Books Like Tryst Six Venom & Loathing You

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By the LRR Editorial Team · Updated October 2026 · How we verify

Hostility that feels personal, and attraction tangled with anger.

24 verified books · 22 LRR reviewed · 2 new to LRR · 1 L1–L3 · 18 explicit · 8 with a confirmed HEA or HFN

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Readers who put Tryst Six Venom and Loathing You in the same request are usually asking for intensity rather than a surface-level plot match: hostility that feels personal, attraction tangled with anger, obsession, jealousy, high heat and relationships that can be messy before they become romantic.

This page does not treat every enemies-to-lovers book as a match. Each card names the intensity it shares (bullying or hostility, obsession, possessiveness, rivalry, dark content, high heat or emotional volatility), says how it differs, and discloses consent and content notes from our review or the publisher.

Quick answer

Read next: Her Spell That Binds Me for a bully-edged academy rivalry at 5/5 heat, Leech for the closest poor-girl-at-a-rich-school bully romance, Tricky Girls for Loathing You’s scholarship outsider with a why-choose twist, and Mistress of Sin for taboo hate-to-love heat.

LabelWhat it means on LRR
Bully romanceOnly used when our review or the author uses the label.
EnemiesThe leads are hostile, not just competitive.
Obsessive / possessiveLabelled on its own; not automatically dark romance.
Consent noteShown when our review or the publisher records dubious consent or on-page assault.

Start Here: 8 Books Like Tryst Six Venom & Loathing You

A bully-edged academy rivalry, an author-labelled bully romance, a scholarship outsider among dangerous girls, taboo hate-to-love, a vampire-and-hunter enemies romance, an obsession thriller, an envy-driven HEA and a lighter college rivalry.

How to read the labels

First row: what it shares with the source books, the ending and the heat. Second row: format, pairing and consent notes.

Evidence

Every card names its source: our review, an LRR guide, or the publisher and reader-database record we checked.

Unknown stays unknown

Heat and endings appear only when a source confirms them.

1Her Spell That Binds Me by Luna Oblonsky book cover

Her Spell That Binds Me

Luna Oblonsky

Bully-edged rivalry, Class difference, AcademyBook one resolvesL5 · Very explicit
Consent: magical-bond ambiguityTrilogy book 1
Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Rivals-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers with a bully edge, dark academia, magical trials, dual POV, forced proximity, class difference, grumpy-sunshine, b” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: LRR review.

Outsider Iona Evora and an aristocratic rival at an all-women magic college fight over the prize of the springtime arcane trials.

Why start here: The closest blend of both source books: a bully edge, a class gap, an academy and 5/5 heat.

How it differs: a Regency-era fantasy rather than a contemporary. Content: sustained bullying and peer violence, parental abuse, consent ambiguity around a magical bond.

2Leech by Holly Thorne book cover

Leech

Holly Thorne

Bully romance, Poor girl at a rich school, Hate as obsessionLove prevails (author’s note)Heat not rated
Toxic on both sidesNew to LRR
Evidence: Publisher description

“This is a bully romance. It gets dark in places.” Source → Heat: not rated by a source we trust. Ending: publisher or reader database.

Shannon, who grew up on a council estate, and Frances, the shadowy girl who hounds her through their final year at elite Avonwood.

Why start here: The plainest match for Loathing You: an outsider among wealth and the girl who torments her, labelled a bully romance by its own author.

How it differs: the author warns that both girls do messed-up things to each other. Content: bullying and toxicity; check the author’s notes for the full list.

3Tricky Girls by Holly Thorne book cover

Tricky Girls

Holly Thorne

Scholarship outsider, Mafia-run university, Possessive girlsCliffhanger (duet)L4 · Explicit
Why-choose: heroine and three womenDuet book 1
Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Why-choose / reverse harem · Enemies to lovers · Sapphic awakening · Found family · Hidden identity · Dark academia” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: LRR review.

A scholarship student at a not-so-secretly Mafia-run university is pulled into the orbit of three dangerous women.

Why start here: Loathing You’s scholarship-outsider setup with the possessive edge turned up.

How it differs: a why-choose romance rather than one couple, and the ending leaves you dangling. Content: dark themes, possessive dynamics, mafia violence.

4Mistress of Sin by Jade Fierro book cover

Mistress of Sin

Jade Fierro

Enemies, Forbidden step-sisters, Warring familiesEnding unverifiedL5 · Very explicit
Romance: central198 pages
Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Forbidden romance · Step-siblings · Enemies to lovers · Ice queen · Warring mafia families · Queens of Ravenport” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: not confirmed by a source.

A forbidden step-sibling enemies-to-lovers romance set inside Ravenport’s Vitale-Moretti mafia feud.

Why start here: Tryst Six Venom’s taboo-and-hate heat, compressed into a fast read.

How it differs: mafia rather than school, and the lead divides readers. Content: dark and taboo themes, step-sibling romance, drug reference.

5Contract Bound by Elle Mae book cover

Contract Bound

Elle Mae

Hate-to-love, Vampire and hunter, Forced proximityCliffhangerL5 · Very explicit
Consent: on-page assault and dub-conSeries
Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Enemies-to-lovers, vampire and vampire hunter, bodyguard, forced proximity, dark romance, dual POV, secret relationship, debt bondage, dubious consent” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: LRR review.

A vampire and a vampire hunter forced together by a contract, a debt and a bodyguard arrangement.

Why start here: Huge hostile chemistry and top-band heat: the closest paranormal match to the source books’ intensity.

How it differs: paranormal, and the story only finishes in the sequel, Lost Clause. Content: on-page sexual assault, non-consensual biting, torture, self-harm, parental abuse.

6Into the Fire by Cirrus Rae book cover

Into the Fire

Cirrus Rae

Obsession, Possessive love interest, StalkerEnding unverifiedL5 · Very explicit
Erotic thrillerSeries book 2
Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Dark sapphic erotic thriller · obsession · possessive/yandere love interest · stalker romance · psychological tension · Masked Mascs #2Into the Fire b” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: not confirmed by a source.

Book two of the Masked Mascs series: a sapphic erotic thriller with a possessive, “she belongs to me” love interest.

Why start here: For readers who wanted Tryst Six Venom’s obsession with nothing held back.

How it differs: a thriller, not a hate-to-love romance. Content: obsession, stalking, violence, dubious consent, psychological abuse.

7Green-Eyed Monster by Rawnie Sabor book cover

Green-Eyed Monster

Rawnie Sabor

Enemies, Obsession, EnvyHEAL5 · Very explicit
Romance: central573 pages
Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Forbidden romance, demon and witch, ice queen, enemies to lovers, obsession, D/s dynamics, rule-breaking heroine, series world, explicit heat, HEA.” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: LRR review.

A forbidden demon-and-witch romance between two ice queens circling each other.

Why start here: Envy and obsession drive an enemies-to-lovers that ends in an HEA.

How it differs: fantasy, with D/s rather than bullying. Content: explicit sex throughout, D/s dynamics, obsession, magical peril.

8Take Her On by Emily Wright book cover

Take Her On

Emily Wright

Rivals, University team, Grumpy/sunshineEnding unverifiedHeat disputed (L4 or L5)
Romance: centralNew adult
Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Rivals to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, teammates, new adult, grief, dual POV.” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: not confirmed by a source.

A stressed university football captain and the loudmouthed rival who transfers onto her team.

Why start here: College-age rivals and a lot of heat, without the cruelty.

How it differs: rivals, not enemies or bullies. Content: grief, bullying, sexual harassment and assault, gaslighting, alcoholism.

Closest High-Intensity Matches

Several of the source books’ ingredients at once: hostility, a class gap, a school or campus and high heat.

Serpentine Valentine by Giana Darling book cover

Serpentine Valentine

Giana Darling

Revenge seduction, Dark academia, Medusa retellingEnding unverifiedHeat not rated
Medusa retellingNew to LRR

Punished after a professor tries to destroy her at Acheron University, the narrator sets out to ruin the President’s daughter, Luna Pallas.

Why it fits: Deliberate cruelty aimed at a sheltered girl, on a university campus.

How it differs: the hostility is revenge on the girl’s mother rather than schoolyard bullying. Content: not rated by a source we trust; check the author’s notes.

Evidence: Publisher description

“I’ll destroy her innocence just as her mother and Professor Morgan destroyed mine.” Source → Heat: not rated by a source we trust. Ending: not confirmed by a source.

Find it on Amazon

To The Bone by Kylie Cross book cover

To The Bone

Kylie Cross

Bullying, Dark academia campus, RevengeEnding unverifiedL5 · Very explicit
Why-choose (f/f/f/x)Series book 1

A survivor arrives at Atwood University for revenge, is framed for murder and ends up under the protection of three dangerous women.

Why it fits: Campus intensity and a bully thread, with a murder plot running under the heat.

How it differs: why-choose, and the main threat comes from outside the romance rather than between the leads. Content: assault backstory, bullying, violence.

Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Why-choose / reverse harem (f/f/f/x) · Bully romance · Dark academia · Revenge · Framed for murder · Found family” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: not confirmed by a source.

Find it on AmazonRead our review

Also on this shelf: Her Spell That Binds Me, Leech, Tricky Girls.

Enemies With Real Hostility

Not witty rivals: women who want to hurt, beat or kill each other before they want each other.

Eternal Captive by Elle Mae book cover

Eternal Captive

Elle Mae

Sent to kill her, Enemies, Slow burnCliffhangerL5 · Very explicit
Romance: centralSeries

Aurelia, a hunter, and Vesper, the vampire princess she was sent to kill.

Why it fits: Real enmity with a slow burn to it, and a power balance that keeps flipping.

How it differs: a fantasy court rather than a school; a major cliffhanger, and the sequel changes the couple. Content: graphic violence, captivity, court cruelty, blood.

Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Enemies to lovers, vampire and hunter, princess and bodyguard, prophecy, slow burn, sent-to-kill-you, captivity, court villains, dark romance, cliffha” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: LRR review.

Find it on AmazonRead our review

Forbidden Girl by Kristen Zimmer book cover

Forbidden Girl

Kristen Zimmer

Rival crime families, Forbidden, EnemiesHEAL4 · Explicit
Romance: centralStandalone

Jules and Rowan, a sunshine daughter and a dangerous heir from Boston’s warring crime families.

Why it fits: Forbidden enemies with chemistry reviewers call scorching, in a fast standalone.

How it differs: the hostility is between the families more than the women, and the build-up is thin. Content: violence, mob war.

Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: FF mafia romance · rival crime families · enemies to lovers · forbidden love · sunshine daughter & dangerous heir · standalone” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: LRR review.

Find it on AmazonRead our review

Don’t Hate Me by Eden Emory book cover

Don’t Hate Me

Eden Emory

Enemies, Morally grey assassin, Forced proximityHEAHeat not rated
Romance: centralClub Pétale standalone

A cold, inexperienced assassin is sent to get close to Blake, a warm secret-service agent.

Why it fits: The emotional volatility: one lead was never supposed to feel anything.

How it differs: an adult thriller with no school and no bullying. Content: violence, morally grey leads.

Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Assassin · Enemies to lovers · Morally grey · Forced proximity · Emotionally cold heroine · Dark romance” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: LRR review.

Find it on AmazonRead our review

Blood Debt by Vesper Thorne book cover

Blood Debt

Vesper Thorne

Sent to kill her, Possessive bodyguard, ObsessionHEAL4 · Explicit
Novella, 66 pagesConsent: dub-con-adjacent edge play

A crime-family heiress and the enforcer sent to kill her.

Why it fits: Hostility that turns into obsession, short and extreme.

How it differs: a 66-page novella with almost no build-up. Content: edge play and dubious-consent-adjacent intensity.

Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Dark mafia · Enemies to lovers · Possessive bodyguard · Forced proximity” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: LRR review.

Find it on AmazonRead our review

Also on this shelf: Contract Bound, Mistress of Sin, Serpentine Valentine.

Obsessive and Possessive

Obsession and possessiveness are labelled separately from darkness: neither automatically makes a book dark romance.

Little Lamb by Cirrus Rae book cover

Little Lamb

Cirrus Rae

Stalker, Predator and prey, Masked strangerEnding unverifiedL5 · Very explicit
Erotic thrillerNovella

Nessa and Ez in a masked-stalker, predator-and-prey dark thriller.

Why it fits: Fear and desire tangled together, readable in one sitting.

How it differs: no enemies backstory; the menace is the romance. Content: stalking, fear and desire dynamics; the author includes a full warning list.

Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Stalker · Predator / prey · Masked stranger · Dual POV · Dark thriller · Novella” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: not confirmed by a source.

Find it on AmazonRead our review

Vibe by Liza James book cover

Vibe

Liza James

Obsession, Possessive dynamic, Forbidden secretEnding unverifiedL5 · Very explicit
Duology book 1Warnings compiled by readers

A woman inside a controlling religious hierarchy and a dancer at the club that gives the series its name.

Why it fits: The extreme end: real obsession and a possessive, controlling central relationship.

How it differs: much darker than either source book. Content (reader-compiled): graphic rape, sexual abuse of a minor, extreme internalised homophobia, drug use, cult dynamics.

Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Dark romance, obsession, forbidden secret, dancer and outsider, religious control, morally grey leads, possessive dynamic, trauma and survival, duolog” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: not confirmed by a source.

Find it on AmazonRead our review

The Ties That Bind Us by Eden Emory book cover

The Ties That Bind Us

Eden Emory

Toxic obsession, Rich woman and poor woman, ReunionEnding unverifiedL5 · Very explicit
Romance: centralMen on the page

A woman working several jobs, engaged to a man, is pulled back to the wealthy woman she was involved with three years earlier.

Why it fits: The class gap and the messy, mutual damage: two women who are bad for each other.

How it differs: no hate-to-love; the relationship itself is the damage. Content: infidelity, a coercive central dynamic, serious parental illness.

Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Dark romance, toxic relationship, reunion after three years, cheating, engaged to someone else, rich woman and poor woman, morally grey leads, obsessi” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: not confirmed by a source.

Find it on AmazonRead our review

Also on this shelf: Into the Fire, Green-Eyed Monster, Blood Debt, Tricky Girls.

High Heat (L4–L5)

Verified L4–L5 heat with a hostile or power-charged dynamic.

Queen Takes Rose by Katee Robert book cover

Queen Takes Rose

Katee Robert

Enemies, Domme/sub power, RevengeHEAL5 · Very explicit
Romance: centralAge gap

A Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent mafia retelling: Malone and Aurora in Carver City.

Why it fits: Power and hostility as foreplay, with an HEA.

How it differs: consensual BDSM rather than bullying. Content: BDSM pain play, assault, a mother’s death and grief.

Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Sapphic dark mafia romance, Sleeping Beauty/Maleficent retelling, Domme/submissive dynamic, enemies-to-lovers, age gap, forced proximity, vengeance an” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: LRR review.

Find it on AmazonRead our review

Also on this shelf: Mistress of Sin, Contract Bound, Her Spell That Binds Me, Green-Eyed Monster, Into the Fire.

College and Younger-Adult Intensity

Only books whose college or university setting is confirmed by our review or the publisher. All of them sit on the shelves above:

Also on this shelf: Her Spell That Binds Me, Tricky Girls, To The Bone, Serpentine Valentine, Take Her On.

Dark, With Different Dynamics

Captor-and-captive books: as dark as the source books or darker, but built on a power gap rather than hate. Every card says how it differs.

Captive in the Underworld by Lianyu Tan book cover

Captive in the Underworld

Lianyu Tan

Captor and captive, Ice queen, Myth retellingHEAL5 · Very explicit
Consent: on-page rape and dub-conGender-swapped Hades and Persephone

A gender-swapped Hades and Persephone: Persephone is dragged below and told to satisfy her keeper.

Why it fits: For readers who want the darkness rather than the school setting.

How it differs: captivity, not rivalry, and the book names its dynamic as abuse. Content: graphic rape, kidnapping, a parent’s physical and emotional abuse.

Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Dark romance, captor and captive, non-con and dub-con, gender-swapped myth retelling, abduction, forced marriage, ice queen, virgin heroine, abusive p” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: LRR review.

Find it on AmazonRead our review

Her Cruel Empire by Persephone Black book cover

Her Cruel Empire

Persephone Black

Ice queen and innocent, Captive, Beauty and the BeastCliffhangerL4 · Explicit
Trilogy book 1Consent: dubious

Robin is bought by Eva Novak, an arms dealer feared by the village below her castle.

Why it fits: Menace and a slow thaw rather than hate.

How it differs: a captive dynamic, not enemies, and it ends on a cliffhanger. Content: captivity, dubious consent, violence, organized crime.

Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Dark sapphic mafia romance · ice queen & innocent · auction/captive · forbidden love · enemies-to-lovers thaw · The Devil’s Plaything #1” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: LRR review.

Find it on AmazonRead our review

Princess in Chains by Dahlia Hemlock book cover

Princess in Chains

Dahlia Hemlock

Captor and captive, Morally grey enforcerEnding unverifiedL5 · Very explicit
StandaloneConsent: dubious

Mafia enforcer Katya kidnaps Livvie Corretti, the trophy wife of a rival family.

Why it fits: Rough, adults-only heat built on a power gap.

How it differs: no shared history and no school. Content: dub-con, kidnapping, bondage, violence, references to past abuse.

Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Captor & captive · Enemies to lovers · Morally-gray heroine · Dubious consent · Mafia wife · Blood and Blooms series” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: not confirmed by a source.

Find it on AmazonRead our review

Collateral Damage by Shassii book cover

Collateral Damage

Shassii

Captor and captive, Revenge, ObsessionEnding unverifiedL5 · Very explicit
Erotic thrillerStockholm syndrome

The “Puppet” and the “Puppeteer”: a grieving girl caught in her captor’s revenge.

Why it fits: The darkest book here: obsession and captivity with no comfort.

How it differs: our review calls it not a conventional romance, with no guaranteed happy ending. Content: graphic violence, captivity, Stockholm syndrome.

Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Captive / captor · Stockholm syndrome · Enemies to lovers · Revenge · Dual POV · Dark thriller” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: not confirmed by a source.

Find it on AmazonRead our review

Also on this shelf: Eternal Captive.

Lower-Darkness Alternatives

Intensity and heat without the heaviest content.

Other Girls by Avery Brooks book cover

Other Girls

Avery Brooks

The girl who bullied her in high school, Second chanceHEAL3 · Steamy
Romance: centralAdults now

Widowed New Orleans mom Sam Parker, and Ashley Valence, the girl who tormented her in high school, who now joins her softball team.

Why it fits: The bully-to-lover arc with years of distance, so it is about forgiveness rather than ongoing cruelty.

How it differs: far gentler, because the bullying is in the past. Content: bullying, past child abuse, death of a spouse.

Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Enemies to lovers, bully romance, widowed mom, second chance, small community, softball.” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: LRR review.

Find it on AmazonRead our review

Thicker Than Water by Remi Lebeau book cover

Thicker Than Water

Remi Lebeau

Enemies, Ice-queen vampire boss, UndercoverHEAHeat disputed (L3 or L4)
Romance: centralComplete arc

Witch Amara Moonfall goes undercover as a bartender at a nightclub run by the city’s most notorious vampire mafia family.

Why it fits: Enemies-to-lovers heat and an ice-queen boss, without the heaviest content.

How it differs: fun rather than dark. Content: sexual content, violence.

Evidence: LRR review

“Tropes: Enemies to lovers · Ice queen · Secret identity · Vampire mafia · Witch & vampire · Fangs and Feuds Series” Source → Heat: LRR review. Ending: LRR review.

Find it on AmazonRead our review

Also on this shelf: Take Her On, Forbidden Girl.

How We Chose These Books

We started from every LRR review tagged bully, enemies, rivals, obsession, possessive, captive or dark romance, kept sapphic romances that share at least two intensity markers with the source books, then searched Amazon for sapphic bully and dark-academia titles and checked each publisher description on 1 October 2026. Two books are new to LRR and rely on the publisher’s description.

Heat uses the LRR scale (L1 no on-page sex to L5 very explicit) and comes from our review; books without a trusted rating are marked “Heat not rated”. Endings appear only when our review confirms them. Consent and content notes are quoted from our review or the publisher; we never add labels such as “bully romance” or “dub-con” without that evidence.

Complete Collection

All 24 verified books, each listed once. Tap a filter to narrow the table.

24 of 24 books shown

BookWhy it fitsHeatEndingLRR
Blood Debt
Vesper Thorne
Sent to kill her, Possessive bodyguard, Obsession, Novella, 66 pages, Consent: dub-con-adjacent edge playL4 · ExplicitHEAReview
Captive in the Underworld
Lianyu Tan
Captor and captive, Ice queen, Myth retelling, Consent: on-page rape and dub-con, Gender-swapped Hades and PersephoneL5 · Very explicitHEAReview
Collateral Damage
Shassii
Captor and captive, Revenge, Obsession, Erotic thriller, Stockholm syndromeL5 · Very explicitEnding unverifiedReview
Contract Bound
Elle Mae
Hate-to-love, Vampire and hunter, Forced proximity, Consent: on-page assault and dub-con, SeriesL5 · Very explicitCliffhangerReview
Don’t Hate Me
Eden Emory
Enemies, Morally grey assassin, Forced proximity, Romance: central, Club Pétale standaloneHeat not ratedHEAReview
Eternal Captive
Elle Mae
Sent to kill her, Enemies, Slow burn, Romance: central, SeriesL5 · Very explicitCliffhangerReview
Forbidden Girl
Kristen Zimmer
Rival crime families, Forbidden, Enemies, Romance: central, StandaloneL4 · ExplicitHEAReview
Green-Eyed Monster
Rawnie Sabor
Enemies, Obsession, Envy, Romance: central, 573 pagesL5 · Very explicitHEAReview
Her Cruel Empire
Persephone Black
Ice queen and innocent, Captive, Beauty and the Beast, Trilogy book 1, Consent: dubiousL4 · ExplicitCliffhangerReview
Her Spell That Binds Me
Luna Oblonsky
Bully-edged rivalry, Class difference, Academy, Consent: magical-bond ambiguity, Trilogy book 1L5 · Very explicitBook one resolvesReview
Into the Fire
Cirrus Rae
Obsession, Possessive love interest, Stalker, Erotic thriller, Series book 2L5 · Very explicitEnding unverifiedReview
Leech
Holly Thorne
Bully romance, Poor girl at a rich school, Hate as obsession, Toxic on both sidesHeat not ratedLove prevails (author’s note)New
Little Lamb
Cirrus Rae
Stalker, Predator and prey, Masked stranger, Erotic thriller, NovellaL5 · Very explicitEnding unverifiedReview
Mistress of Sin
Jade Fierro
Enemies, Forbidden step-sisters, Warring families, Romance: central, 198 pagesL5 · Very explicitEnding unverifiedReview
Other Girls
Avery Brooks
The girl who bullied her in high school, Second chance, Romance: central, Adults nowL3 · SteamyHEAReview
Princess in Chains
Dahlia Hemlock
Captor and captive, Morally grey enforcer, Standalone, Consent: dubiousL5 · Very explicitEnding unverifiedReview
Queen Takes Rose
Katee Robert
Enemies, Domme/sub power, Revenge, Romance: central, Age gapL5 · Very explicitHEAReview
Serpentine Valentine
Giana Darling
Revenge seduction, Dark academia, Medusa retelling, Medusa retellingHeat not ratedEnding unverifiedNew
Take Her On
Emily Wright
Rivals, University team, Grumpy/sunshine, Romance: central, New adultHeat disputed (L4 or L5)Ending unverifiedReview
Thicker Than Water
Remi Lebeau
Enemies, Ice-queen vampire boss, Undercover, Romance: central, Complete arcHeat disputed (L3 or L4)HEAReview
The Ties That Bind Us
Eden Emory
Toxic obsession, Rich woman and poor woman, Reunion, Romance: central, Men on the pageL5 · Very explicitEnding unverifiedReview
To The Bone
Kylie Cross
Bullying, Dark academia campus, Revenge, Why-choose (f/f/f/x), Series book 1L5 · Very explicitEnding unverifiedReview
Tricky Girls
Holly Thorne
Scholarship outsider, Mafia-run university, Possessive girls, Why-choose: heroine and three women, Duet book 1L4 · ExplicitCliffhanger (duet)Review
Vibe
Liza James
Obsession, Possessive dynamic, Forbidden secret, Duology book 1, Warnings compiled by readersL5 · Very explicitEnding unverifiedReview

Checked and Not Included

Checked and not included

  • The source books themselves: read our Tryst Six Venom review and Loathing You review.
  • Dark sapphic mafia romances whose dynamic is protective rather than hostile, such as Her Ruthless Heart and Soft On Her, and mafia books we could only match on setting.
  • Witty rivals-to-lovers with no real hostility, and M/F dark romances that LRR mentions in comparisons but are not sapphic.
  • Bully-labelled sapphic titles with no verifiable reader or review signal yet, and short-story collections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these all bully romances?

No. Some match through hostility, obsession, rivalry or high emotional intensity instead. Use the Bullying filter for books where our review or the author uses the label.

Are all recommendations very explicit?

No. Heat is shown independently. The closest-match shelf leans L4–L5 where verified, and the lower-darkness shelf includes an L3 book.

Will every book have an HEA?

No. Ending status is visible on every card, and several of the darkest picks end on cliffhangers or have no confirmed ending.

Do these books include dubious consent?

Some do. The Consent note filter shows books where our review or the publisher records dubious consent or on-page assault, and each card names it.

How many books are on this page?

24 verified books: 22 reviewed on LRR and 2 new to LRR. 8 have a confirmed HEA or HFN.

Affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Checked October 2026.