Introduction
If youāre like me, then you can never get enough of possessive and obsessive romance heroes who would do anything for their love interests. After the amazing response to my last post, 14 Books with Extremely Possessive and Jealous Alpha Heroes, Iāve decided to bring you a follow-up list of more books featuring toxic, manipulative, and totally obsessed-with-the-heroine morally grey heroes.
Are they a walking red flag? YES.
Do we care? NO. ITāS FICTION, HAHAHA.
In this New List you will find new releases and:Ā
- First section: A focus on dark romance heroes ( extra toxic guys, walking red flags and spice ) Check Trigger warnings please!!)
- Second section: A special List dedicated toĀ possessive heroes in fantasy romance books
- Hidden Gem Section: The final category (a tough one to curate due to being so especific) jealous and totally obsessed romance leads.
Are you in for some emotional manipulation, absurd jealousy, and deeply possessive men?
Then letās check this new list!!
12 Romance Books with Obsessive and Possessive Romance Heroes
Table of Contents
Click the links to jump to the section in the post you're more interested in.š
Why we love obsessive and possessive characters in romance books
UPDATE: This intro and explanation of each category of heroes ( possessive, obssesive jealous ) and their sdifferences is the same as in the previous post.
The highlighted parts are links to alpha males in this post that IMO fulfill to a T the description
Possessive alpha males are the type of men we donāt want to meet in real life but we love reading about.
Thereās something truly addictive in reading about total dysfunctional relationships and heroes that are completely obsessed with their love interest.
For me is the angst and the unreal situations that attract me to this type of hero. For example:
- Stalkerish behaviour
- Touch her and you die
- Murderous jealousy
- Alpha male behaviour
Because where is the fun in a hero who is always kind to you? š¤
Looking for more possessive and obsessive romance leads? Be sure to check out my other list for even more picks!
Difference between obsessive, possessive and jealous heroes
First, letās delve into the differences between these 3 termsĀ because it matters for our Book List categorization.
Obsessive Hero
The obsessive hero is the least common one in romance books.
Ā
An obsessive person is fixed into the details or some character trait of the person, in contrast to a possessive man, who wants to take control of the person as a whole.
Ā
For example, the hero can have a fixation with some body parts of the heroine, or an aspect of her personality.
Possessive hero
The possessive hero is the traditional āshe is only mineā male who wants to control his love interest and depending on the author it can be crazy controlling or only showing mild possessiveness towards the heroine.
Ā
A possessive hero in romance books is often portrayed as overly protective and aggressive, hence, not being able to control himself when it comes to the heroine and often incurring in very toxic behaviour. (But hey this is fiction and we love it š)
Jealous hero
Jealousy if well written is one of my favorites.
Ā
Jealousy can lead to possessiveness, and conflicted feelings. The hero canāt stand seeing the heroine getting attention from other men or sharing time with them.
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Jealous obsessive alpha male romance books
These heroes have no subtle behavior.
Theyāre straightforward, obsessed, and manipulative. They often recognize their possessiveness, but more often than not, they donāt care, because theyāre utterly consumed by their obsession with the heroine and will do whatever it takes to make her theirs.
Beginners should pick this one. Walking š©. Manipulation and stalkerish behaviour
Read the Blurb
The Manipulator
I can manipulate the emotions of anyone who lets me.
I will make you hurt, make you cry, make you laugh and sigh.
But my words don’t affect him. Especially not when I plead for him to leave.
He’s always there, watching and waiting.
And I can never look away.
Not when I want him to come closer.
The Shadow
I didn’t mean to fall in love.
But now that I have, I can’t stay away.
I’m mesmerized by her smile, by her eyes, and the way she moves.
The way she undresses…
I’ll keep watching and waiting. Until I can make her mine.
And once she is, I’ll never let her go.
Not even when she begs me to.
Best quotes
āI want to slap him. But the asshole would probably like it, and then turn around and slap me back. And my dumbass self would probably like it, too.ā
Ā
āRun little mouseā
Ā
āAll I want to do is break her. Shatter her into pieces. And then arrange those pieces to fit against my own. I donāt care if they donāt fitāIāll fucking make them.ā
Spice Level: Mid-High
Zade Meadows: THE most popular walking red flag. This duology is still all over TikTok and Instagram. If youāre new to the genre, this is the book you should pick up.
Zade is the epitome of toxic and manipulative behavior.
He literally stalks Adeline, unalives anyone who gets near her, and installs cameras to surveil her every move.
The funny thing isā¦ he fully acknowledges heās doing bad sh3t, and he actually doesnāt care AT ALL.
More than āmorally grey,ā heās pure black.
Be aware of TW (trigger warnings) because this duology has them all!!
Both are crazy and need therapy. He is obssesed with her.
Read the Blurb
LITTLE DEMON
I was raised in a world where money and power are at your fingertips. My father is a LORD, a very respected member of a secret society that knows no bounds. When tragedy struck my family, we discovered we werenāt untouchable. Just when I thought life couldnāt get any worse, I was shown what hell is really like. Then he came and saved me. The devil disguised as my personal hero. But of course, nothing is for free. Not when a soul is up for grabs.
I VOW. YOU VOW. WE VOW.
Easton Bradley SinnettāSināuses his power for his own sick pleasure. Like a typical Lord, he never thought about the consequences of his actions. I grew up with him, obsessed over him, craved him. He was who I pictured when I imagined doing things my body shouldnāt want.
As they say, nothing lasts forever. Men like him never stay with a woman like me. Iām what they use, not keep. So when he threw me away, I shouldnāt have been all that surprised.
My body had always craved the darker side of love. The kind that left bruises and scars. I was what most would call unholy. And when the devil whispered in my ear that he loved me, I was more than determined to show him just how devoted I could be.
Best quotes
āIād never tell her she canāt do something, but she wonāt do it without me by her side. She canāt protect herself, not like I can.ā
Ā
“If I can’t have her, no one will. But I also would never want to survive in a world where she doesn’t exist. Death would be heaven compared to a life without her being mine”
Ā
Spice Level: High
The Sinner is the second book in the L.O.R.D.S series, but each book can be read as a standalone. Darker and even more twisted than the fan-favorite The Ritual (a must-read for Halloween), The Sinner takes the concept of obsession to a whole new level.
This story earns its place on this list because of the sheer insanity of both protagonists. If you’re a fan of The Joker and Harley Quinn-style twisted romance, you will totally love this book,
Bradley Sinnet is utterly, dangerously obsessed with our heroine and will go to terrifying extremes to make sure she’s only his.
Trigger Warning Alert: The list of content warnings for this book is extensive!! Please be careful and make sure to read them beforehand
A star hockey player becomes obsessed with you. No amount of therapy can cure this guy's craziness.
Read the Blurb
One text to the wrong numberā¦mineā¦and everything changed.
He wonāt tell me his last name, and maybe that should throw up a thousand red flags, but when Iām all alone in a new city and struggling to make ends meet, his texts are the lifeline Iāve been desperate for.
But I never would have answered that text if Iād known that Lincoln Daniels, superstar hockey player extraordinaire was the one sending them.
Heās trying to sweep me off my feet now. He says heās obsessed.
He wants me wearing his numberā¦permanently.
The question isā¦is he still theĀ wrongĀ number, or can this hockey god prove heās Mr. Right?
Best quotes
āIf you ever wear another manās jersey, I will kill that man. So be careful, sweetheart.ā
Ā
āAt least I wouldnāt have to worry about her tonight. Iād copied her key, and after she fell asleepā¦weād be having a sleepover party. Other people might call that scary stalker behavior. I called it true love.ā
Ā
Ā
Spice Level: High
This book became pretty popular in 2023 and 2024. Suddenly, everyone was recommending it. I’m not a big hockey fan, but I was curious about what all the fuss was about.
Well, the guy is a molten lava flag. This isnāt redāitās BLACK. You could write another book just listing all the trigger warnings.
Meet Lincoln Daniels, our hockey star, who becomes obsessed with Monroe after accidentally sending her a text from his phone.
Lincoln is manipulative and a total stalker. He practically kidnaps her and does everything in his power to make sure sheās completely dependent on him (hello, Stockholm syndrome).
The guy is batshit crazy and needs therapy ASAP, haha. Honestly, heās even more crazy and toxic than Zade from Haunting Adeline, in my opinion.
If youāre into dark romance with characters who seriously push the limits, this one might just be your next wild read.
And just a reminder from the author:
āTo all my ladies who see those walking Red Flags as a pretty shade of pinkā¦ repeat after me, only when the men are fictional.ā
Dark contemporary mafia romance . Stalking. HUGE touch her and you die vibes. Plus size heroine and age-gap
Read the Blurb
Payton
Running away from home at 17 wasnāt easy. Letās face it though, nothing before, or in the ten years since, has ever been easy for me.
And Iām doing okay. Sorta. I just need to keep scraping by, living under the radar. Staying out of peopleās way, off peopleās minds.
So when a man walks through my open patio door, stepping boldly into my home, and my life, I should be scared. Frightened. Terrified.
But I must be more broken than I realized, because Iām none of those things.
Iām intrigued.
And Iām wondering if the way to take control of my life is by giving in to him.
Nero
The first time I took a manās life, I knew thereād be no going back. No normal existence in the cards for me.
So instead of walking away, I climbed a mountain of bodies, and created my own destiny. By forming The Alliance.
And I was fine with that. Content enough to carry on.
Until I stepped through those open doors, and into her life.
I shouldāve walked away. Shouldāve gone right back out the door I came through. But I didnāt.
And now her life is in danger.
But thatās the thing about being a bad man. Iāll happily paint the streets red to protect whatās mine.
And Payton is mine. Whether she knows it or not.
Best quotes
āUmm, Nero?ā I hold the door open and guide Payton though, with a hand on her back. āYeah?ā āHowād you get a key to my building?ā My eyes drop to the key I just used. Oh. Right.ā
Ā
āWhatās his name?ā His voice is still quiet, but itās also different. A little menacing. āWh-whose name?ā His head tilts, and it reminds me of the nature channel when they show a wild animal stalking its prey. āThe man who laid his hands on you. Tell me his name.ā
Ā
Ā
Spice Level: High
A man on the run from the police breaks into your home, casually sits on your couch, and eats your popcorn. Thatās how Nero begins.
This dark mafia romance introduces Nero, a male character who is not just possessive but absolutely insane in the best (and craziest) way. He doesnāt hesitate to “unalive” anyone who dares harm the heroine in any way.
Nero is a psycho and a stalker, but hey, my favorite colour in fiction is red, hehe
If You Love Age Gap Mafia Romances, Donāt Miss This List!
Bully high school romance. He is completely obsessed with her. Textbook Enemies to lovers
Read the Blurb
They come from different worlds, and yet they are meant for each other.
Money, glamour, luxury, powerāRuby Bell couldnāt be less interested in these things if she tried. After being awarded a scholarship to one of Englandās most prestigious and expensive private schools, Maxton Hall, all she wants is to keep her head down, work hard, and get accepted to Oxford. She keeps her distance from everyone, especially the arrogant, rich, and extremely handsome James Beaufort, ringleader of the schoolās party boys.Ā
When Ruby discovers a scandalous secret about the Beauforts, she is suddenly on Jamesās radar. It only gets worse when James is forced to work with her to plan the school’s annual gala. Yet the more time they spend together, the more they realize they share much more than they thought.
Falling for James Beaufort was never part of her plan, yet Ruby canāt help but let her feelings sweep her away. But James must make a decision for himself: will he choose whatās expected of him, or what he feels for her?
Best quotes
“Man kann nichts verlieren, das einem Ć¼berhaupt nicht gehƶrt, Ruby Bell.”
You can’t lose something that was never yours to begin with, Ruby Bell.
Ā
SPOILER QUOTE!!!
“Das war eine LĆ¼ge. Ich gehƶre dir schon, seit du mir mein Geld gegen den Kopf geworfen hast, Ruby Bell”
That was a lie. I’ve belonged to you ever since you threw my money at my head, Ruby Bell.
Ā
Spice Level: Mid-low ( romantic tension, not overly explicit )
The book that inspired the Amazon series Maxton Hall (which you absolutely need to watch if youāre into possessive and obsessed heroes).
Our boy James Beaufort is part of the elite at Maxton Hall College, but he just canāt get the new (and poor) Ruby Bell out of his head.
A classic bully romance with some dark undertones, Save Me stands out for how Mona Kasten portrays James as so conflicted about his feelings, gradually spiraling into obsession with Ruby. Their relationship is far from healthy and James goes from bullying Ruby to stalking and manipulating her just to keep her by his side.
The book is as good as the series. Save Me is a YA/NA (Young Adult/New Adult) story that fits perfectly in this list of must-reads.
Good news for German and Spanish readers: the book has an official Spanish translation and was originally written in German.
I read the German version, but English readers wonāt have to wait much longer. An official English translation is coming out in July 2025. Preorder your copy now!
Possessive and obsessive heroes in romance books: Fantasy and paranormal
Possessive heroes in fantasy romance are often more subtle. While many of the books on this list are Young Adult, theyāre still walking red flags.
In fact, one of the most toxic and manipulative heroes in romance comes from a Young Adult series (can you guess who it is?).
If youāre into fantasy with a side of toxic possessiveness, these titles are definitely worth checking out!
Dark fairytale with a distant but fiercely protective hero. Nominee for Goodreads choice award
Read the Blurb
āOur Dragon doesnāt eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course thatās not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but heās still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and weāre grateful, but not that grateful.ā
Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.
Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.
The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knowsāeveryoneĀ knowsāthat the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isnāt, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.
But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.
Best quotes
“Man kann nichts verlieren, das einem Ć¼berhaupt nicht gehƶrt, Ruby Bell.”
You can’t lose something that was never yours to begin with, Ruby Bell.
Ā
SPOILER QUOTE!!!
“Das war eine LĆ¼ge. Ich gehƶre dir schon, seit du mir mein Geld gegen den Kopf geworfen hast, Ruby Bell”
That was a lie. I’ve belonged to you ever since you threw my money at my head, Ruby Bell.
Ā
Spice Level: Mnimal
In Uprooted, the Dragon is a powerful wizard who takes on the task of training Agnieszka in magic.
At first, he comes across as distant, aloof, and condescending. However, as their time together progresses, cracks begin to show in his carefully constructed facade.
He grows increasingly attached to her, displaying clear jealousy whenever someone else demands her attention. He becomes insistent on controlling her training and grows visibly frustrated when she doesnāt meet his expectations.
Of course, he denies having any feelings for her, insisting that all his actions are purely for her protection. A textbook case of denial, hehe.
You may also like
Forbidden fantasy romance between a human and a stubborn and possessive fae prince
Read the Blurb
With a flick of her paintbrush, Isobel creates stunning portraits for a dangerous set of clients: the fair folk. These immortal creatures cannot bake bread or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and they trade valuable enchantments for Isobelās paintings. But when she receives her first royal patronāRook, the autumn princeāIsobel makes a deadly mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes, a weakness that could cost him his throne, and even his life.
Furious, Rook spirits Isobel away to his kingdom to stand trial for her crime. But something is seriously amiss in his world, and they are attacked from every side. With Isobel and Rook depending upon each other for survival, their alliance blossoms into trust, perhaps even love . . . a forbidden emotion that would violate the fair folksā ruthless laws, rendering both their lives forfeit. What force could Isobel’s paintings conjure that is powerful enough to defy the ancient malice of the fairy courts?
Isobel and Rook journey along a knife-edge in a lush world where beauty masks corruption and the cost of survival might be more frightening than death itself.
Best quotes
āIf you must stare at something for hours on end, Iād prefer it to be me alone.ā
Ā
Spice Level: Clean
One of my favorites! Iāve featured this book everywhere on the blog.
Rook is a fae prince who is both intensely possessive and protective of the heroine. He doesnāt fully understand human ways, which gives his behavior a wild, untamed edge thatās incredibly appealing.
Heās stubborn, prideful, manipulative, and dare I say, a bit of a stalker? (If you can call following the heroine around in his bird form āstalkerishā behavior, haha!)
Ā
He kidnaps her. He's not crazy... he just hears "voices."
Read the Blurb
Best quotes
Spice Level: Clean
Oh, Cyrusā¦ Heās one of the main love interests in the This Woven Kingdom series by Tahereh Mafi (the author of Shatter Me).
Tahereh Mafi has a talent for writing conflicted heroes, and Cyrus is no exception. He kidnaps and manipulates the heroine, showing little regard for anyone else…or so it seems.
He definitely has ulterior motives for his actions, but the methods he uses to achieve his goals areā¦ questionable.
Not as toxic as Aaron Warner from Shatter Me, but toxic enough to earn a spot on this list.
Related Post You'll love!!
A Court of Gaslighting and emotional Manipulation.
Read the Blurb
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.
At least, heās not a beast all the time.
As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie sheās been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlināand his worldāforever.
Best quotes
Spice Level: Medium
Rhysand is the ultimate toxic love interest.
Heās controlling, manipulative, and jealous. Everything he does serves a purpose, and he never hesitates to use anyone -including Feyre, the heroine-to get what he wants. Later, he conveniently feigns ignorance about his actions.
Rhysand doesnāt see himself as a bad person, though. He justifies everything he does as being for a greater goal, or to protect the ones he loves.
If you’re new to the genre, this is definitely a must-read.
Jealous and obsessed alpha male books: Fantasy Romance
Very popular introductory series to romantasy. A demon who only wants her human for himself
Read the Blurb
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.
At least, heās not a beast all the time.
As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie sheās been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlināand his worldāforever.
Best quotes
Spice Level: Medium-High
Kingdom of the Wicked is a great entry series into the romantasy genre. It offers a perfect mix of spice, a very possessive male love interest, and a badass heroine.
Wrath is a Prince of Hell, and his jealousy over Emilia is a constant throughout the series.
He doesnāt want any other demon or man near her and becomes extremely territorial around her. His jealousy of anyone who shows interest in Emilia only adds to the intensity of their bond.
He hates her because she bought him at an auction to be her slave.
Read the Blurb
As a generalās daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.
One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arinās eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys himāwith unexpected consequences. Itās not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.
But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.
Set in a richly imagined new world,Ā The Winnerās CurseĀ by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.
Best quotes
āArin smiled. It was a true smile, which let her know that all the others he had given her were not.ā
Spice Level: Clean
Well, well… one of my favorites, I dare say.
I absolutely adore fantasy romances with plenty of tension and angst, and The Winnerās Curse delivers all that, plus a brilliantly written story.
Kestrel, the daughter of a wealthy military leader, attends an auction and impulsively buys a boy as her slave. She brings him home, and, well… the inevitable happens.
No, itās not a Turkish soap opera, itās better than that! Haha.
Why is The Winnerās Curse on this list?
Because Arin, the love interest, hates Kestrel with all his soul (for reasons revealed later in the story), but of course, he canāt stay away from her.
He grows jealous of anyone who might get close to Kestrel, only to deny his feelings on the very next page.
This series deserves a re-edition…itās that good.
More like this
Heās playful and charming on the outside, but in reality, heās possessive and jealous.
Read the Blurb
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless Lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earthās fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg.
Sheās a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsisterās illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kaiās, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her worldās future.
Best quotes
āGo to the ball with me.”
‘Stars. Didn’t you already ask me that?”
“I’m hoping for a more favorable answer this time and I seem to be getting more desperate by the minute.
“How charming”
“Please?ā
Spice Level: Clean
Another YA series with toxic love interests.
Prince Kai might seem like the perfect male character on the surface, but dig a little deeper, and youāll start to notice some very evident red flagsāespecially when it comes to jealousy.
I donāt want to spoil anything for you, but if you keep going with the series (and you definitely should, itās so good!), youāll see his true character revealed later on.
In summary: Kai is emotionally dependent on Cinder, and his possessiveness and jealousy, cleverly disguised behind a playful and charming attitude, earn him a spot on this list.
Final thoughts : 12 more Books featuring Obsessive and Possessive Romance Heroes
You won’t believe how much popularity the first post about possessive heroes gained over these two years of the blog.
Some posts are expected to be more popular than others (especially those about popular series like Fourth Wing), but you really outdid yourselves with the one about possessive men, hehe.
But who am I to judge? Haha, I adore red flags in fictional books, so we definitely share that in common. š
I hope you enjoyed the post, it was made with lots of love. Donāt forget to subscribe to my Newsletter (weāre almost at 500 subscribersāyay!) and see you there for more updates!
My Top picks: Possessive Alpha male Romance Books
What about you? Do you enjoy possessive men in fiction? Let me know in the comments below!
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