Books like 'Lessons Learned'
Readers who enjoyed Lessons Learned by Marie James also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance suspense from hate to love tortured hero forced proximity bad boys alpha male pregnancy vengeance
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Fantasy in Lingerie by Penelope Sky
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsBones is the son of the man who killed my aunt. He's the descendant of a psychopath, a murderer. His handsome face, blue eyes, and strong physique can fool anyone into believing he's a good man. Including me. My loyalty to my family makes me despise him. But I also can't stop thinking about him. Thinking about his kiss...Categorized as:
from hate to love vengeance alpha male dual-pov suspense dark contemporary new adult -
Ruined Castles by Amo Jones
Nothing is going to make sense once you flip open this first chapter. You’re going to wonder why the fuck I made the decisions I did. Why he did what he did. I’m not going to make this easy for you. I’m going to guide you through loops that you’re going to wish I had just skipped, but I’m not going to do that either. You’re going to feel my pain, my loss, and my heart breaking in my chest... -
Dare To Live by L. Ann, Claire Marta
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsEli TraversRecluse. Artist. Angry.My Nasty Little MonsterI became his obsession. His love became my prison.Arabella GrayBrave. Good Girl. BrokenOur love was twisted with hate.Doomed from the start, destined to fail.We thought we'd defeated the monsters of Churchill Bradley Academy. Turns out they were hiding in the shadows, thirsting for blood...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love vengeance forced proximity dual-pov bdsm contemporary dark -
Wretched Love by Anne Malcom
Don’t ask me how I got here, I don’t want to lie to you.I’m not a worldly woman.I’m not cultured, well-traveled or well educated.I’m just a housewife. A mother.I’m the woman with the handsome husband, beautiful daughter, the large house.If you saw it from the outside, you’d probably think I have the perfect life.You would most definitely be wrong.But I don’t blame you... -
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Remorseless Devilette by Kylie Kent
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIzzy Sugar, spice, and everything nice. That’s what little girls are made of. Unless that little girl is me. Mafia royalty, the heir to the Donatello Family. I was eight years old when I made my first kill. My own blood, my sperm donor. That was the day I discovered I liked it. Killing. Hunting. Chasing. Winning . This latest contract is no different. Mikhail Petrov. He’s already a ghost...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love alpha male dark mafia age difference contemporary length-medium -
Delicious by A.J. Merlin
When I followed the sound of a chainsaw into the woods, I should’ve known it would end poorly.But when I end up in the killer’s house instead of chopped into little pieces, I don’t know what to think. Not when he promises me that he won’t hurt me, and especially when he tells me that I can’t leave. Not unless he can trust me. He can’t, of course...Categorized as:
forced proximity from hate to love dual-pov suspense bad boys dark contemporary insta-love -
Ares by Penny Dee
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA wounded biker with a checkered past. A feisty dancer with a secret. An unexpected love that could destroy them both.I was born a monster. Seven feet tall with fists the size of balloons and an even bigger…boot size. I’m a demon in the ring and a devil between the sheets. But even I’m no match for her. The demoness with the bright emerald eyes and hair the color of snow... -
Drew by Siobhan Davis
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe explosive finale in the highly addictive Rydeville Elite series. Mistakes and secrets. My life is littered with them. And it’s not always me who pays the price. So, I do something I swore I wouldn’t do—become the monster my father raised me to be. To shield my loved ones from the predators I hunt, I keep family and friends in the dark, but I won’t apologize for protecting them... -
Bed of Roses by D.V. Fischer
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI never thought I'd fall for a murderer. As an old employee at a funeral home, Tegan's life had been full of corpses. When her parents died, she couldn't take being surrounded by death anymore. She had to get away, and to do that, she moved to a small, sleepy town in Utah. When Tegan rented a house sight-unseen, she had been told it would need a lot of work...Categorized as:
bdsm from hate to love suspense dark mystery grumpy sunshine contemporary length-short -
The Nomad by Amelia Shea
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsBroke and bitter, Karia Mitchell is just done. So damn tired of it all. After spending a decade in a loveless and toxic marriage, she’s finally breaking free and rebuilding her life. The prospect of starting over at forty-one is gut wrenching, but she’s willing to do whatever it takes as long as she’s rid of her ex... -
Road To Ruin by Callie Hart, Jonny James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMalicious Destruction of Property. Two counts of breaking and entering. Two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance. Four counts of assault. Three counts of illegal gambling. Three years served in Orleans Parish Prison. Tommy ‘Havoc’ Kendrick’s rap sheet reads like a recipe for disaster: one part mayhem to three parts chaos... -
Remy by Jessica Gadziala
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsShe’d never thought she would meet the hottest guy she’d ever seen while in the middle of committing a crime.As far as meet-cutes went, it was certainly a unique one.She also didn’t suspect she would ever see him again.You know, until that little crime she’d been committing ended up becoming a bigger mess than she could handle on her own... -
Spiders in the Grove by J.A. Redmerski
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIzabel and Naeva find themselves right where they wanted to be in Mexico: captured and held in the slave compounds owned by the Ruiz family. But the two are soon separated and forced into very different—but equally dangerous—situations... -
Torin by Lane Hart, D.B. West
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsEvil comes in many forms, and right now it’s a beautiful, raven-haired woman hanging upside down on a stripper pole. Here in Vegas, they call her Destiny, but I know exactly who she really is. Lexi Cruz and her father ruined my life. They blackmailed me for millions. And then, when I refused to pay them another dime, they murdered my old lady and our unborn son... -
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The Savage by Stella Andrews
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIvan may be my name but I am best known as The Savage.Born and bred Bratva heir and loving every delicious minute of my life. That's why it was easy to kidnap the entitled Charlotte Richmond from her finishing school in England. It was my pleasure to hide her away while her depraved father searched for her.I have no heart, no emotion, and no morals.She is a bargaining chip, a means to an end...Categorized as:
from hate to love alpha male forced proximity suspense mafia contemporary dark age difference -
Before You Knew Me: An opposites attract romantic suspense novel by MaryAnn Clarke
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsSometimes moving into a new future requires letting go of the past. If two clashing agents of change can change they way they see each other – they might just change the world for good, and build a beautiful future together. Attorney Sharon Beckett worked hard to lift her life out of the gutter... -
Shane by Nicole James
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsShane—I live at the end of this dark deserted dead-end street for a reason.I don't like neighbors coming around my place. There's only one other house down here. It sits across the street from me, and has been deserted for years.I like my privacy, so I'm pissed to learn that that vacant house just got un-vacant... -
Destined by Kira Johns
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsAfter surviving hell not once, but twice, Jade Moore is once again living, but her nights are filled with torture as she relives her time with the Condemned Warriors again and again. The only person capable of chasing away those demons is Viper, the man she has fallen deeply in love with. He is not just her hero, he is her destiny... -
Captive Heart: Armani by Stella Gray
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNothing lasts forever… except the Bellanti’s hatred for the Bruno family.My family prepared me to fight.My best friend taught me loyalty.My husband showed me who I am.And now I’m caught between them all.The thing about secrets is that they always come out.The past is never gone.No one expected it to explode.I finally understand why my life led me here... -
King of Pain by Piper Stone
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMy vows didn't make me his. My body did. Diego Santos may be wealthy, powerful, and sinfully gorgeous, but his slick veneer doesn't fool me. I know his true nature, and I had planned to end this arranged marriage before it even began. But it wasn't Diego waiting for me at the altar... -
Bones by Shantel Tessier
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsBONESI got my name from breaking the bones of a kid who picked on my younger brother, but that’s only where it started.My black heart craves violence, and being a King gives me plenty of opportunities.When a friend comes to me for help because someone he loves is in danger, I’m happy to do so. After all, my friends are few, and they are my family... -
Destined: Satan's Rebels MC Book 2 by Kira Johns
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAfter surviving hell not once, but twice, Jade Moore is once again living, but her nights are filled with torture as she relives her time with the Condemned Warriors again and again. The only person capable of chasing away those demons is Viper, the man she has fallen deeply in love with. He is not just her hero, he is her destiny... -
Beneath Your Beautiful by Adaline Winters
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPassion is a perilous game.HonorMy ruthless husband hunts me across the country and in my dreams. If he catches me, I'll lose not only my freedom, but my sanity. I have to stay one step ahead, but he's closing in. So I keep running, straight into the arms of a man who whispers seductive promises of protection and safety. One way or another, this race will end...Categorized as:
from hate to love vengeance alpha male suspense dark contemporary super rich hero length-long -
Vengeful Devilette by Kylie Kent
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIzzy It’s funny how the things we most desire are usually the same things we’re meant to avoid. Just like Eve’s temptation with that damned apple, Mikhail Petrov is the one person I can’t seem to resist. Even though our union incites war in the streets of New York, causing more bloodshed than the city’s seen in a long time...Categorized as:
suspense forced proximity from hate to love mafia dark contemporary super rich hero length-medium -
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The Mercer Curse by Pepper Winters
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsQ Mercer from Tears of Tess meets his half-brother Henri Ward from Ruby Tears for the first time...……….I’ve fought a curse all my life.A curse inherited by my sick father. There is no cure.No antidote for what I am. For years, I existed alone. Fighting the urges, doing my best to stay good.Until Esclave 58 entered my life and I didn’t have to fight so hard... -
Taken by Him by S.R. Jones
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe took me like a thief in the night, but I was already his from the moment I laid eyes on him. Maxim Volkov. A name I had never heard before but one that my heart now beats for.He’s not an easy man to love. He’s hard. Brutal. Unforgiving. A weapon forged in the fire and pain of his early life. I will take that weapon and use it to bring down all who betrayed me...Categorized as:
vengeance bad boys forced proximity suspense mafia contemporary dark super rich hero -
Illicit Captor by Maggie Cole
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHe kidnapped me to avenge my husband. The husband I’ve never loved. The cruel man my father forced me to marry to teach me a lesson. My husband didn’t think twice about how to carry out those lessons. Now, I’ve gone from one prison to another. My captor is just as ruthless as my husband. He’ll kill, torture, and do everything to hurt my family until no one is left. Except for me...Categorized as:
suspense alpha male forced proximity vengeance from hate to love mafia dark contemporary -
Corrupted Obsession by Kiana Hettinger
I’m on a mission.My paths cross with the dark and dangerous Dante Luca.And here I am, his captive.For the past six months, I’ve spent every waking minute looking for my lost sister, Camilla.I’ll stop at nothing to find her, my own freedom wouldn’t make me think twice.My recklessness incites a devastating turn of events that collides my world with Dante Luca.The rumored vigilante hero...Categorized as:
suspense bdsm from hate to love alpha male forced proximity dual-pov urban contemporary -
Blowback by Monica James
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThis was supposed to be simple. Vengeance was mine. But I should know by now that nothing in life is easy.My endgame has changed all because I met someone who wishes I was dead. Yet her hatred is the only thing saving her from The Big Bad. My lies protect her, so the harder she hates, the safer she is.The thing about love and hate—it skates a very thin line. I need to stay away... -
Never Trust the Living by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsIt’s not every day that someone tries to pin a murder on you and a random girl you just met. But Bram Crow isn’t your average, everyday guy, either.One second, he’s hiding evidence with the girl, and the next, he has to marry her so a police detective doesn’t get suspicious...Categorized as:
suspense alpha male pregnancy bad boys from hate to love dual-pov bikers marriage of convenience -
Tormentor Mine: The Complete Series by Anna Zaires, Dima Zales
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA lethal mercenary bent on vengeance. The innocent woman standing in his way.Dr. Sara Cobakis’s quiet suburban life is turned upside down when a darkly handsome Russian assassin breaks into her home and tortures her for information. But the nightmare doesn’t end there.Because Peter Sokolov returns, and this time, he’s determined to keep the pretty young doctor for himself.No matter what it takes... -
Wheelie's Challenge by Chiah Wilder
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA member of the Insurgents MC, Wheelie is a chick magnate. Having a ripped body, mesmerizing tats, and a boyish grin, he can have any woman he wants. Except for one: Sofia. Ever since he laid eyes on her, he was taken in by her sparkling eyes, her sweet laugh, and her pretty face. There’s just one very big problem: she belongs to another Insurgent... -
Breaking Rosalind by Gigi Styx
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI wove a deadly web, but it became my trap.Rosalind I’m a cold-blooded killer, a femme fatale with a long list of victims. My latest target being Cesare Montesano. I must kill him and his brothers to protect my innocent young daughter. He catches me in the middle of the mission, but I’m not scared. I might be his prisoner yet I’m not without weapons... -
The Six Night Truce by Hannah Shield
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWhen I stepped into the courtroom this morning, I intended to fight for my client’s life. I never expected to run for my own. Now the courthouse is in lockdown, and I’m trapped in a tiny room with my nemesis—the West Oaks PD cop who hates me most. He’s a single dad with a growly attitude. An ex-Marine. And he’s the star witness against my client...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love alpha male contemporary humor dark military length-medium -
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Summer Sparrow: by Emmerson Hoyt
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsRylee Adder left Eden thinking she’d put the worst day of her life behind her.She was wrong.Separated from her new family and Colton—the man she never thought she’d have to live without—Rylee finds herself in Boston facing her biggest challenge yet: surviving the Vipers’ Den...Categorized as:
from hate to love dual-pov suspense contemporary new adult dark small town length-epic -
Irish by Brittanee Nicole
He was the man I was warned to stay away from. With green eyes and an easy smile, Frank McCabe stole me away from the nightmares that awaited me at home. But the son of the Irish Mob would never be mine. I belonged to the Italians. And the moment my mother sold me to the head of the Italian Mafia, I became the one the people of Boston were warned about...Categorized as:
suspense forced proximity from hate to love dual-pov tortured hero alpha male bad boys dark -
Damaged Doll by Jennifer Bene
The long-awaited sequel to Breaking Beth is finally coming July 2022, pre-order now! "I'm too broken for love." After everything Beth has been through, all she wants is to feel normal.To be normal.But the weight of her past won't let her go easily. "Wanting her is wrong." All Jake wants is to be a hero.To save as many as he can from the monsters of this world... -
Bits and Pieces by Bijou Hunter, Noelle Zane
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSilas “Nomad” Bennings doesn’t do normal. As the fearsome enforcer for the Steel Berserkers Motorcycle Club, he refuses to live by other people’s rules. However, this time, the stubborn son of a bitch might have gone too far.Landry Copper spent her life bouncing from one dangerous situation to another... -
Fall to Pieces by Bijou Hunter, Noelle Zane
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWade “Armor” Palmer is the Steel Berserkers Motorcycle Club’s vice president. He’s a hard man, built to protect his people and push back against threats. His life revolves around his club. For years, he’s craved nothing more from life. Now, a broken woman has ripped a hole in his heart that only she can mend.Yazmin Norris spent most of her life under the boot of various angry men... -
Bridges Burned by Marie James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI didn’t swear vengeance on the Severino Family after Ellie’s death. I was only a child after all.I didn’t swear vengeance when my father, a coward who wasn’t man enough to seek justice for her, drank himself into a divorce.Going after them would be a death sentence.I chose to live my life in the shadows, seeking revenge for others.That was until I ran into the very man that took Ellie’s life... -
Breaker’s Vow by Elizabeth Knox
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI vowed to never love another woman ever again. I broke my vow for her.BreakerMy ex-girlfriend, Celia, betrayed me in the worst way possible. She not only put my club at risk, but everyone in it, and anyone affiliated with it. People lost their lives because of the information she was feeding to the Guatemalan crew her family was loyal to. And when I found out what she did, I lost it... -
Fair Game by Amelia Wilde
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGabriel Hill has always been too charming for his own good. Women. Money. Information. Sex got him everything he ever wanted, until it almost killed him. A price he was willing to pay, before he met Elise. Before he fell for her. Now revenge isn't enough for him. He wants it all. The most beautiful woman. The most dangerous game. And a happily ever after, if it's not too late to save them both... -
Kept by Him by Measha Stone
My family took something from the Russian mob. Now they've taken something back.Me.I was given to Micah Ivanov as a bride to keep the peace between the two most powerful mafia dynasties in Chicago. But my future husband doesn't plan to let this be a marriage in name only.He's going to take me to his bed whether I like it or not, starting tonight.I know he's going to be rough... -
Deadly by Suzanne Steele
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSome people say she's a machine and maybe she is when it comes to Born Bratva business. When her father gifts her with a new bodyguard named Oleg she does everything she can to torment him. Through the years of watching over the Pakhan's daughter Oleg finds himself wrapped up in a dark, sadistic, out of control love. It is the only weakness he has ever known... -
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Wicked as Secrets by Shayla Black
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsHe’ll do anything to protect her from danger…but it will cost her everything.Security specialist Matt Montgomery has never forgotten—or forgiven—Madison Archer for walking away and ripping out his heart. Three years later, she crashes back into his life, terrified that her wealthy husband is trying to kill her. Matt vows to protect Madison…but there’s a price... -
Ruthless Prince by Piper Stone
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAlexandra is a senator's daughter, used to mingling in the company of the rich and powerful, but tonight she will learn that there are men who play by different rules. Men like me. I could romance her. I could seduce her and then carry her gently to my bed. But that can wait... -
Son of a Gun: A Marked Men and The Point Crossover by Jay Crownover
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHeavy is the head that inherits the crown.The only thing on Daire Archer’s mind when she pulled a disappearing act on Christmas was proving she was worthy of being her father's daughter. She was born an Archer, which was a blessing and a curse, and Daire was determined to show everyone she deserved to carry the legacy that came with her name...Categorized as:
suspense bad boys from hate to love dual-pov forced proximity tortured hero contemporary new adult -
Dice by Nicola Jane
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDICEThere was only ever one woman for me, but I was forced to leave her behind when we were just kids.Years later, my past collides with my present, and it leads me right back to her. But a long time has passed, and she’s had years of her father breathing poison in her ear.But I won’t give up... -
The Devil's Crown by Monica James
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI was feared.Respected.Worshiped.But all of that changed when the impossible happened—I fell in love. Only those feelings weren’t reciprocated, because who could love a monster like me?My empire crumbled. People died. I went from being a victorious leader to lurking in the shadows, planning revenge on my half-brother who now reigns in my place...Categorized as:
suspense alpha male from hate to love bad boys age difference contemporary dark mafia -
The Bratva's Captive by Jane Henry
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFor the Bratva, retribution is the law. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. A life for a life. But the man who killed my beloved deserves a fate worse than death. He’ll live knowing his only daughter was captured by a monster... That he’s utterly powerless to stop me. Olena Baranov will be my prisoner. My retribution. My undoing. Vengeance will be mine...
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