Book picks similar to
Ford by Esther E. Schmidt


mafia
dark
virgin-hero
virgin-heroine

Bodyguard


Flora Ferrari - 2017
     Then she shows up. Nobody told me it was going to be the President’s daughter…the secret one he doesn’t want anyone to know about. And nobody told him I’m the one in charge of protecting her. Remember me, Mister President? I’m the guy you personally kicked off your Secret Service security detail for an infraction that I didn’t commit. If I decline the job now I’ll never be able to work again. But if I agree, I have to protect her...the girl who fell hard for me four years ago. I thought of her as a bratty little sister back then. She thought of me as her personal protector who she could cuddle up to whenever she wanted...no matter how inappropriate. But she’s not an eighteen-year-old kid anymore. She’s twenty-two now, and she’s grown up in more ways than one. I’m only supposed to keep an eye on her, but I can’t stop staring. She’s beyond beautiful and this bodyguard’s got it bad for her. I’m supposed to be protecting her, but who’s going to protect me...from myself? And when the bad guys do come a-knockin’, I have to make the biggest choice of all. Do I follow my sworn oath to the country and protect the President of the United States, or the daughter he doesn’t even want…but I do more than anything else in the world? I’m dangerously close to losing my job, my reputation, and even my life. But a life without her is no life at all. I’ll lay it all on the line to show the woman of my dreams that I’m a man who knows what he wants and that’s only one thing…her. *Bodyguard is an insta-everything standalone romance with an HEA, no cheating, and no cliffhanger.

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.

Take Me Higher


Ali Parker - 2016
    You Might Miss Something.Joe Castaletta has been running the underbelly of Chicago for decades, but it's now time to turn over the keys to the kingdom. His right hand man, Demetri DeMarco is more than ready to race forward into a new way of doing old school. With Joe's sexy daughter as his enforcer and a gang of mobsters to keep things running smoothly, he's confident, collected and a bastard and a half.The only thing that's just out of his reach is the one thing he wants most... Izabella.**If you've read Judged, this is Drake DeMarco's older brother. If you're read my Bad Money Series... you should recognize Marcus, who joins the crew in this first novel.The first novel in a long running series. A cliffhanger is possible, though each book is intended to focus on a different part of the Castaletta syndicate structure.+18 - Mature Themes include excessive foul language, explicit sex scenes and violence/blood/gore. Not for the faint of heart and has the possibility of offending (don't we all?).

His Tight End: The Oregon Alphas


M.K. Moore - 2021
    Instead, he got three girls. I was the only one who'd play catch with him. I was good at it. Really good at it. Now, I am walking into my first practice as the first female professional football player. Then I walk right into the QB, Brandon Freaking Meyers and I'll never be the same again.Brandon MeyersI wanted her more than I have ever wanted anyone or anything. Then the coach introduced Sasha as the new tight end and I still do. She'll be mine in no time. Thank God the team doesn't have any fraternization policies because we'd break it, in a heartbeat.This sports-themed romance is over the top, and so, so hot. Psst... Did you hear about the quarterback and the tight end hooking up all over the place? You're about to...Welcome to Beaverton, Oregon, home of the Oregon Alphas. The Alphas play hard and dirty. Are you ready for some football? This is a new series from Rachelle Stevensen & M.K. Moore with the first two books dropping on May 1st!

Monster


Vanessa Waltz - 2021
    Tall, dark, and handsome don’t begin to describe his level of gorgeous. Tony Costa is a dangerous man with a beautiful face.We’re arranged to marry.Start a family.Or else. My father forced me to the altar, giving me to the silver-spooned gangster with a blackened soul. He hates my family. Hates me. And he’ll make me his perfect wife.I’m supposed to serve him, bear his children, and obey.I refuse to surrender to the monster in my bed...but submitting to his power fulfills my darkest desires. Before long, I’m enthralled by his steamy threats, his rough hands, his beautiful, deep eyes...and the terrible secrets they hold.Am I in love with the man? Or am I submitting to a monster?Author's Note: Builds on the Sinners of Boston series, but is a standalone romance. This enemies-to-lovers, age gap, arranged marriage romance is between a feisty biker princess and a ruthless mafia prince.

Cards of Love: Judgment


Jenika Snow - 2018
    He might have done it to protect me, but he was still convicted and locked away for seven years.
And for that entire time, I waited for him, knowing that once he was released, things needed to be said, the truth needed to be spoken.
And that day was today.
I loved him, but the look he gave me, the possessiveness and pent-up arousal reflected in his eyes … had me realizing one thing.
Now more than ever, he wouldn’t let me go. Arsen I went to prison for Harper, and I’d do it all over again to make sure she was safe. She was all I thought about the entire time I was behind bars, and it was her weekly visits that got me through the years, even if I tried pushing her away.
But after seven years of being locked up, I was finally released … and I was going to make her mine. Warning: This is a short, dirty story about a hero who will go to any lengths to make sure the woman he loves is safe. With darker undertones and graphic scenes, there may be material some readers find offensive. Reader note: All of the books in the “Cards of Love” series are standalone. They are not connected in any way. The only thing they all have in common is a tarot card theme. That means you can read and enjoy any of them in any order! :)

Broken by Lies


Rebecca Shea - 2015
     He changed everything. The way I breathed.The way I thought.The way I loved.He brought me back to life. He gave me strength and a safe place to land. And then he broke me. Finding Emilia was a chance to do something good for once in my life. I wanted to change. She believed I was her savior.I ached to be.She found her way into my heart and claimed it as her safe place.I should be telling her the truth about me…instead I break her with lies.This book is a New Adult Romance and contains mature subject matter. It is not intended for those under 17 years of age.

Savage Vow


Zoe Blake - 2021
    She was far too young and naïve to be betrothed to a monster like me. I would bring only pain and darkness into her sheltered world. That’s why she ran.I should’ve just let her go… She never asked to marry into a powerful Russian mafia family. None of this was her choice. Unfortunately for her, I don’t care. I own her… and after three years of searching… I’ve found her. My runaway bride was about to learn disobedience has consequences… punishing ones. Having her in my arms and under my control had become an obsession. Nothing was going to keep me from claiming her before the eyes of God and man. She’s finally mine now… and I’m never letting her go. Special Preorder price of $.99c only available for a limited time.

His Virgin Queen


Mink - 2020
    Even so, I still held onto the hope of living free of the families. But when I’m given to Antonio Tuscani, I realize my thin dreams of escaping this life were just that -- dreams. Giving up -- I accept my fate … Until a fierce-eyed boss, Nick DaVinci, shows up on my wedding day to exact lethal vengeance. NickI came for Tuscani blood, and I took it.The doe-eyed bride in her white dress and veil of innocence doesn’t bat an eyelash when I do what I was born to do. I’m the head of the most powerful mafia family in the city, and I didn’t get here by sparing enemies. But Sophia’s demeanor intrigues me, and soon I realize she is far more than a mafia princess -- she is a queen -- and I will stop at nothing to keep her by my side. *-*Mink's Note: Curl up with your fav feline for this safe, sweet, steamy, a 'lil dark, and a lot dreamy, HEA.

The Russian Thug: Abducted by the Bratva


Rie Warren - 2020
    And I don’t have a single intention of protecting her.This mouthy tomboy is the only daughter of the O’Sullivan mafia, and they’ve been screwing us over for months. All of that changes today. I don’t like surprises but I do enjoy a challenge and, by the time I’m done with the Irish brat, the uneasy truce between our Bratva and their family will be no more than bloodstains on the streets of Boston.I’m going to abduct her. I’m going to toy with her. I’ll control her and teach her family a lesson they’ll never forget. I can’t wait. The Russian Thug is book 1 in the Krasnov Brothers series. No cliffhangers. No cheating. Includes sizzling hot scenes. Can be read as a standalone!

My Hot Neighbor


Mia Madison - 2018
    Ours is Xander Craig. Then, he was the captain of the football team. Now, he’s a hot shot photographer with a career that takes him all over the world. But now he’s back. Back in town and back at the house next door. And the man I used to spy on when I was a kid is more handsome than ever. Back then, I’d peek at him as he kissed a lucky young woman in the moonlight in his backyard. Now, I want to be that woman. But to him, I’m still the girl next door with a crush. He’s only here for one summer, and I’m going need that long to make him see that I’m a woman now. A woman who just might be everything he never knew he needed. **My Hot Neighbor is a steamy romance novella with no cheating and a very happy ending.**

Mafia Prince


Vi Carter - 2021
    I’ll help her, but the cost will be one night in my bed.One night of submission.One night to have her completely at my mercy.If only I had known my battle with Maeve would start a war.MaeveJack is the only one who can help me.Too bad, he hates me.But I have no choice but to go to him.It turns out, hate is a powerful motivator, and I just handed him a way to punish me.He offers me his help—for a price. Everything in his world has a price.One night in his bed.He’s everything a woman would want, so this should be easy. Only, I’m a virgin, and he terrifies me.I should run, but I won’t.I can’t.I just pray this one night doesn’t destroy us both.

Dark Heart Volume 1


Ella James - 2020
    Looking back, it makes sense. I was young and needed saving. Luca was my strength. He could take on anything—the world, for me. They say first love cuts the deepest. Ours became a blade that bled me out. It turns out I didn’t know a villain when he held my heart in his hands. Now it’s darker—more like his. Elise was my whole world—until my world burned, and I destroyed her with me. Some betrayals, you can’t undo, no matter how much you wish you could. I can’t help who I am now, and why would I want to? I run this city. No one’s going to take me down—not even the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. I heard they’ve got a file eight inches thick on Don Galante. But dodging bullets is my business. They play dirty, but there’s no one dirtier than me.The DA learns the hard way who’s in charge; he’s out. It should be time for celebration. There’s just one problem: his heir. Or should I say heiress? Elise O’Hara wears a crown of lies, a gown of red, and a fat diamond on her left hand. Now it’s me and her. Or her and me. Only one of us will be left standing when the story’s over. This is how you write a tragedy.

Kingdom Come


Aleatha Romig - 2022
    Money. Power. Love. And in the blink of an eye, it was gone.Along the road to my new life, I have a chance meeting with Cecilia Abernathy. Born to greatness, this American princess is out of my league. That doesn’t mean I don’t see her for the woman she is behind the headlines. In a rare glimpse I see not only her outward beauty but her inner determination. I’m moved by her in ways I don’t allow myself to ponder.Time passes and I’m moving forward, persevering beyond my loss, and making a new name for myself. And then I’m given an assignment.One job.One quest.If I succeed, my kingdom will be at hand.If I fail, there will be no more chances.Men like me aren’t saviors, and that isn’t my assignment. My mission is to find the daughter of one of the most powerful men in New York, in the country, and maybe the world. Find her and deliver her to her family’s rival.Cecilia Abernathy has been kidnapped. All I have to do is exchange her current hell for another. And then I can walk away and claim my reward.Has my taste of freedom made me willing to sell my soul for a kingdom?

Until Midnight: Happily Ever Alpha World


Gwendolyn Grace - 2019
    “For what?” “For rocking my world. It was only supposed to be one night. I’d chosen him to be my escape. Then one night became two… Brando King had been the perfect distraction. I wanted to be friends. He wanted all of me. The truth was, the girl he had fallen for didn't exist. I'd been hiding the real me to protect a secret... one that had almost cost me my life. If I opened up, could I trust Brando not to run?