Book picks similar to
His Brutal Game by Audrey Rush
mafia
dark
romance
arranged-marriage
Cut So Deep
Stasia Black - 2017
“Tell me. Are you?”Jackson Vale. My boss’s rival and the man I’ve thought far too much about since we were introduced last week.Of all the— “I’m not his,” I sputter indignantly. “I’m just his employee. He doesn’t own me.”And for some reason this sets off a flare of intensity and… satisfaction? in Jackson’s expression. That’s it, I officially give up trying to understand any of this.But then Jackson leans over and speaks so softly in my ear I can barely hear it above the falling rain. “If you belonged to me, Miss Cruise, you wouldn’t look so disgusted. True ownership goes both ways. I would own you, but you’d own me, too. A concept I’m sorry to say Bryce Gentry’s never understood.” My breath hitches and I pull back from the intimacy of his voice on my ear, only to get lost in the dark blue of his eyes.“Let me go,” I whisper. He does, but before he turns to go, those brooding eyes pierce me one last time. “I’ll be seeing you again soon.” And then he turns and is gone into the rain-soaked street, leaving me behind, breathless and confused.Warning: Contains triggers and dark themes which may be distressing to some readers.
Taken By Him
Measha Stone - 2020
An agreement that Kasia Garska must now fulfill. Marriage to a man who would as easily toss her to the streets as he would take his next breath. While Dominik's father is in Poland, hiding from impending legal trouble in Chicago, Dominik must take control of the family and move forward with a long ago agreement. There is suspicion the Garska family is behind the charges, and Dominik firmly believes in the adage of keeping your enemies close. Kasia is not the enemy Dominik expected, and before long he wants more than to keep a watchful eye on her father. He wants her. To possess her, punish her, truly own her. And he will, because Kasia is his to take.
Ruthless Stranger
Maggie Cole - 2021
One I can’t see, only feel, thanks to my friends who make a deal with him on my behalf.No names. No personal details. No face to etch into my mind.Just him, me, and an expensive silk tie.What happens in Vegas is supposed to stay in Vegas.He warns me he’s full of danger.I never see that side of him. All I experience is his Russian accent, delicious scent, and touch that lights me on fire.One incredible night turns into two. Then we go our separate ways.But fate doesn't keep us apart. When I run into my stranger back in Chicago, I know it’s him, even if I’ve never seen his icy blue eyes before.Our craving is hotter than Vegas. But he never lied.He’s a ruthless man…”Ruthless Stranger” is the jaw-dropping first installment of the “Mafia Wars” series. It’s an interconnecting, stand-alone Dark Mafia Romance, guaranteed to have an HEA.
Machiavellian
Bella Di Corte - 2020
I hungered to be seen. There were three things I knew about Capo Macchiavello: He was gorgeous. He was reclusive. He was considered one of New York’s most savage animals. And he wanted me as his wife. A simple arrangement – you do for me, I do for you. Nothing owed, no expectations. Except for one: never leave. Life was never that simple, though. By the age of twenty-one, I was parentless, jobless, and homeless, and I had come to learn the hard way that nothing was ever free. Even kindness comes with strings. Capo might’ve been the only man to ever see me, but I had made a vow to myself: I would never owe anyone anything. Most of all, the man I called boss. I killed to stay hidden. Mariposa Flores thought she owed nothing to no one, but she owed everything…to me, the ghost the world had once called The Machiavellian Prince of New York.
Follow
Tessa Bailey - 2017
Too bad she already sold it. Family is everything to gambling den darling, Teresa Valentini. Blood comes first, especially before men. So when her brother lands himself in hot water, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to save him. And showing up topless in her unwitting savior’s motel room is turning out to be the furthest thing from a hardship…Will Caruso is the bad boy of New York’s financial scene…and he just found out the very thing that drives his success is a damn lie. Now, he’s exchanged his high-stress life for the open road, no one but his Great Dane…and half a million Instagram followers to keep him company. When a mysterious beauty arrives, her secrecy prods his suspicions, even while she tempts his lust to the breaking point.Teresa met Will under false pretenses, but the bond consuming them is real. They’re strong enough to overcome a little betrayal…aren’t they?
Escaping Conviction
Greer Rivers - 2021
She’s the love of his life, the one that got away… but he’s the bullet she dodged.Ever since he ghosted her, Jules has made a name for herself, arguing for second chances in every courthouse across the southeast. When Jason’s sister goes missing, he’s the prime suspect, and he needs the best defense attorney there is. Good thing he still remembers her number.Jules swore off love after Jason broke her heart. Defending her clients is her main priority now. But when her past collides with her present, it gets harder to believe that Jason is “just a client.” Especially after one heated argument in particular becomes much, much more.When her own life is in danger, the tables turn and she has to depend on Jason to be her protector again. Self-control is impossible when it’s just the two of them, but what will he think of her after she confesses her own secrets?Only one thing is for certain.Keeping her hands off her new client will be the toughest case she’s had yet.ESCAPING CONVICTION is the suspenseful first chapter in the Conviction Series of interconnected standalones. Jason and Jules get their happily-ever-after and a new couple gets their own HEA in Book Two, while the entire series carries an overarching plot.**While Escaping Conviction has an HEA, this read is not for the faint of heart. The Conviction series should be read by mature readers only (18+) and contains sexually explicit scenes, along with descriptions of human trafficking, drugs, strong language, and physical and sexual violence. Reader discretion is advised.**
Sworn
Maria Luis - 2018
The words are tattooed on my skin, just as they’re branded on my heart. But I never planned for Sergeant Lincoln Asher, a man as deceptive as he is cold. His dominance sets my teeth on edge . . . and my body on fire. He won’t stop until I’m his, but I’m not his to take. My secrets bind me—and blind me. I live in the shadows of New Orleans. Hidden and protected in the underworld I call home. I know who I am. I vow never to kneel before a man... Save one. And he will be my downfall.
Crooked Crows
Elena Lawson - 2021
Heartlessly cruel. Broken beyond repair.Corvus, Rook, and Grey – The Crows. Bred in a world of gang wars, violence, and secrets, they rule the bloody town of Thorn Valley and all the people in it…too bad for me I’ve never been good at kissing ass or keeping quiet.Even if their savage spirits awaken something inside of me I thought was long dead, I can’t break. I won’t. They think they scare me, that I’ll run and hide, but the joke’s on them. The Crows aren’t the first monsters I’ve faced, and they won’t be the last. There are worse evils out there waiting to take their stab at Ava Jade Mason.I say let them try. I’m tired of running. Tired of holding back my darkness. Thorn Valley isn’t ready for a new boogie man. Too bad I’m already here.Crooked Crows is a dark enemies-to-lovers reverse harem romance, meaning the main character will have more than one love interest.Warning: This series contains foul language, explicit sexual content, graphic depictions of gang violence, and jealous/possessive themes. Recommended for readers aged eighteen and up. Please read responsibly.
Last (Copperslane, #1)
Garnet Christie - 2021
BiancaI heard “nothing lasts” when my father first said it.I understood “nothing lasts” when my mother died and my dreams of becoming a romance author also withered away.Now, I find myself begging that “nothing lasts” with the arrival of the town’s newest alphahole, Brett. Every word out of his foul mouth and every smirk on his handsome but cruel face, ignites contempt. I dish the misery right back at him, and in those few moments of triumph, I relish those gritted teeth, and the red glow on his face. But beneath the biting comments, there’s something we share. A yearning for something to endure and to hurt those who have wounded us.However, it may be too late.Our rough start might override our new fire filled connection, and when he starts to challenge all my beliefs, I might be too scared to give myself over. But if we do work past it all, something unusual may happen––we might fall in love. Now if he can only make me believe that it will last.Last is a new adult romance intended for readers 18+Content warning includes strong, frequent language, mature situations, explicit sexual scenes, mentions of alcoholism, abuse, and suicide.
Vibe
Liza James - 2020
No, I should be working on solidifying my ladder of ascension. No matter what the cost or what I had to give up. No matter what they made me do. Their little wildflower, that’s who I am. Quiet, meek, gullible. Until I met the one person who changed all of it and became something more. She’s my filthiest secret. And one I intend on taking to the grave. Ruby Another night at the club I work at—Pandora’s Box. Another dance, another tease, another round of shots and callously thrown dollar bills. Until her. Until the energy shifted and one moment became the only thing that mattered. Because she changed everything, claiming my attention and making it hers. My dangerous little mistake, my favorite enticing regret.My Vibe Girl.Trigger Warning: This book confronts several issues that could be potential triggers. It also contains sexual scenes written in explicit details. It is incredibly dark, please be aware when stepping into this world.
Innocence
Lee Savino - 2015
A virgin.I’m ruthless. A beast.She found me for a reason.She’ll be my queen.I’ll give her everything that her heart desires.Except for one thing.Her freedom.She’s mine to keep, and I’m never letting her go.Note: This is a dark mafia romance with dark and intense sensual scenes. It is the first in a trilogy.
Caught in the Devil's Snare
Dani Matthews - 2018
Living on the streets hasn’t been easy, but my other senses have kept me safe. That safety is soon shattered when I’m snatched off the streets and find the Devil pointing his gun at my head. He spares my life, but that’s not where it ends. He wants something from me, but I have no intention of giving it to him. Devlin She’d have been dead by my hand if it weren’t for those blazingly defiant green eyes. She looked like any normal street-ravaged waif until I learned she’s deaf. Call me intrigued. Not because she can’t hear, but because she’s the most stubborn female I have ever met. No one has ever denied me what I want…until Charli came along. I think I want to keep her. Recommended for ages 18+. *** This is a standalone novel with a guaranteed HEA and no cheating or cliffhanger! ***
A Bullet Between Us (The Moretti Crime Family)
K. Dosal - 2021
Terrified under the brittle moon, I’d been left behind as blood swept into the pristine snow. I’d closed my eyes and waited for the afterlife, welcoming it.Death had never come for me, but it ended the life I once knew. Now, I lived in fear, running from a world ruled by vicious men. An organized world where power and violence had no limit. And I was in the middle of it all. It’d led me to him, Ilias. But in this world, my nightmare was etched in the face of every man I stumbled upon. I didn’t trust anyone, but my heart trusted him.Even while my mind kept a bullet between us. ILIASI was given an assignment, an order. Failure wasn’t an option. Not when it meant her, Davina. But how could I keep her alive? I was no hero. Just a man dressed as one, with a heart as corrupted as the same men I grew up with.
Chasing Love
Kat T. Masen - 2020
So when the ever-so-perfect Julian Baker proposes marriage, I'm ready to forget the past and move on with my new love.In a cruel twist of fate, my past and future collide. I'm forced to face the man who destroyed my heart back in high school.Lex Edwards, turned billionaire tycoon, is ruthless, cunning, and will not stop until I'm his.A complicated love triangle was never something I imagined when Julian proposed to me. Especially not involving Lex.Hearts and egos are bound to be broken.But whose heart will capture mine when the darkness fades? **This title was previously published as Into the Darkness. It has been extensively rewritten, re-edited, and has a steamy new cover**
Lost Boy
M. Robinson - 2018
Robinson comes this standalone contemporary romance full of feels and angst... In a world where I had no say, violence became my refuge, and nothing else mattered. Not even my own life. Until her. Skyler Bell. It all started the first time I heard that voice. Giving me hope for tomorrow. My first love was everything all at once. Consuming. Maddening. Forever. Mine. Except, I never imagined there were secrets that needed to be shared. Lies that needed to be confessed. Truths that needed to be told. Demons that needed to be buried. Once I realized the depth, the longing, the sadness and sorrow in her eyes mirrored mine, it was too late. Love didn't come to me as heartbreak, it came as everything I've ever wanted. Walking away wasn't an option, but it was the only choice I had. I finally found the price of love and it cost me... My soul.