Book picks similar to
The Villain by Victoria Vale


historical-romance
historical
romance
dark

The Silver Devil


Teresa Denys - 1978
    No woman's heart is safe from the Silver Devil. From the moment he sees the beautiful Felicia, he must have her. Overnight he changes Felicia's nightmare world of tavern drudgery into an erotic adventure as his royal mistress. He is the Duke of Cabria who holds his subjects in constant fear. He is troubled. He is ruthless. And Felicia is hopelessly in love with him - though at times he seems like the devil incarnate.…

The Professional


Kresley Cole - 2014
    Ordered to protect her, Aleksei will do anything to possess her as well—on his own wicked terms.Rules are made to be broken…Grad student Natalie Porter had barely recovered from her first sight of the dark and breathtaking Sevastyan before the professional enforcer whisks her away to Russia, thrusting her into a world of extreme wealth and wanton pleasures. Every day under his protection leads her deeper under his masterful spell.Are you ready to play?Yet all is not as it seems. To remove Natalie from an enemy’s reach, Sevastyan spirits her into hiding. From an opulent palace in Russia to the decadent playgrounds of the mega-wealthy in Paris, the two lovers will discover that even their darkest—and most forbidden—fantasies can come true...

The Bratva's Baby


Jane Henry - 2019
    My orders are simple.Capture her.Marry her.Take her inheritance.Get rid of her.The bookish little recluse is worth more than she knows.She's an unassuming librarian.I'm the brigadier of the Russian Bratva.She has no friends.I command a small army.She's a modest virgin.And now she's mine.

Fires of Winter


Johanna Lindsey - 1980
    NEVER A VIKING'S CAPTIVELovely and dauntless, abducted by invaders from across an icy sea, Lady Brenna vowed vengeance -- swearing no Viking brute would be her master...no barbarian would enslave her noble Celtic heart.FOREVER A VIKING'S LOVEYet Garrick Haardrad, the proud and powerful son of a ruthless Viking chieftan, claims her with a primitive abandon that leaves her breathless, igniting fires of passion that blaze through the cold Nordic nights and forge the unbreakable bonds of a fiery, eternal love.

The Maiden


Celia Aaron - 2018
    But I've discovered so much more, and the darkness here is seducing me, pulling me down until all I can think of is him. Adam Monroe, the Prophet's son, a dark prince to an empire that grows by the day. He is tasked with keeping me safe from the wolves of the outside world. But the longer I stay at the Cloister, the more I realize the wolves are already inside and under the Prophet's control. If Adam discovers the real reason I'm here, he'll bay for my blood with the rest of them. Until then, I will be Delilah, an obedient servant of the Prophet during the day and Adam's Maiden at night.Author's Note: If you have a trigger, this book will pull it. The Maiden is the first book of The Cloister Series. The Prophet will release in May, and the conclusion to the series, The Church, will release in June.

Degradation


Stylo Fantome - 2014
    Twenty-three-year-old Jameson Kane is smart, seductive, and richer. They come together for one night, one explosion, one mistake, and Tate is hurled into space—no family, no money, and no Jameson.Seven years later, life is going pretty good for Tate, when she runs into Jameson again. This time, she thinks she's ready for him. She doesn't have a naive bone left in her body, and she can't even remember what shy feels like. Jameson has evolved, as well—sharp words, sharper wit, and a tongue that can cut her in half. It all sounds like fun to a woman like Tate, and she is ready to play, determined to prove that she isn't the same girl he conquered once before. A series of games start, each one more devious than the last.But as the line between games and reality becomes blurry, Tate quickly learns that Jameson has most definitely earned his nickname, “Satan.” Can she beat him at his own game before someone gets hurt? Or will he leave her soulless, making him the winner, once and for all?WARNING: contains a wannabe B-rate porn star, an impersonal personal assistant, and the F-word, A LOT. Also graphic sexual situations and sadomasochistic themes.

Borden


R.J. Lewis - 2015
    After a crime-filled upbringing in a very harsh neighbourhood, Borden leaves his hometown, returning four years later mysteriously rich and unrecognizable, with one woman on his mind. A woman he'll never have. Pained by his devastating loss and filled with rage and guilt, Borden's world turns dark. * As a fiercely independent woman, Emma Warne knows all about hard living. Having kept to herself most of her life, the last thing she expects is to be thrust into the world of infamous criminal Marcus Borden, the dangerous man the entire city fears and loathes. But the more she pushes him away, the more he comes back, taking over her life and stripping her of her control she desperately clings to. Once Borden has his sights on her, Emma is going nowhere anytime soon, and what she doesn't expect least of all... is that she may not want to either. Book 1 of 2. ******* WARNING: This is NOT a love triangle. This book contains sexual situations - of a very rough nature - violence, and strong language that may be offensive to some.*******

Torrent


Gemma James - 2014
    Now, eight years later, he's returning the favor...I've been obsessed with Rafe Mason since I was thirteen. The twisted part of this story is that I still want him even now that he's holding me captive on an island.Rafe has his reasons for doing what he's doing, and if I'm honest, I can't blame him. I'm the girl who sent him to prison for a heinous crime he didn't commit.But now he's free and the tables have turned...now he's the one driven by obsession.NOTE TO READERS: Torrent is a dark romance with kidnapping and other disturbing themes. Intended for mature readers. Not for the faint of heart. You've been warned. Part 1 in the Condemned series.

The Passion of Darius: A Gothic Tale of Love and Seduction


Raine Miller - 2014
    Darius Rourke and his burning passion for a woman. The gentle Marianne…as beautiful as she is mysterious.When presented with an opportunity to make her his bride, Darius takes it, and knows Marianne will finally belong only to him.Or will she?Marianne carries a secret. Something she believes will prevent her from ever being worthy to be loved by any man—even the masterful Darius, despite the fact he captivates her utterly.A look… A caress… A kiss… A brooding sensuality. A lushly passionate tale of lovers entangled in the discovery of each other’s sins and secrets. As Darius and Marianne embark upon the journey together, they will find that learning to command is just as important as learning to surrender.A man who knows what he wants...A woman who needs him in order to know her worth…‘Ti amo, mia cara’2nd edition© Raine Miller Romance, September 2016Originally published with the title: His Perfect Passion

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie


Jennifer Ashley - 2009
    Meet the Mackenzie family—rich, powerful, dangerous, eccentric. A lady couldn't be seen with them without ruin. Rumors surround them—of tragic violence, of their mistresses, of their dark appetites, of scandals that set England and Scotland abuzz. The youngest brother, Ian, known as the Mad Mackenzie, spent most of his young life in an asylum, and everyone agrees he is decidedly odd. He's also hard and handsome and has a penchant for Ming pottery and beautiful women. Beth Ackerley, widow, has recently come into a fortune. She has decided that she wants no more drama in her life. She was raised in drama—an alcoholic father who drove them into the workhouse, a frail mother she had to nurse until her death, a fussy old lady she became constant companion to. No, she wants to take her money and find peace, to travel, to learn art, to sit back and fondly remember her brief but happy marriage to her late husband. And then Ian Mackenzie decides he wants her. The first of a new historical series.

Ruthless King


Meghan March - 2017
     New Orleans belongs to me. You don’t know my name, but I control everything you see—and all the things you don’t. My reach knows no bounds, and my demands are always met. I didn’t need to loan money to a failing family distillery, but it amuses me to have them in my debt. To have her in my debt. She doesn’t know she caught my attention. She should’ve been more careful. I’m going to own her. Consume her. Maybe even keep her. It’s time to collect what I’m owed. Keira Kilgore, you’re now the property of Lachlan Mount. *Ruthless King is book one of the Mount Trilogy*

Nectar


D.D. Prince - 2015
    Feelings are messy; they're painful; they hold you back. Due to a painful past and secrets she wants to stay buried she keeps everyone at arm's length. But then when she is abducted and presented as a gift to Tristan, a bored vampire prince who is destined to become a king, she has to face a few facts. Beyond facing that vampires are real Kyla has to face emotions that Tristan won't let her run from. Tristan is a vampire with a ravenous but insatiable appetite. For ten years he hasn't once had his hunger sated. He feeds constantly, looking for satisfaction, and because his favourite way to feed is to feed during sex he goes through a lot of women. But then Kyla is brought to him as a gift to celebrate a promotion and from the second their eyes lock he knows there's something different about her. After he gets a taste of Kyla neither of them will ever be the same.“Between the taste of you, the taste of your blood, and the way you look at me, I haven’t felt this… alive… in… maybe ever.”Cliffhanger.Books 2 & 3 avaiable. Trigger warnings: Explicit sex scenes. Copious amounts of blood. Some dubious consent, an ending that could be troubling to those who are squeamish about blood. If you don't love vampire alpha males who are also sweet and swoony nymphomaniacs, maybe you should give this one a miss...

Deviant


Callie Hart - 2014
    She wants me to be her hero, But I'm not a good man.I am her damnation.

Property of Drex #1


C.M. Owens - 2016
     I was desperate enough to make a foolish decision to save my family. The cost? Me. They may be a motorcycle club, but in all honesty they’re really an elite unit of criminals who just happen to drive motorcycles. They’re a business. An organization. A fully functioning army… What I’ve learned? They work in the gray area; life and death is real; and everyone wants everyone dead. Okay, so maybe that’s dramatic… No. No it’s not. It’s legit. I prepared for the worst, fully anticipating hating my new life. Turns out, I finally found out where I belonged. Oh, and I discovered I’m a little twisted or crazy. Maybe both. Drex Caine, the man without a conscience, didn’t ruin me the way I thought he would. Instead, he made me feel like I was living instead of just waiting to live. And I can never go back to the way things used to be. *Graphic Language*Sexual Content *Dual POV Please note: Book 1 does end on a cliffhanger, but book 2 has the conclusion and will be released March 28, 2016. After book 2, the rest of the series can be read as stand-alone novels without cliffhangers and will have different main characters featured.Cover Model: Derrick Keith Shane MeachamPhotographer: Eric Battershell PhotographyCover Designer: Book Cover by Design

Rivalry


Laurelin Paige - 2019
    I only took the meeting because I was curious. I thought he was going to offer me a job.But that's not what he's after at all. His proposal is much more intriguing, and I see an opportunity. An opportunity to turn the tables and bring down the devil.I've gotten in trouble playing these games before. I know when the risk is too great, when the stakes are too high. I know how to be cold and strong-willed and destructive. I know how to withstand dominant men with arrogant charm and rugged features.Yet I can't resist taking on Edward.And I can't resist the pull he has on me.Soon I'm not so sure which side of the battle I'm standing on--if I'm the warrior meant to slay,Or the one who will be slain.Slay is Book One in New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author, Laurelin Paige, next dark and edgy series.