Discover our collection of the best authors like Penelope Douglas. If you like taboo-breaking romance novels with well-developed characters, these are for you.

New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas writes romance and contemporary fiction novels. As an author who doesn’t believe in taboo, she has some steamy storylines that break the rules of the romance genre. Douglas was a shy child, always walking away from experiences because of a fear of failure. That all changed when she left home and went to college.

During her young adult years, Douglas discovered a love for travel and adventure, spending significant time in Asia before returning to the United States to attend graduate school in New Orleans. In college, she also started writing, which led her on a path of self-discovery that transformed her life.

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Must-Read Authors Like Penelope Douglas

1. Christina Lauren

Christina Lauren is the pen name of Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, a pair of authors that publish contemporary romance novels and teen fiction under their combined name. The duo met in 2009 when they were writing fanfiction online and started writing together a year later. The team has 18New York Timesbestselling novels, and their books are translated into over 30 languages.

The two most famous series attributed to them are Beautiful Bastardsand Wild Seasons.Sweet Filthy Boy, the first novel in theWild Seasonsseries, won the Romantic Times Book of the Year Award in 2014. If you’re

“Life is built of these little horrible moments and the giant expanses of awesome in between.”

Christina Lauren,Sweet Filthy Boy

2. Tillie Cole

Born in England, Tillie Cole graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in religious studies. After graduation, she spent ten years traveling the world alongside her husband, who was a professional rugby player, while working as a teacher. Cole penned her first novel after those escapades, and today she is a writer of contemporary romance, dark romance, young adult, and new adult novels. Cole’s first book, Sweet Home, was published in 2013.

“One day, my sweet girl, some lucky man will come and help you understand the very meaning of love.”

Tillie Cole, Sweet Home

3. K. Webster

USA Todaybestselling author K. Webster keeps much about her personal life private. As a voracious reader, she has published over 150 romance books that cover almost every genre style. The author lives in the Midwest with her family and enjoys researching aliens in her free time. Her first book,* Apartment 2B,* was published in 2014, and hasn’t looked back since.

“With one last glance over my shoulder, I feel whole knowing that they are happy. That’s my last thought as I find peace. At last.”

K. Webster, Apartment 2B

4. Elle Kennedy, 1979 -

Elle Kennedy hails from Canada and writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense books. Before starting her writing career, Kennedy attended York University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English in 2005. She is quite a successful author with titles on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal,and USA Todaybestseller lists. TheOff-Campusseries has been one of her most successful, with releases in over 20 countries and titles on multiple bestseller lists.The Deal*, the first book in the series, was a Goodreads Choice Award nominee.

“Sometimes people sneak up on you, and suddenly you don’t know how you ever lived without them.”

Elle Kennedy, The Deal

5. Sierra Simone

Sierra Simone is a USA Todaybestselling author from the Kansas City area. As a self-proclaimed introvert, she has works published in 10 different languages and continues to produce new books every year. Simone started her literary career in 2015 withThe Awakening of Ivy Leavold,the first book in theMarkham Hallseries. She finished all four books in the series the same year and then publishedPriest**, the first in thePriest *series, that year. These books firmly established her as a skilled romance author.

“Perhaps these doubts were galvanizing. They were all pointing to something—that either my heart or my life were in danger, and that perhaps I should leave.”

Sierra Simone,The Awakening of Ivy Leavold

6. L.J. Shen

L.J. Shen is the author of contemporary romance and new adult novels who lives in Florida. Her books feature strong women who conquer alpha males; several have been Amazon’s number-one bestsellers. Shen sells books in 20 different countries. Her first book, Tyed, was published in 2015, but one of her most famous,Vicious*, came out in 2016. Shen currently has four series,Sinners of Saint, All Saints High, Boston Belles, andCruel Castaways, as well as multiple standalone novels.

“I loved her when I hated her. And I loved her when I didn’t want anything to do with her. I was so crazy about her, the lines had blurred together. Feelings were mixed, emotions twisted together.”

L.J. Shen, Vicious

7. Pepper Winters

Though Pepper Winters was raised in Hong Kong, she has roots in England and tapped into those roots to write English-language novels. With nearly 40 books in nine languages, she has been quite successful. In 2013, she publishedTears of Tess, her first book, which became a Top 20 Amazon bestseller. The book was the first in theMonsters in the Darktrilogy, which made a name for her in the romance author world.

“You stole my loneliness. I may have given you wings, but you’ve become my gravity. I’ll never be free of your force.”

Pepper Winters, Tears of Tess

8. Ana Huang

USA TodayandNew York Timesbestselling author Ana Huang has sold her books to over two dozen foreign publishers. Huang’s writing career started in 2013 withAll I’ve Never Wanted**, a standalone novel. In her books, readers find strong women and alpha males, and the stories are filled with angst and steam. Huang loves to travel and uses her travels to make her books engaging and colorful. HerTwisted series is her most famous, with her 2021 bookTwisted Love*as the first in the series.

“If you let lesser people determine your self-worth, you’ll never reach higher than their limited imagination.”

Ana Huang, Twisted Love

9. Tessa Bailey

Tessa Bailey writes hot stories that end in a happily ever after. A Long Island, New York resident where she lives with her family, Bailey strives to create strong and memorable characters. While her books are steamy, they are also quite character-centric. Bailey published her first book, Protecting What’s His, in 2013 and continued publishing multiple books a year later. She has several series, includingLine of Duty, Broke and Beautiful, andCrossing the Line.

“Often times, people make questionable decisions. And even though they already taste the fat regret sandwich headed their way, they do it with a smile.”

Tessa Bailey, Protecting What’s His

10. Cora Reilly

Cora Reilly is a romance author known for her bad-boy characters. She published young adult novels before starting her career as a romance author. Reilly lives in Germany and travels extensively. The author also holds a law degree but abandoned her dreams of being a lawyer for a writer’s life. Reilly published her first romance books in 2014 with Voyeur Extraordinaire,Bound By Honor, and *Not Meant to Be Broken.These initial books were so successful she kept writing romances. Many of her books are in theBorn in Blood Mafia Chronicles *series.

“I guess waxing was like giving birth. During labor, women swore to themselves that this was their last child, and as soon as the pain was forgotten and they saw the reward for their efforts, those words were null and void.”

Cora Reilly, Voyeur Extraordinaire

11. Jennifer L. Armentrout, 1980 -

Jennifer L. Armentrout publishes both contemporary romance books and teen fantasy books. The prolific author didn’t start as a success and had many rejections before publishing her first book in 2011. Armentrout started writing at a young age, completing her first novel while sitting in algebra class in high school. As an adult, she has published both for publishing houses and as a self-published author, making her a hybrid writer.

Many of her books are part of a series, and The Covenant Seriesis popular. It starts with Half-Blood, which she published in 2011. Want to read more romance books? Discover our list of authors like Elin Hilderbrand).

“Need covers itself with love, but need… need is never love. Always beware of the one who needs you. There is always a want behind a need, you see.”

Jennifer L. Armentrout, Half-Blood

12. Eris Adderly

Eris Adderly does not follow conventions when writing her romance books. Known for their strong characters, slight fantasy vibe, and untamable characters, Adderly’s books are hot. She aims to write subversive romance books for people who hate the genre. The self-published author launches many of her books as Kindle books before publishing them in paperback. Several of her books, like The Mortal Coil: Medousa & Perseus, feature characters from mythology.

“And that voice. Sliding, toying with him, just out of sight. Challenging.”

Eris Adderly, The Mortal Coil: Medusa & Perseus

13. Mia Sheridan

Mia Sheridan is a New York Timesbestselling author passionate about true love stories. Her romance novels aren’t quite as steamy as those of Penelope Douglas, but they are excellent stories that fans will enjoy. One of her bestsellers,Leo*, is a new adult contemporary romance book about two best friends who vowed as children to make a life together, only to be pulled apart as adults. When they find each other again, a mystery unfolds along with romance. Sheridan published*Leo *in 2013.

“Everyone tells a story about who they are in their own head. That story defines you, dictating all your actions and all your mistakes.”

Mia Sheridan, Leo

14. Roni Loren

Roni Loren started writing romance novels at age 15, and this eventually grew into a successful career. The author holds a graduate degree in social work and worked as a mental health counselor for many years before retiring to write full-time. The knowledge of therapy does show up in her writing as she creates emotionally complex characters. The author won the RITA Award twice and is a HOLT Medallion winner. The Ones Who Got Away is one of her more popular series, and she published its first novel in 2018.

“Broken glass still made art. Sometimes the most beautiful kind.”

Roni Loren, The Ones Who Got Away

15. Colleen Hoover, 1979 -

American author Colleen Hoover started her writing career as a self-published author, but she quickly grew a following and began being chosen by publishing houses. As a graduate of Texas A&M Commerce with a degree in social work, she published Slammed, her first novel, in 2012. When book blogger Maryse Black gaveSlammed and its sequel five stars, the books quickly made their way to theNew York Timesbestseller list and were picked up by Atria Books. In 2023,*Time *magazine named Hoover one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

“Don’t take life too seriously. Punch it in the face when it needs a good hit. Laugh at it.”

Colleen Hoover, Slammed

16. Eve Dangerfield

As a young girl, Eve Dangerfield often swiped her grandmother’s paperback romance novels, giving her a love for the genre. As an author, she writes genre-defying works from her home in Melbourne. Act Your Ageis her 2017 novel and the first book in a series by the same name. Dangerfield’s books feature complex heroines with specific needs and the men who fulfill those needs.

“You’re stronger than anyone thinks you are.”

Eve Dangerfield, Act Your Age

17. Penelope Ward, 1947 -

New York Times, USA Today,and Wall Street Journalbestselling author Penelope Ward has a panache for writing steamy romance novels. Ward grew up in Boston and worked as a television news anchor as a young woman. As an adult, she moved to Rhode Island with her family and started writing. Stepbrother Dearest, her fourth book published in 2014, was a number oneNew York Timesbestseller. Her 2016 novel,RoomHate*, is one of her popular standalone books and debuted at number two on the bestseller list.

“The way I see it, if you want to cheat on someone, you should just break up with them. Cheating is for cowards.”

Penelope Ward, RoomHate

18. Skye Warren

An author known for her dark romance books, Skye Warren often reaches the Amazon bestseller list with her works. The New York Timesbestselling author has sold over two million copies of her books and is a Texas resident.* Beauty Touched the Beastand Below the Beltwere her first two books published in 2011. In all, she has 68 books under her name. HerEndgame series, which started withThe Pawn *in 2016, is one of her more popular.

“Except what remains of the woman that she had been? If you have to change to be loved, then how much is that love worth?”

Skye Warren, The Pawn

19. Penny Wylder

Penny Wylder is known for her wild romance tales. While she does strive to achieve happily ever after in her books, she also weaves plenty of steam into them. Wylder keeps much of her personal life private. While she has several novellas to her name, her novels are what stand out. Her 2017 novel Big Manis one of these, telling the story of a young woman who returns to her small town to run into a childhood friend who has grown into an attractive alpha male.

“She’s not ready for a wild man. She likes tame, placid little city boys.”

Penny Wylder, Big Man

20. Saffron A. Kent

Saffron A. Kent went to college to be a writer, earning her graduate degree in Creative Writing. After graduation, she moved to New York City with her husband and started writing. A USA Todaybestselling author, Kent is known for her contemporary and new adult romance books. The author currently writes for Bethany Weaver of the Weaver Literary Agency, and she skillfully uses social media for marketing her new releases. The*Heartstone *series, which starts with her 2018 novel [Medicine Man](https://amazon.com/dp/B09Z91Q8ZF? tag=work089-20), is a popular choice for new readers.

“Because I was born with more than blood in my veins. I was born with strength. I was born with courage to fight. I’m a warrior.”

Saffron A. Kent,Medicine Man

21. Rina Kent

Rina Kent is an international bestselling author who writes intricate romance stories with villainous alpha males. Kent found her love for bad boys at a young age when she fell in love with a villain in a movie, only to have him be killed off as the story unfolded. This made her realize she loved the villains, and she started writing about them. Her Royal Eliteseries, which includes*Steel Princess**, her 2019 novel, is a great place to start reading her books.

“You know, people react differently when someone breaks their heart. Some would lick their wounds and run. Others would keep their distance and hide.”

Rina Kent, Steel Princess

Frequently Asked Questions

What defines dark romance books?

Dark romance books are characterized by complex, often morally ambiguous characters, intense emotional conflicts, and themes that explore the darker aspects of love and relationships. These stories typically feature anti-heroes, power dynamics, and situations that challenge traditional romance tropes while maintaining emotional intensity.

Are dark romance books suitable for all readers?

Dark romance books are not suitable for all readers. They often contain mature themes, explicit content, and complex psychological elements. These books are best suited for adult readers who enjoy emotionally intense stories and are comfortable with morally complex characters and situations.

What are the most popular dark romance books?

Popular dark romance books include ‘Twilight’ by Stephenie Meyer, ‘Rebecca’ by Daphne du Maurier, ‘Interview with a Vampire’ by Anne Rice, and ‘Tears of Tess’ by Pepper Winters. These books have gained widespread recognition for their compelling narratives and complex character relationships.

How do dark romance books differ from traditional romance?

Dark romance books differ from traditional romance by featuring morally complex characters, exploring power dynamics, and often including elements of danger, obsession, or psychological manipulation. While traditional romance focuses on idealized love stories, dark romance explores the more complex and sometimes problematic aspects of relationships.

22. Shantel Tessier

Shantel Tessier has 64 books on the market today. ThisWall Street Journaland USA Todaybestselling author lives in Oklahoma with her family, which is her top priority. Romance novels are her cup of tea when she is writing, and she has many series in her name, includingDare and theDark Kingdomseries.Code of Silence, which she published in 2020, is the first book in TheDark Kingdomseries.

“You belong to me now, Haven. And it’s time to go home.”

Shantel Tessier, Code of Silence