Book picks similar to
Zealous by Hazel Grace


abuse
unrequited
09-read-asap
betrayal

Shattered King


Sherilee Gray - 2017
    She’s been in hiding for three years raising the son he doesn’t know about.Holding a grudge has never felt so good.Shattered King is an intense, ultra-sexy standalone novel set in the world of the Lawless Kings. Sherilee Gray’s raw, hard, beautiful, deeply-emotional voice will leave you breathless long after the last page.

Crime Lord's Captive


Mia Knight - 2016
    She created a new identity and has been living a quiet life, but that’s at an end. He’s found her and is bringing her back to where she belongs. As Lyla navigates through the dark secrets of her past, she’s forced to face a man who won’t accept no for an answer from the woman he still claims as his.

Knotted


Pam Godwin - 2018
    It’s impossible. Growing up together, Conor and I shared all our firsts. First love, first kiss, first… Not all our firsts. We were sixteen the night she was violently assaulted while I helplessly watched. I’ll never forget the sounds of her suffering. Or my inconsolable agony when she left Oklahoma. Years later, she returns to honor our teenage pact. Except the boy she loved is gone, replaced by a ruthless cattle rancher knotted with secrets. She doesn’t know my dark cravings or the trails of sin that lead to her. I don’t deserve her, but one truth remains. She’s mine. TRAILS OF SIN series (HEAs with no cliffhangers - must be read in order): Knotted #1 Buckled #2 Booted #3

Slaughter


Shantel Tessier - 2018
    It is about revenge and hatred, misery and violence. I wasn’t always this way even though it was in my blood. I grew up happy and in love with my best friend until she betrayed me and walked away. After that, I fell into the deep, dark world I was meant for. Presleigh Clarke's actions turned me into the ruthless man I am today. Too bad for her, I believe people should pay for the things they have done. The more painful and messy, the better. I get off on making people bleed. It feeds my inner demon, and right now, he is starving. She crossed me once, so now she’ll know what it’s like to fear me. But not all stories end the way you think they will … mine certainly didn’t.

Within This Frame


Lindy Zart - 2015
     Lance Denton knows what he wants, and it isn’t his co-star Maggie Smiley. She’s too timid, too nice, too innocent—too everything. She sees past his exterior and into his heart. Maggie expects him to be good, and he only knows bad. He tells himself this, and yet he can’t stay away from her. Her eyes, her heart, her spirit. He falls for her, and then he keeps falling. It ends with a knock on the door in 2010... Maggie Smiley has spent the last decade pretending a piece of her childhood never happened, namely the part that involved Lance Denton. When she receives an invitation in the mail to a fundraiser, she decides to stop hiding—from her past, from herself, and ultimately, from Lance. He makes this easy when he shows up on her doorstep, his blue, blue eyes promising more than she wants to see.

Little Things


Madison Street - 2014
    It’s his senior year of high school, and all he needs is to focus on his grades, lacrosse, and keeping his girlfriend happy. That is until Raya walks into his life. From the moment they meet, Duke is drawn to her, not only for her natural beauty and her stunning crystal blue eyes, but because he’s aware there’s more to this girl than just his alluring pull to her. He senses secrecy and fear. Throughout the year, their bond grows stronger, and his feelings for her become undeniable. Just when he is about to express his love, tragedy strikes and Raya disappears. For six years, Duke is tortured by his struggles, as he’s unable to find her and blames himself for failing to protect her. Until the day, she’s found, and he’s given a second chance. Will Duke become her beacon of hope and make her see that it’s the little things that make life worthwhile? Can Raya overcome her fears and fight against the terrors that haunt her? Or will her dark and torturous past be too much for her to battle against? *Warning: This book contains some disturbing situations, strong language and sexual content. Suited for 18 years and over.

Under The Same Sky


Tamsyn Bester - 2019
    Thorin Decker.Front man of Eighteendust, one of the world’s most famous rock bands. But before his rise to fame, he was the boy I fell in love with, and the boy who broke my heart. I never expected to see him again, but in a cruel twist of fate, we’ve been tied together in a way neither of us saw coming. If I thought he would be the same boy who left all those years ago, I was dead wrong. But he’s not the only one who’s changed. He’ll soon realize the girl he both broke, and saved, no longer exists. I might have moved on with my life, and let go of our past, but if he thinks a second chance is in the cards, he’s going to have to prove that he’s worth the risk.

Keeping What’s His: Tate


Jamie Begley - 2015
    Tate Porter had found that out when he was eighteen, and he had no intention of letting her make a fool out of him again. He didn’t care how much pain he saw in her eyes or how old memories tugged at his unforgiving heart until, the night a hidden secret is revealed and everything Tate had believed about their past is shattered, proving he had let the woman he loved get away.Between trying to protect his family and running their pot growing business, Tate doesn't have time to play the "Nice Guy". He'd just have to remember the most important rule his father had given them: A Porter always keeps what's his.

Something Twisted


Ace Gray - 2020
    A toy to be used by powerful and deadly men in whatever way they pleased. So I was just as surprised as anyone else that I had feelings left. Feelings that lead me to fight for true love while damning myself. And that’s just where this story begins. Desperate and alone I turned back to my childhood home. The first wicked place I’d known with the darkest villain among them. My stepfather. But I could weather his storm in exchange for safety. I had to.What I didn’t expect to find was Niall McDonough. The only man I’d ever really loved had reappeared only to become one of them. Someone ruthless and cruel. He wants to ruin me. As my stepfather’s savage soldier he might just do it. But then again, twelve years ago a fortune teller predicted I’d need just such a soldier to save both my heart and soul. ***this book can be read as a complete stand-alone or following Twisted Secrets/as the fifth book in the Twisted world*******This book contains graphic sex, violence, uncomfortable sexual encounters, and dub con. It's intended for mature audiences, over 18 only****

Savage


Tiana Laveen - 2019
    (Not limited to but including: Profuse violence, gratuitous profanity, detailed sexual encounters, drug usage.) It is recommended for audiences 18+ years or older. *Ladies and Gents, please be aware that this is a big book. BLURB Maximus Savage is no ordinary man. His distinctive and dysfunctional upbringing was the catalyst to a wild life, one lived by his own rules. When his natural talent as a brilliant marksman and skilled fighter is discovered in the seedy underworld of Sin City, Maximus quickly makes his mark on the world, slash by bloody slash... Dr. Zaire Ellington is a psychologist who runs a successful vlog and podcast from Los Angeles, California. A workaholic, she spends long hours doling out expert relationship advice to those in need of soothing and direction in their lives. Stressed and needing a weekend away, she and her girlfriends take a trip to the Las Vegas strip for fun and relaxation. The last thing she is looking for is a one-night stand, but when she spots Maximus rolling the dice, all bets are off... The unlikely duo cross paths and become quickly entangled in each other’s lives, unravelling secrets, unlocking passions, and dangling the keys to survival and love... Can a heartless top hitman with a penchant for violence find a way to emotionally accept and embrace the woman who has captivated him from the moment he laid eyes on her? And can an educated, classy lady look deeper into the black abyss known as Savage, and see the fervent, beating heart he’s tried to deny since the moment he drew his first breath? Read, “Savage”, to find out!

Nera


Raven Amor
    Every story has two sides; you’ve heard his before.Now, it’s time for mine.It’s not pretty, and it’s no fairy tale.Full of blood-soaked betrayal, it will break open your chest and pull out your beating heart.We will find love and lose it.Blood will be shed, lives lost.We will be brought to our knees, to rise once again.This book is the stunning full story of King; the first section was previously released in The Dark Kingdom Anthology. You do not need to have read The Dark Kingdom Anthology to enjoy this dark MC standalone.WARNING: Adult content. Explicit sexual material and violence. This a dark romance, don’t expect a fairy tale. No unicorns in this book.

Justice


K.C. Lynn - 2018
    Our loyalty to one another and the man who made us a family is stronger than those bound by blood.The most sought out sharp shooters in the country, our paths were certain, before one woman changed my life and altered the relationship I have with my brothers. Ryanne Lockwood disappeared without a trace but her memory never faded, torturing me on the darkest nights. Until a twist of fate leads me back to her, sending our worlds to collide once more, and this time, there will be no escaping me.***Justice Creed’s bad boy appeal caught my attention from the moment he rolled into town. For years I watched from afar, swallowing up the rumors that surrounded him. Until we shared a night of forbidden passion. One that destroyed my heart and reshaped my soul, and it sent me fleeing from the only town I’ve ever known.Now, years later, he's barged back into my life, uncovering a secret I've worked so hard to keep and it's one that will change our lives forever.

Cold Cole Heart


K. Webster - 2018
    Something I want to feed. Something I crave to unleash.I want to make her pay.Over and over and over again.Finding the evil, spoiled women sates my ravenous, vengeful soul. I hunt. I capture. I destroy.Slowly. So slowly.One, two, three, four, five…And now six.I’m wicked and sadistic.I am Cold Cole Heart.My mission is death and their payment to me has come due.Number six thinks she is different.Yet when I look at her, I see them.She will pay.They always do.

Only Ever You


Siobhan Davis - 2019
     He’s the hot-as-sin rocker hiding a secret that would devastate his fans. She’s the only girl he’s ever loved, but keeping her safe means he had to walk away… RYDER My entire life is a lie, propelled by one wrong decision that altered my fate. If fans knew the truth, they’d run away screaming. But all they see is Ryder Stone, moody guitarist and lead singer of Torment, and a potential notch on their bedpost. Only two people know who I really am. My manager has a vested interest in keeping my secret, and the girl I was forced to leave behind doesn’t even know the true extent of my shame. Losing Zeta is both my biggest regret and my proudest moment. But she was the glue keeping me together, and I’m struggling to survive without her. Especially when demons from my past continue to haunt me and the threat of disclosure is ever present. When she reappears in my life, this time, I’m too weak to push her away. Her love has the power to save me. Mine has the power to destroy her. ZETA I’ve worked hard to forget my past. To rise above my messed-up childhood and make something of myself; however, there’s no forgetting him. Ryder’s gorgeous face and drool-worthy body are plastered over tabloids and TV screens, reminding me I’m still in love with the boy who captured my heart in juvie. When he failed me, I thought I’d never again experience such heart-crushing pain. But watching him fall out of clubs with a succession of different girls renews the agony, resurrecting countless unanswered questions. Now my boss has sent me to interview him. It’s a massive scoop for the magazine, and turning it down would kill my career. So, I delude myself into thinking I can handle this. Perhaps this is the closure I need to finally move on. Except I’m terrified nothing has changed and one look into those soulful eyes will suck me in again. Ryder almost destroyed me last time. This time, he could ruin me forever. Full-length standalone title. Due to sensitive content and possible triggers, this book is recommended to readers aged eighteen and older. Please refer to the note at the start of the book (Click Look Inside).

Beauty in the Broken


Charmaine Pauls - 2019
    He gave his daughter to Jack Clarke in exchange for the excavation rights. Today, I’m walking free, and I’m coming for him with a vengeance. Six years of cruelty make beasts out of men. I’m going to take back what he stole from me, and more. I’m not interested in his properties or shares. I don’t want his small change. I want his biggest asset. Beautiful, mentally unstable, Angelina Dalton-Clarke.Worth billions, she’s the wealthiest widow in the country, and also the craziest. Her self-harming tendencies had Jack declare her incompetent before he put a gun to his head and blew out his brains. Lina isn’t allowed to touch a cent of her riches. Her father manages her finances. He has all the signing power. As her husband, that 'chore' will fall to me. But if she thinks I only want her for her money, she’s sadly mistaken.*This book is a stand-alone. No cliffhangers.