Book picks similar to
The Ghost by S.R. Jones


mafia
suspense
romance
dark-romance

The Arrangement


Bethany-Kris - 2014
    The deal between leading mafia families has more on the line than anyone knew, even if the Bratva and Cosa Nostra shouldn’t mix. When Vine’s family is murdered and she’s left with nothing more than her grief to survive the mob world alone, she believes the arrangement won’t see the light of day. Anton can’t allow the one woman he was supposed to love get away. At the possibility of her death, he steps in to save her with guns blazing, knowing exactly what it might cost him: everything. But it’s been nearly a decade since their last meeting, and he can’t help but wonder if the woman he took back is the same girl he fell for all those years before. Protected and loved, Vine is unable to forget their shared moments a lifetime ago, or the future she knows they’re owed. When an old flame of Anton’s shows up to rip the veil off the carefully constructed secrets he’d been hiding, she learns that nothing about her life is as it seems. But, that’s nothing compared to the bomb about to blow. Can Vine see beyond the pain and blood to take what she always wanted? And just how far will the mob prince go to keep her safe?In a world where violence, deceit, and greed reign, your life is not your own, and sometimes, love has to be arranged.

Keith


M.S. Parker - 2019
    Nikolette Ives is a rich, spoiled socialite who only wants the prestige that comes with the Hartwell name. My brother says his mind is made up, but I won’t let him make the biggest mistake of his life. He’ll kill me if he knows, but plans are in motion to make sure the engagement never happens. Besides, when has playing cupid ever gone wrong? Keith Hartwell sets up his brother with a gorgeous, young and curvy schoolteacher, Veronica Cheshire, the perfect innocent woman to convince his brother to drop his marriage plans. However, the setup backfires in ways Keith can never imagine. Don’t miss KEITH, the first book in M. S. Parker’s hot, new billionaire romance series, The Hartwell Brothers.

Little Doll


Melissa Jane - 2014
    What I would find was something belonging to nightmares.What I would lose would unknowingly become my fight for survival.An escape from the clutches of evil seemed almost an impossible task. Warring with Mexico’s leading cartel would only see me closer to my grave. Or worse, used as a bargaining chip to seal a sickening deal my brother had unwillingly played a part in. But then there was one man who ruled over me. A man who promised to destroy my world at every turn. Juan Florez. Taking on the notorious cartel son was a battle I was bound to lose.This series continues with:Book 2: Ruthless SonsBook 3: Savage KingBook 4: Wicked GamesThis book contains themes and situations some may find confronting.

Trust Me


Kristin Mayer - 2013
    When she is finally ready to move forward with her life, she embarks on a getaway vacation to Miami, determined to find healing from the painful memories in her past. Damien Wales also has a tragic past that has left him a cold and distant person. However, the moment he sees Allison, he's inexplicably drawn to her, and he is a man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. A sunset stroll brings the two together. Allison feels an undeniable attraction to Damien, but she's hesitant to get close to anyone. Damien will do everything he can to keep Allison in his life, but his overprotective and domineering demeanor might just push her away. When Damien's dark past begins to collide with his present, Allison's life is put in danger. Damien must keep her safe, but some things are just out of his control. Trust Me is the first book in the Trust Series.

Love's Taming


Maryann Jordan - 2014
    And boring. Between focusing on keeping her small, inner-city clinic running, paying off student loans, and living in the tiny apartment above the clinic she has no time for fun or dating and certainly not for anything adventurous. Then one night, danger and surprise show up in the alley behind her clinic. And Annie is in for the ride of her life. Stoney is a mystery. A man of few words but smoldering looks. She decides to take a risk and after a night of passion finds herself thrown into a world that she never knew existed. A world of drugs, danger and intrigue. Shane is a detective, who vows to keep Annie safe at all costs. Losing his heart to her is the easy part. Keeping her safe and earning her trust will prove to be his most difficult task. **DUE TO ADULT CONTENT, SEXUAL SCENES OF AN EXPLICIT NATURE, AND LANGUAGE THAT SOME MAY CONSIDER CRUDE, 18+ only, please. **NO cliffhanger, HEA, inter-connected stand alone stories in the series**

Alexei


R.E. Saxton - 2015
    Ordinary Tara Noland leads a boring existence until she sees something she was never meant to observe. Head of the Russian mafia in his city, Alexei Varnakov can’t let her go after she witnesses him murdering an underling. He should follow the code of the vory v zakone and eliminate her, but he can’t. Instead, he decides to keep the fiery redhead. It’s the only way she can stay alive, but she’s defiant and fights him at every turn. He can break his little fox with passion, but can he ever win her trust? This is a full-length short novel of approximately 50,000 words with a happy ending and no cliffhangers. This story contains violence and sexual situations some readers might find objectionable. If you don’t like darker erotic romances, this mafia romance might not be the book for you. However, if you enjoy a possessive Alpha male who takes what he wants despite a defiant woman determined to resist him, wickedly dark acts meant to break resistance, and rough (but consensual) sex, get ready to meet “Alexei.”

Mercy


Debra Anastasia - 2017
    Murder is in my blood now. It runs through my veins and though I hide the monster I see in the mirror with ink, it doesn’t keep him from coming out. My street name is Mercy, but I never show any. Except for her. I watch Becca, though she doesn’t know. She saved me a long time ago; the day my father killed my mother. Her bravery turned her into a target.My father holds a grudge and knife with the same proficiency, and Becca is the focus of his hatred. And I’m the only monster who can save her.

Fate's Demand


Aleatha Romig - 2021
    Twinkling lights.Copious amounts of alcohol.AndGhost stories of lore.As Emma waits for a business meeting, those ingredients are there, in the heavy air and circulating through her bloodstream. Until everything changes. Everett Ramses is tall, dark, and mysterious. He’s more than that. According to him...he is Emma’s fate.And he has a demand.Will she run, or will she find out what fate’s demand has in store? “FATE’S DEMAND” is an intriguing meeting to whet readers’ appetite for more of an all-new dark-romance world, Devil’s Deal, by New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig. Get ready to love and hate, to swoon and swear...Rett Ramses will bring out all the emotions. *“FATE’S DEMAND” first appeared in the Bookworm Box anthology ONE MORE STEP as a short story entitled “THE DEAL.”

Monster


Jessica Gadziala - 2015
    And all was going to plan until one night, a huge mammoth of a man breaks into her apartment and kidnaps her,holding her hostage for the very man she was bent on bringing down.Breaker has one rule: he doesn't deal in women. But when he's conned into a job for the city's most ruthlesscrime lord, he finds himself in charge of a fiery-temperedhacker who he can't seem to keep his hands off of. When passions ignite and feelings emerge, will Breaker beable to reconcile his loyalties before it is too late or will their shaky foundation of trust start crumbling beneaththeir feet?This is a stand alone with a HEA.* For possible triggers, go here: http://www.jessicagadziala.com/trigge... *

Royally Bad


Nora Flite - 2017
    Too bad it’s her only choice. Kain Badd looks great on paper: rich, handsome, and he’s even a prince. But after spending a few minutes together, Sammy sees the real him—arrogant, possessive, and too hot for his own good. If she hadn’t agreed to help plan his sister’s wedding, she could have avoided him. Instead, she’s waking up in his bed after an unforgettable night she definitely wants to forget. But he won’t let her.When Sammy thinks her life can’t get any crazier, the wedding is raided by the police, and she spends her first-ever night in jail. The irresistible Kain isn’t just bad in name—his family is connected to a dangerous underworld. Now she’s mixed up in a power struggle between his family’s empire and their rivals. She has no choice but to put herself back in this filthy prince’s extremely capable hands.Sammy must trust Kain to keep her safe. She’s just not sure she can trust herself to resist temptation.

Captured


Jordan Marie - 2016
    I was her destruction. Beth:My life is not my own. I belong to the family. Every step I make is dictated. Until him. Skull.The only man I’ve ever loved. The only man I will ever love. His touch inflames me. I can’t stay away—even if I should. I gave him my body and my heart.To keep him safe, I will sell my soul to the devil. The lies began with our hello. Now, I’m captured by them. Skull: There’s an animal in me that I keep hidden. Beth calls to him. She tempts the monster and lures him to the surface. I’m obsessed with her. I can’t stay away, even when doing so puts my entire club in danger. Her blood is on my hands. I formed her to fit only me. I was her first and if I have to kill everyone in our way. So be it. I will be her last. She is mine. This book ends in a cliffhanger and continues in Torch's story (Burned). Torch's story will have his happy ending and then the series will continue.

Jesse


J.A. Huss - 2019
    I fell so hard for this girl I made all the promises. Only with Emma, I really meant them.And then I disappeared.But it wasn’t my fault. Let’s just call my reason “Family Business”. I’d tell you what that business is, but then I’d have to kill you. Just kidding. I can’t tell you what my family business is because it’s so secret, even I don’t know.My point is… I didn’t ghost. It was a weird twist of circumstances. And OK, yes. I did hook up with pretty much every girl on the island that week. But after I met Emma, I was ruined. She was the only one I wanted.It’s been thirteen years. I’m a changed man.I STILL want her. I have ALWAYS wanted her. But it’s kind of hard to tell her that with a gag in my mouth and a hood over my head. Bossy Brothers: Jesse features a bachelor auction gone wrong, four smart ladies who botch a crazy revenge kidnapping, a power dream date with fast cars, private jets, and expensive yachts, and a happily ever after that proves… sometimes the best man for the job is a woman.

Accidental Witness


Sam Mariano - 2017
    We’d never spoken, but of course I heard the stories about his family. I know they’re dangerous. I know he’s dangerous. Vince never had a reason to notice me, anyway—until I inadvertently witnessed his first mob hit. His family doesn’t believe in leaving witnesses alive, but Vince seems different. He knows the best thing he can do for me is stay away, but something keeps drawing us together. Despite knowing the risks of getting mixed up with him, I can’t resist. Only problem is, Vince is a package deal—you don’t get him without getting swept up in his family’s dark games. Now entangled with a notorious Chicago crime family, will my life ever be mine again?**Obligatory trigger warning: While not wholly dark, this is a mafia romance with elements of DARK ROMANCE. There are no knights in shining armor to be found here.Sensitive content not recommended for those under 18, or those who loathe the dark romance genre. **This is a continuing story series. The story continues and evolves in each book until you get to the end.

Merciless Saints


Michelle Heard - 2021
    Loyalty is owned. Love is taken. I’ll show everyone I’m a threat, and they will fear me.For my family. I have to protect them.The second I hear the name Damien Vetrov I know I’m in trouble.He’s an arrogant Russian God.Only, I have zero intention of bowing to him. Ever.Attractive and lethal. He’s such an intoxicating mixture.Every second we spend together, the pull between us becomes stronger, and my fear grows.While my body wants him, my head knows better. He has the power to kill my family.But when blood is shed, I’m forced to depend on Damien for my life.Being at his mercy, whether he’ll kill me or protect me, is still up for debate. STANDALONE: Romance Suspense full-length novel.

Stolen Hearts


M. O'Keefe - 2021
    To me, he was a mystery, but he was also the only man who ever knew me.In that single stolen moment before I had to give my life to someone else, I imagined myself with him, the man with scars and bruises. The one who knew what hurting meant far more than I did at that time.Instead I was given to another man, one who broke my soul right along with my bones.Through it all, there was always that memory of the man in the shadows, the one who said--not in words--that I was strong, that I could endure, that I was more than just a princess in a ballgown.Now Ronan is the only man who could keep me safe from two warring families that wanted my blood. The spark that started two years ago burned brighter with each touch, each glance, each kiss. He woke me from the nightmare, giving me life with soft touches and sharp words.Two years ago, Ronan gave me strength, but he took something in return. I never gave him my heart, but hearts like mine are made to be stolen.