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 abduction tortured heroine
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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. Lyla and Gavin’s relationship will be put to the ultimate test when her ex rolls into town and the killer decides to finish what he started by making his final play…. -
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... -
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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 -
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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 -
Rocket by Lilly Atlas
Logan “Rocket” Carrera has a history he prefers to leave buried under prickly layers of standoffish personality. He’s seen and done things that would make most people lie awake at night. A master of compartmentalization, he’s never had trouble moving on until the night he rescues the redheaded Chloe from a sadistic gang...Categorized as:
suspense tortured heroine working class heroine m-f abduction bad boys tortured hero rape -
Seeds of Iniquity by J.A. Redmerski
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsVictor Faust’s new Order is growing. Business is good as there is no rest for the wicked in an underground world of hardcore criminals and contract killing. Relationships among the operatives have changed little over the past year—but things are about to change now, and all six high-ranking members of the new Order will be blindsided by an unlikely enemy... -
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 -
How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson
A humorous, swoony, and downright terrifying horror romance in which a young woman gets caught in the middle of a murder spree at a speed-dating event and must use her encyclopedic knowledge of the horror genre to make it as a real-life Final Girl...Categorized as:
suspense horror m-f strong heroine tortured heroine childfree-couple sassy heroine possessive hero -
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 -
Surrender by Addison Jane
He was my brother’s best friend. And the first boy to break my heart. I’d fought like hell to erase that part of my past, but fate had other plans—a cruel twist dragging me back to Detroit. Right back to him. I was sure that after twelve years apart, the fire between us would be ash. But it was still burning—raw, relentless, and impossible to ignore...Categorized as:
suspense sassy heroine tortured heroine bad boys possessive hero tortured hero m-f second chances -
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. . -
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 -
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When He Takes by Gabrielle Sands
I've fallen for a monster. A man who doesn't ask for what he wants—he takes. And now, he's taken me. Rowan Miller isn’t who I thought he was. He's Nero De Luca, the ex-consigliere of a notorious New York mob family, and he's been lying to me from the moment we met. If I return home to Darkwater Hollow, it will be a death sentence... -
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... -
Torn from You and With You by Nashoda Rose
Limited edition. Bonus Issue includes novella "With You", novel "Torn from You" and a Logan POV scene extra. "With You". Sculpt is an illegal fighter. He’s also the lead singer of a local rock band. No one knows his real name. And from the moment I met him, he made me forget mine... -
Sinful Union by K.C. Crowne
"Smile for me, malyshka. ". His voice cracks through the chapel like a whip. Six years ago, Pavel Fetisov ruined me. The Bratva king who stole my innocence against these cursed walls now slides a blood diamond onto my finger. They say his family killed my parents. Now, my brothers want his empire in ashes. But Pavel isn’t just powerful. He’s ruthless. Obsessive. Addicted to control...Categorized as:
suspense sassy heroine bad boys sweet-hero possessive hero m-f from hate to love second chances -
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... -
Stolen Mafia Vows by Vivy Skys
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings**An Age Gap Surprise Pregnancy Dark Romance**. “When can I touch you where no one else has? ”. One reckless text. That’s all it took to start a mafia war. She was untouched. And she let me watch her fall apart—moaning my name through the phone like I already owned her. So I married my wild Irish rose. Filled her with my seed. Marked her as mine. Then my father’s orders caught up to me...Categorized as:
suspense m-f bad boys possessive hero mafia forbidden love length-medium contemporary -
Beautiful Enemy 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 -
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... -
Kiss of Deceit by Kay Riley
When snow falls, Winterlake is cut off from the world once the mountain road becomes impassable. With no high-speed internet or cell phone service, life is slow and peaceful. At least it used to be. Danger lurks in the shadows of Winterlake. It started with someone chasing me in the woods. Now a masked killer is terrorizing this town...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense m-f small town bad boys possessive hero sweet-hero length-long -
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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... -
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: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 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... -
Reviving Izabel by J.A. Redmerski
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 56 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... -
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 -
One Flew Over the Omega's Nest — Part One by Jessica Winters
How many Alphas does an Omega need to kill to get sent to the Thornfield Asylum for the Criminally Insane? Apparently, the answer is thirteen. Jo, the country's first Omega serial killer, quickly realizes things aren't what the seem at Thornfield. At first, it seems like that could be a good thing, but, boy, how wrong she was...Categorized as:
m-f sassy heroine strong heroine tortured heroine possessive hero bad boys tortured hero omegaverse -
Enforcer Daddy by Lucky Moon
All I did was steal the wrong wallet. Now a Russian enforcer is keeping me locked in his penthouse. One pickpocket job. That's all it was supposed to be. But the mob boss whose wallet I lifted? He wants me dead—and my freaky mismatched eyes make me easy to find. So when Dmitry Volkov catches me hiding in his storage unit, I expect a bullet...Categorized as:
suspense m-f from hate to love sassy heroine strong heroine tortured heroine bad boys sweet-hero -
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... -
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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... -
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... -
A Lover's Mask by AlTonya Washington
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDeep down Fernando Ramsey longs for the kind of love his parents never shared--a love based on equality and respect. Sadly, he hasn't met the woman to make his secret yearning come true, until he meets Contessa Warren. Gorgeous and sexy, the Chicago publisher is everything Fernando desires--...Categorized as:
suspense sassy heroine bad boys possessive hero m-f contemporary african-american vengeance -
Vengeance by Alex Grayson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFierce, 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... -
Twisted Bond by S.R. Jones
No matter what, she's mine. .. for better, or for worse. Giovanni:. When you take two individual strands and twist them together,. you make them stronger. Amelia refuses to see the strength we share, so I will make. her. Both our lives are now on the line. I won’t let her go, though, and I won’t let anyone else take her. from me. Twisted, yes, but Amelia is mine...Categorized as:
suspense m-f tortured heroine strong heroine possessive hero length-novella open-door contemporary -
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... -
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. She was supposed to be a message:...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense m-f bad boys possessive hero abduction mafia length-medium -
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Titch by Jessica Ames
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTitch. As 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... -
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
LUNA. I 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? VIGILANTE. The 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 -
Depraved Obsession by Morgan Elliott
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI hate the only man I've ever loved. Balor Murphy stole everything from me to save my family's honor. For five years, I've denied his very existence. A cruel twist of fate brings that denial to a screeching halt. Someone is watching me. Someone who wants me dead. He taunts me with cryptic messages and violent paintings. My brother’s best friend swears he can protect me... -
Return of the Bad Girl by Codi Gary
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsBad girls don't forgive. Bad girls don't forget. Bad girls don't fall in love. Caroline Willis may be known for causing trouble, but she is NOT about to become homeless. So when she learns that her perfect apartment has been double-booked—to a dangerously hot bad boy—Caroline's bad-girl reputation comes out in full force...
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