Sins Duet · 2017
Black HeartsSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by Karina Halle
Spice 3/5 (Hot) · Darkness 3/5 (Dark) · 6 trigger warnings flagged
Black Hearts is book 1 of Sins Duet by Karina Halle. It came out in 2017. It sits in the mafia, possessive heroes and romantic suspense corner of the shelf. Spice is open door (3 of 5) and the darkness is dark, but there is light (3 of 5). We took the warnings from the Trigger Warning Database, a reader-run list. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 19 February 2017 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 1 of Sins Duet.
Black Hearts tropes
On this shelf, Black Hearts is filed under Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes and Romantic suspense. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Black Hearts spice level
Is Black Hearts dark romance?
Yes. Black Hearts scores 3 of 5 on our darkness scale (Dark).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More dark books. How we rate.
Black Hearts trigger warnings
Book-specific flags taken from the Trigger Warning Database, a reader-run list, grouped by us. Also on that list: drug or alcohol use, serious illness, child abuse. See the reader-submitted list.
Graphic (0) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
None flagged in this band.
Moderate (5)
Harm, control, or obsession that is common in this lane.
Full Black Hearts trigger warnings
Sins Duet reading order
Black Hearts is book 1 of 2 in Karina Halle's Sins Duet series. Start here.
- Book 1 Black Hearts (this book) · 2017
- Book 2 Dirty Souls · 2017
Order checked against the Goodreads Sins Duet series page on 9 October 2026. The Sins Duet series in order.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like Black Hearts
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- A Little Bit Dirty
A Little Bit Dirty
Willow Winters
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Romantic suspense
- A Single Glance
A Single Glance
Willow Winters
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Romantic suspense
- Breathless
Breathless
Giana Darling
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Romantic suspense
- Broken
Broken
Ker Dukey
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Romantic suspense
- Don't Let Go
Don't Let Go
Skye Warren
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Romantic suspense
- Good Girl
Good Girl
Nikki Sloane
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Romantic suspense
- Owned
Owned
Pepper Winters
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Romantic suspense
- Scarred
Scarred
K. Webster
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Romantic suspense
Books like Black Hearts, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Black Hearts?
Black Hearts spice level is 3 of 5 (Hot). Open door. The scene stays. Darkness is a separate score: 3 of 5 (Dark).
What are the Black Hearts trigger warnings?
Graphic: none flagged. Moderate: Murder, Kidnapping, Violence, Abuse, Cheating. Minor: Death. These are book-specific flags reported by readers on the Trigger Warning Database, a reader-run list, grouped by us. The author's own note may list more. Read it before you start.
Is Black Hearts dark romance?
Yes. Black Hearts scores 3 of 5 on our darkness scale (Dark). Harm is part of the romance, not a footnote.
What tropes are in Black Hearts?
On this shelf Black Hearts is filed under Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes and Romantic suspense.
Who is Black Hearts for?
For a reader who wants made men and a family business you do not walk away from. Spice is hot. Darkness is dark. Read the warnings on this page before you start.
What are some books like Black Hearts?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: A Little Bit Dirty by Willow Winters; A Single Glance by Willow Winters; Breathless by Giana Darling; Broken by Ker Dukey; Don't Let Go by Skye Warren; Good Girl by Nikki Sloane. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/black-hearts.
Is Black Hearts a standalone?
No. Black Hearts is book 1 of 2 in the Sins Duet series by Karina Halle.
What order should I read the Sins Duet series in?
1. Black Hearts; 2. Dirty Souls.
How many books are in the Sins Duet series?
The Sins Duet series by Karina Halle has 2 main books.
What is the Black Hearts age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 3/5 (hot) and darkness at 3/5 (dark). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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