Books with a 'betrayal' trope
Hey friends! Betrayal is my all time favorite trope, and I feel like I’ve read all the popular books with it. What I love about it isn’t the groveling, I just rly like when one MC does something really stupid or shitty (or maybe it’s just a misunderstanding 😱), and then the other MC is PISSED. The whole love -hate - love again arc is my absolute favorite. And when the loving, sweet, caring MC gets betrayed and suddenly shows that he shouldn’t be messed with, that he can be mean and/or dangerous? LOVE that shit hahhah.
I guess this will be part request and part recs from me. Also sorry for the long ass post lol.
I’m really hoping for is some wild indie rec, maybe a new release I missed, or even something that isn’t strictly romance. I’m open to anything.
Here are some good betrayal recs (spoilers below):
- {Down Low by Parker St. John} - THE BEST betrayal. MC1 abandons MC2, then comes back years later, and MC2 is holding a grudge like nobody’s business.>! I loved the juxtaposition between the past chapters, where they were so sweet with each other, and the present, where MC2 is cold and sometimes mean toward MC1 (the betrayer)!<. Really good writing. Amazing book, 10/10 recommend. The rest of the series follows different characters and also has betrayal and friends-to-enemies-to-lovers elements.
- {Any Old Diamond by KJ Charles} - Loved it. BIG spoilers, >!the betrayal happens at the end, and MC2’s reaction wasn’t as severe. He says something really mean to MC1 and tries to hurt him, but it gets resolved pretty quickly!<. Still, this book is fantastic, and the betrayal was the cherry on top. 10/10 recommend.
- {Jackdaw by KJ Charles} - Another good book. Wasn’t a favorite. I’ve read it three times because I keep forgetting the damn plot, and I still can’t remember what happened lol. I know it had betrayal, and I enjoyed reading it, but... yeah. I still recommend it haha.
- {Shoestring Theory by Mariana Costa} - >!The betrayal happens off-page, but then MC1 tries to betray MC2 again (on-page),!< and it was fun to read. Quite a long book, and it dragged a bit toward the end, but overall really good and fresh. Highly recommend, 8/10.
- {Prince and Assassin by Tavia Lark} - Loved everything about it. I know it’s not most people’s favorite for some reason, but the characters were amazing and interesting. It had light moments, dark moments, and the betrayal was great. The fallout felt proportionate, tense, and sexy. Just 10/10 recommend.
- {The Billionaire’s Revenge by Anne Lyn Birch} - This is both the most fitting rec and my least favorite among my favorites. >!There’s betrayal (or maybe a misunderstanding, I don’t remember), and basically the whole 500-page book is MC2 exacting revenge for it. But it became too much, there was barely any balance. We got some chapters from the past showing how good things used to be, but we mostly stayed in the present, and MC2 was kind of a creep lol!<. Still, I liked it. 6/10 recommend.
- {Whisper in the Dark series by Chani Lynn Feener} - The betrayal happens off-page here, and we’re reading the consequences. Not bad. If you don’t mind a somewhat cliche dark romance, I think you can have a good time with it. I did.
- {Pretty Policeman by Fifer Rose} - There is some betrayal, but from what I remember, MC2 wasn’t very angry (or barely angry at all), so it didn’t fully scratch the itch. Still a decent book.
- {One for Sorrow by Louise Collins} - >!There is definitely betrayal here. But MC2 doesn’t really get angry, so it didn’t quite work for me. !<Still, a good book if you like dark romance and morally gray characters.
- {Shift by Joel Abernathy}
- {Liar City by Allie Therin} - >! Well, the MCs aren’t together by the end of book one (from what I remember), so the betrayal isn’t as impactful or hard-hitting. Also, I don’t think MC2 got angry, or maybe I just don’t remember.!< Overall, still a good read. MC1 is really sweet.
Now for some books that I know have betrayal, but I either don’t remember well enough, didn’t like, or flat out dnf'd. Still, most of them are really beloved, so I’m sharing them:
- Mortal Skin by Lily Mayne - vague memories, but there’s betrayal. I should reread it.
- The Man Who Loved Cole Flores by KA Merikan - didn’t like it at all.
- Until You by Briar Prescott- gave it 3 stars, don’t remember a single thing lol.
- Feel My Pain by KA Merikan- temporary DNF.
- Finding Delaware by Bree Wiley
- Never Say Never by Brea Alepou- really cliche lol.
- The Will Darling Adventures by KJ Charles- I know this is beloved, but I just can’t get into it at all.
- A Power Unbound by Freya Marske
- The Husky and His White Cat Shizun - DNF.
- Villain by Chani Lynn Feener - >!the betrayal happens in another book in the series, and it was huge with a strong reaction from the betrayed MC, but I absolutely hated it. (MC1 gets raped by MC2 as punishment for the betrayal.)!<
- If I Were to Die by LA Cannon - the book was going great until it wasn’t. The ending pissed me off so much. If you decide to read it, please check the trigger warnings, even if that spoils things.
- Hostile Takeover by Lucy Lennox
- Where Death Meets the Devil - DNF for now.
- Wanted, a Gentleman by KJ Charles
And that’s all I’ve got!
Would really appreciate any recs. I’ll read pretty much anything, YA, books where romance isn’t central, no HEA, even fanfics. Maybe just not danmei. I really loved Little Mushroom by Shisi, but besides that, everything else has been a dnf.
Thank you! Hope someone finds something good to read. ❤️