Books like Ruthless People by J.J. McAvoy

In New York, Gianna masks panic attacks behind a polished façade, while Christian Allister—stoic law‑enforcer and feared underworld figure—finds his rigid world unraveling when their paths collide.

Aria Scuderi, bound by a childhood betrothal to Luca Vitiello of the New York Cosa Nostra, faces her impending wedding at eighteen, grappling with family obligations and her own desire for autonomy.

A dark, contemporary romance in which a woman finds herself irresistibly drawn to a charming predator whose concealed malice threatens everything she holds dear.

Sinners of Saint Book 1 follows a star‑crossed romance between a brilliant lawyer‑turned‑criminal and a starving artist, exploring love, secrets, and the blurred line between hate and desire.

I was hellbent on making them pay. Instead, they bent and twisted me. I am the golden child, the one who’s supposed to be perfect. During the day I attend Spine Ridge University as my father wishes, but when darkness falls I put on my mask to hunt criminals and destroy them. Until one night when I come face to face with three evil boys … Kai, Nathan, and Milo from the Phantom Society. Secretive, violent, dirty guys who promise to expose my vigilante justice and put my dangerous side-job in the limelight. They’ll show the world how savage I truly am … unless I let them have their way with me. My body bartered for their silence … And I say yes. They’re shameless in claiming me, not even my dignity is spared. With their devious games they make me question my sanity. Worst of all … I’m beginning to love every inch of their corruption. Until it’s no longer just bodies against bodies, but four hearts beating in sync. But if I’m really going to go down this path to hell … I’m taking those devils with me.

Sent to steal her secrets, he was unprepared for her submission. A routine mission… Sean Taggart is hunting a deadly terrorist, and his only lead is the lovely Grace Hawthorne. She's the executive assistant for an employment agency Sean suspects is a front for illegal activities. To get the truth, he is going to have to get very close to Grace, a task he is all too eager to undertake when he discovers her deliciously submissive nature. …turns into a dangerous seduction Soon, Grace Hawthorne is living a double life. By day, she is the widowed mother of two college-aged sons. By night, she submits to Sean's every dark desire. She's living out her wildest fantasies of pleasure—intimate acts of trust she's only read about. As passion engulfs her, a murderer strikes, and Grace learns that Sean has a deeply hidden agenda. Will Sean choose his mission and break her heart or be the Master of her dreams?

He seethes with raw power the first time I see him--pure menace and rippling muscles in shackles. He’s dangerous. He’s wild. He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. So I hide behind my prim glasses and my book like I always do, because I have secrets too. Then he shows up in the prison writing class I have to teach, and he blows me away with his honesty. He tells me secrets in his stories, and it’s getting harder to hide mine. I shiver when he gets too close, with only the cuffs and the bars and the guards holding him back. At night I can’t stop thinking about him in his cell. But that’s the thing about an animal in a cage--you never know when he’ll bite. He might use you to escape. He might even pull you into a forest and hold a hand over your mouth so you can’t call for the cops. He might make you come so hard, you can’t think. And you might crave him more than your next breath.

Nicht alle Liebesgeschichten sind gleich. Unsere hatte zerrissene Kapitel, fehlende Absätze und ein bittersüsses Ende Knight Cole und Luna Rexroth sind schon seit ihrer Kindheit beste Freunde, auch wenn sie völlig unterschiedlich sind. Knight ist Captain des Footballteams und der Star der Schule, Luna schüchtern, introvertiert und am liebsten für sich. Und dennoch fühlen sich die beiden, als wären sie zwei Teile eines Ganzen. Ohne den anderen sind sie einfach nicht vollständig. Aber genau dieses Gefühl hält sie davon ab, dem Knistern nachzugeben, das sie nun schon seit ein paar Jahren immer stärker spüren. Denn das Risiko, einander zu verlieren, ist mehr, als sie ertragen könnten ...

Bereits mit unserem ersten Kuss waren wir dem Untergang geweiht ... Daria Followhill ist reich, wunderschön und das beliebteste Mädchen der All Saints High. Sie müsste sich wie eine Prinzessin fühlen. Doch ihr Leben ist alles andere als perfekt. Seit sie vor vier Jahren aus Eifersucht die Zukunft der gleichaltrigen Silvia Scully zerstört hat, plagen sie schlimme Schuldgefühle. Als sie nun erfährt, dass Silvias Zwillingsbruder Penn nach dem Tod seiner Mutter kein Zuhause mehr hat, sorgt sie kurzerhand dafür, dass ihre Eltern Penn bei sich aufnehmen. Und obwohl er keinen Zweifel daran lässt, dass er Daria hasst, ist sie machtlos gegen das heftige Kribbeln zwischen ihnen. Dabei weiß sie, dass seine Liebe sie zerstören könnte ...

Five years in the future, humans are no longer the most advanced species. Earth is ruled by the Krinar, a beautiful, mysterious race from another galaxy. A shy and inexperienced college student, Mia Stalis has never had much interaction with the invaders - until one fateful meeting in Central Park changes everything. Having caught Korum's eye, she must now contend with a powerful, dangerously seductive Krinar who will do anything to possess her... even take away her freedom. From the skyscrapers of New York City to the alien landscapes of Krina, their epic passion will transform the world.

Former beauty queen Luisa Chavez, a waitress in Cabo San Lucas, is trapped in a brutal marriage to a drug‑cartel kingpin and must choose survival or rebellion amid Mexico’s deadly underworld.

Cable sex‑talk host Morgan O’Malley seeks protection from a dangerous stalker and finds herself pulled into a seductive power game led by her bodyguard, Jack Cole, whose dominance unlocks both her deepest desires and hidden fears.