Book picks similar to
The Way My Heart Is Built by Nikki Brown


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No Better Love 2: Hennessey and Santana


Diamond D. Johnson - 2017
    Hennessy now knows about his child that’s been here for four years now. How does a man who just spent five years in prison take news like that? How can his baby mother be the same woman that sent him away to prison in the first place? Hazel is now a part of Hennessy’s life and he doesn’t know the first thing to do with a child. What about Santana? It’s not a good feeling to see the love of your life have an offspring with a woman that you’ve despised for years. Hennessy and Santana have that kind of love that everybody craves for because their level of history makes their union so special. We thought that the perfect relationship was when you started off as friends but that might not always be true because it’s looking like Santana and Hennessy just can’t seem to get it right.

Issa Hood Love Story: Carlee & Macklin


Dani Littlepage - 2018
    Some may cause us our lives and other’s may be non- threating but, one of the mistakes that has been repeatedly made by a woman was dating the wrong the man and, Carlee Jackson was no exception. Carlee, a college graduate and girlfriend of up and coming boss, Vonn, was with him when he didn’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of. When they first stated dating, Vonn wasn’t fit to be with Carlee. He couldn’t even afford to take her to the movies but, instead of tossing him to the side, she stuck by him. Giving him the startup money for his business, things started looking up for Vonn. After she graduated college, the couple was living the good life and nothing could bring them down. That was until Vonn abandoned her with a car full of drugs and a dirty gun, leaving her to take the fall. When Carlee didn’t think Vonn could betray her again, she learned that he married her best friend, Sienna. With revenge on her mind, she reached out to the only man who had reached out to her while she was in prison. Macklin, her ole fling. While was with Vonn, Mack meet Carlee her junior year of college. Mack spent a year trying to convince Carlee that Vonn wasn’t the man for her but, she wasn’t willing to leave him. After a year of being her side piece, Carlee cut him off but, Mack never stopped caring for her. Finding out that she was in jail, Macklin wrote her every month while she was in prison offering her a helping hand if and when she needed it. After four and half years of sending letters, Carlee finally reached out to him asking for help. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to be in her life again, Macklin was prepared to do any and everything for Carlee. With Mack on a mission to win Carlee’s heart, Carlee puts him on a ninety-day trial to see if he was willing to ride with her through the rest of her bid or if he was just all talk. Will Macklin win the heart of the woman he always wanted to be with? Will Carlee be able to keep her guard up for the entire ninety-day trial? Find out the answer to these questions and a whole more in the hood love story of Carless and Macklin.

GUTTA (GUTTA SERIES)


Redd . - 2012
    He feels that his charm and the power of the "D" will be the answers to Charlene Wilson and Keyshia Green’s every prayer. Little does he know that Charlene has a few hidden secrets of her own that will bring more drama into the mix than Marcus has ever seen in his entire lifetime.Marcus’s girlfriend, Keyshia Green does whatever ...whenever...however ...anything to please her precious Marcus. She’s invested her time and plenty of effort to do whatever it takes to keep her man around. She is determined to win in the end but at what cost?Marcus definitely is wanting to have all his birthday cake and two scoops of ice cream on the side....besides he knows that neither Keyshia nor Charlene ain't going anywhere with all that good mind blowing sex that he’s putting on both of them. The only thing is he never thought of the consequences that would take place after all of his mind games.Things begin to spiral out of control and his world suddenly is turned upside down. What do you do when your back is against the wall? How do you handle drama that you never believed imaginable? Who do you turn to when you find out that your world is slowly but surely becoming down right GUTTA?

I Jus' Wanna Leave This Nigga


Mesha Mesh - 2015
    She was brought up to believe that no matter what you stick by him, even if it means that he cheats, or beats you to a bloody pulp. Lyric falls in love with a man who she thought was her Prince Charming. Ty helped her get through one of the most traumatic events in her life and she feels that she owes him. At the time when he met her she was on the verge of going crazy, lost all hope, and had given up on life. He stepped in when she had no one else in the world and helped build her up, only to tear her back down.He fulfilled all of her heart’s desires with every materialistic thing she could think of. From romantic dinners, to shopping sprees, to the big fancy home that she always knew she would have. All was good in their relationship up until the night they got married. On that night, she was faced with an ugly truth about her husband that she didn’t see coming. Lyric realized then that God answered her prayers and she got everything that she wanted except the one thing that mattered the most… A loving husband!Ty is the guy every woman wants to have. He’s handsome, successful, and most of all, a ladies man. What the women don’t know about him though, is that Ty is a womanizer, a woman beater, and a spoiled brat. He feels that everything should go his way and if it doesn’t he has no problem taking things out on his gorgeous wife with his fists.Blessing, her best friend’s brother, has loved Lyric since they were kids, and he wants nothing more than to have her as his. His thuggish demeanor and handsome looks draw women to him, but he only wants Lyric. Will Lyric leave before it’s too late?Will Blessing be the man she always wanted?orWill Ty seek help to save his marriage and keep his wife?

A Real Boss Snatched My Heart


Sephiri J. - 2018
    For years, she put her all into her man, but his disrespect and disregard for her true worth has left her hurt and emotionally scarred. Determined never to be made a fool again, she is desperate to find a job and stand on her own two feet. But her world is turned upside down when she meets Amell Moss. Amell is powerful and intimidating, feared by most people who cross his path. All his time is spent running a national chain of clubs that he uses as a front for a multi-million-dollar drug business, so love is the last thing on his mind. His focus is on his business and exposing the snakes around him who only want to see him fail. But when he meets Leah, he’s immediately drawn to her fearless demeanor and beautiful spirit. And Leah can’t deny the intense magnetism she feels for Amell. Will they find the love that they’ve both been missing in each other? Or will those around them end their chance at love before it can even begin? Find out in this hood love story bursting with lies, betrayal, secrets, and most of all, the pursuit of real love.

You Could Do Damage


C. Monet - 2018
    Big sister and guardian of her family, she is thrown to the world without a harness, no guidance, and no help. Dahlia is not afraid to get her hands dirty or do the unthinkable to make sure her and her sister aren't separated. Love is foreign and get it by any means reigns supreme for her. Raising her sister was her only concern, but as her sister Deja prepares to set sail on her own journey, Dahlia is forced to focus on picking up the pieces and finding her own way. What was supposed to be a favor for his little brother turns into so much more as Ty'Key spends time peeling back the layers of Dahlia Starks. Ty' Key Patterson is handsome, strong, and willing to suffer the catastrophe of any damage Dahlia brings his way as long as she is. Both alike in so many ways, they run into different situations that could not only damage them personally but damage a long-standing friendship. Will they be able to clean up the damage or crumble like ashes scattered amongst the rubbish?

Kailani and Bishop: A Case of the Exes


B. Love - 2016
    LOVE'S FIRST URBAN SERIES IN STANDALONE FORM. When Kailani’s first love, Courtney, was sentenced to seven to fifteen years in prison, he did the noble thing and cut all ties with her. After trying and failing to have any type of contact with him, Kailani finally gave up. He knew she didn’t deserve to do his time with him and she wasn’t built for that type of lifestyle, but that didn’t keep Kailani from resenting Courtney, holding onto him and loving him even more because of his selflessness. After ten whole years, Kailani’s broken heart still only beats for Courtney. She has never given any other man his place in her heart and life until she meets Bishop. Over the course of a few days, Bishop makes Kailani forget any loyalty she held for Courtney and she finally decides to give a new man a chance. Bishop, however, has been keeping a secret from Kailani. Not only does he know Courtney, but he also did six years in prison with him! When Courtney is free, Kailani is left with the ultimate case of the ex.

A Real One Turned Me Out


Shameka Jones - 2019
    Broken, hurt, and homeless, her best friend, Kenji, comes to her rescue. Not willing to sit back and watch her friend hurt, Kenji offers to take her on a vacation to Cancun for Spring Break. A vacation could be just the thing she needs to get her head back in the game. Or, it could be the worst mistake she has ever made. Kenji is stuck between a rock and a hard place. She’s been talking to Silk for a year, and he is still not ready to commit. Over the excuses, Kenji is ready to soak up some sun in Cancun. Cancun proves to be more than she had planned, especially when she runs into the rapper Houston. Could Houston be the guy for Kenji, or will Silk finally step up to the plate? Silk loves Kenji more than she realizes, but his lifestyle prevents him from expressing it. Feeling the pull back from Kenji, he knows that he has to man up—and soon. The only problem with manning up is that he has to be completely honest with Kenji. But honesty comes with a secret that has been haunting him for years. Will Silk open his heart to get the woman he loves, or will he let his secret trump his happiness? Laxton is a chill type of guy, so when his rowdy ex comes back around trying to regain her position, he quickly takes Houston up on his offer to travel to Cancun. When Laxton lays eyes on Canary, it is love at first sight, and he wastes no time letting her know that. The problem is, his ex is desperately trying to insert herself back into his life. Will Laxton act on his feelings for Canary, or will he go back to what feels warm and familiar?

A Taste of Honey


Darren Coleman - 2007
    Forced by events that leave her to fend for herself as a teenager, she evolves into a money-hungry vixen as an adult. Using her physical attributes to lead a suspect lifestyle, Honey treats men like toys—good for a while, but always disposable.That is until she meets handsome and charismatic Khalil Graves, an up-and-coming filmmaker who's desperately trying to escape the demons of his painful childhood. Already engaged, Khalil can't seem to shake his attraction to Honey. What he doesn't realize is that he's a pawn in Honey's plan for revenge.Honey's attempt at vengeance quickly unravels, complicated by her possible involvement in a murder and a devious plot to score a payday lucrative enough to free her from her unsavory lifestyle.In A Taste of Honey, Essence bestselling author Darren Coleman delivers another sizzling, drama-filled tale that is sure to take his reputation for delivering page-turners to another level.

A Love That Melted A Capo's Cold Heart


Miss Jenesequa - 2021
    

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.

Fallin' For A Boss's Love


Misha - 2018
    Unlike most her age, all she does is go to school and work, to help her mother pay bills, and take care of her younger sister, Khadijah. On her 23rd birthday, her friend Priya persuades her to go to the club for the first time. Yani encounters a man who seems like all the others, but she’ll find out that may not be the case. Handsome, aspiring rapper, Ramello, is a no-nonsense kind of man. He takes his love of music serious, and refuses to let a woman stand in the way of his career. Meeting Yani, he finds a woman that is not all about being with him for what he can do for her. They hit it off, but his past starts to interfere with what they can be. After shutting Ramello down at the club, he runs into her while she’s at work and shoots his shot again. This time Yani notices that he’s a sight for sore eyes, and finally agrees to go out with him. Mello has this cool, calm, and collected demeanor that wins her heart over, but women from his single life start to stand in the way. They’re popping up at shows and wanting to fight inside of clubs. Yani is a hard woman to crack, but will Ramello be able to open her heart? Will he be able to show her that all men aren’t the same, or will he end up proving her theory correct?

Upgraded To Wifey Status


Twyla T. - 2018
    However, life steps in and derails their happily ever after train. His street life. Her attorney life. Less communication. More arguments. Exes. New interests. All of these play a role in pushing the couple further apart instead of together. Goo and Candy are strong alphas and don't take any mess from anyone. However, is their love strong enough to survive the catalysts and chaos surrounding them? Will they ever get back onto the happily ever after train? Or, is life as they know it will be lived separately with other people? Get updated on familiar characters and get introduced to new characters in this new blazing urban romance by best-selling authors Twyla T and Patrice Balark.

Flexin' On My Ex with A Boss


Jenica Johnson - 2018
    While she’s holdin’ it down, is her man really grindin’ or cheatin’? Yahria aka Yah-Yah was a hood chick that didn’t mind fighting for what she loved. Growing up without both of her parents, she was a product her environment. She was raised by her grandmother and was the girlfriend to the newest up and coming dopeboy. Putting her life on hold, Yahria made sure her man’s needs came first while she lagged behind with his promises to make sure she was straight. After one drunken night, she discovers her intuition was right all along. Subashtian aka Bash isn’t your average dude. He dresses different, he acts different, and he spends his money different. To the human eye, he’s not a boss but the people close to him know what and who he is. Bash took a big loss, and it made him hide in a shell. He promised to never open up to anyone else besides his family. He thought he had everything planned out until destiny linked him with his opposite. Bash likes his women calm and lady-like until he meets Yah-Yah. Can opposites attract or will they clash because they are from two different worlds?

Queen of the Trap Toledo


Hydiea - 2018
    The degree’s and lifestyle they had planned for her was decent, but it wasn’t what she wanted. GiGi wanted more. She was born in Maumee, Ohio on the outskirts of the Toledo, which was also known as the Mud. She was tired of the wealthy lifestyle that she was born into; she wanted excitement, drama, and action. Tecumseh gave GiGi exactly what she was craving, plus some. She began running the whole city at the age of 18, not because that’s what she wanted to do, but because she was on a mission to avenge the death of the love of her life. Flex was gone, and she was determined to keep his name alive through her. He wasn’t alive to check niggas, so she quickly filled those shoes for him. If they didn’t know about GiGi, if they haven’t heard about GiGi, they better ask somebody! She’s nothing to be played with!