Books like 'Explode'
Readers who enjoyed Explode by E.K. Hunter also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
dark romance mafia mystery forced proximity alpha male strong heroine
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Lakestone - tome 1 by Sarah Rivens
Dans la tranquillité trompeuse de la ville d'Ewing aux États-Unis, Iris, confinée à la bibliothèque, est plongée dans ses révisions. À des kilomètres de là, un mercenaire affronte le froid tranchant de la nuit, aussi glaciale que le cadavre qu'il vient d’enterrer. Ils n’ont rien en commun, pourtant tous deux ont le même objectif : amasser assez d'argent... -
Wasted Lust: Sasha by J.A. Huss
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA GIRL WITH REGRETS. .. Sasha Cherlin died the night she let Nick Tate walk out on her for a life of crime. Her very essence was destroyed when they broke their promise to one another. A MAN WITH REMORSE. .. Nick Tate made his choice with her future in mind. He loved Sasha enough to know that leaving her behind was the only way to keep her safe. A PATH TO REVENGE. . -
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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... -
Ashes by Aleatha Romig
“From what I’ve tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire. .. ” ~ Robert Frost. Patrick has awakened a fire I forgot existed. Will this renewed desire warm my soul or consume my world? Is it too late? Will the life we yearn to have survive the ashes? From New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a brand-new dark romance, ASHES, set in the dangerous world of Sparrow Webs... -
Easy to Fall by W. Winters
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Willow Winters comes the epic conclusion to the heart-wrenching, edge-of-your-seat gripping, romantic suspense, Hard to Love series. With her I was always on the highest high. That's why it was so easy to fall. I never stood a chance without her. The two of us were made for one another. It's as simple as that... -
Lone Star by Lauren Gilley
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom London, England to Amarillo, Texas, Michelle Calloway – now Michelle Snow – has spent her whole life with the Lean Dogs Motorcycle Club. The last two years, she’s served as the first lady of the Texas chapter, keeping the books and overseeing the club’s expanding legitimate businesses, including the bar named for her husband: Tastes Like Candy...Categorized as:
strong heroine alpha male mafia contemporary suspense bikers age difference dual-pov -
Bound by Aleatha Romig
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWith more revealed, what does that mean for the future? From New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a brand-new dark romance trilogy bringing us back to the same dangerous underworld as WEB OF SIN. You do not need to read the Web of Sin trilogy to get caught in this new and intriguing saga, Tangled Web... -
Delirium by Katie May
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsELLIE. New secrets and shocking revelations have brought me and my guys closer together. We must work as a team to bring down the Paragons of Prosperity once and for all. But with one of my men presumed dead, another being actively recruited by the cult in question, and the other three chasing lead after lead, I fear we may be in way over our heads... -
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. . -
The Demon by Stella Andrews
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThey call me The Demon for a reason and Eliza Ortega is about to find out why. A runaway mafia princess who stumbled from one nightmare to an even bigger one. She has something I want and I intend on collecting. I will stop at nothing to deliver my promise and if there are casualties I will consider it a good day at the office. My hobby is testing limits... -
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:
mafia alpha male forced proximity from hate to love contemporary dark age difference suspense -
Six Degrees of Separation by Taylor V. Donovan
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 20 ratings*WARNING FROM THE AUTHOR:. By Degrees is an ensemble serial with continuing story lines. Six Degrees of Separation is the second installment, and it must be read after Six Degrees of Lust. Thanks. In the sequel to Six Degrees of Lust, F. B. I. team leader Samuel Shaughnessy and bar manager Machlan O’Bannon are exploring a new phase in their non-relationship...Categorized as:
alpha male mystery contemporary men in uniform dark suspense length-medium cliffhanger -
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No Way Back by Santana Knox
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsTHERE’S NO WAY BACK FROM WHAT WE’VE BECOME. There is no way back. There is no way. No way back. Not from what we’ve become;. Bloodthirsty, vengeful, vile. Some women strive to make their men better,. I VOW TO MAKE HIM WORSE. With each life we take, we fall deeper into our own sinister desires... -
Shattered by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 13 ratings“Don’t fall in love with me. I ruin beautiful things. ”. Love made him this way, but life makes him stay. Life doesn’t give a redo. There’s no rewind or pause button to take you back or stop time. Once something happens, it happened. The most tragic of those times in his life, the ones he wouldn’t get back and the moments he could never fix, reminded Demyan Avdonin of a bullet meeting glass... -
Her Dom by Nicole Casey
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsDarker, sexier, more intense…this is the story of Scar and Derek. Scar. Wouldn't you give up everything for the one you love? I don't own my mind or my body anymore. Now, my name is Pet, and I am the submissive to the most beautiful man the world has ever seen. My purpose in life is to please him, to kneel in front of him, to serve his every whim without question... -
The End of Games by Tara Brown
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsSee you at Christmas! The words are still burning a hole in Evie Evans' mind and undergarments. Not that she really has time to think about it. Not with the world ending, as always, and the kids' school starting back up. But when Evie and the team stumble upon something no one expected, her and Servario are reunited much sooner than anticipated. Only the reunion is not the one they had planned...Categorized as:
strong heroine alpha male mystery mafia contemporary suspense bad boys friends to lovers -
Cooper by Lane Hart, D.B. West
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCooper and Elizabeth Townsend are from two very different worlds - she's an attorney and he's an outlaw biker. At first, she was just an escape he needed, but now she's everything to him, even though their relationship remains a secret. After his world is blown apart, Cooper is no longer the same man he was before... -
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:
mafia alpha male forced proximity suspense dark contemporary vengeance from hate to love -
Betrayed in the Dark by Ashley Elizabeth
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBetrayed. With one letter, that’s what he did to me,. irrevocably splitting my heart down the middle,. causing everything we once shared in secret to become nothing more than a distant memory. One I try desperately to forget. So, imagine my shock when my brothers stood before me. to tell me who my new bodyguard would be while I fought back tears,. pretending my heart had never belonged to him...Categorized as:
forced proximity mafia super rich hero secret-relationship suspense dark military length-medium -
Devil's Azalea by Roselyn Ash, Sasha Leone
Everyone has a first love. Mine’s just a little… darker than most. Rafael Moretti is a gorgeous monster. Tall and broad, he dominates New York’s underworld with an iron grip and cold, silver-gray eyes. But before he was the man everyone feared, he was my protector. My friend. The boy I could never forget. Then, tragedy struck. My father was killed, and Rafael was implicated in the murder... -
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...Categorized as:
strong heroine mystery forced proximity alpha male contemporary suspense working class hero office -
Dirty Ledger by Alta Hensley, Livia Grant
I’ve always chased after the bad boy. I just wasn’t prepared to actually catch one. He crashed into my life in my hour of need with his dark agendas, whispers, and lies. Dirty and dangerous, he’s the keeper of the worst kind of secrets, and now he owns mine. I’ve been thrust into the middle of a war I know nothing about, and he’s my only lifeline to safety... -
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Brutal Saint by Luna Kayne
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHARLOW IS HUNTING HER SISTER’S KILLER. AND COLE IS HUNTING HER. COLE SAINT. The woman my family is looking for is the one-night stand I can’t get out of my head, and her life depends on me getting to her first. Harlow is sunshine and light. I live in the shadows, among the dark and the damned, but there’s something about Harlow that makes me want to take care of her... -
Captive Heart: Armani by Stella Gray
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNothing lasts forever… except the Bellanti’s hatred for the Bruno family. My family prepared me to fight. My best friend taught me loyalty. My husband showed me who I am. And now I’m caught between them all. The thing about secrets is that they always come out. The past is never gone. No one expected it to explode. I finally understand why my life led me here... -
Web of Sin Boxed Set by Aleatha Romig
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“Have you been Aleatha’d? ”. “Aleatha is back, better than ever. .. ” Six Chick Book Blog. Web of Sin boxed set is the deliciously intriguing collection that includes: SECRETS, LIES, and PROMISES. Welcome to the Sparrow Web world, Sterling Sparrow and Araneae McCrie’s trilogy:. SECRETS:. Sterling Sparrow has waited nearly two decades to claim his queen, the woman born to rule beside him... -
Maid for the Yakuza by Melverna McFarlane
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen a Kimura has you in their sights, there’s nowhere you can hide. As a single mother of two, I will do anything, and I mean anything for my children. Even if it means sacrificing my dreams of independence after my husband’s death by moving in with my mother-in-law. She hates me, but she loves my son and daughter... -
Hostile Devil: Giovanni & India Duet by Autumn Archer
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratings6. Hostile Devil : A Dark Age Gap Mafia Romance (Souza Cartel: Giovanni). by Autumn Archer (Author) , Hostile Kingdom (Author). 4. 8 out of 5 stars (9). He's my devil. My forever. I've grown up around the Souza cartel, never fully realizing the brothers would never let me go. That the powerful gangsters around me would protect me at all costs... -
Angels and Ashes by Avelyn Paige, Alfie Gordillo
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsHe’s the scorned President of the Heaven’s Rejects. She’s the widow of his best friend and former Vice-President. He shouldn’t want her, but he’ll move heaven and earth to have her. Left alone as a new widow to raise her family, Darcy Kyle’s life has spiraled out of control... -
The Final Hour by London Miller
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThree months pass without incident, leading Mishca and Lauren to believe they can finally move on from the past and build a life together. . .. but enemies both old and new lurk in the shadows, waiting for the opportunity to strike. When a dangerous threat presents itself, Lauren is forced to turn to the one person that would rather see Mishca dead than live happily ever after. . . -
Whistler by K.L. Savage
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThere’s a whistle in the wind. And the sound doesn’t just belong to me. I became my own version of The Greatest of the Great when an injury stole my dream. I found a healthy alternative for my rage so I can still swing my bat. If someone has the unfortunate curse of being on the other end of my swing, they’ll hear a whistle before they die... -
Wicked Little Games by Lane Hart
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFor over a year, I’ve been hiding from my ruthless mob boss father and lying to everyone around me. Jordan is a sweet, protective biker who thinks we eloped in Vegas the night we met. The truth is, he was just supposed to be my ticket out of my gilded prison. I had nowhere to go, so when Jordan asked me to live with him after we got to his home in Rockland, I reluctantly agreed... -
Tangled up in Hate by Charlotte Byrd
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsEpic love requires an epic sacrifice…. A long time ago, I borrowed money from a very powerful family. I paid my debt, but they have come for more. They want everything that I have built and they will hurt her if I refuse. Harley doesn’t understand why I have to break her heart. She hates me, but at least she’s okay…for now... -
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Obsessed by Aleatha Romig
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsEverything changed the night our eyes met across the room. His green gaze upon me prickled my skin with uncustomary warmth while my peek beneath his cuff—of a riot of color on his wrist—sparked my insatiable curiosity. Tall and mysterious, Kader was a man whose secrets I longed to know... -
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... -
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:
mafia strong heroine contemporary suspense from hate to love vengeance dark length-long -
Avenging Azalea by Brooklyn Cross
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMF, Mafia, Age Gap, OW Drama (No Cheating), OTT/JP, Family Drama, Found Family, Interconnected Standalone. I promised that I would avenge her, and I always kept my promises. I, Titus Mikhailov, am the calm that holds back the storm in my family. For years, I’ve kept the peace, negotiated, and found common ground between those I love most in this world...Categorized as:
mafia forced proximity alpha male age difference dark contemporary abuse friends to lovers -
Duck's Salvation by Andi Rhodes
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDuck…. I finally have the life I want: an amazing fiancée, a baby on the way, Satan’s Legacy MC as my family. And then an accident, or my own stupidity, changes the course of my life forever. Unable to look at me, my fiancé removes herself from the picture, leaving me with a premature baby who requires more love and care than I know how to give... -
Ruined by A.K. Evans
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHanna Briggs was just as riveted to the news as the rest of the town when a seemingly innocent man was murdered. The difference was that while they all prayed for justice, Hanna felt relief. But then someone else Hanna knows is murdered. And another. And another... -
Ruined by A.K. Evans
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHanna Briggs was just as riveted to the news as the rest of the town when a seemingly innocent man was murdered. The difference was that while they all prayed for justice, Hanna felt relief. But then someone else Hanna knows is murdered. And another. And another... -
The Party is Over by Lisa Renee Jones
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSometimes a girl just has to get stabby. .. Lilah has sworn she's done with that side of her personality. Then again, maybe not. The Party Is Over is the eighth book in the ongoing Lilah Love series:. Murder Notes. Murder Girl. Love Me Dead. Love Kills. Bloody Vows. Bloody Love. Happy Death Day. The Party Is Over. -
His Perfect Little Hacker by Everly Raine
Getting hacked into wasn’t on Betsy’s list of things she wanted to happen to her. Getting kidnapped a couple hours later and being held against her will wasn’t either. But both of those happened to her. Finding out the man who kidnapped her was a Daddy Dom, something she had been longing for her whole life... -
All That Glitters by Candice Wright
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsLife in a motorcycle club isn’t for everyone, but being a Raven is in my blood. The only things that matter to me are my brothers and my cut, then she walks into my life and rips up the playbook. I know I can’t keep her; club girls are for a good time, not a long time, so when the secret she’s been keeping lands at my feet like a bomb, I pull the pin, blowing up everything between us... -
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Bought by the Badman by Hayley Faiman
**A Russian Bratva standalone spin-off novel. Giovanna Rossi was born an Italian Mafia princess, by blood only. Raised to be nothing more than a toy used to satisfy men’s pleasures. She was always available for a price. She never dreamed to hope for anything other than physical relationships. Aidan O’Neil was once an Irish Prince, next in line to his father’s throne... -
Sinful Promise by B. B. Hamel
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI’m in his bed learning the limits of my body. Peter Calimeris. Greek mafia son, monster in a perfect suit, and the only man keeping me alive. He’s supposed to be my bodyguard, but he barely notices me. At least until Peter gets involved in a business deal with my half-sister... -
Scarred by Eva Winners
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSERIES BLURB When powers clash between the powerful, elite American families and billionaire mafia men. ✅ Mafia romance ✅ Hot Billionaires✅ Steamy sex✅ Violence Three orphans that grew up on the streets of Moscow among Bratva. Their experiences made them brothers. Their strength made them leaders. Three best friends on an unforgettable summer vacation find more than they bargin for...Categorized as:
mafia forced proximity alpha male age difference contemporary dark super rich hero abuse -
Penance by K.L. Taylor-Lane
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsRegret, remorse, repent. With the ghost of my past unexpectedly crashing back into my life, his presence threatening to tear through everything I’ve built, I’m quickly losing grip on my sanity. Voices start to whisper, infecting me with their poison as I struggle to battle against them. Mentally forced down into the deepest pits of hell, phantom hands trying to bury me in the fiery decay... -
Twisted Crown: a dark mafia arranged marriage romance by Alexa Michaels
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe gambled with kings to save her cousin. Now, there’s no way out. Penelope. An impromptu trip to visit my relatives reveals an unexpected—and unpleasant—surprise. My baby cousin, the sweetest creature to ever walk this Earth, is getting married. It’s not a love match. She’s never even met the man! I expected my visit to be chaotic... -
The Price of Honor by Aleatha Romig
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTHE PRICE OF HONOR: The making of a man. From New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes the haunting story of love and honor. An epic tale of devotion and sacrifice spanning thirty years, bidding the characters, as well as readers to ponder the questions. .
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