Touch Her and Die Books

He's cold to everyone, but lay a finger on her and he'll burn the room down. Protective to the point of violence.

Spiciest here: Lights Out. Darkest: It Ain't Me, Babe.

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The books

  1. Fourth Wing

    Rebecca Yarros · The Empyrean #1

    Spice 3/5 Darkness 3/5

    Violet is fragile and was supposed to be a scribe. Instead she's at a war college where cadets push each other off parapets and the dragons pick who lives. Fast, bingeable and meaner than the cover suggests.

    • Dragons
    • Academies and War Colleges
    • Enemies to Lovers
    • Forced Proximity
    Content warnings

    Graphic violence, Murder, War, Death of a loved one

  2. Crow

    A. Zavarelli · Boston Underworld #1 · complete series

    Spice 4/5 Darkness 4/5

    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

  3. It Ain't Me, Babe

    Tillie Cole · Hades Hangmen #1 · complete series

    Spice 4/5 Darkness 5/5

    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

  4. King of Wrath

    Ana Huang · Kings of Sin #1

    Spice 4/5 Darkness 2/5

    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

  5. Lights Out

    Navessa Allen · Into Darkness #1 · complete series

    Spice 5/5 Darkness 3/5

    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

  6. Painted Scars

    Neva Altaj · Perfectly Imperfect #1

    Spice 4/5 Darkness 3/5

    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

  7. Ruthless Creatures

    J.T. Geissinger · Queens & Monsters #1 · complete series

    Spice 5/5 Darkness 3/5

    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

  8. The Ever King

    LJ Andrews · The Ever Seas #1

    Spice 3/5 Darkness 3/5

    Erik Bloodsinger, the sea fae pirate king, is mostly teeth and grudges, and he kidnaps the earth fae princess Livia Ferus right off her own shore. Salty, Viking-flavored and a blast once she starts biting back. You can skip the Broken Kingdoms books.

    • Captor and Captive
    • Enemies to Lovers
    • Fae
    • Morally Gray
    Content warnings

    Kidnapping, Graphic violence, Torture, Murder

  9. Twisted Love

    Ana Huang · Twisted #1 · complete series

    Spice 4/5 Darkness 2/5

    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

  10. Wicked

    Jennifer L. Armentrout · Wicked #1 · complete series

    Spice 3/5 Darkness 2/5

    Ivy Morgan hunts fae in the French Quarter, and the Order's new transfer Ren Owens is way too charming to trust. New Orleans urban fantasy with classic Armentrout banter, lighter than Blood and Ash and more fun about it.

    • Fae
    • Forbidden Love
    • Slow Burn
    • Touch Her and Die
    Content warnings

    Graphic violence, Murder, Death of a loved one