Book picks similar to
Love Notes by L.K. Shaw


dark
contemporary
romance
dark-romance

Into Temptation


Skyla Madi - 2016
     A good Catholic girl would never use church on Sunday to lust over the Father's son. A good Catholic girl would never pulse between her thighs and lose her breath over the boy who recites the closing prayer - even if his voice is low and sinful enough to make her toes curl in her shoes. A good Catholic girl would never allow herself to be led into temptation by dirty, blond hair and dark eyes... And a good Catholic girl would never use Bible study as an excuse to be used and abused. But, like I said, I'm not a good Catholic girl... And he's FAR from a good Catholic boy. Caleb Andrews is everything I don't need, but he's everything I want... God help me.

Rivalry


Laurelin Paige - 2019
    I only took the meeting because I was curious. I thought he was going to offer me a job.But that's not what he's after at all. His proposal is much more intriguing, and I see an opportunity. An opportunity to turn the tables and bring down the devil.I've gotten in trouble playing these games before. I know when the risk is too great, when the stakes are too high. I know how to be cold and strong-willed and destructive. I know how to withstand dominant men with arrogant charm and rugged features.Yet I can't resist taking on Edward.And I can't resist the pull he has on me.Soon I'm not so sure which side of the battle I'm standing on--if I'm the warrior meant to slay,Or the one who will be slain.Slay is Book One in New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author, Laurelin Paige, next dark and edgy series.

Black Ink


N.M. Catalano - 2016
    Powerful. Dangerous. Intoxicating. Twisted. A prick. There is nothing or no one beyond his reach anywhere in the world. He uses any means to get what he wants. He wants Gemma Trudeau. For two reasons, first, to find out if she helped her husband steal three million dollars from him. The second, he wants to do very bad, very twisted things to her. He always gets what he wants. Gemma Trudeau Her life was destroyed. She's alone, homeless with no money. A brilliant successful lawyer, she must now beg to work for the one man who suffered as much as she did from her husband's illegal schemes, the only one who can help her get her life back. What she didn't know was he would rock her world. Alexander Black has Gemma right where he wants her. The heat between them rages, leaving them in an constant aching burn. A stranger breaks into her house and she's terrorized. He has one purpose, to take her, bind her, force her into a night of raging passion, leaving her stunned, confused, and very, very satisfied. He promises he'll be back. She can't wait. The Capo di Tutti Capi has offered her protection. But at what price? Someone is stalking her. The mob who wants to own her? The faceless man who seduces her in the dark blindfolded? Or the one man who should hate her, Alexander Black? Who can Gemma trust? First book in the BLACK INK Series. A bit dark, a bit edgy, and a whole lot of heat. It does have a bit of a cliffhanger. **18+ adult audience, very strong sexual content.**

Little Doll


Melissa Jane - 2014
    What I would find was something belonging to nightmares.What I would lose would unknowingly become my fight for survival.An escape from the clutches of evil seemed almost an impossible task. Warring with Mexico’s leading cartel would only see me closer to my grave. Or worse, used as a bargaining chip to seal a sickening deal my brother had unwillingly played a part in. But then there was one man who ruled over me. A man who promised to destroy my world at every turn. Juan Florez. Taking on the notorious cartel son was a battle I was bound to lose.This series continues with:Book 2: Ruthless SonsBook 3: Savage KingBook 4: Wicked GamesThis book contains themes and situations some may find confronting.

Make Me Lose


Ember Leigh - 2019
    We’re enemies. Born minutes apart on the same day in the same hospital, our parents thought this meant we were somehow destined to be together. We knew were we just destined to beat each other. Competition boiled over until junior year, when the cold war turned into an unexpected peace offering. Maybe my hormones allowed me to notice his broad shoulders, stormy gray-blue eyes, and soccer star’s chiseled frame. But after I fell for him…he stomped all over my heart. Ten years later, I’m at the top of the realty game in Bayshore and Grayson is just a distant memory. Until he shows up from NYC, his ego bigger than a skyscraper, and asks me to sell the house he recently inherited.It’s easy to say no. Even though I want to climb him like the jungle gyms we used to dangle from in strong arm battles.But I forgot that Gray doesn’t take no for an answer. And that he isn’t content unless he’s defeating me. He butts into my evenings on the boat. Ropes me into water skiing battles. Even shows up at the bar and creates a scene when I’m scouting a date to the upcoming Bicentennial Ball.It’s almost like he’s gunning to win me. But if he wins, that means I lose.And I’m not ready to cede victory just yet.

Ardor


Elena M. Reyes - 2013
    When it came to his profession, he excelled, gaining himself the position of manager to one of the nation’s biggest wholesale retailers. He was amazing at everything; except when it came to love. The night he found his ex-wife in bed with her gay best friend was the night he decided it wasn’t worth it. He was better off just focusing on his career, and nothing more. He became content with just being. That is, until Jasmine Velez, his new employee, walked into his store. Blunt, and honest to a fault, the woman captivates him against his will. Not only is she gorgeous, but she’s the first woman that doesn’t chase him around. Something that makes ignoring her that much harder. The last thing he wants to do is try to have a relationship with a woman again, and he knows that if he allows Jasmine in, that’s exactly what he’s going to go for. Except, then he’s faced with the possibility of Jasmine being with someone else, and the choice is taken from him. He’s left with only one option: He needs to make her his. But that might prove harder than he originally expected. How the hell does a man seduce a feisty woman whose gotten tired of waiting for him and is hellbent on not giving into him?

Friend Zone


Nicole Blanchard - 2018
     Maybe if Charlie St. James repeats it enough, she’ll stop lusting after him. Not that it matters how she feels anyway, because Liam will always see her as one of the boys. Hell, he’s the one who gave her the nickname Charlie as a joke. Well, the joke’s on her. Now that she is confined to less than 1,000 square feet with him, she can’t stop thinking about how it would feel to get just a little bit closer. Charlie St. James is off limits. She’s been Liam Walsh’s best friend since grade school. He thought it wouldn’t be a big deal to let her crash with him when she needed a place to stay, but he was dead wrong. Knowing only a thin wall separates them when they sleep, that she’s naked in the shower while he lays in bed fantasizing about her, is unbearable. When their cozy two bedroom goes from friend zone to war zone, they’ll either burn up the sheets or go down in flames.

Blurred Red Lines


Cora Kenborn - 2017
    A word whispered in fear and respect. A name to avoid at all costs. Until I see something I shouldn't and come face-to-face with it.Abducted. Held against my will. A prisoner of a war I know nothing about.But my kidnapping is more than a case of mistaken identity, and my captor is more than a stranger.He's the heir to the devil.A ruthless cartel prince who takes everything and promises nothing. I should hate him, but the deeper Valentin Carrera drags me into his corrupt world, the harder it becomes to resist either one.He's determined to take more than my freedom.He wants to own my soul.I'm at his mercy. A plea that means nothing to a man whose hands are stained with blood.Until that stain?That blood?It becomes mine.And I'm no longer a prisoner of war.I am the war.*The Carrera Cartel books are all standalones and can be read out of sequence. However, if you prefer to avoid spoilers, it's highly recommended that you read them in order.

Melting Steel


C.M. Seabrook - 2017
    Stuck up. Arrogant. The kind of guy who hasn't had to work for a damn thing his entire life. Even his name, Henry Caldwell III, reeks of privilege.And me? Well, let's just say I come with more baggage than a 747 and enough bullsh*t to fuel it.The problem is I want him. Crave him. It's the kind of pure, all-consuming, panty-soaking lust that can make a girl forget why she swore off men to begin with.He thinks I need saving. But this isn't a Cinderella story, and he's no Prince Charming. At least not mine. I learned long ago that trusting any man with my heart isn't just dangerous - it can be deadly.HENRYEmotionally crippled, smart-mouthed, and sexy as sin, the woman is nothing I need and everything I want.Despite her hard edges, tattoos, and reckless spirit, I know she craves more. More from life, more from love, more from me.She thinks I'm just a trust fund brat and maybe she's right. But I've got secrets of my own. I know what darkness is. I've lived it - faced the pit of hell and barely survived.The question is, am I strong enough to face it again? Because if I'm ever going to break through the steel wall she's placed around her heart, it'll mean facing demons we both thought were long dead and buried.

Stealing Cinderella


A. Zavarelli - 2020
    His was… me. It should have been simple. Go to the ball, meet the prince, and secure his patronage for my favorite charity. But beneath the mask, the brooding beast of a man was not at all who I expected. He was dark and intense and eerily quiet. When I left, I could still feel the ghost of his touch branded into my skin. He haunted my dreams, but I never expected to see him again. Then he came for me. And he took me. And I learned that his darkness was a void I never could have conceived. He’s the crown prince of Norway. And, now, I’m his captive.

We Were Here


Daisy Prescott - 2016
    
This is the story of seven friends. We met in college, completely free for the first time in our lives and determined to enjoy every minute of it. For four years, we gossiped and flirted, partied and road-tripped. We were inseparable. Each of us has our own story of falling in or out of love. Of finding out who we are. Of growing up. We thought we knew everything. We knew nothing. We Were Here is where the Modern Love Stories begins, in a standalone that perfectly captures the humor, angst, and sheer chaos of college.

His


Jenika Snow - 2014
    This book does not end in the normal “happily ever after.” There are no wedding bells at the end, no love being professed, or long walks on the beach. If that is the type of story you want this book probably isn’t for you. This book is fiction and contains material that some readers may find offensive. Bethany Sterling comes from a privileged family, one that believes in modern-day marriage arrangements. On the outside, she plays the part of the perfect daughter, but on the inside, she is looking for another way out. She hides what she really wants in life because showing her dreams and aspirations is a weakness she can’t afford to reveal. As soon as Abe saw her he knew that he would go to any lengths to make her his. He is trained to be lethal, stealthy, and have no remorse in his actions. His needs take control of him until he is nothing more than a machine intent on following his plan. Bethany finally gets her to wish for a new life, but it isn’t how she envisioned it. Now with Abe she realizes that his need for her runs deep. She shouldn't want him, but she is also compelled and attracted to him. It is those turbulent emotions pulling her in different directions that will have Bethany deciding how far she is willing to go.

Chasing The Dragon


T.K. Leigh - 2015
    She's the target. Can he resist falling for her?Mackenzie Delano craves control in every aspect of her life. From her business life. To her social life.To her love life…Until she crosses paths with a mysterious man who seems to break down the walls she spent the past several years erecting.Tyler Burnham has lived the past few years with one rule in mind...Never fall in love.But when he must form an intimate relationship with a sharp-tongued woman in order to obtain the location of a man deemed an enemy of the State, he finds himself straying from that rule.Will Tyler be able push his feelings aside and recover the information he needs?Or will he risk his mission and their lives in order to follow his heart?Chasing the Dragon is the first book of the Deception Duet, a part of the Beautiful Mess series. Pick up this gripping story of secrets, intrigue, and betrayal today.Beautiful Mess Series Recommended Reading Order:1. A Beautiful Mess (Beautiful Mess Trilogy #1)2. A Tragic Wreck (Beautiful Mess Trilogy #2)3. Gorgeous Chaos (Beautiful Mess Trilogy #3)4. Chasing the Dragon (Deception Duet #1)5. Slaying the Dragon (Deception Duet #2)6. Vanished (A Beautiful Mess Series Standalone)7. Heart of Light (A Beautiful Mess Series Standalone)***Author's Note: While it is not necessary to read the Beautiful Mess Trilogy prior to reading the Deception Duet or the Beautiful Mess Series standalones, the above is the recommended reading order for the best reading experience.

That Which Destroys Me


Kimber S. Dawn - 2014
    Love, happiness, and fairy tales… Yeah, they don't live here anymore. The only things residing amongst these thin and baren walls are Dominance, submission, and twisted obsession. Stella gets knocked down over and over throughout her life… Though she is bloodied and battered she stands back up every single time, smirks and nods before asking, "That all you got?". Wesley has shoved his way through the rich life with both middle fingers up. He's also shoved his way through half of the socialite population, but all that vanilla lifestyle has left him a starved man. He knows he can't keep his Dom fed with kinky little masochistic vanilla's anymore. On his mission to find the perfect sub, Wesley stumbles across a broken, shattered angel, only to find when she comes up swinging, that this little angel knows how to fight. He wants to be the one who breaks her… But it's not a question of who breaks her, the question is who destroys her. “We will fight, angel. We’ll fight hard. But it’ll be worth every strike below the belt. Every hateful or spiteful word said, because when we love, when we fuck, when our passion reaches an intensity so goddamn powerful like it has every single time, it’ll extinguish all the bad. I want all your hate, Stell… Just as much as I want all your love. We are doing this. And there isn’t a damn thing you can do to stop it, angel. Is that understood?” ***Be Prepared to Expect the UNEXPECTED*** ***This is a story of perseverance, trying to overcome the transgressions that others inflict upon you, it’s a story of love gone wrong and obsession gone mad. This book contains explicit descriptions of violence, disturbing situations, and very strong language. This book is intended for MATURE AUDIENCE MEMBERS ONLY, and NOT intended for the weak at heart.***

Rule's Obsession


Lynda Chance - 2014
    He wears his hair cut short; he demands his business affairs be organized, and he insists that his women be impeccably groomed and conservative in both speech and appearance. When he meets Angie Ross for the first time, he sees a hot, beautiful, gothic mess. With her fishnet stockings and spiked leather cuffs, she's wildly inappropriate for his long term needs. But for the short term? She'll do just fine. From the author of USA Today's 'Sarah's Surrender', Lynda Chance brings you: Rule's Obsession. With a style reminiscent of 'Pursuit' and 'Marco's Redemption', 'Rule's Obsession' is a steamy, stand-alone book with no cliffhangers.