Dartmoor · 2015
The Skeleton KingSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
Spice 3/5 (Hot) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · No trigger warnings flagged
The Skeleton King is book 3 of Dartmoor by Lauren Gilley, first out in 2015. The lane here is motorcycle club, arranged marriage and romantic suspense. Spice is open door (3 of 5) and the darkness is pitch dark (4 of 5). We could not find the author's own warning list yet, so check it before you start. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 26 August 2015 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 3 of Dartmoor.
The Skeleton King tropes
On this shelf, The Skeleton King is filed under Motorcycle club romance, Arranged marriage and Romantic suspense. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
The Skeleton King spice level
Is The Skeleton King dark romance?
Yes, firmly. The Skeleton King scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
The Skeleton King trigger warnings
Warnings not yet verified. We could not find the author's own content warning list for this book, so the flags here are only what the publisher's description makes clear. Check the author's note before you start.
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 (0)
Harm, control, or obsession that is common in this lane.
None flagged in this band.
Minor (0)
Present, and usually not the reason someone puts the book down.
None flagged in this band.
Full The Skeleton King trigger warnings
Dartmoor reading order
The Skeleton King is book 3 of 1 in Lauren Gilley's Dartmoor series. Start here.
- Book 3 The Skeleton King (this book) · 2015
Order checked against the Goodreads Dartmoor series page on 13 October 2026.
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 The Skeleton King
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- All the Rage
All the Rage
T. M. Frazier
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Motorcycle club romance, Romantic suspense
- Dark Horse
Dark Horse
Jessica Gadziala
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Motorcycle club romance, Romantic suspense
- Dark Secrets
Dark Secrets
Jessica Gadziala
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Motorcycle club romance, Romantic suspense
- Kiss for You
Kiss for You
T. M. Frazier
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Motorcycle club romance, Romantic suspense
- Wife Number One
Wife Number One
Elle Thorpe
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Motorcycle club romance, Arranged marriage
- Rebel Revenge
Rebel Revenge
Elle Thorpe
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Motorcycle club romance, Romantic suspense
- Beyond Reckless
Beyond Reckless
Autumn Jones Lake
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●○○○
Shared: Motorcycle club romance, Romantic suspense
- Hawke
Hawke
R.J. Lewis
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Motorcycle club romance
Books like The Skeleton King, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of The Skeleton King?
The Skeleton King spice level is 3 of 5 (Hot). Open door. The scene stays. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the The Skeleton King trigger warnings?
Graphic: none flagged. Moderate: none flagged. Minor: none flagged. Warnings not yet verified against the author's own list. Check it before you start.
Is The Skeleton King dark romance?
Yes, firmly. The Skeleton King scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in The Skeleton King?
On this shelf The Skeleton King is filed under Motorcycle club romance, Arranged marriage and Romantic suspense.
Who is The Skeleton King for?
For a reader who wants club patches, loyalty and violence. Spice is hot. Darkness is pitch. Warnings are not yet verified, so check the author's note first.
What are some books like The Skeleton King?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: All the Rage by T. M. Frazier; Dark Horse by Jessica Gadziala; Dark Secrets by Jessica Gadziala; Kiss for You by T. M. Frazier; Wife Number One by Elle Thorpe; Rebel Revenge by Elle Thorpe. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/the-skeleton-king.
Is The Skeleton King a standalone?
No. The Skeleton King is book 3 of 1 in the Dartmoor series by Lauren Gilley.
What order should I read the Dartmoor series in?
3. The Skeleton King.
How many books are in the Dartmoor series?
The Dartmoor series by Lauren Gilley has 1 main book.
What is the The Skeleton King age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 3/5 (hot) and darkness at 4/5 (pitch). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
Join on Patreon for the Zade Masked serial.