Books like 'Better When It Hurts'
Readers who enjoyed Better When It Hurts by Skye Warren also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary young adult dark romance mafia suspense new adult alpha male angst bad boys forbidden love
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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]()
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]()
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]()
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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![Made by J.M. Darhower]()
Made by J.M. Darhower
Corrado Moretti. The world knows the notorious Kevlar Killer, but few have ever seen what lies beneath his armor. The abused child. The neglected teenager. The broken man. He always did whatever he had to do in order to survive. It's kill or be killed. Throughout his life, he has been there in the shadows, a witness to everything from beginning to end... -
![Mafiosa by Catherine Doyle]()
Mafiosa by Catherine Doyle
A blood war rages on the streets of Chicago. Protected by an infamous mafia family, Sophie is living a dangerous lie, pretending to lead a normal life. But the deceit can’t last for ever. Her heart belongs to a killer and Sophie’s the prime target of a rival clan... -
![Dark Legacy by Tracy Lorraine]()
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... -
![Elicit by Rachel Van Dyken]()
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... -
![Speed by B.B. Easton]()
Speed by B.B. Easton
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsWith Netflix adapting BB's 44 CHAPTERS ABOUT 4 MEN into a new series, you're going to want the full story behind her outrageous adventures. 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... -
![Deviant Reign by Tracy Lorraine]()
Deviant Reign 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. Watching her walk away for a second time. .. nearly destroyed me. But it was nothing less than I deserved from the things I put her through. I should have let her go. I’d already caused Emmie enough pain to last a lifetime... -
![Real Girl by Sheridan Anne]()
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... -
![Always Crew by Tijan]()
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... -
![Skin by B.B. Easton]()
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... -
![Knockout Queen by E.M. Moore]()
Knockout Queen by E.M. Moore
I came to the Heights with a purpose. Join the Heights Crew. Move up the ranks. Make it implode from the inside out. But more than anything, make them suffer as much as I’ve suffered over the years because of them. I planned everything…or so I’d thought. I had a contingency plan for my contingency plan, but that was before I met them... -
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![Reckless Dynasty by Tracy Lorraine]()
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... -
![Out of the Dark by Danah Logan]()
Out of the Dark by Danah Logan
Lilly. My name is the only truth they didn’t take from me. Betrayed by my family, my desperate need for answers put me back on his radar. The one person who was never supposed to find me. Again. I was unprepared for the world I got thrust into—the connection we shared. The deeper I dug, the more unstable my future became. With Rhys as my anchor, I will fight to bring my past out of the dark. Rhys... -
![Wild Girl by Sheridan Anne]()
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]()
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... -
![Nikolai by Roxie Rivera]()
Nikolai by Roxie Rivera
After a brush with death as a juvenile delinquent, Vivian swore she'd never stray across that line again—but there's just one problem with her plan to stay on the right side of the law. She's completely, irrevocably and unabashedly in love with Nikolai, the Russian mob boss who saved her life...Categorized as:
suspense vengeance tortured hero alpha male friends to lovers bad boys mafia strong heroine -
![The Moth and the Flame by B.B. Reid]()
The Moth and the Flame by B.B. Reid
They're the best of friends or the worst of friends. Neither one is letting go. THE FLAME. Here lies Louchana Valentine. She was a homeless, orphaned virgin. I never cared what my gravestone would say until I landed in deep with a powerful gangster. Lucky for me, my best friend happens to be ruthless too. I should feel guilty that he's forced to turn on the man who's been a father to him...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers mafia alpha male bad boys angst forbidden love strong heroine -
![Kess by Tijan]()
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. -
![FALL by Cora Brent]()
FALL by Cora Brent
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsFrom NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author Cora Brent comes a new epic crossover novel. Jenny. .. I was a lost girl, a child bride. Now, to most people I appear to be just an average college student. They would never guess my strange history. But secretly I'm still held down by my past. I cannot bring myself to trust men... -
![Ghostgirl by J.B. Salsbury]()
Ghostgirl by J.B. Salsbury
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsShe was brainwashed into believing she could save mankind. Now, she’s the one who needs saving. Abandoned with his two younger brothers, Milo Vega was placed in foster care. Now a twenty-year-old high-school senior covered in gang tattoos and working as the school’s janitor, he is living a life vastly different from the one he was destined for...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers bad boys forbidden love mafia young adult contemporary dark -
![Break Me by Meagan Brandy]()
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 bad boys alpha male suspense possessive hero strong heroine vengeance -
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![Requiem by Callie Hart]()
Requiem by Callie Hart
SORRELL. He’s going to pay for what he’s done…. Theo Merchant was born into a kind of privilege I’ve never known. He has everything I don’t: Money. A private school education. Popularity. A bright and shiny future, full of success to look forward to. He took the only thing I had going for me—my best friend, Rachel. Now that she’s gone, I have nothing left to lose. I will infiltrate his world...Categorized as:
new adult vengeance angst suspense alpha male friends to lovers second chances strong heroine -
![Shame by Rachel Van Dyken]()
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... -
![Finding Eden by Mia Sheridan]()
Finding Eden by Mia Sheridan
The second book in the Acadia Duology, a forbidden friends-to-lovers romance, from the New York Times bestselling author of Archer's Voice . When the world as you know it has ended, when all that you love has been washed away, where do you find strength? Calder and Eden are free from the stifling grasp of Acadia, but the new world they've stepped into is just as isolating... -
![The Saint by Kelsey Clayton]()
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... -
![Collateral Damage: A Second Chance Mafia Romance by Amy McKinley]()
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... -
![Reckless Lies by Nikki J. Summers]()
Reckless Lies by Nikki J. Summers
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThey say when you die, your whole life plays over in your mind like a Hallmark movie. A rose-tinted reflection to remind you what a great life you’ve led. But for me, that wasn’t the case. There was no romantic, nostalgic ending for me. All I had was pain, darkness, and despair on the day I died, dragged by fire into the depths of hell. That’s where I live now. A shadow of the man I used to be...Categorized as:
new adult suspense friends to lovers angst contemporary young adult fated-mates grumpy sunshine -
![A Deal with the Devil by Angel Lawson, Samantha Rue]()
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... -
![Reap by Caitlyn Dare]()
Reap by Caitlyn Dare
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsI never imagined falling for a Red Ridge Sinner… let alone three. But here I am, sneaking around with Diesel, Zach, and Jax, willing to risk the consequences for just one more kiss or touch or moment. They get me. Understand what I need, and how to make me soar. But every time we find ourselves in the dark, stealing precious minutes together, reality closes in around us. One of them is broken... -
![Foxes by Suki Fleet]()
Foxes by Suki Fleet
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Dashiel’s body is found dumped on an East London wasteland, his best friend Danny sets out to find the killer. But Danny finds interaction difficult and must keep his world small in order to survive...Categorized as:
suspense angst friends to lovers new adult m-m disabilities and marks dark young adult -
![Vendetta by Catherine Doyle]()
Vendetta by Catherine Doyle
When it comes to revenge, love is a dangerous complication. With a fierce rivalry raging between two warring families, falling in love is the deadliest thing Sophie could do. An epic debut set outside modern-day Chicago. When five brothers move into the abandoned mansion in her neighbourhood, Sophie Gracewell's life changes forever... -
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![Just Like Heaven by Trilina Pucci]()
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... -
![Wreck Me by Jessica Sorensen]()
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... -
![Black Tangled Heart by Samantha Young]()
Black Tangled Heart by Samantha Young
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThe New York Times Bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series and As Dust Dances brings readers an addictive and passionate new standalone romance about love, revenge, and surviving both. To the McKenna sisters, Jane was a friend. A pseudo-sister, the girl they grew up with. To Jamie McKenna, she was everything. Their youthful passion consumed them...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers angst vengeance second chances suspense alpha male tortured hero -
![Echoes by Dylan Page]()
Echoes by Dylan Page
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsBlurb & cover to come! ! Release date is a placeholder.Categorized as:
strong heroine new adult possessive hero angst suspense friends to lovers tortured hero bad boys -
![Like Gravity by Julie Johnson]()
Like Gravity by Julie Johnson
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsTwenty year-old Brooklyn “Bee” Turner is no stranger to grief. After witnessing her mother’s brutal murder at age six, Brooklyn is guarded, damaged, and – by all accounts – a bitch. And that’s just the way she likes it, if it means keeping everyone at arm’s length...Categorized as:
bad boys alpha male friends to lovers suspense second chances strong heroine m-f young adult -
![Filthy Jealous Heir: Part Two by Caitlyn Dare]()
Filthy Jealous Heir: Part Two by Caitlyn Dare
A brand new dark bully romance series from bestselling author Caitlyn Dare. He’s filthy. He’s jealous… and he’s determined to make her his. Reese Whitfield-Brown has been lied to his entire life. But he’s also been lying to himself. What started as a game to ruin Olivia’s reputation quickly turned into obsession. And now he needs her in a way he doesn’t understand. Kind. Compassionate. Strong...Categorized as:
new adult suspense vengeance forbidden love bad boys angst alpha male strong heroine -
![Savage Kind of Love by Nicole Snow]()
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]()
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... -
![Trust by Kylie Scott]()
Trust by Kylie Scott
Being young is all about the experiences: the first time you skip school, the first time you fall in love…the first time someone holds a gun to your head. After being held hostage during a robbery at the local convenience store, seventeen-year-old Edie finds her attitude about life shattered... -
![Wicked Promises by S. Massery]()
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... -
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![Hidden Gem by Skye Warren]()
Hidden Gem by Skye Warren
Of 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. -
![Remember Me Forever by Sara Wolf]()
Remember Me Forever by Sara Wolf
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsIsis Blake hasn’t fallen in love in three years, forty-three weeks, and two days. Or so she thinks. The boy she maybe-sort-of-definitely loved and sort-of-maybe-definitely hated has dropped off the face of the planet in the face of tragedy, leaving a Jack Hunter–shaped hole. Determined to be happy, Isis fills it in with lies and puts on a brave smile for her new life at Ohio State University...Categorized as:
new adult bad boys alpha male angst suspense friends to lovers contemporary young adult -
![Betray Me by Selena .]()
Betray Me by Selena .
Used. Worthless. Broken. The Darlings think they won. They think they've beaten me, that I'm exactly what they call me--a dog. But there are things they don't know about my family. They don't know the lengths I'll go to get revenge. To protect my family. To honor my name. Devlin thinks he's done with me, but he's wrong. I'll never forget what he did to me, and I'll never let him forget... -
![Heresy by Lily White]()
Heresy by Lily White
Sixth Circle. Heresy. Also Known as Shane Carter. There are no rules with this man. No courtesies. No acceptable behaviors he’ll conform to in order to be accepted. He marches to his own beat. Gives the finger to expectations. And does whatever pleases him because nobody can control him. Arrogant. Aggravating. Absolute Chaos. Shane is the last person you want walking into your world... -
![A London Villain by Catherine Wiltcher]()
A London Villain by Catherine Wiltcher
The devil dances in his veins. .. From USA Today bestselling author, Catherine Wiltcher, comes a new dark mafia romance about second chances and enduring love. It started with a dare:. Steal a kiss from the pretty, green-eyed girl with the Irish mobster father. Turns out, Ada O'Sullivan was a much better thief than me...Categorized as:
mafia forbidden love vengeance alpha male suspense strong heroine new adult tortured hero -
![Brutal Precious by Sara Wolf]()
Brutal Precious by Sara Wolf
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsLife meets death. The end meets the beginning. Eighteen-year-old Isis Blake hasn’t fallen in love in three years, forty-three weeks, and two days. Or so she thinks. The boy she maybe-sort-of-definitely loved has dropped off the face of the planet after his girlfriend's death, leaving a Jack-shaped hole...
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