Books Like The Professional
If you finished The Professional and want more mafia, possessive hero, captor and captive, 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.
For reference, The Professional is:
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The picks
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1. The Sweetest Oblivion
Shares: mafia
Elena's sister is engaged to Nico Russo, and Elena is the one he can't stop looking at. Sharp and funny. Lighter on darkness than most mafia books.
- Mafia
- Arranged Marriage
- Enemies to Lovers
- Forbidden Love
Content warnings
Graphic violence, Murder
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2. Blood of My Monster
Shares: mafia, captor and captive, possessive hero
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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3. Buttons and Lace
Shares: captor and captive, possessive hero, mafia
She owes Crow Barsetti, so he decides he owns her. The Barsetti books get softer later, but this opener is very dark and readers single it out for its rape content. Not a starter book.
- Captor and Captive
- Villain Gets the Girl
- Possessive Hero
- Mafia
Content warnings
Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Physical or emotional abuse, Graphic violence
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4. A Soul to Keep
Shares: captor and captive, possessive hero
Reia is handed over to a skull-faced Duskwalker as a sacrifice, and Orpheus has no idea what to do with a human who isn't food. A monster romance that's sweeter than it looks, but the gore is real and a dog dies.
- Captor and Captive
- Forced Proximity
- Possessive Hero
Content warnings
Graphic violence, Gore, Kidnapping, Animal death, Death of a loved one
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5. Lights Out
Shares: stalker romance, possessive hero
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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6. Promises and Pomegranates
Shares: mafia, possessive hero
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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7. Ruthless Creatures
Shares: mafia, possessive hero
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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8. Corrupt
Shares: stalker romance, 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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9. Painted Scars
Shares: mafia, possessive hero
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. Haunting Adeline
Shares: stalker romance, possessive hero
The book that made dark romance go viral. A stalker, a gothic manor and a lot that's legitimately disturbing. Read every warning before you start. It earns its reputation.
- Stalker Romance
- Possessive Hero
- Morally Gray
- Villain Gets the Girl
Content warnings
Stalking, Dubious or non-consent, Sexual assault, Human trafficking, Murder, Gore
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11. 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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12. 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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13. Crow
Shares: mafia, 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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14. Den of Vipers
Shares: captor and captive, possessive hero
Kidnapped by four men to settle her father's debt, and she ends up falling for all of them. Violent and over the top, and it knows exactly what it is.
- Why Choose
- Captor and Captive
- Villain Gets the Girl
- Possessive Hero
Content warnings
Kidnapping, Dubious or non-consent, Torture, Gore, Murder
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15. Does It Hurt?
Shares: captor and captive, 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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