This Trope is my Favorite of all time!! This list is going to contains all those disastrous marriage books , whether it be Arranged Marriage or A Marriage of Convenience! I have mentioned the genres of the respective books in the columns to help you all choose your favorites!!
I also make PERSONALIZED BOOK LISTS and You can Request for your book list (any romance book genre) HERE !!
Ruthless People Series by J.J. McAvoy
(Series , Mafia Bosses, Arrange Marriage , Now Complete)
To the outside world, they look like American Royalty, giving to charities, feeding the homeless, rebuilding the city. But behind closed doors is a constant battle for dominance between two Bosses, cultures, and hearts.
Ruthless People is a romantic crime fiction set in modern day Chicago, following the life and marriage of Melody Nicci Giovanni and Liam Callahan—rivals by blood and leaders through fear. Their marriage was arranged by their fathers in hopes to end years of bloodshed between the Irish and the Italians.
Liam, next in line to lead the Irish, believes he’s getting a simple-minded wife, one he can control, one who bends to his every need . . . the complete opposite of Melody. Bred to be a Boss, a world-class marksman, master of disguise, with no mercy and no fear. Twenty-four years later, she has achieved more than any man could even dream of, killing anyone who steps in her way. She knows exactly what type of man Liam is, and she would rather die than give up the power she has spent her whole life building. But with no other family left, she must not only learn to work with Liam, but the whole Callahan clan.
The Mafia of the past is evolving, and with rival bosses gunning for them, Melody and Liam will have to figure out how to work as one to take down those who stand in their way, all while keeping up appearances.
Power, Family, and Respect are everything.
Warning: This book contains adult language and subject matter including graphic violence and explict sex that may be disturbing for some readers. This book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
Bound by Honor by Cora Reilly
( standalone , mafia , standalone , hero cheats once , less groveling)
A modern mafia fairytale.
Born into one of the leading mob families in Chicago, Aria Scuderi is a mafia princess known for her beauty. What many consider a gift means her doom when she’s forced to marry Luca Vitiello to bring peace between two mafia dynasties. Luca is the future Capo of the New York Famiglia, a man known for his brutality—and for crushing his cousin’s throat with his bare hands.
Aria is terrified of marrying a monster like him. He may be one of the most sought-after bachelors in New York, thanks to his good looks, wealth and predator-like charisma. But Aria knows the bad boy aura isn’t just a game; blood and death lurk beneath Luca’s striking gray eyes and arrogant smile.
In her world a handsome exterior often hides the monster within; a monster who can just as easily kill as kiss you.
Yet, there’s no escaping the arranged bond, much less a man like Luca. He’d follow her to the end of the world.
Her only chance to survive in a marriage with Luca is to gain his affection and work her way into his heart—even when rumor has it that Luca doesn’t have a heart to begin with.
A mafia princess known for her beauty given to a monstrous man.
Even monsters have a heart.
She has every intention of working her way into his.
Bound by Duty by Cora Reilly
( mafia , second chance , unrequited love , cold hero)
Dante Cavallaro’s wife died four years ago but her memory still haunts him. On the verge of becoming the youngest head in the history of the Chicago Outfit, Dante needs to remarry or risk appearing weak.
Valentina is chosen for the role.
She, too, lost her husband, but her first marriage has always been for show. Even after her husband’s death, Valentina carries the weight of his secrets with her— to protect the honor of a dead man and herself.
With her wedding to Dante, her castle of lies threatens to crash.
Valentina fears the wedding night might reveal her secret, but her worries prove unfounded when Dante ignores her. Soon, her fear turns to confusion and anger.
Valentina is tired of being ignored. She’s determined to get Dante’s attention and desire, even if she can’t get his heart that still belongs to his dead wife.
She wants to capture his cold heart but she may have to settle for his desire.
Kiss An Angel by Susanne Elizabeth Philips
( contemporary , angsty , best ending with lot's of groveling by the hero )
Wedding Day
Pretty, flighty Daisy Devreaux can either go to jail or marry the mystery man her father has chosen for her. Arranged marriages don't happen in the modern world, so how did the irrepressible Daisy find herself in this fix?
Alex Markov, as humorless as he is deadly handsome, has no intention of playing the loving bridegroom to a spoiled little feather-head with champagne tastes. He drags Daisy from her uptown life to a broken down traveling circus and sets out to tame her to his ways.
But this man without a soul has met his match in a woman who's nothing but heart. Before long, passion will send them flying sky high without a safety net... risking it all in search of a love that will last forever.
Sparrow by L.J. Shen
( standalone , cheating by the hero , dark , little groveling)
Troy Brennan
Every southie in Boston knows that name. The son of a dead mobster. The heart throb with steel blue eyes. "The Fixer" who can make or break you in this city.
Oh, and my new husband.
Sparrow Raynes
That's me. No one seemed to remember my name up until he barged into my life.
But then he caged me.
Kidnapped me.
And killed every chance I had to runaway from the place where we grew up.
Put simply, Troy Brennan clipped my wings.
I have dreams, big ones, but I doubt he'd ever let me chase them. I have no idea why he'd decided to take me as his wife. But I do know this: pissing off this man will not do me any good. At all.
Sparrow is a standalone, full-length novel. It contains graphic violence and adult situations some may find offensive.
The Kiss Thief By L.J. Shen
( standalone , kidnapping , dark)
They say your first kiss should be earned.
Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.
They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred.
Mine were broken before we left church.
They say your heart only beats for one man.
Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.
I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit.
Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.
They say that all great love stories have a happy ending.
I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter.
One kiss.
Two men.
Three lives.
Entwined together.
And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.
Twisted Emotions by Cora Reilly
( standalone , dark , angst , mafia )
Nino Falcone is genius and monster. As the right hand man and brother of the Capo of the Camorra, his lack of feelings is a blessing, not a curse – until his brother asks him to marry for the sake of the Camorra.
Kiara Vitiello, cousin of the Capo of the New York Famiglia, is chosen to marry Nino Falcone to prevent war with the Camorra, but what she hears about Las Vegas makes her veins pulse with terror. After her father betrayed his Capo and paid with his life, her family thinks marriage is her only chance to bring honor to her name; but only Kiara knows she’s a faulty prize given in return for peace.
A man incapable of emotions and a woman scarred by the past – an arranged marriage with the potential to unite, or destroy…
Beauty In The Broken By Charmaine Pauls
( second chance , revenge , kidnapping , mental issues , standalone , less groveling)
Six years ago, Harold Dalton framed me for theft and sent me to jail to steal my diamond discovery. He gave his daughter to Jack Clarke in exchange for the excavation rights. Today, I’m walking free, and I’m coming for him with a vengeance. Six years of cruelty make beasts out of men. I’m going to take back what he stole from me, and more. I’m not interested in his properties or shares. I don’t want his small change. I want his biggest asset. Beautiful, mentally unstable, Angelina Dalton-Clarke.
Worth billions, she’s the wealthiest widow in the country, and also the craziest. Her self-harming tendencies had Jack declare her incompetent before he put a gun to his head and blew out his brains. Lina isn’t allowed to touch a cent of her riches. Her father manages her finances. He has all the signing power. As her husband, that 'chore' will fall to me. But if she thinks I only want her for her money, she’s sadly mistaken.
*This book is a stand-alone. No cliffhangers.
Till Death Duet by Bella Jewel
( hero tricks heroine into marriage to use her , dark , groveling , grumpy hero , duet )
They say there's a fine line between love and hate.
There is.
I married a douchebag.
I didn't know it at the time.
He came in like a handsome stranger and blew me off my feet.
I fell madly in love, like the naive girl I am.
Then he left me high and dry.
Turns out, I was nothing more than a business plan for billionaire playboy, Marcus Tandem.
He needed to be married in order to obtain his grandfathers business, and I was the poor victim in his path.
I believed in what we had, until the truth reared its ugly head.
I never meant anything to Marcus. Not a damned thing.
With my world spinning on its axis, the girl I once was has long since died.
Instead he left me as this empty, emotionless shell.
I may have made a vow before God to love and cherish him ‘Til Death do we part, but it’s time for me to give back to Marcus, exactly what he gave me.
He has to pay.
And pay he will.
This is part of a two book series and it will contain a HEA – Readers over 18+
Virtue and Vanity by Astrid Jane Ray
( abusive hero , very dark , lots of groveling , standalone)
With crushed dreams and a heavy heart, Isabelle Walsh becomes the wife of New York City millionaire Sebastian Everett. On the surface, her rich and beautiful husband is the embodiment of every girl’s dream, but Isabelle will learn just how deceiving looks can be. By the time she discovers there is real danger hidden behind those captivating green eyes and thick layers of sophisticated appearance, it is too late to escape Sebastian’s cruelty. Without a thread of compassion, he shows her the true meaning of hell, making it abundantly clear her fragile feelings mean nothing to him.
But life has strange ways of playing with one’s fate.
In an intriguing turn of events, the same man who had once shattered her to pieces, suddenly starts treating her with extreme care and swears there will be no more pain. Isabelle has been tricked too many times to believe him, but the devil she bargained with refuses to give up on his mission to earn her forgiveness as well as her heart. While Sebastian unfolds from a monster into Prince Charming right before her eyes, Isabelle finds herself falling under his spell and getting closer to making a choice that might be fatal for both of them.
Brutal King By Jagger Cole
( high school , dark , light enemies to lovers , angst , standalone)
He’s my only cure. And my deadliest poison.
Once upon a time, a scarred beast met a broken beauty.
But to keep my kingdom and appease the Bratva High Council, I’m going to marry a man who’s family my family tried to destroy.
A man who looks at me with cold, brutal blue eyes. A man whose very presence sucks the air from my lungs. A man with no past, shrouded in scars, pain, and darkness.
The rules are simple: get in, get out, don’t fall for the terrifying and magnetically gorgeous Lukas Komarov.
Because this isn't really about me. This is about securing a future for my sick sister. Even if that means binding myself to a man who hates me.
‘Til death do us part...but that’s going to come quicker than anyone knows.
You see, this story has an expiration date. I have an expiration date.
In six months, I’ll be dead.
They say love is a battle.
And I’ve got nothing to lose.
This *standalone*, extra angsty, very dark Bratva academy romance is guaranteed to leave your kindle steaming. Step into the viper’s nest of Oxford Hills Academy and meet the Savage Heirs of Bratva kings and oligarchs.
Absolutely no cheating, no cliffhanger, and a happy ever after.
Empire of Desire by Rina Kent
( father's best friend , taboo , age gap , unrequited love , marriage of convenience , standalone )
My forbidden husband.
I kissed my father’s best friend and it kind of didn’t go well.
Not only because he’s eighteen years older than me—but he also didn’t like it.
Not one bit.
In my defense, I didn’t mean to fall for him. It just happened.
Nathaniel Weaver is the most attractive man I’ve ever seen with enough charisma to blind the sun.
He’s bigger than the world, owns half of it and conquered the other half.
He was forbidden.
Wrong.
So I totally got over him. Or so I told myself.
Until we’re forced to get married.
Now I’m trapped.
But maybe he’s trapped too.
Because we’re both reaching for that forbidden fruit dangling between us.
Empire of Desire is a complete STANDALONE. No book should be read prior to this.
Note: This is NOT a dark romance.
Throne Duet by Rina Kent
( duet , strong heroine , assassin hero , dark , second chance)
When powers clash...
In the mafia world, women don’t reign.
I’m the exception of that rule.
I didn’t choose this life, it chose me.
I have a legacy to protect, a power to snatch, and no one will stop me.
If an arranged marriage is what it’ll take to lead, then so be it.
What I don’t count on is that my chosen husband is a ghost from my past.
Kyle Hunter.
He was once my guard, my protector. Now, he’s after my kingdom.
The road to the throne is paved with thorns, blood, and casualties.
To win, I’ll risk it all.
My heart included.
This book is part of a duet and is not standalone.
Complicated Parts by Ashley Jade
( trilogy , contemporary , angst , second chance , marriage of convenience)
They say everyone has either an addiction, obsession, or weakness in this world. Something that can penetrate you down to the core and influence you in a way nothing else can.
I have all three.
One happens to be her.
Kit Bishop is in my veins.
But unfortunately for me, she's the drug I'll never be able to indulge in and the high I can't chase.
Because I'm a liar.
A thief.
And I've destroyed everything that's ever been mine.
Blood and Thorns Duet by Faith Summers
( duet, second chance , mafia , plot twist)
When I was sixteen a gypsy fortune teller told me my future held darkness and death.
She was right.
But what she didn’t tell me was the devil himself would rise from hell in the form of Lucca Dyshekov and take everything from me with a gun held to my head.
He’s the Bratva assassin they all call Merciless.
On our wedding day, he taught me real monsters aren’t the ones who hide in the dark.
They’re the ones who stare you in the face and steal your soul.
On a quest for revenge, he takes me and unearths secrets from the past that will cause a war.
When death lies on the horizon the enemy of my enemy becomes my friend.
In this instance he’s my husband.
The real question is when he finishes uncovering the truth, will he keep me or kill me.
Cruel Saints by Michelle Heard
( mafia , dark , strong heroine)
An Arranged Marriage Mafia Romance
Alliances are made. Loyalty is owned. Love is taken.
Little did I know my love and freedom would be taken to form a new alliance.
Brutal, possessive, and dangerous, Lucian is feared by all. Including myself.
When his father is assassinated, Lucian takes his rightful place as head of the Cotroni family. They rule the Mafia with an iron fist, and he’s set his sights on my family.
Until now, we’ve been the only threat, but when a new one emerges, my father is forced to arrange a marriage between Lucian and myself.
He might be handsome but he’s not the kind of man who loves. He takes what he wants and right now, it’s my body.
I might belong to him in name, but the question remains – will our union be consummated in blood or love?
STANDALONE:Romance Suspense full-length novel.
WARNING: This book contains subject matter that may be sensitive for some readers. There is dark and triggering content between these pages. 18+ only. Please read responsibly.
The Society Trilogy by Natasha Knight & A. Zavareilly
( trilogy , very dark , kidnapping , bully , forced , scarred hero)
A Brand New Dark Romance Series by A. Zavarelli and Natasha Knight!
I was born with noble blood in my veins.
Heir to a powerful dynasty.
Wealth. Power. Aristocracy.
Temptations too dangerous to resist.
Until someone tried to steal it all.
Scarred and broken, I emerged from the flames.
Now I’ve returned to take what’s mine.
Revenge.
The first item on my agenda?
Make Ivy Moreno my wife.
Second?
Bend her until she breaks.
Adrian's Vengeance by Isabella Starling
( standalone , dark , second chance , childhood friend , JP Hero )
I'll kidnap her before she says I do.
ADRIAN
She’s sweet, innocent, beautiful, and she’s going to be mine no matter what.
Mafia princess Marzia De Luca made me a promise when we were children.
She broke that promise. Now it's time to teach her a lesson.
Marzia thinks she's going to celebrate her arranged marriage at a masked ball.
But this party is the perfect opportunity for me to kidnap her.
It’s time for me to show her that my love... means pain.
MARZIA
Since I was a little girl, I've been in love with him - dark, twisted, menacingly handsome Adrian Bernardi.
But my father, the mafia don, decided I'd marry someone else.
Except I don’t want to marry the other man. I only want Adrian.
I pray for help, asking Adrian to save me.
But saving me means taking everything from me.
Adrian’s Vengeance is the first book of the Mafia Heirs series. Adrian and Marzia's story begins in Broken Promises. This is a dark mafia romance.
To Have and To Hold Duet by Natasha Knight
( duet . kidnapping )
Scarlett
When Cristiano Grigori came for me, he didn’t come alone. He brought his army to kill the soldiers at my door and took me for himself.
He put his ring on my finger and marked me as mafia property.
His property.
My brothers thought they had wiped out the Grigori family, but Cristiano is very much alive.
And he has one purpose. Revenge.
Cristiano
The De La Cruz brothers were pawns to my real enemy. They were nothing but foot soldiers.
Killing them was easy enough.
Taking their sister, well, that’s another story. And she doesn’t know the half of it.
Scarlett is mine.
My bride.
My pawn.
She’s the daughter of a once-powerful Cartel King. And through her I will flush out the rest of the rats who sought to wipe out the Grigori name.
Keeping her is just a bonus.
Fragile Longing by Cora Reilly
( mafia , standalone , second chance , age gap)
Sofia knows how it feels to be the consolation prize.
Too young.
Not blond.
And definitely not an ice princess.
Her sister is—was all those things. Perfection. Until she wasn’t. Until she ran off to be with the enemy and left her fiancé behind.
Now Sofia is given to Danilo in her sister’s stead, knowing she’ll never be more than second best. Yet, she can’t stop longing for the love of the man she’s been crushing on even when he was still her sister’s.
Danilo is a man who’s used to getting what he wants.
Power.
Respect.
The sought-after ice princess.
Until another man steals his bride-to-be. Danilo knows that for a man in his position losing his woman can lead to a loss of face.
Wounded pride.
Thirst for revenge.
A dangerous combination—one Danilo can’t leave behind, not even when a girl just as precious takes her sister’s place to placate him. Yet, she’s got one flaw: she’s not her sister.
Unable to forget what he’s lost, Danilo might lose what he’s been given.
The Villain by LJ Shen
( standalone , unrequited love , second chance)
Cruel. Coldblooded. Hades in a Brioni suit.
Cillian Fitzpatrick has been dubbed every wicked thing on planet earth.
To the media, he is The Villain.
To me, he is the man who (reluctantly) saved my life.
Now I need him to do me another, small solid.
Bail me out of the mess my husband got me into.
What’s a hundred grand to one of the wealthiest men in America, anyway?
Only Cillian doesn’t hand out free favors.
The price for the money, it turns out, is my freedom.
Now I’m the eldest Fitzpatrick brother’s little toy.
To play, to mold, to break.
Too bad Cillian forgot one, tiny detail.
Persephone wasn’t only the goddess of spring; she was also the queen of death.
He thinks I’ll buckle under the weight of his mind games.
He is about to find out the most lethal poison is also the sweetest.
The Devil Duet by Bella J.
( dark , kidnapping , second chance , duet )
Gian
I knew I’d never have the luxury of choosing my own wife. An arranged marriage was a sacrifice men in my position had to make for their families. It wasn’t something I looked forward to, but it had to be done.
I just never imagined my father would choose her to be my bride. Daniela Moretti, the daughter of my enemy…and I intended to treat her as such.
But since the day she set foot in my house as my wife, my loathing of her turned into something deadlier than hate. Her strength intrigued me. Her fight seduced me. And I started seeing more in her than just dirty, filthy Moretti blood.
Now…she’s gone. Kidnapped. Vanished without a trace.
But the devil always finds what’s his, and when I do, my thirst for vengeance will be sated by blood.
Ruthless Prince by Faith Summers
( standalone , mafia )
A dark mafia arranged marriage romance
We were destined for disaster from the second we met …
Massimo D’Agostino is the heir to his father’s empire.
Don’t be fooled by his handsome face, or that piercing blue gaze.
He’s no prince charming.
He’s dangerous and feared, possessive and fierce.
Our first meeting began with a contract that forced me to marry him and sign my life away.
I was a debt repayment and a pawn in his game to exact revenge against my father.
The only way out is death.
I belong to him now.
Me, the Balesteri Mafia Princess.
Pure and untouched…
Owned by the devil who placed me in a gilded cage.
But something unexpected happened the moment our paths collided.
It made me want more of what he had to offer every time I lay beneath him.
Then the past came knocking at the door and dark secrets scattered at my feet.
Suddenly I don’t know truth from lies.
Or, who the monster in this story is.
I thought it was my husband.
Now I’m not so sure…
“Ruthless Prince” is the first book in the Dark Syndicate series. It is a stand-alone Dark Mafia Enemies to Lovers Arranged Marriage Romance, complete with HEA and no cliffhangers.
Please note: this book is a dark mafia romance that contains mature content, graphic violence and may contain triggers. If such materials offend you, please do not read.
Scandalous Prince by Rachel Van Dyken
( standalone , mafia , second chance , best friends to lovers , plot twist)
The Woods are Lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep and miles to go, before I sleep —Robert Frost
I was born under fire and swore to protect her until my dying day, I just never knew that one day, I'd be the very monster I was protecting her from.
She didn't know it was me.
She didn't know that I had no choice and would do it again and again to save her.
I may as well have given her the mark on her finger.
The one that shows where her loyalty must lie.
Because we don't sin in silence.
And eventually, you have to pay up what you owe.
My need to protect her turned into a lie to save her.
And when she found out—I turned in to the very monster I was trying to protect her from.
Watching Violet Abandonato walk out of my life was like a knife to the chest, a wound that refused to heal.
The bosses sent me to protect her, to watch over her even though I was the demon she fled.
We both carry scars.
But if all I can have is her hate for as long as I breathe.
I'll take it.
Because at the end of the day, I should burn in Hell forever thinking Chase Abandonato's perfect angel would pick me—over her perfect life.
"I broke you," I confessed.
"The worst part… is that you liked it," she snapped right back.
Welcome to the second generation of the mafia, may the best man or woman, be left standing.
May God bless our tainted souls.
Marriage Debt by Clarrisa Wild
( standalone , bully , mafia king hero , childhood bully )
She ran from the mafia prince.
But he won’t stop until she’s his wife.
I’m Luca De Vos.
Heir to one of the most powerful mafia empires in the Netherlands.
Notorious mobster with a wicked taste for girls.
But there’s only one woman I truly wanted.
Jill Baas, mafia princess and the only woman who doesn’t want me.
She did the unforgivable and then ran away.
Now I’ll marry her sister.
Until Jill storms right back into my arms on our wedding day…
Begging me to marry her instead.
It’s a dream come true for a depraved sinner like me.
Jill Baas—the runaway bride—mine to mark, own, taint.
My wife.
I’ll put my ring on her finger…
And turn her world into a living nightmare.
The Marriage Debt is a jaw-dropping dark mafia romance and can be read as a standalone. WARNING: This book includes scenes that may be disturbing to some readers.
Empire by Rachel Van Dyken
( standalone , Arrange marriage , standalone but the series need to be read in order to enjoy and avoid major spoilers , second chance)
I have lost everything.
My purpose.
My love.
My soul.
Death knocks on my door, I want to answer, but every time I reach for the handle--the promise I made her, brings me back.
So I breathe.
I live.
I hate.
And I allow the anger to boil beneath the surface of a perfectly indifferent facade.
I am broken, I dont want to be fixed.
One last trip to New York, one last chance to redeem a lost part of the mafia family. The Empire is crumbling and it's my job to fix it, my job to mend the pieces that were scattered over thirty years ago.
The only issue is, the only way to fix, is to do something I swore I'd never do again.
An arranged marriage.
Only this time.
I won't fall.
Or so help me God, I'll kill her myself.
My name is Sergio Abandanoto, you think you know my pain, my suffering, my anger, my hate--you have no idea.
I am the mafia.
I am the darkness.
Blood in. No out.
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