The most recommended books on forced marriage

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18 authors created a book list connected to forced marriage, and here are their favorite forced marriage books.
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Book cover of Brutal Prince

Helena Newbury Author Of Lying and Kissing

From my list on falling for a mafia boss.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved the blend of drama and romance that mafia romance brings ever since I read my first one. It’s the larger-than-life heroes: rich, powerful, morally gray but ultimately human and flawed, that draw me in. But it’s the heroines who act as these men’s sweet kryptonite that keep me reading. I’m also a New York Times and USA Today bestselling romantic suspense author, including the mafia romantic suspenses The Double, Lying and Kissing, Kissing My Killer, and Kissing The Enemy.

Helena's book list on falling for a mafia boss

Helena Newbury Why did Helena love this book?

A good mafia romance is all about family, and that’s what this one delivers in spades: two dysfunctional, squabbling, but ultimately loving mafia families who collide head-on when two of their number are forced to marry.

I loved both of them, even though they were very different: the cool, even cold Irish Mafia Griffins and the chaotic, passionate Italian Mafia Gallos. This is a forced marriage romance with real crackling enemies-to-lovers heat between Callum and Aida, which is exactly how I like it.

And between an election race, the wedding, and enemies vying for power, the plot races along. What I love most about this book is how two mortal enemies change and grow and become a couple you can genuinely see working.

By Sophie Lark,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Brutal Prince as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

They're a match made in Hell.

The Griffins and the Gallos have been battling for control of Chicago's underworld for generations. Their rivalry has always been flammable, but it reignites with a fury when Aida, the youngest and wildest Gallo sibling, crashes a party at the Griffin mansion and accidentally sets fire to the library. To stave off all-out war, her father quickly arranges a marriage between her and Callum Griffin, eldest son and heir to the Irish mafia.

Cold, ambitious, and brutal, Callum is determined to tame his headstrong new bride. But Aida is more than capable of giving…


Book cover of The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices

Sheridan Prasso Author Of The Asian Mystique: Dragon Ladies, Geisha Girls, & Our Fantasies of the Exotic Orient

From my list on Asian women.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have specialized in writing about Asia since first moving to Hong Kong as a journalist in 1989, and spent the past three decades trying to improve understandings between East and West. My Asian women friends repeatedly asked me why Western men expected them to pour their drinks and serve them food. I answered “because that’s what they saw in the movies.” The James Bond films perpetuating these images of servile Asian women scrubbing white mens’ backs in the bathtub were pervasive when they were growing up. I decided to uncover and explain where this history of imagery and the stereotypes they result in come from – and, as someone with an anthropological background, also explain cultural practices that foster misunderstandings. 

Sheridan's book list on Asian women

Sheridan Prasso Why did Sheridan love this book?

This collection of hidden testimonies of women in China, based on call-ins to a radio show in the 199Os, depicts what women think and feel about their world and their realities. We hear women speaking for the first time about forced marriages, poverty, persecution, love – and their triumphs. It is key to understanding the thoughts and feelings behind what we think we know.

By Xinran,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Good Women of China as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For eight groundbreaking years, Xinran presented a radio programme in China during which she invited women to call in and talk about themselves. Broadcast every evening, Words on the Night Breeze became famous through the country for its unflinching portrayal of what it meant to be a woman in modern China. Centuries of obedience to their fathers, husbands and sons, followed by years of political turmoil had made women terrified of talking openly about their feelings. Xinran won their trust and, through her compassion and ability to listen, became the first woman to hear their true stories.

This unforgettable book…


Book cover of Silver Lining

Lori Handeland Author Of Beauty and the Bounty Hunter

From my list on romance for lovers of the show The English.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an only child of a working mother, I spent a lot of Saturday afternoons with John Wayne. I graduated to movie nights at the theater with Clint Eastwood. My hero-worshipping crush on tough guys combined with my passion for romance novels and my fascination with the history of the American West made me the perfect candidate to write gritty, romantic westerns. My very first book, written over 30 years ago, was a western.

Lori's book list on romance for lovers of the show The English

Lori Handeland Why did Lori love this book?

The day I found Maggie Osborne was the day I found a kindred western romance novel-writing soul. Her heroines are the kind of tough that won the west. They didn’t need a man; they could tame that place themselves. However, if a worthwhile male comes along... they can be persuaded.

I read every book Maggie ever wrote, but Silver Lining is the one I remember the best. Low Down is not your typical romance novel heroine. She’s rough, gruff, and tough. And she only wants one thing—a baby.

Not a husband, mind you, just a baby. In the 1800s. How she gets one, makes for one of the best yarns I’ve ever found.

By Maggie Osborne,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Silver Lining as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Hailed as “one of the best writers in the business” by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, multi-award-winning author Maggie Osborne delivers hilarious and heartrending tales of resilient women full of grit, pride, and dignity who shine through hard times. Now meet the most irresistible and independent heroine of them all, a woman called Low Down, who never had anything good happen to her until the day she asked for the one thing that only a man could give her. . . .

As scruffy and rootless as the other prospectors searching for gold in the Rockies, Low Down wanted nothing in return…


Book cover of The Captive Heart

MaryLu Tyndall Author Of Veil of Pearls

From my list on on the edge of your seat Christian romance.

Why am I passionate about this?

What can I say? I’m a hopeless romantic. There’s nothing better than a great romance novel set in the past when chivalry was not dead. I’m a published author of more than twenty-five novels, including a great pirate series. I grew up in Florida and fell in love with the tropics as I sat on the beach and dreamt of handsome pirates. Once I became a Christian, I started reading Christian romances but found many of them moved a little slow to my liking, so I decided to write one myself! I have a BA in Computer Science and have won several awards for my writing.   

MaryLu's book list on on the edge of your seat Christian romance

MaryLu Tyndall Why did MaryLu love this book?

Reminiscent of the wildness, adventure, and romance of The Last of the Mohicans, Captive Heart sizzles on every page. This is Michelle Griep's best book yet and one that played out before my eyes like an epic movie I kept wanting to watch over and over. The romance is perfect, the adventure nonstop, and the characters really touch your heart. 

By Michelle Griep,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Captive Heart as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The wild American wilderness is no place for an elegant English governess

On the run from a brute of an aristocratic employer, Eleanor Morgan escapes from England to America, the land of the free, for the opportunity to serve an upstanding Charles Town family. But freedom is hard to come by as an indentured servant, and downright impossible when she’s forced to agree to an even harsher contract—marriage to a man she’s never met.

Backwoodsman Samuel Heath doesn’t care what others think of him—but his young daughter’s upbringing matters very much. The life of a trapper in the Carolina backcountry…


Book cover of The Book of Ivy

K.M. Robinson Author Of Jaded

From my list on swoony dystopia that aren’t Hunger Games.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love dystopian stories because these are tales that could actually happen if a particular series of steps fall into place over the course of the next decade, century, etc. Dystopia is set in our real world, just in the future. There’s no unbelievable magic…just what our real world could be generations from now. The evolution or devolution of science, law, law enforcement, medicine, education, etc is fascinating to explore…especially since I’m an incredibly techy person. I love exploring what could happen in our future if we follow certain paths, good, bad, or otherwise. Asking “what if” is my favorite question.

K.M.'s book list on swoony dystopia that aren’t Hunger Games

K.M. Robinson Why did K.M. love this book?

Similar to my story, this is about a girl forced to marry the son of a dictator against her will…only instead of fighting to save her own life as she’s about to be murdered, this girl is the murderer trying to take out her new husband. She’s being manipulated by her family to act as an assassin and starts to waiver in her mission when her new husband proves to be absolute book boyfriend perfection. It’s kind of the opposite of mine where my leading lady is cunning and manipulative to save her life, this leading lady is trying to be stumbling through being stealthy enough to murder a man who was supposed to be her older sister’s victim—not hers.

By Amy Engel,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Book of Ivy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In a future where girls no longer control their own fates, sixteen-year-old Ivy Westfall has the power to give girls back their choices. If she's willing to commit murder to do it. After a brutal nuclear war, followed by famine and disease, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over who would govern the new nation. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual. This year, it is Ivy…


Book cover of The Assassin's Curse

Annie Sullivan Author Of A Touch of Gold

From my list on YA fantasy with pirates.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a young adult fantasy author who’s been in love with pirates since before Pirates of the Caribbean came out…and who then wrote a novel inspired by it. I grew up watching every pirate movie I could and have always wanted to hunt for treasure. I feel my most calm when I’m by the ocean, and I’m a bit of a wanderer myself—having traveled to over 60 countries and to every continent (yes, including Antarctica!). I have a master’s degree in Creative Writing and love sharing my adventures with the world. 

Annie's book list on YA fantasy with pirates

Annie Sullivan Why did Annie love this book?

I love a good enemies-to-lovers trope, and this one has it! Pirate Ananna nearly escapes a forced marriage into another pirate clan, but her freedom comes at a cost—an assassin sent to kill her. Hold on to your hats because this book has adventure, romance, curses, and more! You’ll fall in love with the world and the characters as they leap off the pages! 

By Cassandra Rose Clarke,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Assassin's Curse as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her. 

And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their…


Book cover of Ruthless King

E.J. Frost Author Of Snowburn

From my list on scifi and fantasy romance.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been fascinated by “other worlds” since I found my father’s battered copy of Dune when I was eleven. I’ve been seeking that experience of transportation, of transcendence, that I got from reading Dune, ever since. I’ve found it in diverse places, from the very alien worlds of Jo Clayton’s Diadem from the Stars series to the somehow-familiar woods of Richard and Wendy Pini’s ElfQuest comics. I’ve tried to give that experience back to my readers, in creating worlds wondrous and strange but entirely relatable. The books on this list sparked that same sense of transcendence and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

E.J.'s book list on scifi and fantasy romance

E.J. Frost Why did E.J. love this book?

I’m always enamored of a truly dark, gritty setting. I want to see the dirt under the hero’s nails. Smell his sweat and hear his harsh breaths as he fights or...does other things. Aimes’s world in the Ruthless Warlord series is visceral. It grabs you by the throat, shakes you, throws you down, and smothers you. It’s brutal and in some ways unbearably harsh. But Aimes’s books are always tempered with humor, warmth, and ultimately, triumph of the human spirit. I may shiver and shudder my way through Nikolai and Dahlia’s story, but I feel hopeful by the end, and that’s why I return to Aimes’s books again and again—to be, ultimately, uplifted.

By Alison Aimes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ruthless King as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"I tore myself away to throw dinner at the kids and then hurried back. Ruthless King was EVERYTHING I want in a romance and more." -5 Star Reviewer
He's the most brutal crime boss in the galaxy—and she belongs to him now.
Payment for a debt owed. Pawn for an act of vengeance. Property to be used.

Irresistibly gorgeous mafia king Nikolai Skolov is dominant, hard, possessive—and determined to bend innocent Dahlia Lundin to his will. But she is equally determined to resist. The lives of those she loves depends upon it.

Except Dahlia isn't prepared for the insatiable hunger…


Book cover of Tempted By The Devil

Helena Newbury Author Of Lying and Kissing

From my list on falling for a mafia boss.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved the blend of drama and romance that mafia romance brings ever since I read my first one. It’s the larger-than-life heroes: rich, powerful, morally gray but ultimately human and flawed, that draw me in. But it’s the heroines who act as these men’s sweet kryptonite that keep me reading. I’m also a New York Times and USA Today bestselling romantic suspense author, including the mafia romantic suspenses The Double, Lying and Kissing, Kissing My Killer, and Kissing The Enemy.

Helena's book list on falling for a mafia boss

Helena Newbury Why did Helena love this book?

Even though it’s not all that old, this is what I think of as the classic mafia romance and one that puts the romance front and center. It has all the classic elements: Cosa Nostra (Sicilian rather than Russian or Irish Mafia), a forced marriage, an innocent heroine, and a cold-hearted hero who melts for her.

I took to Tori immediately: she’s very relatable and I could imagine her as a friend. I loved the sweetness of the romance, especially when this is a genre that often leans towards the dark, and I just ate up Angelo’s big, bold statements of love. This is the book I often recommend as a first mafia romance, especially for romance readers who aren’t sure if they’ll like the genre. 

By Michelle Heard,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tempted By The Devil as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Michelle Heard comes a new STANDALONE, full-length MAFIA ROMANCE novel.

Attending a party with my stepbrother, I’m in for the surprise of my life.
It’s not a regular party, but instead, my wedding.
To Angelo Rizzo.
A coldhearted man who’s feared by all. Including me.

Turns out my stepbrother owes the Cosa Nostra money, and I’m being used to repay his debt to Angelo Rizzo.

Do I have a choice?
No. Not when it comes to matters concerning the Cosa Nostra.

Three hours later, I have a new shiny wedding ring…


Book cover of Wither

Shauna Granger Author Of World of Ash

From my list on dystopian, apocalyptic, and post-apocalyptic.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a writer who loves to read and wants to write all the fantasy genres, or at least, wants to try. I’ve always been fascinated by monsters and the question, “What if?” Dystopian, Apocalyptic, Post-Apocalyptic, and Fantasy gives us the freedom to explore both these things. It’s amazing how these genres can bend our world and expectation when we explore these two things. What if the world ended but not in the way we expect? What if monsters were real? What if we are the real monsters? These questions are terrifying but so fascinating to consider and blending fantasy with apocalyptic has been a safe way to explore them.

Shauna's book list on dystopian, apocalyptic, and post-apocalyptic

Shauna Granger Why did Shauna love this book?

This one is totally different than the others on my list, but when I was diving into these related genres and finding myself more and more inspired by them, it was always a surprise and a treat to find a book that just completely defied all genre expectations. The book blends Sci-Fi with Fantasy, something I’ve always enjoyed if done well, and something that made me think maybe I could try my hand at this. I was never that great in science or math, even though I tried, but the idea that we could mix Sci-Fi with Fantasy, now that was intriguing. And throw in a little unexpected romance and I think you have a really well-rounded adventure. Humans are the root cause of the ending of the human race, so obviously humans have to undo what they’ve done, but your average person is just trying to survive the fallout.

By Lauren DeStefano,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wither as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

A stunning debut YA novel, destined to blow the dystopian genre wide open - The Handmaid's Tale for a new generation. This edition will contain a sneak preview of Fever, and a brand new short story by Lauren DeStefano: "The First Bride".

Sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery has only four years left to live when she is kidnapped by the Gatherers and forced into a polygamous marriage. Now she has one purpose: to escape, find her twin brother, and go home - before her time runs out forever.

What if you knew you exactly when you would die?

In our brave new…


Book cover of Ruthless Heir

B. G. Howard Author Of Thicker Than Blood

From my list on where characters see the end before the end.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a past award-winning weekly newspaper columnist turned business owner, I eventually embraced the love of writing following an auto accident that necessitated more than eight years of rehabilitative therapy. Scripting my first novel proved more of a therapeutic undertaking and it was released in 2020 to moderate success. That experience then compelled me to learn more about the craft of being a novelist. Two years later, the original work was modified and Revised Edition Family Ties: Thicker Than Blood was launched in June of 2022. 

B. G.'s book list on where characters see the end before the end

B. G. Howard Why did B. G. love this book?

Sasha Leone displays her mastery of the ability to draw readers into the clutches of events transpiring throughout the novel beginning with the first pages. The irony of her chivalrous Cousin Rian, heir apparent to the family’s criminal empire, serving as protector to his not-so-innocent younger female cousin is the ultimate oxymoron. Enter Gabriel Corso, a mafia prince from a merciless rival family, who is the source of a bitterness Bianca can’t understand but, still, can’t shake. Yet, she is drawn to him like metal to an unsuspecting magnet. A forced marriage to secure the family’s legacy proves more than she can come to terms with…or does it? Having lived a life "teetering on the line" dividing legality and morality, I found myself subconsciously drawn to the story's principal characters; sometimes even "telling" them what should be their next moves.

By Sasha Leone, Wander Aguiar (photographer),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ruthless Heir as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

His proposal is ruthless. Marry him or die.

Gabriel Corso is the stuff of nightmares. And dirty dreams.
A sinfully gorgeous mafia prince from a brutal rival family.

In school, he was the bane of my existence.
The dark villain to my sheltered princess.

Then, poof. He disappeared.

If only he’d stayed away.

Turns out, our marriage is a term of his inheritance.
And he’s returned to collect what’s his.

That means ripping me from my gilded cage.
It means locking me beneath his searing flesh.
It means war.

I’m not supposed to like it.
To beg for more.
To…


Book cover of Brutal Prince
Book cover of The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices
Book cover of Silver Lining

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