Book picks similar to
Using What You Got by Karen E. Quinones Miller
african-american-fiction
african-american
hardcover
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Brass Ankle Blues: A Novel
Rachel M. Harper - 2006
Reeling from the recent separation of her parents, Nellie finds herself traveling to the family's lake house with only her father and her estranged cousin, leaving behind the life and the mother she is trying to forget. As the summer progresses, Nellie will have to define herself, navigating the twists and turns of first love. At the same time, her family is becoming more and more divided by the day. Does her newfound identity require her to distance herself from those she loves, or will it draw her closer?
The Velvet Rope
BRENDA L THOMAS - 2005
From this Essence bestselling author comes a sexy, fast-paced novel about astreet-smart girl determined to make it big in the glitzy nightclub business.288 pp.
Flirt: Three Steamy Novellas
Tracy Brown - 2009
Then she meets Trey, a handsome and well dressed cat with hood swagger. When Trey tells Chloe that he is pursuing a degree in psychology, Chloe thinks she has finally met someone who has his head screwed on right. But as Chole's flirtation with Trey intensifies, secrets are revealed and she finds that she's playing with fire.Wild Cherry by K'wanGina is married to a man who more than takes good care of her, but her life of luxury comes with a price that she's not sure she can pay anymore. Princess' man doesn't see her as any more than dollar signs—as long as she keeps using her body to bring in the stacks. When Gina and Princess meet and realize that they share a common problem, they sent into motion an unforgettable plot that will solve all their problems…Twice in a Lifetime by Angel MitchellBeautiful Marley Lucas, has had her heart broken before. Vowing to never experience that kind of pain again, until...love hits her when and where she least expects it. And this love turns out to be the most devastating of all.
Sisters & Husbands
Connie Briscoe - 2009
Since this is Beverly's third engagement in the past five years, after breaking off the previous two at the last moment, everyone's happy that she's finally settling down. For Beverly and Julian, nothing could be better than being in love and planning their wedding. That is until Beverly's oldest sister's marriage falls apart and dampens the mood of what should have been the happiest time in Beverly's life. Now, second-guessing her impending nuptials, Beverly is forced to wonder if marriage really works. Will she stick it out? Or will her fears cloud her judgment once again?
Until the End of Time
Danielle Steel - 2013
Jenny, his wife, is a stylist whose heart and soul are invested in fashion. She leaves the milieu and life she loves to join him. The certainty they share is that their destinies are linked forever. Fast forward thirty-eight years. Robert is a hardworking independent book publisher in Manhattan who has given up all personal life to build his struggling business. He is looking for one big hit novel to publish. Lillibet is a young Amish woman, living as though in the seventeenth century, caring for her widowed father and three young brothers on their family farm. In secret at night, by candlelight, she has written the novel that burns within her, and gets it into Robert’s hands, wrapped in her hand-stitched apron. He falls in love first with the book, and then with the woman he has never met, living in the sequestered world of the Amish—a world without telephones, computers, electricity, modern conveniences, or cars. Although Lillibet faces banishment from her family and community, she embraces the opportunity to publish her novel, and is irresistibly drawn to the man who has heard her voice. Destiny is at work here. Fate draws her from her horse-and-buggy life toward his, and the publication of her novel.In the hands of master storyteller Danielle Steel, these two remarkable relationships come together in unexpected and surprising ways, as lovers are lost, and find each other again. If it is true that real love lasts forever and lovers cannot lose each other, then Until the End of Time will not only comfort and fascinate us, as destiny does her dance, but it will give us hope as well. Love and fate are powerful, irresistible forces, as Steel proves to us here, in a book about courage, change, risk, and hope . . . and love that never dies.
In Greene Pastures
Kendra Norman-Bellamy - 2007
But as Hunter investigates, he finds the community turning against him, even as he falls deeply in love with Jade.
Chaser
Miasha - 2009
Leah -- Young, beautiful, and in love with the wrong man. Distraught after her boyfriend Kenny sets her up to take the fall in yet another of his schemes, Leah has no choice but to strike a deal with the police. Her world changes overnight, and maintaining her composure while gathering information is no easy task. And then she meets Nasir... Nasir -- All he's ever wanted to do is make his family proud. Ambitious and hardworking, Nasir is a good man, but he owes a debt to a former friend -- and regardless of how many times he's paid it back, Kenny will never let him forget it... Kenny -- Money reigns supreme in Kenny's world and he'll stop at nothing to get more of it. Kenny would lie, cheat, and even kill to protect his empire. There is no such thing as loyalty as far as he's concerned. And he's starting to realize that his girlfriend Leah is standing in his way... Smart, sexy, and undeniably thrilling, Chaser is exactly what Miasha's legions of fans have been waiting for.
Silenced
Kia DuPree - 2011
Now she takes you to Washington, D.C.'s most notorious neighborhood, where a young woman has one chance to escape-and too many ways to lose . . . SILENCED She gets lost in the fantasy of books and poetry. But in Tinka Hampton's all-too-real world, her mother Nicola has lost her job and is struggling to stop her family's fall into poverty. With her sons turning to drug dealing-and worse-Nicola wants better things for her daughter. Yet the more pressure she puts on Tinka to do everything right, the more she drives her away . . . straight into the arms of Nine, a man as irresistible as he is lethal. Now Nicola must make unimaginable choices that will put Tinka at a dangerous crossroads. Will standing up for her seemingly impossible dreams be her way out-or will they trap her on D.C.'s merciless streets forever?
I Will Never Leave You
S.M. Thayer - 2018
Banking heiress Trish and her husband, James, seem to have it all, from a lavish lifestyle to a historic mansion in the nation’s capital. All that’s missing from their privileged life is a baby.So when Trish sees Anne Elise for the first time, it’s no surprise that she falls deeply in love. There’s just one problem: Trish isn’t the mother. The baby belongs to Laurel, James’s young mistress. And James and Laurel want the wife out of the picture.When Trish becomes perversely obsessed with making Laurel’s baby her own, the lovers come up with a wicked plan to end James’s marriage that quickly goes awry. As the love triangle becomes more and more dangerous, how far is each of them willing to go to get what they want?
Never Go Home Again
Shannon Holmes - 2004
And yet, like so many others in Corey's neighborhood, he finds the temptations of the lucrative drug trade too great to resist. While he makes fast money for a while, it is inevitable that it is he who has to pay, with his time and maybe even his life: by the age of sixteen Corey is locked up. Incarcerated in Riker's Island and then in prisons upstate, Corey lives through experiences that threaten to destroy his body, his mind, and eventually his spirit. But in the midst of his horrific imprisonment he discovers new strength to keep himself together and survive. Corey meets a few kind souls who mean him well, including a teacher who encourages him to get out of prison and make something of himself. The teacher also advises Corey to "never go home again." Though the homesick Corey does not immediately understand, he ultimately realizes the wisdom of his mentor's words. Unflinching and riveting, this story is the firsthand account of the brutal, unforgiving inner-city streets and prison life, as well as a difficult lesson in accepting responsibility and moving on.
Heard It All Before
Michele Grant - 2009
So when she agrees to accompany her best friend Renee to a Southside ball game, her only concern is keeping her cool around the peeps. She's not there to ogle men like Renee, but the moment Jewel lays eyes on Roman Montgomery, she begins to wonder just what she's been missing. When it comes to men, Jewel's heard it all before, but suddenly it seems like Rome's working from a whole new script. . .Renee Nightingale loves to fall in love. Right now, she's got her sights set on landing a rock from her current main squeeze, Gregory. She's not getting any younger, and she sure isn't going to reach thirty still single. And to ensure no one plays her, she's always got a game going on. So when temptation comes calling in the form of a fine, young man with a chiseled physique, she can't resist--and why should she? What Gregory doesn't know, can't hurt them--or so she thinks. . .
The Ties That Bind
Electa Rome Parks - 2001
A first novel. Original.
True Believer
Nicholas Sparks - 2003
An expert on debunking the supernatural with a regular column in Scientific American, he's just made his first appearance on national TV. When he receives a letter from the tiny town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, about ghostly lights that appear in a legend-shrouded cemetery, he can't resist driving down to investigate. Here, in this tightly knit community, Lexie Darnell runs the town's library, just as her mother did before the accident that left Lexie an orphan. Disappointed by past relationships, including one that lured her away from home, she is sure of one thing: her future is in Boone Creek, close to her grandmother and all the other people she loves. Jeremy expects to spend a quick week in "the sticks" before speeding back to the city. But from the moment he sets eyes on Lexie, he is intrigued and attracted to this beautiful woman who speaks with a soft drawl and confounding honesty. And Lexie, while hesitating to trust this outsider, finds herself thinking of Jeremy more than she cares to admit. Now, if they are to be together, Jeremy Marsh must make a difficult choice: return to the life he knows, or do something he's never done before--take a giant leap of faith. A story about taking chances and following your heart, True Believer will make you, too, believe in the miracle of love.
Confessions
Sasha Campbell - 2010
. .For almost ten years, radio talk show host Nikki Truth has shared life's ups and downs with her husband Donovan while doling out in-your-face relationship advice to her listeners. But lately it seems the good times in her own relationship--including the sex--are few and far between. Then she meets widower Kenyon Monroe, whose sizzling touch is too tempting to resist. But not everyone is under Kenyon's spell. . .Nikki's best friend, Trinette Montgomery, can't deny Kenyon is hot, but she never trusts a man who seems too good to be true. And she should know. Married to a successful CFO who travelsa lot, Trinette likes to indulge in all of life's pleasures--including the fine men of St. Louis. But when her game goes too far, Trinette stands to lose everything. . . "These characters leap off the page and make you want to join in."--Lutishia Lovely, author of Heaven Forbid