Book picks similar to
Own Son by D.E. Eliot


family-drama
urban-historical-romance-fiction
african-american-literature
authors-of-colour

A Thin Line Between Lust and Hate


N'Dia Rae - 2018
     Life hasn’t always been easy for Chantè Sheppard. Growing up with an emotionally abusive mother, absent father and quirky personality left her ridiculed and teased when she was younger. Desperate to be perfect and become the most successful woman of her dreams, she buckled down and became a prominent attorney. Despite her career success, her love life has always severely lacked. When her fiancè of two years calls off their engagement, she decides that his life is no longer worth living. But a year later, she attempts at finding new love with someone from her past, Qassim. Things with Qassim go well at first but then take a dark turn. Chantè is obsessive with his entire being and will stop at nothing to make him hers. A Thin Line Between Lust and Hate is twisted, gut wrenching tell of obsession, love and drama. This is one book, you won’t be able to put down. This book also includes a bonus book.

Issa Hood Love Story: Bailey & Bash


Anna Black - 2018
    He had a rule not to marry or fall in love while he was in the game but, now that that was all behind him, he was ready and looking for a life partner and, from the very first moment that he laid eyes on Bailey Burnett, he knew instantly that she was the one. Bailey, young, smart and beautiful, belongs to Andre and she is no longer happy being his live-in girlfriend. The fact that he lies and is never home is evident that he’s entertaining another woman, but Bailey is in no position to leave him. She gave up her career to play house wifey to a man that still hadn’t proposed in over eight years. Fed up and tired of being misused, she meets her new neighbor Bash and is instantly attracted to him, and it doesn’t take long for her to desire him. An absent Andre gives Bailey an open invitation to get to know Bash and it doesn’t take the two long to discover the chemistry that they share. No matter how much the two of them try to keep their feelings at bay, they can’t resist falling in love with each other. The heart wants what the heart wants and Bash decides to give his heart to Bailey and, in the end, they both decide to be together by any means necessary.

The Family that Lies: Merci Restored


Lakisha Johnson - 2019
    Three years ago, Merci realized she’d been a part of something much bigger than she ever could have imagined. Sure, every family has their secrets, hidden truths and ties but Merci had no idea she’d been born into the family that lies ... without caring who it hurts! Now, years later, Merci finds herself in the midst of grief, a new baby and marriage while still learning how to pick up the broken pieces of her life. All while Melvin is still raising hell! In this special edition of The Family that Lies, there will be questions answered and new drama but I have to warn you ... there will also be tragedy, hurt and of course LIES!

The Fist That Bound Me: A Stand Alone Novel


Trinity Dekane - 2017
    When Greg's abuse damn near kills Jade her sisters Corrina and Telissa step in and remove her from the home. As Jade deals with her hurtful past and her current abusive relationship she is introduced to a new way of life and new friends. She seems to adjust well to her new environment, but when the past starts to reel its ugly head Jade fights to stand her ground. Will she follow her heart and move forward or will she be snatched back into the depths of hell!

Loving the Hendersons


Synithia Williams - 2016
    You'll fall in love, too!Love's Replay: David Henderson is so desperate to stop his father from selling their family's auto dealership, he'll even marry to prove he's serious about the future. Enter ex-lover Sandra Miller, who is back in town to help her successful business career. Too bad those prospects hang on partnering with David, the man who once crushed her heart. Will the mistrust and jealousy that tore them apart before prevent a replay of their rekindled love?Just My Type: Janiyah Henderson enjoys her stress-free post-college life, but when her dad insists she can't handle a "real job," she's determined to prove him wrong. Her high-spirited ways clash with the conservative instincts of her new boss, accountant Fredrick Jenkins, yet attraction brews between them. When Fredrick shows Janiyah the man behind the numbers, she realizes she could be just the type of woman he needs.Making It Real: After five years in prison, Kareem Henderson is on the right track as a barber, with a goal to open a high-end salon. But he needs society connections to make his dream a reality. Patrice "Neecie" Baldwin, needs a shield to return home, so she offers Kareem a deal: Pretend to be her fiance, and she'll introduce him to her well-healed relatives. But as they grow closer, this fake relationship might become something very real.From One Night to Forever: When trucker Aaron Henderson rolls into Reliant, Tennessee, for business, a singing beauty at a bar stirs feelings he's long forgotten. Then his one-night stand turns out to be his new partner's baby sister. When Kacey Randal learns that Aaron's working with her brother and has a list of conquests as high as his big rig's mileage, she's ready to pretend their night together never happened. But the fire burns hot between these two--can Kacey tame Aaron's roaming ways to go from one night to forever?Sensuality Level: Sensual

Wicked & Mecca 2: A Snow & Wynter Spinoff


Bianca Marie - 2017
    Will trust tear these two apart or will it bond them forever? With Wicked being shot and the culprits still on the run he's at a standstill trying to figure out his next move. As he starts to heal from his gunshot wounds things with him & Mecca seem to get better. At least that’s what he thinks, until he’s exposed to the truth and is shocked to find out Mecca isn’t as innocent as she claims to be. Mecca has never been stable in life. She went from being controlled by men to branching out and finding her passion. Finding her voice gave her a newfound freedom but it also caused her to do some unsavory things. The love she has for Wicked is undeniable but the love she has for her freedom is just as undeniable. A couple nights of fun caused her to make some bad decisions. When things hit the fan she doesn’t know if she can come back from it. Classie’s past has caught up with her causing her to reveal her sordid past. Her secrets may have caused her and her friends their lives. It’s the survival of the fittest in Classie’s mind as she tries to find away back to the love of her life. Zay has a lot of issues he’s dealing with right now. Feeling less than a man because someone took his girl & he did nothing but stand there. The horrible memory plagues his mind daily as he wonders about Classie’s whereabouts. As an old face on the streets he doesn’t have the clout he use to have but he’s determine to get his girl back. These two couple’s go through the up’s, down’s to figure out is love enough. There will be some heartbreak, some fights, some forgiveness, and even death. But who will come out on top & in the end does love always win?

Can't Love What I Don't Trust


Khara Campbell - 2015
    She struggles to provide for the kids, working a dead-end job while going to school. Stuck in a meaningless relationship, which only involved midnight creeps into her bed, she ends things with Darius in hopes for something better in life. Just when Cassandra isn't looking for anything or anyone, that's when Marco comes along; he's handsome, a great father to his son, and a business owner. Marco's had his share of women and often juggled relationships, but upon meeting Cassandra, his desire is kindled and he has to fight against wanting anything more than just a casual thing. With each day, they both fight the obvious; they want each other. A night of forbidden passion leads them into bed together; they soon wind up going back and forth, as Cassandra begins to date Damian to distract her from the one she really wants--Marco. The attraction is strong and the chemistry is explosive--will their efforts to ignore their hearts' desire trump love, or will they finally give in to what is obviously meant to be?

Savage Holiday


Richard Wright - 1994
    Naked and accidentally locked out of his apartment, he inadvertently causes a boy to fall to his death. Driven by guilt and by a compulsion to conceal his involvement, Fowler befriends the boy's mother. Yet his self-destructive rages to redeem himself lead to mayhem. This is Richard Wright's only published work with no black characters. He was unsure about how his readers would react to this bravely experimental novel. Shying away from the racial problem he depicted in his other works, he writes here a riveting study in psychological fiction. It deserves to be regarded anew as work from a master.

Rugged


Shay Violet - 2020
    All I know is that when she died, she left behind a significant amount of land...and family secrets. I came to the Nevada desert to bury a woman I barely knew and to make peace with the past. I wasn’t searching for answers, or meaning, or love. Still, I found all three in him. Strong and powerful, he is as untamable as this wild landscape. He speaks to me as if we’ve known one another all our lives. And when he touches me, I can think of nothing except his rough hands and protective embrace. But my great-grandmother wasn’t the only one keeping secrets. Someone doesn’t want me to learn the truth, and they’re willing to do anything to keep me from calling this place home.

Color Me, You


Aubreé Pynn - 2019
    In a world full of women with none at all, he is in no rush to give his attention to anything less than the vision of the woman he envisions. More than positive that he would never find the woman of his dreams, she unexpectedly crosses his sight. With his focus shifted, he stops at nothing to emerge himself in her presence, if it's only for a night. Hasina Payton is all about her business and she finds herself with no business at all. Trying to regroup her life, she takes a leap of faith that lands her in the right position for everything she never knew she needed. Giving her new life a jumpstart with the support of her friends, she finds that there is much more waiting on her than success. Now that Jamie has seen her and she's denied his entry into her life, the game is on and no bets are off the table. With Jamie on a mission to make Hasina his own and Hasina setting her eyes on the prize, will they find the colors they're looking for or will the paint run dull on this canvas of love? Find out in Color Me, You.

A Staten Island Love Letter 3: The Forgotten Borough


Jahquel J. - 2019
    Will Zeek's luck finally run out? Did Priest murder Zoe, or has Zoe escaped death to live another day? With everything going on, Priest hasn't had a moment to check in with his nieces. When he finds out that his niece has a baby with the enemy, will he turn a blind eye, or will he push Kiss out there with the wolves? Kiss witnessed her uncle shooting her baby's father and doesn't know how to get past everything. Does Kiss decide to cut her uncle, or does she choose family over everything?Free is left with the decision of what to do with her newfound pregnancy. Should she abort the baby or lie to Ghost about everything? With Georgia in the back of her mind, she's ready to move back to where she once felt safe. One problem; she doesn't know how to tell Ghost without him getting in his feelings. Does Freedom decide to move back without Ghost? Or does Ghost put his foot down and demand she stays in Staten Island?Liberty's secret about her son is out and she doesn't know how to process everything. With Staten now looking at her different, she starts to back pedal with drugs. All her hard work goes down the drain once she finds solace in her newfound escape from it all. Will Liberty's past be too much for Staten to handle?Justice is trying to balance out life with Priest. With Marisol constantly at her neck, she doesn't know if they'll last. When Priest asks Justice to move in with him, she accepts the offer. With a baby mama who is out for blood, will Marisol finally get her wish and break the couple apart?Everyone is wide awake when it comes to the forgotten borough. With rivals at each other's necks, bitter baby mamas and relationships on the rocks, who knows if these couple's relationships will survive? Staten Island, here's my letter to you...

Main Chick vs Side Bitch 1: African American Romance


Solae Dehvine - 2015
    With his main girl Kierra Lawrence by his side, DeWayne rules the town. Sneaking in and out of beds but DeWayne was always about to slither his way out of any whorish problem he got himself into. DeWayne and Kiara had their share of ups and downs from women to extra kids but they always stayed together until Ariane came along. Kiara is a lawyer with money and brains but Ariane has a body with hustle and street smarts and with DeWayne mixed in, disaster isn't far behind. There is no way to stop the madness and with DeWayne caught in the world wind, the women have no choice but to fight for the love of their life, but at what cost? Find out in Main Chick vs. Side Bitch

Hood Luvin' From A White Boy 2


Sha Jones - 2019
    However, when Diamond, the stripper that was only supposed to be a one night stand unexpectedly gets pregnant, she refuses to let go of Javo. Not wanting to lose Mahogany, Javo hides the pregnancy, but just like the old saying goes, “What’s done in the dark will come to light.” Mahogany has been through mishaps, including miscarriages, heartbreak, and betrayal. Every man she meets hurts her, leaving her to pick up the pieces to her broken heart, but Javo convinces her to take another chance on love. Unfortunately, when Diamond finds out about the new love affair between the two of them, all hell breaks loose! Will Mahogany reflect on all of her past failed relationships and let Javo go to protect her already wounded heart, or will she stick it out with him and a child that might not be his? Find out in the second installment to Sha Jones’ latest love story.

Hidden From View


Gill D. Anderson - 2019
    He was born without a conscience and remorse is an alien concept. Will he ever find out the truth about the past that shaped who he really is?Cassie refuses to live up to the expectations of her family, instead choosing to have fun with her flat mates and go home with various deviant men.Her best friend, Lisette, on the other hand, just wants a quiet predictable life with her steady boyfriend Jarred. But can Lisette find a way to fix their mediocre love life?Police Sergeant Lynn Gough knows exactly what she wants – and that’s her childhood crush Pete. The only thing getting in the way is his fiancée, Tamika. Lynn knows about Tamika’s dirty secrets however, and will stop at nothing to get rid of her.Rita wants children, but her husband Lewis is not so sure. Rita’s traumatic childhood continues to impact her relationships as an adult. While she battles with her inner demons, Lewis finds other ways of occupying his time. Will Rita learn to address the past to save her future?Explore how sex, lies and love impact our complex web of relationships, and discover how deeply our choices can impact others.

Joyful Noise: The Hot Mess Choir


She Nell - 2018
    She must pull together four choirs that hate each other for her husband, Pastor Myron Jones’ Pastor’s Anniversary Celebration. The Holy Missionary Mass Choir is filled with characters like Shonda, a single mother of six trying to keep her oldest son alive. Then there’s Donnell, the church playboy who is torn between three women. And no one can forget Mother Willie Mae Odell; whose sole mission in life is to take down Lady Deidra and the choir. First Lady Deidra Jones has a Hot Mess on her hands but will God be able to bring them all together or will they crash and burn like fire and brimstone?