Books like 'Contempt'
Readers who enjoyed Contempt by A. Zavarelli also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
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Sancte Diaboli: Part Two by Amo Jones
He held a darkness that could never be touched. She carried a light that could never be seen. Not by anyone. Only by each other. Simply two halves of the same soul, Brantley and Saint were fused together with equal parts wrath and peace. Nothing could break through their bond. Nothing. Until now... -
Firefly by Molly McAdams
The next captivating installment in New York Times bestselling author Molly McAdams’s Redemption series. As the Princess of the Irish-American Mob, there’s no shortage of men ready to help guard and protect me. To slowly suffocate me to the point of seeking freedom—a place where I can breathe. Kieran Hayes has been saving me for as long as I can remember... -
Broken by J.L. Drake
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsWho is Savannah Miller?The mayor’s daughter. A wealthy elite. The media’s favorite wild child.But it’s all a lie.I secluded myself to protect my father’s reputation.Then, on my twenty-seventh birthday, I let my guard down.Kidnapped.Beaten.Starved.The men who took me treated me worse than a stray.Days blurred into weeks and left my dignity broken... -
Pieces of a Life by Jewel E. Ann
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsThe summer before fourth grade, Colten Mosley moved into the house across the street from mine, and we became inseparable.He played the piano and baseball.I had a penchant for dead things while at the same time imagining what it would be like to kiss Colten.We were filled with curiosity and overly active imaginations.We were also forbidden to be more than friends.But that didn’t stop us... -
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Police Brutality by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFor the first time in a long while, Emery Hazard’s life is good. His new business as a private detective is taking off. Things are good at home. He loves his boyfriend, John-Henry Somerset; he loves their daughter. He might even love the new friends they’ve found. There’s only one problem: Somers has been talking about marriage... -
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... -
Dirty Truths by Jaymin Eve, Tate James
You know that saying, things can’t possibly get worse? They always can. I thought I’d reached a whole new low the day I ran from Bellerose. The day I was snatched by mafia goons, beaten half to death, and left wishing they’d finish the job. But then an Angel saved me. His kind of salvation wasn’t the freedom I’d been hoping for, though...Categorized as:
super rich hero rockstars suspense mystery pregnancy forced proximity friends to lovers dual-pov -
Code Name: Pisces by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 14 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... -
But I Need You by W. Winters
Some love stories are a slow burn. Others are quick to ignite, scorching and branding your very soul before you’ve taken that first breath. You’re never given a chance to run from it. That’s how I’d describe what happened to us.Everything around me blurred and all that existed were his lips, his touch… The chase and the heat between us became addictive... -
Extreme Risk by Jane Blythe
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsCan she accept an offer of help from a patient she’s attracted to?Dr. Piper Hamilton is used to keeping on the fringes. She knows what it's like to be responsible for the death of someone you love and she'd do anything to protect herself from feeling that pain again... -
If We Disappear Here by Mindy Hayes
They are marionettes under a concrete sky.Pain shoots through Maeve Campbell’s body when she wakes cold and disoriented, locked in a neglected cement room.Her drowsy eyes sweep the cell and land on a masculine, limp body across the room. Gripping his shoulder, she rolls him to his back, face angling toward her. Only it’s not who she thinks.It’s not her husband.And they aren’t alone...Categorized as:
mystery suspense forced proximity angst cheating friends to lovers abduction forbidden love -
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... -
Savage Sin: Bellamy Brothers 1 by Helen Hardt
Rated: 4.78 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsEnter a world of mystery, suspense, sin, and heart-wrenching emotion with Helen Hardt's new series!In prison, they called him Savage.Falcon Bellamy spent years locked up for a crime he didn’t commit, which shattered his dream of serving his country as a Navy SEAL. When he's granted early parole to help with a family emergency, he’s determined to reclaim his life...Categorized as:
suspense super rich hero dual-pov forbidden love m-f contemporary alpha male sassy heroine -
Drew by Siobhan Davis
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe explosive finale in the highly addictive Rydeville Elite series. Mistakes and secrets. My life is littered with them. And it’s not always me who pays the price. So, I do something I swore I wouldn’t do—become the monster my father raised me to be. To shield my loved ones from the predators I hunt, I keep family and friends in the dark, but I won’t apologize for protecting them...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense dual-pov forced proximity first-person-pov m-f abuse bdsm -
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Savage: The Awakening of Lizzie Danton by L.A. Fiore
They call him a monster. Pale blue eyes as cold as ice that see right through you. He’s hard. He’s damaged. He’s dangerous. He lives in a castle fit for a fairy tale, but he’s no prince. He’s savage. He’s brutal. He’s a killer. By an act of fate, our worlds collide. They call him a monster, but he is my salvation...Categorized as:
suspense mystery super rich hero pregnancy grumpy sunshine height-difference m-f contemporary -
Good Trouble by Lani Lynn Vale
Bain met Diana, a.k.a. Luce, the night before he was set to deploy to Afghanistan. It’s not every day that you take your brother’s girlfriend to prom because he refuses to put out the effort. That night was one of the best nights of his life and the next day, he leaves and doesn’t see her again. But there are letters. Not many, but enough for them to form a connection... -
Path to Retaliation by TheFeveredBookaholic
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsUnder-the-radar boxer Cameron West loves to get through life in a series of humor and mischief. He'll be there to charm your panties off and give you a good laugh about it right after. But it's true when they say that the happiest people often hold the darkest secrets... -
A Divided Heart by Alessandra Torre
Can you love two men at once? Is there any future in that?Brant loves me fiercely.A brilliant billionaire who has owned my heart for four years, he keeps proposing, and I keep turning him down.I can’t marry him, not with all of the secrets between us.Lee uses me wildly.As grouchy as he is cocky, he's interested in getting me into his bed and little more...Categorized as:
angst love triangle dual-pov cheating super rich hero mystery contemporary age difference -
Tormentor Mine: The Complete Series by Anna Zaires, Dima Zales
A lethal mercenary bent on vengeance. The innocent woman standing in his way.Dr. Sara Cobakis’s quiet suburban life is turned upside down when a darkly handsome Russian assassin breaks into her home and tortures her for information. But the nightmare doesn’t end there.Because Peter Sokolov returns, and this time, he’s determined to keep the pretty young doctor for himself.No matter what it takes...Categorized as:
from hate to love abduction military angst suspense pregnancy dual-pov first-person-pov -
The Devil's Lair by Penny Dee
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsMassimo De Kysa.The man who stole my first kiss.And now my boss.I learned early how life can turn on a dime.That’s how it is when you grow up as a mafia princess.One minute you’re rich, spoilt, and betrothed to the most revered man in the city—the next your broke and selling your designer bags so you can eat.But I’m not the kind of girl who gives up without a fight...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense friends to lovers mystery forced proximity dual-pov virgin heroine dark -
Elect by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 55 ratingsWould you die for the one you love? Nixon Abandonato made his choice. And now he has to pay the price. Tracey is the love of his life, but being with him has made her a target of his family's enemies. The only way to keep Trace alive is convince the world she means nothing to him... -
Let Me Love You by Brittney Sahin
Love is a risk for a woman in danger and a mercenary sworn to protect in a blistering novel of vengeance and redemption by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brittney Sahin. Six years ago, Maria Romano got her birthday wish―a kiss from Enzo Costa. A man she could never take her eyes off, but who seemed as haunted as her favorite book boyfriends and strictly off-limits...Categorized as:
friends to lovers suspense military forced proximity grumpy sunshine mystery m-f age difference -
Hellfire by Cathleen Cole, Frank Jensen
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsShe’s his best friend’s little sister, but he’d risk everything to have her…HellfireSmoke would kill me if he knew all the dirty, depraved things I want to do to his little sister. For years, I’ve been forced to look and not touch.She’s been mine since the first time I saw her, even if she doesn’t know it.But when yet another threat to the club comes out of the woodwork, I decide I’ve had enough... -
Copper by K. Webster
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFrom USA Today Bestselling Author K Webster, comes a new MC dark standalone novel!I’m a Fed.Rigid. Rule follower. One of the good guys. I uphold the law…when it suits me.My loyalty lies first with my brother, Koyn, and secondly with his motorcycle club.Jeremy Koynakov was the man I used to be. I’m Copper now. For a decade, I aided my brother in his quest for revenge. We thirsted for vengeance...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love mystery m-f dual-pov first-person-pov dark age difference -
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Erik's Salvation by Nyssa Kathryn
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsShe’ll mend his broken heart. He’ll shatter anew to protect her.Hannah Jacobs is intimately familiar with pain. Growing up in foster care, she experienced all of its varying shades, in ways that still impact her as an adult... -
Bring Me Back by Kristen Granata
A contemporary romance about hope, mental health, and the healing power of love.After surviving a suicide attempt, Phoenix Bridges has been given a second chance at life—one she isn’t sure what to do with. When she’s released from a psychiatric treatment center, she moves into her family’s old shore house in New Jersey to figure out how to start over...Categorized as:
suspense forced proximity angst military friends to lovers dual-pov male-pov first-person-pov -
Erik's Refuge by Nyssa Kathryn
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe choice is simple…surrender or perish.In the blink of an eye, he became her everything. Her hero. Her savior. Her whole world. Hannah and Erik are finally building the future she’s longed for…but it doesn’t include a family. Erik’s already felt the pain of losing a child before he even experienced the joy of holding them in his arms. It’s not something he’ll risk again...Categorized as:
suspense military dual-pov pregnancy super rich hero mystery forced proximity age difference -
Deviant Princess by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you the next installment of her new dark mafia, high school bully romance series.I should have known better than to play with fire...I’d been burned by Theo Cirillo enough to know that I should have seen this coming.He loved to show me his merciless side, but I couldn’t stay away from the deviant even if I wanted to...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense forbidden love forced proximity mystery m-f first-person-pov dual-pov -
Fixate by K.E. Osborn
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe’s a part of me.Even though I don’t know her name.The woman I’ve been exchanging letters with and developed feelings for over the past five years. But I can’t help feeling torn in two when I’m suddenly pulled toward another. Maxxy, the club’s horticulturalist, is strong, sassy, and she gives me so much lip the aggravation is exasperating.She infuriates me. She ignites me...Categorized as:
suspense mystery friends to lovers angst forced proximity from hate to love alpha male bikers -
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... -
Opal: A Wolfes of Manhattan Novel by Helen Hardt
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe lashes out with spite and venom. He fights back with anger and passion.Being held captive on a South Pacific island and forced to submit to the depravity of strange men was horrific, but it wasn’t the worst experience of Kelly Taylor’s life. Abused as a child and abandoned once she turned eighteen, Kelly is now free…except for the threatening text messages she’s receiving...Categorized as:
dual-pov suspense military super rich hero contemporary alpha male dark length-medium -
Last Resort by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom USA TODAY Bestselling Author Janie Crouch. Previously published as Texas ChanceShe 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... -
Captive Rival: Armani by Stella Gray
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI thought I could walk away…but Armani Bellanti wants me for keeps.My intentions were good.I thought I was on the side of angels.But all my plans led me straight to hell.There’s nowhere for me to turn.My whole world is his cage.I have no one.No one but him.He silences me with cruel kisses.I taunt him with his desire for me.We don’t trust each other, but we can use each other...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love super rich hero forced proximity dual-pov angst mafia contemporary -
Cruelest Vow by Piper Stone
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe was my forbidden fantasy. Now, he's my greatest enemy. D'Artangan Conti was born into poverty, a stable boy in my family's savage regime. I was born into the life of luxury yet tormented by my father's brutal actions, longing to escape. Our friendship forbidden, the young man with the piercing sapphire eye and the voice of an angel became my everything...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense super rich hero m-f friends to lovers contemporary mafia spanking -
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Black and Brown by A.E. Via
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGrace’s composed, yet lethal disposition balances his partner Mirage’s impulsive nature, creating a duo—the second-generation Brown Ravens—with the potential for greatness. Grace was one of the most decorated sharpshooters in the Marines. He’s fiercely committed to righting the wrongs that plague the world and protecting the innocent...Categorized as:
military forbidden love suspense forced proximity dual-pov from hate to love m-m dark -
A Reckless Note by Lisa Renee Jones
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 21 ratings“I can chase you, and I can catch you, but there is nothing I can do to make you mine.” ― Morrissey It all started with a note, just a simple note hand written by a woman I didn't know, never even met. But in that note is perhaps every answer to every question I've ever had in my life. And because of that note, I travel thousands of miles. I look for her, but find him... -
Naked Truth by Lisa Renee Jones
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsJax North. He's handsome, brutally so, and wealthy. Our first encounter is intense and sex is my escape. I go with it. I go with him and what a ride it is. And then, I say goodbye. Only you don't say goodbye to a man like Jax if he doesn't want you to. I've challenged him without meaning to. He wants me. I don't want to want him, and yet, I crave him. And he tears me down, my resistance, my walls...Categorized as:
mystery suspense super rich hero dual-pov from hate to love contemporary dark length-epic -
Deception and Chaos by S.M. Soto
Sophia Cova lived a quiet, normal life, shadowed in sadness after the loss of her parents in a tragic airline accident. With her older brother being her only living relative and her anchor, Sophia is sure she’s destined for a brighter future. But that was until she was taken. Stolen from her mundane, orderly life, she was drugged, and woke to every woman’s worst nightmare... -
Sapphire Scars by Nicole Fox
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsHe’s my ex’s brother.A terrifying mob boss with a past too dark to share.And when he finds out I’m pregnant, he becomes something else, too:The husband I never asked for.Kolya Uvarov crashed into my life at a funeral and saved me from a mega-creep.Classic meet-cute, right?Not exactly—because it was his brother we were burying.A.k.a., my ex-boyfriend.A.k.a...Categorized as:
pregnancy suspense forbidden love love triangle forced proximity angst from hate to love abduction -
When We Lied by Claire Contreras
A brand new hockey romance from New York Times Bestselling Author Claire Contreras set in the same world as Until I Get You...Finneas Alexander Barlow is a walking thirst trap. Tall, hot, and broody. Tousled brown hair, chiseled jaw, alluring green eyes, perfect teeth, well-groomed beard, broad shoulders, and lips good enough to bite...Categorized as:
from hate to love grumpy sunshine mystery dual-pov suspense forced proximity love triangle angst -
Secret Vendetta by Kathy Lockheart
LUNABaptized in blood, I’m marked for death.Each time it comes, he appears. My masked protector.Saving me for reasons only known to him.But the Vigilante is playing a deadly game.One I must stop before he claims another soul.My new boyfriend, Hunter, vows to keep me safe.But what if we become the final casualties in the Vigilante's secret vendetta?VIGILANTEI’m the most dangerous man in the city... -
Wickedly Betrayed: Jaded Hollow by Alex Grayson
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThe vow that Mac and Mia made as children, to save themselves for each other, was broken the night of Mia’s eighteen birthday. Betrayed by the man she never expected to hurt her, Mia’s no longer the sweet and innocent young girl she once was. She’s cold and hard, letting no one except family get close to her heart. In Jaded Hollow, things aren’t what they seem... -
The Rogue by Kimberly Kincaid
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe scars that cut deepest are the ones beneath the surface…Detective Addison Hale is a survivor. The armor she uses to hide her scars keeps her safe on the job, and holding people at arm’s length is a small price to pay when there’s a stalker on the loose.Especially since he’s after the sister of impulsive firefighter Ryan Dempsey, who she had a scorching-hot fling with two months ago...Categorized as:
friends to lovers mystery suspense military contemporary dark firefighter length-medium -
Phoenix by Helen Hardt
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDon't miss the gripping conclusion to the Wolfes of Manhattan/Gems of Wolfe Island series!A threat. A ghost from the past. A murder.And two tortured souls who find solace in each other.Ex-Navy SEAL Leif Ramsey—known as Phoenix—has fallen hard for spitfire Kelly Taylor, but the first order of business is to protect her from whoever is sending her threatening texts... -
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Damaged Kingdom by MJ Crouch
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsMari Marcosa always knew she would die young, so being left to bleed out on a warehouse floor is no shock to her. But as the blood seeps from her body, her thoughts aren’t of the Marcosa empire she's ruled for years, or the city she's given everything to protect. It's on the three men who’ve stood by her Greyson: her soul, her foundation. So hard and reserved, showing emotion only to Mari... -
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... -
Reaper by Rachel Leigh
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThey call me the reaper.Saying I have no soul. A heart that’s charred black. I tell them it’s true,because it is. I’ve been hiding in the shadows.Stealing secrets, destroying the lives of those who deserve it. But there’s one story to be told before this book closes. My story. Don’t be fooled, it’s not a fairytale. I’m no prince.And I certainly don’t want a princess... -
The Night Blossoms by Leylah Attar
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Leylah Attar returns with a page-turning romantic suspense/thriller that careens down an emotional highway toward a chilling finale. Dark, thrilling, and ingeniously unpredictable...Categorized as:
suspense mystery pregnancy friends to lovers dark contemporary multicultural length-medium -
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... -
Gabby's Protector by Janie Crouch, Regan Black
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter a heart-shattering tragedy, Tony Marino bottled up his emotions and gave more than twenty hard years to the SEAL teams. Now, he’s enjoying a later in life career in paradise in the Ellington Cove special security office.The best part? Working with their research expert, Gabby Ladd...
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