Books like 'The Cruel Dark'
Readers who enjoyed The Cruel Dark by Bea Northwick also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical paranormal dark romance fantasy mystery suspense competent heroine tortured heroine cold hero boss & employee
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One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her.Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom of Blunder—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.But nothing comes for free, especially magic... -
![The Company of Fiends by Kathryn Moon]()
The Company of Fiends by Kathryn Moon
After eight years on the stage with The Company of Fiends, the glow of the spotlight is starting to wear thin for Hazel Nix. The theater is perfect for a girl like her—one with a secret she keeps even from her more monstrous peers—but playing pretend is only exciting for so long... -
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![The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden]()
The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
The Bear and the Nightingale, Katherine Arden’s enchanting first novel, introduced readers to an irresistible heroine. Vasilisa has grown up at the edge of a Russian wilderness, where snowdrifts reach the eaves of her family’s wooden house and there is truth in the fairy tales told around the fire... -
![Goldfinch by Raven Kennedy]()
Goldfinch by Raven Kennedy
The seductive and thrilling dark fantasy series comes to an end in this powerful finale. With sizzling romance, devastations, and triumphs, this is the epic conclusion to the gilded world of Orea that everyone has been waiting for.If there is ever a choice between her or the world, it's going to be her.One king caged my body.Another has caged my mind...Categorized as:
m-f first-person-pov tortured heroine possessive hero cold hero caretaking fantasy fae -
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![Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë]()
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Orphaned into the household of her Aunt Reed at Gateshead, subject to the cruel regime at Lowood charity school, Jane Eyre nonetheless emerges unbroken in spirit and integrity. She takes up the post of governess at Thornfield, falls in love with Mr... -
![Nocturnal by Clio Evans]()
Nocturnal by Clio Evans
I was his toxic obsession. He was my sadistic monster.Nora:When I took a job at St. Thorns university as a psychology professor, I encountered something—someone—unexplainable. Fascinating. And deadly.Alec Briar had the eyes of a killer.He’s a botanist who would rather rot in his greenhouse alone than deal with students, professors, or me...Categorized as:
suspense horror mystery m-f competent heroine independent heroine strong heroine 20th century -
![A Promise of Lies by Clare Sager]()
A Promise of Lies by Clare Sager
The King is dead. Long live the King. And death to his enemies. Bargained away to Dawn Court, Kat must play the part of a helpless human bewitched by the Day King. But beneath the veneer of submission, she’s playing a far more dangerous game—spying for Dusk Court, and for the one person who holds her heart: Bastian... -
![Thorns of Frost by Krista Street]()
Thorns of Frost by Krista Street
Being entered into the Rising Queen Trial is equivalent to death. If I win, I’ll marry my enemy. If I lose, I’ll marry another fae of the king’s choosing. Either way, my freedom is lost unless I find a way to escape.Intent on fleeing, I train my new affinities and learn what’s needed to survive while pretending to vie for the throne... -
![Wit'ch Star by James Clemens]()
Wit'ch Star by James Clemens
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsThe three deadly Weirgates are destroyed but the threat of the Dark Lord remains. And so Elena and her companions have gone their separate ways to prepare for what is yet to come. Elena herself has journeyed to the beautiful city of A'loa Glen, there to recover her strength and spirit. Enter Harlequin Quail.Some might call him a fool, but the little man in the jester's suit claims to be a spy... -
![In the Claws of the Raven Prince by Mallory Dunlin]()
In the Claws of the Raven Prince by Mallory Dunlin
To save my life, I became a slave. To keep it, I have to betray my soulmate. When the fae save your life, they own it—and you. But when an attack by the deadly half-manticore, half-fae Raven Prince reveals that my Court's greatest enemy is my soulmate, I'm offered a new Spy on my soulmate, and I'll be free at the end of the war. Expecting a dangerous monster, I agree... -
![How to Marry a Lich by Lizzie Strong]()
How to Marry a Lich by Lizzie Strong
Fans of The Addams family, Mary Shelley, and eldritch horror will gobble up this deliciously gothic monster romance.For the last five years, Dahlia Grayskull has sought solace in the shadows of the decrepit, and supposedly abandoned, Rosemont Manor. She's been hiding from her reputation as the shrew of King's Fall, her wicked stepfather, and the shadow of something much more deadly... -
![The Broken Girls by Simone St. James]()
The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
A suspense novel from the award-winning author of The Haunting of Maddy Clare...Vermont, 1950. There's a place for the girls whom no one wants--the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It's called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it's located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted... -
![House of Secrets by Darcy Coates]()
House of Secrets by Darcy Coates
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsSophie and Joseph’s escape from Northwood is short-lived. The beast survived, and attached itself to Joseph’s young cousin, Elise. Garrett writes to beg for their help. Joseph and Sophie travel to meet him at Kensington, a long-abandoned mansion that overlooks a dead town. The house offers a small hope: its original owner had dedicated her life to researching the monster that possesses Elise... -
![In Death We Part by M. Bonnet]()
In Death We Part by M. Bonnet
My routine was simple - classes, work, repeat - then an unearthed family secret changed everything. Four mysterious men shattered my life and stomped on the pieces until I had nothing left. They were strangers to me, but I was no stranger to them. They had been watching me… waiting until the time was right to strike... -
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![Bite The Terror That Feeds by Penelope Barsetti]()
Bite The Terror That Feeds by Penelope Barsetti
He gave me his word—and he broke it.Kingsnake promised me he would let me go once he found the cure, but he’s known this entire time and never once shared it with me. And now that I know the truth, that there is no cure, he still won’t let me go. Now I’m his prisoner once again.He asks to feed from me several times, but I refuse all his advances... -
![Murder on Hunter's Eve by Morgan Stang]()
Murder on Hunter's Eve by Morgan Stang
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA werewolf terrorizes the city of Lamplight!It's the week of Hunter's Eve, a yearly celebration of monsters, ghosts, and things that go bump in the night. But for Huntress Isabeau Agarwal, the event is a stark reminder that in her line of work, there is never a day's rest.Murders rock the city, and Isabeau is charged with solving them before the killer strikes again... -
![Slayer of the Pirate Lord by Rebecca F. Kenney]()
Slayer of the Pirate Lord by Rebecca F. Kenney
Risa works the docks in the port city of Knockaine, servicing multiple men each night. When she's offered a large sum of money to seduce and slay a particular man, she thinks the job will be easy--until she discovers he's a magically-gifted pirate captain with a suspicious nature... -
![The Soul Mirror by Carol Berg]()
The Soul Mirror by Carol Berg
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA scientific young woman probes the mysterious death of her magically gifted sister in this quasi-Renaissance epic fantasy sequel to The Spirit Lens.Anne de Vernase is fighting to hold herself together as scandal and tragedy tear her family apart. Her father remains at large, convicted of treason and murder thanks to her own testimony—and his pursuit of depraved sorcery... -
![A Hunt So Wicked by Britt Andrews]()
A Hunt So Wicked by Britt Andrews
Fans of Bridgerton and Game of Thrones will love this brand new dark fantasy romance.The guards arrive at my humble cottage with a ridiculous offer: Come to an exclusive and mysterious isle to compete for the hand of a royal husband.Enjoy a week of glittering balls, dancing, ostentatious wealth…and a royal hunt... -
![Hellbound With You by KazzenlX]()
Hellbound With You by KazzenlX
“Little lamb, let me tell you this. You’re standing before the gates of hell right now. Doing this means ruining your life. Are you ready to step down to hell with me?”As the silence dragged on, the man’s lips curved up into a triumphant, mocking smile and his hand landed on her head. He ruffled her hair and leaned in on her.“Hell is not a good place, at least for a little lamb like you... -
![Break Her by Cassie Alexander]()
Break Her by Cassie Alexander
I wanted her.She was just two floors away from me here in my castle.And some piece of her—naïve and inexperienced—wanted me.The man who was doomed to die at her hand.I could mostly ignore that fact, now that I was used to her presence, and my intermittent lust. But I wondered if not telling her about it was a bigger betrayal than not telling her about my arrangement with her father...Categorized as:
m-f forced proximity spanking cold hero super rich hero possessive hero competent heroine fantasy -
![A Dream So Wicked by Tessonja Odette]()
A Dream So Wicked by Tessonja Odette
A vicious rivalry.A forbidden desire.A curse only her enemy can break.After twenty years stuck in a fae convent with no word from whoever abandoned her there, Briony Rose is all out of hope. But when her parents suddenly claim her and reveal she’s a lost fae princess, she’s burdened with the weight of a kingdom on the brink of collapse... -
![Bite The Power That Feeds by Penelope Barsetti]()
Bite The Power That Feeds by Penelope Barsetti
Ellasara came at me with a blade—and she defeated me.But my eyes open to my bedchambers and I see Kingsnake sitting at my beside with Fang next to my pillow. I expect to feel the horrible pain of my injury, but I already feel healed. When I sit up, the room doesn’t spin and I don’t feel weak. In fact, I feel better than I ever have…Kingsnake takes my face in my hands and pulls me close... -
![The Vampire King by Kenya Wright]()
The Vampire King by Kenya Wright
Escape into the Vampire King—a steamy, high-octane paranormal.As a human domina, Camille 's only purpose in life is to birth vampire children for the powerful the Quiet King . Trapped within the castle walls under strict rules and constant surveillance by guards, Camille has spent the last two years, witnessing the brutal slaughter of innocent babies and insurmountable atrocities to other women...Categorized as:
first-person-pov forced proximity possessive hero cold hero sweet-hero m-f paranormal multicultural -
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![To Poison a King by S.G. Prince]()
To Poison a King by S.G. Prince
S.G. Prince's new standalone is a breathtaking fantasy about sacrifice, self-discovery, and a girl tasked with saving the very man she aimed to kill.Selene is the youngest daughter in a gifted line of healers, born to serve as the king's royal physician. Yet when Selene's mother Persaphe embroils her in a plot to kill the king, Selene finds herself poisoning the very man she is sworn to protect...Categorized as:
m-f class difference caretaking competent heroine tortured heroine tortured hero witches fantasy -
![Bump in the Night by Cassie Mint]()
Bump in the Night by Cassie Mint
He’s smart, handsome, and we have an instant connection.Pity all these ghosts keep interrupting our moments…All my life, I’ve wanted a ghostly encounter. It’s my greatest dream, and it’s never happened for me—not even in Belladonna Bay, where every other building is haunted...Categorized as:
suspense forced proximity m-f strong heroine possessive hero sweet-hero contemporary paranormal -
![Entreat Me by Grace Draven]()
Entreat Me by Grace Draven
Afflicted by a centuries-old curse, a warlord slowly surrenders his humanity and descends toward madness. Ballard of Ketach Tor holds no hope of escaping his fate until his son returns home one day, accompanied by a woman of incomparable beauty. His family believes her arrival may herald Ballard's salvation. ...until they confront her elder sister... -
![Monster Of Ruin by Marlowe Mack]()
Monster Of Ruin by Marlowe Mack
Elliott Knight is a hunter. And I’m his prey. He’s obsessed. I’m his addiction. He won’t stop until he’s made me his. He’s decided I’ll be his no matter what. He makes the rules. And I can only live by them. He stalks me. He calls me his flower. Every bit of him is dark. Haunted. Possessed. Elliott is an evil man, a real-life nightmare. The kind your mother warns you to stay away from... -
![Bone Rites by Natalie Bayley]()
Bone Rites by Natalie Bayley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"I collected the first bone when I was twelve. This fact was not mentioned in court... Such a tiny little bone, more like a tooth. I only kept it to keep him safe." Kathryn Darkling, imprisoned in Holloway, is facing death by hanging for her vengeance killing... -
![The Lost Princess by Raven Storm]()
The Lost Princess by Raven Storm
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI was the diamond of my father's court, and his most prized possession--his 'gift from the gods'. My shimmering skin and pale complexion set me apart from the other nobles of the court. I was cherished. I was loved.Until I wasn't. My father sold me north to settle his debts, and I was shipped off to a strange kingdom...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f dark paranormal fantasy ancient times historical from hate to love -
![The Willows by Algernon Blackwood]()
The Willows by Algernon Blackwood
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsHow is this book unique? Font adjustments & biography included Unabridged (100% Original content) Illustrated About The Willows by Algernon Blackwood The Willows is a novella by English author Algernon Blackwood. It is one of Blackwood's best known works and has been influential on a number of later writers. Horror author H.P... -
![Nightshade by Keri Lake]()
Nightshade by Keri Lake
A love so forbidden, it would shake the heavens ...My father called them messengers.He once told me they walked among us, and that somewhere in this dark and godless city, there shined a faint sliver of hope. I had only to look for the signs... -
![A Heart So Cold and Wicked by Rebecca F. Kenney]()
A Heart So Cold and Wicked by Rebecca F. Kenney
He saved her from a murderer. But can he protect her from himself?Kidnapped by a serial killer, Feather has lived in a remote cabin for years, surviving by cleverness and caution. One night, she unwittingly summons a Fae demon known as Krampus, who enacts vengeance on her kidnapper and leaves Feather free... but with nowhere to go and no memory of the family from which she was stolen...Categorized as:
m-f competent heroine strong heroine tortured heroine fantasy christmas paranormal captive -
![The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb]()
The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsIn the tourist town of Wharton, on the coast of Lake Superior, Tess Bell is renovating her old family home into a bed-and-breakfast during the icy dead of winter…As the house’s restoration commences, a shuttered art studio is revealed. Inside are paintings Tess’s late grandfather, beloved and celebrated artist Sebastian Bell, hid away for generations... -
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![The Butcher Of Beaumont by JanJan Untamed]()
The Butcher Of Beaumont by JanJan Untamed
“I read her mind before she died, witch. And I know what I saw. You are disobedient and a spoiled fucking brat. A good daughter would have heeded her mother’s warning and stayed away.” He drags me to my feet. “Get up. We need to move. It is only a matter of time before someone turns you in and the palace guard comes searching for us.”“I am grieving, you beastly man.” I snarl at him... -
![Court of Blood and Bindings by Lisette Marshall]()
Court of Blood and Bindings by Lisette Marshall
They call him the Silent Death, because he kills without sound and leaves none capable of speaking in his wake…When the empire’s deadliest fae murderer catches her wielding forbidden magic, twenty-year-old Emelin believes her hour has come. Instead, her inhumanly beautiful captor spares her life, but carries her off on his velvet wings – into the one place from which no human ever returns... -
![The New Black by Laird Barron, Brian Evenson]()
The New Black by Laird Barron, Brian Evenson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe New Black is a collection of twenty neo-noir stories exemplifying the best authors currently writing in this dark sub-genre. A mixture of horror, crime, fantasy, science fiction, magical realism, and the grotesque—all with a literary bent—these stories represent the future of genre-bending fiction from some of our brightest and most original voices... -
![Princes of Sin by Amanda Richardson]()
Princes of Sin by Amanda Richardson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPlay dangerous games… win dangerous prizes.It starts with revenge.A decade ago, I embraced death–or so they believe.It’s my life’s mission to make the Lords of Darkness pay for their actions.A perfectly-timed opportunity propels me into the heart of the malevolent order that shattered my very existence... -
![Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L. Wilson]()
Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L. Wilson
Once he had scorched the world. Once he had driven back overwhelming darkness. Once he had loved with such passion, his name was legend... TAIREN SOULLong ago, in the magical holocaust known as the Mage Wars, the immortal Fey and their allies fought to defeat the grasping evil of the Elden Mages and their dark-gifted supporters... -
![Fractured Wings by M.T. Morgan]()
Fractured Wings by M.T. Morgan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsStarlette doesn’t remember the crimes everyone seems to assume she committed. And without any evidence of transgression, she is set free. Only for her parents to have her committed to Mount Point Psych Ward.She’s had countless therapists, none of them lasting, except him. The brooding, beautiful doctor who’s come in to rain on her parade...Categorized as:
suspense forced proximity strong heroine mystery m-f dark contemporary age difference -
![The Hemlock Queen by Hannah F. Whitten]()
The Hemlock Queen by Hannah F. Whitten
In the second installment of New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten's lush, romantic epic fantasy series, a young woman who can raise the dead must navigate the dangerous and glamorous world of the Sainted King's royal court. The corrupt king August is dead. Prince Bastian has seized the throne and raised Lore—a necromancer and former smuggler—to his right hand side...Categorized as:
m-f class difference competent heroine cold hero tortured hero super rich hero fantasy magic -
![The Shadow Key by Susan Stokes-Chapman]()
The Shadow Key by Susan Stokes-Chapman
Rated: 3.99 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOn an isolated estate in late-eighteenth-century rural Wales, a young English doctor uncovers dangerous secrets that may threaten his own life in this spellbinding Gothic tale from the bestselling author of Pandora.Dismissed from his post at a prestigious London hospital, Dr... -
![Light by Lacey Lehotzky]()
Light by Lacey Lehotzky
Perfect for fans of The Plated Prisoner, Crystal Bloom, Game of Thrones (tv show), or anyone who wanted to see trauma addressed in ACOTAR. LAST WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! Izidora Why does this keep happening to me? Kidnapped again by the Iron Fae, I must survive long enough to get back to my friends in the Night Realm...Categorized as:
forced proximity competent heroine possessive hero tortured hero spanking magic dark fantasy -
![Fyneshade by Kate Griffin]()
Fyneshade by Kate Griffin
Rated: 3.97 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMany would find much to fear in Fyneshade's dark and crumbling corridors, its unseen master and silent servants. But not I. For they have far more to fear from me...On the day of her grandmother's funeral, Marta discovers that she is to be sent to be governess at Fyneshade, her charge the young daughter of the owner, Sir William Pritchard.All is not well at Fyneshade... -
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![Curse of the Thorn King by Lisette Marshall]()
Curse of the Thorn King by Lisette Marshall
Killing a fae king is hard. Doing so politely is even harder.Briannis Iavi – well-bred lady and accidental assassin – is so close to securing the life of her dreams. All she needs to do is complete one last make her way into fae territory, sneak into the enchanted halls of Rosethorn Keep, and kill the king of Faerie... -
![The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield]()
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Biographer Margaret Lea returns one night to her apartment above her father’s antiquarian bookshop. On her steps she finds a letter. It is a hand-written request from one of Britain’s most prolific and well-loved novelists. Vida Winter, gravely ill, wants to recount her life story before it is too late, and she wants Margaret to be the one to capture her history... -
![To Love a Dark Lord by Kathryn Ann Kingsley]()
To Love a Dark Lord by Kathryn Ann Kingsley
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe pulled him close, in a desperate, perfect embrace. She loved him. And she would burn this world for him… Gwen must free the Prince in Iron, before his mind is torn apart. For centuries, Mordred ruled over Avalon and caged its magic. Now the elementals have seized power, sentencing him to an eternity of torment in his own magical prison. Gwen accepted Mordred’s punishment to save his life...Categorized as:
forced proximity horror historical from hate to love age difference dark paranormal fantasy -
![Crimson Peak by Nancy Holder]()
Crimson Peak by Nancy Holder
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsWhen her heart is stolen by a seductive stranger, a young woman is swept away to a house atop a mountain of blood-red a place filled with secrets that will haunt her forever. Between desire and darkness, between mystery and madness, lies the truth behind Crimson Peak. From acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro... -
![Cursed by Lucy Leroux]()
Cursed by Lucy Leroux
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIsobel Sterling is a governess with many secrets—including an uncanny ability she's been hiding her whole life, until the day arrives when she has to use it to save herself from a madman. But first she has to master it. Fast. Governess Isobel Sterling feels fortunate to have found a safe haven in the Montgomery household. The children are kind and the lord and lady of the house leave her alone...Categorized as:
suspense mystery forced proximity possessive hero horror paranormal historical fantasy -
![Red by K.D. Miller]()
Red by K.D. Miller
They don’t go into the woods…Every full moon, the Beast rises within the woods. Every full moon, some poor soul is sent into that forsaken forest as a sacrifice. Every full moon, the village holds its collective breath that the sacrifice will be enough. Any other time, the woods are supposed to be safe, but no one dares take a chance.Not until Sloane Whelan...
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