Affiliate disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, SpicyPlot may earn from qualifying purchases.
What To Read After The Ritual
So you finished The Ritual by Shantel Tessier, closed your Kindle, stared at the wall, and immediately needed a new fictional disaster. Welcome, babe. You are not looking for a sweet little romance with communication skills and green flags. You are looking for secret societies, blood vows, campus darkness, dangerous rituals, and men who treat therapy like a personal enemy.
This list is not about finding a perfect copy, because no one wants a carbon copy with worse dialogue and less emotional damage. It is about finding books that deliver the same delicious little spiral: obsession, danger, secrets, spice, power games, morally grey men, and heroines who get dragged into stories they absolutely did not schedule in their planners.
Some of these books are darker, some are more chaotic, some are more romantic, and some are simply unhinged in a way that belongs on BookTok with a warning label and a pink bow. Charge your Kindle. Cancel your plans. Your TBR is about to behave badly.
20 Books Like The Ritual
1. The Sinner — Shantel Tessier
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, The Sinner by Shantel Tessier belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
2. The Sacrifice — Shantel Tessier
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, The Sacrifice by Shantel Tessier belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
3. Madness — Shantel Tessier
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, Madness by Shantel Tessier belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
4. Sabotage — Shantel Tessier ( FIRE!!!)
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, Sabotage by Shantel Tessier belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
5. God of Malice — Rina Kent
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, God of Malice by Rina Kent belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
6. God of Pain — Rina Kent
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, God of Pain by Rina Kent belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
7. Lords of Pain — Angel Lawson and Samantha Rue
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, Lords of Pain by Angel Lawson and Samantha Rue belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
8. Lords of Wrath — Angel Lawson and Samantha Rue
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, Lords of Wrath by Angel Lawson and Samantha Rue belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
9. Sick Boys — Clarissa Wild
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, Sick Boys by Clarissa Wild belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
10. Corrupt — Penelope Douglas
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, Corrupt by Penelope Douglas belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
11. Hideaway — Penelope Douglas
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, Hideaway by Penelope Douglas belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
12. Kill Switch — Penelope Douglas
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, Kill Switch by Penelope Douglas belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
13. Little Stranger — Leigh Rivers
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
14. Little Liar — Leigh Rivers
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, Little Liar by Leigh Rivers belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
15. Haunting Adeline — H.D. Carlton
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
16. Does It Hurt? — H.D. Carlton
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, Does It Hurt? by H.D. Carlton belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
17. Den of Vipers — K.A. Knight
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, Den of Vipers by K.A. Knight belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
18. Twisted Emotions — Cora Reilly ( YEAHH, Nino….)
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, Twisted Emotions by Cora Reilly belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
19. The Predator — RuNyx
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, The Predator by RuNyx belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
20. Ruthless Empire — Rina Kent
If you loved The Ritual for its dark atmosphere and emotional tension, Ruthless Empire by Rina Kent belongs on your next-read list. Expect morally messy characters, sharp chemistry, secrets, danger, and the kind of romance that makes you say ‘one more chapter’ like a liar.
5 Mini Reviews
The Sinner by Shantel Tessier
SpicyPlot rating: ★★★★ – one star less because of Ashtin….
The Sacrifice by Shantel Tessier
SpicyPlot rating: ★★★ – Taylor was a jurk!! Sorry
Madness by Shantel Tessier
SpicyPlot rating: ★★★★★
Sabotage by Shantel Tessier
SpicyPlot rating: ★★★★★ – love this one and the SMUT!!!! FIRE
God of Malice by Rina Kent
SpicyPlot rating: ★★★★★
Want To Write Books Like These?
The secret behind addictive dark romance is not only spice. It is structure. Readers remember the characters, the wound, the obsession, the impossible choice, the hook at the end of the chapter, and the title that looks good on a black-and-red BookTok graphic. If you are writing your own dark romance, SpicyPlot helps you turn a vibe into an actual book idea.
Use the tools below to create names, titles, plot twists, morally grey heroes, book blurbs, chapter hooks, and social captions that fit the dark romance world you want to build.
- Dark Romance Plot Generator
- Mafia Romance Plot Generator
- Dark Romance Name Generator
- Character Profile Generator
- Title Generator
- Blurb Writer
- World Builder
- Morally Grey Hero Generator
- BookTok Captions
- Chapter Hook Generator
Final Thoughts
No book will recreate The Ritual exactly, and honestly, that is the fun part. The next best read is the one that gives you a similar feeling without repeating the same story. Start with the books above, follow the chaos, and do not blame me when your quick recommendation list becomes a full emotional lifestyle.
