Books like 'Empire of Pain'
Readers who enjoyed Empire of Pain by J.L. Beck also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance mafia suspense super rich hero age difference pregnancy new adult alpha male breeding
-
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 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... -
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
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... -
-
Born in Blood Collection Volume 1 by Cora Reilly
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 17 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
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... -
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 . -
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
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 super rich hero mafia m-f contemporary dark length-medium explicit-plentiful -
SCARS by Jaimie Roberts
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsI had the perfect school, the perfect friends—the perfect life ... At least, that’s what I thought. But you changed all that. You are always there ... Always watching ... Always waiting in the shadows. You send me flowers and messages. You stalk me, trace my every movement.. -
Brutal Saint by Luna Kayne
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHARLOW IS HUNTING HER SISTER’S KILLER.AND COLE IS HUNTING HER.COLE SAINTThe woman my family is looking for is the one-night stand I can’t get out of my head, and her life depends on me getting to her first.Harlow is sunshine and light.I live in the shadows, among the dark and the damned, but there’s something about Harlow that makes me want to take care of her... -
Tangled Promise by Ella Miles
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI can’t keep my promises. I’ve made too many, to too many people. All the promises have tangled into a web of sin and truths. But there is one thing I’m certain of…I have to end this—us. This is Book 4 in the Sinful Truths series... -
Fallen Love by Ella Miles
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI’ve fallen in love, then out. In… Out… Now, I’m more confused than ever. I always thought falling in love would be easy. It would feel right when I fell for the right woman. With Siren, does it feel so right, yet so wrong? This is Book 5 in the Sinful Truths series... -
Broken Anchor by Ella Miles
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI’m broken. He’s broken. We are broken. But sometimes you have to shatter to pick up the pieces. To start over. To overcome our enemies. And find out if we can love again. He’s my anchor, but can our love be repaired? This is the final book in the Sinful Truths series... -
-
Harder Betrayal by Penelope Sky
I knew a relationship with Cauldron wouldn't be easy.But I underestimated just how challenging it would be...Categorized as:
suspense super rich hero mafia new adult contemporary dark from hate to love explicit-plentiful -
Blackbird by Molly McAdams
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Molly McAdams comes a powerhouse romantic suspense that will have you questioning your morals and second guessing your view on love. I live in a world few know exist. I’ve trained for this. I know what to say, what to do, and how to act. I’ve perfected the lethal calm required for this life. Now it’s time to buy my first girl... -
The Arrangement by K.C. Crowne
He's nearly twice my age.He may have k*lled my ex-boyfriend.And his scandalous offer leaves me speechless. An intimidating Russian mobster arrives at my door...Demanding settlement for debt my horrible ex left in my name.Maksim, with his piercing dark eyes, sparks a fire within me.He proposes the repay him with my body. I refuse instantly—yet the proposal lingers, haunting my restless nights... -
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... -
Dark Seduction: An Age Gap, Office Romance by K.C. Crowne
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhat’s more humiliating than the walk of shame?Walking into your new job…Locking eyes with the dominating stranger.And realizing he’s your boss.Lev Ivanov.Dark. Commanding.The most irresistible silver fox I've ever seen.After rescuing me from a sketchy situation,He didn’t just suggest dinner— he demanded it. Curiosity won over caution, and that night became the most passionate of my life...Categorized as:
age difference mafia alpha male suspense new adult super rich hero boss & employee dark -
A Lovely Confession by Coralee June
Sometimes, I wondered if he was real. Our time together was short, but it left a lasting impression on me. I’m older now. Wiser, too. Five years have passed, and I still can’t get him off my mind. Hunter was cruel, angry, and protective. I learned his secrets and he fled. The day he left, I vowed to find him... -
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 mafia dark contemporary from hate to love -
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... -
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... -
House of Heathens: The Complete Trilogy by Alta Hensley
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA villain is made.A monster is hidden.A viper who is forbidden.Together, they are the Gods Among Men.Welcome to the House of Heathens.Within these walls, you are captive to a world of decadence and sin.Where dangerous secrets hide in the shadows.And a family tree with roots so twisted, they bind and strangle each unlucky generation...Categorized as:
alpha male age difference pregnancy breeding super rich hero dark daddy-kink from hate to love -
-
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 .. -
Possessed by Lies by Ella Miles
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI fought my way back, and now I’m possessed. I’ve healed the wounds that kept me trapped. I’m done fighting it. I’m hers. Completely. I just don’t know if she feels the same. What if the empire we’ve been building crumbles along with our love?Possessed by Lies is book 5 in the Truth or Lies series. It continues Enzo and Kai's story... -
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... -
Crown of Bliss: A Billionaire Mafia Romance by B. B. Hamel
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHis obsession. Her salvation.At my lowest, I accept an unimaginable clean up a murder scene to earn one-hundred-grand.Problem is, my employer doesn’t plan on letting me survive the night.That’s when I meet Lanzo Torrent. He’s gorgeous, chaotic, frustrating, and my only salvation. He says he can save my life, but I have to trust him first.Lanzo drags me into his war...Categorized as:
suspense new adult mafia age difference super rich hero contemporary forced proximity vengeance -
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... -
Blackness Within by Norma Jeanne Karlsson
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFighting to find his worthy place in life… This is the story of a woman that has worked tirelessly to build her own life from nothing. While the task has been exhaustive, it’s been worth every drop of sweat to earn her own slice of normal. Natasha Reynolds has built a life beyond an absent mother and a drug addict brother to become a home-owning, dog-loving nurse... -
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
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... -
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... -
Highest Bidder by K.C. Crowne
A million dollar bid for an hour with me...Brings me face to face with a magnetic man with a heart colder than Everest. He's dark, commanding, and most of all... charismatic as h*ll.In fact, the night we met, my mysterious bidder had me wanting to do things I'd never admit. I did them willingly, feeling secure in the fact I'd never see him again. Boy was I wrong.. -
-
Endless by W. Winters
From 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... -
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... -
A Very Fake Boyfriend by Scarlett Avery
The commitment phobic billionaire agreed to be my fake boyfriend to a wedding from hell. He never signed up for a surprise baby.When my evil stepsister announces her wedding to the cheating ex-boyfriend she stole from me, I’m determined to be a no-show.My Irish mother won’t hear of it. She’s dead set on her crusade to hold this family together, so she makes it mandatory I suck it up...Categorized as:
super rich hero pregnancy age difference new adult m-f contemporary dark curvy heroine -
-
Promised to the Killer by B.B. Hamel
Her family tossed her aside like a broken doll.But she's my shining treasure and I'll kill to make her mine.Siena Bastone is going to die. She's the cast-off traitorous daughter of a minor mafia family with deliciously pouty lips and a wicked tongue.But after we spend one unforgettable night of sin in a hotel room, I can't walk away.I pull her from her family's clutches and make her my own...Categorized as:
new adult suspense mafia pregnancy alpha male contemporary bad boys from hate to love -
Respect by Aleatha Romig
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRespect - An Infidelity series Novel “The making of a man” An EPIC mafia love story not to be missed. From New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a stand-alone novel, a spin-off from her beloved Infidelity series... -
Dirty Pool by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTo get what he wants, he’ll have to play a game of dirty pool. Michel Marcello never wanted to be a mafioso like every other man in his family—he wanted to be more. That doesn’t mean he’s unfamiliar with the life, or that he can’t hold his own against other made men... -
The CEO of Cristo by Sophie Lark
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI Lost The Love Of My Life…My best friend betrayed me.He stole my company and my freedom.I might have forgiven that. But there’s one thing I’ll never forgive. He ripped my love from my arms and wrapped her up in his.He sent me to Hell. Now I’m back. For her, and for my revenge… “The CEO of Cristo ” is a Secret Baby Billionaire Romance, inspired by Alexandre Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Cristo”... -
SINS of the Syndicate: The Debt by Lexxi James
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTia/I've done my best to avoid him.But when his dark eyes lock onto mine, this time,I know there's nowhere I can go. Nowhere I can hide.Nowhere he won't find me.He is Smoke. Head of the D'Angelos.Gorgeous and haunting. Brutal and ruthless.He rules Chicago, and I owe him a debt.And now…he owns me.Smoke/I should send her away…This beautiful, innocent girl that conjures the best and worst in me...Categorized as:
suspense super rich hero alpha male age difference mafia multicultural dark contemporary -
Redemption by Nicolina Martin
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI can be a good soldier. Or I can claim what is rightfully mine. I have my Get rid of the pretty brunette with the sweet laugh and heart of gold. But as I watch her, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, I’m captivated by her. She is everything I’m not, pure where I’m tarnished, the light to my dark, and I’m suddenly desperate for the sun. Wanting her is a betrayal all of its own... -
-
Nikolai: Through The Devil's Eyes by Shandi Boyes
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNikolai Popov was raised in a criminal entity that’s as bigoted as it is violent. A byproduct of a woman pushed to the brink, he’s lived a hard and fast life that often sees him facing a line-up, yet he's not spent one night behind bars.After a confrontation with a known enemy, Nikolai stumbles upon an angel precariously balancing on the balustrade between good and evil... -
Bratva Bastard by Misty Winters
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsCrissyA kind stranger calmed me down from one of the worst flights of my life.I forgot my Xanax and started to have a panic attack, 30,000 feet in the air.Little did I know that day would change my life forever.Maxim Kozlov looked and acted the part of a kind stranger. He’s a massive, powerfully strong bastard with brutal, deep blue eyes that promise all kinds of delicious things...Categorized as:
mafia pregnancy age difference suspense alpha male arranged marriage contemporary dark -
Ruthless Heir by Sienna Snow
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI'm the player, the gambler, the one without a heart or soul.There isn't a risk I won't take and a challenge I won't meet.Then she came into my world, melting the ice in my veins and showing me a life a man like me never deserved.But it was all a lie.She chose a safer, easier path, realizing too late, it was riddled with chains... -
Borgata by Katarina E. Tonks
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSamantha finds herself imprisoned in a world of illegal trade and criminal activity, where she must face the consequences of her actions and repay her father's debt. She also will try to resist a mob boss, who understands her on a much deeper level than her heart can allow... -
Onyx Heart by Mya Grey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings💥Plotting to kill someone is one thing. Learning he’s your baby’s father? Well, fate's got a f*@ked-up sense of humor. I had one Send Leonid Kuznetsov to his grave. The man they call "The Raven."The monster who killed my brother.For years, I've dreamt of the moment I'd stand over Leonid Kuznetsov's body, the man responsible for my brother's death, And watch as the light faded from his eyes... -
Deceived by Jennifer Rose
The first time my gaze locked and held with the doe-eyed beauty named Devyn, she unknowingly became mine .I’ve watched from the shadows, biding my time and planning our future, waiting for the right moment to prove to her that she belongs to me.She gave me the perfect opportunity when she fled to Hollow Hills Campground in the RV, running from her past...Categorized as:
breeding age difference suspense new adult from hate to love dark contemporary explicit-plentiful
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences

Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.