Books like 'Rival'
Readers who enjoyed Rival by Penelope Douglas also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance second chances forbidden love pregnancy from hate to love cruel hero bad boys new adult stepsibling
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Eulogy by Rachel Van Dyken
The next book in the internationally bestselling mafia series… All is lost. All. I don't recognize myself in the mirror anymore. My thoughts are filled with hatred and dripping with rage. I've lost my soul. She took it to the depths of Hell with her and haunts me with images of what could have been. Sixty lives are mine to take. Sixty lives stand in the way of my vengeance... -
Until You by Penelope Douglas
Have you ever been so angry that hitting things felt good? Or so numb that you actually felt high? The past few years have been like that for me. Traveling between fury and indifference with no stops in between. Some people hate me for it, while others are scared of me. But none of them can hurt me, because I don't care about anything or anyone. Except Tatum... -
TRIGGER by J.L. Drake
I was raised by the Devil himself. Formed into a man who was unreachable. I went from the boy with bruises to the man with a trigger. Killing is the only thing that calms the itch. The demons inside were a constant battle… …until she changed everything...Categorized as:
suspense alpha male fighters vengeance strong heroine angst from hate to love tortured hero -
Fighting to Forgive by J.B. Salsbury
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 48 ratingsWhat do you do when everything you avoid, turns out to be exactly what you need? Easy and predictable, just the way he likes it, Blake Daniels flies through life the way he burns through women: on his terms, no regrets. With his fighting career in full swing, he's on the threshold of title contention. But when his training is compromised by injury, the stakes grow impossibly higher...Categorized as:
pregnancy alpha male athletes bad boys fighters tortured heroine possessive hero sports -
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Dare To Take by L. Ann, Claire Marta
Arabella GrayStudious. Good Girl. Liar.I warned her. I told her I would break her if she stayed.Who knew watching her shatter would taste so sweet?Eli TraversOutcast. Artist. Monster.He vowed to make me pay—to ruin me.Only now it's my own sin that will break me.The monsters of Churchill Bradley Academy are stirring and deadly dangers haunt the halls... -
Becoming Noah Baxter by J.M. Sevilla
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsJay and Lily complete each other in ways no one else ever could, teaching one another things about themselves they wouldn't have known otherwise, but is it enough? Can two people from entirely different worlds find a way to make it last? Even if their love is strong enough, they still have an obstacle standing in their way...Categorized as:
vengeance alpha male bad boys suspense new adult virgin heroine possessive hero cruel hero -
Saving Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsBeckett Taylor’s quest to be a better man has brought Eve Hartt back into his life, but sometimes it feels like they’re bound together with barbed wire. Though he longs to love her without causing pain, the wreckage of their past continues to crash down around them. Yet with the help of this brothers—and for his brothers—Beckett won’t stop trying... -
Destructive King by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA mafia romance about love and loss by Rachel Van Dyken, the number one New York Times bestselling author of the Eagle Elite series.…When you awaken in the morning's hushI am the swift uplifting rushOf quiet birds in circled flight.I am the soft stars that shine at night.Do not stand at my grave and cry;I am not there. I did not die. — Mary Elizabeth Fyre "I'm sorry for your loss... -
Savage Little Lies by Eden O'Neill
Tiny. Twisted. Secrets.The news about what happened to Dorian’s uncle rocks the town. Especially when a private school’s educator turns up dead. The focus surrounding the events that occurred that night shifts, and no one knows that more than the Legacy boys’ dark prince. Dorian’s looking for answers in the hours following the harrowing truths revealed in that video...Categorized as:
super rich hero second chances new adult high-school angst from hate to love cruel hero college -
Bury Me by Selena .
An eye for an eye. A heart for a heart.The war should be over. I got what I wanted. I should be happy.But nothing is as it should be. My brothers made the team, but they still want more. They don't rule the halls of Willow Heights, and they won't stop until they do... -
Charlie by Siobhan Davis
Demi Dropping out of college senior year was never part of my plan. But Dad needs me, and I'd move mountains for the only parent I’ve ever known—even working for the company that fired him. My boss, Charlie, is determined to make my life a living hell, availing of every opportunity to undermine my confidence, to humiliate and threaten me...Categorized as:
from hate to love new adult cruel hero super rich hero alpha male forced proximity college bad boys -
It Breaks Me by Penelope Sky
Axel betrayed me.As hard as I tried to keep him out of my heart, he broke through it like shattered glass. Even though my father didn't approve and our relationship would always be a secret, I didn't care. He was worth it...until he wasn't.Six months have passed, and that's exactly how long it's taken me to get over what he's done. I never see him at my father's estate...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love m-f super rich hero new adult angst betrayal independent heroine -
Dare To Fall by L. Ann, Claire Marta
Arabella GrayStudious. Good Girl. Liar.She's become my addiction—I feed her my pain.When the threat of losing her awakens the monster, there is no one left to save her from me.Eli TraversOutcast. Artist. Monster.I fell in love with my stepbrother—the Monster.I crave his touch and loathe his name. He took everything I gave and twisted it with hate.The past rises from the dead and stalks the living... -
Queen of Vengeance by Jessica Jude
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 13 ratings“What are you going to do when you find him?”I pause, unsure what my answer should be. But there’s only ever been one option. “Kill him,” I say.SlateLife’s taught me not to expect much. Handouts, fair treatment, a decent parking spot downtown. But dead last on that list? Lux Colombia-Clarke showing up at my door, looking like a damn fairytale with a score to settle...Categorized as:
from hate to love found-family angst super rich hero slow burn suspense contemporary dark -
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The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher
Olivia Kaspen is a sharp tongued manipulator used to always getting what she wants. With just one exception-Caleb Drake, the one she foolishly let slip away. After a chance encounter brings Caleb back into her life, Olivia finds herself wanting a second chance with her first love, and asking herself how far she is willing to go to get him back...Categorized as:
strong heroine bad boys suspense alpha male second chances cheating forbidden love virgin heroine -
Arsen: A Broken Love Story by Mia Asher, MacKenzie Cartwright
One glance was all it took . . . I'm a cheater. I'm a liar. My whole life is a mess. I love a man. No, I love two men . . . I think. One makes love to me. The other sets me on fire. One is my rock. The other is my kryptonite. I'm broken, lost, and disgusted with myself. But I can't stop. This is my story. My broken love story. Contains mature themes... -
Tiny Dark Deeds by Eden O'Neill
Stolen. Missing. Erased. I’m a headline in the town of Maywood Heights and known by a name I’ve never heard. They tell me I was taken, stolen, but none of this makes sense. I’m not who they say I am. I’m not a… twin, but even those close to me seem to believe the rumors swarming around me. Tiny.Dark. Deeds... -
Wreck My Plans by Kelsey Clayton
My name is Carter Trayland,And I really screwed up.I should’ve ended things before they began.Instead, I wound up in a twisted love triangle,One that I never wanted to be a part of.The wrong choice sent my life on a whirlwind.A woman I forced myself to love is dead.My best friend was nearly blamed for her murder.And the one I’ve always wanted, now wants revenge... -
Gorgeous Villain by Charity Ferrell
The untouchable mafia princess falls for her family’s rival.How cliché, right?But that’s my love story.Unfortunately, it’s filled with betrayal, violence, and tragedy.As the daughter of the biggest crime boss in the country, I’m off-limits.A forbidden fruit no man risks taking.Except Antonio Lombardi.My world turns upside down when I witness him killing a man... -
Vile by Lulu Waters
EVERLEE VERA This isn’t the life I’m meant to live—stuck on the arm of a rich asshole while he has a pissing contest with other rich assholes. They’re all puppets, playing a dutiful role that condemns them to hell until death do they part. Hatred pushes me forward. Lust fuels me. And there is only one guy who checks both: Holden Van. My boyfriend’s enemy. The guy who flusters me beyond anything...Categorized as:
from hate to love sports cruel hero bad boys high-school suspense angst virgin heroine -
The Wolf and His Wife by Penelope Sky
Tensions rise and now I have two enemies that want me dead. But I've never felt safer. My wolf protects me. He cherishes me. And I think he loves me. This arranged marriage was detested by us both, but now I look at him with new eyes. My husband is strong, smart, and gorgeous. His coffee-colored eyes make me melt... -
Staying Dirty by Cheryl McIntyre
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 30 ratings“What I did today… I don’t want to be that person anymore. I don’t know how you can stand to touch me." “I’ll never stop wanting to touch you, Link. I’m pretty sure you’re the only one I want to touch for the rest of my life.” Link and Rocky's story concludes in this fifth and final installment of the Dirty series. *This is part five in a five-part novella series... -
Mad as Hell by Hannah McBride
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsI USED TO BE MADISONI was stupid for thinking that I could just step into my twin's world. And I was an idiot for trusting Ryan Cain with my heart. Lesson freaking learned. I won't make that mistake again.MADELAINE IS DEADMy sister wasn't a saint, but she didn't deserve the hell she endured before her death. Gary. Beckett. Adam. Even Ryan...Categorized as:
new adult high-school suspense sports from hate to love forced proximity super rich hero vengeance -
A Lover's Regret: The Ramseys by AlTonya Washington
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsYohan Ramsey and Melina Dan battle private demons and simmering passions, when their paths cross following an eight-year separation. The murder of eighteen year old Sera Black has haunted Yohan's family for decades. What really happened the night she died? Melina knows and it's wreaked chaos in her life ever since... -
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The Saint by Kimberly Kincaid
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHis partner’s most trusted informant is his only hope…and his only weakness.When Detective Liam Hollister is assigned to an assault-turned-murder, he brings his signature three “C”s: control, calm, and composure. The “C” he wasn’t counting on? His partner’s informant, Carmen Desoto, who’s not only the key to unlocking his case... -
Resilient Queen by Amber Vant
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI never wanted this. Never asked for any of it. The corrupted, chaos of the past is playing catch-up with the present and nothing is as it seems. Everyone wants something. Me? All I want is the truth. I thought this was the end, but it turns out it’s only the beginning. The basis for a much darker twist of fate. Secrets are starting to unravel; relationships have grown fractured... -
Amore, Part 1 by Bella Jewel
“It is not love that defines us, Julietta. 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...Categorized as:
suspense cheating alpha male forbidden love super rich hero bad boys pregnancy new adult -
Reckless & Ruined by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsPlay dirty. It’s the only way to win in a war. Alessa Trentini follows the rules, or so it seems on the outside. A certain Conti has always been able to sway her inner rebel and keep her out of trouble, but even Adriano won’t be able to get her out of her brother’s mess. In a war, no woman is safe if her hand in marriage can advance her family in the world of the mafia...Categorized as:
suspense virgin heroine alpha male forbidden love new adult secret-relationship mafia contemporary -
Zack by Esther E. Schmidt
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsZack’s spent his whole life loving just one woman—Belle—only to have her walk out of his life and go half way across the world. But three years later, her unexpected return is stirring up feelings that never died, and Zack’s ready to do whatever it takes to get her back. Belle has never gotten over Zack, but she has secrets—secrets she knows could hurt those closest to her, Zack included...Categorized as:
alpha male virgin hero second chances cheating other-man-woman suspense contemporary bikers -
Son of a Gun: A Marked Men and The Point Crossover by Jay Crownover
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHeavy is the head that inherits the crown.The only thing on Daire Archer’s mind when she pulled a disappearing act on Christmas was proving she was worthy of being her father's daughter. She was born an Archer, which was a blessing and a curse, and Daire was determined to show everyone she deserved to carry the legacy that came with her name... -
Undying by Madeline Sheehan
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA creation of chaos and lust, I was born into a world so foul, I made it my mission to find the beauty hidden within, to reveal the sun behind the clouds, the rainbows after the storms, the life that still exists even in death. One-third my mother, I had an infectious smile and a heart so big, there was room enough for everyone, no matter their sins... -
Bully Me: Class of 2020 by Shantel Tessier, Siobhan Davis
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsLoving your tormentor isn’t easy, especially when they collect broken hearts and parade them around like trophies. They’re the bad boys, the alpha a**holes, and the thorns in our sides. They push us past our limits, turn us on, and break us. They’re our bullies. They’re the class of 2020...Categorized as:
suspense new adult from hate to love cruel hero alpha male contemporary anthologies dark -
Promised to the Killer by B.B. Hamel
Her family tossed her aside like a broken doll.But she's my shining treasure and I'll kill to make her mine.Siena Bastone is going to die. She's the cast-off traitorous daughter of a minor mafia family with deliciously pouty lips and a wicked tongue.But after we spend one unforgettable night of sin in a hotel room, I can't walk away.I pull her from her family's clutches and make her my own...Categorized as:
new adult suspense pregnancy alpha male bad boys from hate to love contemporary mafia -
Mistakes Made by Marie James
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe worst thing you can ever do is make an assumption about me, despite my job resting solely on making people think I’m someone I’m not.I know that makes me crazy, narcissistic, and a little out of touch with the reality of how the world works.I’ll never argue that fact with anyone.Maybe it was the hundred-degree Texas weather.Maybe it was overstimulation from the crowds at the beach...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love bad boys alpha male forced proximity contemporary dark length-short -
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The Villain by Nana Malone
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGuess who's having the craziest week EVER?That would be me.Sunday: I get dumped by my boyfriend—right before a couple's bungee jump.Monday: My little sister informs me that she’s invited our evil, estranged mom to the wedding I’ve spent months helping her plan...Categorized as:
suspense new adult super rich hero vengeance from hate to love forced proximity multicultural dark -
Keeping Secrets by Lisa Eugene
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIs that how a little girl sits? No, Daddy. How should a little girl sit? Shoulders back and tummy in. And how should a little girl look? Always neat and pretty That’s my girl. Twenty-four-year-old Alexa Kennedy is beautiful, sharp as a whip, and at the top of her medical school class. She’s also been waging a war in her head for as long as she can remember. Depression. Hatred...Categorized as:
new adult slow burn from hate to love tortured heroine cruel hero alpha male super rich hero angst -
Talking Dirty by Cheryl McIntyre
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsI had no idea when I met Linken Elliot that he would be capable of doing this to me. I was perfectly unhappy, living my miserable existence before he came along. I was fine humping strange men’s faces in dirty bar bathrooms. I was comfortable living like a hermit and drinking myself into oblivion. I. Was. Fine. Now I want things. I want him... -
By Any Other Name by J.M. Darhower
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsA deadly rivalry. 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...Categorized as:
suspense pregnancy forbidden love alpha male from hate to love angst bad boys vengeance -
Release Me by J. Kenner
For fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You comes an erotic, emotionally charged romance between a powerful man who’s never heard “no” and a fiery woman who says “yes” on her own terms. He was the one man I couldn’t avoid. And the one man I couldn’t resist. Damien Stark could have his way with any woman. He was sexy, confident, and commanding: Anything he wanted, he got...Categorized as:
tortured hero bad boys super rich hero alpha male suspense possessive hero sassy heroine m-f -
Bury Me with Lies by S.M. Soto
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsStuck between life and death, Mackenzie is hell-bent on proving her innocence, and getting revenge on the men who murdered her sister. With one series of unfortunate events after another, Mackenzie must outrun her own fate—death.When secrets unravel and lies become twisted betrayals, Mackenzie finds herself in more danger than she could’ve realized...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love vengeance super rich hero angst alpha male new adult betrayal -
Black Widow by Sheridan Anne
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWho said prison was going to stop me from getting what I wanted?I thought breaking out of there was going to be the hardest thing I ever did. I should have known. Being the leader of The Black Widows is never that easy. Someone should have warned me that the woman I was about to kidnap was going to bring me to my knees... -
Bullseye by Monica James
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsFor twelve long years, I’ve breathed, I’ve bled for only one thing… Revenge. Four men took something from me, something which can never be replaced. That one night changed the lives of so many and taught me that monsters are real. But I also learned I’m the biggest monster of them all. Nothing and no one will stand in my way of redemption because those men…they’re now three...Categorized as:
suspense bad boys from hate to love tortured hero vengeance angst new adult alpha male -
Playing Dirty by Cheryl McIntyre
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsMy need for power came to me by accident. The need was real. It was overwhelming. It was consuming me. So we played a dangerous game of trial and error. What I could handle and what I couldn’t. It became apparent fairly quickly that I couldn’t handle much. But I liked this game because I controlled it. Link and Rocky’s story continues in this second installment of the Dirty series... -
Endless by W. Winters, Savannah Peachwood
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author W Winters comes an emotionally captivating and thrilling, romantic suspense. He holds a power over me like no one else ever could. Maybe it’s because my heart begs to beat in time with his. Maybe it’s because my body bows to his and his alone. Maybe it’s because he thought he loved me before he even laid eyes on me...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense alpha male angst forbidden love new adult bad boys super rich hero -
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Sinful Ex-Boyfriend by Scarlett Avery
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhat happens when an eye-popping scandal reunites you with the ex you were never able to forget? From Amazon Bestseller Scarlett Avery comes a sensual, seductive, sinful second chance romance with a British twist. We met eleven years ago. She was so beautiful, words failed me. And she was so young. Still, I fell hard and fast. I waited until she became a woman to make her mine... -
Tell Me Something True by Katherine Owen
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTell Me Something True is the third book in the Truth In Lies series and cannot be read as a standalone. Please read This Much Is True and The Truth About Air & Water, books 1 and 2 in the Truth In Lies Series, first... -
A Vengeful Occasion by Kristy Marie
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsUrban legend.Ruthless Attorney.Hateful Billionaire.Tobias Hale is surrounded by rumors, most of which are true. Underneath that three-piece suit is a cold, callous man who rules the courtroom with an iron tongue. Judges hate him with the same passion he hates me.He hasn’t always been that way, though... -
Hate That Blooms by Izzy Ravas
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGabrielaHe hates me for our parents cheating with each other. They left us, leaving us with broken homes, selfishly thinking only about themselves. All the hate he has for his mother he is taking out on me. Joaquín and his two friends are making my senior year miserable, the bullying leaving me feeling like nothing will ever get better. I have to be there for my sister. I’m all she has... -
Strawberry Venom by J.L. Kenna
I am not a good man.My nine to five is spent with a blade in my hand. I hunt, intimidate, collect debts for my uncle’s Brotherhood, the Hooligans. I believe in consequences, an effect for the cause. Fate is folklore and love? An illusion.Until I met her. Little Red.Some call me Reaper, the Angel of Death. She calls me her wolf... -
The Consequence by Ashley Jade
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsFrom USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ashley Jade comes the conclusion of a gritty, off-limits romance about mistakes, choices, and love conquering all. The world thought I belonged to another man...they were wrong...
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