Books like 'Empire of Ache & Ruin'
Readers who enjoyed Empire of Ache & Ruin by Diana A. Hicks also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
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Monsters in the Dark by Pepper Winters
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsFrom New York Times Bestseller Pepper Winters comes the highly acclaimed USA Today Bestselling Series: Monsters in the Dark.Included in the following edition are: TEARS OF TESS"My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.Then it all changed.I was sold."Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror...Categorized as:
alpha male from hate to love super rich hero dark bdsm suspense contemporary strong heroine -
Empire Nightclub #1-4 by K.A. Tucker
One visit to her father in prison—convicted for a murder he didn’t commit—and she's attracted the attention of the last man she'd ever want knowing that she exists.This bundle includes all four full-length books in the highly addictive Empire Nightclub series!Sweet MercyGabriel FallenDirty EmpireFallen EmpireThis series is intended for mature audiences... -
Code Name: Pisces by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsMy code name is Pisces. The stars say I’m independent, wise, and intuitive.Still waters run deep. I’m the leader of Zodiac Tactical’s guardian unit. We’re the bodyguards—the ones who stand toe to toe with danger and refuse to give any ground. We protect people who need it most.But what if who needs it most is a spoiled diva?I don’t normally take on movie stars...Categorized as:
alpha male from hate to love suspense military contemporary age difference dark mystery -
Envy by Eva Charles
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsMy dark prince. My greatest temptation. My husband.Antonio Huntsman isn’t the prince of childhood fairy tales.He’s savage and dangerous.The ruthless king I need.The beast I crave.Together we’ll fight the monsters.The demons threatening to tear us apart.The villains who will stop at nothing to destroy everything .Our family.Our valley.Our love.There will be no mercy.We will take no prisoners...Categorized as:
from hate to love super rich hero alpha male dark suspense contemporary mafia arranged marriage -
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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:
super rich hero from hate to love mafia length-medium contemporary dark suspense m-f -
Ivy by Willa Nash
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsCan you keep a secret?Aston University might be teeming with prestigious and wealthy students, but the currency on campus isn’t their millions. It’s their secrets. And the three women living at Clarence Manor are filthy rich in lies and deceit.Two of the roommates have played this game for years. Some would consider them masters of a ruse... -
The Savage by Stella Andrews
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIvan may be my name but I am best known as The Savage.Born and bred Bratva heir and loving every delicious minute of my life. That's why it was easy to kidnap the entitled Charlotte Richmond from her finishing school in England. It was my pleasure to hide her away while her depraved father searched for her.I have no heart, no emotion, and no morals.She is a bargaining chip, a means to an end...Categorized as:
from hate to love alpha male mafia contemporary dark age difference forced proximity suspense -
Chasing Him by Kat T. Masen
Our vows were exchanged.We had our whole lives planned out.And even brought our son into this world.Until hours later… when everything stopped, and you were suddenly gone.Life was perfect, until the day the only man she had ever been with, the man who had stolen her heart at the tender age of seventeen, was taken away before his time... -
The Six Night Truce by Hannah Shield
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsWhen I stepped into the courtroom this morning, I intended to fight for my client’s life. I never expected to run for my own. Now the courthouse is in lockdown, and I’m trapped in a tiny room with my nemesis—the West Oaks PD cop who hates me most. He’s a single dad with a growly attitude. An ex-Marine. And he’s the star witness against my client...Categorized as:
from hate to love alpha male suspense contemporary humor dark military length-medium -
The Marriage Auction: Season One, Volume Four by Audrey Carlan, Samantha Brentmoor
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFrom #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Audrey Carlan, discover The Marriage Auction: Season One, Volume FourWhat would you do for three million dollars?Four young women enter into a clandestine auction to be married to the highest bidders. For no less than a million dollars a year, for three years, each woman will do what it takes to secure her future... -
Illicit Captor by Maggie Cole
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsHe kidnapped me to avenge my husband. The husband I’ve never loved. The cruel man my father forced me to marry to teach me a lesson. My husband didn’t think twice about how to carry out those lessons. Now, I’ve gone from one prison to another. My captor is just as ruthless as my husband. He’ll kill, torture, and do everything to hurt my family until no one is left. Except for me...Categorized as:
alpha male from hate to love mafia suspense dark contemporary forced proximity vengeance -
Harder Betrayal by Penelope Sky
I knew a relationship with Cauldron wouldn't be easy.But I underestimated just how challenging it would be...Categorized as:
super rich hero from hate to love contemporary suspense mafia dark new adult audiobook -
Javier by Fiona Murphy
The Castillo Family: Follow Rafael, Matteo, Javier and their nephew Santos a billionaire family they made their fortune in the construction business. When it comes to building relationships all their money can't help them when it comes to women who want what money can't buy.Javier Castillo might be a gorgeous, brilliant billionaire—but he's also a massive a$$hole... -
The Arrangement 10: The Ferro Family by H.M. Ward
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsWhen Avery realizes that her latest client wasn't Sean she doesn't know what to do. This person has invaded her life on a personal level and to make matters worse she doesn't even know who he is. The only good thing that came from it has been seeing Sean again, but now that he's in front of her, she doesn't want to let him go...Categorized as:
alpha male super rich hero contemporary dark new adult college cruel hero length-novella -
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Opal: A Wolfes of Manhattan Novel by Helen Hardt
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe lashes out with spite and venom. He fights back with anger and passion.Being held captive on a South Pacific island and forced to submit to the depravity of strange men was horrific, but it wasn’t the worst experience of Kelly Taylor’s life. Abused as a child and abandoned once she turned eighteen, Kelly is now free…except for the threatening text messages she’s receiving...Categorized as:
alpha male super rich hero dual-pov contemporary dark suspense military length-medium -
Naked Truth by Lisa Renee Jones
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsJax North. He's handsome, brutally so, and wealthy. Our first encounter is intense and sex is my escape. I go with it. I go with him and what a ride it is. And then, I say goodbye. Only you don't say goodbye to a man like Jax if he doesn't want you to. I've challenged him without meaning to. He wants me. I don't want to want him, and yet, I crave him. And he tears me down, my resistance, my walls...Categorized as:
super rich hero from hate to love contemporary dark mystery suspense dual-pov length-epic -
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:
super rich hero from hate to love alpha male contemporary suspense mafia length-long audiobook -
Amos y mazmorras: Segunda parte by Lena Valenti
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsChegou a hora de encarar o tão aguardado torneio Dragões e Masmorras DS. Entregue-se aos combates. Liberte seus desejos. Na busca pela irmã desaparecida, a agente Cleo Connelly conseguiu se infiltrar no ultrassecreto torneio de práticas BDSM, o Dragões e Masmorras DS... -
Break Me by C.D. Reiss
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt was always Sarah. And she was always mine. I woke up in a nightmare. I woke up alone. There was a reason I never let myself have feelings before. Emotions make you stupid. They make you miscalculate. If someone gave me the choice, I’d do it all over again. Only this time, I’d stop everyone who ever looked at the woman I love before they had the chance to hurt her...Categorized as:
super rich hero from hate to love alpha male dark contemporary suspense mafia new adult -
Stolen Hearts by Barbi Cox
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsHe obliterated my heart. Now he's back for a second chance to reclaim me as his own.He was my dream date who crushed my hopes, taking my affection only to vanish from my life.A decade passed before fate thrust him back into my world. Now he vows to never let me go.His sensual caress melts my defenses. His kiss feels like salvation...Categorized as:
alpha male super rich hero dark age difference contemporary suspense mafia length-short -
House of Heathens: The Complete Trilogy by Alta Hensley
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA villain is made.A monster is hidden.A viper who is forbidden.Together, they are the Gods Among Men.Welcome to the House of Heathens.Within these walls, you are captive to a world of decadence and sin.Where dangerous secrets hide in the shadows.And a family tree with roots so twisted, they bind and strangle each unlucky generation...Categorized as:
alpha male from hate to love super rich hero dark daddy-kink age difference pregnancy tortured hero -
Fair Game by Amelia Wilde
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGabriel Hill has always been too charming for his own good. Women. Money. Information. Sex got him everything he ever wanted, until it almost killed him. A price he was willing to pay, before he met Elise. Before he fell for her. Now revenge isn't enough for him. He wants it all. The most beautiful woman. The most dangerous game. And a happily ever after, if it's not too late to save them both... -
Bratva Jewel by Sabine Barclay
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI can’t resist her. I don’t want to…She’s tried to leave our life behind, but no one walks away from the bratva.She can run, but she can’t hide.I’ll be the one to catch her when she falls. And she will because she’s walking a fine line.I’ll be there because she’s mine.I’ll go to the ends of the Earth for her. She’ll discover her limits and realize only I can please her... -
Filthy Mogul by M. Robinson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author M. Robinson comes a contemporary standalone romance.All’s fair in love and war…I’m ruthless.I’m feared.I have more enemies than friends.I didn’t just step into my father’s shadow—I’m a Jameson and that last name comes with moneyand power. I’m never afraid to get my hands dirty, especially when it comes to something I want... -
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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... -
The Devil's Crown by Monica James
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsI was feared.Respected.Worshiped.But all of that changed when the impossible happened—I fell in love. Only those feelings weren’t reciprocated, because who could love a monster like me?My empire crumbled. People died. I went from being a victorious leader to lurking in the shadows, planning revenge on my half-brother who now reigns in my place... -
Bully Me: Class of 2020 by Shantel Tessier, Siobhan Davis
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsLoving your tormentor isn’t easy, especially when they collect broken hearts and parade them around like trophies. They’re the bad boys, the alpha a**holes, and the thorns in our sides. They push us past our limits, turn us on, and break us. They’re our bullies. They’re the class of 2020...Categorized as:
from hate to love alpha male suspense new adult contemporary anthologies cruel hero dark -
Angel's Promise by Aleatha Romig
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEverett Ramses came into my life like a hurricane on a dark New Orleans night. With a deep voice and penetrating gaze, his mere presence tingled my nerves and twisted my insides much like the city’s legendary stories of spirits and ghosts. As the ruler of New Orleans, Everett Ramses lives life hard and takes what he wants without apology.He wants me to be his queen...Categorized as:
from hate to love alpha male super rich hero contemporary suspense dark mafia age difference -
The Broken One by N.O. One
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMy secret is out.My entire existence is shattered, and picking myself up again proves difficult.Leaving Rose behind for a new beginning is harder than I thought, but I need to try for a more independent me with a promising future.One that doesn’t involve the infuriating yet irresistible man who challenges me at every turn.Pushing me.Protecting me.Tempting me beyond any possible resistance...Categorized as:
super rich hero from hate to love alpha male contemporary mafia dual-pov age difference bdsm -
The Break by Shayla Black, Jenna Jacob
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsOne woman. Two Rivals. Countless secrets…Raine Kendall has everything a woman could want—almost... -
Monster by Dani René
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsUSA Today Bestselling Author, Dani René, brings you the first book in her chapter of the Royal Bastards MC World.They call me a monster for a reason. I left my morals behind long ago, and I forgot what empathy feels like. Emotions get you killed, and I’m tired of watchin’ people die. Not anymore, not under my rule. When Father Donahue calls on the club for help, we step up...Categorized as:
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The Con-Artist by Zoe Blake
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsIf I have to hurt her to get what I want... I will. No is not an option. My little con artist is about to learn I run my criminal enterprise with an iron fist. She is no exception. She will do as Daddy tells her or there will be pain. Little does she know how much I will enjoy inflicting it. This is a dark romance daddy dom series... -
THE TEST: Secret Society Dark Romance by Elena Monroe
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI woke up to my roommate and best friend missing. In her place was a note on my bedside table that read: You can only find me with your eyes closed.No one thinks a note like that is meant for them. I knew it was meant for me, a clue, a way to seek Justice. Whoever left me that note was hoping I didn’t let my parent’s legacy die when they did... -
Mistakes Made by Marie James
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe worst thing you can ever do is make an assumption about me, despite my job resting solely on making people think I’m someone I’m not.I know that makes me crazy, narcissistic, and a little out of touch with the reality of how the world works.I’ll never argue that fact with anyone.Maybe it was the hundred-degree Texas weather.Maybe it was overstimulation from the crowds at the beach...Categorized as:
from hate to love alpha male contemporary suspense dark bad boys forced proximity length-short -
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Destructive Truths by Shauna Mairéad
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsLies, Saoirse. It was all lies.Those were the last words I heard before my attacker held me under.Left shattered by deceit, with a past I couldn’t outrun, Killybegs destroyed the girl I used to be.But here’s the thing, this queen was born to rise, and those who hurt me will pay for the sins they committed...Categorized as:
alpha male from hate to love mafia cruel hero new adult suspense contemporary love triangle -
Double Standards by L. Hope
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsWe were different in so many ways, polar opposites, stark contrasts; he was night and I was day.Axel fought the law while I represented it and we could never have be more opposite.You know what they say about opposites, though, and as much as I keep telling myself this is wrong, everything feels right. We all have double standards... -
Griffin by S.M. West
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA steamy strangers to lovers standalone romance packed with edge-of-your seat action, intense chemistry, and breath-stealing twists...Categorized as:
from hate to love alpha male forced proximity age difference contemporary suspense insta-love dark -
Ruthless Heir by Sienna Snow
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI'm the player, the gambler, the one without a heart or soul.There isn't a risk I won't take and a challenge I won't meet.Then she came into my world, melting the ice in my veins and showing me a life a man like me never deserved.But it was all a lie.She chose a safer, easier path, realizing too late, it was riddled with chains...Categorized as:
super rich hero from hate to love alpha male new adult contemporary multicultural suspense bdsm -
Hawke by Anise Storm
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPreviously published in 2019, "Hawke" has been updated with a new POV and some expanded scenes. Arrogant. Sexy. Reminiscent. I felt all three about my newest client. The moment I met the sexy club owner in need of a party planner, I soon realized why. He was the one responsible for the most mortifying night of my life just one year earlier... -
The Villain by Nana Malone
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGuess who's having the craziest week EVER?That would be me.Sunday: I get dumped by my boyfriend—right before a couple's bungee jump.Monday: My little sister informs me that she’s invited our evil, estranged mom to the wedding I’ve spent months helping her plan...Categorized as:
super rich hero from hate to love suspense new adult multicultural vengeance dark forced proximity -
Beauty and the Beast by L. Steele
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratings"Run my Beauty... If I catch you, you are MINE..."Michael Byron Domenico SovranoThe Capo of Sicily's notorious Mafia company.My father owed him,so he took me to repay the debt.And married me to further his own ambitions.I hate him, I am determined to resist him.But what happens when I begin to fall for my new husband..Categorized as:
super rich hero alpha male from hate to love dark mafia contemporary age difference abduction -
Betrayal and Ruin by Ember Davis
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsDECLAN McCARTHYI’ve made a name for myself on destruction and favor. It has served me well and kept the wolves at bay, the ones who howl at the edges of my world hoping for the smell of blood in the air. I won’t give them the satisfaction; I’ve worked too hard to be on top.The only woman I care about is my sister, Saoirse. Every other woman is a momentary distraction in my bed...Categorized as:
from hate to love super rich hero mafia bad boys suspense dark contemporary length-novella -
Keeping Secrets by Lisa Eugene
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIs that how a little girl sits? No, Daddy. How should a little girl sit? Shoulders back and tummy in. And how should a little girl look? Always neat and pretty That’s my girl. Twenty-four-year-old Alexa Kennedy is beautiful, sharp as a whip, and at the top of her medical school class. She’s also been waging a war in her head for as long as she can remember. Depression. Hatred... -
Arson's Captive by V.F. Mason
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOnce upon a time she became mine. Mine to keep. She was a healer. He was a serial killer. She helped people. He destroyed them. She was a beautiful angel. He was a vicious monster. She wanted to run away. He captured her instead. She promised to never surrender. He guaranteed that she would. Two lives, the hunter and the prey, forever entwined together... -
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Brutal Captor 2 by Amber Adams
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsSaving his life is not enough.April has learned who her mysterious patient is and it's apparent that he is not going to let her go.When her own secret is revealed, while within the fortressed walls of the Ivankov mansion, there is suddenly more at stake regarding her life than ever... -
Queen Series Boxset by Penelope Sky
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsGet This Entire Series by New York Times bestselling author Penelope Sky for a LIMITED time.Joseph Ingram made the mistake of stealing from me—four million dollars. He took my intelligence without paying for it. And thought he could get away with it.Think again.Now I’ll take something from him—something irreplaceable.His sister.Collateral... -
Shattered by Control by B. B. Hamel
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsI don’t do vulnerable. I only do control.When a brutal shooting forces me onto the sidelines of a raging mafia war, I need a discreet physical therapist to help get me back in the game.That’s how gorgeous Mirella Falconet stumbles into my life.I offer her the world: money, power, whatever she wants, so long as she keeps her mouth shut and does her job...Categorized as:
alpha male from hate to love contemporary new adult mafia bad boys dark length-medium -
Endless by W. Winters, Savannah Peachwood
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 30 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... -
Tramp by Mary Elizabeth
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLydia Montgomery is a Tramp. After fleeing a tragic past, Lydia’s determined never to go back to the life she left behind at any price. She lands in Grand Haven, California—a city booming with billion dollar corporations and tech money—and everything changes. Armed with the only lesson she learned from her mother, Lydia builds a life of routine, solitude, and success... -
Deranged Vows by T.L. Smith, Kia Carrington-Russell
LenaOur worlds shouldn’t cross. I’m a performer in the spotlight, and he’s the monster people in the underworld fear most.He’s someone who doesn’t feel, let alone touch another person. The thought revolts him, so much so that he always wears gloves...Categorized as:
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