Books like 'Defy'
Readers who enjoyed Defy by L.J. Shen also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance young adult new adult age difference bad boys alpha male forbidden love insta-love strong heroine
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Empire by Rachel Van Dyken
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... -
Trouble at Brayshaw High by Meagan Brandy
"You don't belong." No words whispered in anger have ever rung more true. They're the Kings of Brayshaw with the world at their feet, destined for greatness and in need of control. I'm the girl from the gutter with nothing to offer and as defiant as they come. They say it doesn't matter, that I'm one of them now, and nothing could ever change that. Not even me, should I dare try... -
Long Way Down by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe TikTok sensation Addicted Series continues with Long Way Down , now in a print edition with special bonus material!With a seven-year age difference, Ryke Meadows and Daisy Calloway have faced an uphill battle in the eyes of the world and their families. Known as the most adventurous, fast-paced couple, their next step has always been elusive to the rabid media...Categorized as:
new adult age difference alpha male angst sports bad boys forbidden love contemporary -
One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker
Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents' tragic death and Kacey's self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would.. -
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Speed by B.B. Easton
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWith Netflix adapting BB's 44 CHAPTERS ABOUT 4 MEN into a new series, you're going to want the full story behind her outrageous adventures. Because BB Easton had so much fun writing her bestselling, award-winning memoir, she decided to give each of her four men his own steamy standalone... -
Sweet Retribution by Siobhan Davis, Robin Harper
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn the power struggle between two elite groups, one feisty girl will bring them to their knees… Discover how the story concludes for Abby in the final book in the trilogy. The release date will be brought forward in due course...Categorized as:
new adult alpha male angst bad boys cruel hero suspense contemporary from hate to love -
Twisted Betrayal: A Dark High School Bully Romance by Siobhan Davis, Robin Harper
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsThe second installment in the Rydeville High Elite series. The release date will be brought forward... -
Sinful Knight by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you a new dark mafia, high school bully romance story set in the Knight's Ridge Empire world. The night we met, she left behind a lot more than just her shoes on my bedroom floor. She left an impression. A lasting memory burned into my brain. It teases me… tortures me. Months have passed since that night...Categorized as:
new adult high-school forbidden love bad boys alpha male contemporary young adult abuse -
Dark Legacy by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you a new dark mafia, high school bully romance story set in the Knight's Ridge Empire world. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy.That our love could start a war...Dear reader,Dark Legacy is the twelfth book in my Knight's Ridge Empire series, and the third book of Calli and Batman's story... -
Skin by B.B. Easton
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWith Netflix adapting BB's 44 CHAPTERS ABOUT 4 MEN into a new series, you're going to want the full story behind her roller-coaster love story with the ultimate bad boy. Because BB Easton had so much fun writing her bestselling, award-winning memoir, she decided to give each of her four men his own steamy standalone...Categorized as:
forbidden love bad boys alpha male angst new adult high-school contemporary from hate to love -
Logan Kade by Tijan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsPeople think that just because they know my name, my reputation, and my family that they know me. They don't.They say I’m a manwhore, but who wouldn’t be with my face and body? They say I’m a partier, and that's not going to change. They say I'm a fighter, and hell yes I am. F*ck with mine, and I’ll f*ck you back ten times worse.So, yes. Maybe what they say is true, but that’s not all of me... -
May We Rise by K.G. Reuss
Possessive. Violent. Perfect. Mine.After our time at Black Falls High, we moved to Mayfair, the college of my dreams. With my singing career taking shape, Fox’s football career off and running, Ethan’s photography, and Enzo and Cole’s. . .well, whatever secret things they do happening, life seemed good.Too good.If there’s one thing I know about my life it’s that nothing good ever lasts... -
Wicked Princess by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you the next installment of her new dark mafia, high school bully romance series.My entire life has been a lie.The one person I've trusted despite all his secrets has shattered my faith, and the men around me have proved just how unworthy they really are...Categorized as:
sports cruel hero new adult strong heroine high-school young adult from hate to love dark -
Corrupt Union by Tracy Lorraine
I found everything I didn’t know I needed. Accepted forgiveness I didn’t deserve.She fought for us. Killed for us. She was one of us. And there was no way I was letting her go… again. But I’m not the only one with wicked intentions for my siren. With her missing, we turn our blame to an obvious enemy. But our path of destruction could be leading us right into another trap...Categorized as:
new adult cruel hero bad boys alpha male age difference high-school angst contemporary -
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Bradford Butcher by Sheridan Anne
One life. Two lives. Three lives. Four.My hands are stained from the blood and the gore.The screams and cries of agonizing pain.If I lose them now, I’ll never be the same.My sister, my cousin … my whole damn world.It was my worst nightmare come to life, and I don’t know how the hell I’m supposed to survive.I thought that night was the end of it... -
Reckless Dynasty by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you the next installment of her dark mafia, high school bully romance story set in the Knight's Ridge Empire world.My life has been full of half-truths tangled in lies—I’d been to hell and back more times than I could count... -
Corrupt Princess by Tracy Lorraine
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you the next instalment of her forbidden dark mafia, high school bully romance story set in the Knight's Ridge Empire world.I learned from a very young age that the only person I could count on was myself.For years I’ve been content with meaningless one-night stands and zero promises for tomorrow... -
If You Dare by Shantel Tessier
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe game was over. The dares were getting old, and the secrets were piling up faster than the bodies.But someone had other plans. They wanted to play a new game.Becky Holt was the love of his life until he found out what she was hiding. Now he wants to seek his revenge in the most daring way.Deke Biggs has always been a shark. He's not afraid to kill, and he's about to become her worst nightmare...Categorized as:
sports bad boys angst cruel hero new adult secret-relationship from hate to love dark -
Tame: Savannah Heirs by Coralee June, Raven Kennedy
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI’ve got a secret I’ve got bruises no one can see and the devil’s blood running through my veins. If I want to end my father’s reign, I’ve got to help Rocco Nomar with his daughter. She’s broken, jaded. A sad, pretty little thing with a big heart and eyes that make me feel like I’m drowning. She’s not swayed by the social politics of Savannah, but she has my heart doing double takes... -
Lost Girl by Sheridan Anne
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWho the f&*k gave Slade Cruz this kind of power over me?I don’t know how it happened. One minute he was the guy I loathed and the next thing I knew, I was waking up beside him desperate to get out of there.When secrets are revealed, Slade and I realize that we are more connected than we could have ever known... -
The Other Side by Kim Holden
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsDenver, Colorado1987There are two sides to every story.The surface reality that’s presented to the world.And then there’s the other side.The real one.The one that matters.Seventeen-year-old, self-proclaimed asshole, Toby Page, is alone.No friends.No family.He trades maintenance work in exchange for room and board.Every day he fights demons no one else can see.Every day he wants to give up... -
Legend by Tracy Lorraine
I made one mistake…And she made one phone call that nearly destroyed my life.I’ve spent the past year plotting my revenge and imagining all the wicked things I’d do to her when our paths finally crossed again.I just had no idea it would be so soon.The last thing I expected when I re-entered the world was to find myself right in the middle of hers...Categorized as:
cruel hero high-school sports secret-relationship bad boys new adult from hate to love dark -
Real Girl by Sheridan Anne
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLucien Valentine must die.It’s the thought that’s kept me going for four long years. I’ve imagined it, dreamed about it, relished in it. I want it so bad, but the question is, do I have what it takes to make it happen?Taking a life isn’t for the faint-hearted. Just ask Lucien, he knows.He’s taken me back to where it all started and I know exactly how it’s going to go... -
Beyond Vengeance by R.A. Smyth
I know better. I know better than to be complacent.Finding my family was supposed to be a dream come true, but it’s only brought more questions, more secrets and forced family responsibilities. Surprisingly, Hawk is by my side while dealing with the utter ridiculousness our parents keep pushing on me...Categorized as:
new adult high-school cruel hero secret-relationship young adult contemporary reverse harem dark -
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The Devastation You Reap by Tracy Lorraine
He never wanted me. He only wanted retaliation. But I’m not the monster he thinks I am... -
Taint Her: A Dark High School Bully Romance by Caitlyn Dare
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHe wants to ruin her. She wants to save him.Hadley Rexford was a distraction I didn’t need. But when she discovers me with blood on my hands, I know I can’t walk away without demanding her silence.I’ll taint her.Torment her.In the end, I’ll ruin her.Cole Jagger was a puzzle I wanted to solve. But he refuses to let me in, and now I’m ensnared in his trap.He’s cold.Immoral...Categorized as:
new adult sports cruel hero contemporary young adult suspense from hate to love dark -
The Moth and the Flame by B.B. Reid
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThey're the best of friends or the worst of friends. Neither one is letting go.THE FLAMEHere lies Louchana Valentine. She was a homeless, orphaned virgin.I never cared what my gravestone would say until I landed in deep with a powerful gangster. Lucky for me, my best friend happens to be ruthless too. I should feel guilty that he's forced to turn on the man who's been a father to him... -
The Resolution of Callie & Kayden by Jessica Sorensen
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsThings are well for Callie and Kayden. They’re still dealing with their past and the pain connected to it, but for the most part they’ve moved on. The biggest decision they have at the moment is what they want to do with their lives in the future. Eventually, though, the past catches up with them and they’re left facing tough choices... -
Shame by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsEverything done in darkness, will eventually be brought into the light. I ran, but all it did was keep me one step ahead of my past. I tried to start over; new name, new identity. But you can't change your soul. A fresh start at college was just what I needed. For a while, it worked. I was the party girl, the one that seemed confident, but it was a lie. When guys kissed me--I felt only pain... -
Badly Behaved by Meagan Brandy
I’m a Monet. A chameleon. I’m whatever I must be.And what I must be is a flawless daughter, a skilled socialite, and the perfect prize to the man who signed along the dotted line. Not that I’m complaining. I’m all for a contractual agreement, a quick and clean catapult into the next phase of rich girl life. One that takes little thought, less effort, and zero devotion. It’s exactly what I want...Categorized as:
new adult sports angst bad boys alpha male high-school contemporary friends to lovers -
Fallen Crest Family by Tijan
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsSamantha and Mason are together. Everyone knows it. Not everyone is dealing with it. While Mason's ready to give them the middle finger, there's one not going away. Her mother. Threats are issued. Ultimatums are given. Even blackmail is used, but only Samantha can put a stop to Analise. However, when a trauma from her past is triggered, she may not have the courage or strength to do what's needed... -
Normal by Danielle Pearl
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIt's the kind of situation most people would dread. Starting at a new high school, in the middle of my senior year, in a new town, in a new state. I know no one. No one knows me. That's what I'm counting on. A year ago, Aurora "Rory" Pine was just a normal teenage girl - just as sweet and naive as the fairy tale princess she was named after. But this isn't a year ago... -
Wild Girl by Sheridan Anne
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsHave you ever known what it feels like to die?It’s not great. Trust me, I don’t recommend it.I’ve always said that my life is about surviving, but I didn’t realize how true that was until the devil sent me soaring off a bridge with the love of my life and lodged a bullet through my thigh.It’s not my time to die... -
Bradford Bastard by Sheridan Anne
There are three things I know for sure.One, hot wax on the coochie ain’t for everybody. Two, diamonds aren’t a girl’s best friend—tampons are. And three, Tanner Morgan is an asshole.I’m sure if I hadn’t spilled beer all over him and gave a subtle suggestion of where he could shove his best friend’s dick, perhaps we would have started out on a better note...Categorized as:
high-school cruel hero new adult bad boys strong heroine athletes from hate to love young adult -
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Requiem by Callie Hart
SORRELLHe’s going to pay for what he’s done…Theo Merchant was born into a kind of privilege I’ve never known.He has everything I don’t: Money. A private school education. Popularity. A bright and shiny future, full of success to look forward to. He took the only thing I had going for me—my best friend, Rachel. Now that she’s gone, I have nothing left to lose.I will infiltrate his world...Categorized as:
high-school new adult angst alpha male cruel hero athletes strong heroine from hate to love -
Hunter by Tracy Lorraine
I’m a nobody... until everybody realizes who I am and who I’m related to.Then it’s like a giant target is painted on my back. They all think they can use me to climb the Rosewood High royalty ladder.They obviously underestimate me. I won’t cower down or give in.They can’t break me. But he can... without even trying.Zayn Hunter.He doesn’t want to use me..Categorized as:
cruel hero sports high-school new adult from hate to love virgin heroine dark contemporary -
The Golden Boys by Rachel Jonas, Nikki Thorne
West Golden—easy to hate, yet so hard to resist.Don’t let that pretty face of his fool you. He isn’t the boy next door, or the kind you trust with your heart. He’s the devil in designer jeans, with all the charm of a bona fide psycho.Trust me.He swears I did something to cross him before I even stepped foot inside Cypress Prep, but it’s a lie... -
Playing with Fire by L.J. Shen
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 62 ratingsA broken boy on the path to destruction.A scarred girl without direction.A love story carved in secrets, inked with pain and sealed with a lie.Grace Shaw and West St. Claire are arctic opposites.She is the strange girl from the food truck.He is the mysterious underground fighter who stormed into her sleepy Texan college town on his motorcycle one day, and has been wreaking havoc since... -
Wreck Me by Jessica Sorensen
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWhen Avery Hensley met Conner Wellings, she thought she’d found the guy she was going to spend the rest of her life with. She got married young and had the most beautiful son in the world. Life seemed perfect. But not everything is what it seems. Turned out Conner had another side to him, a darker side that Avery didn’t see coming... -
Campfire Chaos by K. Webster
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author K Webster comes a forbidden, enemies to lovers romance called Campfire Chaos!I have a new problem.Cal Hutton.Town’s lawless, gorgeous bad boy. A Hood River Hoodlum. My new nemesis.He wants me to pay for what I did.Cal thinks I’m weak and an unworthy adversary, someone he can toy with.But I’ll never allow another man to have that power over me.I have claws now...Categorized as:
new adult high-school cruel hero alpha male angst bad boys age difference from hate to love -
Out of the Dark by Danah Logan
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLillyMy name is the only truth they didn’t take from me.Betrayed by my family, my desperate need for answers put me back on his radar.The one person who was never supposed to find me.Again.I was unprepared for the world I got thrust into—the connection we shared.The deeper I dug, the more unstable my future became.With Rhys as my anchor, I will fight to bring my past out of the dark... -
Tempting Little Thief: Alternate Cover Edition by Meagan Brandy
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFrom USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Meagan Brandy comes a steamy forbidden romance featuring a possessive hero … who falls first and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Bastian Bishop. That’s his name. He’s rough, rugged, and utterly unpredictable. He’s not cautious or contemplative. He’s a volcano. Silent and steady one second, and a nightmare in the next...Categorized as:
new adult sports high-school strong heroine angst forbidden love contemporary college -
The Not-Outcast (Hardcover Edition) by Tijan
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsCutler Ryder was everything I wasn't.He was the hockey star. I was an outcast.He was best friends with my stepbrother, that same stepbrother who hated me.His two parents loved him. My mom was a junkie. My dad barely knew me.Years passed.I got my life together.Cut went onto NHL stardom.Then there was a text.I was drinking.There was a party.Cut was there.. -
Ravage Me by Ryan Michele
After spending the last two years stuck behind bars for a crime she didn’t commit, Harlow ‘Princess’ Gavelson’s time inside has finally come to an end, and she’s ready for revenge. Unfortunately, being the daughter to the Vice President of the Ravage Motorcycle Club cuts into her plans, as orders must be followed...Categorized as:
strong heroine insta-love bad boys alpha male cruel hero new adult angst young adult -
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Echoes by Dylan Page
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBlurb & cover to come!!Release date is a placeholder... -
Savage: A Dark High School Bully Romance by Caitlyn Dare
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA new dark romance from the bestselling author of the Rebels at Sterling Prep series.No one knows the code of the Sinners MC better than me.Born and raised in the club, I’ve spent most of my life rebelling against my daddy’s strict rules and overprotective nature.When an old MC rivalry resurfaces, I find myself with not one, but two surly biker babysitters...Categorized as:
new adult sports cruel hero alpha male high-school bad boys contemporary young adult -
Broken Hate by Thandiwe Mpofu
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhat’s wrong Baby Blue? Did you mistake his forced sincerity for love?Every kiss will fade in time.Every memory will fade in time.Every smile, every teardrop, every wound—it’ll all dry up—in time.But every lie? That shit only gets bigger and more devastating with time.In time.. -
The End Game by Kate McCarthy
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 20 ratings“Professional athletes are pillars of their respective communities. They are heroes in the eyes of boys and girls and are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that positively represents their community.” The public loves a good scandal. Seeing someone fall from the pinnacle of success makes a great headline. No one knows that better than I do... -
Dusty by YellowBella, TeamBella23
Now published as InnocentsShe loves him. He loves her crazy. She's a hopeless romantic. He's just hopeless. She's afraid to let go. He won't let her. A story about a silly girl in love with a foolish boy. Here, forever is a lie...Categorized as:
new adult high-school angst bad boys forbidden love alpha male young adult contemporary -
A Whole New Crowd by Tijan
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsTaryn grew up in a different world. Her boyfriend was a criminal. His older brother was part of a gang. They weren’t great people, but they were her family. Then everything changes when she’s adopted by a family in the neighboring town. New family. New friends. A new world. She’s elated...Categorized as:
strong heroine alpha male bad boys angst new adult high-school contemporary young adult
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