Book picks similar to
Opaque Melodies by Natalie Bennett
dark
cliffhanger
dark-romance
arc
Enthralled
Giana Darling - 2019
I know most people say that about something joyous; a graduation, a wedding ceremony, the birth of their first child. My situation was a little different. Sure, it was my eighteenth birthday, but it was also the day that I was sold. Sold to a man with hair like a crown of gold and eyes blacker than the darkest pits of Hell. He bought me to own me, to control me, and to use me as a means to an end. I was his tool and his weapon. And through it all, somehow, I also became his salvation.
Black Sheep
Meghan March - 2019
Every family has a black sheep. In the infamous Casso crime family, that black sheep is me—Cannon Freeman. Except I’m not a free man. I’ve never been free. Not since the day I was born. I owe my loyalty to my father, Dominic Casso, even if he won’t publicly acknowledge me as his blood. I’ve never had a reason to go against his wishes… until I met her. Drew Carson turned my world upside when she walked into my club looking for a job. Now, my honor and my life are on the line. Going against my father’s wishes might buy me a bullet straight from his gun, but black sheep or not, it’s time to make my stand. She's worth the fallout.
Sociopath
Lime Craven - 2014
And you are...? Such a pleasure to meet you, sweetheart. Is that a southern accent? Gorgeous.You fucking bitch.Why so surprised? I control a billion dollar fortune. I control the news. Give me five minutes and I'll control you, too. If you could read my mind, you'd probably call me perverted. Unnatural. Manipulative. But I've learned to blend in, to be funny and charming. A predator in a designer suit.I have no conscience. No shame in taking the things I want. And what I wanted was for Leontine Reeves to sell me her boutique tech firm so I could exploit the f**k out of it. Maybe exploit the f**k out of her, too, because desire haunts me in shades of scarlet, and I desire Leo most of all.I never meant for this to be a love story. I fought it kicking and screaming, the same way Leo fought me. Now we're bleeding into each other, making a mess. A chaos. There's no control here. And what do monsters like me do when control leaves the building?We attack.WARNING: 18+. Contains abuse triggers and scenes that some may find disturbing.
Passion & Venom
S. Williams - 2016
Respect. Wealth.He is a savage beast of a man - dominant in every way.Soon after, he makes you an offer that you can't refuse.All you have do is submit to him, and in return you won't be punished.He will reward you handsomely.But if you disobey, you must be prepared to face the consequences.What do you do when the most wanted man in the world . . . wants you?**Please Note: This story contains dark elements that may not be suitable for everyone. If you are sensitive to darker matters or if they make you feel uncomfortable in anyway, please consider that before reading Passion & Venom. I will be the first person to tell you that this story is NOT for everyone. To all the others that are eager to read it . . . The Jefe awaits.**
Toxic
Nicole Blanchard - 2017
A criminal.As a prison nurse, I knew the rules: do my job, don’t get involved, and never let a prisoner get under my skin.I broke all three.My passion, my obsession, my addiction. I risked my entire life so we could be together.I thought helping him escape from prison would be the hard part.It turns out when you fall in love with a villain, you also turn into one.
Painted Lines
Brei Betzold - 2013
Being female never stopped her from getting greasy and slapping on paint with the best of them, and made her work even harder at opening up her own shop someday.When an opportunity to win $500,000 dollars in prize money presents itself, Scout and her group of misfit friends sign on the dotted line to be filmed for a reality television show to win it. But like anything in life there’s always a catch to free money.When nightmares of the past meet dreams of the future, Scout is forced to face her demons, or be quickly over run by the memories. In the midst of her inner turmoil, family will come home, and possibly a life she never expected to have could be within her grasp.
Loaded
Roxie Noir - 2016
She just doesn't know it yet. My boss swore kidnapping the accountant’s daughter would be quick and easy. Just find the girl at the wedding, stuff her into a car and let someone else drive her off. My last dirty job before I get promoted. I wasn’t supposed to dance with her all night. I wasn’t supposed to kiss her, hook up with her outside the wedding, or beat up the getaway driver up when I found him in the parking lot, totally f*cking wasted. And I absolutely wasn’t supposed to drive her to the safe house myself, but here I f*cking am. Stuck in the desert with this gorgeous firecracker who’s stubborn as a mule, beautiful as hell, and determined not to give in to me for even one second. I can handle her just fine. Hell, I’m street muscle for the biggest drug cartel in North America. But the only thing more dangerous than doing my job? Not doing my job. And when the order comes down and I have to choose between her and the cartel who’s been my whole life... ...I might have to rethink some career choices.
The Bonus
A.J. Adams - 2013
Facing a lingering and painful death at the hands of the Zeta cartel, Mexico’s most brutal organised crime syndicate, she persuades their enforcer to claim her.Ex marine and dark ops expert Kyle Suarez is chief enforcer for the Zeta cartel. Ruthlessly efficient, he is feared by his enemies. When he claims Chloe, he simply expects to enjoy a well-deserved and disposable bonus.Has Chloe made a huge mistake, or will her choice prove her salvation - and his?Warning: This bad boy dark romance contains explicit scenes of dubious consent, graphic violence and sex. It is for adults only.This bad boy dark romance is a compelling tale of vengeance, murder, cartel violence and finding love in the darkest of times. It is the first in the Zeta Cartel novel series, and can be read as a standalone.
Flawed
Francette Phal - 2014
That's the only memory he carries from a childhood he does not remember. And now it is all he knows. Blood is his life.Knox Bishop has done a lot of horrible things, all at the command of the man who holds his leash. It's a matter of loyalty for him. Allegiance to the man who saved his life when he was a child. So he goes where he is needed and does what he is told. He tortures. He kills. He kills. He tortures. It is an unrelenting cycle that he constantly craves and can never quite satisfy.Until her.Eighteen year old Lacey Barnes distributes her assets to fund her dreams. Medical school is the end game and she is determined to get there by any means necessary. But a family member's careless mistake derails her plans and now she must pay a price in order to save him. She goes to Knox willingly offering him the only valuable thing she has. Herself. In doing so he allows her into his world, a world she quickly realizes is void of any light and hope for escape is utterly elusive. But escape is something she finds that she no longer wants. "He lays a path of pleasure laced agony for me to follow and I do. Stupidly I follow him down the blinding darkness of his euphoric hell."Disclaimer: This is book is intended for mature audiences (18+) due to description of violence and sexual situations.
El Santo
M. Robinson - 2017
Forced to become my own worst enemy. With so much blood on my hands, I was surprised I could still see my own skin.I killed.I tortured.I loved…I played God while I was rotting in Hell. Thriving on control and power was the only way I knew how to live. There were no other options.If you weren’t my friend, you were my foe.If you weren’t with me, you were against me.Traitors, as I called them. There were no imaginary lines. I’d crossed them all. No boundaries. No second chances. No redemption.Not for me.For them.For anyone.Only for her…She loved me. Always convinced I was a saint, never believing I was just another sinner.A fucking monster.Until it was too late.Except, I didn’t choose this life. It. Chose. Me.
Heat
J.M. Walker - 2014
Not for readers under 18 years of age*** *Remember: Safe. Sane. Consensual* He is my light. My darkness. The heat that creeps along my bones. He controls me. Captivates me. Owns me. He needs me just as much as I need him. He teaches me to love, to want. To heal. He breaks me down only to make me whole. He gives me a reason to fight. To move on from the nightmare that was my past. The life before him. He introduces me to a world of trust, empowerment and pure utter submission. He unleashes an inferno, a raging fire inside of me that burns only for him. He is Parker Reed. When Keely Price is hired at Reed Industries, she takes on more than just an assistant job. Having to deal with Parker Reed’s unconventional lifestyle choices while also trying to subdue her own demons, she looks to him for guidance and protection in a world unlike her own. Can they conquer their own demons before they take control and break them apart forever?
Needing to Fall
Ryan Michele
I’ve lived it, breathed it. Why?Because life hated me. It disliked me from the moment of conception, despised me when I was born, loathed me when I bounced from each foster home, and kicked me in the gut when I watched the one thing that meant everything to me leave.For years, I drifted, unable to find my footing, never knowing what the word stable meant. Then a single moment in time rocked me to my core, changing me and making that solid ground I so desperately craved crumble at my feet, causing me to fall farther than I’d ever imagined. The darkness of the swirling tornado that is depression captured me, pulling me down to its depths, drowning me, suffocating me, owning me.A depth so deep, I didn’t think I’d survive and didn’t care if I did. I only wanted peace. I wanted the pain to disappear. I wanted to be … free. Needing to fall into the cyclone of darkness was the only way I could find the light.**Warning: This book covers many tough issues—including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and abuse. It is a very highly charged, emotional read. You have been warned.****Please note: depression, PSTD, and other issues covered in this book take different lengths of time to combat—some take a lifetime. In this book, time is skewed and sped up to flow with the story line.**
Bound by Lies
Hanna Peach - 2014
He contacts me only through notes − unpredictable and untraceable. When we meet, he can touch me, but I’m not allowed to touch him. When we make love, it’s only after I have been bound and blindfolded. It’s the only time I truly feel alive. Which is why I play along with it. For now.Caden Thaine is the most sinfully beautiful man I have ever seen. But more than that, his touch sets me on fire. And dear God, do I ache for him. I don’t know where he lives or even what he does. But this doesn’t scare me. My only fear is that one day his messages will stop. I know he’s hiding something. But that’s okay. I am hiding things too. Like my real name and... who I really am. But the deeper I fall for him, the stronger my curiosity becomes. I could never have imagined just how much our lives are bound. And that pulling at his tangled web of secrets would cause my own dark past to come back to try and reclaim me. Will we survive? Will our love?Adult romantic suspense. +18 years.
The Jack's Heart
Demi Vice - 2018
Find his sister--the one he'd never even mentioned--give her a letter and go on to live my dream life. Easiest job I'd ever pulled, right?Wrong.Nothing about Ahrianna Lore was easy. She was a stubborn beauty, an intoxicating mystery, and a feisty fury. She was nowhere near perfect, but perfection was overrated.I went along with the lie of who she thought I was--just some guy from the wrong side of town looking at the run-down apartment next door. It was supposed to be a quick hookup--it had been seven long years, after all--but curiosity got the best of me.I read the letter.Now I was a prisoner for an entirely different reason...I was a prisoner to this woman.The Jack's Heart is a complete standalone and a part of the Prison Saints series.
Constant
Rachel Higginson - 2017
I fell in love with him. I promised I would never leave him. I swore nothing could break us apart. Five years ago I broke my promise. I ran away. I took the one secret that could destroy us both and disappeared. Five days ago I thought I saw him. I knew it was impossible. Sayer was locked away, serving a deserved sentence in federal prison. He couldn’t find me. He wouldn’t find me. I was too good at hiding. Too good at surviving. Because if Sayer ever found me, there would be hell to pay for a plethora of sins. The worst of which, he didn’t even know about. Five hours ago, I told myself I was crazy. Five minutes ago, I saw him again. Five seconds ago, I was too late.