Book picks similar to
The Boy by Rayne Havok
horror
dark
standalone
short
Dating the Chef
Ember Davis - 2022
It seems like a horrible way to meet someone. How can you make a connection in five minutes?When I do one more check to make sure everything is ready for the break in the middle of the event, all my protests fly out of the window. I don’t need five minutes to make a connection, all I need is one glimpse of her.Watching her talk with other men has me on edge. It’s only a matter of time before I can make my approach. Then I’ll make her mine. She’s going to learn there are some perks to dating a chef and I’ll be doing a lot more than dating Paisley.PAISLEYTo say I was resistant to the idea of MatchMakers Inc. speed dating event would be an understatement. My best friends talked me into it. I couldn’t argue with shaking up my love life and I did make a New Year’s resolution. Everything else is going so well, but when it comes to love it’s been one mistake after another.Spending my Valentine’s Day at the event instead of on my couch eating ice cream and watching romance movies doesn’t sound like a good time to me, but I promised I’d give it a try. I’m skeptical about the whole thing and I don’t feel a spark with any of the participants, but I’m determined to see the night through.I’m not expecting a man to set his sights on me. He’s not even part of the event, but I can’t deny there’s something about him. With the way he looks at me and the way he makes me feel? Dating is not where this relationship ends, not even close.*18+ If you like alpha heroes and an insta-love story that is sweet and spicy but isn’t necessarily simple, then this is for you. No cheating with a guaranteed HEA. It is a standalone but is related to my Denver Family series (Banks Ink., Suburban Outcasts and Higgins Security). Meet Silas in Healing Her Home (Banks Ink. Book 5) and Faking Her Home (Banks Ink. Book 6). Meet Paisley in Built Dad Bod Tough (Dad Bod Series – Men Built for Comfort).*This Valentine's Day, our heroes and heroines are skipping the dating apps and attending one of MatchMakers Inc. famous Speed Dating events. Is five minutes enough time to feel a spark of chemistry? Can love truly be in the air?Go on a speed date with us and find out!This February, thirteen of your favorite romance authors celebrate steamy instalove in this Valentine’s Day series!
The Girl in the Basement
Wayne Simmons - 2014
Her captor is insane, his intentions unclear.Now, facing the demons from her past could be the only way to ensure a future…The Girl in the Basement is a fast-paced thriller from the bestselling author of Flu and Plastic Jesus.'Jaw-clenchingly brutal and bitterly unrelenting from start to finish.' —DLS Reviews'...shocking and brilliant...' —Bookbloke‘A stunning read, but not for the faint hearted.' —The Guardian on Plastic Jesus‘With The Girl in the Basement, Simmons gives classic pulp writers a taste of their own plaid.’ —Sion Smith, Skin Deep Tattoo Magazine‘Breathless and unrelenting, you cannot fail to turn the page and see what happens next.’ —JD Gillam, Starburst Magazine‘A short, sharp shock to the system. Simmons grabs you from the first line of the first page and doesn’t let go. You’ll be as trapped as the Girl in the Basement herself: unable to escape or even to stop reading. Highly recommended.’ —David Moody, author of Autumn, Hater and The Cost of Living
Shallow River
H.D. Carlton - 2020
Now she's rebuilding her life with her dream man and life couldn't be better.Ryan Fitzgerald is everything you'd want in a man. Attractive, rich, an aspiring lawyer, and would do anything to keep River. But that's not the only thing that attracts her. It's his attentiveness, his possessiveness... maybe not so much his temper.When her relationship takes a dark turn, Ryan's estranged brother, Mako, is the only one who sees it. He knows exactly what Ryan is capable of, and it's not the first time he had to be a knight in shining armor.River came from Shallow Hill, though. She's never needed saving before. What Mako doesn't see, is that River is perfectly capable of taking care of herself.The only one who should be scared is Ryan.Trigger Warning: Shallow River is a dark romance that contains domestic violence, rape, violence, and sexual situations.
Scouts
Abigail DaviesSamantha Towle - 2021
The troop is all grown up, but that doesn’t mean they’ve stopped using the badges they earned.Follow the irresistible men of the River Scouts as they journey through the twisted path that fate has set them on.Each River Scout has a story to tell.A truth they can’t hide.But will they come out unscathed?There’s only one way to find out...SCOUTS is a limited time forbidden romance anthology containing new stories from a collection of your favorite authors.
Succulent Prey
Wrath James White - 2005
He was the only victim to survive. Now he himself is slowly turning into a killer. Can he be cured before he kills the woman he loves?
Slasher: the Escape of Richard Heinz
Iain Rob Wright - 2014
Entering a dark wood on a rainy night, they must try to understand and anticipate the mind of the sick killer before it's too late.Richard Heinz is out for a reason, and he’s just taken a hostage.IF YOU GO INTO THE WOODS TONIGHT, YOU’RE SURE OF A BIG SURPRISE… Iain Rob Wright tackles the sick killer with Slasher, writing a tale that will appeal to fans of Hannibal Lector, The Following, and True Detectives.
Killer Love
Ella Goode - 2020
Some find him scary. He’s big, broad, and works with the dead, but, to me, he’s the man I fell in love with the first time I saw him. He’s the man who makes me dinner, rubs my feet, and makes love to me until the sun washes away the stars. I know there’s a side of him that he keeps from me. Another woman might be suspicious that he always comes home freshly showered or that he takes frequent business trips out of town. Yet, I trust him because he’d never betray me. His entire purpose is to protect me. Deep down, I know what he’s doing. Deep down, I know that he’s maintaining the balance between good and bad. Other people might not agree with his actions, but for me, our love will always be a killer.
Owning the Beast
Alexa Riley - 2014
Griffin Stone has locked himself away from the world. One minor mix-up and all his carefully built walls come crashing down. When love finds its way into even the darkest of hearts, will it be enough to stand the greatest tests? Can beauty own the beast?Warning: This book contains a scarred hero, a virgin bride, insta-love, and tons of sex.
Slasherazzi
Daniel A. Kaine - 2014
Mutilated corpses are showing up across Tampa, and when the team discovers the newest victim was tortured alive, Alex becomes more determined than ever to stop the crazed serial killer before the horrific stabbings escalate further.With the return of Alex’s ex-boyfriend and journalist, Vince, the investigation takes a dangerous twist: the killer starts showing a personal interest in Alex. Can he stop the murders and salvage his relationship with Vince, or does he risk letting both men get away?
Tales of Darkness and Sin
Pepper WintersCora Reilly - 2021
Bestselling authors include: Aleatha Romig, A Zavarelli, Ashley Jade, Cora Reilly, Giana Darling, Isabella Starling, Jade West, K Webster, Lucia Franco, Lylah James, Natasha Knight, Parker S Huntington, Pepper Winters, Sam Mariano, Sierra Simone, and Skye Warren.
The Never List
Koethi Zan - 2013
But one night, against their best instincts, they accept a cab ride with grave, everlasting consequences. For the next three years, they are held captive with two other girls in a dungeon-like cellar by a connoisseur of sadism.Ten years later, at thirty-one, Sarah is still struggling to resume a normal life, living as a virtual recluse under a new name, unable to come to grips with the fact that Jennifer didn’t make it out of that cellar. Now, her abductor is up for parole and Sarah can no longer ignore the twisted letters he sends from jail.Finally, Sarah decides to confront her phobias and the other survivors—who hold their own deep grudges against her. When she goes on a cross-country chase that takes her into the perverse world of BDSM, secret cults, and the arcane study of torture, she begins unraveling a mystery more horrifying than even she could have imagined.A shocking, blazingly fast read, Koethi Zan’s debut is a must for fans of Karin Slaughter, Laura Lippman, and S.J. Watson.
Dating the Doubter
Karla Doyle - 2022
Infatuation, sure. Lust, absolutely. But true love? Please. That’s strictly fiction, folks.Unfortunately, I haven’t convinced my best friend and business partner of that. The guy’s still a believer in happily-ever-after, despite having met—and lost—“the one” more times than I can count. And that’s pretty damn high, since I’m the numbers guy behind our hot new startup.Tonight, I wish I had my buddy’s technical skillset. If I did, I’d be back at our twentieth-floor office, solving our system crash. Instead, I’m taking his place at yet another pointless speed-dating meetup, so he doesn’t tick off the organizer by bailing. I’m tempted to no-show and get him booted from the group, but he wouldn’t see it as the favor it is.So I’ll go and fake it for a couple hours. Maybe score a hookup. Probably rack up some good stories. One thing I won’t do at tonight’s “Desperates Anonymous” event…meet the woman of my dreams. Because she doesn’t exist. Dating is fun and games. Love is for suckers.* A love-at-first-sight, instalove romance novella *
Taking Her Innocence
Sam Crescent - 2017
He's known for his swift kills, so he isn't surprised when he's offered seven figures for a new hit. It’s supposed to be a quick find and eliminate. When his mark turns out to be an innocent twenty-year old with big blue eyes, he shouldn’t care one way or another—but he does. Viper wants to keep her for himself. Pepper’s step-father killed her mother, and she’s been on the run ever since. When a hitman shows up on her doorstep, covered in ink, and strapped with heat, she expects to be his next victim. But she’s wrong. Viper keeps her safe from the mercenaries hoping to cash in on the world-wide contract on her head. He’s everything she’s not, but she still finds herself falling hard for her captor. With the odds against them, and death waiting around every corner, can they find true love in each other? Or is Viper only interested in taking her innocence?
The Bell Chime
Mona Kabbani - 2020
On that poster is a photograph of a frighteningly familiar face.It’s her.Only, she’s never seen this photo before and something about its grin scares her. How its eyes seem to follow her no matter where she finds herself in the room.Over a series of strange events to follow—events that will make her question whether her sanity is still there or fleeting—she must discover:What is real and what is the nightmare?The Bell Chime is the disturbing, psychological novella debut from Mona Kabbani. Slated for publication on September 2nd, 2020, the Full Corn Moon.
The Dumb House
John Burnside - 1997
As the year passed and the children grew into their silent and difficult world, this palace became known as the Gang Mahal, or Dumb House. In his first novel, John Burnside explores the possibilities inherent in a modern-day repetition of Akbar`s investigations. Following the death of his mother, the unnamed narrator creates a twisted varient of the Dumb House, finally using his own children as subjects in a bizarre experiment. When the children develop a musical language of their own, however, their gaoler is the one who is excluded, and he extracts an appalling revenge.