Books Like Deviant King
If you finished Deviant King and want more enemies to lovers, possessive hero, revenge, start here. Each pick shares at least two tropes with it, and we've rated every one for spice and darkness so you know what you're getting into.
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The picks
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1. God of Malice
Shares: enemies to lovers, possessive hero
Killian is a psychopath at a university on a private island, and Glyndon catches his eye. Rina Kent goes full throttle. People either love it or DNF it.
- Stalker Romance
- Enemies to Lovers
- Possessive Hero
- Dark Academia
Content warnings
Dubious or non-consent, Stalking, Graphic violence, Suicide or suicidal thoughts
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2. Vicious
Shares: enemies to lovers, revenge, possessive hero
Baron Spencer earned the nickname Vicious, and Emilia LeBlanc was the one girl at their Todos Santos high school who saw through him. Ten years later in New York, he's still not done with her. Classic bully-to-lovers angst.
- Enemies to Lovers
- Revenge
- Possessive Hero
- Morally Gray
Content warnings
Physical or emotional abuse, Sexual assault
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3. The Silver Swan
Shares: enemies to lovers, possessive hero, morally gray
Madison Montgomery transfers to Riverside and lands in the middle of a secret club of ten guys run by Bishop Hayes. The plot is chaotic and twisty to the point of confusion, and people love it for exactly that. One reader noted the front-matter warnings don't cover everything.
- Dark Academia
- Enemies to Lovers
- Possessive Hero
- Morally Gray
Content warnings
Suicide or suicidal thoughts, Harm to children, Graphic violence
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4. Corrupt
Shares: revenge, enemies to lovers, possessive hero
Her fiancé's older brother and his friends just got out of prison, and they blame her for putting them there. Devil's Night pranks, revenge and the book that set off a whole wave of masked-men dark romance.
- Revenge
- Stalker Romance
- Enemies to Lovers
- Possessive Hero
Content warnings
Dubious or non-consent, Stalking, Kidnapping, Graphic violence
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5. My Dark Romeo
Shares: enemies to lovers, revenge, possessive hero
Dallas Townsend's family needs money, and Romeo Costa needs a wife he can hurt. He's genuinely cruel for a long stretch, so the grovel has to work hard. Feels more like an angsty billionaire romance than true dark.
- Arranged Marriage
- Enemies to Lovers
- Revenge
- Possessive Hero
Content warnings
Physical or emotional abuse
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6. The Lies We Steal
Shares: revenge, enemies to lovers, morally gray
Ponderosa Springs is rotten, and the Hollow Boys are the four guys nobody in town wants to cross. Rook and Sage start as enemies after her sister dies, and the secrets get uglier from there. Moody small-town gothic with real grief in it.
- Dark Academia
- Revenge
- Enemies to Lovers
- Morally Gray
Content warnings
Murder, Death of a loved one, Sexual assault, Drug or alcohol abuse
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7. This Monster of Mine
Shares: enemies to lovers, revenge, morally gray
A legal thriller in a Rome-inspired city. Four years after someone threw Sarai from a tower, she's back as a Petitor who can hear lies, assigned to Tetrarch Kadra, the feared judge whose voice sounds exactly like her attacker's. She works with him by day and plots against him by night.
- Enemies to Lovers
- Revenge
- Morally Gray
- Court Intrigue
Content warnings
Graphic violence, Torture, Murder, Physical or emotional abuse
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8. Does It Hurt?
Shares: enemies to lovers, morally gray, possessive hero
Sawyer is a con artist on the run, and Enzo Vitale is the man she tries to steal from. Then things go very wrong for both of them. Less stalker than Haunting Adeline, but the backstories are brutal, so read the warning list first.
- Captor and Captive
- Enemies to Lovers
- Morally Gray
- Possessive Hero
Content warnings
Harm to children, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Torture, Murder
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9. Painted Scars
Shares: possessive hero, morally gray
The opener of Neva Altaj's sprawling Bratva series, and the hero is a Pakhan. Readers call it one of the gentler books in the run, with several open-door scenes. Past abuse is a big part of the backstory.
- Mafia
- Possessive Hero
- Touch Her and Die
- Morally Gray
Content warnings
Physical or emotional abuse, Harm to children, Graphic violence
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10. Ravenous
Shares: enemies to lovers, morally gray
Cole kicks off a new arc set in her Immortals After Dark world, with rival supernatural factions in the Skein and enemies who absolutely should not be sleeping together. It's a fresh starting point, so you don't need twenty backlist books first.
- Forbidden Love
- Enemies to Lovers
- Morally Gray
Content warnings
Graphic violence, Murder
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11. Voidwalker
Shares: enemies to lovers, morally gray
Fi is a smuggler who can walk the Void between worlds, and a job gone wrong drops her in front of Antal, an antlered daeyari lord whose species eats humans. He'll spare her if she helps him find whoever attacked his city. Predator and prey, with claws and tails and a lot of heat.
- Deals and Bargains
- Enemies to Lovers
- Forbidden Love
- Morally Gray
Content warnings
Graphic violence, Gore, Murder
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12. Brutal Prince
Shares: enemies to lovers, possessive hero
Aida Gallo burns down part of the Griffin family's house, so Callum Griffin gets her as a wife to keep the Chicago peace. She is a gremlin and it's a delight. Mafia-lite, lots of banter, a good first mafia book.
- Mafia
- Arranged Marriage
- Enemies to Lovers
- Possessive Hero
Content warnings
Graphic violence, Murder, Kidnapping
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13. Butcher & Blackbird
Shares: morally gray, revenge
Two serial killers meet at a crime scene and start competing over who can take out the worst men. Funny, gory, and secretly sweet. The ideal first dark romance for horror fans.
- Morally Gray
- Found Family
- Revenge
Content warnings
Gore, Murder, Torture, Physical or emotional abuse
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14. Crow
Shares: morally gray, possessive hero
Crow is an Irish mob enforcer in Boston, and Mack is a woman with no options left who ends up owing him. Gritty and sad in places, with a hero who's a killer and doesn't apologize. Heavy warnings, including an on-page assault.
- Mafia
- Morally Gray
- Possessive Hero
- Touch Her and Die
Content warnings
Human trafficking, Sexual assault, Murder, Death of a loved one
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15. King of Battle and Blood
Shares: enemies to lovers, possessive hero
A princess marries the vampire king to save her people and plans to kill him on the wedding night. A lot spicier than her Hades books.
- Vampires
- Arranged Marriage
- Enemies to Lovers
- Possessive Hero
Content warnings
Graphic violence, Gore, Murder
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