plots of intrigue. Along the way she meets Drake and is introduced to the politics of dragons, becomes a demon lord and makes some new friends and enemies. It is her wit and ability to laugh at herself, throw out a great one liner and get herself both in and out of entertain situations that really make the book. Aisling and Drake’s romance is not containable in a single novel, their story is continued in Fire Me Up, Light My Fire and finally Holy Smokes. Again. If this quartet of books just leaves you wanting more there is two more that follow dealing with dragons, the Silver dragon series and the Light Dragon series. If you are done with dragons and are still looking for more you will not be disappointed. Macalister also has the Dark One series about vampires, which is equally funny, and a slew of historical romances that make me laugh out loud. She also has some young adult novels written under the name Katie Maxwell and a mystery under the name Kate Marsh.
Another favorite of mine for funny paranormal romance is Gerry Bartlett’s Real Vampires Have Curves starring a curvy vampire Glory St. Clair. Glory has changed with the times, becoming a very independent woman with a mind of her own, but her on again off again boyfriend Jeremy Blade seems to be stuck in the mentality of the era when he turned Glory vampire. I love this strong but still doubt-carrying protagonist. She is constantly pushing herself to be her best self and to be self reliant while regretting not thinking of dieting before committing herself to the same shape for the rest of her very long life. She has managed to overcome a gambling addiction in the past, which we don’t actually see. Glory starts her own business dealing in one of her passions., vintage clothes, as she works hard to be true to herself and her convictions, including not drinking human blood. Now her life could just be that simple, she also has a vampire hunter on her trail and Blade trying to take over her life in order to protect her. The combination of Glory and her circle or friends and enemies being incredibly real emotionally and psychologically while unreal physiologically really draws the reader in and makes them care while laughing at the dialogue and interaction of all the individuals in Glory’s world. As of now there are five books in the series about Glory, with the sixth due to be released in December 2010, and I hope there many more to come.
Here are many more authors that deal in laughable myths and mythology. If this all sounds like your cup of tea and want to keep going I have several other authors to suggest: MaryJanice Davidson, Richelle Mead, Lyndsy Sands, Michele Bardsley, Kathy Love, Christopher Moore, Erin McCarthy, Victoria Laurie, Molly Harper, Kerrelyn Sparks, Shanna Swendson, Michelle Rowen, Tate Haloway, Stephanie Rowe, Kimberly Raye, Julie Kenner, and Vicki Lewis Thompson. It is more than likely that I could have missed someone, however I only like to recommend books and authors that I have actually read. Despite my extreme love of books and near addiction to reading there is no way for me to realistically read every thing (though I do make an attempt) so I am always interested in more suggestions an recommendations.
