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


romance
author-of-color
african-american-romance
already-have

The Lawyer's Luck


Piper Huguley - 2014
    6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 Oberlin, Ohio – 1844 Lawrence Stewart is a rare man. Raised with his grandmother’s Miami Indian tribe, as a Negro he has consistently walked between two worlds most of his life. He devotes his time and study to becoming a lawyer, fully intending to obtain justice for the ousted Miami Indians. No Negro man has accomplished these things before, but he is not daunted. He studies for his exams as he rides circuit through the backwoods of Ohio, handing out justice to people who cannot easily reach a courthouse. His life is perfectly set until one June day…. Aurelia “Realie” Baxter made her way from enslavement in Georgia to the free land Lake Huron in Ohio. Far from happy as a slave doing the bidding of a woman cooped up in a house all day, Realie is a bona fide tomboy with a special gift with horses. Now, she is so close to freedom in Canada, she can smell it, but her plans are interrupted when Lawrence shoots her…by mistake…. Lawrence cannot study encumbered with the care of an enslaved woman, but he’s responsible for her injury… Realie wants to get to Canada, but Lawrence won’t let her get away in trying to help her… One chance meeting can change your life from what you thought you wanted….to what you really need.

You Make Me Better


AshleyNicole - 2015
    Things are definitely looking up. She has her own business. She has the love and support of her family and friends. There’s no man in her life and hasn’t been for months, but that’s a non-issue. All that matters, is that her business is moving in the right direction. She is on cloud nine. Contractor Nathan Stemble is a grouch of a man with a horrible attitude and a huge chip on his shoulders. He has neither the patience nor the time for companionship and even less time for life’s physical pleasures. People in general are a pain to deal with and if that person just happens to be a woman, multiply that pain by ten. It’s been a year since he’s dealt with one and the way it’s going, it will be another year before he even considers it. All that changes the day he meets Kallie. After a not-so-pleasant introduction and even less pleasant early interactions, they find themselves on the best date of either of their lives. A night of passion, and bunch of confusion begins their journey towards love. Nathan needs a lot of healing that only Kallie can provide. Through it all, she forges through, forcing him to deal with his demons. He might not have wanted a woman before, but he definitely needs Kallie to help guide him through issues he’s refused to deal with his entire life. If she can get him to face his problems head on, maybe-just maybe, she can make him better.

What You Won't Do For Love


Chenell Parker - 2015
    Arman loves Skylar to death, but he can't seem to stay faithful no matter how hard he tries. Skylar has never been a fool for a man and she’s refusing to start now. Never being the kind of woman to sit at home waiting for her man to do right, she instead gives Arman a dose of his own medicine. A series of unfortunate events take place as a result of their infidelities and things quickly go from bad to worse. Will Skylar and Arman's love stand the many curveballs that are thrown their way or will they count their losses and move on? Some say to never say never, but Skylar feels otherwise. She knows what she won't do for love and that's settle for less the what she feels that she deserves.

Mistress


Nia Forrester - 2013
    Just when she thought she’d finally risen above the scandal in her past, her latest “sugar daddy” passes away, and now she’s being evicted from the luxury penthouse she thought was hers. Slinking home to her father’s house with her tail between her legs, Keisha’s only goal is to get out of Brooklyn and back to the lifestyle that she’s become accustomed to. But when you go home again, it’s that much harder to let go of the person you used to be.

Perfect Timing


Brenda Jackson - 2002
    Childhood friends Maxie Chandler and Mya Rivers, estranged for years and brought together by a class reunion, turn to each other for support when Maxie's fiancae dies and Mya discovers that her perfect marriage is not what it seems.

32 Candles


Ernessa T. Carter - 2010
    Just when she's resigned herself to her fate, she sees a movie that will change her life--Sixteen Candles. But in her case, life doesn't imitate art. Tormented in school and hopelessly in unrequited love with a handsome football player, Davie finds it bittersweet to dream of Molly Ringwald endings. When a cruel school prank goes too far, Davie leaves the life she knows and reinvents herself in the glittery world of Hollywood as a beautiful and successful lounge singer. Just as she's about to ride off into the L.A. sunset, the past comes back with a vengeance, threatening to crush Davie's dreams--and break her heart again.With wholly original characters and a cinematic storyline, 32 Candles introduces Ernessa T. Carter, a new voice in fiction with smarts, attitude, and sassiness to spare.

And They Lived Happily Ever After


Therese Beharrie - 2021
    A USA Today Best RomCom of 2021A Goodreads Most Hotly Anticipated RomanceOne unexpected kiss . . .Successful romance author Gaia Anders has a secret: anything she dreams at night is magically written into her bestselling novels. After a lonely childhood in foster care, her dream life is the only one she trusts. Gaia’s waking life just can’t compare—until she gets caught in one utterly surprising, crazy-passionate, real-life kiss . . . One near-perfect guy . . . Workaholic businessman Jacob Scott has had a crush on his brother’s best friend, Gaia, since forever—but he never expected to literally share her dreams. Living out their magical nighttime fantasies is explosive, but it’s their waking desire turning his single-minded ways upside down. It’s making him want a future he didn’t think was possible . . . One dream that could come true . . . But Gaia has secrets from her past she won't reveal. And Jacob's attempts to keep the peace in his own fractured family puts him up against her deepest fears. Soon, they’re facing hard truths about who they are and what they’re running from. And the only way to break this curse is realizing true love's real-life power . . .

Sweatpants Season


Danielle Allen - 2018
    It was the first thing I noticed that day until he stood. His grey sweatpants hung off his hips and I didn’t want to look. I really didn’t. I’m a feminist. I don’t believe in objectifying men. I don’t catcall men. I don’t ogle the bodies of men. I don’t view men as objects of my affection rather than complex people with feelings, wants, and needs of their own. I don’t treat men the way society often treats women. I treat men the way I want to be treated as a woman—with respect! So, when Carlos ran into me while I was reviewing my interview questions in the park, it surprised me to see my photography classmate out of context. I was also surprised to see as much of him as I did.It wasn’t just that it caught my eye. It was the fact that it held my attention.It wasn’t just that it was large. It was the fact that it was visibly large.It wasn’t just that it was Carlos Richmond. It was the fact that I am Akila Bishara.And I am not seduced by anything other than intelligent conversation, witty rapport, and meaningful actions.I am not seduced by a dick print. I am not. Seriously, I’m not.

A Walk in the Park


Rebekah Weatherspoon - 2022
    He’d bonded instantly with the playful Zeus and was already planning their first adventures. But one thing he definitely hadn’t daydreamed about was Zeus accidentally being promised to someone else - or that he might go home empty-handed and brokenhearted all over again.Janelle Johnson is not giving up her claim to Zeus. He already has a hold on her heart (and his own Instagram handle). After the year she’d had, she needed this dog. But when she sees the disappointment of the big, burly handsome man who’s clearly just as in love with the dog as she is, she proposes a deal to Andre - for one month they’ll co-parent the dog. How hard could it be?Both of them agree to the unusual arrangement. Sharing a dog with a complete stranger isn’t quite the walk in the (dog) park they imagined, but as they work together to give Zeus a loving future, their four-legged friend might not be the only one who’s found a happily ever after.

Forbidden Promises


Synithia Williams - 2020
    That was India Robidoux’s plan for this family visit. But when her brother needs her help with his high-profile political campaign, India has no choice but to stay and face the one man she’s been running from for years—Travis, her sister’s ex-husband. One hot summer night when Travis was still free, they celebrated her birthday with whiskey and an unforgettable kiss. The memory is as strong as ever—and so are the feelings she’s tried so hard to forget.Travis Strickland owes everything to the Robidoux family. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for them—his divorce could never change that. Still, he has one regret. Impulsive and passionate, India always understood him better than anyone else. And the longer they work together on the campaign, the more torn he is. Coming between her and her sister is out of the question. But how can he let love pass him by a second time?

Free Game: A Foxview Heights Novel


Kema B. - 2021
    

A Passionate Night


Candace Shaw - 2016
     Harper Bennett’s motto is work hard, play hard. Lately, she’s forgotten the latter and has focused her time as part-owner, along with her brothers, of the hottest nightclub in Atlanta. When an intriguing client enters, Harper forgoes her promise to never date a man that doesn’t live in the same city and she finds herself playing hard to get with Hunter Arrington. The passion that has ignited between them can’t be extinguished, and she dreads the day he has to leave. Hunter travels the world because of his career and has no intentions of settling down until his eyes land on Harper Bennett. There’s something about the petite, sassy woman that he adores and makes him feel at home for the first time in years. Now he’s faced with a life-changing decision and the thought of being without Harper isn’t an option. Be sure to check out the other novellas in this series. (The novellas can be read in any order) A Passionate Kiss by Sharon C. Cooper A Passionate Love by Delaney Diamond

Love Under Contract


Sharon C. Cooper - 2017
     Sumeera Robinson refuses to settle for less than she desires, even if what she craves is the sexy, smart, and charming Nicolas Jenkins-Moore. At her age, she wants marriage and a family, not the empty promises Nick offers. Yet, there is just something about the man that makes moving on nearly impossible. As the new senior manager of Jenkins & Sons Construction, Nick’s five-year plan is on track with marriage and starting a family at the bottom of the list. Sumeera is as beautiful inside as she is on the outside, but not even she can entice him to abandon his carefully plotted road to success. That is until she walks away without looking back, leaving him yearning for her presence in his life. Nick is determined to convince Sumeera that he wants the same things she wants. But will an unexpected development keep them from the life they desire? Or will fate bring them closer than they’ve ever been before? Love Under Contract is book 1 in the Jenkins & Sons Construction series.

Family First: A Black Romance Box Set


Iris Bolling - 2021
    Get ready for captivating stories of passion, family ties, and Black love!The collection contains your favorite tropes: second chance romance, foodie romance, secret baby, billionaires, and marriage of convenience. From Seattle to Memphis to Lagos, Nigeria and cities in between, you’ll meet heroes who make you swoon and heroines you’ll want to make your best friends. INVESTED by Iris BollingMyles Dunning, the thirty-five-year-old CEO of Dunning Bank and Trust, is fighting off one takeover attempt after another to save his family's historical bank. Chrystina Price is a voluptuous, lovable, powerhouse, whose sole purpose in life is too uplift and protect the man she has loved from the first day they met. When the integrity of the family always comes first is it worth Investing in love.LOVE UNDER CONTRACT by Sharon C. Cooper, Award-winning and bestselling authorSumeera Robinson refuses to settle for less than she desires, even if what she craves is the sexy Nicolas Jenkins-Moore. She’s ready for marriage and a family, but his five-year plan has those items at the bottom of the list. When Sumeera walks out of his life, Nicolas realizes what he's lost and will stop at nothing to win her back.UNFORGETTABLE by Delaney Diamond, USA Today Bestselling AuthorIvy Johnson is stunned when Lucas Baylor makes an appearance at her family’s event in Seattle. When her deception is revealed, it throws his life into a tailspin and forces them to face the truth of their feelings for each other—feelings they’ve both tried in vain to forget.#BLESSED BY MALAKAI by Sherelle GreenOvernight, Malakai Madden becomes a social media legend after the #BlessedMyMalakai hashtag starts trending. Avery Nightingale is the perfect image consultant to get his life back on track. However, avoiding their explosive chemistry proves to be a bigger distraction than either of them bargained for.EVENINGS WITH BRYSON by Tina Martin, Three-time Emma Award Winner, including Author of the Year, Book of The Year Award Winner, multiple Amazon #1 new releasesKalina Cooper doesn't believe in love since watching her father walk out on her mother years ago. But when she meets Bryson Blackstone in her aunt's cafe, he challenges everything she thinks she knows about life and love and reveals secrets about her family that she otherwise would've never known.SAFE WITH ME by Stephanie Nicole NorrisSamiyah Manhattan is mourning the death of her six-year marriage when she vows never to trust men again. Celebrity ex-boxer turned business mogul, Jonas Alexander Rose never takes women too seriously. However, when he meets the beautiful Samiyah mulling over a mimosa, Jonas is overwhelmed by the heart throbbing heated attraction, and now he is on a mission to explore this thing called love.COOKING UP LOVE by Candace ShawWhen Shelbi Arrington foregoes her medical residency, the last thing she’s searching for is love. However, that’s just what the doctor prescribes when she meets chef Justin Richardson, who is leery of doctors because of his mother’s death years ago. As their relationship heats up, Shelbi learns of a shocking revelation which may extinguish their flame.KEEPING SECRETS by Kiru TayeHave you ever loved someone and didn't know it? That's the dilemma facing Felix when he wakes from a coma to find he is married to the most beautiful and most sensual woman he's ever known. However, will he still feel the same way when he regains his memory and realises she's been keeping secrets and their marriage is not what he thinks it is?

Whatever You Like


Maureen Smith - 2010
    By night, she's an escort to some of Chicago's most successful men. Sex isn't on the menu—Lena's job is to provide her elite clients with comanionship and sparkling conversation. She enjoys the extra income, but even more, Lena loves the empowering feeling of being appreciated for her beauty and her brains.When tycoon Roderick Brand hires Lena as his date for a private party, their electric attraction leads to the most erotic night of her life. Incredible as the experience is, she vows not to mix work and pleasure again. But Roderick is relentless. His irresistible proposal: three weeks fulfilling all his fantasies, in exchange for a million-dollar grant that will guarantee Lena a major promotion.Lena can play that game. She'll give him the hottest, wildest sex he's ever had, then she'll walk away, leaving him aching for more. But when it comes to desire, rules—and hearts— are easily broken. And the best-laid plans have a way of working out in ways neither could expect….