Books Like Painted Scars
If you finished Painted Scars and want more mafia, possessive hero, touch her and die, 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. Bound by Honor
Shares: mafia, possessive hero
Aria is promised to the heir of the New York mafia at fifteen and married at eighteen. Luca is terrifying to everyone except her. Classic mafia-marriage setup done well.
- Mafia
- Arranged Marriage
- Possessive Hero
- Slow Burn
Content warnings
Graphic violence, Murder
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2. Crow
Shares: mafia, 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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3. Ruthless Creatures
Shares: mafia, possessive hero, touch her and die
Natalie's fiancé vanished, and the Russian mobster who shows up looking for him decides he wants her instead. Kage is gruff, devoted and frankly funny. Lighter on darkness than the cover suggests and a lot heavier on spice.
- Mafia
- Possessive Hero
- Touch Her and Die
- Morally Gray
Content warnings
Graphic violence, Murder
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4. Lights Out
Shares: possessive hero, morally gray, touch her and die
Josie has a masked-stalker fantasy, and a hacker named Aiden makes it real. The twist is that she's into it and he keeps checking in. Funny, filthy, and a soft landing if Haunting Adeline sounds like too much.
- Stalker Romance
- Possessive Hero
- Morally Gray
- Touch Her and Die
Content warnings
Stalking, Physical or emotional abuse, Death of a loved one, Graphic violence
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5. Promises and Pomegranates
Shares: mafia, possessive hero, morally gray
A modern Hades and Persephone where Hades is a hitman named Kal and Persephone is Elena Rossi, a mafia daughter who's tired of being kept. The prose is moodier than most mafia books. Each sequel follows a new couple.
- Gods and Mythology
- Mafia
- Possessive Hero
- Morally Gray
Content warnings
Graphic violence, Murder, Physical or emotional abuse
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6. Blood of My Monster
Shares: mafia, possessive hero, morally gray
Sasha hides as a man to work security for a Bratva boss, and Kirill figures out a lot faster than she'd like. Classic Rina Kent: violent, obsessive and very spicy. The trilogy has to be read in order.
- Mafia
- Captor and Captive
- Possessive Hero
- Morally Gray
Content warnings
Graphic violence, Murder, Torture, Dubious or non-consent
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7. It Ain't Me, Babe
Shares: touch her and die, possessive hero, morally gray
Salome escapes a religious cult and lands in the compound of the Hades Hangmen, whose mute president Styx has never forgotten her. Biker romance with some of the heaviest backstory in the genre. The cult material is hard going.
- Forbidden Love
- Touch Her and Die
- Possessive Hero
- Morally Gray
Content warnings
Harm to children, Sexual assault, Physical or emotional abuse, Graphic violence
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8. Deviant King
Shares: possessive hero, morally gray
Aiden King decides Elsa is his target at their elite British prep school, and he is relentless about it. A bully romance with a buried childhood mystery underneath. Early Rina Kent, so tamer than her college books but still dub-con heavy.
- Enemies to Lovers
- Possessive Hero
- Revenge
- Morally Gray
Content warnings
Dubious or non-consent, Harm to children, Physical or emotional abuse
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9. Vicious
Shares: possessive hero, morally gray
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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10. Brutal Prince
Shares: mafia, 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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11. King of Wrath
Shares: possessive hero, touch her and die
Dante Russo is blackmailed into marrying Vivian Lau, and he makes it clear he resents every minute. Billionaire grump, Manhattan glamour, almost no actual darkness. Think of it as dark romance with the training wheels still on.
- Arranged Marriage
- Possessive Hero
- Enemies to Lovers
- Touch Her and Die
Content warnings
Physical or emotional abuse, Drug or alcohol abuse
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12. The Professional
Shares: mafia, possessive hero
Grad student Natalie Porter wants answers about her birth family, and enforcer Aleksandr Sevastyan whisks her off to Russia. Old-school erotic Bratva romance, a little dated but still a cult favorite.
- Mafia
- Possessive Hero
- Captor and Captive
- Stalker Romance
Content warnings
Stalking, Kidnapping, Murder, Torture
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13. The Silver Swan
Shares: 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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14. Twisted Love
Shares: possessive hero, touch her and die
Her brother's ice-cold best friend agrees to keep an eye on her, which turns into moving her into his place. More dark-ish than dark, which makes it a good warm-up before heavier books.
- Forbidden Love
- Possessive Hero
- Touch Her and Die
- Slow Burn
Content warnings
Murder, Stalking, Death of a loved one
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15. Hooked
Shares: mafia, morally gray
Peter Pan, except Hook runs a criminal empire and Wendy is the daughter of the man he wants dead. Each book in the series is a different villain. Great entry point if you want dark romance that isn't relentless.
- Fairy Tale Retellings
- Villain Gets the Girl
- Mafia
- Revenge
Content warnings
Murder, Graphic violence, Death of a loved one
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