Books like 'The Ocean Between Us'
Readers who enjoyed The Ocean Between Us by Michelle Heard also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance suspense angst independent heroine m-f caretaking insta-love abduction found-family
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Sancte Diaboli: Part Two by Amo Jones
He held a darkness that could never be touched. She carried a light that could never be seen. Not by anyone. Only by each other. Simply two halves of the same soul, Brantley and Saint were fused together with equal parts wrath and peace. Nothing could break through their bond. Nothing. Until now... -
Enrage by Rachel Van Dyken
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... -
The Truth About Lies by Aly Martinez
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsTruth: From over a thousand miles away, I watched on the screen of my phone as two men murdered my wife. And I was helpless to save her. Consumed by hate and rage, I spent four years running from my memories. Until a shattered woman gave me a reason to stop. Cora lived in a nightmare, but through sheer force of will, she’d turned it into something beautiful...Categorized as:
suspense angst independent heroine sweet heroine m-f tortured heroine contemporary dark -
Judge by Teagan Brooks
Judge I moved into one of the rental houses owned by the club while my own house was being built. I wasn’t happy about it, but I was too old to move back in with my mother, even for just a few weeks. It was a nice, quiet neighborhood. Until the girl next door moved in and turned my world upside down before I even knew who she was. River I had the worst luck... -
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The Truth About Us by Aly Martinez
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsTruth: Penn Walker entered my life like a summer storm—dark, ominous, and filled with thunder. After witnessing my husband’s murder, I didn’t have much of a heart left to offer a man. But Penn took it all. Every jagged shard. Every broken bit.Even the dirty and twisted pieces that I wish never existed. Lie: I didn’t need him to save me.Lie: I knew exactly who he was...Categorized as:
suspense angst independent heroine m-f tortured heroine contemporary alpha male mafia -
Broken by J.L. Drake
Who is Savannah Miller?The mayor’s daughter. A wealthy elite. The media’s favorite wild child.But it’s all a lie.I secluded myself to protect my father’s reputation.Then, on my twenty-seventh birthday, I let my guard down.Kidnapped.Beaten.Starved.The men who took me treated me worse than a stray.Days blurred into weeks and left my dignity broken... -
Caged Bird by Elle Thorpe
I’ve spent five years in hell, chained up by a man who was supposed to love me.My family thinks I’m dead. I would be, if it weren’t for the little boy born into a nightmare. I breathe only for him.Until Zane walks back into my life.My brother-in-law. The teenager I once knew, now all grown-up.He’s a prisoner, just as I am.I don’t trust him—but I have no one else... -
Reforming Kent by Siobhan Davis
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAn enemies-to-lovers new adult romance from USA Today bestseller Siobhan Davis. Standalone with HEA and no cliffhanger. Kent Rogue. Troublemaker. Bad Boy. Delinquent. Everyone thinks they know who I am, but they know nothing. And that’s how I prefer it. Keeping my demons under lock and key is my only survival tactic. Until she enters my life, turning it upside down. She thinks she can fix me... -
Mended by J.L. Drake
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsJ.L. Drake brings you the Broken Trilogy , the bestselling series that started it all. This action-packed military romantic suspense will leave readers emotionally invested and captivated by a heart-wrenching tale of betrayal, loss, and the pursuit of happiness through retribution.Why does the past still have its clutches on Savannah Miller?Once the star of scandals across New York City... -
Shattered by J.L. Drake
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsWhat will Savannah Miller do when she’s shattered beyond repair?Once, she was the pariah of New York City. The spectacle of sensational headlines.But she is no longer the media’s plaything.After being taken and broken by vicious, violent men, she found love in the most unlikely of places, happiness within her grasp—until it was ripped away, leaving her feeling…Destroyed.Heartbroken.Undone... -
Away from the Dark by Aleatha Romig
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsNine months ago, Sara Adams awoke with no memory. The man holding her hand told her she’s a member of The Light, a tight-knit religious group led by the terrifying and charismatic Father Gabriel. As a woman in the community of The Light, her duty is to be unquestionably obedient and to submit to the will of her husband... -
Tongue by K.L. Savage
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsI’m too dark for her light.I am who I am, and I won’t apologize for it.I don’t know how to be...Normal.I have my reasons.I've been through hell.I've touched the flames themselves and I've danced with the devil.Intimately.Damnation torched my soul until it was black.Then I see her.I'm enthralled, but I can't speak to her.She's too pure.Too fragile.Too innocent... -
Saving Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsBeckett 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
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA 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... -
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Tempted to Kiss by W. Winters
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author W Winters comes an emotionally-gripping, romantic suspense. I fell for someone I shouldn’t have. I’m not the only person to ever do such a thing. I know that. And I’m not an awful person for desiring his touch, his kiss, his everything… but I knew I shouldn’t have indulged. There’s something about knowing it’s wrong that tempts me that much more...Categorized as:
suspense m-f abduction cheerful heroine shy heroine sweet heroine super rich hero new adult -
Untamed by M. O'Keefe
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsMarriage has always meant violence. I don’t trust it, but it’s the only thing keeping me afloat in these dark undercurrents. I married for safety but I got the most dangerous thing in the world—Ronan Byrne for a husband.Now we’re returning to Bishop’s Landing to face our demons. Mine. His. We have real enemies to conquer, but it’s the fear in my heart that beats the loudest...Categorized as:
suspense angst m-f contemporary marriage of convenience dark age difference audiobook -
Cake by J. Bengtsson
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsJake McKallister was famous for more than just being a rockstar. When he was thirteen-years-old, he would survive a crime so brutal and so harrowing that his name would forever be linked to tragedy. And, although he had managed to put the horrors of his youth behind him in order to find success as a musician, the memories of his past still haunted him... -
Deny by E.C. Land, Elizabeth Knox
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsI'll crucify every last one of them that hurt her.MalcolmI didn't think she was so important in my life until she was taken, and then everything changed. It became clear she was my entire world and my life revolved around her. I did everything I could to pull her from their evil clutches, and by the grace of God I found her in enough time.But I didn't find her soon enough. Sure, she was alive . -
Queen of Vengeance by Jessica Jude
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 13 ratings“What are you going to do when you find him?”I pause, unsure what my answer should be. But there’s only ever been one option. “Kill him,” I say.SlateLife’s taught me not to expect much. Handouts, fair treatment, a decent parking spot downtown. But dead last on that list? Lux Colombia-Clarke showing up at my door, looking like a damn fairytale with a score to settle...Categorized as:
found-family angst suspense from hate to love contemporary super rich hero slow burn dark -
The Difference Between Someday and Forever by Aly Martinez
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe world took everything from us. As survivors of not only a plane crash, but two other impossible tragedies, we’d more than earned a life of peace. But time and time again, we were shown that fate had no intention of giving that to us. Remi and I were soulmates. Plain and simple. Our love should have died in the depths of our darkness, but the sun still exists even when it’s not shining... -
Deliver Us From Evil by Monica James
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMonsters are real…and that monster is me.I’ve surrendered. I have no other choice.With Babydoll gone, I’m going to do whatever it takes to find her.I will lie.Cheat.Murder…and I’ll do so with a smile.I’ll even sell my soul to the devil…because that’s who my father, Sean Kelly, is. He won’t stop until Belfast is his. He knows I’m at my breaking point... -
SCARS by Jaimie Roberts
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsI 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.. -
Into Temptation by Monica James
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsMonsters 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
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe 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... -
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Blackout by Janine Infante Bosco
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEvery 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... -
Seeking Peace by Crystal Daniels, Sandy Alvarez
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNothing 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... -
The Thief by Nikki J Summers
Five… minutes. That’s how long I was supposed to be there. Get in, get out. Job done.Four… guns pointed at my head. It wasn’t supposed to go down this way.Three… years old, and she clung to her mum as we sat huddled together on the floor, chained to the pipes on the wall.Two… choices, when my time finally came. To let it all play out or fight with everything I had...Categorized as:
suspense m-f insta-love abduction found-family contemporary length-medium explicit-open-door -
Wrath by Alex Grayson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDeath. 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. Can’t let go. His past is responsible for the shell of the man who now exists... -
Destructive by Jay McLean
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsSome villains are made. Some villains are born. And some villains aren’t villains at all. Nate DeLuca was born into a life he didn’t want. Forced to walk a path that was already chosen for him. Grandson to a mob boss, he’s forever torn between his duty, his honor, his legacy, and the truth. But the truth is never simple, and it’s not at all what it seems... -
Trident's Enjoyment by Ciara St James
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsTrident gave thirty years of his life to his country. He enjoyed that life and after searching for two years, he thinks he’s found a new family. However, it isn’t just a new family he finds, but a woman who affects him like no other. He finds love. If only the woman in question will give him the time of day.He’s battled for months to get her to see him as something more than a player... -
Ten Thousand Truths by Kelli Jean
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHorror 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... -
Bitter Sweet Hell by Alex Grayson
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe 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... -
The Carrera Cartel by Cora Kenborn
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA Dark Mafia Romance Collection Delve into the dark. The Carreras are waiting... Three full-length dark mafia romance novels from the Carrera Cartel Trilogy and Stained White Lines, an explosive, new bonus novel, ONLY available in the collection.Blurred Red LinesCarrera.A word whispered in fear and respect. A name to avoid at all costs... -
Judge of Hell by Alex Grayson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe 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... -
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Blackness Within by Norma Jeanne Karlsson
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFighting 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... -
The Confession Duet by K.D. Robichaux
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIt 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... -
Trouble in Hell by Alex Grayson
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFour men, irrevocably bound together by their horrifying past…Trouble and his brothers escaped from Malus, Texas as kids. In the dead of night, they left behind a Hell so ominous, it made National news.When they returned as adults, it was to seek revenge and justice. Malus is theirs now. They own it, they rule it, and they protect it. By any means necessary. Trouble carries demons inside him... -
A Harmless Little Ruse by Meli Raine
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsShe has no idea what she’s doing. Loose cannons never hit their targets. And they take out plenty of collateral damage. Four years ago Lindsay experienced the unspeakable right before me, and I couldn’t stop them. But that’s all changed now. When her father, Senator Bosworth, contacted me to ask — demand — that I protect her, it was a second chance. A shot at redemption... -
Love Me Harder by Nikki Ash
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLive hard. Love harder. Up until this point, I’ve been living my life for everyone but me. Trapped under my controlling mother’s expectations and rules. My only escape—a carefully guarded list of things I can only dream of doing. One by one, I slowly find the courage to start living... -
Red Sin by Aleatha Romig
Red is the color of blood, sacrifice, danger, and courage. It’s also associated with heat, passion, and sexuality. When two people meet unexpectedly with an inexplicable attraction that defies common understanding...it can be called RED SIN.Julia and Van found one another in a shaken snow globe. Stranded in a blizzard, they embraced being two individuals with no last names...Categorized as:
suspense sweet heroine virgin heroine m-f super rich hero age difference contemporary dark -
The Sinister Silhouette by Alex Grayson, JW Photography
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 10 ratings“Luca….”She whispers my name at night, filling my dreams with her haunting beauty. Her tormented amber eyes beg me for something I don’t understand, and her agonizing pain becomes my own.For years, she’s come to me, calling my name.For years, I’ve never known who she was.Until now…... -
Everybody Breaks by Kerry Taylor
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsEmilia Gallo knows darkness. She has been abused and controlled by it for her entire life.Trapped in the clutches of an evil, criminal stepfather, with only her selfish, weak mother on her side she is alone and constantly afraid of what each new horror-filled day will bring...Categorized as:
suspense caretaking tortured heroine found-family men in uniform angst contemporary reverse harem -
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... -
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... -
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Show It To Me by Kevin Barry Collopy, Grace Sidney Harold
Jake Whitney is working his way through college shaking his body and baring it all for strangers three times nightly at The Velvet Joystick lounge. It’s nice work if you can get it. The money’s good and so are the women, but temptations sneak up after dark and make it oh so very hard for a boy to crack those textbooks come daylight... -
Merciless Union by Faith Summers
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsEverything changed overnight.Truth became my enemy, and the sting of betrayal dragged me into a web of lies.I’m damned if I fight to live and damned if I die. Both will be dangerous for the child growing inside me. I can’t trust Lucca to save us.Love is a myth we shouldn’t have explored.He was always my enemy.Love just made me forget and blinded me to the truth... -
Once Burned by Sam Mariano
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAdrian Palmetto. Mine is a name known by every lowlife in Chicago. Mateo Morelli's right hand man: problem-solver, hit man, chief strategist, confidante—whatever he needs, I'm his guy. Kinda funny, since I hate the bastard. At least, that's what I've told myself over the last five years, serving a man I consider despicable—a man I once considered my closest friend... -
Vow by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThey say it’s always the one you least expect … Andino Marcello made his choices—the right ones for duty and famiglia. But even the right choices have consequences. He’s never been more aware of that fact than he is now. The thing is, Andino isn’t the same man he once was. The mafia wants what it wants. He’ll push until they all break. Even her... -
Little Liar by Willow Winters, W. Winters
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsDon’t judge a book by its cover. You’ll tell me you don’t… but you already think you know what my story’s about. You have no idea. Just like the people sitting in this courtroom. She asked for it. That’s what they keep saying. And no, it’s not because my skirt was too short or I was drunk at a party. It’s nothing like that. It’s because of what I like and how I like it... -
Under the Stars by Tia Louise
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings*Book #2 in the "Bright Lights" CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE Duet by USA Today bestselling author Tia Louise. All around us was darkness and night... I'm not a hero. I'm a survivor. I had one way out, and I took it. Now all I want is peace, A place to pick up the pieces and start over. But she wants justice. Names on a list, faces in the crowd...
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