Books like 'Heartless'
Readers who enjoyed Heartless by A.J. Merlin also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance suspense horror m-f sassy heroine possessive hero small town childfree-couple abduction
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Grounded by R.K. Lilley
James and Bianca’s story draws to a close in the explosive conclusion to the Up In The Air Trilogy. After a short but earnest courtship, Bianca can no longer deny her feelings for James, and though she’s tried her hardest, she can’t help but see that he cares deeply for her, as well... -
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 tortured hero bad boys horror new adult contemporary angst disabilities and marks -
Once A Crime Lord by Mia Knight
It all ends here. It’s been two years since the Pyre family was ripped apart by a sadistic killer who will stop at nothing to take Gavin Pyre’s position as crime lord of the Las Vegas underworld... -
Behind the Hands That Kill by J.A. Redmerski
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 30 ratings-Reading Order-#1 - KILLING SARAI#2 - REVIVING IZABEL#3 - THE SWAN & THE JACKAL#4 - SEEDS OF INIQUITY#5 - THE BLACK WOLF#6 - BEHIND THE HANDS THAT KILL#7 - SPIDERS IN THE GROVE---Even professional killers need vacations, but for Victor Faust, his vacation in Venezuela is about more than relaxation and time alone with Izabel Seyfried... -
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Knives by K.L. Savage
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsLove is a powerful force, but it doesn’t compare to guilt. And just like most people, my guilt eats me alive.I went from being an irresponsible kid who didn’t know any better to an irresponsible man who does.I make no apologies.Don’t take my carelessness for strength.My blood is as deadly as the bullet that killed my brother, and once I’m cut, there’s no stopping the river of rage... -
In Dark Woods by Susan Fanetti
Ride or die. An act of treachery has weakened Isaac Lunden, President of the Night Horde MC. His life, and his family’s, is changed fundamentally. Lilli, his old lady, is at his side, exhorting him to fight. But he isn’t sure that what’s left to him is enough to fight for. This is the story of Isaac and Lilli’s journey through those dark woods...Categorized as:
tortured hero strong heroine bad boys tortured heroine small town possessive hero m-f contemporary -
Jigsaw by Lilly Atlas
After being disappointed by her family one too many times, Izzy’s convinced the only person she needs is herself. Seeking a life with fewer relationships, she leaves the bustle of the city and moves to small-town Tennessee. Her plans for quiet and solitude don’t last long after she’s adopted by both the men and women of the Hell’s Handlers Motorcycle Club...Categorized as:
suspense possessive hero tortured hero bad boys sassy heroine strong heroine small town m-f -
Buttons and Devotion by Penelope Sky
If I don’t give her what she wants—I’ll lose her forever. When Sapphire became my muse, it was supposed to be a business transaction. We both got what we wanted—until she wanted something more. If I don’t give it to her, give her all of me, she’ll walk out of my life. My father already granted his approval—so he would be disappointed if I let her slip through my fingers...Categorized as:
suspense strong heroine possessive hero m-f contemporary alpha male dark explicit-plentiful -
Buttons and Blood by Penelope Sky
Crow Barsetti knows about me—and he doesn’t like it. I know he’s paying his top guys to dig up every piece of dirt they can find, but I don’t care what he discovers. There’s nothing I’ve done that he hasn’t done himself. All that matters is I love his daughter—and he’s going to accept it. I get a call in the middle of the night while Vanessa is dead asleep—and it’s him...Categorized as:
suspense possessive hero strong heroine sassy heroine m-f contemporary alpha male forbidden love -
Buttons and Betrayal by Penelope Sky
Conway paid off Knuckles to keep me—but he expects something in return. I belong to him exclusively, to fulfill every order he gives, personally and professionally. I’m more just his muse now. I’m his in every sense of the word. I live a life of luxury in his mansion, but he treats me like a servant. I can’t deny my attraction for him, but I despise the kind of man he is...Categorized as:
suspense strong heroine possessive hero m-f contemporary dark alpha male explicit-plentiful -
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... -
Possessive Mafia Vows by Vivy Skys
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI thought she was dead. Not even my billions or my Irish mafia could save the redhead I’d just claimed from the crash. Then she showed up—scarred, fierce, pregnant with my heir, and hunted by the Russian mob.Six years ago, I was dragged from the wreckage—burned, broken, and told she didn’t make it. My obsession.My punishment? Endless nightmares of her screams...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense m-f tortured heroine mafia super rich hero length-medium contemporary -
Unholy Bonds by Maya Raine
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThree serial killers connected by an unholy thread, tangled in a twisted chase for revenge and blood. In this game of hunters, who will become the ultimate prey?***He is every sin she wants to commit. Yara West spends her day as a Medical Examiner. At nights, she dons the mask of a twisted killer to satiate the demons in her head... -
Savage by K.L. Savage
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI'm on the road, but there's only one thing on my mind.Eden...Problem is, this isn't me.I don't chase.I don't pursue.But I can't help myself.Eden is stubborn.Headstrong.The toughest woman I know.My mistake was letting myself have a taste.It wasn't enough.I'm addicted.I'm breaking my own rules.I don't care how complicated it is.But the complications keep coming.. -
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Copper by Lilly Atlas
Enormous, commanding, and hotter than sin, Copper is the only man Shell has ever wanted. Even as a young teen, when it was impossible and taboo to capture the attention of a grown man, she longed for him. For years, Shell clung to the dream of turning eighteen and finally being noticed by the Hell’s Handlers’ rough and gruff president...Categorized as:
suspense small town tortured heroine strong heroine sassy heroine possessive hero bad boys bikers -
Dirty by Callie Hart
Face of an angel. Body of a god. And a mouth so dirty he could make the devil blush… Fix Marcosa’s time can be bought with money, but he isn’t selling sex. Murderers, rapists, criminals: if you’re on the wrong side of Fix’s moral code, you’re in trouble. The kind of trouble that winds up getting you killed. As a hitman for hire, Fix is no stranger to violence. He’s merciless. Relentless...Categorized as:
m-f bad boys strong heroine abduction tortured hero tortured heroine contemporary dark -
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 . -
Diamond In The Rough by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHe’s New York’s deadliest enforcer. But I’m the villain in this story.Micah Malone is the son of a notoriously cruel, and thankfully dead, mafia boss.Now he’s the organization’s enforcer, and right hand to his brother’s reign.He’s the broadest of five boys.The quietest.And the deadliest...Categorized as:
from hate to love tortured hero strong heroine m-f suspense mafia multicultural forbidden love -
Reviving Izabel by J.A. Redmerski
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 55 ratingsDetermined to live a dark life in the company of the assassin who freed her from bondage, Sarai sets out on her own to settle a score with an evil sadist. Unskilled and untrained in the art of killing, the events that unfold leave her hanging precariously on the edge of death when nothing goes as planned... -
Marauder by Bella Di Corte
He stole my heart out of revenge. There was one thing I always thought was mine to give: my heart. I never imagined a marauder would steal it out of vengeance—vengeance that had nothing to do with me. His greatest enemy happened to be the man in love with me, and somehow I became nothing but a pawn. I was no damsel in distress, though. More like an archer, ready to battle...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love sassy heroine strong heroine bad boys possessive hero m-f contemporary -
Violent Promises by A.R. Breck
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsViolent Promises is the final book in the Blackridge series!When one reckless decision and a possessive heart lead to an inescapable debt...Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d be at the mercy of a man who only wanted one thing, my death.With each passing hour, my growing despair wars with my murderous blood... -
Behold the Stars by Susan Fanetti
Lawrence Ellis, with vast wealth and power, has made it known that he wants control of Signal Bend, Missouri. He is a man who always gets what he wants; there are no limits to the lengths he'll go, and he has the means to pay all manner of people to do his dirty work for him... -
Beautiful Enemy: A Dark Mafia Romance by Ivy Davis
I’m kidnapped by a monster on my wedding day. Dante Moretti is evil incarnate.Handsome, dangerous, and leader of the Italian mafia.He could have any woman and yet he chose me, a Bratva girl.I’m taken away on my wedding day to another man.Now, I’m stuck in a situation where I have to fight for my life.Dante wants to bring war to my family.But he starts to make me feel… things...Categorized as:
from hate to love m-f abduction tortured heroine bad boys possessive hero mafia length-medium -
Savage King: A Dark Mafia Romance by Bella Ray
As the daughter of a judge, everything was black and white—but then I met HIM. I was never meant to be around men like him—men my father liked to put away.One night, I was a museum curator with a quiet life.The next, I was bound and beaten by the monsters my father locked up.Then he came for me.Antonio DeLuna isn’t a hero... -
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Before You Knew Me: An opposites attract romantic suspense novel by MaryAnn Clarke
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSometimes moving into a new future requires letting go of the past. If two clashing agents of change can change they way they see each other – they might just change the world for good, and build a beautiful future together. Attorney Sharon Beckett worked hard to lift her life out of the gutter... -
A Lover's Pretense by AlTonya Washington
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe pain of lost love has shaped Tykira Lowery, and despite the challenges of starting life anew, her savvy business skills and warm spirit guarantee her entrepreneurial success. Now, coming face to face with Quaysar Ramsey each day was overwhelming her nerves… and her desires... -
Key to Hell by Alex Grayson
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe highly anticipated conclusion of the Hell Night Series. Emo's story.Death. 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... -
Blackout by Janine Infante Bosco
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEvery fairytale is just a tragedy with a twist. And happily-ever-after is a fantasy.Give me the real, ugly love of two people battling their demons to make it work. Two people like us. When the stakes have never been higher, I turn to my past. After all, it's our favorite sins that always do us in.But even in the midst of my blackout, there she is. The beacon of light I don't deserve... -
Summer Sparrow by Emmerson Hoyt
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRylee Adder left Eden thinking she’d put the worst day of her life behind her.She was wrong.Separated from her new family and Colton—the man she never thought she’d have to live without—Rylee finds herself in Boston facing her biggest challenge yet: surviving the Vipers’ Den...Categorized as:
from hate to love small town suspense dual-pov contemporary new adult dark length-epic -
Dark Destiny by Bec Botefuhr
You were with Willow and Jagger when they found their happily ever after in Dark Endings. You felt their love. You felt their relief, but what you didn't feel, was the pain they left tucked inside. Jagger killed his own father, he suffered on an island alone being forced to fight to save his life. Now, the memories are catching up on him. The reality is haunting him. He's becoming numb...Categorized as:
bad boys m-f second chances strong heroine sassy heroine tortured hero possessive hero contemporary -
Brothers Black 4: Braxton the Charmer (Brothers Black Series) by Blue Saffire
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAward winning Author Blue Saffire presents Brothers Black 4: Braxton The Protector Book 4 in the Brothers Black Series I'll set fire to the motherf**king wind for her. That will never change. It's why I let her take me through the ringer. I understand her. I know what she needs. It's just at some point…she's going to need to figure out what she needs more. To hide or to be who we really are... -
One Killer Night by Trilina Pucci
“Whip smart and hilarious! Pucci is well on her way to literary domination.” —Abby Jimenez, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer.USA Today bestselling author Trilina Pucci cranks up the heat in this sexy slasher filled with dark family secrets, classic horror tropes, and banter as sharp as a deranged killer’s knife.Love is patient.Love is kind...Categorized as:
horror suspense m-f tortured hero sweet-hero possessive hero sassy heroine working class heroine -
Maverick by Lilly Atlas
Stephanie Little firmly believes the world exists in two states: right and wrong; good and evil; unlawful and law-abiding. She chose her side the moment she joined the FBI and pledged to rid the world of as many criminals as possible. Maverick is everything Stephanie isn’t: inked, pierced, flirty, masculine as sin, but most of all, an outlaw...Categorized as:
suspense abduction small town sassy heroine strong heroine tortured heroine bad boys contemporary -
Mafia King's Secret Baby by Vivy Skys
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsI'm about to marry my worst nightmare, and he doesn't know I have his daughter.Elio Rossi is a dream on paper.He's rich, handsome and head of his family's multi-billion dollar business.He's also a ruthless Mafia Don, and my older brother's best friend.But even that isn't a huge issue to me.No, Elio is my nightmare because he used to be my dream man.We've been betrothed since childhood...Categorized as:
suspense m-f from hate to love bad boys possessive hero contemporary super rich hero mafia -
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Tethered Souls by Beth Flynn
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 16 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... -
A Lover's Regret: The Ramseys by AlTonya Washington
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsYohan Ramsey and Melina Dan battle private demons and simmering passions, when their paths cross following an eight-year separation. The murder of eighteen year old Sera Black has haunted Yohan's family for decades. What really happened the night she died? Melina knows and it's wreaked chaos in her life ever since... -
A Lover's Worth: The Ramseys by AlTonya Washington
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJohari Frazier's life was forever changed when she found the man she adored in the arms of another woman. The scene was staged but the damage had been done. Being betrayed by Moses Ramsey was a thing Johari never thought possible. He was the man she loved beyond reason. The man she planned to marry. The man whose child she carried... -
Bitter Sweet Hell by Alex Grayson
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Hell Night Series continues with JW's story! As the Sheriff of Malus, Texas, JW takes his oath to protect its citizens very seriously. Born from an ugly past, he swears no child, woman, or man will ever endure what he and his brothers have. As he seeks retribution of the ones who have wronged him, his past and his present finally collide. Secrets are laid open... -
Vengeful Hearts by S. Lexi
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsErika grew up on the streets of New York City. When her baby sister got kidnapped by the most extensive human trafficking ring in the area and eventually murdered, she swore to avenge her death.Blaise grew up in the Italian Mafia; his father was the don...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love strong heroine mafia contemporary vengeance dark length-long -
Eclipse Heart by Mya Grey
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratings💋Hating him should be easy—he killed my brother.He’s my sworn enemy… Instead, I'm fighting the urge to rip his clothes off. Every inch of me remembers that night—how his hard body felt claiming mine.Now, I’m living under Leonid’s control, Trapped in his house as his captive. Playing by his rules. It wasn’t supposed to go like this – Every day, every night, under the same roof... -
Judge of Hell by Alex Grayson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Hell Night Series continues with Judge's story!Fierce, loyal, controlled. Three things Judge became at a young age.Enduring unimaginable horrors no child should, he swore no person would dictate his or his brother’s lives again.Revenge fueled him, setting a path destined from the moment he and his brothers escaped their hell... -
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... -
Blame It on the Shame: Part 3 by Ashley Jade
There's something lurking in all of us. Something we hide and shelter from those we love in order to protect them. A darkness we try to suppress because we're ashamed of who that makes us. Because that's the thing about Shame. It wounds us. It damages us. Or, for the few poor souls out there like me...it defines us. It's there—in the shadows, beneath the surface...just waiting... -
Bits and Pieces by Bijou Hunter, Noelle Zane
Silas “Nomad” Bennings doesn’t do normal. As the fearsome enforcer for the Steel Berserkers Motorcycle Club, he refuses to live by other people’s rules. However, this time, the stubborn son of a bitch might have gone too far.Landry Copper spent her life bouncing from one dangerous situation to another... -
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Savage Bratva King by Vivy Skys
I stole the Italian mafia princess days before her wedding to my enemy—an alliance crafted to destroy my Bratva.The plan was simple:Break her. Take her innocence.Send her back ruined, panting only for me.I locked her in my basement, fed on her defiance, and filled her with my seed until she sobbed my name like a prayer...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense m-f bad boys possessive hero abduction mafia length-medium -
Titch by Jessica Ames
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTitchAs Road Captain of the Untamed Sons MC, I've had my share of pain, but nothing could prepare me for seeing my ex-wife move on with another man. It makes my demons want to come out to play, makes me want to destroy everything in my path. I love Rachel. I'll always love her, but she's no longer mine. Getting her back is my only focus and to do that, I'm willing to cross lines I shouldn't... -
The Mercer Curse by Pepper Winters
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsQ Mercer from Tears of Tess meets his half-brother Henri Ward from Ruby Tears for the first time...……….I’ve fought a curse all my life.A curse inherited by my sick father. There is no cure.No antidote for what I am. For years, I existed alone. Fighting the urges, doing my best to stay good.Until Esclave 58 entered my life and I didn’t have to fight so hard... -
Son of a Gun: A Marked Men and The Point Crossover by Jay Crownover
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHeavy is the head that inherits the crown.The only thing on Daire Archer’s mind when she pulled a disappearing act on Christmas was proving she was worthy of being her father's daughter. She was born an Archer, which was a blessing and a curse, and Daire was determined to show everyone she deserved to carry the legacy that came with her name...Categorized as:
suspense bad boys tortured heroine from hate to love tortured hero m-f contemporary new adult -
Silent Vendetta by Kathy Lockheart
LUNAI just uncovered the secret identity of the Vigilante.Now, he holds me prisoner in his vault of vengeance.And nothing is as it seems.Bound in this abyss of secrets and darkness,I ache for Hunter’s warmth and light.And vow to reclaim my freedom.But how does one escape……being the obsession of a killer?VIGILANTEThe monster inside of me always hungered for death...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love possessive hero tortured heroine m-f abduction dark mystery -
Mine to Keep by Cynthia Eden
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsLove is the most dangerous obsession… Skye Sullivan is trying to put the pieces of her life back together. She survived a brutal stalker and escaped his abduction, and now she is looking to the future—a future that includes Skye’s lover, billionaire Trace Weston. Skye thinks the danger is finally over for her. She’s dead wrong...Categorized as:
suspense tortured hero bad boys tortured heroine possessive hero m-f contemporary military
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