Book picks similar to
Summertime With A Chicago Thug by Patrice Balark


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Only Way Out


Fire & Ice - 2012
    Or could it?After some unexpected bloodshed, Lateasha must be quick on her feet. Even though her plan didn't go accordingly, she is not going to stop until she ruins Trey.

Fell for a Corporate Thug


N'Dia Rae - 2019
    Passion. Deceit. Drama. Nubia has it all; bangin’ body, beautiful face, a thriving haircare business and a slew of celebrity clients that fly her around the globe for her innovative styling techniques. The one thing that she doesn’t have is a faithful husband and child of her own. Her cheating husband is betraying her in the worst way possible and she has no clue. When she eventually finds out her husband's dirty secrets, many more bones fall out of her family’s closet that threatens to devastate her entire life. That is until she has a chance encounter with the sexy, alpha Hill Cooper. Hill is a sexy single dad with one foot in the streets and the other in a law firm. Determined to build a better life for his young daughter he is transitioning out of the street life to practice law full time. As he attempts to go legit his baby mother and old acquaintances try to hold him back. When Hill and Nubia’s lives cross paths neither of them can resist each other. But with their lives in an upheaval of drama can they make time for what matters? This is twisty urban drama is filled with boiling passion and dark secrets. Are you ready to get sucked into this saga?

No Matter What


Nicole Jackson - 2019
    When you want what you want no matter the consequences things can get quite sticky, and a young Nunnie will find out the hard way!

A Savage Valentine: Erica and Drake


Nique Luarks - 2019
    But is she ready to take on Drake Morris? His unruly behavior, take charge attitude, and disrespectful antics may be too much for the eighteen year old high school graduate. Fresh out of prison, the last thing on Drake’s mind is being in a committed relationship, but good girl Erica seems to be all he can think about it. Though both are from two different worlds, they find a common ground in the power their last names hold. Rome is brand new to the life of luxury. With one brother at the head of a crime family and one a dominant force, she learns quickly the easiest way to survive is to face her fears head on. Royal becomes the distraction she didn’t knew she needed. As one of the Morris’ top hitters, Royal’s instant attraction to Rome creates a permanent fixation between the duo. This Valentine’s Day, the men learn women can be just as savage as them. Maybe even more. Follow these couple’s as they endure the unavoidable high and lows of love.

Reverend Cash: Let Us Prey


Sa'id Salaam - 2016
    Reverend Cash is the story of a street hustler turned preacher from the mean streets of the South-side of Memphis, TN. Reverend Cash is a player, a pimp, and a preacher all rolled into one. To him the pulpit is just another hustle to feed his greed and licentiousness. The perfidious preacher doesn't have a holy bone in his body, yet he still manages to ascend the ranks of the clergy. He hits the big time when he high jacks the helm of a mega church in Atlanta, GA. In his wake he leaves behind a trail of death and destruction. In the words of Reverend William Cash, LET US PREY!

The Art Of Finessin'


Saja Jay - 2018
    Finessing’ by definition, ‘is doing something in a subtle manner.’ But if you were to ask someone from the streets what it means, they’d tell you it’s using what you got, to get what you want...:.

The Way My Heart Is Built 3


Nikki Brown - 2020
    

Down To The Last Sip: Hennessy and Miami


Lucinda John - 2020
    Growing up Hennessey never saw herself as anything more than a screw up, a misfit, but how could she not? Her parents were two screw ups that were too stupid enough to realize that an abortion would have been the better option. Hennessey Daniels, named after her father’s two favorite dark liquors, was doomed the moment her over aged drunk of a father decided to procreate with her teenage coke addicted mother who only brought her into this world just to neglect her every need. Forced to grow up before her time, Hennessy seek solace in all the wrong places thrusting her into a world of bad decision making. Spiraling her young life out of control. A chest burning, sip of Hennessy Daniels, will leave you in an emotional frenzy yet have you yearning for a love so deep and so hood that you’ll forget you ever had a sip at all. This is a re-release of, 'A Sip Of Hennessy'.

The Beautii Behind Magic: An Original Love Story


Kyoshi - 2015
    Beautii is left to fend for herself after her parents die, and her brother Jordin is sent to prison. With a baby to take care of and no one to depend on but herself, she starts working at a strip club. Lauren Green is Beautii’s best friend and one of the only people that she can count on. But Lauren has her own sordid past that has turned her heart cold. Disowned by her parent’s after revealing a scandalous secret, the only person she has to turn to is Beautii. Javian “Teach” McKnight is the head boss on the streets of Miami, and is as ruthless as they come. A night out with his home boys unexpectedly leaves him infatuated with Lauren. Never one to have been in love, he doesn’t know what to make of his feelings. Will they be good for each other? Or, is this relationship doomed from the start? Carter “Magic” McKnight is new to the Miami area, just moving there from Texas to be closer to his brother Teach. Left to raise his daughter on his own when his girlfriend disappeared without a trace, Miami is a good move for him. His first day in town he meets Beautii and is momentarily left speechless. Their lives are entangled and these four form bonds that can’t be broken. But things change when Beautii’s brother is released from prison. Someone is out to get Magic, but who? For Beautii things aren’t as they seem and a blast from the past is lurking in the shadows. Lies, deceit, secrets, murder and more come to light. Will bonds be broken or will these couples be able to stand the test of time?

King & Queen of the Hood 3


Shvonne Latrice - 2021
    

The Connect Who Took My Heart Away


Coco Shawnde - 2019
    Living with a man she's planning to depart from comes with more complications than the marriage itself. When Miani was put out with her four-year-old son, it broke her spirit and her heart. Miani becomes unsure of her future but running into her old friend Obasi might just change her outlook on life and love. Obasi Remy has been pumping vast quantities of artillery from the islands to flood the streets of St. Louis, making him the go to connect. Obasi is the Boss of all Bosses. Running into Miani reminds him of everything he’s missing in regards to having a woman in his life. She’s the one who got away and the only woman who can handle his aggressive demeanor. Reuniting just may be the best thing that could ever happen for both of them. Dice Howard has been drowning in despair since her husband's untimely demise. The only thing keeping her sane is her son. A night out grants her a chance encounter with the connect, Hosea Juelz. One night of passion leaves her wanting more, but at the same time ashamed for the feelings she holds for someone other than her deceased husband. With a close-knit family, her secretive relationship becomes everyone’s biggest question. Dice has chosen to keep it all hidden, but when you're with a connect, how far can a secret this big be held under the rocks?

An Unexpected Love: Jay's Story


Nicole Black - 2015
    She knows what she wants and won’t settle for anything less than that. After receiving mind blowing news from a past lover Jay decides it’s time for a change. Little does he know someone from his past isn’t ready to let him go. Kamari feels as if his love life is missing something. After meeting a woman he believes can fill the void, he thinks he has it all. Kamari’s world quickly comes crumbling down after a secret is revealed and he makes a mistake that may cost him his life. Lies are told, secrets are revealed, worlds collide, and love blooms in An Unexpected Love: Jay’s Story.

Get Me Right Again 2: Shaniqua & Desmond


Diamond D. Johnson - 2017
    What is it about Desmond and Shaniqua that’s so hard to get it right? Then there’s Harlem. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she is still holding onto hope that her and Desmond will one day be back together. Part two of the get me right again series is filled with so much drama, heartache, and loss. It would be perfect if this book ended on a good note, but with all the drama in the atmosphere, a body will fall this go around.

Good Girl With A Dope Boy Fetish


Porschea Jade - 2017
    But when he starts to feed the habit of one of his neighbors, he starts to realize he bit off more than he can chew. Will he be able to slow down and get his life on track before it's too late, or will he end up being another victim to the streets? All Zoie Neal wants to do is finish school so she can get out the projects and never look back. With a perverted step dad and an alcoholic mom, she does everything she can to achieve that dream, but one thing seems to be standing in her way: O'Hajee. What starts out as them being worst enemies soon blossoms into something much more, but his lifestyle is the complete opposite of what she wants out of life. Can she convince him to let go of all his dope boy ambitions, or will she walk away from the only person closest to her? Take a walk through the lives of these three as they try to find their way in life without losing sight of the bigger picture. Can they beat their odds, or will they get trapped in the one place they don't want to be?

Gangland: A Real Chicago Love Story


Leo Sullivan - 2018
    With dreams of making it big, she is already on the right track to a new life after building a following by doing make-up tutorials and posting sexy photos of herself on her Instagram page. Though a good girl, she’s infatuated with the violent and merciless street king, Polo, the head of the city’s most notorious gang. She wants nothing more than to help him drop his current girl so that she can be the woman in his life. But Star gets more than she bargained for when a series of events lead her to not only be Polo’s main chick but forces her to be the leader of the female counterpart to his gang. Tragedy strikes when Star’s own dope fiend of a mother robs Polo’s trap house and the act sends Mink, Polo’s baby brother, and Kato, Polo’s right-hand man, blasting right through Star’s front door. When the night ends with Kato shot and Mink murdered at Star’s hands, Polo demands to know who is responsible for killing his brother but she quickly covers her own tracks to save herself from his wrath. Unfortunately, Star doesn’t know there is a witness to her crime. Kato, who she thought she’d killed is actually alive and in a coma fighting for his life. When he suddenly awakes, Star is afraid that her fate will be sealed as soon as he tells how Mink really died. However, Kato is not the same man that he was before and things between the two quickly begin to change. When sparks fly and Star feels she’s found true love in the one man she thought she hated more than anyone on Earth, will the real truth of her lies come to light and ruin it all? This is the first part of a series written not for the faint at heart. Brace yourselves for a story of love, loyalty and survival on Chicago's Southside.