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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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... -
![Eulogy by Rachel Van Dyken]()
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... -
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![TRIGGER by J.L. Drake]()
TRIGGER by J.L. Drake
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsI 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 -
![Malum: Part 1 by Amo Jones]()
Malum: Part 1 by Amo Jones
“Love is savage, love is blind, love is something they may not find…” Once upon a time, there was a young girl who lived in a battered trailer, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. One day, she fell down The Elite Kings’ rabbit hole. Sucked into a dark vortex of lies, hate, and deceit, and spat out by money, glitz, and power...Categorized as:
new adult suspense angst alpha male bad boys from hate to love found-family betrayal -
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![Ruined Castles by Amo Jones]()
Ruined Castles by Amo Jones
Nothing is going to make sense once you flip open this first chapter. You’re going to wonder why the fuck I made the decisions I did. Why he did what he did. I’m not going to make this easy for you. I’m going to guide you through loops that you’re going to wish I had just skipped, but I’m not going to do that either. You’re going to feel my pain, my loss, and my heart breaking in my chest... -
![Fighting to Forgive by J.B. Salsbury]()
Fighting to Forgive by J.B. Salsbury
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 47 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 -
![The End by Ruby Vincent]()
The End by Ruby Vincent
It doesn’t feel like the end.It feels like all of my problems are just beginning.There’s more happening in my town of Raven River than I knew.More lies. More secrets. More pain.Enemies seen and unseen are circling and not even my guardian angels can protect me.There’s a war coming and I’ll fight because this time my Angels…My Horsemen…My loves……are the ones who need saving...Categorized as:
cruel hero suspense from hate to love new adult cold hero first-person-pov high-school pregnancy -
![Rebel by S. Massery]()
Rebel by S. Massery
Sterling Falls is a dark, gothic reverse harem romance series with enemies to lovers, romantic suspense, and new adult themes. Rebel is book 3 in the series and a continuation of the first two - it is not a standalone.Warning: the blurb contains spoilers for the previous books in the series.––War has come to Sterling Falls.The guys and I are scattered. Finding them is the first step...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love new adult bad boys angst alpha male forced proximity mma-boxing -
![Firefly by Molly McAdams]()
Firefly by Molly McAdams
The next captivating installment in New York Times bestselling author Molly McAdams’s Redemption series. As the Princess of the Irish-American Mob, there’s no shortage of men ready to help guard and protect me. To slowly suffocate me to the point of seeking freedom—a place where I can breathe. Kieran Hayes has been saving me for as long as I can remember...Categorized as:
suspense new adult from hate to love forbidden love alpha male cheating dual-pov angst -
![Wicked Knight by Tracy Lorraine]()
Wicked Knight by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you a new dark mafia, high school bully romance series.The truth is meant to set you free… but not my truth.Mine has sent me deeper and darker, feeding my need for revenge. I want blood for those who wronged me and my family. And my so-called truth is ripping me apart, in a way lies never could...Categorized as:
from hate to love cruel hero high-school angst strong heroine suspense new adult m-f -
![Dare To Take by L. Ann, Claire Marta]()
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... -
![Saving Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia]()
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... -
![It Ruins Me by Penelope Sky]()
It Ruins Me by Penelope Sky
I married you because I was in love with you.Those words have echoed in my mind ever since he said them, and despite the way my heart races for him every time he steps into the same room, I can't say it back. Not after he hurt me. Not after he betrayed me.Every time I feel us come close together, my heart pulls away...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense super rich hero angst m-f second chances betrayal dual-pov -
![Destructive King by Rachel Van Dyken]()
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... -
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![Savage Little Lies by Eden O'Neill]()
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 dual-pov -
![Savage Sin: Bellamy Brothers 1 by Helen Hardt]()
Savage Sin: Bellamy Brothers 1 by Helen Hardt
Rated: 4.78 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsEnter a world of mystery, suspense, sin, and heart-wrenching emotion with Helen Hardt's new series!In prison, they called him Savage.Falcon Bellamy spent years locked up for a crime he didn’t commit, which shattered his dream of serving his country as a Navy SEAL. When he's granted early parole to help with a family emergency, he’s determined to reclaim his life...Categorized as:
suspense super rich hero dual-pov alpha male sassy heroine forbidden love m-f contemporary -
![The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher]()
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 -
![Charlie by Siobhan Davis]()
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 dual-pov alpha male forced proximity college -
![War and his Queen by Amo Jones]()
War and his Queen by Amo Jones
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe Elite Kings Club left a trail of fear behind every person who whispered their names throughout the centuries that they’d existed. They were the product of every nightmare you were told as a child, only now, they don’t go bump in the night. They race modified cars, throw parties to conceal their morbid games, and leave behind the kind of chaos that can never be tamed...Categorized as:
suspense new adult super rich hero found-family angst forbidden love dual-pov strong heroine -
![Deviant Princess by Tracy Lorraine]()
Deviant Princess by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you the next installment of her new dark mafia, high school bully romance series.I should have known better than to play with fire...I’d been burned by Theo Cirillo enough to know that I should have seen this coming.He loved to show me his merciless side, but I couldn’t stay away from the deviant even if I wanted to... -
![Forgery by Tate James, Michelle Lancaster]()
Forgery by Tate James, Michelle Lancaster
Dreams. Goals. Plans. You envision a dream, set a goal, and formulate a plan. I had diligently pursued all of these steps. I was on my way to obtaining my degree, engaging with breathtaking works of art, and unexpectedly falling into bed with my professor. Yeah, that last bit wasn't part of the grand scheme, but even I had to admit that it wasn't an unwelcome deviation... -
![The Wolf and His Wife by Penelope Sky]()
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... -
![It Breaks Me by Penelope Sky]()
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 -
![Arsen: A Broken Love Story by Mia Asher, MacKenzie Cartwright]()
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... -
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![Tiny Dark Deeds by Eden O'Neill]()
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... -
![SCARS by Jaimie Roberts]()
SCARS by Jaimie Roberts
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsI had the perfect school, the perfect friends—the perfect life ... At least, that’s what I thought. But you changed all that. You are always there ... Always watching ... Always waiting in the shadows. You send me flowers and messages. You stalk me, trace my every movement.. -
![Gorgeous Villain by Charity Ferrell]()
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]()
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 -
![They Will Fall by Rachel Leigh]()
They Will Fall by Rachel Leigh
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsAfter a rocky start to my freshman year at BCU, I was confident the threat was gone. The murders ended, and my name was cleared. All the while, three unsuspecting men took me by surprise… Ridge, my stalker turned lover. Maddox, prince charming who swept me off my feet...Categorized as:
suspense new adult college sports vengeance forced proximity cruel hero from hate to love -
![When We Lied by Claire Contreras]()
When We Lied by Claire Contreras
A brand new hockey romance from New York Times Bestselling Author Claire Contreras set in the same world as Until I Get You...Finneas Alexander Barlow is a walking thirst trap. Tall, hot, and broody. Tousled brown hair, chiseled jaw, alluring green eyes, perfect teeth, well-groomed beard, broad shoulders, and lips good enough to bite...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love dual-pov suspense forced proximity found-family new adult athletes -
![Mad as Hell by Hannah McBride]()
Mad as Hell by Hannah McBride
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 27 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 -
![Consumed by Truths by Ella Miles]()
Consumed by Truths by Ella Miles
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEnzo is my heart. My soul. My breath. I never thought I could be so dark. Never knew love meant losing myself and getting reborn. The lies and truths have finally caught up with us. We may have stolen an empire, but we aren’t ready to give it up. It’s ours. He’s mine. And our love will find a way to the truth. Consumed by Truths is book 6 and the final book in Enzo and Kai's story... -
![The Saint by Kimberly Kincaid]()
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]()
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... -
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![Toxic Obsession by J.A. Owenby]()
Toxic Obsession by J.A. Owenby
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.I need a fresh start where no one knows me, and Whitmore University seems like my chance — if I can keep my secrets hidden. But everything I've built is shattered by Quinn Astor, a powerful football god, and he sees me as his next target.Quinn has a relentless drive and a cruel streak. He’s toxic. He's not the prince I thought he was, but a devil I can't resist... -
![Release Me by J. Kenner]()
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 -
![Son of a Gun: A Marked Men and The Point Crossover by Jay Crownover]()
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...Categorized as:
suspense new adult bad boys tortured heroine from hate to love dual-pov forbidden love cold hero -
![Amore, Part 1 by Bella Jewel]()
Amore, Part 1 by Bella Jewel
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 26 ratings“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 dual-pov bad boys pregnancy -
![Fragile Things by Samantha Lovelock]()
Fragile Things by Samantha Lovelock
In Folkestone, nothing stays buried forever… Poe Halliday was an accident, a chance meeting that would change my life. When the invitation arrived, I had no idea what it meant. The offer was too tempting to ignore, but I never expected it would cost me my heart. Poe broke down my walls, made me vulnerable, and now the dark history of this town threatens to tear me apart...Categorized as:
new adult angst suspense vengeance sassy heroine strong heroine alpha male cruel hero -
![Fractured Things by Samantha Lovelock]()
Fractured Things by Samantha Lovelock
In Folkestone, nothing stays buried forever... Poe Halliday could have been my everything, the one who taught me to dream again. But a dark truth spit from cruel and twisted lips threatened to poison everything. And the dream was over as quickly as it began. My beginning was stained by the ashy fingerprints of my mother’s inner demons. And now they're mine...Categorized as:
new adult suspense angst vengeance sassy heroine strong heroine cruel hero alpha male -
![Gilded Thorn by Ember Davis]()
Gilded Thorn by Ember Davis
VLADI’ve been watching and waiting for a chance to get Laurel in my arms. I shouldn’t want her since she’s the Orlov princess, but I don’t care that our families have spent generations killing each other. All I want is her. She will be the Petrov family’s queen.I know her power, her strength, and her softness; I crave all of her. I’ll lure her to me and then I’ll never let her go... -
![Talking Dirty by Cheryl McIntyre]()
Talking Dirty by Cheryl McIntyre
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 33 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]()
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 -
![Bury Me with Lies by S.M. Soto]()
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 -
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![Black Widow by Sheridan Anne]()
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... -
![Bound to Cruelty by J.L. Beck, Monica Corwin]()
Bound to Cruelty by J.L. Beck, Monica Corwin
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI’m the shadows that reach out and take a bite. No one sees me coming, which is why I’m sent to do the things even our fearless leader won’t touch.After months of watching our enemies it’s time to take them out. I’m ready to feel their blood on my hands, their worthless lives ground to dust... -
![Bullseye by Monica James]()
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 -
![Silent Vendetta by Kathy Lockheart]()
Silent Vendetta by Kathy Lockheart
LUNAI just uncovered the secret identity of the Vigilante.Now, he holds me prisoner in his vault of vengeance.And nothing is as it seems.Bound in this abyss of secrets and darkness,I ache for Hunter’s warmth and light.And vow to reclaim my freedom.But how does one escape……being the obsession of a killer?VIGILANTEThe monster inside of me always hungered for death... -
![Playing Dirty by Cheryl McIntyre]()
Playing Dirty by Cheryl McIntyre
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 33 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... -
![Buttons and Revenge by Penelope Sky]()
Buttons and Revenge by Penelope Sky
My brother didn’t pay his debts—and now I’m on the hook for it. They already killed him, so I know they won’t hesitate to do the same to me. With nowhere to run or hide, I buy a one-way ticket to Milan to audition for Barsetti Lingerie in the hope I can start a new life. Conway Barsetti chooses me as his next model—but then he wants more...Categorized as:
suspense virgin heroine possessive hero super rich hero alpha male strong heroine m-f contemporary
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