Greetings, thrill-seekers, and lovers of the darkly romantic! Are you drawn to the shadows, where love intertwines with the macabre and passion borders on obsession? Welcome to the chilling yet captivating world of serial killer romance books. Here, we explore the forbidden and controversial allure of love stories set against a backdrop of suspense and danger.
These narratives take us deep into the psyche of antiheroes and the individuals who find themselves irresistibly drawn to them. Prepare to go on a journey where morality is questioned, and love dares to dance with darkness. So, dim the lights, and let’s delve into tales that promise to enthrall and haunt you in equal measure. Are you ready to explore love’s most dangerous edge?
5 Serial Killer Romance Books (Psychopath Love Stories)
Romance books about serial killers represent dark, crime, suspense, thrill, mystery, action, etc. There are many disturbance elements and violence. They show the psychological motivations and inner workings of both the protagonist and the serial killer. We can explore themes of obsession, manipulation, and the blurred lines between love and madness, offering us a glimpse into the complex psychology of both characters.
As a psychological thrill lover, I always choose books and movies with serial killer/assassin tropes. This makes the story more dynamic, twisted, and exciting on the last page. So, I want to discuss five serial killer romance novels for you. Let’s read!
| Name | Key Focus | Rating (Goodreads) |
|---|---|---|
| The Risk by S.T. Abby | A serial killer mistakenly falls in love with a detective. | 4.2/5 |
| Cruel Black Hearts by Candace Wondrak | A psycho kidnaps a writer, and they form chemistry. | 4.1/5 |
| Dead Butterflies by Lacee Hightower | A killer somehow stays with a girl, and they build a romance. | 4.3/5 |
| There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark | An artist serial killer kidnaps a girl and develops feelings. | 3.8/5 |
| You by Caroline Kepnes | A bookkeeper is trying to protect his love at any cost, including murder. | 3.9/5 |
1. The Risk (Mindf*ck)
The Risk is a dark psychological thriller romance with a serial killer girl (Lana) and a detective/FBI profiler. So we’ve already got our Criminal Minds vibes right there. Lana falls in love with the detective who is investigating her cases. This book is getting a lot of attention on BookTube, and many people are reading it outside of the romance community, which is fantastic. I love seeing people out of our community read books that we love, especially this one.
So, we have our heroine, a serial killer, and our hero, a detective, and they work together to have some situation. They will fall in love, and we will see a corrupt hero by the end of this. The story is told through alternating points of view from Lana’s and Logan’s points of view, which I enjoyed because we get to see inside Lana’s head. We see Logan not only falling in love with this woman, but also, there’s a connection there that he can’t explain.
The storyline is unique, with many twists and turns. I missed the hype I found in the book’s first half. However, the series books are technically a serial you must read to get the overarching plot. Overall, you’ll fall in love and down the rabbit hole of serial killers. Don’t miss it!
Author: S.T. Abby
Tropes: Thriller, Dark, Revenge
Number Of Pages: 132
Available: Kindle
2. Cruel Black Hearts
Cruel Black Hearts is a BDSM menage with the crime. The story is about a reporter (Stella). She is a professional editorial writer. Also, she writes in her time and focuses on serial killers. One day, Stella writes about a serial killer duo, and they take her captive. So it is a captor-captive serial killer romance that I heard many good things about.
The author is going to push a lot of boundaries and push a lot of people out of their comfort zone. So we get to see multiple points of view from characters, making the story cliffhanger. The trigger warning at the bottom says it’s a dark, psychologically twisted tale involving violence, stalking, and other topics that might be triggering. If you are a Kindle Unlimited user, you’ll find the book on Kindle and read only about 250 pages.
Author: Candace Wondrak
Tropes: Reverse Harem, Horror, Mystery
Number Of Pages: 250
Available: Paperback | Kindle
3. Dead Butterflies
Dead Butterflies is a serial killer, dark romance. This one is available on a script and not in Kindle Unlimited. We follow two characters who cannot stay away from one another. There may be a religious element here potentially. Our heroine (Kinley) is slightly more religious than our hero (Derek).
Derek is vile, unforgivable, and very vengeful. I’m assuming he’s going to be the serial killer. Then Kinley cannot walk away from him and will stay here. They are going to be together and fall in love. The story is fast-paced and steamy. Also, there were some funny moments in the critical situations, which were surprising but pleasing. I recommend it if you taste betrayal and dark-twisted romance.
Author: Lacee Hightower
Tropes: Arc, Steamy
Number Of Pages: 291
Available: Kindle
4. There Are No Saints (Sinners Duet)
There Are No Saints is the first book in the Sinners Duet series, another mystery BDSM romance. There are two of these, which are not in any of the subscription services except Kindle Unlimited. So we have two books on Kindle Unlimited. Our two main characters are both serial killers, and they’re both rival artists. One of them ends up taking a girl hostage.
Then they’re going to use her for their art. So, the girl is supposed to be one of their victims. One of them gets highly obsessed with her and does not want to let her go. So, the book contains highly dark themes that might be triggering.
Also, it is a steamy serial killer romance that will take you on a journey through the twisted mind of an artist on the brink of madness. That’s what it says at the bottom of it. Other than that, I can’t tell you anything else because there’s nothing else in the description. The hardcover has some negative issues, but the paperback is excellent for font size, color, cover, binding, and paper quality.
Author: Sophie Lark
Tropes: Suspense, Fun, Possessive-hero
Number Of Pages: 378
Available: Paperback | Kindle
5. You
You is a mystery thriller psychopath romance which has a TV series. I enjoyed the TV series and read the book. We follow a narrator, Joe, who works at a bookstore. One day, a beautiful woman comes in, and they have a great conversation. He feels a connection with her.
When she leaves the bookstore, he decides to do anything it takes to be in a relationship with her. The way he goes about this is to start stalking her so that he can learn everything he can about her and insert himself into her life. Also, he molds his personality to fit what he thinks would be her version of a perfect boyfriend.
So naturally, it leads to some very dark and disturbing places. While reading, you are in Joe’s head and wondering if he will ever get close enough to her or have a relationship with this girl. Caroline Kepnes’s writing style is how good of a job she does at making you feel incredibly uncomfortable and uneasy throughout the entire book.
The first is the most obvious: Joe is stalking the girl and invading her privacy. So you are hearing his deepest, darkest thoughts and obsessions, and the fact that it is written in this second-person narration style, where you see everything from his point of view.
I wouldn’t say the book completely blew me away, but it’s that fun, addictive, mystery thriller type read where you feel you can’t put it down. It’s always leaving off on a cliffhanger, so you have to turn the page to find out what will happen next. The story, plot, dialogue, characters, and world-building are fantastic. So you can enjoy the Audiobook as well as the TV series.
Author: Caroline Kepnes
Narrator: Santino Fontana
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Tropes: Suspense, Crime, Psychological Thrillers
Number Of Pages: 422
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle
These stories have led us through the darkest alleys of the human heart, showing us that love can find a foothold even in the most unlikely places. While the journey has been fraught with moral quandaries and heart-pounding moments, it also offered a unique lens to examine the complexities of love, obsession, and redemption.
As you move forward, carrying the echoes of these stories with you, remember that the world of fiction is a safe space to explore the vast spectrum of human experience. Until we dare to venture again into the night, keep your wits about you and your heart open to the endless possibilities that lie in the shadows. Stay intrigued, stay safe, and happy reading!
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