Book picks similar to
Scarlett by Tiece


5-star-reads
romance
street-lit
contemporary

XYZ


Kimille - 2019
    Mastering life’s principal and hellacious course of Hard Knock Life 101 was nothing to eXavier and eZekiel Yarbrough at an early age. Their wisdom and fearless innocence allocated them guardian angels over baby cousin, iYanna. Drug addictions, immorality, abuse, and evil are all cycles that these three have a vivid familiarity with, yet out of the wicked mentalities that assaulted them grew love, loyalty, hope, tenacity and nobility. Despite the licks they gave, as well as took, they found a safe haven in an old head called Diego. A man that knew the streets and the streets respected him. This family has an abundance of dysfunction, but their devotion to each other is unrestricted and immovable! Friends for life. Life has not been particularly kind to Najia Kennedy. She's had to sacrifice more than she's wanted and taken more L's than wins. But somehow, she's managed to stay on her feet with her head held high, all the while searching for where broken hearts go. Love remains elusive as her son's father pops in and out of their lives with empty promises and leftover lies. Najia's friendship with iYanna has withstood the test of time and her shenanigans, as she factors into the equation that is XYZ. Love forever. The streets don't owe him anything. He's taken everything he's wanted by omission or commission. Kreed is a new breed of boss, college educated and street smart. He's the boogeyman in a suit, encompassed in a mystical aura of strength and power that leaves many starstruck. He's so immune to the world around him that he's stunned at the foreign emotions caused by the feather-like thundering of a miniature storm called iYanna. He envisions her as his future, but her family views him as a catastrophic danger to all that they've invested in her. Love and hurt, joy and pain, good times and bad, take all as prisoners. When you have everything you want, is there room for more? When you have nothing, will you accept anything? XYZ is a spicy urban romance with charismatic characters, life altering situations and breathtaking moments that will fascinate you from beginning to end.

Cuffed By A Kingpin


Heiress - 2017
     Compton Banks is the sexiest most rudest man you will ever encounter that has just been crowned, King of Cali. When their worlds collide, they are forced to agree to live together in holy matrimony. After a fatal incident that left Cali alone with a target on her back, she has to secure her family business and survival by any means necessary. Not knowing that the man that is necessary will mean more to her than she intended. After taking over the family business, Compton is determined to make sure his empire thrives with greatness. Nothing or anyone could take his focus away from his money and his business. That is until Cali barges into his world and his heart. Both individuals never intended on falling in love but things happen. Was it just an agreement or will Love become a factor. Loyalty is tested, trust is broken and hearts are shattered. Will these two learn to coexist for the sack of their agreement? Or will they break ties and put their lives and their empires at risk? Find out in the hood fairytale of Compton and Cali.

Living for Love and Dying for Loyalty


Mz. Lady P. - 2014
    They began a love affair that felt so right that nothing could possibly go wrong. After doing a five year sentence Rahmeek has been released from prison and is ready to link back up with his old connect Juan Rodriquez. There's just one person standing in the way of their relationship, and Rahmeek's journey back to the top-- Aja's brother Markese. Markese takes pride in the fact that he has raised Aja and takes her personal life serious. Markese hails from the Westside of Chicago. He holds court in the street alongside his crew Killa, Mont, Nisa, and Boogie. Juan Rodriquez is currently Markese's connect, and Markese has no intentions on sharing his wealth. Juan has a meeting with Markese and Rahmeek and things turn sour really fast. Life in the streets is one thing ,but their personal lives are a whole different story. Relationships are tested when secrets are exposed. A series of events in the streets and in the sheets will have dire consequences for everyone involved. Follow the crew that's living for Love and Dying for Loyalty.

Counterfeit Love


Blake Karrington - 2014
    For the love of money, people don't care who they hurt or beat…" In this epic tale of lies, deceit, and suspense, come witness what happens when a set of money plates get into the hands of a local tyrant from North Philly. These streets are flooded with counterfeit money, fake love, and deceptive friendships in pursuit of that all mighty dollar. Sanaa, a well- known female gambling house owner, is at the top of her game. But after she decides to inject the counterfeit currency into her business, all hell breaks loose. Guns are drawn and opposing sides are taken. The city of Philadelphia becomes the Wild, Wild West. Stirring up skeletons that Sanaa and her best friend Joy thought were buried when they left the south; back in Atlanta Georgia. Real or fake, with millions of dollars still to be claimed, all the wolves come out – and the hunting season begins. Will the love of that mean green shatter families and friends? Or will they prove that money can't buy everything?

Torn Love


Larissa - 2014
    But her heart had a mind of its own; and when the decision between love and loyalty comes flying at her full speed, Bella is at a standstill as only death can help her heart decide what's right and what's not. Santana is up next to take over his father’s empire; but when his eyes meet Bella, he soon has to choose between something that might last forever and a temporary setback. Torn Love takes you into the life of Bella and Santana, who were given everything on a gold platter until they decided to play both sides, causing guns to be drawn, blood to be shed, and lives to be taken, all because of a little thing call Love.

My Love Is Under Arrest


Charae Lewis - 2017
    She was wishing that she could become his remedy. What happens when love is present, but it’s only one-sided? Diar Capers had to learn that love is never easy, especially when it comes to Case DeMao. He possesses all of the characteristics that she yearns for in a man but finds it difficult attaining his attention. She desperately wants to throw in the towel and move forward, but the hold that’s on her heart permits her from doing so. Will Diar's efforts towards her love affair with Case pay off, or will she be left distraught when she finds out that she is not the missing piece to his heart?

The Block


Treasure Hernandez - 2012
    He has a father he looks up to and an older brother who keeps him under his wing--until the day his father crosses a line that changes everything. Tone is forced to enter a world he knew nothing about. Detective Abraham is obsessed with power and money, so he has figured out a way to play on both sides of the tracks when it comes to organized crime. The only thing stopping him from making it to the top spot is Santiago, one of the most feared suppliers in the country. Santiago's only weakness is his daughter, Serena. Detective Abraham develops a plan that involves his son, Tone, getting close to Serena.Against his better judgment, Tone goes along with his father's plan and sets out to win Serena over with his charm. What he hasn't planned on is Serena turning the tables and stealing his heart. Now Tone is faced with choices that leave him questioning his loyalty to his family.

The Purest Love For The Coldest Thug


Miss Jenesequa - 2018
    However, deep down Solána knew her stubbornness had sent her mother to an early grave. After tragedy strikes, she gets back on the right path and focuses solely on herself… until she stumbles upon a bewitching addiction like no other, with not a single cure in sight. 
Kisan, known to many as Mace, on the surface appears to be a collected, handsome, and prestigious young man. And he is… among many other things. Those that know more, know him to be bold, calculated, and extremely cold-hearted. They know how crazy he truly is; how he can lay one finger on a trigger and aim perfectly without fail; a gentle giant to not one single soul but the only woman who has his heart—his three-year-old.
 Kisan and Solána are immediately drawn to each other, sparking an uncontrollable fire between them that neither party are able to put out. However, when the attractive heavy hitter and stubborn beauty’s worlds collide, it sets off a cascade of life-changing events. Events that not only change their lives but the lives of everyone around them. Loving a man like Kisan could potentially be the most intense and intimidating thing of Solána’s life, but is she willing to risk it all for a man she should be running far away from? And is Kisan willing to let a woman access the deepest, darkest parts of him?
They say the purest love is hard to find… but now that Kisan has found it, can he make it last? Or will his inner demons get the best of him?

Love & War


Jackie Chanel - 2013
    Raised by her former supermodel mother, Caprice was supposed to follow the path that her mother’s stilettos left. Until a letter from her father, mafia don; Domani Bonatelli, changed the course of her life.Four years later, living in New York City, Caprice abandoned the life she had once cherished and focused solely on obtaining what her father has... power.At 22 and fully engrossed in a life of crime, Caprice has a job to do. Protect the Bonatelli name and family business at all costs...but what exactly will it cost her?

Thirsty


La'Tonya West - 2013
    She doesn't give her goodies to just anyone though. She prefers wealthy Caucasian men. Brothers are not to her liking. She has a thirst for the good life that she feels they cannot fulfill. That is until she crosses paths with Thrill. Initially uninterested Kaliyah has no words for Thrill but once she finds out about the paper that he is sitting on it changes the game. Will her thirst end up being her downfall?

Money Is King


Nicety - 2013
    Cesar is not only sexy but he's a rare and hot commodity who's every woman's dream. But he's taken by Mink, a selfish trick who doesn't deserve him and loves money more than her own snatch. When his back's against the wall, Cesar struggles to keep his hands clean. His pride won't allow him not to take care of his son, the one thing tying he and Mink together. Will Mink suck him dry before its all said and done or does Cesar have other tricks up his sleeve?

Finessers


Lucinda John - 2014
    Blessed with good looks, nice bodies, a stable place to live with a mother that is willing to give them anything their hearts desire, they seem to have it all. That is until their mother’s nasty habit of popping pills and alcohol abuse leaves them in an awful situation with no one to turn to. When a baller by the name of Vic takes them under his wing he turns them into finessers, sexy women with the motives to set up any man with deep pockets. When Cinnamon falls in love with one of the licks all hell breaks loose. Secrets are revealed, lies are told, and bodies are found as Vic try his hardest to turn the sisters against one another. Join these sisters on a hectic journey and discover is blood really thicker than water.

Worst Case Scenario


Chenell Parker - 2019
    Stori had goals and with the help of her best friend, Kalani, she was able to achieve them. Her baby sister, Toi, was her world. Making Toi happy and being a woman that she could look up to was all that Stori ever wanted to do. Some people were born to stand out while others were content with just fitting in. That saying was true for Gavin, Stori’s husband of 2 years, and his best friend, Naseem. Being an only child had a negative impact on Gavin. He was never a trendsetter so he followed the path paved by others. He loved Stori unconditionally but following the wrong lead had him harboring a secret that could possibly destroy his marriage. Identical twin brothers Naseem and Kareem Donaldson have an unbreakable bond that even their loved ones don’t quite understand. After being in and out of trouble for most of their lives, the brothers are ready to settle down and live a normal, carefree life. Unfortunately, not everything goes according to plans. Enemies are often overlooked when disguised as friends and some share the same blood. Bonds are broken and some never even existed. Take a ride with these complex characters to see why they’re always ready and prepared for the Worst Case Scenario.

The Wife of a Hustler


Porscha Sterling - 2015
    But the thorn in her side is his babymama, Trinity, who still loves him and makes no effort to hide it. Although Vanessa loves her husband, there is only so much of his conniving baby mother that she can take. Especially when another person enters the picture.While Ty is in Miami helping Trinity take control of her brother's Haitian drug cartel after he is locked up by the Feds, Vanessa meets Mayhem, a sexy rival hustler in NYC, who is after everything Ty has. Like Ty, he is a sexy thug; a self-made millionaire who earns his living off moving dough in the streets. The only difference is that whereas the family life gave Ty a heart, Mayhem doesn't have one. And it's something about his cold-hearted, rough nature that causes Vanessa to want to risk it all.Ty is trying to juggle the two women in his life and at the same time fight off Mayhem who ignores the rules of the streets and is steadily attacking Ty's empire. With Ty's mind on helping Trinity in Miami, his focus isn't on his family or his wife. By the time he tries to get himself together, it may just be too late.

A Thug's Love 3


Jessica N. Watkins - 2016
    Who knew that he had been keeping such a secret from me? Just my luck, as I hid from him to gather my thoughts and deal with the pain, yet another crushing blow to my happiness was revealed. I then realized that I could no longer live for King; it was time to live for Kennedy. Little did I know, Jada was suffering the same heartbreak that I was. Dolla had torn her heart into two. My girl was miserable, but she didn’t run as I did; she was trying her best to inflict the same pain on Dolla as he had on her. Meanwhile, King, Meech and Dolla were constructing a plan to permanently get rid of the squad’s enemies. But will it work? Will the squad make it through this storm of deception and lies to continue ruling the streets of Chi? Some secrets should never be kept and some secrets should never be told because, either way, we were all about to suffer the consequences of secrets both revealed and untold.