Book picks similar to
Keeping You Close by Celya Bowers


african-american-romance
myshelf
paperback
african-american-fiction

Will I Ever Be Enough?: The Golden Effect


C. Monet - 2018
    Not only is it a requirement, but he has six months to make it happen. The journey reveals things about himself that he never took the time to acknowledge. Ever the traveler, Lawrence hasn’t taken the time to make real connections with people until he enlists the help of Brielle Golden. Brielle Golden is a matchmaking extraordinaire that struggles with her own love life. She has all the tools to assist those willing to pay to find something she wants more than anything but thinks she will never have. Love is dodging her, and she doesn’t understand why. In her eyes, she’s the perfect catch, however, the fear of rejection is a powerful emotion to tackle by yourself. As the work begins to help Lawrence find a mate, souls collide, and things start to change within the mutual business partnership. In the midst of sorting feelings out, Brielle's smile changes and Lawrence's heart begins to beat again. But trouble arises forcing them to do something crazy to get them both out of the mess that his fathers’ wishes created. Will Lawrence find a wife and make his father proud by succumbing to The Golden Effect, or will both he and Brielle find themselves surrounded by the darkness of life without love when their partnership comes to an end?

Give her Love. Give her Power. (Hussle & Heart Book 1)


Grey Huffington - 2019
     The Hussle and Heart series, dedicated to the late Nipsey Hussle, travels to the slums of Channing City and places a magnifying glass on the lives of the biggest hustlers with the biggest hearts.

Too Good To Be True


Shakela James - 2015
    Knowing this, how far will one go to get their happy ending? More importantly, who will they have to drag down in the process? Sherice is a gorgeous model-turned housewife who devotes her life to her husband Mr. Big and their 3 year old daughter. She knows her husband occasionally has other women but as long as her house is taken care of and the women know their place, she turns a blind eye. However, she has a huge choice to make when a shocking secret threatens to ruin what she has worked so hard to build. Mariah is a sexy, sassy business woman who can take care of herself. She has only one weakness: Mr. Big. When she fell in love with him two years ago, she had no idea that he would come with so much baggage. She will soon find herself at a crossroad when one event throws her life off course, and she is left with a decision that will surely change her world forever. In a world of lies, sex, and deceit... can you truly be happy or will it always be too good to be true?

No More Drama


La Jill Hunt - 2004
    Original. 20,000 first printing.

Grimey


KaShamba Williams - 2004
    With leads pointing in her direction, the first suspect on Yatta's list is his sister's ex-boyfriend, Cam. But Cam is no slouch in the game. Yatta must team up with Brooklyn's grimiest playas in order to get revenge. El'San and Sweetie, his partner in crime, are both known for setting up and robbing drug dealers for their ''already made money.'' Unaware that the plot is centered in on him, Cam is in for a life-altering surprise. But the heat is up when El'San and Sweetie find out Cam is not the playa he claims to be. In the end, they are determine to find out if getting down right ''GRIMEY'' is the only way to come out on top.

Red Light Special


Risque - 2008
    But when her husband’s thirst for high-priced sex leads them down an explosive path of passion, murder, and lies, she has to decide if her marriage is worth saving, and at what cost.Collyn Bazemore, a Manhattan madam, deals with an elite clientele, and they pay big for the best sex in the city. One of Collyn’s most important customers, the mayor, has planned an erotic extravaganza in the Hamptons, but when he sends one of his associates to seal the deal, Collyn grows suspicious of this replacement–and yet her attraction to him is undeniable. While her mind tells her no, her body aches to say yes, and just when he melts her in all the right places, it turns out he has a few secrets of his own.These two women are bound together by an erotically charged past, and when their carefully crafted facades start to crumble, neither will ever be the same.

A Secret Worth Keeping


Lakisha Johnson - 2013
    They are all career women with different businesses or careers, husbands and even children but something is missing, something they can't find at home, in a store or even in a book. So, they search for this missing piece in the beds, arms, cars, offices and even in storage rooms of other men who don't mind paying for what Dem Dam Divas can offer. They enjoy the thrill of sneaking, creeping and even vacationing on someone else's dime but what happens when it all becomes too much? From being found guilty with no evidence, secretly wanting someone who doesn't want you, loving only to not be loved back, caught up in a dream that you're about to be awaken from; will it be worth it in the end? Will their secret lives be revealed and will it become too much to handle? Will they regret their actions or stand by them? Will they finally question whether this secret is really worth keeping?

Amongst Thieves


Quentin Carter - 2007
    Ramon again finds himself amongst his loyal crew of thieves, who hold him down while mobbing his way to the top of one of Kansas City s most lucrative empires. But two women have their own agendas for Ramon. Yawni, a 38-year-old diva with intentions of becoming wifey and Jayde, a 22-year-old sack-chaser whose seductive ploys weigh heavy on Ramon s pockets and wellbeing. After repeatedly neglecting the loyalty of his friends in pursuit of youth, fortune and fame, Ramon finds that even thieves must honor the code of the streets or pay the piper. When old friends turn to enemies and the streets greed comes calling, will Ramon realize if there is still honor Amongst Thieves?

Tea-Blender's Daughter


Pamela Evans - 1994
    But he is a cold man, with little time for his children, Dolly and Ken. Dolly works for the company and is set to marry her father's deputy, Frank Mitchell. But during the General Strike, Dolly is rescued from a dangerous riot by factory hand Bill Drake, and the pair soon fall in love. But Henry Slafer is displeased by the match, and does everything in his power to destroy their relationship. Confused and alone, Dolly agrees to marry Frank and Bill, heartbroken, takes a job elsewhere. Will Dolly and Bill ever see each other again? And can Bill forgive her for turning her back on him?

Playing the Hand You're Dealt


Trice Hickman - 2010
    That’s how her widowed mother raised her. But when Emily’s mother dies, her quiet life is shaken to its core, leaving her devastated—and ready for a fresh start. With the encouragement of her bolder, wilder best friend, Samantha, Emily moves to Washington, D.C. Samantha is sure D.C. will bring Emily her heart’s desire. But that’s exactly what Emily is afraid of…Since she was eighteen, Emily has fought a fierce longing even Samantha doesn’t know about—a love for a man that would break just about every rule she’s spent her life following. And each step closer to D.C. is a step closer to him—and a choice that could destroy not just her life as she knows it, but the image of the woman, and the friend, everyone believes her to be. Now, facing the ultimate test, only Emily can decide if the losses will be worth the gains...

Diamond Life


Sheila Copeland - 2003
    Comprised of three beautiful ladies, the sexy all-girl group So Fine has got it all — voice, magnetism, great songs — and drive. There's just one thing missing — and Nina can supply it.Jamil is not only Nina's ex-boyfriend — he's a mega-hit producer with a hot new label: Suicide Records. Nina is sure she can get Jamil to sign So Fine. She's always been able to count on him — though lately, he's been acting a little strange. Maybe it's because he's still got a thing for Nina, even though she's married now. Or maybe it's the influence of his new partner-in-crime, Xtreme, baseball's first bad boy and Suicide's first artist. Whatever it is, Nina has laid a big chunk of her own personal funds on the line, and there's no turning back now.But soon, everything seems to spiral out of control. Egos clash, hearts — and promises — are broken.

Carl Weber's Kingpins: St. Louis


Keisha Ervin - 2016
    Louis Kingpin, King David, has left a vacuum in the underworld. He leaves behind his vast empire to his surviving heirs, David Jr. and Davita. Born barely ten minutes apart, they were raised very differently.David Jr. is college educated. His mother always pushed him to do the best he could so he could one day legitimize and run the East St. Louis crime family. She thinks she's above and beyond the game. All she wants is the money that she believes she and her son are due.She taught Davita a different set of rules. Davita has been raised to use anybody and everything to get that money by any means necessary. She has embraced the business of the streets, and she is ready to ascend to the throne that her father has unexpectedly left behind.The question remains: will the family ties that bind keep the family together, or will sex, greed, drugs, and their mother's divisive ways tear it all to hell, bringing St. Louis down with them? David Jr. and Davita have decisions to make!

Forty-Something Kinda Love - novella


Khara Campbell - 2019
    Zabrina is a 45-year-old widow and single mother of three, who finds herself struggling with letting go of the loyalty that she has for her deceased husband in order to allow herself to be open to love again. Kelvin is a 46-year-old widower and single father of two. When he lost his wife to cancer, he struggled with the idea of ever being with another woman. He loved his wife with everything in him and found it hard to not think of her every day. He had given up on moving on, that is until he met Zabrina. Who knew one encounter with her would change his life forever?Zabrina isn’t an easy nut to crack and Kelvin finds himself pulling out all the stops to try to get close to her. Will his persistence be enough to win her over or push her away?

Fell for a Billionaire Vampire


N'Dia Rae - 2019
    When her cousin suggests she goes to a new vampire bar in town, Zion reluctantly agrees. The bar seems normal until she is viciously attacked by a vampire and then saved by their leader, a mysterious vampire named, Knight. Knight and Zion's connection is strong, earth-shattering and fateful. Through Knight, Zion learns secrets about herself that she has never known. This romance is steeped in mystery, sensuality and unexpected reveals. Are you ready for this new take on an African American Parnamormal Fantasy Novella.?

Island Magic


Rochelle Alers - 2000
    Thomas alone, to drown her sorrows in the Caribbean sun. But a handsome senator threatens to intrude upon Erika's solitude-- and her heart...An Estate of Marriage by Shirley HailstockA travel mix-up finds Naomi Davenport and Stephen Weller sharing the same Hawaiian estate together. Virtual strangers, the two have nothing in common. Nothing, but fierce chemistry that will either have them at each other's throats-- or in each other's beds...Then Came You by Marcia King-GambleJilted by her fiance just days before her wedding, Raven Adams insists on taking their honeymoon by herself-- after all, it is paid for, and what she needs right now is to disappear. Swearing she's done with love, Raven doesn't expect to fall for the fine-looking bartender at her Grenadine Island hotel-- and that's not the only surprise in store for Raven...Enchanted by Felicia MasonAn "all-girls" trip to Martinique is fine-- unless you're the only unmarried woman in the group. Alone and disenchanted with love, Regine Bryant wants nothing more than an island fling-- but when she meets a sexy older man, she might get more than she bargained for...