Book picks similar to
The Trouble with Love by Christina C. Jones


romance
author-of-color
african-american-romance
aa-contemporary-romance

Just One More


Jodie Slaughter - 2020
    The bright colors, giant hearts, and sugary sweet coating that seems to cover the world on February 14th make her feel all kinds of warm and fuzzy inside. She may be more festive than the average person, but her plans for her long weekend off are pretty tame. As long as she gets to stay in her bed, marathon a ton of romantic movies, and eat at least three of her favorite pink heart cupcakes, she’ll count it as a win. The very last thing she expects is for a handsome stranger to get in the way of that. The only thing Victor Grant enjoys more than being a barber is Valentine’s Day. For him, it’s all about the experience of romance and the possibility of forever. The man loves love and he’s determined to be apart of his own great love story someday. Even if that means taking a few losses along the way when things don’t work out. Just when he thinks his Valentine’s Day has turned into a total bust, a beautiful stranger crashes into his life and suddenly makes his long weekend a lot more interesting.A near-disastrous first meeting brings them together, but with both chemistry and desire running high, one sexy night together doesn’t feel nearly enough like true satisfaction.

Undeniable


Francis Ray - 1995
    But that was beforea trumped-up assault charge set the whole town--and thewoman he loved--against him. With a heart full of pain, Logan fled Stanton--and the bittersweet memories of the passion he and Rachel had shared.UnforgettableWhen Rachel met Logan, she thought she'd found the perfectlove--until he betrayed her and her family. Now, eight yearslater, he was back--more arrogant and dangerously seductivethan ever. And this time the stakes were higher. For Loganclearly wanted revenge. He also wanted Rachel.Undeniable

STIFF


Stephanie Nicole Norris - 2021
    A friend tells them about, The Den, an upscale male strip club. They find out the club is a shell of what really lies beneath—and soon, the ladies are venturing into their mind and body’s wildest desires.This is Asia McClendon's story.

Single AF


Sherelle Green - 2019
     MEEKA  The pure term ‘being single’ makes me want to gag every time I hear it. To me, the worst part is the fact that you’re constantly reminded of your status. Like, do you really think I can forget I’m single? I’ve dated more Mr. Wrong’s than I can count, and now, the network that I work for wants me to share my messed up dating history with the world. To make matters more humiliating, my arch nemesis — aka Mr. Missed Opportunity — has a front row seat to my walking, talking mistakes.    TONE To say working with Meeka on this assignment is bound to go badly, would be an understatement. We’ve never gotten along, and I have a good reason for staying clear. Everything about her screams … extra! So, of course when our network needs me to assist her with her project, I’m intrigued to hear what her exes have to say about their past relationship. Maybe I’ll get some insight into her character or validate my assumptions. Or unbeknownst to me, I might just find myself connecting with this loud, crazy woman more than I ever thought I would. They say don’t mix business with pleasure. Funny, I never liked that rule. ***This is a romantic comedy and the start of the Social Experiment series. If you are not a fan of romantic comedy, please check out my To Marry a Madden series (Blessed By Malakai and Claimed By Crayson are available now).***

Decadent Dreams


A.C. Arthur - 2013
    Smart and attractive, she is one of the most talented bakers at Lillian's, her family's famed Chicago patisserie. Belinda is one of those women who never shows up late, never makes a faux pas, never does anything that would raise someone's eyebrows. Yet perfection has its price, and the beautiful Ms. Drayson-Jones feels that something is missing from her life. And no one would ever guess the secret she's keeping.…or give in to love?Malik Anthony knows plenty about keeping secrets. He has worked with Belinda for years and has been fighting his feelings just as long. Malik always considered her to be unattainable, until one night when their simmering desire suddenly reaches the boiling point. And if he isn't mistaken, Belinda is now coming on to him.What could be more irresistible than being seduced by the boss's granddaughter? What could be more perfect than giving in?

To Buy a Vow


Chencia C. Higgins - 2018
    Her marriage to her college sweetheart has begun to fizzle out, with conversations dwindling down to nothing and intimacy becoming sporadic at best. Unwilling to endure the stigma of being a 30-something divorcee, she does everything in her power to hold onto her marriage, but Chris isn't just on a different page, he's in a whole other book entirely. Despite their disconnect, her vows meant something to her and marriage is supposed to be forever. When all seems lost, she makes a last-ditch effort in hopes of generating results, but what exactly does a Hail Mary look like between friends and lovers?Jermaine Hawkins is nearing the end of a prominent career playing professional basketball and is ready to put his retirement plan into action. That plan includes many things but most important on the list is putting an end to his status as a hermit and starting a family. A chance encounter with a firecracker of a woman makes him think he's found his capital F. But whether that F is for "future" or "frustrating" is to be determined. Can Jermaine convince Nedra that everything happens for a reason while also getting her to give him a chance at something real?

Pay Day


ReShonda Tate Billingsley - 2015
    . . but is it for better or for worse? When the office lotto pool lands the winning ticket for four friends, each will embark on journeys that change their lives forever. After years of stringing her along, Terrance has reluctantly married his longtime girlfriend, Sheray. . . just days before winning the lottery. Now, that he’s a rich newlywed, the former playboy is dreaming of what life would’ve been like as a rich bachelor. When the money drives a wedge between them, Sheray leaves and Terrance learns the hard way to be careful what you wish for. Angelique has been overweight since she was young. Despite her insecurities, her boyfriend, Marcus, gives her his love and affection without reservation. When she uses some of her winnings to get weight loss surgery, her new body and new attitude gets her some new attention, and could cost her the man she loves. After twelve years of marriage, Janine’s husband announces that he’s leaving her for another woman. When she realizes he could possibly get a portion of her prize, she devises a scheme to keep it from him. But when her plan backfires, will she lose it all? Raquelle’s life has just been turned upside down when she’s caught embezzling money, which she started doing to support her sick son. With a boss bent on making her pay, Raquelle is facing hard time and about to discover there are some things her lotto winnings can’t buy…or can it? With a bitter former coworker lurking in the background, these friends are discovering their big payday will definitely change their lives…just not in the ways they expected.

The Interruption of Everything


Terry McMillan - 2003
    A chef. An interior decorator. A landscape architect, as well as a gardener. I’ve been a painter. A furniture restorer. A personal shopper. A veterinarian’s assistant and sometimes the veterinarian.... An accountant, a banker, and on occasion, a broker. I’ve been a beautician. A map. A psychic. Santa Claus. The Tooth Fairy. The T.V. Guide. A movie reviewer. An angel. God....For a long time I have felt like I inadvertently got my master’s in How to Take Care of Everybody Except Yourself and then a Ph.D. in How to Pretend Like You Don’t Mind. But I do mind." Since Terry McMillan’s breakout novel Waiting to Exhale surged onto the bestseller lists, critics and readers alike have been captivated by her irreverent, hilarious, pitch-perfect tales of women’s lives and contemporary issues. With The Interruption of Everything, her sixth novel, McMillan takes on the fault lines of midlife and family life, reminds us once again of the redeeming power of friendship, and turns her eye toward the dilemma of how a woman starts to put her own needs higher on the to-do list while not shortchanging everyone else.Marilyn Grimes, wife and mother of three, has made a career of deferring her dreams to build a suburban California home and lifestyle with her husband, Leon. She troubleshoots for her grown kids, cares for her live-in mother-in-law, Arthurine (and elderly poodle, Snuffy); keeps tabs on her girlfriends Paulette and Bunny and her own aging mother and foster sister—all the while holding down a part-time job. But at forty-four, Marilyn’s got too much on her plate and nothing to feed her passion. She feels like she’s about ready to jump. She’s just not sure where.Highly entertaining, deeply human, a page-turner full of heart and soul, The Interruption of Everything is vintage Terry McMillan—and a triumphant testament to the fact that the detour is the path, and living life "by the numbers" never quite adds up.

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.

Addicted


Zane - 1998
    But Zoe feels helpless in the grip of an overpowering addiction...to sex. Finding a compassionate woman therapist to help her, Zoe finally summons the courage to tell her torrid story, a tale of guilt and desire as shocking as it is compelling. From the sensitive artist with whom she spends stolen hours on rumpled sheets to the rough and violent man who draws her toward destruction, Zoe is a woman desperately searching for fulfilment -- and something darker, deeper, and perhaps deadly. As her life spins out of control and her sexual escapades carry her toward a dangerous choice, Zoe is racing against time to uncover the source of her "fatal attraction" -- as chilling secrets tumble forth from the recesses of a woman's mind, and perilous temptations lead toward a climax that can threaten her sanity, her marriage...and her life.

Acting on Impulse


Mia Sosa - 2017
    She vows to keep her vacation a man-free zone but when a cute guy is seated next to her on the plane, Tori can’t resist a little harmless flirting.Hollywood heartthrob Carter Stone underwent a dramatic physical transformation for his latest role and it’s clear his stunning seat mate doesn’t recognize the man beneath the shaggy beard and extra lean frame. Now Carter needs help rebuilding his buff physique and Tori is perfect for the job. It doesn’t hurt that she makes his pulse pound in more ways than one.Sparks are flying, until a pesky paparazzo reveals Carter’s identity. Tori is hurt and pissed. She wants nothing to do with another man in the limelight, but she’s still got to whip him into shape. Can Carter convince Tori he’s worth the threat to her privacy that comes with dating a famous actor, or will Tori chisel him down to nothing before he even gets the chance?Grab the popcorn…

Passion Rekindled


Delaney Diamond - 2016
    Fifteen years after their divorce, her feelings haven’t changed. She wants nothing to do with him—no matter what her beating heart suggests.Oscar Brooks has always assumed that his ex-wife hates him, but after an unplanned kiss, he’s not so sure. Why does she always have such a hostile response to his presence? Is it love, or is it hate? He’s determined to find out.

The Vow


D. Rose - 2021
    In desperate need to clean up his image and salvage his career, Sergio considers an opportunity that would change his life forever.Michaela Robinson was the definition of independent and stubborn. The mere thought of needing help from anyone made her go ten times harder, leaving her burned out, and alone. When Michaela's roommate abruptly ended their lease, she left Michaela with the task of finding a roommate, while juggling graduate school, an internship, and part-time work. At the risk of losing everything, her beloved uncle, Michael, gave her an ultimatum that would change her life.Sergio and Michaela promised to help each other rebuild their lives. But what happens when their wedding vows mean more than having job security and financial stability? Will Sergio and Michaela learn how to love, honor and cherish each other? Find out in, The Vow.

Glutton for Pleasure


Alisha Rai - 2009
    She likes it spicy. Devi Malik knows how to heat things up. She does it every night as head chef in her family’s Indian restaurant. Her love life, though, is stuck in the subzero freezer. Now, with a chance to fulfill a secret fantasy with her long-time crush and his brother, it’s time to put her desire on the front two burners. For Marcus Callahan, a love-’em-and-leave-’em attitude isn’t only a necessary evil of their kink. It’s a protective device. Lately, though, his brother Jace has been making noises about craving something more. Jace’s dissatisfaction with their lifestyle grows with every glimpse of sweet little Devi. Yet Marcus is too haunted by the pain of their shared past to give love a chance. Despite their reputation for vanishing with the dawn, they discover one night with Devi isn’t nearly enough. And Devi finds herself falling in love with two very different men. It’ll take more than explosive sex to light up the shadows surrounding the Callahan brothers’ secrets. But Devi’s never been afraid of the dark…

ATE


Rilzy Adams - 2020
    She has signed the biggest contract of her career and books a private chef for a celebratory dinner with her best friend. She goes through with the dinner after her best friend unexpectedly cancels. The private chef, Russ Bradley, is nothing like Tempest expected and she definitely isn’t prepared for the chemistry that smolders between them like the hottest flame. It doesn’t take long before Tempest decides that the dinner Russ cooks up won’t be the only thing to get ATE.