25 Romantic Suspense Thriller Books That Will Dominate 2026

There’s something deeply comforting about opening a romantic suspense thriller as a woman. These stories understand that love is rarely simple—and neither are we. Between careers, expectations, and emotional labor, this genre offers an escape that still feels honest. Romantic suspense thrillers give us heroines who are afraid yet brave, vulnerable yet resilient, falling in love while navigating danger. They remind me that romance doesn’t disappear when life gets messy; it sharpens, deepens, and sometimes even saves us. That’s why this genre matters—it mirrors the reality that women can want passion and safety, independence and connection, all at once.

1. Craving Revenge

I’ve been trained to be my brother’s shadow for years. I’m required to dress and behave like a man when I’m out in public in order to safeguard my father’s heir, who will eventually succeed him as the Kumichō of the Yakuza.

The ploy succeeds, and I’m in for a world of suffering when the Sicilian mob picks me up off the street.I’m the one making the blood payment to Augusto Vitale, a vicious and merciless capo, for what the Yakuza did to his younger brother.
That is, until Augusto discovers that I am a woman and releases me.

I believe it will be the last time I see him, but then my father devises a scheme to make sure I spend the rest of my life in misery.Augusto has me at his mercy once more, but this time he has no intention of releasing me.

2. Wish

Gallo Zoey
I had lost interest in dating. I made a lifelong vow to avoid partnerships after a series of setbacks. But no matter how hard I convince myself to be strong, I find that my resolve falters when a handsome single dad moves next door.

Evans, Hunter
I’m totally out of my element. A new town. new employment. A new beginning. My sole purpose for being there was to get closer to my young daughter. However, after hanging out with my gorgeous new neighbor, I’m wondering whether I’m losing out on more in life.

3. Bourbon and Lies

Even though I’m no longer a police officer, I’ve witnessed enough danger to know that Laney Young, the stunning newcomer to my small town, is fleeing it. Regarding her origins and her purpose for being here, she is lying.

She shouldn’t be close to my family or the peaceful life I’ve created for myself. My brothers, however, had different ideas. She now lives in our guest home, works at my distillery, calls me “cowboy,” and goes skinny-dipping in my horse trough.

However, the attitude she exudes from her attractive tongue is what makes me yearn for things I’ve vowed never to desire again. I should ignore how she makes me desire more from life, push her away, and forget how her lips taste.

Her lies start to fall apart as her past appears and mixes too much with mine. The regulations are no longer relevant. I make mistakes, go too far, and approach too closely. Now, the only things that can keep her safe are lies and bourbon.

4. Insidious Obsession

Ara

For months, I have been pursuing the mafia boss in an effort to learn more about the murder of my mother.But I was caught by Luca Moretti.And he’s keeping me too near instead of murdering me.He believes he is deceiving me. I’m three steps ahead of him, and he doesn’t know.

Luca

The curvaceous socialite who is pursuing me ought to be dead.However, Ara is dangerous and intelligent, and I’ve developed an obsession with discovering every secret hidden behind those keen eyes.She desires retribution. She’s what I want.This game can be played by two people. I also don’t lose.

5. Dante

Dante Moretti is someone I detest. He is ruthless, cold, and cunning. It’s no secret that on the eve of their wedding, he killed his ex-fiance and her whole family. Even devils are moved by the kind of evil he possesses.However, that is not the reason I despise him.

I despise him because he has stolen my independence, which is all I have left in this wretched world. Because of a debt I don’t have, he has bound me to him. I simply have the bad luck to be related to the man who does.

Now that I’m imprisoned in his golden cage, my only option is to flee. And I make an effort. I genuinely do. However, he is present everywhere. suffocating. all-consuming. Exciting.He is contradictory. A man whose desire burns like a fire and whose heart is as cold as ice.

6. Insatiable

Stacey Rhodes, the girl who broke his heart and sent him into the depths of the underworld, is something he will never forget. She is a snake in an angel’s skin.

He spent years observing her. killed everyone in her vicinity. But now, after being given a fleeting reprieve from the world he’s stuck in, he’s returned home and motivated to reclaim her, disobeying every self-imposed rule.

The attraction between them is stronger than his animosity.However, he will never be able to forgive her

7. Hunting Adeline

“The world would perish with her if she were to pass away.”
Adeline Reilly’s worst life expectations were to fall in love with her stalker, become entangled in a trafficking ring, and have a few evil ghosts haunting Parsons Manor’s hallways.

She must overcome the greatest challenge of her life—survive the Culling and flee—while imprisoned in a home that was once meant to train women for the aristocracy. But when watching eyes are determined to see her fail, it’s not so simple. Adeline might have an odd ally, though, who could be crucial to her survival.

However, she runs the risk of losing everything if she trusts them.Zade, meantime, will do whatever it takes to find Adeline, even if it means burning the entire planet, until she is secure in his arms once more.

He’s best at hunting his tiny mouse, but he’s not sure he can win the struggle of who she will be when he finds her.The recollections of their former selves will be more important to them than the test of time.

8. Den of Vipers 

Everyone in this community is under their control. Their notoriety is enough to knock a mature man to his knees and make him plead for forgiveness, and their transactions are as vile as their business. You shouldn’t mess with them, but my dad did. After accruing debt with them, the elderly guy sold me to make up for his losses.

Yes, I was sold.I am now their property.In every way, I am theirs. However, I’ve never been submissive and humble. These males gaze longingly at me. Their blood-stained, scarred hands gripped me tightly. They will not give up until they get everything I have to offer and everything I am. My body may be theirs, but my heart will never be theirs.

9. Under Your Scars

“If you’re so concerned about my humanity, Elena, then reach into my soul and find it, because I’m not sure I have any left.”According to the FBI, I was considered a serial murderer after three kills.What do they call me after fifty-two?

They call me the Silencer.One final bullet would have been all it took to stop me from taking another soul, and I would have been doing Meridian City a service by pulling that trigger.

I was stopped that evening by an angel pleading for assistance, and I killed three people for her. Then three became eight. Then eight became twenty. Twenty became twenty-one. Twenty-one became twenty-three.In my story, Elena Young is the hero, while in hers, I am the antagonist.

10. The Right Wrong Promise

A crazy family was passed down to me.Gramps, thank you. I anticipated the renovations, the lake house, and the strange little mysteries you left behind.But having Kane Saint and his children here?
Holy potato.

Don’t make fun of his name.A man this guarded, snarling, and intimidating is not holy.With the exception of his cute munchkins, he is at war with everything.The moment I let him stay following an uncomfortable misunderstanding, it’s a classic standoff.

I head to work in search of my grandfather’s last mysterious present.Saint Dadzilla starts working on me.A helping hand that I never requested.The coziest giggles over breakfast feasts.And I forget that this is psychologically insane when one stolen kiss takes my soul.

I’m a complete mess.We can’t fulfill the promises whispered by every blazing night, especially when Gramps’ legacy has teeth.What happens if it seems like home when you play house with the wrong man?

11. Lights Out

Aly Cappellucci, a trauma nurse, is done with kinks. She is quite content with the one she has chosen. Nothing compares to the masked males she follows on the internet, in her opinion. Unless one of those men was waiting for her in her bedroom, highly tattooed, and without a shirt.

In her dream, one in particular is pursuing her and doing deliciously sinister things to her receptive body. She had no idea that those dreams would become her new reality after sending one inebriated text.

Josh Hammond has avoided the spotlight his entire life, but his online identity is quite different. His millions of fans drool over the masked thirst traps he releases at night, but one follower has captured his attention: Aly. He chooses to accept her offer after seeing a comment pleading with him to enter her home while wearing a mask.

Josh and Aly share their worst dreams together, not realizing that Aly has drawn the interest of another person. Someone with much darker motives than a little light stalking. Josh must consider how far he will go for the lady he is infatuated with as the stakes rise and he transforms from predator to defender.

12. Wrecked

Fate is unavoidable.Not everyone has a happy ending in store.Not every narrative will have a happy ending.Not all love is destined to endure.Some people think we are in charge of our own fate. that the people we love, the course we choose, and the results of our lives are all up to us.

However, I didn’t decide to live through a plane accident.Being stranded on an island with the man who previously broke my heart was not something I chose.I didn’t decide to reopen my heart to a love so strong that it would not last.

I had no intention of falling in love with my sister’s fiancé. to experience the unbearable suffering that ensued after my rescue. or give up a man who would hold my heart till the day I passed away.However, I’m no longer letting fate determine my destiny.I’ll take this next route.

13. The Seven Rings

In a Maine community bearing his name, Arthur Poole once constructed a magnificent home with a view of the choppy ocean. Sonya MacTavish currently resides in that manor, which has been cursed for many centuries. She has seen seven brides killed and seven wedding rings stolen inside its gates. And now a challenging task needs to be finished in order to lift the curse and permanently evict a wicked spirit.

As the demonic presence reenacts the agony of the house’s numerous ghosts, Sonya, her boyfriend Trey, and their friends are compelled to hear, see, and feel their pain. As a result, their bond only gets stronger and their rage is rekindled. Sonya examines every room for hints to her family’ secret tale, piecing together the image, finding small gems, and discovering the happy times that existed amid the sadness because she won’t allow her spirit to be crushed. She is committed to illuminating this eerie location and replenishing it with people, life, and optimism.

However, the adversary wearing the black dress still looms large and threatens her in terrifying ways. They might be illusions, but illusions have the capacity to cause harm and even death. Lies are her weapon, and she thrives on fear. This evil witch will stop at nothing to become the mistress of Poole Manor. In order to ultimately seize control of the clifftop home and her own future, Sonya will have to engage in combat across two universes.

14. The Surrogate Mother

More than anything, Abby wants a child.However, it appears that parenthood is not in her destiny after years of unsuccessful infertility treatments and unsuccessful adoptions.

That is, until Monica, her personal assistant, generously offers to act as a stand-in. Abby will be able to fulfill all of her aspirations with this offer.However, odd things quickly begin to occur. As it happens, Monica is not who she claims to be. There is a terrible secret about the woman who is currently carrying Abby’s child.And she will do whatever it takes to achieve her goals.

15. Mafia And Scars

Camillo
She comes from a rich and affluent family.She also had no idea that she would become a maid to a violent mafia lord like me.However, she must find safety immediately because she is on the run.And when I discover what she has been concealing, it surpasses my wildest expectations.
Due to the fact that her young boy is equally as delicate as she is.I begin to gain their trust as I get to know them.My heart melts and thuds too quickly for them both, and I can’t help but give up.

Because it seems like I’ve finally returned home when I’m holding her in my arms.However, I should have realized that our happily ever after would never come to pass.Because she’s being pursued by someone else…And he will do whatever it takes to attain the terrible conclusion he wants.

16. The Ritual

THE SELECTED ONE

The Lords, a covert organization that demands their blood as payment, are based at Barrington University. Above all, they are the world’s most powerful men. In return for power, they dedicate their lives to bloodshed. Additionally, they are offered a selected one during their senior year.

I VOW. YOU VOW. WE VOW.

People think growing up with money is freeing, but I promise you, it’s not. My entire life has been planned out for me. I never got the chance to do what I wanted until Ryat Alexander Archer came along and gave me an option for a better life. He offered me what no one else ever had—freedom.

I chose to be his. He made me believe that anyway, but it was just another lie. A way that the Lords manipulate you into doing what they want.After being sucked into the dark, twisted world of the Lords, I embraced my new role and allowed Ryat to parade me around like the trophy I was to him. But like all things, what started out as a game soon became a fight for survival. And the only way out was death.

17. Nightshade

Ophelia Winters is the ultimate outsider at the prestigious Sorrowsong University, which is tucked away in the foggy Scottish Highlands. She is there on a scholarship with a mission: look into the strange murders of her parents and eliminate the influential guy she believes is to blame. However, everything is altered when Ophelia meets Alex Corbeau-Green, the son of her main suspect, a millionaire heir, and a member of campus royalty.

Before a stalker shows up and Alex turns into the only person she can trust in Sorrowsong’s secret-filled passageways, she is certain that he is a monster much like his father.

Alex quickly breaks down Ophelia’s barriers as tension gives way to longing, and her drive for retribution starts to fall apart. Is it really possible for her to ruin everything he has ever known?

18. The Shop on Hidden Lane

For four generations, there has been a great deal of mistrust between the Wells and Harper families. The powerful Wells clan is known for playing both sides of the street, while the Harpers have been known to offer their psychic abilities for illicit causes. Despite their long history and mistrust of one another, they are bound by an enigmatic agreement. They are both accountable for keeping a deadly and long-kept secret.

When Sophy Harper and Luke Wells discover that her aunt and his uncle have been sharing a bed, they are both taken aback. Furthermore, their last remnants can be found at the scene of a crime that was infused with evil paranormal energy. It’s obvious that someone is prepared to kill in order to get the secret that their family have been tasked with keeping safe. They both understand that the parameters of the agreement must be upheld despite their mutual mistrust, which, in Sophy’s opinion, includes Luke’s hellhound of a dog.

A psychic trail that leads to an odd desert art community where nothing is as it seems is discovered during their research. However, Luke and Sophy are also keeping some secrets. A Harper and a Wells are forced by an odd turn of events to trust one another and the intense connection that unites them as firmly as the agreement between the families.

19. Lorenzo

My name is Lorenzo Moretti. Born to be head of the Cosa Nostra, except that I chose love over my birthright.On our wedding day, my father cursed our union, swearing on his own blood that my wife and I would never live out our days in happiness.

I guess he was right, because fate stole her from me and I’m left to live an empty life without her, with a shattered heart and only half a soul.I made a vow the day my wife passed away that I would never love someone the same way again, and I stuck to it for two years.I maintained my word till she

With nothing but an old Mustang and a smile, she strolled into my life in a frock the color of sunshine. Beaten, bruised, and hiding behind my family’s walls. She’s definitely not a damsel in distress, and I’m not a white knight seeking atonement.

She is quite irritating. with a perpetually upbeat attitude and no filter. She expresses whatever comes to her, regardless of how negatively it may be perceived.She is everything I’m not looking for.However, she could be everything I need.And I’m not sure how much longer I can withstand her seductive curves and charming grin.Because you can’t stand in the sun for very long before succumbing to the heat.

20. Scarred

The throne was never meant for Prince Tristan Faasa. Michael, his brother, was always that. The same sibling who caused Tristan’s difficult upbringing and the facial scar. Michael is supposed to take the throne after their father passes away, and Tristan is supposed to steal it. Tristan, the head of a covert uprising, will do whatever it takes to overthrow his brother’s rule.

However, Tristan finds himself in the midst of a different kind of conflict when Michael’s new fiancée, Lady Sara Beatreaux, shows up. The kind that raises the question of whether the woman going to wear the crown or the crown itself is more significant.

Sara only has one idea. Even if it means putting herself in danger, she will marry the King and end the Faasa line. She never anticipates the Scarred Prince, though. He poses a threat. Not permitted. and one of the persons she was instructed to murder.

But Sara is divided between vengeance and the criminal she was never meant to love, and as secrets surface, she begins to doubt who she can trust. The boundary between anger and passion has never looked so thin.

21. Konstantin

Konstantin Marinov is unstoppable, strong, and dangerous.The monarch of Bratva, with sin in his eyes and death on his hands.He considers me to be only his new helper

He doesn’t know I’m come to ruin him,to learn all of his secrets,to gradually destroy his kingdom.However, the closer I approach, the more difficult it is to recall my motivation.He observes me as if I were his property,feels as though he possesses me.And he doesn’t think twice about defending me when the bullets start falling.

I’m now torn between passion and falsehoods.I’m torn between the man I came to destroy and the one I can’t get enough of.And if I’m not careful, I’ll lose everything, not just control.For what reason in this world?You are not saved by love.It engulfs you completely.

22. The Devil

Jenna
For years, I’ve worked the night shift at the neighborhood gas station, and nothing remarkable ever happens. Until a tall, dark stranger enters to purchase coffee, that is. I assumed he was simply visiting the area, but then he began showing up every night.Every time we look at each other, I attempt to summon the bravery to speak to him, but I always end up blushing profusely.

I start daydreaming about the man who exudes danger and intrigue, which makes me feel less alone.
The gas station is robbed the night I finally get to say “hi” to him, and my tall, dark stranger saves my life before vanishing.
A few days later, I receive an offer to work as a housekeeper for a wealthy hermit. I accept since it pays more than I’ve ever dreamed of earning in my lifetime.But I do miss my attractive stranger.

That is, until I discover him bleeding in the kitchen after hearing a disturbance one evening.It turns out that nothing is as it seems, and I am trapped in the web he has woven around me like a helpless fly.

23. The Mindf*ck Series 

This book contains all of the series. edition in paperback.Too much was taken by them.Too little was left.Up until him, I had nothing to lose.***~Lana~I was surprised by him.I had no desire to fall in love.I can’t let him leave, though.The world is safer because of Logan Bennett.He is really intelligent.He is a hero.The sick and depraved are locked up by him.But I’m taking lives while he’s saving them. obtaining the money that is due to me.They stole from me ten years ago. They thought I was dead.They ought to have ensured my death.I’m taking from them now.

One name at a time.I’ve spent too much time training.I’ve shown patience.I can’t stop right now.The best way to exact revenge is cold.Until I paint their walls crimson, they never see me.Logan is unaware of the harm they have caused me. He is unaware of the cries they disregarded. He is unaware of the true depravity of that community.

All he knows is that people are dying.He is in love with their killer without realizing it.They’re trying to find a monster.Not a red-loving girl.Not a romantic chick.I’m a nightmare without a face.Until I tell them the narrative they’ve been pretending doesn’t exist.Will Logan ultimately pick them, though? Or are we going to watch them burn together?Read at your own risk. Graphic Adult language** Some triggers may be too much for the easily disturbed readerSexual content Broken moral compass

24. Hideaway 

BANKS

The Pope is a hotel tucked away in the city’s shadows. It is ailing, deserted, and dark; it is surrounded by a mystery that has been forgotten.But, Kai Mori, you believe it to be true? The tale of the secret twelfth floor. The enigma surrounding the black visitor who never checked in or out. Do you really believe that I can assist you in locating that hidden hiding place and reaching him?

You can try frightening me with your pals. You could try pushing me. Because I believe that perhaps what you’re looking for is far closer than you’ll ever realize, even if I try to hide all I feel when you look at me—and have since I was a girl.

KAI

Little One, you don’t know what I’m looking for. You have no idea what it took for me to survive three years behind bars for a crime I would gladly do again. Nobody can see what I’ve become.

I want this to end, I want that hotel, and I want to locate him. I want my life to return.
But the more I spend time with you, the more I see that this new version of myself is just who I was destined to be. So hurry up, young one. Don’t give up. I live on a hill. There are plenty of ways in, so good luck figuring out how to go out.

25. White Rose Painted Red

I could have killed him when I struck him, and his two pals are outraged. However, they offer me a deal: work for them for six months, and they’ll leave it go, rather than filing charges.Their huge and stunning mountain estate is in a remote location. Packed with dark secrets and pilfered artifacts.

Even while Atticus, Elijah, and Seven are equally seductive, they are also dangerous and broken, motivated by a desire for vengeance that they claim I can help quench.They don’t seem to want to let me go now that they have me. It’s also not biased.Their retaliation soon becomes my own, and I start to realize that it’s too late to go back now, even if aiding them results in my death.