Book picks similar to
TAINT by Tara Dawn


dark
arc
cliffhanger
psychological-thriller

Irrevocable


Skye Callahan - 2014
    ” (Everything Marie) Book 1 in the Irrevocable Duet Stripped of everything she knows--even her real name--Silver is forced to adapt, to obey, and to do anything she needs to do to survive. Sometimes when you can’t go back, the only way out is to descend into the darkness. my Captor When I woke in that place, I just wanted to survive. But survival came at a cost, for which they demanded my will and body. my Master With pain came acceptance. Fully-dependent on the man who claimed me, I learned to appreciate what I had-life and relative safety. my Protector I watched him spill blood and tend my injuries. With betrayal came a revelation. “Not only did Irrevocable gut me, it took me on a roller coaster ride full of emotions that I usually don’t experience while reading romances…. You start to hate, you start to sympathize, and you begin to fall in love in every way. Ms. Callahan has turned my world upside down with her writing. Dark, sensual, and at times overwhelming, Irrevocable will bring you on a dark journey that you will never forget..” (Shayna Renee’s Spicy Reads, TOP PICK of 2014!) IRREVOCABLE is a dark romance intended for adult readers 18+ only. Not intended for those easily offended by dark subject matter.

Held


Kimberly A. Bettes - 2012
    Locked in a deadly battle of wits with a psychopath, she struggles to keep her sanity as she's held.A 59,000+ word novel, with over 17,000 words of bonus content.For mature audiences only.

Royal Blood


Amity Cross - 2014
    It was black or blacker. And I was the blackest of them all."Xavier "X" Blood only remembers the last few years of his life.Trained as an emotionless and deadly assassin, he goes through each day crossing out names on a never-ending list, not once asking why they deserve what he delivers. Death.Then one day, his programming starts to unravel and it's all because of her.Mercy Reid has a secret. A big one. The kind that will get her killed if it gets out.Looking to get lost, she runs from one hopeless situation and falls into the clutches of a monster. A monster that was programmed by the worst of the worst to kill without remorse. A man who is looking for her.When X is given his latest target, things become muddy. He knows his mark is right in front of his eyes, but he doesn't want to acknowledge it. He's literally losing his mind after all.Will he defy his programming and save the woman who has made him feel again?Or will he pull the trigger?

Taken


Stella Hart - 2019
    She thinks she’s all alone in her twisted world, but I’m always watching her. Always waiting for a chance to snatch her away for myself. I know I shouldn’t go after such a sheltered, messed-up girl, but that’s not going to stop me. I do what I want, and what I want right now is her. My latest addiction. I’ll make her mine, even if that means dragging myself into the darkest place in the world, and when the time is right, I’ll take her away from everything she knows and give her what she deserves. Too bad she’s nowhere near as pure and innocent as she seems. She may be too damaged, even for my appetite, and her betrayal will have dire consequences. She always wanted to be punished for her sins, but once I have her in my grip, she’ll realize she should’ve been careful what she wished for… Note: This novel contains disturbing content that may be offensive to some readers. Taken is the first book in the Original Sin trilogy. The story continues in Torment.

Nearly Broken


Devon Ashley - 2013
    Someone to notice. So why was I the one still here and she the one still gone? Nineteen year old Megan Smith has spent the past year working in a small town diner in the middle of nowhere. Life is quiet, simple, safe. Then comes the news that her look-a-like has gone missing. Claire.Still damaged both physically and mentally, Megan's not looking to be noticed. Wherever she goes from here, it's a road she needs to take alone. But when Nickolas Ellis takes the job as the new nightshift cook, it scares her how easily her defenses crumble down, down, down for him. But there are secrets she can't bear to share with just anyone, unspeakable acts that continue to haunt, and when the similarities of Claire’s abduction couples with the fear of an unwanted visitor in town, the urge to run before it all happens again intensifies, threatening the only happiness Megan's ever found.New Adult Romantic Suspense / Dark Realistic FictionRecommended for 17+ for mature and disturbing situations, language and sexual content.

Junkie


Heather C. Leigh - 2016
    A junkie. A whore. I'll do anything to get my next fix.Anything.Including walking right onto the property of Austin's most ruthless and feared drug lord to beg for some H. I don't know his name, only that people call him Boss. Oh, and that he won't think twice to put a bullet in my head.But like I said, I'll do anything to get my next fix. Even if it costs me my life.Or changes it forever.

Stolen


Jay Marie - 2015
    It contains violence, mature and explicit content and non-consensual/dubious, graphic sexual activity that some readers may find upsetting. This is a dark erotic thriller, not to be confused with a dark romance. HERThis was never supposed to happen to me. I was smart. I was strong. I was a fucking first degree black belt for fuck's sake, but none of that mattered. Not when you're out-gunned and outnumbered. I was stolen from my life and thrown into the dark and hollow depths of human trafficking. But it’s not all glitter and rainbows...especially when it comes to him. He wants me beaten. He wants me broken. But most importantly, he just wants me and that's the scariest thing of all. I won't let him win. I won't let him break me. I'll come back like steel every time. Because in the end, what doesn't kill me will only make me stronger...HIMI'm not a very nice guy. I'm a terrible person in fact, but I'm not going to pretend to care. I have a billion-dollar empire to run that manifests carnage, blood, and money and I crave it all. Nothing ever got in my way, nothing stopped me. If I wanted something, I made it happen, that is until this damn red-head crawled into my life. Strong, defiant, and a mixed martial artist, she was everything I never expected to want in a woman. Breaking her down became an obsession as she'd always somehow pop back up like a damn weed I couldn't kill. It was addicting and it became harder and harder for me to pretend I didn't love the taste of her fire every time I covered her with my ice. I wanted more and I'll be damned if I didn't get it. Because in the end, I always get what I want. *NOTE: For every book that is sold, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to a charity that benefits victims of human trafficking.*

Ward


Zoe Blake - 2020
    Not anymore.He planned this before I even knew his name. He made the life I've always known vanish as if it never existed, and now I'm his helpless captive, forced to play my part in his sadistic fantasy.It could have been a fairytale... A wealthy, handsome Duke sweeps a poor orphan girl from America off her feet and brings her to a beautiful estate hidden away in the English countryside.But this isn't the Victorian era, and I'm not Richard Payne's bride or his guest. I'm his prisoner.I know it is all a sick, twisted game. But what I know doesn't matter. My delusions will be cured by pain and punishment and nothing will stop him from using me as shamefully as he pleases.I'm his ward now. Perhaps one day soon he'll have made me forget I was ever anything else...Publisher's Note: Ward includes spankings, rough sexual scenes, intense and humiliating punishments, and strong D/s themes. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book.

Saved


D.D. Prince - 2017
    But when she has to jump from a burning building into the arms of the mysterious and handsome master of the house, it's a catalyst for big change. Holly, no longer happy to be blissfully ignorant, starts to play with sexual fire. How badly is she about to get burnt?Him: I saved her from a fate many would believe was worse than death. But, I’m no hero. Far from it. I’m saving her for myself, which might be an even worse fate. Her: He's dark. He’s dangerous. He’s the most attractive man I have ever laid eyes on. Everything about him says villain but I can't help but think that maybe there's a hero deep inside. He's kept me apart from the others for a long time. No one is allowed to touch me. Few are allowed to even set eyes on me. I arrived here just before my sixteenth birthday. But soon, I won’t be a little girl any more. How much longer will I be safe? And is safety all that matters? This is a dark romance. If you like your romance dark, proceed. If you don't, or if you're not sure --- approach with caution. This story is a standalone that is a Dominator series spin-off. Holly and Alessandro's story. You do not need to have read the Dominator books to enjoy this story. (Possible trigger. Dark romance. Sex, Violence, Coarse language. Human Trafficking.) Dedication: This story is for the readers who like to spend time in the dark. With the anti-heroes. The damaged ones who don’t think they can be redeemed. This book is for you. And for them.

Counsellor


Celia Aaron - 2015
    Once every ten years, the pretense falls away and a tournament is held to determine who will rule them. The Acquisition is a crucible for the Southern nobility, a love letter written to a time when barbarism was enshrined as law. Now, Sinclair Vinemont is in the running to claim the prize. There is only one way to win, and he has the key to do it — Stella Rousseau, his Acquisition. To save her father, Stella has agreed to become Sinclair's slave for one year. Though she is at the mercy of the cold, treacherous Vinemont, Stella will not go willingly into darkness. As Sinclair and Stella battle against each other and the clock, only one thing is certain: The Acquisition always ends in blood. Full disclosure: This book is a dark romance with elements of slavery, violence, BDSM, and super-hot sex. It is the first of a series and ends on a cliffhanger. If you're good with these caveats, enjoy.

The Saint


L.P. Lovell - 2019
    The Saint is a dark suspense.*My life was simple; God, business and myself, in that order. Then I met an angel, and everything changed.Only an angel can save the damned.

Sociopath


Lime Craven - 2014
    And you are...? Such a pleasure to meet you, sweetheart. Is that a southern accent? Gorgeous.You fucking bitch.Why so surprised? I control a billion dollar fortune. I control the news. Give me five minutes and I'll control you, too. If you could read my mind, you'd probably call me perverted. Unnatural. Manipulative. But I've learned to blend in, to be funny and charming. A predator in a designer suit.I have no conscience. No shame in taking the things I want. And what I wanted was for Leontine Reeves to sell me her boutique tech firm so I could exploit the f**k out of it. Maybe exploit the f**k out of her, too, because desire haunts me in shades of scarlet, and I desire Leo most of all.I never meant for this to be a love story. I fought it kicking and screaming, the same way Leo fought me. Now we're bleeding into each other, making a mess. A chaos. There's no control here. And what do monsters like me do when control leaves the building?We attack.WARNING: 18+. Contains abuse triggers and scenes that some may find disturbing.

Defaced


Marissa Farrar - 2015
    Now, having taken over his father's business, he has all the money and power he could dream of, yet still he refuses to let himself be viewed by the rest of society.LilyTraumatised by an event in her past, Lily Drayton has a phobia of being touched. Though she helps people externally with her skills as a laser therapist, she refuses to let anyone in, emotionally or physically. When Lily is kidnapped on the way home from work one evening, she discovers she's not the only person who keeps themselves cut off from the rest of the world.DefacedA man owns her now--a man both dangerous and enigmatic. Drawn by his dual beauty and hidden pain, he awakens something inside her, something she believed was long dead. Brought to a room without windows, she's given an impossible task: to make her owner acceptable to the outside world.Can altering his face change who he is as a man, or is he truly a monster, both inside and out?

Hero


Leighton Del Mia - 2014
    For years I’ve watched her from afar, but what started out as duty has become obsession.Cataline FordI work hard.I play by the rules.I’m content.My scars are quiet and invisible, and that keeps me hidden.Doesn’t it?One fateful walk home, I’m taken by someone I didn’t know I should fear. Captive and afraid, nobody will tell me why I’m confined to this hauntingly beautiful mansion. I’m given everything; I have nothing. He takes what he needs from me, and for that I hate him. But I might have loved him once.And just because you’re reading this doesn’t mean I survive him. "Escape is now her singular obsession, the need for it all but physiological. But freedom is the only thing I can't give her, because I have an obsession of my own: her safety. Or, maybe now, just her." HERO is a dual POV, standalone erotic novel. WARNING: meant for a mature audience due to dark themes including non- or dubious-consent.

Comfort Food


Kitty Thomas - 2010
    As part of his conditioning methods, her captor refuses to speak to her, knowing how much she craves human contact. He's far too beautiful to be a monster. Combined with his lack of violence toward her, this has her walking a fine line at the edge of sanity.Told in the first person from Emily's perspective, Comfort Food explores what happens when all expectations of pleasure and pain are turned upside down, as whips become comfort and chicken soup becomes punishment.DISCLAIMER: This is not a story about consensual BDSM. This is a story about “actual” slavery. If reading an erotic story without safewords makes you uncomfortable, this is not the book for you. This is a work of fiction, and the author does not endorse or condone any behavior done to another human being without their consent.