Book picks similar to
Antidote by L.C. Lehesaho
dnf
dark-romance
dark
crime
Beware
Shanora Williams - 2014
Very bad. After losing my brother, I know I should stay away. So why can’t I? He’s irresistible. He’s confident. He’s amazing… but he’s dangerous. He was there the night my brother was murdered. He watched it all go down. I should stay away. The things I saw weren’t acceptable. I should want Ace as far away from me as possible—I should consider him a monster and a threat—but when my life is at stake I know I no longer have a choice of the matter. He's the only one that can protect me. He's done what he can to keep me out of danger, but it's not enough. I need answers. I need the truth. He refuses to give it to me, and because of that I don't trust him. He refuses to tell me what really happened and to just forget about it but I refuse. I won’t back down until I get answers. But there’s one thing wrong with getting too many answers. It leads to lies. It leads to trouble. It leads to danger. But worst of all, it leads to me falling deeply and madly in love with him. I’ve gotta be out of my mind. London Stallone hasn’t always had the perfect life, but she did have the perfect older brother. He did everything for her. He took care of her when no one else would. He’s always been the shoulder she could lean on, but when he ends up murdered, things turn for the worst. London soon demands answers, and the first person she runs to is her brother’s co-worker and good friend, Donovan “Ace” Crow. Ace isn’t the ordinary guy. He doesn’t come equipped with flowers and chocolate. He doesn’t hand out smiles and hugs to every female he meets. He’s strict and only about business, and London believes he’s a part of the reason her brother was murdered. Soon, after finding out life-threatening news, it leads to something Ace never thought he’d have to do for anyone. Protect her. Although he doesn't want her to get hurt, it doesn't stop him from being selfish or bitter. He's promised to protect her, but has he done enough ? Has he sacrificed everything in order to keep London out of harms way? Sometimes love can get in the way of your priorities. And sometimes love can easily become your enemy—your worst nightmare. It can destroy you. This is a story full of dishonesty. Disloyalty. Broken hearts. Pain. Suffering. Lies. Destruction. This isn’t a fairytale love story. This is real. And it just might break you. You’ve been warned… BEWARE. *91K words*
The Bandit
B.B. Reid - 2016
She thought she could steal from me and get away with it, but I have no intention of letting her get away at all. Mian Ross has a lesson to learn, and I'm going to be the one to teach it to her.HE STOLE MY SONI'll never forget the night I made the second biggest mistake of my life. It was supposed to be a simple job, but it quickly became so much more--one that cost my freedom and cost my son. Angel Knight became my worst nightmare... and now, he'll never let us go.
Marriage & Malice
Trisha Wolfe - 2021
I've devoted my life to my pursuit of ballet, it’s my escape from the dark underworld I was born into. As a Carpella and the daughter of a made man, I've accepted certain traditions. Yet, having just been promoted to principal within a prestigious dance company, I'm so close to escaping that world…Until a devil with blood on his hands and an Irish curse inked into his skin tears into my world, now passion holds a whole new sinister meaning. With ruination in his steel-blue eyes and me in his crosshairs, Lucian Cross traps me in his gilded cage and uses me to deliver his retribution.Forced to sign a marriage contract, my father traded my life to save his own. Now I'm bound to Lucian, owned by a monster who swore an oath of pain and suffering to my family. Lucian's passion is revenge.And because my family destroyed what he loved, he vowed to destroy what I love. Every night he forces me to dance until my breaking point. He wants to condition me to loathe the very thing that once gave me hope.I can't let him break me, but the closer we get to the wedding date, the more entangled I become in his dangerous, tempting world, and I begin to lose myself in him.His vow is my pain.My vow is not to fall for the enemy.But how can I dance with the devil himself and not be singed by his fire?
Kings of Blood and Money
Ker Dukey - 2021
My father was supposed to be there that night. He should have been there. Should have protected them—us.When you strip a man of all he cares about, you’re left with a soulless entity seething with primal rage. He promised to turn Gallo's bloodline to dust to get his retribution.And he did.All but one.FreyaI was seven years old when I was taken in the night. I don’t remember much of life before that. All I know now is the glaring eyes of a boy who hates me, and the comfort I find in the boy whose face mirrors his.I’m not part of this family, but they’re all I have familiar as one. To hate is easy.And I do hate them.But to love even in hate is what hardens you, strengthens you, gives you reason.The truth is I shouldn’t love them, that all these years are leading somewhere I won’t want to go.But I do…Love them.I love them both. The only question left now is, do they love me?
Twist Me
Anna Zaires - 2014
Taken to a private island.
I never thought this could happen to me. I never imagined one chance meeting on the eve of my eighteenth birthday could change my life so completely.Now I belong to him. To Julian. To a man who is as ruthless as he is beautiful – a man whose touch makes me burn. A man whose tenderness I find more devastating than his cruelty. My captor is an enigma. I don’t know who he is or why he took me. There is a darkness inside him – a darkness that scares me even as it draws me in.My name is Nora Leston, and this is my story.
WARNING: This is NOT a traditional romance. It contains disturbing subject matter, including themes of questionable consent and Stockholm Syndrome, as well as graphic sexual content. This is a work of fiction intended for a mature, 18+ audience only. The author neither endorses nor condones this type of behavior.
The Game Maker
Kitty Thomas - 2020
I was about to be evicted. I made a final desperate call to the man who ruined my life, but he didn't come for me.Someone else did.And then there was Seven. When I first woke in the cell, I thought he was my captor, but he is a pawn, like me.Seven is beautiful and kind. I want him so much I can barely breathe. He wants to protect me from our captor, but he can't.We are both locked inside a game neither of us can ever hope to win, and even though it's wrong, I'm starting to want both men, not just the good one... the monster as well.*This is a standalone dark contemporary romance.
Lethal Sin
Jennifer Bene - 2016
No attachments. No friends. No family. Nothing more than a one night stand whenever the itch got too strong to scratch by herself – and it always worked for her. She was one of the best free agents in the business. If you wanted intel on someone, she could get it. If you wanted a sticky situation resolved, she could fix it. And if you wanted someone to quietly disappear? Well, for the right price she could do that too. It all worked perfectly until one of the biggest crime lords in the city decided he wanted her on the payroll full-time. Exclusively on his payroll. At first she had refused, but then he found a weak spot that even Camille hadn’t known about, and once she knew? There was no saying ‘no’ to Patrick Callahan. That was how she found herself on the wrong side of the gun, in a sticky situation of her own, on her knees before the head badass from a rival criminal organization – Mateo Salvai. All he wants when he first meets Camille is to get the answers his boss wants from her, using his own devious methods, but once he meets this feisty, strong woman, all his plans go out the window. He’s fascinated by her, he craves her, and once he realizes she’s his perfect match he knows he can’t let her go. Yet, the world they run in is dangerous and there are no easy options when they both report to powerful men bent on the other’s destruction. Will Mateo break his loyalties to protect Camille, and will Camille let go of her long-held rules to let him help her? Jump in to the criminal underworld of these two assassins and get ready for a no holds barred, sexy, intense rush to the explosive conclusion of ‘Lethal Sin’, book one of the Dangerous Games series!
Perfection of Suffering
M. Sinclair - 2021
Specifically, their sons - the heirs to some of the largest fortunes in the country. I had grown used to them acting as my shadows, protecting me and surrounding me with enough affection that I never questioned if their words were in fact the truth.Then the Brooks twins came to town. Suddenly, everything I had known about myself was being shattered as they dug up my worst insecurities and exploited them to the world. I began questioning everything.Kingston Ross. Stratton Lee. Yates Carter. Lincoln & Sterling Gates.They have been able to protect me from everything… but myself. My boys carry a darkness inside of them that has never scared me. The shadows of deeds done at night, away from the spotlight of being who we were in this societal hierarchy. They think I’m afraid of that, but they couldn’t be farther from the truth.I wasn’t afraid of their darkness.I wasn’t afraid of my feelings for them, ones that had grown from friendship into so much more.I wasn’t even afraid of expressing that to them… eventually.What I was afraid of? That I would hurt those around me with my shame and pain.I would just have to perfect the art of suffering in silence.Wildberry Lane - Home to the extremely wealthy and powerful Southern elite.Perfection of Suffering, book 1 in The Shadows of Wildberry Lane trilogy, is M. Sinclair’s debut contemporary reverse harem novel. This work features a naive female character hiding a dark secret of her own, the men in her life that will do anything to keep her safe, and a scandal that stretches far beyond the safety of Wildberry Lane’s gate.Warning: This book does contain sexual content for +18, swearing, violence, and triggers when it comes to specifically, but not limited to, eating disorders and bullying. Important to note, the bullying is NOT done by the harem, but rather outside sources. This is a slow/medium burn series.
Plausibility
Jettie Woodruff - 2013
Aquilla Chavez was raised by a loving father and a brother who may have loved her a little too much. Aquilla was spoiled and adored, bringing cheer when disaster threatened a family. She was exposed to a life of crime, all while lovingly being sheltered and protected from it. Will she ever reclaim the one man who she believes to be the love of her life? She didn’t want to be where she was forced to be. She wanted nothing to do with the person she was involuntary turned into. Aquilla had one goal - one goal that would save her from the catastrophic life she was suddenly thrown into. She had to find him. She had to try, or was this the plausibility of a life she was meant to have? Was the life she was torn from the disastrous life? Could this be where she was meant to be? How would she ever know? What if he found her? What if she never saw him again? What if.... she didn’t want to? If you are into lovey dovey, sappy romance, you should probably move on. This book contains explicit sex, drugs, and adult language. Not your typical every day romance.
Dirty Ugly Toy
K. Webster - 2016
Things are looking up. She’s dirty and ugly. He’s wicked but handsome. Six months to toy with her. Six months of vacation and a ton of money. I’ll hurt her beyond repair. I’ve been through much worse. She's difficult to control and doesn't obey. I'm done submitting to anyone or anything in this life. I should hate her. I should hate him. The game has changed. I will win. Dirty Ugly Toy is a novel that blurs the lines of right and wrong, deals with abuse, contains dubious consent, and adult subject matter. If you are sensitive to violent sexual situations, the book may not be suitable for you. Some parts of this book are not easy to read and are not intended for everyone. However, those that keep an open mind and stick with it will not be disappointed.
Haunting Adeline
H.D. Carlton - 2021
Especially not when I plead for him to leave.He's always there, watching and waiting.And I can never look away.Not when I want him to come closer.The ShadowI didn't mean to fall in love.But now that I have, I can't stay away.I'm mesmerized by her smile, by her eyes, and the way she moves.The way she undresses...I'll keep watching and waiting. Until I can make her mine.And once she is, I'll never let her go.Not even when she begs me to.While not required, it is highly suggested to read the novella, Satan's Affair, first.This book was previously banned on Amazon due to the trigger warning. Please read reviews or go to the author's website.
Spin
C.D. Reiss - 2014
The one she's just about addicted to, is more than forbidden. With felony-black eyes and a mouth built for lies, loving him is one step away from illegal.But her body keeps overriding her brain. Maybe it's time to stop playing by the rules.Antonio is obsessed. Theresa's the last woman he should touch. She's going to get him killed. She's dangerous. Poison. The wrong woman. Except... She's perfect.And they both figure... One more time. Just one more time. One more time and they won't get killed. One more time and they won't get caught.One.More.Time...**MATURE AUDIENCES--Rough sex. Dirty talk. Criminal activity. Cursing. Fisticuffs. Closed course. Professional driver. Do not try this at home.**
Debt
Nina G. Jones - 2014
Maybe I was bored, or lonely, or there was a void so deep inside of me that I needed something explosive to fill it. It was supposed to be safe. A thrill. A way to break through the monotony of everyday life. It was an illusion of danger that I could walk away from as soon as it was over. Except that it wasn’t. Because I had been in danger long before I ever invited it into my life. ———————My mission is almost complete. The bubbling boil of vengeance that heats my blood might finally simmer. She is the last piece of the puzzle. Once I destroy her, everyone who ever hurt me will have paid their debt. It was supposed to be quick and easy, but as soon as I met her it got complicated. Very complicated.DEBT is a standalone novel. 118k words. Adult/graphic content that may be difficult for some readers.
Serial, Volume One
Lily White - 2014
Born with everything, wanting for nothing, murder has become his addiction. He kills women who entice him. He immortalizes them while they’re still young and beautiful. How will he manage to save the one woman he loves?Ronnie Lapierre is a survivor. Born with nothing, she’s struggling in a dead end job with an abusive bastard for a boyfriend. Jude offers her a way out, salvation beyond her wildest dreams. What will happen when she learns his terrible secret?Donovan Blake is the brightest mind to come out of Quantico in years. Charged with finding the Cascades Butcher, he’s perfect for this game of cat and mouse. Will his own dark past lead him to success, or drag him into the depths of hell with the most dangerous man he’s ever encountered?Hearts will be broken, families destroyed, and good men will turn evil. In the end, only one will remain. Find out who survives in this intense story of love and ruin.***Explores dark themes of murder, violence, sexuality, BDSM, the nature of evil...basically all the good stuff.
Slammer
Tabatha Vargo - 2015
Ten years later, the boy he used to be is gone. In his place is the shell of a man with murder under his belt. Any emotion he once had was left under the gavel when he was given life in prison. That is until the new nurse in the infirmary joins the block. Putting your hands on a prison employee will get you the hole, but some things are worth their punishment, and something tells him Lyla will be worth more than he bargained for. Lyla Evans isn’t sure about her new job at a maximum security prison, but showing uncertainty and weakness isn’t an option. Taking care of murderers and rapists isn’t ideal, but survival is key. She’s warned ahead of time about a prisoner named X, but when she’s attacked, it’s the dangerous X that saves her. Fraternizing with the prisoners is forbidden, but sometimes the most forbidden things are the sweetest.