Books like 'Diamonds in the Rough'
Readers who enjoyed Diamonds in the Rough by Charmaine Pauls also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance mafia angst abduction multicultural alpha male suspense from hate to love age difference
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Once A Crime Lord by Mia Knight
It all ends here. It’s been two years since the Pyre family was ripped apart by a sadistic killer who will stop at nothing to take Gavin Pyre’s position as crime lord of the Las Vegas underworld... -
![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... -
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![Orbiting Mars by K.L. Savage]()
Orbiting Mars by K.L. Savage
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsI'm a car accident waiting to happen and it's only a matter of time before I crash into something.Every day that passes, every second I blink, the need to drink grows. Meetings aren’t enough. My willpower isn’t enough.Sunnie… The second I see her, I want to crash into her instead. But she may not be enough to kill the need.And when Sunnie tells me something that I can’t handle?I break. I run away... -
![Sins: The Debt: Sins, Book 3 by Lexxi James]()
Sins: The Debt: Sins, Book 3 by Lexxi James
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsTiaI've done my best to avoid him.But when his dark eyes lock onto mine, this time, I know there's nowhere I can go. Nowhere I can hide.Nowhere he won't find me.He is Smoke. Head of the D'Angelos.Gorgeous and haunting. Brutal and ruthless.He rules Chicago, and I owe him a debt. And now…he owns me.SmokeI should send her away…This beautiful, innocent girl that conjures the best and worst in me...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense mafia age difference forced proximity multicultural contemporary dark -
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![Code Name: Pisces by Janie Crouch]()
Code Name: Pisces by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsMy 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... -
![Easy to Fall by W. Winters]()
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... -
![Saving Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia]()
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]()
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... -
![Tempted to Kiss by W. Winters]()
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 mafia m-f abduction disabilities and marks cheerful heroine sweet heroine alpha male -
![Mafia Don's Secret Twins by Vivy Skys]()
Mafia Don's Secret Twins by Vivy Skys
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDino and Marisol's story.She's the ultimate prize—I'd risk my life just thinking about this mafia princess, let alone claiming her innocence. We had one night. Then she vanished.I found her.I thought that Marisol, my dream girl, was lost. After I woke up and never saw her again, it seemed like something that was a complete non-starter. She wasn’t with me. I didn’t know her last name... -
![Wrath of Rage by R.E. Bond]()
Wrath of Rage by R.E. Bond
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 11 ratings*This series is unpublished and has been rewritten with brand new plot and books added to the series. This edition does not follow the updated storyline. Being Archer Hendricks’ little sister has always had its problems.My dates ending up dead, kids at school shunning me, and every aspect of my life controlled...Categorized as:
m-f mafia abduction disabilities and marks cheerful heroine sweet heroine possessive hero bad boys -
![The Savage by Stella Andrews]()
The Savage by Stella Andrews
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIvan may be my name but I am best known as The Savage.Born and bred Bratva heir and loving every delicious minute of my life. That's why it was easy to kidnap the entitled Charlotte Richmond from her finishing school in England. It was my pleasure to hide her away while her depraved father searched for her.I have no heart, no emotion, and no morals.She is a bargaining chip, a means to an end...Categorized as:
mafia from hate to love alpha male age difference forced proximity suspense m-f contemporary -
![Surrendered Innocence by Measha Stone]()
Surrendered Innocence by Measha Stone
He didn't ask for my surrender. He took it...Categorized as:
mafia age difference forced proximity bad boys suspense possessive hero m-f contemporary -
![Deny by E.C. Land, Elizabeth Knox]()
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 . -
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![Destructive by Jay McLean]()
Destructive by Jay McLean
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 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... -
![Undying by Madeline Sheehan]()
Undying by Madeline Sheehan
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA creation of chaos and lust, I was born into a world so foul, I made it my mission to find the beauty hidden within, to reveal the sun behind the clouds, the rainbows after the storms, the life that still exists even in death. One-third my mother, I had an infectious smile and a heart so big, there was room enough for everyone, no matter their sins... -
![Violent Ends by Jessica Hawkins]()
Violent Ends by Jessica Hawkins
Book 2 in the White Monarch trilogy...Categorized as:
alpha male from hate to love angst suspense mafia age difference bad boys other-man-woman -
![Illicit Captor by Maggie Cole]()
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 forced proximity from hate to love dark contemporary vengeance -
![Savage King: A Dark Mafia Romance by Bella Ray]()
Savage King: A Dark Mafia Romance by Bella Ray
As the daughter of a judge, everything was black and white—but then I met HIM. I was never meant to be around men like him—men my father liked to put away.One night, I was a museum curator with a quiet life.The next, I was bound and beaten by the monsters my father locked up.Then he came for me.Antonio DeLuna isn’t a hero... -
![The Devil's Crown-Part Two by Monica James]()
The Devil's Crown-Part Two by Monica James
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAll The Pretty Things Trilogy Spin-Off With the enemy dead, my throne awaits my return. But the reason I’m still standing is being held captive by another foe... -
![Perfectly Imperfect Complete Set by Neva Altaj]()
Perfectly Imperfect Complete Set by Neva Altaj
A collection of the first three books in the Perfectly Imperfect Series.PAINTED SCARSI get anything I desire.And I want this perfectly imperfect little manipulator.She doesn't know it yet,But I am not letting her go.The deal - is off.BROKEN WHISPERSThe most beautiful woman of the Italian mafia,And the Bratva's most feared monster... -
![Falling for the Enemy by J.E. Parker]()
Falling for the Enemy by J.E. Parker
Falling for the enemy will lead to my ruin.My name is Arianna Ivanova, and the city of Charleston belongs to me. Both ruthless and cunning, I rule my empire with an iron fist. Those that challenge me, daring to take aim at my blood-stained crown, die by my hand. That changes, however, when he walks into my life.Alejandro Santiago is the curveball I never saw coming... -
![Captive Heart: Armani by Stella Gray]()
Captive Heart: Armani by Stella Gray
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNothing lasts forever… except the Bellanti’s hatred for the Bruno family.My family prepared me to fight.My best friend taught me loyalty.My husband showed me who I am.And now I’m caught between them all.The thing about secrets is that they always come out.The past is never gone.No one expected it to explode.I finally understand why my life led me here... -
![Wicked Secrets by K.B. Winters]()
Wicked Secrets by K.B. Winters
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCharlie Ellison found me broken, beaten and bruised. Another biker in a long line of bikers in my life. Except he’s not like the others,And he has me questioning everything. He’s tough, strong and hotter than hell. Could he be my knight on a chrome stallion?Or the devil in a leather kutte?All I know is, he’s different. He makes me feel things I never thought possible... -
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![Massimo by Lora Nox]()
Massimo by Lora Nox
I’m his enemy’s daughter.His captive.His revenge.Until he becomes my weapon to wield against the monsters in my world.NovaI am the Mancini Princess. A pawn in my monstrous father’s game. His key to an alliance worthy of a king.However, I end up under the control of a new monster - Massimo Santoro. A lethal man whose hate, wrath, and malice toward anyone with the Mancini name is palpable...Categorized as:
mafia from hate to love age difference alpha male m-f forced proximity suspense dark -
![The Wolf and His Wife by Penelope Sky]()
The Wolf and His Wife by Penelope Sky
Tensions rise and now I have two enemies that want me dead. But I've never felt safer. My wolf protects me. He cherishes me. And I think he loves me. This arranged marriage was detested by us both, but now I look at him with new eyes. My husband is strong, smart, and gorgeous. His coffee-colored eyes make me melt... -
![Kept by Him by Measha Stone]()
Kept by Him by Measha Stone
My family took something from the Russian mob. Now they've taken something back.Me.I was given to Micah Ivanov as a bride to keep the peace between the two most powerful mafia dynasties in Chicago. But my future husband doesn't plan to let this be a marriage in name only.He's going to take me to his bed whether I like it or not, starting tonight.I know he's going to be rough... -
![Vile by Lulu Waters]()
Vile by Lulu Waters
EVERLEE VERA This isn’t the life I’m meant to live—stuck on the arm of a rich asshole while he has a pissing contest with other rich assholes. They’re all puppets, playing a dutiful role that condemns them to hell until death do they part. Hatred pushes me forward. Lust fuels me. And there is only one guy who checks both: Holden Van. My boyfriend’s enemy. The guy who flusters me beyond anything...Categorized as:
from hate to love cruel hero bad boys suspense angst alpha male forced proximity m-f -
![Mafia King's Secret Baby by Vivy Skys]()
Mafia King's Secret Baby by Vivy Skys
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsI'm about to marry my worst nightmare, and he doesn't know I have his daughter.Elio Rossi is a dream on paper.He's rich, handsome and head of his family's multi-billion dollar business.He's also a ruthless Mafia Don, and my older brother's best friend.But even that isn't a huge issue to me.No, Elio is my nightmare because he used to be my dream man.We've been betrothed since childhood...Categorized as:
suspense mafia m-f from hate to love bad boys alpha male possessive hero contemporary -
![Celt. by London Miller]()
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... -
![A Lovely Obsession by Coralee June]()
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... -
![Stolen Hearts by Barbi Cox]()
Stolen Hearts by Barbi Cox
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsHe obliterated my heart. Now he's back for a second chance to reclaim me as his own.He was my dream date who crushed my hopes, taking my affection only to vanish from my life.A decade passed before fate thrust him back into my world. Now he vows to never let me go.His sensual caress melts my defenses. His kiss feels like salvation...Categorized as:
alpha male age difference suspense mafia dark contemporary super rich hero length-short -
![Eclipse Heart by Mya Grey]()
Eclipse Heart by Mya Grey
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratings💋Hating him should be easy—he killed my brother.He’s my sworn enemy… Instead, I'm fighting the urge to rip his clothes off. Every inch of me remembers that night—how his hard body felt claiming mine.Now, I’m living under Leonid’s control, Trapped in his house as his captive. Playing by his rules. It wasn’t supposed to go like this – Every day, every night, under the same roof... -
![Boss's Vendetta by Via Mari]()
Boss's Vendetta by Via Mari
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsA ruthless mafia boss with a score to settle. A sassy heroine who’s not getting away. Will any chance at love survive the aftermath?We knew the bloodbath was possible, just not when or how our enemies would strike. In a heart-wrenching minute of blazing guns, the responsibility of getting retribution for the savage Italian Crime Family falls to me, Salvatore Larussio...Categorized as:
mafia from hate to love suspense alpha male age difference betrayal multicultural dark -
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![Breaker’s Vow by Elizabeth Knox]()
Breaker’s Vow by Elizabeth Knox
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI vowed to never love another woman ever again. I broke my vow for her.BreakerMy ex-girlfriend, Celia, betrayed me in the worst way possible. She not only put my club at risk, but everyone in it, and anyone affiliated with it. People lost their lives because of the information she was feeding to the Guatemalan crew her family was loyal to. And when I found out what she did, I lost it... -
![Filthy Mogul by M. Robinson]()
Filthy Mogul by M. Robinson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author M. Robinson comes a contemporary standalone romance.All’s fair in love and war…I’m ruthless.I’m feared.I have more enemies than friends.I didn’t just step into my father’s shadow—I’m a Jameson and that last name comes with moneyand power. I’m never afraid to get my hands dirty, especially when it comes to something I want...Categorized as:
mafia forced proximity age difference from hate to love alpha male angst m-f super rich hero -
![Blackness Within by Norma Jeanne Karlsson]()
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... -
![Hold Me by LP Lovell]()
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... -
![Jaded Devil by Nicole Fox]()
Jaded Devil by Nicole Fox
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI’LL SHOW HER WHAT A DEVIL DOES WHEN AN ANGEL FALLS INTO HIS LAP.I met her the day I killed her father.She stood there, soaked in his blood, and swore she’d make me pay when the time was right.Twenty years later, that day has come.She’s beautiful now.A dark temptation I never expected.But Renata Lombardi is in far over her head.Because she thinks this is a game of kill or be killed.She’s wrong... -
![Resilient Queen by Amber Vant]()
Resilient Queen by Amber Vant
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI never wanted this. Never asked for any of it. The corrupted, chaos of the past is playing catch-up with the present and nothing is as it seems. Everyone wants something. Me? All I want is the truth. I thought this was the end, but it turns out it’s only the beginning. The basis for a much darker twist of fate. Secrets are starting to unravel; relationships have grown fractured...Categorized as:
cruel hero alpha male from hate to love angst bad boys suspense new adult contemporary -
![Kingdom of Corruption by Bella Di Corte]()
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... -
![Savage Bratva King by Vivy Skys]()
Savage Bratva King by Vivy Skys
I stole the Italian mafia princess days before her wedding to my enemy—an alliance crafted to destroy my Bratva.The plan was simple:Break her. Take her innocence.Send her back ruined, panting only for me.I locked her in my basement, fed on her defiance, and filled her with my seed until she sobbed my name like a prayer... -
![Resisting Mateo by Sam Mariano]()
Resisting Mateo by Sam Mariano
If you dance with the devil, don't be surprised when all Hell breaks loose.BOOK FIVE in the Morelli Family series. MUST be read in order! Or a unicorn dies. (Seriously, you do not want to start with this book. It'll be kookydooks...Categorized as:
suspense mafia other-man-woman sweet heroine alpha male cruel hero m-f age difference -
![Sinful Promise by B. B. Hamel]()
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... -
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![The Devil's Crown by Monica James]()
The Devil's Crown by Monica James
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsI was feared.Respected.Worshiped.But all of that changed when the impossible happened—I fell in love. Only those feelings weren’t reciprocated, because who could love a monster like me?My empire crumbled. People died. I went from being a victorious leader to lurking in the shadows, planning revenge on my half-brother who now reigns in my place...Categorized as:
suspense age difference alpha male mafia from hate to love bad boys betrayal contemporary -
![Until the End by London Miller]()
Until the End by London Miller
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsLauren Thompson After learning the truth behind her father's tragic murder, Lauren vowed never to go near another Volkov again, but sometimes matters of the heart are too strong to resist... Mishca Volkov As a Captain in the Volkov Bratva, Mishca has pledged his loyalty to the Vory v Zakone, but he soon finds himself at odds with the life he's always known.. -
![Vow by Bethany-Kris]()
Vow by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 12 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... -
![Violent Triumphs by Jessica Hawkins]()
Violent Triumphs by Jessica Hawkins
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsThe highly anticipated conclusion to the “emotional, steamy, and dangerous” USA Today bestselling White Monarch series. I’ve become a queen to the forsaken, a leader to thieves, and the wife of a man who instills fear in all who cross his path. He was the husband I didn’t want. Now, I can’t fathom life without my king. I should’ve been ready for anything...Categorized as:
alpha male from hate to love angst suspense mafia age difference new adult contemporary -
![Bully Me: Class of 2020 by Shantel Tessier, Siobhan Davis]()
Bully Me: Class of 2020 by Shantel Tessier, Siobhan Davis
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsLoving your tormentor isn’t easy, especially when they collect broken hearts and parade them around like trophies. They’re the bad boys, the alpha a**holes, and the thorns in our sides. They push us past our limits, turn us on, and break us. They’re our bullies. They’re the class of 2020...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love cruel hero alpha male new adult contemporary anthologies dark -
![Angel's Promise by Aleatha Romig]()
Angel's Promise by Aleatha Romig
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEverett Ramses came into my life like a hurricane on a dark New Orleans night. With a deep voice and penetrating gaze, his mere presence tingled my nerves and twisted my insides much like the city’s legendary stories of spirits and ghosts. As the ruler of New Orleans, Everett Ramses lives life hard and takes what he wants without apology.He wants me to be his queen...
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