14 Books to Read If You Loved the Tumultuous Romance of After

1. Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire (2011)

Often considered a foundational novel of the New Adult genre, Beautiful Disaster is the story of college freshman Abby Abernathy, who is determined to leave her dark past behind. That plan is derailed when she meets Travis "Mad Dog" Maddox, a tattooed underground fighter with a volatile temper and a trail of one-night stands. Their connection is immediate and explosive, built on a bet that forces them together and unearths an obsessive, codependent bond.

Key Similarities: The quintessential good girl/bad boy pairing, a hero with intense jealousy and control issues, high-stakes bets, and a chaotic college setting.

Series & Audience: New Adult. The first book can be read as a standalone, but the story continues in Walking Disaster, which retells events from Travis's point of view, and a follow-up sequel.

2. Bully (Fall Away, #1) by Penelope Douglas (2013)

Tate and Jared were once inseparable childhood friends, but an event in their past turned Jared into Tate's cruelest tormentor. For years, he and his friends have made her life a living hell. Now, back from a year abroad, Tate is determined to fight back. This novel is a masterclass in the enemies-to-lovers trope, exploring the thin line between love and hate and how deep-seated pain can manifest as cruelty.

Key Similarities: A long and complicated history between the main characters, intense emotional and verbal confrontations, a hero whose bullying hides deep-seated trauma, and a powerful shift from animosity to passion.

Series & Audience: New Adult. This is the first in a series of interconnected standalones following different couples.

Content Note: This book contains significant themes of bullying.

3. Twisted Love (Twisted, #1) by Ana Huang (2021)

Ava Chen is a free spirit haunted by a past she can't remember. Alex Volkov is a brilliant, cold, and possessive man driven by a need for revenge. When Ava's brother asks Alex to watch over her, their lives become entangled in a relationship defined by his extreme protectiveness and her ability to see the man behind the monster. The story is a modern take on the alpha hero trope, amplified by high-stakes danger and simmering secrets.

Key Similarities: An emotionally guarded and possessive hero, an innocent heroine with a hidden strength, a plot driven by past trauma and secrets, and highly explicit, passionate scenes.

Series & Audience: Adult Contemporary Romance. The first of four interconnected standalones that have gained massive popularity on TikTok.

4. Fallen Too Far (Rosemary Beach, #1) by Abbi Glines (2012)

After losing her mother, Blaire Wynn is forced to move in with her estranged father and his new family in a wealthy Florida beach town. There, she clashes with her new stepbrother, Rush Finlay, the privileged, arrogant, and devastatingly handsome local prince. Their attraction is immediate, intense, and completely forbidden, threatening to expose a family secret that could destroy them both.

Key Similarities: A forbidden stepbrother romance, a stark contrast between the heroine's humble background and the hero's wealth, high-tension family drama, and a magnetic bad boy.

Series & Audience: New Adult. This is the first book in the extensive Rosemary Beach series, which should be read in order.

5. Thoughtless (Thoughtless, #1) by S.C. Stephens (2009)

Kiera is happily in a long-term relationship when she and her boyfriend move to a new city and become roommates with local rockstar Kellan Kyle. While her boyfriend is away at work, a deep friendship forms between Kiera and the charismatic, tatted-up musician. That friendship soon blossoms into a powerful, soul-shattering attraction, creating a messy and emotionally devastating love triangle.

Key Similarities: An intense and angsty love triangle, a hero with a rockstar lifestyle, raw emotional turmoil and betrayal, and characters who make frustrating, deeply human mistakes.

Series & Audience: New Adult. This is the first book in a trilogy that follows the same couple and should be read in order.

6. Paper Princess (The Royals, #1) by Erin Watt (2016)

Stripper and survivor Ella Harper is plucked from poverty when the wealthy industrialist Callum Royal becomes her legal guardian. Whisked away to a mansion filled with fast cars and privilege, she finds herself at war with his five sons, who rule their elite prep school with an iron fist. The most formidable of them is Reed Royal, who is determined to send her back to the gutter—even as an undeniable attraction sparks between them.

Key Similarities: An outsider heroine thrust into a world of wealth and hostility, a band of cruel but magnetic brothers, a central enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and constant high-stakes drama.

Series & Audience: New Adult. First in a series that follows the same couple and should be read sequentially. Ends on a major cliffhanger.

7. Addicted to You (Addicted, #1) by Krista & Becca Ritchie (2013)

Lily Calloway and Loren Hale are childhood best friends, fake-dating celebrities, and secretly enabling each other's addictions—hers to sex, his to alcohol. Their codependent relationship is the only thing keeping them afloat in a world of wealth and family pressure. This series offers a profound, long-form exploration of a deeply flawed and obsessive love story, focusing on the difficult path to recovery and what it means to love someone through their darkest moments.

Key Similarities: A central relationship that is both toxic and deeply loving, a focus on secrets and dysfunction, intense codependency, and a sprawling, saga-like narrative arc.

Series & Audience: New Adult. The first book in a long-running series that must be read in a specific order for the full emotional impact.

8. King (King, #1) by T.M. Frazier (2015)

This novel takes the bad boy trope into much darker territory. A young woman with amnesia, known only as Doe, finds herself in the world of Brant "King" King, an ex-con and leader of a motorcycle club. Their connection is raw, gritty, and dangerous, set against a backdrop of criminal activity and brutal choices. King is a true anti-hero whose morality is questionable at best, making for an edgy and gripping read.

Key Similarities: A morally ambiguous and dangerous hero, a relationship forged in violence and uncertainty, an obsessive and possessive dynamic, and shocking plot twists.

Series & Audience: Adult Dark Romance. First in a series that should be read in order.

Content Note: This series contains explicit violence, criminal activity, and themes of dubious consent.

9. Did I Mention I Love You? (DIMILY, #1) by Estelle Maskame (2015)

When sixteen-year-old Eden has to spend the summer with her estranged father in Santa Monica, she's not thrilled. Her mood sours even more when she meets her new stepbrother, Tyler Bruce—a notorious bad boy with a short temper and a host of self-destructive habits. Despite their initial animosity, they form a bond over their shared feelings of being outsiders, leading to a forbidden romance that could tear their new family apart.

Key Similarities: A forbidden stepbrother romance, a hero masking pain with a rebellious attitude, intense family drama, and YA/NA crossover appeal focused on teen angst.

Series & Audience: Young Adult/New Adult. The first book in a trilogy that follows the same couple.

10. Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas (2016)

Misha and Ryen have been pen pals since childhood, sharing their deepest secrets and forming an unbreakable bond through letters—all without ever meeting or even seeing a photo of each other. But when a tragic event leads Misha to Ryen's school, he discovers she is nothing like the girl from her letters. He decides to stay and torment her, leading to a volatile and emotionally complex confrontation between their real-life personas and their anonymous selves.

Key Similarities: Misunderstandings that fuel intense conflict, an antagonistic dynamic laden with sexual tension, themes of identity and secrets, and a unique take on the enemies-to-lovers trope.

Series & Audience: New Adult. A standalone novel.

11. Gabriel's Inferno (Gabriel's Inferno, #1) by Sylvain Reynard (2011)

For those who appreciated the academic setting and the tortured, intellectual hero of After, this novel offers a more mature, slow-burn alternative. Julia Mitchell is a sweet, unassuming graduate student who enrolls at the University of Toronto, only to find that her Dante specialist professor is the cold, enigmatic, and devastatingly handsome Gabriel Emerson. Their forbidden student-teacher relationship is charged with unresolved history and deep-seated trauma, building slowly toward a powerful emotional climax.

Key Similarities: A forbidden student-teacher dynamic, a brooding and tortured hero with a tragic past, and an intellectually charged, angst-filled romance.

Series & Audience: Adult Contemporary Romance. First in a series following the same couple.

12. Fear Me (Breaking Point, #1) by B.B. Reid (2014)

This story ventures deep into dark romance territory, exploring a high school dynamic that is both terrifying and consuming. Keiran Masters has bullied Lake Monroe for years, but when his friends join in, his possessiveness ignites. He claims her as his, and their relationship evolves into an obsessive, dangerous game of power, submission, and trauma bonding. This is a perfect read for those who want an even darker, edgier version of the Hardin and Tessa dynamic.

Key Similarities: A hero who is a true bully, a dangerously possessive and obsessive relationship, a plot steeped in shared trauma and secrets, and an extreme version of the toxic-yet-addictive theme.

Series & Audience: New Adult/Dark Romance. First in a series following the same couple.

Content Note: This book features intense bullying, violence, and themes of dubious consent.

13. Stepbrother Dearest by Penelope Ward (2014)

When Greta's father remarries, her new stepbrother, Elec, moves in for the summer before college. He's moody, arrogant, and clearly nursing a private pain, and he makes it his mission to antagonize Greta. Their relationship is a combustible mix of biting arguments and simmering attraction. The story follows them over several years, exploring the evolution of their forbidden connection from angsty teen rivalry to an adult romance full of second chances.

Key Similarities: A classic forbidden stepbrother trope, an angsty and emotionally unavailable hero, a dynamic built on witty banter and tension, and a story that spans multiple years.

Series & Audience: New Adult/Contemporary Romance. A standalone novel.

14. Real (The Real Series, #1) by Katy Evans (2013)

Brooke Dumas lands a job as a physical therapist for Remington "Riptide" Tate, a famous underground fighter who struggles with a mental health disorder that makes him volatile and intense. Their connection is immediate and electric, with Remy's fierce possessiveness and Brooke's calming presence creating a powerful bond. The relationship is defined by its physical intensity, emotional extremes, and Remy's all-consuming need to protect Brooke from his chaotic world.

Key Similarities: A possessive and fiercely protective hero, a relationship defined by its raw physicality and emotional extremes, and a heroine who must navigate her partner's inner demons.

Series & Audience: New Adult. The first book in a series that follows the same couple.