Shanice is just a young vibrate teenage girl that is trying to focus on graduating college and making something out of herself. When she meets Money, a young rapper that captures her heart and changes the course that she is directed in, instead of only doing her she does him, but will loving him get her burned in the end? JaeCia is going through the motions being that her dad is locked up and her mother doesn’t care about her. She finds solace from her crazy world in TJ, someone who has always been there for her but will she allow her heart to open and be loved? Amora is living her days in hell, hiding secrets left and right but trying to keep a cool exterior. She just wants to be loved and focus on school but when she meets Bangga she finds herself doing things she would have never done and telling him things she never would tell even her two bffs. Will Bangga he be her diary? Or will their pages be burned?Authors Shantay, Yanni and Lola Bandz weave together a story of young love, heartbreak, truth and lies and will have you asking yourself is it worth it to really love a thug in this 1 part of a 2 book explosive love series. Come find out why Every Girl Needs a Thug.

    To make matters worse, it was right after Quintez had just confessed his love for her. The feelings are mutual, but deep down she feels Kacey still holds the key to her heart. Let’s just see how forgiving Kacey will be once he finds out what Tangela has been up to while he was incarcerated. Will Quintez find happiness with the woman that has captured his heart in a short period of time or will Kacey be willing to put up a fight for the woman that was supposed to hold him down no matter what?Nobody’s perfect! Those are the words Jay’vion needs for Asia to understand. Now that she has moved on, all she wants is for him to realize it’s over between them, but those aren’t the words Jay’vion wants to hear. He is determined to get his woman back by any means—all the while, he continues to flaunt his sidepiece around. Will Asia continue to stand her ground or will she fall under Jay’vion’s spell once again? The bigger question is, will Jay’vion be willing to leave Stacy alone once and for all?

    However, nothing ever came of the sparks that had been ignited. Four years and a college degree later, Sanchez is finally ready to stake his claim. Against her mother's wishes, Kamey takes a daring chance on falling in love with a Thug. Drugs, jail, and a slew of deranged side chicks quickly become Kamey's reality. With the odds stacked against her, will her love for a Thug prevail?

    Ricky and Draylah are just as much in love as before, but when little problems pop up, bringing out their inner crazy, will they be able to stick together? The other couples have returned as well, proving that even though this is the time for cheer and giving, problems will still arise and cause a little bit of dismay. Will these couples who have been through so much be able to pull it together as a family, or will they throw in the towel, letting the dark side of the holidays tear them apart?

    Putting all his focus into his businesses and son, he has no time for love, that is until a rude encounter with Kailani. To most Kailani came off rude and feisty. Her heart had been broken by her cheating ex and now she was more closed off than others until she meets Hendrix. Hendrix is immediately attracted to the smart mouth beauty, wanting to know more about her. When Kailani saves his life one day he knows right then and there he had to have her. The two of them build a bond that seems unbreakable until Hendrix finds out news that makes him think Kailani is against him. Royal and Willow have been dealing with each other for years. Never exclusive or adding a title, the two had an understanding that doesn’t need to be explained. Royal isn’t ready to settle down and Willow is slowly starting to grow tired of their current arrangement. What happens when Royal finds out that Willow has been holding a secret from him that changes his life forever? Can he forgive her for her betrayal, or will their relationship run its course? Not only are the men dealing with their relationships, but they run a loan shark business as well. Hendrix and Royal have no problem killing when someone plays with their money when one of the issues hit close to home, they have to figure out who can really be trusted. Join these four in a journey full of secrets, love, and lies in this drama-filled standalone.

    But when it comes to her giving the same in return, she falls short. Irulan wants to feel a connection, but all she keeps getting is relationships full of emptiness. After tying on one too many drinks, a simple joke turns into a bet that Irulan never intended to follow through on. Falling for one of her closest friends was not in the cards for her, especially since that friend is Mason Andrews. Mason Andrews is strong, confident and as handsome as they come, but he struggles in the love department. He has yet to find a woman that can give him everything that he needs, but he’s working overtime to hide the way he feels about a certain someone. Mason has known Irulan since they were teenagers and he’s trained himself to believe that there’s nothing romantic between them, but one night of curiosity proves him wrong. Now, Irulan and Mason are forced to deal with their feelings for each other, but a past fling is determined to keep them apart. With trouble on the horizon, Mason and Irulan must fight harder than ever before. Will they be able to handle what’s coming their way? Or will their happily ever after end before it even begins?

    Instead of wishing for her situation to change, she decides to change it. She moves away from her drug addicted mother to start her life anew. The last thing on her mind is love until she meets the mysterious Rain Tanaka. Ebony doesn’t know what he sees in her, all she knows is that he scares her with the way he makes her feel.Rain Tanaka has spent his life taking care of his family. He realizes quickly, he had been a fool in thinking everything he needed was found at home. Ebony Drake, is the missing piece. He knows he shouldn’t get involved with her, but there’s just something about the dark skin beauty that pulls him to her. However, just when things begin to heat up between them, he has to walk away.No matter how much Rain tries, he can't erase Ebony from his sweat filled dreams. Risking it all, Rain will do anything to get the love he left behind back. He should have remembered the code; NO ONE disobeys the Yakuza.

    Just when he thinks all he’ll have to show for his life is the barbecue shop and street life, a beautiful, alluring woman walks in and steals his heart.As love comes in like a whirlwind can Andru live the best of both worlds with Pumae or will a figment from his past make him choose.

    

    And when her soon-to-be husband, Trevan "TC" Clayton, is shot to death right in front of her on the night he proposes to her, her life takes a dramatic turn for the worse. TC's mother gives all her son's worldly possessions away—including he and Nisey's Florissant suburban home—to a two-bit con-artist/ex-pimp turned reverend. Nisey is left with no other choice but to move back to the drug-infested Section 8 apartments of St. Louis' JVL.Stripped of the ghetto fabulous lifestyle, Nisey and her girlfriends pick up the scale and baggies to turn their misfortunes into a fortune. Quickly, she and her clique of "Trap-A-Rellas" become the talk of the Lou, and just as fast as she reaches the top, schemes are set in place to knock her back down.

    The key ingredients of intrigue are here – he’s self-aware, dominant, with a dangerous yet captivating edge. While she on the other hand, is unlike any other female he’s encountered and the nemesis to the typical ideals of the urban beauty. She’s headstrong, she’s flawed, she wears her struggles as a badge of honor – and she’s REAL. He has come to her town for a purpose, and she lives day to day searching for one. When the two collide, the world stops. Drama and suspense take a backseat to the primary emotions we all encounter – desire, fear, regret, and HOPE. The characters peel back layers and the story doesn’t skyrocket, it builds. Devout was a tornado…and this is the sweet summer’s breeze creeping through your window. Still, these pages get steamy, like a humid night in August, and they come when you least expect it. With the feel of a historic romance, journey with the everyday woman trying to make it in her world, and not so everyday things begin to occur.

    And so are the drug dealers that flood them. When your pockets are empty but your needs are full, you do the unthinkable. After her mother walks out on her at seven years old, Messiah Garibaldi was groomed to be a boss. Being the daughter to a mob boss and maid, she learned early to never mix business with pleasure. Messiah and her best friend, Jaylah, cook some of the best dope to man, which is how the ruthless drug lord, Tech, enters her world. Never being the one to be in love, Rasheed enters Messiah’s life and opens her to the possibility to love. Will Messiah mix business with pleasure? There’s only one thing in his way: Eli, Messiah’s companion. Eli is money hungry and broke. When giving the opportunity, Eli pulls off a stunt that might end his life. LB is a low-level nickel and dime drug dealer for Tech. Tech has been promising to put him on for years. Tired of being broke and watching Tech reaps the benefits of his labor, LB decides to step out and link up with Rasheed. Staten Island is small, everyone knows everyone…but do they really? When you have crack money but cocaine dreams, envy becomes your best friend.

    Just the thought of being in love is enough to immerse a person in happiness. The genuineness and feelings involved in a loving relationship has the tendency to take over your whole body, but there’s one thing. Is it forever? Like most people Layah never planned to fall in love, but when she did, she couldn’t stop it. Falling head first into this passionate relationship with Nassir Jordan, is anything but promising. Being from two totally different worlds brings about more complications than either of them are prepared for. Nassir is everything Layah could have ever dreamed of plus more. Being with him is the highlight of her young life, and she plans to do everything in her power to make it last. Unlike Layah, Nassir is no stranger to uncertainty and hardships. Those two things are a part of his everyday life. That is until he gives in to the feelings he’s grown for this upper-class beauty from the suburbs. Having grown up in the hood, Nassir believes in anything but happy endings. He’s learned the hard way that you must work for the things you want. This is a lesson well learned when the raw emotions he feels for Layah begins to emerge. Trying the best friend thing worked for a while until his budding fascination got the best of him. Finally welcoming contentment into his life Nassir refuses to let it go. Together, they’re determined to make their undying love last forever.

    Ciera and Ari have goals to accomplish, and nothing is going to stand in their way. Never having been in a real relationship, neither girl is equipped to deal with the extra emotions that it takes. So they think, but when they meet the Kassom brothers, all of that will change. Juelz Kassom, runs a billion-dollar drug empire and has decided to go legit. In his exit, he decides to leave the empire to his brother Zelan. Can Zelan handle the reigns? Juelz heart belongs to his deceased Fiancé Kenya, and their daughter Kari he has vowed to never love again. Until he comes face- to -face with the beautiful Ciera Voss, can Ciera break down those guarded walls around his heart? There are many snakes surrounding Juelz Empire, and personal life. Can he and Ciera’s romance stand the brewing storm coming their way? Zelan (Zel) Kassom has always followed the motto “I am my brother’s keeper ” his respect for his only brother is unimaginable. Ready to step up and become the King of New York. It was time; he was ready for the crown. Ever since, the breakup with his ex girlfriend, Zelan has no interest in a relationship. Until his encounters with Ari Voss, no matter how hard he tries to rid his mind of Ari, she plagues his every thought, his every move.

    However, someone came into the house and did it. Not sure if she's going to make it, Hurricane begs the doctors to do all they can, to save her life. But is it too late? In the midst of the chaos, Hurricane does something stupid, that will affect everyone around him. Stella, kept seeing Victor a secret from her husband, and unfortunately, he was able to kidnap their son. Arnold has a hard time dealing with the fact his wife knew the man was lurking around and never told him. He still does what is necessary, to get him home, but not before Victor instills a bunch of lies in his head, which makes Franklin second guess everything his mom told him. Take a ride with these two couples and see if their love is strong enough to weather the storm, they're all caught up in.