Books like 'Better when He's Bad'
Readers who enjoyed Better when He's Bad by Jay Crownover also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance young adult suspense fighters alpha male bad boys mystery mafia cruel hero
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Empire by Rachel Van Dyken
I have lost everything. My purpose. My love. My soul. Death knocks on my door, I want to answer, but every time I reach for the handle--the promise I made her, brings me back. So I breathe. I live. I hate. And I allow the anger to boil beneath the surface of a perfectly indifferent facade. I am broken, I dont want to be fixed... -
Inferno by Catherine Doyle
Romeo and Juliet meets The Godfather in the second installment of Catherine Doyle's Blood for Blood series. Sophie's life has been turned upside-down, and she's determined to set things right. But Nic, the Falcone brother who represents everything she's trying to forget, won't give up on their love - and it's Luca's knife she clutches for comfort... -
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Ember by Rachel Van Dyken
Everybody Loves A Bit of Darkness. .Until It Consumes Them. .. I am a Killer. A Rapist. A Monster. I know only pain and survival. That is until the Cappo's sister walked into my life. And changed everything... -
Jackson by Siobhan Davis
The devil came to me in disguise. Too bad I didn’t notice until it was far too late. Vanessa:. The devil doesn’t always wear an evil mask. Sometimes, he appears in the most beautiful form. Like the super-hot bad boy with the dirty-blond hair and a wicked glint in his blue eyes who swept in out of nowhere, stealing all the air from my lungs. I thought he was my savior. But he’s my ruination... -
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Skin by B.B. Easton
With Netflix adapting BB's 44 CHAPTERS ABOUT 4 MEN into a new series, you're going to want the full story behind her roller-coaster love story with the ultimate bad boy. Because BB Easton had so much fun writing her bestselling, award-winning memoir, she decided to give each of her four men his own steamy standalone... -
Corrupt Princess by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you the next instalment of her forbidden dark mafia, high school bully romance story set in the Knight's Ridge Empire world. I learned from a very young age that the only person I could count on was myself. For years I’ve been content with meaningless one-night stands and zero promises for tomorrow... -
Corrupt Knight by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you a new dark mafia, high school bully romance story set in the Knight's Ridge Empire world. The night we met, she was just another one-night stand. We were never meant to see each other again, and my best friend certainly wasn’t supposed to go and fall in love with her best friend... -
Corrupt Union by Tracy Lorraine
I found everything I didn’t know I needed. Accepted forgiveness I didn’t deserve. She fought for us. Killed for us. She was one of us. And there was no way I was letting her go… again. But I’m not the only one with wicked intentions for my siren. With her missing, we turn our blame to an obvious enemy. But our path of destruction could be leading us right into another trap... -
Elicit by Rachel Van Dyken
Cursed, numb, rejected, scorned, wicked, sinister, dark, twisted. .. my name is Tex Campisi and this is my legacy. I killed my father in cold blood and lost my soul right along with him. I crave war more than peace, and I'm about to take my place in history as the youngest Capo dei Capi in the Cosa Nostra. .. that is until someone stops me, saves me from myself... -
Sinful Knight by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you a new dark mafia, high school bully romance story set in the Knight's Ridge Empire world. The night we met, she left behind a lot more than just her shoes on my bedroom floor. She left an impression. A lasting memory burned into my brain. It teases me… tortures me. Months have passed since that night... -
Dark Legacy by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you a new dark mafia, high school bully romance story set in the Knight's Ridge Empire world. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. That our love could start a war. .. Dear reader,. Dark Legacy is the twelfth book in my Knight's Ridge Empire series, and the third book of Calli and Batman's story... -
Almost Broken by Portia Moore
Lauren Brooks fell in love with Cal Scott at 21, married him at 22 and had her heart broken at 23 when he walked out of their marriage. At 25, though raising his daughter on her own, Lauren was finally moving on with her life. Until, she learned the reason for Cal's abandonment, the walls she’d carefully built around her collapsed. -
Malum: Part 2 by Amo Jones
Some girls don’t like pretty things. Some girls like things that are destructive, and toxic. Things that fuel our bodies with adrenaline and bring our demons to their knees. They say magic isn’t real, but it’s it the closest way to describe love? It doesn’t exist physically. It merely exists around us, within us, possessing our souls and making us do stupid shit... -
Real Girl by Sheridan Anne
Lucien Valentine must die. It’s the thought that’s kept me going for four long years. I’ve imagined it, dreamed about it, relished in it. I want it so bad, but the question is, do I have what it takes to make it happen? Taking a life isn’t for the faint-hearted. Just ask Lucien, he knows. He’s taken me back to where it all started and I know exactly how it’s going to go... -
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Always Crew by Tijan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsFor the longest time, I was Bren Monroe. I lived in Roussou, California. I had no parents, no brother, but I had a crew. Then things started to change. I never planned for any of it. I didn’t think I’d fall in love. I didn’t think I’d have a relationship with my brother again. I didn’t think that he’d come back. Now I’m in Cain. My crew is in college... -
The Sainthood by Siobhan Davis
A complete dark romance trilogy from USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis. Includes Revere, a bonus novella set twelve years after the end of Reign. Everything changed the night my dad died. The night I met Saint, Galen, Caz, and Theo. Those manipulative a-holes set out to ruin me after our hot night together, but they didn’t realize you can’t destroy something that’s already broken... -
Rafe by Jo Raven
His name is Rafaele Vestri, Rafe to his friends. He’s tall, strong, handsome. Distant. He often comes to the café where I work, but we don’t talk much. He looks at me, though. Stares at me, his gaze heated, and I can’t help but stare back. I want him, I won’t deny it. I’ve never seen anyone that beautiful, anyone that powerful, in my life. But he’s growing more withdrawn by the day...Categorized as:
mafia alpha male angst bad boys fighters new adult tortured hero working class heroine -
Reckless Dynasty by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you the next installment of her dark mafia, high school bully romance story set in the Knight's Ridge Empire world. My life has been full of half-truths tangled in lies—I’d been to hell and back more times than I could count... -
Break Me by Meagan Brandy
I had a plan, and it was solid. Track down what was hidden away and take pleasure in toying with it. Toying with her. It worked like a charm. Until it didn’t. Turned out, the feisty little thing I found was far from what I hoped for. She was different from all I knew and more than I expected. She was light, and I’m the bastard who led her into darkness. But this girl. .. she followed with a smile...Categorized as:
new adult angst from hate to love bad boys alpha male cruel hero suspense possessive hero -
Be My Brayshaw by Meagan Brandy
From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Meagan Brandy comes an enemies-to-lovers, standalone romance about love, lies, and finding the strength to forgive. "Cross one, cross all. ". That's the Brayshaw way. She should have realized this before sliding into our world with secrets too big to bury. She didn't and now the target is on her back...Categorized as:
new adult from hate to love angst suspense cruel hero sassy heroine alpha male bad boys -
Wild Girl by Sheridan Anne
Have you ever known what it feels like to die? It’s not great. Trust me, I don’t recommend it. I’ve always said that my life is about surviving, but I didn’t realize how true that was until the devil sent me soaring off a bridge with the love of my life and lodged a bullet through my thigh. It’s not my time to die... -
Enforce by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsThere’s two sides to every story…. And ours? Isn’t pretty… Then again,. what’s pretty about the mafia? Trace Rooks, that’s what. But she only wants one of us, and I’ll kill him before I let him have her. The only problem ? We’re cousins . And she may just be our long lost enemy. Whoever said college was hard, clearly didn’t attend Eagle Elite University... -
Light in the Shadows by A. Meredith Walters
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 49 ratingsHow do you keep going when you feel like your life is over? Maggie never thought she’d see Clay again. So, she attempts to put her life back together after her heart has been shattered to pieces. Moving on and moving forward, just as Clay wanted her to. Clay never stopped thinking of Maggie. Even after ripping their lives apart and leaving her behind to get the help he so desperately needed... -
Kess by Tijan
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsShe's one of two females in Roussou's Crew system. He was sent to protect her. She never knew. Until now. .. A short standalone based in the Crew/Roussou world. -
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Ride or Die by Sheridan Anne
Gang life isn't for everyone, but a b*tch in colors always looks good. The West Side Wolves claim to be a brotherhood, but what do they do when a sister walks in demanding their attention? To everyone else, stepping into the Wolf Den was an epic mistake, filled with consequential betrayals... -
The Next Flame by Penelope Douglas
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsNew York Times bestseller Penelope Douglas introduces the next generation in her Fall Away series in Next to Never, together for the first time with her bestselling novella, Aflame. .. . Next to Never...Categorized as:
new adult from hate to love found-family cruel hero contemporary young adult dark high-school -
Forever Golden by Rachel Jonas, Lessa Lamb
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsWest Golden—Fierce protector. The one. The cocky jock I once wanted to kill with my bare hands is now the only one I trust with my heart. In a city full of corruption and dark secrets, knowing who’s on your side gets harder to determine every day. Especially now that Vin’s on the warpath, passing out threats he fully intends to see through to the end...Categorized as:
new adult suspense from hate to love cruel hero angst found-family alpha male mystery -
Shame by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsEverything done in darkness, will eventually be brought into the light. I ran, but all it did was keep me one step ahead of my past. I tried to start over; new name, new identity. But you can't change your soul. A fresh start at college was just what I needed. For a while, it worked. I was the party girl, the one that seemed confident, but it was a lie. When guys kissed me--I felt only pain... -
The Saint by Kelsey Clayton
DELANEY. Cruel. Heartless. A mistake waiting to happen. Knox Vaughn is the epitome of a bad boy. He's trouble in a sexy-as-sin package. I know it. They know it. Even he knows it. But, it's like a moth to the flame. I can't stay away—even though I'm going to get burned. You know what they say,. The sinners are much more fun. And this saint is changing the game. KNOX. Sweet. Innocent. Valedictorian...Categorized as:
new adult fighters alpha male possessive hero from hate to love angst tortured hero bad boys -
Collateral Damage: A Second Chance Mafia Romance by Amy McKinley
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe spark is real, but the timing’s wrong. When Mafia surgeon, Trey La Rosa, met the one woman who could bring him to his knees, grief from his girlfriend’s recent death loomed between them. He forced himself to walk away. Months later, she’s been kidnapped—and he’ll do anything to save her... -
A Deal with the Devil by Angel Lawson, Samantha Rue
Sometimes The Devil Hides in Plain Sight. .. One fateful night. Two lives forever changed. Sometimes the bonds of tragedy are stronger than blood. When Vandy Hall got into a stolen car with Reynolds McAllister-her brother's best friend, her childhood crush-she had no idea the lifetime of pain it would cause her... -
Broken Hate by Thandiwe Mpofu
What’s wrong Baby Blue? Did you mistake his forced sincerity for love? Every kiss will fade in time. Every memory will fade in time. Every smile, every teardrop, every wound—it’ll all dry up—in time. But every lie? That shit only gets bigger and more devastating with time. In time. . -
Just Like Heaven by Trilina Pucci
He’s a criminal—an abomination. We’re wrong in every way. If only I could’ve convinced my heart. His lips whispered promises of all the stars in the sky. I dreamt of a love that would last forever. We were gorgeously young and desperate for one another. But we're star-crossed. Fate had decided our course. Leaving us to cling to each other as we crumbled to ash. His need became possession... -
The Havoc We Wreak by Becca Steele
The final part of Caiden and Winter's story. .. Secrets and lies are being revealed. Loyalties are being tested, and betrayal cuts deep. My mother needs to be stopped, but at what cost? At the end, who will be left standing? And. .. Who. Will. Fall…. Eeny, meeny, miny, mo. You underestimated the Four and Snow. You thought you were on a winning streak... -
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The Fight In Us by Becca Steele
Lust. Mystery. Betrayal. Weston Cavendish. My brother's best friend. I'd perfected the art of pretending that I didn't want him, that he didn't affect me every time he was near. Or so I thought. When his world comes crashing down, I'm the one he turns to, and I can't deny my feelings any longer. I know there's something between us. Until he finds out that I've been hiding things from him, too... -
Wreck Me by Jessica Sorensen
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhen Avery Hensley met Conner Wellings, she thought she’d found the guy she was going to spend the rest of her life with. She got married young and had the most beautiful son in the world. Life seemed perfect. But not everything is what it seems. Turned out Conner had another side to him, a darker side that Avery didn’t see coming... -
The Sinners by Ruby Vincent
I knew when I started this path it would lead to destruction. .. . .. but nothing could have prepared me for this. Drugs flooding campus. Tensions brewing between the factions. Old enemies reappearing. New secrets taking over my life. Love awakening a soul I long thought was dead. Cassius, Clay, Hiro, and Royal have named me one of them, but sharing a title is easy... -
Barbie B*tch by Sheridan Anne
Cold-blooded murder. Do I have it in me? I’ve watched the people I love commit the worst kinds of crimes and within the blink of an eye, I could be just like them. I feel the jagged glass beneath my fingers, but do I have the strength to follow this through? How much of my soul am I willing to sacrifice to make this right? Nic was supposed to be my rock... -
Salvation and Secrets by L A Cotton
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsChastity Falls was supposed to be Ana Parry’s fresh start. But what started as her salvation soon became her undoing. Four months after losing the very thing that gave her reason again, Ana is back at Chastity Falls. Holding on by a thread and trying hard to forget about Jackson isn’t easy when she’s determined to uncover the Donohue’s biggest secrets... -
Temper Him by Caitlyn Dare
She wants to protect him. He can't stay away. Kennedy Lowe wasn’t supposed to walk away, taking my heart with her. Now she’s gone, but I’m determined to get her back. I want to save her. Punish her. In the end, I’ll make sure she knows exactly who she belongs to. Conner Jagger wasn’t to supposed to save me, but he did. Now I’ll do anything to protect him and the people he calls family. He’s good...Categorized as:
new adult m-f from hate to love cruel hero possessive hero bad boys alpha male contemporary -
Tarnished Crown by Caitlyn Dare
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWaking up the morning after the night before, Bexley soon realizes his life will never be the same. He’s Electi now. One of them. Everything that Mia despises. She says she’s done, that his betrayal is too much of a burden to bear, but Bexley refuses to let her go. When Mia wakes up the morning after the night before, she realizes she has two choices: accept her fate or fight. She’s stronger now... -
Savage Royals by Callie Rose
A long time ago, I was one of them. Now I’m back, and they hate me for it. Plucked out of the harsh life I was living and thrust into a world of unimaginable wealth, power, and privilege, all I want to do is keep my head down and survive until graduation. But they have other plans—Mason, Finn, Elias, and Cole...Categorized as:
cruel hero new adult from hate to love angst college alpha male bad boys possessive hero -
Savage Kind of Love by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsSAVAGE LOVE: FIERCE, SEDUCTIVE, AND LIMITLESS. .. Shelly “Saffron” Reagan's life is in shambles, and it's about to get worse. Keeping up a broken home and a brother in the vicious Grizzlies MC is more than any woman can handle. Remembering the tough talking biker who nursed her after a savage attack is all she has, a bad boy who's impossibly out of reach. Or so it seems... -
Never His Girl by Rachel Jonas, Nikki Thorne
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsWest Golden--Football star. Playboy. Dead to me. Nothing puts the final bullet in a girl’s rep like a leaked sex tape. Especially one starring her and the cocky quarterback who’s had it out for her since day one. Yep, you guessed it. That girl is me. At Cypress Prep, West is king, but all I see when I look at him is the wicked prick who gets off on trying to break me. His plaything. Go ahead... -
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Pained by Vera Micic, Vera Hollins
Two months have passed since the day I pushed Hayden away. Two months since I found out he loved me and wanted to be with me. I’ve been trying to move on and forget about him, but my heart refuses to listen. Hayden had almost died saving me. Half of me wants to forgive him for everything and give him another chance...Categorized as:
new adult from hate to love cruel hero cold hero young adult dark contemporary length-medium -
Wicked Promises by S. Massery
I made a promise to Caleb, and I intended to keep it. I just didn’t anticipate the aftermath. One betrayal. One lie. One devastating cover up. It’s all out in the open now, and this time, I’m not running away. The secrets I hold are enough to destroy us. The truth is supposed to set us free—but we aren’t destined for freedom. This is a dark high school bully romance with mature content and themes... -
Hidden Gem by Skye Warren
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsOf all the girls in Paris. .. he picked me. I was studying the Mona Lisa, and he was studying me. Not my sister. Me. He turned me upside-down. I hardly recognized myself through his eyes. Beautiful. Interesting. But it was all a lie. -
Savage Delight by Sara Wolf
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 52 ratingsLight meets dark. Secrets meet truth. It's been three years, twenty-five weeks, and five days since Isis Blake fell in love, and if she has it her way, it'll stretch into infinity. After a run-in with her mom’s ex-boyfriend, she scrabbles to remember what she’s lost to amnesia...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense bad boys mystery college sassy heroine possessive hero tortured hero -
I Promise You by Shantel Tessier
It was supposed to be a game. I Dare You. We bought her in 'cause I wanted to play with her. Destroy her. But plans change and she got caught in the cross fire. Then I did something far worse. I fell in love with her, but she doesn't know I still have secrets. Ones that could rip us all apart. We're sharks. Raised to hunt and kill. We take what we want without asking... -
Fractured Reign by Caitlyn Dare
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Mia wakes up in the hospital with no memory of how she got there, she braces herself for bad news. But nothing can ever prepare her for the truth. Betrayed by the very people who were supposed to protect her, Mia no longer knows who to trust. All Bexley wants is to fix things for the girl he loves, and keep those around him safe. Even if it means embracing his legacy...
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