Books like 'Vicious'
Readers who enjoyed Vicious by A.J. Merlin also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance age difference somnophilia suspense m-f independent heroine tortured heroine small town from hate to love
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Sancte Diaboli: Part One by Amo Jones
The Devil comes with baggage, and not the kind you can lose. I was two years old when he saved me. I didn’t understand much at that age, but I remember the pale boy with hair as dark as ink, saving me from two evils. He said he would protect me; I just didn’t know he meant from himself...Categorized as:
new adult alpha male suspense bad boys from hate to love mystery possessive hero angst -
The Black Wolf by J.A. Redmerski
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 34 ratings-Series Reading Order-#1 - KILLING SARAI#2 - REVIVING IZABEL#3 - THE SWAN & THE JACKAL#4 - SEEDS OF INIQUITY#5 - THE BLACK WOLF--- Since devastating secrets were uncovered by Nora Kessler, Niklas Fleischer and Victor Faust have been divided as business partners and brothers... -
The Rising by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsYou can't rise from the ashes if you've never been burned.When notorious mafia boss Danny Black and lethal assassin James Kelly join forces to hunt down a mutual, elusive nemesis that threatens to destroy them both and take control of their city, they know they will be entering a deadly game... -
Once A Crime Lord by Mia Knight
It all ends here. It’s been two years since the Pyre family was ripped apart by a sadistic killer who will stop at nothing to take Gavin Pyre’s position as crime lord of the Las Vegas underworld... -
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The Resurrection by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsBook 3 in the Unlawful Men Series...Categorized as:
suspense alpha male mystery age difference forced proximity bdsm sassy heroine angst -
Behind the Hands That Kill by J.A. Redmerski
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 30 ratings-Reading Order-#1 - KILLING SARAI#2 - REVIVING IZABEL#3 - THE SWAN & THE JACKAL#4 - SEEDS OF INIQUITY#5 - THE BLACK WOLF#6 - BEHIND THE HANDS THAT KILL#7 - SPIDERS IN THE GROVE---Even professional killers need vacations, but for Victor Faust, his vacation in Venezuela is about more than relaxation and time alone with Izabel Seyfried... -
Pretty Stolen Dolls by Ker Dukey, K. Webster
Benny loves his pretty little dolls. As long as they do exactly as they're told. He keeps them perfect by brushing their hair and gives them pretty dresses to wear. He likes to toy with them late at night. One so timid but the other likes to fight. When his favorite doll runs away... despite the other doll promising to stay, his heart becomes broken and he can't help but cry... -
Seeds of Iniquity by J.A. Redmerski
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsVictor Faust’s new Order is growing. Business is good as there is no rest for the wicked in an underground world of hardcore criminals and contract killing. Relationships among the operatives have changed little over the past year—but things are about to change now, and all six high-ranking members of the new Order will be blindsided by an unlikely enemy... -
Wasted Lust: Sasha by J.A. Huss
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA GIRL WITH REGRETS... Sasha Cherlin died the night she let Nick Tate walk out on her for a life of crime. Her very essence was destroyed when they broke their promise to one another. A MAN WITH REMORSE... Nick Tate made his choice with her future in mind. He loved Sasha enough to know that leaving her behind was the only way to keep her safe. A PATH TO REVENGE.. -
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 alpha male m-f contemporary dark explicit-plentiful -
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 alpha male possessive hero strong heroine sassy heroine m-f contemporary forbidden love -
Code Name: Pisces by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsMy code name is Pisces. The stars say I’m independent, wise, and intuitive.Still waters run deep. I’m the leader of Zodiac Tactical’s guardian unit. We’re the bodyguards—the ones who stand toe to toe with danger and refuse to give any ground. We protect people who need it most.But what if who needs it most is a spoiled diva?I don’t normally take on movie stars...Categorized as:
suspense age difference alpha male mystery from hate to love m-f military contemporary -
Jersey Six by Jewel E. Ann
How far would you go for revenge? A hit-and-run accident leaves Jersey Six orphaned and homeless on the streets of Newark, shattering her dreams of school dances, pink nail polish, and a diploma. Eight years later, a burn victim with amnesia wanders into Jersey’s barely-existent life... -
Easy to Fall by W. Winters
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Willow Winters comes the epic conclusion to the heart-wrenching, edge-of-your-seat gripping, romantic suspense, Hard to Love series.With her I was always on the highest high. That's why it was so easy to fall. I never stood a chance without her. The two of us were made for one another. It's as simple as that. The world could try to rip us apart, but it would fail... -
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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 alpha male m-f contemporary dark explicit-plentiful -
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... -
Becoming His by Ami Van
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsDerrick King He and his brothers are the ruthless heads of a crime family. KINGS. They’ve built their empire to become what it is today, collecting fortune and power, bending rules and taking out whoever stood in their way. Tall, dark and sinfully gorgeous, Derrick as head of the family never went to bed alone yet never slept in a bed with any woman either...Categorized as:
age difference alpha male mystery suspense competent heroine dangerous heroine mafia dark -
Destructive King by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA mafia romance about love and loss by Rachel Van Dyken, the number one New York Times bestselling author of the Eagle Elite series.…When you awaken in the morning's hushI am the swift uplifting rushOf quiet birds in circled flight.I am the soft stars that shine at night.Do not stand at my grave and cry;I am not there. I did not die. — Mary Elizabeth Fyre "I'm sorry for your loss... -
Bed of Roses by D.V. Fischer
I never thought I'd fall for a murderer. As an old employee at a funeral home, Tegan's life had been full of corpses. When her parents died, she couldn't take being surrounded by death anymore. She had to get away, and to do that, she moved to a small, sleepy town in Utah. When Tegan rented a house sight-unseen, she had been told it would need a lot of work... -
Kade's Turn by Tiffany Snow
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsIt only takes a second, a fraction of a second, to forever change your life. That moment happened to me years ago. I did something you can’t take back, and I’d do it again. It’s a secret I’ll take to my grave—which is probably sooner rather than later—and that’s okay. I live with my choices... -
I Belong to You by Lisa Renee Jones
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsBook 5 in the New York Times bestselling INSIDE OUT series now in development for TV with Marvista Entertainment!Master... Being that person, that man, is how I define myself, how I allow the rest of the world to define me as well. And now, with a terrible loss shredding me inside out and someone trying to destroy my family to punish me, control is more important than ever. It is everything... -
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... -
The Savage by Stella Andrews
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIvan may be my name but I am best known as The Savage.Born and bred Bratva heir and loving every delicious minute of my life. That's why it was easy to kidnap the entitled Charlotte Richmond from her finishing school in England. It was my pleasure to hide her away while her depraved father searched for her.I have no heart, no emotion, and no morals.She is a bargaining chip, a means to an end...Categorized as:
from hate to love alpha male age difference forced proximity suspense m-f mafia contemporary -
Surrendered Innocence by Measha Stone
He didn't ask for my surrender. He took it...Categorized as:
bdsm age difference forced proximity bad boys suspense possessive hero m-f contemporary -
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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 alpha male bad boys new adult poor heroine m-f tortured heroine contemporary -
Forgery by Tate James, Michelle Lancaster
Dreams. Goals. Plans. You envision a dream, set a goal, and formulate a plan. I had diligently pursued all of these steps. I was on my way to obtaining my degree, engaging with breathtaking works of art, and unexpectedly falling into bed with my professor. Yeah, that last bit wasn't part of the grand scheme, but even I had to admit that it wasn't an unwelcome deviation... -
Queen's Move by Nikita Slater
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe declared war, she accepted the challenge. Vee is poised on the edge of a mob war. Born to the mob, abused by the mob, she is now ready to rise up and take over her dead husband's mafia holdings. She is queen in a beautiful and brutal city. She runs her organization with cool logic, passionate loyalty and an iron will. She's the perfect woman for the job... -
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 . -
Destructive by Jay McLean
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSome villains are made. Some villains are born. And some villains aren’t villains at all. Nate DeLuca was born into a life he didn’t want. Forced to walk a path that was already chosen for him. Grandson to a mob boss, he’s forever torn between his duty, his honor, his legacy, and the truth. But the truth is never simple, and it’s not at all what it seems... -
Inferno: Part 3 by T.K. Leigh
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMy life has always been a series of carefully constructed roads. Always the passenger, never the driver. Always the puppet, never the master. Always the pawn, never the queen.Except with Dante. He makes me feel like a princess, a goddess, a queen...His queen... -
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... -
Mac by Jane Henry
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBryn Aitkens is the daughter of my enemy.And my enemies must pay.Vengeance for the wrong done my family has driven me.Consumed me.And collateral damage means nothing.So I’ll charm the innocent girl.Seduce her.Win her over, heart and body.Ruin her for anyone but me.And then strike the Aitkens family when they least suspect it.For no enemy of the Cowen Clan goes unpunished…Including her... -
Unveiled by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsThe story of Livy and M's passionate love affair comes to a stunning conclusion in the final book in the One Night trilogy... -
Mind Maze by K. Webster
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsFrom USA Today Bestselling author K Webster comes a new dark enemies-to-lovers romance… They’ve shattered my mind, twisted my memories, and turned my world upside down.But the Crowne family isn’t finished with me yet.Haunted by Gareth’s death and trapped in their web of lies, I’m forced to keep playing their games...Categorized as:
from hate to love mystery age difference suspense forced proximity somnophilia dark contemporary -
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Savage King by Bella Ray
As the daughter of a judge, everything was black and white—but then I met HIM. I was never meant to be around men like him—men my father liked to put away.One night, I was a museum curator with a quiet life.The next, I was bound and beaten by the monsters my father locked up.Then he came for me.Antonio DeLuna isn’t a hero...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f age difference slow burn abduction tortured heroine alpha male bad boys -
Kingpin's Foxglove by Bree Porter
She needs to find the antidote...but there is no cure for love.After a year of marriage, Elena Falcone suddenly finds herself a widow and at the mercy of Konstantin Tarkhanov, Pakhan of the Tarkhanov Bratva. Determined never to return to her hometown, Elena makes a deal with the devil: Heal a sick woman and be granted her freedom...or fail and be returned to her family...Categorized as:
suspense new adult from hate to love age difference alpha male dangerous heroine mafia contemporary -
Before You Knew Me: An opposites attract romantic suspense novel by MaryAnn Clarke
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSometimes moving into a new future requires letting go of the past. If two clashing agents of change can change they way they see each other – they might just change the world for good, and build a beautiful future together. Attorney Sharon Beckett worked hard to lift her life out of the gutter...Categorized as:
suspense strong heroine mystery from hate to love forced proximity alpha male bad boys sweet-hero -
The Difference Between Someday and Forever by Aly Martinez
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe world took everything from us. As survivors of not only a plane crash, but two other impossible tragedies, we’d more than earned a life of peace. But time and time again, we were shown that fate had no intention of giving that to us. Remi and I were soulmates. Plain and simple. Our love should have died in the depths of our darkness, but the sun still exists even when it’s not shining...Categorized as:
suspense independent heroine angst mystery new adult m-f contemporary mental illness -
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... -
Followed by the Dark by Danah Logan
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Dark follows everywhere. She used to be The Bulldog; but she lost her bite. He buried the one person he should've protected; now, his life is driven by anger and revenge. Together they're toxic for each other, but neither can deny that something is there. FBTD is an age gap, enemies to lovers dark romance.★ The complete blurb will be revealed with the cover...Categorized as:
from hate to love age difference alpha male angst suspense new adult forced proximity contemporary -
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... -
Dirty Nasty Freaks by Callie Hart
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFace of an angel.Body of a god.And a mouth so dirty he could make the devil blush…Fix Marcosa’s time can be bought with money, but he isn’t selling sex. Murderers, rapists, criminals: if you’re on the wrong side of Fix’s moral code, you’re in trouble. The kind of trouble that winds up getting you killed. As a hitman for hire, Fix is no stranger to violence. He’s merciless. Relentless...Categorized as:
alpha male new adult suspense mystery age difference from hate to love bad boys strong heroine -
The Woman with the Target on Her Back by Jessica Gadziala
The mafia owed her a favor.One she never meant to cash in on.Until one night, she found herself needing help, and desperate enough to call the last man in the world she ever wanted to have to rely on. A man who she couldn’t seem to have a single civil conversation with.But for better or worse, she needed him to keep her safe... -
Maverick by Lilly Atlas
Stephanie Little firmly believes the world exists in two states: right and wrong; good and evil; unlawful and law-abiding. She chose her side the moment she joined the FBI and pledged to rid the world of as many criminals as possible. Maverick is everything Stephanie isn’t: inked, pierced, flirty, masculine as sin, but most of all, an outlaw...Categorized as:
suspense abduction small town sassy heroine strong heroine tortured heroine bad boys alpha male -
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Violent Ends by Jessica Hawkins
Book 2 in the White Monarch trilogy...Categorized as:
new adult alpha male from hate to love angst suspense age difference bad boys other-man-woman -
Midnight Blue by L.J. Shen
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsIt should have been easy.I needed the money. He needed a babysitter to keep him from snorting himself to death.I was cherry-picked especially for him. Responsible. Optimistic. Warm. Innocent.The worst part is that I should have known better.Alex Winslow. British rock star. Serial heartbreaker. Casanova with whiskey eyes.“Don’t get near the devil in a leather jacket...Categorized as:
from hate to love new adult angst bad boys alpha male forced proximity age difference m-f -
Oath of Possession by Jane Henry
Vivia Montavio is a traitor, and it’s my job to see to her punishment and interrogation. What a tragedy. She’s the hottest little number I’ve ever seen with that defiant little chin and eyes that spark with wit and boldness. I love a good challenge. We’re left with little choice when the truth outs. So I take her far, far away to La Cabina, a rustic cabin in the middle of nowhere...Categorized as:
suspense mystery abduction age difference strong heroine alpha male from hate to love bdsm -
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... -
A Lovely Obsession by Coralee June
My guardian angel is a devil in disguise. He hates me. He protects me. He watches me. My stalker is obsessed with keeping me safe. He calls me his prettiest debt. An assassin in the notorious Bullet gang, he uses his empire to control my life. Everything I know is a lie. What started as a debt turned into something more. What started as regret turned into obsession...Categorized as:
new adult suspense age difference alpha male from hate to love angst dark contemporary -
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...
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