Now that my favorite season is officially here, fall in love with these books released in September 2021.
Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström
Three Black women are linked in unexpected ways to the same influential white man in Stockholm as they build their new lives in the most open society run by the most private people.
Successful marketing executive Kemi Adeyemi is lured from the U.S. to Sweden by Jonny von Lundin, CEO of the nation’s largest marketing firm, to help fix a PR fiasco involving a racially tone-deaf campaign. A killer at work but a failure in love, Kemi’s move is a last-ditch effort to reclaim her social life.
A chance meeting with Jonny in business class en route to the U.S. propels former model-turned-flight-attendant Brittany-Rae Johnson into a life of wealth, luxury, and privilege—a life she’s not sure she wants—as the object of his unhealthy obsession.
And refugee Muna Saheed, who lost her entire family, finds a job cleaning the toilets at Jonny’s office as she works to establish her residency in Sweden and, more importantly, seeks connection and a place she can call home.
Told through the perspectives of each of the three women, In Every Mirror She’s Black is a fast-paced, richly nuanced yet accessible contemporary novel that touches on important social issues of racism, classism, fetishization, and tokenism, and what it means to be a Black woman navigating a white-dominated society.
Danielle Allen
It was supposed to be one night only.
It ended up being the best night of my life.
And everything that happened after that was against company policy
Black Girls Must Die Exhausted
Jayne Allen
The first novel in a captivating three-book series about modern womanhood, in which a young Black woman must rely on courage, laughter, and love—and the support of her two longtime friends—to overcome an unexpected setback that threatens the most precious thing she’s ever wanted.
Tabitha Walker is a black woman with a plan to “have it all.” At 33 years old, the checklist for the life of her dreams is well underway. Education? Check. Good job? Check. Down payment for a nice house? Check. Dating marriage material? Check, check, and check. With a coveted position as a local news reporter, a “paper-perfect” boyfriend, and even a standing Saturday morning appointment with a reliable hairstylist, everything seems to be falling into place.
Then Tabby receives an unexpected diagnosis that brings her picture-perfect life crashing down, jeopardizing the keystone she took for granted: having children. With her dreams at risk of falling through the cracks of her checklist, suddenly she is faced with an impossible choice between her career, her dream home, and a family of her own.
With the help of her best friends, the irreverent and headstrong Laila and Alexis, the mom jeans-wearing former “Sexy Lexi,” and the generational wisdom of her grandmother and the nonagenarian firebrand Ms. Gretchen, Tabby explores the reaches of modern medicine and tests the limits of her relationships, hoping to salvage the future she always dreamed of. But the fight is all consuming, demanding a steep price that forces an honest reckoning for nearly everyone in her life. As Tabby soon learns, her grandmother’s age-old adage just might still be true: Black girls must die exhausted.
Eden Appiah-Kubi
In this delightfully modern spin on Pride and Prejudice, love is a goal, marriage is a distant option, and self-discovery is a sure thing.
Welcome to Bennet House, the only all-women’s dorm at prestigious Longbourn University, home to three close friends who are about to have an eventful year. EJ is an ambitious Black engineering student. Her best friend, Jamie, is a newly out trans woman studying French and theatre. Tessa is a Filipina astronomy major with guy trouble. For them, Bennet House is more than a residence—it’s an oasis of feminism, femininity, and enlightenment. But as great as Longbourn is for academics, EJ knows it can be a wretched place to find love.
Yet the fall season is young and brimming with surprising possibilities. Jamie’s prospect is Lee Gregory, son of a Hollywood producer and a gentleman so charming he practically sparkles. That leaves EJ with Lee’s arrogant best friend, Will. For Jamie’s sake, EJ must put up with the disagreeable, distressingly handsome, not quite famous TV actor for as long as she can.
What of it? EJ has her eyes on a bigger prize, anyway: launching a spectacular engineering career in the “real world” she’s been hearing so much about. But what happens when all their lives become entwined in ways no one could have predicted—and EJ finds herself drawn to a man who’s not exactly a perfect fit for the future she has planned?
A.C. Arthur
If the feelings come back, is it possible they never left?
When Jorie Kemp set out to put her design company on the national level by entering a contest to be on a flipping houses reality show, she had no idea she’d end up working with her ex-high school sweetheart, Dominic Hughes. Let alone falling for his precious son.
Baby mama drama, coupled with catastrophes on the project, makes the rekindled passion between Jorie and Dom seem like the worst idea ever. Yet, for these old flames, something just keeps reigniting the fire and pulling them back to love.
Sheena Binkley
Drew Harrison has always been unlucky in love. Since he’s always focusing on his career, he never took the time to date, let alone pursue a relationship. Now that his residency is on the right path, he’s ready for a bit of romance in his life. With the help of his brother-in-law, Marcus, and cousin-in-law, Shawn, Drew is set out to find the perfect woman, but a series of disastrous blind dates make him want to forget dating altogether. But what he doesn’t know is that the perfect woman has always been right in front of him. Will he realize that before it’s too late? Kayla Watkins is also unlucky in love. After ending her engagement, she’s ready to see what the dating world is all about; but after a string of bad dates, she realized why she never dated in the first place. When she accidentally collides with Drew at the hospital where he works, she didn’t know the handsome resident is also the guy that her sister, Gina, is always calling a “smug bastard.” She wants to get to know Drew, but after their second meeting, she later learns why her sister calls him that. The two continue to run into each other until a crazy encounter unexpectedly puts the two in an awkward situation. As they began to bond, Kayla and Drew soon realize that there is chemistry between them; but an unexpected visitor comes back into both Kayla and Drew’s life, causing their budding relationship to go into a tailspin. Will they be able to get past the issues they could face, or will the two end things before it even starts?
Candace Buford
This fearless debut novel explores racism, injustice, and self-expression through the story of a promising Black football star in Louisiana.
The system is rigged.
For guys like Russell Boudreaux, football is the only way out of their small town. As the team’s varsity tight end, Rus has a singular goal: to get a scholarship and play on the national stage. But when his best friend is unfairly arrested and kicked off the team, Rus faces an impossible choice: speak up or live in fear.
“Please rise for the national anthem.”
Desperate for change, Rus kneels during the national anthem. In one instant, he falls from local stardom and becomes a target for hatred. But he’s not alone. With the help of his best friend and an unlikely ally, Rus will fight for his dreams, and for justice.
Khara Campbell
True love – though some claim they want no parts of it because of the heartache they’ve endured or witnessed in its quest – we all either boldly or secretly desire it. Yearn for it. It’s part of human nature. But imagine having it – true love, that so many seek – for it to be taken away in a blink. At thirty-nine years old, Zion’s life hasn’t been the same since his loss. But unexpectedly, on a mundane day, thirty-two-year-old Kalena walks into his life, giving him a glimmer of hope.
Letrise Carter
Now that she has a fresh start in Chicago, Illinois with her big sister Carol. Lucy’s faith will be tested and questioned as she seeks to heal in the next chapter of her life. Doors will open for Lucy and challenges will present themselves as she presses forward for a new beginning. Will she doubt herself? Will she learn to have faith in God and know that he will provide for her? Will she forgive Roger?
The Butcher’s Daughter
Parker J. Cole
A woman sent to retrieve a family’s son, a man tired of living a lie, and a scandal that brings them together.
Elsia Letchmore was intent on marrying her childhood friend until he left her and New York behind. She tried to console herself and put the man who rejected her due to her family’s business out of her mind. Now, she’s tasked with finding Zelpher Knight and bringing him to home New York’s Five Point District.
Zelpher Knight dreamed of being on the stage, but opportunities for a colored actor in 1846 were non-existent. Spurning his parents’ wishes for his future, he leaves New York and the only woman he has loved, to find the world isn’t ready to accept him. He starts on the greatest acting career of his life – living a lie. When his identity is discovered, he is shunned from the theater community. Angry, alone, and financially destitute he doesn’t expect to see redemption in the form of an angel from his past.
Returning home is harder than either of them expected as race, class, and freedom collide. Can the disgraced prodigal son ever find love and healing with the Butcher’s Daughter?
Jay Coles
There’s always been a hole in Gio’s life. Not because he’s into both guys and girls. Not because his father has some drinking issues. Not because his friends are always bringing him their drama. No, the hole in Gio’s life takes the shape of his birth mom, who left Gio, his brother, and his father when Gio was nine years old. For eight years, he never heard a word from her . . . and now, just as he’s started to get his life together, she’s back.
It’s hard for Gio to know what to do. Can he forgive her like she wants to be forgiven? Or should he tell her she lost her chance to be in his life? Complicating things further, Gio’s started to hang out with David, a new guy on the basketball team. Are they friends? More than friends? At first, Gio’s not sure . . . especially because he’s not sure what he wants from anyone right now.
Mel Dau
Sometimes, life hits you with obstacles that cause you to take your gloves off and fight a different kind of fight.
Hemi and Prue have been rocking for a while now, but what happens when fear of true commitment threatens to tear it all apart? A new set of currents have hit their waves, and both will need the strength of many to keep it together… Whether they keep it together separately or as a couple.
Surf on the waves that are the Leota Clan to see where the current takes Hemi and Prue.
Tanita S. Davis
Lightning couldn’t strike twice, could it? After a terrible year, Madalyn needs clear skies desperately. Moving in with her great-uncle, Papa Lobo, and switching to a new school is just the first step.
It’s not all rainbows and sunshine, though. Madalyn discovers she’s the only Black girl in her class, and while most of her classmates are friendly, assumptions lead to some serious storms.
Papa Lobo’s long-running feud with neighbor Mrs. Baylor brings wild weather of its own, and Madalyn wonders just how far things will go. But when fire threatens the community, Madalyn discovers that truly being neighborly means more than just staying on your side of the street— it means weathering tough conversations—and finding that together a family can pull through anything.
De’Nesha Diamond and Briana Cole
BLACK AND BLUE by DE’NESHA DIAMOND
In one shattering night, Charlie Warren’s fiancé is killed, she is attacked—and then framed as part of a police cover-up. Five years later, with nothing to lose, Charlie is free and vengefully exposing their operation, provoking their enemies—and turning the officers against each other. But when a detective gets way too close, Charlie has to decide between getting ultimate justice . . . or going down in a brutal crossfire of betrayal.
PSEUDO by BRIANA COLE
To elude an abusive ex, Kennedy stole several other women’s identities. Many new—and luxurious—lives later, she’s one of the best con artists in the world. But now one of those women is dead—and Kennedy is in the crosshairs. She’ll need to pull off one crucial, flawless deception before a merciless adversary takes her, and her glamorous unreal life, out for good.
Adrienne L. Edwards
A hardworking, single mother lives an ordinary life, until everything changes and her unconditional love, her loyalty and her motherly instinct to protect her son at all cost is threatened.
Emani Storm is yet, at another court hearing for her sixteen year-old son Devin. She is overwhelmed with emotions, as her son faces up to life in prison for a crime she knows he didn’t commit.
But there is something odd, a feeling she just can’t shake, when she sits in the court room—that overwhelming feeling that she knows the obnoxious lady sitting in the courtroom, so adamantly ready to see her son spend the rest of his life in prison.
From her own personal experience, Emani will learn how it truly feels to experience social Injustice in a world full of hate.
Waiting on Wendy
Tanzania Glover
Love is a dish best served unconditionally
What would you do if you had six months left to live? Initially Kellen Turner plans to live as normally as possible then go peacefully into the night. But when his longtime crush waitress Wendy Bell finally works up the nerve to ask him out, he realizes that he just may have something to live and fight for after all.
Rachel Howzell Hall
A dead woman’s cherished trinkets become pieces to a terrifying puzzle.
Mickie Lambert creates “digital scrapbooks” for clients, ensuring that precious souvenirs aren’t forgotten or lost. When her latest client, Nadia Denham, a curio shop owner, dies from an apparent suicide, Mickie honors the old woman’s last wish and begins curating her peculiar objets d’art. A music box, a hair clip, a key chain—twelve mementos in all that must have meant so much to Nadia, who collected them on her flea market scavenges across the country.
But these tokens mean a lot to someone else, too. Mickie has been receiving threatening messages to leave Nadia’s past alone.
It’s becoming a mystery Mickie is driven to solve. Who once owned these odd treasures? How did Nadia really come to possess them? Discovering the truth means crossing paths with a long-dormant serial killer and navigating the secrets of a sinister past. One that might, Mickie fears, be inescapably entwined with her own.
Chassilyn Hamilton
The tragedy of losing his father at an impressionable age led to mistakes that caused Kai Mathis to become indebted to a powerful and dangerous man. As he got older, his punishment turned into a reward and being at the top of a deadly criminal empire was enough for Kai… until Harper.
Kai is ready to move toward forever with the love of his life, Harper Jean, but feels that he can’t do so with the secret of his double life looming over him. He is ready to leave his life of crime behind him, but Kai’s decision to sever ties from the organization backfires and puts Harper’s life in danger.
Harper Jean has never known how great love can be until she met Kai Mathis. After many failed relationships, she is with a man that she can love and trust freely. She has a secret of her own but is unable to reveal it due to a quick grim turn of events that has her and Kai on the run for their lives.
While fighting to stay alive, their relationship is tested, and their secrets are revealed making them question if their love can prevail or if they truly knew each other at all.
Khadijah J.
“One look into your eyes and I could see there’s so much more than what meets the eye.”
Lianna Scott was introduced in Promises From A Hood Legend. At first sight, she gives the impression of being just the average beautiful girl with a banging body, but there’s a saying to never judge a book by its cover. Wyzdum Jones never had a solid foundation growing up. Still, being a wealthy, handsome bachelor with a hood reputation made him one of the most lusted after men in Mahari. It was hard to find something real until he ran into Lianna.
.
Upon first glance, Lianna thought she had Wyzdum figured out and vice versa. However, with one stare into each other’s eyes, Wyzdum knew Lianna was potentially everything he was searching for. With Lianna being hurt in the past and Wyzdum coming from rags to riches, they carried themselves differently. There’s a saying opposites attract, but attraction doesn’t always equate to being easy.
Follow Wyz and Lianna in their own beautiful yet complex love story. Will they get the fairytale ending, or will life throw too many curveballs their way and cause them to walk away from other?
Brenda Jackson
WHEN DANGER ARRIVES, REAL MEN TAKE ACTION Dakota (Dak) Navarro, wealthy entrepreneur, international playboy and jet-setter, arrives in Miami for the wedding of his friend, Andrew Logan. He is hoping to see Dr. Amelia Courson, the woman he met two years earlier at another wedding – that of his good friend and her brother, Stonewall Courson.
Dr. Amelia Courson feels that lately she is taking care of everyone but herself. She is long overdue for a vacation and wants to let go and get wild. She has heard about Dak’s “love-them-and-leave-them”, “no-strings-attached” attitude, and since she is not looking for love either, Amelia feels Dak is just what this doctor orders.
Dak is a man of action and is ready to whisk Amelia away on his private jet to an exotic location…for R, R and R – rest, relaxation and rolling between the sheets.
What Dak does not count on is keeping them both alive when danger comes knocking at their door.
Brenda Jackson and Reese Ryan
Breaking their own rules…
Stern by New York Times Bestselling Author Brenda Jackson
Stern Westmoreland never makes mistakes—until he helps his best friend, Jovonnie “JoJo” Jones, with a makeover…for another man. Now Stern wants JoJo for himself. Their attraction is undeniable and there’s only one way to test it: one long, steamy night together as much more than friends!
FREE BONUS STORY INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME!
Playing with Desire by Reese Ryan
CEO Liam Westbrook didn’t make his way to the top of his family’s international luxury-resort empire by playing it safe. So when the bachelor spies gorgeous Maya Alvarez under a smoldering North Carolina moon, he makes a scandalous proposal. The divorced single mother thinks a hot summer fling with a seductive stranger is just what she needs. But can Liam and Maya trust where their hearts are leading them?
Tiffany D. Jackson
Marigold is running from ghosts. The phantoms of her old life keep haunting her, but a move with her newly blended family from their small California beach town to the embattled Midwestern city of Cedarville might be the fresh start she needs. Her mom has accepted a new job with the Sterling Foundation that comes with a free house, one that Mari now has to share with her bratty ten-year-old stepsister, Piper.
The renovated picture-perfect home on Maple Street, sitting between dilapidated houses, surrounded by wary neighbors has its . . . secrets. That’s only half the problem: household items vanish, doors open on their own, lights turn off, shadows walk past rooms, voices can be heard in the walls, and there’s a foul smell seeping through the vents only Mari seems to notice. Worse: Piper keeps talking about a friend who wants Mari gone.
But “running from ghosts” is just a metaphor, right?
As the house closes in, Mari learns that the danger isn’t limited to Maple Street. Cedarville has its secrets, too. And secrets always find their way through the cracks.
George M. Johnson
This is the vibrant story of George, Garrett, Rall, and Rasul—four children raised by Nanny, their fiercely devoted grandmother. The boys hold one another close through early brushes with racism, memorable experiences at the family barbershop, and first loves and losses. And with Nanny at their center, they are never broken.
George M. Johnson capture the unique experience of growing up as a Black boy in America, and their rich family stories—exploring themes of vulnerability, sacrifice, and culture—are interspersed with touching letters from the grandchildren to their beloved matriarch. By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this personal account is destined to become a modern classic of emerging adulthood.
Redeemed by His New York Cinderella
Jadesola James
What if the man from her past is the key to her future? Don’t miss Jadesola James’s thrilling romantic debut for Harlequin Presents!
She could save him…
If only he’d let her!
Kitty Asare will do anything for the foundation inspired by her tumultuous childhood. Including charming her way into Manhattan’s most exclusive gala…then sparring with the man from her past who catches her there!
To land his next deal, Laurence Stone needs a stunning woman on his arm. Kitty agrees to the ruse for her foundation, but the electricity between them is more than make-believe! After breaking away from his family, Laurence vowed never to need anyone. Yet could Kitty be the exception to his rule?
Gomer Joseph
Revenge is a double edged sword…
Newlyweds Ralph and Gloria Cooper are out for blood. Convinced that the Auguste family has wronged them, the Coopers are determined to bring their enemies to their knees. And they’re willing to cause chaos and mayhem at every turn, all in the name of revenge…
Slowly, they set their sights on their target. The trap is sprung… And as their wrath grows, innocent people are caught in the crossfire. But for Ralph and Gloria, no price is too great. This psychotic duo won’t stop until vengeance is theirs.
The Auguste family has survived tragedy, murder and betrayal… But they’ve never faced anything like this. How many attacks can the family possibly endure?
And when the dust settles, who will be left standing?
Kaylyn
Does love make you a fool or do only fools fall in love?
Actress, Charli Belle didn’t quite have the answer but after suffering yet another heartbreak she decided it was time to leave love alone. Focusing on herself was the goal until pro-boxer Janero Hart crashed into her world literally.
Undefeated in the ring, Janero, didn’t have the same luck with love. He’d been abandoned more times than he’d like to admit. For that reason the only thing he committed to was boxing until his mind and heart became devoted to Charli Belle.
Love doesn’t always enter your life peacefully, sometime it’s like a storm ravishing everything in its path. Two people used to pain and disappointment, usually at the hands of those closest to them, seems like a match made in heaven right?
Nothing in life has been easy for either of them and as love would have it . . . this won’t be either.
Ashantay Keys
If only marriage was the well of wishes it had been painted to be. Charlee Dahl, a therapist, struggled to make her union work. However, her husband’s desire to have a baby and her struggle to fulfill that desire, has left them at odds. Desperate for help, upon the suggestion of her boss, Charlee takes on an orthodox way of finding peace within herself.
Chester Knight teaches Paint Therapy. As a successful artist recovering from a painful breakup, he finds what’s therapeutic for him can do the same for others. With his craft, he could be full and stand clear of that thing called, love. However, when “she” walks in, his heart begs to be opened again. Was his healing all for naught? Or will life finally imitate the beauty he has found in art?
Laquette
Falling for the enemy never felt this good in the debut novel of LaQuette’s Devereaux Inc. series.
She’s ruthless in business,
but vulnerable in his arms.
Trey Devereaux is out to prove her corporate mettle to her skeptical father. When she sees a chance to take control of Devereaux Inc. from her estranged grandfather, she pounces. But Jeremiah Benton, his second-in-command, is fiercely protective of the Devereaux patriarch…and absolutely enticing. The intensity of their attraction overwhelms her defenses, and Trey even finds herself warming to her grandfather under Jeremiah’s influence. Can Trey maintain her resolve—or is Jeremiah winning this high-stakes merger? The fate of a billion-dollar Brooklyn legacy lies in the balance…
B. Love
Based on family tradition, Layla and Carlos married right after high school. They both wanted to live a life of travel, luxury, and independence. Neither wanted children, but when Layla found out she was pregnant, her desires changed. Unfortunately, Carlos’ plans didn’t, and the birth of their daughter, Dior, put a major strain on their marriage.
When Dior decides she wants to make a friend when she starts high school, Layla enlists the help of Andres Martin—a well-known advocate and aide for children and teenagers struggling with Autism on any part of the spectrum. Technically separated, Carlos uses this as an opportunity to permanently remove himself from Layla and Dior’s lives, however, he doesn’t plan on the jealousy he feels watching his family be helped and led by another man.
Andres makes it his mission to not only help provide structure and support for Dior, but he also reminds Layla that she’s not just a mother, she’s a woman too. A woman whose need for love, affection, validation, and security has been unmet. As Layla finally accepts divorce as their only option, Carlos decides he’s ready to fight for her. Will she give her husband a second chance or accept the love Andres provided during her loneliest hour?
Robyn Lucas
One rip is all it takes to expose the devastating truth behind a seemingly perfect life.
Lina Henry is a wife and mother who likens herself to a pretty paper doll. She lives in a beautiful home in the Atlanta suburbs. Her husband, David, is a well-to-do investment banker. She’s raised two wonderful teenagers. To the outside world, the Henry family is perfect. What no one knows is that Lina’s paper doll life is being torn apart in a controlling and abusive marriage. When Lina develops an unexpected friendship with another man, and reconnects with her former best friend, she begins navigating a way out of the emotional minefield that is her home.
But as David senses his loss of control, he becomes more dangerous, and Lina must do everything in her power to protect herself and her children. In order to take back the happiness she deserves, Lina must first rediscover the strength and the fearlessness of her three-
dimensional self.
Rae Lyse
Desmond Simmons’ life is at an impasse.
After a tragic near-death experience, he’s left struggling to pick up the pieces of an existence that’s grown monotonous. He’s so sure he’s stuck until an old neighbor reappears, turning his new, uneventful life upside down.
While reconnecting, the two embark on a journey that leaves them grappling with their new lives and falling back into a whimsical world full of secrets they created as children to escape reality. They soon learn that outrunning the truth isn’t as easy as it once was, but that doesn’t mean they won’t give it a try.
Aliza Mann
Caleb Greene has everything thanks to his multimillion dollar tech company, including a lawsuit from a former partner. Escaping the crush of responsibilities seemed to be the thing he needed. A getaway to New York for a visit with old buddy Dex Truitt was supposed to be just that, until a chance meeting with a goddess changed his direction, altogether. She was so intriguing, he found himself doing things he would never consider… even masquerading as an intern at Montague. But will his part-time distraction become a full time obsession?
Geneva Chapman is the newest Montague Director, top of her field. Her life changed for the better and she had everything under control. The one thing she hadn’t bargained for was the sexy intern now in her charge. All she needed to do is ignore him. As it turned out, that was harder to do than she could have ever anticipated. Caleb Green was an irresistible intern.
Donnia Marie
What is a true champion? More importantly, what does it take to love a true champion?
Ameka Champion is the middle sister of the Champion Crew. She is a goal-getter in addition to a positive light and energy not just to her family but to anyone who she deems important. She’s a woman about her business and her family and not looking for any romantic entanglements… Ameka is perfectly fine with keeping things on a surface level with the men she involves herself with. That is until Emery Coleman steps into the picture.
Never underestimate Mr. Quiet Storm. Emery is a reserved and precise man; he conquers everything he sets his mind to possess. Despite his growth and current successes, he allows his mishaps from the past to internally haunt him, allowing those issues to dictate his present and future with people who want to be in his life for the long haul. But can Mr. Coleman get over his past and not only hold on to his sanity but hold on to the one woman who has strategically and intricately placed herself in his life. Emery is not a man of many words. Still, he has no problem removing anyone who tries to penetrate the bubble he’s built with the hopes of keeping everyone out so that he may move forward with his pursuits without pause.
Will Ameka and Emery make room for each other when they both have barriers and walls that were created to keep outsiders at bay? Take a ride with them as they discover that picking the ride partner and letting them in could be the best thing to happen to you.
A True Champion is Book 3 in The Champion Sisters Series and may contain spoilers for books 1-2. It is recommended that you read those books first.
The Champion Sisters is a series spotlighting four sisters with very different personalities that are conquering their own world, in their own way, at their own pace. Join them on their journey as they navigate through family, careers, and life. Discover how they all end up coming out as champions.
Alexa Martin
Jude Andrews is famous. Well, at least on Instagram. Her brand is clean eating, good vibes, Pilates, and casually looking like a sun-kissed goddess. In real life, however, she’s a total disaster. She has a strained relationship with her fame-hungry mom and her latest bad decision emptied out her entire savings account.
Lauren Turner had a plan: graduate medical school and become the top surgeon in the country. But when she became unexpectedly pregnant, those plans changed. And when her fiancé left her, they changed again. Now navigating the new world of coparenting, mom groups, and dating, she decides to launch a mommy podcast with all the advice she wishes someone had given her.
Jude and Lauren don’t have much in common, but maybe that’s why they’ve been best friends since the third grade. Through ups and downs, they’ve been by each other’s sides. But now? They’re broke, single, and do the only thing that makes sense—move in together, just like they talked about when they were teenagers. Except when they were younger, the plan didn’t include a five-year-old daughter and more baggage than their new townhouse can hold.
Taye Mo’Nae
Broken
Damaged
Unloved
Zavion never knew what love was. His mother abandoned him at two leaving him to deal with situations no child should ever have to face at the hands of his father. Forced to grow up sooner than he should Zavion’s heart becomes cold and his emotions void. Now he’s an owner of a popular tattoo shop and he’s still battling scars from his childhood. Unable to deal with his past trauma or allow himself to open up to anyone, Zavion throws himself headfirst into his work and uses women as objects rather than partners, until he meets Samara.
Samara wears a mask that she has no intentions of lifting until Zavion walks into her life. Moving to Butter Ridge Falls was supposed to be a new beginning. After dealing with the painful memories back home for so long she decides it’s time to get her life together and further her career as a tattoo artist. While working under Zavion, she soon learns the two of them are a lot more alike than she would have suspected. Driven by sex and partying, Samara attempts to hide the hurt she suffered long ago until she’s forced to welcome it on her doorstep.
Two souls struggling with intimacy, trust, and relationships.
Join Zavion and Samara on an emotional rollercoaster, that leads them to face their past traumas and learn that there is no time limit to healing.
Tucora Monique
“Tell me the truth even though it might kill me. We both know that we’re just wasting time, trying to survive instead of just feeling.” —Nao
Sharp and clean, that’s the way barber Soule “Belle” Loveheart runs her barbershop and her life. Growing up as a motherless child and the daughter of a Silk Hills soldier, she starts to base the validity of her relationships on actions instead of her feelings. As loyal as they come, Soule is known for cutting up or cutting folks off without giving a second chance to cross her. However, being the victim of nightmares wrapped in unresolved issues perpetuated by half-truths, the barber isn’t as hard as she appears. In the midst of her victories, a man who houses her resentment, intrudes on Soule’s business and causes the entrepreneur to question her beliefs and the placement of her loyalty.
To describe Monroe “Shine” Stunner, one would have to include the words solid and creative. Although prosecuted by secrets kept and poor choices made, the freelance artist and black-market hacker moves through L.A as if his Silk Hills scandal never existed. With the closest person in his circle asking him to do a job that triggers his trauma, Monroe feels obligated to fulfill the request aside from the damage. Knowing the reputation that proceeds him, the artist goes back to his hometown with business at the hem of his intentions and caution covering his heart.
The details of the heart run far beyond what the naked eye can see. Then again, when given the chance to remove obscurities and go deep without filters, are the lines flexible enough to tie loose ends?
Mary Monroe
Free-spirited, living on the fly, Vanessa Hayes is still always down for traditional family holiday fun—until now. She’s making her oft-delayed wish finally come true: Christmas in Paris, the glittering City of Lights. But when her passport gets delayed, it’s too late for Vanessa to rebook. Now it looks like the Yuletide she longs for won’t happen. Until a stranger suddenly enters her life, and changes it forever . . .
Overwhelmed by responsibility, Judith Guthrie is too busy worrying about her seriously ill brother to have time to celebrate. She’s taken a leave from her teaching job to care for him as he’s on the waiting list for a life-giving transplant. A trip to France is a kind of happiness she can’t imagine. But when she accidentally receives Vanessa’s passport, Judith can’t resist delivering it in person so Vanessa will at least have her holiday dream. She can’t anticipate that her small gesture will result in a series of big choices, big miracles, and lifelong rewards that all will be thankful for over many Christmases to come .
Bethany C. Morrow
North Carolina, 1863. As the American Civil War rages on, the Freedpeople’s Colony of Roanoke Island is blossoming, a haven for the recently emancipated. Black people have begun building a community of their own, a refuge from the shadow of the “old life.” It is where the March family has finally been able to safely put down roots with four young daughters:
Meg, a teacher who longs to find love and start a family of her own.
Jo, a writer whose words are too powerful to be contained.
Beth, a talented seamstress searching for a higher purpose.
Amy, a dancer eager to explore life outside her family’s home.
As the four March sisters come into their own as independent young women, they will face first love, health struggles, heartbreak, and new horizons. But they will face it all together.
Christmas Data Breach
K.D. Richards
A mysterious fire is set at Christmas…
Forcing a security expert to reunite with the woman he never forgot
Security specialist Gideon Wright knows Mya Rochon’s cancer research is groundbreaking. But when an arsonist destroys his ex-wife’s lab and puts her at risk, he discovers it’s dangerous, too. With Gideon’s protection, Mya’s determined to finish her project—no matter the risk to her life…or Gideon’s heart. But will their rekindled partnership face its most deadly adversary yet?
Kia D. Richards
I COULDN’T PROTECT YOU THEN
Twelve years ago, a devastating hit and run nearly killed Zenyia Washington, taking away the thing she cared about most in the world – her ability to play music. After working hard to start over, she’s beginning a new chapter in her life.
BUT I CAN NOW
When the driver who destroyed her life is found brutally murdered, his body left slumped on a bench at her workplace, Zenyia becomes the prime suspect in the case.
NO ONE WILL EVER HURT YOU AGAIN
The person responsible did this for a reason – to show Zenyia just how much they care about her, that they belong together. And their plans are only just beginning…
Cheryl Robinson
Lily isn’t happy being Mrs. Saint—the past year has been far from wedded bliss. She starts to put into motion a plan to run away—from a troubled marriage, the pain of her past, and to correct the mistake she made when she walked away from her first love.
But life in the 1960s isn’t easy. Not only must Lily upend her personal life, but she must also navigate the turmoil of the day’s society that has its own ideas about a woman’s place—especially a Black woman’s.
She longs to again realize her independence as Lily King, leaving behind the dismal reality of being married to a domineering man she doesn’t love. Follow Lily’s journey as she tries to pursue a better life.
Odessa Rose
Renowned, Baltimore-based sculptor Tonya Mimms focuses on her artwork to the exclusion of everything, including her thirst for love. Then one day, Tonya’s firm footing in the artworld slips when she takes on a project that pushes her completely out of her artistic realm.
While running from the sculpture, Tonya bumps into Malcolm Holland, a handsome accountant with a dazzling gap between his teeth that lures her in the way a man’s secrets seduces a woman’s ear. Suddenly, Tonya joyfully finds herself in love with a man for the first time in her life. But Tonya’s happiness turns to fearful bliss when she happens upon Satin Pierce, a strikingly beautiful bookstore owner, who has one of Tonya’s sculptures on a shelf in her bedroom. Soon, Tonya becomes the centerpiece of a love triangle in which she is forced to choose between the man of her dreams and the woman destined to be her reality.
A multi-dimensional story, Water In A Broken Glass illustrates the complexity of art, love, and sexuality.
Just a Little Married
Reese Ryan
She’s proposing a convenient marriage to the man she can’t resist. What can go wrong? Find out in this conclusion to the Moonlight Ridge trilogy from Reese Ryan.
She needs a husband…fast.
Could her former flame be perfect for the job?
To claim her inheritance, philanthropist Riley George needs to tie the knot—now! Desperate times call for desperate measures, so she turns to Travis Holloway—the celebrity chef catering her gala and her ex-lover. Can she make him an offer he can’t refuse without giving in to an attraction she can’t deny?
If Travis can keep things strictly business, he’ll save his family’s luxury resort. But it’s never been about business with Riley, only pleasure. And this agreement on paper is about to tempt them into reckoning with the past…
Angela Seals
Uneventful. Boring. A Mess … that was my life until he came along.
He was nothing like the man of my dreams and everything my father despised. Yet, I want him.
Secrets are unveiled, danger surrounds us, and my life hangs in the balance.
Can our love survive the test? Or will the mistakes of the past ruin our future forever?
Bre Shadae
All Him wants is the truth in every aspect of his life. Instead he is confronted with lie after lie. When those lies start coming from an unexpected place he just can’t let it go. He has to find out the truth before he makes another mistake and gives his loyalty away to the wrong person.
Everything is fine. At least that is what Lyn tells herself while she is crumbling inside. Life has been full of changes. Hit after hit has been handed to her and she is tired of reliving the pain. Too bad she can’t hide from the man who knows her best.
Friendships are tested. Loyalty is uncertain but one thing remains true, for love, no price is too great to pay.
Naima Simone
Remi Donovan doesn’t know what possessed Declan Howard to sidle up to her desk and ask for a kiss—but she’s not about to turn him down. After all, she’s had a secret crush on the sexy-as-sin wealth manager ever since he set foot in Rose Bend two years ago. Still, why steal a kiss from a small-town librarian when a man like Declan could have any woman he wants?
For Declan, the plan is simple: fake a relationship with Remi to keep his ex off his back and his matchmaking mother happy. As the charade brings them closer, it ignites something real—something neither can ignore. But before they can build a happy future together, they’ll both have to reconcile with the past…
Queen’s Surrender
Pat Simmons
Opposites attract…or clash.
The Jamieson saga continues with the Queen of the family in this inspirational romance. She’s the mistress of flirtation but Philip is unaffected by her charm. The two enjoy a harmless banter about God’s will versus Queen’s, who prefers her own free-will lifestyle. Philip doesn’t judge her choices—most of the time—and Queen respects his opinions—most of the time. It’s perfect harmony sometimes.
Queen, the youngest sister of the Jamieson clan, wears her name as if it’s a crown.
She’s single, sassy, and most of the time, loving her status, but she’s about to strut down an unexpected spiritual path. Love takes no prisoners. When the descendants of a royal African tribe on her father’s maternal side show up and show off at a family game night, Queen’s vanity is kicked up a notch. The Robnetts take royalty to a new level with their own Queen.
Evangelist Philip Dupree is on the hot seat as the trial pastor at Total Surrender Church. The deadline for the congregation to officially elect him as pastor is months away. The stalemate: They want a family man to lead their flock. The board’s ultimatum is enough to make him quit the ministry. But can a man of God walk away from his calling?
Can two people with different lifestyles and priorities cross paths and continue the journey as one? Who is going to be the first to surrender?
Jacquelin Thomas
Ten years ago, Sheila Moore pushed Nicholas Washington out of her life because of her need to control, and her inability to believe that she was worth loving. In the final book of the Prodigal series, Sheila returns more mature and the mother of two teens. Nicholas returns to Charleston to teach and reclaim the woman of his heart, but is she ready to accept his love?
Just when Sheila and Nicholas finally reconnect, someone from his past shows up with a confession that will change their lives. Can Sheila resist the urge to revert to her former ways or will she trust in Nicholas’s love for her?
Trisha R. Thomas
A young woman pays a devastating price for freedom in this heartrending and breathtaking novel of the nineteenth-century South.
- I was six years old the day Lewis Holt came to take me away.
Born into slavery, Dahlia never knew her mother—or what happened to her. When Dahlia’s father, the owner of Vesterville plantation, takes her to work in his home as a servant, she’s desperately lonely. Forced to leave behind her best friend, Bo, she lives in a world between black and white, belonging to neither.
Ten years later, Dahlia meets Timothy Ross, an Englishman in need of a wife. Reinventing herself as Lily Dove, Dahlia allows Timothy to believe she’s white, with no family to speak of, and agrees to marry him. She knows the danger of being found out. She also knows she’ll never have this chance at freedom again.
Ensconced in the Ross mansion, Dahlia soon finds herself held captive in a different way—as the dutiful wife of a young man who has set his sights on a political future. But when Bo arrives on the estate in shackles, Dahlia decides to risk everything to save his life. With suspicions of her true identity growing and a bounty hunter not far behind, Dahlia must act fast or pay a devastating price.
Untamed
Never Again, No More 4 explodes with secrets and lies that begin unraveling from one character to the next, showcasing what goes around, truly comes around again.
As Pooch works tirelessly to realign the Dope Boy Clique from prison, Trinity and Terrence seem to be falling apart at the seams. Trinity wonders if Terrence is truly the man she thought he was, and Terrence begins to question Trinity’s actions around those closest to him. Although they love each other, are they right for each other? Unknowingly, they must brace themselves for the wrath of Pooch.
Life has moved on for LaMeka. She has the career and the new man she’s always wanted. Gavin is playing for keeps, but Tony is alive and well. With a new lease on life, he wants his family back and will do whatever it takes to remove Gavin from the picture.
Lucinda struggles to adapt to the new normal of her stepdaughter, Jessica, and Aldris’ ex-fiancée, Jennifer. Admittedly, Aldris doesn’t make the transition easy, and as Jennifer and Aldris get close again, it causes a rift between Lucinda and Aldris. When Lucinda finds solace in an unexpected friend, Aldris is left struggling to keep his blended family together.
After Lincoln shows up and wreaks havoc for Charice and Ryan, it’s Ryan who’s left having to correct his errors to make his wife happy again. However, the secret they are withholding about the paternity of their baby may be the one thing that rips this perfect union to shreds.
Monica Walters
When tragedy strikes, it hits hard, and Chantrice Leonard is still reeling from its blow. Life just isn’t the same, and she’s doing her best to rid her spirit of the grief she feels by submerging herself in work. She believes that as long as she keeps busy, she won’t have to deal with the loss she’s suffering. However, a family dinner, in which she meets a man that was impacted by her loss as well, forces her to face it head on.
Being an overcomer is just part of who Orion Gentry is. Positivity pours from him on a daily basis, but it doesn’t mean that his life is without struggles. Having a severe medical crisis takes a toll on him mentally and physically but he doesn’t stop trying to be the best version of himself. While there are weak moments, he maintains his focus on a positive outcome. But when he meets a woman directly connected to his lifeline, he falls immediately and knows that his struggles have not been in vain.
Chantrice and Orion meet and sparks fly, but the premise on which this meeting occurs makes Chantrice feel as though she wants to attach herself to him for the wrong reasons. Orion refuses to give up on her and allow his destiny to willingly walk out of his life. Will Chantrice stop overthinking and just go with the flow, or will she allow her reservations to control her heart?
The Education of Nevada Duncan
Carl Weber and C.N. Phillips
Nevada Duncan is the heir to the Duncan and Zuniga crime family fortunes, but before he can take the mantle of power, he has to be educated about the family business. So, with the encouragement of his father and grandfather, he enrolls in his father’s alma mater, Chi’s Finishing School. Chi’s is the world’s most elite school for the children of underworld figures.
On Nevada’s first day of school, he hooks up with a group of misfit freshmen from around the world who quickly become his new best friends. However, Nevada is unaware of the deadly adventure that awaits him with a sinister new enemy lurking in the shadows. Montez wants what Nevada has, and he will do anything to get it.
Accustomed to relying on his family and his superior intelligence, Nevada Duncan will soon learn the importance of friendship when the threats are aimed directly at him and he’s the only Duncan around.
Denise N. Wheatley
Devon Jacobs finally has everything she’s been working toward—a busy, exciting life in LA, a seat at the writer’s table on the television show Here To Stay, and a promising relationship with the sitcom’s lead actor, Ryan Roberts. But in Hollywood, all that glitters isn’t gold. News that her boss doesn’t approve of workplace romances has Devon lying to keep her relationship under wraps while also struggling to have her voice heard in a room full of more experienced writers. And when rumors fly that the show may be canceled, the mounting pressure leads Devon and Ryan to reluctantly take a break.
Amid all the uncertainty, a family emergency sends Devon home to Indiana where she unexpectedly reconnects with her old crush, Jason, who insists he’s a changed man. Devon faces a life-altering choice—fight for her dream that now seems further out of reach or move home to the safety of the familiar.
What is it that she really wants?
Colson Whitehead
“Ray Carney was only slightly bent when it came to being crooked…” To his customers and neighbors on 125th street, Carney is an upstanding salesman of reasonably priced furniture, making a decent life for himself and his family. He and his wife Elizabeth are expecting their second child, and if her parents on Striver’s Row don’t approve of him or their cramped apartment across from the subway tracks, it’s still home.
Few people know he descends from a line of uptown hoods and crooks, and that his façade of normalcy has more than a few cracks in it. Cracks that are getting bigger all the time.
Cash is tight, especially with all those installment-plan sofas, so if his cousin Freddie occasionally drops off the odd ring or necklace, Ray doesn’t ask where it comes from. He knows a discreet jeweler downtown who doesn’t ask questions, either.
Then Freddie falls in with a crew who plan to rob the Hotel Theresa—the “Waldorf of Harlem”—and volunteers Ray’s services as the fence. The heist doesn’t go as planned; they rarely do. Now Ray has a new clientele, one made up of shady cops, vicious local gangsters, two-bit pornographers, and other assorted Harlem lowlifes.
Thus begins the internal tussle between Ray the striver and Ray the crook. As Ray navigates this double life, he begins to see who actually pulls the strings in Harlem. Can Ray avoid getting killed, save his cousin, and grab his share of the big score, all while maintaining his reputation as the go-to source for all your quality home furniture needs?
Sean D. Young
Tina Webb had given up her dreams of becoming a primo ballerina that pirouetted in front of an audience of hundreds of people long ago. Having a beau to share her life with was a lost cause too. So, she poured her heart and soul into her dance studio. Instructing young girls who still held onto their dreams, in hopes they could see them realized the way she hadn’t. When she receives notification that she has to move her studio, and potentially lose all she worked hard for, she doesn’t know who else to turn to but attorney Alex Simmons. He’s shrewd, brilliant and more handsome than any man had a right to be. He was also one of the most intolerable people she had ever gotten the pleasure to meet. And yet she needed him. Will sparks fly or will they explode?