Book picks similar to
Smoke by Eden Butler


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romance
mafia-romance
contemporary-romance

Even the Score


Beth Ehemann - 2016
    No parent likes being sidelined, so Andy decides to hire someone to share the workload. But when one of the hottest agents in the industry applies, Andy knows that this deal is definitely trouble.Danicka Douglas works her butt off, but being an attractive woman in a testosterone-heavy industry isn’t exactly a cakewalk. She guards her professional reputation fiercely, which means no crushing on her gorgeous boss. But the more they ignore that sexy little spark, the more it sizzles…Just when it looks like romance might be in the game plan, Dani is threatened by a stalker with dark intentions. To keep her safe, Andy must cross the line between professional and very personal…because this time, he’s playing for keeps.

Sweet Collateral


L.P. Lovell - 2021
    A slave. A possession.Freedom is so close I can almost taste it, only to have it snatched away under the guise of protection. A gilded cage is still a cage. Rafael D'Cruze is a bad man. I hate him, so why do I feel safe with him?RafaelShe's a favor. A pretty slave. Sweet collateral.I have no interest in Anna beyond keeping her alive for the man who now owns her and paying off a debt. And yet, I'm fascinated by the little slave. I find myself willing to bleed for a willing touch, a trusting glance...A broken little bird. The big bad wolf. A longing that could heal or destroy.Hate me or hold me?

Every Little Piece of Me


Lexi Ryan - 2020
    . . and the wedding invitation that changes it all. The first time I saw Brinley Knox, she was crying and heartbroken at her own sweet sixteen party. The daughter of the wealthiest family in Orchid Valley, she was off limits to someone like me—the teenage charity case, the hired help.But that didn’t stop me from kissing her. Or from promising if she were ever mine, I’d never let her go.The last time I saw Brinley Knox, I made good on that promise. Forget that it was the first time we’d seen each other in ten years, or that we were drunk in Vegas when we said I do. I meant every word, every touch, every promise.The problem? When I came back to the hotel, she was gone—the ring I slipped on her finger and the note she left behind the only reminders she had been there. Well, those and the hole she left in my chest in place of my heart.We haven’t spoken in the six months since, and I’m not the kind of guy who’d file for a divorce he doesn’t want.But when I get the invitation to her wedding to another man, it’s time to return to Orchid Valley and remind the bride-to-be that I’m a man who keeps his promises.Every Little Piece of Me is a sexy, standalone second-chance romance in Lexi Ryan’s all-new Orchid Valley series.

Cold Hearted Bastard


Jenika Snow - 2021
    and love and hate.He didn’t have a heart... but he wanted hers.All I knew about life was anger and violence. Pain and suffering. Kill or be killed.I was a “fixer” for the Ruin—a syndicate for the Bratva, Cosa Nostra, Cartel, and any other organized crime faction that dealt in the darker, crueler aspects of humanity.I was a free agent who was called upon to do things weaker men didn’t have the stomach for.And when you surround yourself with death for long enough, soon, you didn’t remember what it felt like to be alive.And then I saw her. She was a fragile little thing who tried to be strong. But I could tell she’d seen too much horror in the world, too much of the ugly within people. I should have stayed away. I’d only bring her farther down into the darkness.But for the first time in my life, I felt a stirring in my chest, this protectiveness and possessiveness toward another living person. And it was painful. It made me feel alive.Lina tried to hide how broken she was, but I was an old friend of being ruined. She held secrets I’d find out. Because for the first time in my miserable life, I wanted something for myself. I felt something more than apathy and indifference.I wanted to possess the innocence she clung to. I wanted to break it open and consume it for myself. I could look into her too trusting blue eyes and knew I’d maim for her. I’d kill for her. And that became our truth when her past finally came back for her when my present tried to destroy her. They thought they could take the one thing—the only thing—I’d ever wanted for myself. They were wrong.When I looked at her, I felt some of the monster that made me who I retreated back to my black soul. He’d never leave... but he’d share the space. For her.A complete standalone novel in the Underworld Kings series.

His to Defend


Rhenna Morgan - 2019
    His rules. Her love.Though his methods may be rough, when it comes to protecting what’s his, Russian vor Sergei Petrovyh’s heart is always in the right place. That’s never been more true than when the gorgeous Evette Labadie asks him for a job. He knows enough to keep his hands off someone as beloved by the locals as Evie, but there’s something about her that calls to him—no matter how badly he burns to make her his.Don’t think Evie hasn’t noticed the powerful Russian mafia boss who makes her favorite diner a regular stop. How can she not? He’s as hot as his reputation is dangerous. But everyone in her struggling New Orleans neighborhood knows he’s the man to turn to. And right now she needs money to get her son out of trouble.Her other needs—needs she knows damn well Sergei can more than satisfy—will have to wait.Evie soon finds herself playing Cinderella to a man who, despite what people believe, is definitely more prince than villain. She can’t help falling deeper in love with each passing day. But when a turf war between Sergei and a rival brings violence to her doorstep, Evie must come to grips with loving a man who will do anything to defend her…or walk away from her best chance at a happily-ever-after of her very own.Read it today!NOLA Knights seriesBook 1: His to DefendBook 2: Hers to TameBook 3: Mine to Keep His to Defend is the highly anticipated spinoff of the Men of Haven series. Order your copies of Rough & Tumble , Wild & Sweet , Claim & Protect , Tempted & Taken , Stand & Deliver and Down & Dirty today!This book is approximately 88,000 wordsOne-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise : all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

Forever Lies


Jill Ramsower - 2019
    He was every crush and craving, each desire and fantasy, all rolled into one. The problem? There was something more sinister lurking beneath that tempting façade.Something dark and ruthless.Luca Romano locked his sights on me the moment those elevator doors closed.I couldn’t escape him, no matter how hard I tried.There was a mutinous side of me that didn’t want to run. As if I ever had a choice…"WOW! Just WOW...From beginning to end I was hooked on thisunique spin on Mafia Romance. HOLY PLOT TWIST! Did not see that coming...SOGOOD!" - Megan, Megan's Scandalous Book BlogFOREVER LIES is a full-length mafia romance complete with HEA. The book is a dark romance that contains adult themes and content that may not be suitable for sensitive audiences.

Leave Me Breathless


Jodi Ellen Malpas - 2019
    Ryan Willis has spent years in the protection business, a job that requires constant vigilance and quick thinking. His only chance to truly relax is at his secluded cabin in a small town where there are never any surprises. So when Ryan returns after an assignment and encounters a beautiful stranger, he isn't only surprised, he's also instantly intrigued.Hannah Bright is a breath of fresh air, and Ryan is soon completely consumed, unable to stop from falling for her. As the two grow closer, his instinct tells him something is amiss. Yet nothing could prepare him for what he discovers when he starts digging into her past.Hannah spends her days painting, running her arts and crafts store...and hiding too many secrets. It's why she won't let the ruggedly handsome bodyguard get too close. But their chemistry is undeniable, and Hannah quickly finds herself caught up in a whirlwind romance with Ryan. He is peace personified, a balm to her battered soul. Yet the gorgeous, captivating man who has swept Hannah off her feet doesn't even know who she really is. And the moment he finds out, both their lives are at risk.

More of You


A.L. Jackson - 2018
    . . The second I saw him walk through the door, I knew he was trouble. A gorgeous rebel with a bad attitude and a huge chip on his shoulder.My heart warned me. I didn’t listen. I fell hard and fast. He promised we’d be together forever, and then left me with a broken heart. Now, ten years later, Jace Jacobs is standing at my door.Sexier than he’s ever been. Provocative and commanding.Successful and powerful. The man I always knew he would become. But I promised myself I’d never lose my heart to him again.Even time couldn’t dim our chemistry. One glance of his intense eyes, and I become weak. One brush of his hand, and he brings me to my knees. Little do I know, Jace holds the key to everything I’ve lost and everything that threatens my future.Now he will either save me, or he will break me all over again . . . More of You – a Confessions of the Heart second-chance, stand-alone romance

Secrets


Aleatha Romig - 2018
    Web of Sin is a dangerous, gritty romance, complete with an all-new alpha anti-hero who will haunt your dreams and your fantasies. “Have you been Aleatha’d?”SECRETS is book one of Sterling and Araneae’s story, Web of Sin. Their story continues in LIES and concludes in PROMISES.

White Rabbit: The Rise


London Miller - 2018
     When she crosses paths with a man whose smile is a little too cunning—and his power a little too vast—she learns very quickly that dancing with the devil is far more enjoyable than she had ever imagined. But Uilleam Runehart is not at all what he seems, and as a notorious fixer with a thirst for power, he’ll do anything to obtain his title. Ruthless. Sinful. Seductive. How much would you pay to be a king? From Romantic Suspense author, London Miller, comes the first book in a sexy, thrilling new series following a man with too much power and the only woman that can bring him to his knees.

Pike


T.M. Frazier - 2020
    Baptized in the gutter. I was raised by the violent laws of the streets, spilling blood without the hindrance of useless emotions or connections.Unfeeling. Unloved. Alone.My life was perfect.Until her.While on a manhunt for a mysterious enemy, one hellbent on taking both my business and my life, I find Mickey. She's covered in mud, rambling nonsense, and clearly out of her mind. She's also a distraction I don't need.That is until I discover a connection between the girl and my enemy.Mickey isn't a distraction anymore.She's the perfect weapon.One I'll use to exact my revenge.The plan is an easy one, but there's something about Mickey that's making it more and more difficult. A familiarity I can't place. A need I can't explain.A want I have to deny.After all, she's not mine to keep. She's a tool. My pawn. My sacrifice.

A Reckless Note


Lisa Renee Jones - 2020
    But in that note is perhaps every answer to every question I've ever had in my life. And because of that note, I look for her, but find him. I'm drawn to his passion, his talent, a darkness in him that somehow becomes my light, my life. Kace August is rich, powerful, a rockstar of violins, a man who is all tattoos, leather, good looks and talent. He has a wickedly sweet ability to play the violin, seducing audiences worldwide. Now, he’s seducing me. I know he has secrets. I don't care. Because you see, I have secrets, too.I’m not Aria Alard, as he believes. I’m Aria Stradivari, daughter to Alessandro Stradivari, a musician born from the same blood as the man who created the famous Stradivarius violin. I am as rare as the mere 650 instruments my ancestors created. Instruments worth millions. 650 masterpieces, the brilliance unmatched. 650 reasons to kill. 650 reasons to hide. One reason not to: him.

Reluctant Surrender: A Dark Mafia Arranged Marriage Romance


Measha Stone - 2021
    I'll be keeping her as my bride.As her thong is ripped off and my belt lashes her beautiful bare backside for the first time, I can tell Maggie Dudek is finally starting to realize that defying a man like me has consequences.Painful consequences.Rigging a high-stakes poker game put her in danger, but that's not why she's face down on my bed. She's here because my future bride needs to learn that her husband expects to be obeyed.Soon her already well-spanked bottom will be sore from a much more shameful lesson, but her screams as she is punished will turn into moans of submission long before I'm finished with her.The more she fights, the more delicious her surrender will be...Publisher's Note: Reluctant Surrender is a stand-alone novel which is the second book of the Reluctant Brides series. It includes spankings and rough, intense sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book.

Trojan Crown (Crown Brothers, #2)


Eleanor Aldrick - 2022
    That’s her name. The young temptress that’s come to test my will.No matter how hard I try, her every seductive move breaks me, turning me into a monster who won’t settle until he’s had a taste.She’s the nanny. The last woman on this earth I should be looking at, let alone desire.And to make matters worse, I only have myself to blame.I’m the reason my wife is gone. That same reason that left me wandering aimlessly in the desert, trying to find a way back to my kids.After fighting death itself, I make my way home, only to be served the cruelest redemption life has to offer. Anaya.A bitter chuckle falls from my lips because the irony is just too good.Her name, it means God's answer. But in truth, she's His torture, sent to end me once and for all.

Unholy Union


Natasha Knight - 2020
    A single night that changed the course of our lives.She asked me if I was a monster the night I met her.I am.She’s about to learn I’m her monster.Because the countdown that began eight years ago has ended. Her time is up.On the stroke of midnight, she’s mine.Unholy Union contains the prologue Unholy: The Beginning