Book picks similar to
More Church Folk by Michele Andrea Bowen


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christian-fiction
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Altered Destiny: A Hustler's Choice


Sherylynne L. Rochester - 2010
    She manages to make a life for herself on the streets, with money, sex, respect, power, notoriety, and even love, and she feels that the choices she has made to get there are the right ones. No one can stop her or tell her otherwise.But it all comes crashing down when one of the choices she has made comes back to haunt her. While living the life of a drug dealer’s girl, entering the game and scheming her way through to get what she wants, she learns that success in this game and the choices she has made do not matter—especially when she faces Him, and He shows her how her choices have altered her destiny. Will Sasha get a second chance to make the right decisions? Or will it be too late?

The Last Ten Percent


Michelle McKinney Hammond - 2006
    From the author of Secrets of an Irresistible Woman comes a novel of five women who explore how intelligent women with impressive careers, coveted urban dwellings, and closets full of fashions can still worry so much about the shortage of men.

A Hard Man is Good to Find


James W. Lewis - 2011
    Despite the exceptional qualities and his obvious interest in her, things are moving too slow between them. Unlike most men who can’t wait to get in her pants, this particular man refuses to take things to the next level.DARYL JACKSON has grown tired of the nightclub scene and wants to settle down, but he has a secret that always seems to interrupt any potential love connection once he reveals it. He believes Michelle is the ideal woman, but can she handle the truth?After six weeks of dating, and still no attempt from him to get her “horizontal,” Michelle grows sex-starved. She is driving herself crazy trying to figure out Daryl’s problem! During a weekend getaway in Palm Springs, Michelle finally puts an end to the what’s-wrong-with-Daryl guessing game and demands to know what’s up. Not only does Daryl answer all her questions, Michelle learns first hand that you really need to be careful with what you wish for!

Seduction


Geneva Holliday - 2008
    That is, until Tony wants to pull a scam on the company where she works. In order to keep Mildred signing phony documents, Tony gives Mildred a taste of romance and keeps raising the stakes until he’s eventually forced to propose. But when the big day arrives he skips town with the money he’s stolen.Heartbroken, Mildred takes a trip to Barbados where her “vacation” turns out to be a boot-camp style weight loss clinic! Soon she discovers a goddess that had been hiding beneath her homely exterior. And when she runs into Tony on the island, he doesn’t even recognize the sexy fox standing before him. Little does he know that this fox has a plan for revenge that will leave him whimpering with his tail between his legs for a good, long time.

Sugar Walls


Brittani Williams - 2007
    In this sexy, suspenseful slice of urban fiction, an ambitious womans love ofeasy money and fast living leads her to the brink of destruction.

Ruby Among Us


Tina Ann Forkner - 2008
    Lucy senses her grandmother holds the key, but Kitty seems as eager to hide the past as Lucy is eager to find it.From the streets of San Francisco and Sacramento to the lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley, Lucy follows the thread of memory in search of a heritage that seems long-buried with her mother, Ruby.What she finds is as enigmatic and stirring as it is startling in this redemptive tale about the power of faith and mother-daughter love.

When Love Calls, You Better Answer


Bertice Berry - 2005
    Now she turns her eye to matters of the heart, with an endearing main character who can’t seem to keep bad men out of her life. Bernita Brown is a quick-thinking, tireless social worker who is good at practically everything—except love. Her first marriage ends in divorce, a painful experience Bernita refuses to think about. Instead, she dives into a series of sad relationships and overwhelming commitments to community and church. But not even church can keep her from being courted by dogs; Bernita’s married pastor begins making passes at her, then blames her for his backsliding. Along the way, the ghost of Bernita’s aunt Babe weighs in with plenty of advice (after all, Aunt Babe says, “You don’t need to be alive to tell folks how to live”). When a marvelous man finally enters Bernita’s life, only time can tell whether she will be able to trust him. Written with Berry’s signature warmth and reliance on African-American ancestors who deliver homespun healing, When Love Calls, You Better Answer addresses a host of powerful topics, from abusive relationships to corrupt church leaders. Ultimately, Bernita’s story will inspire readers to find the love they need, especially the love that can only come from within.

Get You Good


Rhonda Bowen - 2013
    But both are in jeopardy when her brother, Dean, announces his sudden engagement to the conniving Sheree Vern. Much to Sydney's dismay, Dean inherits ownership of Decadent, despite his lack of interest. Now he and Sheree are selling the chain to finance his dreams of becoming a music producer—or so Dean believes…Thanks to Sheree, Dean’s plans, the business, and his marriage, soon implode in ways he never expected—leaving Sydney determined to salvage whatever she can, and fix the mess left behind. Her only solace is her romance with Hayden Windsor. But Hayden is Sheree’s half brother, and it doesn’t take long for Sydney to wonder if Hayden knew about Sheree’s scheming all along? Soon Sydney creates a deception of her own to find out the truth. Her strategy is working, until the consequences threaten to destroy everything she values most—including her faith. Overcome with guilt, can she make things right with her brother, with Hayden, and with God?...

Sex in the Sanctuary


Lutishia Lovely - 2007
    Set in a church community on fire for the Lord--and for each other--Sex in the Sanctuary is filled with scintillating sisters, playing brothers, and church matrons trying to run everybody's business. . . As first lady of Kingdom Citizen's Christian Center, Vivian Montgomery has it all: a beautiful home, lovely children, and a pastor husband who makes her shout Hallelujah--and not just in church. There's no doubt Pastor Montgomery has a healthy appreciation for the Lord and for the pleasures of the flesh, namely his wife's flesh. If only Vivian's best friend, Tai, was so blessed. . .A first lady herself, Tai's husband, King, is pastor of Mount Zion Progressive Baptist Church. But with two affairs under his belt, Tai wonders just what "progressive" means. In fact, she strongly suspects her husband is at it again. Now she can follow her mother-in-law's example and threaten to shoot any would-be-husband-stealing floozies, or she can take Vivian's advice and listen for God's instruction. But Tai's husband isn't the only one fighting temptation.Whether trying to wait until marriage or just waiting until the next mating opportunity, these congregations are filled with members whose eyes are on more than Jesus! The result is a page-turning read, not soon to be forgotten.

Sisters & Husbands


Connie Briscoe - 2009
    Since this is Beverly's third engagement in the past five years, after breaking off the previous two at the last moment, everyone's happy that she's finally settling down. For Beverly and Julian, nothing could be better than being in love and planning their wedding. That is until Beverly's oldest sister's marriage falls apart and dampens the mood of what should have been the happiest time in Beverly's life. Now, second-guessing her impending nuptials, Beverly is forced to wonder if marriage really works. Will she stick it out? Or will her fears cloud her judgment once again?

Blessings


Sheneska Jackson - 1998
    She knows what thrills, angers, and motivates them, and she shares the secrets that spill out from under hair dryers with heartbreaking and often hilarious candor. At Blessings, Patricia Brown's Los Angeles salon, we listen in on the dish and the drama and get real with the four unforgettable women who work there. Pat is the owner and matriarch of the salon, and she presides over Blessings with a kind but commanding air-- preventing fiery arguments, smoothing over conflicts, and lending a sympathetic ear to those who need it. But she may never get a chance to be a mother of her own children. After discovering she is infertile, she embarks on a mission to adopt a child, but learns that the process is filled with more anguish than she expected.Zuma is Blessings' star stylist, and she knows it. This brash diva is a self-described superwoman committed to making her dream of being both a businesswoman and a mom come true. She's got so much confidence that she has vowed to get artificially inseminated if she doesn't find Mr. Right soon-- and she secretly hopes that this will eradicate the indescribable sorrow lingering from the abortion she had years ago.Faye, another stylist, can't quite forget the memory of her late husband. Lonely and overweight, she turns to food to dull the pain of raising her two children alone. Her daughter has grown up into an explosive young woman, and her little boy is learning the hard way how to survive in the world without a dad. But companionship and support will come along when she's least expecting it.Sandy, the manicurist, is still searching for her own fulfillment and can't be bothered with the needs of her two small kids. Though she makes no apologies for her highly neglectful mothering, she ultimately makes a mother's biggest sacrifice.Written with Jackson's trademark skill and sass, "Blessings" paints a deeply moving picture of female struggle and triumph. As Pat, Zuma, Faye, and Sandy laugh, weep, argue, and console each other, Jackson reveals the priceless, inextricable bond between motherhood and sisterhood, and shows why she's become a beloved chronicler of the hearts and minds of women.

The Loom


Shella Gillus - 2011
    Pale skin and deceit opened the door to wealth and a power she had only dreamed of. But what she didn’t count on was falling in love. What she didn’t realize was life was not always black or white.

Butterscotch Blues


Margaret Johnson-Hodge - 2000
    The author of The Real Deal now renders the poignant story of a 34-year-old woman finding the love of her life and then having her faith in the relationship tested when he becomes HIV positive.

The Cake List (The List Books Book 1)


Dianne J. Wilson - 2020
    Do Something Selfless. Do Something Kind. Break a Never. Stop an Always. Figure out God. “Some people write a bucket list, you know… things they want to do and tick off before they die. Honestly? Dying doesn’t seem half as scary as the big-O birthday that’s hunting me down. So I’ve made my own list. Things I want to do and tick off before I eat that birthday cake. So far, it’s not going too well.” ~*~ Fresh from a spectacular break-up and faced with a looming big-O birthday, Meg throws her cautious nature aside and signs up for dance classes. Little does she know that Ballroom will stretch more than just her muscles. Between the charming dance instructor and his secrets, her grumpy neighbour and a fish that can’t swim straight, Meg’s list seems doomed from the start. ~*~ Heart-felt and funny, Meg’s list-crossing quest takes her so far out of her comfort zone, she may never find her way back.

What Doesn't Kill You


Virginia DeBerry - 2009
    Divorced since her daughter, Amber, was young, Tee has been "handling her business," supporting herself after her would-be songwriter husband took off for L.A., and she's done all right. Organized, responsible, hardworking, and loyal, Tee went from being the first employee of a start-up purveyor of organic lotions to the right hand of the president of what became a major player in the home and personal fragrance market.But then everything changes. First, she's outplaced from her longtime job and doesn't tell anyone. Then she gives her daughter the wedding of her dreams and, after overindulging in champagne, Tee wakes up in bed with the younger best man.For the first time in twenty-five years, Tee doesn't know who she is or what she's going to do every day. Deep in denial, she continues to live her life as if nothing has changed. After a series of financial mistakes, miscalculations, and missteps compound her already shaky situation, she's soon teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. That's when Tee decides that it's time for her to wake up and face reality.Beyond "making money," Tee never really decided what she wanted to do with her life. Then she just stopped thinking about it and invested her hopes in someone else's dream. Now it's her chance to invest in herself. Can she step out on faith to follow her own dream?