Book picks similar to
Tainted Princess by Dove Cavanaugh King
mafia
arranged-marriage
romance
dark
Prince of Hearts
L.A. Cotton - 2020
Hardworking. Honest.She’d rather spend her days helping at the local shelter than brushing shoulders with her vain and entitled classmates.Niccolò Marchetti is his father’s son.Dark. Dangerous. Deceitful.He’d rather spend his days getting bloody in the ring than attending class and keeping up pretences.When their paths cross at Montague University neither of them are willing to drop the walls they’ve spent so long building. But he can’t resist the girl with stars in her eyes, and she can’t forget the guy who saved her that night.There’s only one catch.Nicco isn’t Arianne’s knight-in-shining-armor, he’s the son of her father’s greatest enemy.He is the enemy.And their families are at war.*Prince of Hearts in the first book in Nicco and Ari’s duet. Due to mature content that some readers may find distressing, this book is recommended for readers 18+
Asher Black
Parker S. Huntington - 2017
Huntington comes a steamy, slow-burn love story full of unexpected love and banter.It started with my bladder.I didn't mean to witness a shady deal in the restroom hallway.I didn't think twice when I called the cops.And I certainly didn't know who the club belonged to.Asher Black.Former mafia hitman.Billionaire CEO.New York's most eligible bachelor.When he shows up at my college, looking for the girl who called the cops on his business, I know I'm as good as dead.What I don't expect is his offer--he'll pay my tuition and set me up with a cushy job after I graduate.All I have to do is... be his fake fiancée.Asher Black is a 90,000-word standalone novel in The Five Syndicates mafia romance series.
By Any Other Name
J.M. Darhower - 2015
Two families at war. Nobody is safe, not even the innocent. Especially the innocent. Blood will be spilled. Genevieve "Genna" Galante knows a thing or two about causing trouble. After all, it's engrained in her DNA. As the only daughter of Primo Galante, notorious boss of the Galante crime family, her life is dictated by a certain set of rules… rules Genna was never very good at following. Matteo "Matty" Barsanti never wanted anything to do with the family business, but as the first-born Barsanti son, certain things are expected of him. It's his duty, according to his father, to help take down the enemy... even if that enemy means something to him. A chance encounter on an elevator changes the course of lives, causing the biggest trouble of Genna's young life. The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti. She's heard it said time and time again. So what happens when she falls in love with one of them? The story of star-crossed lovers caught in the middle of the biggest rivalry New York has ever seen, determined to make it… if only they can survive their parents' feud.
Rising
Jessica Ruben - 2018
Anonymity is key in my neighborhood—particularly as a lone female walking at night. All I want is to leave my crime-ridden shadow of a home in New York City. I’ve done everything I can to keep my head down and focus on my studies. College is my only goal; love has never been on the map… That is, until my sister brings me to an underground fight, where I meet a gorgeous and mysterious man: Vincent. He is the ghost in my shadows, showing up to feed me pieces of his upper-crust life, then evaporating into darkness until his next visit. I’m falling hard and fast. How can I trust him amidst the depth of his secrets? Vincent may be even more dangerous than the dark world I’m trying to escape.
In the Beginning
London Miller - 2013
With new friends and an intriguing new love interest, starting over is easier than she expected...but Mishca Volkov isn't what he seems. As the son of a Russian Mob boss, he thrives in a world of chaos and fear, earning the title of Bratva Captain through blood and pain.When the two cross paths, lines blur and passions ignite, bringing them closer than they could ever imagine. Until secrets from the past threaten to tear them apart. Can they fight past their demons...or were they doomed by fate before they ever met.
Dangerous Beauty
J.T. Geissinger - 2019
A hot bodyguard. A high-stakes game of temptation.For Nasir, former Special Ops military man and bodyguard, his new job seems like an easy-money gig: trail a Russian mobster’s runaway wife in Mexico, enjoy the sun, observe, and report. Just one rule: don’t get too close. But it’s all Naz can do not to watch the alluring dancer’s every move. A closer look is irresistible—especially when she’s in trouble.Evalina escaped to the island getaway to live an untraceable life—as far away from the past as she can get. But Eva can’t ignore the dark, muscled stud who rescues her from a drug gang. He says he’s an ex-cop on vacation. When providence throws them together time and again, Eva thinks it’s all a beautiful coincidence. Now she’s giving in to a strange new sensation: trust.But Naz has a mission to accomplish and a secret to keep. Eva has her share of secrets, too. And as the heat flares between them, Naz knows that trust could become the most dangerous impulse of all.***Part one of a three part series.***
Relentless King: A Mafia Romance (Reign of Anarchy Book 1)
Hunter Rose - 2021
I’ve never been afraid of the dark, because I am relentless in the night.This world, my world, is a black hole of death and despair.No one knows it better than me.But my Alyson Scarpati is a blinding light.Her innocence captured my heart the moment I saw her.She vanquishes the shadows and leaves an uneasiness burning inside me.Her father wants to give her away as a gift to the highest bidder?But all he wants is a profitable alliance.Not if I have anything to say about it.Her protection is my reverence.And when she tells me about our little secretnothing, not even our families will get in the way.She’s my Little Lamb.And I will be her Lion.
Possession
Jaimie Roberts - 2017
A domineering man. A powerful man. On that day, the first of two transactions were made with my very unloving parents. I became his possession.Something to own.Something to keep.An object intended only for his desire, his pleasure, and his ... indulgence.Although promised to this man, I at least remained safe ... untouched ... pure. I was to be his and his alone. On my eighteenth birthday, the second transaction took place.I escaped...But he came for me.Now, I'm his. He owns my body and my soul.And, as if all of that wasn't enough, he wants to own my heart too.I’m trying to resist him—trying to fight that irresistible monster inside of him. But, as with everything else in my life, nothing is ever that easy.Warning: Contains graphic scenes with sexual assault content. Please proceed with caution.
Dark Heart Volume 1
Ella James - 2020
Looking back, it makes sense. I was young and needed saving. Luca was my strength. He could take on anything—the world, for me. They say first love cuts the deepest. Ours became a blade that bled me out. It turns out I didn’t know a villain when he held my heart in his hands. Now it’s darker—more like his. Elise was my whole world—until my world burned, and I destroyed her with me. Some betrayals, you can’t undo, no matter how much you wish you could. I can’t help who I am now, and why would I want to? I run this city. No one’s going to take me down—not even the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. I heard they’ve got a file eight inches thick on Don Galante. But dodging bullets is my business. They play dirty, but there’s no one dirtier than me.The DA learns the hard way who’s in charge; he’s out. It should be time for celebration. There’s just one problem: his heir. Or should I say heiress? Elise O’Hara wears a crown of lies, a gown of red, and a fat diamond on her left hand. Now it’s me and her. Or her and me. Only one of us will be left standing when the story’s over. This is how you write a tragedy.
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
Elite
Rachel Van Dyken - 2013
But after her grandmother's death, Tracey is all her grandfather has. So when Eagle Elite University announces its annual scholarship lottery, Tracey jumps at the opportunity to secure their future and enters. She isn't expecting much-but then she wins. And life as she knows it will never be same . . .The students at Eagle Elite are unlike any she's ever met . . . and they refuse to make things easy for her. There's Nixon, gorgeous, irresistible, and leader of a group that everyone fears: The Elect. Their rules are simple. 1. Do not touch The Elect. 2. Do not look at The Elect. 3. Do not speak to The Elect. No matter how hard she tries to stay away, The Elect are always around her and it isn't long until she finds out the reason why they keep their friends close and their enemies even closer. She just didn't realize she was the enemy -- until it was too late.
Bitter Heat
Mia Knight - 2019
He was the flame. After this, they would be ash. A cruel twist of fate leaves Jasmine Hennessy stranded in a remote cabin with her worst nightmare—her ex-husband, James Roth, who she hasn’t seen in five years. He isn’t acting like the man she married, but did she ever really know him? One night together kicks off a series of events that threatens her freedom as Roth seeks vengeance on those who ruined him seven years ago. He’s determined to bring her back into the world she left behind where money is king, reputation is everything, and people will kill to keep their secrets. Author's Note: This is a dark romance novel with triggers and mature themes that may make some readers uncomfortable.
Last Hit
Jessica Clare - 2013
For years I savored the fear caused by my name, the trembling at the sight of my tattoos. The stars on my knees, the marks on my fingers, the dagger in my neck, all bespoke of danger. If you saw my eyes, it was the last vision you’d have. I have ever been the hunter, never the prey. With her, I am the mark and I am ready to lie down and let her capture me. Opening my small scarred heart to her brings out my enemies. I will carry out one last hit, but if they hurt her, I will bring the world down around their ears.
Daisy
I've been sheltered from the outside world all my life. Home-schooled and farm-raised, I’m so naive that my best friend calls me Pollyanna. I like to believe the best in people. Nikolai is part of this new life, and he’s terrifying to me. Not because his eyes are cold or my friend warns me away from him, but because he’s the only man that has ever seen the real me beneath the awkwardness. With him, my heart is at risk... and also, my life.
Dangerous Temptation
Giana Darling - 2021
Diamond cufflinks. A watch on his tanned wrist that cost more than we would ever see in a lifetime of work. He carries a single red rose for my mother.Months later, Tiernan Morelli lays red roses on my mother’s grave. That same day, he tells me that he is my new guardian.I should have known from the very start that he had more in common with the thorns than the rose. Now I know the truth: I’m a pawn in his dangerous game of revenge. I was too young and naive. Now it's too late to save myself from his clutches.I belong to him.
With This Ring
Georgia Le Carre - 2020
With the fierce blood of Mongolian conquerors running through his veins he is pitiless. From the time I was a child, I knew he was my enemy, and I have always hated him with a shocking intensity. Now my father wants me to marry him. I cannot say no to my father. No one says no to him, not if they wish to live. I may be his daughter, but his honor is more important than my life. So I will marry that heartless brute. Yes, he is beautiful, with piercing blue eyes and raven black hair, but I will not bend to him. I will not share his bed, and I will not bear him children. Our marriage will be more barren than the wild landscapes his ancestors rode across when they came to conquer our lands. Maxim I have watched her from afar for many, many years. Those flame colored locks tumbling down her delicate shoulders, that creamy-white neck when it is stretched and exposed. I have imagined how it will feel when she offers herself to me and I am inside her. She despises me, but now she will bear my name and be mine. I will make her call my name. I will make her get on her pretty, little knees and beg me to take her. I will be her last thought when she goes to sleep and the first when her eyes open. I will fill her belly with my seed. A Standalone Full Length Enemies to Lovers Romance.