Books like 'Illicit'
Readers who enjoyed Illicit by Nikita. also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance horror suspense angst
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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 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... -
The Fallen: Genesis by Tillie Cole
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsTHE FALLEN: GENESIS (A Deadly Virtues Prequel) IN THE BEGINNING... They told them they were evil. They told them they were possessed by demons. They told them that darkness ran in their veins. Holy Innocents Home for Children is a haven for orphaned boys who have nothing and no one. The priests watch over them, educate them, raise them in the family of the church...Categorized as:
suspense angst horror new adult contemporary tortured hero bad boys disabilities and marks -
Bitter Falls by Rachel Caine
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsShe’s investigating a cold case no one else could—by going places no one else would dare.In spite of a harrowing past still haunting her, Gwen Proctor is trying to move forward. Until a new assignment gives her purpose: the cold-case disappearance of a young man in Tennessee. Three years missing, no clues. Just Ruth Landry, a tortured mother in limbo... -
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Reforming Kent by Siobhan Davis
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAn enemies-to-lovers new adult romance from USA Today bestseller Siobhan Davis. Standalone with HEA and no cliffhanger. Kent Rogue. Troublemaker. Bad Boy. Delinquent. Everyone thinks they know who I am, but they know nothing. And that’s how I prefer it. Keeping my demons under lock and key is my only survival tactic. Until she enters my life, turning it upside down. She thinks she can fix me... -
Away from the Dark by Aleatha Romig
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsNine months ago, Sara Adams awoke with no memory. The man holding her hand told her she’s a member of The Light, a tight-knit religious group led by the terrifying and charismatic Father Gabriel. As a woman in the community of The Light, her duty is to be unquestionably obedient and to submit to the will of her husband... -
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... -
Backdraft by Cole McCade
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... -
Shane by Nicole James
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsShane—I live at the end of this dark deserted dead-end street for a reason.I don't like neighbors coming around my place. There's only one other house down here. It sits across the street from me, and has been deserted for years.I like my privacy, so I'm pissed to learn that that vacant house just got un-vacant... -
Tiernan by Jane Henry
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWhen I knew Aisling, she was my sister’s best friend. Young.Innocent.Wild.But that was then.Now I’m hardened and ruthless.A bare-knuckle boxer. An enforcer for the Clan.And that carefree girl is a slave to her addictions with demons in her eyes.And I want her.When she witnesses a murder—a murder I committed—I have no choice but to take her.I’ll keep her silent.I’ll keep her hostage... -
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...Categorized as:
suspense angst contemporary marriage of convenience dark age difference m-f audiobook -
Forever My Saint by Monica James
All hope was lost until Zoey Hennessy walked back into my world, shaking it up beyond repair when she uttered two simple words. He’s alive. She speaks of her brother, my Saint, the man who lost everything to set me free. I believed he was dead. I saw it with my own two eyes. But when Zoey proves he’s alive and being held captive by a monster, I know what I have to do... -
A Dark Mind by T.R. Ragan
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsA serial killer is terrorizing Sacramento, preying on happily married couples and unleashing unspeakable cruelties upon his victims. The ordeal rekindles disturbing memories for private investigator Lizzy Gardner, who barely escaped a serial killer clutches only years ago... -
Fallen Saint by Monica James
Just as this nightmare began, I once again find myself bound, destination unknown. However, this time, my kidnapper is the man who shattered my world beyond repair. Aleksei Popov—Russia’s number one mobster, and the man I was sold to. His intentions for me are clear—submit, obey him, and call him master—but I won’t surrender. I’m not like the other girls... -
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Lyrica's Lasting by E.C. Land
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsCan love and passion overcome everything else?LyricaAfter everything I went through, there’s only one thing I wish they didn’t take from me. My chance at true happiness. Yes, I love Fuse. He’s everything to me, but seeing what my friends have, I want that too.Fuse and I find a solution, but what happens when the solution becomes a problem, and I’m left wondering... -
Queen of Vengeance by Jessica Jude
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 13 ratings“What are you going to do when you find him?”I pause, unsure what my answer should be. But there’s only ever been one option. “Kill him,” I say.SlateLife’s taught me not to expect much. Handouts, fair treatment, a decent parking spot downtown. But dead last on that list? Lux Colombia-Clarke showing up at my door, looking like a damn fairytale with a score to settle...Categorized as:
angst suspense from hate to love contemporary found-family super rich hero slow burn dark -
Deliver Us From Evil by Monica James
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMonsters are real…and that monster is me.I’ve surrendered. I have no other choice.With Babydoll gone, I’m going to do whatever it takes to find her.I will lie.Cheat.Murder…and I’ll do so with a smile.I’ll even sell my soul to the devil…because that’s who my father, Sean Kelly, is. He won’t stop until Belfast is his. He knows I’m at my breaking point... -
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... -
Into Temptation by Monica James
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsMonsters are real...and that monster is my father.Ten years ago, I surrendered. I thought I was doing the right thing. But lies and greed have once again destroyed my life, leaving me to deal with the aftermath.This life has always been a curse, but the world as I know it has changed. Belfast isn't what it used to be.Alliances are broken. Kingdoms have fallen... -
Breathe Again by Nola Marie
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom the flames of sin I rose, by her virtue, I fell...I found her in my eleventh hour. My whiskey-eyed canary. Quinn.Call it Fate or destiny or whatever, but she is the melody to calm my madness. With her, the demons inside me quiet. She doesn't have a hold on my heart, she owns it. She is my everything.I've been given a second-chance and I’m not about to squander it... -
Seeking Peace by Crystal Daniels, Sandy Alvarez
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNothing remains of Blake’s life before the club except death, deceit, and corruption.He was on the road to self-destruction when his path crossed with Jake, the President of Kings of Retribution.Now Blake is dedicated to the MC and loyal to the men he calls brothers.The club gave him a family and purpose.Blake thought he finally had everything he ever wanted.Until Ember... -
Wicked Secrets by K.B. Winters
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCharlie Ellison found me broken, beaten and bruised. Another biker in a long line of bikers in my life. Except he’s not like the others,And he has me questioning everything. He’s tough, strong and hotter than hell. Could he be my knight on a chrome stallion?Or the devil in a leather kutte?All I know is, he’s different. He makes me feel things I never thought possible... -
Wrath by Alex Grayson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDeath. Destruction. Pain. A soulless void. It’s his life. It’s his reality. Emo doesn’t feel. Anything. His soul is dark and filled with hatred. People in the small town of Malus watch him with fear, with reverence. Exactly the way he prefers it. Guilt surrounds him, caging him in an ominous past he refuses to let go. Can’t let go. His past is responsible for the shell of the man who now exists... -
The Last Party by A.R. Torre
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsA loving mother. A notorious murderer. They both have reasons to hide their secrets in a novel of escalating shock and suspense by New York Times bestselling author A. R. Torre.Perla Wultz lives with her husband, Grant, and their precious daughter, Sophie, in a gated Pasadena community. Affluent, sociable, and accomplished, Perla plays the part of loving wife and mother to perfection... -
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Ten Thousand Truths by Kelli Jean
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHorror is Odessa “Opie” Powys’s truth. One with muddied memories and haunted dreams. Finding and putting the pieces of her shattered life together is impossible. Hiding herself and her truth is the only option. Until the force that is Deo Dahl notices her from across a crowded bar... -
Blood and Chaos by S.M. Soto
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWe thought the games were over, but they've only just begun... She was the puppet. He pulled the strings. Now the death toll is rising, what could this mean? It was all a game. Of feelings. Of pain. Death is just an illusion, or so they say. She was just a pawn on a piece of his demented board... -
The Way We Are by Shandi Boyes
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSeven years in heaven awarded me seven years in hell. I’ve admired Savannah Fontane since I saw her whizzing down our street on her hot pink bike with rainbow tassels taped on the handlebars. I was in awe someone so small could ride without training wheels, I asked my mom to remove mine that same afternoon. Savannah drew a rainbow heart on my cast the very next day... -
Kingdom of Corruption by Bella Di Corte
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA Royal Organized Crime RomanceMy husband had been keeping a secret from me—a secret that would irrevocably change the course of our lives.He was the son of one of the most ruthless men alive, and an heir to the infamous Fausti crime family. They were beautiful, powerful, ruthless—royalty in their beloved Italy and beyond... -
A Reckless Note by Lisa Renee Jones
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 22 ratings“I can chase you, and I can catch you, but there is nothing I can do to make you mine.” ― Morrissey It all started with a note, just a simple note hand written by a woman I didn't know, never even met. But in that note is perhaps every answer to every question I've ever had in my life. And because of that note, I travel thousands of miles. I look for her, but find him... -
Jezebel by K. Larsen
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 22 ratings30 years of affection. 10 years of soul shattering love. 8 years of happy employment. 2 months of turmoil. 1 week of truth. A lifetime of betrayal. Would you have seen it coming? Annabelle Fortin landed herself in a bit of trouble. Mandated to community service at an assisted living facility for early onset dementia she meets Jezebel, one of the residents... -
A Harmless Little Ruse by Meli Raine
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsShe has no idea what she’s doing. Loose cannons never hit their targets. And they take out plenty of collateral damage. Four years ago Lindsay experienced the unspeakable right before me, and I couldn’t stop them. But that’s all changed now. When her father, Senator Bosworth, contacted me to ask — demand — that I protect her, it was a second chance. A shot at redemption... -
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 Blood of Black Oak by Monique Edenwood
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI watch the blood as it seeps from him, pooling like crimson flame around his neck, trickling in rivulets of liquid fire onto the dense body below.The body I've touched. I've held. I've kissed. I've felt wrapped around me for so long, holding me possessively, protecting me from those who wanted me lost...Categorized as:
suspense angst contemporary super rich hero cheating dark age difference other-man-woman -
False Gods by Rachel Haimowitz, Heidi Belleau
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWith a wedge at last driven between Mat and Dougie Carmichael, courtesy of Nikolai Petrovic’s expert manipulations, the brothers must each accept their new path forward: Dougie, a perfect slave, sweet and obedient and loving. Mat, a tightly reined dog, snarling and snapping but never allowed to bite.Unfortunately, no transformation, however well planned, is without its growing pains... -
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Whiskey Poison by Nicole Fox
The hottest man I’ve ever seen is now my new boss—and I’m stuck in a house with him…Until one of us cracks.I’ve got debt—yeah, I know, so does everyone else on Planet Earth.But the bills I’m paying keep my dad and my grandma alive.So it’s pretty messed-up for Timofey Viktorov to use them as a threat to keep me under control.Not that he cares... -
Sixth Sin by Cora Kenborn, Mollie Stark
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsPreviously published as Starlet by Cora KenbornHollywood. Mafia. Love. Lust. Secrets. Corruption.From USA Today best-selling author Cora Kenborn comes a dark and twisted enemies-to-lovers retelling of Anastasia.They call me America's Sweetheart. Hollywood royalty. The last of an era. Sole survivor of LA's most infamous crime. I'm not any of those things.He forced me into the spotlight... -
Brewer by Jessica Ames
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsBrewerAs the money man of the Manchester chapter of the Untamed Sons Motorcycle Club, my job is simple: make the illegal income legal and don’t get caught. I have a good life in the Sons, an easy one. I don’t have time for women or drama. But when my former cellmate calls and tells me his daughter is in trouble, I have no choice but to respond... -
Twenty-Five by Rachel Haimowitz, Heidi Belleau
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the exciting final season of the Flesh Cartel . . .With the help of the FBI, Mat Carmichael has let himself be re-taken by the Flesh Cartel. Objective? Rescue his brother, exact revenge, and destroy the entire organization from the inside... -
In the Garden of Discontent by Lily White
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis is a love story. It’s brutal. Heart-wrenching. Dirty, terrifying, and raw. But a love story nonetheless because it is so beautiful. Ensley: Noah Carter was the type of guy that every girl wanted. Gorgeous. Talented. Smart and kind. He was the world that revolved around me even though I didn’t deserve him. But then something went wrong. He snapped maybe, just lost his mind... -
Tarnished Soul: A Nine Minutes Spin-Off Novel by Beth Flynn
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 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... -
Fury's Torment by Elizabeth Knox
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOn a blind date, I met the woman I was always looking for.FuryWith everything that happened at the club recently, I didn't have any time for love. At least, I didn't think I did. We all just went through hell. Not too long ago, we found out there was a rat in the club, and it turned out to be our Prez's girlfriend at the time... -
Scorched by Yolanda Olson, Jennifer Bene
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsOne father. Two brothers.But there can only be one perfect son.Luke. Pater. Dad. The man left behind more than just a legacy when he died, and ten years is a long time to be without a guiding hand. I’ve done my best, tried to follow the rules my father bestowed on me when I was young, and now I have to fulfill a promise.I have to bring Cleo home... -
Pleasure & Prey: vol. 1 by A.J. Merlin
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsDepravedThere’s nothing out there.That’s what I keep telling myself while I walk back from a campfire to my isolated cabin.BrutalNothing bad happens at summer camp.That’s what my fellow camp counselors have convinced me of when the nights around the lake get a little eerie.ViciousOne, two, he’s coming for you... -
Independence Day by Rachel Haimowitz, Heidi Belleau
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMat and Douglas’s time as Nikolai’s wards is finally drawing to a close. Though torn apart by Nikolai’s machinations, their fates are still inextricably entwined: they’ve been sold to the same cruel master, and are united in their desire to go home... -
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Wicked Little Words by Stevie J. Cole
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsEdwin Allen Mercer I want them all to read my words. And they do. Every last blood-stained sentence, they've read and praised me for. They love the gore and violence, the realness. And I get a sense of power with it all because I know a secret: the victims in my books—they’re real and have all died on my table. And maybe that’s why the last book had such awful reviews... -
Custody Battles by Gregory Ashe
Some parents would die for their children. Others will do a whole lot worse.Emery Hazard and his husband, John-Henry Somerset, are settling into their new normal—at home, with the latest addition to their family, and at work, as Somers adapts to his new role and Hazard manages his expanding agency. The only thing Hazard is worried about is getting through dinner with his in-laws... -
Black Lies by K.A. Merikan
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 11 ratings"That man is not your fairytale ending." Griffith has spent two of the most amazing years with his boyfriend Mark, who is undoubtedly The One. Mark is everything Griffith could want in a man. Sexy, kind, always there for him, showering him with gifts and anticipating his needs... -
Trials and Errors by Rachel Haimowitz, Heidi Belleau
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWith a wedge at last driven between Mat and Dougie Carmichael, courtesy of Nikolai Petrovic’s expert manipulations, the brothers must each accept their new path forward: Dougie, a perfect slave, sweet and obedient and loving. Mat, a tightly reined dog, snarling and snapping but never allowed to bite.Unfortunately, no transformation, however well planned, is without its growing pains... -
A Harmless Little Plan by Meli Raine
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsTurns out there was a second video from that awful night four years ago. Mine wasn’t the only tape. Too bad mine wasn’t the worst. Drew can’t protect me no matter how hard he tries, but the roles are flipped now. I have to help him, but I’m not wired that way. Not anymore. That one night changed me more than anyone knows. More than anyone could predict... -
Wicked as Secrets by Shayla Black
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’ll do anything to protect her from danger…but it will cost her everything.Security specialist Matt Montgomery has never forgotten—or forgiven—Madison Archer for walking away and ripping out his heart. Three years later, she crashes back into his life, terrified that her wealthy husband is trying to kill her. Matt vows to protect Madison…but there’s a price...
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