Book picks similar to
Before by Bethany-Kris


mafia
freebie
romance
contemporary-romance

Brutal Captor I


Amber Adams - 2021
    When she pulls a bullet from a mobster’s chest, can she also melt his frozen heart?April Cooker refuses to turn her back on anyone in need. So when the overworked ER doctor hears gunfire on her way home, she doesn’t hesitate to run into a dimly lit alley to aid the victim. But as she fights to keep the dangerously handsome man’s pulse beating, an SUV roars up and snatches them both off the street.Expecting to be sped to the hospital, April’s stomach fills with dread when they head away from salvation to an enormous manor. And when the goons usher her into a fully equipped mini trauma unit, the dedicated physician realizes her only hope for survival is to stop the wounded stranger from bleeding out.Can April keep herself breathing by waking the dark prince with the kiss of life?Brutal Captor 1 is the steamy and addictive opening chapter of the Brutal Captor contemporary enemies-to-lovers romance series. If you like explosive chemistry, high-stakes criminal wars, and suspenseful twists, then you’ll adore Amber Adams’s gripping cliffhanger.

Scarred Queen


Nikita Slater - 2018
     Drifting in a world of glittering diamonds, mansions, lunches and designer clothes, Casey Hernandez could happily disappear, except the life of the mafia wife demanded she remain and play her part. One misstep and she would face the monster who marked her as his own. Reyes wanted the stunning blond with the furious eyes. He was going to ruin her life, take her from everything she knew and own every inch of her. Hard, brutal, mean. Exactly how he was. Exactly how this world had shaped him. Because he could. She was about to become spoils of war. And when he finally had his woman, they would rise up together; the king and his scarred queen. This books is standalone. Guaranteed HEA, NO cheating, NO cliffhanger. Sizzling dark mafia romance. Read at your own risk!

Crossed


Lacey Silks - 2015
    Dating has proven tiresome and worthless, so she’s decided to put her efforts into her work at the salon she owns.In search for evidence against a crime family, Hunter Reeve stumbles upon a woman who may be the key to solving the case. Except she’s unaware of the lurking danger. His growing attraction to the spunky hairdresser complicates the relationship further.As enemies weasel into Grace’s life, Hunter is forced to make a choice between his work and Grace. And the wrong choice could have consequences neither one is ready for.Warning: Intended for mature audiences

Guns 'N' Tulips (Short Story)


Kristine Cayne - 2013
    After months of scheming and strategizing, the day of the big heist--and Conner's chance to get his old life back--finally arrives, but right from the start, Conner's plans fall apart. Even worse, the woman he loves is trapped in the crosshairs of the Bank Bandits' murderous leader, and Connor is her only hope for survival.

Keeping Lily


Izzy Sweet - 2016
    One night and everything in my life changed. Two words and my world turned dark. “Take her”.Owing the most ruthless crime lord in Garden City five million dollars, my husband chose to trade me and my children away to save himself. I was on the cusp of freedom, so close to divorcing that scumbag I was married to. Now I’m enslaved to a man who is obsessed with me. A man so wicked and beautiful, they call him Lucifer. So alluring, he makes the angels weep with envy. He’s so powerful, I can’t stop myself from bending to his will. He’s determined to master me, and he won’t rest until I give him all. He wants my light, and he wants my dark. He wants my body, and he wants my heart. But most of all, he wants the one thing I can’t give him. The one thing I can’t bear to part with…

One Night with You


Marie Force - 2015
    You might want to keep a fan and some ice water handy, because this story is H-O-T

Mafia Boss's Fearless Lover


Leslie North - 2014
     In the wake of her parents’ death, Katya’s search for answers reveals her family’s deep ties to the Russian Mafia. Now, determined to get revenge and take her place at the top, she’ll let no one stand in her way. Not even dark, brooding mafia boss, Nikolai, whose tantalizing good looks tempt her like never before. Bratva mafia boss Nikolai Tsarsko is used to having whatever he wants, until a headstrong strawberry blonde becomes an intriguing challenge. Katya may be the key to reuniting the organization, and with that comes danger from every direction. To protect and possess her, Nikolai will have to use his most wicked ways. In an underworld filled with unexpected enemies, Kat tries to take her rightful place, Nik fights to keep her safe, and a powerful passion ignites that may bring them both to their knees…

Sworn


Maria Luis - 2018
     The words are tattooed on my skin, just as they’re branded on my heart. But I never planned for Sergeant Lincoln Asher, a man as deceptive as he is cold. His dominance sets my teeth on edge . . . and my body on fire. He won’t stop until I’m his, but I’m not his to take. My secrets bind me—and blind me. I live in the shadows of New Orleans. Hidden and protected in the underworld I call home. I know who I am. I vow never to kneel before a man... Save one. And he will be my downfall.

Omerta


K.A. Ware - 2015
     Mia Caruso grew up under the roof of a tyrant. Her father was an enforcer for the DeLuca crime family who ruled his home with the same brutality that his job required, her mother was the silent trophy he'd always wanted and Mia was only ever in the way. She'd endured the abuse for years, her only solace was the hope that one day she would be free from his iron fists. Just shy of her eighteenth birthday and four months away from a fresh start at college, he showed up and turned her world upside down. Carlo DeLuca was at the top of his game, master of his own universe, he ran the most successful organized crime syndicate on the west coast. He'd worked his ass off to build his empire after his father had nearly bled it dry, and he wouldn't allow anything to threaten that. Carlo ruled with a cold indifference that terrified even the most brutal of men, and today was no exception, he had a rat to dispose of. But when he looked into a of pair amber eyes and saw a fire that rivaled his own, he knew nothing would be the same again.

That Night with My Best Friend's Brother


J.S. Cooper - 2015
     Aiden Taylor is my best friend's brother. He's sexy, charming and drop dead gorgeous. He also doesn't know I exist as anything other than his little sister's best friend. However, I'm determined to change that. I'm Alice Waldron. Twenty-two, spunky, and adventurous. I'm willing to do whatever it takes for Aiden to notice me. And Liv, my best friend, is determined to help me as well. The only problem is that I have a small secret. A secret that could make my getting together with Aiden Taylor very complicated. A secret that could make more than one night with Aiden nothing more than a dream. NOTE: This novella is a free prequel to the full-length standalone novel Falling For My Best Friend's Brother, that will be released at the end of February. This novella will also be included in the full-length book when it is released, so you can read it first as a free download or you can read it as part of the novel on release day.

Hunter, Hunted


Angela Jordan - 2013
    But Angelo's got a secret...Can Karen keep her head on her shoulders, even as she gets wrapped up deeper and deeper into Angelo's dark world?Or is she doomed to fall prey to her DARK ANGEL?***Note: This book contains explicit sex scenes. For ages 17+.***

Dr. Fake It


B.B. Hamel - 2020
    She walked away without a scratch, but her mother ended up in a coma.When I overhear a couple thugs threaten to hurt her, I know there’s a lot more to this story.Nobody messes with my patients. Especially not when they’re gorgeous, spit-fire pissed off, and more than a handful.So I do what any reasonable doctor would do in my position: I offer to marry her.Just for pretend, of course. We’ll fake it for a while until the bad guys go away.Simple enough, at least until that first kiss when I realize this fake-wedding thing is way more than that.Now I’ve got a wife and a whole host of new problems, but I’m a doctor—I’m used to high pressure situations.I’ll keep her safe. Make sure she’s taken care of.And I’ll turn this fake marriage into our happily-ever-after.There’s nothing better than a steamy, over-the-top doctor romance! Dr. Fake It is the start of a new series of standalones centered around Mercy General. There’s no cheating, no cliffhanger, and a guaranteed HEA. Enjoy! XO BB

Hooked


Polly Iyer - 2011
    With a PhD in art history and a tidy chunk of money stashed offshore, she hangs up her G-string with plans to retire to a Mediterranean island to open a gallery. Lincoln Walsh, NYPD sex-crimes investigator, has other ideas. He wants Tawny to work undercover at a high-class bordello to discover if a murdered call girl worked there. The club, nicknamed Upper Eighties, is owned by an ex-hedge fund manager who'd do anything to hook Tawny into his harem. In exchange for Tawny's cooperation, Linc's office, in collaboration with Treasury, will see she avoids prison for failing to pay Uncle Sam his share from years of illegal earnings. But Tawny gets more than she bargained for-another dead prostitute, a mob boss who's an old client, and romantic stirrings for the hot New York cop sending her back into the world's oldest profession. Adult language and situations.

Slow Burn


V.J. Chambers - 2013
    She’d rather snort lines than think about that. She’d rather do shots of marshmallow-flavored vodka until she can’t remember.When Griffin Fawkes arrives with the news that her father’s dead, she isn’t sure if she cares. He wasn’t much of a father anyway. The only silver lining here is that Griffin’s jaw-droppingly gorgeous, and Leigh wants him bad.Griffin owes his life to Leigh's father. The man begged him to keep his daughter safe. But Griffin didn't expect a cocaine-fueled party girl who barely seems to care about her own safety. It seems like she'd rather destroy herself than anything else.Even worse, he didn't expect he'd care about her. He knows he's too damaged to ever really be with a woman. The best he can do is to make sure she’s safe from whoever could hurt her. Including herself. Including himself.Of course, fighting off men with guns is starting to seem easier than keeping his hands off Leigh.

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