Hockey romances, seasonal romances, and fantasy romances — it’s just all anyone seems to be reading these days. If your typical romance fare just doesn’t quite do it for you, allow us to introduce you to one of its growing subgenres: dark romance books. These stories take readers into all sorts of tense scenarios and relationships, like a young woman who meets a wealthy arms dealer and steals away to his private island, or the one who finds herself romantically attracted to her stalker.
If you’re considering diving into one of these dark romance books, be sure to look up the trigger warnings for each title ahead of time. The dark romance genre dabbles in potentially disturbing content — it gets its name because it involves taboo relationship dynamics and scenarios that are just generally off-limits in mainstream reads. The books can fall anywhere on a spectrum, from a mafioso with no morals wooing a regular woman to a main character falling in love with their serial killer kidnapper who’s keeping them in their basement. Some are so extreme that the characters are being trafficked. So please, dear reader, Google those content warnings before you dive in.
With that disclaimer, these are some of the most highly reviewed dark romance books on Goodreads and Reddit.
01A stalker-themed dark romance book
Adeline Reilly is a successful author, and she has just inherited her grandmother’s gothic mansion, so she packs up to move back to Seattle and take it on. But as she settles in, she realizes she isn’t alone in Parson’s Manor. Roses appear alongside strange messages, and then the break-ins begin. You see, Adeline has a stalker, and she’s not the first in her family to fall victim to him. This is perhaps the most popular of all the dark romance genre right now.
Is it on Kindle Unlimited? Yes.
02A dark romance set at a university
This book sounds like a good read for those who are into BDSM dynamics. An elite group of college seniors known as the Lords are primed their entire lives to rise to some sort of power (it’s not totally clear to me how this works based on the book’s blurb, but let’s roll with it). A woman can volunteer to be the “chosen one” to one of the lords, in what sounds like a dom/sub relationship. The main character is one such woman.
Is it on Kindle Unlimited? Yes.
03This one about a biker gang with a soft-hearted leader
It’s 1975, and 15-year-old Ginny Lemon is abducted from a convenience store in South Florida by a member of one of the most ruthless motorcycle gangs around. She’s given a new identity and a new home on the perimeter of the Everglades. There, the gang’s leader, Grizz, takes a special interest in protecting her. Will Ginny escape? Read on to find out how one girl’s story becomes the downfall of the whole operation.
Is it on Kindle Unlimited? Yes.
04A dark romance book starring two hunky men
The book’s blurb starts with this: “I’m not attracted to men. Or so I thought before I slammed into Nikolai Sokolov. A mafia heir, a notorious bastard, and a violent monster. And just like that, he has his sights set on me.” Sounds like a steamy start. This book is technically the fifth in a series, but each work is a standalone and can be read without having cracked open the others. Author Rina Kent has a suggested reading order on her website for all of her works — they’re all interconnected — but that would make this book #31, so do with that what you will.
Is it on Kindle Unlimited? Yes.
05A steamy read about two serial killers
This book had its 15 minutes of BookTok fame, so it may look familiar if you’re on that corner of the app. It’s sort of a rom-com read, but the love interests are two rival… murderers? They’re Dexter figures, though, both killing other serial killers. I dunno, but they keep bumping into each other at the scene of the crime and sparks fly.
Is it on Kindle Unlimited? No.
06An immersive dark romance book
The night Nora turns 18 (there’s a lot of this newly legal trope in dark romance, I’m noticing…), she meets Julian, an arms dealer who is massively wealthy. He whisks her away to his private island, where she is plunged into a world of obsessive desire and incredible violence. Amazon reviewers say that the violent scenes aren’t gratuitous and matter to the plot, but that the spicy scenes are next-level.
Is it on Kindle Unlimited? No.
07A dark romance book for fans of Haunting Adeline
Aly is a trauma nurse who follows a bunch of masked men cosplayers online (it’s a thing). She’s got her kinks, and she has a particular fantasy about one of the creators, Josh Hammond, chasing her down and having his way with her. So when she gets drunk and sends him a DM, she never imagines it might become a reality.
Is it on Kindle Unlimited? No.
08A dark romance book with serious suspense
If you like books with multiple POVs, try Corrupt. Erika is obsessed with her boyfriend’s older brother, Michael. He’s a professional basketball player who intimidates the sh*t out of her, but she can’t help but want more. But she was also the reason a few of his friends ended up in prison back in high school. Now they’re out, and they want revenge. Will Michael serve her up to them or protect her? This is a standalone book with no cliffhanger, but it is part of a series of books with unique characters all set in the same world.
Is it on Kindle Unlimited? Yes.
09A dark romance that is apparently not for the faint of heart
A seasoned stalker sets his sights on nursing student Vesper. When he breaks in to terrorize her, he quickly loses control of the entire process and ends up kidnapping her, which he has never done before. Things quickly devolve from there.
Please note: The trigger warning in this book’s Amazon listing literally says, “Trigger warning: If you need one, this is really not the book for you.” So, I dunno, read with caution and/or your therapist on speed dial.
Is it on Kindle Unlimited? No.
10A dark romance for fans of Hannibal Lecter
If the whole crazed killer and psychologist dynamic keeps you on the edge of your seat, this may be the dark romance book for you. London Noble is a forensic psychologist who is definitely not supposed to fall for her patient, Grayson Sullivan, a convicted serial killer. She’ll have to unravel a series of games he’s created, and she’ll be forced to confront true evil as she goes.
Is it on Kindle Unlimited? Yes.
11Another supernatural dark romance with dual POVs
Rae has always believed in paranormal and supernatural beings, but she never expected one to take such an interest in her. An ancient, evil being is calling to her, and she can’t help but find herself answering. The demon knows he shouldn’t be nearly this interested in a human girl, but there’s just something about her.
Is it on Kindle Unlimited? Yes.
Not going to lie, this entire genre scares me. But if it’s for you, there’s no shortage of new titles to try.
