Book picks similar to
Disasters in Dating by Danielle Allen


romance
danielle-allen
authors-of-color
fiction

Reel


Kennedy Ryan - 2021
    Nor do they cheat on anyone else.*Award-Winning Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Kennedy Ryan launches a brand new series with a Hollywood tale of wild ambition, artistic obsession, and unrelenting love.One moment in the spotlight.For months I stood by, an understudy waiting in the wings, preparing for my time to shine. I never imagined he would watch in the audience that night.Canon Holt.Famous film director.Fascinating. Talented. Fine.Before I could catch my breath, everything changed. I went from backstage Broadway to center stage Hollywood.From being unknown, to my name, Neevah Saint, on everyone’s lips.Canon casts me in a star-studded Harlem Renaissance biopic, catapulting me into another stratosphere. But stars shine brightest in the dead of night.Forbidden attraction, scandal and circumstances beyond my control jeopardize my dream.Could this one shot—the role of a lifetime, the love of a lifetime—cost me everything?

53 Letters for My Lover


Leylah Attar - 2014
    It’s not so black and white. Lines are crossed. Walls are smashed. Good becomes bad. Bad becomes very, very good.Shayda Hijazi—the perfect wife, the perfect mother, the perfect daughter. For thirty-three years, she has played by the rules, swallowing secrets, burying dreams and doing whatever it takes to anchor her family. Shayda Hijazi is about to come face to face with the one thing that can rip it all apart, the one thing her heart has always been denied: Love.Troy Heathgate—untamed, exhilarating, dangerous—a man who does exactly as he pleases. Life bends to his will. Until he comes across the one thing he would give it all up for, but can never have.Born on the same day in opposite corners of the world, their lives collide. And nothing is ever the same again. Spanning three decades, 53 Letters for My Lover is a fiercely sensual, emotional ride to the heart of an epic, forbidden love that defies it all—an intimate exploration of love, loyalty, passion, betrayal, and the human journey for hope, happiness and redemption.***Indie Reader "Best Books of 2014"*** Contemporary women's fiction: Ages 18+

A Down Chic


Mallori McNeal - 2005
    For a 17-year-old, Amina has a decent life. But after meeting her father and 23-year-old brother for the first time, things take a turn for the worse. Amina ends up alone, trying to fend for herself and save her boyfriend, Kayne, from 3 years in jail. Amina must prove her loyalty to Kayne, but can you be a Down Chick without being locked down yourself? This is a question that never crosses Amina’s mind, leading her to make the ultimate mistake of her life. Author Mallori McNeal began writing Down Chick at age 14, during the summer before she began her first year in high school. She completed Down Chick and was accepted for publishing at age 16. Mallori currently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Blindsided by Love


Monica Walters - 2019
    Andrews. The thirty-one-year-old freelance journalist is living life on her own terms, except in one area. Love. She feels somewhat stuck in an engagement to a man that she once loved, until things began to change once they decided to cohabitate. They argue about her career as if it’s a hobby and Aspen is sick of it. As their engagement is on the verge of being dissolved, she decides to take a trip to the little town of Nome, Texas to interview farmers about their livestock that are mysteriously dying. What she doesn’t expect, is to meet a man that threatens to change everything she found attractive in a man. Aspen couldn’t have these sorts of desires for a stranger who was tactless and rude. No matter how pitiful her relationship was, she was still engaged to be married. Seven Storm Henderson is a man that knows what he wants. Until he finds it, or he stumbles upon it, he chooses to live life to the fullest. Being the youngest of seven children, he’s used to getting his way. He owns a full-service center and mechanic shop and his family pretty much owns the entire town. But what he loves is taking care of the animals in their pastures, especially the cattle. Women are willing to throw themselves at his feet, but he only wants one thing from them. Even with him being rude and nasty to most of them, they still continue to chase the Storm. One day, what he feels is his destiny, drops in his lap, but he soon realizes that she isn’t like most chicks he dealt with. She was all woman. Storm and Aspen have a rocky start, because Storm can’t seem to speak intelligently enough to woo Aspen. He realizes that she may be too good for him, but that doesn’t stop his pursuit. Will Storm make the necessary changes to have Aspen all to himself or will Aspen make the necessary changes in her life to actually give Storm a chance?

Changing Everything


Molly McAdams - 2015
    But after twelve years of only being his best friend and wingman, the heartache that comes from watching him with countless other women becomes too much, and Paisley decides its time to lay all her feelings on the table.Eli Jenkins has a life most guys would kill for: Dream job, countless women, and his best friend, Paisley, to be the girl he can always count on for everything else. But one conversation not only changes everything between them, it threatens to make him lose the only girl who has ever meant anything to him.When tragedy strikes his family and Eli is forced to reevaluate his life, he realizes a life without Paisley isn’t a life at all. Only now, he may be too late.

Sugar Rush


A. Jones - 2018
    For years she’s given up on her dreams to keep peace within her family, but now she’s ready to pursue the life she wants. With one small window of opportunity she’s given room to do just that, however, not everyone is happy for her. Facing the repercussions of her decision from her family and a surprising diagnosis that’s threatening everything she’s been working for leaves Melanie wondering if her dreams were ever supposed to be anything more than a dream. Then enters Kamali James – a natural born nurturer and a man who has been a giver and lover all of his life… until he crosses paths with the beautiful Melanie Moore. Melanie doesn’t have time for a relationship, let alone the emotional strength to deal with everything she’s going through. Will she let Kamali in to be the rock that she needs and continue pursuing her dreams, or will she give up on everything... including him?

The Sisters of Theta Phi Kappa


Kayla Perrin - 2001
    Now, ten years later, they seem to have it all. Jessica is in the limelight, a TV personality whose star is on the rise. Ellie is an optimist, happily engaged in the quest for love. Shereen is a stunning and powerful executive, and Yolanda, the strong-willed leader of the group, has defied her roots to capture her vision of the American dream. But years before, these four women banded together to keep a devastating secret-and now, ten years later, someone will do anything to see the secret brought to light. None of them anticipated the consequences of keeping the secret-and now, someone is trying to shatter all their lives. Intense, powerful, page-turning, and emotional, The Sisters of Theta Phi Kappa will keep you guessing and will make you think about the depths of friendship, the price of loyalty, and the bonds of sisterhood.

When Life Happened


Jewel E. Ann - 2017
    It might have something to do with her boyfriend sleeping with her twin sister. After a wedding day prank involving a strong laxative, that ends the already severed relationship between the twins, Parker decides to grow up and act twenty-six. Step One: Move out of her parents' house. Step Two: Find a job. Opportunity strikes when she meets her new neighbor, Gus Westman. He's an electrician with Iowa farm-boy values and a gift for saying her name like it's a dirty word. He also has a wife. Sabrina Westman, head of a successful engineering firm, hires Parker as her personal assistant. Driven to be the best assistant ever, Parker vows to stay focused, walk the dog, go to the dry cleaners, and not kiss Gus-again. Step Three: Don't judge. Step Four: Remember- when life happens, it does it in a heartbeat.

Bedroom Bully


Trista Russell - 2009
    Shaken with fright when he nudges a gun to her body and demands protection, Audra has no clue how deeply the murderer's rough, tender touches will penetrate the hardened layers of her heart.Dean Casey can't believe he's on the run after shooting two cops. But he never dreamed that his young daughter would be molested, either, a crushing reality that pushed the hardworking father to the brink of insanity. With the entire city of Miami on the hunt for him, Dean must figure out a way to save his daughter before vanishing from her life forever. To complicate matters, his hostage is a sexy, thick beauty whose attraction to him is impossible to ignore.Overcome with the thrill of their forbidden lust and imprisoned in the walls of her home, Audra and Dean lose themselves in an addictive, erotic haze - until sudden tragedies and shocking twists force them to escape Miami. As the fugitives set sail on the tranquil Caribbean Sea, their treacherous journey will, once and for all, test the limitless bounds of their passion.

The Hidden Wife 2: Finale


B.M. Hardin - 2016
    His hidden wife is the love of his life; but the wife, with benefits, is carrying his baby. What will he do? And more importantly, which wife will he choose? Secrets are revealed, true colors are exposed, and everybody becomes Strawberry's enemy. All Strawberry wanted was love, and her very own happily-ever after, but dreams don't always come true; sometimes that "something blue"...is you. A finale full of twists and turns, and everything else in between. "Until Death Do Us Part" means something. Especially to the wife that is often unseen.

Foreplay


Sophie Jordan - 2013
    He’s the key to everything she’s always craved: security, stability, family. But she needs Hunter to notice her as more than just a friend. Even though she’s kissed exactly one guy, she has just the plan to go from novice to rock star in the bedroom—take a few pointers from someone who knows what he’s doing.Her college roommates have the perfect teacher in mind. But bartender Reece is nothing like the player Pepper expects. Yes, he’s beyond gorgeous, but he’s also dangerous, deep—with a troubled past. Soon what started as lessons in attraction are turning both their worlds around, and showing just what can happen when you go past foreplay and get to what’s real…

Easter Carats


Erynn Mangum - 2011
    So when her grandmother suggests changing up Easter tradition by inviting her neighbor's family - including her neighbor's sloppy grandson, Blake - and spending the weekend in a lake house in Texas, Emilie is anything but on board with the idea.Blake Sullivan is excited for the vacation, even though he'll have to put up with worrywart Emilie the whole time. He's got plans to just sit on the dock and fish the weekend away.But when the catfish aren't biting and the manicured golf course turns out to be a place for Frisbee golf, will Emilie and Blake find out that the one thing they have in common is the most important thing of all?

Love Under Contract


Sharon C. Cooper - 2017
     Sumeera Robinson refuses to settle for less than she desires, even if what she craves is the sexy, smart, and charming Nicolas Jenkins-Moore. At her age, she wants marriage and a family, not the empty promises Nick offers. Yet, there is just something about the man that makes moving on nearly impossible. As the new senior manager of Jenkins & Sons Construction, Nick’s five-year plan is on track with marriage and starting a family at the bottom of the list. Sumeera is as beautiful inside as she is on the outside, but not even she can entice him to abandon his carefully plotted road to success. That is until she walks away without looking back, leaving him yearning for her presence in his life. Nick is determined to convince Sumeera that he wants the same things she wants. But will an unexpected development keep them from the life they desire? Or will fate bring them closer than they’ve ever been before? Love Under Contract is book 1 in the Jenkins & Sons Construction series.

The Secret of Ella and Micha


Jessica Sorensen - 2012
    But one tragic night shatters their friendship and their lives forever.Ella used to be a rule-breaker with fiery attitude who wore her heart on her sleeve. But she left everything behind when she went to college and transformed into someone that follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. But now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home. Ella fears everything she worked so hard to bury might resurface, especially with Micha living right next door. If Micha tries to tempt the old her back, she knows that it will be hard to resist.Micha is sexy, smart, confident, and can get under Ella’s skin like no one else can. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. And he’s determined to bring his best friend, and the girl he loves back, no matter what it takes. (New Adult Contemporary)*Mature Content** Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language.

When We Love: a steamy novelette


ShanicexLola Shanice Swint - 2019
     His intentions were pure... His touch was everlasting... He was the first. I never fathomed my best friend’s allure would suffice and fulfill me exceedingly. His embrace was soothing... His kisses were gentle... The best was saved for last. *Please note, When We Love is an introductory novelette for a full story to come on Kaden + Aria.