Book picks similar to
Embrace the Darkness by Ashley N. Rostek
mafia
reverse-harem
dark
rh
The Silver Swan
Amo Jones - 2017
When she begins Riverside Preparatory Academy, the private school her father has swept her into in The Hamptons, she hopes for a fresh start. What she wasn't hoping for was the pack of bad boys who run the school; ten, to be exact. When Madison gains the attention of their leader, Bishop Vincent Hayes, a whole new world that she didn't think existed is exposed to her. A whole world that starts and ends with The Elite Kings Club and these boys, are about to flip her world upside down. Secrets are overflowing and family lies are about to be exposed. Is there more to Madison Montgomery than even she knows?
Sweet Mercy
K.A. Tucker - 2019
Tucker comes the dark and steamy Empire Nightclub series.One visit to my father in prison—convicted for a murder he didn’t commit—and I’ve attracted the attention of the last man I’d ever want knowing that I exist.Gabriel Easton.Son of an infamous crime boss. Deplorable womanizer. Scoundrel to the core.Worse, he has figured out how desperate I am to protect my father from brutality behind bars. He has the power to grant that protection, and he has offered it … for a price.Me.I'll do anything for my father, including agree to Gabriel's cruel game. But I won't comply with his every whim and wish. Unfortunately for me, I think my loathing for him is what he’s enjoying most.That's fine. By the time I’m through with him, he’ll be crying my name.Mercy.
Merciless
Willow Winters - 2018
Women like her are made to destroy men like me. I couldn’t resist her though. Given to me to start a war; I was too eager to accept. But I didn’t know what she’d do to me. That she would change everything. She sees through me in a way no one else ever has. Her innocence and vulnerability make me weak for her and I hate it.I know better than to give in to temptation.A ruthless man doesn’t let a soul close to him.A cold-hearted man doesn’t risk anything for anyone.A powerful man with a beautiful woman at his mercy… he doesn’t fall for her.
Flock
Kate Stewart - 2020
I gave into temptation and fed the beating beast, which grew thirstier with every slash, every strike, every blow.Triple Falls wasn’t at all what it seemed, nor were the men that swept me under their wing. But in order to keep them, I had to be in on their secrets.Secrets that cost us everything to keep.That’s the novelty of fiction versus reality. You can’t re-live your own love story, because by the time you’ve realized you’re living it, it’s over. At least that was the case for me and the men I trusted my foolish heart to.Looking back, I’m convinced I willed my story into existence due to my illness.And all were punished.
The Don: The Oath Duet
Serena Akeroyd - 2021
How could my Lady be anything other than a silken promise taunting me with every breath she takes?A new Don reigns over Manhattan.But though I won the war, peace isn’t easily brokered.Over a decade of avenging my father’s death, I made many enemies.To each and every one, Jen’s a target.But I’ll paint NYC red before I let them harm her.I just never imagined I’d be in the line of fire first… A heart broken by grief can feel no guilt or shame with the brutality in which vengeance is delivered. This is the first part of ‘The Oath’ duet in The Valentini Family series.
Two Tricks
Elizabeth Knight - 2021
Period. The end.No. No, you don’t get to ask why. Tricks runs the West Coast smuggling ring, so if you want anything to come and go, you play by the rules. You don’t like it? Well, then you’re gonna get a visit from me.Who am I? I’m Dax, his enforcer, and don’t let my height or the pink hair fool you. I’ll take your ass down.Now, can someone explain to me why the hell the Phantom Saints MC gang sent someone to try and talk me into getting Tricks to work with them? Or maybe how those same assholes ended up kidnapping me?You can bet your ass, as soon as I get the chance, I will make them regret ever having me as a ‘house guest’, even if they are sexy as sin. No one uses me and gets away with it!
Blaire
Anita Gray - 2016
Conditioned. Sold to the enemy.My name is Blaire. I'm head of security to a man who controls the Russian underworld in Europe. His name is Maksim and he's my master. He bought me ten years ago and conditioned me with brutality to worship and protect him. And I have protected him. I've slain everyone who has tried to do him harm. Everyone but a man he loans me to; a man who threatens to break me and everything I believe in. You're going to need a strong stomach and a strong heart to follow my story, because take my word for it, it's no fairy tale.
No Good Deed
Emma Cole - 2021
I lost my innocence and dreams in one fell swoop.Now, I'm a junkie dancer who will do just about anything to earn a buck or get my next fix. When you're living off the books to stay hidden on the fringes between Carlotti and Finelli territory, anything means...anything.The mafia lords and their heirs own this city. They fiercely protect their turf along with anything else they lay claim to. Murder, mayhem, and money are the driving forces behind the ruthless Familes, and death comes swiftly to those who get in their way.Tony, Vanni, Marco, and Santos are the heirs to the Carlotti Empire, one of the most prolific crime syndicates in NYC. And one of them was the catalyst for the wreckage my life had become.Due to a budding war with another Family, our paths have crossed again. Except this time, I didn't have a chance to run. The Carlotti men I'd once trusted as boys took me, but to what end?To save me? Keep me? Kill me?The Carlotti heirs don't know what they just took on, but I'll enjoy showing them exactly what I'm capable of. That is, if I don’t wind up dead first.***No Good Deed is a dark contemporary reverse harem romance. Content Warning: vulgar speech, explicit scenes, drug use, violence, gore, and possibly a myriad of other aspects that may not be suitable for all readers. 18+/Mature readers recommended***
He Is Poison
K.A. Merikan - 2014
---Domenico Acerbi. The Villani Family’s best assassin. Ruthless. Vicious. With no patience for weakness.Seth Villani. The Don’s son. Clueless. Stubborn. In dire need of someone to keep him in line.Domenico Acerbi grew up ready to give his life for the Family. Ready to follow orders and exceed expectations. A proud man of honor.The last thing he wants to deal with is training the Don’s son for his future role within the organization. Lazy, annoying, spoiled, and as hot as a Sicilian summer, Seth Villani is no mafia material. But a man who could never become a threat might just be what Domenico needs. Seth Villani wants nothing to do with the mafia. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get a say when he’s pulled back into the fold. Thrown into a den of serpents otherwise known as the Villani Family, Seth has to find a way to navigate the maze of lies. But when Domenico Acerbi, the most vicious snake of them all, sinks his fangs into Seth, letting go becomes impossible. If Seth is doomed to follow in his father's footsteps, he might as well enjoy himself with the most intoxicating man he’s ever met. Maybe he can even fool himself into believing that Domenico isn’t a handsome sociopath who kills for a living. POSSIBLE SPOILERS:Themes: Enemies to lovers, mafia, homophobia, assassin, organized crime, forced proximityWARNING: Adult content. Sizzling hot scenes. If you are easily offended, this book is not for you. ‘Guns n’ Boys’ is a gritty story of extreme violence, offensive language, abuse, and morally ambiguous protagonists. Behind the morbid facade, there is a splash of inappropriate dark humor, and a love story that will crawl under your skin.
Bullet to the Heart
Lea Griffith - 2013
She has become everything but is no one. Known only as Bullet she was long ago forced to shed the name her parents gave her. Changed, molded and trained to kill with sharp-shooting efficiency she is one of The Collective’s most valuable assets. In a cadre of killers, Bullet is death waiting but her time for vengeance has come.He was loved and then he lost. He has become a hunter in search of revenge.Everything was taken from Rand the day a bullet ended the lives of his beloved wife and daughter. He has searched for their killer seven long years and may have her in his hands. Rand has suffered but now the time has come to make The Collective pay or die trying.Joy and sorrow are two sides of the same coin. Vengeance draws them together but before all is said and done they will learn love can either break you or make you stronger.
Crow's Row
Julie Hockley - 2011
Just completing her freshman year at Callister University, Emily faces a quiet summer in the city slums, supporting herself by working at the campus library. During one of her jogs through the nearby cemetery while visiting her brother Bill's grave, Emily witnesses a brutal killing-and then she blacks out. When Emily regains consciousness, she realizes she's been kidnapped by a young crime boss and his gang. She is hurled into a secret underworld, wondering why she is still alive and for how long.Held captive in rural Vermont, she tries to make sense of her situation and what it means. While uncovering secrets about her brother and his untimely death, Emily falls in love with her very rich and very dangerous captor, twenty-six year-old Cameron. She understands it's a forbidden love and one that won't allow her to return to her previous life. But love may not be enough to save Emily when no one even knows she is missing.
The End of Me
Tara Brown - 2013
Now widowed and left to raise her children alone, Evie is prepared for anything. Well, almost anything. There are actually two things she isn't prepared for. The first being a sexy young man named Coop, a CI operative who is thrust into her world as her protector and handler. The other is an arms dealer named Servario, who the military has decided she must gain the trust of. But the world she left behind has changed and unfortunately, so has Evie. The minivan-driving mother of two couldn't be further from the woman she once was and she doesn't have time to catch up. At every turn there seems to be a secret or betrayal awaiting the inexperienced spy. But Evie has a secret too, she just doesn't know it yet. This hot, sexy ride is filled with espionage, secrets, and twists you will not see coming.Adult 19+
Ruthless King
Meghan March - 2017
New Orleans belongs to me. You don’t know my name, but I control everything you see—and all the things you don’t. My reach knows no bounds, and my demands are always met. I didn’t need to loan money to a failing family distillery, but it amuses me to have them in my debt. To have her in my debt. She doesn’t know she caught my attention. She should’ve been more careful. I’m going to own her. Consume her. Maybe even keep her. It’s time to collect what I’m owed. Keira Kilgore, you’re now the property of Lachlan Mount. *Ruthless King is book one of the Mount Trilogy*
Asher Black
Parker S. Huntington - 2017
Huntington comes a steamy, slow-burn love story full of unexpected love and banter.It started with my bladder.I didn't mean to witness a shady deal in the restroom hallway.I didn't think twice when I called the cops.And I certainly didn't know who the club belonged to.Asher Black.Former mafia hitman.Billionaire CEO.New York's most eligible bachelor.When he shows up at my college, looking for the girl who called the cops on his business, I know I'm as good as dead.What I don't expect is his offer--he'll pay my tuition and set me up with a cushy job after I graduate.All I have to do is... be his fake fiancée.Asher Black is a 90,000-word standalone novel in The Five Syndicates mafia romance series.
You Don't Own Me
Georgia Le Carre - 2016
I should never have said yes to helping out my friend, but I did, and the Russian with the dangerous eyes shocked me by how easily he stirred outrageous desires in my body and made me lose complete control. I did the only thing I could. I walked (all right, I ran) away to the sound of his cheap parting shot, ‘you'll be back when you need my help.’ But I haven’t been able to run away from him in my dreams. God knows I’ve tried. Then something unthinkable happens. My sister goes missing while on a backpacking trip, and the ruthless predator is the only one who can help. He sits in his study, a beautiful, powerful man with eyes cold enough to freeze my blood.He says he can help, but nothing is for free … Zane She ran like a spooked deer, but I always knew she’d be back.Now she thinks she can just waltz in here and pretend like nothing’s happened. I'm not buying that bullshit. We both know why she's here and what she really wants from me. She can't get my taste out of her mind.She wants me to satisfy the aching desires that have gripped her body ever since I made her cum on my fingers. Every time she closes her eyes she thinks of what I could do to her. But I'm not a man given to doing favors. I'm an opportunist. There's always a price for my help.Check out the sneak preview of the first three chapters of this two book series in Dirty Aristocrat.