I’m a Claire Contreras superfan and am not ashamed to admit it. Mix her poetic prose with complex backstories, emotional situations, morally grey heroes, and strong female protagonists and you get perfection.*chef’s kiss* You can’t go wrong with any book from her growing library but if I had to choose one to recommend it would be Until I Get to You. Lachlan is a college hockey star and on his way to the NHL. Naturally, all the girls on campus are vying for his attention. All except one. Lyla does everything to stay out of the spotlight, including dressing in baggy clothes and avoiding dating. Parts of her are broken from past trauma she can’t escape from. Something about Lyla calls to Lachlan and he is determined to break down all her walls. Just when it looks like they will get their happy ending, a nefarious force tears them apart. Lachlan never stops trying to find Lyla and after three years of searching, he finds her and vows to make her pay for destroying his life. This book is an emotional rollercoaster with perfect character development and a bit of mystery.

This book was my introduction to the dark romance genre. One hit and I was addicted. The young Senator Wolfe Keaton is the epitome of a dark hero. His actions are on par with an anti-hero causing you to love and hate him. And trust me, you will hate him. Francesca Rossi is the daughter of a cruel mob boss and Wolfe’s nemesis. Francesca lives a privileged if sheltered life and is blissfully in love with her childhood friend. Everything is going swimmingly until Wolfe swoops in and steals her away to get back at her father. Wolfe and Francesca’s love story is not pretty and sweet. It is ugly and twisted. Yet, somehow L.J. Shen manages to manipulate us into loving Wolfe and rooting for a hard-fought happy ending.

The Sweetest Oblivion is a relatively tame dip into the Mob world. This one will have you rooting for the bad guy and Nicolas Russo is a bad guy. He is a mob boss in New York City with questionable morals and a dangerous reputation. Elena, nicknamed Sweet Abelli, would be the perfect, pretty mob princess if not for one mistake that still haunts her. When Nicolas’s engagement to Elena’s younger sister is called off, he demands to marry Elena instead. Nicolas is cruel and not afraid to show his disdain for Elena. However, Elena is determined to use her sweetness and docile nature to melt the ice around his cold heart even though she plans on betraying him. The Sweetest Oblivion is an easy, quick read for those who are just starting out on their dark romance journey.