Novels like After by Anna Todd

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    Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

    Beautiful Disaster offers an engaging rollercoaster ride centered on Abby and Travis, two college students caught in a fiery relationship. Travis is the quintessential bad boy—tattooed, impulsive, and volatile.

    Abby, cautious yet drawn to Travis, shows readers a textbook good-girl heroine who can't stay away from trouble. Their connection is fierce, often unhealthy, marked by jealousy-driven arguments and emotional extremes.

    The novel captures the same vivid scenes of toxic yet addictive attraction found in After, set against a background of college life, friendships, and chaotic romance.

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    Bully (Fall Away series) by Penelope Douglas

    Bully portrays a gripping enemies-to-lovers tale between Tate and Jared, two childhood friends turned bitter antagonists. Jared is a ruthless high school bully who torments Tate mercilessly, until layers of their past begin to reveal hidden feelings and tensions.

    The shift from animosity to passion is intense and often painful, mirroring the charged dynamic that binds the characters of After.

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    Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens

    In Thoughtless, Kiera enters college life alongside her devoted boyfriend, only to fall suddenly into confusion upon meeting Kellan, a charismatic rockstar. The resulting love triangle is charged, messy, and morally conflicted.

    Stephens captures raw emotional pull and betrayal similar to the romantic complications fans love about After.

    High drama scenes, temptation, jealousy, and heartbreaking moments combine powerfully, set amid rock concerts and tumultuous relationships that leave readers equally invested and frustrated by the characters' decisions.

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    Fallen Too Far (Rosemary Beach series) by Abbi Glines

    Fallen Too Far introduces readers to Blaire Wynn, a determined young woman who unexpectedly finds herself moving into her wealthy father's luxurious home by the beach. There she meets her captivating, arrogant stepbrother Rush Finlay, the ultimate spoiled and troubled bad boy.

    Their attraction is instant, breaking boundaries and igniting drama-filled conflicts.

    Blaire's down-to-earth personality contrasts Rush's privileged lifestyle, creating electrifying tension and forbidden romance ideal for readers craving After-style intensity and complicated family dynamics.

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    Twisted Love (Twisted series) by Ana Huang

    In Twisted Love, Ana Huang explores a relationship fraught with possessive alpha energy. Alex, the broodingly handsome protagonist, is protective to the extreme, while Ava initially represents innocence and trust.

    Their pairing produces powerful, volatile chemistry laced with secrets and past traumas emerging steadily throughout the storyline.

    This intense emotional rollercoaster filled with explicit encounters and dramatic instances of jealousy and protectiveness echoes Anna Todd's storytelling style.

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    Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas

    Punk 57 follows Ryen and Misha, two pen pals engaged in passionate rivalry and friendship through anonymous letters. When reality forces them together in unexpected ways, the drama spirals into hostile interactions filled with undeniable chemistry and complex emotions.

    Douglas perfectly captures antagonistic exchanges filled with tension. Readers drawn to After will recognize similar patterns of misunderstandings, jealousy, confrontations, and steamy scenes, making Punk 57 hard for fans to resist.

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    Addicted series by Krista & Becca Ritchie

    The Addicted series revolves around Lily and Lo, wealthy best friends hiding secrets of addiction and dysfunction from outsiders. The books offer a deep dive into complicated family dynamics, obsessive behaviors, and romantic intensity.

    The large cast of interconnected characters adds depth to the narrative, creating a captivating tapestry of relationships.

    With its raw honesty and heart-wrenching moments, this series holds particular appeal for readers who enjoyed the dramatic push-and-pull romantic turbulence in After.

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    Paper Princess (The Royals series) by Erin Watt

    Paper Princess introduces readers to Ella Harper, surviving on her own until rich Callum Royal adopts her into his home. Thrown into a glamorous yet ruthless new world, Ella faces hostility from Callum's sons, particularly Reed—a magnetic yet untrusting bad boy.

    Their tension-filled interactions, filled with attraction and suspicion, create scenarios reminiscent of After. This book explores privilege, judgment, and forbidden attraction alongside intense romantic drama, making it easy to devour.

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    Did I Mention I Love You? (DIMILY series) by Estelle Maskame

    Estelle Maskame's DIMILY series centers around Eden, stepping reluctantly into a new life visiting her estranged father. There she meets Tyler, her troubled stepbrother, whose bad habits and rebellious attitude hide deeper struggles.

    Their bond quickly becomes complicated and forbidden, captured in passionate and angst-driven scenes. Tackling intense emotions, family drama, and taboo romance, this YA/NA crossover echoes the kind of romantic turmoil and inner conflicts found in After.

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    Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard

    Gabriel's Inferno pairs young graduate student Julia with her enigmatic, brooding professor Gabriel Emerson. Gabriel embodies the tortured alpha male trope, representing temptation and controversy.

    Their forbidden romance builds slowly, with revelations of past tragedies and long-held secrets adding layers of depth and angst.

    For readers who enjoy intense, intellectual settings paired with emotionally charged forbidden relationships like those seen in After, Gabriel's story offers substantial appeal.

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    King (King series) by T.M. Frazier

    King delves into darker territory, following Doe, a young woman with no memory of her past, and King, a ruthless gang leader with questionable morality. Their intense connection forms rapidly in the middle of violence and crime.

    King's anti-hero persona resonates with readers drawn to morally ambiguous, conflicted male leads. With explicit scenes, shocking twists, and deeply obsessive bonds, Frazier captures an edgier evolution of the toxic dynamic explored in Anna Todd's novels.

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    Fear Me (Breaking Point series) by B.B. Reid

    Fear Me explores a dark and edgy high school romance that quickly pushes boundaries. Lake Monroe's relationship with Keiran Masters starts under bullying circumstances, growing into an obsessive, dangerously possessive dynamic as layers of trauma unfold.

    Full of conflict and tension, their intense connection brings recognizable echoes of Hardin and Tessa's toxic yet captivating storyline in After. Readers ready for deeply emotional, dark romance will find plenty to keep their interest here.

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    Stepbrother Dearest by Penelope Ward

    In Stepbrother Dearest, Penelope Ward introduces Greta and Elec, step-siblings who initially clash bitterly. Elec is disruptive, arrogant, and angst-ridden, pushing Greta's emotional limits.

    Their chemistry, filled with biting exchanges and simmering attraction, illustrates the forbidden, taboo allure that attracts After readers.

    Constant push-and-pull dynamics, family tension, and layers of hidden emotions create magnetically charged scenes drawing readers deeper.

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    Effortless (Thoughtless series #2) by S.C. Stephens

    Effortless continues the heartbreak and passion begun in Thoughtless, further exploring Kiera and Kellan's deeply complicated romance. Facing separation and lingering insecurities, their commitment is tested by distance, jealousy, and temptation.

    The narrative remains intensely emotional, filled with complicated dynamics, trust challenges, and dramatic decisions.

    Fans desiring continued immersion into high-stakes romance and emotional turmoil akin to Tessa and Hardin's journey will find themselves captivated by Kiera and Kellan's continuing saga.

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    Real (Real series) by Katy Evans

    Real introduces readers to Remy, an underground fighter driven by passion and possessiveness. When Brooke enters Remy's turbulent world as his physical therapist, their explosive connection immediately creates scenes charged with physical intensity and emotional depth.

    Evans captures Remy's fiercely protective nature while depicting Brooke's struggle between attraction and caution.

    Like the romantic interplay in After, their relationship is powered by protective jealousy, explicit chemistry, and emotional extremes that fans eagerly anticipate.