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
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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 -
![Jackson by Siobhan Davis]()
Jackson by Siobhan Davis
The devil came to me in disguise. Too bad I didn’t notice until it was far too late. Vanessa:The devil doesn’t always wear an evil mask.Sometimes, he appears in the most beautiful form.Like the super-hot bad boy with the dirty-blond hair and a wicked glint in his blue eyes who swept in out of nowhere, stealing all the air from my lungs.I thought he was my savior. But he’s my ruination...Categorized as:
alpha male cruel hero new adult from hate to love dual-pov college mafia contemporary -
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![The Sainthood by Siobhan Davis]()
The Sainthood by Siobhan Davis
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsA 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 -
![Made by J.M. Darhower]()
Made by J.M. Darhower
Corrado Moretti. The world knows the notorious Kevlar Killer, but few have ever seen what lies beneath his armor. The abused child. The neglected teenager. The broken man. He always did whatever he had to do in order to survive. It's kill or be killed. Throughout his life, he has been there in the shadows, a witness to everything from beginning to end...Categorized as:
friends to lovers alpha male mafia new adult male-pov contemporary suspense forbidden love -
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![Dark Legacy by Tracy Lorraine]()
Dark Legacy 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. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy.That our love could start a war...Dear reader,Dark Legacy is the twelfth book in my Knight's Ridge Empire series, and the third book of Calli and Batman's story...Categorized as:
new adult high-school mafia friends to lovers alpha male contemporary young adult dark -
![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 contemporary young adult -
![Wicked Princess by Tracy Lorraine]()
Wicked 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.My entire life has been a lie.The one person I've trusted despite all his secrets has shattered my faith, and the men around me have proved just how unworthy they really are... -
![Corrupt Princess by Tracy Lorraine]()
Corrupt Princess by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you the next instalment of her forbidden dark mafia, high school bully romance story set in the Knight's Ridge Empire world.I learned from a very young age that the only person I could count on was myself.For years I’ve been content with meaningless one-night stands and zero promises for tomorrow...Categorized as:
new adult college high-school from hate to love mafia cruel hero alpha male contemporary -
![Corrupt Union by Tracy Lorraine]()
Corrupt Union by Tracy Lorraine
I found everything I didn’t know I needed. Accepted forgiveness I didn’t deserve.She fought for us. Killed for us. She was one of us. And there was no way I was letting her go… again. But I’m not the only one with wicked intentions for my siren. With her missing, we turn our blame to an obvious enemy. But our path of destruction could be leading us right into another trap...Categorized as:
new adult cruel hero alpha male college mafia from hate to love high-school contemporary -
![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... -
![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 dual-pov new adult dark contemporary sports -
![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... -
![Always Crew by Tijan]()
Always Crew by Tijan
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 28 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.They’re growing, going through their own things... -
![Savage by Tracy Lorraine]()
Savage by Tracy Lorraine
The Rosewood boys are back!Ethan has the perfect life, or so it seems but a shock revelation from his father results in his world crashing to his feet. A new arrival sends his anger and need for justice spiraling out of control. Can he accept his new reality and what he really wants or are his actions going to cause too much pain?Dear Reader,SAVAGE is the third book in my Rosewood High series...Categorized as:
high-school new adult from hate to love cruel hero dual-pov young adult sports contemporary -
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![The Sinners by Ruby Vincent]()
The Sinners by Ruby Vincent
I knew when I started this path it would lead to destruction......but nothing could have prepared me for this.Drugs flooding campus. Tensions brewing between the factions. Old enemies reappearing. New secrets taking over my life. Love awakening a soul I long thought was dead.Cassius, Clay, Hiro, and Royal have named me one of them, but sharing a title is easy...Categorized as:
cruel hero new adult from hate to love mafia high-school contemporary reverse harem dark -
![Taint Her by Caitlyn Dare]()
Taint Her by Caitlyn Dare
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsHe 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 dual-pov contemporary young adult sports -
![Ride or Die by Sheridan Anne]()
Ride or Die by Sheridan Anne
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsGang life isn't for everyone, but a b*tch in colors always looks good.The West Side Wolves claim to be a brotherhood, but what do they do when a sister walks in demanding their attention?To everyone else, stepping into the Wolf Den was an epic mistake, filled with consequential betrayals... -
![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... -
![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..Categorized as:
new adult from hate to love alpha male cruel hero virgin heroine college mafia friends to lovers -
![If You Dare by Shantel Tessier]()
If You Dare by Shantel Tessier
The game was over. The dares were getting old, and the secrets were piling up faster than the bodies.But someone had other plans. They wanted to play a new game.Becky Holt was the love of his life until he found out what she was hiding. Now he wants to seek his revenge in the most daring way.Deke Biggs has always been a shark. He's not afraid to kill, and he's about to become her worst nightmare... -
![The Moth and the Flame by B.B. Reid]()
The Moth and the Flame by B.B. Reid
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsThey're the best of friends or the worst of friends. Neither one is letting go.THE FLAMEHere 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 dual-pov sports -
![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 dual-pov contemporary sports -
![Out of the Dark by Danah Logan]()
Out of the Dark by Danah Logan
LillyMy 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... -
![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 contemporary super rich hero young adult -
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![Light in the Shadows by A. Meredith Walters]()
Light in the Shadows by A. Meredith Walters
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 44 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...Categorized as:
second chances virgin heroine college new adult high-school male-pov dual-pov young adult -
![Requiem by Callie Hart]()
Requiem by Callie Hart
SORRELLHe’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... -
![Hunter by Tracy Lorraine]()
Hunter by Tracy Lorraine
I’m a nobody... until everybody realizes who I am and who I’m related to.Then it’s like a giant target is painted on my back. They all think they can use me to climb the Rosewood High royalty ladder.They obviously underestimate me. I won’t cower down or give in.They can’t break me. But he can... without even trying.Zayn Hunter.He doesn’t want to use me..Categorized as:
cruel hero from hate to love high-school virgin heroine new adult sports dark contemporary -
![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 -
![Ghostgirl by J.B. Salsbury]()
Ghostgirl by J.B. Salsbury
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 15 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 -
![Underneath the Sycamore Tree by B. Celeste]()
Underneath the Sycamore Tree by B. Celeste
It happened in stages. My father left. My twin sister died of an incurable autoimmune disease. My mother started breaking down. Then I was diagnosed with the very thing that took my other half from me. That was when I realized Mama’s eyes turned gold when she cried. So I moved in with my father and his new family—new wife, new son, new stepbrother. Kaiden Monroe made me feel normal... -
![FALL by Cora Brent]()
FALL by Cora Brent
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsFrom NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author Cora Brent comes a new epic crossover novel. Jenny... I was a lost girl, a child bride. Now, to most people I appear to be just an average college student. They would never guess my strange history. But secretly I'm still held down by my past. I cannot bring myself to trust men... -
![The Arrangement 15: The Ferro Family by H.M. Ward]()
The Arrangement 15: The Ferro Family by H.M. Ward
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 28 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 RomanceThis story unfolds over multiple volumes approx... -
![The Havoc We Wreak by Becca Steele]()
The Havoc We Wreak by Becca Steele
The final part of Caiden and Winter's story...Secrets and lies are being revealed. Loyalties are being tested, and betrayal cuts deep.My mother needs to be stopped, but at what cost? At the end, who will be left standing? And...WhoWillFall…Eeny, meeny, miny, mo.You underestimated the Four and Snow.You thought you were on a winning streak...Categorized as:
new adult from hate to love cruel hero college dual-pov suspense contemporary mystery -
![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 dual-pov alpha male contemporary sports -
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![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 dual-pov sports young adult -
![The Saint by Kelsey Clayton]()
The Saint by Kelsey Clayton
DELANEYCruel.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.KNOXSweet.Innocent.Valedictorian...Categorized as:
new adult virgin heroine fighters alpha male from hate to love friends to lovers high-school mafia -
![In Chaos by K.G. Reuss]()
In Chaos by K.G. Reuss
A Dark High School Bully RomanceSome 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 dual-pov sports young adult reverse harem -
![Naked or Dead by A.E. Murphy]()
Naked or Dead by A.E. Murphy
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSmall town, small-minded people, small expectations, and big A-holes.Lilith Deville is the new enigma at Lakeside Preparatory Academy, a prestigious high school by a river and not a lake, which makes sense, not. Already she hates it despite its beautiful landscape... -
![In Her Wake by K.A. Tucker]()
In Her Wake by K.A. Tucker
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsBefore you knew him as Trent in Ten Tiny Breaths , he was Cole Reynolds—and he had it all. Until one night when he makes a fatal, wrong decision…and loses everything. When a drunken night out at a Michigan State college party results in the death of six people, Cole must come to terms with his part in the tragedy... -
![May We Rise by K.G. Reuss]()
May We Rise by K.G. Reuss
Possessive. Violent. Perfect. Mine.After our time at Black Falls High, we moved to Mayfair, the college of my dreams. With my singing career taking shape, Fox’s football career off and running, Ethan’s photography, and Enzo and Cole’s. . .well, whatever secret things they do happening, life seemed good.Too good.If there’s one thing I know about my life it’s that nothing good ever lasts...Categorized as:
alpha male college from hate to love friends to lovers mafia new adult cruel hero reverse harem -
![The Devastation You Reap by Tracy Lorraine]()
The Devastation You Reap by Tracy Lorraine
He never wanted me. He only wanted retaliation. But I’m not the monster he thinks I am...Categorized as:
new adult college cruel hero from hate to love second chances dual-pov sports contemporary -
![Touched By The Devil by Angel Lawson, Samantha Rue]()
Touched By The Devil by Angel Lawson, Samantha Rue
Fights, sex, and fast cars. Those are what Sebastian Wilcox is all about.On the outside he’s easy smiles and a quick temper, but on the inside, a war rages on. He told the Devils his biggest secret; during a vicious fight, he accidentally hurt someone who didn't deserve it. For months now, he's been cursed by the memory of her screams. But that’s not his only hidden truth... -
![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... -
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![The End Game by Kate McCarthy]()
The End Game by Kate McCarthy
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 31 ratings“Professional athletes are pillars of their respective communities. They are heroes in the eyes of boys and girls and are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that positively represents their community.” The public loves a good scandal. Seeing someone fall from the pinnacle of success makes a great headline. No one knows that better than I do...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers alpha male college high-school dual-pov contemporary bad boys -
![Betray Me by Selena .]()
Betray Me by Selena .
Used. Worthless. Broken. The Darlings think they won. They think they've beaten me, that I'm exactly what they call me--a dog. But there are things they don't know about my family. They don't know the lengths I'll go to get revenge. To protect my family. To honor my name. Devlin thinks he's done with me, but he's wrong. I'll never forget what he did to me, and I'll never let him forget...Categorized as:
high-school new adult from hate to love cruel hero mafia alpha male dark contemporary -
![Unraveling You by Jessica Sorensen]()
Unraveling You by Jessica Sorensen
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 36 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 -
![In Ruins by K.G. Reuss]()
In Ruins by K.G. Reuss
He was my best friend before he was my enemy.I’m a nobody at Black Falls High.When the school’s mean queen forces me to my knees in front of the student body, everything changes.Now, I’m back on my former best friend’s radar.And this time, he has his new crew and “no” isn’t part of their vocabulary.When a night out puts me in a compromising position, I’m at their mercy...Categorized as:
new adult from hate to love cruel hero mafia high-school dual-pov young adult sports -
![The Deceit of a Devil by Holly Renee]()
The Deceit of a Devil by Holly Renee
Sinless. Stunning. Damaged. Tempting. Allie Taylor had been the girl I hated for as long as I could remember. And now she loathed me just as much. It didn’t matter that I betrayed her to save her. Completely devastated and infuriated by my dishonesty, she had no intentions of ever trusting me again. Her trust was shattered, her hate raging on with each second... -
![A Whole New Crowd by Tijan]()
A Whole New Crowd by Tijan
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsTaryn grew up in a different world. Her boyfriend was a criminal. His older brother was part of a gang. They weren’t great people, but they were her family. Then everything changes when she’s adopted by a family in the neighboring town. New family. New friends. A new world. She’s elated...Categorized as:
alpha male mafia college friends to lovers new adult high-school contemporary young adult
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