Book picks similar to
Twisted by Esme Devlin


dark-romance
dark
romance
dystopian

Run


Eve Vaughn - 2014
    A man known and feared for his ruthlessness, his word was law. The last word he ever expected to hear was no. Until he met her.The Prey…Aya Smith despised the ruling class who looked down on hardworking people like her. Sick of being treated unfairly by laws that protect the wealthy and punish the poor, she takes a stand but soon realizes, she might have crossed the wrong man.The Game…Created as a government program to assist in the repopulation of the country when an untested drug wipes out millions of women, The Run eventually evolves into something much more sinister. Now played for the amusement of the super rich, women down on their luck find themselves the prizes of sadistic masters.Aya is forced to volunteer for The Run, and Dare, the most sadistic of all, places her in his crosshairs. She will belong to him, body and soul. But when he catches her will she succumb to his mastery, or will he find more trouble than he bargained for?

Warlord's Prize


Zenina Masters - 2012
    When the lottery destines her to be a bride of the Asku, she makes her displeasure known, even though her battle against a security unit has a predictable ending. Wounded and bleeding, she doesn't consider herself a prime candidate for a mate, but the wife of the Overlord, and mother of Warlord Drion, has other ideas. Enari has all the characteristics of a prime female and as soon as the Warlord Drion returns from battle, he will claim his prize.

Perfected


Kate Jarvik Birch - 2014
    Trained from birth to be graceful, demure, and above all, perfect, these “family companions” enter their masters’ homes prepared to live a life of idle luxury.Ella is happy with her new role as playmate for a congressman’s bubbly young daughter, but she doesn’t expect Penn, the congressman’s handsome and rebellious son. He’s the only person who sees beyond the perfect exterior to the girl within. Falling for him goes against every rule she knows… and the freedom she finds with him is intoxicating.But when Ella is kidnapped and thrust into the dark underworld lurking beneath her pampered life, she’s faced with an unthinkable choice. Because the only thing more dangerous than staying with Penn’s family is leaving… and if she’s unsuccessful, she’ll face a fate far worse than death.For fans of Kiera Cass’ Selection series and Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden series, Perfected is a chilling look at what it means to be human, and a stunning celebration of the power of love to set us free, wrapped in a glamorous—and dangerous—bow.

Claimed by the Alpha


Renee George - 2014
    It is not intended for readers under the age of 18. Anna Davis has accepted that her four-year battle with cancer is finally over. With only weeks to live, she makes peace with her life and makes arrangements for her death.Twenty years ago, Anna fell in love with Conor Evans at the wrong place and in the wrong time. She’d had to make the toughest decision she’d ever faced—and let him go. Now at the end of her life, he’s offering her a chance to finally follow her heart. He has invited her to the cull—a tradition of transformation from human into a lycanosapien by “bite and blood.”Anna has her reasons for refusing Conor, even if it means only living another month, but Conor refuses to give up on the only woman he’s ever loved—not without a fight. Anna has another tough choice—go back to her frail humanity or accept Conor’s invitation and…claim.

The Sweetest Oblivion


Danielle Lori - 2018
    . . Nicknamed Sweet Abelli for her docile nature, Elena smiles on cue and has a charming response for everything. She’s the favored daughter, the perfect mafia principessa . . . or was.Now, all she can see in the mirror’s reflection is blood staining her hands like crimson paint. They say first impressions are everything . . . In the murky waters of New York’s underworld, Elena’s sister is arranged to marry Nicolas Russo. A Made Man, a boss, a cheat—even measured against mafia standards. His reputation stretches far and wide and is darker than his black suits and ties. After his and Elena’s first encounter ends with an accidental glare on her part, she realizes he’s just as rude as he is handsome. She doesn’t like the man or anything he stands for, though that doesn’t stop her heart from pattering like rain against glass when he’s near, nor the shiver that ghosts down her spine at the sound of his voice.And he’s always near. Telling her what to do. Making her feel hotter than any future brother-in-law should. Elena may be the Sweet Abelli on the outside, but she’s beginning to learn she has a taste for the darkness, for rough hands, cigarettes, and whiskey-colored eyes. Having already escaped one scandal, however, she can hardly afford to be swept up in another.Besides, even if he were hers, everyone knows you don’t fall in love with a Made Man . . . right?This is a standalone forbidden romance.

Sinister Hunger


Katze Snow - 2018
    A life of lies. A future of sacrifice. Vincent Hudson is a vampire hunter, and his life is about to be ruined. When a hunting trip ends in tragedy, he is forced to do the unthinkable—seek refuge in Sanctuary Hope, where each family must nominate a member to the city council. But there is a catch. In exchange for refuge, the nominees are turned into bloodslaves for an elite chain of vampires, and unaware of the gut-wrenching reality, Vincent nominates himself. He only wanted to save his group. Now, a life of captivity and war await him. . .

The Shell Collector


Hugh Howey - 2014
    The sea is growing warmer and is gradually rising. Seashells have become so rare that collecting them is now a national obsession. Flawless specimens sell like priceless works of art. Families hunt the tideline in the dark of night with flashlights. Crowds gather on beaches at the lowest of tides, hoping to get lucky. Supreme among these collectors is Ness Wilde, CEO of Ocean Oil. Ness owns many of the best beaches, and he keeps them to himself. It's his fault the world turned out this way. And I aim to destroy him. My name is Maya Walsh. You might be familiar with my shelling column in the Times. I was working on a series of pieces about Mr. Wilde, when out of the blue, he called. He says he wants to talk. But I don't think he's going to like what I have to say.

Ferocious: A Dark Reverse Harem Sci-Fi Romance Novella


Nova Edwins - 2019
    I have no prior convictions, so I should be safe, right? Wrong. The judge has had a bad day and orders me to leave the mining station my family lives on. Next stop: Corudeen 7, the infamous outlaw prison planet. I've heard everyone there has gone insane. I've heard all men on the planet have turned feral. I've also heard those ferocious men haven't seen a woman in forever … An over-the-top dark reverse harem sci-fi romance novella with lots of heat and five possessive Viking hunks—equipped with fangs and a soft spot in their hearts.

Traces of Her


C.M. Radcliff - 2019
    I’ve lived in solitude in the depths of hell until the devil appeared, pulling me out of the darkness and shoving me into the arms of my new prison. But sometimes a prison becomes a home. And sometimes that home is within the heart of a man. I have a debt to pay and my brother’s collecting. He makes the messes and I deal with the aftermath. Only this time, he went too far and took something that wasn’t his and now it’s my problem. She’s a liability and the last thing I need. She’s an enigma and she’s everything I need. Our separate hells brought us together. Our personal inferno molded us into one. The devil reappeared and tore us apart. I will turn this world upside down until I find her.

The Pet Project


Amanda Milo - 2019
    Fascinating, actually. And when the rest of the universe realizes this, everybody wants to own one.Therefore, we need these new aliens to breed.It’s my job to assist the aliens in reproducing… by whatever means I deem necessary.**Note: this is a 20K Short Story Gothic Horror-ish/Science Fiction Romance. This is a deviation from my other stories, pretty absent of humor. Honestly, it’s a little messed up. This is not where you’ll find your Christmas cheer this year… unless you’re a little twisted too. Trigger warnings for those who could be triggered by triggerish material. 18+. Important word of advice: Do NOT read this story while swimming. Not because it has anything at all to do with water--it doesn’t--but because your e-reading device could be damaged. (You’re welcome.)

Scythe


Neal Shusterman - 2016
    Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

Indebted


J.L. Beck - 2014
    That all changed in a blink of an eye the moment Bree came home for break. She didn't expect to find her dad strapped to chair, a gun pointed at his head. Alzerro “Zerro” King wasn't a man to be messed with. Women flocked to him and men ran from him. He ruled the mafia with an iron fist and no one ever crossed him unless they wanted to pay the price. He believed the only way to pay for something, if unable to do so, was to do it in blood. Nothing got him harder than stringing someone up, and putting a bullet in their head. That is until Bree. One look is all it took for him to know she could pay for her father’s debt in many other ways… Ways that could get him hard. Could a big city mafia king fall in love with the small town country girl? Would she be able to handle his dark and demanding ways? When push comes to shove, would Bree end up running only to be killed? Or would she sacrifice herself for love?

Kings of Quarantine


Caroline Peckham - 2020
    Heartless. Quarantined.The ruthless boys of Everlake Prep never saw lockdown coming.But the virus isn’t their number one enemy.I am.And as if being confined to a boarding school for the elite wasn’t bad enough, now I’m stuck in isolation with the boys who hate me most too.Saint, Kyan and Blake. The Night Keepers. Or so they call themselves. They’ve embodied the Native American legend which lives in this valley, taking on the role of the monsters who lurk in the forest. And though they act like beasts, they may also bethe most tempting creatures I’ve ever seen.With the virus escalating and my dad’s name splashed through the news, my entire world is falling apart. What he did has cast a dark shadow over me. And the Night Keepers want to make me pay for his crimes.Then things went from bad to worse when I touched the sacred rock. A rock which supposedly holds a curse to bind me as the Night Keepers’ slave. And as crazy as it sounds, I decided to play along. Because there are things about me they don’t know. Things my dad has hidden from me for years. All I can be sure of is that I have to find a way to escape this school. But until then, those savage boys are making my life a living hell.As the virus sweeps through the country and the world twists into something ugly and unknown, the kings of this school become true monarchs. Even the teachers bow to them now. And I’m kinda glad about that ‘stay six feet away from one another’ rule, because without it, I know they’d rip me apart.At least there’s a silver lining. I’m cosying up to Coach Monroe. My hot as hell, brooding P.E. teacher who has a vendetta of his own against the Night Keepers. And with his help, I may succeed at doing more than escaping the clutches of these heartless fiends. I might even destroy them along the way.My father taught me how to be strong.How to prepare for the end of the world.So this isn’t going to be the end of my world, mark my words.But if I’m able to use my mind and body to bring these assholes to their knees, it might just be the end of theirs.This is a high school bully RH series with off the charts angst, dark themes and is not for the faint of heart. Prepare to enrol at Everlake Prep. Bring your hand sanitiser, face masks and toilet paper to barter with, but don’t expect to hold onto them for long. Because it’s time to go into quarantine with the Night Keepers. And everything you own now belongs to them.

Configured


Jenetta Penner - 2016
    Divided into three levels of intellect, Citizens focus solely on duty.Due to her advanced intelligence, seventeen-year-old Avlyn Lark is separated from her twin brother at birth and raised by adoptive parents. She gains privilege, the ideal future. He dies. Avlyn barely knows him yet remains linked to his memory.But following a string of rebel intrusions on the city, Avlyn receives a cryptic message and begins seeing visions of her dead twin. The mysterious radical who urges Avlyn to join their fight becomes her link to answers. Freedom.Opportunity awaits, but if she says yes will she lose it all?Configured is the first novel in a trilogy YA dystopian/light romance that poses the question: does humanity need love for survival? Fans of Divergent, Matched, and the Maze Runner will love this world of dark secrets, intrigue and desire for a better tomorrow.

Promise Me Darkness


Paige Weaver - 2013
    We couldn't exist without each other."For me, life was simple. I went to school and studied. I spent time with my friends and stayed out of trouble. I didn't drink or swear and I only dated gentlemen. I was the typical good girl with a bright future. My world seemed perfect. But that was about to change.Ryder Delaney was the one imperfection in my life. He was the bad boy, the black sheep, the one your mother always warned you about. He had only one hard-and-fast rule - Don't fall in love. But some rules were meant to be broken.We were best friends, inseparable since childhood despite our differences. I knew the real man hiding behind the tattoos and bad attitude. He knew all my secrets and dreams. But he didn't know there was one thing I wanted and couldn't have...him.But sometimes Fate has a way of intervening. Soon our world collapsed. War erupted. Darkness prevailed. Alone and on the run, our only goal was to survive and to ignore the feelings we had for each other. But love is powerful...and so is the darkness.word count: 100,285