Books like 'Necessary Cruelty'
Readers who enjoyed Necessary Cruelty by Ashley Gee also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance arranged marriage multicultural from hate to love cruel hero poor heroine mystery new adult class difference
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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 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... -
Scandalous Prince by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsA mafia romance about secrets and soulmates by Rachel Van Dyken, the number one New York Times bestselling author of the Eagle Elite series.The Woods are Lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep and miles to go, before I sleep —Robert FrostI was born under fire and swore to protect her until my dying day, I just never knew that one day, I'd be the very monster I was protecting her from...Categorized as:
suspense new adult angst possessive hero super rich hero from hate to love arranged marriage m-f -
Dylan by Jaymin Eve, Tate James
Dylan Grant.One of Forbes’ 30 under 30.One of the most eligible yet unattainable men in the country.One of the Delta Five.Together with his friends, Beck, Riley, Jasper and Evan, Dylan runs half the damn world. He is the epitome of power... and the definition of emotional baggage. Too damaged from his shitty upbringing. Too hung up on his best friend's girl... -
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But I Need You by W. Winters
Some love stories are a slow burn. Others are quick to ignite, scorching and branding your very soul before you’ve taken that first breath. You’re never given a chance to run from it. That’s how I’d describe what happened to us.Everything around me blurred and all that existed were his lips, his touch… The chase and the heat between us became addictive... -
Empire Nightclub #1-4 by K.A. Tucker
One visit to her father in prison—convicted for a murder he didn’t commit—and she's attracted the attention of the last man she'd ever want knowing that she exists.This bundle includes all four full-length books in the highly addictive Empire Nightclub series!Sweet MercyGabriel FallenDirty EmpireFallen EmpireThis series is intended for mature audiences... -
Becoming Noah Baxter by J.M. Sevilla
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsJay and Lily complete each other in ways no one else ever could, teaching one another things about themselves they wouldn't have known otherwise, but is it enough? Can two people from entirely different worlds find a way to make it last? Even if their love is strong enough, they still have an obstacle standing in their way... -
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... -
Hunt by Taylor Rose, Kenya Wright
READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED:This is a twisted ride. Dark psychological themes, dubious situations, and intense sexual circumstances layer this story and may be triggering or offensive to some.CAINBefore Phoenix, there was only death and blood.After Phoenix, I changed.Now, I was no longer only the villain—the hopeful seminary turned serial killer. My humanity was slowly returning... -
Savage Bloodline by Kenya Wright, Amarie Avant
Darkness lurks behind their gazes.There’s something sinister about their smiles.Their name incites fear in their enemies.Their touch arouses passion in the women they love.They are the DeLucas. In the streets and in the sheets, there’s one word that describes them best.SAVAGE.The men of the DeLuca family are proof that the bigger the alpha, the harder they fall… in love... -
Obsession by T.K. Leigh
Rated: 4.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOne week. No names. No expectations.That was our agreement. We were supposed to walk away after our time in Hawaii was over. No matter what.That was before…Before I learned who she is.Before I realized how interconnected our lives are.Before I fell in love.But our love isn’t the stuff fairy tales are made of.Demons lurk around every corner.Good doesn’t necessarily prevail over evil... -
Bed of Roses by D.V. Fischer
I never thought I'd fall for a murderer. As an old employee at a funeral home, Tegan's life had been full of corpses. When her parents died, she couldn't take being surrounded by death anymore. She had to get away, and to do that, she moved to a small, sleepy town in Utah. When Tegan rented a house sight-unseen, she had been told it would need a lot of work... -
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... -
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:
from hate to love angst super rich hero mystery suspense contemporary found-family slow burn -
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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...Categorized as:
suspense angst mystery new adult m-f contemporary mental illness independent heroine -
The Marriage Auction: Season One, Volume Four by Audrey Carlan, Samantha Brentmoor
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFrom #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Audrey Carlan, discover The Marriage Auction: Season One, Volume FourWhat would you do for three million dollars?Four young women enter into a clandestine auction to be married to the highest bidders. For no less than a million dollars a year, for three years, each woman will do what it takes to secure her future... -
Hear No Evil by Ivy Fox
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsEvil cannot take hold of an unconsenting soul.Do not be amazed that hell is empty, since all the devils live here.One by one, they will meet their hellish fate.One down…Three to go.EastonA tyrannous society has discovered our most atrocious secret and decided to wage war on us.They’ve had their fun with Finn, and now it’s my turn to be their little puppet...Categorized as:
suspense new adult mystery from hate to love dark college contemporary length-medium -
Tangled Promise by Ella Miles
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI can’t keep my promises. I’ve made too many, to too many people. All the promises have tangled into a web of sin and truths. But there is one thing I’m certain of…I have to end this—us. This is Book 4 in the Sinful Truths series... -
Fallen Love by Ella Miles
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI’ve fallen in love, then out. In… Out… Now, I’m more confused than ever. I always thought falling in love would be easy. It would feel right when I fell for the right woman. With Siren, does it feel so right, yet so wrong? This is Book 5 in the Sinful Truths series... -
Broken Anchor by Ella Miles
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI’m broken. He’s broken. We are broken. But sometimes you have to shatter to pick up the pieces. To start over. To overcome our enemies. And find out if we can love again. He’s my anchor, but can our love be repaired? This is the final book in the Sinful Truths series... -
Captive Rival: Armani by Stella Gray
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI thought I could walk away…but Armani Bellanti wants me for keeps.My intentions were good.I thought I was on the side of angels.But all my plans led me straight to hell.There’s nowhere for me to turn.My whole world is his cage.I have no one.No one but him.He silences me with cruel kisses.I taunt him with his desire for me.We don’t trust each other, but we can use each other...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love cruel hero super rich hero arranged marriage angst mafia contemporary -
Harder Betrayal by Penelope Sky
I knew a relationship with Cauldron wouldn't be easy.But I underestimated just how challenging it would be...Categorized as:
suspense super rich hero new adult from hate to love contemporary mafia dark explicit-plentiful -
Lust by Eva Charles
Our fate was sealed with a blood oath.She’s more than I expected.Beautiful.Fiery.Seductive.And hiding deadly secrets.Her angels play so nicely with my demons.I crave her touch.Her whimpers.Her obedience.Her light.Do I deserve her? No.Will that stop me from taking what’s rightfully mine? Also no.Some men never seek forgiveness, not even with their final breath... -
Naked Truth by Lisa Renee Jones
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsJax North. He's handsome, brutally so, and wealthy. Our first encounter is intense and sex is my escape. I go with it. I go with him and what a ride it is. And then, I say goodbye. Only you don't say goodbye to a man like Jax if he doesn't want you to. I've challenged him without meaning to. He wants me. I don't want to want him, and yet, I crave him. And he tears me down, my resistance, my walls...Categorized as:
mystery suspense super rich hero from hate to love contemporary dark dual-pov length-epic -
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Summer Sparrow: by Emmerson Hoyt
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRylee Adder left Eden thinking she’d put the worst day of her life behind her.She was wrong.Separated from her new family and Colton—the man she never thought she’d have to live without—Rylee finds herself in Boston facing her biggest challenge yet: surviving the Vipers’ Den...Categorized as:
from hate to love new adult small town suspense dual-pov contemporary dark length-epic -
Possessed by Lies by Ella Miles
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI fought my way back, and now I’m possessed. I’ve healed the wounds that kept me trapped. I’m done fighting it. I’m hers. Completely. I just don’t know if she feels the same. What if the empire we’ve been building crumbles along with our love?Possessed by Lies is book 5 in the Truth or Lies series. It continues Enzo and Kai's story... -
Consumed by Truths by Ella Miles
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEnzo is my heart. My soul. My breath. I never thought I could be so dark. Never knew love meant losing myself and getting reborn. The lies and truths have finally caught up with us. We may have stolen an empire, but we aren’t ready to give it up. It’s ours. He’s mine. And our love will find a way to the truth. Consumed by Truths is book 6 and the final book in Enzo and Kai's story... -
Imperfect Affections by Charmaine Pauls
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen Leon tries to force Violet into marriage, it's war for both of them. The battle is hot and dirty, and no one walks away without scars.A DARK ROMANCELove is for people who don’t mind getting hurt. I vowed to never fall into that trap. I entered into war with my beautiful, corrupted, and dangerous husband. He warned me he always won... -
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... -
Savage Beast by Kristen Luciani
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe Stole My Kiss…Right Before He Stole Me.The second my brother’s ex-best friend tore off my clothes, I was obsessed. His ripped muscles, seductive smirk, and bad boy charm made my knees weak and everything else tingle ever since we were teenagers.I always dreamed I’d become the center of his world.I guess I should have been more specific about my wish.He ruined me...Categorized as:
multicultural suspense super rich hero from hate to love vengeance contemporary dark abduction -
Mafia Crown by L. Steele
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsMine to destroy. Mine to ruin. She belongs to me...He’s my second chance.The man with the face of my first love.A terrifying and magnetically gorgeous man with brutal blue eyes.An outlaw whose very presence sucks the air from my lungs.A monster who doesn't remember his past, whose soul is shrouded in scars, pain, and darkness.A villain who refuses to acknowledge my very existence...Categorized as:
multicultural arranged marriage from hate to love vengeance contemporary mafia dark length-medium -
Captive Bride: Armani by Stella Gray
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI was supposed to get close to him…but Armani keeps his secrets closer. Everyone knows that Armani is the most dangerous Bellanti brother.No one knows what he’s capable of. I do know there is nothing he won’t do for his family. For months, I’ve interacted with the dark, broody man.The way he looks at me moves the earth under my feet.His touch makes my skin tingle.But I’ve had my own agenda... -
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:
new adult sports cruel hero from hate to love angst suspense contemporary high-school -
Adrenaline by A.L. Woods
Four years ago, I betrayed his trust.He retaliated by breaking my heart.Adam Ryan had secrets.The kind better off where they belonged.Buried.As an urban explorer, I’m not afraid of a little trouble.But when I venture to the one place Adam forbade me from, I get more than I bargained for.Him and his friends.Along with their threats.Their violence.And their lust.Adam might claim to still hate me... -
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Till Death Do Us Part by Aleatha Romig
Arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, Mafia/cartel romanceAs the only daughter of the Kansas City capo, at eighteen years of age, I was given to the son of my father’s consigliere, a man who was expected to accomplish great things for the famiglia. Things didn’t go the way we planned. There wasn’t love. My husband was a traitor, a part of a coup against the famiglia. My husband is dead. I’m free...Categorized as:
m-f multicultural suspense super rich hero from hate to love mafia dark contemporary -
Angel's Promise by Aleatha Romig
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 13 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...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love arranged marriage super rich hero m-f contemporary dark alpha male -
A Reckless Note by Lisa Renee Jones
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 22 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... -
A Single Glance by W. Winters
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Willow Winters comes a heart-wrenching, edge-of-your-seat gripping, romantic suspense. I saw her from across the bar. My bar. My city. Everything in that world belonged to me. She stood out from the crowd like she was looking for someone to blame for her pain. That night, I felt the depths of my mistakes. I felt my scars... -
The Marriage Auction: Season One, Volume Three by Audrey Carlan, Samantha Brentmoor
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsFrom #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Audrey Carlan, discover The Marriage Auction: Season One, Volume ThreeWhat would you do for three million dollars?Four young women enter into a clandestine auction to be married to the highest bidders. For no less than a million dollars a year, for three years, each woman will do what it takes to secure her future... -
Broken Doll by Selena .
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Dolces broke me, but it doesn’t matter.They shattered my body and soul, and when they were done, they left me for dead. But it doesn’t matter.I lived, but that doesn’t matter, either. I don't care.I don’t care about anything. Not even the one person I thought would never betray me, that I could always count on, the one person who always had my back.Me.I don’t matter.Royal taught me that... -
Silent Vendetta by Kathy Lockheart
LUNAI just uncovered the secret identity of the Vigilante.Now, he holds me prisoner in his vault of vengeance.And nothing is as it seems.Bound in this abyss of secrets and darkness,I ache for Hunter’s warmth and light.And vow to reclaim my freedom.But how does one escape……being the obsession of a killer?VIGILANTEThe monster inside of me always hungered for death...Categorized as:
suspense mystery super rich hero vengeance angst from hate to love possessive hero m-f -
Lies and Other Drugs by Coralee June
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAlternate Cover Edition of ASIN B07L92X791Killing my brother’s murderers has become my latest obsession. Against the advice of my alcoholic therapist, I've left my life behind, moving across the country with just two goals in mind: Take down the elite Ivy League School that covered up my twin brother’s death, and seek revenge on the ones responsible...Categorized as:
new adult mystery from hate to love vengeance cruel hero suspense super rich hero reverse harem -
Protective Vows by B. B. Hamel
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsI crave freedom and his marriage bed.But I can’t have both.I’m all that’s left of the powerful Greek Florakis mafia. My father and my older brothers were murdered in a yacht explosion off the coast of Crete, and now my family is in tatters.That’s when Luca Valverde comes for me. He’s six-foot-four, covered in scars and muscles, a hardened killer, and my sworn enemy... -
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... -
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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 new adult from hate to love cruel hero contemporary anthologies dark alpha male -
Break Me by C.D. Reiss
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsBook three - and the final in the...Categorized as:
suspense super rich hero new adult angst from hate to love mystery dark contemporary -
Savage Prince: A Savage Kings MC Spin-off Novel by Lane Hart, D.B. West
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWhen my best friend dumped her fiancé on their wedding day, I thought it served him right.After all, the first time I met Kellen Hawthorne, he offered to buy my panties before he even knew my name.But of course, the rich prick’s enormous ego can’t handle being rejected.He threatened to hold everyone in the church hostage unless I agree to marry him right then and there...Categorized as:
from hate to love arranged marriage marriage of convenience suspense m-f dark contemporary mafia -
Thorns of Malice by Maggie Cole
For ten years she’s been under my skin and out of my grasp.The last time I saw her, I decimated her and everything she valued.Not a day passes that I don’t crave one more dose of her.And Ivy Ford’s everything I remember.Beautiful. Graceful. Seemingly innocent.I wish that were the case.There’s only one reason she’s reinserted herself into my life.Revenge...Categorized as:
vengeance from hate to love cruel hero angst new adult super rich hero suspense contemporary -
Dark Stranger by Piper Stone
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI was a stranger, a mysterious caller in the dead of night, a monster seeking revenge. Instead of destroying her, I made her mine. Sierra Wynters believes her fiance is dead, victim of a horrible accident. But I know better. Little does she know a predator is stalking her, a dangerous hunter refusing to believe in her innocence... -
THE TEST: Secret Society Dark Romance by Elena Monroe
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI woke up to my roommate and best friend missing. In her place was a note on my bedside table that read: You can only find me with your eyes closed.No one thinks a note like that is meant for them. I knew it was meant for me, a clue, a way to seek Justice. Whoever left me that note was hoping I didn’t let my parent’s legacy die when they did...
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