Books like 'Thousand Words'
Readers who enjoyed Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance athletes tortured heroine
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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... -
Twisted Creek by K.C. Kean
I have nothing left to give this twisted town, not a single ounce. I’ve let them beat me down, almost break me, but it’s time I fixed my ‘Grady’ jersey, and show them I will do anything to protect what is mine.Trying to survive Knight’s Creek without Xavier, Hunter, and Tobias is harder than I care to admit. I have to give it my all and try again; I have to run... -
A Day of Ruin by Steph Macca
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhat do my high school sweetheart, roommate and work associate have in common?They all loved me and now they hate me.My family used to run this town. Until that fateful night when my mother died, and an innocent man went to prison…And it was apparently all my fault.Not only did the entire town now hate me, but I was left with my mother’s secret crippling debt. And I had to face everything alone...Categorized as:
tortured heroine reverse harem from hate to love suspense dark mystery new adult poly -
Special Kind of Twisted by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsHe had a way of pulling everyone into his darkness. Then, to make matters worse, he convinced you that you liked it there. Kyle Davis—ex professional baseball player and current felon—loved Sara, his best friend. Strictly platonically, of course. He’d do absolutely anything for her, even put up with Greer, Sara’s other best friend. What she was not was Kyle’s best friend... -
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Hate Me by LP Lovell
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAnna I am a whore. A slave. A possession. I accepted my fate long ago, but fate is not done with me yet. Freedom is so close I can almost taste it, only to have it snatched away under the guise of protection. A gilded cage is still a cage. Friend or foe? Saviour or oppressor? Rafael D’Cruze is a bad man. I hate him, so why do I feel safe with him? Rafael She’s a favour. Collateral... -
The Redemption of Callie & Kayden by Jessica Sorensen
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden comes an emotional new story about two troubled souls sharing one all-encompassing love . . . The dark secret Kayden has kept hidden for years is finally out. Worse, he's facing charges for battery. The only way to clear his name is for Callie to speak up-something he'll never ask her to do... -
Without Regret by Aubrey Bondurant
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRejection and I have an understanding: I don't put myself out there and it doesn't screw with my life any more. I keep my feelings hidden, and my heart locked away. It was working well until he came along and threatened my impenetrable armor, one honeyed word at a time. With his clean cut looks, and southern manners, I'm convinced he's not my type...Categorized as:
tortured heroine humor contemporary strong heroine working class hero slow burn office tearjerkers -
Wife by Penelope Sky
I was twenty-one when the gypsy read my future: As punishment for your crimes, you will only love one woman...but she'll never love you back. I didn't believe a word of it. Until I met Sofia Romano almost ten years later. I fell hard for this woman. Would die for this woman. But she left me. Now years have passed and Sofia needs a husband...Categorized as:
tortured heroine suspense contemporary dark cruel hero cold heroine rich heroine cold hero -
Damaged Doll by Jennifer Bene
The long-awaited sequel to Breaking Beth is finally coming July 2022, pre-order now! "I'm too broken for love." After everything Beth has been through, all she wants is to feel normal.To be normal.But the weight of her past won't let her go easily. "Wanting her is wrong." All Jake wants is to be a hero.To save as many as he can from the monsters of this world... -
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... -
Sick Hate by J.A. Huss
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIrina van Breda escaped the hopeless life she was born into and started a brand new one in America all by herself. She has everything she needs—a condo in South Beach, a new accent that doesn’t betray her dark origins, a brilliant best friend, and an easy life of walking the beach and feeding the gulls.But she is merely existing—until Dead-Eyes Eason Malone appears, asking questions... -
Psycho Alphas: Part One by Marie Mackay
Dark, deranged, and unhinged... No one's ever gonna want us Bunny, not really. I’m the kind of Omega only good for keeping Alphas out of ruts. Rejected by my own mate. Unwanted. Even though all I dream of is a sketchbook and an alpha to cuddle. Now, I've been kidnapped and dragged on stage for auction: to be sold like a trophy...Categorized as:
tortured heroine omegaverse contemporary poly reverse harem length-medium tortured hero dark -
Blame It on the Shame by Ashley Jade
Shame. It wounds us. It damages us. Or, for the few poor souls out there like me...it defines us. I'm the son of the devil, himself—the most feared mob boss who ever lived. I was cursed from the moment I took my first breath. I hate him...and I never wanted to become him. And I sure as hell never, ever, wanted anything of his. Until her. My name is Ricardo DeLuca... -
Why Are You Here? by Brianna Jean
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA party in the Hollywood Hills.A perfectly timed smoke break.A chance encounter.From the moment I laid eyes on Judah Colt, I knew I was screwed.He was a whirlwind of emotions, a disastrous tornado of need, while I was only searching for a taste of reckless abandon and a chance to let go.What I got was almost more than I could handle...Categorized as:
tortured heroine contemporary dark angst cheating dual-pov first-person-pov tortured hero -
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Matchstick Men by Adira August
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsSometimes it's the cop who needs to hit the floor... Haunted by the worst case of my career, I knew only one way to exorcise the images from my mind, the victim from my soul ... Inside the club, I scanned the room. He was here—Camden Snow—a sex god in the guise of unpretentious youth... -
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:
tortured heroine contemporary suspense new adult bad boys from hate to love dual-pov forbidden love -
Whiskey & You (The Kings of Texas Billionaires) by H.J. Bellus
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsSometimes it’s the hero who ends up needing a lifeline… Jack Jarvis York is a ruthless and vindictive oil tycoon who knows no boundaries when he’s been double-crossed. Debtors beware. He’ll slit your throat for a nickel. And make no mistake, he will collect. You never screw with a man’s pride, money, or oil. It’s Texas Law. Unwritten, yet gospel... -
It's Our Secret by W. Winters
From romance author Willow Winters comes a USA Today best-selling emotionally gripping, standalone, romantic suspense. Allison: It was only a little lie.That’s how stories like these get started.But with every lie I told, he saw through it.I think in his heart he knew I was broken; he felt my pain as if it was his.And that’s what changed everything.He’s the reason it all fell apart...Categorized as:
tortured heroine contemporary suspense new adult super rich hero dark mystery length-medium -
Maverick by Lilly Atlas
Stephanie Little firmly believes the world exists in two states: right and wrong; good and evil; unlawful and law-abiding. She chose her side the moment she joined the FBI and pledged to rid the world of as many criminals as possible. Maverick is everything Stephanie isn’t: inked, pierced, flirty, masculine as sin, but most of all, an outlaw... -
Make Me by LP Lovell
0.5 in The Kiss of Death Series. Prequel novella to Kill Me. At thirteen years old I was sold, doomed to become a sex slave. Nicholai Ivanov, boss of the Russian Bratva, gave me the ultimate gift. He saved me from a fate worse than death. He promised to make me strong, because only the strong survive, and the weak die, forgotten and inconsequential... -
Fighting Dirty by Cheryl McIntyre
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsI wake up to a warm body draped along my side. I smile as the foreign feeling of happiness radiates in my chest. Everything comes rushing back as Rocky’s scent fills my senses. Not Olivia’s. My happiness bursts like a broken dam. Not because Olivia isn’t here. But because as I realized it was Rocky’s body against me, I still felt satisfied. Because I didn’t feel the misery of Livie’s loss... -
The Road Home by Amy Alves
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsI found the woman of my dreams. And then she introduced me to her boyfriend.Signing up for a yoga class in order to woo the gorgeous instructor could not have gone worse.First, the class I attended was actually for pregnant women, and I looked like an idiot.Second, her boyfriend showed up—the one I didn’t know about. The small town rumor mill had let me down.So I waited... -
Deep by Susan Fanetti
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNick Pagano is a leader in the Pagano Brothers organization. As their head enforcer, it has been his responsibility to mete out justice, to seek retaliation, to uncover the secrets of Pagano enemies by any means necessary, and to sink deep the evidence of those means. It is work that requires keen vision and perfect control. It is work at which Nick excels. It is work that has made him dark... -
Return of the Bad Girl by Codi Gary
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsBad girls don't forgive. Bad girls don't forget. Bad girls don't fall in love. Caroline Willis may be known for causing trouble, but she is NOT about to become homeless. So when she learns that her perfect apartment has been double-booked—to a dangerously hot bad boy—Caroline's bad-girl reputation comes out in full force... -
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Life of the Party by Christine Anderson
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThis novel contains mature themes and graphic content. Seventeen-year-old Mackenzie Taylor can't wait to be free; free from high school, the shadow of her perfect older sister, and her disapproving parents. The rebellious party girl has a perfect accomplice in best friend Riley, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks who scores them drugs, booze and under-age entry into the only club in town...Categorized as:
tortured heroine contemporary friends to lovers tortured hero abuse bad boys love triangle dark -
Buried Deception by Amanda McKinney
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn the pulse-racing first installment of the On the Edge series, a criminal psychologist teams up with a former marine on a deadly wildland mission. Not even their hearts can stay out of harm’s way.In the swamps of East Texas, alligators aren’t the only danger lurking in the shadows...Categorized as:
tortured heroine mystery contemporary forced proximity dark suspense military dual-pov -
If You Know Her by Shiloh Walker
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsA SHADOW IN THE WINDOW Nia Hollister doesn’t scare easily. She’s returned to Ash, Kentucky, with a vengeance—and with a mission: find the killer who brutally ended her cousin’s life. What she didn’t count on was trembling with desire every time she sees Law Reilly. If any man can help her escape the nightmares for a while, it’s him...Categorized as:
tortured heroine suspense contemporary dark mystery possessive hero small town length-long -
In the Stillness by Andrea Randall
Natalie is a wife. Natalie is a mother. Natalie is a cutter. Clawing at walls built by resentment, regret, and guilt, Natalie cuts as an escape from a life she never planned. Staying present is only possible when you let go of the past... -
Staying Dirty by Cheryl McIntyre
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 29 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... -
The Way Home by A.C. Bextor
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsWhere do you begin to piece back the fragments of a shattered heart? “I’m letting you go today, it’s time.” Finally, Sadey is ready to say goodbye to the only man she’s ever loved. With the help of Shame and Mace she’s learning to breathe on her own again; one day at a time. Her hopes are high and her world is finally coming into focus...Categorized as:
tortured heroine contemporary suspense friends to lovers dark love triangle abuse bad boys -
Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsWhen reclusive novelist Senna Richards wakes up on her thirty-third birthday, everything has changed. Caged behind an electrical fence, locked in a house in the middle of the snow, Senna is left to decode the clues to find out why she was taken. If she wants her freedom, she has to take a close look at her past. But, her past has a heartbeat... and her kidnapper is nowhere to be found... -
The Swan & the Jackal by J.A. Redmerski
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsThis is not a romance in any sense of the word. If that's what you're looking for, don't read it. Fredrik Gustavsson never considered the possibility of love, or that anyone could ever understand or accept his dark and bloody lifestyle—until he met Seraphina, a woman as vicious and blood-thirsty as Fredrik himself... -
Out of Darkness by Laramie Briscoe
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsEx-News reporter.Rape survivor.Former enemy of the Heaven Hill MC. Meredith Rager’s life completely changed the night she was attacked by an unknown person. Once a vibrant force that threatened everything about Heaven Hill, she is now under their care. The only place she feels safe is inside their compound... -
Miss Me Not by Tiffany King
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsMiss Me Not is a beautiful story of self-discovery, forgiveness, caring, and love. Madison Hanson's past demons have given her a shadow of an existence with little hope. With the sudden tragic death of a fellow student, Madison questions her own life choices, and is now forced to evaluate everything she thought she believed in... -
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Believe Like a Child by Paige Dearth
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsABOUT THE NOVEL: Alessa is just seven years old when her uncle rapes her for the first time. As the years pass, his sexual appetite becomes more voracious and his perversion more twisted, until the abuse has become almost a daily ritual, with the unspoken involvement of the girl's mother... -
Damaged and the Bulldog by Bijou Hunter
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsDylan Campbell took a bullet to save the girl of his dreams. This fateful day changed everything. Now Dylan struggles to claim Winnie as his own while making his bones with the Reapers MC. Winona Todds was broken by life. Hiding from the world, she remains consumed with fear until her heart craves Dylan. She´ll need to face her past to build a future with the man with the bulldog tattoo... -
Vital Sign by J.L. Mac
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsI used to have a great life. My little world was bright. I had no complaints. My perfectly simple life made the fall from grace that much more devastating. I plummeted from the heavenly little bubble that I shared with Jake. I fell fast and hard straight into the fiery pits of hell. The knowledge of how things used to be is a bittersweet torture that refuses me even one moment of respite...Categorized as:
tortured heroine contemporary tortured hero dark possessive hero angst m-f length-medium -
Behind the Mask by Carolyn Crane
TO SAVE HER TWIN SISTER SHE MUST SWITCH PLACES WITH HER... When her long lost sister--a prostitute--is won in a card game by a brutal drug cartel, Zelda knows what she has to do: take her place. Save her. Focus on infiltrating the shadowy group on behalf of the Associates, and try not to think about why she left the spying game years ago...Categorized as:
tortured heroine military suspense dark tortured hero contemporary explicit-open-door length-medium -
Silver Creek High: A High School Bully Romance Complete Box Set by Belladona Cunning
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings(#1 Amazon Bestselling Series in Teen & Young Adult Bullying Fiction *WITH NEVER BEFORE SEEN BONUS EPILOGUE*) “You. Are. Cut. Off.” He left me ripped apart and stripped of my last shred of innocence.He disappeared without a trace, two years ago, with no rhyme or reason.The same guy that swore to protect me, but instead fed me to the wolves of Silver Creek High.Now, he’s back...Categorized as:
tortured heroine reverse harem dark contemporary cruel hero abuse cheating vengeance -
Bad For Me by Codi Gary
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsCallie Jacobsen isn't about to open her heart to just anyone. Not so very long ago, trusting someone changed her life forever—and not in a fun way. Now she's better off focusing on her career, her friends, and her dog. So when former Marine Everett Silverton takes an interest in her, Callie's more than a little wary. No matter how charming he is, men are a bad idea...Categorized as:
tortured heroine contemporary humor tearjerkers tortured hero men in uniform alpha male abuse -
GRINGA - In the Clutches of a Ruthless Drug-Lord by Eve Rabi
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsI was twenty-one, a sassy university student who took crap from no one. While holidaying in Mexico, I was accosted by The Devil of Mexico called Diablo and shot, because the motherfucker mistook me for a spy... -
A Life Less Broken by Margaret McHeyzer
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsOn a day like any other, Allyn Sommers went off to work, not knowing that her life was about to be irrevocably and horrifically altered. Three years later, Allyn is still a prisoner in her own home held captive by harrowing fear. Broken and damaged, Allyn seeks help from someone that fate brought her. Dr. Dominic Shriver is a psychiatrist who’s drawn to difficult cases... -
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... -
Very Wicked Beginnings by Ilsa Madden-Mills
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsA Prequel Novella Girls say I’m a walking, talking sex god. Guys call me Hollywood because my life is golden. It’s not. But, ESPN did rank me as a four-star recruit, calling me one of the best defensive players since Briarcrest Academy opened its esteemed doors. So yeah, with football and a stellar GPA, my future seemed good... -
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Kiss a Stranger by R.J. Lewis
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsI loved him. I loathed him. I knew he had secrets. I knew he had darkness in him. And yet I took all of him. Accepted all his ugly the way he embraced all of mine. But sometimes loving someone isn't enough. Sometimes it breaks you apart and moulds you into somebody else entirely. And sometimes the person you loved the most can be the one to hurt you worst of all... -
Be My December by Rachel Brookes
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsI knew the exact moment I’d become a ‘yes’ girl. December 16th, a cold winter’s night, four years ago. The night my innocence was stolen, the night I made the mistake of saying no—a mistake I’d never make again. The dream of a ‘happily ever after' was now a locked away myth... -
Infraction by K.I. Lynn
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsThe exciting continuation of Breach! Waking up in the hospital after a terrible car crash, Lila has a long road of recovery ahead of her. More than just her body, she must recover her heart after an altering declaration by Nathan. With all that happened between them she must chose to forgive him and take him back, or sever all ties...Categorized as:
tortured heroine contemporary tortured hero dark alpha male abuse shy heroine cruel hero -
Catch Me by Claire Contreras
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsNovember 17, 2013... In the past, I've always been given everything I've wanted, but nothing that I truly needed. I've experienced a lot of things in my twenty-five years, everything except the one thing I want. It's the one thing that can’t be bought. It can't even be taken, it has to be given. And nobody has ever given it to me, not really anyway. Not until him... -
Take Care, Sara by Lindy Zart
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsYou breathe in, you breathe out, and everything you know is gone. Sara Walker knows firsthand what it feels like to have your reality ripped away, scrambled, and shoved back at you in an undone puzzle where pieces are missing and nothing fits. She's lost so much and is struggling to live and to find the strength to forgive herself for being human...Categorized as:
tortured heroine contemporary forbidden love dark college christian angst friends to lovers -
Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 52 ratingsWhen young, pretty Catherine Bailey meets Lee Brightman, she can't believe her luck. Gorgeous, charismatic, and a bit mysterious, Lee seems almost too perfect to be true. But what begins as flattering attention and spontaneous, passionate sex transforms into raging jealousy, and Catherine soon discovers that Lee's dazzling blue eyes and blond good looks hide a dark, violent nature...
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