Booktok Influence 2025 Bestseller Lists Novels & Stories

My name is Eleanor Keating. In my past life, my older sister—Alice Keating—and I were entrusted to the McKellen family in Arborhill by our parents for arranged marriages. I married John McKellen, the eldest son. While he might not be conventionally handsome, his calm demeanor and unwavering reliability stood out. Alice married Xavier McKellen, the younger son. Handsome as he was, he was equally carefree and unpredictable in his actions. Eager for a grandchild, the family patriarch—Henry McKellen—made a promise. The first to bear a child would have their offspring named the next heir of the family. After our wedding, John and I conceived. Our child was naturally declared the next heir, and with that, John and I gained influence and power within the family. Tensions between Alice and Xavier escalated into frequent fights. Eventually, both had affairs, and their marriage ended in a bitter divorce. Believing they had dishonored the family, John banished them from the household. Blinded by jealousy, Alice poisoned me and my child, ending both our lives. When I open my eyes again, I find myself back on the first day I arrived at the McKellen residence. But this time, Alice makes the first move and sleeps with John. In that moment, I realize she, too, has been given a second chance at life. Unfortunately, she has no clue that John is a twisted man. Not only is he devoid of love, but he also sees women as mere stepping stones in his relentless pursuit of power.

“You shouldn’t be here, you're the Alpha King and Liam's uncle.” I managed to say, trying to resist his touch. He chuckled deeply, “You forgot one more thing” he said simply, brushing his thumb over my lower lips. “What is that?” I whispered almost inaudibly. “I'm also your mate.” He murmured, leaning towards me. “What do you want from me?” I asked, feeling so confused. “Isn't it obvious?” He asked with a smirk, “I want you.” . . Aria is heartbroken, when her fated mate, the Alpha's son, betrays and brutally rejects her. Seeking for temporary comfort, she finds herself in the arms of a mysterious stranger who offers her the comfort she desperately craves that night, under the influence of a sexual stimulant and she flees the next morning. To her shock, she discovers her passionate night was spent with her ex-mate's uncle, the Alpha King, Alpha Knox Blackwood, who is also her second chance mate. Knox however is not willing to let her go. He has had a taste, and wants her for himself. Knox offers her a second chance — an opportunity to leave her past as an omega behind, and she quickly accepts. However, there are so many people not happy about this, and Knox has a dark secret. What happens when their dark pasts rise up to haunt them?

On my wedding day, my mafia fiancé, Ryder Conti, had his men bar me from the church. Instead, he walked down the aisle with another woman on his arm. He shrugged at me through the iron gates. "Emilia, the Contis need an heir, and Carmela is carrying a Rossi." "Once I use the Rossi influence to solidify my position in the Family, I'll divorce her. You'll still be my woman." Everyone thought I would obediently nod and wait for him to come back. For ten years, I had loved him more than life itself, even cutting ties with my family for him. That very night, I boarded a private jet to Sicily to accept an arranged marriage with the Godfather of the Vettori family. From then on, I vanished without a trace from Ryder Conti's world. Three years later, I returned to New York with my husband and child to deal with a traitor in the Family. Zayn had some last minute business, so he sent his men to collect me. I never expected to see a face from my past. Ryder looked at me with a smirk. "Had enough fun out there? Since you've come crawling back, this is perfect. Carmela's son needs a cook. You can do the job." Wait, he just called me, the most respected Donna in the underworld, the cook?

My live-in husband used my family’s influence to climb all the way to the position of Deputy Fire Chief. Throughout our five years of marriage, he has stood me up on every anniversary by using work as his excuse. This year, he finally agreed to celebrate our anniversary with me. But he only did so out of guilt. He had manipulated me into staying abroad to handle matters for him, which made me miss saying goodbye to my sister while she was dying in childbirth. The dinner was just his way of pretending to be sorry. As our dishes were served, my husband saw a news report about a fire at a top-tier postpartum care center downtown. He immediately ditched me and rushed to the scene. The fire station headquarters was just one block over! And he had specifically taken leave that week. I accidentally answered a call on his personal phone, and that was when I realized why he had been away from me most of the time. This man would not even buy me a cheap birthday gift, yet he had spent a packet to book a stay at a postpartum center for his mistress! I had to see for myself what kind of woman would have him so spellbound. I was determined to make him pay back every single item he had gotten from the Grant family, with interest.

After escaping the clutches of her abusive and violent ex-husband Curtis Black, Cass is plagued with the reminder of what she endured, reliving the nightmares when certain things trigger her. Until she meets the world’s most dangerous man, the Mafia King Matteo DeAngelis. Everyone fears this man and how far his influence reaches. He is untouchable. No government or authority can touch him, for everyone fears the retaliation if they tried. But Cassandria is not afraid of him. She feels safe being around him. He is the only one who can bring her out of the dark and into the light. Cassandria is his light to his darkness, just like he is hers. Two people lost in the darkness of their world that can save each other. Sounds beautiful doesn’t it? However, Matteo knows the truth of who Cassandria is and her family heritage. That it is her destiny to become the first female Don or Donna. But there is something more that could break them apart for good. Shatter their lives completely and make her question his true intentions. What will happen when Cassandria learns the truth? Will she leave and become stronger? Or will she just roll over and accept her new reality? Will her demons from her abusive past return to haunt her, or will she destroy them all? Tesoro contains things that some will find triggering, such as mentions of her abuse, rape, torture, kidnapping, degradation, and humiliation. This is slightly dark, so be warned.

Crown Princess Isla's life takes a terrifying turn when a bizarre urge compels her to steal iron at the market, triggering unsettling dreams, a disturbing connection to metal, and a public scandal. Her family, horrified and confused, confines her to her room. There, a monstrous transformation begins: Isla's body twists into a wolf-like creature, driven by primal instincts and a chilling connection to iron. As Isla grapples with her horrifying new reality, her sister Anne, fueled by ambition and exploiting the public's fear, plots to seize the throne, even resorting to supernatural means to undermine Isla and marry Prince Caius. Escaping her confinement under the full moon's influence, Isla, now a terrifying werewolf, unleashes chaos upon the city. Amidst the terror, she encounters Kael, an ordinary man haunted by the same curse that afflicts her, a descendant of the woman who cursed the royal line generations ago. They find solace and love in their shared monstrous fate. The curse's origin is revealed: a vengeful act targeting the seventh princess, compelling her to worship the curser and bring her iron. United in their shared affliction, Isla and Kael terrorize the city together, their love story unfolding against a backdrop of fear and destruction. Their reign of terror is ultimately brought to an end when the terrified populace captures them, leaving the future of the cursed kingdom uncertain. The story explores themes of transformation, betrayal, the destructive nature of curses, and an unlikely love born in the heart of a nightmare.

This was never truly a choice. It was an ultimatum. A marriage to a stranger. A business contract disguised as a wedding. Vanessa slid a pen across the table. “All you have to do is sign.” Selena stepped forward and stared down at the marriage agreement. Adrian Kingston. Even the name felt dangerous. But the moment she pictured her mother lying unconscious in that hospital bed, her hesitation shattered. Before her heart could stop her, Selena picked up the pen and signed her name across the paper. The ink glided beneath her hand, sealing away the last fragments of her freedom. Vanessa smiled immediately. “Good decision.” Meanwhile, across the city, on the top floor of Kingston Global, a tall man dressed in black sat behind a polished wooden desk. Adrian Kingston. Sharp features, cold dark eyes, and an overwhelming presence that made the entire room feel tense in his silence alone. His fingers tapped steadily against the file resting on his desk while his gaze remained fixed on the photograph attached to the front cover. “Mr. Kingston, the Reeds have responded,” said Nathan Cole, Adrian’s longtime executive assistant. “She accepted?” Adrian asked coldly. “Yes.” Adrian leaned back slightly in his chair and reached for the glass of whiskey resting beside the file. Selena Reed. An ordinary woman with a quiet background. No social influence, no scandals, nothing particularly remarkable.

Content Note: This dark romance contains 80% explicit sex scenes, intense power dynamics, trauma, revenge themes, and heavy triggers (attempted assault, wrongful imprisonment, suicide, family betrayal, graphic violence). Reader discretion advised. Emily Jayden was only nineteen when her life was shattered by a lie she couldn’t escape. After a violent incident with her stepfather, Evan John, she was accused and convicted of attempted murder, despite insisting she never intended to hurt him, but with his influence and reputation shielding the truth, Emily spent ten years in prison for a crime she didn’t commit. At twenty-nine, she walks into freedom hoping for a fresh start but the world hasn’t forgotten, her name is stained and no company will hire someone with her past. Survival and revenge leaves her with few options. By day, she carefully builds a plan to expose the man who destroyed her life. By night, she works at R.M Club, one of the city’s most exclusive strip clubs, where powerful men hide behind money and closed doors. The job is humiliating but it gives her something she needed. Money. Then she meets Ryan Mason on her first night, and sparks fly. For the first time in years, Emily allows herself to feel alive and to fall in love. Until she learns the truth. Ryan isn’t just a client.

Clara Hayes never planned to step into the world of billionaires, power games, and corporate warfare. She is a driven, brilliant consultant whose career is finally on the rise until she’s assigned to work with Adrian Vale, the ruthless CEO of one of the most powerful companies in the city. Adrian Vale built his empire on control. He doesn’t hesitate. He doesn’t attach. And he never lets emotions interfere with business until Clara walks into his office and challenges every rule he lives by. Their connection is instant. Dangerous. Unwanted. As whispers begin to spread about their proximity, Adrian’s past crashes back into his present in the form of Serena Hale, his beautiful, strategic, and relentless ex-fiancée. Serena is not just a woman scorned; she is a corporate tycoon with influence powerful enough to destroy reputations and rewrite narratives. And she wants Adrian back both as a lover and as a business ally. When a public scandal erupts, Clara becomes collateral damage in a world she barely understands. Forced out of her position and stripped of her professional safety, she must decide whether to walk away from Adrian for good or risk everything for a man who thrives in control but is losing it because of her. As lust battles logic and devotion threatens destruction, Clara and Adrian find themselves trapped between power, betrayal, and a desire strong enough to ruin them both. Because in Adrian’s world, love is not a refuge. It is a war.

**MATURE CONTENT** Territorial Mafia Series 1: DEMETRI SYLVESTRE Demetri Sylvestre is a powerful and ruthless crime lord. He’s used to getting everything he wants. But everything changed the moment he met Snow Hidalgo, a beautiful and kind-hearted actress who just happened to be engaged to his half-brother, Marcus. Unbeknownst to the two, they shared a much darker connection in the past. A long-buried secret tied to a trauma Snow has never fully escaped. When Demetri discovered that Snow was Marcus’s fiancée, he used his influence and skill in manipulation to destroy their relationship. Amid pain and confusion, Snow ended up marrying Demetri. They became husband and wife, but her heart remained trapped in the past far from him. As the lies, anger, and desire grew deeper, the battle intensified not just for Snow’s love, but for control over her entire life. In a time of loss, rediscovery, and reckoning, Snow was forced to choose not just between two men, but between chaos and the peace her heart longed for. Three years passed. Snow rose again. Her career flourished, and at last, she discovered who she truly loved. And like a prayer finally answered by fate, the man her heart chose returned… but he wasn’t alone. In their reunion, Snow had to face both the past and the present. And in the end, she chose love not as a chain, but as a choice freely and truthfully made.