Best Romance Books 2023 Novels & Stories

Mistakes? I’ve made plenty. The biggest one? Falling head over heels for Brian Lockwood—my brother’s best friend and the captain of the school’s basketball team. For years, I lived in the shadow of my one wish: for him to see me as more than just Simon’s little sister. But how could he, with Lyla, his perfect girlfriend, glued to his side? Then everything changed. Lyla cheated, Brian’s heart shattered, and he was desperate for a distraction. That’s when he came to me with a deal—a no-strings-attached arrangement where we could give each other exactly what we wanted. I saw my chance. I thought I could make him fall in love with me. But I didn’t account for how messy things could get—how keeping it all a secret from Simon would twist everything. And when Brian crossed a line I couldn’t forgive, I knew it was time to let go of my high school crush. Fast forward three years. I’m over him. Or so I tell myself. Except now Brian’s back, no longer the heartbroken boy I knew but a leading basketball star with one goal: to win me over. I swore I wouldn’t fall for him again.

TW: ABUSE, VIOLENCE, DARK ROMANCE, DADDY KINK. THERE WILL BE MM, MF, and MFMM sex At 22 years old, Alyssa Bennett returns to her small hometown, fleeing her abusive husband with their seven-month-old daughter, Zuri. Unable to contact her brother, she reluctantly turns to his asshole best friends for help-despite their history of tormenting her. King, the enforcer of her brother's motorcycle gang, the Crimson Reapers, is intent on breaking her. Nikolai aims to claim her for himself, and Mason, ever the follower, is just glad to be part of the action. As Alyssa navigates the dangerous dynamics of her brother's friends, she must find a way to protect herself and Zuri, all while discovering dark secrets that could change everything.

Katherine Heart has been in love with Damon Rhodes for three years, which would not be a problem if Damon was not her ridiculously handsome best friend who keeps acting like her boyfriend without ever actually calling her his girlfriend. One minute he is kissing her breathless, telling her she is the only girl who truly understands him, and the next minute he is dodging every conversation about commitment with that stupid charming smile of his that should honestly be illegal. But when Damon drags Katherine to a luxury ring shop, she is convinced this is finally it. Until she realises it's not her. Humiliated, heartbroken, and determined to never let Damon see her cry again, Katherine throws herself into her internship at Rhodes Enterprises, where long hours and impossible workloads are easier to survive than watching the man she loves fall for someone else. There is only one problem. Nathaniel Rhodes, Damon’s older brother. Cold, terrifyingly powerful, and completely off-limits, Nathaniel is the kind of man who can silence an entire boardroom with one glance alone, yet for some reason, his icy eyes keep following Katherine everywhere she goes. And when one late night at the office leads Katherine to discover a side of Nathaniel nobody has ever seen before, his cock in his hands as he helplessly moans her name, her messy heartbreak suddenly turns into something far more dangerous. Now trapped between the boy who broke her heart and the man who could completely ruin her, Katherine is about to learn that love triangles are a lot messier when billionaires, jealousy, office scandals, and unresolved tension are involved. Because falling for one Rhode's brother was already a disaster. Falling for both of them? Absolutely catastrophic.

Blurb: 18+ Explicit Content. Reader Discretion Strongly Advised Content Warnings: This collection contains strong adult content, including sex, complicated relationships, cheating, power issues, and very intense emotional moments. If dark or controversial topics make you uncomfortable, this book is not for you. Some desires are better left unspoken. One careless moment can push you past the point of no return. And sometimes those desires get completely out of control. Craving Lust: A Spicy Romance Collection brings you raw, steamy stories filled with forbidden lust. From secret touches with her stepfather’s business partner to an artist painting his obsession, these stories dive into the darkest sides of desire. A housekeeper makes a sinful deal with her ex’s father. Rival writers turn their hate into dirty dares. A priest’s vows are tested by a woman’s confessions. And a woman out for revenge ends up falling for the man she wanted to destroy. This is where your secret cravings come to life. The ones that turn you on and leave you wanting more. Rules get broken. Boundaries disappear. Every touch feels like temptation. Nothing is off limits here.

She thought she was the hunter. She didn’t realize she was already the prey. ​For years, billionaire Benjamin Williams was the forbidden fantasy Jane could never have. As her older brother’s best friend, he was a distant shadow watching over her. But when her brother relocates to Berlin and leaves Jane in his care, the boundaries vanish. ​Moving into Benjamin's mansion feels like a dream come true. Armed with unrequited longing, Jane plays a calculated game of seduction, confident she can handle the fire she’s trying to light. ​But the moment the front door locks, the rules change. ​Benjamin wasn't resisting her temptation—he was waiting for it. The protective boundaries he maintained weren't built to keep her out; they were built to keep her in. ​When a ruthless corporate merger forces a dangerous fiancée into the house and puts a literal target on Jane's back, the game turns lethal. Trapped under his roof amidst an empire war, Jane discovers her playful pursuit has become a suffocating obsession. And Benjamin will have to choose between his empire, his fiancée, and their dark obsession.

Twins, Brandon and Brianna Stone, always felt they never belonged. Having lost their parents at a young age taught them to rely only on each other. So when Brandon disappears during a hiking trip, Brianna had to follow, only to find there was more than her brother waiting for her. Will the siblings find a home where they belong, or will their new normal throw them into chaos? Grayson Walker, Sheriff of Silvercreek, pack Alpha will keep everything in his power to keep the peace, so when rogue wolves appear in his town, he needs to eliminate them immediately, but what is he supposed to do when one of them is his mate?

Ava Monroe is struggling to pay for her college fees. After a terrible loss in business when her family went bankrupt overnight, Ava saw all her dreams shatter right in front of her eyes. It doesn't help that her family is obsessed with becoming wealthy again. The shock of being poor had turned them into something Ava could no longer recognize. However, eager for some quick money, Ava works as an escort over the summer before college begins. The money is good, and she hasn't had any strange experiences yet. That has to be worth something, right? Brian Reinhold is rich, successful and soon turning forty. But his home is anything but happy. After losing his sixteen-year-old daughter in a car crash, Brian doesn’t know how to go on with life anymore. Nothing makes sense. Nothing makes him lively. His friends believe Brian needs a break. A long pause in his hectic life so he could grieve and make amends for the sadness that is dousing him from inside. But instead of packing his bags and moving to his hometown, Brian thrusts himself more into work and pretends that moving on is a choice, not binding. But life takes a toll when the next client on Ava’s list turns out to be Brian Reinhold. The dear daddy of Valerie. Ava’s best friend. Now, Ava doesn’t know why the idea of sleeping with a man double her age is electrifying. Brian Reinhold might be forty soon, but he looks anything but old. His arms are a thing of beauty and his charming grey eyes can suck you in so deep that reality gladly withers away. But this arrangement has cons of its own. And truth has the power to destroy the lives they both care for.

After I got a second shot at life, the very first thing I did was enroll in an intensive weight-loss boot camp. In my past life, my boyfriend was always on my case about my weight. He flat-out told me he wouldn't put a ring on it unless I got down to a hundred pounds. I tried every diet and workout plan out there—I pushed myself to the edge—but instead of losing, I packed on even more pounds. Meanwhile, my so-called best friend ate cheeseburgers, fries, and pizza like it was her job and still dropped from 130 pounds to a hundred in less than a month. The second she hit that magic number, my boyfriend's head turned. They started sneaking around behind my back. When I finally confronted them, they shoved me off a rooftop. It wasn't until after I died that I discovered the truth: my "best friend" had linked herself to a weight-transfer system. Every single pound I struggled to lose went straight to her. And every ounce of fat she should have gained? It landed right back on me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the exact day my boyfriend gave me his hundred-pound ultimatum. With every memory of my past life intact, I couldn't help but smile. My best friend wants to be skinny, does she? Well then, let's see how she likes being nothing but skin and bones. Let's see if forty-five pounds is skinny enough for her.

This novel contains explicit sexual content and depictions of violence. Reader discretion is strongly advised. **************** College rugby star Andre Williams only has one rule: win at any cost. It is how he stays the golden boy, how he keeps the Bay Tigers on top, and how he keeps his life clean enough to survive the season. Then Richard O’Reilly arrives. No one seems to know where he has come from, only that he is too good, too calm, and too threatening to Andre, who until now has always been the one on top. Richard is not just talented at rugby, he is mysterious and hard to read. He keeps his past sealed up tight because he is hiding something that could blow his life apart. Andre has built his whole life on control. The first time Richard appears, Andre realizes control is not as solid as he thought, and it could slip. It starts as a cutthroat rivalry. Then it turns into obsession. And the obsession grows into a hunger neither of them can explain or control. Rough Play is a slow-burn sports romance about two enemies, one brutal rivalry, and the kind of tension that does not stay on the field.

"No Chris… you can't fucking kiss me with the same lips that tasted Anna's. You can't… just leave Chris, please leave…” She screamed, her body shaking terribly. For Anna coming home meant summer nights by the lake, her mother's cooking, and slipping back into the life she left behind. Most of all, it meant Carly, her best friend, her constant, her home. And Chris, Carly's boyfriend. Who was clearly off limits or at least... he should have been. Because the moment Anna steps back into Millbrook, something feels wrong. The town is quieter. The air feels heavier. And Chris? He isn't the same boy she remembers. He's colder, stronger and dangerous in a way that makes her heart race and her instincts scream. Then come the dreams. Running through moonlit fields. A voice calling her name. A presence she can't escape... or resist and when the truth finally surfaces, it shatters everything Anna thought she knew. Chris isn't just her best friend's boyfriend. He's an Alpha and impossibly she was his mate. Torn between loyalty and a bond she can't break, Anna must decide, walk away and protect the only family she's ever known or surrender to the Alpha who was never meant to be hers. Because in a town full of secrets, some fates are more dangerous than others... and loving him might cost her everything.