Books like 'Contempt'
Readers who enjoyed Contempt by Bethany-Kris also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance new adult suspense angst mafia vengeance insta-love forbidden love sassy heroine
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Eulogy by Rachel Van Dyken
The next book in the internationally bestselling mafia series… All is lost. All. I don't recognize myself in the mirror anymore. My thoughts are filled with hatred and dripping with rage. I've lost my soul. She took it to the depths of Hell with her and haunts me with images of what could have been. Sixty lives are mine to take. Sixty lives stand in the way of my vengeance... -
Enrage by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsEnrage 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 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... -
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... -
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... -
Easy to Fall by W. Winters
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom 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... -
Haven by K.A. Merikan
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratings— Not the same river, not the same man. —After seven years away, Seth and Domenico are back in Sicily with one goal in mind.Revenge.The man who’d hounded their family is still alive, and as untouchable as he’s always been. While they wait for the right moment to strike, reality clashes with fond memories of home... -
Forever My Saint by Monica James
All hope was lost until Zoey Hennessy walked back into my world, shaking it up beyond repair when she uttered two simple words. He’s alive. She speaks of her brother, my Saint, the man who lost everything to set me free. I believed he was dead. I saw it with my own two eyes. But when Zoey proves he’s alive and being held captive by a monster, I know what I have to do... -
A Fine Line by MercyAnn Summers
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis book is an interconnected standalone within the Ends World. While you don't have to read the Ends Duet before reading this book, it is recommended that you do in order to understand the entire Ends World up to this point.CarolinaI didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt.That wasn’t my intention.And I knew he would come for me... -
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... -
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... -
Illicit Captor by Maggie Cole
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsHe kidnapped me to avenge my husband. The husband I’ve never loved. The cruel man my father forced me to marry to teach me a lesson. My husband didn’t think twice about how to carry out those lessons. Now, I’ve gone from one prison to another. My captor is just as ruthless as my husband. He’ll kill, torture, and do everything to hurt my family until no one is left. Except for me...Categorized as:
mafia suspense alpha male vengeance dark contemporary forced proximity from hate to love -
Duty by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThey say heavy is the head that wears the crown … Andino Marcello’s world is turned upside down when he becomes the next heir apparent to the Marcello empire. He was comfortable in his place as a Capo, but comfort is for the weak in the world of mafioso. The boss’s seat is waiting... -
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Blowback by Monica James
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThis was supposed to be simple. Vengeance was mine. But I should know by now that nothing in life is easy.My endgame has changed all because I met someone who wishes I was dead. Yet her hatred is the only thing saving her from The Big Bad. My lies protect her, so the harder she hates, the safer she is.The thing about love and hate—it skates a very thin line. I need to stay away... -
Strawberry Venom by J.L. Kenna
I am not a good man.My nine to five is spent with a blade in my hand. I hunt, intimidate, collect debts for my uncle’s Brotherhood, the Hooligans. I believe in consequences, an effect for the cause. Fate is folklore and love? An illusion.Until I met her. Little Red.Some call me Reaper, the Angel of Death. She calls me her wolf... -
King of Souls by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFrom bestselling author L A Cotton comes the highly anticipated conclusion to Nicco and Arianne’s duetArianne Capizola is living a lie.Angry. Abandoned. Afraid.She'd rather spend her days locked away on her father's estate than with the guy who stole her innocence: her fiancé.Niccolò Marchetti is living a nightmare. Broken. Banished. Betrayed... -
Endless by W. Winters
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author W Winters comes an emotionally captivating and thrilling, romantic suspense. He holds a power over me like no one else ever could. Maybe it’s because my heart begs to beat in time with his. Maybe it’s because my body bows to his and his alone. Maybe it’s because he thought he loved me before he even laid eyes on me... -
A Reckless Note by Lisa Renee Jones
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 21 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... -
Blood Sky by S. Massery
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKill those who betray you.Never trust someone with nothing to lose.Family is business. Delia I watched my enemies murder my father. On the run, I plot to return home and lead my mafia family as my father did. But some would kill for my inheritance, and unearthing those people from the shadows would be impossible without Jackson... -
Brutal Saint by Luna Kayne
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHARLOW IS HUNTING HER SISTER’S KILLER.AND COLE IS HUNTING HER.COLE SAINTThe woman my family is looking for is the one-night stand I can’t get out of my head, and her life depends on me getting to her first.Harlow is sunshine and light.I live in the shadows, among the dark and the damned, but there’s something about Harlow that makes me want to take care of her... -
Dirty Pool by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTo get what he wants, he’ll have to play a game of dirty pool. Michel Marcello never wanted to be a mafioso like every other man in his family—he wanted to be more. That doesn’t mean he’s unfamiliar with the life, or that he can’t hold his own against other made men... -
Merciless Union by Faith Summers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 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... -
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Ruthless Redemption by Eden Summers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThey say love hurts—but they never mentioned it could make you bleed. His deceit was like wine.I drank it in. Let it intoxicate me.But he’s not the man I fell for.Matthew Langston is a lie.I’d run from him if I could. I’d flee. If only he hadn’t turned my family against me.Now, I have nothing. There’s no money, phone, or external support.Only him, and his obsession with winning me back... -
Carnage by Ker Dukey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEzekiel “Carnage Creator” Ford. Brother of the Royal Bastards MC. Brutality incarnate. A lone wolf. The one they call in from the dark when they need shit done—and there’s no one better for the job than me.I have a tainted soul, oil black, and hungry for bloodshed.The world is a cesspit... -
Kingdom of Corruption by Bella Di Corte
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA 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 Way We Are by Shandi Boyes
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSeven 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... -
Brother's Best Friend: A Bratva Romance by K.C. Crowne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMy brother's best friend is a fierce underground fighter...And I'm his eager new understudy.Samuil Nicolaevich haunted my fantasies as a teen.And based on the way his gaze lingers on my lush curves..He clearly appreciates how much I've blossomed.In the dark world of underground fights,Women like me are rare victorious warriors...Categorized as:
mafia fighters forbidden love suspense contemporary forced proximity super rich hero dark -
Hold Me by LP Lovell
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI’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... -
Possessive Devil by B. B. Hamel
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsGive me what I want and I'll obey.Calvino is a nightmare wrapped in a million dollar suit. He has eyes like the black between stars and his toned body is a sculptor's dream.And someone in his family murdered my cousin.When Calvino catches me drugging and stealing from his brother, my life hangs in the balance... -
Worth of Waste by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDeLuca Duet, Part Two The Chicago Mob is the same as it has always been—violent, greedy, and excessive. The Outfit families have turned their backs when they were needed the most one too many times, but Dino DeLuca didn’t expect anything different. His whole life has been lived for the Outfit—for his family. He has a whole new set of reasons to live and fight now... -
When Angels Seek Chaos by Addison Jane
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAngelo Moretti was a man I should have stayed far away from. When my world was torn apart before my eyes, and I was left vulnerable and damaged, he was sent to protect me. He was hard. He was patronizing. And he was the most beautiful man I’d ever met. Every bone in my body told me to hate him, to despise everything he stood for. But I couldn’t... -
Blackbird by Molly McAdams
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFrom 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... -
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Sax by Lane Hart, D.B. West
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsI never thought I would be stupid enough to make a deal with the devil, but here I am doing just that.It’s not like he really gave me a choice. I have to give the Governor what he wants, or he’s going to throw all of my Savage Kings MC brothers into prison for decades.And what exactly does Governor Satan need from me? That’s the real kicker because he’s insisting that I…date his daughter... -
Celt. by London Miller
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWelcome 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... -
Thy Kingdom Come by Monica James
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsMonsters are real.When I was five years old, I watched my mother take her last breath-a breath three monsters stole from her.I never chose this life. My father says it's my birthright, but all I see is a curse. It's because of the Kelly name my mum was slain by the Doyles-our enemies in Dublin, the fellas livin' on borrowed time.All of Belfast fears my family, especially me... -
Sinful Promise by B. B. Hamel
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI’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... -
Deranged Vows by T.L. Smith, Kia Carrington-Russell
LenaOur worlds shouldn’t cross. I’m a performer in the spotlight, and he’s the monster people in the underworld fear most.He’s someone who doesn’t feel, let alone touch another person. The thought revolts him, so much so that he always wears gloves...Categorized as:
mafia suspense alpha male sassy heroine dark from hate to love super rich hero contemporary -
Nox by Jessica Ames
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsNoxAs Vice President of the Untamed Sons MC, my first loyalty is to my club and my president, that is until Lucy walks into my life. For her, I'm willing to give it all up. I'll stand against my brothers, question my loyalty and even consider giving up my patch. Too bad everything I'm building isn't real.LucyNox is falling for me, but he shouldn't... -
The Price of Honor by Aleatha Romig
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTHE PRICE OF HONOR: The making of a manFrom New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes the haunting story of love and honor. An epic tale of devotion and sacrifice spanning thirty years, bidding the characters, as well as readers to ponder the questions.. -
Reckless & Ruined by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsPlay dirty. It’s the only way to win in a war. Alessa Trentini follows the rules, or so it seems on the outside. A certain Conti has always been able to sway her inner rebel and keep her out of trouble, but even Adriano won’t be able to get her out of her brother’s mess. In a war, no woman is safe if her hand in marriage can advance her family in the world of the mafia...Categorized as:
suspense mafia alpha male forbidden love new adult virgin heroine contemporary abuse -
A Lovely Confession by Coralee June
Sometimes, I wondered if he was real. Our time together was short, but it left a lasting impression on me. I’m older now. Wiser, too. Five years have passed, and I still can’t get him off my mind. Hunter was cruel, angry, and protective. I learned his secrets and he fled. The day he left, I vowed to find him... -
Dark Seduction: An Age Gap, Office Romance by K.C. Crowne
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsWhat’s more humiliating than the walk of shame?Walking into your new job…Locking eyes with the dominating stranger.And realizing he’s your boss.Lev Ivanov.Dark. Commanding.The most irresistible silver fox I've ever seen.After rescuing me from a sketchy situation,He didn’t just suggest dinner— he demanded it. Curiosity won over caution, and that night became the most passionate of my life...Categorized as:
mafia vengeance alpha male suspense new adult age difference abduction boss & employee -
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Amos y mazmorras: Segunda parte by Lena Valenti
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsChegou a hora de encarar o tão aguardado torneio Dragões e Masmorras DS. Entregue-se aos combates. Liberte seus desejos. Na busca pela irmã desaparecida, a agente Cleo Connelly conseguiu se infiltrar no ultrassecreto torneio de práticas BDSM, o Dragões e Masmorras DS... -
A Lovely Obsession by Coralee June
My guardian angel is a devil in disguise. He hates me. He protects me. He watches me. My stalker is obsessed with keeping me safe. He calls me his prettiest debt. An assassin in the notorious Bullet gang, he uses his empire to control my life. Everything I know is a lie. What started as a debt turned into something more. What started as regret turned into obsession... -
Pocketful of Sand by Michelle Leighton
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 38 ratings“She’s beauty for my ashes. And I’m hope for her heartache.”—Cole Danzer. I don’t know what makes a great love story... -
Violent Reign by Lili St. Germain
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsOUT NOW!“You’ll do anything for love, won’t you? Too bad. There’s no love where you’re going.”Rome Montague has endured being shot, stabbed, and tortured. Now, he has to face his worst nightmare: the prospect of life without the woman he loves.Avery Capulet clutches a bouquet of flowers, her wedding dress fitted to cover the scars of her own horrific imprisonment... -
Cross + Catherine: The Saga by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOnce upon a time, a wild boy fell in love with a sly girl … From high school sweethearts to a criminal King and Queen, Cross Donati and Catherine Marcello’s love became a force—even destructive, it was unstoppable. They were meant to be. Even when everything stood in the way. Always. Fall in love with the saga of Cross + Catherine, and their story of a love revered, and a life lived so unruly... -
Bred to the Mafia Beast by Layne Daniels
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsMy brother promised his friend Perla she’d be safe from her stalker if she came home from college with him for winter break. I’m betting he didn’t count on me even knowing she was there. I’m supposed to be out of town on assignment for my boss, the unapologetic king of organized crime in St. Louis...
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