If Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton left you breathless, disturbed, and desperately searching for more, welcome to the club. This BookTok phenomenon has taken the dark romance genre by storm, delivering a twisted tale of obsession, stalker romance, and morally grey heroes that readers simply cannot stop talking about. Zade Meadows, the vigilante hacker who stalks Adeline with an intensity that should terrify but instead captivates, has set a new standard for the dark romance antihero.
Whether you fell for the cat-and-mouse dynamic, the psychological tension, the gothic mansion setting, or the deliciously dark spice, we've curated the perfect list of books like Haunting Adeline to feed your obsession. These dark romance recommendations feature possessive heroes, morally complex storylines, and the kind of forbidden attraction that keeps you reading until 3am.
Content Warning: Like Haunting Adeline, the books on this list contain mature themes including violence, dubious consent, and other potentially triggering content. Please check individual trigger warnings before reading.
1. Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver
What happens when two rival serial killers who only target other serial killers accidentally meet? A murderously good time and an unexpected love story. Sloane (the Orb Weaver) finds herself trapped in a cage with her latest victim's corpse when Rowan (the Boston Butcher) stumbles upon her predicament. Rather than competing, they devise a twisted annual game: race to kill the same serial killer first. As their friendship deepens into something more, the ghosts of their past threaten everything they've built. This dark romantic comedy proves that even killers need someone who understands them.
Why You'll Love It:
Vigilante serial killer protagonists who only murder the worst of humanity
Dark humour and witty banter that balances the gore
Friends-to-lovers slow burn with explosive chemistry
If you loved Zade's morally grey vigilante work, Rowan and Sloane deliver similar energy
Perfect for readers who want dark romance with a comedic edge
2. Den of Vipers by K.A. Knight
When Roxy's deadbeat father sells her to the most dangerous mafia family in the city to cover his gambling debts, she expects to be broken. The Vipers - Ryder, Garrett, Kenzo, and Diesel; are ruthless, terrifying, and utterly without mercy. They tell her she's their toy to play with and discard. But Roxy isn't the meek victim they anticipated. Armed with a baseball bat and a sharp tongue, she refuses to cower. As the four dangerous men circle her, something shifts. The predators become obsessed with their prey, and Roxy discovers her own dark desires awakening.
Why You'll Love It:
Reverse harem dark romance with four possessive antiheroes
A fierce heroine who refuses to be a victim
Mafia setting with high-stakes danger
Intense power dynamics and enemies-to-lovers tension
Perfect for why choose readers who want multiple morally grey love interests
3. Verity by Colleen Hoover
Struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh accepts the job of a lifetime: complete the remaining books in a bestselling series for injured author Verity Crawford. Moving into the Crawford home to sort through Verity's notes, Lowen discovers an unfinished autobiography hidden in the office; a manuscript containing bone-chilling admissions that Verity never intended anyone to read. As Lowen becomes entangled with Verity's husband Jeremy and uncovers the truth about the family's tragic past, she must decide whether to reveal the horrifying secrets or protect the man she's falling for.
Why You'll Love It:
Psychological thriller meets dark romance
Unreliable narrators and mind-bending twists
Gothic, atmospheric setting in a creepy house
That same unsettling, can't-look-away energy as Haunting Adeline
Perfect for readers who love disturbing secrets and forbidden attraction
4. Corrupt by Penelope Douglas
Erika Fane has spent years watching Michael Crist from the shadows; her boyfriend's older brother, a professional basketball player, and the most terrifying man she's ever known. She's seen the dark things he does when no one's looking. Now in college, Rika thought she'd escaped Thunder Bay and its secrets. But Michael and his three friends, the infamous Horsemen, have finally noticed her. Three years ago on Devil's Night, something happened that changed everything. Now they're back for revenge, and Rika is caught in a dangerous game where the line between fear and desire blurs completely.
Why You'll Love It:
Enemies-to-lovers with intense psychological tension
Revenge plot that keeps you guessing
Morally grey hero who blurs the line between villain and love interest
Part of a bingeable series (Devil's Night) with interconnected standalones
Perfect for readers who want dark romance with a secret society element
5. Twisted Love by Ana Huang
Alex Volkov is cold, calculating, and incapable of love; or so he believes. When his best friend asks him to watch over his younger sister Ava while he's abroad, Alex agrees reluctantly. Ava is everything Alex despises: sunshine, optimism, and emotional vulnerability. But beneath his ice-cold exterior, something stirs. As Ava chips away at his walls, dark secrets from Alex's past threaten to destroy everything. He's spent years plotting revenge against the man who ruined his family; and Ava may be the key to his plan or its undoing.
Why You'll Love It:
Billionaire antihero with a traumatic past and revenge plot
Brother's best friend meets grumpy-sunshine dynamic
Possessive, protective hero who falls hard
First in the addictive Twisted series
Perfect for readers who want dark romance with a slightly lighter touch
6. Lights Out by Navessa Allen
Josh is a white-hat hacker terrified of becoming like his psychopathic father. Aly is fierce, independent, and has a dark sense of humour that matches his own. When Josh's obsession with Aly crosses the line from curiosity into full-blown stalking, he knows he should stop. But he can't. As their paths inevitably collide, Aly discovers she has a stalker; and finds herself more intrigued than frightened. What follows is a darkly comedic dance between two people who might just be perfect for each other, if they can survive their unconventional courtship.
Why You'll Love It:
Stalker romance with a comedic, self-aware twist
Hero who's aware his behaviour is problematic (and struggles with it)
Witty banter and laugh-out-loud moments
Strong heroine who gives as good as she gets
Perfect for readers who loved Haunting Adeline but want something with more humour
Find Your Next Dark Obsession
Whether you're searching for books like Haunting Adeline, stalker romance recommendations, or your next morally grey hero obsession, these six dark romance reads deliver everything that made H.D. Carlton's Cat and Mouse Duet so addictive. From vigilante killers to mafia antiheroes, psychological thrillers to revenge plots, each book offers the intense, consuming love stories that dark romance readers crave.
These BookTok favourites feature the tropes that dark romance readers love: possessive heroes, forbidden attraction, morally complex characters, and spice levels that'll have you fanning yourself. Just remember to check trigger warnings, as these books explore challenging themes similar to Haunting Adeline.
Ready to fall down the dark romance rabbit hole? Your next obsession is waiting.
Books Featured in This Article
Haunting Adeline
by H. D. Carlton
"The Manipulator. I can manipulate the emotions of anyone who lets me. I will make you hurt, make you cry, make you laugh and sigh. But my words don't affect him. Especially not when I plead for him to leave. He's always there, watching and waiting. And I can never look away. Not when I want him to come closer. The Shadow. I didn't mean to fall in love. But now that I have, I can't stay away. I'm mesmerized by her smile, by her eyes, and the way she moves. The way she undresses... I'll keep watching and waiting. Until I can make her mine. And once she is, I'll never let her go. Not even when she begs me to." --
Butcher & Blackbird
by Brynne Weaver
"Every serial killer needs a friend. Every game must have a winner. When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive--the friendship of a like-minded, pitch-black soul. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country. But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?"--
Den of Vipers
by K. A. Knight
Ryder, Garrett, Kenzo, and Diesel-The Vipers. They run this town and everyone in it. Their deals are as sordid as their business, and their reputation is enough to bring a grown man to his knees, forcing him to beg for mercy. They are not people you mess with, yet my dad did. The old man ran up a debt with them and then sold me to cover his losses.Yes, sold me. They own me now. I'm theirs in every sense of the word. But I've never been meek and compliant. These men, they look at me with longing. Their scarred, blood-stained hands holding me tight. They want everything I am, everything I have to give, and won't stop until they get just that. They can own my body, but they will never have my heart.The Vipers? I'm going to make them regret the day they took me. This girl? She bites too. 18+ Reverse Harem Romance. Warning this book contains scenes and references of abuse/assault that some readers may find triggering. Along with graphic sex scenes and violence. This is a dark book
Verity
by Colleen Hoover
#1 New York Times Bestseller USA Today Bestseller The Globe and Mail Bestseller Publishers Weekly Bestseller Whose truth is the lie? Stay up all night reading the sensational psychological thriller that has readers obsessed, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends With Us. Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of the night her family was forever altered. Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents could devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen's feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife's words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue loving her.
Corrupt
by Penelope Douglas
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas comes a new dark romance... Erika I was told that dreams were our heart's desires. My nightmares, however, became my obsession. His name is Michael Crist. My boyfriend's older brother is like that scary movie that you peek through your hand to watch. He's handsome, strong, and completely terrifying. The star of his college's basketball team and now gone pro, he's more concerned with the dirt on his shoe than me. But I noticed him. I saw him. I heard him. The things that he did, and the deeds that he hid...For years, I bit my nails, unable to look away. Now, I've graduated high school and moved on to college, but I haven't stopped watching Michael. He's bad, and the dirt I've seen isn't content to stay in my head anymore. Because he's finally noticed me. Michael Her name is Erika Fane, but everyone calls her Rika. My brother's girlfriend grew up hanging around my house and is always at our dinner table. She looks down when I enter a room and stills when I am close. I can always feel the fear rolling off of her, and while I haven't had her body, I know that I have her mind. That's all I really want anyway. Until my brother leaves for the military, and I find Rika alone at college. In my city. Unprotected. The opportunity is too good to be true, as well as the timing. Because you see, three years ago she put a few of my high school friends in prison, and now they're out. We've waited. We've been patient. And now every last one of her nightmares will come true. *Corrupt is a STANDALONE dark romance with no cliffhanger. It is suitable for ages 18+.
Twisted Love
by Ana Huang
From New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Ana Huang comes a billionaire brother's best friend romance! He has a heart of ice...but for her, he'd burn the world A diverse new adult steamy romance from Tiktok sensation and USA Today bestselling author Ana Huang. Alex Volkov is a devil blessed with the face of an angel and cursed with a past he can't escape. Driven by a tragedy that has haunted him for most of his life, his ruthless pursuits for success and vengeance leave little room for matters of the heart. But when he's forced to look after his best friend's sister, he starts to feel something in his chest: A crack. A melt. A fire that could end his world as he knew it. *** Ava Chen is a free spirit trapped by nightmares of a childhood she can't remember. But despite her broken past, she's never stopped seeing the beauty in the world...including the heart beneath the icy exterior of a man she shouldn't want. Her brother's best friend. Her neighbor. Her savior and her downfall. Theirs is a love that was never supposed to happen-but when it does, it unleashes secrets that could destroy them both...and everything they hold dear. Twisted Love is a contemporary brother's best friend/grumpy sunshine romance. It's book one in the Twisted series but can be read as a standalone.
Lights Out
by Navessa Allen
#1 New York Times bestselling series and Instant USA TODAY Bestseller The viral TikTok stalker dark romance, burning with high heat, hilarious banter, and a love story like you've never seen before. Can you handle the ride? I want someone with a soul as black as night. Someone who would burn the world down for me and not lose a single minute of sleep over it. Trauma nurse Aly Cappellucci doesn't need any more kinks. She likes the one she's landed on just fine. To her, nothing could top the masked men she follows online. Unless one of those men was shirtless, heavily tattooed, and waiting for her in her bedroom. She dreams about being hunted by one in particular, of him chasing her down and doing deliciously dark things to her willing body. She never could have guessed that by sending one drunken text, those dreams would become her new reality. I want things most people don't, craving darkness and depravity instead of light and love. Josh Hammond has spent his life avoiding the limelight, but his online persona is another story. At night, he posts masked thirst traps for his millions of fans to drool over, but one follower has caught his eye: Aly. After reading a comment begging him to break into her house wearing a mask, he decides to take her up on her offer. Together, Aly and Josh live out their darkest fantasies, unaware that Aly has captured the attention of someone else. Someone with far more sinister intentions than a little light stalking. As Josh turns from predator to protector and the stakes heighten, he must ask himself how far he's willing to go for the woman he's obsessed with. Lights Out is a fast-paced dark romance with a morally gray male lead. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. Please check the TWs at the beginning of the book. Tropes Stalker romance Morally grey MMC Masked stalker He falls first Black cat x golden retriever Kink friendly