Romantic suspense series and dark romance thrillers
For dark romance thriller books by Ella Miles, start with Mistaken Hero, book 1 of the complete Retribution Games series, or read Lies We Share before Vicious Lies for a hitman and buried secrets. For contemporary romantic suspense, start Maybe with Maybe Yes or Aligned with Volume 1. Below are all eight series labeled Romantic suspense in the catalog, grouped by their dark or contemporary genre labels and listed in reading order.
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These are romance books for adult readers, including dark romance. Check each book’s description before choosing; themes differ by title. Aligned: Volume 4 warns of hot sex scenes and dark pasts that grow darker; its description includes rape and attempted killing.
Choose a romantic suspense book series
For dark romantic suspense, Retribution Games centers on a deadly contest, Truth or Lies on captivity and betrayal, Lies on a hitman and secrets, Sinful Truths on rescue and dangerous promises, and Retribution Kings on marriage deals and revenge. Start with the opener or prequel listed for your chosen series.
For the contemporary suspense group, Maybe begins with family expectations and an arranged marriage; Definitely follows Scarlett Bell and a dangerous stranger; Aligned follows Alex Blakely and musician Landon Davis. These three are labeled Contemporary romance and Romantic suspense rather than Dark romance. This grouping is not a heat rating or a promise of mild content: their descriptions still contain danger and dark pasts.
Maybe and Definitely are separate trilogies with shared characters, with Definitely set later. Truth or Lies, Sinful Truths, and Lies also share connected characters and couples. Keep each series’ numbered order separate from its collections.
Dark romantic suspense
These five series carry both Dark romance and Romantic suspense genre labels.
Retribution Games reading order
Start with Mistaken Hero. A mafia princess and a man seeking revenge enter dangerous games in which winning her and her father’s empire is the prize.
Complete six-book series; read in order rather than as standalones.
Full descriptions and retailer options6 numbered books
| Book | Title | Main tropes and story themes | Standalone or cliffhanger | Buy links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mistaken Hero | Mafia princess, Revenge | Cliffhanger; read in order | Amazon |
| 2 | Forbidden Princess | Mafia princess, Revenge | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 3 | Tempted Hero | Rescue, Dangerous games | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 4 | Fatal Princess | Betrayal | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 5 | Tortured Hero | Love versus duty | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 6 | Dangerous Princess | Mafia princess, Secrets | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
Collection 1 contains books 1–3; Collection 2 contains books 4–6. Find both on the series page.
Truth or Lies reading order
Start the numbered novels with Taken by Lies, after the prequel novella Lured by Lies (0.5). Kidnapping, captivity, and claims of ownership make this a dark crime-romance choice alongside the explicitly mafia-focused Retribution Games.
Complete six-novel series plus a prequel novella; read in order rather than as standalones.
Full descriptions and retailer options6 numbered books , plus a prequel or prologue
Before book 1: Lured by Lies (prequel 0.5)
| Book | Title | Main tropes and story themes | Standalone or cliffhanger | Buy links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 (prequel) | Lured by Lies | Assassin and target | Prequel novella; cliffhanger | Search AmazonApple Books · ebook |
| 1 | Taken by Lies | Captivity, Betrayal | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 2 | Betrayed by Truths | Captivity, Secrets | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 3 | Trapped by Lies | Captivity, Betrayal | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 4 | Stolen by Truths | Captivity | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 5 | Possessed by Lies | Love and danger | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 6 | Consumed by Truths | Secrets | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
Taken collects books 1–3; Stolen collects books 4–6. The prequel’s verified ebook link is on Apple Books; the Amazon search link is provided separately.
Lies reading order
Read the Lies We Share prologue, then start the numbered novels with Vicious Lies. Liesel needs a hitman; Langston answers and intends to collect the debt. Their shared childhood and secrets carry through the story.
Six numbered novels plus a prologue in a connected series story. Completion status is not specified; read in order rather than as standalones.
Full descriptions and retailer options6 numbered books , plus a prequel or prologue
Before book 1: Lies We Share (prologue)
| Book | Title | Main tropes and story themes | Standalone or cliffhanger | Buy links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (prequel) | Lies We Share | Shared childhood | Prequel; read before book 1 | Amazon |
| 1 | Vicious Lies | A hitman, Secrets | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 2 | Desperate Lies | Love versus duty | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 3 | Fated Lies | Love versus duty | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 4 | Cruel Lies | Secrets | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 5 | Dangerous Lies | Love and danger | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 6 | Endless Lies | Love versus duty | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
Vicious and Endless are separate collection editions; Lies We Share is the prologue. See the series page for all retailer options.
Sinful Truths reading order
Start with Sinful Truth. Siren saves a man from the ocean; when she is about to be sold to the highest bidder, he wants to save her in return. The next book follows a promise that leaves her unable to escape.
Six listed novels in a connected series story. Completion status is not specified; read in order rather than as standalones.
Full descriptions and retailer options| Book | Title | Main tropes and story themes | Standalone or cliffhanger | Buy links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sinful Truth | Rescue, Captivity | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 2 | Twisted Vow | Dangerous promises, Captivity | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 3 | Reckless Fall | Love and debt | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 4 | Tangled Promise | Dangerous promises | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 5 | Fallen Love | Love and danger | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 6 | Broken Anchor | Love and danger | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
Sinful and Broken are collection editions, separate from the six numbered novels. See the series page for all retailer options.
Retribution Kings reading order
Start with Lennox, then Rialta, Hayes, and Lilith. Marriage deals, a mission to claim a woman, and revenge connect these two couples. Lilith’s description includes her father’s killing and a possible marriage to the leader of the Retribution Kings.
Four listed novels in a connected series, following two couples. Completion status is not specified; read in order rather than as standalones.
Full descriptions and retailer options| Book | Title | Main tropes and story themes | Standalone or cliffhanger | Buy links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lennox | Marriage deal | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 2 | Rialta | Revenge | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 3 | Hayes | Mistaken identity | Cliffhanger; read in order | Amazon |
| 4 | Lilith | Revenge, Marriage deal | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
Collection 3 contains Lennox, Rialta, and Hayes; Lilith is separate. Find collection details on the series page.
Contemporary romantic suspense
Maybe, Definitely, and Aligned carry Contemporary romance and Romantic suspense genre labels. Check the descriptions for dark themes before choosing.
Maybe reading order
Start with Maybe Yes. Kinsley Felton’s inheritance depends on following her family’s wishes, including marrying a man they choose. The later descriptions bring secrets, deceit, and choices between love and duty into her story.
Complete three-book series, also available in a complete-series edition; read in order rather than as standalones.
Full descriptions and retailer options3 numbered books
| Book | Title | Main tropes and story themes | Standalone or cliffhanger | Buy links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maybe Yes | Family expectations, Marriage arrangement | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 2 | Maybe Never | Secrets, Betrayal | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 3 | Maybe Always | Secrets, Love versus duty | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
Maybe: The Complete Series is an alternative edition of this trilogy. Definitely is a separate three-book sequence with shared characters, set later.
Definitely reading order
Start Scarlett Bell’s story with Definitely Yes. An ex-boyfriend and a dangerous stranger offer different possibilities; later descriptions follow her attraction to Beast and the secrets she keeps to protect others.
Complete three-book series, also available in a complete-series edition; read in order rather than as standalones.
Full descriptions and retailer options3 numbered books
| Book | Title | Main tropes and story themes | Standalone or cliffhanger | Buy links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Definitely Yes | A dangerous stranger, A dark past | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 2 | Definitely No | Dangerous attraction | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 3 | Definitely Forever | Secrets, Love and danger | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
Definitely: The Complete Series is an alternative edition of this trilogy. Definitely takes place after Maybe and shares characters; it has its own three-book order.
Aligned reading order
Start with Aligned: Volume 1. Alex Blakely and musician Landon Davis’s attraction develops amid secrets and dark pasts. Continue through all four volumes in order; the later descriptions reveal earlier twists.
Complete four-volume series, also available in a complete-series edition; read in volume order rather than as standalones.
Full descriptions and retailer options4 numbered books
| Book | Title | Main tropes and story themes | Standalone or cliffhanger | Buy links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aligned: Volume 1 | Rock star | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 2 | Aligned: Volume 2 | Secrets, A dark past | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 3 | Aligned: Volume 3 | Love and danger | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
| 4 | Aligned: Volume 4 | Revenge, Secrets | Series book; read in order | Amazon |
Aligned: The Complete Series is a collection edition. Volume 4’s description mentions four books plus a bonus novella; no separate numbered novella entry is listed in this catalog.
Before you start
Is it complete?
Retribution Games and Truth or Lies are complete six-novel series. Maybe, Definitely, and Aligned have complete-series editions in the catalog, with three, three, and four numbered books respectively. Completion status is not specified for Lies, Sinful Truths, or Retribution Kings.
What order do I read them in?
Start at book 1 of your chosen series and follow its numbered list. Read Lured by Lies before Taken by Lies and Lies We Share before Vicious Lies. Maybe and Definitely each have three books; Definitely takes place later with shared characters. Read Aligned in volume order, 1–4.
Is it a cliffhanger?
Mistaken Hero, Lured by Lies, and Hayes have confirmed cliffhanger endings. Other individual endings are not specified here. These are continuing series stories; read them in order rather than treating the numbered books as standalones.
Where can I buy it?
Use the Amazon links beside each book. Where there is no direct Amazon product link, the table labels the Amazon search and preserves the other retailer links. Series pages include collections and supported reading options.
Which romantic suspense series are less dark?
Maybe, Definitely, and Aligned are grouped as contemporary suspense because of the catalog’s genre labels. Their descriptions still include secrets, danger, and dark pasts. Aligned’s warning says the pasts grow darker as the series continues, so check the individual descriptions rather than treating this grouping as a content guarantee.
Does every dark romance series belong in this guide?
No. This guide follows the Romantic suspense genre label in the catalog. Dirty is labeled Dark romance without Romantic suspense, while Mateless Shifters is paranormal and wolf shifter romance. The dark contemporary and paranormal guides cover those reading orders.