Book picks similar to
Music to My Ears by Tanzania Glover
romance
authors-of-color
african-american-romance
black-writers
. . . and Baby Makes Two: A Novel
Judy Sheehan - 2005
But that’s before she sees the perfect child. There he sits in his stroller, angelic and beautiful, magnetic and serene– and he makes Jane question everything she has and everything she thought she wanted. Suddenly all she can see are babies and pregnant woman everywhere. Were there always so many of them? And while there was once a man in her life–her one true love, Sam, gone from this world too soon–there is no man now. Jane must make a choice: possibly become a bitter and childless old lady, letting her biological clock tick on ’till menopause, or tend the ache in her heart now, by becoming a single mother. As Jane struggles to make the most important decision of her life, friends and family offer no shortage of opinions. There’s Ray, her “hubstitute” and gay best friend who would be jealous of any kid who got Jane as a mom; Sheila, her sister, who went from zero to sixty when she eloped with Raoul–who had two young twin sons– and has mixed feelings about being a new mommy; her strict, Catholic father who can’ t imagine what level of hell Jane would banish herself to if she becomes a single mother; and the women of Families with Children from China who are preparing to adopt orphan daughters–without a man in sight. Just as she thinks she’s made up her mind, Jane discovers one small wrench in her plans: handsome, charming, funny Peter, who just happens to be (unhappily) married. . . . And Baby Makes Two is a heartbreakingly honest, wonderfully addictive, and funny novel about love and loss, family and friendship. Judy Sheehan, co-creator of the smash hit Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, has perfectly captured the delights and dilemmas of the scariest job in the world: motherhood.From the Hardcover edition.
Hard Glamour
Maggie Marr - 2014
Honoring her mother's last wish, Lane Channing vows to follow her dreams. She takes the 'big risk' and leaves her small Kansas town behind and heads to LA, the city of dreams. She's got a stellar job lined up, an old jeep, and 20 bucks to last her to her first paycheck. Her hopes shatter when she arrives to find her job's been given to someone else. Now she's broke and if she doesn't do something fast will soon be living on the streets. Welcome to cutthroat -- Lane is most certainly not in Kansas anymore. On the cusp of success... Dillon MacAvoy has one goal -- to become a star -- whatever it takes. Even if it means honing his bad-boy can't-be-tamed-and-forever-single image. Besides the image isn't far from the truth. Dillon cares only about his younger brother and his career. He's on the brink of superstardom if he can just decide on the next right script. But for that, he needs a script reader he can trust. In a strange twist of fate... Lane Channing is Dillon's last chance. If Lane lasts the summer without becoming MacAvoy's latest conquest, she's guaranteed a job in entertainment. No problem, as long as she can ignore the heat that pulses through her every time Dillon is in the room. After all, love and commitment with a sweet, hometown girl would only ruin the Dillon MacAvoy brand.
How to Fall in Love
Cecelia Ahern - 2013
Two weeks to teach him how to fall in love – with his own life.Adam Basil and Christine Rose are thrown together late one night, when Christine is crossing the Halfpenny Bridge in Dublin. Adam is there, poised, threatening to jump. Adam is desperate – but Christine makes a crazy deal with him. His 35th birthday is looming and she bets him she can show him that life is worth living before then. Despite her determination, Christine knows what a dangerous promise she’s made. Against the ticking of the clock, the two of them embark on wild escapades, grand romantic gestures and some unlikely late-night outings. Slowly, Christine thinks Adam is starting to fall back in love with his life. But has she done enough to change his mind for good? And is that all that’s starting to happen?
Calendar Girl: Volume One
Audrey Carlan - 2015
I needed money. A lot of money. One million dollars to be exact. The amount didn’t matter. All that mattered is that at the end of that price tag held my father’s life. No money. No life. The time limit was one year. On January 1st I had to pay up or my Father was going to be killed. When you’re faced with an ultimatum like this, you do whatever you have to do. And that’s exactly what I did. The job…Exquisite Escorts. My role, serve as high priced arm candy to anyone that can afford the $100,000 price tag for a month of my company. Sex is optional (for me) and a 20% increase on the price. Mia Saunders just barely escaped a paltry life back home in Las Vegas until she gets the call that her Father has been beaten to within an inch of his life for not paying his gambling debt. Problem is, the lone shark is her lousy, ruthless ex-boyfriend. Another guy in a long line of men she’d fallen head over heels for. Not anymore. Mia’s mission is simple. Serve as a high-priced escort for her Aunt’s company and pay monthly against her Father’s bad debt. A month with a rich man who she doesn’t have to sleep with if she doesn’t want to? Easy money. At least that’s the way it was supposed to go.
Hard
Eve Jagger - 2015
Arrogant. Hard. Ryder Cole is the King of Atlanta’s nightlife — and the one man who can erase my past.I’m running from secrets that could destroy me and there’s no room in my life for someone like him: too damn cocky, and sexy as hell. I should keep my distance, but smart goes out the window the minute he looks my way. And when he puts his hands on me … A girl could forget her own name.But what happens when the past catches up with me, and all the things I’m hiding from tear our lives apart again? I can’t keep running forever, and Ryder always wins.He's not the kind of guy to let me go gently, Ryder will give it to me Hard.
A Taste of Romance
Roni Denholtz - 2010
She finds herself in a quandary, however, when her executive producer suggests she have the boyfriend she talks about so fondly appear on the show. That wouldn't be such a problem, except for one thing he's imaginary! Nicole has to come up with someone to play the part, fast.Jeremy Perez, Nicole's neighbor, is trying to keep a low profile and distance himself from his famous family. All he wants is to be accepted and loved for who he is. So when Nicole approaches him to play the part of her boyfriend, he's a little reluctant, though willing to oblige but only if Nicole agrees to make him some home-cooked meals.Will their relationship and the TV show turn into a recipe for disaster? Or can the two of them put aside their fears and savor a tasty romance?
The Wicker King
K. Ancrum - 2017
Jack’s vivid and long-term visions take the form of an elaborate fantasy world layered over our own—a world ruled by the Wicker King. As Jack leads them on a quest to fulfill a dark prophecy in this alternate world, even August begins to question what is real or not. August and Jack struggle to keep afloat as they teeter between fantasy and their own emotions. In the end, each must choose his own truth.
The Seven Steps to Closure
Donna Joy Usher - 2012
Things go from bad to worse when she discovers that, not only is her ex-husband engaged to her cousin - Tash, the woman he left her for - but that Jake is also running for Lord Mayor of Sydney.Desperate to leave the destructive relationship behind and with nothing to lose, she decides- with encouragement from her three best friends - to follow the dubious advice from a magazine article, Closure in Seven Easy Steps.The Seven Steps to Closure follows Tara on her sometimes disastrous- always hilarious - path to achieve the seemingly impossible.
Frankly in Love
David Yoon - 2019
One fake dating scheme. What could possibly go wrong?Frank Li has two names. There's Frank Li, his American name. Then there's Sung-Min Li, his Korean name. No one uses his Korean name, not even his parents. Frank barely speaks any Korean. He was born and raised in Southern California.Even so, his parents still expect him to end up with a nice Korean girl--which is a problem, since Frank is finally dating the girl of his dreams: Brit Means. Brit, who is funny and nerdy just like him. Brit, who makes him laugh like no one else. Brit . . . who is white.As Frank falls in love for the very first time, he's forced to confront the fact that while his parents sacrificed everything to raise him in the land of opportunity, their traditional expectations don't leave a lot of room for him to be a regular American teen. Desperate to be with Brit without his parents finding out, Frank turns to family friend Joy Song, who is in a similar bind. Together, they come up with a plan to help each other and keep their parents off their backs. Frank thinks he's found the solution to all his problems, but when life throws him a curveball, he's left wondering whether he ever really knew anything about love—or himself—at all.
Sexton Brothers Box Set
Jeannine Colette - 2020
Fall in love with the Suit. Hide away with the Artist. Feel your heart race with these sexy brothers, and the kick ass heroines they fall in-love with, all in one fabulous boxset! AUSTIN “Tell me a secret,” I ask. “I’m falling for you.” Austin Sexton is a bad-boy media mogul and heir to the Sexton Empire. On the outside, he’s a whiskey-slinging bachelor with the world on a string. Problem is, strings break easily. Deep within lies a war hero who refuses accolades. He buries his pain with his vices, and against my better judgment, I’ve become one of them. No matter how hard I try to push him away, his secrets draw me in. This man, who appears careless, has passion. If I were looking for someone in my life, I could see myself falling for a guy like him. Good thing love is the last thing I’m looking for. BRYCE “Truth or dare?” “I’ll take your dare.” “Kiss me.” I don’t believe in Prince Charming, but when I met a handsome stranger on a rooftop his words intrigued me and his dares left nothing but temptation. Then I learned the truth. His name is Bryce Sexton. Media mogul, workaholic and a heart of stone. He’s broody AF and yet every woman in San Francisco wants him. So why won’t he leave me alone? Wherever I go, he’s there, trying to force his way into my world. What he doesn’t know is I already have a man in my life. A tiny redhead who loves Legos and Superheroes. With every push, Bryce pulls me in further. Our pasts are laced with betrayal. Our futures are unpredictable. Our chemistry is explosive. With each dare I uncover a truth, but he's exactly what I don’t need right now. So why did I have to go and kiss him? TANNER We’re two strangers on a train, knowing whatever we decide in the next moment might dictate our fate for the rest of our lives. “A kiss was all I needed.” “Looks like you got what you wished for.” “Yes. About that…” My plan: find a finely dressed businessman, have a one-night stand, and forget about my failed relationship. Like a bad joke, my ex walks into the bar. That’s when a gorgeous man wearing street clothes, messy hair, and the sexiest smile I’ve ever seen lays a kiss on me. It’s meant to rile up my ex but leaves me breathless and wanting more instead. Then he’s gone. So, I do what any rational person would. I chase after him onto the subway and embark on a wild night in New York City with a complete stranger. No matter how much I fight it, this mysterious man painted his soul onto my skin. If it’s not meant to be, why can’t I forget about him?
Summer Bride (Holiday Brides Book 2)
Shanna Hatfield - 2018
. . Sage Presley loves her job as the receptionist at Golden Skies Retirement Village in Holiday, Oregon. She enjoys the residents and their wisdom, even if some of them are more than a little quirky. Determined to ignore the matchmaking efforts of two women at the retirement home, Sage’s sole focus is on raising her brother, Shane. In spite of her best efforts, she can’t help but notice the hunky electrician who continually comes to her rescue.Grateful for the opportunity to open his own electrical business, Justin James moves to Holiday full of plans and dreams. He’s quickly drawn in by the close-knit community, but finds the lack of suitable single women disturbing. Despite himself, his attention is captured by the receptionist at the retirement home where he’s working on a big job. Yet, he can’t begin to understand why two matchmaking octogenarians are intent on forcing him together with the woman he’s convinced is married. A sweet romance novella sprinkled with humor, hope, and the meaning of real love, Summer Bride will warm the hearts of readers while bringing them a smile.
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Cleopatra and Frankenstein
Coco Mellors - 2022
Twenty years older and a self-made success, Frank's life is full of all the excesses Cleo's lacks. He offers her the chance to be happy, the freedom to paint, and the opportunity to apply for a Green Card. But their impulsive marriage irreversibly changes both their lives, and the lives of those close to them, in ways they never could've predicted.Each compulsively readable chapter explores the lives of Cleo, Frank, and an unforgettable cast of their closest friends and family as they grow up and grow older. Whether it's Cleo's best friend struggling to embrace his gender queerness in the wake of Cleo's marriage, or Frank's financially dependent sister arranging sugar daddy dates to support herself after being cut off, or Cleo and Frank themselves as they discover the trials of marriage and mental illness, each character is as absorbing, and painfully relatable, as the last.As hilarious as it is heartbreaking, entertaining as it is deeply moving, Cleopatra and Frankenstein marks the entry of a brilliant and bold new talent.
Love Like Crazy
Megan Squires - 2014
She’s not waiting on the handsome prince with his white horse to come to her rescue. But even though she’s not waiting on it, that doesn’t stop nineteen-year-old Lincoln Ross from driving straight into her heart with his teal and white campervan and his too tall stature and perpetually goofy grin.It’s difficult to believe in a happily ever after when a happy now is quite hard to find. But Lincoln gives Eppie hope that despite the odds, a true and unconditional love might actually be out there. A revised fairytale. A new kind of love story.But then again, that might just be plain crazy.(Love Like Crazy is an upper YA novel.)
Mr. Rook
Mimi Jean Pamfiloff - 2017
Rook's Island, a Sexy, Dark, Romantic Suspense.~~~~~He's Enigmatic, Dangerously Handsome, and COMPLETELY OFF-LIMITS...The women who vacation on Mr. Rook's exclusive island are looking for one thing and one thing only: to have their wildest romantic fantasies come to life. Pirates, cowboys, billionaires--there's nothing Rook's staff can't deliver.But when Stephanie Fitzgerald's sister doesn't return after her week in paradise, Stephanie will have to pose as a guest in order to dig for answers. Unfortunately, this means she'll need to get close to the one thing on the island that's not on the menu: the devastatingly handsome and intimidating Mr. Rook. And he's not about to give the island's secrets away.