Book picks similar to
Until There Was You by Francis Ray


romance
francis-ray
african-american-romance
contemporary

He Who Is a Friend


Love Belvin - 2018
    He held all the features: striking feline eyes, golden russet skin, incredible sex appeal, wealth exuding like the enticing scent of cologne, and mind-blowing determination. He was also trouble from the other side of the tracks, something I’d sensed. Sadik was an Ellis man with a solid education, his own thriving businesses, and self-obtained wealth. However, the Ellis family was known for their long underbelly ruling of the state of New Jersey. When Sadik assured his life was separate of his father’s, I believed him each time. I fell completely and dangerously head over heels for him. And, my God, all the red flags were there. Yet I ignored them all, throwing caution to the winds of naivety just to add a little spice to my mundane world. A world that will never be the same because I allowed it to be infiltrated by an Ellis. Publisher’s Note: “He Who Is a Friend” is book ONE of a THREE book series. It ends on a suspenseful CLIFFHANGER. This book contains angst, violence, profanity, sexual explicit content, and gory material. If any of these elements is not what you prefer between the pages of a novel, this is not the venture for you.

Good Hair


Benilde Little - 1997
    When a Newark girl meets an upper-crust Boston boy, sparks fly, backgrounds clash, and readers enter a rarely observed aspect of African-American life in this glamorous, romantic, funny, and poignant debut novel by the former arts and entertainment editor at Essence magazine.

Brothers and Sisters


Bebe Moore Campbell - 1994
    Living and working in Los Angeles, a young African-American woman finds herself torn between loyalty to her race and her commitment to a cause.

Ugly Ways


Tina McElroy Ansa - 1993
    As the emotionally scarred Lovejoys prepare for their mother’s funeral, the spirit of the selfish and manipulative Mudear hovers above them, complaining about her daughters’ “ugly ways” in death as she did in life.

How Stella Got Her Groove Back


Terry McMillan - 1996
    More than a love story, it is ultimately a novel about how a woman saves her own life--and what she must risk to do it. Stella Payne is forty-two, divorced, a high-powered investment analyst, mother of eleven-year-old Quincy- and she does it all. In fact, if she doesn't do it, it doesn't get done, from Little League carpool duty to analyzing portfolios to folding the laundry and bringing home the bacon. She does it all well, too, if her chic house, personal trainer, BMW, and her loving son are any indication. So what if there's been no one to share her bed with lately, let alone rock her world? Stella doesn't mind it too much; she probably wouldn't have the energy for love--and all of love's nasty fallout--anyway.But when Stella takes a spur-of-the-moment vacation to Jamaica, her world gets rocked to the core--not just by the relaxing effects of the sun and sea and an island full of attractive men, but by one man in particular. He's tall, lean, soft-spoken, Jamaican, smells of citrus and the ocean--and is half her age. The tropics have cast their spell and Stella soon realizes she has come to a cataclysmic juncture: not only must she confront her hopes and fears about love, she must question all of her expectations, passions, and ideas about life and the way she has lived it.

The Perfect Find


Tia Williams - 2016
    When she’s dumped by her longtime fiancé and fired from Darling magazine, she begs for a job at StyleZine.com from her old arch nemesis, Darcy Vale. But Jenna soon realizes she’s in over her head. She’s working with digital-savvy millennials half her age, has never even “Twittered,” and pretends to still be a Fashion Somebody while living a style lie (she sold her designer wardrobe to afford her sketched-out studio, and now quietly wears Walmart’s finest). Worse? The twenty-two-year-old videographer assigned to shoot her web series is driving her crazy. Wildly sexy with a smile Jenna feels in her thighs, Eric Combs is way off-limits – but almost too delicious to resist. Written by the bestselling author of The Accidental Diva, The Perfect Find is a scandalously sexy, laugh-out-loud saga of star-crossed love and starting over.

No Holds Barred


Stephanie Nicole Norris - 2018
    After her fiancé calls off the wedding not once but twice, Camilla's had enough. In a brazen move, she takes a new position in the windy city of Chicago; leaving her parents, friends, and ex in a bittersweet goodbye. Adapting to her new surroundings isn't easy but as Camilla settles in a chance encounter with an infamous playboy throws her off balance and rattles her world. She hadn't expected to be drawn so meticulously to another but denying the magnetism that lures her is a futile fight. As President of VFC Energy, a fortune 500 company, Hunter Valentine is at the top of his game. The renowned bachelor holds no secrets about his risqué rendezvous, and his allegiance is saved for family only. However, when Hunter spots Camilla Augustina, dining alone at the breakfast hut in his building, he can't explain the adulation that runs through his core and shakes his entire world. Lust never weakened him like this, and the inclination of love at first site was silly. But when Hunter decides to prove the sudden rapture is unreal, he may find himself enamored by love. *Each book in this series can be read as a standalone*

Big Girls Don't Cry


Donna Hill - 2005
    From the acclaimed bestselling authors of Living Large and A Whole Lotta Love come four romantic and sexy stories celebrating big, bold, and beautiful women.

Stay with Me


Alexandria House - 2017
    Unwilling to risk another broken heart, she resigns herself to being a perpetually single woman. Corporate man and self-professed womanizer, Ryan Boyé, doesn’t believe in relationships or love and thinks anyone who does is a fool. But there’s just something about Angela Strickland he can’t shake… When these two cross paths, their attraction to one another is undeniable. Will they find that the love they’ve both evaded is exactly what they both need?

Unexpected Interruptions


Trice Hickman - 2001
    She's enjoyed her hiatus, the peace, quiet--and no unexpected interruptions. But now she's ready to have someone to come home to. And her timing is perfect, as not one, but two, handsome possibilities enter her life. . .Ted, a powerful, blue-eyed CEO sends a thrill of excitement through her that shocks Victoria out of her comfort zone. Meanwhile, Parker, a talented surgeon, melts her defenses with his warmth and ebony good looks. The men are as different as can be--inside and out--but they have one thing in common: they both want Victoria. And as she struggles to decide what--and who--she really wants, Victoria will have to face her deepest fears, secrets, and desires--and decide if she's brave enough for true love, no matter what color it comes in. Her answer just may surprise everyone, including herself. .

The Catch


Lauren H. Mae - 2020
    They can each be read as stand-alones, or read in order to experience the story chronologically. More rom than com, they're perfect for fans of Abby Jimenez, Kate Clayborn, or Helena Hunting's single-titles!With Catia Roday has learned the hard way that love always disappoints, so when she finds herself falling for Josh Rideout—the handsome, charming, seemingly-perfect guy she just met on vacation—only to find out they hail from neighboring towns, she has one question: what’s the catch? Unwilling to let love make a fool of her again, Cat tries desperately to ignore the chemistry between her and Josh, but it isn’t easy when their vacation plans keep overlapping. With the universe constantly throwing them together, and her friends practically staging an intervention to tell her she’s making a huge mistake, she decides to prove her point once and for all. On the way home, she makes a bet. She’ll take her budding vacation romance back to the real world, and when she proves Josh is too good to be true, she wins! (And she avoids another heartbreak.) What ensues is a series of tests and games with Josh one step ahead of her the whole time, until Cat realizes the friendly wager has her betting against the one man who may be able to revive her faith in love. Worse yet, it turns out Josh might not be the gambling type.Book two, The Rules, Now available!

Whisper My Name


Maureen Smith - 2007
    He needs Francesca Purnell's expertise to help find a serial killer. Sebastien tries to ignore the instant, undeniable attraction between them, but the more he resists, the more he wants her.

Sugar Rush


A. Jones - 2018
    For years she’s given up on her dreams to keep peace within her family, but now she’s ready to pursue the life she wants. With one small window of opportunity she’s given room to do just that, however, not everyone is happy for her. Facing the repercussions of her decision from her family and a surprising diagnosis that’s threatening everything she’s been working for leaves Melanie wondering if her dreams were ever supposed to be anything more than a dream. Then enters Kamali James – a natural born nurturer and a man who has been a giver and lover all of his life… until he crosses paths with the beautiful Melanie Moore. Melanie doesn’t have time for a relationship, let alone the emotional strength to deal with everything she’s going through. Will she let Kamali in to be the rock that she needs and continue pursuing her dreams, or will she give up on everything... including him?

Gravity


Raven St. Pierre - 2013
    Him.

Deceptive Innocence


Kyra Davis - 2014
    She knows her mother was set up by Jonathon Gable, the head of both the powerful Gable family and an international banking corporation. Now she’s determined to take him down—from the inside.Bell needs access to the Gable home and offices, so she poses as a bartender to seduce her way into the bed—and life—of Jonathon’s rebellious youngest son, Lander. He’s not a typical Gable, spending more time in the dive bars of Harlem than the posh cocktail lounges of the Upper East Side. He has an attraction to danger, a vulnerability Bell isn’t shy about exploiting. It should be easy to uncover the secrets she needs to destroy his family and clear her mother’s name.But it turns out Lander is much more complicated than she ever imagined. He’s enticing, intelligent, mysterious—plus their sexual chemistry is off the charts. Even though Bell knows he’s the enemy, she can’t help but be moved, both physically and emotionally, by the man she swore was just a target. When he finds out the truth she’s sure both their hearts and her plan will be crushed...until she begins to realize that Lander might be hiding his own secrets, darker than she ever imagined.NOTE: This book includes Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 which are no longer sold separately.