Books like 'The Ritual'
Readers who enjoyed The Ritual by Shantel Tessier also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance cruel hero possessive hero virgin heroine college bdsm alpha male bondage anal sex
-
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... -
Buttons and Beauty by Penelope Sky
I’m supposed to be his prisoner—but I’m the one that won’t let him leave. Every time he has a new hit, the separation in unbearable. I wait for him to come home on pins and needles. I paint alone in the bedroom, and now my artwork has changed. I used to paint homes and landscapes…but now I’ve painted a person. A man standing on the bank of a lake surrounded by snow...Categorized as:
suspense alpha male m-f vengeance from hate to love possessive hero spanking anal sex -
Sancte Diaboli: Part One by Amo Jones
The Devil comes with baggage, and not the kind you can lose. I was two years old when he saved me. I didn’t understand much at that age, but I remember the pale boy with hair as dark as ink, saving me from two evils. He said he would protect me; I just didn’t know he meant from himself...Categorized as:
cruel hero new adult alpha male suspense bad boys from hate to love virgin heroine possessive hero -
Savages by Sheridan Anne
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wallSavages rising, watch how they fall.All of the heartache and all of the pain.Couldn't put me back together again. There’s nothing quite like the smell of a decaying body... -
-
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... -
Malum: Part 1 by Amo Jones
“Love is savage, love is blind, love is something they may not find…” Once upon a time, there was a young girl who lived in a battered trailer, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. One day, she fell down The Elite Kings’ rabbit hole. Sucked into a dark vortex of lies, hate, and deceit, and spat out by money, glitz, and power... -
Ruined Castles by Amo Jones
Nothing is going to make sense once you flip open this first chapter. You’re going to wonder why the fuck I made the decisions I did. Why he did what he did. I’m not going to make this easy for you. I’m going to guide you through loops that you’re going to wish I had just skipped, but I’m not going to do that either. You’re going to feel my pain, my loss, and my heart breaking in my chest...Categorized as:
new adult suspense alpha male pregnancy bad boys from hate to love m-f first-person-pov -
Fierce Queen by Sadie Kincaid
My name is Alana Montoya. My husband is the King of L.A. And I am his Queen. I never asked for this life, but now that it’s mine, I will fight for it with every breath in my body. Our love is fire and fury, burning brighter than the heat of a thousand suns...Categorized as:
suspense new adult arranged marriage alpha male possessive hero super rich hero anal sex spanking -
Queen of Anarchy by Eva Ashwood
Queen of Anarchy is the heart-pounding second installment in the Dirty Broken Savages series.Note: The blurb below contains spoilers for the first book, so I'd highly recommend not reading it until you've finished reading book one, Kings of Chaos. You've been warned!***I was a good girl once. But bad b*tches get shit done.My list is finished. Every name has been crossed off...Categorized as:
suspense new adult from hate to love cold hero praise-kink anal sex spanking exhibitionism -
Wicked Knight by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you a new dark mafia, high school bully romance series.The truth is meant to set you free… but not my truth.Mine has sent me deeper and darker, feeding my need for revenge. I want blood for those who wronged me and my family. And my so-called truth is ripping me apart, in a way lies never could...Categorized as:
from hate to love cruel hero angst strong heroine suspense new adult m-f sassy heroine -
Becoming Noah Baxter by J.M. Sevilla
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 36 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...Categorized as:
vengeance alpha male bad boys suspense new adult virgin heroine possessive hero cruel hero -
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... -
Savage Little Lies by Eden O'Neill
Tiny. Twisted. Secrets.The news about what happened to Dorian’s uncle rocks the town. Especially when a private school’s educator turns up dead. The focus surrounding the events that occurred that night shifts, and no one knows that more than the Legacy boys’ dark prince. Dorian’s looking for answers in the hours following the harrowing truths revealed in that video...Categorized as:
super rich hero new adult angst from hate to love cruel hero dual-pov college first-person-pov -
-
Drew by Siobhan Davis
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe explosive finale in the highly addictive Rydeville Elite series. Mistakes and secrets. My life is littered with them. And it’s not always me who pays the price. So, I do something I swore I wouldn’t do—become the monster my father raised me to be. To shield my loved ones from the predators I hunt, I keep family and friends in the dark, but I won’t apologize for protecting them...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense dual-pov bdsm new adult forced proximity first-person-pov m-f -
Tormentor Mine: The Complete Series by Anna Zaires, Dima Zales
A lethal mercenary bent on vengeance. The innocent woman standing in his way.Dr. Sara Cobakis’s quiet suburban life is turned upside down when a darkly handsome Russian assassin breaks into her home and tortures her for information. But the nightmare doesn’t end there.Because Peter Sokolov returns, and this time, he’s determined to keep the pretty young doctor for himself.No matter what it takes...Categorized as:
alpha male from hate to love abduction angst suspense vengeance pregnancy possessive hero -
Charlie by Siobhan Davis
Demi Dropping out of college senior year was never part of my plan. But Dad needs me, and I'd move mountains for the only parent I’ve ever known—even working for the company that fired him. My boss, Charlie, is determined to make my life a living hell, availing of every opportunity to undermine my confidence, to humiliate and threaten me...Categorized as:
from hate to love new adult cruel hero super rich hero dual-pov alpha male forced proximity college -
Deviant Princess by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you the next installment of her new dark mafia, high school bully romance series.I should have known better than to play with fire...I’d been burned by Theo Cirillo enough to know that I should have seen this coming.He loved to show me his merciless side, but I couldn’t stay away from the deviant even if I wanted to...Categorized as:
from hate to love new adult suspense cruel hero forced proximity alpha male arranged marriage m-f -
Fallen Rose by Amelia Wilde
Leo Morelli has lost everything.His safety. His sanity. But worse than that, the woman he loves. He will destroy Bishop’s Landing to get her back, even if it means becoming the monster she fears. The entire city will feel his wrath. Haley Constantine loves her beast, but she can’t walk away from her family. They need her now more than ever. It will take more than violence to face these enemies...Categorized as:
super rich hero suspense from hate to love angst alpha male dual-pov first-person-pov bad boys -
You Will Bow by Rachel Leigh
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsYou Will Bow is book two in the Wicked Boys of BCU series. It is strongly encouraged to read book one, We Will Reign first.More details coming soon...Categorized as:
from hate to love cruel hero suspense forced proximity college angst praise-kink new adult -
Empire of Ash by Jagger Cole
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratings"Be careful what you wish for, little one..."A bit of advice: when you shoot for a king?Don't. Bloody. Miss.Empire of Ash is book 2 of a two-part duet which includes Burned Cinder and Empire of Ash. Both books will be released June 9th. The completed duet is a standalone story, with a HEA. This is a dark, twisted romance...Categorized as:
suspense super rich hero angst vengeance alpha male cruel hero arranged marriage from hate to love -
King of Pain by Piper Stone
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsMy vows didn't make me his. My body did. Diego Santos may be wealthy, powerful, and sinfully gorgeous, but his slick veneer doesn't fool me. I know his true nature, and I had planned to end this arranged marriage before it even began. But it wasn't Diego waiting for me at the altar... -
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.. -
Black Wings & Stolen Things by Kayleigh King, TRC Designs
The Fractured Rhymes series by Kayleigh King is about to get a lot more wicked.I’ve been called a lot of names.Depraved. Monster. Unhinged.I never thought I’d see the day someone called me husbandMe? Have a wife? It’s a terrible idea all around, but once I saw her, there wasn’t a chance in hell I was walking away.Rionach Moran. The Irish mob’s very own princess... -
-
The Arrangement 10: The Ferro Family by H.M. Ward
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsWhen Avery realizes that her latest client wasn't Sean she doesn't know what to do. This person has invaded her life on a personal level and to make matters worse she doesn't even know who he is. The only good thing that came from it has been seeing Sean again, but now that he's in front of her, she doesn't want to let him go...Categorized as:
alpha male super rich hero new adult college cruel hero contemporary dark length-novella -
Reckless Obsession by Deborah Garland
Eoghan's Story- He's a Fixer, but she's his insatiable fix...After I pull a fast one in her Las Vegas courtroom, prosecutor Jillian Diamond gets drunk in a bar and gives me a piece of her mind. But we settle the score tangled in the sheets, where I show her I’m even better in the bedroom than the courtroom.Only, to my surprise, I’m her first... -
Monstrous Urges by Jagger Cole
I played games with the wrong stranger. Tall, powerful, and lethally gorgeous, Drazen Krylov is the ruthless boogeyman the Bratva world fears. He’s also the masked man from the app whom I unknowingly shared my darkest, most depraved urges with. Now the fantasy has become a nightmare. Drazen says I did terrible, unforgivable things... -
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... -
Wicked Captor by Bianca Cole
Christmas vacation with my two best friends turns into a nightmare I never saw coming. Aida and Gia begged me to vacation with them in Boston. My parents were away in Hong Kong, so I agreed. It might be one of the worst decisions I’ve ever made. I’m snatched from the bar we’re drinking at. Taken captive by one of Milo’s enemies. The Russian Bratva boss, Mikhail Gurin... -
Gorgeous Villain by Charity Ferrell
The untouchable mafia princess falls for her family’s rival.How cliché, right?But that’s my love story.Unfortunately, it’s filled with betrayal, violence, and tragedy.As the daughter of the biggest crime boss in the country, I’m off-limits.A forbidden fruit no man risks taking.Except Antonio Lombardi.My world turns upside down when I witness him killing a man... -
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... -
They Will Fall by Rachel Leigh
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsAfter a rocky start to my freshman year at BCU, I was confident the threat was gone. The murders ended, and my name was cleared. All the while, three unsuspecting men took me by surprise… Ridge, my stalker turned lover. Maddox, prince charming who swept me off my feet...Categorized as:
suspense new adult college vengeance forced proximity cruel hero from hate to love angst -
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... -
Royal Mistake: A Dark Billionaire Arranged Marriage Romance by Piper Stone
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsHe keeps what's his. And as far as he's concerned, I'm his already.When Valerio Royal decided I would be accompanying him to his private island, he didn't ask. He just dragged me onto his plane bound and blindfolded with my ass still sore from a spanking.Then, after he finished making me come until I almost passed out, he asked me to marry him...Categorized as:
super rich hero m-f arranged marriage abduction spanking contemporary length-long dark -
-
Blame It on the Shame: Part 3 by Ashley Jade
There's something lurking in all of us. Something we hide and shelter from those we love in order to protect them. A darkness we try to suppress because we're ashamed of who that makes us. Because that's the thing about Shame. It wounds us. It damages us. Or, for the few poor souls out there like me...it defines us. It's there—in the shadows, beneath the surface...just waiting...Categorized as:
suspense angst bad boys alpha male new adult forced proximity from hate to love hurt-comfort -
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... -
The Wolf and the Sheep by Penelope Sky
Till death do us part. My father married me off to one of the most powerful men in Italy. Maverick DeVille. But I call him the wolf. He calls me his sheep. The arranged marriage was detested by us both, but we had to make sacrifices for the right reasons. He needed to avenge his mother and I needed protection from the mobs that want to torture me... -
Fierce King by Sadie Kincaid
Today is my wedding day. In a few breathless moments, I will be Mrs Alejandro Montoya. He is the King of L.A, and everything a woman could want. Handsome, powerful, rich, and hotter than hell itself. But I am not just any woman. I am Alana Carmichael and I’m only here to save my father. I will not bow to any king. This is no fairy tale. This is my nightmare. He is fierce and unyielding... -
Dark Kingdom by Jagger Cole
He’s my husband. I’m his prisoner. Adrian Cross is the most ruthless kingpin in London’s criminal underworld. Dangerous. Powerful. Undeniable. Venom wrapped in Savile Row linen. He’s also my ex-husband. Or rather, my not-quite-technically “ex” husband. Now someone wants me dead, and the man I ran from might be my only chance of survival. But his help won’t come for free...Categorized as:
from hate to love new adult suspense super rich hero bad boys angst alpha male arranged marriage -
El Diablo II by M. Robinson
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe sins of the father became those of the son.Wrath for taking what was precious to me.Greed for the lives that were mine to kill.Sloth for the destruction against their will.Lust for revenge and the blood I'd spill.Gluttony for the souls I craved.Envy for the spirits I had yet to take.Pride for the birthright I'd soon fulfill.One look.One moment.One girl...Categorized as:
new adult suspense arranged marriage from hate to love dual-pov alpha male bad boys angst -
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 alpha male contemporary anthologies dark -
Break My Rules by Roxy Sloane
The man I trusted might be the monster I’ve been hunting for… I came to Oxford to uncover dark secrets, but instead, I found desire. Anthony St. Clair. The future Duke of Ashford.He’s shown me a sensual pleasure I never thought possible, but now I don’t know who to trust... -
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 bdsm angst new adult super rich hero alpha male -
Deceitful Vows by Brook Wilder
Bratva Bosses aren’t supposed to marry regular girls like me.Andrei Barinov is the heir of the Barinov Bratva – a prince with the world at his fingertips.I was working as a wedding photographer, trying to forget my cheating ex-fiancé when my path crossed with his.He offered me a chance to escape, throw caution to the wind, and forget my troubles... -
-
Mistakes Made by Marie James
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe worst thing you can ever do is make an assumption about me, despite my job resting solely on making people think I’m someone I’m not.I know that makes me crazy, narcissistic, and a little out of touch with the reality of how the world works.I’ll never argue that fact with anyone.Maybe it was the hundred-degree Texas weather.Maybe it was overstimulation from the crowds at the beach...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love bad boys alpha male forced proximity contemporary dark length-short -
Adore by T.L. Swan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsT.L. Swan says: Hello, Adore is available for free on Smashwords as an introduction novella. It is the first few chapters of my book Stanton Adore and was simply to allow people to sample my writing style. Holiday romances are supposed to be fun…..and quick…….not burned into your damn brain... -
Wonderland by Alta Hensley
I fall into an underground world of luxury and sin. There are threats everywhere. The only man who can save me is the most dangerous of all. WONDERLAND contains the complete trilogy including King of Spades, Queen of Hearts, and Ace of Diamonds. Step through the looking glass to the other side...Categorized as:
bdsm super rich hero forced proximity praise-kink from hate to love m-f anal sex spanking -
Midnight Poison by Penny Dee
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHe took me as collateral to ensure my ex -fiancé kept the deal they made. But since then Lev Zarkov has become so much more than the devil I thought he was. And now his baby is growing in my belly. I don’t want to leave him but after one devastating night blows up our life, I know I have my baby to think about.I tell myself that leaving is the right thing to do...Categorized as:
from hate to love alpha male strong heroine bad boys suspense arranged marriage breeding m-f -
Bound to Cruelty by J.L. Beck, Monica Corwin
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsI’m the shadows that reach out and take a bite. No one sees me coming, which is why I’m sent to do the things even our fearless leader won’t touch.After months of watching our enemies it’s time to take them out. I’m ready to feel their blood on my hands, their worthless lives ground to dust... -
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...
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences

Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.