Book picks similar to
The Ideal Wife by Jacquelin Thomas


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Texas Wild & Beyond Temptation


Brenda Jackson - 2012
    She's hired Rico Claiborne to uncover her family's history—with her help. But when their partnership turns personal, Megan discovers the truth: passions burn hotter in Texas.Plus a Brenda Jackson favorite-the third in the Steele Family series Beyond Temptation.

The Sisters of Theta Phi Kappa


Kayla Perrin - 2001
    Now, ten years later, they seem to have it all. Jessica is in the limelight, a TV personality whose star is on the rise. Ellie is an optimist, happily engaged in the quest for love. Shereen is a stunning and powerful executive, and Yolanda, the strong-willed leader of the group, has defied her roots to capture her vision of the American dream. But years before, these four women banded together to keep a devastating secret-and now, ten years later, someone will do anything to see the secret brought to light. None of them anticipated the consequences of keeping the secret-and now, someone is trying to shatter all their lives. Intense, powerful, page-turning, and emotional, The Sisters of Theta Phi Kappa will keep you guessing and will make you think about the depths of friendship, the price of loyalty, and the bonds of sisterhood.

Bedroom Bully


Trista Russell - 2009
    Shaken with fright when he nudges a gun to her body and demands protection, Audra has no clue how deeply the murderer's rough, tender touches will penetrate the hardened layers of her heart.Dean Casey can't believe he's on the run after shooting two cops. But he never dreamed that his young daughter would be molested, either, a crushing reality that pushed the hardworking father to the brink of insanity. With the entire city of Miami on the hunt for him, Dean must figure out a way to save his daughter before vanishing from her life forever. To complicate matters, his hostage is a sexy, thick beauty whose attraction to him is impossible to ignore.Overcome with the thrill of their forbidden lust and imprisoned in the walls of her home, Audra and Dean lose themselves in an addictive, erotic haze - until sudden tragedies and shocking twists force them to escape Miami. As the fugitives set sail on the tranquil Caribbean Sea, their treacherous journey will, once and for all, test the limitless bounds of their passion.

The Prayer Box


Lisa Wingate - 2013
    Hidden in the boxes is the story of a lifetime, written on random bits of paper--the hopes and wishes, fears and thoughts of an unassuming but complex woman passing through the seasons of an extraordinary, unsung life filled with journeys of faith, observations on love, and one final lesson that could change everything for Tandi.

Home Wrecker


Dwayne S. Joseph - 2008
    As head fashion designer for an elite firm, she has no time for drama. Besides, her co-worker and friend, Marlene, fills her in on enough drama to last her whole day. Marlene's married to an attractive philanderer named Steve. She wants to divorce him, but there are complications in doing so. If she were to actually catch him cheating on her, then all of those other complications would go away. But how? A setup, of course. A business deal is made, and Lisette, the Home Wrecker, is born. Three years later, Lisette has made a career out of helping wealthy wives stick it to their controlling, soon-to-be ex-husbands. A job like this is not only stressful but very dangerous, so her clientele is kept very exclusive. When a mysterious caller says she needs help or else bad things will start to happen, there is more at stake than possible exposure... Lisette might get a taste of her own medicine.

The Vow


Denene Millner - 2005
    As they embark on their search to find their soul mates, they navigate the full-contact sport known as being a SSBFLA (successful, single, black, female in L.A.) and negotiate the shark-infested waters of making a name for themselves professionally in Hollywood.Can Trista, the hyper-driven celebrity agent, find the time to schedule a meaningful romance? Will Amaya, the sexy starlet, convince the married hip hop-label exec she has been seeing to leave his wife, or will the NBA star steal her heart in the final seconds? After undergoing a complete makeover, will Vivian, the jaded gossip columnist, win back the father of her child?As seductive as it is empowering, The Vow is a page-turner that will keep you cheering for these women as they discover that their desire to find a husband isn't as important as finding themselves.

Chocolate Star


Sheila Copeland - 1997
    Then the way to fame was leading him toward a mistake that could send him straight to hell...She never looked back.Lies, drugs, too many men-- golden skinned singer Topaz Black would do anything to get a hit to the top of the charts, even walk away from her friends and family. But surrounded by greed and lust, the love the longed for seemed to be slipping away forever.He broke all the rules.Brought up in South Central L.A., movie producer Gunther Lawrence learned early how to get the wealth and women he wanted-- and to turn his back on his roots. Now, blinded by Hollywood's glitter, his illusions may shatter when he discovers who really controls his career.As their lives touch, ignite, and explode, three talented African-Americans pursue fame at any cost...and the price may be their happiness...or their lives..An alternate selection of the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club

Tiger Lillie


Lisa Samson - 2004
    Yet as she boldly but reluctantly braves a disastrous dating scene in her search for a husband, quirky Lillie is caught between two contrasting images of married life: the rich, lifelong partnership shared by her parents and the troubled marriage of her younger sister, Tacy. Faced with long-buried feelings, fears for Tacy, and concerns about her father’s failing health, Lillie finds strength in an unlikely and peculiar community of loved ones, including Cristoff, her epileptic, florist business partner; Pleasance, a sassy African American clothing designer; and Lillie’s strong Hungarian Grandma Erzsébet. But when Lillie stumbles across a danger that threatens those she loves most, she will need more than friends and family–she will need a miracle.

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow


Francis Ray - 2002
    Her red Valentino slip gown highlighted her honeyed complexion and chocolate brown eyes. The gown also picked up the red in Wes's vest and the red in the rose in his lapel.They were the perfect couple and it was show time. And she wanted to scream.Madison Reed, popular talk show host and America's darling and her husband, well-known TV correspondent Wes Reed is everyone's idea of the perfect couple. Bute knows that after the loss of their child, they became no more than polite strangers, maintaining the façade, revealing only picture perfect happiness. But Madison's world is turned upside down when Wes is critically injured in a car accident and a woman is killed. Before he dies, Wes confesses that the woman who was killed was his mistress---and that he is the father of her nine-month-old daughter, Manda. He begs Madison to raise the child. Unsure if she can, Madison struggles to take charge of her fate and put her life back together. Overwhelmed, she accepts the help of Zachary Holman, her husband's best friend, only to discover that his life is also shrouded by lies. Can she forgive and forget---not just once, but twice?

Should Have Known Better


Grace Octavia - 2011
    But the road back will mean facing the hardest truths - and risking everything to discover what her life could really be.

When Love Calls, You Better Answer


Bertice Berry - 2005
    Now she turns her eye to matters of the heart, with an endearing main character who can’t seem to keep bad men out of her life. Bernita Brown is a quick-thinking, tireless social worker who is good at practically everything—except love. Her first marriage ends in divorce, a painful experience Bernita refuses to think about. Instead, she dives into a series of sad relationships and overwhelming commitments to community and church. But not even church can keep her from being courted by dogs; Bernita’s married pastor begins making passes at her, then blames her for his backsliding. Along the way, the ghost of Bernita’s aunt Babe weighs in with plenty of advice (after all, Aunt Babe says, “You don’t need to be alive to tell folks how to live”). When a marvelous man finally enters Bernita’s life, only time can tell whether she will be able to trust him. Written with Berry’s signature warmth and reliance on African-American ancestors who deliver homespun healing, When Love Calls, You Better Answer addresses a host of powerful topics, from abusive relationships to corrupt church leaders. Ultimately, Bernita’s story will inspire readers to find the love they need, especially the love that can only come from within.

One Day I Saw a Black King


J.D. Mason - 2003
    Complacency had managed to set in again. . . A decent job, warm home, food on the table, and a body to curl up next to at night; he'd made the mistake of getting comfortable. Comfort fooled him into thinking it was all good when it wasn't. Damn nightmares had a way of reminding him of that."Ever since he was fifteen, John King has been on the run from the ghosts of his past, always drifting, never settling down in one place or with one woman, though more than one has certainly made the offer of forever-after. But every time his memories of life back in Texas start to haunt him too deeply into the night, John realizes that it's time to move on. That is, until he rolls into Denver, Colorado, grooving to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It on," and meets Connie Rodgers, a woman who grew up on the mean streets and has the pain and the battle scars to prove it. And yet, she inspires him to think "If indeed there were a home for the perfect kiss, it would be on her lips." John is reluctant to admit that here is a woman who just may understand his very soul, even if she does have some baggage of her own. But both must face their pasts if they ever hope to be free to live and love.Filled with completely unforgettable characters, One Day I Saw a Black King is a stunningly powerful story that explores the power of the past over the present, the search for love and belonging and the healing gift of an extraordinary love.

Family Tree


Barbara Delinsky - 2007
    Now she has married a man she adores who is from a prominent New England family, and she is about to give birth to their first child. But what should be the happiest day of her life becomes the day her world falls apart. Her daughter is born beautiful and healthy, but no one can help noticing the African American traits in her appearance. Dana's husband, to her great shock and dismay, begins to worry that people will think Dana has had an affair.The only way to repair the damage done is for Dana to track down the father she never knew and to explore the possibility of African American lineage in his family history. Dana's determination to discover the truth becomes a poignant journey back through her past and her husband's heritage that unearths secrets rooted in prejudice and fear.Barbara Delinsky's "Family Tree" is an utterly unforgettable novel that asks penetrating questions about race, family, and the choices people make in times of crisis--choices that have profound consequences that can last for generations.

Coming Home


Stacy Hawkins Adams - 2012
    Her heart torn between her ex's pain and the promise of a new love, Dayna must ask: Can she help the man who devastated her? And will helping him threaten her newfound love? In Coming Home, Stacy Hawkins Adams boldly explores the limits of loyalty and unconditional love.

Stepping Down


Michelle Stimpson - 2013
    But while Mark has been busy building the church, his own household has been crumbling to pieces.Mark finds himself caught up in the appearance of a scandal that threatens to tear the church apart. And his wife’s secret may ruin everything.