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 m-f suspense independent heroine tortured heroine from hate to love small town
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Eulogy by Rachel Van Dyken
The next book in the internationally bestselling mafia series… All is lost. All. I don't recognize myself in the mirror anymore. My thoughts are filled with hatred and dripping with rage. I've lost my soul. She took it to the depths of Hell with her and haunts me with images of what could have been. Sixty lives are mine to take. Sixty lives stand in the way of my vengeance... -
Slingshot by K.L. Savage
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsShe slingshotted her way into my heart. I’m a laidback kind of guy. I don’t like to take life too seriously. I’ve experienced serious and I’ve gone through the bad life has to offer. I’m ready for the good in life. I wear my heart on my sleeve just so someone can take it. Someone does…Natalia Moretti. Out of all the people for me to love, why does it have to be her?The frenemy’s daughter... -
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... -
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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... -
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 -
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...Categorized as:
alpha male bad boys mystery suspense forbidden love new adult other-man-woman contemporary -
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 -
Heads You Lose by Bea Paige
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsBeast…Beast in name. Beast in nature.Once upon a time Tales was my home.I was the second in command and the best goddamn fighter the club had ever seen.I fought. I won.Every. Damn. Time.Until one day I lost trying to protect the princess from the true monster of this f*cked-up fairy tale.She shunned me, sent me away.Now I’m back to tell her the truth, not some tale full of half-truths and lies...Categorized as:
new adult age difference bad boys from hate to love forbidden love mystery suspense contemporary -
Jerry's Passion by Chiah Wilder
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe first time Jerry saw Kylie, he was taken by her beauty and innocence, but he stayed away because she was too young. A member of the Insurgents MC, Jerry’s life revolves around the club, his Harley, and easy sex. Women clamor for the rugged, tatted outlaw’s attention, and he obliges, but his sights are set on the pretty, young blonde who is all grown up now—sweet curves and all…... -
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 . -
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War and his Queen by Amo Jones
The Elite Kings Club left a trail of fear behind every person who whispered their names throughout the centuries that they’d existed. They were the product of every nightmare you were told as a child, only now, they don’t go bump in the night. They race modified cars, throw parties to conceal their morbid games, and leave behind the kind of chaos that can never be tamed...Categorized as:
suspense mystery new adult angst forbidden love strong heroine cold heroine sassy heroine -
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... -
Dirty by Callie Hart
Face 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... -
Queen's Move by Nikita Slater
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 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... -
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 -
Thy Kingdom Come by Monica James
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMonsters are real.When I was five years old, I watched my mother take her last breath-a breath three monsters stole from her.I never chose this life. My father says it's my birthright, but all I see is a curse. It's because of the Kelly name my mum was slain by the Doyles-our enemies in Dublin, the fellas livin' on borrowed time.All of Belfast fears my family, especially me... -
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 -
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 forbidden love sassy heroine strong heroine tortured heroine bad boys -
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It Kills Me by Penelope Sky
My father has chosen me to succeed him in the family business.But if I want the job, it comes with stipulations. And one of those stipulations is to never mix business with pleasure. AKA, don't sleep with anyone on the job. My father leads by example, and not once have I ever seen him get involved with anyone, not even his beautiful assistant. That was an easy rule to follow...until Axel...Categorized as:
forbidden love age difference suspense m-f mystery new adult angst competent heroine -
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 -
Vile by Lulu Waters
EVERLEE VERA This isn’t the life I’m meant to live—stuck on the arm of a rich asshole while he has a pissing contest with other rich assholes. They’re all puppets, playing a dutiful role that condemns them to hell until death do they part. Hatred pushes me forward. Lust fuels me. And there is only one guy who checks both: Holden Van. My boyfriend’s enemy. The guy who flusters me beyond anything... -
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 -
Keep Me by Summer O'Toole
I’m fascinated by the stories dead bodies tell. And murdered bodies tell the most interesting ones. A dark, enemies-to-lovers, bodyguard romance, perfect for fans of Sophie Lark’s Broken Vow and Brynne Weaver’s Black Sheep. When bodies start turning up with connections to her father’s cartel, Regenia Cortez is pulled back into the dangerous world she left behind years ago... -
Tethered Souls by Beth Flynn
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 15 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... -
The Final Hour by London Miller
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 28 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 .. -
The Saint by Kimberly Kincaid
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHis partner’s most trusted informant is his only hope…and his only weakness.When Detective Liam Hollister is assigned to an assault-turned-murder, he brings his signature three “C”s: control, calm, and composure. The “C” he wasn’t counting on? His partner’s informant, Carmen Desoto, who’s not only the key to unlocking his case...Categorized as:
suspense tortured heroine forced proximity from hate to love forbidden love mystery angst new adult -
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The Way We Are by Shandi Boyes
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSeven years in heaven awarded me seven years in hell. I’ve admired Savannah Fontane since I saw her whizzing down our street on her hot pink bike with rainbow tassels taped on the handlebars. I was in awe someone so small could ride without training wheels, I asked my mom to remove mine that same afternoon. Savannah drew a rainbow heart on my cast the very next day... -
Imperfect Intentions by Charmaine Pauls
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA DARK ROMANCEI never dreamed of getting married.I dreamed about freedom.When my stepfather promised Leon Hart a partnership in his clandestine software company, he offered me as part of the package deal. It’s a win-win situation for both men. My stepfather gets rid of his damaged stepdaughter, and Leon becomes second-in-command of the biggest underground IT operation in the country...Categorized as:
alpha male new adult mystery age difference suspense slow burn forced proximity from hate to love -
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 angst bad boys alpha male new adult age difference height-difference forced proximity -
Wicked and Bare by Shayla Black
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJoin Matt and Madison for the conclusion of their Wicked Lovers: Soldiers For Hire love story. Coming July 18, 2023!**Wicked and Bare is part of the Wicked Lovers: Soldiers for Hire romantic suspense series. Stories in this series are told in a duet of two full-length novels. Each duet can be read as a standalone... -
The Confession Duet by K.D. Robichaux
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIt was love at first sight. Not just for Vivian, but for Corbin as well. Their eyes locked across the room, and that was all she wrote. But they didn't rush things. They wanted to do it right. After all, they would spend the rest of their lives together. The love of each other's life. Soul mates. He was the intense and fiercely protective soldier, and she was his doting and faithful lover... -
Amore, Part 1 by Bella Jewel
“It is not love that defines us, Julietta. It is love that destroys us.”I’m just a normal girl. Or so you would think. I’ve never thought of myself as anything different. Until I met him.He doesn’t think I’m normal. He thinks I’m special. Special enough to be in his life. Special enough to enter his world. Special enough for his bed. Rafael Lencioni. Dangerous. Beautiful. Terrifying...Categorized as:
suspense alpha male forbidden love bad boys age difference new adult other-man-woman betrayal -
The Devil's Crown by Monica James
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsI was feared.Respected.Worshiped.But all of that changed when the impossible happened—I fell in love. Only those feelings weren’t reciprocated, because who could love a monster like me?My empire crumbled. People died. I went from being a victorious leader to lurking in the shadows, planning revenge on my half-brother who now reigns in my place...Categorized as:
suspense age difference alpha male from hate to love bad boys betrayal contemporary dark -
Son of a Gun: A Marked Men and The Point Crossover by Jay Crownover
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHeavy is the head that inherits the crown.The only thing on Daire Archer’s mind when she pulled a disappearing act on Christmas was proving she was worthy of being her father's daughter. She was born an Archer, which was a blessing and a curse, and Daire was determined to show everyone she deserved to carry the legacy that came with her name...Categorized as:
suspense new adult bad boys tortured heroine from hate to love forbidden love forced proximity m-f -
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... -
It's Our Secret by W. Winters
From romance author Willow Winters comes a USA Today best-selling emotionally gripping, standalone, romantic suspense. Allison: It was only a little lie.That’s how stories like these get started.But with every lie I told, he saw through it.I think in his heart he knew I was broken; he felt my pain as if it was his.And that’s what changed everything.He’s the reason it all fell apart... -
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Mistakes Made by Marie James
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe worst thing you can ever do is make an assumption about me, despite my job resting solely on making people think I’m someone I’m not.I know that makes me crazy, narcissistic, and a little out of touch with the reality of how the world works.I’ll never argue that fact with anyone.Maybe it was the hundred-degree Texas weather.Maybe it was overstimulation from the crowds at the beach...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love bad boys alpha male forced proximity contemporary dark length-short -
Gilded Thorn by Ember Davis
VLADI’ve been watching and waiting for a chance to get Laurel in my arms. I shouldn’t want her since she’s the Orlov princess, but I don’t care that our families have spent generations killing each other. All I want is her. She will be the Petrov family’s queen.I know her power, her strength, and her softness; I crave all of her. I’ll lure her to me and then I’ll never let her go... -
The Society by Erin Mc Luckie Moya
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsWhat happens when you're born into a secret society? When your great-grandfather was a founding member? Do you have a choice whether you stay or not?And the benefits that befall you with such a position? The easy college access and high powered positions - the multinational firms... -
His Perfect Darkness by Lee Savino
The Stalker:The first time I saw my little bird, I knew she belonged to me.She’s new to the city, all alone. She doesn’t know who I am, but I’ve been watching her. Stalking her in the shadows, keeping her safe. Killing anyone who threatens her.I’ve built a cage around her, luring her in. And when it’s time to reveal myself to her, she won’t be able to escape.In every way, she will be mine...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense m-f caretaking slow burn bdsm competent heroine cold heroine -
Make Me by C.D. Reiss
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDario Lucari kidnapped me when I was just a bride sold for territory…and made me a captive wife.He will never free me. I am his property and he lets me know that every time he hurts me.My hate for him burns hotter than the embers of love. But for how long?***Make Me is the second book in the trilogy...Categorized as:
forbidden love alpha male suspense from hate to love abduction new adult mafia contemporary
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