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If you’ve recently fallen headfirst into the emotionally gut-wrenching world of The Tearsmith by Erin Doom, welcome to the club. That book wrecked me—in the best, most beautiful, most bittersweet way possible. From its hauntingly poetic writing to the slow-burning tension that simmers beneath every stolen glance and broken word, The Tearsmith has a way of crawling under your skin and refusing to leave. It’s not just a romance. It’s a whole experience. One that feels like heartache wrapped in a lullaby.
Whether you read it in its original Italian or devoured the English edition, the emotional depth and raw vulnerability of the characters hit so hard. And now that the Netflix adaptation has brought the story to life on screen, even more readers are finding themselves completely obsessed with this melancholic, slow-burn masterpiece. There’s just something about that tortured love, those secrets hiding beneath layers of pain, and the way two broken people slowly learn how to heal—together. Ugh. It’s everything.
So now, naturally, you’re on the hunt for books like the Tearsmith. You’re craving those same gritty emotions, that angst you can feel in your chest, and the kind of romance that doesn’t just flirt with your heart—it shatters it. But in the best possible way, of course. I don’t want cute and fluffy. I want messy, chaotic, slightly toxic, completely unforgettable love stories. The kind that make you want to scream into your pillow at 2 a.m. because, somehow, you’re mad, sad, and swooning all at once.
Dark Romance Books Like Tearsmith
The books I’m recommending are for the readers who loved the complexity in The Tearsmith—the pain, the healing, the yearning, the quiet moments that somehow scream the loudest. These stories dive deep into emotionally charged relationships, often set in dark, complicated, or forbidden circumstances. Some follow characters who’ve known deep pain and are learning to love again. Others feature intense chemistry between people who probably shouldn’t fall for each other—but do, hard.
Expect morally gray love interests who are magnetic and dangerous in all the right ways. Expect secrets, trauma, redemption arcs, and characters who are so messy and real that you’ll feel like you know them. Some stories take place in gritty, toxic high school or college settings where emotions run wild. Others explore dark pasts, broken families, and the blurred lines between love and obsession.
And yes, you’ll absolutely find the type of slow-burn tension that makes your stomach flip. The kind where they barely touch for 300 pages but when they finally do? Fireworks. You’ll also find plenty of inner monologues, jealousy-fueled confrontations, tender flashbacks, and the kind of angst that’ll have your heart in a vice grip.
So if you’re still emotionally recovering from The Tearsmith, and you’re desperately searching for more stories that are beautifully written and deeply painful in all the right ways… you’re in the perfect place.
Books Like The Tearsmith – Emotional, Gritty Romance with Dark Past Vibes
Did I Mention I Love You? by Estelle Maskame
Eden gets her own room in her dad’s fancy house in Santa Monica. A room right next door to her oldest stepbrother, Tyler Bruce. Whom she cannot stand. He’s got angry green eyes and ego bigger than a Beverly Hills mansion. She’s never felt such intense dislike for someone. But the two are constantly thrown together as his group of friends pull her into their world.
Torment by Dylan Page
These men, who I considered uncles and close family friends, are members of the dominant MC, The Celtic Beasts. Shay is not only a proud member. He is the one they send in to do their dirty work. For some reason, this tough, muscled, terrifying guy, needs me to ground and comfort him. But I have always had bigger plans. I want to get out, escape… but Shay has other plans for me.
Sicko by Amo Jones
I’m the past that he tried to forget, and he was the future I needed. When he left four years ago, I screamed for him every night. But then it all stopped. My screams were suddenly muffled by cruelty, and further coaxed by pain. But he has come back. He’s no longer the cute foster brother I had a furtive crush on, or the bad boy, rich brat that I hated to love.
Skin of a Sinner by Avina St. Graves
I found my knight in shining armor in the form of a fellow foster kid. He protected me and promised to stand by my side forever. Three years later, I found him in the middle of the night, soaked in my family’s blood and carving his initials into my foster brother’s skin. He tied me up and dragged me away from the life I had made without him.
Fallen Crest High by Tijan
Mason and Logan Kade are two brothers who did their own thing. They were rich and expected to attend Samantha’s school, Fallen Crest Academy. They chose public school and now she has to live with them. The problem is that she doesn’t care at all: about them, about her friends, about her cheating boyfriend, or even about her parent’s divorce.
Stepbrother Dearest by Penelope Ward
You’re not supposed to want the one who torments you. When my stepbrother, Elec, came to live with us my senior year, I wasn’t prepared for how much of a jerk he’d be. I hated that he took it out on me because he didn’t want to be here. I hated that he brought girls from our high school back to his room. But what I hated the most was the unwanted way my body reacted to him.
I totally get it—when you finish a book like The Tearsmith, it’s not just done. The story lingers. The characters haunt you. And suddenly, every other book feels like it’s missing something. That intensity. That rawness. That specific kind of heartbreak that somehow feels comforting. You want more. More pain. More healing. And more love that’s complicated, messy, and all-consuming.
These books carry the same emotional weight, the same soul-crushing intensity, and the same slow-burn, can’t-look-away kind of chemistry. They’re for the readers who don’t mind feeling a little (okay, a lot) wrecked. They’re not afraid of flawed characters, tough topics, or romances that go through hell before finding any kind of heaven.
Each story here will give you something that The Tearsmith gave you. Maybe it’s the poetic writing. Maybe it’s the quiet, aching moments between the chaos. Or maybe it’s the way love is shown as something earned—not easily given. These are the books that will make you stay up way too late, clutching your Kindle and whispering, “Just one more chapter,” even though your heart’s already in pieces.
So, if you’re still not over The Tearsmith, and you’re looking for something that will tear you apart and slowly put you back together—these books are waiting for you.
