Books like 'A Harmless Little Ruse'

Readers who enjoyed A Harmless Little Ruse by Meli Raine also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

contemporary  dark romance  military  suspense  angst  alpha male  m-f  betrayal

  • Enrage by Rachel Van Dyken

    Enrage by Rachel Van Dyken

    Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 30 ratings
    Enrage is the next standalone in the international best selling mafia series, Eagle Elite.Part of a world I loathe.Part of a family who hates me more than I hate myself.Living with a girl who reminds me of my darkness.I'm. In. Hell.Also known as the Cosa Nostra.My life was over the minute I stepped off that plane.Son to a murdered mob boss.Heir to a throne of murder and lies...
    Categorized as:
    suspense  angst  m-f  new adult  mafia  contemporary  dark  audiobook
  • The Black Wolf by J.A. Redmerski

    The Black Wolf by J.A. Redmerski

    Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars
    · 34 ratings
    -Series Reading Order-#1 - KILLING SARAI#2 - REVIVING IZABEL#3 - THE SWAN & THE JACKAL#4 - SEEDS OF INIQUITY#5 - THE BLACK WOLF--- Since devastating secrets were uncovered by Nora Kessler, Niklas Fleischer and Victor Faust have been divided as business partners and brothers...
    Categorized as:
    suspense  alpha male  angst  m-f  dark  new adult  contemporary  mafia
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  • Behind the Hands That Kill by J.A. Redmerski

    Behind the Hands That Kill by J.A. Redmerski

    Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars
    · 30 ratings
    -Reading Order-#1 - KILLING SARAI#2 - REVIVING IZABEL#3 - THE SWAN & THE JACKAL#4 - SEEDS OF INIQUITY#5 - THE BLACK WOLF#6 - BEHIND THE HANDS THAT KILL#7 - SPIDERS IN THE GROVE---Even professional killers need vacations, but for Victor Faust, his vacation in Venezuela is about more than relaxation and time alone with Izabel Seyfried...
    Categorized as:
    suspense  alpha male  angst  m-f  dark  contemporary  mafia  abuse
  • Code Name: Pisces by Janie Crouch

    Code Name: Pisces by Janie Crouch

    Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    My code name is Pisces. The stars say I’m independent, wise, and intuitive.Still waters run deep. I’m the leader of Zodiac Tactical’s guardian unit. We’re the bodyguards—the ones who stand toe to toe with danger and refuse to give any ground. We protect people who need it most.But what if who needs it most is a spoiled diva?I don’t normally take on movie stars...
  • Rescuing Isabelle by Ellie Masters

    Rescuing Isabelle by Ellie Masters

    Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Keeping her safe from a deadly cartel might be the easy part of our relationship…As a former NAVY SEAL and Guardian, rescuing Isabelle LaCroix was my job.Falling for her was not.But that didn’t stop me.Boy, did I fall hard.Just my luck… Izzy isn’t looking for happily ever after. Especially not with a guy like me...
  • Miles by Lane Hart, D.B. West

    Miles by Lane Hart, D.B. West

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 20 ratings
    Who could ever fall in love with a cold-blooded killer like me?The answer is no one. That’s why I’m giving up trying to find a woman who wants me for more than one rowdy night. I’m determined to find a wife instead. If I buy a mail order bride, then she’ll have no choice but to stick around...
  • Easy to Fall by W. Winters

    Easy to Fall by W. Winters

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    From USA Today bestselling author Willow Winters comes the epic conclusion to the heart-wrenching, edge-of-your-seat gripping, romantic suspense, Hard to Love series.With her I was always on the highest high. That's why it was so easy to fall. I never stood a chance without her. The two of us were made for one another. It's as simple as that. The world could try to rip us apart, but it would fail...
  • Saving Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia

    Saving Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 19 ratings
    Beckett 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

    Destructive King by Rachel Van Dyken

    Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    A 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...
    Categorized as:
    suspense  angst  alpha male  m-f  mafia  new adult  college  cruel hero
  • Ends Here by M. Robinson

    Ends Here by M. Robinson

    Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars
    · 33 ratings
    Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. And all that fucking shit. I had killed. I had sacrificed. The innocent and the corrupt. I knew blood and I knew violence. Never imagining I could know love too. Mia Ryder was a woman to love. To cherish. To fucking claim. Now, forever, and every day in between. If there was anyone I’d go to Hell and back for, it was her...
  • Big by L. Wilder

    Big by L. Wilder

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · 26 ratings
    How much would you risk to save the one you love? From NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author L. Wilder comes book six in the Satan's Fury Series, a standalone MC romance. Big: I don't use a knife or a gun to get the guy I'm after. I find that my weapon of choice has a much longer, more crippling effect. With just a few keystrokes, I can have him scrambling for his life...
  • Alluring Abyss by K.E. Osborn

    Alluring Abyss by K.E. Osborn

    Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    The Tampa Royal Bastards are riding back into town!Join Ominous as he falls into the alluring abyss...
  • The Six Night Truce by Hannah Shield

    The Six Night Truce by Hannah Shield

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 21 ratings
    When I stepped into the courtroom this morning, I intended to fight for my client’s life. I never expected to run for my own. Now the courthouse is in lockdown, and I’m trapped in a tiny room with my nemesis—the West Oaks PD cop who hates me most. He’s a single dad with a growly attitude. An ex-Marine. And he’s the star witness against my client...
  • King of Pain by Piper Stone

    King of Pain by Piper Stone

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    My vows didn't make me his. My body did. Diego Santos may be wealthy, powerful, and sinfully gorgeous, but his slick veneer doesn't fool me. I know his true nature, and I had planned to end this arranged marriage before it even began. But it wasn't Diego waiting for me at the altar...
    Categorized as:
    suspense  alpha male  m-f  spanking  dark  mafia  contemporary  bdsm
  • SCARS by Jaimie Roberts

    SCARS by Jaimie Roberts

    Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars
    · 22 ratings
    I 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..
  • Unveiled by Jodi Ellen Malpas

    Unveiled by Jodi Ellen Malpas

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 37 ratings
    The story of Livy and M's passionate love affair comes to a stunning conclusion in the final book in the One Night trilogy...
    Categorized as:
    suspense  alpha male  angst  m-f  contemporary  dark  new adult  abuse
  • Into Temptation by Monica James

    Into Temptation by Monica James

    Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    Monsters are real...and that monster is my father.Ten years ago, I surrendered. I thought I was doing the right thing. But lies and greed have once again destroyed my life, leaving me to deal with the aftermath.This life has always been a curse, but the world as I know it has changed. Belfast isn't what it used to be.Alliances are broken. Kingdoms have fallen...
  • Key to Hell by Alex Grayson

    Key to Hell by Alex Grayson

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    The highly anticipated conclusion of the Hell Night Series. Emo's story.Death. Destruction. Pain. A soulless void. It's his life. It's his reality.Emo doesn't feel. Anything. His soul is dark and filled with hatred. People in the small town of Malus watch him with fear, with reverence. Exactly the way he prefers it.Guilt surrounds him, caging him in an ominous past he refuses to let go...
  • Blackout by Janine Infante Bosco

    Blackout by Janine Infante Bosco

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Every fairytale is just a tragedy with a twist. And happily-ever-after is a fantasy.Give me the real, ugly love of two people battling their demons to make it work. Two people like us. When the stakes have never been higher, I turn to my past. After all, it's our favorite sins that always do us in.But even in the midst of my blackout, there she is. The beacon of light I don't deserve...
    Categorized as:
    suspense  m-f  contemporary  dark  length-long
  • Followed by the Dark by Danah Logan

    Followed by the Dark by Danah Logan

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    The Dark follows everywhere. She used to be The Bulldog; but she lost her bite. He buried the one person he should've protected; now, his life is driven by anger and revenge. Together they're toxic for each other, but neither can deny that something is there. FBTD is an age gap, enemies to lovers dark romance.★ The complete blurb will be revealed with the cover...
  • Seeking Peace by Crystal Daniels, Sandy Alvarez

    Seeking Peace by Crystal Daniels, Sandy Alvarez

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Nothing remains of Blake’s life before the club except death, deceit, and corruption.He was on the road to self-destruction when his path crossed with Jake, the President of Kings of Retribution.Now Blake is dedicated to the MC and loyal to the men he calls brothers.The club gave him a family and purpose.Blake thought he finally had everything he ever wanted.Until Ember...
  • Texas Bodyguard: Chance by Janie Crouch

    Texas Bodyguard: Chance by Janie Crouch

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    She has secrets she prefers to keep hidden.Too bad he’s so good at getting to the truth.When a violent attack puts Maci Ford in the hospital, security expert Chance Patterson learns that she’s carrying his baby. Even though she ended their relationship, he’s determined to do whatever it takes to protect her and their child...
  • Opal: A Wolfes of Manhattan Novel by Helen Hardt

    Opal: A Wolfes of Manhattan Novel by Helen Hardt

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    She lashes out with spite and venom. He fights back with anger and passion.Being held captive on a South Pacific island and forced to submit to the depravity of strange men was horrific, but it wasn’t the worst experience of Kelly Taylor’s life. Abused as a child and abandoned once she turned eighteen, Kelly is now free…except for the threatening text messages she’s receiving...
  • Last Resort by Janie Crouch

    Last Resort by Janie Crouch

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    From USA TODAY Bestselling Author Janie Crouch. Previously published as Texas ChanceShe has secrets she prefers to keep hidden.Too bad he’s so good at getting to the truth.When a violent attack puts Maci Ford in the hospital, security expert Chance Patterson learns that she’s carrying his baby...
    Categorized as:
    suspense  military  mystery  dark  pregnancy  contemporary
  • Blackbird by Molly McAdams

    Blackbird by Molly McAdams

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · 26 ratings
    From New York Times bestselling author Molly McAdams comes a powerhouse romantic suspense that will have you questioning your morals and second guessing your view on love. I live in a world few know exist. I’ve trained for this. I know what to say, what to do, and how to act. I’ve perfected the lethal calm required for this life. Now it’s time to buy my first girl...
  • Unlawful Justice by K.C. Lynn, K. Langston

    Unlawful Justice by K.C. Lynn, K. Langston

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 17 ratings
    Seek the truth and you will find justice. The peaceful town of Harmony Falls, Texas, has been rocked to its core by an unspeakable crime. One that harbors revenge and injustice. Schoolteacher Olivia Bradshaw can’t remember what happened that horrific night, but it’s easy to see the effect it’s had on those around her...
  • Roma Queen by Callie Hart

    Roma Queen by Callie Hart

    Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    “The stunning conclusion to the Roma Royals Duet Series. The very best of Callie Hart. Hold on tight, because this is one hell of a ride!” Son. Lover. Protector. KING. I’ve been many things to many people over the course of my life, but that title – King – has always been a tough pill to swallow...
    Categorized as:
    alpha male  m-f  contemporary  dark  length-medium
  • The Iron Tiara by Beth Flynn

    The Iron Tiara by Beth Flynn

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 20 ratings
    Anthony Bear and Christy Chapman are from two completely different worlds. Anthony's the leader of a motorcycle gang that terrorizes Florida’s West Coast. As a child, he ran away from his family and the Cherokee Indian Reservation to enter a life of crime...
  • Celt. by London Miller

    Celt. by London Miller

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Welcome to the Den ... Six minutes is all he needs to get a job done … Kyrnon “Celt” Murphy is one of the best thieves in the world. After all, his childhood was spent with a caravan of Irish Travelers that taught him everything he knows...
  • Damaged by Willow Winters

    Damaged by Willow Winters

    Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    I married the bad boy from Brooklyn. The one with the tattoos and the look in his eyes that told me he was bad news. The look that came with all sorts of warnings. I knew what I was doing. I knew by the way he put his hands on me, how he owned me with his forceful touch. I couldn’t say no to him, not that I wanted to. That was then, and it seems like forever ago...
  • Tethered Souls by Beth Flynn

    Tethered Souls by Beth Flynn

    Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    My family has secrets. I’m always the good girl, doing what’s necessary to keep my loved ones safe. I've kept the darkest secrets from everyone I know. As painful as it is to hold them all inside where they live and gnaw away at me, that’s where they must stay. I haven't seen my closest childhood friend, Christian Bear, since I was a teenager—he hasn't changed a bit...
  • Devil You Know by L.A. Fiore

    Devil You Know by L.A. Fiore

    Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars
    · 28 ratings
    Damian Tate. One look into his sad green eyes and I was hooked. I wanted to be the one to make him laugh, to make him smile. I hadn't expected him to be the one to make me blush, to make me hot...to make me fall in love. He was my first kiss, my first love, my first everything. I wanted forever with him, but life got in the way...
  • Ten Thousand Truths by Kelli Jean

    Ten Thousand Truths by Kelli Jean

    Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Horror is Odessa “Opie” Powys’s truth. One with muddied memories and haunted dreams. Finding and putting the pieces of her shattered life together is impossible. Hiding herself and her truth is the only option. Until the force that is Deo Dahl notices her from across a crowded bar...
    Categorized as:
    suspense  angst  contemporary  dark  length-medium
  • Bitter Sweet Hell by Alex Grayson

    Bitter Sweet Hell by Alex Grayson

    Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    The Hell Night Series continues with JW's story! As the Sheriff of Malus, Texas, JW takes his oath to protect its citizens very seriously. Born from an ugly past, he swears no child, woman, or man will ever endure what he and his brothers have. As he seeks retribution of the ones who have wronged him, his past and his present finally collide. Secrets are laid open...
    Categorized as:
    suspense  m-f  contemporary  dark  length-medium
  • Opal by Helen Hardt

    Opal by Helen Hardt

    Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    She lashes out with spite and venom. He fights back with anger and passion.Being held captive on a South Pacific island and forced to submit to the depravity of strange men was horrific, but it wasn't the worst experience of Kelly Taylor's life. Abused as a child and abandoned once she turned eighteen, Kelly is now free...except for the threatening text messages she's receiving...
  • Damaged Kingdom by MJ Crouch

    Damaged Kingdom by MJ Crouch

    Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    Mari Marcosa always knew she would die young, so being left to bleed out on a warehouse floor is no shock to her. But as the blood seeps from her body, her thoughts aren’t of the Marcosa empire she's ruled for years, or the city she's given everything to protect. It's on the three men who’ve stood by her Greyson: her soul, her foundation. So hard and reserved, showing emotion only to Mari...
  • Judge of Hell by Alex Grayson

    Judge of Hell by Alex Grayson

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    The Hell Night Series continues with Judge's story!Fierce, loyal, controlled. Three things Judge became at a young age.Enduring unimaginable horrors no child should, he swore no person would dictate his or his brother’s lives again.Revenge fueled him, setting a path destined from the moment he and his brothers escaped their hell...
    Categorized as:
    suspense  m-f  contemporary  dark  length-novella
  • Sweeter Than Hate by Anna Zaires, Charmaine Pauls

    Sweeter Than Hate by Anna Zaires, Charmaine Pauls

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    I shouldn’t have heard the things I did. Shouldn’t have attracted his attention.Now I feel his stare like a touch. Viscerally. Acutely. The Russian assassin has me in his sights, and there’s only one way out.His bed.Good thing I’m drawn to danger...
  • Rust by Aria Ray

    Rust by Aria Ray

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Being pulled from a raging river by a sinfully hot biker could be the start of a fairytale love story - the trouble is, I have no idea who I am or what deadly secrets my past holds.A tall, dark, tattooed biker pulled my bruised and battered body from a raging river. That's all I remember when I wake up from a coma.Everything else, my entire life - is gone. I have nothing. Nothing except for Rust...
  • Gabby's Protector by Janie Crouch, Regan Black

    Gabby's Protector by Janie Crouch, Regan Black

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    After a heart-shattering tragedy, Tony Marino bottled up his emotions and gave more than twenty hard years to the SEAL teams. Now, he’s enjoying a later in life career in paradise in the Ellington Cove special security office.The best part? Working with their research expert, Gabby Ladd...
  • The Way We Are by Shandi Boyes

    The Way We Are by Shandi Boyes

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Seven years in heaven awarded me seven years in hell. I’ve admired Savannah Fontane since I saw her whizzing down our street on her hot pink bike with rainbow tassels taped on the handlebars. I was in awe someone so small could ride without training wheels, I asked my mom to remove mine that same afternoon. Savannah drew a rainbow heart on my cast the very next day...
  • Blackness Within by Norma Jeanne Karlsson

    Blackness Within by Norma Jeanne Karlsson

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Fighting to find his worthy place in life… This is the story of a woman that has worked tirelessly to build her own life from nothing. While the task has been exhaustive, it’s been worth every drop of sweat to earn her own slice of normal. Natasha Reynolds has built a life beyond an absent mother and a drug addict brother to become a home-owning, dog-loving nurse...
    Categorized as:
    suspense  m-f  contemporary  dark  possessive hero
  • Hold Me by LP Lovell

    Hold Me by LP Lovell

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    I’m a former slave. The sister of death. Collateral. He’s a bad man. A cartel boss— and my everything. I thought I was done being someone’s toy, but I was so very wrong. Safety is nothing more than a premise in my world, and it seems my own sister can’t be trusted. Loyalties will be tested, and even my big bad wolf might not be able to save me this time. A priceless pawn...
  • Deranged by Bella J., Lori Whitwam

    Deranged by Bella J., Lori Whitwam

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    ~ DERANGED is the third book in the American Street Kings series from International Bestselling Author Bella J. The complete series is available now! ~ Temptation. It's a powerful thing.It possesses you. Corrupts you. Turns a pure soul into a reckless beast.Once it has you in its clutches, you can't escape it. It won't let go, not untilit perverts everything innocent...
  • Kingdom of Corruption by Bella Di Corte

    Kingdom of Corruption by Bella Di Corte

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    A Royal Organized Crime RomanceMy husband had been keeping a secret from me—a secret that would irrevocably change the course of our lives.He was the son of one of the most ruthless men alive, and an heir to the infamous Fausti crime family. They were beautiful, powerful, ruthless—royalty in their beloved Italy and beyond...
  • The Confession Duet by K.D. Robichaux

    The Confession Duet by K.D. Robichaux

    Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 27 ratings
    It was love at first sight. Not just for Vivian, but for Corbin as well. Their eyes locked across the room, and that was all she wrote. But they didn't rush things. They wanted to do it right. After all, they would spend the rest of their lives together. The love of each other's life. Soul mates. He was the intense and fiercely protective soldier, and she was his doting and faithful lover...
    Categorized as:
    m-f  military  angst  alpha male  suspense  bdsm  contemporary  dark
  • A Reckless Note by Lisa Renee Jones

    A Reckless Note by Lisa Renee Jones

    Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars
    · 22 ratings
    “I can chase you, and I can catch you, but there is nothing I can do to make you mine.” ― Morrissey It all started with a note, just a simple note hand written by a woman I didn't know, never even met. But in that note is perhaps every answer to every question I've ever had in my life. And because of that note, I travel thousands of miles. I look for her, but find him...
  • Titch by Jessica Ames

    Titch by Jessica Ames

    Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    TitchAs Road Captain of the Untamed Sons MC, I've had my share of pain, but nothing could prepare me for seeing my ex-wife move on with another man. It makes my demons want to come out to play, makes me want to destroy everything in my path. I love Rachel. I'll always love her, but she's no longer mine. Getting her back is my only focus and to do that, I'm willing to cross lines I shouldn't...
  • Sinful Promise by B. B. Hamel

    Sinful Promise by B. B. Hamel

    Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    I’m in his bed learning the limits of my body.Peter Calimeris. Greek mafia son, monster in a perfect suit, and the only man keeping me alive.He’s supposed to be my bodyguard, but he barely notices me.At least until Peter gets involved in a business deal with my half-sister...
  • Defending Keirnan by P.J. Fiala

    Defending Keirnan by P.J. Fiala

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · 19 ratings
    All Keirnan Vickers ever wanted was to be a teacher. Having realized that dream, she’s focusing on helping the local library with desperately needed repairs so she has a place to host her growing reading program. Just when her life is beginning to look like a storybook, an enemy of her father's threatens her very existence. Single father Dane Copeland has known his share of heartaches...
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