Books like 'Buttons and Despise'
Readers who enjoyed Buttons and Despise by Penelope Sky also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary suspense abduction from hate to love strong heroine alpha male cruel hero angst mafia slow burn
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It Hurts Me by Penelope Sky
My husband of two years tells me he wants an open marriage. I'm stunned. I'm hurt. And I'm livid. I don't want to be married to a man that wants to open our bed to other people. But then I get a flat tire in the pouring rain and a sexy-as-hell gentleman helps me out. My husband is in the game, so one look at the skull ring on this gentleman's left hand tells me exactly who he is...Categorized as:
mafia m-f suspense from hate to love super rich hero contemporary explicit-plentiful -
Playing With Danger by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsIt’s strange how quickly life can go from predictable and boring to…not. How a chance meeting can set off a chain reaction. How a single moment can offer much-needed clarity. How a kiss can alter the course of your life. Valentine Malone fell into my life…correction, I fell into his in the aisle of a grocery store... -
Take A Chance On Me by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsOh Sh*tThis is part 2 of the Marc and Meg Duet. It cannot be read as a standalone. Due to spoilers, the above is all the blurb you will get.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️The conclusion to the Meg and Marc duet is phenomenal. It’s been a long time since I’ve found a writer that makes me laugh, scream, and cry in the same sitting. This is an epic story - epic love, epic friendship, epic woman finding her way... -
Fatal Scandal by Marie Force
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsBook 8 of the Fatal series from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Marie Force... As a new year dawns in the capital city, dual scandals rock the Metropolitan Police Department—and Lieutenant Sam Holland is right in the middle of them... -
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Fatal Consequences by Marie Force
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsThe murder of two members of the Capitol Cleaning Service might’ve been just another homicide investigation—that is if one of them hadn’t been romantically involved with a married senator from Arizona. Lt. Sam Holland and her team are plunged into another complex case that at first seems open and shut... -
Hate Me by Jillian Dodd
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsI was told if I went away, he'd forget about me, lose interest, and move on. But he hasn't. In fact, my being gone has only made things worse. So it's time for me to take matters into my own hands. It's time for me to fight back. Hey, Vincent... -
Fatal Deception by Marie Force
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsThe wife of the White House deputy chief of staff has been beaten to death, and their one-year-old daughter is missing. D.C. Police Lieutenant Sam Holland is in charge of the murder investigation, but she's forced to collaborate with Special Victims Unit detectives as well as thorn-in-her-side FBI Special Agent Avery Hill... -
Batta by Teagan Brooks
Batta At this stage in my life, I want nothing more than to settle down. I want an Old Lady and I want to start a family. Too bad my gut is telling me the woman I want more than anything is trouble looking for a place to happen. Tatum is my match in every way. She's intelligent, sassy, and isn't afraid to stand toe-to-toe with me. And she’s sexy as sin... -
Fatal Jeopardy by Marie Force
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsWashington, D.C. Police Lieutenant Sam Holland and her husband, U.S. Senator Nick Cappuano, have been looking forward to a quiet Thanksgiving with their son. But any thoughts of a restful holiday are dashed when Sam and Nick return home to a gruesome scene: Sam's seventeen-year-old niece Brooke, barely conscious and covered in blood on their front stoop... -
Fatal Flaw by Marie Force
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsBack from their honeymoon, Senator Nick Cappuano and D.C. Police Lieutenant Sam Holland are ready for some normalcy after the whirlwind of their wedding, but someone has other plans for them. When Sam discovers wedding cards containing thinly veiled death threats, she's not sure if she or Nick is the target. Already on edge, Sam and her team start investigating a series of baffling murders... -
Torch by Chelle Bliss
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTrace Caldo’s smart mouth always gets him in trouble. As the youngest of three brothers, he’s used to scrapping to earn respect. But when he picks a fight with the wrong person, Trace ends up kidnapped, bound, and blindfolded with no hope for escape. And when a beautiful woman comes to his rescue and offers him a way to staying alive, Trace can’t refuse her...Categorized as:
suspense angst alpha male mafia m-f contemporary forced proximity marriage of convenience -
Secret by Penelope Sky
She saved my life. She promised she wouldn't intervene, that her loyalty was to her family, not me. But she did it anyway. Now everything is different. I can feel it with every kiss, every time she's underneath me. This isn't a meaningless fling anymore. It's so much more. I know it...and she knows it... -
Buttons and Blood by Penelope Sky
Crow Barsetti knows about me—and he doesn’t like it. I know he’s paying his top guys to dig up every piece of dirt they can find, but I don’t care what he discovers. There’s nothing I’ve done that he hasn’t done himself. All that matters is I love his daughter—and he’s going to accept it. I get a call in the middle of the night while Vanessa is dead asleep—and it’s him...Categorized as:
suspense alpha male possessive hero strong heroine m-f contemporary sassy heroine forbidden love -
Fatal Justice by Marie Force
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsShe looked into the dead face of the man she'd dined with the night before Standing over the body of a Supreme Court nominee, Lieutenant Sam Holland is hip-deep in another high-profile murder case. The fact that she was one of the last people to see Julian Sinclair alive just complicates things even more... -
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Ink's Whirlwind by Ciara St. James
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAs Ink watched his president fall for a woman, he’s thrilled to realize that he’s sure he’s found his too. Even better news is the two women are best friends. Everything looks to be perfect. Or it does until Ink realizes Alisse isn’t willing to give him the time of day.He’s spent months trying to get her to give him a chance... -
Rescuing Rosalie by Ellie Masters
Rated: 4.73 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn the Nicaraguan jungle, I'll battle dangerous wildlife, treacherous terrain, and my growing attraction to Rosalie as we outrun a madman and survive.When a hostage rescue mission intended to save innocent lives takes a devastating turn, Hayes, a Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialist, leaps into action and plunges headlong into danger to save Rosalie... -
The Tallest Tower by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.73 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsI hate Felix Malone with all my heart and soul. He’s the second born son of a murderous don.The newest leader of the Malone mafia family now that his father is dead.But if I could have hoped a change in management would mean a positive shift for the notorious crime family, then I’m proven wrong as Felix quickly settles into his new role and lays scourge on New York City... -
Not Quite Perfect by Catherine Bybee
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee delivers the fifth heartwarming, flirty novel in the wildly popular Not Quite series. Mary Kildare knows how to read people. It’s both why she makes a great therapist and why she refuses to trust the average bachelor... -
Bloody Love by Lisa Renee Jones
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsOne. Two. Three. The cat is in the tree. As far as Lilah's concern, her note writing stalker just gets more stupid everyday. One, two, three, the cat is in the tree?What is that? And what does it have to do with a wedding turned bloody? The sixth book in the Lilah Love series...Categorized as:
suspense mafia strong heroine alpha male mystery contemporary heroine sleuth length-short -
Bad Deeds by Lisa Renee Jones
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWall Street meets the Sons of Anarchy in Bad Deeds , the smoldering, scorching next novel in the explosively sexy Dirty Money series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones. Would you bleed for the one you love? To save his family empire from the grip of the drug cartel, Shane is pushed to the edge of darkness, forced to make choices he might never make... -
Down To You by Jayne Frost
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEvery story deserves a soundtrack. And ours is epic. She started from perfect. A star who shone brighter than the rest. But then fate took it all away. Now she's broken. A beautiful song with a fractured beat. But I'm still on the rise. Chasing a dream that she's already left behind. If I'm lucky, I can find my redemption in the spotlight. Destiny brought us together. Put her in my path... -
Alone with You by Aly Martinez
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsPain trapped me in this house. Can love set me free?Death had been chasing me my entire life. I survived the horrors of war, but it was the aftermath that truly destroyed me.People called me a recluse, but the only time I didn’t feel like I was suffocating was inside that house.For my daughter, I kept some semblance of normalcy by implementing a rigid routine...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense angst strong heroine tortured hero contemporary military length-medium -
Sapphire Tears by Nicole Fox
I’m caught between two dangerous men.My ex wants me back.My husband wants me dead.But the only life that matters to me is the baby in my belly.I tried running once, and that didn’t work.So it’s time for me to try something else: fighting.I’ll fight for myself, for my sanity, for my child.I’ll fight for hope.I’ll fight for love... -
Cannon by Lane Hart, D.B. West
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen the livelihood of the Savage Kings MC is threatened, Cannon Erikson steps up. He’s ready to do whatever it takes to win the war the former police chief started thanks to his twin, Conrad’s involvement with the chief’s daughter.Cannon’s determined to ruin the chief’s political aspirations, starting by backing his opponent in the race for mayor... -
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Sinful Summer by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSummer has arrived, and the honeymoon I’ve been scheming over for months is finally here. I’ve been married to the workaholic, medical examiner, Minka Mayet for nearly half a year already. But it took a lost bet and a metric ton of coercion to get her out of her cold office and into a bikini on the deck of a multi-million-dollar boat.Time well spent, if you ask me... -
King: The Epilogue Collection by Nina Levine
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIf you love King, strap in for the ride as he and Lily navigate their HEA. This story has it all: ✔️ angst ✔️ scorching heat ✔️ MC action ✔️ Stormgirl time ✔️ old favourites showing up But mostly this story is about two people fighting for their love. Day in, day out. Life with an MC president like King isn't an easy ride. Watch as these two figure out how to love and be loved... -
Handling Haven (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) by Samantha A. Cole
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 11 ratings***This book was previously published in Amazon Kindle Worlds*** Haven Caldwell had the world at her feet. Traveling around the globe, hobnobbing with the elite, she did things other people could only dream of, but it was all a cover...Categorized as:
suspense angst from hate to love slow burn tortured heroine strong heroine alpha male military -
Alone with You by Aly Martinez
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPain trapped me in this house. Can love set me free?Death had been chasing me my entire life. I survived the horrors of war, but it was the aftermath that truly destroyed me.People called me a recluse, but the only time I didn’t feel like I was suffocating was inside that house.For my daughter, I kept some semblance of normalcy by implementing a rigid routine...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense angst strong heroine tortured hero contemporary military length-medium -
Black Mail: A Black's Bandits Novel by Lynn Raye Harris
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsTyler “Ty” Scott finally gets his book! When Cassie Dixon gets threatening letters, there’s only one person who can help - her best friend’s sexy cousin... -
The Camorra Chronicles Box Set by Cora Reilly
Rated: 4.86 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsTwisted Loyalties: Fabiano was raised to follow in his father’s footsteps as Consigliere of the Chicago Outfit – until the man abandons him. Left to fend for himself, Fabiano is forced to fight for a place in the mafia world. As a ruthless street fighter, he quickly earns his place as the new Enforcer of the Las Vegas Camorra – a man to fear... -
High Class by Ivy Nelson
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI went home to answer for the death of my cousin.Then I meet Zara. A raven haired beauty with a killer smile.Turns out she's an escort and she was sent to be a distraction.Now the mayor of New York City is dead.I'm forced to take her back to Las Vegas to find out what she knows before the police try to pin it on me. My gut says Zara is innocent in all of this... -
Going Rogue by Amelia Shea
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsQuinn O’Malley’s less than stellar life drags her even deeper, plummeting her into a dark abyss when her misfortune designates her Enemy Number One to the devil himself.After an altercation and deal gone wrong, Quinn finds herself living on borrowed time, at the mercy of a notorious, ruthless, and unpredictable King of the Underground. She has nothing of worth to bargain with except her life... -
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Handling Haven: A Deimos/Trident Security/Delta Team Crossover (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) by Samantha A. Cole
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHaven Caldwell had the world at her feet. Traveling around the globe, hobnobbing with the elite, she did things other people could only dream of, but it was all a cover. As a covert operative of Deimos, a US black-ops agency that has more secrets than the CIA, she knew how to handle herself in any given situation, even if it required killing someone...Categorized as:
suspense angst from hate to love strong heroine tortured heroine alpha male military contemporary -
Sex Material by Victoria Ashley
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsThis enemies-to-lovers romance is sure to set your Kindle on fire! Get ready for extra heat in this standalone from New York Times Bestselling Author, Victoria Ashley. Sex Material… It’s what I’m known around town for. A rock-hard body, covered in tattoos with a sizeable bulge that women spend their nights fantasizing about... -
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Rescuing Kassie by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsGraham "Hollywood" Caverly feels the chemistry with Kassie Anderson in the emails they've been exchanging through a dating site. When they finally meet in person, and that online chemistry proves to have real-life sizzle, he knows she's the one. He couldn't be happier when their first date, at an annual Army Ball, goes better than he could have imagined. Until Kassie drops a bomb... -
Whispered Prayers of a Girl by Alex Grayson
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHer whispered prayers break her... At night, as she’s drifting off to sleep, I press my ear to the door and listen to her heart wrenching pleas. Her words are agony to my healing heart, but I cherish the sound of them, for that’s the only time I ever hear my beautiful daughter speak. Since her father died two years ago, she’s grown quiet and withdrawn... -
Shattered Oath by Lisa Lovell
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Bratva Boss wants me dead.Too bad I’m pregnant with his baby.I’ve run far and wide to escape the Devil’s rage.But it wasn’t long before he caught me.Now I’m standing in front of him bound and naked.About to face the consequences of my betrayal.With every inch of my skin exposed to his will,And my life flashing before my watery eyes,He draws my traitorous body under his spell... -
A Madness of Crows by Evelyn Flood
No longer an heir. No longer a daughter. No longer a Crow. Now, I am a wife. An accessory. A toy. Ripped away from the men I love, they want to break me. Strip away everything that made me into who I am, and create something new. I was Caterina Corvo. But now, I am Caterina Asante. For them, I will fight. For her, I will endure. But every day, it becomes harder to remember who I used to be... -
Revere by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA Legacy Novel She was once his liar. He was once her savior. Cross Donati fills his days with the mafia, family, and responsibility. The wild boy is a distant memory. A waiting prince now sits in his place. An old debt puts the gunrunner right back into the path of his past, but he only sees his future. Every king needs a queen... -
The Billionaire's Salvation ~ Max by J.S. Scott
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsBillionaire Max Hamilton thought he was finally starting to find contentment, more than two years after losing his wife Mia in a tragic drowning accident. He'd been reunited with a sister he hadn’t realized existed. Finally he had family again, a reprieve from the pain and loneliness that had haunted him since his devastating loss...Categorized as:
alpha male possessive hero cruel hero m-f contemporary super rich hero sweet heroine length-short -
Taken by Cynthia Eden
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden’s latest novel, the Last Option Search Team (LOST) returns— and for one agent, the hunt for a serial killer just got very personal . . . HE SWORE TO PROTECT HER . . . Bailey Jones somehow survived her harrowing abduction by the infamous Death Angel... -
Diamond by J.A. Low
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsRound 2 with the Devil begins.Grace thought she had left the nightmare of the Bratva Jewels behind her. Her days spent with them were some of the darkest of her life, but she’s safe now.Or so she thought.When the Bratva seeks revenge for losing one of their own, Grace knows she must be strong to withstand whatever they have in store for her... -
The Fix by Lisa Herrington
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSydney Bell knows exactly how far is too far when it comes to the law. She’s a cop’s daughter, after all. But the lines between right and wrong become blurred when it involves matters of the heart. After a devastating divorce, she escapes to the small lakeside town of Maisonville to pick up the shattered pieces of her life and make a fresh start. Unfortunately, her past isn’t ready to let go... -
Run by Janet Elizabeth Henderson
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsElle Roberts wants two things in life:One—to find out everything there is to know about the mysterious spy who keeps kissing her, andTwo—to stay off her mob family’s radar.That isn’t too much to ask, is it? It’s not like she wants to win the lottery, or live in a Star Wars movie, or be Chris Hemsworth’s personal bather... -
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Weeping Roses by Stella Andrews
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOur eyes met across a deserted graveyard.The rain weeping on the thorny rose he tossed into the ground.As the lightning struck overhead, I knew my life was about to change.My inner voice screamed at me to run. You have something he wants. The sense of danger was more ominous than the storm, but I couldn’t run if I tried.I didn’t know her secrets were included when I inherited my aunt's fortune... -
The Forever Rule by Carrie Ann Ryan
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWhat happens when the man you’d thought could be the one turns out to be your new boss?BlakelyThe moment I met Aston Cage, I knew my life had changed. A single dance later, we’re both all in. Until he ghosted me.Then my boss fires me for dancing with the enemy.Three months later, working for the Cages is my last resort... -
Tully by Jane Henry
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsDon't let her mousy appearance fool you... McKenna Byrne is fire. Hot tempered. Passionate. All-consuming. She seared my soul from our very first kiss. Once, she wanted a chance at independence. A life away from the Clan. Then danger threw us back together, And when McKenna and I collide... We ignite. Now I'm forced to claim her. To make her a full-fledged woman of the Clan... -
Confessions of a Litigation God by Sawyer Bennett
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsWARNING, LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND ASSUMPTION OF THE RISK from Matt Connover, Litigation God: Please do not attempt to read my story in public, as my sexual proclivities have been known to cause squirming in your seat, squeezing of your legs together and unintentional moaning, sometimes with spontaneous bursts of laughter at random moments... -
Scarred King by Naomi West
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsI trip over my heels walking into a job interview.My purse spills all over the boss's desk.Embarrassing, right?Not as embarrassing as him picking up my, *ahem* "purple, vibrating friend" and handing it back to me.He tells me the position I've applied for isn’t right for me...But then he makes me an offer I can’t refuse.Be a surrogate for him and his fake wife... -
Ivan 2 by Roxie Rivera
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAfter a year filled with drama and danger, Erin and Ivan are ready to focus on the one thing they want the most--starting a family. When she has yet another negative test, Erin worries there's something wrong with her.Ivan urges his wife not to worry because it will happen when it's meant to happen. He hates seeing her stressed out and does whatever he can to make her happy...
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