21 Super Steamy Dark Romance Books That Would Have You Begging For More!
This post is all about Steamy Dark Romance Books 2024
This one’s for my dark romance girlies. If you’ve got a penchant for passion, a taste for the forbidden, and an appetite for the steamy side of love, you’re in for a treat. I’ve curated a list of 21 sizzling dark romance books that are sure to leave you breathless and on your knees begging for more this new year. Okay, maybe that’s too much of a description, but hey, this is a safe space. I’m not here to judge🌹.. Now get ready to embark on a rollercoaster of emotions, where love and desire collide in the most unexpected and thrilling ways!
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1. Hooked by Emily McIntire
SYNOPSIS:
He wants revenge, but he wants her more…
James has always had one agenda: destroy his enemy, Peter Michaels. When Peter’s twenty-year-old daughter Wendy shows up in James’s bar, he sees his way in. Seduce the girl and use her for his revenge. It’s the perfect plan, until things in James’s organization begin to crumble. Suddenly, he has to find the traitor in his midst, and his plan for revenge gets murkier as James starts to see Wendy as more than just a pawn in his game.
Wendy has been cloistered away most of her life by her wealthy cold father, but a spontaneous night out with friends turns into an intense and addictive love affair with the dark and brooding James. As much as she knows James is dangerous, Wendy can’t seem to shake her desire for him. But as their relationship grows more heated and she learns more about the world he moves in, she finds herself unsure if she’s falling for the man known as James or the monster known as Hook.
2. God of Malice by Rina Kent
SYNOPSIS
I caught the attention of a monster.
I didn’t ask for it.
Didn’t even see it coming.
But the moment I do, it’s too late.
Killian Carson is a predator wrapped in sophisticated charm.
He’s cold-blooded, manipulative, and savage.
The worst part is that no one sees his devil side.
I do.
And that will cost me everything.
I run, but the thing about monsters?
They always chase.
3. God of Wrath by Rina Kent
SYNOPSIS
I’m trapped by the devil.
What started as an innocent mistake turned into actual hell.
In my defense, I didn’t mean to get involved with a mafia prince.
But he barged through my defenses anyway.
He stalked me from the shadows and stole me from the life I know.
Jeremy Volkov might appear charming, but a true predator lurks inside.
He’s out to possess, own, and keep me.
But I have no plans to stick around in his blood-soaked world.
Or so I think.
This book is a dark unconventional romance and contains themes that aren’t to everyone’s liking. Please check the author’s note for content warnings before reading.
4. Does It Hurt by H.D. Carlton
SYNOPSIS:
Who am I?
I’ve forgotten the answer to that question long ago. Ever since I ran from that house, so desperate to escape, I left with only the clothes on my back and socks on my feet. After that day, I’ve only ever walked in stolen shoes.
Could I be a girl who is searching for the meaning of life in faceless men? They were all so forgettable. Until he came along. He took me under a waterfall and made me forget my name, and in return, I took his instead.
Enzo Vitale.
An enigmatic man who will only ever love the deep sea. Or rather the predators that inhabit it. Turns out, he’s not so different than the monsters he feeds. He lured me onto his boat like a fish in the ocean, seeking vengeance for my crime. Had I realized his intentions, and that a massive storm would leave us shipwrecked, I would’ve run.
Now, I’m a girl who’s seeking refuge in a decrepit lighthouse with a man who loathes me almost as much as he craves me. He wants to hurt me, but the old caretaker of the abandoned island may have intentions far more sinister.
It’s no longer a question of who I am, but rather, will I survive?
5. Death’s Obsession by Avina St. Graves
SYNOPSIS:
He’s coming for you.
Death is meant to come on a chariot of broken dreams or in the dark trenches of a storm, not in love letters and gifts.
He did not take my soul when I was meant to die. He did not want it all the other times that I’ve offered it to him on a silver platter. Yet, time and time again, he reminds me that I am his: His night monster, his dark love, his perfect other.
Death was the only thing keeping me alive. He watches me from his corner, taunts me with sweet messages, marks my body with his touch as I sleep.
He took the people that I love away from me. Still, no one believed me when I said that I saw the faceless man on the night of the accident.
No one can escape death.
Me? I’m chasing it.
6. My Dark Romeo by Parker S. Huntington
SYNOPSIS:
My fairy tale turned into a cautionary one.
Inked in tar and sealed in tears.
It was supposed to be a harmless kiss at a lavish debutante ball.
A clandestine moment with a handsome stranger.
But unlike his namesake, my Romeo isn’t driven by love.
He’s fueled by revenge.
To him, I’m a chess piece. Leverage.
His rival’s betrothed.
To me, he is a man deserving of poison.
A dark prince I refuse to marry.
He thinks I’ll accept my fate.
Well, I plan to rewrite it.
And in my story, Juliet doesn’t die.
But Romeo? He perishes.
Authors’ Notes: My Dark Romeo is a standalone reluctant arranged marriage romance between a cruel billionaire heir and a feisty heiress unafraid to fight back. It is set in the decadent Dark Prince Road world.
7. The Mindf*ck Series by S.T. Abby
SYNOPSIS:
They took too much.Left too little.I had nothing to lose…until him.
LANA: I didn’t expect him.I didn’t want to fall in love. But I can’t let him go.Logan Bennett makes the world a safer place.He’s brilliant.He’s a hero. He locks away the sick and depraved. But while he’s saving lives, I’m taking them. Collecting the debts that are owed to me.Ten years ago, they took from me. They left me for dead.They should have made sure I stayed dead.Now I’m taking from them.One name at a time.I’ve trained for too long.I’ve been patient.I can’t stop now.Revenge is best served cold…They never see me coming, until I paint their walls red. Logan doesn’t know how they hurt me. Doesn’t know about the screams they ignored. He doesn’t know how twisted that town really is. And he just knows people are dying. Nor does he know that he’s in love with their killer. No one suspects a dead girl. And Logan doesn’t suspect the girl in his bed. They’re looking for a monster. Not a girl who loves red. Not a girl in love. I’m a faceless nightmare. At least until I tell them the story they’ve pretended never happened. But in the end, will Logan choose them? Or will we watch them burn together?
**Graphic**Adult language**Some triggers could be too much for the easily disturbed reader**Sexual content**Fucked up moral compass; read at your own risk.
8. Den of Vipers by K.A Knight
SYNOPSIS:
Ryder, Garrett, Kenzo, and Diesel—The Vipers. They run this town and everyone in it. Their deals are as sordid as their business, and their reputation is enough to bring a grown man to his knees, forcing him to beg for mercy. They are not people you mess with, yet my dad did. The old man ran up a debt with them and then sold me to cover his losses.Yes, sold me. They own me now. I’m theirs in every sense of the word. But I’ve never been meek and compliant. These men, they look at me with longing. Their scarred, blood-stained hands holding me tight. They want everything I am, everything I have to give, and won’t stop until they get just that. They can own my body, but they will never have my heart.The Vipers? I’m going to make them regret the day they took me. This girl? She bites too.
*18+ Reverse Harem Romance. Warning this book contains scenes and references of abuse/assault that some readers may find triggering. Along with graphic sex scenes and violence. This is a dark book*
9. Scarred (Never After Series) by Emily McIntire
SYNOPSIS:
She doesn’t belong to him…she belongs to the crown.
Prince Tristan Faasa was never destined for the throne. That was always his brother, Michael. The same brother responsible for both Tristan’s tormented childhood and the scar that mars his face. When their father dies, Michael is set to assume the throne, and Tristan is set to steal it. The leader of a secret rebellion, Tristan will stop at nothing to end his brother’s reign. But when Michael’s new betrothed, Lady Sara Beatreaux arrives, Tristan finds himself in the middle of a new kind of war. The kind that begs the question of what’s more important, the crown or the woman about to wear it.
Sara has one plan. Marry the King and eradicate the Faasa line, even at the risk of her own peril. But she never expects the Scarred Prince. He’s dangerous. Forbidden. And one of the men she’s been sent to kill. But the line between hatred and passion has never seemed so thin, and as secrets come to light, Sara grows unsure of whom she can trust—torn between vengeance and the villain she was never supposed to love.
10. Her Soul to Take (Souls Trilogy) by Harley Laroux
SYNOPSIS:
Leon I earned my reputation among magicians for a reason: one wrong move and you’re dead. Killer, they called me, and killing is what I’m best at. Except her. The one I was supposed to take, the one I should have killed – I didn’t. The cult that once controlled me wants her, and I’m not about to lose my new toy to them.
Rae I’ve always believed in the supernatural. Hunting for ghosts is my passion, but summoning a demon was never part of the plan. Monsters are roaming the woods, and something ancient – something evil – is waking up and calling my name. I don’t know who I can trust, or how deep this darkness goes. All I know is my one shot at survival is the demon stalking me, and he doesn’t just want my body – he wants my soul.
Her Soul to Take is book 1 in the Souls Trilogy. Each book within the Souls Trilogy is interconnected, following a different couple through a similar timeline in the fictional world of Abelaum.
Content Note
This book contains sexual scenes, kink/fetish content, horror elements, drug use, and depictions of hard kink/edgeplay. Please see the book preview for complete CW.
11. The Ritual by Shantel Tessier
SYNOPSIS:
THE CHOSEN ONE
I vow. You vow. We vow.
Barrington University is home of the Lords, a secret society that requires their blood in payment. They are above all—the most powerful men in the world. They devote their lives to violence in exchange for power. And during their senior year, they are offered a chosen one.
People think growing up with money is freeing, but I promise you, it’s not. My entire life has been planned out for me. I never got the chance to do what I wanted until Ryat Alexander Archer came along and gave me an option for a better life. He offered me what no one else ever had—freedom.
I chose to be his. He made me believe that anyway, but it was just another lie. A way that the Lords manipulate you into doing what they want.
After being sucked into the dark, twisted world of the Lords, I embraced my new role and allowed Ryat to parade me around like the trophy I was to him. But like all things, what started out as a game soon became a fight for survival. And the only way out was death.
Things to know about The Ritual
It is MF
TW (Please see the author’s note on the inside)
J/P (jealous/possessive) Hero
OTT (over the top) Hero
This is a 150K word standalone romance that contains dark themes that may be triggering to some.
12. There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark
SYNOPSIS:
She knows he’s no saint, but she has no idea she’s dancing with the devil.
Cole Blackwell values control. He’s the hottest sculptor in San Francisco―wealthy, successful, and respected. His only weakness is the dark impulse he carefully conceals. In truth, he’s not just an artist: he’s a predator, and the city is his hunting ground.
Mara Eldritch is a nobody. Broke and damaged, she works three jobs while creating paintings no one will ever see. When a chance encounter throws Mara into Cole’s path, her escape from certain death fascinates Cole. More than that―it fixates him.
He begins stalking her, discovering there’s more to the struggling misfit than he would have guessed. She makes him feel things he never thought he could feel. Want things he thought he’d never want. He doesn’t know if he should protect her at all costs or destroy her before she ruins him. He’s losing control, breaking the rules that have kept his true nature hidden from the world.
Mara knows he’s dangerous, but Cole is the only person who’s ever recognized her talent, and it leads her heart astray, straight into the dark.
Cole can teach her to get what she wants…but what might this vicious killer want in return?
Content warnings: serial killers, blood, dubious consent, graphic murder, graphic violence, mentions of child abuse, kidnapping, stalking, emotional abuse, self harm, sexual assault, alcoholism, torture.
13. Haunting Adeline by H. D. Carlton
SYNOPSIS:
The Manipulator
I can manipulate the emotions of anyone who lets me.
I will make you hurt, make you cry, make you laugh and sigh.
But my words don’t affect him. Especially not when I plead for him to leave.
He’s always there, watching and waiting.
And I can never look away.
Not when I want him to come closer.
The Shadow
I didn’t mean to fall in love.
But now that I have, I can’t stay away.
I’m mesmerized by her smile, by her eyes, and the way she moves.
The way she undresses…
I’ll keep watching and waiting. Until I can make her mine.
And once she is, I’ll never let her go.
Not even when she begs me to.
14. Kill Switch by Penelope Douglas
SYNOPSIS:
“I’ve done far worse than what I went to prison for. She has no idea how bad this can get.”
WINTER
Sending him to prison was the worst thing I could’ve done. It didn’t matter that he did the crime or that I wished he was dead. Perhaps I thought I’d have time to disappear before he got out or he’d cool off in jail and be anything but the horror he was.
But I was wrong. Three years came and went too fast, and now he’s anything but calm. Prison only gave him time to plan.
And while I anticipated his vengeance, I didn’t expect this.
He doesn’t want to make me hurt. He wants to make everything hurt.
DAMON
First thing’s first. Get rid of her daddy. He told them I forced her. He told them his little girl was a victim, but I was a kid, too, and she wanted it just as much as I did.
Step two… Give her, her sister, and her mother nowhere to run and no fuel to escape. The Ashby women are alone now and desperate for a knight in shining armor.
But that’s not what’s coming.
No, it’s time I listened to my father and took control of my future. It’s time I showed them all–my family, her family, my friends–that I will never change and that I have no other ambition than to be the nightmare of their lives.
Starting with her.
She’ll be so scared, she won’t even be safe in her own head by the time I’m done with her. And the best part is I won’t have to break into her home to do it.
As the new man of the house I have all the keys.
15. The Predator by RuNyx
SYNOPSIS:
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object in the field of death?
In the dark underbelly of the mob, Tristan Caine has been an anomaly. As the only non-blooded member in the high circle of the Tenebrae Outfit, he is an enigma to all – his skills unparalleled, his morality questionable, and his motives unknown. He is lethal and he knows it.
As does Morana Vitalio, the genius extraordinaire daughter of the rival family. What Caine does with weapons, Morana does with computers. When a twenty-year old mystery resurfaces, Morana infiltrates Caine’s house, intent on killing him, unaware of a tie that binds them together. Hate, heat, and history clash together with unexpected sparks.
But something bigger, something worse is happening in their world. And despite their animosity, only they can fight it down.
16. The Never King by Nikki St. Crowe
SYNOPSIS:
The stories were all wrong — Hook was never the villain.
For two centuries, all of the Darling women have disappeared on their 18th birthday. Sometimes they’re gone for only a day, some a week or a month. But they always return broken.
Now, on the afternoon of my 18th birthday, my mother is running around the house making sure all the windows are barred and the doors locked.
But it’s pointless.
Because when night falls, he comes for me. And this time, the Never King and the Lost Boys aren’t willing to let me go.
The Never King is a dark retelling of Peter and Wendy. If you like your enemies to lovers romance with hot, ruthless, morally gray love interests, you’ll enjoy The Never King and the Lost Boys. You can expect hate kissing, fighting, bickering, and ‘touch her and I’ll unalive you’ vibes.
17. Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver
SYNOPSIS:
Every serial killer needs a friend.
Every game must have a winner.
When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive—the friendship of a like-minded, pitch-black soul. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country. But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?
Butcher & Blackbird is the first book in the Ruinous Love Dark Romance trilogy of interconnected stand-alone dark romantic comedies. This dual POV novel ends on a HEA.
***Butcher & Blackbird is a DARK ROMANCE intended for an adult audience – please see Brynne’s website for a comprehensive list of CWs***
18. Satan’s Affair by H.D. Carlton
SYNOPSIS:
Every Halloween, Satan’s Affair will come to you.
We travel the country, offering terrifying haunted houses, thrilling rides and the tastiest food. And with every passing town, I cleanse this world, one execution at a time.
I hide within the walls, casting my judgement for those that reek of evil, singing lullabies to their rotting souls.
Once you’ve been chosen, there’s no escaping my henchmen—they cater to my every desire.
You can run and you can hide, but it only excites me.
Come.
Take a walk through my dollhouse, where your screams will blend and your cute little pleas will go unanswered.
But I can’t promise it’ll be over quickly…
19. Twisted by Emily McIntire
SYNOPSIS:
Yasmin Karam, daughter to one of the richest men in the world, has never known strife. So, when her beloved father falls ill, she’s determined to make his final days his happiest. His last wish? To see her married to a man of his choosing. Except Yasmin’s heart already belongs to someone else. A servant. A street rat. A man her father would never consider worthy. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Yasmin strikes a desperate deal with her father’s right-hand man, Julian, not realizing he has his own twisted agenda.
Julian Faraci has one goal: become the most powerful man in the world. He’s built a future from broken bones and faded bruises, never caring who he hurt along the way. But when his mentor falls ill, he finds himself on the verge of losing everything, and he’ll stop at nothing to inherit what is rightfully his. Even if it means forcing a woman he can’t stand into marriage.
Yasmin is a brat who speaks out of turn, and he’s the villain of her story. But he decides she’ll be his—no matter what it takes to convince her.
20. Captive in the Dark by C.J. Roberts
SYNOPSIS:
Caleb is a man with a singular interest in revenge. Kidnapped as a young boy and sold into slavery by a power-hungry mobster, he has thought of nothing but vengeance. For twelve years he has immersed himself in the world of pleasure slaves searching for the one man he holds ultimately responsible. Finally, the architect of his suffering has emerged with a new identity, but not a new nature. If Caleb is to get close enough to strike, he must become the very thing he abhors and kidnap a beautiful girl to train her to be all that he once was.
Eighteen-year-old Olivia Ruiz has just woken up in a strange place. Blindfolded and bound, there is only a calm male voice to welcome her. His name is Caleb, though he demands to be called Master. Olivia is young, beautiful, naïve and willful to a fault. She has a dark sensuality that cannot be hidden or denied, though she tries to accomplish both. Although she is frightened by the strong, sadistic, and arrogant man who holds her prisoner, what keeps Olivia awake in the dark is her unwelcome attraction to him.
WARNING: This book contains very disturbing situations, dubious consent, strong language, and graphic violence.
21. Ruthless People by J.J. McAvoyks
SYNOPSIS:
To the outside world, they look like American Royalty, giving to charities, feeding the homeless, rebuilding the city. But behind closed doors is a constant battle for dominance between two Bosses, cultures, and hearts.
Melody Nicci Giovanni and Liam Callahan are rivals by blood and leaders through fear. Their marriage was arranged by their fathers in hopes to end years of bloodshed between the Irish and the Italians.
Liam, next in line to lead the Irish, believes he’s getting a simple-minded wife, one he can control, one who bends to his every need . . . the complete opposite of Melody.
Bred to be a Boss, a world-class marksman, master of disguise, with no mercy and no fear. Twenty-four years later, she has achieved more than any man could even dream of, killing anyone who steps in her way.
She knows exactly what type of man Liam is, and she would rather die than give up the power she has spent her whole life building.
But with no other family left, she must not only learn to work with Liam, but the whole Callahan clan.
The Mafia of the past is evolving, and with rival bosses gunning for them, Melody and Liam will have to figure out how to work as one to take down those who stand in their way, all while keeping up appearances.
There you have it, gorgeous—a handpicked selection of 21 super steamy dark romance books that will undoubtedly leave you craving more. Whether you’re a seasoned dark romance reader or a newcomer to the genre, these tales of passion, danger, and forbidden love are bound to ignite the flames of your imagination. So, grab a cozy blanket, a cup of your favorite tea, and immerse yourself in the captivating world of these spellbinding reads. Happy reading, and may your nights be filled with dreams of thrilling romance!
21 Super Steamy Dark Romance Books to Read in 2024:
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