If you like..., You'll like... authors

Lisa Marie Rice and Shannon McKenna. If you like one, try the other. They both really know how to write a PLOT. Since neither really rely "secrets drawn out till the last page" or "big misunderstandings" or "TSTL damsels getting themselves in trouble & needing rescue", both have to create an actual plot to get the drama and angst into their rom-sus stories, and they really do! Oh, Kaylea Cross too - similar style and feel.

Toni Blake, Jill Shalvis (maybe even Teresa Hill & Kristen Ashley's Colorado series)... if you like them, try Shannon Richard (the Country Roads series). Same sorta feel - small town connections, well fleshed out family/friends/backstories. Actual plots to the stories. Slow burn - as in you can really see the how and why the couple fall for each other.

If you liked Lora Leigh's Breeds series (or even if you didn't but wanted to)... try Laurann Dohner's New Species series or Rebecca Goings' B*E*A*S*T series or Christine Feehan's Ghostwalker series. All three are the humans enhanced by mad scientists tinkering with DNA type of trope, but all do it so very much better than Lora Leigh (I got really tired of her (quite frankly arsehole) far-too-controlling heroes fighting so hard against their feelings for the heroines and the really icky shagging - all the fluids and backdoor goings on just got so icky so quicky, LOL). Laurann's and Rebecca's series deal with animal DNA & physical enhancements (Laurann's stopping short of full on shapeshifting, while Rebecca's can shapeshift) and Christine's have had their mental abilities enhanced - psychic/telekinetic etc.

Neeta - I second your opinion on Leigh vs. Dohner. Leigh's over all writing is more sophisticated but Dohner writes much better stories and characters. My personal pet peeve about Leigh is her use of the "C" word for lady bits. I just can't stand that. It sounds derogatory, not endearing or sexy. Plus Leigh's books got repetitive and and the writing went downhill.

Oh yeah, absolutely.  The other thing I really like about the Laurann ones is that it isn't a "forced by chemical reaction" fated mates thing - so you don't have the heroes fighting it tooth and nail.  Laurann's guys actually want mates - they think of it like being given a gift, and the "mating" is more of an imprinting that comes from the emotional connection they build.  So the relationship creates the mating not the mating creating the relationship.

You're right, and I've read all of them.

Are there any authors similar to Norah Hess?

Thanks. 
I saw the list and I don't think it's accurate. Norah Hess's books are set in still settling western world and her characters are blue-collar workers, generally trappers and ranchers.  I think any algorithm generated list would have difficulty matching her up with other authors.  I posted hoping someone who's read her works will be able to chime in with rec.

I think Maggie Osbourne's books are closer to her settings and nature but they lack the ugly and grittiness of Hess's work.