Book picks similar to
Sins of a King by Emma Slate
mafia
romance
dark
dark-romance
Temptation
Ivy Smoak - 2015
At least, that’s how it appears to her classmates. But she has one illicit secret – she’s fallen hard for her professor. And she’s pretty sure he’s fallen for her too.Everyone loves Professor Hunter. He’s tall, dark, and handsome. And completely unobtainable. But it’s the secrets hiding behind his deep brown eyes that allures Penny. Secrets darker than she could ever imagine.James Hunter gave up his billionaire lifestyle in NYC last year to become a professor. The easiest new rule to follow: don’t fraternize with the students. It’s easy to follow because he’s become quite the recluse in his new town – the only way he knows how to keep his secrets buried.But he never expected to be teaching such a beautiful student. He has to resist her. He needs to walk away. Penny deserves better than a man with his demons. But she’s daring him to cross the line. And he’s never been one to resist temptation.
Surrender
Melody Anne - 2013
Arianna (Ari) Lynn Harlow has led a charmed life until tragedy strikes her family. He’s looking for a no-emotions attached mistress, she’s looking for redemption.They are not a pair that should ever work, but undeniable attraction and devastating tragedies bring them together in the city by the bay where he fights to keep their relationship nothing more than an enjoyable way to meet his needs, and she battles to not lose herself in him. Spending time with Ari starts cracking the hard shell that Rafe has built around his heart, but he denies the affect she has on him until it’s too late to stop the inevitable conclusion that their relationship is headed for.Rafe once believed in happily ever after, coming from a large Italian family. He’s got the Midas touch, since every endeavor he tries turns to gold. That all ends when his wife walks out the door and leaves him blindsided. His devastation quickly turns to steel when he decides no woman will fool him again. From that point on he treats relationships as nothing more than business transactions where both party’s come out mutually benefited.Just when Ari has sunk to the lowest she’s ever been she finds an ad in the paper announcing a job that’s too good to be true. It turns out she’s right. She makes it through the intense rounds of interviews only to find out the job is for a mistress to the powerful Rafe Palazzo, owner of Palazzo Enterprises. Rafe gives her a day to think about whether she wants the position or not, and she’s sent on her way, only to find out her mother’s near-terminal position has taken a turn for the worse. Her mom’s only in the hospital because Ari messed up, and her mother’s the one who paid the price. Is Rafe her savior, or will he take her with him straight to the depths of hell?
These Monstrous Ties
K.V. Rose - 2019
He was Lucifer.Halloween night, one year ago, I sold my soul to the devil. Complete with a blood rite and everything. I had less than nothing. He promised me the world. And then he disappeared, taking my heart with him. But now, he’s the one with everything to lose. A family. A name. A reputation. I’ve still got nothing, but I’m clawing my way to the top, one body at a time. This Halloween, things are going to be different. This Halloween, ‘Lilith’ is coming to take what’s hers. Book 1 of the Unsainted series. Dark romance, only suitable for those 18+.
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.
Twisted Love
Ana Huang - 2021
Alex Volkov is a devil blessed with the face of an angel and cursed with a past he can’t escape. Driven by a tragedy that has haunted him for most of his life, his ruthless pursuits for success and vengeance leave little room for matters of the heart. But when he’s forced to look after his best friend’s sister, he starts to feel something in his chest:A crack.A melt.A fire that could end his world as he knew it.***Ava Chen is a free spirit trapped by nightmares of a childhood she can’t remember.But despite her broken past, she’s never stopped seeing the beauty in the world…including the heart beneath the icy exterior of a man she shouldn’t want. Her brother’s best friend. Her neighbor.Her savior and her downfall.Theirs is a love that was never supposed to happen—but when it does, it unleashes secrets that could destroy them both…and everything they hold dear.
Twisted Love is a brother’s best friend/opposites attract romance with a hint of suspense. It's book one in the Twisted series but can be read as a standalone.WARNING: This book contains a possessive, morally gray alphahole; explicit sexual content, and profanity. No cheating or menage, but if you're looking for a traditionally sweet, loveable hero, this is not the book for you. Recommended for 18+.
First Comes Blood
Lilith Vincent - 2021
A virgin mafia princess to unite them. But first, there will be blood.On my seventeenth birthday, I learn a terrible secret about my family. My future is in the hands of four brutal men, and what awaits me at their hands is too terrible to imagine. Four men who desire me. Four men who vow to possess me. Four men who think they can destroy me.As the only daughter of Coldlake’s mayor, I should be kept far, far out of their reach. Instead, I’m being thrown to them as a sacrifice. My father insists only one of them can marry me, but all of them vow to secure my promise. A promise in blood. They take. I bleed. Happy birthday to me. AUTHOR'S NOTE: First Comes Blood is the first book in the Promised in Blood series and ends on a cliffhanger. These books contain dark themes, violence, and a Why Choose romance with ruthlessly possessive men. The story is dark, dirty and delicious so please read at your discretion.
The Fixer
Jessica Gadziala - 2017
Like santa. An honest politician. And gut instincts. That was, of course, until I woke up with one.And I knew.This was the day I was going to die. The cops, thus far, have proven useless and uninterested in my issues. When you couldn’t get help from legal channels, what other choice did you have but to look elsewhere?That was how I came across Quinton Baird. A “fixer.” Whatever the hell that was.All I knew was, I had a problem that needed fixing.Hopefully, before it killed me.QUIN-There were a few things I could put my faith to rest in. My team. People f*cking up, and needing my help. And my gut. So when my receptionist informed me that the woman in a case I decided wasn’t my kind of job was having a ‘gut feeling’ about being in desperate need of help, yeah, I dragged my a** across town to check things out.Not only did I not bank on the fact that she was in trouble beyond what I could have anticipated, but she was not what I was expecting either. Beautiful, resilient, and one hell of a distraction I didn’t need.As the pieces of her case start falling together, I was left wondering if maybe this new, unfamiliar sensation in my gut was telling me that Aven was much more than just another name on a case file…
Lying and Kissing
Helena Newbury - 2015
Yesterday, I was just a CIA languages geek, safe behind a desk. I thought I wanted a taste of the action.Then I met him.Luka. Arms dealer. Russian mafia. A man who'll kill to get what he wants. And he wants me.Now I'm on a plane to Moscow with orders to "accidentally" run into him again. Seduce him. Sleep with him.I can’t control myself when I’m near him. And if he finds out who I really am, I'm dead. 18+ due to steamy scenes. Trigger advisory inside book.
The Rise of Saint
Bella J. - 2020
Monster. Thief.That’s what he is. The one who stole me. The man who ripped me from a life I thought was mine. There was no negotiating. No choice to be made. And no. Way. Out.He says my whole life has been a lie. I believe him.He says he’s addicted to my tears. I believe him.He says once I give him what he wants, he’ll let me go…I don’t believe him.~ Saint ~Orphan. Fighter. Secret.That’s what she is. The woman I took. The woman they tried to hide from me but failed.Now she’s exactly where she’s meant to be. At my side. And at my mercy. The blood that runs through her veins makes me her king. But to me she’s nothing but a means to an end. A way for me to feed my vengeance.Once she gives me what I want I’ll let her go back to her miserable, mundane life. But for now, she’s mine to play with…until she breaks.
Chasing Love
Kat T. Masen - 2020
So when the ever-so-perfect Julian Baker proposes marriage, I'm ready to forget the past and move on with my new love.In a cruel twist of fate, my past and future collide. I'm forced to face the man who destroyed my heart back in high school.Lex Edwards, turned billionaire tycoon, is ruthless, cunning, and will not stop until I'm his.A complicated love triangle was never something I imagined when Julian proposed to me. Especially not involving Lex.Hearts and egos are bound to be broken.But whose heart will capture mine when the darkness fades? **This title was previously published as Into the Darkness. It has been extensively rewritten, re-edited, and has a steamy new cover**
Last Hit
Jessica Clare - 2013
For years I savored the fear caused by my name, the trembling at the sight of my tattoos. The stars on my knees, the marks on my fingers, the dagger in my neck, all bespoke of danger. If you saw my eyes, it was the last vision you’d have. I have ever been the hunter, never the prey. With her, I am the mark and I am ready to lie down and let her capture me. Opening my small scarred heart to her brings out my enemies. I will carry out one last hit, but if they hurt her, I will bring the world down around their ears.
Daisy
I've been sheltered from the outside world all my life. Home-schooled and farm-raised, I’m so naive that my best friend calls me Pollyanna. I like to believe the best in people. Nikolai is part of this new life, and he’s terrifying to me. Not because his eyes are cold or my friend warns me away from him, but because he’s the only man that has ever seen the real me beneath the awkwardness. With him, my heart is at risk... and also, my life.
Flock
Kate Stewart - 2020
I gave into temptation and fed the beating beast, which grew thirstier with every slash, every strike, every blow.Triple Falls wasn’t at all what it seemed, nor were the men that swept me under their wing. But in order to keep them, I had to be in on their secrets.Secrets that cost us everything to keep.That’s the novelty of fiction versus reality. You can’t re-live your own love story, because by the time you’ve realized you’re living it, it’s over. At least that was the case for me and the men I trusted my foolish heart to.Looking back, I’m convinced I willed my story into existence due to my illness.And all were punished.
Ghost
Daphne Loveling - 2017
Silent and in the shadows, I don't make my move until I am absolutely sure of everything.Four years ago I was sure about Jenna. My best friend's kid sister had grown up into a spitfire I couldn't resist. One night we stopped resisting...We promised we'd keep it a secret. It was a one-time mistake, but we'd put it behind us. Jenna left but I kept my word. Jenna tried to get out of our corrupt town, but it pulled her back in again. Now she needs help. She needs protection. I'll do all of that for her, if she'll just shut the hell up and let me. She can even keep all of her secrets, except for one...JENNAThe Lords of Carnage MC has haunted me from the moment I was born. No matter how much I try to get away, they are there -- waiting to pull me back into the life that stole my father, my mother and then my brother from me. The ghosts of my past keep rising from the dead. Now the past is stirring again and all I want to do is run away. I'm back in the world I fled, and the secrets and lies of my whole family are about to be laid bare. But it's not just me anymore. I've got my little boy to look out for, too. I’m his only family. And his father has no idea he exists. I swore I would never go back to the MC. I swore I would never make the same mistakes again. But making mistakes with Casper Watkins is too hard to resist…
Knox: Volume 1
Cassia Leo - 2014
Rebecca thought she left the crime family and the painful memories behind when she went into law enforcement. She never expected to be abducted by a sexy stranger. But when this stranger makes Rebecca an offer too tempting to refuse, she finds herself dragged into one of the most ruthless vendettas of the century.Knox Savage is the searingly sexy CEO of Knox Security and a notorious playboy. What most don't know about Knox is that he loves helping high-profile criminals escape justice. He makes no judgments about guilt or innocence. And he doesn't do it for sentimental reasons. But he's about to take on a case that's going to get very personal.WARNING: Due to strong language, violence, and sexual content, this series is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
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.