Book picks similar to
Running from Love by Natisha Raynor


natisha-raynor
african-american
street-lit
5-star-reads

She Took My Heart and Went Crazy 3


A'zayler - 2019
    One after the next, he’s tried to fight them until one day, they won. Defeated and at the bottom, Yeshi feels as if there is no way out. Just when all hope is lost, along comes beautiful and God-fearing, Logan. She’s nothing like the women Yeshi are used to, nor does she desire to be. Imagine how life altering it must be for Yeshi to finally find a woman who can help fight his past, only for him to realize he’s incapable of loving her. Luckily for him and her, with love and God on their side, they can do anything. From the moment they first met, East and Killian have been on a continuous roller coaster and going up and down on life’s machine of obstacles. Whether it’s outsiders of each other, they’ve been through it all, barely succeeding each time. Now, with a new baby in the mix, the couple’s troubles seem as if they’re just getting started. Luckily for East, Killian isn’t the kind of man who folds under pressure. Filled with love, determination, and strength, Killian bears their burdens to finally give East the life she’s dreamed of. To love and be loved, that’s the motive. Join these couples as they find the hidden truth behind the beautiful nightmares they’ve been living.

The Price of Loving A Boss 2


Kia Jones - 2016
    Diamond is engaged to Gee, the man of her dreams. The only problem is he is in love with another woman. To make matters worse, Diamond has managed to fall in love. Her only problem is winning his heart. How will she do it? Red is starting to see that she jumped head first into this situation and moved way too fast. She insists that she doesn’t have feelings for Yazz and is only concerned with her money, but why does an extended visit from Yazz’s girlfriend, Frizzy, make her so angry? It’s only business, or at least that’s what she tried to tell herself.

Wifed Up by A cold Hearted Hustla


Khadijah J. - 2018
    Finally deciding enough is enough after losing the only person she held near her heart, she decided to leave her old life behind. Heading back to her hometown with her best friend, she finishes her career goals and celebrates a night out with her best friend in hopes to try something spontaneous. Only she got more than she bargained for. Tall, dark, handsome, and paid. Kojo was every woman’s dream and had been since he’d been in the streets. Putting them behind him, he ventures out to do something he’s always wanted to do, produce music. Not only does he start to produce, but he becomes a popular producer in the music industry. With more popularity, more women that flock, and the ones closest betray him, but he handles it accordingly. Thinking all women are the same, until he runs into a striking beauty at the club. Taking each other for a surprise, they both tried something out of their element only to yearn for the feelings they felt that night. Finally acting on what they feel for each other, they decide to take a step further than what was supposed to be a one-time thing. Only problem is, just when Janai thought her life was going great, a blast from the past decide to wreak havoc on her new journey. Kojo is no stranger to drama, so when chaos ignites, he goes back in guns blazing. Bodies will drop, blood will shed, and family will turn to foe and they will be left with one question, will Kojo and Tajanai’s love remain the same after the dust settles?

Us Against Everybody: A Detroit Love Tale


Miss Candice - 2015
    Without notice, it creeps up on you and takes over every rational decision you make. Without thought, you’re willing to do whatever necessary to be with the one who’s stolen your heart. Even if that means risking your life, and being cut off from family in the process. And for Vice, that was a loss Storm was willing to take. After giving up on finding true love, the handsome and captivating, Vice crosses the threshold of Storm’s heart. As destiny would have it, the couple contributes glee and cherishing moments to each other lives –putting an end to the doubts surrounding their union. Nonetheless, naysayers and skeptics couldn’t be more furious of the doting couple. While the two are building one another up, their enemies are plotting to tear them down. Death, disloyalty, and animosity fuels the schemes against Storm and Vice, but the two aren’t going down without a fight.

Taken, But I Want You


Krystal Armstead - 2016
    No matter how much time has passed. This was the case for David “Blue” Jacobs. At the age of sixteen, Blue’s adoptive mother moved him from Greenville, North Carolina to Washington, D.C. in search for a better life. She thought that she was making a better way for Blue, but she only turned him into more of a monster. It wasn’t until the loss of a loved one that Blue decided to straighten up his life and leave the streets alone.When Blue left Greenville, he left behind his best friend, Chrystal Alison. Chrystal’s life was dependent upon her relationship with Blue. Misused, abused, and abandoned, Chrystal turned her life over to the hands of those she thought would help her. Chrystal finds herself trapped between a lifestyle that she doesn’t want to live and the people that she feels obligated to take care of by any means necessary.Just when Blue thought it was safe to say that he’d never see Chrystal again, every step he takes seemed to led him right back to her. The heart wants what the heart wants. No matter how many times you tell yourself that you’re better off without that person, a part of you will never be able to let go. Take a ride with these characters on their journey to recovery, forgiveness, and closure.

Treat Me Like Somebody 2


Nikki Simms - 2015
    Nothing but a four letter word and in part two of Treat Me Like Somebody, you'll find out just how true that is. After forgiving Justice for sleeping with Tammi, Jaz gives him one more chance to prove that she is all he wants. She thinks he is on a straighten narrow until a certain someone moves back in town. Finding out that your mother isn't your mother is heart breaking. After confronting his mother he realized that he never really knew her. He fought hard to get Jaz to forgive him and just when everything is going good, the unexpected happens. Not wanting to lose the love of her life, Mya finally tells Harlem her big secret. After being caught in a room with Diesel, it really left her no choice. She thought that once she came clean, he would understand but she was sadly mistaken and regretted even opening her mouth. Harlem hated the day he met Mya. After learning her secret he wanted nothing more than to forget he even know Mya but after a tragic accident and almost losing her, he knows he don't want to witness life without her. There's only one problem Diesel. Take a ride with these couples as they witness betrayal, long lost lovers and damaged hearts. Will they find out what love truly is or will they fall deep into temptation.

Sicka Than Your Average: A Good Girl Turned Savage


Mz Toni - 2016
    The only problem she didn't factor in was the distance Harvard would put between her and her nine year old sister. When you have a mother who can't let go of her youth, and a father too busy trying to make ends meat to provide for his family Charm has no choice but to pick up the slack. Charm makes the hard decision to attend college to build a future for her little sister when tragedy strikes leaving Charm to question her purpose in life.

Are We In This Together


Tina J. - 2019
    Yes, she could've run away but she had a lot to lose and decided to stick it out. She had two stepsisters; one, was Ana who was her best friend and had her back through thick and thin and then there was Autumn who hated her. Mason comes into her life and introduces her to things she only dreamed about. However, just like most men he has a past that he was trying to hide from her; but it all comes out and someone must pay for the pain it caused. Max on the other hand is in love with Ana but has the baby mother from hell. She will do any and everything to break them up. Ana tries to see past the drama but it's pushing her further away from Max who is her first love. Take this ride and find out if the love these couples have will stand the test of time or dwindle away.

Wifey vs. The Streets


Chrissy J - 2015
    She knew it was a better life outside of the projects and she wanted it. Damon Young was that nigga in the Fort Green projects. He controlled everything over there. He had been checking River out for a while now and he finally got the chance to speak to her, when he stopped his worker from putting hands on her. Take a ride with both River and Damon and see what they go through to make their relationship work. River feels like she's in a losing battle with the streets for Damon's heart. What will happen when life-changing events occur and a new man by the name of Major Atkins enters River's life? Will she still have to battle with the streets for the love of her man or will she walk away from it all? Find out in Wifey Vs the Streets...

The Story of DeLano Trevino


BriAnn Danae - 2018
    Deliberate. Menace. Executioner. Those were just a few words to describe the DeLano Trevino. For the majority of his life, he had been deemed the quiet one. Light on his toes, but swift with his trigger finger; no target was ever left untouched. No enemy ever left breathing. That was until he made the mistake of letting his best friend’s killer roam freely. Six years have gone by since he left the grimy streets of California. After the brutal killing of his best friend, Lano uprooted to the Midwest. Over the years, his rank in the streets solidified him as one of the most ruthless men to grace Kansas City. To most, especially the women, his entire persona yelled dangerous, but not to all. Attracted to what she knew wasn’t good for her, Anika was smitten with Lano from day one. His hood charm turned her own in ways no other man had ever done. Their friendship blossomed into a full-blown relationship with ease and was rocky at first, but there was no turning back now. She was invested, respected as his woman, and held as much weight in the streets as he did. That was until Samia, Lano’s ex and his best friend’s sister, pops back into their life. When a trip to his hometown ends with bullets flying leaving Lano shot, all bets are off. The notion of making peace with his past was terminated immediately. With a thirst so strong for revenge, treachery overshadowed any rational thoughts Lano has when it comes to protecting the ones he loves. If it was a war his enemies were seeking, they had better come prepared with guns blazing. DeLano wasn’t laying down for a soul. He was snatching the lives of whoever during his deadly ambush and sending them straight to their maker.

His Heart Ain't Loyal


K.C. Mills - 2016
    He’s street raised but business minded. Being part owner of a Harper’s, a successful bar and grill, affords him a certain lifestyle and plenty of women who want to share it with him. Larken is young and paid, and in no way interested in settling down anytime soon. Family secrets have a way of curbing his appetite for commitment, and he has no issues with that whatsoever. Sydney knows what she wants, she just can’t seem to get all her cards lined up to make it happen. Life somehow keeps getting in the way of her future plans. Sydney’s only focus is finishing school and starting her career, which leaves no room for relationships of any kind. The down side is that without a car and a job, she doesn’t have the ability to make that happen. When both are snatched from her because of a shady business deal, she’s at a loss and struggles to figure out her next move. Larken just happens to be in the right place at the right time and offers a solution to Sydney’s current situation. The two have no intention of making any kind of connection, but sometimes you find just what you need when you aren’t really looking. Will Sydney tame Larken’s wild side, and will he prove that he’s worthy of her time? Or have the two crossed paths at the wrong time, rendering them incapable of the love that neither of them know that they’re missing.

Finessing The Plug 3


Treasure Malian - 2016
    You guys have been so supportive of this series and it means the world to us. We will not sacrifice the quality of the project just for the sake of putting it out. We owe you all much more than that. Please, bare with us and rest assured that you will be receiving a BANGING finished product. We love you all and appreciate the continuous support. ---- Everyone’s favorite couple is back, but they’re not a couple… Journee and Jonas are trying to co-parent while struggling to remain friends. Even while they’re denying their feelings for each other, Jonas is in love with Nia. Nia is focused on trying to expand their family, but how will Journee feel about the situation, knowing that her feelings for Jonas will never truly be over? When she least expects it, someone new stumbles into Journee’s life, forcing her to start seeing things differently. It wasn’t long after crossing paths with him, did she realize that new love just might be what the Doctor ordered. Will Jonas be cool with Journee dating and having another man around his kids? Or will he finally admit the feelings he has been holding and let Nia go? Kameeka is welcoming a baby with Lex. She finds herself struggling to keep her relationship together and being the perfect mother. What happens when Lex is too busy in the streets? Will Kameeka be willing to stand by her man and raise their child alone, or will she finally have enough and leave, for good? Mariya and Poland are making their relationship work with each other, but Poland is keeping a secret from both Mariya and Jonas. With a secret so big, he’s bound to ruin the good thing he has with Mariya and cause guns to start blazing with Lex and Jonas. Will Poland stand by his secret or will he let an old thing go and remain loyal to the ones who’ve been there for him? Stacy is back, plus one and is ready to be a mother to Jaycee. Knowing how Jonas, Nia, and Journee feels, she still is determined to be a mother to her daughter. Will Jonas decide to move on from the past and allow Jaycee to know her biological mother, or is Journee all Jaycee needs to know? In this FINALE, everything isn’t always what it seems, but one thing is for sure, someone is always finessing the plug.

No Love in His Heart: Part One


B. Love - 2018
    In her youth, she was okay with not having children or getting married, but now that she’s close to thirty her desires have changed. With only two choices, Blue must choose between staying with Messiah or leaving and starting a new life and love with someone willing to give her every desire of her heart – including marriage and children. For Kiylee, the bad boys are no good and the good guys are no fun. Settling for no commitment and the occasional bed buddy has gotten her through most of her adulthood until she meets Bianco and Indie. Bianco, a classic street hoodlum, vies for her attention just as strongly as Indie, the good guy you’d want to bring home to your mother. In this love triangle, Kiylee’s heart is pulling her in one direction while her mind tugs her in another. Tamara spent most of her late teenaged years seeking the attention of Alante. She wanted his sight, even if she wasn’t the woman in his vision. After finally winning him, Tamara realizes just how big of a mistake it was to pursue a man instead of waiting on the one that was truly meant for her. Each of these women are left with a choice, and although the answers seem easy at first… the consequences are hard enough to have them all changing their minds and the love within their hearts. Please note: The characters in this series were first introduced in “No Love in his Heart: The Preface”

Falling For A Savage : Soraya & Jadyn's Story


Koya - 2016
    Wanting to escape the life she felt was a lie, she moves to Atlanta ready to start her new beginning. Everything is better and she starts to feel like a new person until she meets him. Jadyn Harris is the nigga to know and to be seen with. Growing up in Alabama and dealing with life has turned him into a savage. After getting the offer of a lifetime, he quickly packs up and heads to Atlanta, ready to cash out. With money on his agenda, running into Soraya was something he never counted on. When they begin to fall into a web of feelings, things become hazy. With life hitting them at every turn, Soraya starts to realize that the life she's put herself in was one she wasn't prepared for. Trying to see the good in Jadyn, she begins to question if Falling for a Savage was worth all that comes with it?

I'll Never Love A Dope Boy Again


Twyla T. - 2017
    When she loses the love of her life to the streets, she vows to never love a dope boy again, but some promises are meant to be broken…. Demetrius is a product of the streets and has spent the last five years in jail because enough was never enough. When he is released from prison, he tries hard to turn his life around, but as the saying goes…old habits die hard. Only settling for jump offs, he is mesmerized when he meets Kamora and instantly makes up his mind that he will do whatever it takes to win her over. Will Kamora be able to keep the promise that she made to herself after she meets the charming and persistent Demetrius? Will Demetrius be able to leave his dope boy ways alone to get Kamroa or will he be forever tied to the streets?