Book picks similar to
Hard Truths by Rebecca Royce
reverse-harem
rh
dark
contemporary
Sunshine and Bullets
Coralee June - 2018
It’s a nickname I haven’t heard since I lived on Woodbury Lane, where the houses were pretty but the secrets? Deadly. It was a pet name known only to the Bullets. Rough, violent, and ruthless, they laid claim to the town — and my heart. I wasn't supposed to fall for a boy from the wrong side of the tracks—especially not four of them. But they were the only ones who understood that sometimes hell hides in plain sight. I was the girl with all the conveniences a privileged upbringing could provide. The world only saw two loving parents and a pristine home life, but I knew the truth. And it was going to get me killed. So, I disappeared, from everyone and everything I’d ever known. I changed my name and my appearance, but the scars I carry, they’re still the same. The Bullets are all grown up now, too — a crime boss, a pro fighter, a bounty hunter, and a federal agent. Life took them in different directions, but they once shared the bonds of a brotherhood forged under the harshest conditions. Together they were fearless. Brutal. Unstoppable. I'm praying they can find that unity again. If I'm going to survive this, it'll take everything they have. Because that's the thing about running from the past. Eventually, it catches up to you.
Resurrection
Siobhan Davis - 2020
The night I met Saint, Galen, Caz, and Theo. Those manipulative a-holes set out to ruin me after our hot night together, but they didn’t realize you can’t destroy something that’s already broken. And it only works if the victim cares. Which I don’t. Because I’ve been in hell for years, and nothing penetrates the steel walls I’ve erected.Until The Sainthood decides I belong to them and cracks appear in my veneer. Their cruel games, harsh words, and rough touch awakens something inside me, and now, I’m in trouble.They draw me deeper into their dangerous world, until I’m in the middle of all the violence and gang warfare, tangled up in all the secrets and lies, and there’s no turning back.Because they own me. And nothing has ever felt so right.I’m exactly where I should be.But with enemies on all sides, survival becomes a deadly game with no guarantees.And, sometimes, saints become sinners.Due to mature content, this book is recommended to readers aged eighteen and over. This is a full-length reverse harem dark romance novel with enemies-to-lovers/bullying themes. Cannot be read as a standalone and ends with a cliffhanger. Book 1 of 3.
Steps
Bea Paige - 2018
Dropped by the Royal Ballet, I return home to my empty house in Cornwall with nothing but ghosts, and memories of a past I am desperate to forget. It takes months of depression before I pull myself out of the bleakness and attempt to start living again. With a new job as an assistant to the wealthy but elusive Sachov family, I find myself caught up in a tangled web of desire, pain and sexual awakening that will either destroy me entirely or bring me back to life. My name is Rose, and I am their muse. ***Warning: This is a dark story that contains suicide, self-harm and other topics that may be triggering. Read at your own discretion.***
7th Circle
Tate James - 2021
The streets outside the Wolves HQ ran red with the blood of the old guard, and not one of those members loyal to my father were spared mercy. Not a single one. I let the media twist and distort the story. My new recruits eagerly proved themselves in spreading false news, in covering our tracks. To the general public, the Tri-State Timberwolves were extinct. But that couldn’t have been further from the truth. We changed, we grew, we evolved and came out stronger than ever. Now, I live, eat, sleep and breathe Timberwolves. I’ll do anything to keep my empire safe and thriving. To keep the people depending on me safe. So, what do I do, when it’s my own weakness that places us all in danger? When I let sex cloud my judgment, and my people pay the price? Simple. Kill the distractions. I’m called Hades for a reason, after all.
Diver's Heart
K.A. Knight - 2021
All it took was one summer to fall in love with him...but I fell hard, too hard, and not just for him...A series of bad choices and actions causes me to leave him and our family behind. I have to find myself once again, and to do that I must dive deep.At twenty-four, I'm a world-class diver and explorer, one of the best. But when my newest job collides with my past, will we be able to work together, especially with the stakes so high?Down below, things can easily go wrong, and when they do, we only have two options—work together to survive, or fall apart and die.Down we go, right into the abyss.
Handfuls of Shattered Pieces
Kerry Taylor - 2020
With no memory of how, she has now escaped and finds herself running for her life, fleeing eight years of darkness, pain and silence, suddenly terrified by every sound and movement around her. Rescued by police, she finds the life she left behind long gone. Instead, surrounded by a world she now has very little knowledge or experience of, she is lost, scared and alone, drowning in a sea of harrowing flashbacks and soul destroying nightmares. Just when her terrifying memories threaten to pull her under for good, a light appears, in the shape of Dr Xander King. He has been where she is, scared and alone and he wants to do all he can to help her, including bringing her into the amazing family that, years earlier, had rescued him. In a home she does not know or want, Olivia finds a family she didn't realise she needed, and four men who will forever change her life. They do all they can to show her the way out of the terrifying darkness and into the light, and to help her discover who she is now that she is free. Kade, Kyle, Cole and Matt all have dark pasts of their own, which they still fight every day to survive, but they are determined to show Olivia that together, they can all find a way to repair their shattered pieces and find some happiness. But with the kidnapper's whereabouts unknown, and a serial killer lose on the streets of Chicago, keeping Olivia safe is their first priority. This proves harder than they ever thought, when it becomes obvious Olivia is the key to stopping a series of brutal murders. Now they must do all they can to protect the woman they are all falling fast for, from the evils of this world.This is a reverse harem story with one woman and four loving, protective men. It is the first book in the Pieces of Us series.
There Are No Saints
Sophie Lark - 2021
Until the night we both laid eyes on Mara Eldritch.Shaw wants to use her as a pawn in his twisted game.I’m fixated on her for a different reason…She makes me feel things I never thought I could feel. Want things I never wanted.Only she can make me lose control.I don’t know if I should protect her at all costs… or destroy her before she ruins me.Mara knows I’m no saint. But she has no idea she’s dancing with the devil…
The Lark Notes:
I have always been fascinated by true crime, as well as by villains and anti-heroes. A serial killer is, of course, the ultimate anti-hero — the baddest of the bad boys. Redeeming a character who starts so evil was a challenge that inspired me to entirely new heights and entirely new depths. Come on this darkly sensual and utterly brain-bending ride with me! — Sophie"There Are No Saints” is the first book in the Sinners Duet. Reader be warned: this is a dark and steamy serial killer romance that will take you on a journey through the twisted mind of an artist on the brink of madness.
Reviving Kendall
Brandy Slaven - 2018
I'm used to the stares, name calling, and disrespect. A tragic accident that leaves me short three of the only people I've ever loved, has me devastated enough to try to end my own life. Just when I think there's no hope, I find a reason to live again, or four of them as a matter of fact. Lucas, Maverick, Teagan, and Goose. But what happens when those bonds are tested? I'm not so sure that I'm strong enough to take yet another blow to the heart. My name is Kendall Davis and what if my story doesn't have a happy ending?
*This is the first book in a Contemporary Reverse Harem Trilogy.
*Recommended 17+ due to mature language and situations.
From the Author
Excerpt:
The rain steadily falls around us as we stand under the little canopy area. His hand is still at my elbow and I want nothing more than to lean into him. My eyes fall to my bus as it pulls away from the curb. Tears pool in my eyes and streak down my face at the thought of my now miserable walk home. Lucas uses his other hand to pull my chin up to face him. His eyes roam over my face like he’s trying to figure out how to fix the white trash ruin that I am, but he has no idea just how impossible that would be. People are staring, and I couldn’t give two shits as Lucas locks eyes with me. His flicks down to my lips and back up again.
Rival
A.J. Macey - 2019
You might know me as The Cat, famous cat burglar/thief. No? Well, let me give you a little insight into my life as of late. I was going about, minding my own damn business when the mob boss who runs most of the Reno underground sent an assassin after me. Crazy, yeah? Anyway, six months later the previously mentioned assassin is now my partner in crime when we get a job from the local motorcycle club, The Aces. All good and dandy, right? Wrong. They’re 1%ers, all three officers unbelievably attractive. Oh, yeah, the Vice President of the MC? That’s my asshole step-brother and let’s not even get started on the club’s suspicious Enforcer or the President who’s dripping in sexual swagger. With four sexy as f*ck men at my back, can I get the job done or will our explosive personalities cause us to be at each other’s throats? Oh, damn! Almost forgot in the thought of all the ruggedly attractive men, muscles, and tattoos that the rival MC, The Alloy Kings, are moving in and seem intent to take me down with the Aces. F*cking bastards. But I’m not the thief who became famous at 15 years old and survived the mob’s hell in my past just to lay down and take that, they won’t know what hit them. I’m The Cat, and soon enough, they’ll learn that I’ve got claws. The Aces Series is a WhyChoose/Reverse Harem trilogy featuring MFMMM meaning the female main character doesn't have to choose between her love interests. This book contains references involving PTSD, sexual assault recollections, abuse, and other themes that some readers may find triggering.
Angel
K.M. Raya - 2020
They call themselves The Brotherhood. Carter, Holden, Captain and Ellis rule the school like gods while their fathers rule the city. But Angel Valentino has never been one to take orders blindly. After her father, one of the most feared and infamous mobsters on the East Coast sends her to Seaside California, Angel finds herself entangled in a web of love, lies, death and darkness.Being in the Brotherhood comes with a heavy price and an unshakable legacy that spans generations. They don't like this baffling new girl who threatens to turn their world inside out. She might just be the most beautiful, most darkly alluring girl any of them have ever laid eyes on, with a heart of steel and intellect well beyond her years, but Angel has secrets too... and in their world, secrets get you killed.Disclaimer: This is a why choose, RH title in which one woman has multiple love interests and does not have to choose. 18+ due to graphic sexual and violent situations and strong language. Be advised that this book contains situations that can be possibly triggering for some readers. This is a strongly worded novel filled with bullying, Mafia violence, questionable morals and a love that's so dark and twisted, you might want to read it while you're home alone.
All Hail
J. Bree - 2020
I’ve always known what I wanted but now I’m not so sure.But the criminal underworld of Mounts Bay never sleeps and with new players on the board there’s all new threats and the stakes have never been higher.But one thing is for sure.I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees.
The Cardinal Bird
Mia Smantz - 2019
She was made fun of for being a math-whiz in school up until she was kidnapped. Growing up in the crime world from a young age, she was turned into a language savant and a hacker-expert. She tried to do what she was told and keep her head down...but...that was easier said than done. Trouble seems to follow her like it's her middle name. Eventually, things come to a head that puts her in the sights of a secret government organization. She finally has some allies in the form of several muscular, irresistibly handsome and talented guys. Callie wonders if she'll be able to find peace at last, but the struggles only keep piling up as she is shuffled around, wondering when or even if she will ever find somewhere she feels like is safe. People who she thought were safe might not be. And not only that, but her kidnapper is not willing to give her up without a fight, and he shows her all too well that he will go to some very dangerous lengths to get her back.
Shadowed Heart
Candace Wondrak - 2021
Payback. Chaos. If you’re looking for a story about unicorns and rainbows, this ain’t it. Now, if you’re in the mood for something a little psychotic and a whole lot crazy, then you’re in the right place. I’m Lola Harding. My parents used to call me their angel, but they’re dead now. For the last few years, I’ve made a name for myself—the Night Slayer. I stalk the clubs and make sure anyone with greedy hands and stupid ideas is permanently taken off the streets. One night I happen to kill the son of a crime lord, and then everything changes. They’re going to kill me, I know, but until they do, I’m to be their pet, wear their leash, and do whatever they say. The Lucianos are a family full of psychos and hatred… and I just might fit in better than I ever did anywhere else. And as a bonus? The other sons are the handsome and dangerous type, and even though they despise me for what I did to their brother, even though there might not be any light left for me at the end of this tunnel… I plan to enjoy the ride. Buckle up, b*tches, because it’s about to get wild. **Shadowed Heart is the first in a planned trilogy. It is an RH/Why Choose series, meaning there are multiple love interests, steamy scenes, and some things you might find triggering: violence, mentions of abuse, etc.**
Enthralled
Giana Darling - 2019
I know most people say that about something joyous; a graduation, a wedding ceremony, the birth of their first child. My situation was a little different. Sure, it was my eighteenth birthday, but it was also the day that I was sold. Sold to a man with hair like a crown of gold and eyes blacker than the darkest pits of Hell. He bought me to own me, to control me, and to use me as a means to an end. I was his tool and his weapon. And through it all, somehow, I also became his salvation.
The Death Club
Caroline Peckham - 2021
Carnage. Killing.The three Cs that make my life complete.I know killing technically doesn’t start with a C – but wouldn’t life be better if it did? Just like it would be better if the Devil was my boyfriend, Santa wasn’t a d*ck and I didn’t live under a bridge.I wished for my life to improve, but it didn’t. I was kidnapped, sold, sold again, stuck in a death game, sold AGAIN and now I’m living in a serial killer’s basement.Oh and there’s another dude down here who lives in a cage and doesn’t talk. I call him Dead Man on account of his soulless eyes. He either wants to kiss me or choke me out. I can’t decide which I want most.Anyways, my hot, tattooed, muscular insane Irish captor thinks I might make a good hit woman once he trains me up. Which is a freaking insult by the way as I’m already the best killer in town. Ask anyone. Except the cops. Don’t ask them or they’ll send me back to that creepy asylum where they gave me the crazy pills. But shh, that’s a secret. Want to know another one? I quite like it here. Every day is anarchy and that’s my favourite flavour.So I think I’m gonna join The Death Club and let my freak flag fly.This is a brand new dark menage series set in the same world as the Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep series with character crossover. Each series can be read independent of each other and the lead female character will end up with more than one love interest.