Books like 'The Gardener and the Water-horse'
Readers who enjoyed The Gardener and the Water-horse by Mallory Dunlin also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy paranormal shapeshifters non-human-hero virgin hero friends to lovers m-f magic shy-hero age difference
-
Outlaw Tiger by Terry Bolryder
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsSave a horse, ride an outlaw tiger...As an orphan who was raised on Dragonclaw ranch, Dallas the tiger shifter is completely loyal to all the people and shifters who live there. So when a local story about gigantic monsters emerging from the ground draws unwanted attention, Dallas swears he'll protect his home and its secrets at all costs... -
![To Free a Soul by Opal Reyne]()
To Free a Soul by Opal Reyne
A hundred and fifty years have passed, and much has happened for Lindiwe. She’s bonded, she’s served her duties, and she’s brought Duskwalkers into the world.Every year, her relationship with Weldir grows steadier, only to eventually shatter. What follows is a beautifully chaotic whirlwind of push and pull, a battle of devotion and affection against unchanging fates that are impossible to resolve...Categorized as:
magic black-mc m-f shapeshifters friends to lovers hurt-comfort slow burn competent heroine -
![]()
![]()
Sponsored links -
![Savage Hunger by Milly Taiden]()
Savage Hunger by Milly Taiden
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIsaline Primrose doesn’t let anyone cut the line at her mom’s bakery, no matter how tall or sexy he his. His custom suit, expensive haircut, and deep brown eyes are making her want things. Very dirty things. It’s totally fine to look even if he is a bossy jerk... -
![Bear Vet by Zoe Chant]()
Bear Vet by Zoe Chant
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWho do you call when you spot a baby hellhorse? Shifter Vets!Judy desperately needs to find a home for her nineteen rescue horses. Waylon desperately needs to rein in his headstrong teenage daughter's quest to tame a wild hellhorse. And what both of them need most desperately is love... Waylon, a bear shifter and veterinarian for magical animals, instantly recognizes Judy as his mate... -
-
![Paranormal Dating Agency Volume 1 by Milly Taiden]()
Paranormal Dating Agency Volume 1 by Milly Taiden
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTalia Barca needs a date. Badly. She uses the services of the Paranormal Dating Agency hoping for a decent guy to take to a family wedding. A wedding her ex-husband has wormed his way into as a guest. Connor and Theron want Tally to complete their Alpha triad. She's sexy, curvy and funny. But she's human. And they're not sure she'll go for a relationship with two men at the same time... -
![Paranormal Dating Agency Volume 2 by Milly Taiden]()
Paranormal Dating Agency Volume 2 by Milly Taiden
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsTall, Dark and Panther Maya Zara is a curvy woman sick and tired of men who think she should settle. She loves her curves and wants to find someone who will love them too. When she meets Gerri Wilder and signs up for a date with a shifter, Maya has no idea what’s in store for her... -
![Her First Taste of Fire by Kristen Painter]()
Her First Taste of Fire by Kristen Painter
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShadowvale isn’t your typical small town America. The sun never shines, the gates decide who enters, magic abounds, and every resident bears some kind of curse.Most people think Nasha Black lives in Shadowvale because that’s where her father, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, lives. But Nasha has another reason for staying in Shadowvale and it’s not just the bakery she owns and operates... -
![The Bronze Dragon's Baby by Zoe Chant]()
The Bronze Dragon's Baby by Zoe Chant
A woman on a mission to build a better world for her baby… Red dragon shifter Athena is sick and tired of her clan’s never-ending wars. She and her brother grew up orphans because of them, and Athena is not allowing that to happen to her daughter. But no one wants to help her—so she takes off to Oak Ridge, where their current enemies live... -
![A Light in the Dark by Miranda Sapphire]()
A Light in the Dark by Miranda Sapphire
Beast has been lost in the dark for two hundred years…Claire is desperate to prove she belongs in the light…But the shadow of ancient crimes might just swallow them both.Beast has been locked away in his manor for two centuries to pay for the crimes of his past. Haunted by his failures, he is cursed by the fae mage he wronged to spend all of his days lonely and unloved... -
![The Midnight Dragon's Mate by Zoe Chant]()
The Midnight Dragon's Mate by Zoe Chant
His worst nightmare could be a dream come true... Single dad Lachlan only looked away for a second. And now his six-year-old son is gone, lost in the wild woods. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare...but most parents aren’t dragons. Mad with fear for his son, Lachlan is fully prepared to rip the whole forest apart to find him.. -
![Citrine by Terry Bolryder]()
Citrine by Terry Bolryder
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCitrine, the last unmated gemstone dragon and mentor to the metal dragons, has finally gotten his story! Citrine Vanderguard has searched tirelessly for his mate. And now, hundreds of miles later, he's found her. She's on the brink of mating someone she can't possibly love, all for the sake of responsibility... -
![Baby It's Cold Out Bear by T.S. Joyce]()
Baby It's Cold Out Bear by T.S. Joyce
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 16 ratings****Baby It's Cold Out Bear was part of the USA Today Bestselling anthology, A Very Alpha Christmas. It can absolutely be read as a standalone short story.**** Emry Mason doesn’t expect to be pulled out of an icy ditch by a registered bear shifter, and she certainly doesn’t expect her rescuer to be as alluring as Graylan Young... -
![Zinc Dragon by Terry Bolryder]()
Zinc Dragon by Terry Bolryder
The Zinc dragon has always known the toxic metals in his bloodstream could end him. But now, separated from his friends and barely clinging to the hope of rescue, he's finally resigned to his fate. At least he gets to spend his last days with a wonderfully kind, curvy woman that he would give anything to have met under different circumstances. Leanne doesn't know what to do... -
![Cadmium Dragon by Terry Bolryder]()
Cadmium Dragon by Terry Bolryder
The Cadmium dragon has found his mate, and now he’s on the hunt. The hunt for things to buy online so he has an excuse to see the curvy delivery woman that brings him his packages. And when a chance occurrence gives him the opportunity to get to know her better, he springs into action to show her just how much a dragon can offer—inside the bedroom and out... -
-
![Wolfing Her Down by Milly Taiden]()
Wolfing Her Down by Milly Taiden
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsAva North is more comfortable talking to a dead man than a live one. Unfortunately, that also means it's that much harder to find love. She's in her forties and an introvert. Chasing down bad guys and being the best homicide Lieutenant is a piece of cake. Mmm cake. Finding a good man to share life with? That's another story... -
![Savage Basilisk by Terry Bolryder]()
Savage Basilisk by Terry Bolryder
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA basilisk with a secret, a wounded woman trying to protect the world and a ranch full of friends to help them…As a monster among monsters, Ajax is aware that most people are terrified of him. They should be. He’s a savage killer that makes no apologies for what he is. In spite of that, he still wants to find a mate... -
![Dragon to the Rescue by Terry Bolryder]()
Dragon to the Rescue by Terry Bolryder
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen a gorgeous, powerful dragon shifter kisses an innocent human musician in an alley, he knows their love will last forever... Mindy Owens doesn't live a glamorous life as a musician, but she loves what she does, even if it requires dealing with frustrating bandmates and frequent harassment. She doesn't even think about romance... -
![River Wolf by Heather Long]()
River Wolf by Heather Long
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsBrett Dalton, Alpha of Hudson River, isolated himself from his pack mates after one betrayed him. The once, easygoing Alpha has become taciturn, remote and unforgiving. His pack worries for him, but they too have suffered a devastating blow... -
![War of the Dragon by Jessica Drake]()
War of the Dragon by Jessica Drake
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsZara and Lessie's adventure continues in Book 4 of the Dragon Riders of Elantia series, perfect for fans of Eragon, Pern, and Temeraire! When Zara and Lessie finally make it back to Elantia, the last thing they expect is to find that nearly all the dragons have gone missing... -
![Lucas's Prey, Riley's Pride, Book 6 by Sandra R. Neeley]()
Lucas's Prey, Riley's Pride, Book 6 by Sandra R. Neeley
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLucas is a Kodiak Bear shifter, and the last member of Riley’s Pride left without a mate. He spent the majority of his life thinking he didn’t want one. But then he watched all his family and friends finding and claiming theirs, starting families and basking in the love and peace having a mate can provide... -
![The Rending by Vanessa Nelson]()
The Rending by Vanessa Nelson
The only place of safety for the desperate has been destroyed.Yvonne has finally found a place to settle, where her children can grow, and she can think about her own future. Even as she celebrates, a shock rings across the world. Someone has attacked the Sisters in the Stone Walls... -
![Claimed By The Barbarian Dragon by Terry Bolryder]()
Claimed By The Barbarian Dragon by Terry Bolryder
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA brand new dragon series from the dragon shifter queen herself. Terry Bolryder has written more than 40 well-beloved dragon shifter novels and returns with a fresh new take on dragons in Crystals, Curves and Castles... -
![The Sea Wolf's Mate by Zoe Chant]()
The Sea Wolf's Mate by Zoe Chant
Jacqueline already had her happy-ever-after... Or so she thought—until her husband left her for a woman who could give him a child… and already had. Now she’s divorced before thirty, working herself to the bone to pay off the mortgage on a house that will never be full of the children she dreamed of. Wolf shifter Arlo lost his pack years ago... -
![Cobalt Dragon by Terry Bolryder]()
Cobalt Dragon by Terry Bolryder
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Cobalt dragon is ready for a mate. At least, the bookish intellectual thinks he is. But when he and his crew are sent on a mission to rescue another dragon heart, only to find that she's already rescued herself, Cobalt will find that fate has someone much different than what he had in mind. Sylvie has always been a fighter... -
-
![Purrfect for Me by Terry Bolryder]()
Purrfect for Me by Terry Bolryder
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHunter Raines thinks it might just be time to pick up stakes and head out. With his friends happily mated, the cougar inside is getting restless. That is, until a mysterious woman wanders into the bar one night, with more secrets than answers and a body that makes his animal sit up and take notice. Kelly Anderson is tired of running... -
![La Patron's Den: Renee's Renegade by Sydney Addae]()
La Patron's Den: Renee's Renegade by Sydney Addae
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsRenee’s Renegade It’s time for the annual art show at the Art Museum Renee manages. Pack from all over the country has sent their work for this prestigious event hoping to make names for themselves as well as money. Renee’s lack of enthusiasm doesn’t dampen sales or attendance, her beauty and being the last unmated daughter of La Patron attracts attention... -
![Redeeming the Bear by Terry Bolryder]()
Redeeming the Bear by Terry Bolryder
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRyland Brolin is a walking time bomb. For years he's kept the monster inside him locked away, allowing him to create a vast business empire and interfere in benevolent ways in his brother's lives. Now that they are both happily mated, he has one last thing to do: shut down the Bear Canyon Brawl and end the violent legacy their father left behind... -
![Jaguar's Joy by Zoe Chant]()
Jaguar's Joy by Zoe Chant
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA small-town sheriff who’s bitten off more than she can chew… A Marine veteran who steps in to protect her… And a community that comes together to help its own. Sheriff Misty Dale wants nothing more than to keep her town safe and happy. A deer shifter isn’t the first thing people would expect for law enforcement, but she’s made it work—even if she’s ended up middle-aged and married to her job... -
![Mated To The Werewolf Next Door: Howls Romance by C.D. Gorri]()
Mated To The Werewolf Next Door: Howls Romance by C.D. Gorri
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe's on the run from her ex-husband to protect her half-Shifter daughter. He's trying to clear his name after being falsely convicted of a crime. Fate has brought them to the same seaside town, but the rest is up to them... -
![Wildest Dreams by Terry Bolryder]()
Wildest Dreams by Terry Bolryder
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJerrek's book, #3 in the Rogue Dream Fae series... -
![Shifter and Shadow by Sharon Shinn]()
Shifter and Shadow by Sharon Shinn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPart of the Twelve Houses series, Shifter and Shadow takes place between the end of The Thirteenth House and the beginning of Dark Moon Defender. What really happened on Dorrin Isle?Kirra Danalustrous is the daughter of a marlord, a celebrated beauty—and a shapeshifter with magic in her veins... -
![Midnight by Terry Bolryder]()
Midnight by Terry Bolryder
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsNathan Lancaster. Elusive billionaire. World-wide philanthropist. Monster. From the moment he was born, Nathan knew he couldn't let anyone know who, or what, he was, but that hasn't stopped him from trying to make his way in the world. And he's fine alone, seriously. Until a curvy, persistent reporter steps up and turns his whole world upside down... -
![Lian / Roch by Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright]()
Lian / Roch by Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLIAN The Hunter: Lian isn’t a happy puma. He’s a lethal Hunter who should be out fighting the enemy, not babysitting a human scholar. Still, he’ll do whatever necessary to rid the world of the evil goddess, Shakpi. And there’s the bonus of spending a few hours away from his family of Nurturers who have been smothering him with love... -
![Minor Works of Meda by Juliette Caruso]()
Minor Works of Meda by Juliette Caruso
She’d be the most gifted witch in centuries, if she had an ounce of power in her veins.With weak magic and no social graces, Meda’s dreams of becoming a great witch are impossible. It doesn’t matter how much harder she works than her rival, she'll never win. The heartless half-faerie has so much magic that just being near him makes her blood sing... -
-
![Alpha Contender Boxed Set by Terry Bolryder]()
Alpha Contender Boxed Set by Terry Bolryder
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAll boxed sets on sale for .99 for a limited time! Misty has few expectations from life. Work, read, sleep. But when she hears from a complete stranger that she's actually a powerful, shape-shifting werewolf, her life changes forever. Lindon believes he already had his shot at love long ago. And lost it... -
![Wallflower Seeks Mountain Man by Marley Michaels]()
Wallflower Seeks Mountain Man by Marley Michaels
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsSerena Black has never liked being the center of attention. She’s always been the girl swaying to the music at the side of the room, happy to watch everyone else. Having put her life on hold and moved back home to look after her father, she’s happy to read her beloved mountain man books and work at their family store. The less peopling involved, the better... -
![Holly's Grizzly by Leigh Miller]()
Holly's Grizzly by Leigh Miller
Being snowed in with a grizzly shifter wasn’t on the itinerary for my holiday in the mountains. Going on a winter backpacking trip may not have been the best thing to fix a broken heart. After an accident on trail leaves me without my pack and nearly freezing to death, the last thing I expect to see is a huge, terrifying grizzly lumbering out of the woods... -
![Claiming His Desire by Ellis Leigh]()
Claiming His Desire by Ellis Leigh
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA shifter waiting to end it all… A woman living her life surrounded by death… A destiny few could survive. Book six in the Feral Breed series Jameson craves death. Former president of the Four Corners Feral Breed den, he’s abandoned his post and left behind his brothers to escape the worst day of his life... -
![Secrets of the Bear by Terry Bolryder]()
Secrets of the Bear by Terry Bolryder
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn this exciting finale to the bestselling Trapped in Bear Canyon series, the new leader of a small town will be forced to face his difficult past for a chance at the love of a lifetime... Francis has finally settled down in the mountains of Bear Canyon... -
![The Kilgarin’s Gift (Book One) by Shay Rucker]()
The Kilgarin’s Gift (Book One) by Shay Rucker
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA curse upon the cursed is perhaps the Goddess’s most calculated gift. ~ Tacura of The Indomitus Witch Trinity Cillian Kilgarin. He is wolf-shifter—Indomitus—Clan leader of the cursed Kilgarin’s... and he is losing himself to the madness of his Nocturnal Transition. Morgan Neale is a gun-for-hire... -
![New Moon by Marcelle Sixx]()
New Moon by Marcelle Sixx
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSasha finds herself lost and confused and simply not figuring out how or why. It seems that her beast, Aaron, has more of a hold on her than she thought. Not believing in fate, she tries to carry on, ignoring the cry in her heart and the song in her panties for her prince. Wanting to go back but wanting to stay away, Sasha feels as if she's being watched at every turn... -
![Court of Lies and Deceit by Marion Blackwood]()
Court of Lies and Deceit by Marion Blackwood
A desperate mission takes Selena and her friends to the Unseelie Court. But making deals with the cunning fae of that realm is dangerous. When the Unseelie King forces them into a bargain in exchange for the help they so sorely need, they are pulled into a lethal scheme. To survive it, they must beat the Unseelie King at his own game... -
![Protector of the Pride by Terry Bolryder]()
Protector of the Pride by Terry Bolryder
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe third and final book in the Lions of Pride Island series! Axel Hunt knows what’s expected from him in life. Find a mate that’s suitable to the oracle, mate her, and rule his country, ensuring peace. But all of that is turned upside down when curvy Lucy comes into his life, drawing his attention as never before. Only problem? She’s his secretary... -
![Curse the Fae by Natalia Jaster]()
Curse the Fae by Natalia Jaster
Spicy enemies to lovers NA/adult fantasy romance.A monster is holding me prisoner in the land of Faerie.They call him the lord of the water Fae. I call him a viper.The tales say Elixir is venomous—and as beautiful as he is brutal. They say he’s a cursed soul who wields dark, sinful magic... -
-
![Rage/Killian by Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright]()
Rage/Killian by Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGet Wild in the Wildlands From New York Times Bestsellers, Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright, the heat of the bayou is back with RAGE/KILLIAN in an all-new duel 'tail'. Enter the Wildlands where a new, volatile danger threatens the sizzling hot Pantera... -
![Angel/Hiss by Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright]()
Angel/Hiss by Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBooks 13 & 14 of the USA Today Bestselling Series! ANGEL Dr. Angel Savary is dedicated to his skills as a Healer. After the death of his mother, he’s determined never to fail another Pantera. But when he’s kidnapped by a human female, he discovers that her brutal past offers the answers he’s been seeking. Even more astonishing, she stirs his cat with a ruthless need to claim her... -
![The Turncoat King by Michelle Diener]()
The Turncoat King by Michelle Diener
A thirst for revenge . . . Ava is committed to vengeance against the man responsible for the death of her parents. The same man, the Queen's Herald, who kept her prisoner for two years, until she escaped with Luc, a warlord bent on vengeance just as fierce as her own... -
![The Alpha's Doe by Annie Whipple]()
The Alpha's Doe by Annie Whipple
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsDorothy Kennicott lernte Ace Stoll kennen, als sie gerade mal sechs Jahre alt waren. Und seither sind sie unzertrennlich. Beste Freunde, an der Hüfte verbunden... -
![How to Hide Your Stolen Baby by Anna Wineheart]()
How to Hide Your Stolen Baby by Anna Wineheart
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsEx-thief Joey has been sent to live with a policeman. Thing is, he stole his baby.Ever since Joey stole a dragon-shifter baby, his life has become infinitely more difficult. The bad guys are after him, and Joey has absolutely no experience with flame-breathing little children... -
![Dragon Next Door by Terry Bolryder]()
Dragon Next Door by Terry Bolryder
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsA dragon hiding among humans just found the one woman he can't resist...As a dragon on the run from others of his kind, Tristan has only one rule: don't get involved. But when he spots Kelsie Lawton, in way over her head with a couple of street thugs, there's no way he can walk away. Especially when the dragon in him, buried and smothered for a lifetime, insists he's found his mate...
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
Find out more about romance.io.
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
