Books like 'The Empress'
Readers who enjoyed The Empress by Michelle Heard also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance mafia arranged marriage m-f abduction age difference new adult sweet heroine alpha male
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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... -
Scandalous Prince by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsA mafia romance about secrets and soulmates by Rachel Van Dyken, the number one New York Times bestselling author of the Eagle Elite series.The Woods are Lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep and miles to go, before I sleep —Robert FrostI was born under fire and swore to protect her until my dying day, I just never knew that one day, I'd be the very monster I was protecting her from... -
Sins: The Debt: Sins, Book 3 by Lexxi James
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsTiaI've done my best to avoid him.But when his dark eyes lock onto mine, this time, I know there's nowhere I can go. Nowhere I can hide.Nowhere he won't find me.He is Smoke. Head of the D'Angelos.Gorgeous and haunting. Brutal and ruthless.He rules Chicago, and I owe him a debt. And now…he owns me.SmokeI should send her away…This beautiful, innocent girl that conjures the best and worst in me... -
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... -
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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. The world could try to rip us apart, but it would fail... -
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... -
The Boss by Stella Andrews
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 24 ratings★★★★★ The dark was never so good I am The Boss I make the rules and punish those who break them. I am good at my job. I arranged a marriage of the darkest kind. A business deal to align myself with a powerful family to start a war. The contract is clear. Be my wife in public and strangers in private. And then I met her. Jasmine Rossi. Reluctant mafia princess and rebel without a cause...Categorized as:
from hate to love mafia marriage of convenience suspense dark contemporary length-short -
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:
mafia super rich hero from hate to love suspense m-f tortured heroine length-medium contemporary -
Tempted to Kiss by W. Winters
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author W Winters comes an emotionally-gripping, romantic suspense. I fell for someone I shouldn’t have. I’m not the only person to ever do such a thing. I know that. And I’m not an awful person for desiring his touch, his kiss, his everything… but I knew I shouldn’t have indulged. There’s something about knowing it’s wrong that tempts me that much more...Categorized as:
super rich hero new adult suspense mafia m-f abduction cheerful heroine sweet heroine -
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:
mafia from hate to love alpha male age difference forced proximity suspense m-f contemporary -
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 . -
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 suspense alpha male forced proximity vengeance from hate to love dark contemporary -
Beautiful Enemy: A Dark Mafia Romance by Ivy Davis
I’m kidnapped by a monster on my wedding day. Dante Moretti is evil incarnate.Handsome, dangerous, and leader of the Italian mafia.He could have any woman and yet he chose me, a Bratva girl.I’m taken away on my wedding day to another man.Now, I’m stuck in a situation where I have to fight for my life.Dante wants to bring war to my family.But he starts to make me feel… things... -
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Savage King: A Dark Mafia Romance by Bella Ray
As the daughter of a judge, everything was black and white—but then I met HIM. I was never meant to be around men like him—men my father liked to put away.One night, I was a museum curator with a quiet life.The next, I was bound and beaten by the monsters my father locked up.Then he came for me.Antonio DeLuna isn’t a hero...Categorized as:
mafia vengeance forced proximity m-f age difference slow burn abduction tortured heroine -
Charming Villain by Cora Kent
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsI don’t want a wife. But in the mafia, marriage isn’t about love—it’s about power.When the Family demands I marry Giovanni Lucatello’s sheltered daughter, I drown my frustration in whiskey and meet a woman who’s everything I shouldn’t bold, sharp-tongued, and tempting as sin. One night with her is unforgettable. But by the next morning, she’s gone. Or so I thought... -
Kingpin's Foxglove by Bree Porter
She needs to find the antidote...but there is no cure for love.After a year of marriage, Elena Falcone suddenly finds herself a widow and at the mercy of Konstantin Tarkhanov, Pakhan of the Tarkhanov Bratva. Determined never to return to her hometown, Elena makes a deal with the devil: Heal a sick woman and be granted her freedom...or fail and be returned to her family...Categorized as:
suspense mafia new adult from hate to love age difference alpha male found-family 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... -
Massimo by Lora Nox
I’m his enemy’s daughter.His captive.His revenge.Until he becomes my weapon to wield against the monsters in my world.NovaI am the Mancini Princess. A pawn in my monstrous father’s game. His key to an alliance worthy of a king.However, I end up under the control of a new monster - Massimo Santoro. A lethal man whose hate, wrath, and malice toward anyone with the Mancini name is palpable...Categorized as:
mafia from hate to love age difference found-family alpha male m-f forced proximity suspense -
Dirty Nasty Freaks by Callie Hart
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFace 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:
alpha male new adult mafia suspense age difference from hate to love bad boys strong heroine -
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... -
Mafia King's Secret Baby by Vivy Skys
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsI'm about to marry my worst nightmare, and he doesn't know I have his daughter.Elio Rossi is a dream on paper.He's rich, handsome and head of his family's multi-billion dollar business.He's also a ruthless Mafia Don, and my older brother's best friend.But even that isn't a huge issue to me.No, Elio is my nightmare because he used to be my dream man.We've been betrothed since childhood...Categorized as:
suspense super rich hero mafia m-f from hate to love siblings-bff bad boys alpha male -
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... -
Tethered Souls by Beth Flynn
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMy family has secrets. I’m always the good girl, doing what’s necessary to keep my loved ones safe. I've kept the darkest secrets from everyone I know. As painful as it is to hold them all inside where they live and gnaw away at me, that’s where they must stay. I haven't seen my closest childhood friend, Christian Bear, since I was a teenager—he hasn't changed a bit... -
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Because I'm Yours by Claire Contreras
Lenora De LucaI've always been a good girl.The perfect daughter.The perfect sister. And, in two weeks, I'm supposed to become the perfect wife.I don't know or like the man my father chose to marry me off to but I have no say in the matter. That's why when I see Rocco Marchetti, the man I've had a crush on my entire life, I decide he'll be my first...Categorized as:
insta-love friends to lovers suspense new adult forced proximity mafia age difference alpha male -
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 age difference suspense super rich hero mafia dark contemporary length-short -
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 suspense from hate to love vengeance strong heroine contemporary dark length-long -
Dreams of the Vengeful by Adelaide Forrest
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOur love was written in blood, but our dream was born from death.Once upon a time, I had it all.Born heir apparent to one of the Six Families,I was destined for greatness.Wealth and power were in my blood, andsweet Thalia was one more means to an end... -
Make Me by C.D. Reiss
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsDario Lucari kidnapped me when I was just a bride sold for territory…and made me a captive wife.He will never free me. I am his property and he lets me know that every time he hurts me.My hate for him burns hotter than the embers of love. But for how long?***Make Me is the second book in the trilogy...Categorized as:
mafia alpha male suspense from hate to love abduction new adult arranged marriage forbidden love -
Consumed by Truths by Ella Miles
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEnzo is my heart. My soul. My breath. I never thought I could be so dark. Never knew love meant losing myself and getting reborn. The lies and truths have finally caught up with us. We may have stolen an empire, but we aren’t ready to give it up. It’s ours. He’s mine. And our love will find a way to the truth. Consumed by Truths is book 6 and the final book in Enzo and Kai's story... -
Imperfect Affections by Charmaine Pauls
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen Leon tries to force Violet into marriage, it's war for both of them. The battle is hot and dirty, and no one walks away without scars.A DARK ROMANCELove is for people who don’t mind getting hurt. I vowed to never fall into that trap. I entered into war with my beautiful, corrupted, and dangerous husband. He warned me he always won... -
Crown of Bliss: A Billionaire Mafia Romance by B. B. Hamel
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHis obsession. Her salvation.At my lowest, I accept an unimaginable clean up a murder scene to earn one-hundred-grand.Problem is, my employer doesn’t plan on letting me survive the night.That’s when I meet Lanzo Torrent. He’s gorgeous, chaotic, frustrating, and my only salvation. He says he can save my life, but I have to trust him first.Lanzo drags me into his war...Categorized as:
suspense new adult forced proximity vengeance mafia age difference super rich hero contemporary -
Born Evil by Stella Andrews
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSome devils come dressed in sharp suits with eyes that seduce and a check box beside every wish you ever had. Some victims come dressed in innocence and ignorance, disguising a soul of pure fire. I am Troy Remington. Ruthless billionaire with a heart of steel. I offered Laura Kincaid the job of a lifetime for a very important reason... -
Possessive Devil by B. B. Hamel
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsGive me what I want and I'll obey.Calvino is a nightmare wrapped in a million dollar suit. He has eyes like the black between stars and his toned body is a sculptor's dream.And someone in his family murdered my cousin.When Calvino catches me drugging and stealing from his brother, my life hangs in the balance... -
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Imperfect Intentions by Charmaine Pauls
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA DARK ROMANCEI never dreamed of getting married.I dreamed about freedom.When my stepfather promised Leon Hart a partnership in his clandestine software company, he offered me as part of the package deal. It’s a win-win situation for both men. My stepfather gets rid of his damaged stepdaughter, and Leon becomes second-in-command of the biggest underground IT operation in the country...Categorized as:
arranged marriage alpha male new adult mafia vengeance age difference suspense slow burn -
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...Categorized as:
suspense bad boys alpha male mafia new adult age difference height-difference forced proximity -
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... -
Violent Life by Nola Marie
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI live for her. Will die for her and kill for her. What I can’t do is live without her.Zoey is the love of my life. Has been since she was eight years old. She is the air I breathe and everything I worship. Everyone knows we belong together. But one devastating attack steals everything from me...Categorized as:
mafia new adult friends to lovers alpha male m-f siblings-bff insta-love strong heroine -
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...Categorized as:
suspense age difference alpha male mafia from hate to love bad boys contemporary dark -
Dark Seduction: An Age Gap, Office Romance by K.C. Crowne
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsWhat’s more humiliating than the walk of shame?Walking into your new job…Locking eyes with the dominating stranger.And realizing he’s your boss.Lev Ivanov.Dark. Commanding.The most irresistible silver fox I've ever seen.After rescuing me from a sketchy situation,He didn’t just suggest dinner— he demanded it. Curiosity won over caution, and that night became the most passionate of my life...Categorized as:
age difference mafia vengeance abduction alpha male suspense new adult boss & employee -
The Marriage Auction: Season One, Volume Three by Audrey Carlan, Samantha Brentmoor
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsFrom #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Audrey Carlan, discover The Marriage Auction: Season One, Volume ThreeWhat 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... -
Vow to Hate You: Club Facade by Kay Riley
My dear runaway wife, Blocking me on everything except this email address does not change the fact that you are still my wife. You ran after the wedding, but you’re home now. Our families expect you to behave as a wife should in this elite world. It’s time to act like you promised you would five years ago. Or do you need a reminder? Your impatient husband, DamianP.S... -
LOVE + OTHER LIES by Donna Alam
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsUntil death do us part. This is my solemn vow.The ink has barely dried on my divorce papers when my path crosses Niko’s again.My brother’s best friend is still sin in a suit, mysterious, and oh-so charming,But we have a history, the once bitten twice shy kind of connection.Not that it stops him becoming my rebound.Or so goes the plan.He's not the man he was before... -
Finn by Melanie Moreland
His Power Rules the City—But She Rules His Heart.Finn O’Reilly Finn O’Reilly Stern, powerful, confident. Oversees his hotel and his syndicate with a commanding presence and leadership, knowing any weakness could be used against him.And he has none. Except Una Murphy. The woman he lost his heart to and still loves, even though she wants nothing to do with him.Or so she claims...Categorized as:
mafia m-f vengeance age difference forced proximity found-family friends to lovers suspense -
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Daddy's Orders by K.C. Crowne
I knew he wanted to punish me for my father’s dealings…I just never expected to enjoy it.A dark past hardened me, scarred me,Making it difficult to give a d*mn about relationships.Then comes along Emily.Fifteen years younger.The innocent virgin and daughter of the man I despise.She's twenty-three and drop dead fu*king gorgeous.My trousers tighten the moment we meet...Categorized as:
mafia age difference alpha male super rich hero abduction forced proximity vengeance dark -
By Any Other Name by J.M. Darhower
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsA deadly rivalry. Two families at war. Nobody is safe, not even the innocent. Especially the innocent. Blood will be spilled. Genevieve "Genna" Galante knows a thing or two about causing trouble. After all, it's engrained in her DNA... -
Protective Vows by B. B. Hamel
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsI crave freedom and his marriage bed.But I can’t have both.I’m all that’s left of the powerful Greek Florakis mafia. My father and my older brothers were murdered in a yacht explosion off the coast of Crete, and now my family is in tatters.That’s when Luca Valverde comes for me. He’s six-foot-four, covered in scars and muscles, a hardened killer, and my sworn enemy... -
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 super rich hero bad boys alpha male tortured heroine possessive hero mafia -
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:
suspense from hate to love alpha male mafia age difference arranged marriage super rich hero m-f -
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...Categorized as:
mafia from hate to love arranged marriage bad boys marriage of convenience suspense m-f dark
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