Books like 'The Darkness Within'

Readers who enjoyed The Darkness Within by Raquel Riley also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

contemporary  gay romance  dark romance  queer  military  angst  caretaking  forbidden love  forced proximity  friends to lovers 

  • The Bridge of Silver Wings by John Wiltshire

    The Bridge of Silver Wings by John Wiltshire

    Rated: 4.72 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 26 ratings
    The third book in the series More Heat Than the Sun Ben discovers the truth of the old adage 'be careful what you wish for'. Nikolas has exorcised his demons, but when they end up stranded in Russia, the monster inside needs to be let loose. Siberia in winter isn't a place for good men. There is nothing Nikolas won't do to keep Ben alive...
  • A Charm of Finches by Suanne Laqueur

    A Charm of Finches by Suanne Laqueur

    Rated: 4.79 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 16 ratings
    “I swear. Give me one more chance and I will make the most of it.”Ex-escort Javier Landes is asking for his third chance at love. And the third time is the charm. He meets an art therapist named Steffen Finch and what starts as casual deepens into a passionate relationship—everything Jav has ever wanted, and everything he fears losing. Stef’s business card reads Curator & Sailor...
    Categorized as:
    angst  queer  m-m  contemporary  dark  abuse  rape  length-long
  • Sponsored links
  • Deserted by Cara Dee

    Deserted by Cara Dee

    Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 27 ratings
    Gray Nolan had survived a kidnapping where he was supposed to have been auctioned off to the highest bidder. He had also survived being stranded on an island, under siege from a different set of foes, and throughout the hell they’d all endured, their motto had been “Leave no man behind.” Recovery was different...
  • The Scent of Winter by Tiffany Reisz

    The Scent of Winter by Tiffany Reisz

    Rated: 4.66 of 5 stars
    · 19 ratings
    The 2016 Original Sinners Christmas story, free on December 20th.Kingsley Edge thought he was being driven to the airport. He never expected he'd be kidnapped and relocated to a cabin in the middle of nowhere, Maine to help Søren celebrate his birthday. But it's not quite the sexy party Kingsley hoped for...
  • Crossing Arizona by Bree Wiley

    Crossing Arizona by Bree Wiley

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 27 ratings
    He was my home when I had nowhere else to go.XedMatty's the only person who ever mattered to me. Since we were seven years old, he's been my rock, my anchor, and the light guiding me to safety when the world got too dark.Then Hannah was born, and she became the glue holding us in place. It wasn’t perfect, but it was ours—a life we built with our together...
  • Shatter by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

    Shatter by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 33 ratings
    Maverick trauma surgeon Ashton “Snow” Frost keeps the world at a distance, relying only on his three closest friends to keep him connected. But when a ghost from their past returns to Cincinnati, Snow stands to lose everyone he loves. Framed for murder and reeling from attacks on his friends, Snow is pushed to his breaking point. Jude Torres won’t let the doc shatter...
  • The Bright and Hungry Future of Hawks by John Wiltshire

    The Bright and Hungry Future of Hawks by John Wiltshire

    Rated: 4.68 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 14 ratings
    The FINAL book in the addictive, best-selling "More Heat Than The Sun" M/M Thriller seriesBen and Nikolas know that if they were to compare recollections of their life together, they’d remember things very differently. Ben never asks about their time together in the Department, because he doesn’t want to hear Nikolas lie...
    Categorized as:
    military  angst  queer  m-m  contemporary  suspense  dark  mystery
  • Reluctant Renegade by Garrett Leigh

    Reluctant Renegade by Garrett Leigh

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 17 ratings
    “I was never scared of dying until I loved you.”The shy single dad and the gentle assassin. Domestic bliss and a bloodthirsty revenge mission battle it out in the emotional fifth instalment of the bestselling Rebel Kings MC series.DecoyI met a dude in a bar once. Tall and strong, he had moon-blue eyes and tawny hair, and he moved with the grace of a lion...
  • Ex Meridian by A.E. Via

    Ex Meridian by A.E. Via

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 26 ratings
    Police Lieutenants, God and Day are under intense pressure from the chief to take back control of Atlanta’s streets. The last thing their task force needs is a pair of trained killers in town with a personal score to settle...
  • Anti-Hero by Kelly Fox

    Anti-Hero by Kelly Fox

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 23 ratings
    Spoiler This isn't some sad exploration of my tragic past. I have a list of the people who bought and sold me. And they aren't getting a redemption arc. I was luckier than most. I was rescued by a team of guys who search out people like me, and now I get to work with them. But I'm not the hero of this story. I don't forgive. I don't forget...
  • Death's Ink-Black Shadow by John Wiltshire

    Death's Ink-Black Shadow by John Wiltshire

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 22 ratings
    It takes a certain kind of courage to live as if favoured by the gods, ignoring the ever-present ghosts of your past—or perhaps not bravery, but arrogance. And maybe not even that. Ben genuinely believes that the past is behind them—that they deserve to enjoy the life they have created. So it’s not hubris that leads him to overlook the signs that Nikolas does not share his faith, it’s love...
  • The Tragedy of Felix and Jake by J. Daniels

    The Tragedy of Felix and Jake by J. Daniels

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 63 ratings
    From New York Times bestselling author, J. Daniels, comes an all-new standalone forbidden romance.They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.They say the best way to stay sober is to love yourself.I’m great at making bad decisions.Addict? Check. Poor impulse control? Check. Obsessed with the guy I’m sponsoring? Check Check Check...
  • Cult of Personality by Cole McCade

    Cult of Personality by Cole McCade

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 21 ratings
    ABOUT THIS EPISODE "He pushed me." Three words turn a suspected suicide into an unsettling murder, pointing to a killer whose methods and motives threaten to expose buried memories of Seong-Jae's past...
  • Tango Down by Cara Dee

    Tango Down by Cara Dee

    Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    The Renegades #4 Romantic Suspense Enemies to Lovers Action MM“This is it, baby. Run.”The murder in Joel Hayward’s eyes wasn’t merely a reflection of the rage within. It was a promise to the men who had kidnapped his daughter. The one person—this amazing slip of a girl—who showed Joel every single day that there was good left in the world.He was running on fumes. He was desperate...
  • Triangulation by Gregory Ashe

    Triangulation by Gregory Ashe

    Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 3 of 5
    Open door [?] · 24 ratings
    After a recent case with a treacherous client, North and Shaw are ready to go back to work building Borealis Investigations. They’re also ready to go back to dodging their feelings for each other, with neither man ready to deal with the powerful emotions the Matty Fennmore case stirred up...
  • Domesticated Beast by Onley James

    Domesticated Beast by Onley James

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 38 ratings
    JAVIER DE LA FUENTE is a criminal, an ex-con with a long line of offenses, atoning for his sins by rescuing abused animals and advocating for child victims. But that doesn’t mean he’s a saint. Javier learned years ago that what’s right and what’s legal aren’t always the same thing. BOWIE BAKER is a ballet dancer, a soloist doing his best to get ahead in his LA dance company...
  • Anti-Valentine by T. Ashleigh, Ashlyn Drewek

    Anti-Valentine by T. Ashleigh, Ashlyn Drewek

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 18 ratings
    This Valentine’s Day…the bad boys come out to play…Get ready for an anti-Valentine to remember in this limited release M/M romance anthology. Sixteen authors have come together to bring you a collection of brand-new short stories with a combination of dark, enemies to lovers, and bully themes...
  • On the Double by Cara Dee

    On the Double by Cara Dee

    Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars
    · 17 ratings
    The Renegades #3 • Romantic Suspense • Action • MMM“It’s a fine line between not revealing your arsenal and creating disorder by showing your strength.”Funny how calm you could feel when someone had ripped the heart out of your chest.River and Reese Tenley had grown up on the fringes of society, spending most of their adult years as private military contractors in places nobody else wanted to go...
  • Dangerous Breed by Onley James

    Dangerous Breed by Onley James

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 33 ratings
    PREACHER GRAVES made a fatal error in judgment when he was just sixteen years old, and it cost him twenty years. Now, he plans to live out his days in quiet isolation. For six months, he’s done just that. Until a favor for a friend finds him rescuing a twelve-year-old boy from a ruthless biker gang, putting him face to face with the boy’s beautiful and very damaged older brother, Memphis...
  • Possessive Park Avenue Prince by Brooke Blaine, Ella Frank

    Possessive Park Avenue Prince by Brooke Blaine, Ella Frank

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 39 ratings
    Who are we? Like you even need to ask. We’re the seven richer-than-sin legacies causing debauchery at the prestigious Astor University in Manhattan.Some call us spoiled.Some call us trouble.But everyone calls us the Park Avenue Princes.Daire Connery“The Bad Boy”I’m not a man of many words. But when I do speak, it usually starts with F and ends with you.Keep to myself. Don’t let anyone in...
  • Backdraft by Cole McCade

    Backdraft by Cole McCade

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 18 ratings
    ABOUT THIS EPISODE When a 911 call goes wrong and a young man goes missing, it falls to Malcolm and Seong-Jae to investigate the responding officers when Internal Affairs' internal politics leave the case compromised and the officers aren't willing to talk...
  • Fracture by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

    Fracture by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

    Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 15 ratings
    After three years, Snow and Jude’s relationship is still passionate and strong. They’re getting ready for a romantic vacation at home when Jude receives a horrifying call no one wants to receive. His youngest brother was found barely clinging to life. While Jude’s family is rallying around Jordan, Jude is determined to find out what happened to him...
    Categorized as:
    angst  queer  found-family  m-m  mystery  abuse  suspense  contemporary
  • Olive Juice by T.J. Klune

    Olive Juice by T.J. Klune

    Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    It begins with a message that David cannot ignore:I want to see you.He agrees, and on a cold winter’s night, David and Phillip will come together to sift through the wreckage of the memory of a life no longer lived.David is burdened, carrying with him the heavy guilt of the past six years upon his shoulders.Phillip offers redemption...
    Categorized as:
    angst  queer  m-m  contemporary  mystery  dark  length-novella
  • 17 Black and 29 Red by Richard Rider

    17 Black and 29 Red by Richard Rider

    Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars
    · 20 ratings
    Second part in the Stockholm Syndrome trilogy:Some mistakes are too enormous and some people are too stubborn for anything to work except running away, but the world is never as big as you need it to be and eventually you can't help circling back to where you started...
  • The Air That I Breathe by Cara Dee

    The Air That I Breathe by Cara Dee

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 27 ratings
    The Game Series, Book 3.5 “In that moment, I stopped caring about right and wrong.” The only thing that stood between us were the boundaries set by others, by society, by our parents. But together we could knock them down. Together, we could find freedom and live life on our own terms. Screw the rest of the world. He was all that mattered. He was the air that I breathed...
  • The Tin Box by Kim Fielding

    The Tin Box by Kim Fielding

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 18 ratings
    William Lyon's past forced him to become someone he isn't. Conflicted and unable to maintain the charade, he separates from his wife and takes a job as caretaker at a former mental hospital. Jelley’s Valley State Insane Asylum was the largest mental hospital in California for well over a century, but it now stands empty...
  • WTF by Cambria Hebert

    WTF by Cambria Hebert

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 21 ratings
    I don’t do commitment. And though I swing both ways, I don’t do men either.It’s too messy, too stressful, and just asking for trouble.I’d rather shine bright like the sun than drown in the rain, so I adopt a pounce-and-bounce lifestyle for which my sparkling charm keeps me from being hated.When I show up in Sweden for a semester abroad, I expect a roomie. What I don’t expect is Lars...
  • Wicked Games by Willow Dixon

    Wicked Games by Willow Dixon

    Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 25 ratings
    KillianI hate obscure school rules. Especially the one that says siblings have to room together after a tragedy. Now I’m stuck sharing my dorm with my stepbrother, and I have no idea how either of us is going to make it to the end of the school year without offing the other...
  • Enduring Night by John Wiltshire

    Enduring Night by John Wiltshire

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 18 ratings
    You’d have thought that Ben and Nikolas would have learnt that their romantic holidays inevitably end up as disasters. A short break on the polar ice sees them trapped in a nightmare of murder and deceit. Neither of them, however, foresees the long-term impact that endless winter has on their relationship...
  • Midnight Target by Elle Kennedy

    Midnight Target by Elle Kennedy

    Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 3 of 5
    Open door [?] · 15 ratings
    From the New York Times bestselling author of The Score and Midnight Revenge... Four years ago, Cate’s entire life changed when she discovered she was the daughter of a supersoldier. But Jim Morgan’s overprotectiveness has pushed her away. These days, she’s working as a freelance photographer and living the dangerous life Jim never wanted for her...
  • Black and Brown by A.E. Via

    Black and Brown by A.E. Via

    Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Grace’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...
  • What We Broke by Marley Valentine

    What We Broke by Marley Valentine

    Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 49 ratings
    If someone asked me to describe our love story, I would only need to use two words. Before and After. • • • •When I met Leonardo Ricci, he was determined I would only be a fling, while I was certain he was my forever. Seven years later, we're the perfect couple. Happy, married, and in love-in sickness and health, till death do us part. At least until the unthinkable happens...
  • Torch by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

    Torch by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 24 ratings
    Nine months ago, Rowan Ward thought he had it all. Now he's fighting to pull his shredded life together, buried in work and battling the kind of grief that destroys a man's soul. When fires spring up around Cincinnati threatening Rowe's friends and clients, he's thrilled to find his old Army buddy, Noah Keegan in town...
  • Stalked But Not Afraid by Nicole Dykes

    Stalked But Not Afraid by Nicole Dykes

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 18 ratings
    RomanHe’s an influencer—whatever that means. He’s also stunningly beautiful with a feisty attitude I can’t deny intrigues me.But more importantly, he’s in trouble.I’m not like my brother. Except for being a cop, I don’t strive to save the entire world.However, I find myself compelled to save him.If he’ll calm down and just let me.BrooksHe’s everything I despise. He’s a cop...
  • Unholy Trinity by Garrett Leigh

    Unholy Trinity by Garrett Leigh

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 14 ratings
    A full steam, page-turning Poly Romance. Why Choose one book boyfriend when you can have two? Satisfy your romantic cravings with this heart-pounding hurt/comfort love story.The vice-president of the Rebel Kings MC. The girl of his dreams. And the six-foot-five firefighter-turned-bodyguard they can’t resist. Nash It’s three in the morning, and we’re in her bed...
  • Rogue Launch by Cara Dee

    Rogue Launch by Cara Dee

    Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars
    · 17 ratings
    The Renegades #1 Romantic Suspense Enemies to Lovers Action MM“We will find you, darling. Stay strong. We will find you.”This was exactly what Elliott Jones needed. A nice barbecue with family and friends. The moving trucks were parked outside his new ranch, and he was ready to start fresh. Again. Despite the regrets he lived with, he tried to focus on the good things in life...
  • Savage by Erin Russell

    Savage by Erin Russell

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 19 ratings
    Everyone thinks the mafia is so glamorous. They make books and movies by the hundred and it's all suave guys in suits making deals in smoky backrooms over poker games.Well, I'm the mafia prince of Oklahoma. There's no glitz or glamor here, and I hate every minute of it. But it's my birthright...
  • Chip's Forever Daddy by Sammi Cee

    Chip's Forever Daddy by Sammi Cee

    Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    Chip’s had a good example of a Daddy—and the absolute worst. Ollie’s determined to give him the best…forever. If Chip didn’t have bad luck, he’d have no luck at all. All he’s ever wanted is a man to see him, truly hear him, and love him. Ollie is the definition of protective, with the muscle to back it up...
  • Safe by Taylor McNiff

    Safe by Taylor McNiff

    Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    A sex trafficking victim and a police officer walk into a gas station... it sounds like a sick joke. Or maybe, just maybe, it'll be the best thing to ever happen to them. Huxley "Huck" Scott just wants a damn cup of coffee. He has too much to deal with already between his demotion to patrol officer, his struggle with his sobriety, and his lingering survivor's guilt...
  • Reigniting Chase by Jeanne St. James

    Reigniting Chase by Jeanne St. James

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    An unexpected collaboration between two authors that’s hot enough to spark a fire... ChaseAfter an excruciating loss, I’m desperate for a fresh start.Away from the painful memories.Away from everyone I know and anyone who knows my story.That’s how I end up in Eagle’s Landing, Pennsylvania...
  • Shattered Pieces by K.M. Neuhold

    Shattered Pieces by K.M. Neuhold

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 20 ratings
    “I was sure my heart had withered away years ago, but then you smiled at me, and I felt it beat again.” ~Gage Years ago, I fell in love with my best friend’s little brother. Then, he took his own life, leaving me shattered and unable to piece my heart back together. I’ve been a zombie for nine long years...
  • How Much for a Broken Heart? by R.J. Scott

    How Much for a Broken Heart? by R.J. Scott

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    When the game turns deadly for a SEAL and his Ranger, love becomes the most dangerous mission of all.In a single devastating morning, August's life crumbles. His covert assignment derails disastrously as the family he's meant to safeguard falls prey to the ruthless Cooper River cartel...
  • Unquiet by Melanie Hansen

    Unquiet by Melanie Hansen

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Loren Smith has been in love with Eliot Devlin almost his entire life. During their turbulent childhood and teen years, Loren didn’t always understand Eliot, and sometimes he could be a challenge, but Eliot was the only one to ever truly ease Loren’s deep loneliness and accept him...
  • Deliverance by Garrett Leigh

    Deliverance by Garrett Leigh

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 9 ratings
    Banished gangster Benito Martell is living on the edge. An explosive hook-up in a club gifts him the relief he craves, but nothing about his life is ever so simple. Complications abound, and before long, he’s falling for the only man who can save his family from eviction.Recovering addict Mickey Larwood has worked hard to leave his past behind...
  • Home Then by A.E. Jensen

    Home Then by A.E. Jensen

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 11 ratings
    ColtonAfter being in the army for more than 20 years, Colton returns to his home town in Nebraska. His estranged uncle has offered him a job at his auto shop. With nothing to his name, he hopes to start over and build some sort of life. Preferably a quiet life where he doesn’t have to deal with the rest of the world...
  • Nightingale by Laura Lascarso

    Nightingale by Laura Lascarso

    Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    An accountant and an assassin set off on a homicidal mission to avenge the wrongs of the past…Since the moment we met as children at Saint Bernadine’s School for Boys, Julien has held my heart hostage. Now, he’s a ruthless and cunning assassin, known to many only by his code name Nightingale, and I am again at his mercy when he forces me to accompany him on his next hit...
  • Remember Me by Avril Ashton

    Remember Me by Avril Ashton

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Theirs was a connection that began and ended in the shadows. Secret moments. Missed opportunities and what-ifs. Wanting more than what they had, but grateful with the bits of happiness they snatched.A bullet stole it away, setting two men adrift. One waiting in the darkness for light to shine once again...
  • Saving Sparrow by C.P. Harris

    Saving Sparrow by C.P. Harris

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 11 ratings
    A missing husband.A deadly storm.A stranger he shouldn’t trust.Miguel Ramirez was living his happily ever after with husbands Quentin and Elliott when tragedy struck. He’s left reeling after waking up in a hospital bed to find both his husbands gone—but only one is missing...
  • What We Were by Jen Samson

    What We Were by Jen Samson

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 9 ratings
    It began with one meaningless kiss. It ended in a plea bargain. Fast forward five years. Ethan Salvatore Evanson, once the rebellious, heathen son of a powerful preacher with a one-way ticket straight to hell, is now the most respected tech genius of his time, his sordid past wiped clean by the NSA in exchange for his expertise...
  • Vine by Fearne Hill

    Vine by Fearne Hill

    Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Caspian Pumkin-Watts is at the end of his rope. Miserably divorced and facing a career crossroads, when he’s offered a chance to spend nine months filming a reality TV show on a French holiday island, he grabs it with both hands. There are only two problems. His co-star is his ex-husband, and the producer is Caspian’s replacement in his ex-husband’s bed...
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
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

romance book finder

Looking for more inspiration? Enter another book title to get more suggestions on what to read next.


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