Book picks similar to
Bully Bet by Moira Barretti


high-school
mafia
romance
romantic-suspense

Surviving Carson


B.K. Leigh - 2019
    Not the kind that crosses the finish line either. No, I run from anything and anyone. It’s what I know, what I was raised to do. Like mother like daughter, right? So what happens when Mommy Dearest up and leaves without me, leaving me with nowhere else to run to? I have all but three choices, 1. Foster Care. 2. Juvenile Detention. 3. My long and not so lost brother on the East Coast. The choice was simple. So I packed what little things I owned and ran right into the devil himself. Carson Andrews, my newest neighbor, classmate, and tormentor all wrapped in one. But I didn’t run this time, I stood my ground, no matter how badly I wanted to flee. I can handle a lot of things, but who knew the shattering of my heart wasn’t one of them? *Warning, this is a bully romance that contains triggers and situations that may be uncomfortable for readers.

Lucas


Jay McLean - 2016
    He also has an older sister, five younger brothers and a father who relies on him to make sure those brothers don’t kill each other.  His saving grace? Lois “Laney” Sanders, a girl he started to fall in like with when he was just eleven. A girl who became his best friend, his confidant, his courage.  It took only sixteen clicks and eight seconds for Lucas to realize that his like for Laney had turned into love.   Eight life-changing seconds.  It’s also the exact length of time it took to lose her.

King of Hawthorne Prep


Jennifer Sucevic - 2020
    A seemingly idyllic school where ivy clings to the thick stone walls and a wrought iron gate keeps out the townies who can’t afford to foot the hefty price tag.A couple of months ago, the idea of being ripped away from my life in Chicago and plunked down in the middle of nowheresville, Wisconsin was unimaginable. Laughable, even. And yet, here I am, forced to wear a short plaid skirt and navy blazer to school every day. The only silver lining is the brand spanking new G-wagon parked in the weathered brick drive. All I have to do is make it through senior year and then I’m off to college.Shouldn’t be a problem, right?Wrong.In a school like this, flying under the radar is impossible.There’s a king who presides over the kingdom and he’s set on forcing me to my knees so I can kiss the crown. Unbeknownst to me, being a Hawthorne in this town comes with a price and he’s going to make damn sure I pay what’s owed.*King of Hawthorne Prep is a mature bully romance intended for audiences over the age of 18*

Facing The Enemy


M.E. Clayton - 2019
    Growing up in an abusive household, she endured a life of violence that ultimately led to the murder of her mother. However, she's only a couple of months away from turning 18, so she's got it covered. At least, she thought she did until her guilt ridden aunt comes and takes her in. Now, living miles away, where money is worshipped like a deity, she realizes she's a far cry away from the trailer park she called home. ​ Ramsey Reed wasn't blinded by money, power or social standing, even though he had all three of those things in spades. He knew people with money were just as degenerate as people without it. The wealthy were just able to pay people to look the other way, while the poor could not. He was only 18-years-old, but he was already sick and tired of the people around him. They were nothing but tools he used for his entertainment, and he found himself not being entertained much these days. When Emerson shows up at a pre-school year party and meets Ramsey, their connection sparks a battle of wills so strong, neither is certain if they'll be able to hold on to their sanity. And, yet, neither of them cared. Warning: While the story contains a HEA, it is a dark romance, bully read. It contains triggers and can be offensive to some readers. Please do not purchase if sensitive to such materials.

Double Vision


L.M. Halloran - 2018
    Eden has an ironclad five-year plan. In three months, she’s saying good riddance to Los Angeles and returning to the Pacific Northwest for medical school. Nothing is going to get in her way.Nothing… but the impossible.When she glimpses her doppelgänger at a party, the seemingly accidental meeting turns her life in a direction she never imagined, shredding everything she knows about herself and where she comes from. The one constant in her collapsing world is Liam Rourke, a man whose dark desires are matched only by his tenderness. But Liam is more than a master in the bedroom—he’s a master of lies.Uncovering the truth might cost Eden her life. Her family. Her love.Some things are worth dying for.Author's Note: Double Vision is a dark romance. Before you experience the story of Eden and Liam, please take heed of the following content warning: This novel contains themes which may be difficult for some readers. These elements include BDSM, criminal activity, dubious consent, violence, torture, and explicit sex. 18+ only, please.

Dear Love, I Hate You


Eliah Greenwood - 2021
    And he definitely wasn’t supposed to answer it. We end up talking through letters and sticky notes in a book. One sticky note. Two sticky notes. Ten sticky notes. All baring our darkest, deepest secrets. It’s all fun and games until I find out who my pen pal is... Xavier Emery. King of my basketball-obsessed town, my childhood bully, and the guy I am in grave danger of falling in love with. But the rules were clear: we can never know who we’re talking to, and the confessions can never, ever get out. Seriously. It would destroy lives.  Fine by me. Even if Mr. Popular does find out his confidant is little old me, it’s not like he’d ever love me back…Right?

Secret


G. Bailey - 2017
    Right?
 Izzy King knows dating former playboy, Blake Frost, behind her family’s back isn’t the greatest idea. When the attraction becomes too great to avoid, keeping their relationship a secret is the only way they can be together.
But, Izzy isn’t the only one keeping secrets. The King brothers are full of them. 
Can Blake and her brothers keep her safe from the past that haunts them all?
 These kings could destroy her, but she isn't able to walk away...Danger, lust, and King brothers never mix well. 
18+ due to violence, sexual scenes, and language.

See No Evil


Jordan Ford - 2016
    Now a key witness in a murder trial, she’s been hidden away in the one place no one will think to look for her: Eton Preparatory School for Boys.It’s a stupid move. Insane. But she doesn’t have a choice.Instead of completing her senior year with the popular crowd, she’s being forced to hide in a school with exactly zero XX chromosomes. Even worse, she’s somehow supposed to act like the Neanderthals walking the halls.But then she meets the guys next door—the smoking-hot ones. And it doesn’t help that one in particular could unravel her in a heartbeat… and potentially blow her cover. How’s she supposed to resist Trey Calloway, the star hockey player who never backs down from a fight…and who never takes no for an answer?She’s supposed to be focused on staying safe, not on the guy who’s getting under her skin. Her chilling past isn’t going to suddenly disappear.In fact, it might just be catching up with her.

Fall Out Girl


L. Duarte - 2015
    (Luna)Imagine a popular boy: Him. (Caleb)Sound like the characters of a cliché story, right? Here, hold my hand. Come away with me. I’ll tell you my story, and you’ll decide. But I have a warning: Proceed at your own risk. Since it’s a snippet of my life, I’m one of the main characters. And to put it lightly, I’m not the most likable person in the world, cue the earned label. Also, unlike fairy tales, my story is real with a dash of sorrow and loss. How do I start? Once upon a time…? Shoot me now, please. The beginning? No, too boring.Well, let’s start with the catalytic moment that set in motion a chain of events that changed my life, yet again.As for a happily ever after? Sorry, no spoilers here. You’re going to have to figure that one out on your own. After you read my tale, it becomes yours, and as such, you’re entitled to your interpretation.So, off we go! Fasten your seat belts. This ride may get bumpy.

Thin Skin: A High School Bully Romance


Indi Bluehart - 2019
    He'd been popular. Liked by all. His death had struck everyone because no one had ever been able to figure out what had happened to him.But I moved here amid the chaos as the new girl. No one wanted me there and they wanted to make sure I knew just how badly I wasn't wanted.As for him, the worst of them all, there didn't seem to be a line he wouldn't cross. I wanted to hate him because it would have made things so much easier.The only thing I had to do was to survive my senior year and then I could say goodbye to Vestamont High and goodbye to Spring Meadow forever.Nine months... how hard could that be?Turned out at Vestamont High, it was going to be a lot harder than I could have ever imagined.***THIN SKIN is the first book in the episodic Vestamont High novella series which is inspired by shows like Riverdale and Pretty Little Liars. There will be mystery, lies, bad boys, bullies, and girls that will do whatever it takes to be on top. Please note there are several heroes but this series is not a reverse harem. In the end, there can and will only be one. This book contains adult language and adult situations. It is intended for readers eighteen and up.***

You Suck


Sophie Stern - 2019
    It meant everything. Then my father was taken away and my world was shattered. Where our name once brought glory and recognition, now it brings only disdain. Now when I roam the halls of Crescent Academy, I'm nothing. A nobody. A forgotten girl who gets nasty looks from everyone. Especially Gavin. There was a time when our families were close. Our dads were practically brothers. Now Gavin can't stand to even look at me. Now he's nothing but a bully. And he makes my life hell at every fucking chance. YOU SUCK is a high school bully romance. Not for the faint of heart.

Like You Care


Kaydence Snow - 2020
    I want to be seen.I want him to see me.I'm not who he thinks I am but I'm starting to suspect he's not all he says he is either.Just my luck that he starts to make friends with my tormentors. How am I supposed to tell him who I really am? How am I supposed to show him my true face? What if the boy I'm falling in love with decides I'm nothing too?*Like You Care is a part of the Bully Me Anthology. In the Bully Me Anthology, this was a 30k novella. This is now the complete book. *

Dark Heart Volume 1


Ella James - 2020
    Looking back, it makes sense. I was young and needed saving. Luca was my strength. He could take on anything—the world, for me. They say first love cuts the deepest. Ours became a blade that bled me out. It turns out I didn’t know a villain when he held my heart in his hands. Now it’s darker—more like his. Elise was my whole world—until my world burned, and I destroyed her with me. Some betrayals, you can’t undo, no matter how much you wish you could. I can’t help who I am now, and why would I want to? I run this city. No one’s going to take me down—not even the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. I heard they’ve got a file eight inches thick on Don Galante. But dodging bullets is my business. They play dirty, but there’s no one dirtier than me.The DA learns the hard way who’s in charge; he’s out. It should be time for celebration. There’s just one problem: his heir. Or should I say heiress? Elise O’Hara wears a crown of lies, a gown of red, and a fat diamond on her left hand. Now it’s me and her. Or her and me. Only one of us will be left standing when the story’s over. This is how you write a tragedy.

Find Me


Ashley N. Rostek - 2021
    My parents. My twin sister. All of them murdered by the man who has stalked me for years. He nearly killed me, too. But I got away and he’s still out there, searching for me. He won’t find me. At least, I hope not. Thanks to WITSEC, I’ve been given a new life with a new identity.The present…My uncle, my only living relative, has helped me glue myself back together and given me the tools I’ll need to survive. I’m not fixed and my grief is heavy, but I’m at a point where I can put one foot in front of the other to try to move on.I know my future will be hard and lonely. I must stay strong and focus on the good. I’m getting a second chance at life. I am safe. My new home is beautiful. The four brothers who live next door are even more so. Little do I know that Colt, Creed, Keelan, and Knox will soon become my everything. It’s as if my lonely heart screamed out for someone good to find me. Four answered back.***WARNING This is a reverse harem romance. Contains violence, graphic killing, foul language, and sexual content. Some parts may be triggering.***

Untouchable


Lindsay Delagair - 2011
    Both guys are gorgeous, and both are trying to win her over. The only problem is that one of them has a million dollar contract to put a bullet in her.When her pure and innocent heart is offered to him, will this cold and empty hitman fall, or will he remain untouchable?This book is the beginning of a wild ride in a trilogy that will make you wonder if the power of love can truly conquer all.Book one builds the tension for the passion and erotic connection that blooms in book two (Unforgivable), and book three (Untraceable) brings you to the astonishing conclusion of the star-crossed lovers.