Spring is in the air, and with a new season comes lots of new books. Here are spring books by black authors I’m excited about. Please note this post contains affiliate links.
Stacey Abrams
Avery Keene, a brilliant young law clerk for the legendary Justice Howard Wynn, is doing her best to hold her life together—excelling in an arduous job with the court while also dealing with a troubled family. When the shocking news breaks that Justice Wynn—the cantankerous swing vote on many current high-profile cases—has slipped into a coma, Avery’s life turns upside down. She is immediately notified that Justice Wynn has left instructions for her to serve as his legal guardian and power of attorney. Plunged into an explosive role she never anticipated, Avery finds that Justice Wynn had been secretly researching one of the most controversial cases before the court—a proposed merger between an American biotech company and an Indian genetics firm, which promises to unleash breathtaking results in the medical field. She also discovers that Wynn suspected a dangerously related conspiracy that infiltrates the highest power corridors of Washington.
As political wrangling ensues in Washington to potentially replace the ailing judge whose life and survival Avery controls, she begins to unravel a carefully constructed, chesslike sequence of clues left behind by Wynn. She comes to see that Wynn had a much more personal stake in the controversial case and realizes his complex puzzle will lead her directly into harm’s way in order to find the truth.
Niobia Bryant
Mixing business and pleasure is a recipe for trouble in this red-hot upstairs-downstairs romance by Niobia Bryant.
When it’s too hot in the kitchen
He’ll take it to the bedroom…
The rebel of the wealthy Cress dynasty, chef Cole Cress, has only one rule: never fall in love. But the heat that keeps sizzling between Cole and his delectable fellow chef, Jillian Rossi, is irresistible—dangerously so. Because Jillian comes from a different world, and the Cress family will do whatever it takes to extinguish this blaze…even if Cole gets burned.
Denny S. Bryce
In a stirring and impeccably researched novel of Jazz-age Chicago in all its vibrant life, two stories intertwine nearly a hundred years apart, as a chorus girl and a film student deal with loss, forgiveness, and love…in all its joy, sadness, and imperfections.
“Why would I talk to you about my life? I don’t know you, and even if I did, I don’t tell my story to just any boy with long hair, who probably smokes weed.You wanna hear about me. You gotta tell me something about you. To make this worth my while.”
1925: Chicago is the jazz capital of the world, and the Dreamland Café is the ritziest black-and-tan club in town. Honoree Dalcour is a sharecropper’s daughter, willing to work hard and dance every night on her way to the top. Dreamland offers a path to the good life, socializing with celebrities like Louis Armstrong and filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. But Chicago is also awash in bootleg whiskey, gambling, and gangsters. And a young woman driven by ambition might risk more than she can stand to lose.
2015: Film student Sawyer Hayes arrives at the bedside of 110-year-old Honoree Dalcour, still reeling from a devastating loss that has taken him right to the brink. Sawyer has rested all his hope on this frail but formidable woman, the only living link to the legendary Oscar Micheaux. If he’s right—if she can fill in the blanks in his research, perhaps he can complete his thesis and begin a new chapter in his life. But the links Honoree makes are not ones he’s expecting . . .
Piece by piece, Honoree reveals her past and her secrets, while Sawyer fights tooth and nail to keep his. It’s a story of courage and ambition, hot jazz and illicit passions. And as past meets present, for Honoree, it’s a final chance to be truly heard and seen before it’s too late. No matter the cost . . .
Sharon C. Cooper
She looked a criminal in the eye…
…and now she’s a target
When Connie Shaw witnesses a bank robbery gone horribly wrong, security specialist Trace Halstead makes himself her personal protection detail. Days and nights together make it impossible for Connie and Trace to resist the attraction burning between them. But Connie doesn’t know which she fears more…the threat from the man who wants to end her life or the love of the man trying to save it.
Eric Jerome Dickey
It’s the summer of 2019, and Professor Pi Suleman is a Black man from Memphis with a lot to endure—not only as a Black man in Trump’s America but in his hard-earned career as an adjunct professor. Pi is constantly forced to bite his tongue in the face of one of his tenured colleague’s prejudices and microaggressions. At the same time, he’s being blackmailed by a powerful professor who threatens to claim he has assaulted her, when in fact the truth is just the opposite, trapping him in a he-said-she-said with a white woman that, in this society, Pi knows he will never win.
When he meets Gemma Buckingham, a sophisticated entrepreneur who has just moved to Memphis from London to escape a deep heartbreak, things begin to look up. Though Gemma and Pi hail from separate cultures, their differences fuel a fiery and passionate connection that just may consume them both.
But Pi’s whirlwind romance is interrupted when his absentee father, a celebrated writer, passes away and Pi is called to Los Angeles to both collect his inheritance and learn about the man who never acknowledged him. With the complicated legacy of his famous father to make sense of, Gemma’s visa expiration date looming, and the threats of his colleague becoming increasingly intense, Pi must figure out who he is and what kind of man he will become in his father’s shadow.
Kathy Douglass
The return of his childhood friend
leads to the fresh start he never expected
Horse rancher Carson Rivers has his own emotional demons. There’s no place in his life for a divorced single mom pulling at his heartstrings. But when Gabriella Tucker and her adorable children move next door—the place of her favorite childhood memories—Carson’s tempted to help the heart-guarded beauty make more adult memories. Maybe Gabriella and her kids are the healing balm he’s been yearning for…
Shelly Ellis
One wealthy businessman, a trio of unsuspecting wives, and an explosive turn of events. In this scandalous, twist-filled new series from Shelly Ellis, will too many secrets and one devastating bond unite three women–or destroy them?
Noelle. Diamond. Vanessa. Each woman believes she is Cyrus Grey’s only wife–until he’s nearly shot to death. Now, as he lies in a coma, the deceptions keep coming, unraveling everything they thought they knew . . .
Gorgeous model Noelle’s marriage to Cyrus anchored her–though she couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t have a baby with her. They certainly had the money. But she’s learning fast just how Cyrus became so rich–thanks to his fatally attractive business partner . . .
For Diamond, marrying Cyrus saved her from the streets–and being a pimp’s punching bag. But her past makes her the police’s prime suspect in Cyrus’s shooting. She’s determined to get to the truth–if she can survive long enough to tell it . . .
Even with her beautiful house, three kids, and elegant lifestyle, Vanessa sensed something was wrong in her marriage. But she never expected this–or that taking a lover for comfort would change the game completely.
With danger closing in, Cyrus’s life hanging in the balance, and collateral damage threatening to take them all down, how far will each woman go to be the real Mrs. Grey?
Candice “Ordered Steps” Johnson
When a Taco Tuesday outing between frenemies turns into a nasty brawl that goes viral, reality superstar Presley Pope finds herself jobless, friendless, homeless…and follower-less. Her star vehicle – The Cutting Board, cancels her contract, her fiercely loyal Taco-heads vilify her, and her fiancé evicts her from their swanky condo…all on the same day. Humiliated, Presley retreats to her beloved aunt’s sofa eating her weight in tacos, until her ex unexpectedly hatches the perfect plan: Apologize to the ladies and get back on the show. Presley excitedly agrees, but since she’s far from remorseful, she’ll just have to lie before she gets real. Presley’s redemption tour gets off to a tumultuous start as the co-stars hilariously repay her evil shenanigans one by one. Just as she convinces everyone she’s been delivered from pettiness and reclaims her throne, tragedy strikes – turning Presley’s fake repentance real. Will a vicious secret return Presley to her spiteful ways, or will an old flame help her redeem herself just in time to be the woman she pretends to be? The Taco-pology is a heart-warming, tear-jerking journey through healing, redemption, and triumph, all at the helm of the almighty taco!
Sandra Kitt
Jean Travis has the job of announcing the latest lottery winner on TV and is stunned to find that Patrick Bennett, her teenage crush, is the top mega winner. They haven’t seen each other in years, and Patrick is thrilled to renew their acquaintance. Jean, not so much. After all, a lot has changed since they used to study together and Jean worked so hard to hide her feelings. Now that he’s won so much money, Patrick faces a whole new world of demands from family, friends, coworkers, strangers. The only person he knows for sure he can trust, is Jean…
Olivia Matthews
Marvey, a librarian, has moved from Brooklyn to a quirky small town in Georgia. When she’s not at the library organizing events for readers, she’s handcrafting book-themed jewelry and looking after her cranky cat. At times, her new life in the South still feels strange…and that’s before the discovery of the dead body in the bookstore.
After one of her friends becomes a suspect, Marvey sets out to solve the murder mystery. She even convinces Spence, the wealthy and charming newspaper owner, to help. With his ties to the community, her talents for research, and her fellow librarians’ knowledge, Marvey pursues the truth. But as she gets closer to it, could she be facing a deadly plot twist?
Mary Monroe
The daughter of a prostitute mother and an alcoholic father, Maggie Franklin knew her only way out was to marry someone upstanding and church-going. Someone like Hubert Wiggins, the most eligible man in Lexington, Alabama—and the son of its most revered preacher. Proper and prosperous, Hubert is glad to finally have a wife, even one with Maggie’s background. For Hubert has a secret he desperately needs to stay hidden. And Maggie’s unexpected charm, elegance, and religious devotion makes her the perfect partner in lies . . .
Their surprising union makes the Wiggins’ the town’s most envied couple—complete with a son, Claude, whom Maggie idolizes. Until he falls in love with the worst possible fiancée. Terrified, Maggie won’t let Daisy destroy her son. And when her employer’s brother sexually harasses her, Maggie knows something needs to be done about him as well. In fact, she realizes there are an awful lot of sinning “disruptive” people who should be eliminated from her perfect world . . .
But the more Maggie tries to take control, the more obstacles are thrown in her way. And when it seems like the one person she always expected to be there is starting to drift away, Maggie will play one final, merciless game to secure what she’s fought so hard to earn . . .
Tyora Moody
Crime Scene Investigator Cori Reed is a certified geek who thinks he’s finally found the one. He’s been dating Geneva Sanchez for almost a year but is sensing some distance in the relationship. Not sure why, Cori gives Geneva her space.
After Cori is called to investigate a homicide crime scene, he soon realizes that Geneva could become a suspect. He’s determined to find evidence to prove her innocence, but Geneva is keeping secrets.
Cori knows that science doesn’t lie, but when the evidence continues to point towards Geneva, can Cori make the right decision despite what his heart says?
Monica Richardson
When Frankie Alexander’s brother insists she have a traveling buddy for her move from Atlanta to San Diego, she’s not holding her breath after hearing his suggestion. Spence Jackson has let her down before, so she doubts he’ll show. Imagine her surprise when he pops up at her door wearing a smile, holding two cups of delicious coffee, and ready to drive the U-Haul across the country.
Going on a road trip is far from a joy ride for this successful attorney. Spence never imagined he’d be going through such lengths to reconcile with his ex-fiancé who moved to San Diego. Even more surprising is being accompanied by Frankie, a woman he’s all too intrigued by. Between good music, great company, and an unforgettable stop in Mexico, Spence soon realizes that he never experienced true love until the day his best friend’s sister hopped into the cab of the U-Haul.
An Earl, the Girl and a Toddler
Vanessa Riley
Masterminded by the ton’s most clever countess, the secret society The Widow’s Grace helps ill-treated widows regain their reputations, their families, and even find true love again—or perhaps for the very first time . . .
Surviving a shipwreck en route to London from Jamaica was just the start of Jemina St. Maur’s nightmare. Suffering from amnesia, she was separated from anyone who might know her, and imprisoned in Bedlam. She was freed only because barrister Daniel Thackery, Lord Ashbrook, was convinced to betray the one thing he holds dear: the law. Desperate to unearth her true identity, Jemina’s only chance is to purloin dangerous secrets with help from The Widow’s Grace—which means staying steps ahead of the formidable Daniel, no matter how strongly she is drawn to him . . .
Married only by proxy, now widowed by shipwreck, Daniel is determined to protect his little stepdaughter, Hope, from his family’s scandalous reputation. That’s why he has dedicated himself not just to the law, but to remaining as proper, upstanding—and boring—as can be. But the closer he becomes to the mysterious, alluring Jemina, the more Daniel is tempted to break the very rule of law to which he’s deevoted his life. And as ruthless adversaries close in, will the truth require him, and Jemina, to sacrifice their one chance at happiness?
Jacquelin Thomas
He’s a courageous man…
But can he rescue himself?
Firefighter Leon Rothchild had endured his share of grief. Still, honor compelled him to look after his late friend’s ex-wife and daughter. Though it was obvious the lovely Misty Brightwater could take care of herself, she welcomed Leon into her three-year-old’s life. Their family was a marvelous glimpse into the warmth of the one he’d lost and desperately missed. And perhaps it was the push he needed to risk everything again…
All the Things I Meant to Tell You
Tiffany L. Warren
At last, shy Kimberly has the love she’s longed for–complete with a lavish destination wedding. But her fiancé’s past relationships, and her baggage, are about to turn their special dream day into a perfect nightmare…
Meanwhile, a shattering business reversal has all-about-the-money Hahna at odds with the young boho writer she loves–and tempted big-time by the man who got away…And Twila is still reeling from a sexual assault–and out for revenge, no matter what the personal cost. Now the trio must push their sisterhood bonds to the breaking point to hold on to their sanity–and their hard-won happiness.
Preslaysa Williams
Maya Jackson has worked for Laura Whitcomb, Inc, a renowned New York City bridal gown brand for years and dreams of becoming Head Designer. She has the talent, she just needs a chance to showcase her unique style. Due to an illness, she’s always prioritized her career over her personal life until Maya’s father fractures his hip and she returns to Charleston, SC. While home for only a few months, she’s thrilled to find an opportunity at the local bridal gown boutique, never expecting sparks to fly with its owner…
A military veteran and widowed father, Derek Sullivan hopes to save Always a Bride from bankruptcy in order to preserve the legacy of his family. He also wants to reconnect with his estranged, twelve-year-old daughter, who is still recovering from the loss of her mother. The last thing he needs is a relationship with a beautiful, smart, complicated woman who will be leaving soon.
When Derek begins to fall for the lovely Maya, he knows there’s no future. But destiny has its own plans, and these two lonely people with big hearts discover that coming home to love is the best gift life can give.
Synithia Williams
She’s falling in love with the one man she can’t trust…
Elaina Robidoux knows how people view her: coldhearted, ambitious, ruthless. But it doesn’t matter. Running the family business is all she’s ever wanted and she’s so close she can almost taste it…until her father fires her and hires her nemesis—arrogant, unflappable Alex Tyson. Elaina may be hurt but she refuses to be defeated, so she throws herself into creating a business of her own. But she never dreamed that to close her first deal, she’d need Alex’s help…
Alex understands the power of a family legacy better than most and the last thing he wanted was to take that from Elaina. Her beauty and fierce strength are undeniable, but there’s a softer side that no one but him seems to see. She’s been taught that emotions are a liability, yet one impulsive kiss starts a chain reaction that neither of them wants to stop. But can love ignite—and survive—when secrets and loyalties collide?
Tia Williams
Brooklynite Eva Mercy is a single mom and bestselling erotica writer, who is feeling pressed from all sides. Shane Hall is a reclusive, enigmatic, award-winning literary author who, to everyone’s surprise, shows up in New York.
When Shane and Eva meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly, raising not only their past buried traumas, but the eyebrows of New York’s Black literati. What no one knows is that twenty years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love. They may be pretending that everything is fine now, but they can’t deny their chemistry—or the fact that they’ve been secretly writing to each other in their books ever since.
Over the next seven days in the middle of a steamy Brooklyn summer, Eva and Shane reconnect, but Eva’s not sure how she can trust the man who broke her heart, and she needs to get him out of New York so that her life can return to normal. But before Shane disappears again, there are a few questions she needs answered . . .