One of the most popular books in the burgeoning genre of dark romance is Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton. Be warned: This is a pitch black tale that pushes the boundaries and will shock as many as it titillates (it has more than 400,000 ratings on Goodreads!)
A woman becomes the object of obsession for a determined stalker, and he will do anything to have her. Dark romance is not for everyone (we recommend you check out the trigger warnings of all of these books just to see if it's for you), but for Haunting Adeline fans, here are eight dark romances that plunge into the depths of desire.
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Blindfolded Innocence
Brad De Luca is the most ruthless divorce attorney in town. Highly skilled and unafraid of pissing people off, he's used to getting what he wants. That includes any woman who takes his fancy.
When Julia Campbell, a pre-law student and new intern at his firm, earns his attention, he thinks she'll be yet another notch on his bedpost. But Julia Campbell is no wallflower. Fresh from a failed engagement, she's eager to get a foot on the career ladder.
The last thing she needs is an older man who could destroy her job prospects. But Brad soon has her in his grasp, and before she knows it, the infamous playboy has introduced her to his forbidden tastes…
Now You See Her
Paris Sweeney has achieved enviable success as an artist. Her work sells at an exclusive New York City gallery and has made her rich, but she's not contented with her lot in life.
One night, she falls into bed with millionaire Richard Worth and has an evening of overwhelming passion. That should have been the end of it, but now, Sweeney's paintings are reflecting an inner darkness she did not know she possessed. When a shattering, real-life murder mirrors one of her latest paintings, Sweeney becomes the prime suspect.
Unmasking the real killer could reveal more about Sweeney's life than she's ready to admit. And what of Richard, whose passions she cannot wean herself from? Is he the murderer?
Honor
Nassir Gates is beautiful, rich, and powerful. But he is not a good man. He's done terrible things that nobody should ever confess to, and he's loved every second of it. The first time he saw Keelyn Foster dancing on-stage in a seedy club, he knew he had to have her. He worked overtime to make himself worthy of her, to ensure that no man could ever come close to competing for her love.
But now she's disappeared. That won't stop Nassir from claiming what is rightfully his. Once he finds Keelyn, he will have her forever…
In Christofides' Keeping
When a fiery one-night stand with the notorious playboy Rico Christofides leaves her pregnant and alone, Gypsy Butler is determined to spare her unborn baby the heartache of her own neglectful youth. She's ready to be a single mother, but Rico has other plans that include capturing and kidnapping the future mother of his child.
Rico has never forgotten—or forgiven—the one woman who broke through his steely demeanor. He wants her and he wants their child, and he’ll claim both of them, regardless of Gypsy’s own feelings.
Hooked (Never After Series)
Hooked reimagines the classic tale of Peter Pan with a very adult twist. James has always had one agenda: Destroy his enemy, Peter Michaels. When Peter’s 20-year-old daughter Wendy shows up in James’s bar, he sees the ideal way to get revenge: seduce the naive young woman and use her to his advantage.
But then he discovers there's a traitor in his inner circle, and Wendy starts to become more than a mere pawn for his pleasure. Wendy grew up sheltered by her cold father, and she knows James wants her for revenge.
Even though she knows James is dangerous, Wendy can’t seem to shake her desire for him. Is she ready to throw herself into James' world and give up everything she's ever known?
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Twisted Love
Alex Volkov is a devil blessed with the face of an angel. He's driven to do everything in his power to escape his dark past, but the ghosts of his youth forever haunt him. Instead, he cloisters himself in money, power, and vengeance.
But when he’s forced to look after his best friend’s sister, he starts to feel something new, a kind of passion he's never felt before. Ava Chen is a free spirit with many skeletons in her closet who has remained optimistic in the face of utmost darkness.
Her brother's best friend has been tasked with caring for her, and she knows there's more to this broken man than the twisted exterior. Falling for him is out of the question, but they cannot deny their all-consuming obsessions for one another.
Comfort Food
Emily Vargas has been taken captive. Her captor refuses to speak to her. She is so desperate for human contact that she'd rather her kidnapper hold her than leave her alone in an empty room.
As the days pass, she finds herself desperate for his touch, his approval, for any sign that he sees her as human. Her prison becomes her solace, and this mysterious and beautiful man who has locked her away from the world is the only thing she wants. It's just as he's planned... to break her...
Den of Vipers
Ryder, Garrett, Kenzo, and Diesel and The Vipers, a ferocious gang who run their hometown and have total dominance over everything (and everyone) inside it. They make dirty deals and show no mercy for those who do not adhere to their demands.
Roxy's father has run up huge debts he cannot repay. To save his own life, he sells his own daughter to the Vipers. She won't go down without a fight, and this quartet of power-hungry snakes will do whatever they can to tame her.