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5 books to read if you have a You Season 3 hangover

By Rebecca Mills

YOU (L to R) VICTORIA PEDRETTI as LOVE QUINN and PENN BADGLEY as JOE GOLDBERG in episode 303 of YOU Cr. JOHN P. FLEENOR/NETFLIX © 2021
YOU (L to R) VICTORIA PEDRETTI as LOVE QUINN and PENN BADGLEY as JOE GOLDBERG in episode 303 of YOU Cr. JOHN P. FLEENOR/NETFLIX © 2021 /
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YOU (L to R) PENN BADGLEY as JOE GOLDBERG in episode 302 of YOU Cr. JOHN P. FLEENOR/NETFLIX © 2021 /

If you love a toxic man like Joe Goldberg, these last two recs have you covered.

Moving onto the final group of recommendations, it’s time to talk about some toxic men in romance books. Whether it’s because of past trauma, a bad childhood, or just a general idgaf attitude, these love interests are toxic in some way or another. If you’re looking for some dark romances, then these books are a good starting place.

First up is “Twisted Love” by Ana Huang. Released in 2021 and a TikTok darling, this is a new adult romance between Alex and Ava. Alex is Ava’s brothers’ best friend and probably a sociopath to boot. He’s not warm and cuddly but rather has a heart of ice that Ava attempts to thaw out for a majority of the book. This also features the grumpy-sunshine trope if that’s one of your favorites.

“Twisted Love” does deal with some intense topics such as murder, abuse, childhood trauma, kidnapping, and the loss of a parent. As far as dark romances go, this one is a bit lighter, but Alex does have some Joe Goldberg tendencies. He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, hurt people along the way and do what he believes is best for himself and Ava. In the end, though, you do come to root for Alex and Ava to be together.

The next recommendation is a series and that’s “The Family” by Katrina Jackson. This series is the epitome of bad boy-good girl romances. Each book follows a different member of this Italian “gang/mafia group” and their romances. The series starts with “Beautiful & Dirty” which is a romance between the leader of the group and a girl on vacation. The other two books are full-length stories following the hitman and enforcer of the group aptly titled, “The Hitman” and “The Enforcer.”

Next. Netflix renews stalker drama You for season 4. dark

While the men aren’t exactly toxic individuals, they don’t feel any remorse for their actions and don’t have a problem, hurting someone to protect their women. These books feature heavy topics such as murder, abuse, fighting, and torture. Nevertheless, these books are a fun and sexy time set in Italy so it’s perfect to help unplug for a while.

Season 3 of You is currently streaming on Netflix. 

Are you going to check out any of these books? Be sure to let us know in the comments!

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