Book picks similar to
The Carnival's Daughter by Esme Devlin
dark
dystopia
dystopian
dark-romance
Born Sinner
S.L. Jennings - 2016
Statistically, I wasn’t supposed to survive these streets past the age of eighteen. Fate had a different plan. I was bred for one purpose and one purpose only: to unleash death and destruction on my world. My thoughts are power. My words are weapons. Evil created me then grace tried to save me. But first… they tried to kill me. They call themselves the Se7en. They are sin and salvation, and everything we’ve feared from the beginning of time. And their leader is the deadliest of them all. He doesn’t lose. He doesn’t compromise. And most importantly, he doesn’t distract himself with mortal weakness. Not until me. Kill one to save a million. That’s what he told me when he took me as his prisoner. Kill one to save a million. That’s what he’s been trying to tell himself ever since he took me into his arms.Librarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ASIN B01K6HQY8S here.
Aftereffect
T.L. Hodel - 2020
Each born into privilege and power. We could have anything and anyone we wanted.And I wanted Riley Adams.That pigtailed little brat slapped me in the park. She thought she could handle me. That I was just an entitled prick who got my kicks taunting her.She should’ve listened to the rumors, paid attention to the warnings. . . Not that it would’ve mattered. Her fate was sealed the day she came up to me looking for her damn dog.Hate wasn’t a strong enough word for how I felt about Micha. I could handle his taunting words and cruel jokes, but he decided to up the ante. Trap me, lock me in a cage and throw away the key.But the thing about a cornered animal is that, they eventually turn feral. Desperately clawing around for a way out. Even the devil had a weakness. I just had to maintain my sanity long enough to find his, and hope that I didn’t lose something I couldn’t get back in the process. Because there’s a fine line between love and hate. . . and that line is starting to blur.Warning: This book is a dark romance and contains intense sexual scenes. If you are a reader with certain triggers sensitive to such dark themes, please heed the author's note at the beginning of the book
Last Call
Naomi Lucas - 2016
Additional page count listed for this record.Allie has been alone for years. Stranded on an unknown, uninhabitable planet billions of miles away from Earth, being the only survivor of a disastrous crash landing, she has little hope left for rescue. Each day she is consumed with the task of foraging for food, finding shelter, and avoiding predators. But the nights are the worst... When the planet freezes over and she is left with nothing but her demons. That is until the day she sees a ship fall out of the sky. Where do Cyborgs go when there is no war? When every being in the galaxy fears you? When you're a living, breathing computer virus? Several decades after the galactic humanoid war between the Earthians and the Trentians, Jack has made a name for himself as one of the best bounty hunters in the cosmos. Tasked with pursuing an especially dangerous pirate to a remote location, his ship is caught in a fluke meteor storm. Stranded with ship repairs on a dust rock, also known as Hell-in-Space, he encounters a damaged, beautiful woman. The greatest bounty hunt of his life. ---- Themes: science fiction, romance, horror elements Warning: mature readers only, explicit sex scenes Standalone, HEA, 63,000 words
The Outskirts
T.M. Frazier - 2017
Finn wants to forget he ever had one. After a tragedy, Finn Hollis escapesinto the swamp to be alone. That is until Sawyer Dixon shows up, all SCORCHING HOT innocence, claiming she owns the land less than fifty feet from his front door. Sawyer gets under his SKIN, but even worse? She makes him CRAVE things. Things Finn hasn’t thought about in a very long time. Finn WANTS Sawyer gone.Almost as much as he wants her in his BED.The swamp is about to get a whole lot HOTTER. The Outskirts was originally set to be a standalone. It is now book one of a duet. The Outliers is the title of book two.
Sinister Hunger
Katze Snow - 2018
A life of lies. A future of sacrifice. Vincent Hudson is a vampire hunter, and his life is about to be ruined. When a hunting trip ends in tragedy, he is forced to do the unthinkable—seek refuge in Sanctuary Hope, where each family must nominate a member to the city council. But there is a catch. In exchange for refuge, the nominees are turned into bloodslaves for an elite chain of vampires, and unaware of the gut-wrenching reality, Vincent nominates himself. He only wanted to save his group. Now, a life of captivity and war await him. . .
Run
Eve Vaughn - 2014
A man known and feared for his ruthlessness, his word was law. The last word he ever expected to hear was no. Until he met her.The Prey…Aya Smith despised the ruling class who looked down on hardworking people like her. Sick of being treated unfairly by laws that protect the wealthy and punish the poor, she takes a stand but soon realizes, she might have crossed the wrong man.The Game…Created as a government program to assist in the repopulation of the country when an untested drug wipes out millions of women, The Run eventually evolves into something much more sinister. Now played for the amusement of the super rich, women down on their luck find themselves the prizes of sadistic masters.Aya is forced to volunteer for The Run, and Dare, the most sadistic of all, places her in his crosshairs. She will belong to him, body and soul. But when he catches her will she succumb to his mastery, or will he find more trouble than he bargained for?
Guardian
Emmy Chandler - 2018
Then keep your head down and do what you’re told. Time will pass, and we’ll be back for you.” Audra Copeland is among dozens of newly convicted felons dropped off on the prison planet Rhodon, where she discovers that the women of zone four have a long-standing arrangement with the men. If they hand over six of the new arrivals, the men won’t raid. And Audra has just been drafted. She can take her chances on her own, or select a guardian. The deal is simple, if barbaric: sex, in exchange for food and safety from the other two hundred men in zone four. It’s a terrifying proposal. The men are violent, filthy degenerates. Then Audra sees Tyson at the edge of the crowd. A hulking, scarred figure, the other men call him a savage, but his clothes are clean, and he’s holding a freshly caught rabbit. He can clearly protect what’s his. As compassionate as he is powerful, Tyson ignites something fierce in Audra, and their connection is white-hot. The problem? Every thirty days, she’ll have to pick a new guardian. Now that he’s found Audra, Ty has every intention of keeping her for himself. Even if he has to destroy the fragile zone four peace treaty to do it. Guardian is a 70,000+ word novel set on a planet populated by violent criminals, so expect a gritty story about characters who have to fight to protect each other and their relationship.
Flesh
Kylie Scott - 2012
When the plague hit, her neighbors turned into mindless, hungry, homicidal maniacs. Daniel has been a loner his entire life. Then the world empties and he realizes that being alone isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Finn is a former cop who is desperate for companionship, and willing to do anything it takes to protect the survivors around him. When the three cross paths they band together; sparks fly, romance blooms in the wasteland, and Ali, Daniel, and Finn bend to their very human needs in the ruins of civilization. Lust, love and trust all come under fire in Flesh as the three battle to survive, hunted through the suburban wastelands.
Blyss
J.C. Cliff - 2014
Two sexy, ruthless men...one innocent female caught in the middle. Prepared to spend the summer back at home, Julianna Oakley's plans take an unexpected turn for the worse. She's become Nick Palcini's ultimate obsession, and he will stop at nothing to have her.Dangerous and controlling, Nick has been setting the stage for a long time, and sparks fly when their separate worlds collide. But Nick didn't bank on one thing: Julianna's fiery, independent streak. She'll fight him at any cost. When Travis Jackson, Nick's right-hand man, lays his eyes on the prize, all Hell breaks loose. He should know Nick is playing for keeps, and while Julianna is fighting for her freedom, a lifetime full of secrets and twisted perceptions slowly unwind as Julianna gets caught in the fray.
Fire in His Blood
Ruby Dixon - 2017
Dragons - once creatures of legend - are the enemy. Vicious and unpredictable, they rule the skies of the ruined cities, forcing humanity to huddle behind barricades for safety.Claudia's a survivor. She scrapes by as best as she can in a hard, dangerous world. When she runs afoul of the law, she's left as bait in dragon territory. She only has one chance to survive - to somehow 'tame' a dragon and get it to obey her.Except the dragon that finds her is as wild and brutal as any other...and he's not interested in obeying.What he is interested in is a mate.
Glass Cage
Katerina Winters - 2016
A chance job offering led her into the cruel hands of Alexei Petrov. On the outside, the stoic Russian appeared to be a normal wealthy businessman who needed a maid to keep up with his particular demands. However, Christelle knows the real man, the monster in an expensive suit. Her and her infant brother's livelihood depend on the tall amber eyed criminal who wants nothing more than her complete obedience. From the moment he laid eyes on her Alexei had every intention to possess his innocent maid. But when she arrived at his door one night carrying her brother and a black eye Alexei happily threw out his initial plans for a slow seduction. Seizing the opportunity Alexei presented her with a deal she had no choice to accept. Warning: Very graphic erotica
Delirium
Myra Danvers - 2019
Closed the distance between them with prowling steps, clenched fists, and oh, so much determination. “Too much unfinished business to ever call it over.” He stopped a few steps away from uncomfortably close. Braced his palm on the wall behind her head, forearm brushing the side of her throat. “’Sides”—he licked his lips, glanced down her shirt—“we never got our hate fuck, baby girl.”Iris knows he’ll come.He’ll come lookin’ for what she stole, what she refused to give up when everything went to hell.Won’t find it, of course.There’s nothing left but a pipe full o’the good stuff and the dregs of the past that refuse to die.
Surrendering
K.L. Kreig - 2014
But instead of making a simple statement and returning to her nice, quiet life, she finds herself the center of attention from both a psychotic vampire and the ‘investigative specialist’ who would die in order to protect her.“You’re anything but casual, Kate. I want you and I always get what I want.”Young women are disappearing across the country and Devon, Regent Vampire Lord of the Midwest, knows his centuries old archenemy has finally resurfaced. A break in his fruitless search is provided by the discovery of a woman who can not only see the missing in her dreams, but who ends up being his Moira, his Destiny. And she couldn’t have stepped into his world at a more inopportune time, for she is now the prime target for his nemesis.Protecting her heart would prove to be her biggest challenge.Devon may be the sexiest, most sinfully erotic man she’s ever met, and he stirs passion in her like no one else before, but he’s an entanglement Kate does not want or need. While it becomes impossible to deny their mutual desire, once the case is solved and the missing women are found, Kate fully intends to return to her boring life, alone.At least that’s what she thinks.** Contains graphic sexual content and foul language. Appropriate only for readers 18+.
The Unfortunates
Skyla Madi - 2014
Kade Sario was supposed to vicious and cruel. He was supposed to be a monster, to hurt and chastise me for the smallest things... but he didn't. I didn't understand it... until I found out what he really wanted from me.He wants to use me. He wants to hold me high above the lion's den and wait for the strongest lion to offer him something he can use...He won't hurt me and he won't take from me, but he keeps me close... So close I can smell him on my skin even when I'm alone. Growing up it was ingrained in me that I do whatever I can to please my Fortunate. It was ingrained in me that I be loyal and faithful, and that I love my Fortunate more than I love myself. I expected that I'd want to please him. I expected that I would be loyal and faithful, just like I was taught... But I didn't expect to fall in love with him.Time is running out. Things are changing, the balance of power is shifting and if I'm going to survive in this world, I need Master Kade on my side…
Innocence
Lee Savino - 2015
A virgin.I’m ruthless. A beast.She found me for a reason.She’ll be my queen.I’ll give her everything that her heart desires.Except for one thing.Her freedom.She’s mine to keep, and I’m never letting her go.Note: This is a dark mafia romance with dark and intense sensual scenes. It is the first in a trilogy.