Must-Read Indie Dark Romance and Horror Titles

She is dubbed the Queen of taboo romance by her fans, and when you read her books, you will see why. You can check out my interview with Kinsley here.
I have read every Kinsley Kincaid book she has released and loved them all, which is why I am on her street team. If you want to know more about Kinsley, you can find her website here.

Her non-taboo standalones are:
📚Within The Shadows (This is a stalker romance)
📚Lessons from the Depraved (although there is a taboo bonus scene on Kinsley’s website)

Her taboo standalones are:
📚Ghost Dick (This is a niece and her uncles ghost romance, arguably my favourite, the humour in this is just hilarious)
📚Wrecked (This is a cousin romance. This has great mental health representation.)
📚Dark Temptation (This is sibling romance, 2 brothers and a sister.)

Then we have the following series, whose name is coming soon.
📚Sutton Asylum (twin romance)
📚Sick Obsession (sister, brother and mute stalker romance)

Then we have the Devils Society Series:
📚Haunted by the Devil (Rain & Elijah’s book, they are kind of step-siblings)
📚Sinner (Novella)
📚Homecoming (Rain & Elijah’s second book)
📚Unholy (age gap, Domme)
📚Sweet Sin Slaughterhouse (erotic sapphic horror)

I have read a few of Harleigh’s books, and I honestly haven’t read a bad one by her. I plan on reading my way through her entire catalogue; that’s how good she is. Her books will blow your mind and leave you sitting there questioning everything! You can find Harleigh’s Instagram here

Here is a list of Harleigh Beck books (I believe I have them all, but let me know if I am missing any):

Standalones
Dark Romance Books:
📚Chokehold, written with Leigh Rivers (this is a dark MM stepbrother romance, I loved this, I absolutely devoured it)
📚A Voice in Chains (MM romance with bi awakening, and I adore this book)
📚Obsession (This is a serial killer and journalist romance. I had this on my TBR for a while, and when I finally read it, I kicked myself for not reading it sooner! I loved this.)
📚Entangled (This is a novella and not my favourite, but I think that is because I hate this daddy kink. The writing was amazing though, and I didn’t expect the ending!)
📚Phantasm (This is set in the same world as Kinsley Kincaid’s Devil Society series and features Elijah and Nathanial. It is amazing!)
📚Kitty (A romance book where the FMC is a virgin)
📚The King of Sherwood Forest (A dark reimagining of Robin Hood)

Erotic Horror Books:
📚Sinister Legacy (I’m yet to read this, but it is on my TBR)
📚Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are (This was my first Harleigh Beck book and left me mind blown! It was also my first erotic horror.)
📚Conjure (this is a paranormal erotic horror, and it is amazing)
📚Sweet Taste of Betrayal (I read this in 2024 and was left sitting there asking myself what was real and what wasn’t, absolutely mind blown, and I still think about this book.)

Series:
I’m yet to read these, but they are on my TBR.

Sins of the Fallen (This is a why-choose FFMMM dark paranormal romance)
📚Touched by Sin
📚Touched by Darkness
📚Touched by Death
Rivals Duet (A dark FFMM romance)
📚The Rivals Touch
📚Fadeaway
Counter Bet (A dark high school, FFM romance)
📚Counter Bet
📚Devil’s Bargain
Wellard Asylum
📚Lonely (this has both MF & MM scenes and is set to be released this year)

This is another author who will leave you sitting there, mind blown. The first book I read was No For An Answer, and I was absolutely blown away! This is another author whose catalogue I want to make my way through. Not only are her books gold, but her TikTok videos always make me laugh. You can find her on TikTok here.
Here is a list of C.J. Riggs books:

📚No For An Answer (this is an erotic horror, and you need to read this)
📚Desperate Run written with M.L. Burns (This is a dark romance, I’ve yet to read this, but I have it on my Kindle ready for me to get to it.)
📚Vigilante, written with Dakota Wilde (This is a short, mild dark romance novella, and I enjoyed it)
📚Shelly (This is a short story, and when I say I was equally disturbed and amused when I read this, I mean it. This was like Frankenstein meets Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Read it!)
📚Insanity (This is set to be released this year)

Deepest Desires Series (I love this series, it is just filthy, smutty good fun)
📚Idee Fixe
📚Amour Fou

Riggs has also been featured in a few anthologies, such as:
📚Written In Blood: A Dark Feminine Rage Anthology
📚Tangled In Taboo
📚The Tales of the Scorned
📚Echoes of Vengeance

I think we all know Haunting Adeline by now, and it is worth the hype 100%. Zade will always be up near the top of my book boyfriend list! Have you read the other books by H.D. Carlton? You can find out more about her here.

A list of her books:
Cat and Mouse Duet (I love all 4 books, and I will not hear a bad word about them.)
📚Satan’s Affair (book 0.5)
📚Haunting Adeline (book 1)
📚Hunting Adeline (book 2)
📚Where’s Molly? (book 2.5)

📚Phantom (This is a dark Mafia romance, and it is Adeline’s Grandma, so it is set before HA, but I think you are meant to read the cat & mouse duet first. I need to read this)

📚Does It Hurt? (This is dark romantic suspense and it is incredible, don’t read this thinking it is like Haunting Adeline. It isn’t. I devoured it in one sitting.)
📚Shallow River (I need to read this, it is on my shelf waiting patiently)
📚MDD (Set for release 2026)

It also looks like H.D. Carlton had 2 books out in The Zero Saga, Hollow and Untainted, but I don’t think these are available any longer. I could be wrong!

H.D. Carlton has also featured in a few anthologies:
📚Dissent
📚The Love Archives
📚Heartless Heroes

Lauren is the Queen of traumance. When I say these books will leave you questioning everyone’s sanity, including your own, I do not lie. I have only read a few of Lauren’s books, but again, I need to read more! You can find out more about Lauren here.
This is a list of Lauren’s books, all of which are marked from light to dark to darkest category. I will place a * next to the ones I have read:

Standalones
📚The Room to the West (This is marked as a lighter read)
📚Never Let Go (This is marked as DARKEST)
📚Wanted* (medium darkness)
📚Last Mistake (Marked as lighter)
📚Protect Me (Marked as lighter)
📚Frisky the Snowman* (This is hilarious)
📚Karma* (This is mildly dark with a good amount of humour)
📚Dark Decisions* (This is like one of them adventure books where you are the main character, except it’s romance)
📚After Wife (Marked as lighter)
📚Her Fantasy(Marked as lighter)
📚Men of Mayhem and Vengeance (marked as dark)
📚Captured* (This is pitch black in the darkness scale and will leave you traumatised. It was my first ever LB book and I still think about this book.)
📚Stranger Session (marked as lighter)
📚Don’t Stop* (This is really dark, really fucked up, yet I had to laugh)
📚Morally Grey* (This is fairly light on the darkness, the FMC turns out to be crazier than the MMC, who is on the run after killing someone. It is also quite funny!)
📚Unethical* (this is a darker read and is pretty good on audio!)

Ride of Die Standalones
📚Hitched (marked as darker)
📚Along for the Ride (marked as darker)
📚Driving My Obsession (marked as darkest)
📚Across State Lines (marked as darkest)

Slaycation Series (these are dark rom-coms; these are in the lighter category)
📚Sinners Retreat*
📚Slay Ride
📚Ship Happens

The Sin Duet (these are in the darker category)
📚Edge of Sin
📚Closer to Sin

Toxic Novella Duet (darkest category)
📚Toxic Love
📚Toxic Desires

The Stars Duet (lighter category)
📚Shoot Down The Stars
📚Colliding Stars

I have read 2 books by Alina May and plan to read the others soon. The two that I have read, I absolutely loved, so I really need to read the others! You can find out more about Alina May here.
Here is a list of her books:

The run and hide duet
📚Better Run (MFM)
📚Better Hide (MFM)

The Hunters Club (these are interconnected standalones)
📚Wanna Play a Game? (This is a MMMF book, with MM, FM, MMF, MMM and MMMF scenes.)
📚Ready or Not (this is a FFM romance, and I loved every minute of it)

The Silent Hollow
📚Make Me (This is an interconnected standalone in the Silent Hollow series, which consists of The Mercenary and The Mortician by Alexandra St. Pierre. Make Me is an MMM romance, and I devoured this! It is dark, but it is also so funny.

Nova Kane is a Canadian author who blew me away with the first book I read of hers, A la Folie. She also writes under the pen name Melissa McSherry. You can find out more about Nova through her instagram here.

Here is a list of her books under Nova Kane:

Cirque Du Désir Series
📚A La Folie (this was the first book I read, and I loved it, it is gory, spicy and awesome.)
📚Maison De Fous (this is book 2 in the series, and just as good as book one, if not better!)
📚Ma Petite Mort (this is book 3 and I need to read this!)

Silent Frights Series
📚Slay all the way (this is a Christmas novella following Johnny from Cirque Du Desir, and it’s a fab read)

Full Send Series (this is a motorbike racing series)
📚Apex (this is book one, and i fucking loved this!)
📚Endo (book 2 is also great, but very heavy on the grief, which I found hard to read at times, as it brought up my own problems with grieving)
📚Bend (coming 2026)

📚Blood & Throttle (coming 2026)
📚Atrocity – part of the Wellard Asylum series (coming autumn 2025)

Leigh is a Scottish author and is a relatively new author to me. I have enjoyed each book I have read and plan on making my way through the rest. You can connect with Leigh on Instagram here.

Here is a list of Leigh’s books:

The Web of Silence Duet
📚Little Stranger (this is a taboo romance as he becomes obsessed with his foster sister. I enjoyed this book!)
📚Little Liar (I haven’t read this yet)

The Edge of Darkness Trilogy
📚Insatiable (I read this when I was in a massive book slump last year & I enjoyed it, but will reread it before I jump into books 2&3)
📚Voracious
📚Restitution

The Broken Realms
📚Satanic Shadows (I read this in February this year, as it was recommended on my 12 books challenge, and I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for book 2.

📚Chokehold written with Harleigh Beck (I love this book! I read this in March and already want to reread it. This was my March book of the month and started my love of MM romance)
📚Psychotic Obsession (This is related to the Edge of Darkness trilogy, I believe, and I will read it when I have read the trilogy.)
📚Bitter Taste (coming 2026)
📚EM written with Avina St. Graves (title, cover and release date TBD)

I came across Aveline Knight last year when I saw a post about ARC reading a mafia romance and I thought fuck it yeah and signed up. I’m so glad I did, and I think this is an author to pay attention to. She only has 2 books out at present, and I am unsure if she writes under any other names. If you want to follow Aveline Knight, you can find her on Instagram here.

Her books are:
The Chrysophilist Trilogy
📚Goldsin
📚Goldflame
📚Goldrage (set for release in September)

I have read books 1 and 2, and I enjoyed them immensely, and I cannot wait to read book 3.