Book picks similar to
Smoke Screen by Monique D. Mensah
urban-fiction
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fiction
street-lit
Winter Loon
Susan Bernhard - 2018
As the wait for his father stretches unforgivably into months, a local girl, whose own mother died a brutal death, captures his heart and imagination, reminding Wes that hope always floats to the surface.When buried truths come to light in the spring thaw, wounds are exposed and violence erupts, forcing Wes to embark on a search for his missing father, the truth about his mother, and a future he must claim for himself—a quest that begins back at that frozen lake.A powerful, page-turning coming-of-age story, Winter Loon captures the resilience of a boy determined to become a worthy man by confronting family demons, clawing his way out of the darkness, and forging a life from the shambles of a broken past.
Exposed:: When Good Wives Go Bad
Anna J. - 2013
When the other 20 percent is too tempting to turn down, do you decide to go with your family life, or do you take advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity? Simone, Te'Nae and Shay are picture perfect wives and career women. All three juggle prestigious jobs, motherhood and wifely duties with ease, but they share a dark secret that, if exposed, could ruin everything they've worked hard to maintain. They only get one chance to decide if their marriages are worth more than the risks they take.
Breaking Twig
Deborah Epperson - 2011
Not even Twig’s vivid imagination, keen wit, and dark sense of humor is enough to help her survive the escalating assaults of Helen and a new stepbrother, but help comes from an unexpected source—Frank, her stepfather. Sometimes, having one person who loves and believes in you is all a girl needs to keep hope alive. Often raw and irreverent and sprinkled with all the Southern flavoring found in a good bowl of chicken and dumplings, BREAKING TWIG, is about finding love where we least expect it, destroying lives with easy lies, and realizing each of us determine our own truth. (Taken from author's website.)
Project Queen
Teresa D. Patterson - 2010
Using her body and beauty has earned her the title, “Project Queen”. She’s got it, and was born to flaunt it! She’s determined to break away from her abusive mother, and leave her impoverished lifestyle far behind.When she begins dating a notorious drug dealer, she assumes all of her problems are over. She couldn’t be further from the truth. She finds out that beauty is only skin deep, and all of the money, spinning rims, and glitter, can come at a violent price.
Main Chick vs Side Bitch 1: African American Romance
Solae Dehvine - 2015
With his main girl Kierra Lawrence by his side, DeWayne rules the town. Sneaking in and out of beds but DeWayne was always about to slither his way out of any whorish problem he got himself into. DeWayne and Kiara had their share of ups and downs from women to extra kids but they always stayed together until Ariane came along. Kiara is a lawyer with money and brains but Ariane has a body with hustle and street smarts and with DeWayne mixed in, disaster isn't far behind. There is no way to stop the madness and with DeWayne caught in the world wind, the women have no choice but to fight for the love of their life, but at what cost? Find out in Main Chick vs. Side Bitch
A Lily in the Light
Kristin Fields - 2019
People Esme has known her whole life suddenly become suspects, each new one hitting closer to home than the last.Unable to cope, Esme escapes the nightmare that is her new reality when she receives an invitation to join an elite ballet academy in San Francisco. Desperate to leave behind her chaotic, broken family and the mystery surrounding Lily’s disappearance, Esme accepts.Eight years later, Esme is up for her big break: her first principal role in Paris. But a call from her older sister shatters the protective world she has built for herself, forcing her to revisit the tragedy she’s run from for so long. Will her family finally have the answers they’ve been waiting for? And can Esme confront the pain that shaped her childhood, or will the darkness follow her into the spotlight?
Welcome to Last Chance
Cathleen Armstrong - 2013
But as she encounters the people who make Last Chance their home, it’s her heart that is flashing bright red warning lights. These people are entirely too nice, too accommodating, and too interested in her personal life for Lainie’s comfort-especially since she’s on the run and hoping to slip away unnoticed.Yet in spite of herself, Lainie finds that she is increasingly drawn in to the dramas of small town life. An old church lady who always has room for a stranger. A handsome bartender with a secret life. A single mom running her diner and worrying over her teenage son. Could Lainie actually make a life in this little hick town? Or will the past catch up to her even here in the middle of nowhere?Cathleen Armstrong pens a debut novel filled with complex, lovable characters making their way through life and relationships the best they can. Her evocative descriptions, observational humor, and talent at rendering romantic scenes will earn her many fans.
Promiscuous Girl
Nicole Jackson - 2014
Taraj was introduced into the game of life at the ripe age of eleven. Against her will, she’s thrust into some of the seediest acts known to man. She soon finds out that this world is cruel, and she must fight against the grain to truly live. One tumultuous situation after another, Taraj attempts to weather the storms. Steve is the man that is forcibly in her life. He seemingly offers his helping hand to a troubled Taraj, but his help comes at a heavy price. Eventually, things seem grimier than ever before…until Taz enters the picture. Coming fully equipped with his own demons, he’s the unlikeliest person to ever reach back and rescue the next. But there’s something about Taraj that compels him to save her, even if she’s unaware of needing saving. In Taraj’s world, being pretty had never done a thing for her besides bringing heartache and pain to her doorstep. Surely Taz is just like all the others; waiting to take advantage. Life has hardened her, and she’s become a promiscuous girl. Therefore, she can’t see the forest for all the trees. Ultimately, she needs to be saved from herself; but who’s willing to take on that task? Will Taz be her knight in shiny armor, or will he lead her down a fast road of self-destruction?
I Almost Forgot About You
Terry McMillan - 2016
Georgia Young's wonderful life--great friends, family, and successful career--aren't enough to keep her from feeling stuck and restless. When she decides to make some major changes in her life, including quitting her job as an optometrist and moving house, she finds herself on a wild journey that may or may not include a second chance at love. Georgia’s bravery reminds us that it’s never too late to become the person you want to be, and that taking chances, with your life and your heart, are always worthwhile. Big-hearted, genuine, and universal, shows what can happen when you face your fears, take a chance, and open yourself up to life, love, and the possibility of a new direction.
Luckiest Girl Alive
Jessica Knoll - 2015
Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and handsome blue blood fiancé, she’s this close to living the perfect life she’s worked so hard to achieve.But Ani has a secret.There’s something else buried in her past that still haunts her, something private and painful that threatens to bubble to the surface and destroy everything.With a singular voice and twists you won’t see coming, Luckiest Girl Alive explores the unbearable pressure that so many women feel to “have it all” and introduces a heroine whose sharp edges and cutthroat ambition have been protecting a scandalous truth, and a heart that's bigger than it first appears.The question remains: will breaking her silence destroy all that she has worked for—or, will it at long last, set Ani free?
The Girl In Between
Laekan Zea Kemp - 2012
Afflicted with Klein-Levin Syndrome, she suffers episodes of prolonged sleep that steal weeks, and sometimes even months, from her life. But unlike most KLS patients, she doesn’t spend each episode in a catatonic state or wake up with no recollection of the time she’s missed. Instead, Bryn spends half her life in an alternate reality made up of her memories. For Bryn, the past is a place, until one day a boy she’s never met before washes up on the illusory beach of her dreams with no memory of who he is.But the appearance of this strange boy isn’t the only thing that’s changed. Bryn’s symptoms are worsening, her body weakening as she’s plagued by hallucinations even while awake. Her only hope of finding a cure is to undergo experimental treatment created by a German specialist. But when Dr. Banz reveals that he knows more about her strange symptoms than he originally let on, Bryn learns that the boy in her head might actually be the key to understanding what’s happening to her, and worse, that if she doesn’t find out his identity before it’s too late, they both may not survive.
Throwaway
Heather Huffman - 2010
But even if Jessie could walk away from Spence, there are darker forces of evil who won't let her go that easily. In this romantic suspense, author Heather Huffman delivers an adventure from the vibrant streets of St. Louis to the caves of the Ozarks as Jessie discovers whether she can love another, whether she can love herself, and whether any of it is enough.Throwaway is the first installment in the surprisingly warm and funny series The Throwaways, twelve novels that don’t shy away from the dark corners of this world but always shine the light of hope. At the core of the series is a group of strong but often unlikely heroes and heroines coming from all walks of life whose lives intertwine as they fight for justice, for love, and to leave their indelible mark on this world.Immerse yourself in a world of suspense, laughter, and love with The Throwaways.
The Cartel Deluxe Edition: Books 1-3
Ashley Antoinette - 2018
The Diamond family is a force to be reckoned with, but all hell breaks loose when they lose their leader. The most ruthless gangster Miami has ever seen, Carter Diamond, leaves behind a wife, twin sons, a daughter, and a secret. The secret is his illegitimate son, Carter Jones. When young Carter learns of his father's death, he comes to town and is introduced to the legacy of the CartelMiamor is a woman who uses her beauty to enhance her skill as a contract killer. She is the leader of The Murder Mamas. When her crew is hired to take down the Cartel, they get caught slipping, and Miamor loses her sister in the process. She is determined to get revenge. Unknowingly, she meets the son of Carter Diamond, and he immediately catches her heart. She is sleeping with the enemy, and when she finds out, she is torn between love and revenge.Thus begins the saga of the Cartel, the New York Times bestselling series by street lit superstars Ashley & Jaquavis. Every book in the series is full of their trademark fast-paced drama, deceit, and plot twists that will leave you shocked. Now fans can relive the story of the Diamond family in this deluxe edition, with books one through three all under one cover.
Greyhound
Steffan Piper - 2010
He doesn't exactly understand why, but he accepts it. His mother often seems too emotionally detached to care for him. Her latest boyfriend Dick takes cruel pleasure in mimicking the boy’s stuttering, and wants to live his life without "somebody else's kid" getting in the way. So it's no surprise when they pack his bags to send him away. It is a surprise when they send him alone.Ushered from his Stockton, California home, Sebastien must fend for himself and travel two thousand miles across the country to live with his grandmother and sister in Pennsylvania. Along the way, he learns that sometimes caring, guidance and understanding can come from some unlikely people.Marcus is a man who has been neglected more by society than his family. As a young black ex-con, he is not the epitome of the person most would pick as a chaperone for their child's cross country trip. Yet rather than be held apart by their differences, Marcus and Sebastien are drawn together by the things that make us all alike. As both guide and protector, Marcus imparts his own style of wisdom while showing Sebastien that, despite the darker side of the human condition, people can and do care for one another.Greyhound is the story of the journey taken by a young boy into manhood, and by the reader into his world. Like every trip, there are many stops along the way. But this journey differs in the way young Sebastien arrives at his destination.