Book picks similar to
The Leader by Shanna Bell


mafia
romance
dark
contemporary-romance

Sweet Cruelty


Zoe Blake - 2020
    Mine. If I were a better man, I would've just let her go. But I'm not. I'm a cruel bastard. I ruthlessly claimed her virtue for my own.It should have been enough. But it wasn't. I needed more. Craved it. She became my obsession. Her sweetness and purity taunted my dark soul. The need to possess her nearly drove me mad. A Russian arms dealer had no business pursuing a naive librarian student. She didn't belong in my world. I would bring her only pain. But it was too late…She was mine and I was keeping her.

The Non-Disclosure Agreement


Kelsey McKnight - 2017
    When I moved to New York City for a fresh start, I didn’t know I would be made a sinful offer I couldn’t refuse… My billionaire businessman boss has decided that being the most powerful man on the East Coast isn’t enough. He needs political power too. But who would vote for a womanizing playboy with a different model on his arm every week? If he wants to win, he needs a respectable wife…he needs me. I have the looks, the small-town charm—I’m already his employee, and I’ve already signed a non-disclosure agreement, making me the perfect choice. But am I willing to pretend to be even more? And will there come a point when pretending isn’t enough?

Illusion


J.S. Cooper - 2014
    Cooper introduces the Swept Away series—three new, dark and sexy romances about a woman marooned on a desert island with a mysterious stranger—but is he friend or foe?The day started like every other day... Bianca London finds herself kidnapped and locked up in a van with a strange man. Ten hours later, they’re dumped on a deserted island. Bianca has no idea what’s going on and her attraction to this stranger is the only thing keeping her fear at bay. Jakob Bradley wants only to figure out why they’ve been left on the island and how they can get off. But as the days go by, he can’t ignore his growing fascination with Bianca. In order to survive, Bianca and Jakob must figure out how they’re connected, but as they grow closer, secrets are revealed that may destroy everything they thought they knew about each other.

First Comes Blood


Lilith Vincent - 2021
    A virgin mafia princess to unite them. But first, there will be blood.On my seventeenth birthday, I learn a terrible secret about my family. My future is in the hands of four brutal men, and what awaits me at their hands is too terrible to imagine. Four men who desire me. Four men who vow to possess me. Four men who think they can destroy me.As the only daughter of Coldlake’s mayor, I should be kept far, far out of their reach. Instead, I’m being thrown to them as a sacrifice. My father insists only one of them can marry me, but all of them vow to secure my promise. A promise in blood. They take. I bleed. Happy birthday to me. AUTHOR'S NOTE: First Comes Blood is the first book in the Promised in Blood series and ends on a cliffhanger. These books contain dark themes, violence, and a Why Choose romance with ruthlessly possessive men. The story is dark, dirty and delicious so please read at your discretion.

San Bravado Billionaires' Club Box Set: Books 1 - 10


Layla Valentine - 2019
    Filled with steamy, enthralling tales of the gorgeous billionaires of San Bravado, it’s a sweet and spicy trip to the most romantic city in America. Second Chance Twins: All he wants is a second chance with the one that got away, But there’s not one, but two bundles of joy to meet first! Nanny For Hire: I’ve broken the heart of every nanny I’ve recruited. Can I keep my hands off my latest hire? The Baby Bargain: The billionaire needs a baby. He's about to get a whole new family instead... Accidental Triplets: One night of red-hot passion, Two eager lovers, And three accidental babies! Because what else do you give the man who has everything? Take My V-Card: I never thought I’d see him again The would-be lover who left me waiting… Now, he’s back, And this time, he’s gonna take my V-Card Bought By The Boss: She was meant to be a one-night fling, But then she tried to steal from me. I’m going to make my mark on her, She’s going to learn who’s boss… Four Secret Babies: He has billions of dollars But he doesn’t have a baby Well guess what? That’s going to change – four times over! My Brother’s Best Friend: Five years have gone by since that fateful night, When the red-hot 19-year-old burst onto the San Bravado scene. She was the hottest new thing in town. Not Marriage Material: I made a deal with the devil: play the fake girlfriend to the drop-dead-gorgeous billionaire. But now it’s getting all too real… The Single Daddy Situation: He’s an irresistibly handsome single dad, My former lover, and my soon-to-be boss. Oh, and did I mention that he’s a billionaire? Welcome to my single daddy situation…

Beautiful Carnage


Caroline Peckham - 2020
    Our fates were spun the night he tried to kill me and now he’s back to destroy me for good.It’s always been us versus them. The Calabresis against the Romeros.This city is ours but they vowed to take it from us. And when they couldn’t, they took me instead.Now I’m chained by the cruellest of them all; the man who wrapped his hands around my throat and tried to squeeze the life from me all those years ago.But I won’t fall prey to him. I’m older, fiercer and I’ve grown claws of my own.Rocco Romero thinks he can keep me captive, but he’s about to regret bringing a sleeping tiger into his home.ROCCOShe’s my greatest failure.The name that always haunts me.My dirty little secret.And when I had the chance to kidnap her from her wedding, nothing on God’s green earth could stop me.She’s mine. I could take her life, her body or her heart if I wanted to.But my brothers refuse to believe me.So when they bet I can’t make the little principessa fall in love with me, of course I step up to the challenge.And when she’s down on her knees, pouring her heart out, I’ll crush it in my fist.I’m lining the Calabresis up like dominoes. And she’ll be the first to fall.**Beautiful Carnage is a standalone mafia bully romance between one sexy guy and girl with hot scenes and alpha men causing havoc at every turn**

Toxic


Nicole Blanchard - 2017
    A criminal.As a prison nurse, I knew the rules: do my job, don’t get involved, and never let a prisoner get under my skin.I broke all three.My passion, my obsession, my addiction. I risked my entire life so we could be together.I thought helping him escape from prison would be the hard part.It turns out when you fall in love with a villain, you also turn into one.

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.

'Til Death: Volume One


Bella Jewel - 2014
    There is. I married a douchebag.I didn't know it at the time. He came in like a handsome stranger and blew me off my feet. I fell madly in love, like the naive girl I am. Then he left me high and dry. Turns out, I was nothing more than a business plan for billionaire playboy, Marcus Tandem. He needed to be married in order to obtain his grandfathers business, and I was the poor victim in his path. I believed in what we had, until the truth reared its ugly head. I never meant anything to Marcus. Not a damned thing. With my world spinning on its axis, the girl I once was has long since died. Instead he left me as this empty, emotionless shell.I may have made a vow before God to love and cherish him ‘Til Death do we part, but it’s time for me to give back to Marcus, exactly what he gave me. He has to pay.And pay he will. This is part of a two book series and it will contain a HEA – Readers over 18+

Tramp


Mary Elizabeth - 2020
    After fleeing a tragic past, Lydia’s determined never to go back to the life she left behind at any price. She lands in Grand Haven, California—a city booming with billion dollar corporations and tech money—and everything changes. Armed with the only lesson she learned from her mother, Lydia builds a life of routine, solitude, and success. Nothing is out of reach when you’re beautiful. Nearly a decade after her arrival, Lydia's the highest paid escort in the city, and only the most influential people in Grand Haven can get near her. She's a goddess among her clients, and out of reach to everyone else. Lydia's created the perfect illusion, and no one will take it from her again.Until a misunderstanding lands her in the office of the city’s most eligible bachelor. Talent Ridge is Grand Haven royalty. Despite running in the same circles as Lydia’s clients, he’s scandal-free and on his way to being the most powerful man in the area. Their chemistry is undeniable, but a relationship has the potential to destroy everything they’ve worked for. Especially when Lydia is running from her past, and Talent is running toward a future she can never be a part of. Beauty and money can’t save them this time. Are Lydia and Talent willing to give it all up for each other, or will their differences cost too much?

Caught on Camera


Kim Law - 2012
    But then she made the mistake of a lifetime. Former model Vega Zaragoza knows what scandal feels like, and she’s resolved to avoid it. Now making her living behind the camera instead of in front of it, she’s content. Life is good. But when a shot at her dream job comes along, one that puts her back in the public eye, Vega has a choice to make: continue to play it safe . . . or gamble everything to go toe-to-toe—and heart-to-heart—with the city’s most eligible bachelor.JP Davenport isn’t merely Atlanta’s most eligible bachelor, he’s the golden boy of one of America’s most prominent families. With endless charisma and movie-star good looks, JP is used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants it. And sometimes, things even get handed to him that he doesn’t want. But what can he do? He’s a Davenport. Everyone in the family has their role to play.When JP sets his sights on Vega, he has no idea the secrets she hides. Secrets that, if exposed, could upend both their lives. But though neither is willing to back away from the attraction they feel, they each start to wonder if a relationship is truly a mistake. Or will being together lead them both down the path to the freedom they each so desperately seek? “Kim Law pens a sexy, fast-paced romance.” —New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde “The chemistry between Vega and JP is explosive and will have you rooting for the couple’s success.” —RT Book Reviews One-click now to get started reading and get drawn into the scandals that surround the Davenports! Don’t miss the other Davenport novels! Caught on Camera (The Davenports #1) Caught in the Act (The Davenports #2) Caught off Guard (The Davenports #3) Author’s note: This book was previously published in 2012 under the same title but with a different cover. The story remains the same as the original.

Phoenix


Rebecca Rennick - 2021
    One woman, one day. That’s all they get. The only stable relationship in my life is the one I have with my tattoo gun. I spend my days working private security for the crime Syndicate and nights at my family’s bar.That is, until my cousin brings home a stray—a provoking, smart-mouthed redhead. But Clover is off-limits. She’s too much of a temptation and trouble in the making.But when a man I should have killed long ago sets his sights on her. I’ll have to decide if she’s worth the risk of my heart and breaking my only rule.CloverLife is a big, fat sack of donkey shit. But after one drunken afternoon, my new fairy godfather whisks me away to live and work with his family of high-profile criminals. Tending bar with a shotgun within my reach turns out to be the perfect job for me.What I don’t need is the annoyingly hot, new roommate, Nix Colton, who infuriates me at every turn, tempting me to take a walk on his wild side. But he says he doesn’t want me.If I can’t have Nix, maybe the sexy stranger who walks into my bar one day is just what I need. But when he turns out to be no ordinary stranger, it becomes painfully clear I should stay far away from him.Because if I let my guard down around him, it may be the last mistake I ever make. And nothing Nix does will save me from my fate.*Trigger WarningViolenceAddictionStrong Sexual SituationsDrug use

Nikolai: A Mafia Prince Romance


Shandi Boyes - 2018
    It is the women determined to tame the bad boys.By tame, we mean stake our claim.

The Terms: Part One


Ruby Rowe - 2017
    For three years, Camilla withheld the fact that my brother had a son, Liam. Then, Tony died without ever knowing his kid, and I was going to make sure Ms. Rose paid a price for her deceit. I also wanted Liam to be raised as a Burke. Our family’s legacy was one to carry on, so the terms were straightforward. Live in my home. Allow me to help raise Liam. Oh, and agree to be my submissive. In return, I agreed not to rip Camilla’s child away from her. I also offered them both financial security and a life of luxury. It seemed generous to me. It might’ve been simple, too, had she not reminded me of the lady in red. The one who haunted my dreams at night. Camilla’s hazel eyes were a mirror image, her sweetness more than an acquaintance to my subconscious. I was a hacker by trade, and the internet was my best friend, sharing with me every secret I wished to unearth. I believed that until an unfathomable truth revealed itself in a different way. Some secrets are never whispered, only sensed by the heart, and all along, my soul held the truth. It hid even from me the most important secret of them all. The Terms ends in a cliffhanger. It contains explicit language and graphic sex, including aspects of BDSM. The second novel in the duet, The Terms: Part Two, will release June 2017.

Out of Love


Jewel E. Ann - 2020
    Corruption. Serial killers.You name it—I'm fascinated by it. My mom always blamed my overly curious and highly suspicious mind on my dad.My incredibly overbearing dad.Mr. No One Is Good Enough For My Daughter has been terrifying my dates since I turned fifteen.College is my chance to be free from his control and date any guy I want. I'm absolutely certain he would hate Slade Wylder—almost as certain as I am that I do too.Since when have I shied away from trouble? Slade fascinates me. He lives in a house I'm certain is haunted. His dog is trained as well as any guard I've ever seen. Rumor on campus is that he deals drugs. It would explain a lot.But it doesn't explain why he saves me from my darkest moment.It doesn't explain why I can't stop thinking about him.And the explanation I finally discover is far more dangerous than any rumor.