Book picks similar to
Beautifully Brutal by Dani René
dark
dark-romance
dnf
mafia
Out of Love
Jewel E. Ann - 2020
Corruption. Serial killers.You name it—I'm fascinated by it. My mom always blamed my overly curious and highly suspicious mind on my dad.My incredibly overbearing dad.Mr. No One Is Good Enough For My Daughter has been terrifying my dates since I turned fifteen.College is my chance to be free from his control and date any guy I want. I'm absolutely certain he would hate Slade Wylder—almost as certain as I am that I do too.Since when have I shied away from trouble? Slade fascinates me. He lives in a house I'm certain is haunted. His dog is trained as well as any guard I've ever seen. Rumor on campus is that he deals drugs. It would explain a lot.But it doesn't explain why he saves me from my darkest moment.It doesn't explain why I can't stop thinking about him.And the explanation I finally discover is far more dangerous than any rumor.
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?
Killing Sarai
J.A. Redmerski - 2013
Over time she forgot what it was like to live a normal life, but she never let go of her hope to escape the compound where she has been held for the past nine years.Victor is a cold-blooded assassin who, like Sarai, has known only death and violence since he was a young boy. When Victor arrives at the compound to collect details and payment for a hit, Sarai sees him as her only opportunity for escape. But things don’t go as planned and instead of finding transport back to Tucson, she finds herself free from one dangerous man and caught in the clutches of another.While on the run, Victor strays from his primal nature as he succumbs to his conscience and resolves to help Sarai. As they grow closer, he finds himself willing to risk everything to keep her alive; even his relationship with his devoted brother and liaison, Niklas, who now like everyone else wants Sarai dead.As Victor and Sarai slowly build a trust, the differences between them seem to lessen, and an unlikely attraction intensifies. But Victor’s brutal skills and experience may not be enough in the end to save her, as the power she unknowingly holds over him may ultimately be what gets her killed.This is their story…
The Man I Can't Have
Shanora Williams - 2019
The owner had no pictures of himself on his website, just a portfolio of nice outdoor sitting areas, pools, and vibrant gardens that I’d always dreamed of having.Of course I hired him.I expected to meet an average guy, but Mr. Marcel Ward is far from your average man. He’s handsome, and well-built, and his smile—though a rare trait—is truly infectious. He’s every woman’s dream—a handsome, older man who doesn’t mind getting down and dirty to create something beautiful all because of his passion for it. Unfortunately, that lucky woman can’t be me. Although Mr. Ward tests my limits, quickens my breath, and makes my heart skip a beat when he’s around, I’ve promised to devote myself to my husband.So why am I falling for a man I know I can’t have?
Red.
London Miller - 2016
Seven years ago, Niklaus "Red" Volkov was offered an opportunity, one that would give him the ability to even the score with the Albanian mobsters that had tortured him for days and took the life of the only girl he'd loved. But that gift came with strings... Molded into the perfect soldier, Niklaus joined an elite group of mercenaries, loyal to a mysterious man known only as The Kingmaker. He willingly paid the price for means to fulfill the vendetta that plagued him each day. Vengeance was all he knew... And death was all he lived for... Until it wasn't... Until her...
The Don: The Oath Duet
Serena Akeroyd - 2021
How could my Lady be anything other than a silken promise taunting me with every breath she takes?A new Don reigns over Manhattan.But though I won the war, peace isn’t easily brokered.Over a decade of avenging my father’s death, I made many enemies.To each and every one, Jen’s a target.But I’ll paint NYC red before I let them harm her.I just never imagined I’d be in the line of fire first… A heart broken by grief can feel no guilt or shame with the brutality in which vengeance is delivered. This is the first part of ‘The Oath’ duet in The Valentini Family series.
Amore, Part 1
Bella Jewel - 2016
It is love that destroys us.”I’m just a normal girl. Or so you would think. I’ve never thought of myself as anything different. Until I met him.He doesn’t think I’m normal. He thinks I’m special. Special enough to be in his life. Special enough to enter his world. Special enough for his bed. Rafael Lencioni. Dangerous. Beautiful. Terrifying. My story is the one that’s never told. I’m not the daughter. I’m not the wife. I’m not the forbidden lover. I’m not a sister or a mother. I’m not who you think I am. So for me to fit into their world, I have to do something I never wanted in my life. Something I would have frowned upon until I met him. I have to change who I am. I have to shut down my heart. I have to accept my place. My body belongs to him. My heart isn’t permitted to.Those are his rules. But rules were made to be broken…right?
Four
Sara Cate - 2021
They say family is a circle of strength. But when mine is ripped away from me at the hands of a monster, My strength is all that’s left. I’ll give my last breath before they take anything else from me. Even if I’m the one they wanted all along. Find Silas Black. Those were my father’s last words. So I did. Only, I found so much more than just a man who was prepared to help me get my revenge. I found a tortured soul who in return gave me hope. But I also found his broken sons. One hates me. One desires me. And Silas wants to save me. They say revenge is a dish best served cold, but If I keep getting caught up in the heat of the moment, I’ll be my own demise.
King of Shadows
Amelia Wilde - 2020
The innocent young woman challenges his claim on her.He'll stop at nothing to have her.The contract is binding.The daughter of his enemy...Persehone wants freedom more than anything. Instead she falls into the hands of a ruthless businessman. He demands complete possession of her. Body. Mind. Soul.He wants her submission. She demands his secrets.Their sensual battle may break them both.
Blaire
Anita Gray - 2016
Conditioned. Sold to the enemy.My name is Blaire. I'm head of security to a man who controls the Russian underworld in Europe. His name is Maksim and he's my master. He bought me ten years ago and conditioned me with brutality to worship and protect him. And I have protected him. I've slain everyone who has tried to do him harm. Everyone but a man he loans me to; a man who threatens to break me and everything I believe in. You're going to need a strong stomach and a strong heart to follow my story, because take my word for it, it's no fairy tale.
Loaded
Roxie Noir - 2016
She just doesn't know it yet. My boss swore kidnapping the accountant’s daughter would be quick and easy. Just find the girl at the wedding, stuff her into a car and let someone else drive her off. My last dirty job before I get promoted. I wasn’t supposed to dance with her all night. I wasn’t supposed to kiss her, hook up with her outside the wedding, or beat up the getaway driver up when I found him in the parking lot, totally f*cking wasted. And I absolutely wasn’t supposed to drive her to the safe house myself, but here I f*cking am. Stuck in the desert with this gorgeous firecracker who’s stubborn as a mule, beautiful as hell, and determined not to give in to me for even one second. I can handle her just fine. Hell, I’m street muscle for the biggest drug cartel in North America. But the only thing more dangerous than doing my job? Not doing my job. And when the order comes down and I have to choose between her and the cartel who’s been my whole life... ...I might have to rethink some career choices.
Obsessed with His Bride
B.B. Hamel - 2020
She was an apology for stealing from the wrong man and starting a war with the Russian mob.But I killed him and kept her anyway.Now the Russians want to use her against me. They’ll burn the whole city to the ground trying to take her away.I won’t let that happen. Aida’s all mine, from her pouty, delicious lips to her curvy hips. It doesn’t matter how many soldiers the Russians send at me, they won’t take what I protect.I’m a monster. A killer. I’m not the kind of man that settles down, much less for the daughter of a thief.But I want her, and I get what I want.The war doesn’t matter. In the end, I’ll make her my bride.Welcome to the Leone Crime Family! This is the first in a new series of steamy, exciting, and gritty mafia romances. Dante might be a killer, but he protects those he loves! As always, there’s no cheating, no cliffhanger, and a guaranteed HEA. Enjoy! XO BB
Hush Hush
Lucia Franco - 2019
Don’t get close to the clients. The dark and glamorous lifestyle of the rich and shameless open my eyes to a lavish world of sin and wealth, and a man I can’t have. A man I desperately want—James Riviera. We're treading a fine line as we live the ultimate double life until we make a startling discovery that tests both our loyalties. I only had to follow the rules, but rules are meant to be broken.
Queen of Diamonds
Natalie Bennett - 2018
His partner. His whore.His mind games. Her morals.The road to hell...Well, there is no road to hell.I already live there.I was forced to partake in a rigged game of seduction, manipulation, and murder.Mateo Remmington is my formidable opponent.He makes the devil look like a saint.He’s immoral.He's ruthless.He's a goddamn king. King of a clandestine empire who sits on a throne covered in innocents’ blood.I’ve become his obsession.He’s becoming my deadly addiction.And if I make one wrong move he’ll end my life.
Screwing The Mob
Kristen Luciani - 2018
He never would. He was always on the take, but this time he took too much. I betrayed my family tonight. I lost my virginity tonight. I was ready to give up this whole life tonight. I loved him, and he treated me like I was no better than the dirt on the bottom of his shoe. One thought makes me smile through the hot tears streaming down my face. I could have him killed. NicoJust plain sex. I tried to convince myself that’s all it was. Except there was nothing plain about what we did that night. I lied to myself about how I feel, and I lied to her when I told her I wanted her to leave. Now I’m dodging calls from her crazy brother, who, if he found out I’d so much as seen her naked, would wrap his hands around my throat and squeeze until my eyeballs popped out of the sockets. And yeah, I’ve seen my best friend do just that for a hell of a lot less.