Books like 'The Cruel Guardian'
Readers who enjoyed The Cruel Guardian by Isabella Starling & Kendall Hawkins also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance silver-fox alpha male mafia age difference arranged marriage suspense m-f
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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... -
![Enrage by Rachel Van Dyken]()
Enrage by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsEnrage is the next standalone in the international best selling mafia series, Eagle Elite.Part of a world I loathe.Part of a family who hates me more than I hate myself.Living with a girl who reminds me of my darkness.I'm. In. Hell.Also known as the Cosa Nostra.My life was over the minute I stepped off that plane.Son to a murdered mob boss.Heir to a throne of murder and lies... -
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![Judge by Teagan Brooks]()
Judge by Teagan Brooks
Judge I moved into one of the rental houses owned by the club while my own house was being built. I wasn’t happy about it, but I was too old to move back in with my mother, even for just a few weeks. It was a nice, quiet neighborhood. Until the girl next door moved in and turned my world upside down before I even knew who she was. River I had the worst luck... -
![Orbiting Mars by K.L. Savage]()
Orbiting Mars by K.L. Savage
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsI'm a car accident waiting to happen and it's only a matter of time before I crash into something.Every day that passes, every second I blink, the need to drink grows. Meetings aren’t enough. My willpower isn’t enough.Sunnie… The second I see her, I want to crash into her instead. But she may not be enough to kill the need.And when Sunnie tells me something that I can’t handle?I break. I run away... -
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![Slingshot by K.L. Savage]()
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... -
![Reluctant Surrender by Measha Stone]()
Reluctant Surrender by Measha Stone
I took her to protect her. I'll be keeping her as my bride.As her thong is ripped off and my belt lashes her beautiful bare backside for the first time, I can tell Maggie Dudek is finally starting to realize that defying a man like me has consequences.Painful consequences.Rigging a high-stakes poker game put her in danger, but that's not why she's face down on my bed... -
![Copper by Teagan Brooks]()
Copper by Teagan Brooks
Copper I needed a break, so I took off to my friend’s cabin for a few days for some peace and quiet. Instead, I found an injured woman in the woods claiming to be a lost hiker. I immediately knew there was more to her story, and I was right, but the bombshell she dropped was the last thing I expected. Layla I wasn’t sure how much more I could take... -
![Carson by Jane Henry]()
Carson by Jane Henry
Megan: Carson Flynn is dangerous and brooding.Intensely possessive.Angry, fierce...Haunted.He’s a member of the Clan. A criminal.And a single father who’d burn the world for his daughter.But when he turns his eye on me, I know I should run.I should definitely hide.But it’s already too late...Because when Carson sets his mind on something, he gets what he wants.And what he wants... is me... -
![The Enigma by Jodi Ellen Malpas]()
The Enigma by Jodi Ellen Malpas
A fatal blend of revenge and desire.After leaving her fiancé at the altar and quitting her job as a Miami cop, Beau Hayley stumbles through life, feeling only resentment. Injustice. Loss. Her mom’s death was called an accident. She’s not convinced. Grieving, she becomes numb to everything except the constant, biting pain of heartbreak and hate. She can see no light... -
![First by Penelope Sky]()
First by Penelope Sky
Hades retired from the business. Now it’s just me. Look at me now...bitter...angry...depressed. I resent my former friend so much, even hate the guy, but I’ve never been the same since he refused to forgive me. I meet a woman. She’s like all the others...beautiful, interesting, good at the fun stuff, but I don’t feel anything... -
![Code Name: Pisces by Janie Crouch]()
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... -
![Easy to Fall by W. Winters]()
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... -
![Saving Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia]()
Saving Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsBeckett Taylor’s quest to be a better man has brought Eve Hartt back into his life, but sometimes it feels like they’re bound together with barbed wire. Though he longs to love her without causing pain, the wreckage of their past continues to crash down around them. Yet with the help of this brothers—and for his brothers—Beckett won’t stop trying... -
![Becoming His by Ami Van]()
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:
mafia age difference alpha male suspense dark contemporary mystery competent heroine -
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![Captivated by Him by Measha Stone]()
Captivated by Him by Measha Stone
When the mob came after me, Jakub Staszek kept me safe. But his protection has a price... Me. When he caught me drinking underage in his club five years ago, Jakub spanked my bare bottom like a naughty little girl. But when he took off his belt today, he had a different use in mind for it. It was to bind my arms and leave me helpless for a much rougher, much more shameful lesson... -
![Rescuing Isabelle by Ellie Masters]()
Rescuing Isabelle by Ellie Masters
Rated: 4.78 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsKeeping her safe from a deadly cartel might be the easy part of our relationship…As a former NAVY SEAL and Guardian, rescuing Isabelle LaCroix was my job.Falling for her was not.But that didn’t stop me.Boy, did I fall hard.Just my luck… Izzy isn’t looking for happily ever after. Especially not with a guy like me... -
![Tempted to Kiss by W. Winters]()
Tempted to Kiss by W. Winters
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author W Winters comes an emotionally-gripping, romantic suspense. I fell for someone I shouldn’t have. I’m not the only person to ever do such a thing. I know that. And I’m not an awful person for desiring his touch, his kiss, his everything… but I knew I shouldn’t have indulged. There’s something about knowing it’s wrong that tempts me that much more... -
![Born in Blood Collection Volume 1 by Cora Reilly]()
Born in Blood Collection Volume 1 by Cora Reilly
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe first four books in the bestselling Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles in one big book!Bound By HonorBound By DutyBound By HatredBound By... -
![The Savage by Stella Andrews]()
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... -
![Untamed by M. O'Keefe]()
Untamed by M. O'Keefe
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsMarriage has always meant violence. I don’t trust it, but it’s the only thing keeping me afloat in these dark undercurrents. I married for safety but I got the most dangerous thing in the world—Ronan Byrne for a husband.Now we’re returning to Bishop’s Landing to face our demons. Mine. His. We have real enemies to conquer, but it’s the fear in my heart that beats the loudest... -
![Lone Star by Lauren Gilley]()
Lone Star by Lauren Gilley
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsFrom London, England to Amarillo, Texas, Michelle Calloway – now Michelle Snow – has spent her whole life with the Lean Dogs Motorcycle Club. The last two years, she’s served as the first lady of the Texas chapter, keeping the books and overseeing the club’s expanding legitimate businesses, including the bar named for her husband: Tastes Like Candy...Categorized as:
suspense age difference alpha male mafia contemporary bikers strong heroine dual-pov -
![Shattered by Bethany-Kris]()
Shattered by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 13 ratings“Don’t fall in love with me. I ruin beautiful things.” Love made him this way, but life makes him stay. Life doesn’t give a redo. There’s no rewind or pause button to take you back or stop time. Once something happens, it happened. The most tragic of those times in his life, the ones he wouldn’t get back and the moments he could never fix, reminded Demyan Avdonin of a bullet meeting glass... -
![Empire of Ash by Jagger Cole]()
Empire of Ash by Jagger Cole
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratings"Be careful what you wish for, little one..."A bit of advice: when you shoot for a king?Don't. Bloody. Miss.Empire of Ash is book 2 of a two-part duet which includes Burned Cinder and Empire of Ash. Both books will be released June 9th. The completed duet is a standalone story, with a HEA. This is a dark, twisted romance...Categorized as:
suspense mafia alpha male age difference arranged marriage silver-fox m-f contemporary -
![Deny by E.C. Land, Elizabeth Knox]()
Deny by E.C. Land, Elizabeth Knox
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsI'll crucify every last one of them that hurt her.MalcolmI didn't think she was so important in my life until she was taken, and then everything changed. It became clear she was my entire world and my life revolved around her. I did everything I could to pull her from their evil clutches, and by the grace of God I found her in enough time.But I didn't find her soon enough. Sure, she was alive . -
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![King of Pain by Piper Stone]()
King of Pain by Piper Stone
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsMy vows didn't make me his. My body did. Diego Santos may be wealthy, powerful, and sinfully gorgeous, but his slick veneer doesn't fool me. I know his true nature, and I had planned to end this arranged marriage before it even began. But it wasn't Diego waiting for me at the altar... -
![Forever by Penelope Sky]()
Forever by Penelope Sky
She’s mine once again but she’s practically a ghost. She’s just using me...not that I mind. But her indifference is suffocating. I mean nothing to her...less than what she used to mean to me. Admissions of regret and apologies aren’t enough to fix it. I have to return to the gypsy...and hope for the best...Categorized as:
suspense mafia m-f contemporary super rich hero dark length-medium explicit-plentiful -
![Heartless by Willow Winters, W. Winters]()
Heartless by Willow Winters, W. Winters
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author W Winters comes an emotionally captivating and thrilling, romantic suspense. At first, his words were harsh and his touch cold. I didn’t want to be in his presence any more than he wanted me there. I knew he was a dangerous man and he could destroy me if only he wanted to. That’s not what he wanted though. It’s not what he needed... -
![Endless by W. Winters]()
Endless by W. Winters
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author W Winters comes an emotionally captivating and thrilling, romantic suspense. He holds a power over me like no one else ever could. Maybe it’s because my heart begs to beat in time with his. Maybe it’s because my body bows to his and his alone. Maybe it’s because he thought he loved me before he even laid eyes on me... -
![The Devil's Crown-Part Two by Monica James]()
The Devil's Crown-Part Two by Monica James
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAll The Pretty Things Trilogy Spin-Off With the enemy dead, my throne awaits my return. But the reason I’m still standing is being held captive by another foe... -
![Pretty Evil by Stella Andrews]()
Pretty Evil by Stella Andrews
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen the cage door opens, freedom is a difficult temptation to ignore.Serena VieriMafia princess, protected her entire life for a very good reason.There is a target on her back.Her family believed she was better off not knowing but with knowledge comes a certain kind of power that she could sure use right now... -
![Harlem by Crystal Daniels, Sandy Alvarez]()
Harlem by Crystal Daniels, Sandy Alvarez
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI’m a cold-blooded killer.The debt collector.Enforcer for Fallen Ravens MC.My roots run deep in the dark underbelly of New York. I was raised by the devil himself, groomed to kill and destined to one day rule his Empire. Until an unforgivable act of betrayal caused me to walk away from it all, vowing to never return.I’ve created my own destiny.I live by my own rules.My loyalty lies with the club... -
![A Shade of Evil by Stella Andrews]()
A Shade of Evil by Stella Andrews
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsRevenge is a dish best served cold.Shade Vieri has no mercy. No compassion and no empathy.He is cruel, enigmatic, and deliciously dark.His instructions are clear.Find the Achilles heel of the enemy and destroy it.The enemy is a woman who slides across his soul like spun silk.A breath of fresh air in a dark, depressing world... -
![Until the End by London Miller]()
Until the End by London Miller
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsLauren Thompson After learning the truth behind her father's tragic murder, Lauren vowed never to go near another Volkov again, but sometimes matters of the heart are too strong to resist... Mishca Volkov As a Captain in the Volkov Bratva, Mishca has pledged his loyalty to the Vory v Zakone, but he soon finds himself at odds with the life he's always known.. -
![Ruthless Prince by Piper Stone]()
Ruthless Prince by Piper Stone
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAlexandra is a senator's daughter, used to mingling in the company of the rich and powerful, but tonight she will learn that there are men who play by different rules. Men like me. I could romance her. I could seduce her and then carry her gently to my bed. But that can wait... -
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![Celt. by London Miller]()
Celt. by London Miller
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWelcome to the Den ... Six minutes is all he needs to get a job done … Kyrnon “Celt” Murphy is one of the best thieves in the world. After all, his childhood was spent with a caravan of Irish Travelers that taught him everything he knows... -
![Deadly by Suzanne Steele]()
Deadly by Suzanne Steele
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSome people say she's a machine and maybe she is when it comes to Born Bratva business. When her father gifts her with a new bodyguard named Oleg she does everything she can to torment him. Through the years of watching over the Pakhan's daughter Oleg finds himself wrapped up in a dark, sadistic, out of control love. It is the only weakness he has ever known... -
![Eclipse Heart by Mya Grey]()
Eclipse Heart by Mya Grey
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratings💋Hating him should be easy—he killed my brother.He’s my sworn enemy… Instead, I'm fighting the urge to rip his clothes off. Every inch of me remembers that night—how his hard body felt claiming mine.Now, I’m living under Leonid’s control, Trapped in his house as his captive. Playing by his rules. It wasn’t supposed to go like this – Every day, every night, under the same roof... -
![The Chameleon by Amelia Shea]()
The Chameleon by Amelia Shea
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsTwo hundred fifty dollars. It’s exactly what Camille Gwin was worth twelve years ago when she was traded to the leader of the Underground to pay off a debt. Barely an adult, she was initiated into the harsh reality of a new world. The Underground. Camille knows how it works. Play the game or get played. Her rise in the Underground came at a cost... -
![Damaged Kingdom by MJ Crouch]()
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... -
![Merciless Union by Faith Summers]()
Merciless Union by Faith Summers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEverything changed overnight.Truth became my enemy, and the sting of betrayal dragged me into a web of lies.I’m damned if I fight to live and damned if I die. Both will be dangerous for the child growing inside me. I can’t trust Lucca to save us.Love is a myth we shouldn’t have explored.He was always my enemy.Love just made me forget and blinded me to the truth... -
![Ruthless Redemption by Eden Summers]()
Ruthless Redemption by Eden Summers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThey say love hurts—but they never mentioned it could make you bleed. His deceit was like wine.I drank it in. Let it intoxicate me.But he’s not the man I fell for.Matthew Langston is a lie.I’d run from him if I could. I’d flee. If only he hadn’t turned my family against me.Now, I have nothing. There’s no money, phone, or external support.Only him, and his obsession with winning me back... -
![Born Evil by Stella Andrews]()
Born Evil by Stella Andrews
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSome devils come dressed in sharp suits with eyes that seduce and a check box beside every wish you ever had. Some victims come dressed in innocence and ignorance, disguising a soul of pure fire. I am Troy Remington. Ruthless billionaire with a heart of steel. I offered Laura Kincaid the job of a lifetime for a very important reason... -
![Hold Me by LP Lovell]()
Hold Me by LP Lovell
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI’m a former slave. The sister of death. Collateral. He’s a bad man. A cartel boss— and my everything. I thought I was done being someone’s toy, but I was so very wrong. Safety is nothing more than a premise in my world, and it seems my own sister can’t be trusted. Loyalties will be tested, and even my big bad wolf might not be able to save me this time. A priceless pawn... -
![Angel's Promise by Aleatha Romig]()
Angel's Promise by Aleatha Romig
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsEverett Ramses came into my life like a hurricane on a dark New Orleans night. With a deep voice and penetrating gaze, his mere presence tingled my nerves and twisted my insides much like the city’s legendary stories of spirits and ghosts. As the ruler of New Orleans, Everett Ramses lives life hard and takes what he wants without apology.He wants me to be his queen... -
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![Persephone & Hades by Lee Savino, Stasia Black]()
Persephone & Hades by Lee Savino, Stasia Black
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsI’m king of the criminal underworld.I always get what I want.And she’s my obsession.Cora is new to the city of sin.Her innocent blue eyes beg for me to claim her.But I’m not the billionaire she thinks I am.There’s a darkness within me.And Cora is a shining light.She’s beautiful. A virgin.I’m ruthless. A beast.She found me for a reason.She’ll be my queen... -
![Sinful Promise by B. B. Hamel]()
Sinful Promise by B. B. Hamel
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI’m in his bed learning the limits of my body.Peter Calimeris. Greek mafia son, monster in a perfect suit, and the only man keeping me alive.He’s supposed to be my bodyguard, but he barely notices me.At least until Peter gets involved in a business deal with my half-sister... -
![The Devil's Crown by Monica James]()
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... -
![When Angels Seek Chaos by Addison Jane]()
When Angels Seek Chaos by Addison Jane
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAngelo Moretti was a man I should have stayed far away from. When my world was torn apart before my eyes, and I was left vulnerable and damaged, he was sent to protect me. He was hard. He was patronizing. And he was the most beautiful man I’d ever met. Every bone in my body told me to hate him, to despise everything he stood for. But I couldn’t... -
![Tame Me by J.L. Beck, C. Hallman]()
Tame Me by J.L. Beck, C. Hallman
She was a broken angel that had the light beat right out of her.I was the man responsible for her life, her protector… Rescued by my brother and shoved into my arms I never expected to fall for the fragile woman, with soft eyes, and lips that begged to be kissed... -
![The Gift by S.R. Jones]()
The Gift by S.R. Jones
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsKeep your friends close, and your enemies in your bed...ANDRIUSI’m the man they all fear. King of the murky world in which I live.A Bratva hitman with no mercy.Then she comes along, courtesy of a mob boss with no morals. She’s given to me.A gift...mine.To own, to keep. To do with as I please.With blonde hair, and violet eyes, and an innocence begging to be tarnished, she torments me...
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