Anyone diving into Pepper Winters needs to start with 'Tears of Tess'. It was my gateway and I think it's still her biggest hit for good reason. That book hits you like a freight train – the whole kidnapping premise, the intensity between Tess and Q, it's brutal and obsessive and doesn't let up. People either love it or find it too much, but you can't deny its impact. The 'Monsters in the Dark' trilogy that follows is essential reading.
After that, 'Indebted' seems to have a massive following. It's a longer series with that Gothic, cursed-family vibe she does so well. I burned through the first three books in a weekend once; the whole debt-collector dynamic with Jethro and Nila is utterly addictive, even if the plot gets seriously twisted by the end. 'Ruin & Rule' and 'Sin & Suffer' are also huge in her universe, connecting all those characters. Honestly, her popularity is built on these dark, interconnected series where the romance feels dangerous and all-consuming.