Book picks similar to
Life Begins by Taki James


romance
single-parent
interracial
mobsters

A Love The Streets Couldn't Give


Ni"andra Ruff - 2017
    After the mysterious disappearance of her mother, Aaliya was left with no choice but to put her life on hold and raise not only her daughter, but her younger siblings, Harlem and Amelia. Cleaning up the messes behind a countless number of notorious thugs, Demetri Mikhailov was the go-to guy for any job— just as long as you were talking the right price. When a longtime friend of his sends him on a search for his children, Demetri willingly obliges. With little to go on, Demetri is shocked to face the vivacious Aaliya. He didn't have the slightest clue as to what he was getting himself into when he crossed paths with the chocolate beauty. As a bond is built and love is found, the pair finds themselves entangled in a web of lies, secrets, and betrayal. Trying his best to keep the truth behind his lies, Demetri finds himself in a situation he can't seem to get out of. When Aaliya finds out his secret, will Demetri's biggest fear come true? Will Aaliya call it quits and walk away or will love prevail and she choose to stay?

Twisted Devotion


Sage Young - 2019
    She was taught at a very young age that lies were going to be a part of her life. LEARN - Violet learned that she needed to look out for herself and chart her own future. Maximus learned more than he wanted to know about Violet. Could he still be interested in her after what he has learned? LOSS - Losing her mother at a young age wouldn’t be the only tragedy she would endure. Blending into the background and not making waves was how she learned to survive. Now she’s all grown up and the very family that mistreated her has asked her to do the unthinkable. LUST - Maximus noticed Violet when she entered the room. Now that she’s all grown up, his body took notice. She was always a beautiful girl, but now she was a woman and he wanted her. LIVE - Violet has had a crush on Maximus since she was twelve. She fantasized about being with him, but that fantasy turned into a nightmare and now she is forced to live with the consequences. LOVE - Violet had to live a lie, suffer immense loss, pay for her mistakes, and learn to live on her own terms. She now lives in a new city and is loving her life, that is, until she sees Maximus again. Can Violet and Maximus bury the past and allow love to flourish... Find out in TWISTED DEVOTION

Wrong Bride for the Billionaire


Danica Jackson - 2017
     David Pierce has taken over his family business, but his womanizing and partying are threatening to drive it into the ground. As a successful real estate tycoon, he's got more money than he knows what to do with, but risks losing everything after yet another scandal lands him in the tabloids. As handsome as he may be, Imani Jones finds herself repulsed by the crass businessman who treats women like objects. In need of money, she reluctantly agrees to work as his translator and accompanies him to the Ukraine. He's searching for a bride, believing a wife will convince the public that he's settling down and help restore his battered reputation. Imani finds that things may not be what they appear with David, however, and that there may be a good guy buried under his rough exterior. He's smitten with his beautiful translator, and although she tries to fight it, she soon finds herself developing feelings for him as well. Will she be able to resist the advances of the man she once viewed with such disdain? Things take an unexpected turn when jealousy rears its ugly head and a scorned redhead throws a monkey wrench into things. Will David and Imani find a way to make it work, or will another scandal be the end of their budding romance? **** This is a standalone full length BWWM romance novel with an HEA. ****

Cold: Daughter of Gaea


E.L. King - 2017
    Twenty-one-year-old Olive Trenton doesn't have much happening in her life aside from a temperamental friend who spends her free time antagonizing werewolf's, and another friend who when distracted may cause the second world flood. Given the job of managing these two trouble makers, she spends her time preventing near disasters and completing her homework. Despite the pressures of making sure her races identity remains a secrete on a campus filled with paranormal beings, she's managing just find, until a cold eyed Lycan by the name of Lucian Siriano enters her life claiming she is his mate. She may be more special then she knows... The minute Lucian Siriano lays his eyes on Olive, he knows she's the one for him. She is the key to giving him the power to compete against others for the title of Alpha in his pack. The only problem is, she insists she isn't the one and that they could never be. Lucian will not allow her to run from him, and has no choice but to show her that there is no other that could bring the same cold hit. In the eyes of the domineering and terrifying a Lucian Siriano, Olive will find her life thrown on its head, as she is dragged into a world she wasn't groomed for and forced to experience the coldest passion at the hands of the Lycan Heir. Will she break or will she fight the cold?

A Hood Love So Real


J. Dominique - 2019
    It’s available right here for your reading pleasure. In this riveting kindle romance, you’ll take an unforgettable ride with J. Dominique. Her writing is very clever, and this story is unputdownable. ***WARNING*** This is not your typical, Urban Romance, Dope Boy, Thug Love, or Kingpin Savage book. Heart pounding. Nail biting. Gritty. That insecure love. Skyy’s possession is few but the one thing she does have in this world is love. She and her boyfriend, Ren, have created a quaint but beautiful life together. What they lack in material things, Skyy is certain they make up for by sharing a genuine and transparent love that can only come from the heart. However, sometimes the grass on our side of the fence only appears green because it’s a façade. This is the lesson Skyy learns when she discovers that Ren has been keeping secrets and his loyalty was nothing more than a lie. Heartbroken and alone, Skyy finds that starting over is often easier said than done. She finds herself at rock bottom, wadding in the valley of misery. However, the wonderful thing about being at the bottom, the great thing about crawling in the valley, is there’s only one place to go-UP. Hood is currently living his best life and enjoying the spoils afforded to him from being the boss of a lucrative and growing drug empire. When Skyy stumbles into his life he’s immediately skeptical but intrigued by the young beauty. In the beginning, he tries to deny his growing feelings for her and goes to great lengths to keep her away. He can’t afford to lose himself in a woman, that he’s not certain he can be the man she needs and deserves. He doesn’t want to fall for her but the heart wants what it wants and Hood finds himself no longer able to fight the inevitable. Will he be able to let go of his player ways and give Skyy a love so real their story will be a Hood Love that resounds in history or will he end up being the biggest heartbreak of her life?

The Double Life


Nia Wilson - 2016
    The restraining order she took out on him’s not worth the paper it's printed on. With him watching her every move, claiming she’s still his, she’s afraid of what he’ll do. She’s afraid for her life. Handsome and mysterious, next-door neighbor Derek Rossi has a sexy Russian accent and a killer body. He’s also got a beautiful, young son with an impressive talent for music, and the two of them become an unshakeable part of Joy’s life. But secrets can kill. That’s what they say, and it must be true because bodies start piling up every time Derek’s near. Soon, Joy realizes that even though Derek sets her bed on fire, he’s on a path to burn her entire world to the ground. Has Joy made the same mistake twice? Has she trusted the wrong man? Who is the real Derek, and what Dark secrets is he hiding? "The Double Life" is a stand alone novel, full of twists and turns and a Happily-Ever-After.

The Right Kinda Hood (book 1 & 2)


K.C. Mills - 2020
    His past life experiences have made him the man he is today. It was never glamorous but it was necessary. Forced to be the man of the house at a young age, East has always handled business and family before anything. Settling down with one woman, has never fit into the hierarchy of his needs.Joi loves hard and at times too much. Her loyalty has kept her in a relationship with a man who does not value her as he should, but with no evidence of any wrong doing, Joi cannot bring herself to leave. Having something at the end of the day is better than nothing and Joi only has gut feelings.Joi’s best friend, Nyelle is all about her son. After news of her long time boyfriend’s infidelities comes out in the worst way, she is no longer concerned with a relationship. Taking care of home and making sure her son is happy is her only focus.In Vega’s mind it will always be loyalty over anything. That mind frame caused him to lose three years of his life. Now that he is home, Vega’s way of thinking has changed. No longer concerned with the fast life, Vega is ready to try something different.Each of these four have their own insecurities and doubts that they have to work through in order to see what’s in front of them. Each guarded for their own reasons, they must decide if the potential benefits of a new relationship outweigh the risks. Will they decide to take that leap or will the past stand in the way of what could a beautiful future?

Chasing Di'Maggio


Elisabeth - 2015
    Their families want them to marry for the sake of Matty’s dying Grandma... Now it’s simple really; all they have to do is get married and pretend to be a couple in love. There goes that word “love.” The question at hand is do they love each other or is it one-sided? Matty’s problem is that he’s in love with Nico, and Nico’s problem is that she’s in love with Matty, so why is it so hard for them to believe that they have to go through with this? Because they are two people who are in love with each other but hiding it from one another, making their journey much more difficult than it should be. What do you get when you mix Nico’s vibrant, happy, smiling personality with Matty’s angry, annoyed, dominating personality? ... Let the chasing being.

Indecent Pawn


K.K. Harris - 2015
    This man swooped in and saved her when her life was near an all-time low. Growing up in foster care, the finest of things was never within her reach. Meeting Derek Myers was like a dream come true until reality struck. The wealthy and successful don’t always have it all together. The monster within her dear husband reared its ugly head before the ink was dry on the marriage certificate. Violence, cruelty, and humiliation makes fighting for independence a bust seeing she had no one to turn to for guidance nor assistance. One dreadful night rocked her world to the core being snatched from her home and introduced to a man far more dangerous than her husband could ever dream of being. The man whose last name she carried had just sold her soul to the devil. For what purpose would be later determined.

A Trillion To One


Chenell Parker - 2019
    Growing up in Mississippi with the bare minimum was nothing compared to my life in New Orleans. Aside from my drug addicted mother trying to sell my virginity for crack, and having no one to depend on but me, I ended up in a relationship with the devil himself. Vaughn seemed like any woman’s dream man in the beginning of our relationship but it didn’t take very long for Viper to show up. With no money and no place to go, I had to endure years of cheating and beatings. I didn’t think that things could get any worse but, boy, was I proven wrong. When the police kicked down our door and took us both to jail, all hope was lost, along with my faith in the system. The dark clouds of life just kept following me around and I was tired of being rained on. I was always told that there was something better out there for me and, thank God, somebody’s prayers for me were finally being answered. I swore that I was done with love and relationships but fate had other plans for me. It’s not easy to find a man to love you through your pain. A man who loves you, flaws and all. A man who always puts you first. But I did. Me, Amore, or “his Love”, as he always called me. What are the odds of finding a man who’s not what you want but turns out to be everything that you need? I’ve never been a gambling woman but even I know that the odds of that happening are a trillion to one.

Private Property (A Dangerously Curvy Novella Book 1)


M'Renee Allen - 2019
    She’s dangerously curvy. Having her around could possibly destroy everything he’s worked hard for. Yet, he can’t seem to stay away from her. Former hitman, Constantine Novinkoff is close to paying off his debts to his former boss. Soon, he’ll be able to retire from a life of crime. Then in walks temptation. Her name is Cristal Dawson and she’s nothing like the women he’s used to. She challenges him at every turn. Her smart mouth makes him want to kiss her until she can’t speak. Her curvy figure haunts him when he’s awake and when he’s asleep.Yet, it’s the sadness he sometimes witnesses in her gaze that makes him want to claim her. It makes him want to protect her. It makes him want to find out who hurt her in her past so he can destroy that person and everyone that person loves. The sadness in her pretty brown eyes makes him want to protect her from the cold hard world.For her, he’s willing to do all that and more.But first, she must agree to belong to him and only him. ~Warning: This BWWM Romantic Suspense features a mob lifestyle and contains violence and graphic scenes. This book was previously part of the Obsessive Temptation boxset. Proceed with caution. ~ More books that feature characters from this mafia world... The Going Nowhere Fast series. The Dangerously Curvy series.

Distorted Truth


Autumn Stone - 2018
    I was the much loved son of a criminal family being groomed to take over the business with my brother. There was no room for a girl like her in my dangerous life. But, I wanted her. Sienna He was the boy that I loved my entire life. He had golden eyes, and dark hair and I wished that I could be his. Our story is a story of love, loss, heartbreak , and reconciliation. Reader Warning: This story has some scenes related to child abuse, violence, and a teensy hint of a swingers' lifestyle. If you can handle it, read on! This is a BWWM Interracial Billionaire romance. Love the book? Leave a review! Distracted Love, The Destructive Love Series, Book 2 will be released soon. Sign up for the newsletter to stay in the loop! We discover Dante and Cree's story

Let Me Set You Straight


May Rose Maxwell - 2018
    Jayla Davis is a school teacher, girl next door who above all else values the private, quiet life she's built for herself. Their worlds couldn't be further apart. When a publicity stunt goes wrong and America's Sweetheart accuses Dane of assault, Jayla finds herself with the only piece of evidence that could clear his name. Jayla might be able to set the world straight when it comes to Dane, but when Dane decides he wants a very permanent place in her life, who's going to do the same for Jayla's heart? Will he be able to persuade her that he's worth taking a chance on? Will she be brave enough to open up to him, and all that comes with his celebrity status? Guaranteed HEA. No Cheating.

Shattered Lives


T.M. Pigatt - 2017
    I love women, all different types. I love the way it feels when I’m pounding into them. I love hearing them scream my name but most of all I love when they go home.” Is how CEO of Maxwell Publishing, Charles Maxwell, thinks. He’s never had a woman turn him down. That’s until he meets Samantha Clarkson. Samantha Clarkson is a woman who's running from her past. She keeps running until she runs right into Charles Maxwell. She does everything she can to stick to the first lesson she learned; men can't be trusted. Unfortunately, Charles isn't your normal man.