Book picks similar to
Natural Beauty by Leslie DuBois


interracial-romance
interracial
chick-lit
romance

Spouse Swap


A.N. Boyden - 2021
    "You failed to mention how fine this man is! Girl, do you see him?! I mean, come on! Imagine taking the sexiest lumberjack you can find and mixing him with the most rugged cowboy on this planet and BAM, there he is!"Tanya chuckled, placing her hands on her hips. "So, what? Now you're not going to follow through because he's hot? Must I remind you that your husband is a looker, too?"I paced across the lawn in my brown leather Saint Laurent ankle boots. "Yeah, my husband is handsome, but this man is fucking indescribable. I mean, let's be honest. I need a new pair of panties right now!""Are they moist?" Tanya teased."Bitch, I'm leaking."The sound of someone loudly clearing their throat caught our attention. I froze, mortified by what he may have heard."H-How much of that did you hear by chance?" I stuttered."Not much," he drawled with his sexy Texas twang. "I came in at the lumberjack cowboy hybrid part," he confessed with a smug smirk on his delicious lips.Charlotte (Charlie) Davis is a successful divorce attorney who agrees to participate in a social experiment where she swaps lives with another wife and mother, leaving behind her emotionally unavailable husband and four-year-old daughter. Her "new" spouse, Taylor Scott, is an electrician by trade who agrees to participate in the spouse swap program for the $10,000.00 to be paid out at the completion of the program. Charlie and Taylor have an instant connection when they first lay eyes on each other. Throughout the program, they realize their marriages have been missing the love and affection they've been craving. Taylor finds out a devastating secret about his wife that forces him to face reality and make moves for the safety and wellbeing of his family.There was one itsy bitsy detail in the spouse swap contract that both Charlie and Taylor missed...the couple has to sleep in the same bed...**This novel is a BWWM Interracial story filled with desire, sex, lies, betrayal, and drama!**

Shame on It All


Zane - 1999
    Lucky) Whitfield are sisters in every sense of the word. They argue and get on each other's nerves, but when it comes down to the wire they are extremely protective of one another. "Shame on It All" follows their adventures, friendships, and love lives -- which are jam-packed with unpredictable, downright crazy situations. With a few surprising twists thrown in for good measure, "Shame on It All" is as wild as they come.

For You


Tiffany Patterson - 2020
    No thanks. It only brought the worst kind of pain. I watched my father suffer the consequences of losing the love of his life when my mother died. And I wanted no parts of any of it. Therefore, I turned my heart off to it and kept it closed for well over a decade.Then one day, Jodi Walker entered my office. She was bold, beautiful, and ready to get in the face of anyone who got in her way. And I couldn’t stay away from her.Maybe it was the fierce, determined look in her hazel eyes or the abundance of graphic tees she wore that declared her mood at any given moment. Quite possibly, it could’ve been the perfect soft, plump lips of hers that kept my attention for minutes on end. Whatever it was, I decided to take on her case, though it wasn’t the type my private investigative firm usually took on.Sure, the mystery around her grandfather’s death was intriguing. But it was the dogged way in which Jodi refused to back down until she had answers, that convinced me to help her. Somehow my desire to help her turned into a burning need to protect her. The bastards that went after her grandfather came after her. The only problem was, they hadn’t figured out, they’d have to go through me first.

Alien and the Wedding Planner


Lizzie Lynn Lee - 2017
    Or at least, she hopes to get a reasonable client. That is why she's excited when a pair of insanely gorgeous men come to her shop for a consultation. But no, they aren't a couple and they ask weird questions. Things escalate when one of them decides to kidnap her and bring her to his home planet . . . This alien feeling in the alien's heart Lord Ice Silverkiller is a renowned scientist on his home planet, Crimea. His planet is dying and it seems his people don't want to procreate. His emperor orders him to find a solution. Ice and his crew then embark on the first expedition to Earth. They want to know the secret behind the humans' explosive population growth. But when he sees Alana, science is the farthest thing in his mind. And the chemical reaction between them is sizzling Like other Crimeans, Ice is even-tempered and relies on logic rather than his heart. But there's nothing logical about this crazy urge to possess this curvalicious human female named Alana. Suddenly, he is hit by all kind of feelings he's never experienced before. To make love to her. Always worry about her. To protect her and keep her safe. To make her his. Ice wonders if he finally feels what the humans called love? Because this newfound love and Alana might be the keys to save their dying race...

Get Down


Asali Solomon - 2006
    The kids in "Get Down "are trapped between their own good breeding and their burning desire to join the house party of sex, romance, and bad behavior that seems to be happening on some other block, down some other more dangerous street. The adults in "Get Down "are just trying to hold it together. Here is a debut that will make you laugh and cringe in equal measure. Set mostly in middle-class black Philadelphia during the crack and Reagan years, the stories in "Get Down "are antic, poignant, and utterly universal--they'll bring back memories for anyone who has ever stood in the corner of a darkened school gym wondering whether to dance . . . or duck for cover. They announce a sparkling new talent, a recent graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop whose work has been featured in "Vibe," "Essence," and the anthology "Naked: Black Women Bare All About Their Skin, Hair, Hips, Lips, and Other Parts.

By Love Possessed


Lorna Goodison - 2011
    Bingham Prize“Written by the hand of a poet, the prose in this collection is consistently beautiful.”—Elizabeth Nunez, author of Prospero’s Daughter and Boundaries“I love the tender beautiful writing; I love the characters, and in many ways it felt as if I had met them before….I just love this book.”—Uwem Akpan, author of Say You’re One of Them, an Oprah Book Club selectionInternationally renowned and award-winning poet Lorna Goodison brings us By Love Possessed, her long-anticipated collection of short fiction. Making dazzling use of the Creole patois of Jamaica, Goodison limns the beauty and despair of the human condition and explores the unique power of love to both uplift and destroy. Goodison’s powerfully moving stories explore the pain, the struggle, and the triumph of Jamaicans—particularly women—those still living on their Caribbean island and those who have emigrated elsewhere. By Love Possessed is a rare and beautiful gift from an extraordinary writer who was mentored by the legendary Derek Walcott and who stands with Edwidge Danticat as a brave and breathtaking voice in contemporary literature.

Honor's Players


Holly Newman - 1988
    Unfortunately, pursuit was futile. Helene's father had decreed that she could not wed before her older sister, Elizabeth, wed. Considering Elizabeth's reputation as The Shrew of London, this was cause for alarm.Then Justin, Viscount St. Ryne, asked for Elizabeth's hand in marriage. If her family wept for joy, Elizabeth shrieked in fury. But in her heart of hearts she acknowledged he resembled the hero of her closely guarded dreams. Poor Elizabeth hadn't the faintest notion that St. Ryne had a curious plan designed to tame her, a plan that would tangle their hearts and would, in the face of unexpected interlopers and domestic scandal, teach both arrogant husband and quick-tempered wife a thing or two about love and marriage!

Happily Ever Afters


Elise Bryant - 2021
    She’s rarely seen herself reflected in the pages of the romance novels she loves. The only place she’s a true leading lady is in her own writing—in the swoony love stories she shares only with Caroline, her best friend and #1 devoted reader.When Tessa is accepted into the creative writing program of a prestigious art school, she’s excited to finally let her stories shine. But when she goes to her first workshop, the words are just...gone. Fortunately, Caroline has a solution: Tessa just needs to find some inspiration in a real-life love story of her own. And she’s ready with a list of romance novel-inspired steps to a happily ever after. Nico, the brooding artist who looks like he walked out of one of Tessa’s stories, is cast as the perfect Prince Charming.But as Tessa checks each item off Caroline’s list, she gets further and further away from herself. She risks losing everything she cares about—including the surprising bond she develops with sweet Sam, who lives across the street. She’s well on her way to having her own real-life love story, but is it the one she wants, after all?

The Summer of New Beginnings


Bette Lee Crosby - 2018
    So when her father passes away unexpectedly, leaving behind his at-risk business, she steps up to save his legacy—even if that means putting her own dreams on hold.Tracy couldn’t be more different from her sister. She’s always been the rebellious type, without much direction in life. But in the wake of her latest romantic disaster, she finds herself moving back home as a single mother.As Tracy experiences the difficulties of new motherhood, Meghan faces her own struggle: trying not to fall for the stray puppy she rescued. This is no time for attachments—not to the adorable “Sox,” whose owner is bound to turn up any day, and certainly not to the handsome new vet in town. But as the summer unfolds, she discovers that, like Sox, she may need rescuing, too.As both sisters navigate unexpected challenges and exciting new relationships, they’ll find that putting the past to rest can make way for beautiful new beginnings.

Dead or Alive


Trevion Burns - 2015
    During a foolish attempt to infiltrate the closed courtroom, she finds herself face-to-face with the gun wielding, convicted murderer himself as he attempts to make an escape—and with her in his arms! Remington Archibald has nothing left to lose. When he is sentenced to life in prison, he realizes that the last chance he may ever have of proving his innocence is about to be lost forever. So he flees the courtroom and, in the process, finds himself saddled with a hard-headed hostage who is far too difficult to get rid of and far too beautiful to be anything more than a very dangerous distraction. The FBI wants him, dead or alive. Will Remy and Violet find a way to prove his innocence before it’s too late? DEAD OR ALIVE is an interracial romance Strong sexual content, strong language Stand alone novel

A Little Less Girl


Tess Oliver - 2011
    But when Amy, the girl obsessed with him, commits suicide, the entire town of Raynesville is quick to blame Jake. Now Amy's cousin, Dani, has moved into town. And suddenly Jake has an obsession of his own.Dani Spencer has always dreamed of a home and normal life. When her beloved cousin and grandmother die, her wild, impetuous mother inherits their house in Raynesville. With Amy's diary in hand, Dani intends on finding out what happened to her cousin. And there's an obvious place to start... Jake West, the guy who broke Amy's heart.

Daughters of the Stone


Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa - 2009
    It is the mid-1800s. Fela, taken from Africa, is working at her second sugar plantation in colonial Puerto Rico, where her mistress is only too happy to benefit from her impressive embroidery skills. But Fela has a secret. Before she and her husband were separated and sold into slavery, they performed a tribal ceremony in which they poured the essence of their unborn child into a very special stone. Fela keeps the stone with her, waiting for the chance to finish what she started. When the plantation owner approaches her, Fela sees a better opportunity for her child, and allows the man to act out his desire. Such is the beginning of a line of daughters connected by their intense love for one another, and the stories of a lost land.Mati, a powerful healer and noted craftswoman, is grounded in a life that is disappearing in a quickly changing world.Concha, unsure of her place, doesn't realize the price she will pay for rejecting her past.Elena, modern and educated, tries to navigate between two cultures, moving to the United States, where she will struggle to keep her family together.Carisa turns to the past for wisdom and strength when her life in New York falls apart.The stone becomes meaningful to each of the women, pulling them through times of crisis and ultimately connecting them to one another. Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa shows great skill and warmth in the telling of this heartbreaking, inspirational story about mothers and daughters, and the ways in which they hurt and save one another.

Original Love


J.J. Murray - 2005
    That she returned his affection was a boy's dream come true. But despite a bond that grew into their teens, Peter's intolerant father and Ebony's meddling family finally forced them apart. That was twenty years ago -- and Peter has been trying to find his way back to his first and true love ever since... When she was a kid, Ebony feared no one, not even Peter's violent, bigoted father. Back then, Ebony said she'd love Peter forever, and she meant it. It didn't matter that they couldn't share milestones like the high school prom together -- what they had was the real thing, and nobody could take it away... or could they? Even now, Ebony doesn't quite understand how she and Peter disappeared from each other's lives. Has the hatred that surrounded them finally won? Ebony doesn't want to believe that, but she knows one thing: if she ever has the chance to reunite with Peter, she'll never let him go. Because you don't throw away something that only comes along once in a lifetime. You don't mess with original love...

Breathe


Jessica Phoenix - 2019
    That is until she decided to take matters into her own hands, fight back and run from her dark and tortured past. Gia He’s not the kind of guy I usually go out with. Not that I dated all that much anyway before my ex. But I make it a point to steer clear of men like him. Nathan took my breath away the moment I laid eyes on him. And even if he just may be the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen, I won’t cave to his advances. I’ve felt the worst kind of pain from people that look like him. It may be wrong to generalize, but I wouldn’t go there. I can’t go there. Ever…Can I? Nathan She’s sexy. I like that. She’s feisty. I like that even more. She shoots me down every time I ask her out. Not really a fan of that, but I’m nothing if not persistent. Gia has to be the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, and I want her. Problem is she’s not buying what I’m selling. Her piercing eyes tell a tale of scars unseen. Immediately I want to be the one to chase away what plagues her. First have to convince her that I’m the just one to help heal her. Standalone Romance A story of hope, healing, love and music. Adult content 18++ ***This book contains sensitive/emotional subject matters that may be too intense for some readers.

Hanging by the Moment


H.B. Pattskyn - 2013
    He dropped out of school to help run the failing family restaurant, and ever since he’s put up with his difficult business partner, who also happens to be his father. And, of course, he keeps his sexual orientation a secret from his conservative Russian family. After being closeted costs him his first serious relationship, Pasha resigns himself to one-night stands and loneliness.But after a chance encounter with lost delivery truck driver, Daniel Englewood, Pasha starts to question all of his assumptions about life. Daniel is sweet, funny, smart, drop-dead gorgeous—and for the last six years, he’s been living with HIV. Pasha worries that he won’t be strong enough to help Daniel if HIV turns to AIDS, but he can’t walk away from their deepening attraction. He also doesn’t know if he can be strong enough to face the hardest task that a relationship with Daniel demands: coming out to his family and friends, and risking losing everything else he holds dear.