Book picks similar to
Tainted Crown by G.N. Wright
dark-romance
novellas
novella
dark
Lethal
Cassandra Robbins - 2019
He’s pure adrenaline and smells like smoke and leather—the kind of guy you look at and know he’s going to be a combination of nasty and irresistible. The moment I allowed myself to touch his hot skin and kiss his full lips, I. Was. Done. Like currency, I’ve become part of a transaction. Blade took me to pay off a debt. I try to tell myself, Eve, you should hate him. He’s a bad guy. But then again, I’m not a good girl. Blade’s the president of the Disciples, the notorious motorcycle club. I should be frightened, yet somehow, he doesn’t scare me. If anything, I think I scare him. It takes a lot of work to become the club’s Queen, but I’ll stop at nothing to have the King!
The Touch of a Villain
Holly Renee - 2021
Wealthy. Elite. Ruthless. The boys of Clermont Bay ruled over this town as if it was their kingdom. And Beck Clermont controlled them all. He was arrogant and conceited, and from the moment I met him, he had made up his mind about me. Dangerously handsome and wickedly cruel, he had no intention of letting me spend my senior year under the radar. The secrets of old money ran deep, and even though I barely knew them, the sins of my family had put a target on my back. He was a hurricane, and I was unprepared for the storm. His touch fatal. His impact irreparable. There was no negotiation. He stole my heart. Without warning, without permission. He was the enemy, but that didn’t stop me from falling for The Touch of a Villain.
Lotus
Jennifer Hartmann - 2021
While there are references, and it does feature a secondary character from Still Beating, this is a standalone novel.
Heat Haven
Sarah Blue - 2021
Emily: My heat is getting closer. With heat suppressants off the table and no pack to call my own in sight, Heat Haven seems to be my only option. Can I be vulnerable enough for Alphas I don’t know to help me in my time of need?Griffin: I want a pack and an Omega to cherish. The problem? I don’t like most people and I work too much. Where better to meet someone than a place where you contractually participate in a heat with strangers?Omega and Alpha pheromones ignite in this spicy novella. With a chance encounter and an upcoming heat, can Emily and Griffin find what they’re looking for in each other?*The Heat Haven Omegaverse will be a series of standalone novellas and novels. Book two will not be the same pack as book one.
Liar, Liar
T.L. Martin - 2020
So I ran—from them, from home, from everything.That’s when I found him. He became my savior before he even knew I existed.And then I was welcomed into the family.Now he sees me. I make sure of it.I notice the way he watches me when I slip from my bed and fall into someone else’s. See the heated flicker in his eyes when I peer up at him from behind red solo cups, wandering hands, and blaring music. Feel the burn in his touch when I stumble and he catches me—and he always catches me.But I’m no longer the same weak girl he discovered hiding behind his house all those years ago, and some demons simply can’t be set free. All the lies in the world can’t hide that.Even though the same blood doesn’t run through our veins, I know he can never be mine.I was never supposed to fall for him.We’re family now, and I’m going to be a good little sister.Liar, liar, liar.CONTENT WARNING: contains sex, profanity, and sensitive subject matter, including sexual abuse (such as rape) and taboo content.
A Not So Meet Cute
Meghan Quinn - 2021
And the answer is usually some bubbly, lovey dovey tale of being struck in the bum by Cupid’s arrow.My meet cute (well not so meet cute) is slightly different. I was trolling a wealthy neighborhood in Beverly Hills, searching for someone to take me as their bride, you know, to make my arch nemesis jealous who consequently just fired me.He was stomping around the block like some sort of gorgeous ogre, mumbling about a business deal gone wrong and attempting to finagle his way out of it.And that’s when we bumped into each other.There were no sparks.Not even a hint of blossoming love.But next thing I knew, I was scarfing down free chips and guac, listening to this man lay out all of his problems which led to his big ask . . . he wanted me to be his Vivian Ward, you know, from Pretty Woman--minus the frisky behavior.We’re talking about living in a mansion, intimate double dates, and pretending we were head over heels in love . . . and engaged. Can you imagine?The absolute audacity.But people do crazy things when they’re desperate. And I reeked of desperation. So, I struck up a deal.My one big mistake, though . . . big . . . HUGE? I accidentally fell for the incomparable Huxley Cane.
Saint
E.M. Snow - 2020
It is not recommended for readers under 17 as it contains dubious situations and triggers that some readers may find offensive. It is NOT a standalone and ends in a cliffhanger.
Aries
Gemma James - 2019
A virgin queen. One arranged marriage. The first time I met the boys of the Zodiac Brotherhood, I was forced to my knees for the introduction. Still grieving the death of my parents, I was a child queen, a pawn in my uncle’s agenda for wealth and gain. As my guardian, he had the authority to arrange a marriage upon my eighteenth birthday. That meeting took place six years ago. Now those boys are powerful men. Twelve virile men that want to own me. And I must spend a month with each one. Bending and yielding to their desires and commands. Shedding pieces of my innocence so long as my virtue remains intact. Because they want a virgin queen after the last month concludes, and my uncle plans to auction me off to the highest bidder. Out of the twelve men, only one has my heart. And only one can claim my hand in marriage. If only it were up to me to decide.
Part 1 of The Zodiac Queen.
The Reaper Incarnate
C.A. Rene - 2021
The Reaper is hot on your tail,What have you done?You’ve made it onto her list,Who did you hurt?The hunt is just the beginning,How far can you run?Your soul is hers to reap,Where can you hide?Watch out for her scythe,Why do you cry?The life of a vigilante is meant to be a lonely one,Roaming darkened streets and collecting secrets.Until the four of them forced their way into mine,Stirring up feelings I didn’t know I had.But if they try to fuck with my plans,My pretty knife will be through their throats and my bloody scythe on their foreheads.
Sex Material
Victoria Ashley - 2018
Sex Material… It’s what I’m known around town for. A rock-hard body, covered in tattoos with a sizeable bulge that women spend their nights fantasizing about. Women track me down, needing someone that will take them rough without holding back. They find me because they need a distraction from reality. They need something to get their mind off of the boyfriend who screwed them over or the job promotion they got passed over on at work. Sometimes it’s just because they need someone reckless in the bedroom before settling down with the right one. ‘Cause I’m not that guy. Nowhere close. I’m not the suit wearing, flower-buying guy you take home to meet the parents. I’m not the guy who will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Not anymore. I was boyfriend material once. Would’ve even made a good husband. Until one night changed everything. These women come to me because they need an escape to cope with the real world, but none of them know I need it more than them. I need something to make me feel alive. Something to get my heart beating again. Then Cami shows up in my hometown, broken-hearted and pissed off at the world, needing an escape from her cheating ex. She’s the only one that doesn’t want to use my body. In fact, she wants nothing to do with it and has no problems telling me so. She’s interested in one thing only from me—to move into my rental property. But the problem with that is the more we fight, the deeper she buries herself in my soul. Sex material is what I’m good at, but for the first time, it may not be enough.
All the Little Lies
S.J. Sylvis - 2020
The stone gargoyles sit at the school’s entrance, knowing just as much as anyone: I don’t belong. Once upon a time, I did. I belonged in the “it” crowd with all the other well-endowed kids, but now, I am no longer welcome. Not after five years away from this place. Not after the scandal that landed me on the wrong side of the tracks. I’d be lying if I said I’m not looking forward to seeing the one person who was always by my side. My old best friend. My safe place. Only, Christian isn’t the same boy I left behind. His cold, brooding, devastatingly attractive glare sends chills down my spine. My old best friend doesn’t welcome me with open arms, and I have no idea why. Lies continue to fall from our lips. Christian wants me gone. But I’m determined to stay.
Mafia Bride
C.D. Reiss - 2021
Some girls dream of marrying a prince, but I never imagined I’d be sold to a king. Santino DiLustro. The king. The monster. The keeper of secrets. When he forced me to marry him, I cried for love I’d never know.When he locked me away, I cried for the freedom I lost forever.Every other tear I’ve shed is for my soul, because I’m falling for the devil himself.
Shattered Vows
Shain Rose - 2022
I’m signing over my hand in marriage for six months to save my city. That’s it. It should be easy, except Sebastian Armanelli is my sordid one-night fling turned husband. And I’ve just found out he’s the head of the Italian Mob too. Bastian swears he’s set on reforming the mafia though. They’re accommodating when they used to be murderous. And he’ll be amicable instead of vicious. Plus, he agrees that it’s only six months in public. In the dark of a private night, we can do as we please. Yet, I know just how he tastes and where each one of his hidden tattoos are. I know Bastian shapeshifts as that gentleman mobster, but in the dark, he’s commanding, ruthless, unyielding.And possessive. He refuses to share what he’s claimed as his.And I’m realizing that includes me–His lawfully wedded wife.