Are you look for dark romance series recs that will put you in a chokehold? You want morally grey and even a touch of morally black MMC’s? You want to question why you find certain scenes hotter than expected? Well, I’ve got a list of dark romance series recs that will do all of this and more.
Dark romance is typically my go to genre of choice. I read it, write it, devour it. Except, there’s nothing I love more than a grab you by the throat dark romance series that refuses to let go. And that’s what I’m sharing today.
These series will hook you and keep you hooked until the very end, some of them follow the same main characters and some will switch to new main characters with each book.
Now. I have 18 series in this list, which means it’s a whole hell of a lot of books. And since some of the books switch between characters or don’t have an overarching plot, I’m going to do things a little differently in this recommendation post.
18 Dark Romance Series Recs
The Ruinous Love Trilogy by Brynne Weaver
What happens when you mix thriller, horror, and rom com in a series? You get a dark romantic comedy that will have you equally horrified, and laugh out loud moments. Following three brothers, and women who will surprise you at every single turn.
Serial killer FMC’s, and MC’s mixed with dark humor, and kick your feet giggles will have you binge reading the entire Ruinous Love Trilogy by Brynne Weaver.
Read my full recommendations of Butcher and Blackbird, Leather and Lark, and Scythe and Sparrow.
Pucking Wrong Series by CR Jane
Following Hockey players in an inner circle friendship, and the absolute obsessions they feel over the FMC’s.
Over the top protective, obsessive, and possessive MMC’s who erase the lines between morally acceptable ways to win over a woman. In this case we give them a pass because it’s kinda cute how they work to win over the FMCs. The Pucking Wrong Series by CR Jane is a must read.
Read my full recommendations of Pucking Wrong Number, Pucking Wrong Guy, Pucking Wrong Date, Pucking Wrong Man, and Pucking Wrong Rookie.
Cat and Mouse Series by HD Carlton
Trauma and healing are the main themes for these incredibly dark, disturbing, and dive into a world containing the worst of the worst humans. After reading the Duet I do highly recommend reading the spin off books as well.
Obsession, stalking, and other dark and twisted topics take center stage in a series that will absolutely destroy you. Yes it’s true it will leave you questioning yourself, but it will also take you through heart breaking trauma. Reader beware and check those trigger warnings cause the Cat and Mouse Duet by HD Carlton gets extremely dark.
Read my full recommendation of the Cat and Mouse Duet here.
Unrelenting Series by Jayne Katway
Following the heirs of the Teresi family mafia as they take on both the legal and not so legal aspects of their family businesses, as well as how each of them falls hard for their women. Found family aspects can be found between the women as they each are brought into a new dangerous life.
A shameless self promo – The Unrelenting series starts off on the lighter side of dark, getting darker with each heir’s book, and the women are vengeful, loyal, and not afraid to get involved in the fight.
Perfectly Imperfect Series by Neva Altaj
Following various people involved in organized crime, each book features a main character or two who face this life with a disability. The twelfth book comes out in April 2026, but the stand alone nature of each book means you don’t need to read them in order or binge them to follow along.
Heart wrenching stories on the lighter side of dark, with obsessive, possessive, and protective mmc’s and the women who stand by their sides. The Perfectly Imperfect series by Neva Altaj is a fantastic series for beginner dark romance readers.
Into Darkness Series by Navessa Allen
Following friends, these mmc’s are obsessive stalkers who will do anything it takes to win over the women they desire. The third book is expected for 2026.
If you want dark but also want to laugh out loud, this is the Into Darkness series by Navessa Allen is for you. The women are strong, the men are possessive, and they will leave you wanting to flip back to page one just to relive the story again.
Read my full recommendations of Lights Out and Caught Up.
Never After Series by Emily McIntire
The Never After series by Emily McIntire gives you a unique story with each book and these men range from cool, calm, and collected, to entirely unhinged. Not to mention each story is a twist of some of our favorite childhood fairy tales, movies, and stories.
Each book is a complete standalone telling a completely different story where the villain always gets their partner. You’ll get vastly different characters with different background, traumas, and often healing or learning what it means to be made the priority when no one else ever did.
Read my full recommendations of Hooked, Scarred, Wretched, Twisted, and Crossed with Hexed coming soon.
Kings of Mafia Series by Michelle Heard
Following the leaders of the five mafia families, each man is everything you want your mafia men to be, obsessed, protective, and possessive. The Kings of Mafia Series by Michelle Heard is on the lighter side of dark so it’s perfect for any new dark romance readers.
Each book is a complete standalone, however, you will likely want to read all of them in a row because you’ll want more from the world.
LORDS Series by Shantel Tessier
Secret societies, manipulation, and danger surround the men of the LORDS series. Trauma, healing, and over the top obsessed men take center stage in a world that would take everything from them, including their lives, if they don’t play by the rules.
The LORDS series by Shantel Tessier needs to be read in order, and be prepared for some of the darkest plot points you will ever read. It’ll trap you in the story and leave you begging for the next book.
The Soldiers of Anarchy by Nikki J Summers
When the systems around them failed, these men took it upon themselves to protect the innocent. A group of five men who rule their small town as vigilantes.
The Soldiers of Anarchy series was my first introduction to Nikki J Summers and why I read every book she publishes. The found family trope plays a large role in these books as these men are obsessed, protective, and live by a code to protect each other and their women.
Alliance Series by SJ Tilly
What happens when a rom com author goes dark? Something absolutely beautiful. You get men who will do whatever it takes to keep the woman, laugh out loud moments of insanity, and stories that leave you reaching for the next book in the series.
This is exactly what happened to me upon picking up the Alliance series, and it’s one that I’d happily reread often. While each man varies slightly with their levels of unhinged behavior, SJ Tilly nailed it with each and every character in this series.
Read my full recommendations of Nero, King, Dom, and Hans.
Monsters and Muses by Sav R. Miller
Six standalone books with completely unhinged men, strong women, with twists that leave your head spinning. While lightly connected, and characters making multiple appearances throughout the series, you won’t need to read all, but I recommend it.
The Monsters and Muses series by Sav R. Miller was one I actually started with the first book and read each one as it came out. Most of the time I wait to binge read a series in it’s entirety, but with this one I couldn’t wait. Luckily for you, you can binge read them without waiting.
Sick Boys by Lucy Smoke
Want to dive into a corrupt world around a university, the Sick Boys series by Lucy Smoke is for you. This series absolutely needs to be read in order. This series has plot twists so hard it’ll make you sit up and clutch your tablet or book until your knuckles ache.
Lucy Smoke has given us a brilliantly connected series with an overarching plot while still following different couples. And the way she ties everything together is absolutely perfect.
Saint and Sinners by Ruby Vincent
Beware: Plot twists ahead. The Saint and Sinners series by Ruby Vincent is a why choose romance with rivals to lovers vibes, and a corrupted city needing a massive overhaul.
A similar shared mission doesn’t always mean it’s going to work out well for our characters. Pasts, twists, and betrayal plays heavy roles in this series that will leave you turning pages and reaching for the next book.
Reaped by CA Rene and RE Bond
So we’ve talked about completely unhinged men right? Well, in this case our FMC is our unhinged character, and nothing will stop her from finding her missing sister, including the four men who want to keep her.
That first book will leave you on a cliffhanger but no worries the spicy goodness continues, there’s just a lot of murder some twisted lullabies, and some good old fashioned revenge that happens between it. If you love a revenge plot the Reaped series by CA Rene and RE Bond is for you.
Saint View Psychos by Elle Thorpe
To date, one of my most favorite series, and honestly the entire Saint View universe has me in an absolute chokehold. Elle Thorpe is a master of twisted plot driven stories, with amazing characters, and spice that keeps you turning pages.
While the universe starts with Saint View High, I actually recommend reading Saint View Psychos first before diving into Saint View High and Saint View Prison. I think about these book at least once a week, they are my Roman Empire.
Read my full recommendation of the Saint View Psychos series here.
Mindfuck Series by ST Abby
While absolutely dark in the content, the romance in this series is actually kinda sweet, well I mean as sweet as it can be between an FBI agent MMC and a serial killer FMC. Oh add in the fact that he has no clue the killer he’s trying to find is his girlfriend.
The Mindf*ck Series by ST Abby will leave you absolutely wrecked. I’m not typically one for any type of law enforcement romances, it’s just not my thing, but in this case I made an exception and I was glad for it. I absolutely adore a revenge plot.
Four Horsemen by Sarah Bailey
What happens when a girl who has no memory of her past, is planted in a company owned by her ex best friends, and is supposed to report back to her “family.” A whole lot of fuckery, especially since the ex best friends remember her all too well.
A dark why choose, the Four Horsemen series by Sarah Bailey will leave you saying “What the actual fuck,” not just about the plot twists but in why you found certain things that shouldn’t be sexy, completely and totally hot.
Dark Romance Series
I’m a sucker for a fantastic dark romance series, and these were just some of my favorites. This list will continue on again, likely in a different post. If you like dark romance and want to sink into a world filled with plot twists, questionable kinks, and characters that will leave an imprint on your mind, these are my personal go to recommendations.
Have you read a dark romance series that has stuck with you? If so, which one? Let me know in the comments below.