Books like 'The Emperor'
Readers who enjoyed The Emperor by RuNyx also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance mystery action / adventure dark crime suspense organized-crime friends-to-lovers age-gap
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Hearts On Fire by Catherine Wiltcher
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHEARTS ON FIRE is the final book in bestselling author Catherine Wiltcher’s dark and thrilling Santiago Trilogy. My Devil He came into my life like a raging storm. The man I despised. The killer with no conscience. I fell as hard as a woman like me can fall. When he bleeds, I feel his pain. When we kiss, I taste his tragedy... -
Millions by Pepper Winters
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 19 ratings“Love had been given and taken and now…it had been stolen. No one steals from a thief—especially from me—and I will defend what’s mine until my dying breath. It’s not a question of what I’m willing to sacrifice but who to deserve her…” Once upon a time, I stupidly believed if I could make Elder fall for me, everything would be perfect... -
Broken Vow: A Dark Mafia Romance by Sophie Lark
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsI’ll Protect Her… Whether She Likes It Or Not. Riona Griffin is gorgeous, intelligent, and iron-willed. My perfect woman, except she hates my guts.She thinks she doesn’t need anybody. But she needs me.She’s being hunted by an assassin who never misses his mark.I’m going to stay by her side, day and night, keeping her safe...Categorized as:
alpha-mc cheerful-mc crime dark enemies-to-lovers female-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc -
Conquered by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDylan Welsh was the last man standing…until Sawyer Glasgow brought him to his knees.Dylan wasn’t ready for Sawyer. He wasn’t ready to confront the truth of his past. He wasn’t ready to admit he’s fallen in love with the sweet, sexy woman who captivated him from the moment he saw her. He’s especially not prepared to face the hurt he’s caused Sawyer. But to keep her, he must do all three... -
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Kiwi by Crystal Daniels, Sandy Alvarez
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTai Cooper holds many titles, but to the Kings of Retribution MC, he's known as Kiwi, Road Captain, and their brother.At eighteen, Kiwi left New Zealand- his sights set on The States. In search of a man, he has never met.His birth father... -
Pawns in the Bishop's Game by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHow do you protect the girl, when the most dangerous threat in her life is you? Kane Bishop is a professional enforcer, smuggler, all-around law breaker, and the latest resident of a tiny town hidden by mountains and forest. His job is to keep his kingpin boss safe and off the local law enforcement's radar...Categorized as:
alpha-mc angst crime dark enemies-to-lovers forbidden-love multi-pov organized-crime -
Fractured Sky by Catherine Cowles
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsDamaged. Broken. Destroyed. I’ve heard it all. A single moment of trusting the wrong person shattered my life into pieces, and my family has never looked at me the same. It’s impossible to convince them that I’m anything more than the broken girl they rescued all those years ago.Until I meet him.Ramsey’s grumpy demeanor and menacing scowl scare most of the world away. But not me... -
Debase by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Rachel Van Dyken, comes the final book in the Eagle Elite Series and the first new book in the Elite Bratva Brotherhood...With blood on my hands, I held her. With death in my soul, I took from her. With the devil in my heart, I coveted her.There're many definitions of Hell. My list was exhaustive, my definitions tragic...Categorized as:
alpha-mc anti-hero crime dark enemies-to-lovers forbidden-love forced-proximity kidnapping -
Bound by Aleatha Romig
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWith more revealed, what does that mean for the future? From New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a brand-new dark romance trilogy bringing us back to the same dangerous underworld as WEB OF SIN. You do not need to read the Web of Sin trilogy to get caught in this new and intriguing saga, Tangled Web... -
Forever My Saint: All The Pretty Things Trilogy Volume 3 by Monica James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAll hope was lost until Zoey Hennessy walked back into my world, shaking it up beyond repair when she uttered two simple words. He’s alive. She speaks of her brother, my Saint, the man who lost everything to set me free. I believed he was dead. I saw it with my own two eyes. But when Zoey proves he’s alive and being held captive by a monster, I know what I have to do... -
Hearts Divine by Catherine Wiltcher
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsHEARTS DIVINE is the second book in bestselling author Catherine Wiltcher’s dark and thrilling Santiago Trilogy. Eve The FBI is forcing me apart from the man who haunts my dreams. The man who stole me, broke me and made me his forever. Dante Santiago. My deepest, darkest secret... -
Copper by K. Webster
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom USA Today Bestselling Author K Webster, comes a new MC dark standalone novel!I’m a Fed.Rigid. Rule follower. One of the good guys. I uphold the law…when it suits me.My loyalty lies first with my brother, Koyn, and secondly with his motorcycle club.Jeremy Koynakov was the man I used to be. I’m Copper now. For a decade, I aided my brother in his quest for revenge. We thirsted for vengeance... -
Thousands by Pepper Winters
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratings“Love had been stolen from me for reasons entirely my fault. But then a miracle happened, and Pim gave me something I thought was lost forever. She gave me a love I’d earned. Love that ruined me. Love that made me hopelessly hers…”Once upon a time, I didn’t think I’d ever be normal. Now, I’m talking and trusting, and it’s all thanks to Elder... -
Delicate Escape by Catherine Cowles
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTrust doesn’t come easily when you’ve been running for as long as I have, which is why moving in with a man I barely know is such a bad idea.Shepard Colson is all golden-boy charm and devastating good looks. But I know what it’s like to be taken in by easy smiles and the promise of forever—I have the scars to prove it... -
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The Reaper by RuNyx
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsWhat happens when the untameable wind and the endless sea collide in the dark of the night?Tristan ‘The Predator’ Caine had been unprepared for Morana Vitalio. After spending his entire life with a vow he broke on a rainy night, he finds himself torn in a battle between his painful past and an uncertain future. The only thing he knows? Her life still belongs to him... -
Grievous by J.M. Darhower
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsOnce upon a time, there was a girl who stopped believing in fairy tales after her innocence was stolen. Morgan Myers is tired. So damn tired. Most people either push her around or brush her off, and she's not putting up with it anymore. Determined to reclaim the life that had been stolen from her, she puts her trust in the last person she ever expected to: the notorious Scar... -
Taking Meghan: A Dark Romance by Izzy Sweet, Sean Moriarty
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAlexei Rastov is the most vile, evil, despicable man in the world... And my father tried to force me to marry him. Dragged down the aisle, I prayed to God, to anyone, to save me from a lifetime of cruelty and abuse. Then he came... a force of nature... Disrupting the ceremony with a storm of gunfire and death... -
Breaking Meredith: A Dark Romance by Izzy Sweet, Sean Moriarty
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFor five years - one thousand, nine hundred and twenty-two nights to be exact - I’ve watched her from afar… Protecting her. Keeping her safe from the world. And stalking her every move. What started as a favor for her brother has grown into something so much more. A full-blown obsession. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, unless I get my Meredith fix... -
Heartless Lover by Faith Summers, Khardine Gray
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger…For a man like me, that thing is darkness.The darkness from my past never ended my life.It darkened my heart and flowed through my veins, fueling my hunger for revenge.That's why I accepted the job to protect her.Her: Summer Reeves.The beautiful angel who became an asset to me when she saw something she shouldn’t have seen.The job should have been simple...Categorized as:
age-gap alpha-mc anti-hero crime dark enemies-to-lovers forbidden-love forced-proximity -
Up in Smoke by T.M. Frazier
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsUp In Smoke is a standalone. You DO NOT have to read the rest of the books in the King series to enjoy Smoke's story. I’m a man without a conscience. I deal in murder and mayhem.I’m the best at what I do. Frankie Helburn is supposed to be an easy job. A means to flush her father out of hiding.Simple. Except there isn’t anything simple about Frankie or the secrets she’s keeping... -
The Truth About Us by Aly Martinez
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTruth: Penn Walker entered my life like a summer storm—dark, ominous, and filled with thunder. After witnessing my husband’s murder, I didn’t have much of a heart left to offer a man. But Penn took it all. Every jagged shard. Every broken bit.Even the dirty and twisted pieces that I wish never existed. Lie: I didn’t need him to save me.Lie: I knew exactly who he was... -
Property of Drex #2 by C.M. Owens
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratings*This is the conclusion of Drex and Eve's story, but there will be other books in the series featuring other couples.*What’so the most selfless thing you’ve ever done? What price tag would you put on the ability to save the ones you love?They say the worst decisions are made by the desperate or the fools. I was desperate enough to make a foolish decision to save my family. The cost? Me... -
Out of Love by Jewel E. Ann
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsConspiracies. Corruption. Serial killers.You name it—I'm fascinated by it. My mom always blamed my overly curious and highly suspicious mind on my dad.My incredibly overbearing dad.Mr. No One Is Good Enough For My Daughter has been terrifying my dates since I turned fifteen.College is my chance to be free from his control and date any guy I want... -
Wire by LP Lovell, Stevie J Cole
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTor Jude and I managed to salvage something beautiful from the war torn rubble of our lives, a blissful happiness that we paid for in blood. We fought our way here, leaving pieces of ourselves along the way. I thought this was the happily ever after in our twisted fairy tale, but I was wrong. Jude I may be free by definition... -
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Need Him Like Oxygen by Jessica Gadziala
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWithin the ruthless hierarchy of the mafia, Dav and Cinna reign as powerful capos within the same crime family.Dav, with his gregarious charm and flirtatious disposition, hides a secret darkness that few ever glimpse. Despite his relentless advances, Cinna, strong-willed and fiercely independent, keeps him at arm's length, determined to prove herself an equal in a male-dominated world...Categorized as:
organized-crime friends-to-lovers forced-proximity female-mc alpha-mc slow-burn steamy suspense -
When Heroes Fall by Giana Darling
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsI am the villain of my own story...Jilted by my fiance. A disappointment to my family. Haunted by my childhood traumas. I felt so much all my life that I resolved to feeling nothing at all. Until I met my match. As the most infamous mafioso of the 21st century, Dante Salvatore was madly passionate, unequivocally bad, and entirely too dangerous to know... -
Nolan by Jane Henry
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShe’s my nemesis.My prisoner.I‘ll make her beg for mercy.I’ll make her scream my name.I’ll make her mine.Sheena Hurston’s been a thorn in my side for years.But when she tries to bring my family to ruin, I’m done playing games.She will pay for what she’s done.No one comes before my family.Sheena belongs to me...Categorized as:
alpha-mc angst crime dark enemies-to-lovers friends-to-lovers organized-crime steamy -
Blood & Rust by Cat Porter
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe bad boy. The fuck up. The thief. That was me. Once a king, Now a wanderer. I'd thrown the best parts of me away, over and over again. I was reckless. Still am. I'd been exiled. Twice. I did my time. I've cleaned up. Well, sort of. I got plans. Yeah, good ones. Then I ran into her. A bolt of lightning Startling Unsettling Breathtaking Out of reach... -
The Woman in the Back Room by Jessica Gadziala
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHe hadn’t planned on being a part of the Family.Life had thrown a curve at him at a young age that made him reevaluate his path in life.And he chose out.But when tragedy strikes, awakening the need for revenge, he finds himself wanting back in. To the Family. The life. The people.Including a woman he never could have seen coming, one he never would have thought he’d want in his life... -
Pure White Rose by Fawn Bailey
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"I will punish you for every step you take away from me." She's finally mine, but she won't admit it. My little rose thinks she can still run away from me. She should know better by now. I'm ready to do whatever it takes to stop her from getting away. Hurt her. She'll have the bruises to show for it. F*ck her. Until she never wants another man. Punish her... -
Kansas by K.L. Savage
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsInstincts are all we have to rely on.And mine were spot on.There are a few things I don’t like to talk about in life.My father.And Kansas.I hate him, and I hate that godforsaken state.To this day, I haven’t loved because there’s a fear.An inkling.An instinct that I will be just like him.I convinced myself our blood was rotten, tainted, and sour...Categorized as:
dark suspense age-gap forced-proximity organized-crime multi-pov friends-to-lovers female-mc -
Sweetest Sorrow by J.M. Darhower
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDante Galante has evaded death a few times in his life, but held captive in a sweltering basement, he's certain that death has finally caught up to him. Bloody and barely breathing, he tries to stay strong, but there's only so much a man can endure before darkness takes over. As a critical care nurse, Gabriella Russo witnesses suffering often... -
Where the Snow Falls by London Miller, Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBlood always leaves the brightest stains where the snow falls. Fresh out of lockup, Kazimir Markovic is focused on two things only—having Violet Gallucci back at his side, and putting his father in the ground. With his plans already in motion the very second he’s free, Kaz goes after what’s most important. Violet first. Vasily second. The Russians are out for blood... -
Where the Wind Whispers by Bethany-Kris, London Miller
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThere is death where the wind whispers. Left for dead by his own father on a snowy sidewalk, Kazimir Markovic finally understands what true betrayal really means, and just how far one will go to keep a secret. He only needs to survive, to make it home alive to his wife, and then everyone else will know what it means, too... -
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Freaks by Callie Hart
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFix Marcosa is at war. The battlefield: New York City. He knows every street like the back of his hand. The darkened alleyways and back streets conceal secrets only he knows. Somewhere out there, an unknown element is threatening the life of the woman he loves. Fix doesn’t mind shedding a little blood to get protect those close to him, though... -
Sergio: a Dark Mafia Romance by Natasha Knight
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI’m the first-born son of the mafia king. The favorite. Destined to rule, I’m a dangerous man, a ruthless one. But in my world, you have to be. Then Natalie stumbles into my life. Wrong place. Wrong time. Twice, fate put her in my path. Twice, fate placed the innocent lamb at the mercy of the monster. I gave her a chance to walk away. Told her it would be better for her if she did... -
Reckless Trust by Nyssa Kathryn
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt’s a long-awaited homecoming…but not everyone’s happy about her return. Five years ago, Tilly Taylor’s father did something that cost her everything. Her home. Her friends. And all the trust she’d ever earned. Now she’s back, and ready to prove to everyone that she’s nothing like Martin Taylor. Unfortunately, the small town of Misty Peak doesn’t forgive or forget so easily... -
Avenging Angel by Naomi Porter
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThe mayhem continues for the Knight's Legion MC…Storm. My protector. I need his darkness, like he needs my light. After surviving an abusive relationship, I swore off men. Until the President of the Knight’s Legion MC crashes into my life, holding me captive with his haunted gray eyes. Storm is a force to be reckoned with and I welcome the chaos— it makes me feel alive. He owns me. Body and soul... -
Bennett Mafia by Tijan
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThere were always whispers about my roommate at Hillcrest Academy. The wealthiest of the wealthy sent their kids to our boarding school, and Brooke Bennett had been at the top, though I never quite knew why. She was fun and outgoing, but she kept quiet about her family. The only things she showed me were photographs of her brothers. I became fascinated with her second-oldest brother... -
Forget-Me-Not Bombshell by Caroline Peckham, Valenti
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA dark Mafia STANDALONE romance from Amazon.com and Wall Street Journal #1 bestselling authors Caroline Peckham & Susanne ValentiI was sold to my enemies.The Butchers of the London mob who run an empire built on sin and greed. The stories I’ve heard about the way they rule their underworld are enough to make my heart race. But those rumours have nothing on the truth.Danny, Church, Frank... -
Broken Anchor by Ella Miles
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI’m broken. He’s broken. We are broken. But sometimes you have to shatter to pick up the pieces. To start over. To overcome our enemies. And find out if we can love again. He’s my anchor, but can our love be repaired? This is the final book in the Sinful Truths series... -
Indestructible by Charlene Namdhari
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratings***THIS STANDALONE TABOO LOVE TRIANGLE, IS BEST ENJOYED WHEN YOU DON'T READ ANY REVIEWS OR SPOILERS BEFOREHAND. GOING IN WITH AN OPEN MIND IS BEST.***(Book 4 features Zayne and best read after Book 2)"Forgiveness is an art only love can paint”My Past:I loved onceI was abused twiceI was betrayed thriceI faced death four timesMy Present:I survived... -
Burn by Jolie Vines
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI'd wreck his life. For mine, he'd burn down the world.Jamieson was my penpal.My first crush. My surf-crazy, impulsive, pyro boy, and the secret I kept from the world.Until he broke us up before we ever met.When I discover he's been imprisoned by an evil man, saving him becomes my only goal.Except his enemy wants me too. He was fire and water. With him, I'd either drown or burn... -
Savage Lover: A Dark Mafia Romance by Sophie Lark
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThere’s A Reason I Never Go To Parties…I saw him in a cloud of smoke, like sin made flesh. Even bruised and battered, I’d never seen anything more beautiful...Unless I hate myself, I should stay far away from Nero.He’s a heartbreaker.A mess-maker.A walking disaster.Here’s the problem: I’m in deep trouble with a dirty cop. The only person who can save me is Nero. We’re not friends...Categorized as:
alpha-mc anti-hero crime dark enemies-to-lovers female-mc friends-to-lovers kidnapping -
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Motorcycle Daddy by Laylah Roberts
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsShe’s the shy, quiet girl next door. He’s the bad ass biker with an attitude.It’s never going to work. . .Sunny knows she should steer clear of her neighbor. He’s rough, gruff and quite possibly, dangerous. So why can’t she keep her mind off him? Or her body from reacting around him? Or her Little side from wanting to appear and beg him to cuddle her, kiss her, spank her. . -
Possession by T.M. Frazier
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe story of Grim and Emma Jean continues. War is on the horizon. We've come so far. We'll have to fight for what we have. Or die trying... -
When Lies Unfold by R.C. Boldt
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsUSA Today bestselling author RC Boldt delivers a seductive new romantic suspense filled with twists in WHEN LIES UNFOLD...The moment I witness a murder, my quiet, careful existence goes up in smoke. I'm thrust into the world of Santiago Hernández, Central America’s most ruthless cartel leader.In exchange for my life, I’m placed under his watchful eye...Categorized as:
suspense dark organized-crime enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity age-gap found-family anti-hero -
Viper's Touch by E.C. Land
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI swore I'd never let another woman look into my heart, but Jade didn't need to see to know the type of man I am.ViperAfter being framed and ending up in prison, I was done with women. I wanted nothing to do with them. A woman was the reason I landed in jail in the first place, so I wasn't ever going to let another put me in so much risk again... -
The Executioner by Jessica Gadziala
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBellamyIt was supposed to be an easy job.Get another scumbag off the streets.I never could have foreseen her ruining the plan.Or having to whisk her away on my jet for both our safety.And I certainly couldn’t have anticipated finding myself starting to fall for the blunt, sarcastic, kick-a$$ woman I found myself trapped in a safe house with... -
The Woman in the Woods by Jessica Gadziala
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThere’s more than secrets hiding in the woods…Silvano got the call in the middle of the night.Another set of bodies he needed to pick up and get rid of.As the mafia’s one-man crime scene clean-up crew, he was used to the long hours in the woods, digging graves for bodies that would never be found.What he wasn’t used to was being caught doing it...Categorized as:
suspense organized-crime grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family steamy kidnapping
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