Book picks similar to
Early Sins by Jennifer Bene


dark
romance
slow-burn
bene-jennifer

Abuse


Nikki Sex - 2015
    It has been my joy and my great honor to help those who have lost their way. Not long after I began my journey, I met two such wounded souls. Renata Koreman, my little mouse. She came to me as a child—shy, mute, injured… broken. It took oh-so many years to start to bring her back to herself! Yet, I could not fully heal her. Years later, Grant Wilkinson, he too fell into my hands. The ex-Army Ranger was badly disfigured and saw himself as a monster. Isolated by secrets, solitary and self-contained, his colleagues affectionately named him ‘Frosty.’ Yet, how should one behave when besieged by a lifetime of confusion and guilt? The moment I saw him, I thought of her and I wondered. The eyes, they cannot always see clearly. And the heart? Ah, the heart can only guess at the truth. So it was that I remained uncertain. Could the mouse and the monster heal each other?

The Truth About Lies


Aly Martinez - 2018
    And I was helpless to save her. Consumed by hate and rage, I spent four years running from my memories. Until a shattered woman gave me a reason to stop. Cora lived in a nightmare, but through sheer force of will, she’d turned it into something beautiful. She had a smile that could pierce the darkest soul. And with one glance, she shredded mine. Lie: I was only there for a fresh start. Lie: I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Lie: There was nothing I could do to save her, either. But that’s the thing about lies—you never know who to believe.

King's Captive


Amber A. Bardan - 2017
     Because I'm not here as a guest. Not even close. I'm a prisoner. I'm his. Julius King. Powerful. Wealthy. Dangerous. There are parts of me he wants that I can't give him. When he looks at me, there are times I swear he sees someone else. And the scary part is that sometimes, when he touches me, I think he may be someone else, too. Though my body might be tempted, and he might control everything else, I can't let him have any piece of my heart. I won't. But every day, the fight gets harder, and Julius manages to slip past my defenses in the most unexpected ways.  I have to find out the truth about Julius King. Even if it destroys me.   This book is approximately 81,000 words  One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you're looking for with an HEA/HFN. It's a promise! Find out more at CarinaPress.com/RomancePromise

Love of the Egoist


Nero Seal - 2018
    But now, I want to ruin your world and turn it pitch black. Isolate you, so you have nothing left except me.And remember, it’s your own fault.” ISOLATION. LONELINESS. ENDLESS SILENCE STRETCHING INTO ETERNITY.This is the personal living hell of police detective, Kuon Leiris. His punishment for ruining the Black Duke’s deal. But when night falls, it gets worse…Cruelty. Affection. Madness. Obsession. Constant mind games where he can do nothing but give in. Yugo pours his every corrupt desire into his prey, testing the limits of their capture-bonding relationship. Do you dare enter a dark world where safe-words don’t exist?

Beast: The Beginning


Mary Catherine Gebhard - 2017
     I thought selling myself to a mafia boss was noble. So what if they called him the Beast? I grew up in rags, and he would lift me to riches. All I had to do was give him my soul. He was punishing. Insatiable. Captivating. Nothing like I expected him to be. Each day my reality blurred, leaving me wondering if I was slave or princess. The longer I stayed, the more I lost myself to him. Even after every cruelty the Beast visited upon me, I longed for his touch. Even after every savage word he spoke, I begged for his lips. I thought the worst thing he could take was my body. I was too naïve to guard my heart. Once upon a time, I thought love was a fairytale. Now I know better than to speak of happily ever afters. Beast is the first book in the Hate Story duet. About what it means to fall in love with the person who has absolutely destroyed you, it contains disturbing and graphic situations that may be a trigger for some.

Slade


Alaska Angelini - 2014
    What better way to exact retribution from Governor Hagen and force him to bring Lily back, than to steal his own daughter and threaten to sell her as a sex slave, too? But, even the best laid plans don’t always go smoothly. Slade ends up falling for his captive, and is faced with a decision that might just cause him to lose the one thing he doesn’t want to let go.SLADE is every bit the animal he portrays. Dominant, dark, unbending, and possessive—her own personal predator. Mary can’t help but be drawn to the soul deep darkness in him. It calls to her like nothing she’s ever felt before. When her father bends to Slade’s will and releases Lily, will Mary be allowed to walk away and follow her father's plans to marry another, or will Slade make her a captive to the dark…forever? Warning: This book contains very graphic violence, disturbing situations, dubious consent, and very strong language.