Books like 'Play By The Rules'
Readers who enjoyed Play By The Rules by Violet Paine also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary young adult dark romance new adult cruel hero virgin heroine alpha male fighters from hate to love high-school
-
Ember by Rachel Van Dyken
Everybody Loves A Bit of Darkness. .Until It Consumes Them. .. I am a Killer. A Rapist. A Monster. I know only pain and survival. That is until the Cappo's sister walked into my life. And changed everything...Categorized as:
friends to lovers alpha male mafia virgin heroine new adult high-school young adult suspense -
![Sinful Knight by Tracy Lorraine]()
Sinful Knight by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you a new dark mafia, high school bully romance story set in the Knight's Ridge Empire world. The night we met, she left behind a lot more than just her shoes on my bedroom floor. She left an impression. A lasting memory burned into my brain. It teases me… tortures me. Months have passed since that night...Categorized as:
new adult mafia high-school college from hate to love alpha male virgin heroine cruel hero -
![]()
![]()
Sponsored links / Remove ads -
![Malum: Part 2 by Amo Jones]()
Malum: Part 2 by Amo Jones
Some girls don’t like pretty things. Some girls like things that are destructive, and toxic. Things that fuel our bodies with adrenaline and bring our demons to their knees. They say magic isn’t real, but it’s it the closest way to describe love? It doesn’t exist physically. It merely exists around us, within us, possessing our souls and making us do stupid shit... -
![Real Girl by Sheridan Anne]()
Real Girl by Sheridan Anne
Lucien Valentine must die. It’s the thought that’s kept me going for four long years. I’ve imagined it, dreamed about it, relished in it. I want it so bad, but the question is, do I have what it takes to make it happen? Taking a life isn’t for the faint-hearted. Just ask Lucien, he knows. He’s taken me back to where it all started and I know exactly how it’s going to go... -
-
![Always Crew by Tijan]()
Always Crew by Tijan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsFor the longest time, I was Bren Monroe. I lived in Roussou, California. I had no parents, no brother, but I had a crew. Then things started to change. I never planned for any of it. I didn’t think I’d fall in love. I didn’t think I’d have a relationship with my brother again. I didn’t think that he’d come back. Now I’m in Cain. My crew is in college... -
![Legend by Tracy Lorraine]()
Legend by Tracy Lorraine
I made one mistake…. And she made one phone call that nearly destroyed my life. I’ve spent the past year plotting my revenge and imagining all the wicked things I’d do to her when our paths finally crossed again. I just had no idea it would be so soon. The last thing I expected when I re-entered the world was to find myself right in the middle of hers...Categorized as:
cruel hero high-school from hate to love new adult virgin heroine dark contemporary sports -
![Pretty Vicious by Lexi Davis]()
Pretty Vicious by Lexi Davis
Laurel just wanted to survive college, keep her father fed, and fly under the radar. Delivering pizzas was supposed to be the safe kind of side hustle, until the night she witnesses a murder at Ashford House, the most elite and secretive fraternity on campus. Now she’s a prisoner of The Order, a blood-bound society that controls everything from politics to police...Categorized as:
from hate to love college mafia new adult dark young adult forced proximity contemporary -
![Lost Girl by Sheridan Anne]()
Lost Girl by Sheridan Anne
Who the f&*k gave Slade Cruz this kind of power over me? I don’t know how it happened. One minute he was the guy I loathed and the next thing I knew, I was waking up beside him desperate to get out of there. When secrets are revealed, Slade and I realize that we are more connected than we could have ever known... -
![Trouble at Brayshaw by Meagan Brandy]()
Trouble at Brayshaw by Meagan Brandy
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 41 ratings“You don’t belong. ”. No words whispered in anger have ever rung more true. They’re the Kings of Brayshaw with the world at their feet, destined for greatness and in need of control. I’m the girl from the ghetto with nothing to offer and as defiant as they come. They say it doesn’t matter, that I’m one of them now, and nothing could ever change that. Not even me, should I dare try...Categorized as:
high-school new adult from hate to love cruel hero alpha male mafia fighters contemporary -
![Taint Her by Caitlyn Dare]()
Taint Her by Caitlyn Dare
He wants to ruin her. She wants to save him. Hadley Rexford was a distraction I didn’t need. But when she discovers me with blood on my hands, I know I can’t walk away without demanding her silence. I’ll taint her. Torment her. In the end, I’ll ruin her. Cole Jagger was a puzzle I wanted to solve. But he refuses to let me in, and now I’m ensnared in his trap. He’s cold. Immoral...Categorized as:
new adult cruel hero from hate to love high-school contemporary young adult sports suspense -
![The Sainthood by Siobhan Davis]()
The Sainthood by Siobhan Davis
A complete dark romance trilogy from USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis. Includes Revere, a bonus novella set twelve years after the end of Reign. Everything changed the night my dad died. The night I met Saint, Galen, Caz, and Theo. Those manipulative a-holes set out to ruin me after our hot night together, but they didn’t realize you can’t destroy something that’s already broken...Categorized as:
high-school new adult from hate to love cruel hero mafia alpha male reverse harem dark -
![Reckless Dynasty by Tracy Lorraine]()
Reckless Dynasty by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you the next installment of her dark mafia, high school bully romance story set in the Knight's Ridge Empire world. My life has been full of half-truths tangled in lies—I’d been to hell and back more times than I could count...Categorized as:
mafia new adult high-school from hate to love alpha male cruel hero college suspense -
![Out of the Dark by Danah Logan]()
Out of the Dark by Danah Logan
Lilly. My name is the only truth they didn’t take from me. Betrayed by my family, my desperate need for answers put me back on his radar. The one person who was never supposed to find me. Again. I was unprepared for the world I got thrust into—the connection we shared. The deeper I dug, the more unstable my future became. With Rhys as my anchor, I will fight to bring my past out of the dark. Rhys... -
![Elite by Ivy Smoak]()
Elite by Ivy Smoak
Welcome to the world of the elite. My mom fell in love with a monster. I know he’s dangerous. And I know my mom never wanted him in my life. I don’t want him in mine either. But I’m being forced to live with him. I’m stuck in his haunting apartment in a world where I don’t belong. A world full of beautiful people with ugly souls. A world filled with secrets...Categorized as:
new adult cruel hero high-school mafia second chances sports contemporary young adult -
-
![The Retaliation You Deliver by Tracy Lorraine]()
The Retaliation You Deliver by Tracy Lorraine
When something seems too good to be true. It’s usually because it is. A lesson I learned the hard way. Every single fear I had about falling for Leon, has just come true in the most brutal way. The sweet guy act he’s been putting on the past few weeks is over. The cold, hard truth is. .. he never wanted me. He only wanted retaliation. And like a fool, I played right into his wicked scheme...Categorized as:
from hate to love cruel hero college new adult second chances contemporary sports young adult -
![Wild Girl by Sheridan Anne]()
Wild Girl by Sheridan Anne
Have you ever known what it feels like to die? It’s not great. Trust me, I don’t recommend it. I’ve always said that my life is about surviving, but I didn’t realize how true that was until the devil sent me soaring off a bridge with the love of my life and lodged a bullet through my thigh. It’s not my time to die... -
![Enforce by Rachel Van Dyken]()
Enforce by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsThere’s two sides to every story…. And ours? Isn’t pretty… Then again,. what’s pretty about the mafia? Trace Rooks, that’s what. But she only wants one of us, and I’ll kill him before I let him have her. The only problem ? We’re cousins . And she may just be our long lost enemy. Whoever said college was hard, clearly didn’t attend Eagle Elite University... -
![The Moth and the Flame by B.B. Reid]()
The Moth and the Flame by B.B. Reid
They're the best of friends or the worst of friends. Neither one is letting go. THE FLAME. Here lies Louchana Valentine. She was a homeless, orphaned virgin. I never cared what my gravestone would say until I landed in deep with a powerful gangster. Lucky for me, my best friend happens to be ruthless too. I should feel guilty that he's forced to turn on the man who's been a father to him...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers mafia alpha male virgin heroine cruel hero sports contemporary -
![Ghostgirl by J.B. Salsbury]()
Ghostgirl by J.B. Salsbury
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsShe was brainwashed into believing she could save mankind. Now, she’s the one who needs saving. Abandoned with his two younger brothers, Milo Vega was placed in foster care. Now a twenty-year-old high-school senior covered in gang tattoos and working as the school’s janitor, he is living a life vastly different from the one he was destined for...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers virgin heroine mafia young adult contemporary dark bad boys -
![Break Me by Meagan Brandy]()
Break Me by Meagan Brandy
I had a plan, and it was solid. Track down what was hidden away and take pleasure in toying with it. Toying with her. It worked like a charm. Until it didn’t. Turned out, the feisty little thing I found was far from what I hoped for. She was different from all I knew and more than I expected. She was light, and I’m the bastard who led her into darkness. But this girl. .. she followed with a smile...Categorized as:
new adult from hate to love alpha male cruel hero virgin heroine college mafia friends to lovers -
![Boys of Oak Park Prep by Callie Rose]()
Boys of Oak Park Prep by Callie Rose
A long time ago, I was one of them. Now I’m back, and they hate me for it. Plucked out of the harsh life I was living and thrust into a world of unimaginable wealth, power, and privilege, all I want to do is keep my head down and survive until graduation. But they have other plans—Mason, Finn, Elijah, and Cole...Categorized as:
high-school cruel hero from hate to love new adult reverse harem contemporary dark young adult -
![The Next Flame by Penelope Douglas]()
The Next Flame by Penelope Douglas
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsNew York Times bestseller Penelope Douglas introduces the next generation in her Fall Away series in Next to Never, together for the first time with her bestselling novella, Aflame. .. . Next to Never...Categorized as:
new adult from hate to love cruel hero high-school friends to lovers contemporary young adult dark -
![Requiem by Callie Hart]()
Requiem by Callie Hart
SORRELL. He’s going to pay for what he’s done…. Theo Merchant was born into a kind of privilege I’ve never known. He has everything I don’t: Money. A private school education. Popularity. A bright and shiny future, full of success to look forward to. He took the only thing I had going for me—my best friend, Rachel. Now that she’s gone, I have nothing left to lose. I will infiltrate his world...Categorized as:
new adult alpha male from hate to love cruel hero friends to lovers high-school second chances dark -
![Forever Golden by Rachel Jonas, Lessa Lamb]()
Forever Golden by Rachel Jonas, Lessa Lamb
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsWest Golden—Fierce protector. The one. The cocky jock I once wanted to kill with my bare hands is now the only one I trust with my heart. In a city full of corruption and dark secrets, knowing who’s on your side gets harder to determine every day. Especially now that Vin’s on the warpath, passing out threats he fully intends to see through to the end...Categorized as:
high-school new adult from hate to love cruel hero alpha male contemporary sports dark -
-
![Turmoil by J.L. Weil]()
Turmoil by J.L. Weil
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsIt is a Bestselling Title, recommended by many readers around the Globe. We are bringing this book for our Elite readers in our Unique Premium Leather Bound. We will rebind this book after purchasing from the original Publisher/Distributor...Categorized as:
high-school from hate to love cruel hero new adult alpha male reverse harem dark contemporary -
![F*ck Yeah by Crystal North, Jaye Pratt]()
F*ck Yeah by Crystal North, Jaye Pratt
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsTragedy draws Amelie back to Australia once again, but this time she’s not alone. It’s been decided that she needs a break, and what better way to do that then with Kalen in her homeland? You can guarantee that with Fairy Bread, kangaroos, mosquitos, and the youngest Knox brother, chaos will ensue. Add in even more secrets, lies and deceit, and Amelie’s in for one hell of a ride...Categorized as:
new adult from hate to love high-school cruel hero reverse harem contemporary dark poly -
![The Saint by Kelsey Clayton]()
The Saint by Kelsey Clayton
DELANEY. Cruel. Heartless. A mistake waiting to happen. Knox Vaughn is the epitome of a bad boy. He's trouble in a sexy-as-sin package. I know it. They know it. Even he knows it. But, it's like a moth to the flame. I can't stay away—even though I'm going to get burned. You know what they say,. The sinners are much more fun. And this saint is changing the game. KNOX. Sweet. Innocent. Valedictorian...Categorized as:
new adult virgin heroine fighters alpha male from hate to love friends to lovers high-school mafia -
![The Arrangement 15: The Ferro Family by H.M. Ward]()
The Arrangement 15: The Ferro Family by H.M. Ward
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsIt's hard to trust anyone anymore. Everyone is suspect. And I have no reprieve, no rest. I can't sleep after all I've been through. Sean is slipping away, receding back into the monster he was. Alone, I'm being smothered by death's cold shroud. Too many people have died -- this ends tonight. If it kills me, so be it. Genre: New Adult Romance. This story unfolds over multiple volumes approx... -
![Unraveling You by Jessica Sorensen]()
Unraveling You by Jessica Sorensen
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsLyric Scott has always had a good life. Outgoing, spunky, and musically talented, she’s constantly surrounded by family and friends, yet she still feels there’s something missing. Then she meets her new next-door neighbor Ayden Gregory. Mysterious, sweet, and sad, Ayden is the exact opposite of Lyric and exactly what she needs to fill the void in her life...Categorized as:
virgin heroine friends to lovers new adult high-school contemporary young adult musicians mystery -
![Light in the Shadows by A. Meredith Walters]()
Light in the Shadows by A. Meredith Walters
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 49 ratingsHow do you keep going when you feel like your life is over? Maggie never thought she’d see Clay again. So, she attempts to put her life back together after her heart has been shattered to pieces. Moving on and moving forward, just as Clay wanted her to. Clay never stopped thinking of Maggie. Even after ripping their lives apart and leaving her behind to get the help he so desperately needed...Categorized as:
second chances virgin heroine college new adult high-school young adult contemporary tortured hero -
![A Deal with the Devil by Angel Lawson, Samantha Rue]()
A Deal with the Devil by Angel Lawson, Samantha Rue
Sometimes The Devil Hides in Plain Sight. .. One fateful night. Two lives forever changed. Sometimes the bonds of tragedy are stronger than blood. When Vandy Hall got into a stolen car with Reynolds McAllister-her brother's best friend, her childhood crush-she had no idea the lifetime of pain it would cause her...Categorized as:
high-school new adult friends to lovers from hate to love virgin heroine cruel hero dark sports -
![Barbie B*tch by Sheridan Anne]()
Barbie B*tch by Sheridan Anne
Cold-blooded murder. Do I have it in me? I’ve watched the people I love commit the worst kinds of crimes and within the blink of an eye, I could be just like them. I feel the jagged glass beneath my fingers, but do I have the strength to follow this through? How much of my soul am I willing to sacrifice to make this right? Nic was supposed to be my rock...Categorized as:
high-school new adult from hate to love cruel hero mafia dark reverse harem contemporary -
![The Devastation You Reap by Tracy Lorraine]()
The Devastation You Reap by Tracy Lorraine
For years I’ve kept my secrets. Kept the darkest, most twisted parts of myself buried from everyone around me. My need to destroy those responsible for tainting my life, ruining the person I was, the person I could’ve been, burns hotter with every passing day. And when I finally get the chance to confront one and unleash the monster he turned me into, I walk straight into the other...Categorized as:
new adult college cruel hero from hate to love second chances sports contemporary young adult -
![Boys of Brayshaw by Meagan Brandy]()
Boys of Brayshaw by Meagan Brandy
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 45 ratings"Girls like you aren't exactly welcomed at a place like this, so keep your head down and look the other way. ". Those were the exact words of my social worker when she dropped me in my newest hellhole, a place for "troubled teens". I didn't listen, and now I'm on their radar. They expect me to play along in their games of hierarchy, to fall in line in the social order they've deemed me fit...Categorized as:
from hate to love high-school new adult cruel hero alpha male mafia fighters friends to lovers -
-
![Perfectly Flawed by Nessa Morgan]()
Perfectly Flawed by Nessa Morgan
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsI thought I was okay. I mean, I went through my days just fine, pushing toward a goal I could easily achieve. I had friends that loved me, an aunt who adored me, and everything was just okay. But what I thought was okay and fine, all of that changed... -
![Finders Keepers by Nicole Williams]()
Finders Keepers by Nicole Williams
There’s tortured. And there’s Garth Black. His life has been a constant carousel of tragedy and disappointment, including his love life. Of course, applying the term “love” to Garth’s conquests is a gross misuse of the word. Some people were made to give and accept love, and others weren’t. Garth Black redefines the “others” category...Categorized as:
second chances friends to lovers virgin heroine college cruel hero young adult contemporary dark -
![In Chaos by K.G. Reuss]()
In Chaos by K.G. Reuss
A Dark High School Bully Romance. Some things are better left unsaid. Others demand chaos. Good thing I excel at both. Everything fell apart before we were able to pull ourselves together. When tragedy demands my silence, I have no choice but to give it because losing a life also means saving so many more. I finally have everything I want. Having my best friend back is a dream come true...Categorized as:
new adult from hate to love high-school cruel hero sports young adult reverse harem mystery -
![Without you by Ashlyn Montgomery]()
Without you by Ashlyn Montgomery
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsAubrey Wilson has the heart of an angel. As the type of person to always trust in others, she's admirable to peers. A total darling, but with a sadness that encases her heart. Anyone could shrink down in fright at the receiving end of Luke Taylor's infamous glare. Tall, muscular, dark-haired, and handsome, he's no stranger on or off the field. Not a kind stranger either...Categorized as:
high-school new adult from hate to love sports young adult contemporary grumpy sunshine dark -
![Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii Vol. 4 by Asuka Konishi]()
Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii Vol. 4 by Asuka Konishi
SOME THINGS YOU DO FOR MONEY, SOME YOU DO FOR LOVE. Love can make you do some crazy things. For Kirishima, they're all for Yoshino, even an affair with an idol arranged by a spoiled rich kid for blackmail purposes. He's a tiger who has managed to trap the hunters in the cage with him... -
![Salvation and Secrets by L A Cotton]()
Salvation and Secrets by L A Cotton
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsChastity Falls was supposed to be Ana Parry’s fresh start. But what started as her salvation soon became her undoing. Four months after losing the very thing that gave her reason again, Ana is back at Chastity Falls. Holding on by a thread and trying hard to forget about Jackson isn’t easy when she’s determined to uncover the Donohue’s biggest secrets... -
![Black Tangled Heart by Samantha Young]()
Black Tangled Heart by Samantha Young
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThe New York Times Bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series and As Dust Dances brings readers an addictive and passionate new standalone romance about love, revenge, and surviving both. To the McKenna sisters, Jane was a friend. A pseudo-sister, the girl they grew up with. To Jamie McKenna, she was everything. Their youthful passion consumed them... -
![Law of Attraction by Raeesah Ambarker]()
Law of Attraction by Raeesah Ambarker
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsNyx just can't seem to escape her eternal night, the very darkness she was named after. Angry at the world, her hatred is ravenous for none other than Beckham Hunt, captain of the ice hockey team. Beckham loathes Nyx Taylor, that much he is certain of...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers from hate to love college contemporary sports young adult dark -
![Temper Him by Caitlyn Dare]()
Temper Him by Caitlyn Dare
She wants to protect him. He can't stay away. Kennedy Lowe wasn’t supposed to walk away, taking my heart with her. Now she’s gone, but I’m determined to get her back. I want to save her. Punish her. In the end, I’ll make sure she knows exactly who she belongs to. Conner Jagger wasn’t to supposed to save me, but he did. Now I’ll do anything to protect him and the people he calls family. He’s good...Categorized as:
new adult from hate to love cruel hero high-school alpha male contemporary young adult m-f -
![Tarnished Crown by Caitlyn Dare]()
Tarnished Crown by Caitlyn Dare
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWaking up the morning after the night before, Bexley soon realizes his life will never be the same. He’s Electi now. One of them. Everything that Mia despises. She says she’s done, that his betrayal is too much of a burden to bear, but Bexley refuses to let her go. When Mia wakes up the morning after the night before, she realizes she has two choices: accept her fate or fight. She’s stronger now... -
-
![The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller by L.B. Simmons]()
The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller by L.B. Simmons
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 33 ratings*****#1 Best Seller in Amazon Inspirational Romance*****. Death. For some, it's simply one of life's certainties, nothing more. For others, it's merely a fleeting thought, one often overshadowed by the reckless delusion that they have been blessed with the gift of immortality. For Aubrey Miller, death is the definition of her very existence...Categorized as:
virgin heroine college friends to lovers contemporary insta-love dark tortured heroine christian -
![The Vengeance You Crave by Tracy Lorraine]()
The Vengeance You Crave by Tracy Lorraine
It’s been almost six years since she ruined what we had. Her lies shattered years of friendship and ripped apart the future we planned. After I called her a liar and revoked my trust, she left town and never looked back. In a cruel twist of fate, she’s returned. But I’m not the wounded boy she left behind. I’m a man now. A man full of anger, resentment and loss... -
![In Silence by K.G. Reuss]()
In Silence by K.G. Reuss
We’re all playing a dangerous game. One where there are no winners. Only survivors. I’m in love with my enemies, but obviously they don’t feel the same way. When their lies and betrayal surface, I have no choice but to leave. They’ve broken my heart, but not my spirit. They think they’ve won. They think they’ve ruined me. The only thing they’ve done is made me stronger...Categorized as:
new adult cruel hero from hate to love mafia high-school sports young adult reverse harem -
![Five Things by Violet Paine]()
Five Things by Violet Paine
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAfter two years of living in the shadows, I force myself to leave my protective bubble and move to college. When I get there though, and come face to face with the casualty of the greatest mistake of my life, I have to wonder whether I’ve made the right decision. But then, as time moves on, I learn how to breathe again and that’s not something I’m willing to give up on...Categorized as:
new adult college friends to lovers from hate to love contemporary sports young adult dual-pov -
![Broken Legacy by Jaymin Eve, Tate James]()
Broken Legacy by Jaymin Eve, Tate James
They're my boys now - the four heirs of Delta. Together we’re a team . .. a family. Five broken, brutal, possibly sociopathic people, and we are all that stands between the world and the powerful, corrupt Delta corporation. We have no idea what we’re doing, but somehow we are determined to stop them. Permanently. We just need leverage . .. irrefutable evidence of their corruption...Categorized as:
new adult alpha male mafia college cruel hero high-school contemporary super rich hero -
![Never His Girl by Rachel Jonas, Nikki Thorne]()
Never His Girl by Rachel Jonas, Nikki Thorne
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsWest Golden--Football star. Playboy. Dead to me. Nothing puts the final bullet in a girl’s rep like a leaked sex tape. Especially one starring her and the cocky quarterback who’s had it out for her since day one. Yep, you guessed it. That girl is me. At Cypress Prep, West is king, but all I see when I look at him is the wicked prick who gets off on trying to break me. His plaything. Go ahead...Categorized as:
high-school new adult from hate to love cruel hero alpha male contemporary sports dark
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
Find out more about romance.io.
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.
