Book picks similar to
The Dark Protector by Isabella Starling
dark-romance
arc
contemporary
mafia-romance
The Bandit
B.B. Reid - 2016
She thought she could steal from me and get away with it, but I have no intention of letting her get away at all. Mian Ross has a lesson to learn, and I'm going to be the one to teach it to her.HE STOLE MY SONI'll never forget the night I made the second biggest mistake of my life. It was supposed to be a simple job, but it quickly became so much more--one that cost my freedom and cost my son. Angel Knight became my worst nightmare... and now, he'll never let us go.
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.
Carnage
Sarah Bailey - 2021
A girl. Scarlett.She was one of us until she was ripped away from her life. The only trace of her was dust in the wind.One day she returned to the city and sought us out. Scarlett couldn’t remember who we’d been to her, but we recalled her all too well.If she knew what was good for her, she would have never come back. The moment she stepped through the doors of Fortuity, it was the beginning of her end. And the start of our reign over the girl who wanted us dead.A dark reverse harem contemporary retelling of the four horsemen of the apocalypse set in Sarah Bailey's Dark Universe with cliffhangers and a HEA in the final book.This is a DARK romance and therefore comes with a content warning. Please see the author's website for full details.
Vicious Prince
Lili St. Germain - 2018
A brutal abduction.And a love so forbidden, it might destroy them both.Avery Capulet is missing.Taken by a madman. Kept in the dark.She might not survive.He’ll use her body. Destroy her mind. All before he ever lays a hand on her.Rome Montague is a drug dealer. A criminal. A thief.And he needs the secrets Avery and her family are keeping – even if it means cutting them out of her pretty Capulet flesh.Rome Montague is missing – but nobody will miss him.Not that it matters; After the things he’s done to this girl, he doesn’t deserve to be found.Vicious Prince, set in the criminal underbelly of San Francisco, follows two warring families who are ruled by blood, power and twisted desire.Please note this book was formerly titled Verona Blood.
Feral King
Sparrow Beckett - 2017
When she’s hired to take care of a wealthy old man with no social skills, she’s excited to have found work in her field.The new boss isn’t at all what she expected.Severin Leduc is only thirty. He’s also a dominant, tattooed brute who’s needs someone to break through the walls he’s built. The exiled son of a wealthy family, he’s unapologetically rude and eccentric. Raised by servants, he doesn’t want extra people in his life, let alone a pretty girl who refuses to leave him in peace.Minnow’s submissive nature sparks against Severin’s dominance. Torrid sexual attraction flares between them. Sharing her with his best friend, Rodrigo, only strengthens their growing bond, and Severin’s life is scattered into chaos. Will he learn to trust her, or will he live the rest of his life forgotten?Warning: BDSM, dark themes. Character's memories of prior abuse may trigger some readers.
Deadly Vows
Haley Stuart - 2018
For Elise, it means something entirely different. Thrown into a marriage on her father’s orders, Elise isn’t prepared to be married to the man known as Luca Pasquino. Luca is the next capo in line to take over his father’s empire with an iron fist. He’s cruel, he’s evil, and he’s ready to destroy anything and anyone that gets in the way of his plans for complete control. Elise has no idea what is in store for her. All she knows is that she can try to survive her life for the rest of her days with Luca.
Alpha's Blood
Renee Rose - 2019
I OWN HER. BUT SHE'LL NEVER BE MINE... A Vampire King… The moment she stepped on stage, I had to have her in my bed. My submissive, kneeling at my feet. But this captive virgin is more than what she seems… A spy in my kingdom. A weapon honed by my enemy. She hates me, but hate is a passion perilously close to love...
A captured queen…
All my life I’ve trained for one purpose. One ultimate goal: kill the Vampire King. I expected a fight. Pain. Torture. I didn’t expect to want him. My body is a weapon he turns against me. But I can’t forget my fallen pack. My quest for revenge. My mission is simple: Seduce him. Earn his trust. Bring him down. Above all: don’t fall in love. This stand-alone romance is the first in the Midnight Doms series, and is loosely related to the bestselling Bad Boy Alpha series. HEA guaranteed, no cheating. This enemies-to-lovers story contains a cool, collected vampire and the she-wolf sent to bring him down. If such material offends you, do not buy this book.
Wife For Him
B.B. Hamel - 2020
Unfortunately, she hates my guts, and her cousin forced her into my marriage bed.I never knew I wanted a bride, but Cora’s changing my mind one night at a time. Too bad her broken past makes it impossible for her to open up.She’d better try, or else she’ll fight me to the grave, and bring both our families down with her. An old rival resurfaces and wants to destroy everything we’ve built—and he’ll succeed if she can’t learn to work with me.I’ll tame her, take her, keep her safe, and show her how a true mafia man fights and falls in love.Get ready for a wild ride! Cora’s got a backbone but too bad Reid knows what he wants and will do anything to get it. Wife For Him is a steamy possessive romance with no cheating, no cliffhanger, and a guaranteed HEA. Enjoy!! XO BB
Echo
A. Zavarelli - 2015
He says he owns me. And it’s true. I’ve signed over complete control of my body and life for six months to a man I don’t know. Five years he’s been planning this. They say revenge is a dish best served cold. But my blackmailer serves it up white hot. He’s addicted to my innocence, and I’m addicted to him. He likes to hurt me. I love to let him. He brings me to life. He sets me free. He makes my heart feel things it shouldn’t. But he also scares me. He holds the fate of my brother’s life in his hands. A life behind bars for crimes I know he didn’t commit. My blackmailer can’t give up his revenge on my family, and I can’t be with him if he doesn’t. But I’m nothing more than a butterfly caught in his net. Do I really have a choice?
Reign
M.N. Forgy - 2016
The women are fast and the violence is intense. I excel in both.People either respect me or fear me. I'm not arrogant. It’s just the truth.I was a king, reigning over Vegas without complication, until one gorgeous sheriff made everything fall apart. When I saw her, I became a Neanderthal, wanting nothing more than to be between those legs. I guess that’s where I went wrong, because my reality was shot to hell real fucking fast.One kiss caused her to step over that blue line.One night in her bed made me a traitor.And now… we’re both screwed.
Heartless Sinner
Erika Wilde - 2022
. .Half past thirty and still single, my father rode my ass daily about getting married, starting a family, and looking the part. I needed to soften my enforcer image and have the outward appearance that I was on the straight and narrow.When I argued that I wasn't ready to settle down, he explained that no one ever was, and none of them ever did...with a wink. I laughed, until I thought about my mother. I might be a tough guy in a dangerous world, but I wanted a woman who could handle me at my worst and positively adore me at my best. Was that so much to ask of a wife?There'd only ever been one girl who came close to that: Marla. She was plenty tough herself. She had to be. She grew up in the world, as well. And when she came to me asking for help to avenge her brother’s death, I was more than happy to help . . . for a price.Marriage. To me. A mafia capo . . . the very thing she swore she’d never do.Heartless Sinner is the first book in the Made for the Mafia series. Each book in the series stands alone and ends in a guaranteed HEA.
Enigma of Life
Shandi Boyes - 2016
. . I don't see how this will end well. After a chance meeting, Isabelle was falling at Isaac Holt's feet--literally. His enigmatic personality set her pulse racing, but no matter how much Izzy craves Isaac's touch, she can't have him. Morally and ethically, he is off limits. He is the enemy. Her astute brain understands this, but her lust-driven heart needs a little more convincing. Join a fast-paced story based on forbidden love. Can two people on opposing sides of the team work together for love? Or will outsider influences force their cart off the tracks before the fireworks truly begin? This is a story about two people NOT destined to be together. This is not your typical love story. Not everything is black and white: there is a whole heap of gray no one pays any attention to. Lovers of Meghan March's Beneath Series and Sylvia Day's Bared to You are devouring Enigma of Life! Scroll up to one click this suspenseful romance now! Please note: Book 1 and 4's covers were recently switched.
Tease Me (Titans: The Reserve #1)
Sierra Cartwright - 2022
Forever.Covert operator and former military officer Nathaniel Stratton has one focus, protecting his country. His dedication to his job means he has no time for relationships, and there’s no place in his life for love.While he’s home on leave, helping run the BDSM club he co-owns, Nathaniel is captivated by the vulnerable and beautifully submissive Alani Dane, one of his employees.For years, Alani has been hiding a secret. She trusts no one, and especially not the overbearing and tempting billionaire who is determined to earn her trust even as he destroys the fortress she’s built around her life, and her heart.When things spiral out of control, and her worst nightmare is realized, Alani has no choice but to count on the persistent alpha protector. Will the price he demands be too high to pay?
Underboss
Kristen Proby - 2021
But he doesn’t mind because his family means more to him than his life. Which is why he's determined to make those responsible for the death of his aunt and uncle pay—in inventive and gruesome ways. And what better way to do that than to infiltrate the Russian mafia from the inside? It’s a good thing the bratva’s princess is stunning and seemingly willing to do whatever he asks. This vengeance could be the perfect mix of business and pleasure.Nadia Tarenkov has several things stacked against her: she’s a woman, and she’s not the eldest child in her family. But it doesn’t matter. She has her sights set on ruling the syndicate, and she always gets what she wants. When the heir to one of the States’ most powerful crime families comes knocking, Nadia sees it for the gift it is. He thinks he has her fooled, but she’s smarter, more cunning, and always two steps ahead. She’ll beat the gorgeous mobster at his own game, and secure her place in the fold.What neither of them takes into consideration, however, is that they aren’t the only ones with deadly plans in motion. To survive, they’ll have to come clean and work together—and acknowledge that the growing love they’ve been pretending isn’t there, is very real.
Dangerous Beauty
J.T. Geissinger - 2019
A hot bodyguard. A high-stakes game of temptation.For Nasir, former Special Ops military man and bodyguard, his new job seems like an easy-money gig: trail a Russian mobster’s runaway wife in Mexico, enjoy the sun, observe, and report. Just one rule: don’t get too close. But it’s all Naz can do not to watch the alluring dancer’s every move. A closer look is irresistible—especially when she’s in trouble.Evalina escaped to the island getaway to live an untraceable life—as far away from the past as she can get. But Eva can’t ignore the dark, muscled stud who rescues her from a drug gang. He says he’s an ex-cop on vacation. When providence throws them together time and again, Eva thinks it’s all a beautiful coincidence. Now she’s giving in to a strange new sensation: trust.But Naz has a mission to accomplish and a secret to keep. Eva has her share of secrets, too. And as the heat flares between them, Naz knows that trust could become the most dangerous impulse of all.***Part one of a three part series.***