Book picks similar to
Free-Falling by King Ellie


interracial
arranged-marriage
romance
contemporary-romance

Taken


Natasha Knight - 2018
    He’s the first-born son of the Scafoni family. And we have history.For generations, the Scafoni family have demanded a sacrifice of us. A virgin daughter to atone for sins so old, we don’t even remember what they are anymore.But when you have as much money as they do, you don’t play by the rules. You make them. And Sebastian Scafoni makes all the rules. The moment I saw him, I knew he would choose me. Even though the mark on my sheath declared me unclean. Even though my beautiful sisters stood beside me, offered to him, he still chose me. He made me his.And then he set out to break me. Note: Taken is book one of the Dark Legacy Duet.

The Left Side of Perfect


Meghan Quinn - 2018
     For better or for worse,'til death do us part . . . The better captured me; she's who stole my heart. And made me realize I couldn’t live without this woman. The worse of her took my breath away--kicked me when I was down and twisted me into a million knots. When I first met her, I thought she was someone I would never see again. The second time I ran into her, it was a random coincidence. The third? I didn’t know it at the time, but she was the girl I was going to marry. But life isn’t always perfect. You have to take the better and the worse--even if it means giving her up, having her slip between your fingers, and letting her walk away. I’m getting married. This is forever, 'til death do us part.

The Arrangement


Bethany-Kris - 2014
    The deal between leading mafia families has more on the line than anyone knew, even if the Bratva and Cosa Nostra shouldn’t mix. When Vine’s family is murdered and she’s left with nothing more than her grief to survive the mob world alone, she believes the arrangement won’t see the light of day. Anton can’t allow the one woman he was supposed to love get away. At the possibility of her death, he steps in to save her with guns blazing, knowing exactly what it might cost him: everything. But it’s been nearly a decade since their last meeting, and he can’t help but wonder if the woman he took back is the same girl he fell for all those years before. Protected and loved, Vine is unable to forget their shared moments a lifetime ago, or the future she knows they’re owed. When an old flame of Anton’s shows up to rip the veil off the carefully constructed secrets he’d been hiding, she learns that nothing about her life is as it seems. But, that’s nothing compared to the bomb about to blow. Can Vine see beyond the pain and blood to take what she always wanted? And just how far will the mob prince go to keep her safe?In a world where violence, deceit, and greed reign, your life is not your own, and sometimes, love has to be arranged.

The Best Man


Winter Renshaw - 2020
    Together we watched our young children playing in the sand, the warm ocean lapping at the shore behind them as the setting sun painted the sky. She was my soulmate and this was our life, our beautiful forever … Then I woke up—alone in a hospital room, connected to wires and machines. There was no wife. No kids. Not a single soul waiting for me. That life I dreamt of—never existed. The woman I loved, the woman I knew better than I knew myself—wasn’t real. Until she walked into my life six months later …And it was both the best and worst day of my life because the woman of my dreams—was about to marry my best friend.AUTHOR'S NOTE: This angsty contemporary romance contains NO cheating or love triangles.

Disastrous


E.L. Montes - 2012
    As the top of her class at Harvard Law, she’s nervous and excited, when given the opportunity of a summer extern position at one of the top firms in Boston. Her new boss is young, extraordinarily handsome, and the successful, Marcus DeLuca. Slowly she begins to fall for him, but as she caves in to his charms, she begins to discover he is keeping something from her.Marcus DeLuca is living two lives: one that involves his successful career and the other that could potentially ruin his entire reputation. Every day is a stressful and hectic environment with his busy schedule. His secret could jeopardize not only his life but everyone he loves.That’s why he has no extra room for a serious, romantic relationship, but after meeting Mia he cannot resist her. She is innocent, humble, and pure, the total opposite of him. She distracts him from all of his deep, dark secrets. He knows once Mia finds out the things he has done and who he truly is, she will never want to look at him again. Deep down he knows he must stay away but he can’t. Mia and Marcus are heading down a path of love, lies, heart break and betrayal. Can their love conquer all or will it end?

Alfonzo


S.W. Frank - 2011
    The only male role-model in Alfonzo's life is his beloved Uncle Al but even he can not curb the youth's rebellion or alter the course of Alfonzo's destiny. Alfonzo's fate was written the moment he emerged from the protection of his mother's womb. The blood of a faceless father runs deep in a son's veins and blue eyes are only part of a deadly legacy.When Uncle Al and his wife are brutally murdered the door to the past is sprung open. Lies, greed and a quest for power began on the shores of Italy reaches its bloody hand to New York's inner city to strike at a young man perched to inherit a mafia empire! A pulsating, adult drama packed with heat!Look for Volume II entitled: ASCENSION in this riveting series.

Nero


Sarah Brianne - 2014
    I just want to be a fu**ing made man.I’m just a fu**ing waitress.

Accidental Witness


Sam Mariano - 2017
    We’d never spoken, but of course I heard the stories about his family. I know they’re dangerous. I know he’s dangerous. Vince never had a reason to notice me, anyway—until I inadvertently witnessed his first mob hit. His family doesn’t believe in leaving witnesses alive, but Vince seems different. He knows the best thing he can do for me is stay away, but something keeps drawing us together. Despite knowing the risks of getting mixed up with him, I can’t resist. Only problem is, Vince is a package deal—you don’t get him without getting swept up in his family’s dark games. Now entangled with a notorious Chicago crime family, will my life ever be mine again?**Obligatory trigger warning: While not wholly dark, this is a mafia romance with elements of DARK ROMANCE. There are no knights in shining armor to be found here.Sensitive content not recommended for those under 18, or those who loathe the dark romance genre. **This is a continuing story series. The story continues and evolves in each book until you get to the end.

An Unforgivable Love Story


B.L. Berry - 2016
    Love is kind. Love is UNFORGIVABLE. She wanted to forget her past. He wanted to change the course of his future. She was everything he never knew he needed. He became her unexpected. Everything was perfect. Until ...

Angelica


Angelique Jones - 2015
    When these words are not followed there is only one other word that you must know Revenge For Angelica it is the only word that has held any meaning in her life for ten years. Taught at an early age that disloyalty equals death and that blood is to be answered with blood she seeks vengeance for the deaths of those she loved. Always alone she has been careful to stay free of emotional ties until her life takes an unexpected turn. Unfortunately like everything in her life it has consequences. Consequences that can only be answered with blood. As her past and future collide together Angelica must face her past once and for all if she has any chance at a future and happiness that she never dared hope for. She must do it quickly before she sinks further into the darkness and becomes the very thing that she hunts. excerpt: At the age of ten I was my daddy’s little princess and my mommy’s little angel. I was kept in my tower like any other princess. My mommy was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was so beautiful that many people called her Helen of Troy, and though our coloring was different, everyone said I was just as beautiful. When Mommy chose Daddy, the other men she hadn’t chosen were very angry, though they hid it and waited. My parents were worried that someone would steal me, so I lived in my tower, only allowed to be seen by my family. When I was ten my mommy became pregnant with my brother, and we were sent away to be safe. When I was ten my daddy and my mommy died and I was forced to run and hide. When I was eleven he found me. When I was twelve he found me. When I was thirteen he found me. When I was fourteen he found me. When I was fifteen he found me. When I was sixteen he found me and told me that I would be his princess. When I was seventeen he found me and told me that I was to remain a virgin. When I was eighteen he found me and told me that I was to be his virgin princess bride. When I was nineteen he found me. As I escaped again he yelled to me that if I ever allowed any to touch me, he would kill them, and the pain I suffered now would be nothing compared to what I would suffer for the rest of my life. His threats scared me then no more than they had when I was eleven. The hurt he did to me I refused to show. The numbness of my existence let me block it out. The problem was, when I turned twenty I did something I had never done before. I allowed someone to become my friend.

#1 Crush


Kaia Bennett - 2014
    Gabriel has always seen Nicole as his good friend’s very pretty, but extremely off limits baby sister. Then a hot summer day and an even hotter discovery pushes them over the lines of friendship, over the lines of unrequited desire, and into each other's arms.Will they indulge and move on? Or will this crush turn into something more, something deeper? Something that leaves loose ends begging to be tied…#1 Crush is book one in the Loose Ends series. Each book is a full novel and the series will conclude with book three.

Inescapable (Oliveri Mafia Romance- Book One 1)


Melverna McFarlane - 2021
    NO CLIFFHANGER.Jessie has sworn off relationships until she can exorcise her secret celebrity crush from her thoughts. More importantly, her fantasies. Crushing on someone rumored to be in the mafia was a red hot no for her. When she comes face-to-face with the man himself, he is more dangerous than she initially thought... and not just to her safety.Gio Oliveri is the wealthy heir to the dubious Oliveri business empire. Ruthless in business and his personal life, Gio never lets an insult go unaddressed. So when a woman embarrasses him, in his own club no less, he sets out to teach her a lesson, only to set his sights on her friend. After a disastrous first impression, be buys himself three months to woo Jessie, who challenges him at every turn. He has to find a way to keep Jessie before his family responsibilities tear them apart forever.As he pursues his deepening desire for Jessie, unknown threats to his business and her life begin to appear. In addition to uncovering the mysterious threats, he has Jessie’s misgivings about his chosen profession to contend with. He must find a way to make his temporary relationship permanent.Exposed to Gio’s mobster persona, Jessie cannot deny the devastating violence he wields so effortlessly and questions if she could one day be on the receiving end.As they navigate their new relationship and the dangerous parties seeking to destroy them, it will take a devastating loss and deep soul searching before they trust each other enough to fight for their love.

Fragile Longing


Cora Reilly - 2020
    Perfection. Until she wasn’t. Until she ran off to be with the enemy and left her fiancé behind.Now Sofia is given to Danilo in her sister’s stead, knowing she’ll never be more than second best. Yet, she can’t stop longing for the love of the man she’s been crushing on even when he was still her sister’s.Danilo is a man who’s used to getting what he wants.Power.Respect.The sought-after ice princess.Until another man steals his bride-to-be. Danilo knows that for a man in his position losing his woman can lead to a loss of face.Wounded pride.Thirst for revenge.A dangerous combination—one Danilo can’t leave behind, not even when a girl just as precious takes her sister’s place to placate him. Yet, she’s got one flaw: she’s not her sister.Unable to forget what he’s lost, Danilo might lose what he’s been given.

Adam & Eve: A Tale of Obsession


Shantel Davis - 2019
    The intensity of it scared even me, and nothing ever scared me. She made me feel for the first time in my life. For a man like me, that was terrifying, but it was also fucking exhilarating. Soon, my want turned into need, and then obsession. From there, it developed into full-blown addiction. She became all that I thought of. If I was a better, less selfish man, I would have forced myself to stay away from her. We were from two different worlds; one light, one dark. I knew the darkness of my world would inevitably swallow her whole. But I couldn’t let her go. I wouldn’t even lie and say I’d tried. I hadn’t. Every fiber of my being screamed that Eve was mine. She was meant for me. I could live without her, but I didn’t want to. I was rational enough to know that she wasn’t ready for me, though. She was too naive, too innocent, too young. I’d break her. So, in silence I’d suffered. Watching, wanting, waiting, needing only her. She was always right within my reach but never close enough to touch. Until… I took her.

Bad Boy Daddy


Chance Carter - 2015
    I needed a man.FaithThe first time I saw Jackson, I hated his guts. He was everything I could never have. Pure, panty-wetting, manhood. And I was trapped in a loveless relationship with his worst enemy. I never would have dreamed he craved my womb so badly he was willing to do anything for it.JacksonMy father's death taught me a lot of things. Most importantly, I needed a child. I had to have a son before my enemies caught up with me. So when Faith came begging for protection, I knew exactly what I wanted. I yearned for her body. Lust raged through me like a wildfire. I longed to make her pregnant with my child. I gave her an offer she couldn't refuse. A life for a life. My protection, in exchange for everything she had to offer. I'd die for her, but she would give me a son.I took her womb. I never suspected she'd take my heart.