30 Dark Romance Books That Are Dark, Twisted, and Addictive.
"I’ve fallen in love. I’m an ordinary woman. I didn’t think such violent things could happen to ordinary people."
Hello fellow book lovers! Welcome to Cozy Book Cafe. Thank you for visiting our website. Here you will discover the most anticipated books of 2026. Dive into captivating new stories, discover new authors, and let your imagination soar. 🖤
For readers who crave edge and complexity, dark romance books digs into morally gray terrain, intense passions, and provocative, moody tension. Think forbidden loyalties, tangled desires, and villains who whisper as loudly as their heartbeats. Bold, addictive, and often thought-provoking, these stories tempt you to peek behind the shadows—and maybe find your own daring darker self in the process.
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⭐ BOOK CLUB TOP PICK ⭐
Chaotic by Shantel Tessier
I was born into a secret society known as the Lords. There is no limit to their depravity. If they want to be respected, they have to earn it. Women like me are merely allowed to exist in their world … until they no longer need us.
I’ve spent most of my life wishing death would find me. That I’d be granted an escape from the reality I was forced to endure. But luck has never been on my side. It seemed I was destined to never be anything more than a failure.
Then one night I took control of my life. It was my first taste of freedom, and I wanted someone to notice me.
Turns out, that was a mistake, and my father had been right, I didn’t deserve to be seen.
A Lord—Kashton Landon Pierce—saved me, and I offered to pay him the only way I knew how—with my body. After he finished with me, I ran. Now he’s back in my life, wanting to pick up where we left off.
The problem with that is I’m no longer the scared woman I was when we met. I’ve spent years digging myself out of a dark hole, and I refuse to allow any man to drag me back. Especially a Spade brother. Even if he is promising me everything I’ve ever wanted.
I underestimated him. Kashton inserted himself into my everyday life and invaded my dreams. He needed a pet to keep chained in the basement. A toy to occupy his free time. His brothers were busy living their lives, so he decided to take over mine.
What I didn’t expect was for him to make me feel loved. To be taken care of and put first before anything else. After being told you’re worthless your whole life, it’s hard not to believe it. Kashton made me feel cherished and accepted me for who I was—unworthy.
For a moment, I found myself hoping for a future that I knew wasn’t possible. One where I could be what he needed. But our world has a way of teasing happiness before stripping it all away.
Darkest Destiny by Pepper Winters
For twenty years, Lucien Ashfall has been caged by the very men who profit from his blood. He’s dangerous, uncontrollable, and deadly. He’s also the only one carrying his bloodline and they need another.
Every six months, thirty girls are sent into his prison and tasked with one goal: Make him create an heir by any means necessary. But everyone who goes in, never comes out.
Until Rook Snowdon is thrown into Cinderkeep by mistake. She isn’t a seductress. And she certainly isn’t there to save anyone.
In fact, she only has three goals in life: One, hide her true identity for as long as possible. Two, nap and self-medicate with wine. Three (and most problematic) ignore the fact that stress is slowly killing her.
Lucien only has one goal: escape and burn everything to the ground.
Unfortunately, everyone has their secrets and these two have many. They just don’t know it yet.
Because she might be the key to getting him free. But if he gets out, it’s not the world that will burn. It’s him.
Pretty Vicious by Lexi Davis
Laurel just wanted to survive college, keep her father fed, and fly under the radar.
Delivering pizzas was supposed to be the safe kind of side hustle, until the night she witnesses a murder at Ashford House, the most elite and secretive fraternity on campus.
Now she’s a prisoner of The Order, a blood-bound society that controls everything from politics to police. They rule with ritual, obedience, and violence, and they’ve decided Laurel doesn’t get to leave.
At the center of it all is Carrson Ashford, heir to the powerful Ashford legacy. Cold. Commanding. Infuriatingly magnetic. Under the rules of The Order, he “bonds” her, marking Laurel as his. Body. Mind. Soul.
But Laurel isn’t here to be claimed. Not without a fight. To save her father and her future, Laurel must navigate a twisted realm of initiation rites, brutal secrets, and a bond that may destroy them both.
In this world, there’s one rule: obey or die. But love doesn’t follow rules. And neither does Laurel.
Compulsion by Cynthia Eden
Hello Book Lovers! Discover the very best new books released in 2026! At Cozy Book Cafe, our mission is to uncover the finest new books across all genres and subgenres, so that every book enthusiast can find their next cherished read. Cozy Book Cafe is the best site to explore the newest and most anticipated books of 2026. We have the ultimate collection of new books across every genre & subgenre.
Lily Gallo knows killers. She should, after all, because serial killers are her specialty. She’s the daughter of a notorious serial killer, and she’s made it her life’s work to study the brutal predators. And, recently, she’s been researching the offspring of serials. She’s looking for others who are just like she is. Her research has brought her into the life of reclusive billionaire Atlas Bennett. He’d refused her repeated requests for a meeting. She’d suspected he might be following in his father’s brutal footsteps. But now...
Atlas can’t believe it when he wakes up handcuffed to the beautiful and infuriating Lily. The woman thinks he’s as savage as his twisted father, but she has no clue what dark secrets he really holds. For the moment, though, escape is their priority. But once they get out of that hell, Lily will be his. He’d warned her to stay away. Now, it’s too late. Her fate is sealed.
Atlas knows that his reaction to Lily isn’t normal. The lust he feels is too strong, too consuming, but she calls to the primitive darkness within Atlas that he’s tried to hide from the rest of the world. He’s going to need that darkness because a killer is hunting him…and Lily. A predator who is intent on taking out the children of serial killers. Innocence and guilt doesn’t matter. Only survival does. The killer has uncovered Lily’s research, and he’s using it to track his prey. As each day passes, he’s also growing increasingly obsessed with Lily.
Lily’s mother is the most infamous female serial killer of modern times, and her mother passed on more than a few of her dangerous traits to Lily. Lily has no intention of being some helpless victim, but she will trap the killer who is on her trail. She’ll also stick close to Atlas because she knows he holds plenty of secrets. Fair enough. She’s got secrets, too. Atlas stirs a part of her that she has tried to fight her entire life. Wild and dangerous, he is a man she can’t resist. He may just be the perfect partner for her…unless, of course, she turns out to be dead wrong about him.
Because some people carry darkness, some people carry sins…and there are some monsters that you never see coming, not until it’s far too late.
Behind Closed Doors by Shain Rose
He's the forbidden enigma I wanted to ignore . . . but instead I'll be forced to share a home with him.
Jameson Knight arrives at precisely the same time every day to pick up. It's the only time I see him smile.
I don't ask questions because it's not my place. I'm just his daughter's favorite teacher, nothing more. . . . Until the first bullet flies by us at recess.
Suddenly, I'm risking my life to protect her. And then Jameson drags me back to his estate, claiming it's a matter of life-or-death.
Now I'm in the most beautiful home I've ever seen, faced with an offer from a man who's just as gorgeous: Be the temporary live-in nanny until he can ensure my safety and find a more permanent solution. It'll be easy, he promises.
Yet, the arrangement is anything but simple. Not when Jameson's hungry stare is all consuming and his touch pulse racing. And definitely not when I find that nothing in this neighborhood is as it seems, including Jameson.
He may be powerful, possessive, and protective. But he's also dangerous, demanding, and calculating. As more of his secrets come out, I should run but . . .
How do I escape the enigma of Jameson Knight if he's already captured my heart?
Of Ink and Alchemy by Sloane St. James
Even before her father’s death, Kelly Everhart always knew Logan Teller was someone she could rely on. Now he’s taken over the Black Rabbit tattoo shop and brought her along with him.
And while Kelly still finds her former crush and current mentor hot as hell, they’re firmly in the friendzone. Or so she thinks . . .
Logan’s been biding his time, but he’s no longer leaving anything to chance―not since Kelly started getting serious with her boring boyfriend.
And as Logan manipulates the situation and sabotages the couple every chance he gets, Kelly starts to notice all the ways her Jason doesn’t quite measure up to the man who’s always been such a huge part of her life.
When her relationship with Logan suddenly goes from playful and platonic to strictly sinful, Kelly can’t stop herself from falling head over heels.
But just as things are heating up between them, she starts receiving anonymous messages with information only a few―including Logan―could possibly know about her. Can she trust him after all?
Jealous Rage by Sav R. Miller
Forbidden Fruit Never Tasted So Sweet
Professor Sutton Dupont's tenure at Avernia College is as complicated as his family's bloody history, but when the most irresistible temptation he's ever faced slinks into his classroom, Sutton finds himself desperate enough to risk it all.
After years trying to make a name for herself in Hollywood, Elle Anderson winds up a college freshman at twenty-five, running from her past and lying to everyone she knows.
Especially the green-eyed professor whose forbidden kiss has her starving for more.
Sutton knows he should stay away. But Elle stirs a hunger he can't suppress, and the secrets haunting them both are too powerful to deny.
After all, at Avernia, rules were meant to be broken…and some desires are too dangerous to resist.
Make Them Bleed by Logan Chance
He’s secretly stalking her inbox. She’s secretly hiring masked killers. Love’s never been this twisted—or this deadly.
Mega influencer Arby Kate’s murder shocked the world when five masked men ended her livestream… and her life. Now, months later, her sister Juno Kate is obsessed with revenge, turning to the dark web for vigilante justice.
Arrow Finn, Juno’s best friend and hopelessly devoted secret admirer, panics when he discovers her dangerous plan—thanks to the spy software he’s secretly installed on her computer.
Determined to protect her, Arrow poses as an online masked vigilante expert to help Juno track down the killers. But as they chase shadows through the neon-lit streets of Saint Pierce, the lines between friendship, obsession, and love blur dangerously.
Can Arrow keep his identity hidden while Juno’s quest for justice spirals hilariously, chaotically out of control? Or will their twisted game of masks finally expose the truth they’re both too scared to admit?
Burning Daylight by Emily McIntire
Some loves are powerful enough to rewrite history.
Juliette Calloway lives in a world of luxury, legacies, and lies. The daughter of Rosebrook Falls' most powerful family, her life is a crafted performance, and she's tired of being polished to perfection.
Roman Montgomery doesn't exist. Not officially, anyway He's a shadow, a hidden weapon, the secret heir to an empire soaked in danger and a generations-old feud.
When their paths cross, sparks fly. No names. No pasts. Just reckless smiles and a chemistry neither of them can shake.
Roman is charming. Mysterious. Infuriatingly flirty. And Juliette? She's simply…his.
When Roman is called back to claim his place in the Montgomery empire, the truth crashes down: Their families are sworn enemies, and Roman's very existence is a threat. Their love isn't just forbidden, it's impossible.
Now, every kiss feels like a betrayal. Every stolen moment, a risk. And in a town built on secrets and blood, their passion might just be the most dangerous thing of all.
Finding Dark Mercy by Amity Grey
In the shadows, love and justice collide.
Alexander Clark is the definition of "touch her and die."
By day, he's a powerful billionaire--by night he's the fearsome vigilante Dark Mercy, ridding Tempest City of it's filth with lethal justice. Thought to have died in a plane crash, Alexander returns to reclaim his empire, haunted by the memory of his lost brother.
His life takes an unexpected turn when he reunites with childhood friend Charlotte O'Fallon.
After a toxic marriage, Charlotte has rebuilt herself, focusing on her daughter Elsie.
As past threats resurface, Alexander steps in as their protector.
Their bond deepens, but can Charlotte move past her trauma and embrace the vigilante hero who has saved her life multiple times?
Grim by D.J. Krimmer
We thought death was the end, turns out it’s just the prologue.
RUE - I died, briefly. Then I came back. Now I’m determined to make the most of every minute I have left.
Only problem is I’ve been saddled with supervision. Kane Deveraux is handsome, smug, and cold as a tombstone. So why does he make me feel something more powerful than death?
KANE - As a reaper, I have helped crossover thousands of souls. And not one of them have touched mine…until Rue Chamberlain. She’s stubborn, reckless, and maddeningly radiant.
And for this centuries-old spirit, she’s a living woman that is absolutely off-limits.
If I follow the rules, I will lose her. If I break them, I might lose everything.
Cursed King by Julie Saman
When my sick father wanders into the off-limits palace where the widowed king of Messalina lives with his three children, I know we're in trouble.
Locked away since the tragic death of his wife, the whispers of an ancient royal curse are more alive than ever.
And when my father is taken prisoner and I accidentally break a priceless statue, I learn first hand that the rumors of the callous beast king with his gorgeous face and frosty disposition are true.
Especially when he gives me an ultimatum: become the nanny for his children or my father goes to prison.
It isn't until I move into the palace that I see there's life in the walls, passion lurking beneath smoldering glances and forbidden moments, and endless love for three beautiful children--the king's one soft spot.
The longer I stay, the more in love I fall with the children and the man who does all he can to keep his distance. Until one night he shatters my innocence and shows me exactly what it means to be owned by the king.
But this is no fairy tale, and no matter how we feel, we can never be together.
On top of that, there's a darkness we can't escape. A danger lurking, waiting to kill again.
And when it comes for us, there will be no stopping it until it succeeds.
Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver
You can hide in the farthest reaches of the deepest hell, and I will still drag you out. Even the devil can't save you from me.
Cape Carnage is a seaside town of colourful houses, quirky shops, and an unusually high body count. But with tourists comes trouble, and Harper Starling won't let anyone ruin her picture-perfect home. A skilled gardener with killer instincts, Harper protects her sanctuary at any cost. Troublesome tourists don't check out of Carnage. They compost beneath Harper's award-winning flowerbeds.
But Nolan Rhodes isn't your average tourist. Devilishly handsome, disarmingly charming, and skilled with a blade, Nolan is relentless in the pursuit of revenge. Every year, Nolan slays another target. And he's saved the best for last: the undeniably beautiful Harper Starling. The problem? Harper isn't the monster he expected. And she won't go down without a fight.
When an amateur true crime investigator comes to Cape Carnage on the trail of a long-lost serial killer, Harper and Nolan strike an uneasy truce. If Nolan helps Harper protect her town, she'll keep quiet about his hunting habits . . . for now. But their alliance soon spirals into obsession, one that threatens to shatter every secret in Carnage - including their fragile love.
Merciless Promise by Anise Storm
Ekaterina
I know I should avoid Kingston Brannington at all costs. But when I end up in his path, I’m unable to resist his lure. A proposition later proves he’s more dangerous than I thought. And once he gets me at his mercy, all I can do is beg. For what? As the lines blur, even I don’t know. I want him… I need him… I despise him… And even more surprisingly, I’m beholden to him as well. I’m in love with a man determined to break me. He wants to destroy me. In the end, he just might.
Kingston
After receiving an ultimatum, I stand to lose everything I have. Until her… Until Ekaterina… Our paths cross, and I want her. On her knees… Under me… At my mercy… To destroy her. And I will because it was something I’d once sworn to do. While we’d never met before in person, she’d still left her mark. Now, I’m going to leave mine as I use, degrade, then break her. I’ll end her life as promised. All I have to do is stick to the plan. Only this twisted obsession might destroy us if we’re not careful. Once upon a time, it didn’t matter. As fake becomes real, now it does!
Loving the Tormentor by Lola King
She dreams of being noticed by her idol. He needs a muse to torment.
Once a decade, my broken hometown spits out a good girl. Everyone always made sure to point out that it's me. The violinist who doesn’t belong. The girl mocked for dreaming too big, for believing I can escape the gangs, the debts, and the crimes of the North Shore.
All I want is one thing: a spot at Silver Falls University, where they house the most elite music school in the country. The place where my idol studies.
Achilles Duval is a legend. A genius. A man whose music could break your heart before he ever touched your body. I’ve followed him for years, obsessed with the chance of one day having him hear me play. His notorious arrogance means nothing when I dream of him noticing me.
And he does notice me. But not in the way I hoped. Because Achilles isn’t just brilliant. He’s dangerous. Untouchable. A man born with power, privilege, and no limits. His reputation barely scratches the surface of what he really is.
He’s not an idol. He’s a monster. And once Achilles Duval sets his eyes on you, there’s no walking away unscathed.
They say never meet your heroes. They should have warned me about Achilles.
Unveil by Greer Rivers
A dark Swan Lake retelling where the ‘villain’ steals the girl, set in a world of secret pacts, feuding families, and primal obsession. He’s her curse, but she’s his salvation, and he’ll do anything to keep the ones he loves safe.
Rebellious ballerina Luna Bordeaux may be the darling of the New Orleans elite, but she’s destined to dance in her parents’ shadows. Her twenty-second birthday was supposed to be her escape. One last performance, one necessary breakup, then? Freedom.
Except her white knight of a boyfriend just proposed on stage. And now her masked stalker has crashed the engagement party…
Orion Fury has protected Luna for years, counting the seconds until he can claim his future wife, honoring a vow made between their fathers decades ago. His discipline has only ever slipped once, but his enemy just crossed the line. All bets are off, and a night that began with a party ends in kidnapping and murder.
Now Luna is a stolen bride with blood on her slippers and a target on her back, trapped in the wilderness with the man who hunted her. But Orion isn’t the only predator in these woods, and the men coming for her will do anything to stop the Fury-Bordeaux alliance.
Her villain may be the one person she’s determined to hate, but is he the only one dangerous enough to keep her alive?
Hide and Seek by Sheridan Anne
Forensic Pathologist, Harper-Rayn, is no stranger to darkness. She has seen it all in the cold silence of Blackstone’s one and only morgue, revealing the mystery of death on her autopsy table—until the bodies start speaking to her in eerie, calculated ways.
When corpses begin to reveal chilling, hidden messages meant only for her, she realizes she’s been playing a twisted game she never intended to play. The game intrigues her, drawing her in, but if she takes one wrong step, it’s game over.
The line between fear and obsession wavers, shifting this game from one of desire into a terrifying, murderous lust, the strings being pulled by a cryptic masked killer with one unforgiving intention—to claim her as his own, dead or alive.
The shadows are real. The fear is crippling. But the lust is wild and ferocious.
Fear sends her spiraling into the arms of the delicious SWAT team leader, Knight Slater. He’s everything she’s ever desired, but everything she shouldn’t want. He’s more than off limits. He’s her step-uncle, but she draws him in, and protecting her becomes more than just duty. It becomes a relentless need.
As this deadly game tightens around them, Harper must decide: Is she ready to risk it all for her heart and put everything on the line, or will she literally die trying?
War Games by Sheridan Anne
What do you do when the killers come out to play? When it’s hunt or be hunted? You sharpen your knives and prepare to get bloody because nobody does it better than a woman scorned with something to prove.
Welcome to the 23rd annual serial killer war games, where the adrenaline runs high, the blood is fresh, and the revenge is best served cold.
Descending on the town of Blue Springs, Montana, twenty of the most cunning and skilled killers and assassins will come together for a month-long war, battling it out to claim their place at the top of the food chain, claiming the ultimate victory.
It’s callous, cruel, and brutal. They will be hunted. They will become prey. And when the time comes, they better be ready to fight. Because only one will make it out alive.
It’s a game of endurance. A game of depravity and horror. But what happens when the man who stands between an early grave and victory is the one man who could bring you to your knees?
Will you have the courage to take what’s yours and claim the title you’ve always deserved, or will you falter at the tip of his double-edged blade?
The CEO by Alexis Winter
I write obituaries. He delivers them.
I never meant to photograph that secret meeting. Never meant to catch the attention of Chicago's most dangerous man. But Damien Knox has been watching me, waiting for me, orchestrating my fall into his world of power and corruption with calculated precision.
By day, he's the untouchable CEO. By night, he rules a criminal empire through blood and fear. And now he wants me—to corrupt me, to possess me, to make me his dark queen. The deeper I dig into the mysterious deaths surrounding his business empire, the more I crave the dangerous games he plays.
But when I discover his ultimate manipulation—I run. It's too late though. The darkness he awakened burns in my veins, calling me back to his deadly garden estate: Eden.
I only have two choices: reject the monster who orchestrated my corruption, or embrace the wicked destiny he crafted for me. Some love stories are written in blood.
Ours is written in obituaries.
Your Knife, My Heart by K.M. Moronova
Cameron Mortem has a problem—he can’t stop killing his partners. Officially labeled clinically insane, he’s also one of the most lethal assets in the Dark Forces, a brutal underground military operation built on obedience, survival, and silence. But an experimental drug has fractured his control, making him a liability whenever someone else is on the field. As punishment, he’s thrown back into the Under Trials—a merciless boot camp designed to break the weak and sharpen the ruthless.
His one directive? Don’t kill the new girl.
Emery Maves narrowly escapes a death sentence after her own brutal crimes, only to find herself forced into the same violent world. Assigned to Cameron, she’s expected to survive the Trials and her partner's unstable nature. But Emery quickly realizes there’s more to Cameron than bloodlust and body counts. Beneath the madness lies a terrifying allure—and a strange, dangerous tenderness.
As the Trials push them to their limits, Emery must navigate the brutal demands of the Dark Forces while resisting the pull of a man who could just as easily kill her as protect her. And Cameron must fight the one urge he’s never been able to overcome.
Their bond is intoxicating, chaotic, and born of violence. And if it doesn’t destroy them both, it might just save them.
Empire of Ache & Ruin by Diana A. Hicks
Some debts can only be paid in blood... or love
Prima ballerina Paloma Davis has spent her life pleasing her powerful father, but when his gambling debts spiral out of control, she's forced to make an impossible choice.
Enter mysterious billionaire Tristan Archer, who purchases her at auction for six million dollars and a marriage contract.
As Paloma discovers passion in her enigmatic husband's arms, she begins to unravel dark secrets that connect their families - secrets that could destroy them both.
When violence erupts and loved ones die, Paloma must decide if love can survive in the shadow of revenge.
Princess of Pride by Tara Gallina
He’s the beast I can’t escape. I’m the prisoner he’s determined to claim.
Emery
Six-two, sinfully gorgeous, with noble lineage, and a cliffside castle. What's not to like? Exactly the problem, until I convince myself the cold, unreadable man my father insists I marry is gay. That’s why I agree to the business merger. I swore I’d never marry for love. I’ve seen how it ruins women in arranged marriages. My mother included. Lachlan might look like a sexy villain ripped from a romance novel, but I’m safe from falling for him. He’s not even into me. I can open my dream bookstore, live on my terms, and play wife only when necessary. Until our wedding day when he kisses me like he owns me—stealing my breath and my sanity. Now the chemistry between us is undeniable, but I refuse to fall for his seductive, controlling ways.
Lachlan
Emery has no idea what I’m really after. Two goals brought me to the altar. Both personal. Both inevitable. Take her father’s company to end a centuries-old feud. Claim the golden princess with the tempting mouth and defiant pride. She thinks she can keep her distance. She has no idea what she signed up for, or how far I’ll go to claim what's mine.
Depraved Devotion by Morgan Bridges
My patient is stalking me… and he’s a psychopath.
I’ve dedicated my life to understanding the darkest corners of the human psyche, but nothing prepares me for him. Ghost.
The man is a brilliant, ruthless serial killer who thrives on chaos. Just like his cult following enrapt by his brutality and beauty, he’s completely unhinged. And he’s obsessed with me.
So when Ghost turns himself in and demands to speak to me, I’m forced to confront the beautiful monster sitting across the glass. And the one inside—the one lurking in my own fractured soul.
Ghost's rapt attention brings goosebumps to my skin and sends chills down my spine. I choose to believe my reaction is based in fear. When I'm alone in bed, it's harder to convince myself.
As boundaries fade and the line between doctor and patient blurs, Ghost proves to know more about me than possible. Soon, I’m faced with a question: What am I willing to pay to unveil the truth about my haunted past? Because to Ghost, the price is me. All of me.
Nightshade by Autumn Woods
“I’ll love you with the same intensity that you hate me.”
At elite Sorrowsong University, hidden in the misty Scottish Highlands, Ophelia Winters is the ultimate outsider. Attending on a scholarship, she is there on a mission: investigate her parents’ suspicious deaths and destroy the powerful man she holds responsible.
But everything changes when Ophelia meets Alex Corbeau-Green, billionaire heir, campus royalty, and son of her prime suspect.
She’s convinced he’s a monster just like his father until a stalker emerges, and Alex becomes the only person she can trust in Sorrowsong’s secret-laden hallways.
As tension turns to yearning, Alex soon breaks down Ophelia’s walls, and her desire for revenge begins to unravel. Can she really bring herself to destroy everything he’s ever known?
Beautiful Venom by Rina Kent
In a den of vipers, revenge is the deadliest venom.
They shattered my world; now, I’ll bring down theirs. The problem? I have virtually no way to trace the puppet master. My only lead: The Vipers.
An elite college hockey team that rules the ice—and the shadows beyond it. To infiltrate their secret society, I set my sights on their weakest link. Kane Davenport.
The charismatic captain and the lone green flag in a nest of serpents. But too late, I realize I’ve enticed the most venomous snake. Kane’s friendly façade hides a predator more dangerous than I imagined.
He quickly unveils the monster lurking beneath the surface. A monster who lured me in only to trap me in a lethal game with no escape.
The Invitation by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Amelia Lazenby deserves a breather―from work and from the stress of a recent breakup. Courtesy of her best friends, she gets a day of pampering at a posh country spa called Arlington Hall.
Instead of finding calm, she finds her pulse racing when she sees flawlessly rugged Jude Harrison. Hand on heart, she’s never laid eyes on such a stunner. And an unexpected steam room meet takes their instant attraction to a whole new level.
Amelia wasn’t looking for an intense new affair. But the passion Jude ignites is off the charts. Even if he is a little possessive. Even if his temper can be as formidable as the influence he has on her body. He becomes all the more intriguing when Amelia discovers that Jude not only owns Arlington Hall but that their meeting was no accident. It was planned. But to what end?
That’s a mystery as irresistible as Jude himself. Is he worth the risk? Or is this the man who could break her?
Cruel Saint by T.K. Leigh
Gideon:
For the past five years, all I’ve thought about is revenge. Shot and left for dead by the people I trusted, only to be saved and taken to an even worse hell, I vowed to make them pay. To make them suffer as I once did. To listen to their pleas for mercy as they draw their final breath. But to do that, I need her. Which comes with its own risks. I may be able to make everyone else believe my lies, but if anyone might recognize me beneath my carefully planned disguise, it’s the woman I once planned to marry.
Imogene:
I moved to California for a fresh start. After the past five years, I was desperate to finally leave the past behind me. What better place to do that than Southern California? Until I’m attacked and nearly killed in a dark alley. I would have been if he hadn’t intervened. Gideon Saint. Mysterious. Dangerous. Lethal. And possessing eyes that look far too much like the man I lost all those years ago. But that’s impossible. Samuel Tate is dead. Apart from those haunting blue eyes, he bears little resemblance to the man I once gave my heart. At least that’s what I try to tell myself. Because if he is Samuel, where has he been the past five years? And why did he make the world believe he was dead?
Crossfire by Kathy Lockheart
In my defense, I didn't know he was sent to kill me when I fell in love with him.
Grayson. Dark. Dangerous. Irresistible.
One moment, he's making me feel alive for the first time since Dad died. The next? He's got a cold steel blade to my throat. Turns out, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Homicidal is actually an assassin ordered to kill me.
Now I'm his prisoner. I hate that his touch still ignites my soul, each one a cruel reminder that the next could be my last. I want to believe he would never actually hurt me, but Grayson’s code is absolute: eliminate any threat to innocents. And someone's working overtime to convince him I’m guilty… Who? And why?
As secrets unravel, I'm forced to confront the shocking truth about why Grayson was sent to silence me forever… Leaving me with one haunting question:
Will the man who gave me a reason to live become the one who takes my life?
Black Wave by L. Renee Richard
He saw me. He had me. But he won't break me.
What should have been the beginning of my life felt more like a death sentence-an all-encompassing blackness.
Evie, my twin sister and best friend, is no longer here. Now alone, I've become as dark as the man who tries to imprison me. Julian.
He thinks he is all I have left in this world. His to toy with. To manipulate. To fear.
But that woman died along with her family that night, and a stronger woman rose from those battered waves, breathing in a newfound purpose-to take revenge and reclaim my life.
I am waiting on a black wave, biding my time, until a powerful wave rises in the aftermath of a storm, unexpectedly leaving casualties in its wake, ensuring I will once again be free.
Limerence by H.C. Dolores
A dead body. A dark secret. And a sociopath who can't decide whether he'd rather kill me or kiss me.
Welcome to Lionswood Prep, the world's most elite boarding school. Here, old money reigns supreme, and if you can't flaunt your weight in designer labels, you'd better get used to sitting alone. As a poor scholarship student, I know these rules better than anyone. I've perfected the art of pretending I don't envy my classmates' limitless wealth just as well as I've mastered blending into the background.
Until the school's only other scholarship student takes a tumble from the fifth floor.
Mickey Mabel's death is ruled a suicide, but I have my doubts. The only thing I am certain of is that Lionswood's golden boy, Adrian Ellis, is somehow involved. It's a wild suspicion, considering Adrian is not just Lionswood's richest student...but also one of the nicest. He's the kind of guy who buys out the bake sale and caters lunch for a grieving student body... surely, he can't be a murderer, can he?
Most of my classmates worship the ground he walks on, but I've seen enough darkness to sense that there's more than a little of it lurking beneath that pretty smile of his.
I shouldn't get involved, but for the first time in nearly four years, I'm done sticking to the shadows. Except, exposing Adrian doesn't quite go to plan, and now, he has his sights set on me. He's determined to turn senior year into a game of cat-and-mouse, one where I'm not sure if his end goal is to kill me or possess me.
And the longer we play, the less certain I am that I want to escape his snare. After all, I've got a few dark secrets of my own.