Book picks similar to
Gian by Lisa Cardiff


mafia
romance
contemporary-romance
dark

Dark Protector


Celia Aaron - 2017
    Charlie shone like a beacon in a world that had long since lost any light. But she was never meant for me, a man that killed without remorse and collected bounties drenched in blood.I thought staying away would keep her safe, would shield her from me. I was wrong. Danger followed in my wake like death at a slaughter house. I protected her from the threats that circled like black buzzards, kept her safe with kill after kill.But everything comes with a price, especially second chances for a man like me. Killing for her was easy. It was living for her that turned out to be the hard part.Author's Note: This is a full-length romance novel. It's not a super-dark read, no trigger warning. Explicit violence and hot sex included. HEA, no cheating.

Obsidian Liquor


Scarlett Dawn - 2014
    But when she’s caught red-handed by a man who kills for a living, her enmity rapidly turns to fear. Daniil Kozar isn't a man to trifle with, and Elizabeth is forced to strike a deal with the mafia king. Her every action is watched, and she needs to decide how to handle the gun-toting criminal--and his seductive charm.Daniil may be the devil her father warned about. Or he may be the sensual awakening Elizabeth never knew she needed. Somewhere, Elizabeth's dad is screaming a prayer...*Originally published in The Obsidian Collection**This work contains sexual material intended for readers 18+*

Crime Lord's Captive


Mia Knight - 2016
    She created a new identity and has been living a quiet life, but that’s at an end. He’s found her and is bringing her back to where she belongs. As Lyla navigates through the dark secrets of her past, she’s forced to face a man who won’t accept no for an answer from the woman he still claims as his.

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.

Crow's Row


Julie Hockley - 2011
    Just completing her freshman year at Callister University, Emily faces a quiet summer in the city slums, supporting herself by working at the campus library. During one of her jogs through the nearby cemetery while visiting her brother Bill's grave, Emily witnesses a brutal killing-and then she blacks out. When Emily regains consciousness, she realizes she's been kidnapped by a young crime boss and his gang. She is hurled into a secret underworld, wondering why she is still alive and for how long.Held captive in rural Vermont, she tries to make sense of her situation and what it means. While uncovering secrets about her brother and his untimely death, Emily falls in love with her very rich and very dangerous captor, twenty-six year-old Cameron. She understands it's a forbidden love and one that won't allow her to return to her previous life. But love may not be enough to save Emily when no one even knows she is missing.

The Banker


Penelope Sky - 2019
    They'll take me next unless I comply with their demands. Taking down the most powerful man in Italy. Cato Marino. The man is accompanied by his security team everywhere he goes. His fortress in Tuscany is impenetrable. He's the most paranoid man in the country. And there's no possibility I'll be able to take him down alone. If I want to save my father, I only have one option. To get into Cato's bed...and stay there. **This story is not about the Barsettis, but it takes place in the same universe. There are guest appearances by Crow Barsetti and Bones Jr.**

Perfectly Bad: Pierce


Alice May Ball - 2016
    My voice shook, “Are you going to force me?”His nostrils flared.”Is that what you want?” His eyes gleamed and a shock beat through my body. I wanted to smack that grin right off his face. When I want something from somebody, I’ll take what they love the most. I wanted old man Grace’s club? So I kidnapped his curvy, sassy daughter. I didn’t give much thought to her when I slung her over my shoulder and carried her away. She was only collateral. But they say that opposites attract, right? I have to hold the little minx close or she makes all kinds of havoc. That’s where the real trouble starts. However close I hold my feisty prisoner, the urge to hold her closer and tighter gets stronger. It uncoils like a fat, sleeping python then it lengthens and hardens and nothing will make it sleep until it has fed. He’s hot as hell, but he’s a ruthless killer He took me hostage just to steal my daddy’s club. I needed to show him that I wasn’t like the paper-thin dancers and models who flowed into his arms and his bedsheets like a tide. I wanted to smack that smirk right off his chiseled face. The longer he holds me in his power and try as hard as I might, I can’t push away the thoughts of how it will be if he turns his brutal force on me. Can I resist him? This standalone, novel-length adventure races with passion, pulses with action, and climaxes again and again, rises higher and higher to a full, complete, satisfying and surprisingly happy ever after ending. It’s a bad boy romance like no other and you’re going to love it. LAUNCH BONUS for a limited time only, includes Alice May Ball’s Biker MC novel SAVAGE ANGELS for free ! ! !

Dark Russian Angel


Odette Stone - 2019
    I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,And I witnessed a crime.The police are failing to protect me.And my chance of survival isn't looking good.Andrusha, is the cold and dangerous leader of the Vancouver Russian mafia,He's also my best chance to make it to trial alive.The only thing we have in common,Is our shared enemy.This man is everything your mom warned you about.He's ruthless.He's cold.And he likes to be in control.I should be afraid of him.I should keep my distance.So why is he the only one who makes me feel safe?Who will protect me from my protector?

Nikolai: A Mafia Prince Romance


Shandi Boyes - 2018
    It is the women determined to tame the bad boys.By tame, we mean stake our claim.

On the Edge


Mari Brown - 2014
    Drew does everything he can to help her, but her only goal is to get the hell out of Belmont and attend school at UCLA. The further away the better until Cole showed up in her life. Cole Knight is sexy and dangerous. Being groomed to take over the family business, he has no interest in a relationship until he meets Kat. Cole has decided he wants Kat, and will stop at nothing to have her and keep her, making her part of the 'family'.Kat now faces the hardest choice of her life; does she stay with Cole or does she stick to plan she has developed over the last couple of years and get as far away from Belmont as she can? Can she give up her dreams for Cole?

Unsuitable


Samantha Towle - 2016
     Daisy Smith has spent eighteen months of her life paying for a crime she didn’t commit. Now out of prison, she has only one focus—to get back custody of her younger brother, Jesse, who is deep in the foster care system. Desperate to rebuild her life and show the system that she is responsible enough to care for Jesse, she takes on the only job available to her—working as a maid at the Matis Estate. On day one of her new job, Daisy meets Kastor Matis, the only son of the owners and her new boss. An enigmatic, handsome Greek god of a man, Kas is closed off, cold, and…well, kind of a bastard. The more time Daisy spends around Kas, she starts to see there might be more to him than just his cold, bastard ways. He may actually have a heart beating in that frozen chest of his. But Kas has secrets, too. Secrets that he’s determined to keep. Secrets make Daisy curious. And you know what curiosity can do…

Machiavellian


Bella Di Corte - 2020
     I hungered to be seen. There were three things I knew about Capo Macchiavello: He was gorgeous. He was reclusive. He was considered one of New York’s most savage animals. And he wanted me as his wife. A simple arrangement – you do for me, I do for you. Nothing owed, no expectations. Except for one: never leave. Life was never that simple, though. By the age of twenty-one, I was parentless, jobless, and homeless, and I had come to learn the hard way that nothing was ever free. Even kindness comes with strings. Capo might’ve been the only man to ever see me, but I had made a vow to myself: I would never owe anyone anything. Most of all, the man I called boss. I killed to stay hidden. Mariposa Flores thought she owed nothing to no one, but she owed everything…to me, the ghost the world had once called The Machiavellian Prince of New York.

Stolen Hearts


M. O'Keefe - 2021
    To me, he was a mystery, but he was also the only man who ever knew me.In that single stolen moment before I had to give my life to someone else, I imagined myself with him, the man with scars and bruises. The one who knew what hurting meant far more than I did at that time.Instead I was given to another man, one who broke my soul right along with my bones.Through it all, there was always that memory of the man in the shadows, the one who said--not in words--that I was strong, that I could endure, that I was more than just a princess in a ballgown.Now Ronan is the only man who could keep me safe from two warring families that wanted my blood. The spark that started two years ago burned brighter with each touch, each glance, each kiss. He woke me from the nightmare, giving me life with soft touches and sharp words.Two years ago, Ronan gave me strength, but he took something in return. I never gave him my heart, but hearts like mine are made to be stolen.

The Missing Link


J.M. Sevilla - 2013
    It's intended to be read by mature audiences. Part one of a two part series. There are three things Lily Evans immediately notices about her new neighbor, Jay Lincoln. The first is his monstrous size, the second is the malicious way he glares at her, and thirdly, but most importantly, the three scars that mark his right eye. She knows the smart thing to do is stay away, but she has never met or seen anyone like him. The more time she spends with this frightening yet captivating man, the harder it becomes. He can make her hairs stand on end but he also has a sweetness to him that tugs at her heart. Soon she finds herself merged into his world full of murder, revenge, and deceit.New Adult Romance

Black Skies Riviera


Catherine Wiltcher - 2020
    I'm a black suit of spades:Determined to bury both her and my demons.I never asked to see the shape of her heart.I never asked for her to fill the blank spaces of mine. But the mafia wants her secrets.I'm not the first she betrayed.And Issa? Sweet, not-so-innocent Issa?She's now a debt no sinner can pay. Black Skies Riviera is a heart-stopping, enemies to lovers romance with NO cliff-hanger and a guaranteed HEA. For mature readers only.