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Inconvenient Love


Elizabeth LaShaun - 2010
    Kinji Rockwell is a sassy, young journalist climbing the corporate ladder at one of Chicago's leading newspapers. When asked to go undercover on a deadly case, she is stunned. Though fully aware of the consequences; the money and promise of becoming lead journalist are just too enticing. Edwin 'Mo' Aguilera and his best friend Boss rule the Northside of Chicago. They want it all, by any means necessary. Completely taken by Kinji's beauty, Mo is immediately drawn to her, vowing to have her at any cost. Originally thought as a means to a need, Kinji, to her dismay, finds herself falling for Mo; just as quickly deciding that love has no place in her world. Kinji pulls out every stop to push Mo away, finding herself right back in arms time and time again. Finally accepting her feelings, Kinji opens her heart and allows Mo inside. Just as their relationship blossoms, so do the lies and deceit. Mo is none the wiser about her original intent and just as things become contented, Kinji finds the lies and deceit staring her in the face. Terrified of losing the man she's come to know and love, Kinji desperately searches for a way out of the entanglement, finally finding a viable solution. Will it work or will it be too late as Mo is on the brink of discovering Kinji's motives and the woman that she used to be. Will Mo's love be able to conquer all or will the truth destroy their union, quickly turning love to hate and giving Kinji a terrifying glimpse of street revenge with Mo leading the charge.

His Best Man's Baby


Tressie Lockwood - 2013
    She didn't believe they were right for each other. Daniel wanted to start a family, and Tae wanted to focus on her career. In fact, Tae wasn't sure if she ever wanted to have children. Still in love with Daniel, Tae built a friendship with him, so when he called to tell her he was getting married, Tae decided to accept the invitation. When Tae makes the mistake of telling Daniel what she thinks of his fiancee, he accuses her of jealousy and trying to destroy his relationship. Hurt and confused, Tae confides in Jaxon Hart, Daniel's best man, a friend she's known for years. A moment of weakness in Jax's hotel room leads to unexpected consequences, and Tae is pregnant with Jax's baby. Now Tae has more to deal with than whether she wants to keep the baby. Jax thinks the baby is Daniel's but is determined to be by her side anyway. Daniel knows the baby is Jax's but keeps her secret.

Pipe Dream (Strivers Row)


Solomon Jones - 2001
    Black drew hard, squinting as the smoke rushed into his lungs."Where do you want to start?"the lawyer said, lighting a cigarette of his own."I guess there’s only one place to start; at Broad and Erie."Johnny Podres, a politician whose record against corruption had been propelling him straight to the mayor’s office, is found murdered in a North Philly crack house.Enter Samuel Jackson, a.k.a. Black, a drug addict who knows better, a man embittered by the fact that he can’t seem to escape from his addiction to crack cocaine or, for that matter, from himself. Though he was once a family man with a wife and son, Black’s only concern these days is getting his next high, that is, until he stumbles across a friend and fellow addict, Leroy, and both become prime suspects in the Podres murder. Black and Leroy hook up with two female pipers: Clarisse, a registered nurse who is slowly losing to crack any semblance of a respectable life, and Pookie, who already has lost it. Soon the hunt is on for all four as they try to stay one step ahead of a police department under tremendous pressure to solve the case—because if a killer isn’t found soon, this could blow up into one of the biggest scandals in Philadelphia history. Solomon Jones weaves a suspenseful story against the backdrop of corruption in the Philadelphia police department and centers it on a group of drug addicts who, in the process of fleeing the law, come to terms with their own addiction, leading to some devastating consequences.

Ride or Die Chick: The Story of Treacherous and Teflon


J.M. Benjamin - 2007
    Never having the opportunity to know his biological mother, he was raised by his father, who happened to be a notorious gangster. Deprived of a normal childhood, his father educated him on what awaited him on the streets of Virginia. When the time comes for Treacherous to make some sudden decisions, he has no idea they will land him in the very place that he is trying to avoid. Teflon Jackson is a beautiful woman who is the end result of a horrible union. Having a loving mother who was a prostitute and a pimp for a father, Teflon's childhood was far from a fairytale. Bearing witness to the abusive relationship between her parents, Teflon was determined not to follow her mothers footsteps. Tragedy strikes and Teflon finds herself having to utilize all of the tricks that her mother taught her after she is forced into the streets to fend for herself. Years later, Treacherous and Teflon's paths cross. What starts out as a potentially bad situation genuinely blossoms into a bond that becomes unbreakable. Ride or Die Chick: The Story of Treacherous and Teflon is about two people who come from nothing and are willing to sacrifice anything to gain everything. This is a modern day tale of Bonnie & Clyde and built on a love that is stronger than that of Romeo and Juliet. A bonafide gangster, Treacherous is confident that he can't lose, as long as he has his Ride or Die Chick!

Yo Yo Love


Daaimah S. Poole - 2000
    She's also babelicious, with ginger-colored skin and more curves than the Liberty Bell. But if Kayla's all that, how come she can't find the one thing she's gotta have: "The One. Someone jonezing for me… someone to chill with, lay up under, and be around."When Kayla sets off on a manhunt for Mr. Right, she finds herself hooking up with every hustler, nut, and fast-talking player in Philadelphia. There's Emar, the basketball hotshot who makes his best moves off-court; good-looking Terry, who gets downright scary during a weekend in Jersey; and Reese, who'd be da bomb if he'd only drop his white girlfriend. But it's Kayla's relationship with smooth and sexy Wil that really rocks her world and teaches her how to fight for a man—and for her own independence. For love doesn't get truly crazy until it's the real thing… and the only people who don't get played are the ones who stay out of the game.Featuring the frank and feisty viewpoint of a modern, streetwise young woman, Yo Yo Love is edgy, uncensored, and wildly entertaining. It's a tour de force that tells it like it is… and tells it all.

Let Me Love You


Alexandria House - 2018
    She believes she has all the bases covered in her world. But what about her heart? Rap legend Everett “Big South” McClain is divorced, too, knows all about failed relationships, and has relegated his love life to casual connections rather than pursuing something real. That is, until he lays eyes on Jo. She’s exactly what he never knew he needed. He’s what’s been missing from her world. Will she accept what he has to offer and let him love her? ***This novel contains profanity and sexual content. If you do not like those elements in your romantic reads, this is not the book for you***

Best Friends Forever


Jennifer Weiner - 2009
    But, in the wake of tragedy and betrayal during their teenage years, everything changed. Val went on to fame and fortune. Addie stayed behind in their small Midwestern town. Destiny, however, had more in store for these two. And when, twenty-five years later, Val shows up at Addie’s front door with blood on her coat and terror on her face, it is the beginning of a wild adventure for two women joined by love and history who find strength together that they could not find alone.

Power & Beauty: A Love Story of Life on the Streets


Tip "T.I." Harris - 2011
    Now he displays yet another side of his remarkable talents with Power & Beauty, a love story of life on the streets. Set in the dangerous shadows of Atlanta, Georgia, Power & Beauty is a dark, gritty story of sex, violence, hustling, and redemption centered around Paul “Power” Clay and Tanya “Beauty” Long—two kids facing long odds and lethal temptations, yet whose miraculous, unbreakable bond ultimately becomes their salvation. A love story, a crime story, a survival story, Power & Beauty bristles with an electrifying authenticity born of Tip “T.I.” Harris’s hard life on the streets. This is exhilarating, brutally honest, page-turning urban African-American fiction at its very best.

The Perfect Affair


Lutishia Lovely - 2014
    . .Freelance writer Jacqueline Tate arrives in Los Angeles and soon meets brilliant, award-winning scientist Randall Atwater, the man she's come to cover at a conference on trends and technology. He is everything she's read about--brainy, witty, handsome, and cool. And after a week spent with the most fascinating man she's ever known, there's no way she can give him up. There's just one problem: Randall's wife of twenty years. No matter--men like Randall are few and far between. Jacqueline knows that with a few bold moves, she can win the man she loves. But what happens when her love story is not a love story? "There's drama, laughter, and little bit of naughtiness. . .An exceptional read." --Urban Reviews on All Up In My Business "The action, dialogue and well-crafted characters are so riveting that they'll make your heart race in anticipation . . ." --RT Book Reviews on Heaven Forbid

When a Rich Thug Wants You


Pebbles Starr - 2014
    But things really get interesting when Caesar and his boy Canyon come into the picture. These rich thugs have always been ones to get whatever they want--even sexy, stubborn women who think they can't be tamed!

Men Cry in the Dark


Michael Baisden - 1997
     Tony was an unredeemable ladies' man until Tracie caught his heart. But will his conniving ex, Valarie, let them live happily ever after? Any woman would be lucky to have Benjamin. But his weakness for young women has only made him a target for gold diggers in search of a sugar daddy. Will he ever find true love? And, finally, there's Mark. Still bitter from being rejected by black women when he was young, he seeks acceptance in the arms of a white lover. But will his friends and family accept her?

This Fire Down in My Soul


J.D. Mason - 2007
    Choir girl Elise thinks she's found a good man in Jay, a truck driver who came blowing into her life one sultry night. Irresistible and sensual, he's caught up in romancing Elise. However, when she's ready for happily ever after, he realizes that he can't just walk away from his wife and two children. And Elise just can't seem to let him go. Everyone knows that singles ministry leader Renee is full of herself. When she starts her latest interior decorating project, she thinks her client's husband is hot, and together, they're on fire. Meanwhile his wife wants to be friends, and it's not long before a twisted game starts to unravel. For twenty-five years Tess's life revolved around her unfaithful husband (who sits on the deacon's board) and their two wonderful sons. But now the kids have left the nest and Tess wants to spread her wings. While busy seeking her first job and creating a new social life outside the church, Tess meets a new man--a most forbidden man--who rides into the picture to rock her world off its steady axis. All the while, First Lady of the church and counselor, Faye is keeping a secret of her own that is much deeper than any one of them could ever imagine.

Where or When


Anita Shreve - 1993
    He is entranced by her image, flooded by memories of their teenage summer together, and utterly conpelled to make contact with her again. Charles sends Sian a letter, knowing all the while that "from the very first sentence of the very first note there was nothing innocent about it." Sian writes back - she is now a poet living with her husband and small child on an onion farm in Pennsylvania. She is intrigued that Charles has sought her out after so many years but wary of where their correspondence might lead. For Charles, troubled by financial woes, on the verge of losing his home, and concerned about the security of his family, the letters become a secret obsession and another source of instability in his already complicated life. Despite their reservations, the power of Charles and Sian's attraction leads them to meet again . . . and again. As Charles understands it, "for the two of them, eros is linked with time. It is the very urgency of time he dreads, the sense that their minutes together are short and numbered, that he must say what he has come to say before she leaves, that gestures and words cannot be wasted." Anita Shreve takes the classic theme of "Romeo and Juliet" and gives it an unusual twist: two lovers struggle against formidable odds, reaching across a lifetime to reclaim what they once lost. In doing so, they set in motion a tumultuous series of events that moves inexorably to a shocking conclusion.

Letting Go


Molly McAdams - 2014
    But three days before their wedding, the twenty-year-old groom-to-be suddenly died from an unknown heart condition, destroying his would-be-bride’s world. If it hadn’t been for their best friend, Jagger, Grey never would have made it through those last two years to graduation. He’s the only one who understands her pain, the only one who knows what it’s like to force yourself to keep moving when your dreams are shattered. Jagger swears he’ll always be there for her, but no one has ever been able to hold on to him. He’s not the kind of guy to settle down.It’s true that no one has ever been able to keep Jagger—because he’s only ever belonged to Grey. While everyone else worries over Grey’s fragility, he’s the only one who sees her strength. Yet as much as he wants Grey, he knows her heart will always be with Ben. Still they can’t deny the heat that is growing between them—a passion that soon becomes too hot to handle. But admitting their feelings for each other means they’ve got to face the past. Is being together what Ben would have wanted . . . or a betrayal of his memory that will eventually destroy them both?

Bitch


Deja King - 2006
    Using her most deadly weapons - undeniable beauty, body and street savvy brains, Precious sets out to change the cards that she'd been dealt. After meeting Nico Carter, a man who can help her achieve her goals, virtually overnight she is on her way. Precious quickly transforms from Project Chick to Hood Queen and is determined to hold on to her position even if it means crossing the man who made it possible. Set on revenge, Precious gambles it all in her quest to gain everything. Just when she believes the dice have rolled in her favor, Precious has to answer for the web of deceit that she has set in motion.