Books like 'Brutal'
Readers who enjoyed Brutal by A.J. Merlin also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance suspense m-f horror praise-kink bad boys primal-play spanking working class heroine
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This is Who I Am by Cherise Sinclair
When trying to save a woman from slavers, Sam screwed up. Royally. Now Linda wants nothing to do with him. Or with BDSM. She won’t even admit she’s a masochist. As a dominant and sadist, he can give her what she needs, and when an opportunity arises, he slips into her life, intending to make amends. She’s everything he knew she would be…except for her bullheaded determination to be ‘normal’... -
![Buttons and Devotion by Penelope Sky]()
Buttons and Devotion by Penelope Sky
If I don’t give her what she wants—I’ll lose her forever. When Sapphire became my muse, it was supposed to be a business transaction. We both got what we wanted—until she wanted something more. If I don’t give it to her, give her all of me, she’ll walk out of my life. My father already granted his approval—so he would be disappointed if I let her slip through my fingers...Categorized as:
suspense strong heroine possessive hero m-f contemporary alpha male dark explicit-plentiful -
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![Buttons and Blood by Penelope Sky]()
Buttons and Blood by Penelope Sky
Crow Barsetti knows about me—and he doesn’t like it. I know he’s paying his top guys to dig up every piece of dirt they can find, but I don’t care what he discovers. There’s nothing I’ve done that he hasn’t done himself. All that matters is I love his daughter—and he’s going to accept it. I get a call in the middle of the night while Vanessa is dead asleep—and it’s him...Categorized as:
suspense possessive hero strong heroine sassy heroine m-f contemporary alpha male forbidden love -
![Trusting Skulls by L.M. Terry]()
Trusting Skulls by L.M. Terry
LexieI’ve been alone most of my life.I guess that’s why it started. The drinking … the men.They filled a lonely void, but lately the hit of dopamine they provide fizzles before it begins.I’m caught in a loop. It’s a repetitive cycle I can’t escape.No one noticed I’ve been drowning in it.Until Ash Taylor came to town. He extended his hand to me, but I’ve been reluctant to grab hold... -
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![Primal Pursuit by Bella J.]()
Primal Pursuit by Bella J.
Davian Stark is beautiful, twisted, cruel.And he’s going to die.By my hand.He’s one of the Elites of the Dark Sovereign.A bloodthirsty Mafia Assassin.And a hunter fueled by his need for the chase.If I want to get close to him, I have to give him something to hunt.Me.He made a mistake by letting me survive my family’s massacre. I've trained, fed my hate, and now, I'm ready to strike... -
![Buttons and Betrayal by Penelope Sky]()
Buttons and Betrayal by Penelope Sky
Conway paid off Knuckles to keep me—but he expects something in return. I belong to him exclusively, to fulfill every order he gives, personally and professionally. I’m more just his muse now. I’m his in every sense of the word. I live a life of luxury in his mansion, but he treats me like a servant. I can’t deny my attraction for him, but I despise the kind of man he is...Categorized as:
suspense strong heroine possessive hero m-f contemporary dark alpha male explicit-plentiful -
![Saving Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia]()
Saving Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsBeckett Taylor’s quest to be a better man has brought Eve Hartt back into his life, but sometimes it feels like they’re bound together with barbed wire. Though he longs to love her without causing pain, the wreckage of their past continues to crash down around them. Yet with the help of this brothers—and for his brothers—Beckett won’t stop trying... -
![Copper by Lilly Atlas]()
Copper by Lilly Atlas
Enormous, commanding, and hotter than sin, Copper is the only man Shell has ever wanted. Even as a young teen, when it was impossible and taboo to capture the attention of a grown man, she longed for him. For years, Shell clung to the dream of turning eighteen and finally being noticed by the Hell’s Handlers’ rough and gruff president... -
![Surrendered Innocence by Measha Stone]()
Surrendered Innocence by Measha Stone
He didn't ask for my surrender. He took it... -
![Chelsea by Addison Jane, Kaylene Osborn]()
Chelsea by Addison Jane, Kaylene Osborn
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsChelsea spent most of her life running. She was young when her parents were killed, and she was thrown into the system as just another statistic. One foster home after another, hell after hell. When things got too hard, her first instinct was to get out and fast. She didn’t mind being a club girl...Categorized as:
suspense bad boys new adult poor heroine m-f tortured heroine alpha male contemporary -
![Master Thor by Ann Jensen, Rogue London]()
Master Thor by Ann Jensen, Rogue London
Desperate times call for desperate measures.When I hit rock bottom I found Club Midgard was looking to hire. I knew nothing about BDSM when I interviewed with a man I couldn’t have dreamt up if I’d tried.In his world women are protected.In his world women are honored.In his world lay safety and happiness.ONLY if I gave him my submission...Categorized as:
spanking age difference bondage bdsm insta-love dark contemporary explicit-plentiful -
![One Night With Him: Jonathan and Monica's Story by C.D. Reiss]()
One Night With Him: Jonathan and Monica's Story by C.D. Reiss
Jonathan Drazen’s my billionaire boss.Or he was, until he fired me.Now he wants to make a bet.If I win, he’ll give me enough money to not care about this waitressing job.If he wins, I’m completely and utterly his for the night.I’m sworn off men, but I’ll take this wager. He’s hot enough to break some rules over.Besides, he’s still hung up on his ex-wife...Categorized as:
bdsm new adult age difference suspense bondage sassy heroine working class heroine m-f -
![Deny by E.C. Land, Elizabeth Knox]()
Deny by E.C. Land, Elizabeth Knox
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsI'll crucify every last one of them that hurt her.MalcolmI didn't think she was so important in my life until she was taken, and then everything changed. It became clear she was my entire world and my life revolved around her. I did everything I could to pull her from their evil clutches, and by the grace of God I found her in enough time.But I didn't find her soon enough. Sure, she was alive . -
![Andrey by LeAnn Ashers]()
Andrey by LeAnn Ashers
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsNicoleSince I was a little girl, raising my younger sister had always been my main priority. I never imagined, however, that taking care of her would put me in danger.Men came for her, but kidnapped me instead by mistake.Then he rescued me, and on that day, he claimed me.Andrey is mine just as much as I am his.AndreyThe second her eyes met mine I saw the fear in them... -
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![King of Pain by Piper Stone]()
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... -
![Undying by Madeline Sheehan]()
Undying by Madeline Sheehan
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA creation of chaos and lust, I was born into a world so foul, I made it my mission to find the beauty hidden within, to reveal the sun behind the clouds, the rainbows after the storms, the life that still exists even in death. One-third my mother, I had an infectious smile and a heart so big, there was room enough for everyone, no matter their sins... -
![One Killer Night by Trilina Pucci]()
One Killer Night by Trilina Pucci
“Whip smart and hilarious! Pucci is well on her way to literary domination.” —Abby Jimenez, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer.USA Today bestselling author Trilina Pucci cranks up the heat in this sexy slasher filled with dark family secrets, classic horror tropes, and banter as sharp as a deranged killer’s knife.Love is patient.Love is kind...Categorized as:
new adult horror suspense m-f height-difference sweet-hero possessive hero sassy heroine -
![Breathe Again by Nola Marie]()
Breathe Again by Nola Marie
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom the flames of sin I rose, by her virtue, I fell...I found her in my eleventh hour. My whiskey-eyed canary. Quinn.Call it Fate or destiny or whatever, but she is the melody to calm my madness. With her, the demons inside me quiet. She doesn't have a hold on my heart, she owns it. She is my everything.I've been given a second-chance and I’m not about to squander it... -
![Brothers Black 4: Braxton the Charmer (Brothers Black Series) by Blue Saffire]()
Brothers Black 4: Braxton the Charmer (Brothers Black Series) by Blue Saffire
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAward winning Author Blue Saffire presents Brothers Black 4: Braxton The Protector Book 4 in the Brothers Black Series I'll set fire to the motherf**king wind for her. That will never change. It's why I let her take me through the ringer. I understand her. I know what she needs. It's just at some point…she's going to need to figure out what she needs more. To hide or to be who we really are... -
![Twist Me & Keep Me by Anna Zaires, Dima Zales]()
Twist Me & Keep Me by Anna Zaires, Dima Zales
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor a limited time, get the first 2 books in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling dark romance trilogy in one convenient bundle! A seductive, thrilling tale of abduction and dark love . . .On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Nora Leston meets Julian Esguerra, and her life changes forever... -
![Amos y mazmorras: Segunda parte by Lena Valenti]()
Amos y mazmorras: Segunda parte by Lena Valenti
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 27 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... -
![Tethered Souls by Beth Flynn]()
Tethered Souls by Beth Flynn
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMy family has secrets. I’m always the good girl, doing what’s necessary to keep my loved ones safe. I've kept the darkest secrets from everyone I know. As painful as it is to hold them all inside where they live and gnaw away at me, that’s where they must stay. I haven't seen my closest childhood friend, Christian Bear, since I was a teenager—he hasn't changed a bit... -
![Hunt for You by Aimee Lynn]()
Hunt for You by Aimee Lynn
She wants to die. He's prepared to kill.Let the hunt begin...***** You think me murdering you is going to make you feel alive? No, I think knowing that my day is coming soon will make life a lot more interesting until it does. And then when it finally does, I won’t have to think about it anymore at all. That’s dark. You’re homicide-for-hire and you’re calling me dark? Touche... -
![Consumed by Truths by Ella Miles]()
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... -
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![Blackness Within by Norma Jeanne Karlsson]()
Blackness Within by Norma Jeanne Karlsson
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFighting to find his worthy place in life… This is the story of a woman that has worked tirelessly to build her own life from nothing. While the task has been exhaustive, it’s been worth every drop of sweat to earn her own slice of normal. Natasha Reynolds has built a life beyond an absent mother and a drug addict brother to become a home-owning, dog-loving nurse... -
![Blame It on the Shame: Part 3 by Ashley Jade]()
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 bad boys new adult age difference height-difference spanking strong heroine sassy heroine -
![Beauty & the Rose by Lee Savino, Stasia Black]()
Beauty & the Rose by Lee Savino, Stasia Black
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThe conclusion to the Beauty's Beast trilogyThey say the gods will accept no small sacrifice.To appease them you must give your all.I’ve sacrificed everything.Lived through loss, and learned to love.To take the beauty with the pain.The rose with the thorns.This love story isn’t perfect, but it’s ours.We’ll hold onto it forever.And hope our forever is longer than a day... -
![Mafia Fire by Shanna Handel]()
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![Kings of Kink by N.O. One]()
Kings of Kink by N.O. One
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA Why Choose Standalone NovelSometimes a queen needs a king…or three.My name is Madelina Mancini and as the younger sister to New York City’s most powerful mafia don, I’ve lived most of my life in the family’s protective bubble.Until I didn’t.Until evil found me and tried to destroy me.Happiness seemed impossible when all I felt was emptiness... -
![Scandalous Liaison by Piper Stone]()
Scandalous Liaison by Piper Stone
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsLove wasn't part of the deal. My full surrender was. Family. For most people, the thought brought happiness or comfort. For me, the sheer mention created anger. After all, I hated my ruthless father with a passion. Unfortunately, with my brother's impending marriage, I felt compelled to return to my hometown for a single weekend... -
![Conor Thames 2 by R.J. Lewis]()
Conor Thames 2 by R.J. Lewis
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCharlotte Miles waited. For eight long years she clung faithfully to Conor Thames, longing for his release. But rehabilitation doesn't come easy, and when Conor is finally released, he is not the same man he used to be. With love and determination, Charlotte battles to reclaim the man she loves and knows still lives inside him.For years Conor Thames lived in hell... -
![Scorched by Yolanda Olson, Jennifer Bene]()
Scorched by Yolanda Olson, Jennifer Bene
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsOne father. Two brothers.But there can only be one perfect son.Luke. Pater. Dad. The man left behind more than just a legacy when he died, and ten years is a long time to be without a guiding hand. I’ve done my best, tried to follow the rules my father bestowed on me when I was young, and now I have to fulfill a promise.I have to bring Cleo home... -
![Borgata by Katarina E. Tonks]()
Borgata by Katarina E. Tonks
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSamantha finds herself imprisoned in a world of illegal trade and criminal activity, where she must face the consequences of her actions and repay her father's debt. She also will try to resist a mob boss, who understands her on a much deeper level than her heart can allow... -
![Show It To Me by Kevin Barry Collopy, Grace Sidney Harold]()
Show It To Me by Kevin Barry Collopy, Grace Sidney Harold
Jake Whitney is working his way through college shaking his body and baring it all for strangers three times nightly at The Velvet Joystick lounge. It’s nice work if you can get it. The money’s good and so are the women, but temptations sneak up after dark and make it oh so very hard for a boy to crack those textbooks come daylight... -
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![Lock by Debra Anastasia]()
Lock by Debra Anastasia
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI met her among the chaos of a gang fight - one that I inadvertently started. Ember. Beautiful, feisty, and passionate. And the sister of Mercy, an infamous assassin.We fell for each other, hard. Until forces outside of our control intervened. Now, she's a prisoner, doing everything she can to keep her family safe. And I'm her guard, doing everything I can to set her free... -
![Bystander by Sassa Daniels]()
Bystander by Sassa Daniels
A Dark Bratva... -
![Merciless Union by Faith Summers]()
Merciless Union by Faith Summers
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsEverything changed overnight.Truth became my enemy, and the sting of betrayal dragged me into a web of lies.I’m damned if I fight to live and damned if I die. Both will be dangerous for the child growing inside me. I can’t trust Lucca to save us.Love is a myth we shouldn’t have explored.He was always my enemy.Love just made me forget and blinded me to the truth... -
![His Tinkerbelle by Vivi Paige]()
His Tinkerbelle by Vivi Paige
She’s got a beautiful life.I’ll gladly burn it down to save her.She’s been a thorn in my side for as long as I can remember—Belle Barrie.With a smile that shows a sweet disposition.And a body that invites total depravity.Belle thought she knew my world.Thought she could play with the big dogs.When her boss decides to play me, she’s caught in the crossfire...Categorized as:
new adult suspense m-f sassy heroine strong heroine bad boys possessive hero military -
![Always Watching by Lee McCormick, R.S. McKenzie]()
Always Watching by Lee McCormick, R.S. McKenzie
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsᴡʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴꜱ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴀ ꜱᴇʀɪᴀʟ ᴋɪʟʟᴇʀ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇꜱ ᴀ ᴄᴀᴍʙᴏʏ ɪꜱ ʜɪꜱ?ℝ𝕒𝕟𝕖𝕟My life has become a nightmare. A stalker intent on having me permeates my waking moments. Gifts and threatening messages greet me at every turn. Every cam session is filled with the fear of them watching me in my most intimate moments. One day, my stalker takes it a step further than words and attacks me in my home...Categorized as:
height-difference age difference spanking praise-kink bad boys bdsm dark hurt-comfort -
![Craving Redemption by Nicole Jacquelyn]()
Craving Redemption by Nicole Jacquelyn
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 50 ratingsAsa and Callie had nothing in common. He was an Ace, raised in the club and loyal to it above all else. She was a high school student with braces on her teeth and a narrow view of the world. They should have never crossed paths. But when Callie decides to defy her parents, and Asa goes on an errand for the club, their lives collide. He saves her, and she mesmerizes him...Categorized as:
suspense bad boys tortured heroine possessive hero sassy heroine age difference poor heroine m-f -
![Nomad Kind of Love by Nicole Snow]()
Nomad Kind of Love by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsJune Daniels watched helplessly as the Grizzlies Motorcycle Club destroyed everything she ever cared about. The ruthless gang controls her shattered life, condemning her to darkness without end...until she meets him. Aaron “Maverick” Sturm doesn't know what it means to settle down. The President of the Prairie Devils Nomads charter is way too hardened, untamable, and dominant for any old lady... -
![Forced to Cooperate by Piper Stone]()
Forced to Cooperate by Piper Stone
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI'm going to make her pay. Then I'm going to make her mine.Willow Church is not the first person who tried to put a bullet in me. She's just the first I let live. Now she will pay the price in the most shameful way imaginable. The stripes from my belt will teach her to obey, but what happens to her sore, red bottom after that will teach the real lesson... -
![Mafia King by C.D. Reiss]()
Mafia King by C.D. Reiss
Santino is my king. My lover. My husband.He’s the head of the Cavallo crime family and the moment he choked my vows from me, my life was bound to his.I’m done fighting my fate, until I hear two rumors, and I’m shaken to the core.One rumor about the past—that I wasn’t the first bride Santino took.Another about the future—a new bride is about to be taken... -
![Serial, Volume Three by Lily White, Jaden Wilkes]()
Serial, Volume Three by Lily White, Jaden Wilkes
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWith Donovan closing in, his feelings growing for Ronnie, and the sudden realization where their paths crossed before, Jude's composure might be cracking... -
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![A Very Fake Boyfriend by Scarlett Avery]()
A Very Fake Boyfriend by Scarlett Avery
The commitment phobic billionaire agreed to be my fake boyfriend to a wedding from hell. He never signed up for a surprise baby.When my evil stepsister announces her wedding to the cheating ex-boyfriend she stole from me, I’m determined to be a no-show.My Irish mother won’t hear of it. She’s dead set on her crusade to hold this family together, so she makes it mandatory I suck it up...Categorized as:
age difference new adult curvy heroine m-f super rich hero contemporary pregnancy dark -
![The Rocchetti Queen by Bree Porter]()
The Rocchetti Queen by Bree Porter
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsIn the shadow of a metropolis, there lives a dynasty that is tearing apart at the very seams...After the sudden brutal death that shook the Chicago Outfit to the core, the balance of the Rocchetti family has never been so unstable. Not only is each Rocchetti determined to gain more power for themselves, but their enemies are also gunning for the organisation...Categorized as:
new adult suspense strong heroine m-f contemporary mafia arranged marriage marriage of convenience -
![Tower by Measha Stone]()
Tower by Measha Stone
When Azalea meets Peter Titon, she’s sure it was a one-time chance meeting. But when her over protective mother leaves for a work trip, and the men left behind to protect her fail- she’s taken by Peter in the dark of night with no explanation. Peter isn’t one to explain his motives, and taking Azalea is no exception. He takes what he wants... -
![Dirty Secret by Bianca Cole]()
Dirty Secret by Bianca Cole
He’s my dirty secret, one I don’t think I can hide much longer.Killian Callaghan has haunted my fantasies for years.Ever since we attended the Syndicate Academy.He’s sinfully gorgeous, covered in tattoos, and totally off limits.There’s too much bad blood between the Callaghan family and ours.Five years after our last encounter, he comes blazing back into my life... -
![Desperate to Touch by W. Winters]()
Desperate to Touch by W. Winters
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Willow Winters comes a heart-wrenching, edge-of-your-seat gripping, romantic suspense. I ran from him, even though my heart knew better. Love was one thing, but survival another. He chose a life of crime. I never wanted any of it; I only wanted him. I left when the danger bled into my life, taking more than I was willing to sacrifice... -
![Evanesce by K.L. Savage]()
Evanesce by K.L. Savage
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEvanesce is ready to relax without her brother breathing down her neck, but the news she has for Tongue might just kick his fourth of July off with a bang. Between keeping a secret for Daphne and trying to avoid the blonde prospect, this trip to Vegas will be more than she bargained for. Knix came to Vegas, only keeping to the Kings clubs as he blows around the US...
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