Book picks similar to
Innocence by T.L. Hodel


dark
cliffhanger
dark-romance
dub-con

Birds of Paradise


Anne Malcom - 2018
    I was all of the hideous and ugly realities of the world packaged into one broken human being.He came to kill me.That was his business.Death.He ripped me out of my natural environment, the prison I'd created, and locked me away with all of his beautiful dead things.I hated him.I still hate him.But if I was given the choice and the ability to leave this cage, come back to life, I'd stay dead.In all of my hideous splendor.Because my murderer can only possess dead things.And I can only be possessed by someone more broken and ugly than me.

Chance Assassin: A Story of Love, Luck, and Murder


Nicole Castle - 2013
    When a chance encounter generates a job prospect he’s too desperate to decline, Vincent is well on his way to a career in crime. But after the job goes wrong and he’s gravely injured in the process, things couldn’t get much worse. Except that he may have just killed a man. With the entrance of a mysterious stranger, life is finally starting to look up. Unless his luck is about to run out for good.

Distorted


Nyla K.Nyla K. - 2021
    And trust me, you’ll wish you were. We’re the stain on society. The freaks, the creeps, your favorite Netflix documentaries come to life. They lock us up and throw away the key, because we deserve it. But not me. I’m just a lowly bank robber. I don’t belong here, surrounded by psychopaths and killers with no remorse… At least, I don’t think I do.Getting by unscathed is my top priority. Unfortunately for me and my fellow prisoners, those in charge are more dangerous than we are. You see, the guards run the show, and I seem to have caught the attention of the most twisted one. He has a name, but it might as well be Officer. We move around one another like a sun and a moon, revolving in an axis of confused lust and torment until the truth is distorted, and the thing I once feared becomes that which I crave; my vile addiction, somehow so exquisite. Reality warps in the dungeon, and I’m left wondering which prison is worse… the one holding my body, or my mind. *DO NOT READ OR POST SPOILERS! I am begging you to think of your fellow readers, in your reviews, your posts… everywhere. Revealing plot twists is a dick move. And I promise, it’ll be fun to go in blind. **Distorted is the first book in the Alabaster Penitentiary series. It is a full M/M romance, with HEA. Each book in this series is technically a standalone, though they are interconnected, so it will be recommended to read in order, as references to this story will be made in future books. Distorted is intended for mature audiences and open-minded readers ONLY! If you prefer the same old story, this book won’t be for you. This story is dark, probably darker for some than others, so please proceed with caution, and if you’re easily triggered, steer clear. You’ve been warned.

ENSLAVED


Jax Hart - 2018
    The nights were turbulent as the stormy tides. In his arms, I found refuge...until he became my storm.He's breaking every part of me like the tide battering against the rocks. If I can't escape... I'll lose more than my heart and body--I'll lose my mind.Next time he won't catch me. I'll run to the moon if I need be. But something tells me I could never go far enough. He has me ENSLAVED. I was bored. Attending the same parties, seeing the same faces and even more familiar bodies dolled up in the latest fashions straight from the runway. But one night in Capri changed everything. She was perfect.UNTAINTED.My sweet little dove became a caged bird. I cruelly clipped her wings just as she started to fly. She's mine. Destined to soar only in my embrace. She's become my sweet little pet, and I'm her UNRELENTING MASTER. Together we are both ENSLAVED.Authors Note: This is the first book in a 3 part series. Each book ends with a mini-cliffhanger.

Merciless


Willow Winters - 2018
    Women like her are made to destroy men like me. I couldn’t resist her though. Given to me to start a war; I was too eager to accept. But I didn’t know what she’d do to me. That she would change everything. She sees through me in a way no one else ever has. Her innocence and vulnerability make me weak for her and I hate it.I know better than to give in to temptation.A ruthless man doesn’t let a soul close to him.A cold-hearted man doesn’t risk anything for anyone.A powerful man with a beautiful woman at his mercy… he doesn’t fall for her.

Owned


M. Never - 2014
    Please pay close attention to the use of the words dark, erotic, and romance. It has intense sexual situations, a Master/slave relationship, mild abuse, and some violence. Reader discretion is advised. "I like you collared, baby. I like you naked, I like you mine.” Ellie Stevens has lusted over Kayne Roberts since he first walked into the import/export company she works for a little over a year ago. As Expo’s most important client, Ellie has always kept a safe distance from the man with the majestic blue eyes — until temptation finally gets the better of her. Impulsively, Ellie invites Kayne to one of Expo's infamous company parties her flamboyant boss is notorious for throwing. Unbeknownst to Ellie, the god in the Armani suit isn’t just the suave entrepreneur he portrays himself to be. Underneath the professional exterior is a man with a secret life, dark desires, and nefarious contacts. In a hidden corner of a trendy New York City lounge, the spark kindling between the two of them ignites. Unable to resist the sinful attraction, Ellie agrees to leave with Kayne, believing she is finally bedding the man of her dreams. Little does she know when she walks out the door, she’s about to be Owned.

Unhinged


Onley James - 2021
    By day, he’s the spoiled youngest son of an eccentric billionaire. By night, he’s an unrepentant killer, one of seven psychopaths raised to right the wrongs of a justice system that keeps failing.Noah Holt has spent years dreaming of vengeance for the death of his father, but when faced with his killer, he learns a daunting truth he can’t escape. His father was a monster.Unable to ignore his own surfacing memories, Noah embarks on a quest to find the truth about his childhood with the help of an unlikely ally: the very person who murdered his father. Since their confrontation, Adam is obsessed with Noah, and he wants to help him uncover the answers he seeks, however dark they may be.The two share a mutual attraction, but deep down, Noah knows Adam’s not like other boys. Adam can’t love. He wasn’t born that way. But he refuses to let Noah go, and Noah’s not sure he wants him to.Can Adam prove to Noah that passion, power, and protection are just as good as love?

Crown of Thorns: A High School Bully Romance (Thornwood Prep Book 1)


E.M. Snow - 2021
    

Deadly Vows


Haley Stuart - 2018
    For Elise, it means something entirely different. Thrown into a marriage on her father’s orders, Elise isn’t prepared to be married to the man known as Luca Pasquino. Luca is the next capo in line to take over his father’s empire with an iron fist. He’s cruel, he’s evil, and he’s ready to destroy anything and anyone that gets in the way of his plans for complete control. Elise has no idea what is in store for her. All she knows is that she can try to survive her life for the rest of her days with Luca.

Find Me


Ashley N. Rostek - 2021
    My parents. My twin sister. All of them murdered by the man who has stalked me for years. He nearly killed me, too. But I got away and he’s still out there, searching for me. He won’t find me. At least, I hope not. Thanks to WITSEC, I’ve been given a new life with a new identity.The present…My uncle, my only living relative, has helped me glue myself back together and given me the tools I’ll need to survive. I’m not fixed and my grief is heavy, but I’m at a point where I can put one foot in front of the other to try to move on.I know my future will be hard and lonely. I must stay strong and focus on the good. I’m getting a second chance at life. I am safe. My new home is beautiful. The four brothers who live next door are even more so. Little do I know that Colt, Creed, Keelan, and Knox will soon become my everything. It’s as if my lonely heart screamed out for someone good to find me. Four answered back.***WARNING This is a reverse harem romance. Contains violence, graphic killing, foul language, and sexual content. Some parts may be triggering.***

The Bratva's Baby


Jane Henry - 2019
    My orders are simple.Capture her.Marry her.Take her inheritance.Get rid of her.The bookish little recluse is worth more than she knows.She's an unassuming librarian.I'm the brigadier of the Russian Bratva.She has no friends.I command a small army.She's a modest virgin.And now she's mine.

Shiver


Suzanne Wright - 2018
    Instead, she has a mother who lives in her head, a stepfather who’s on death row, and the stigma that comes with being the child of an extramarital affair. Writing has always been her escape. Knowing the reception her books receive will be tainted by her personal life, Kensey secretly writes under a penname when she’s not working part-time at her godmother’s bar. Her world might not be exciting, but she likes it exactly as it is. When she meets alarmingly compelling businessman Blake Mercier, the snap of attraction is instant. She doesn’t like it. Doesn’t want to be drawn to this man who is blatantly dangerous, carries dark secrets, and lives life by his own rules. Neither of them make a great first impression on the other, so she’s more than surprised when he begins to pursue her with a single-minded focus that is unsettling, thrilling, and infuriating. Her gut tells her to keep her distance, but Blake won’t let her run. Won’t give her space. There’s another person who won’t give her space. Someone who has discovered the secret of her penname and who seems intent on taunting her. And as Kensey struggles to identify her persecutor, Blake is by her side, determined to keep her safe … because Blake Mercier always holds tight to what’s his. Always.

Psychos


Sheridan Anne - 2021
    Levi. Marcus.Psychos—that's what they are.The DeAngelis Brothers.Men tremble at the sound of their names while women run, their lives flashing before their eyes. They’re the monsters under your bed, the boogeymen in your closet. Every living soul fears them. They’re relentless and they’re coming to play.They’re the sons of the most notorious mafia boss, the leader of the DeAngelis Family, and they’ve just set their twisted sights on me.They stalked me through my apartment, haunted my hallways, and crippled me with fear. They led me straight into their trap and captured me as though they had every right.Little did I know, these three psychos already owned me.I was gifted to them like a caged animal and that’s exactly how they intend to have me.I’m their prisoner. Their play toy. Their most exciting game.And unfortunately for me, death is my only way out.

Brutal Bully


Logan Fox - 2019
    A new town, a new school—perfect for easing a mind racked by tragedy.Then the invincible, untouchable monster who runs Lavish Prep sets his eyes on me.Handsome, intelligent, gifted Prince Briar should have been this school's most eligible bachelor...but no one is brave enough to find out if the disturbing rumors about him are true.Except me.Ever since I arrived, he's punished and humiliated me.I'm done letting him rip me apart.I'm earning myself a place in history by taking down the Dark Prince of Lavish Prep. All I need to do is expose his disturbing secret to the world.I'm brave enough to stand up to him, but am I strong enough to destroy him before he breaks me?Brutal Bully is a dark enemies-to-lovers new adult romance. This standalone dark high school bully romance novel is intended for mature readers only as it contains material that some may find triggering.

Ruthless People


J.J. McAvoy - 2014
    But behind closed doors is a constant battle for dominance between two Bosses, cultures, and hearts.Ruthless People is a romantic crime fiction set in modern day Chicago, following the life and marriage of Melody Nicci Giovanni and Liam Callahan—rivals by blood and leaders through fear. Their marriage was arranged by their fathers in hopes to end years of bloodshed between the Irish and the Italians.Liam, next in line to lead the Irish, believes he’s getting a simple-minded wife, one he can control, one who bends to his every need . . . the complete opposite of Melody. Bred to be a Boss, a world-class marksman, master of disguise, with no mercy and no fear. Twenty-four years later, she has achieved more than any man could even dream of, killing anyone who steps in her way. She knows exactly what type of man Liam is, and she would rather die than give up the power she has spent her whole life building. But with no other family left, she must not only learn to work with Liam, but the whole Callahan clan.The Mafia of the past is evolving, and with rival bosses gunning for them, Melody and Liam will have to figure out how to work as one to take down those who stand in their way, all while keeping up appearances.Power, Family, and Respect are everything.Warning: This book contains adult language and subject matter including graphic violence and explict sex that may be disturbing for some readers. This book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.