There’s nothing like curling up, picking up a twisting, edge-of-your-seat novel, and possibly a glass of wine to simmer down after a long day. There’s something immensely satisfying about predicting a twist, especially if you turn out to be right.
Throw some romance into the mix, especially angsty, will-they-won’t-they relationships between two people who seem indescribably wrong for each other, and you’ve got a recipe for a hit book. Of course, there are other things that matter, like the writing style and the actual story, but romance and mystery are a classic combo.
I’ve got shelves full of romance thrillers, and there are some that I will go back to time and time again. With that in mind, here are 10 of my favorites that had me on the edge of my seat and kept me guessing from start to finish. Of course, this is subjective, but these are the ones that I personally recommend.
10. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (2022)
The Housemaid centers around a recent parolee who gets a job as the housemaid to the wealthy Winchester family. To start with, things seem fine. Maybe not ideal, but fine nonetheless.
However, things quickly go downhill. As Aly tires of cleaning the huge house of messes created specifically for her to clean, caring for the kids, and cooking all the meals, she begins to notice that the man of the house is more broken by the day. He’s handsome, and he deserves better than his wife is giving, and Aly starts thinking about breaking her parole in the worst possible way.
9. Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver (2023)
If you’re sick of the “detective and victim fall in love” trope, then may I recommend Butcher and Blackbird, which instead centers around two competing serial killers who inevitably end up getting the hots for each other?
Rowan and Sloane are taking part in an annual competition to kill other serial killers, and when Rowan helps Sloane out of a tight spot, an attraction begins to grow that will make future annual competitions more complicated. Their periodical encounters through the months only serve to grow their attraction, but it’s definitely not all smooth sailing.
8. Monarch by Sophie Lark (2024)
Monarch is actually the second book in the Grimstone series, and the setting makes this entry different from any other on this list. Monarch is filled with gothic architecture as dark as the themes in the story. This is also the most recently released on this list, having only been available since October 8, 2024.
Wanting to get away from her life in its current form, Elena signs up to marry someone she’s only met a couple of times. With his house being renovated, they end up living temporarily at the Monarch Hotel. Sadly, her husband might actually be a monster in disguise, but the owner of the hotel has a soft spot for Elena and will do everything he can to protect her.
7. Where the Blame Lies by Mia Sheridan (2020)
Josie Stratton is the victim of a monster who kidnapped her, trapped her in a basement, and kept her there for 10 months before she escaped. She’s worked hard to escape the trauma, and her torturer took his own life shortly after her escape.
When a new string of attacks occur close to where Josie moves her life to, identical to that which happened to her all those years ago, her life is thrown into turmoil. As if that wasn’t enough, throw in Cincinnati Police Detective Zach Copeland, who makes Josie feel things she hasn’t felt in almost a decade, and you’ve got an addictive romantic thriller. Where the Blame Lies will keep you reading for hours.
6. A Cold Dark Place by Toni Anderson (2014)
A Cold Dark Place centers around Mallory, whose twin sister was abducted 18 years ago, and Mallory has since worked hard to get into a career that can help prevent the same thing from happening to anyone else. Now an FBI agent, she’s confronted with a new string of crimes that are hauntingly familiar to her own past experience.
Alex is a former soldier-turned-assassin who works to take out predators and murderers before they enter the justice system. He’s hunting the same killer as Mallory, and when she seems to become the next target, he’s forced to step in and protect her. Of course, being this close to each other is bound to spark fireworks, but Alex’s past is dangerous to them both.
5. Troublemaker by Linda Howard (2016)
Sharing a house with someone always has hard moments, regardless of how long you’ve known them or how you feel about them. But sharing a house with a complete stranger, even if they’re incredibly attractive? A nightmare, and the premise of Troublemaker.
Morgan Yancy is a paramilitary team leader who gets sent into something akin to witness protection after he gets attacked. Isabeau Maran is a part-time police chief with a spare bedroom. The two are thrust together in a situation neither of them appreciates, and even as the attraction between them grows, Isabeau knows that Morgan is hiding something.
4. Don’t Look Now by Mary Burton (2021)
There’s something about a knight in shining armor that, while overplayed in the literary world, always manages to hook me in. Don’t Look Now takes this concept and ups the anté by placing the vulnerable maiden in murderous situations.
While investigating the third in a string of horrifyingly familiar crime scenes, Detective Jordan Poe is attacked and left with the issue of losing some of her sight. Thankfully, she has Texas Ranger Carter Spencer to aid her in navigating the newly darkened world, and he needs her expertise to solve the crimes that continue to happen around them.
3. Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose (2014)
A victim of repeated stalking and other nightmares, psychologist Faith Corcoran is relieved when her grandmother leaves a house in Cincinnati to her in her will. She thinks that this is the solitude she needs to work through her experiences, at least until two local college girls go missing and FBI Special Agent Deacon Novak comes tumbling into her life.
The story of Closer Than You Think will keep you hooked from the very first page and even if you’re well versed in the “detective falling in love with a witness” trope, there’s something special about Faith, Deacon, and their developing relationship that makes Closer Than You Think impossible to put down.
2. The Girl in 6E by A.R. Torre (2013)
The Girl in 6E is often labeled an erotic thriller, for good reason. There’s a lot of sexual content, so if that’s not your cup of tea when it comes to your reading time, then this one might be worth skipping over.
However, the concept of this story is what makes it stand out. Deanna hasn’t left her apartment in three years, making money through cam girl sites and other online sex work. When a murder is reported on the news, she realizes that it’s far too close to a fantasy expressed to her by one of her online clients, and also that she might need to leave her apartment despite her demons.
1. The Obsession by Nora Roberts (2016)
Nora Roberts is renowned in the world of thrillers, romantic or otherwise, under her own name or her pen-name of J.D. Robb. The Obsession is a great example of her work, and definitely worth reading if you’ve got some time on your hands.
After exposing her father for the horrifying criminal that he was when she was a child, Naomi has grown up and moved across the country. She’s living under an assumed name, and hiding her past from those she meets, at least until familiar crimes start to pop up again and she meets someone who might want to get to know her on a less-than-superficial level.
Published: Nov 5, 2024 04:27 am