Books like 'Cruel Beginnings'
Readers who enjoyed Cruel Beginnings by Lili St. Germain & Lyra Parish also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
dark romance new adult forced proximity from hate to love suspense abduction strong heroine mystery cliffhanger
-
The Body Keeper by Anne Frasier
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe Thriller Award–winning series continues as Detective Jude Fontaine finds a decades-old connection to missing children that will freeze her blood. A boy’s frozen body is found trapped in the ice of a Minneapolis lake. The horrifying discovery leads Detective Jude Fontaine and her partner, Uriah Ashby, to more bodies in the ice, all of twelve-year-old boys missing for twenty years...Categorized as:
mystery suspense strong heroine contemporary dark abuse heroine sleuth length-medium -
![Dare To Take by L. Ann, Claire Marta]()
Dare To Take by L. Ann, Claire Marta
Arabella Gray. Studious. Good Girl. Liar. I warned her. I told her I would break her if she stayed. Who knew watching her shatter would taste so sweet? Eli Travers. Outcast. Artist. Monster. He vowed to make me pay—to ruin me. Only now it's my own sin that will break me. The monsters of Churchill Bradley Academy are stirring and deadly dangers haunt the halls...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love new adult forced proximity mystery cliffhanger dark contemporary -
![]()
![]()
Sponsored links / Remove ads -
![Can't Go Back by Debra Webb]()
Can't Go Back by Debra Webb
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe past and the present collide in the final installment of USA Today bestselling author Debra Webb’s Devlin & Falco series, threatening everything these two detectives care about. Birmingham detectives Kerri Devlin and Luke Falco arrive at the scene of a double homicide to discover that nothing makes sense... -
![Monsters in the Dark by Pepper Winters]()
Monsters in the Dark by Pepper Winters
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsFrom New York Times Bestseller Pepper Winters comes the highly acclaimed USA Today Bestselling Series: Monsters in the Dark. Included in the following edition are:. TEARS OF TESS. "My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect. Then it all changed. I was sold. ". Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror. QUINTESSENTIALLY Q... -
-
![Beneath Dark Waters by Karen Rose]()
Beneath Dark Waters by Karen Rose
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsDeadly secrets lie beneath the murky waters of the Louisiana bayou in this pulse-pounding new romantic suspense novel from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Rose. There's no safe place for a child to hide when danger comes from every direction. Public prosecutor J. P... -
![The Broken Trilogy: Books 1-3 by J.L. Drake]()
The Broken Trilogy: Books 1-3 by J.L. Drake
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 15 ratings*The Complete Broken Trilogy In One Box Set. *. BROKEN #1. *** This is the first book in this series and it ends with a cliffhanger. Intended for 18+. ***. My name is Savannah Miller. My father is the mayor of New York. One day after my twenty-seventh birthday I was grabbed from behind. A cloth sack was quickly pulled over my head, and I was taken from everything I’d ever known... -
![Cardinal of Hope by Mia Smantz]()
Cardinal of Hope by Mia Smantz
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsCallie Jensen has officially taken a step into the world of romance, but even that can't be uncomplicated. She's pretty sure that more than one guy is showing interest in her, and with no experience on the matter, she's not sure how to handle it. It certainly doesn't feel normal. However, the harem she seems to be building with the Delta members is the least of her worries... -
![Away from the Dark by Aleatha Romig]()
Away from the Dark by Aleatha Romig
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsNine months ago, Sara Adams awoke with no memory. The man holding her hand told her she’s a member of The Light, a tight-knit religious group led by the terrifying and charismatic Father Gabriel. As a woman in the community of The Light, her duty is to be unquestionably obedient and to submit to the will of her husband... -
![My Sweet Cyanide by Amo Jones]()
My Sweet Cyanide by Amo Jones
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe survived evil. . .. Until a worse one decided she was his. Melissa Hart clawed her way back to Westbeach with a bakery full of dark humour and a strict no-bikers rule, determined to prove she could rebuild what was stolen from her. Melissa thrives on control... -
![Vicious Hate by Thandiwe Mpofu]()
Vicious Hate by Thandiwe Mpofu
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsDevastation tastes a lot like ash in your mouth. It feels like looming death hanging over your bones. It sounds like the violent shattering of your soul. It has an acrid smell much like that of rotting hearts. . . But most of all, devastation looks a lot like the beautiful, fiery girl with her fake sincerity and lies...Categorized as:
new adult suspense from hate to love cliffhanger sports dark siblings-bff length-medium -
![Mystic River by Dennis Lehane]()
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 75 ratingsWhen they were children, Sean Devine, Jimmy Marcus, and Dave Boyle were friends. But then a strange car pulled up to their street. One boy got into the car, two did not, and something terrible happened -- something that ended their friendship and changed all three boys forever. Twenty-five years later, Sean is a homicide detective. Jimmy is an ex-con who owns a corner store... -
![Indebted Series 1-3: Boxed Set by Pepper Winters]()
Indebted Series 1-3: Boxed Set by Pepper Winters
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSave $5. 99! Strictly Limited Time 99c for Debt Inheritance, First Debt, Second Debt. New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling Series. Seven books in total. This edition contains the first three:. Debt Inheritance. "I own you. I have the piece of paper to prove it. It's undeniable and unbreakable. You belong to me until you've paid off your debts. "... -
![Sinner by Sheridan Anne]()
Sinner by Sheridan Anne
Death surrounds me. Every step I take, there’s someone waiting for me in the shadows. There’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and now, I’m out here on my own, my hands stained with the blood of those I’ve killed to survive. Zade DeVil was my executioner, my most feared enemy, but he was also my protector. I wasn’t willing to cross that line with him, despite how much I may have wanted to...Categorized as:
suspense new adult from hate to love forced proximity cruel hero contemporary dark length-medium -
![Chasing The Dragon by T.K. Leigh]()
Chasing The Dragon by T.K. Leigh
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsHe’s trying to protect his heart…. She’s a shell of the girl she once was…. Can he chase away the demons threatening to destroy her? Mackenzie Delano craves control. After tragedy strikes during her freshman year of college, she compensates for the helplessness she felt by micro-managing every aspect of her life, from her business life to her social life…to her love life...Categorized as:
suspense new adult cliffhanger dark contemporary length-medium first-in-series standalone-first -
-
![The Elite Kings Boxset Vol. II by Amo Jones]()
The Elite Kings Boxset Vol. II by Amo Jones
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Elite Kings books 1-5. MADSHIP. Madison + Bishop. The Silver Swan. The Broken Puppet. Tacet a Mortuis. NATIL. Nate + Tillie. Malum: Part 1. Malum: Part 2. Riddle me this. .. -
![Unholy Bonds by Maya Raine]()
Unholy Bonds by Maya Raine
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThree serial killers connected by an unholy thread, tangled in a twisted chase for revenge and blood. In this game of hunters, who will become the ultimate prey? ***. He is every sin she wants to commit. Yara West spends her day as a Medical Examiner. At nights, she dons the mask of a twisted killer to satiate the demons in her head... -
![Six Degrees of Separation by Taylor V. Donovan]()
Six Degrees of Separation by Taylor V. Donovan
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 20 ratings*WARNING FROM THE AUTHOR:. By Degrees is an ensemble serial with continuing story lines. Six Degrees of Separation is the second installment, and it must be read after Six Degrees of Lust. Thanks. In the sequel to Six Degrees of Lust, F. B. I. team leader Samuel Shaughnessy and bar manager Machlan O’Bannon are exploring a new phase in their non-relationship...Categorized as:
suspense mystery cliffhanger contemporary men in uniform dark alpha male length-medium -
![Home Town Knight by Hannah Shield]()
Home Town Knight by Hannah Shield
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHe's a cowboy with a sheriff's badge. And the last man she wants as a Protector. Investigative reporter Genevieve Blake rolls into Hartley County, Colorado on a mission. She's determined to expose the Last Refuge Protectors as vigilantes and the local sheriff as corrupt. The last thing she needs is a distraction—especially in the form of a handsome stranger at the hotel bar...Categorized as:
suspense mystery from hate to love forced proximity cowboys insta-love humor military -
![Slaying The Dragon by T.K. Leigh]()
Slaying The Dragon by T.K. Leigh
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTHIS IS THE SECOND BOOK IN A TWO-BOOK DUET. IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ CHASING THE DRAGON, PLEASE START THERE. RECOMMENDED FOR AGES 18 & UP DUE TO STRONG LANGUAGE, EXPLICIT SEXUAL SITUATIONS, AND VIOLENCE. I should have resisted him, but I couldn’t. My addiction to him was all-consuming, the high from his touch unlike any other. Without him, I couldn’t focus, couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe... -
![Murder Girl by Lisa Renee Jones]()
Murder Girl by Lisa Renee Jones
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones returns with the second book in her electrifying series featuring Lilah Love, an FBI profiler who doesn’t fight her dark side—she embraces it. It’s Lilah Love’s job to inhabit a killer’s mind. The unapologetically tough FBI profiler is very comfortable there. But her latest case is making her head spin...Categorized as:
mystery suspense strong heroine cliffhanger heroine sleuth dark contemporary length-medium -
![Explode by E.K. Hunter]()
Explode by E.K. Hunter
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsRiley. Once upon a time, I thought I didn't need friends. I thought I didn't need a man. But that changed when my path collided with Kai Wolfe. I fell in love with the devil, and I couldn’t have been happier. That was until my world imploded. Left with the weight of a responsibility I didn't want, I was backed into a corner. And there was only ever one thing I would do when backed into a corner... -
![Vile Wicked Eyes by Candace Wondrak]()
Vile Wicked Eyes by Candace Wondrak
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMy name is Stella. I used to be empty, broken, a shell of a person watching as days passed me by. But then I found out the truth. What I’d done. What I wanted to do again. My three killers took me and shook my world upside-down, stopping only when I faced the fact that I was just like them. A brute. A monster. A beast with an innate craving to make others bleed... -
![The Marriage Auction: Season One, Volume Four by Audrey Carlan, Samantha Brentmoor]()
The Marriage Auction: Season One, Volume Four by Audrey Carlan, Samantha Brentmoor
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFrom #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Audrey Carlan, discover The Marriage Auction: Season One, Volume Four. What would you do for three million dollars? Four young women enter into a clandestine auction to be married to the highest bidders. For no less than a million dollars a year, for three years, each woman will do what it takes to secure her future... -
![Harder Betrayal by Penelope Sky]()
Harder Betrayal by Penelope Sky
I knew a relationship with Cauldron wouldn't be easy. But I underestimated just how challenging it would be. How can you love someone that refuses to love you back? How can you love someone that betrays you not once, but twice?Categorized as:
suspense new adult from hate to love contemporary super rich hero mafia dark audiobook -
-
![Stolen Dove: A Dark Secret Society Romance by Dahlia Vale]()
Stolen Dove: A Dark Secret Society Romance by Dahlia Vale
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe’s her captor, her hell, and the only man who makes her feel alive. Briar. I thought my nightmare ended when my husband died. I was wrong. In The Ravens’ world, widows like me don’t get freedom—we get auctioned. I ran to save myself, but they sent Cain to drag me back. He’s everything I should fear. But when his hand is at my throat, fear isn’t the only thing I feel. Cain...Categorized as:
suspense abduction from hate to love forced proximity length-novella audiobook dark m-f -
![Devil's Azalea by Roselyn Ash, Sasha Leone]()
Devil's Azalea by Roselyn Ash, Sasha Leone
Everyone has a first love. Mine’s just a little… darker than most. Rafael Moretti is a gorgeous monster. Tall and broad, he dominates New York’s underworld with an iron grip and cold, silver-gray eyes. But before he was the man everyone feared, he was my protector. My friend. The boy I could never forget. Then, tragedy struck. My father was killed, and Rafael was implicated in the murder... -
![Scarred Angel by Elle Maldonado]()
Scarred Angel by Elle Maldonado
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhere desire ignites between bullets, blood, and burning rubber. The man I last saw when I was just a girl came crashing back into my life—literally—after fourteen years. Same smile. Those same mesmerizing eyes. Only now, they’re darker, more haunted. He carries demons I can’t touch. And a past my father destroyed before I was born... -
![Desperate Lies by Ella Miles]()
Desperate Lies by Ella Miles
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsI lied. He lied. His search for answers is unrelenting. It makes me hate him, but I also want him. No, I can’t want him. I want to kill him, but I’d also die for him. I’m done relying on men to protect me. I’m the huntress, about to become the killer. Desperate Lies is Book 2 in the Lies Series. Ends on a cliffhanger. -
![Blackout by Janine Infante Bosco]()
Blackout by Janine Infante Bosco
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEvery fairytale is just a tragedy with a twist. And happily-ever-after is a fantasy. Give me the real, ugly love of two people battling their demons to make it work. Two people like us. When the stakes have never been higher, I turn to my past. After all, it's our favorite sins that always do us in. But even in the midst of my blackout, there she is. The beacon of light I don't deserve... -
![Brutal Saint by Luna Kayne]()
Brutal Saint by Luna Kayne
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHARLOW IS HUNTING HER SISTER’S KILLER. AND COLE IS HUNTING HER. COLE SAINT. The woman my family is looking for is the one-night stand I can’t get out of my head, and her life depends on me getting to her first. Harlow is sunshine and light. I live in the shadows, among the dark and the damned, but there’s something about Harlow that makes me want to take care of her... -
![Bound by Passion : A Motorcycle Club Romance by Ryan Michele]()
Bound by Passion : A Motorcycle Club Romance by Ryan Michele
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author Ryan Michele brings the action packed, suspenseful, spicy next generation of Ravage MC filled with angst, loyalty and family. Raid bled the blood of the club. Undeniably loyal. Focused on family. Determined. His thought processes would make any other man cringe. Calculating. Meticulous. Always thinking... -
![Texas Bodyguard: Chance by Janie Crouch]()
Texas Bodyguard: Chance by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe has secrets she prefers to keep hidden. Too bad he’s so good at getting to the truth. When a violent attack puts Maci Ford in the hospital, security expert Chance Patterson learns that she’s carrying his baby. Even though she ended their relationship, he’s determined to do whatever it takes to protect her and their child... -
![Last Resort by Janie Crouch]()
Last Resort by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom USA TODAY Bestselling Author Janie Crouch. Previously published as Texas Chance. She has secrets she prefers to keep hidden. Too bad he’s so good at getting to the truth. When a violent attack puts Maci Ford in the hospital, security expert Chance Patterson learns that she’s carrying his baby... -
![Nix. by London Miller]()
Nix. by London Miller
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWould you like a gift? Five little words . .. They should have meant nothing, just a proposition made by a man Luna Santiago didn't know for reasons she didn't understand. Five little words was all it had taken to open her eyes and see the new life he offered. With five little words, Kit Runehart owned her. -
-
![Tangled Promise by Ella Miles]()
Tangled Promise by Ella Miles
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI can’t keep my promises. I’ve made too many, to too many people. All the promises have tangled into a web of sin and truths. But there is one thing I’m certain of…. I have to end this—us. This is Book 4 in the Sinful Truths series. -
![Fallen Love by Ella Miles]()
Fallen Love by Ella Miles
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI’ve fallen in love, then out. In…. Out…. Now, I’m more confused than ever. I always thought falling in love would be easy. It would feel right when I fell for the right woman. With Siren, does it feel so right, yet so wrong? This is Book 5 in the Sinful Truths series. -
![Broken Anchor by Ella Miles]()
Broken Anchor by Ella Miles
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI’m broken. He’s broken. We are broken. But sometimes you have to shatter to pick up the pieces. To start over. To overcome our enemies. And find out if we can love again. He’s my anchor, but can our love be repaired? This is the final book in the Sinful Truths series. -
![Summer Sparrow by Emmerson Hoyt]()
Summer Sparrow by Emmerson Hoyt
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsRylee Adder left Eden thinking she’d put the worst day of her life behind her. She was wrong. Separated from her new family and Colton—the man she never thought she’d have to live without—Rylee finds herself in Boston facing her biggest challenge yet: surviving the Vipers’ Den...Categorized as:
from hate to love new adult suspense dual-pov contemporary dark small town length-epic -
![Hostile Devil: Giovanni & India Duet by Autumn Archer]()
Hostile Devil: Giovanni & India Duet by Autumn Archer
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratings6. Hostile Devil : A Dark Age Gap Mafia Romance (Souza Cartel: Giovanni). by Autumn Archer (Author) , Hostile Kingdom (Author). 4. 8 out of 5 stars (9). He's my devil. My forever. I've grown up around the Souza cartel, never fully realizing the brothers would never let me go. That the powerful gangsters around me would protect me at all costs... -
![Concealed Affliction by Harlow Stone]()
Concealed Affliction by Harlow Stone
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRyder has done his best to break my armor. It’s been a slow process but he’s reminded me what it’s like to feel again. I could never thank him enough for the toe curling and life altering experiences. He’s been my light in a hurricane-but even I know the sun can’t shine all the time. I have a big decision to make and it’s not as simple as just going left or right, forward or backward... -
![Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii Vol. 6 by Asuka Konishi]()
Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii Vol. 6 by Asuka Konishi
PLEASE DON'T SEND ME BACK TO WHERE I CAME FROM. Ripples travel out from the battle in Osaka, and Renji is none too happy with Shouma and Kirishima for involving his granddaughter. When a fight breaks out, Yoshino grabs a bat and breaks it up. But corporal punishment is not her style, never mind that Kirishima would absolutely take it and beg for more... -
![Darkness Follows by J.L. Drake]()
Darkness Follows by J.L. Drake
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEmily McPhee is in the clutches of a monster…. Despite the protection of her boyfriend Seth Connors and his colleagues with the Orange Police Department, Emily is imprisoned in a basement by her psychopathic stalker Jimmy Lasko. His bizarre behavior adds to her terror, and a video link forces Seth to witness her captivity, leaving him feeling helpless as he, the OPD, and the FBI search for her... -
![Delude by Jacob Chance]()
Delude by Jacob Chance
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsShe wasn’t part of my original plan for revenge, but one glance at her and I was entranced. I followed her for weeks, observing her habits. I’ve been in her apartment numerous times, learning anything and everything I can about her. She’s become an obsession and I’ll do whatever it takes to make her mine. It’s only a matter of time before I have her where I want her. . -
![The Final Hour by London Miller]()
The Final Hour by London Miller
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThree months pass without incident, leading Mishca and Lauren to believe they can finally move on from the past and build a life together. . .. but enemies both old and new lurk in the shadows, waiting for the opportunity to strike. When a dangerous threat presents itself, Lauren is forced to turn to the one person that would rather see Mishca dead than live happily ever after. . . -
-
![Even When I'm Gone by Nicole Fiorina]()
Even When I'm Gone by Nicole Fiorina
The second book in a heart-consuming series. Ollie. Forget everything you thought you knew. Hell, I don't even know myself anymore. For seven months I've been gone only to come back to be tested in every way possible. They say keep your enemies close, and my demons welcomed me back with open arms. My downfall is a necessary evil. But Mia is my endgame. Mia...Categorized as:
new adult suspense cliffhanger dark angst length-medium audiobook explicit-open-door -
![If You Dare by A.R. Torre, Alessandra Torre]()
If You Dare by A.R. Torre, Alessandra Torre
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsEqual parts Dexter and 50 Shades, this is the eagerly awaited new novel from A. R. Torre, author of the award winning erotic thriller, The Girl in 6E. The rules are the same. I can't open the door. I can't leave. I can't kill anyone. The only difference is, I don't set the rules anymore. Guards in grey uniforms do. It is everything I never wanted and everything I always deserved...Categorized as:
mystery suspense new adult strong heroine dark contemporary mental illness heroine sleuth -
![Hear No Evil by Ivy Fox]()
Hear No Evil by Ivy Fox
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsEvil cannot take hold of an unconsenting soul. Do not be amazed that hell is empty, since all the devils live here. One by one, they will meet their hellish fate. One down…. Three to go. Easton. A tyrannous society has discovered our most atrocious secret and decided to wage war on us. They’ve had their fun with Finn, and now it’s my turn to be their little puppet...Categorized as:
suspense new adult mystery from hate to love dark college contemporary length-medium -
![Thirty Days of Shame by Ginger Talbot]()
Thirty Days of Shame by Ginger Talbot
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA dark romance with trigger warnings! Book 2 of a 3 part serial. My captor's rules have changed . .. I’m still Sergei's prisoner. Freedom seems further away than ever. I swore I’d endure everything, and make him care for me. I accepted every cruel word, every punishing blow, until one day he looked at me with stark, naked hunger instead of hatred... -
![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... -
![Reclaiming Lola by Kylie Kent]()
Reclaiming Lola by Kylie Kent
⚠⚠⚠This is a dark romance containing scenes that could be triggering to some. This is not for the fainthearted. ⚠⚠⚠. Lola. They want me to be her. Lola. I’m not though. I haven’t been that girl for the last ten years. My childhood was stolen from me. And the monsters who took me, they make the devil look like a saint. I was nothing more than a slave, trapped in a nightmare with no way out...Categorized as:
suspense forced proximity new adult suicide mafia dark age difference friends to lovers
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.
