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 second chances
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Ruined Castles by Amo Jones
Nothing is going to make sense once you flip open this first chapter. You’re going to wonder why the fuck I made the decisions I did. Why he did what he did. I’m not going to make this easy for you. I’m going to guide you through loops that you’re going to wish I had just skipped, but I’m not going to do that either. You’re going to feel my pain, my loss, and my heart breaking in my chest... -
Knives by K.L. Savage
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 24 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... -
The Mafia And His Angel: Part 2 by Lylah James
Ayla The darkness never truly left me. It’s always there, waiting for the right moment to strike. It’s been months since I ran away from the nightmare that was slowly killing me. I ran for my life, straight into the arms of a man who I thought would be worse than the nightmare I’d left behind. Little did I know he’d become my savior...Categorized as:
suspense tortured heroine tortured hero forbidden love bad boys m-f mafia contemporary -
Slingshot by K.L. Savage
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsShe slingshotted her way into my heart. I’m a laidback kind of guy. I don’t like to take life too seriously. I’ve experienced serious and I’ve gone through the bad life has to offer. I’m ready for the good in life. I wear my heart on my sleeve just so someone can take it. Someone does…Natalia Moretti. Out of all the people for me to love, why does it have to be her?The frenemy’s daughter... -
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Hollow Hellion by Jodie King
As the old saying goes, “Run away to the circus,” and it seems that is exactly what I have done. Except, this isn’t just any circus—it’s Oddity Carnival, reputed to be the most horrifying spectacle in the States. It turns out, I wasn’t just running away from terror—I was unwittingly walking straight back into its chilling embrace... -
Bed of Roses by D.V. Fischer
I never thought I'd fall for a murderer. As an old employee at a funeral home, Tegan's life had been full of corpses. When her parents died, she couldn't take being surrounded by death anymore. She had to get away, and to do that, she moved to a small, sleepy town in Utah. When Tegan rented a house sight-unseen, she had been told it would need a lot of work... -
Savage Sin: Bellamy Brothers 1 by Helen Hardt
Rated: 4.78 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsEnter a world of mystery, suspense, sin, and heart-wrenching emotion with Helen Hardt's new series!In prison, they called him Savage.Falcon Bellamy spent years locked up for a crime he didn’t commit, which shattered his dream of serving his country as a Navy SEAL. When he's granted early parole to help with a family emergency, he’s determined to reclaim his life...Categorized as:
suspense sassy heroine forbidden love m-f contemporary super rich hero dual-pov alpha male -
Forgery by Tate James, Michelle Lancaster
Dreams. Goals. Plans. You envision a dream, set a goal, and formulate a plan. I had diligently pursued all of these steps. I was on my way to obtaining my degree, engaging with breathtaking works of art, and unexpectedly falling into bed with my professor. Yeah, that last bit wasn't part of the grand scheme, but even I had to admit that it wasn't an unwelcome deviation... -
Sapphire Scars by Pepper Winters
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 13 ratings“I thought I was strong enough to survive this awful nightmare. I did my best to take back my power and refused to let my heart fall. Only problem is…my heart is an idiot.” It only took one droplet of blood to forever change me.Her blood.The taste of it. The heat of it.I swallowed her down and devoured her. For a while, it was enough.My monster was content. I believed I’d found where I belonged... -
Prey by V.T. Do
The VP of the notorious King’s Men MC caught me.Roman isn’t the man I thought he was.No, he is someone so much more dangerous.He’s the man I sent to prison for two years.In this twisted game of love and revenge.I am his prey.There are worse things in life than falling in love with the wrong man.It’s falling in love with your stalker.The man who wants to own you completely... -
Tormentor Mine: The Complete Series by Anna Zaires, Dima Zales
A lethal mercenary bent on vengeance. The innocent woman standing in his way.Dr. Sara Cobakis’s quiet suburban life is turned upside down when a darkly handsome Russian assassin breaks into her home and tortures her for information. But the nightmare doesn’t end there.Because Peter Sokolov returns, and this time, he’s determined to keep the pretty young doctor for himself.No matter what it takes...Categorized as:
from hate to love abduction suspense possessive hero first-person-pov m-f dark alpha male -
Thrasher by K.L. Savage
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsHome is where the heart is.That’s what I was taught.Until I met her...We’ve been traveling all over the country, recruiting new members for our club.Before we call it quits, we make a pitstop in Las Vegas.I’m owed a debt and I’ve come to collect.It’s been awhile since I spoke to the President of the Ruthless Kings.And I’m calling in my marker... -
Copper by K. Webster
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFrom USA Today Bestselling Author K Webster, comes a new MC dark standalone novel!I’m a Fed.Rigid. Rule follower. One of the good guys. I uphold the law…when it suits me.My loyalty lies first with my brother, Koyn, and secondly with his motorcycle club.Jeremy Koynakov was the man I used to be. I’m Copper now. For a decade, I aided my brother in his quest for revenge. We thirsted for vengeance...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love m-f first-person-pov dark age difference contemporary mystery -
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 . -
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Tiny Dark Deeds by Eden O'Neill
Stolen. Missing. Erased. I’m a headline in the town of Maywood Heights and known by a name I’ve never heard. They tell me I was taken, stolen, but none of this makes sense. I’m not who they say I am. I’m not a… twin, but even those close to me seem to believe the rumors swarming around me. Tiny.Dark. Deeds...Categorized as:
bad boys from hate to love tortured hero possessive hero first-person-pov m-f contemporary sports -
Q by L. Wilder
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSome chances are worth taking. Twenty years had come and gone. My brothers were now older with crow’s feet and silvered hair. Their kids were no longer kids. Prospects had become brothers, and more had come to take their place. It was tough to see that everything had changed— Everything except me. I was a stone left unturned. I thought my day would never come. But then, I saw her...Categorized as:
suspense bad boys from hate to love insta-love m-f humor alpha male friends to lovers -
Endless by W. Winters
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author W Winters comes an emotionally captivating and thrilling, romantic suspense. He holds a power over me like no one else ever could. Maybe it’s because my heart begs to beat in time with his. Maybe it’s because my body bows to his and his alone. Maybe it’s because he thought he loved me before he even laid eyes on me... -
The Woman with the Ring by Jessica Gadziala
Primo Esposito snatched me off the street in a ploy to bring long-sought peace between the Families. His proposal was simple.Me, my life, my future.In exchange for a ceasefire. If I said no, it would mean the immediate slaughter of my friends, of all my family. There had never been a choice at all...Categorized as:
suspense m-f from hate to love abduction bad boys possessive hero first-person-pov contemporary -
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... -
Snowed In With the Bratva Boss by Ember Davis
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMISTLETOERevenge. It’s the only thing that has been driving me for so long and now it’s so close. The death of my twin hangs heavy on my heart. She didn’t deserve the pain she was put through. The desperation she must have felt echoes through my soul along with my guilt. The man who killed her was not tortured enough... -
Five Second Rainbird by Nashoda Rose
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsMacayla"He’s rude, abrupt and doesn’t know how to smile."My new landlord, ex-Special Forces Vic Gate, is intense, and even that’s too domesticated a word to describe him. Extreme raw power seems more appropriate. Or maybe godlike, except there isn’t anything forgiving or merciful in him. Then again, he gave me and my little boy Jackson a week to vacate his cabin instead of seven minutes...Categorized as:
from hate to love forbidden love tortured hero bad boys suspense abduction contemporary angst -
The Thief by Nikki J Summers
Five… minutes. That’s how long I was supposed to be there. Get in, get out. Job done.Four… guns pointed at my head. It wasn’t supposed to go down this way.Three… years old, and she clung to her mum as we sat huddled together on the floor, chained to the pipes on the wall.Two… choices, when my time finally came. To let it all play out or fight with everything I had...Categorized as:
suspense m-f insta-love abduction contemporary length-medium explicit-open-door dark -
Killer Beauty by Eva Chance, Harlow King
I'm the girl you'll never see coming.Blink and you're dead, another target checked off my list.But one night everything in my carefully ordered existence falls apart. A bloodbath and a car crash later, I find myself in the grasp of four gorgeous, intimidating men.Are my captors cops like they claim or something far more sinister? They sure know how to bend the law...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love abduction tortured heroine bad boys first-person-pov contemporary dark -
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 forbidden love sassy heroine tortured heroine bad boys contemporary -
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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 abduction tortured hero first-person-pov tortured heroine contemporary dark -
Craving Redemption by Nicole Jacquelyn
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsAsa and Callie had nothing in common. He was an Ace, raised in the club and loyal to it above all else. She was a high school student with braces on her teeth and a narrow view of the world. They should have never crossed paths. But when Callie decides to defy her parents, and Asa goes on an errand for the club, their lives collide. He saves her, and she mesmerizes him...Categorized as:
second chances suspense bad boys tortured heroine possessive hero sassy heroine m-f contemporary -
Nox by Jessica Ames
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsNoxAs Vice President of the Untamed Sons MC, my first loyalty is to my club and my president, that is until Lucy walks into my life. For her, I'm willing to give it all up. I'll stand against my brothers, question my loyalty and even consider giving up my patch. Too bad everything I'm building isn't real.LucyNox is falling for me, but he shouldn't... -
Dark Desire by Bec Botefuhr
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThis book contains adult content. 18+ only. This isn't for the faint hearted, it is not your typical love story, but I do promise it has some seriously hot scenes. You have been warned. Enjoy. After the shock of finding out about Jagger's wife, Willow ran. She needed time, needed space to fix her heart. The love of her life has a big choice to make. Her or his wife... -
Secret Vendetta by Kathy Lockheart
LUNABaptized in blood, I’m marked for death.Each time it comes, he appears. My masked protector.Saving me for reasons only known to him.But the Vigilante is playing a deadly game.One I must stop before he claims another soul.My new boyfriend, Hunter, vows to keep me safe.But what if we become the final casualties in the Vigilante's secret vendetta?VIGILANTEI’m the most dangerous man in the city... -
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... -
Delicious by A.J. Merlin
When I followed the sound of a chainsaw into the woods, I should’ve known it would end poorly.But when I end up in the killer’s house instead of chopped into little pieces, I don’t know what to think. Not when he promises me that he won’t hurt me, and especially when he tells me that I can’t leave. Not unless he can trust me. He can’t, of course...Categorized as:
insta-love from hate to love suspense m-f bad boys horror first-person-pov abduction -
Summer Sparrow: by Emmerson Hoyt
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 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 -
Bits and Pieces by Bijou Hunter, Noelle Zane
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSilas “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... -
The Saint by Kimberly Kincaid
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHis partner’s most trusted informant is his only hope…and his only weakness.When Detective Liam Hollister is assigned to an assault-turned-murder, he brings his signature three “C”s: control, calm, and composure. The “C” he wasn’t counting on? His partner’s informant, Carmen Desoto, who’s not only the key to unlocking his case... -
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Armor's Mistake by Elizabeth Knox
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI crossed a line and I damn well knew it, but I wanted her, and I always get what I want.ArmorThere are a few unspoken rules within the club. One of them is the fact we don’t go around screwing each other’s sisters and for a while it wasn’t an issue. That is, until Hammer came into the clubhouse.He was a regent from the Reapers Rejects MC up in Montana, and since Inc was there, he came here...Categorized as:
suspense forbidden love bad boys bikers multicultural dark contemporary length-novella -
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... -
Savage Beast by Kristen Luciani
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe Stole My Kiss…Right Before He Stole Me.The second my brother’s ex-best friend tore off my clothes, I was obsessed. His ripped muscles, seductive smirk, and bad boy charm made my knees weak and everything else tingle ever since we were teenagers.I always dreamed I’d become the center of his world.I guess I should have been more specific about my wish.He ruined me...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love abduction bad boys multicultural super rich hero contemporary dark -
Terror by Jessica Ames
TerrorAs Sergeant at Arms of the Manchester chapter of the Untamed Sons Motorcycle Club, my job is clear--protect my brothers and uphold the bylaws of my club. I’ve done that from the moment I patched in, risking my life and freedom for men I consider closer than blood.I never thought I’d need anything else until she walked back into my life...Categorized as:
suspense forbidden love bad boys insta-love second chances possessive hero tortured hero m-f -
Kissing Death by Alexandria Lee
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA rose is nothing without its thorns.Death was such a funny thing. It was a fickle biatch, if I was being honest.When I met Dominic Reed, I got my first taste of death and became addicted to its flavor. Its potency. I died when I fell in love with him and his thunder. Now, the death staring me down wasn't the pretty metaphorical kind, but the kind that chased you down until your heart gave out...Categorized as:
suspense m-f abduction first-person-pov sassy heroine age difference contemporary angst -
A Single Glance by W. Winters
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Willow Winters comes a heart-wrenching, edge-of-your-seat gripping, romantic suspense. I saw her from across the bar. My bar. My city. Everything in that world belonged to me. She stood out from the crowd like she was looking for someone to blame for her pain. That night, I felt the depths of my mistakes. I felt my scars... -
Escape from Paradise by Gwendolyn Field
When college sophomore Angela Birch sneaks from Texas to Mexico for Spring Break, she believes the worst that can happen is her parents finding out. Wrong. The worst is falling for the ruse of handsome, alluring Fernando... -
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 forbidden love tortured hero m-f contemporary -
The Woman from the Past by Jessica Gadziala
Four years ago, my boyfriend was killed by an unknown assailant, sending my entire life into a tailspin.After years of suffering with no end in sight, I did the unthinkable.I tracked down the man who’d killed my boyfriend - a mafia hitman from some place called Navesink Bank...Categorized as:
suspense insta-love m-f small town tortured heroine bad boys first-person-pov contemporary -
The Dark Elite: Complete Series Box Set by Eva Ashwood
This set contains all three books in the bestselling Dark Elite series. Dive into a world of violence, obsession, heart-twisting angst, and dangerous romance. Complete trilogy with a HEA!They say the devil goes by many names, and I know four of them:Ciro, Hale, Zaid, and Lucas.My father was once a powerful player in the Chicago underground, but six years ago, he left that life behind... -
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Why Don't You Make Me? by Rae Knight
Three years. That’s how long I thought I’d escaped the Iron Triad’s grip.Since high school, I’ve rebuilt myself, free from the torment of my three ex-bullies. But when Thorne, cold and unapologetic, lands in my checkout line, I know my past isn’t done with me yet...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love second chances possessive hero m-f sassy heroine dark forced proximity -
Damaged Locke by Victoria Ashley, Jenika Snow
Aston Locke Whispers of the Locke brothers fill the town, facts and reality twisted to fit what these motherfuckers believe they know about us. That weâre sadistic bastards, incapable of any real emotions or fear. Maybe theyâre not wrong about that. That is, until I set my sights on Kadence King, getting just as drawn to her as I am the darkness... -
Mine to Keep by Cynthia Eden
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 33 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 -
Savage Hero by Logan Fox
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI should have killed her. Instead, I kept her.What does the son of a drug lord usually do with the assassin who tried to kill his father?I'll tell you what they don't do.They don't kidnap them. They don't lock them up and keep them as a pet.But I've always been ruled by my impulses, by my need for violence and release.Nyx Gray only has herself to blame for landing on my radar...Categorized as:
suspense abduction first-person-pov m-f from hate to love length-short dark dangerous heroine -
Savage Prince: A Savage Kings MC Spin-off Novel by Lane Hart, D.B. West
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWhen my best friend dumped her fiancé on their wedding day, I thought it served him right.After all, the first time I met Kellen Hawthorne, he offered to buy my panties before he even knew my name.But of course, the rich prick’s enormous ego can’t handle being rejected.He threatened to hold everyone in the church hostage unless I agree to marry him right then and there... -
Dark Stranger by Piper Stone
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI was a stranger, a mysterious caller in the dead of night, a monster seeking revenge. Instead of destroying her, I made her mine. Sierra Wynters believes her fiance is dead, victim of a horrible accident. But I know better. Little does she know a predator is stalking her, a dangerous hunter refusing to believe in her innocence...
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