Book picks similar to
Live and Learn by Niobia Bryant


urban-fiction
fiction
african-american
african-american-fiction

Yo Yo Love


Daaimah S. Poole - 2000
    She's also babelicious, with ginger-colored skin and more curves than the Liberty Bell. But if Kayla's all that, how come she can't find the one thing she's gotta have: "The One. Someone jonezing for me… someone to chill with, lay up under, and be around."When Kayla sets off on a manhunt for Mr. Right, she finds herself hooking up with every hustler, nut, and fast-talking player in Philadelphia. There's Emar, the basketball hotshot who makes his best moves off-court; good-looking Terry, who gets downright scary during a weekend in Jersey; and Reese, who'd be da bomb if he'd only drop his white girlfriend. But it's Kayla's relationship with smooth and sexy Wil that really rocks her world and teaches her how to fight for a man—and for her own independence. For love doesn't get truly crazy until it's the real thing… and the only people who don't get played are the ones who stay out of the game.Featuring the frank and feisty viewpoint of a modern, streetwise young woman, Yo Yo Love is edgy, uncensored, and wildly entertaining. It's a tour de force that tells it like it is… and tells it all.

Inside Rain


Monique D. Mensah - 2010
    After witnessing her mother s gruesome murder as a child, she is now left piecing together the fragments of her shattered psyche as an adult. Quickly, she is drowning in years of frustration and confusion with no promise of relief. Sinister visions and undying spirits haunt Rain relentlessly, driving her deeper into darkness and lunacy. Rain s grandmother, GiGi, tries her best to help Rain face the truth, urging her to confront her past, but the past is too painful it s easier to hide. As Rain struggles desperately to define herself, she's forced to brave her live-in siblings: a violent and narcissistic brother, Danny, who resents her weakness and Carmen, her promiscuous and hostile older sister, who wishes Rain would disappear. In her fragile mental state, Rain is ill-equipped to handle the chaos of their ruptured lives. When Rain, Carmen, and Danny are submerged into the horrors of prostitution, drug-addiction, domestic violence, and murder, Rain is left alone to face her internal demons and find her identity, with no one to answer to, but herself.

BFF'S 2: Best Frenemies Forever Series


Brenda Hampton - 2015
    Their actions have shown how scheming they truly are. Of course, they are no more manipulative than Cedric, who lies in a hospital bed, clinging to life. The person who attempted to silence him is now behind bars, but just because one scorned woman is out of the picture, it doesn’t mean he’s in the clear. He may not be able to utilize his joystick for a while, but his millions are still in play. Evelyn is eager to get her hands on his money, and pregnant with his child, she envisions a bright future ahead. She has a serious need for greed—greed that also makes her hungry for Trina’s beau, Keith. He displays a deep concern for the troublesome BFF’s, but his involvement may have him confessing to Trina that whatever Evelyn wants, she will eventually get.

In Laws and Play Cousins


Robyn Gant - 2010
    Her childhood friend Tracie is a computer expert whose personal vendetta backfires. Eva is a jurist but uses men to hide her pain and mask her childhood tragedy, and her cousin Tina wears a sweet exterior but takes risks that threaten to jeopardize her professional career. Kevin and Aaron are sexy twins who go to great lengths to get the women they want; and Angelo, gorgeous and ambitious, lets nothing stand in his way to accomplish his career goals, even at the expense of friends.Pilar is a beautiful but naive orphan who overnight is catapulted to fame; and Denene, a woman scorned, is determined to wreak havoc in the lives of those she feels has wronged her in some way. From the heart of Los Angeles to the South of France, In Laws and Play Cousins tells a story about love and heartbreak, success and envy and the price it ultimately commands.

Blossom


Queen Pen - 2006
    Lavished with expensive jewelry, exotic getaways, and, most important, her first love, Blossom's life is transformed. But her fairy tale is quickly ended when a murder occurs -- meant for the two lovers -- and Dude's emotional pain and controlling temper cause him to change his attitude toward Blossom. Soon deceit casts a dark shadow over their relationship, and Blossom is left feeling abandoned and betrayed -- but still hopelessly in love. A portrait of life in urban black America, Blossom takes us on the rocky journey of falling in love with a street hustler, where tomorrow is never guaranteed -- even for Blossom, a woman full of such life and promise.

Nervous


Zane - 2003
    In Nervous, the New York Times bestselling queen of erotica brings us a tale of a woman with a split personality. Jonquinette has always been nervous around men, but on the weekends her alter ego, Jude, goes on intense sexual escapades. When Jonquinette seeks the help of Dr. Marcella Spencer, the psychiatrist Zane originated in her bestselling novel Addicted, Jude's response is to go on a sexual rampage. In the meantime, Jonquinette becomes interested in her new neighbor, Mason, but Jude has no intention of letting Jonquinette fall in love -- not when Jude's having so much fun. Based on a short story of the same title from her bestselling collection The Sex Chronicles, Nervous is classic Zane with an edge. So, relax, sit back. You're in for a nerve-tingling read.

A Down Chic


Mallori McNeal - 2005
    For a 17-year-old, Amina has a decent life. But after meeting her father and 23-year-old brother for the first time, things take a turn for the worse. Amina ends up alone, trying to fend for herself and save her boyfriend, Kayne, from 3 years in jail. Amina must prove her loyalty to Kayne, but can you be a Down Chick without being locked down yourself? This is a question that never crosses Amina’s mind, leading her to make the ultimate mistake of her life. Author Mallori McNeal began writing Down Chick at age 14, during the summer before she began her first year in high school. She completed Down Chick and was accepted for publishing at age 16. Mallori currently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Womanizers


Dwayne S. Joseph - 2004
    Original. 15,000 first printing.

Unfaithful


Devon Scott - 2008
    He's smart, successful, happily-married-and has the best of everything. But ambitious business executive Ryan can't stop thinking about the woman he can't have: Olivia. She's his friend, his co-worker...and his best friend Miles's wife. It only takes one irresistible moment, one luscious taste, to ignite their relationship into an insatiable fire... CAN BECOME YOUR WORST NIGHTMARES... But Ryan's erotic fantasies are slowly unraveling his career, marriage, and friendships as he discovers his mind-blowing tryst was nothing more than a treacherous charade. Now his obsession and sexual escapades threaten to ruin all he's worked so hard for, trapping him deeper into a web of illicit desire, deceit, and danger...

Pandora's Box


Allison Hobbs - 2002
    Her dreams are getting further and further from her grasp when a last chance record deal falls through. Crushed, Victoria sinks into a deep depression until an eviction notice galvanizes her. In her desperate, hasty job search she notices an ad for employment at Pandora's Box, a seedy massage parlor located in downtown Philadelphia. This establishment is opened twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Victoria is appalled by the behavior of both the clientele and the women that ruthlessly compete with one another for the clients’ business. Men come to Pandora’s Box to satisfy their kinky sexual desires. Compromising her morals and her dignity, Victoria repeats to herself that this is temporary. When a handsome, immaculately attired young man shows up one day as a client, her luck seems to change. He is immediately drawn to Victoria and a steamy love affair quickly ensues. But her job at Pandora’s Box complicates their affair. Sinking further into this sordid world, Victoria finds it difficult to climb out. That is, until crime is committed and someone ends up dead. Victoria is forced to confront her lifestyle and remember her dreams and values.

Criminal Minded


Tracy Brown - 2005
    When he meets Zion, a product of the New York City foster care and prison system, Lamin knows that he has meet the perfect partner in crime. Together, they build a huge narcotics empire.Then, Lamin falls hard for a beautiful girl named Lucky. Lucky makes Lamin realize that there is more to life than cash and more cash. When Lamin goes legit with a career in the entertainment industry, Zion tries to keep their business going on both the street and the boardroom. It's not long before Zion becomes the target of a corruption scandal involving murder, extortion and money laundering. Once the dirt is exposed, will Lamin and Zion be able to remain one step ahead, or will their paper chasing days haunt them forever?

Flip Side of the Game


Tu-Shonda L. Whitaker - 2004
    Born on the flip side of the hustler's game, she is the child of a fifteen year old drug addict who places her in a trash dump, with a note that read, please forgive me... my mother`s only fifteen... Well that is of little consolation to Vera as she lives her gold diggin' life full speed ahead, only to come to a crashing halt when she realizes that she can run but she can't hide; and facing up to the Flip Side of the Game is the only way she will survive.

G-Spot: An Urban Erotic Tale


Noire - 2005
    . . .Nineteen-year-old Juicy Stanfield is the sexy young girlfriend of Granite “G” McKay, owner of Harlem’s notorious G-Spot Social Club. A drug dealer with a lethal streak, he runs Harlem with an iron fist. But even the cash and the bling can’t keep Juicy from getting restless, and while G fulfills her every material desire, she’s burning up with unrequited sexual energy. To cheat on him would mean a death sentence; so Juicy finds pleasure in secret ways: fantasizing on crowded subways or allowing her eyes to hungrily take in the male dancers on the club’s ladies night.But as Juicy’s sexual cravings grow stronger, one thing becomes frighteningly clear: She’s a virtual prisoner in G’s dangerous world. As G begins to suspect her of playin’ him, he pulls the reins he keeps on her even tighter. If she’s ever to escape and get a life of her own she must find a way to start stashing away some of G’s cash. But doing that under G’s watchful eye is a challenge she might not live up to–especially when her appetite tempts her with the deadliest desire of all: G’s very own son. . . .From the Trade Paperback edition.

Eve


K'wan - 2006
    Orphaned as a small child, Eve quickly learned the art of the hustle, and by age seventeen she had spent two years in prison. But now Eve is eighteen, back on the streets of Harlem with her gang and up to one of her old tricks: strong-arm robbery. Despite her edge, she's got a soft spot for Felon, the up-and-coming street king.Eve's life takes a serious turn when the powerful DeNardi family, the city's biggest drug supplier, tries to tighten its hold on Harlem. And when Eve's best friend, Cassidy, is murdered in the crossfire, Eve seeks revenge—starting all the way at the top.

Riding Dirty on I-95


Nikki Turner - 2006
    But despite an unsavory upbringing, Mercy vows to make something of herself–at all costs.Working as a concierge at a hotel notorious for its shady clientele, Mercy meets and falls hard for a notorious dealer who keeps her living large in Gucci clothes and off-the-hook apartments. Then she lands a real lucrative deal: running drugs up Interstate 95 from Miami to New York.But Mercy doesn’t want to live the gangsta life forever. She’s got bigger dreams. She turns legit and makes her mark, yet despite a new, cleaned-up career, she can’t get the streets completely out of her blood. A sexy hustler named C-Note steals her heart. And as their relationship heats up, Mercy discovers that their pasts are hopelessly–and tragically–entwined.