Book picks similar to
Every Girl Needs a Thug by Shantay


5-star-reads
african-american
not-interested
street-lit

The Sins Of My Beretta 2


Trenae' - 2016
    What happens when jealous ex-lovers and demons from the past refuse to stay there? Unresolved issues keeping coming back until Sin has no choice but to face them head on.Putting a whole new meaning to the term “love triangle”, not being able to handle all of Ghost’s baby mama drama, Sin finds herself in the arms of the rugged youngster by the name of Rello. Can she forgive Ghost for his short-comings or will Rello Show her that all she needed was the love that only he can give?With Rock missing in action, will the ones that vowed to always love and protect him still be there or will what he’s hiding from them be too much to bear?On this final ride with the crew, you will see what it means to do anything in the name of love even if it means killing the ones closest to you.

The Story of DeLano Trevino


BriAnn Danae - 2018
    Deliberate. Menace. Executioner. Those were just a few words to describe the DeLano Trevino. For the majority of his life, he had been deemed the quiet one. Light on his toes, but swift with his trigger finger; no target was ever left untouched. No enemy ever left breathing. That was until he made the mistake of letting his best friend’s killer roam freely. Six years have gone by since he left the grimy streets of California. After the brutal killing of his best friend, Lano uprooted to the Midwest. Over the years, his rank in the streets solidified him as one of the most ruthless men to grace Kansas City. To most, especially the women, his entire persona yelled dangerous, but not to all. Attracted to what she knew wasn’t good for her, Anika was smitten with Lano from day one. His hood charm turned her own in ways no other man had ever done. Their friendship blossomed into a full-blown relationship with ease and was rocky at first, but there was no turning back now. She was invested, respected as his woman, and held as much weight in the streets as he did. That was until Samia, Lano’s ex and his best friend’s sister, pops back into their life. When a trip to his hometown ends with bullets flying leaving Lano shot, all bets are off. The notion of making peace with his past was terminated immediately. With a thirst so strong for revenge, treachery overshadowed any rational thoughts Lano has when it comes to protecting the ones he loves. If it was a war his enemies were seeking, they had better come prepared with guns blazing. DeLano wasn’t laying down for a soul. He was snatching the lives of whoever during his deadly ambush and sending them straight to their maker.

The Connect's Wife 7


Nako - 2017
    In The Connect’s Wife 7 the tables have been turned and Chanel Cavette is now sitting at the highest throne in the Underworld…or so she thinks. Chanel Cavette learns to eat, sleep and breathe for The Cartel but is her position even real or is she being used as a decoy? Chanel digs a hole all on her own and when her perfect life comes crumbling down there is no one to point the finger at other than herself. Farren Knight is living life in London, her children are finally healed mentally from losing so many of their loved ones in one period of time. Farren isn’t interested in the business dealings of The Cartel, after not being able to ignore the warning signs for her sister’s sake she moves back to the States. Farren is forced to pull out the “all-black” once again to ensure her familly’s safety and freedom. But she doesn’t have too, Kool, her lifetime lover is basically begging to join The Cartel. After losing too many of her loved ones she refuses to allow him access to what she calls “the dark side” Farren Knight, the woman of such high caliber, style, class and grace. The epitome of a black woman, the woman that has literally stood tall in every situation she found herself Farren continues to reign supreme. In The Connect’s Wife 7 the real meaning of family is exploited and Farren Knight is compelled to show her little sister a thing or two about loyalty and what being a woman of your word truly means. The Connect’s Wife saga is finally coming to an end in this explosive finale.

Love From a One Night Stand


Trinity - 2015
    Until one night she meets Ghost a bad boy rapper with a play boy image. A one night stand with him changes her life forever. Kevin (Ghost) Jackson is a bad boy rapper who loves the party lifestyle and dealing with different women. He never thought he would settle down, until he gets Angel pregnant and is forced to slow down. Everyone disapproves of his relationship with Angel including his mother who makes him choose. Embark on the journey with Angel and Ghost as all the odds are against them to find true love. Will they become a family? Or will they allow people to get in the way of their true happiness?

Killing Me Softly With a Love So True


Bianca Marie - 2016
    Genesis Bass has lived in hell since the age of fourteen and hasn’t gotten any better. Being locked away in an extravagant mansion one would think she was living the life of a Queen only to find out that she is living the life of a prisoner. Under the watchful eye of Master Knight Genesis can only pray that she would one day be set free. With no one to love her and no one looking out for her she learns how to deal with her situation instead of allowing her situation to become her. Even though she is strong she is not strong enough to escape from the hands of Master Knight until her she is shown the truth about keeping faith. Khalid ‘Truth’ Richards is considered the real deal. A man who believes honesty is key and is as cool as fan should never be taken lightly especially when in a blink of an eye he can become deadly. Successful business owner by day and hired hitman by night he hustles to make sure his money is always looking right. Love doesn’t live in the world of Truth because once a man’s heart is broken it is broken beyond repair. But what happens when a deadly hit man with a broken heart finds someone who is as equally broken? Killing Me Softly with a Love so True is a tale about finding love in a hopeless place all the while learning how to conquer any bad situation. Both Truth and Genesis have never experience love until they fate pushed them together. Will they be able to put their differences to the side and embark on a love journey that can lead to marriage bells or will they self-destruct never experiencing what real love feels like?

A Staten Island Love Letter 5: The forgotten Borough


Jahquel J. - 2019
    Messiah may have done something that could end her relationship with her daughter and husband. Has she gone too far, or like usual Messiah, did she know what she was doing? Staten is stuck on trying to handle loving Liberty, even after she ended things, be a father to he and Chanel’s daughter, and be there for a pregnant Maliah as well. Can he juggle it all, while trying to be there for his big brother too?Justice felt like her life was over. What was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, ended up being one of the worst days. She thought her past with shitty men was over when it came to Priest. Can Priest redeem himself? Or is this the straw that broke the camel’s back, and Justice decides to call it quits?Liberty is fighting for her life. Will Staten come running to her rescue like the past? Or will he finally give Liberty what she has been wanting; space? If that’s not enough, Ty is falling for Liberty – hard. Is he willing to compete for Liberty’s heart, knowing it belongs to her ex, Staten?With Ghost’s condition and Samoor’s condition, Free is stretched thin trying to be brave and hold down the home front. Will it all be too much to handle, or will Free pull up her big girl pants and hold it down for her son and man? Find out in the finale of this series!

The Committed Side Chick


Tina Marie - 2020
    For the McKenzie men, being on top in the streets came easy. But when it came to finding love, they were not so lucky.Remee McKenzie, the oldest of the McKenzie boys, has been with the love of his life Rumor since high school. However, his constant infidelities and wild ways have devastating consequences destroying the relationship between the two.Rumor has literally been through hell and back with Remee only for him to walk away and be with someone else. Except even when he is supposed to be out of her life it's like he never left. Tired of living in a painful cycle with Remee, Rumor takes breaking up with him into her own hands. Will Remee lose the people he loves the most for good or will he find a way to make things, right?Sire McKenzie, Remee's younger brother met Arabella at a time in her life when she needed him most. Unfortunately, they are torn apart by outside forces. Their time together even though brief leaves a lasting impression on them both. When they meet again years later, Sire barges his way back into Arabella's life, causing her to fall in love all over again. All while leaving out secrets that will break her heart.Arabella has moved on from her horrific past and is now happy. Even though she doesn't have much, she can give her son a stable life and that is all that matters. At least until Sire walks back into her world. Now her heart wants a man who has always been out of her league. Will she last in his world or lose him once again?Cahir McKenzie, a cousin to the McKenzie brothers, is the definition of a damaged thug. He is a king in the streets and the one who took his family out of the slums. Yet his attitude toward the opposite sex is vicious and degrading, at least until he meets Eternity. She began to unfreeze his ice-cold soul, but it only makes him want to hurt her before she can hurt him. When he says the unthinkable, will Eternity ever forgive him?Eternity is a single mother who works double-time to give her son the life he deserves. Meeting Cahir was never a part of the plan. Seeing more to him than just a killer in the streets, Eternity's heart begun to yearn for Cahir. However, his actions showed her that they could never be. Will she give up on loving a bad boy or put up a fight?Will these couples' journeys finally end in true love? Or will it all come tumbling down, in the end, leading straight to disaster?

A Hood Love in Atlanta 2


Mz. Demeanor - 2015
    After Todd hurt her to her core Mona-Lisa though she would never love again but when she met Delano her whole world did a tailspin. She didn’t quite know what to do with his love but a bad decision changed that. Todd had to learn the hard way about screwing her over but the streets teach their own lessons. What happens when old wounds are opened, lies are revealed, and lines are crossed? The streets of Atlanta just got hotter and it has nothing to do with the temperature. Will Mona-Lisa have to let go of both of the men she has loved or will she get to take that walk into the sunset? Heaven knows how their story will end but you better believe there will be hell all the way.

Big and Aimee: Beautiful Chaos


Charae Lewis - 2016
    Big has everything going for himself; from being a successful business owner to being a member of his family's notorious crime operation. Things couldn't be better for Big, especially after finding true love with his girlfriend, Aimee. But when Big is forced to choose between what he wants and what he needs, he is faced with a detrimental predicament. When certain situations start to interfere with his relationship Aimee, Big contemplates doing something he said he would never do. Follow Big and Aimee in this enthralling drama as their patience and love is put to the test.

Ain't Nothing Like A Brooklyn Bitch 2


Kellz Kimberly - 2015
    Royal doesn't know who she can and can not trust anymore. All she knows is that she has to find a way to survive for the sake of her sister Paige. To make matters worse, Aria, Royal's mom is back, but is she back for good? Or, is she just trying to stir up some more drama for Royal? Take this trip with Royal and find out if Pharaoh is really dead. If he isn't could him and Royal ever be together again? A Brooklyn Bitch is what Royal is, but will she be tough enough to make it out alive?

From the Projects to a Rich Thug's Mansion


Sonovia Alexander - 2017
    She was born into a life of poverty that she never asked for. Her mother dropped her off at the local fire station as a newborn and her father could have been any of the local crackheads that she passed by on the daily. Jumping from foster home to foster home and living a life that gave her nothing, she was tired of it, she wanted more. She deserved more– she desired to live the life of the rich and famous.  Nothing was more memorable than the day she met Boogie. Boogie had the paper, the cars, the money, and the drugs that could help her with her come up– until an unfortunate turn of events happen to Boogie. There’s a new dealer on the block… and her name is Swiss.

A Hood Nigga Fetish


Johnazia Gray - 2015
    Although she’s had her share of downfalls, she continues to be the very best that she can be. Being hurt in the past by her ex-lover only gives her a reason to never love again, until she meets up with Hennessey.After five long years locked behind bars, Hennessey knows that being a drug dealer isn’t something he wants to continue to pursue to get his money up. So, instead he turns his dirty money into opening up furniture businesses. Meeting Keice only motivates him to want to go harder and do better, but that's something that his ex-girlfriend, Camille will not let him do if she's not included.Keice is already scared to love again. However, Hennessey is ready minus the ex-girlfriend issues. With their closest friends sharing this wild journey with them, what will the inevitable bring this unpredictable couple?

Wife of A Legend (Wife of a Legend Book 1)


Choe Je'Nore - 2014
    He has women falling at his feet daily, but he takes none of them seriously until he meets a young woman by the name Treasure, but there’s only one problem Treasure is a witness to a homicide he committed. He knows he should kill her and get it over with but there’s something about her that makes it hard for him to go through with it… Julianny’s mother Pam never thinks any woman is good enough for her son, especially not Treasure but when the two quickly fall in love all hell breaks loose ands lines are crossed… permanently.

From the Pole to the Palace 2: A Love Nobody Expected


Diamond D. Johnson - 2016
    As the days go by, Jameeka realizes that Levi isn’t the man she thought him be, but it’s too late because she’d already done the unthinkable, and Seth would never get back with her in a million years. Now that Seth and Dreka finally are in a committed relationship, is it enough for her to leave the pole alone and finally settle down in the palace where she belongs? Dreka promised herself that once she let those three words, I love you come out of her mouth, that she would hang up her dancing shoes, but is that true? In addition to everyday relationship problems, she is now faced with deep, dark secrets that she thought she had left behind in her past, but she now has to bring those secrets to light. This second installment is filled with drama, laughter, and secrets. Some will make it out in the end, but others won’t.

Every Love Story Is Beautiful, But Ours Is Hood 3: The Savage Brothers


Jessica N. Watkins - 2017
    However, once he was released, there was no time to chill and enjoy the riches that his brothers had acquired at his left and right hand at the king’s throne of the Savage empire. No sooner than City was released, complete mayhem ensued. His brother, Shon, and his greed causes the Savage empire to be in debt with the Columbian cartel of over a million dollars. Yet, being the man that City is, he quickly handles that… just to be thrown in the middle of more mayhem when one of his family members fall victim to the streets. Now, City and his left and right-hand men, Money and Shon, are intent on finding out who had the audacity to come against the Savage family, and they are ready to make the streets of Chicago bleed in repentance of taking one of their own. In the meantime, Bliss is dealing with choosing to put on the engagement ring that Money gave her during his beautiful, yet awkward, proposal. Akira finally has the man that she has yearned for for ten long years. However, now that she has City, she isn’t ready to endure the hurt that comes along with being the connect’s woman. Zoe spent some time back and forth between brothers Shon and Money, but now that her scandalous secret has been revealed, she has been outcast from the family. Yet, she is banking on the DNA test results proving that the father of the baby that she is pregnant with is Money so that she can keep the man that she feels Bliss has taken from her and maintain the lavish lifestyle that he has been providing her with. Will Bliss say yes, or is she finally tired of Money’s inability to choose her? Who is the father of Zoe’s baby? When the Savage family endures yet another family tragedy, will Akira decide that she isn’t willing to continue to mourn the loss of her loved ones? Find out the answers to questions and more in this third installment of the dramatic, urban, romantic tale of the irresistible Savage brothers!