Best Ya Romance Books 2023

[WARNING: DARK ROMANCE] Tessa Langston once lived in a golden cage, trapped in a marriage that was nothing more than beautiful brutality. Her ruthless husband ruled their world with an iron fist wrapped in Armani. To him, she wasn't a wife; she was his most prized possession. But angels weren't meant to be caged. Tessa shattered her golden shackles in the dead of night and disappeared into the shadows of Cascade City. For months, she lived as a ghost with a new name and new life. Every sunrise felt like freedom. Until the day he found her. Blaze Langston doesn't just want his wife back. He wants to break her completely this time. His obsession has transformed into something far more dangerous, and he'll use every weapon in his arsenal: his wealth, his power, and the dark secrets that could destroy everyone she's learned to care about. But Tessa is no longer the frightened girl who once trembled at his touch. She's found her own strength in the darkness, and she's ready to fight fire with fire. The hunter has become the hunted, and Tessa realizes with chilling clarity that this isn't just about escape anymore. It's about survival. Because Blaze won't stop until he owns every piece of her, even if it means destroying them both.

Pierre Delacroix was once the powerful CEO of the Delacroix empire. But when a rather brutal attack left him with one blind eye and a weak heart, he is forced into an arranged marriage with Kate Beaumont to protect his family's reputation. Kate Beaumont who is a rising fashion designer however hides a secret from Pierre who does not know that Kate is the woman from one of his many one night stand that he has spent time trying to find. As Pierre faces several enemies who are determined to destroy him, Kate works in secret to keep him alive while betrayals, hidden truths and other deadly conspiracies also come to light. Now will Pierre and Kate face their unintentional pasts. And can their love survive the coming chaos?

Manu has never had the opportunity to fall in love. He became an Alpha at a young age and was forced to take over his father's role as CEO at the same time. Several years later, he was known to be the very serious, intimidating, cold and ruthless Alpha CEO Manu of the famous City Magnificent Pack. And while women would gladly throw themselves at him, he was too busy to desire any of them. Until he met her… Uneducated and nearly illiterate, Sasha would do just everything for her younger siblings. And by "everything", she meant the entire world. Putting herself aside, she didn't care what the means were as long as she achieved the ends she wanted. When the beautiful but mischievous human thief and the handsome and powerful Alpha's worlds collided, Manu's heart was captivated for the very first time. But with Sasha's passionate hate to his kind, and his own destiny with his mate, would there be room for a happy ending to his first romance?

"Let's be clear. While I stay here, no kissing, no hugging," Aiden Anderson said without breaking his gaze at Jessamine, his best friend since third grade. "You're my best friend... You're like a sister to me and my only family. I don't want to be reckless and lose you in the end." "I was only teasing you, Aiden. I'm not losing you as well. You're the only man I trust besides my father," Jessamine assured him. Jessamine turned her back on him, fighting the tears, unsure why her heart was disappointed. A part of her brain said she would rather die with heartache than admit to him that she wished there was more to their friendship, but her heart screamed something else. She wanted to be reckless with him and gave her heart the freedom to love him more than best friend, but how could she admit to him she loved him when Aiden assured her he would disappear from her forever if they crossed the boundary of their friendship?

As the fiancée of the Alpha's son, Selene's life seemed destined for bliss until a devastating lie shattered her world, leading to the brutal murder of her family. Consumed by grief and a thirst for revenge, she finds solace in a drunken one-night stand with her best friend—only to wake up to the shocking revelation that he's an Alpha in a larger, covert pack only posing as a spy in the pack. He offers to help her get her revenge but in return, she has to give him one year as his fake bride. What begins as a strategic alliance soon blossoms into unexpected love amidst battles against formidable enemies.

Six years ago, Tara was abruptly dumped by the man she loved—Kade. Soon after, she discovered she was pregnant and gave birth to a daughter, Abby. Now a single mother, Tara is desperate to save her sick child. When Abby develops a mysterious illness no doctor can explain, Tara moves to a new city in search of treatment—only to meet Soren Hawthorne, a powerful man who unexpectedly offers her help. Life finally seems to turn in her favor… Until the truth comes out. Abby is a half-wolf. Soren is an Alpha werewolf. And Tara is his fated mate—a human he can never accept as his Luna. Worst of all? Kade, the man who abandoned her, is Soren’s best friend. Fate has returned—and this time, it won’t let her go.

Amelia was always the outcast, mocked for her size and ignored by everyone but Dylan Thane, the only light in her dark school life. She fell for him, of course. Who wouldn’t? But her heart shattered when Dylan, her best friend, seemed to fall for the very bully who made her life miserable. Desperate to be seen, Amelia struck a deal with a mysterious old woman for the perfect body. The new Amelia turned heads but not Dylan’s. Because he had always loved her as she was… and had never betrayed her. Now, the true cost of beauty is coming due and it’s more than she bargained for.

On the day of the company's annual gala, I quit my job and went back to the countryside, using up all my savings to help my best friend raise her daughter. She had died tragically, swept away by the river while trying to retrieve my hundred-million-dollar gala prize ticket that had fallen into the water. Wracked with guilt, I honored her dying wish and married her husband. After the wedding, I sold my blood and even a kidney just to make ends meet, raising my stepdaughter with everything I had. Eventually, she fulfilled her dream of winning the Best Actress Award and was about to marry the richest man in the country. But just as I was preparing to give a speech at her wedding, I saw my best friend, who had been dead for over a decade. She clutched my stepdaughter's hand and accused me of being a homewrecker who seduced her husband, and even claimed I had been the one who pushed her into the river all those years ago. Only then did I learn the truth—she had faked her death all those years ago, just to steal my prize ticket and travel the world, leaving me behind to raise her family. The shock sent me into a cerebral hemorrhage. When I opened my eyes again, I had gone back to the day she drowned.

Lindsey Johnson asks her fiance's true love, Stephanie Sullivan, to repay her debt. The next day, Jacob Whitaker throws at her a ledger that she had never seen before. Every single expense from their five-year relationship is recorded inside. From small things like two-dollar ice cream to the expensive items like the luxury bags he gave her. Even the costs of hotel stays and condoms are recorded in the ledger. "I'll split half the hotel bills with you. After deducting the 100 grand Stephie owes you, you still owe me 2.08 million. You have one month to transfer the month to my account."

Alphonsus Series 2: Jannah Leigh Alcantara She has been in love with her best friend and successfully kept her feelings from him ever since they were young. But when he got drunk, something happened between them. He brought her to his bed, and it happens over and over again every time he got drunk. Now, what will happen once she gets pregnant? ----- Jannah Leigh Alcantara has been in love with Jeremy, her best friend. She successfully kept her feelings from him ever since they were young. But one night, Jeremy got drunk. Confident that Jeremy wouldn't remember a single thing once he woke up, Jannah confessed her feelings, only to be taken advantage of by him. Something always happened between them, and Jannah couldn't help but surrender to the man she loved the most. But then, she got pregnant and was presented with the biggest betrayal she had ever experienced in her entire life: Jeremy revealed something that broke her heart. Now, she was torn between letting Jeremy take responsibility or hide their child. But upon choosing the former for she was left with no choice, his parents found out about her pregnancy and did something that both turn their worlds upside down. And that is, setting them up for marriage.