Best Dark Romance Books 2023

I made a mistake that could ruin me. I fell for a man I should’ve feared. At sixteen, I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Gianni Rossetti. My best friend’s father. A ruthless billionaire. A cold-blooded villain. A man twice my age, who could destroy me with a single look. For years, I was nothing to him—a silly girl with a foolish crush. But I couldn’t forget those icy blue eyes, the way his presence made the world feel small and dangerous. By the time I was twenty-one, I knew I should’ve walked away, left my fantasies behind. But then, one night, Gianni noticed me. And my world turned upside down. He didn’t just see me—he ‘claimed’ me. Every forbidden fantasy I’d ever had, he brought to life. He touched me, possessed me, made me feel things that shattered everything I thought I knew. With him, I wasn’t just a woman; I was ‘his’. But the deeper I fall, the darker it gets. Gianni’s world is filled with secrets, shadows that whisper of violence and betrayal. His past is more than just a dark history—it’s a deadly curse that threatens to consume us both. I knew he was dangerous, but I never imagined this. Now I’m trapped, caught in a web of desire and deceit, and the deeper I go, the harder it is to find my way out. But the worst part? I’m not sure I want to escape. Not if it means losing him.

"...If these feelings were not meant to be, why do they arise, especially when I'm naked? If these feelings were unnatural, why do they consume my thoughts, constantly drawing me towards him? How much longer can I keep these emotions bottled up in me? If this is truly how I feel, I must find a way to express myself when I am alone with him….” ************************************* Ava thought that the best way to help her best friend, Charlotte, after her boyfriend broke her heart publicly, was to persuade her to come along on a family vacation. However, before the vacation, Charlotte decided to go on a secret intimate blind date to help mend her broken heart. Little did she know that the person she was about to sleep with was none other than her best friend's dad. The blind date prevented the two strangers from seeing each other, and their eyes blindfolded during the process. Due to Charlotte's short encounter with an older man, she started developing love for Ava's dad. However, Charlotte came across a secret about Ava's family that Ava herself was unaware of. The secret could tire down Ava's family. Charlotte found herself torn between remaining loyal to her best friend or keeping the secret and continuing her forbidden relationship with Tyler. How would Tyler and Charlotte manage to keep their love hidden? Would Ava regret inviting Charlotte when she discovered the romance between her best friend and her own father? Would Tyler and Charlotte choose to pursue their love, even if their relationship was eventually exposed?

“I’ve been in hell for years, Bella. Trying to forget. Trying to do the right thing. Trying to be the man Victor thinks I am.” I stood up, closing the distance between us. “What if the right thing is being honest about what we both want?” He reached out, cupping my face with one large hand, his thumb stroking my cheekbone. The touch was gentle, completely at odds with the hunger in his eyes. “If I kiss you now,” he said hoarsely, “I won’t stop. I won’t be gentle. And I won’t be able to pretend anymore that you’re just Victor’s daughter.” “Good, I don’t want you to.” I leaned into his touch, my own hand coming up to cover his. “I don’t want you to pretend.”

"She will come back," she promised. "She just needs time to sort her head out." "Not her heart?" The dry distinction made Charley wince. "I'm sure she loves you," she persisted. "She's just not ready to commit to marriage." If you just give her time, then I— Black eyebrows with a fascinating silken gloss gave her a curious look. "Are you actually standing there, Miss Jones, suggesting that I should wait for Adelina to sort her head out?" Well, was she? Lifting her chin, "If you love her—yes," she insisted. "Then you are a romantic fool because it is not going to happen." He moved suddenly, straightening away from the desk. "There is a wedding arranged for next Saturday morning, and I intend to make sure that it goes ahead." Without a bride? Charley stared at him. "You mean—you're going to find her and drag her back to marry you?" A silly kind of laugh left her throat at the very image of Adelina being dragged by this man down the church aisle, kicking and screaming. ‘No.’ Reaching behind him, his long fingers picked Adelina's letter up again—this time to fold it with slow, neat precision. "I mean to replace her with someone else."I want reparation for being taken for an idiot, and if that means putting you in Adelina's wedding dress and marrying you in her place, then that is what is going to happen."

Daddy Issues Series Tagline: He was older. Forbidden. Everything I craved Clawing her way out of a toxic relationship that could be likened to hell, all Astrid Volkov wanted on the night of her twenty-first birthday was to be alone, but her loud friends found a way to drag her ass to the club where she came in contact with the mysterious older man, who appeared to be her knight in shining armour after he saved her from getting harassed. The connection they tried so hard to suppress fought its way out after a few drinks, entangling them in a night of unforgettable passion. Astrid could have sworn that would be the last of him, but this bitch called fate pulled its stunt once more and their paths crossed again, but this time, the tables drastically spun and she was quick to find out that the mysterious older man that gave her the best night of her life was none other than Jordan Remington, her father's long time best friend. The duo were hellbent on putting that night behind them, but Astrid's stubbornness and the sparks that still lingered from that night begged to differ. Was Astrid willing to screw all odds and go for what she wanted, knowing the risks involved? Was Jordan willing to put his friendship and reputation on the line for a girl he was old enough to father? Book one of Daddy Issues

Escaping from her abusive husband with nothing but the clothes on her back, a beaten and bruised Laura shows up on the doorstep of her estranged older brother - and President of a well-known motorcycle club, Jake Wilson. But before she can even make it into the house, she runs into a tall, dark, deep well of trouble - her brother's best friend and second in command, Talon Nash. *********** He stepped closer, closing the gap between us in one stride. His hands found my hips, pulling me into him with a firm but gentle grip. The sawdust clinging to his skin mingled with the scents of his sweat and cologne, and I breathed it in, reveling in it. “Your reward,” he murmured, his lips brushing against my ear, “is me not dragging you upstairs and ruining you right now in front of all these guys.” My breath hitched, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, but I smirked. I wasn’t about to let him win this one. “No fair. That’s more of a punishment than a reward,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “I want a refund.” “NOT getting f*cked in front of the prospects is a punishment?” He chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that vibrated through me. “Fine,” he added, his lips curling into a wicked grin. “Careful what you wish for, angel.” Before I could respond, he bent down and hoisted me up over his shoulder like a sack of flour. I let out a startled laugh, my hands instinctively gripping the back of his jeans. The prospects paused their work, watching with amused smirks as Talon carried me toward the stairs. “Talon!” I protested, though my laughter betrayed me. “Put me down!”

After her mother remarried a Korean businessman, Isla found herself trapped under the same roof with her stepbrothers; Eun-woo and Ji-hoon. She takes an instant dislike to Eun-woo after he showed his cold side during the first time they met each other while Ji-hoon turned out to be neutral and eventually became close to her. She tried her best to approach and have good sibling relationships with her stepbrothers since they all attend the same university in Seoul. However, everything didn’t go as planned… mostly when both Eun-woo and Ji-hoon realized they see Isla more than being just their stepsister. A forbidden romance between step siblings who are trying to fight for their rights to love despite the society going against them because not all forbidden romances have rules…

Ethan Westwood is a effective wolf from the alpha bloodline, who has inconvenience finding his mate and has to go against his parent approximately taking another she-wolf as his mate. Mia Dalton is a powerless human who lives beneath her injurious stepfather after her assenting mother died. In the course of getting away from her stepfather, she meets Ethan profound interior the forest. Ethan finds that Mia is his mate but was put in a colossal situation since the werewolf clan prohibit them from having a human mate. In spite of the dissatisfaction of the seniors, Ethan acknowledges Mia as his mate not dreading what the results might be. The werewolves fear that the taboo relationship between Ethan and Mia might bring devastation that was anticipated by the diviner to the clan but Ethan denied to follow to their plea. Will the relationship between them bring the annihilation to the clan or will it spare the clan from the devastation?

Orella Daria Maldini decided to marry Dante Laurenzo Ludovic after she found out that he had something to do with the incident that caused her brother's death. She also planned to take revenge and wanted to make Dante suffer until he finally died in her hands. During her revenge, she is assisted by a man who always wears a mask. Her revenge plan is always accompanied by enemy attacks that have targeted her. However, Dante always manages to help her, which makes their relationship even closer. Orella begins to doubt her revenge plan on Dante as she begins to fall in love with him. However, their relationship is interrupted by the arrival of Eliana Maria Nardo. She is Dante's ex and is obsessed with getting back together with him. She makes cunning plans to separate Dante and Orella, but all her plans fail. Instead, Orella realizes that she really loves Dante—until one day, a big secret is revealed. What is the big secret? So what about her revenge after Orella realizes how much she loves Dante?

This book contains sex scenes. Rated 18+. Andrew was the most ruthless Mafia boss. He was dark, could kill in cold blood, and only loved his three-year-old sister. He was one of the most deranged people on the planet, and he drove everyone away from him. On the outside, Ava was a strong, independent, and kind girl who didn't bow down to anyone, but on the inside she was broken. She was trying to get away from her past when she ran into him.  Would she give him permission to help her run, or did she fear that he would only further break her? Find out how shit goes sideways in this epic story of love, romance and revenge. ************************ NOTE..... This book also contains other Romantic mafia fantasy stories compilations. Rated 18+ Readers discretion is advised.