Looking to indulge in a new book or find out if your favorite author has a new release? Check out the books that came out in August.
Truth or Dare
Danielle Allen
With all nine of my best friends reunited for a destination wedding, I was not surprised someone suggested we play Truth or Dare. The secret exposing truths and the harmlessly fun dares bonded our close-knit friend group in college and kept us close throughout the years. So, when Kingston Wright was dared to kiss me, I didn’t think anything of it. Harmless kisses were always a part of Truth or Dare.
But there was nothing harmless about that kiss.
I felt something between us that I shouldn’t have.
Truth or Dare can be risky when you’re twenty.
But when you’re thirty, it can be reckless.
Money Devils
Ashley & JaQuavis
The LaCroixs are four beautiful Haitian American women bound by money and blood. On the surface, the LaCroix Group is a venture capitalist company, but underneath, it’s so much more. The four sisters run long cons, targeting wealthy, prominent business figures. They have a system: Find the perfect mark, create the problem, then present the solution. For a cost…
Sutton “Sutty” LaCroix, the eldest sister and an accomplished business maven, sits on the family throne as the CEO of the LaCroix Group and is the face of their operation. No one is as good as Sutton when it comes to finding new prey.
However, when Sutton meets West, a young, black oil tycoon—a man who represents a life she and her sisters vowed never to live—she breaks all the rules. The LaCroix sisters have a pact: to never settle down and leave roots in one place. But Sutton falls in love with West’s good looks, charm, and old money. This means that West is a problem. When he inducts her into a high society of opulence, power, and generational wealth, Sutton finds herself torn between the love of her life and the love of her family.
Cancelling Plans
AshleyNicole
It’s raining, it’s pouring– Wait, nobody’s snoring. They’re in the bed, or on the couch, or maybe the counter… and will definitely have a good morning.
Tissa just cancelled her wedding and told her ex-fiancé to kick rocks. An evening spent hanging with an old friend is a welcome distraction, and by the end of the night, the storm won’t be the only thing knocking.
(This is a novelette.)
Going Down
AshleyNicole
It’s raining, it’s pouring– Wait, nobody’s snoring. They’re in the bed, or on the couch, or maybe the counter… and will definitely have a good morning.
Shanti is coming off of a double shift and just wants to climb into her bed. Then, her new neighbor stops by and the rain isn’t the only thing getting her wet.
(This is a novelette.)
https://amzn.to/32DWxO4
Graveyard Shift
AshleyNicole
It’s raining, it’s pouring– Wait, nobody’s snoring. They’re in the bed, or on the couch, or maybe the counter… and will definitely have a good morning.
The Emergency Room is quiet and Nyree wants to keep it that way. However, her nemesis stops by, and the power isn’t the only thing going down.
No Strings
AshleyNicole
It’s raining, it’s pouring– Wait, nobody’s snoring. They’re in the bed, or on the couch, or maybe the counter… and will definitely have a good morning.
All Veah wants to do is sit and play her harp to drown out the storm and her thoughts. However, her FWB breezes into town, and the harp won’t be the only thing being strummed tonight.
Quitting Time
AshleyNicole
It’s raining, it’s pouring– Wait, nobody’s snoring. They’re in the bed, or on the couch, or maybe the counter… and will definitely have a good morning.
After five years, Aleigha has walked out of her job. But then her ex-boss gets stuck at her house because of the weather, and thunder won’t be the only thing clapping.
(This is a novelette)
Sign On
AshleyNicole
It’s raining, it’s pouring– Wait, nobody’s snoring. They’re in the bed, or on the couch, or maybe the counter… and will definitely have a good morning.
Elsy’s sad because her work husband disappeared. He pops back up, and the weather isn’t the only thing churning.
(This is a novelette)
Diablo Inside
Amarie Avant
ARIA
A monster grips the city in his iron fist.
The media calls him El Santo.
I prefer El Diablo—the devil.
My obsession with the gorgeous Dominic Alvarez will be his demise. I crave the look in his captivating dark eyes while I crush his even darker soul.
I refuse to become like the others; the women whose hearts stop at the sight of him.
Those women lost themselves in the allure and temptation of El Santo before they could feel the danger of El Diablo.
The time for redemption is now.
EL SANTO
Seduce them all and make their souls mine.
It’s what I was born to do.
But here comes a cunning little mouse, playing in a snake den.
Aria Jones lives inside the walls of her pretty head. That’s where I need to be—in her head.
Once I glean the secrets behind Aria’s jaded gaze and discover her greatest fears, I’ll collect the little mouse like the others.
Collect, crush, and make her mine forever.
This sexy read contains violence, murder, and steamy sex. A strong black female lead will go toe-to-toe with a captivating Cuban from Havana, in and out of bed.
Knight of South Holland
Karen D. Bradley
When the Kings of the Castle recommend Calvin Atwood, strategic defense inventor, to create a security shield for the kingdom of Durabia, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. The only problem—it’s a two-year assignment and he promised his fiancée they would step away from their dangerous lifestyle and start a family.
Security specialist, Mia Jakob, adores Calvin with all her heart, but his last assignment put both of their lives at risk. She understands how important this new role is to the man she loves, but the thought that he may be avoiding commitment does cross her mind.
Calvin was sure he’d made the best decision for his and Mia’s future, until enemies of the state target his invention and his woman. Set on a collision course with hidden foes, this Knight will need the help of the Kings to save both his Queen and the Kingdom of Durabia.
Dream Again
Ann Marie Bryan
One random day. One burst of laughter. One perfect moment. That’s all it takes for Gianna Barrett to capture Carter McIntosh’s attention—and his heart. His whole life has been a series of miracles, so this falls right in line. If only it were that simple. The object of his desire refuses to give him the time of day. Not deterred, Carter is sure he’s ready to put his heart on the line for love. Big mistake. He isn’t quite prepared and finds himself wrestling a soul-deep hurt into submission.
“There has been an accident….”
That devastating revelation shattered Gianna’s life, and in that one chaotic moment, everything she had was taken away. She has spent years carefully crafting her new normal, so there is no way Carter can just insert himself into her life. The fight is on but not for long. Their attraction is instant, and before she knows it, all her cynicism goes out the door.
When Gianna learns more about Carter’s life, she gets a better understanding of her beginning. As she starts her journey to healing, she uncovers Carter’s startling secret. In the days that follow, she struggles with feelings of regret, fueling her natural tendency to retreat. But the flames of desire burn hot and it’s not easy to break their unexpected connection. As the past reaches for them, they soon realize that to move forward, they must look back. Will they allow God to be the anchor they so desperately need—before it’s too late? For all they ever wanted was to be loved.
The Game Never Ends
Zaire Crown
From hard times to getting it all, one woman must fight to keep her fortune, her family, and her life, in this intense, unpredictable follow-up to Games Women Play . . .
By leveraging savvy and basic instincts, Tuesday Knight rose up from running an elite gentleman’s club to becoming the mega-wealthy Beverly Hills wife and business partner of reformed drug kingpin Marcus King. Along with their respectable, law-abiding new life came new names, and a new family. But now the country’s most feared drug lord wants to use Marcus’s legit empire to push her product—and the fallout threatens to be treacherous . . .
Soon Tuesday finds herself on the run with her two daughters—and under pressure from a devious FBI agent to help take down the drug lord for good. But to clear the board of enemies and regain her position, and her life, she’ll have to face unexpected betrayals—and play out a shattering endgame .
The Death of Vivek Oji
Akwaeke Emezi
One afternoon, in a town in southeastern Nigeria, a mother opens her front door to discover her son’s body, wrapped in colorful fabric, at her feet. What follows is the tumultuous, heart-wrenching story of one family’s struggle to understand a child whose spirit is both gentle and mysterious. Raised by a distant father and an understanding but overprotective mother, Vivek suffers disorienting blackouts, moments of disconnection between self and surroundings. As adolescence gives way to adulthood, Vivek finds solace in friendships with the warm, boisterous daughters of the Nigerwives, foreign-born women married to Nigerian men. But Vivek’s closest bond is with Osita, the worldly, high-spirited cousin whose teasing confidence masks a guarded private life. As their relationship deepens—and Osita struggles to understand Vivek’s escalating crisis—the mystery gives way to a heart-stopping act of violence in a moment of exhilarating freedom.
Propulsively readable, teeming with unforgettable characters, The Death of Vivek Oji is a novel of family and friendship that challenges expectations—a dramatic story of loss and transcendence that will move every reader.
The Pleasure Principle
Nicole Falls
Damita Jo Jackson has experienced a variety firsts in her life and on the cusp of yet another life changing event, she finds herself meandering down memory lane. The Pleasure Principle is her documented journey into womanhood via her sexuality, filtered through the lens of music from her very famous namesake. At the end of her journey through the past, DJ is reminded that it truly, always comes back to love.
This Time Always
Suzette Harrison
Vivacious Niyana Nichols isn’t looking for love. Between the demands of work as a Wellness Clinic Administrator, recent widowhood, and being there for her two beautiful daughters, love has taken a back seat for the fifty-three-year-old. To complicate matters, she’s also suffering from Alopecia. Yet, when Niyana meets her daughter’s handsome professor, she is faced with emotions she thought she’d buried with her husband.
Divorced single father and African-American Studies professor, Omari Josef, is devoted to his career. When the forty-six-year-old grandfather meets the gorgeous and spirited Niyana, he’s forced to rethink his own happiness. Their age difference doesn’t matter to him. What does is making sure she realizes that she’s a woman worth cherishing. Will the sudden reappearance of Omari’s ex-wife wreak havoc in his life? Or will their undeniable attraction grow into something solid and abiding?
Now That I’ve Found You
Kristina Forrest
Following in the footsteps of her überfamous grandma, eighteen-year-old Evie Jones is poised to be Hollywood’s next big star. That is until a close friend’s betrayal leads to her being blacklisted . . .
Fortunately, Evie knows just the thing to save her floundering career: a public appearance with America’s most beloved actress—her grandma Gigi, aka the Evelyn Conaway. The only problem? Gigi is a recluse who’s been out of the limelight for almost twenty years. Days before Evie plans to present her grandma with an honorary award in front of Hollywood’s elite, Gigi does the unthinkable: she disappears.
With time running out and her comeback on the line, Evie reluctantly enlists the help of the last person to see Gigi before she vanished: Milo Williams, a cute musician Evie isn’t sure she can trust. As Evie and Milo conduct a wild manhunt across New York City, romance and adventure abound while Evie makes some surprising discoveries about her grandma—and herself.
Idlewild
Treasure Hernandez
When Desiree Johnson receives an unexpected call from her brother, Ernest, Jr., about their father, she and her sixteen-year-old son, Tyree, pack up and rush to her family’s summer home in Idlewild. Desiree hasn’t been to Michigan in over seventeen years, but when her family calls, she feels she has no choice but to answer.
Arriving in the beautiful town, Desiree quickly realizes that no matter how long she has stayed away, the place still holds a special place in her heart. As the summer heats up, Desiree struggles to balance the joy of returning to the community that shaped her childhood with the overwhelming memories of the love and pain she suffered the last summer she spent there.
Tyson Rockwell is taken aback by Desiree’s return. Their relationship might have lasted only a few months each summer, but their connection was powerful. Tyson might have succumbed to family pressure and let Desiree go once before, but now that she’s back, he vows it will not happen again. He needs to prove to Desiree that he never stopped loving her. The problem is that Tyson is now married with children.
Desiree’s siblings, Donna and Ernest, Jr., have their own share of childhood secrets and adult scandals. Donna is recovering from addiction and convinced her sister’s return is all about their ailing father’s money She wants to send Desiree a message—go back where you came from or I’ll ruin you. Ernest, Jr. is determined to take his rightful place as their father’s heir-apparent, and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep himself at the top, even if it means backstabbing his siblings and making sure his father never recovers.
As the summer heats up, Desiree finds herself in the midst of jealousy, piling secrets, and strong, unexpected feelings for another woman’s husband. Will she stand and face it all, or will she run like she did so many years ago?
The Dress
Alexandria House
A Book+Main Exclusive short story
https://bookandmainbites.com/bite/47091
Raybearer
Jordan Ifueko
Nothing is more important than loyalty.
But what if you’ve sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy?
Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11. If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn—but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself? With extraordinary world-building and breathtaking prose, Raybearer is the story of loyalty, fate, and the lengths we’re willing to go for the ones we love.
The Hitman
Katrina Jackson
Zahra
What would you do if you found out that your fiancé cheated on you the night before your wedding with a reality tv exotic dancer? What if you found out that they’d had a threesome with your best friend, who was also your maid of honor? What if you discovered all of this on the morning of your wedding with a camera for your own reality tv show pointing at your face?
Let me tell you what I do.
I punch her. I punch him. And then I run away to Italy on what should have been my honeymoon alone, with my ex’s stolen credit cards.
I just want to drink all the wine and cry myself to sleep at night, but I can’t even do that in peace.
Giulio
I deserve this holiday. I worked hard for it. I killed for it. Literally. But the woman next door won’t stop crying and it’s keeping me awake at night. When I go to confront her… Well, let’s just say things don’t go to plan. Not that I’m complaining.
And I know my life is chaotic, but even I can’t predict the armed man who shows up to kill me or the fact that I’ve somehow ended up on the run with the weepy goddess from the penthouse suite. It’s a mistake to bring Zahra along, but I want to keep her safe. I want to keep her with me. Also, try as I might, I can’t tell her no and mean it.
Besides, I’m beginning to suspect that I might have the guns, but I’m not running this show; she is, and she’s damn sexy while doing it.
CONTENT WARNINGS
Mentions of domestic abuse
Mentions of child abuse
Murder
Shooting deaths
Getting Even
Danesha Little
After stumbling across a video of her husband having sex with another woman, Joy Richards, questions everything about her marriage. To her, forgiveness can only happen after she gets even. Unfortunately, one night with male stripper, Philip “Ian” Nichols, turns her entire life upside down.
Rashad Richards knows that he messed up when he cheated on his wife and is trying to do everything in his power to piece his family back together. He quickly learns that some mistakes you can’t come back from when he finds out that he’s not the only one fighting for his wife’s affection.
Can a marriage that experiences infidelity on both sides survive the aftermath?
https://amzn.to/3jtYEdU
Like Lovers Do
Tracey Livesay
Sometimes faking it can lead to the real thing…
Driven and focused, Dr. Nicole Allen is an accomplished surgeon. With a tough past, Nic’s gone above and beyond everyone’s expectations. But when she disciplines an intern—a powerful donor’s son—a prestigious fellowship she’s awaiting is placed in jeopardy.
Coming from a successful family who runs a medical business empire, Benjamin Reed Van Mont is the black sheep, having chosen to start his own business instead. Though he’s not ready to settle down, he knows when the time comes it definitely won’t be with a workaholic doctor like his friend Nic—even if she’s had him re-examining his edict…more than once.
When Ben’s status-climbing ex-girlfriend finds her way back into his orbit, Nic proposes a swap of services. She’ll spend the week with Ben on Martha’s Vineyard, pretending to be his girlfriend—but only if he’ll have his family intervene on her behalf so she won’t lose her fellowship. How hard can the charade be?
But as they’re about to discover, they’ve sorely underestimated their true feelings for each other…
Entangled Pursuits
Brenda Jackson
WHEN DANGER ARRIVES, REAL MEN TAKE ACTION
Detective Andrew Logan hears that Detective Antonia Oliver is back in town. It’s been four years since they were involved in a hot, heavy, and steamy affair. Andrew’s life gets complicated when Toni is assigned as his new partner. Paired together, they try hard to ignore the sexual chemistry that’s stronger than ever between them.
One homicide investigation turns deadly and Toni’s life is in danger. Andrew goes into action, determined to protect the woman he’s trying his damnedest not to fall in love with.
I Promise
LeBron James
Just a kid from Akron, Ohio, who is dedicated to uplifting youth everywhere, LeBron James knows the key to a better future is to excel in school, do your best, and keep your family close.
I Promise is a lively and inspiring picture book that reminds us that tomorrow’s success starts with the promises we make to ourselves and our community today.
Featuring James’s upbeat, rhyming text and vibrant illustrations perfectly crafted for a diverse audience by New York Times bestselling artist Nina Mata, this book has the power to inspire all children and families to be their best.
The Space Between Worlds
Micaiah Johnson
Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there’s just one catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying—from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn’t outrun. Cara’s life has been cut short on 372 worlds in total.
On this dystopian Earth, however, Cara has survived. Identified as an outlier and therefore a perfect candidate for multiverse travel, Cara is plucked from the dirt of the wastelands. Now what once made her marginalized has finally become an unexpected source of power. She has a nice apartment on the lower levels of the wealthy and walled-off Wiley City. She works—and shamelessly flirts—with her enticing yet aloof handler, Dell, as the two women collect off-world data for the Eldridge Institute. She even occasionally leaves the city to visit her family in the wastes, though she struggles to feel at home in either place. So long as she can keep her head down and avoid trouble, Cara is on a sure path to citizenship and security.
But trouble finds Cara when one of her eight remaining doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances, plunging her into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and her future in ways she could have never imagined—and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her world, but the entire multiverse.
Unforeseen Love
Parker Jones
An Elementary School Principal, Nicole Meyers, has tired of dating. After several tumultuous months of online heartbreaks, she has decided to give up on love. A girlfriends’ trip to Jamaica boasting reckless fun would provide a much-needed reset button, that is, until the sandy beaches brings on an insatiable hunger for a stranger. His essence stirs her soul and reopens her heart.
Has Nicole found her soulmate? Will the beautiful stranger show her all of the months of dating were preparing her for him? Or is this the fling to put an end to her dating life for good?
Knight of Bronzeville
Naleighna Kai and Stephanie M. Freeman
Chaz Maharaj thought he could maintain the lie of a perfect marriage for his adoring fans … until he met Amanda.The connection between them should have ended with that unconditional “hall pass” which led to one night of unbridled passion. But once would never satisfy his hunger for a woman who could never be his. When Amanda walked out of his life, it was supposed to be forever. Neither of them could have anticipated fate’s plan.
Chaz wants to explore his feelings for Amanda, but Susan has other ideas. Prepared to fight for his budding romance and navigate a plot that’s been laid to crush them, an unexpected twist threatens his love and her life. When Amanda’s past comes back to haunt them, Chaz enlists the Kings of the Castle to save his newfound love in a daring escape.
Luster
Raven Leilani
No one wants what no one wants.
And how do we even know what we want? How do we know we’re ready to take it?
Edie is stumbling her way through her twenties—sharing a subpar apartment in Bushwick, clocking in and out of her admin job, making a series of inappropriate sexual choices. She is also haltingly, fitfully giving heat and air to the art that simmers inside her. And then she meets Eric, a digital archivist with a family in New Jersey, including an autopsist wife who has agreed to an open marriage—with rules.
As if navigating the constantly shifting landscapes of contemporary sexual manners and racial politics weren’t hard enough, Edie finds herself unemployed and invited into Eric’s home—though not by Eric. She becomes a hesitant ally to his wife and a de facto role model to his adopted daughter. Edie may be the only Black woman young Akila knows.
Irresistibly unruly and strikingly beautiful, razor-sharp and slyly comic, sexually charged and utterly absorbing, Raven Leilani’s Luster is a portrait of a young woman trying to make sense of her life—her hunger, her anger—in a tumultuous era. It is also a haunting, aching description of how hard it is to believe in your own talent, and the unexpected influences that bring us into ourselves along the way.
All I Ask of You
Chelsea Maria
We collided…
Seamlessly, we drifted through time…
We were a perfect harmony. Our beginnings painting a beautiful mural of moments; a fluid flow to our concluding song.
She became mine the day I put my heart in her hands and told her it was hers to keep.
He swiftly made me putty in his hands. Leaving me drowning in sands of jaded blues.
Fire flames…
She’s my loving hind and pleasant roe.
Amell’s words were always pleasant as a honeycomb; sweet to the soul and health to my bones.
Love is kind. Love suffereth long. Love doesn’t envy. Love never fails… Or does it when the only man you’ve ever loved is set out on turning your molten heart ice cold?
Ikenga
Nnedi Okorafor
Nnamdi’s father was a good chief of police, perhaps the best Kalaria had ever had. He was determined to root out the criminals that had invaded the town. But then he was murdered, and most people believed the Chief of Chiefs, most powerful of the criminals, was responsible. Nnamdi has vowed to avenge his father, but he wonders what a twelve-year-old boy can do. Until a mysterious nighttime meeting, the gift of a magical object that enables super powers, and a charge to use those powers for good changes his life forever. How can he fulfill his mission? How will he learn to control his newfound powers?
Black Bottom Saints
Alice Randall
From the Great Depression through the post-World War II years, Joseph “Ziggy” Johnson, has been the pulse of Detroit’s famous Black Bottom. A celebrated gossip columnist for the city’s African-American newspaper, the Michigan Chronicle, he is also the emcee of one of the hottest night clubs, where he’s rubbed elbows with the legendary black artists of the era, including Ethel Waters, Billy Eckstein, and Count Basie. Ziggy is also the founder and dean of the Ziggy Johnson School of Theater. But now the doyen of Black Bottom is ready to hang up his many dapper hats.
As he lays dying in the black-owned-and-operated Kirkwood Hospital, Ziggy reflects on his life, the community that was the center of his world, and the remarkable people who helped shape it.
Inspired by the Catholic Saints Day Books, Ziggy curates his own list of Black Bottom’s venerable “52 Saints.” Among them are a vulnerable Dinah Washington, a defiant Joe Louis, and a raucous Bricktop. Randall balances the stories of these larger-than-life “Saints” with local heroes who became household names, enthralling men and women whose unstoppable ambition, love of style, and faith in community made this black Midwestern neighborhood the rival of New York City’s Harlem.
Accompanying these “tributes” are thoughtfully paired cocktails―special drinks that capture the essence of each of Ziggy’s saints―libations as strong and satisfying as Alice Randall’s wholly original view of a place and time unlike any other.
The Black Kids
Christina Hammonds Reed
Los Angeles, 1992
Ashley Bennett and her friends are living the charmed life. It’s the end of senior year and they’re spending more time at the beach than in the classroom. They can already feel the sunny days and endless possibilities of summer.
Everything changes one afternoon in April, when four LAPD officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just one of the girls. She’s one of the black kids.
As violent protests engulf LA and the city burns, Ashley tries to continue on as if life were normal. Even as her self-destructive sister gets dangerously involved in the riots. Even as the model black family façade her wealthy and prominent parents have built starts to crumble. Even as her best friends help spread a rumor that could completely derail the future of her classmate and fellow black kid, LaShawn Johnson.
With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the us? And who is the them?
It’s a Thin Line
Kimberla Lawson Roby
In this captivating classic, New York Times bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby tells the powerful tale of three very different siblings who discover that family is the only thing that truly matters.
Sydney, Gina, and Rick have always shared a special sibling bond, yet their lives are as different as can be. The eldest, Sydney, has a loving, handsome husband and an adorable daughter. But the demands of her writing career leave little time for family. Meanwhile, middle sister Gina is struggling to raise young twins—and trying to protect them…and herself . . . from their volatile father. Rick, the youngest, is living the high life—dodging commitment with his girlfriend—and wondering if the grass is greener elsewhere.
When their beloved mother, Delores, suffers a stroke, all three suddenly find the tenuous threads of their individual lives at a breaking point. Worst, the burden of caring for a parent is tearing them apart. But as they struggle to overcome daunting obstacles, they will discover something that they’ve never let themselves believe: their most stable—and most cherished—relationships have always been with each other . . .
She Wears the Mask
Shelly Stratton
Gripping and moving, She Wears the Mask is a novel about two women from two very different worlds, both burdened with secrets from their pasts, who form an unexpected bond…
1950s Chicago: Angelique Bixby could be one of many fresh-faced sales girls working along the Magnificent Mile, but she’s unique. She’s a white woman married to a black man in 1950s Chicago, making her stand out among the tenements on the South Side where she lives. Despite the challenges the couple faces, they find comfort and strength in their love for one another. Angelique is content, as long as she has her Daniel by her side and their baby in her arms, until she loses them both—one to death and the other to dire circumstances.
1990s Washington, D.C.: Angelique Crofton is a woman of privilege. A rich, aging beauty and mother of a rising political star, she has learned to forget her tragic past. But now that she is facing her own mortality, she is finally ready to find the daughter she left behind, remember the young woman she once was, and unearth the bittersweet memories she had long ago buried.
Jasmine Stanley is an ambitious lawyer—the only black woman at her firm. She is too busy climbing the corporate ladder to deal with her troublesome family or their unresolved issues. Tasked with Angelique’s case, Jasmine doesn’t know what to make of her new client—an old debutante with too much time and money on her hands. Jasmine eagerly accepts the challenge though, hoping if she finds Angelique’s long-lost daughter, it will impress the firm’s partners. But she doesn’t count on the search challenging her mentally and emotionally. Nor does she expect to form a friendship with Angelique, who is much more like her than she realizes—because Jasmine is harboring secrets, too.
The Deadline
Kiki Swinson
National bestselling author Kiki Swinson always ups the ante with shocking twists, relentless characters, and a hard-edged portrait of Southern living—and dying. Now all bets are off as a newbie journalist desperate for the spotlight plunges into a killer story…
Anything for the fame
As an off-air TV news journalist, Khloé Mercer covers the tough Norfolk, Virginia, neighborhood she grew up in. But between a hostile boss and stiff competition, she hasto break a major exclusive to save her job—and lock down the coveted anchor desk slot she feels she deserves . . .
Anything for the lies
When a murder takes place on her home turf, Khloé has easy access to the dirty truth behind it. But she’ll have to decide whether to exploit every angle and leverage any favor to make her career explode big-time—or keep quiet and keep herself, and her family, safe. Until the choice is out of her hands . . .
Anything to stay alive
Once the ruthless power brokers behind the hit put Khloé in their sights, they start brutally cleaning up loose ends. Now with an inescapable target on her back and odds racking up against her, she’ll find nowhere is safe, and ambition may be her most dangerous enemy . . .
Asha and Boom
Keith Thomas Walker
Things quickly spiral out of control when Asha hires a contract killer to avenge her godson’s murder. In this edge-of-your-seat drama, Asha and Boom embark on a harrowing ride as they dodge feelings for each other and bullets from an unknown assailant.
Nobody Else Gon’ Get My Love
Monica Walters and T. Key
Powerful, independent, intellectual, and lonely are all attributes that describe Sakina Campbell. Being a detective for Dallas County had been tedious but rewarding. Helping to get justice for victims the system often forgot about gave her a sense of pride and putting criminals behind bars gave her a high that she couldn’t come down from. However, time hadn’t been on her side when it came to her love life. At forty-four years old, she could no longer be a mother due to surgery that prevented her from carrying a baby… not that she even had a male prospect to create a life with. Love had a way of eluding her. She often thinks it’s because of her stubborn demeanor and willingness to succeed no matter the cost.
After meeting Liam Jackson, a man ten years her junior, she holds him at arm’s length, thinking that he was only after one thing. But just as she’s coming to the realization that she might want more from him, he has to relocate for his job. That only fuels her fire to proceed to the next level in her career, becoming lead detective in the county. She dedicates nearly two years to her job and elderly father, settling in the belief that she would spend the rest of her life alone. Until one day, Liam reappears, bringing her old wounds to the surface.
Sakina adamantly refuses his advances, because she feels if she gives in to Liam, he will only leave again. The hurt and anger had been lying dormant since Liam had left, but now that he’s back, he’s determined to make Sakina his. When things in her life are shaken to the core, will she allow Liam back in her world, to finally love her the way she deserves?
Whoa
Alexandra Warren
“Because sometimes all it takes is the first date…”
For Malinda Woods, growing her business is a top priority. And in her opinion, that’s only possible if she eliminates all distractions.
That means no going out, no getting caught up in the daily hype of social media, and of course, no dating. Until she’s set up on a blind date with the perfect man who’s equipped with everything necessary to change her mind.
Whoa.
Note: This novella takes place during the same time frame as Oops! and does contain major spoilers for that title. It is highly recommended that you read Oops! first before going on Malinda’s journey.
Scandalous Secrets
Synithia Williams
Senatorial candidate Byron Robidoux always does the right thing. And, after years of focus and dedication, his life and campaign are going exactly to plan—until a blackmailer jeopardizes everything. No one is supposed to know that thirteen years ago, Byron told a lie to protect a college friend. And now that lie could destroy his career…and threaten the woman he never stopped loving.
Zoe Hammond hardly recognizes the refined and handsome politician Byron has become. The last time she saw him, he was the friend who saved her life by claiming to be the father of her unborn baby. For that, she’d do anything for him. Except Byron’s world of wealth, reputation and deceit isn’t a place where Zoe or her daughter belong. But when a menace from the past comes calling again, staying with Byron is best for them all. And, as the searing attraction between them builds, they soon realize some things are worth fighting for…especially love.
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