Book picks similar to
Brutal & Raw by Sonya Jesus


mafia
dark-romance
romance
suspense

Riot Hearts


Livy North - 2021
    Crow is awaiting my fall so they can trample over me.Everyone’s competing over taking her down—but I’ll be damned if I let anyone catch my prey.Our lives entwine and when we’re shipped off to New York together, I figure out just how much River Sinclair gets under my skin.Emory Lauder has always been stuck under my skin.River thinks he’s invulnerable, but everyone has that one fatal flaw.I know everyone has a soft spot. I guess I just didn’t think mine would look so much like her.Note: This book is the first in a duet and ends with a cliffhanger.

Meet Me in the Dark


J.A. Huss - 2015
    Left in the hands of a sadistic man, she did whatever it took to survive. But Merc’s last words gave her hope. Hope he’d be back to finish the job.Merc knows just what to do with a fearful girl like Sydney after he was betrayed by her father that night. He wields sex, drugs, lies, and love like weapons—and Sydney is his target.He’s in control. He’s always in control. But Sydney Channing is not what she appears. And Merc’s only redeeming act, the very one that made Sydney’s life a living hell, might just be his worst mistake yet.WARNING: Meet Me In The Dark is non-traditional DARK CAPTIVE ROMANTIC SUSPENSE. It is not intended for sensitive readers.

Soulless Knight


Violet Paige - 2020
    There’s a price for power and I’ve paid it.No matter the cost.We were young when we met.I thought I could protect her from the world.Shield her innocence from darkness and evil.I believed what I felt for her could take down anything in our path.Even our fathers.But I was wrong.I learned my lesson.We’re not kids any more.Now I have an empire to run and there’s only one thing standing in my way.Kennedy.She’s not the girl she used to be.The woman is more gorgeous than ever and has a tongue laced with vengeance.The ruthless world has opened her eyes.She sees me as the threat I’ve become—her enemy.She calls me the devil.She’s right.But she’ll give the devil his due.Because I always get what I want, and I never stopped wanting her.**Soulless Knight is the first in the Mafia Billionaire Second-chance Enemies to Lovers Trilogy.**

Deceptive Love


Elizabeth Knox - 2020
    Of course, that's what it's like when you're the princess of the Mexican cartel. Valentin was perfect at first, until he wasn't. One split second wrecked my entire world . . . and suddenly being away from him was the only thing I wanted.I was never told love could be so deceptive, but here I am, reaping what I've sewn. Deceptive Love is the first book in a prequel duet by Elizabeth Knox, featuring the Volkolv and Mackenzie crime families. Deceptive Love is extremely triggering, and it is only recommended to read if you have little to no triggers.

Fighting to Be Free


Kirsty Moseley - 2016
    Determined to go straight, he tried to cut ties with crime boss Brett Reye--but Brett has no intention of letting him go. Jamie's life is already more complicated than it needs to be, yet when he meets a beautiful stranger at a bar, Jamie knows he's in over his head. Ellie Pearce has just gotten out of a terrible relationship and isn't looking for anything serious...until she meets Jamie. Their attraction is overwhelming and intense-she can't seem to shake her growing feelings for him, even though she's trying to keep it casual.But when fate goes horribly wrong and Jamie's family is faced with ruin, he's forced to strike a deal with Brett. Despite his struggles, he wants nothing more than a future with Ellie. That's until Ellie finds out that he's been hiding more from her than she could ever imagine... 6 MILLION READS ONLINE!The original Wattpad sensation - fully revised and with brand new content

Nico


Sarah Castille - 2016
    But when he meets his match in the gorgeous, headstrong Mia Cordano, the daughter of a rival crime lord, all bets are off . . . Sexy computer hacker Mia struggles to break free of her ruthless father's Mafia ties . . . but she can't resist the powerful and seductive Nico, who will stop at nothing to possess her. With their families locked in a brutal war for control of the city, Mia and Nico enter into a forbidden game. Will they surrender to the passion that burns between them and risk tearing apart their families? Or will Nico be forced to betray the only woman who sets his blood on fire? Contains mature themes.

Married to the Bad Boy


Vanessa Waltz - 2015
    A man-whore. Whatever the hell you want to call it, I get around. During the day, I crack heads and extort businesses. At night, I find girls to f*ck. I live to hear them moan for me, but one night is all they get. No one ever made me want more. Until her.Elena.The moment her lips wrapped around me, I was done. All day, I think about running my tongue all over those curves. Too bad those curves are off limits. She's running from a man who will kill me for touching her.Well, she's tired of running and needs my help.She thinks I'm doing it for money.I'm doing it to make her mine.

Accidental Witness


Sam Mariano - 2017
    We’d never spoken, but of course I heard the stories about his family. I know they’re dangerous. I know he’s dangerous. Vince never had a reason to notice me, anyway—until I inadvertently witnessed his first mob hit. His family doesn’t believe in leaving witnesses alive, but Vince seems different. He knows the best thing he can do for me is stay away, but something keeps drawing us together. Despite knowing the risks of getting mixed up with him, I can’t resist. Only problem is, Vince is a package deal—you don’t get him without getting swept up in his family’s dark games. Now entangled with a notorious Chicago crime family, will my life ever be mine again?**Obligatory trigger warning: While not wholly dark, this is a mafia romance with elements of DARK ROMANCE. There are no knights in shining armor to be found here.Sensitive content not recommended for those under 18, or those who loathe the dark romance genre. **This is a continuing story series. The story continues and evolves in each book until you get to the end.

Resisting the Brit


Emelia Blair - 2019
     When Oliver arrives to take over the company, I’m not about to idly stand by while he lays people off. Instead, I burst into his office to confront him, not expecting the man I encounter. He’s every bit the asshole I’d envisioned, but I hadn’t realized he’d be a hottie with a panty-melting accent. But that doesn’t matter. I refuse to back down. Refuse to fall for his charm. He has his agenda, and I have mine. But when my family’s well-kept secret, along with the debt my brother owes, puts my life in danger, there are no other options left. It’s up to me to pay the price. But not with money. Unfortunately, there’s only one person who can help free me from this mess—my new boss.

Unruly Protector


Esther E. Schmidt
    Though, he never expected the woman he was now connected with for life creating a weakness he never saw coming.Caterina grew up in the mafia world and fully embraced her fate; choosing to become an asset for her future husband instead of a wilting flower. But she wasn’t expecting the ruthless head of the underworld of California to yank on her every nerve. Being fearless in the mafia world will blindside and get you killed, while being perceptively ruthless keeps you alive and will allow you to see your enemies coming. When emotions are twisted and past enemies rise to attack, it’s revenge that feeds the blood of the innocent and might risk the lives of everyone involved.

Muse


Diane Portman-Ray - 2020
    Never her.The Nucci family had a lot of sins and Muse was one of them. When my father trashed our name, she was collateral, and now I have to make sure the past doesn’t destroy us. I will do everything in my power: if she wants revenge, I’ll write it in blood for her, but if she wants my heart she’s going to be left empty handed…because I don’t have one. I didn’t go to her, she came to me. Her picture ended up in my hands and it was game over. All I knew was that she had to be mine and I didn’t care how hard she tried to fight it. A Nucci always gets what he wants. I took her from the stripping pole and made her my queen. Muse and I were inevitable, doomed to burn together. But fire turns into ash. And ash gets lost in the wind.

Cut Too Deep


K.J. Bell - 2014
    A woman traumatized by her past, beaten, battered, and unwilling to trust.A man held captive by his greatest failure, lost, and self-destructive.Letters that unexpectedly bind them together.Is their bond strong enough to survive each other?As a web of deceit is revealed, will they be able to determine what’s real, and what’s worth fighting for? Or will they crumble under the weight of secrets that cut too deep?Can Miller forgive himself and move beyond his fear of failing the one he loves? Can Hadley accept the love she desperately wants but doesn’t believe she deserves?

Keep Her Close (Bacelli Crime Family, 1)


Jenika Snow - 2020
    Marra.
And it’s that rejection from her, the disinterest she shows, her lack of fear in who and what he is, that turned Joey on even more. It made him obsessed, so much so he’ll stop at nothing to make Marra his.Marra Santos knew Joey was a dangerous man, and it’s because of who and what he is that kept Marra at an arm’s length. But the truth was, she wanted him with a desperation that scared her more than the man himself.When she’s witness to a murder and her life is in danger, the only man she could turn to is Joey.
Now at Joey’s mercy and in his debt, Marra knows he’ll make her repay him in the one way he’s always wanted.
To be his completely.Reader note: This story was previously published under the title A Bad Man: Joey. Although the story itself is the same as before, it has since been re-edited, minimally revised, and new content added. Contents may be sensitive to some readers.

Provoked


Sarah Bailey - 2020
    He was my downfall.They say your parents are the two people who are meant to love you and keep you safe.So what does that say about mine?My father gave me to a man as a gift.A man who wears many masks.A man who terrifies me.Why then do I want to know what lies beneath?Why does a single touch send shivers down my spine?I know what he wants.My body. My words. My mind.I can’t run. I can’t hide. And I can’t give in to him.My name is Liora Stewart.And Dante Benson is my Master.A dark captive romance set in Sarah Bailey's Dark Universe.This is a DARK romance and therefore comes with a content warning. Please see authors website for full details.

My Mafia Boss: Pulse


Tasha Fawkes - 2020
    Her pulse skyrockets every time she's near the devastatingly sexy Irish mafia boss, Marcus Ryan. And working as his security consultant, getting close happens often. Not that she mind. Bad boys are in Allie's DNA and Marcus Ryan is the ultimate bad boy. As things heat up, Allie discovers a secret about Marcus that could destroy everything. Can Allie and Marcus survive the coming storm? Find out in Pulse, the first book in Tasha Fawkes new steamy romance series, My Mafia Boss.