Book picks similar to
V is for Villainous by Danielle Allen


danielle-allen
romance
chose-the-wrong-man
dark

A Viking's Lost Soul


T.M. Grinsley - 2018
    Kill. Erase. That is what I have been trained to do since before I could walk. Fight anyone who steps out of bounds, kill our enemies who threaten all we built, and erase them from the face of the earth. I was addicted to the kill- until she walked into my life. Her eyes have haunted my dreams since the moment I saw her. She is the one I need- the one who keeps the killer in me at bay. Stephanie No one can prepare you for the day when your parent passes away. Five years we battled cancer- and he was all that I had left. Every Wednesday night we would watch the History Channel and see what new discoveries were found all over the world. But now that was over. It’s just me, my cat, and the endless amounts of ice cream stashed in my freezer. Until, that is, I received a letter from a distant relative saying I needed to come back home. Without a second thought, I packed my belongings and left without ever looking back. What I didn’t expect was the six foot six god to barge into my life and shatter everything I knew... *Not suitable for anyone under the age of eighteen *Graphic Language *Strong Sexual Content *Dual POV

Snow: A Love Story Birthed In The Streets


Jessica N. Watkins - 2019
     Azu Wilson gave his oldest daughter the name Snow because she was born amongst his snowfall on the city of Gary, Indiana in 2001. Then, Azu had just began to drop tons kilos of coke on the city, starting the birth of his empire. Fast forward eighteen years later, Snow is Azu's favorite girl and only daughter. She has been doted on by her father. Now, she is off to college with her best friends, Tristan and Bae. They hope that their move out of the violent streets of Chicago to Tallahassee will bring positive change to the brutally savage lives they have lived. However, "wherever arms flow, violence follows". Amongst the excitement of Freshmen year, college parties, and pledging, Snow is forced to return to Chicago in order to rescue her family from sudden hardship and misery. Unbeknownst to her, she receives the help that she needs from one of Azu's most trusted crew members, Zo. Zo encourages her to make the biggest move of her life, as he falls violently for the brown-skinned beauty. Snow isn't interested, however. Her focus is on her family. Yet, having been raised by a hustla, wouldn't she be moved to fall in love with one?

Before the Storm


Diane Chamberlain - 2007
    But his mother sees a boy with a heart as open and wide as the ocean.Laurel Lockwood lost her son once through neglect. She's spent the rest of her life determined to make up for her mistakes, and she's succeeded in becoming a committed, protective parent—maybe even overprotective. Still, she loosens her grip just enough to let Andy attend a local church social—a decision that terrifies her when the church is consumed by fire. But Andy survives…and remarkably, saves other children from the flames. Laurel watches as Andy basks in the role of unlikely hero and the world finally sees her Andy, the sweet boy she knows as well as her own heart. But when the suspicion of arson is cast upon Andy, Laurel must ask herself how well she really knows her son…and how far she'll go to keep her promise to protect him forever.

About That Night


Scribble XO Books - 2016
    With his son's testimony tomorrow that's exactly what I expect will happen. What I'm not expecting is the stranger I met in the garden last night. He was everything I've ever wanted. But why did he disappear so suddenly? Shane Sure, I knew exactly what I was doing in that garden and I've always known I wanted her… When I agreed to testify against my father I knew that this would be a chance for me to finally get one night with her. I wonder what she'll think whens he finds out what I have in mind? ______ HIS LOVE Camilla I’ve heard the phrase “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” more times than I can count. But in his absence, I tried to move on. I’ve come to terms with my secrets. I've come to terms with my past. But coming face to face with Colin McShannon and those piercing blue eyes…it all came tumbling back…Is he sorry that he let me go? Would he still be if he knew my secret? Colin Camilla was the only girl I ever loved. When we were sixteen, our breakup shattered my world. I was so bitter I couldn't show her I cared. I threw myself into the only world I knew, one dominated by the sins of my father. My life was filled with money, crime and more women than I could count. I had no attachments, no responsibilities…and sadly, no future. When I see her tonight I'll make sure she knows I'm still hers - body and soul. ______ HIS PASSION Kiara The last thing my son and I needed were distractions. Patrick McShannon seems like everything a woman could ever want. He’s gorgeous and kind and rich…and my son adores him. But even with all of that going for him he has one thing going against him that I can’t ignore…he’s a man, and in my world, men mean trouble. As much as I want him I what if my ex finds out? Patrick I’m the oldest son of Braden McShannon, Boston’s most notorious crime boss. My father’s business has done its best to tear my family apart. I’ve had to be the strong one. I’ve had to be the one that held us all together. Now my father’s in jail and my brothers have met the women they want to spend their lives with and it’s finally my turn. When I met Kiara I knew almost instantly that she was the woman I’d been waiting for. But the past keeps on catching up - for both of us. ....and TWO more interracial bestsellers included! This collection is sure to keep you up at night! They are standalone stories. No cliffhangers. BONUS GIFT INSIDE! Intended for mature readers only.

The Cellar


Natasha Preston - 2014
    No family or police investigation can track her down. Spending months inside the cellar of her kidnapper with several other girls, Summer learns of Colin’s abusive past, and his thoughts of his victims being his family…his perfect, pure flowers. But flowers can’t survive long cut off from the sun, and time is running out….

Gone Girl


Gillian Flynn - 2012
    Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn.Source: gillian-flynn.com

Ignite the Flame


Susan Griscom - 2011
    Plagued with nightmares of her father's sudden and brutal death, Addie struggles with her anguish and refuses to believe that his demise was accidental. But that's not the only thing Addie struggles with. Caught up in the horrors of her latest nightmare while driving to work one day, she's startled beyond comprehension when she almost runs down a man standing in the middle of the road. A gorgeous, stunning man she can't seem to take her mind or her eyes off of. All of a sudden, the impossible seems possible, and it's not clear whether that's a blessing or a curse.Cael Sheridan may be arrogant and mysterious, but he's also undeniably gorgeous. A member of a secret society, he is sworn to protect the woman he believes to be the daughter of his recently murdered mentor. In the process, he finds it impossible to resist her magnetic sensuality, complicating his efforts to shield and guide her as she learns to manage her newly acquired skills. He's faced with the tough decision of whether to let her in or sabotage their new relationship in order to keep her safe as well as his own heart.Fate has brought them together, but will it make them stronger or destroy them in the end?A supernatural, urban fantasy sure to get your blood running hot, Ignite the Flame is the first book in the Sectorium series set in a sleepy coastal town along the Oregon Coast. Previously published as Whisper Cape and has been re-titled an enhanced for a more enjoyable read.

30 Days


K. Larsen - 2013
    Dealing with the loss of her only sister. A suicide attempt that doesn’t end in death and a husband who wants her inheritance. Elle’s life is a catastrophe. But she has a list and thirty things she’s determined to accomplish. Love isn't on that list but it comes crashing unexpectedly into her life. Boxing coach and personal trainer at the gym he co-owns, Colin’s content with his life. Until a chance meeting with a woman eating alone at a restaurant sets his heart in motion. As secrets unveil themselves his only goal becomes holding on to what he’s found.

The Wicker King


K. Ancrum - 2017
    Jack’s vivid and long-term visions take the form of an elaborate fantasy world layered over our own—a world ruled by the Wicker King. As Jack leads them on a quest to fulfill a dark prophecy in this alternate world, even August begins to question what is real or not. August and Jack struggle to keep afloat as they teeter between fantasy and their own emotions. In the end, each must choose his own truth.

White Ivy


Susie Yang - 2020
    Raised outside of Boston, she is taught how to pilfer items from yard sales and second-hand shops by her immigrant grandmother. Thieving allows Ivy to accumulate the trappings of a suburban teen—and, most importantly, to attract the attention of Gideon Speyer, the golden boy of a wealthy political family. But when Ivy’s mother discovers her trespasses, punishment is swift and Ivy is sent to China, where her dream instantly evaporates.Years later, Ivy has grown into a poised yet restless young woman, haunted by her conflicting feelings about her upbringing and her family. Back in Boston, when she bumps into Sylvia Speyer, Gideon’s sister, a reconnection with Gideon seems not only inevitable—it feels like fate.Slowly, Ivy sinks her claws into Gideon and the entire Speyer clan by attending fancy dinners and weekend getaways to the Cape. But just as Ivy is about to have everything she’s ever wanted, a ghost from her past resurfaces, threatening the nearly perfect life she’s worked so hard to build.Filled with surprising twists and offering sharp insights into the immigrant experience, White Ivy is both a love triangle and a coming-of-age story, as well as a glimpse into the dark side of a woman who yearns for success at any cost.A dazzling debut novel about a young woman’s dark obsession with her privileged classmate and the lengths she’ll go to win his love

Come with Me


Ronald Malfi - 2021
    Haunted by her absence--and her ghost--Aaron goes through her belongings, where he finds a receipt for a motel room in another part of the country. Piloted by grief and an increasing sense of curiosity, Aaron embarks on a journey to discover what Allison had been doing in the weeks prior to her death.Yet Aaron is unprepared to discover the dark secrets Allison kept, the death and horror that make up the tapestry of her hidden life. And with each dark secret revealed, Aaron becomes more and more consumed by his obsession to learn the terrifying truth about the woman who had been his wife, even if it puts his own life at risk.

The Raven


Sylvain Reynard - 2015
    But an innocent walk home after an evening with friends changes her life forever. When she intervenes in the senseless beating of a homeless man, his attackers turn on her, dragging her into an alley. Raven is only semi-conscious when their assault is interrupted by a cacophony of growls followed by her attacker’s screams. Mercifully, she blacks out, but not before catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure who whispers to her…Cassita vulneratus.When Raven awakes, she is inexplicably changed. She returns to the Uffizi, but no one recognizes her and more disturbingly, she discovers that she’s been absent an entire week. With no recollection of the events leading up to her disappearance, Raven also learns that her absence coincides with one of the largest robberies in Uffizi history – the theft of a set of priceless Botticelli illustrations. When the baffled police force identifies her as its prime suspect, Raven is desperate to clear her name. She seeks out one of Florence’s wealthiest and elusive men in an attempt to uncover the truth about her disappearance. Their encounter leads Raven to a dark underworld whose inhabitants kill to keep their secrets…

Oxygen


Elise Noble - 2020
    Determined not to waste the time she has left, she moves to Boston with her young son to follow her dream of becoming a pianist.But three men get in her way—Jansen, the skilled but uptight violinist, easygoing Jude, who understands how important coffee is to a girl, and Lincoln, the smooth-talking janitor who looks good in leather.Which of them will steal her heart, and who isn't everything they seem?

Black Leopard, Red Wolf


Marlon James - 2019
    Tracker is known far and wide for his skills as a hunter: "He has a nose," people say. Engaged to track down a mysterious boy who disappeared three years earlier, Tracker breaks his own rule of always working alone when he finds himself part of a group that comes together to search for the boy. The band is a hodgepodge, full of unusual characters with secrets of their own, including a shape-shifting man-animal known as Leopard.Drawing from African history and mythology and his own rich imagination, Marlon James has written an adventure that's also an ambitious, involving read. Defying categorization and full of unforgettable characters, Black Leopard, Red Wolf explores the fundamentals of truths, the limits of power, the excesses of ambition, and our need to understand them all.

Blood Harvest


Sharon J. Bolton - 2010
    A devastating fire burned down their home, but she remains convinced her daughter survived.Now you don'tTen-year-old Tom lives by a neglected church. Is he the only one who sees the strange, solitary child playing there? And what is she trying to tell him?Now you runThere's a new vicar in town -- Harry. But menacing events suggest he isn't welcome. What terrible secret is this town hiding?Sometimes I wish that she'd just leave me in peace.