Books like 'Defy'
Readers who enjoyed Defy by L.J. Shen also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance young adult new adult age difference bad boys alpha male forbidden love insta-love strong heroine
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Long Way Down by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie
With a seven-year age difference, Ryke & Daisy have faced an uphill battle in the eyes of the world and their families. Known as the most adventurous, fast-paced couple — their next step has always been elusive to the rabid media. Behind the scenes, heartbreaking troubles continue to test Ryke & Daisy’s resilience and shape their future together. They promise:. To never slow down... -
Fallen Crest Family by Tijan
Samantha and Mason are together. Everyone knows it. Not everyone is dealing with it. While Mason's ready to give them the middle finger, there's one not going away. Her mother. Threats are issued. Ultimatums are given. Even blackmail is used, but only Samantha can put a stop to Analise. However, when a trauma from her past is triggered, she may not have the courage or strength to do what's needed... -
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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... -
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 82 ratingsA troubled young mother yearns for a shot at redemption in this heartbreaking yet hopeful story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover. After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild...Categorized as:
new adult angst forbidden love insta-love secret-relationship office m-f contemporary -
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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...Categorized as:
forbidden love bad boys alpha male new adult m-f contemporary suspense friends to lovers -
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... -
Corrupt Princess by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you the next instalment of her forbidden dark mafia, high school bully romance story set in the Knight's Ridge Empire world. I learned from a very young age that the only person I could count on was myself. For years I’ve been content with meaningless one-night stands and zero promises for tomorrow... -
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... -
Logan Kade by Tijan
People think that just because they know my name, my reputation, and my family that they know me. They don't. They say I’m a manwhore, but who wouldn’t be with my face and body? They say I’m a partier, and that's not going to change. They say I'm a fighter, and hell yes I am. F*ck with mine, and I’ll f*ck you back ten times worse. So, yes. Maybe what they say is true, but that’s not all of me... -
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... -
Malum: Part 2 by Amo Jones
Some girls don’t like pretty things. Some girls like things that are destructive, and toxic. Things that fuel our bodies with adrenaline and bring our demons to their knees. They say magic isn’t real, but it’s it the closest way to describe love? It doesn’t exist physically. It merely exists around us, within us, possessing our souls and making us do stupid shit... -
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... -
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... -
Legend by Tracy Lorraine
I made one mistake…. And she made one phone call that nearly destroyed my life. I’ve spent the past year plotting my revenge and imagining all the wicked things I’d do to her when our paths finally crossed again. I just had no idea it would be so soon. The last thing I expected when I re-entered the world was to find myself right in the middle of hers... -
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Lost Girl by Sheridan Anne
Who the f&*k gave Slade Cruz this kind of power over me? I don’t know how it happened. One minute he was the guy I loathed and the next thing I knew, I was waking up beside him desperate to get out of there. When secrets are revealed, Slade and I realize that we are more connected than we could have ever known... -
Taint Her by Caitlyn Dare
He wants to ruin her. She wants to save him. Hadley Rexford was a distraction I didn’t need. But when she discovers me with blood on my hands, I know I can’t walk away without demanding her silence. I’ll taint her. Torment her. In the end, I’ll ruin her. Cole Jagger was a puzzle I wanted to solve. But he refuses to let me in, and now I’m ensnared in his trap. He’s cold. Immoral... -
The Ballers of Rockport High by E.M. Moore
**CONTAINS NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN BONUS MATERIAL**. Includes:. GAME ON. FOUL LINE. AT THE BUZZER. I knew I’d ruffle feathers, but the day I walked into Rockport High, I had no idea the cheap shots that were to follow. You see, the Ballers and I have a history. They play basketball. I play basketball. But they hate that I play basketball as good as them... -
Savage by Tracy Lorraine
The Rosewood boys are back! Ethan has the perfect life, or so it seems but a shock revelation from his father results in his world crashing to his feet. A new arrival sends his anger and need for justice spiraling out of control. Can he accept his new reality and what he really wants or are his actions going to cause too much pain? Dear Reader,. SAVAGE is the third book in my Rosewood High series... -
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... -
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... -
Be My Brayshaw by Meagan Brandy
From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Meagan Brandy comes an enemies-to-lovers, standalone romance about love, lies, and finding the strength to forgive. "Cross one, cross all. ". That's the Brayshaw way. She should have realized this before sliding into our world with secrets too big to bury. She didn't and now the target is on her back... -
Elite by Ivy Smoak
Welcome to the world of the elite. My mom fell in love with a monster. I know he’s dangerous. And I know my mom never wanted him in my life. I don’t want him in mine either. But I’m being forced to live with him. I’m stuck in his haunting apartment in a world where I don’t belong. A world full of beautiful people with ugly souls. A world filled with secrets...Categorized as:
new adult sports cruel hero high-school secret-relationship m-f contemporary young adult -
The Retaliation You Deliver by Tracy Lorraine
When something seems too good to be true. It’s usually because it is. A lesson I learned the hard way. Every single fear I had about falling for Leon, has just come true in the most brutal way. The sweet guy act he’s been putting on the past few weeks is over. The cold, hard truth is. .. he never wanted me. He only wanted retaliation. And like a fool, I played right into his wicked scheme... -
The Resolution of Callie & Kayden by Jessica Sorensen
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsThings are well for Callie and Kayden. They’re still dealing with their past and the pain connected to it, but for the most part they’ve moved on. The biggest decision they have at the moment is what they want to do with their lives in the future. Eventually, though, the past catches up with them and they’re left facing tough choices... -
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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
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... -
If You Dare by Shantel Tessier
The game was over. The dares were getting old, and the secrets were piling up faster than the bodies. But someone had other plans. They wanted to play a new game. Becky Holt was the love of his life until he found out what she was hiding. Now he wants to seek his revenge in the most daring way. Deke Biggs has always been a shark... -
Hothouse Flower by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie
Ryke Meadows, meet Daisy Calloway . .. she’s all grown up. Twenty-five-year-old Ryke Meadows knows he’s hard to love. With a billion-dollar inheritance, a track-star resume, and an alpha-male personality—he redefines the term likable asshole . But he’s not living to make friends. Or enemies. He just wants to free climb three of the toughest mountains in Yosemite without drama or interruption...Categorized as:
new adult forbidden love alpha male bad boys strong heroine age difference angst sports -
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... -
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... -
Dusty by YellowBella, TeamBella23
Now published as Innocents. She loves him. He loves her crazy. She's a hopeless romantic. He's just hopeless. She's afraid to let go. He won't let her. A story about a silly girl in love with a foolish boy. Here, forever is a lie. Twilight Fanfic. Words: 409,514 Complete.Categorized as:
new adult high-school angst bad boys forbidden love alpha male age difference secret-relationship -
The Next Flame by Penelope Douglas
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsNew York Times bestseller Penelope Douglas introduces the next generation in her Fall Away series in Next to Never, together for the first time with her bestselling novella, Aflame. .. . Next to Never...Categorized as:
new adult cruel hero high-school forbidden love contemporary young adult from hate to love dark -
Barely Breathing by Rebecca Donovan
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 84 ratingsEmma’s struggle with an abusive home life came to a heart pounding conclusion in the final chapters of "Reason to Breathe". Now everyone in Weslyn knows Emma’s secret, but Carol can’t hurt Emma anymore. Some are still haunted by the horror of that night, and some must face the repercussions of their choices... -
Forever Golden by Rachel Jonas, Lessa Lamb
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsWest Golden—Fierce protector. The one. The cocky jock I once wanted to kill with my bare hands is now the only one I trust with my heart. In a city full of corruption and dark secrets, knowing who’s on your side gets harder to determine every day. Especially now that Vin’s on the warpath, passing out threats he fully intends to see through to the end... -
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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... -
The End Game by Kate McCarthy
“Professional athletes are pillars of their respective communities. They are heroes in the eyes of boys and girls and are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that positively represents their community. ”. The public loves a good scandal. Seeing someone fall from the pinnacle of success makes a great headline. No one knows that better than I do... -
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... -
Turmoil by J.L. Weil
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsIt is a Bestselling Title, recommended by many readers around the Globe. We are bringing this book for our Elite readers in our Unique Premium Leather Bound. We will rebind this book after purchasing from the original Publisher/Distributor...Categorized as:
high-school cruel hero new adult sports alpha male bad boys strong heroine reverse harem -
Tempting Little Thief by Meagan Brandy
From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Meagan Brandy comes a steamy forbidden romance featuring a possessive hero … who falls first and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Bastian Bishop. That’s his name. He’s rough, rugged, and utterly unpredictable. He’s not cautious or contemplative. He’s a volcano. Silent and steady one second, and a nightmare in the next...Categorized as:
angst new adult strong heroine high-school forbidden love sports alpha male insta-love -
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... -
Broken Hate by Thandiwe Mpofu
What’s wrong Baby Blue? Did you mistake his forced sincerity for love? Every kiss will fade in time. Every memory will fade in time. Every smile, every teardrop, every wound—it’ll all dry up—in time. But every lie? That shit only gets bigger and more devastating with time. In time. . -
Boys of Brayshaw by Meagan Brandy
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 45 ratings"Girls like you aren't exactly welcomed at a place like this, so keep your head down and look the other way. ". Those were the exact words of my social worker when she dropped me in my newest hellhole, a place for "troubled teens". I didn't listen, and now I'm on their radar. They expect me to play along in their games of hierarchy, to fall in line in the social order they've deemed me fit... -
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... -
The Golden Boys by Rachel Jonas, Nikki Thorne
Listening Length: 10 hours and 33 minutes. West Golden - so easy to hate, yet so hard to resist. Don’t let that pretty face of his fool you. He isn’t the boy next door, or the kind you trust with your heart. He’s the devil in designer jeans, with all the charm of a bona fide psycho. Trust me. He swears I did something to cross him before I even stepped foot inside Cypress Prep, but it’s a lie... -
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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... -
Without you by Ashlyn Montgomery
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsAubrey Wilson has the heart of an angel. As the type of person to always trust in others, she's admirable to peers. A total darling, but with a sadness that encases her heart. Anyone could shrink down in fright at the receiving end of Luke Taylor's infamous glare. Tall, muscular, dark-haired, and handsome, he's no stranger on or off the field. Not a kind stranger either...Categorized as:
sports high-school new adult young adult contemporary grumpy sunshine from hate to love dark -
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 angst alpha male high-school strong heroine forbidden love m-f contemporary -
Temper Him by Caitlyn Dare
She wants to protect him. He can't stay away. Kennedy Lowe wasn’t supposed to walk away, taking my heart with her. Now she’s gone, but I’m determined to get her back. I want to save her. Punish her. In the end, I’ll make sure she knows exactly who she belongs to. Conner Jagger wasn’t to supposed to save me, but he did. Now I’ll do anything to protect him and the people he calls family. He’s good... -
Ruthless Saints by Ashlee M. Edmonds
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsSenior year, my fresh start, or so I thought. I was going to put the past behind me and forget about everything that’s haunted me over the last year. But the moment I stepped through the doors at Oceanside High, I knew that was just wishful thinking. Everywhere I turned, there they were…... -
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...
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