TBRStar

8 Dark Romance Books That Rival Fifty Shades of Grey

October 28, 2024 at 12:53 PM

Fifty Shades Of Grey by E L James
#romance

Originally a self-published ebook, Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James went on to become the fastest selling paperback in UK history, topped bestseller lists around the world, and was turned into a movie trilogy a few years later.

Whether you are intrigued by wealthy men or the world of BDSM—or even if you are looking for something a little tamer, we have some dark romance recommendations for you.

Top 5 books similar to Fifty Shades Of Grey:

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#1
Twisted Love by Ana Huang

Twisted Love by Ana Huang

2 people on TikTok compared Twisted Love to Fifty Shades Of Grey.

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@kiananglife said:

  • “It's your typical romance novel where enemies become lovers. It gives me very much 50 Shades of Grey vibes, but not quite to that extent .…”
  • “Overall I would give this book like a 3.5 out of 5 … but I think that if this genre is your vibe, then you'll really love it and probably give it higher stars than me.”

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@itsme_lisap said:

  • “Twisted Love … read to me very much like 50 Shades of Gray.”
  • “I really like the protagonist. I think she's great. I think she's a little Susie Sunshine, and that's the whole point.”
  • “The protagonist is very Christian Gray.”
  • “In the beginning, it started to come off cheesy, but by the end I'm completely invested. I wanna read all four books.”

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#2
For 100 Days by Lara Adrian

For 100 Days by Lara Adrian

2 people on TikTok compared For 100 Days to Fifty Shades Of Grey.

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@bookcase.beauty said:

  • “If you are a 50 Shades of Gray fan, you're gonna like this one. It's not red room … the red room is a little intense for me.”
  • “They're hot, they're spicy, there's secrets, there's suspense, there's … hot billionaire.”
  • “You will not be let down by this series.”

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@oldun94 said:

  • “I actually sat up till 2:00 this morning reading book one.… And honestly, I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I think it tops 50 Shades of Grey so far. It's absolutely amazing.”
  • “[I]f you like seductive, submissive billionaire romance novels, start reading the For 100 Days trilogy.”

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#3
Blossom in Winter by Melanie Martins

Blossom in Winter by Melanie Martins

1 person on TikTok compared Blossom in Winter to Fifty Shades Of Grey.

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@godschildrenee said:

“I feel like I have no business reading it, but it's so good. It's so good. I'm so invested.”

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#4
Story of O by Pauline Reage

Story of O by Pauline Reage

1 person on TikTok compared Story of O to Fifty Shades Of Grey.

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@esme.louisee said:

  • “If 50 Shades of Grey got you hot and heavy, but its problematic content made you feel guilty about it, then I have a perfect reading alternative.”
  • “It is an incredible work of literature, winning multiple prominent literary prizes.”

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#5
Crash & Burn by AJ Nicole

Crash & Burn by AJ Nicole

1 person on TikTok compared Crash & Burn to Fifty Shades Of Grey.

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@reads_and_reviews said:

  • “This reminds me a whole lot of Fifty Shades of Grey … minus the BDSM.”
  • “[O]nce the steam kicks in, the spice is off the charts.”

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3 more books similar to Fifty Shades Of Grey:

#6
Alpha by Jasinda Wilder

Alpha by Jasinda Wilder

1 person on TikTok compared Alpha to Fifty Shades Of Grey.

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@tiffanatorbabi said:

  • “This is very spicy. A lot of bondage, a lot of spanking .…”
  • “This is about a girl [who] gets a check [for] for 10 grand [per month for a year]. She collects $120,000. A year later, a driver shows up … and says, if you don't have the hundred twenty thousand dollars to pay back, you need to come with me.”
  • “[H]e keeps her blindfolded .… It is a dark romance.”

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#7
How Not to Fall by Emily Foster

How Not to Fall by Emily Foster

1 person on TikTok compared How Not to Fall to Fifty Shades Of Grey.

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@booktokashleyg said:

  • “It's been described as the smart, feminist version that 50 Shades should've been.”
  • “This author also wrote a nonfiction book that I think every single person should [read that] will teach you so much about desire.”

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#8
Sovereign by Raya Morris Edwards

Sovereign by Raya Morris Edwards

1 person on TikTok compared Sovereign to Fifty Shades Of Grey.

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@book_baddie_tiff said:

  • “If you like [50 Shades], you're gonna like [Sovereign].”
  • “I'll take [the male main character in Sovereign] all day. [Christian Grey from 50 Shades] ain't got nothing on [Sovereign's male main character].”

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