From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

The supernatural community in Bon Temps, Louisiana is reeling from two hard blows: the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina, and the manmade horror of the explosion at the vampire summit in the up-north city of Rhodes. Sookie Stackhouse is safe but dazed, but too many vampires - some friends, some not - were killed or injured, and her were-tiger boyfriend Quinn is among the missing.

It's clear that things are changing, whether the weres and vamps like it or not. And Sookie, Friend to the Pack and blood-bonded to the leader of the local vampire community, is caught up in those changes. She's about to find herself facing danger and death and, not for the first time, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold bloodd has stopped flowing, Sookie's world will be forever altered...

Another good addition to the series. Sookie once again survives were wars and hostile vampire takeovers and still manages to get to work on time. 

I think I might be just about Sookied out.

Kill For Me by Karen Rose

an elderly monster known only as Charles and his depraved minions steal teenage girls to sell to perverts in a lucrative human trafficking scheme. Hot on their trail are the Georgia Bureau of Investigations special agent Daniel Vartanian; his partner, special agent Luke Papadopoulos; and his long-suffering sister, Susannah Vartanian, a New York City ADA. A botched raid spurs the murders of five girls and the removal of abused assets to another hiding place. Two courageous teen survivors provide the GBI with help, but a mole in the GBI working for Charles complicates the takedown.

While I could tell this wasn't the 1st in the series it didn't make a great deal of difference to my enjoyment of the story.

Lots of little twists thrown in all the way through.

Rainwater by Sandra Brown

Ella Barron is determined that even the ravages of the Dust Bowl will not affect the well-ordered life she has built for herself and her special child, Solly, who lives in a world of his own that even she can’t enter. Aware that he evokes pity and distrust, Ella holds herself aloof from her small community, but her new boarder, David Rainwater, comes into her life— and changes it forever. As economic desperation creates bitter social unrest in the town and surrounding farms, Ella finds herself relying on Mr. Rainwater’s soft-spoken advice and the steely resolve of his convictions. But tensions escalate in the summer heat, until one violent night everything they believe in will be put to the ultimate test.

Not the usual Sandra Brown, this is more. Not your usual happy ending to a love story, but a very poignant ending. Loved it.

Beyond Seduction by Stephanie Laurens

In a moment of recklessness, Gervase Tregarth, 6th Earl of Crowhurst, swears he'll marry the next eligible lady to cross his path. Cloistered at his ancestral castle in Cornwall, with nary a suitable woman for miles, he never expects he'll have to fulfill his pledge, at least not until the London Season begins. But then he meets his neighbor, the very appealing Madeline Gascoigne.

Years of secret service to the Crown have taught Gervase the value of always having a loophole—there will be no wedding if he and Madeline are incompatible in any way. So he sets out to prove that they would make a most dreadful match . . . by luring her into his arms and, ultimately, his bed.

From their very first kiss, Gervase discovers that the headstrong and independent Madeline is no meek country miss . . . and that the fire between them will burn long beyond that first seduction.  

I always enjoy Stephanie Laurens. Another light romance with a touch of mystery and action.

The Wild Road by Marjorie Liu

Those who look upon Lannes Hannelore see only an exceptionally handsome man. But his beauty is a prison, locking the dark truth inside his tormented soul. For Lannes is one of a dying race of remarkable creatures, hiding in plain sight among earth's human masters. His existence is solitary and sad—until the night he encounters a young woman on a deserted street, desperate, frightened, with no memory . . . and covered in blood.

She has no recollection of who she is or what she's done—and now she must trust a mysterious stranger whose imposing presence masks a gentle heart. Her need draws Lannes into a mystery that will cause him to confront his worst fears and question everything he believes—and compel him to risk his secrets for the one woman who might well be the love of his life . . . or the destruction of it. 

At first I wondered how this fitted into the Dirk and Steele series, but as the story went on it all fitted together. There were some appearances by characters from previous Dirk and Steele adventures. Very enjoyable read with some twists and turns and surprises.

It's a Gargoyle romance,  bit different from other paranormals.

Close Encounters by Katherine Allred

 Kiera Smith is not like ordinary Genetically Engineered Persons . . .

The Bureau of Alien Affairs needed a special GEP agent with empathic abilities to handle their most extraordinary assignments—and a rogue geneticist saw to it that Kiera fit their specifications. But she turned out stronger, faster, smarter, and more impervious to harm than anyone anticipated. A reluctant "superhero," Kiera wishes she were normal, but it is not to be.

On Orpheus Two, the indigenous Buri race faces extinction, a prospect the powerful Dynatec corporation welcomes and, in fact, may be actively hastening. It is Kiera's job to protect these beautiful, exotic aliens . . . and to discover what there is on Orpheus Two that Dynatec feels is worth killing for.

But the magnetic allure of Thor, the breathtaking Buri leader, is proving a dangerous distraction. And now, to save Thor's people, Kiera will need a power she's never before possessed—something hidden in the unexplored recesses of her heart.

 Enjoyable read. Loved Crigo, the rock cat. I'd read more in this series. 

Nothing to Fear by Karen Rose

NOTHING TO SEE.

NOTHING TO HEAR.

NOTHING TO FEAR.

As director of an inner-city woman’s shelter, Dana Dupinsky safeguards many secrets. Some are new identities; some are new addresses; and some are even hidden truths about herself. Passionately dedicated to Hanover House and the women she protects, Dana has always been reluctant to look for love. But now, just as a case puts her and a child in mortal danger, it seems that love has come looking for her.

Security expert Ethan Buchanan learned to stalk men in the Afghan desert. Now he vows to track down the ruthless woman who kidnapped his godson—and falling for Dana is not in the plan. Yet her very presence seems to chase away the ghosts that haunt him, and her skillful evasion of personal questions raises his hunting instincts. For there’s a deadly new secret at Hanover House. A brutal killer is weaving a web of revenge with a stolen boy at its center. And Dana is the next victim on the list….

My first Karen Rose book, but definitely not my last. Couldn't put it down.