Book picks similar to
Full Figured 6 by Electa Rome Parks


african-american
carl-weber
full-figured
carl-webber

Though I Stumble


Kim Cash Tate - 2016
     Stephanie London thought she’d heard from God when she moved to Hope Springs, N.C. But a tragedy in that small town left her soul desolate. Now her husband’s inattentiveness has pushed her over the edge. Bereft of hope, she travels home to St. Louis as a women’s ministry conference kicks off. Though less than enthused to attend, new friendships offer strength and light. But what happens when the weekend ends and real life begins again? Treva Langston grieves still the loss of her husband of twenty-two years. Now, two years later, her heart is breaking again as her oldest daughter’s travails come to light. Traveling from DC to St. Louis for a women’s conference seems the last thing she should do, given the circumstances. But in St. Louis her path crosses with someone new—and her world turns upside down. Will it only lead to more heartbreak? Jillian Mason can’t wait to attend the Living Word women’s conference. She’s done their Bible studies for years and expects God to show up in an amazing way. But the weekend delivers something unexpected—a discovery about her husband. As the state of her marriage hangs in the balance, Jillian is suddenly anxious about returning home. Faith Langston has always been a girl after God’s heart. She loves Living Word studies and registered early for the conference. But at the end of her college sophomore year, she finds herself in circumstances she never imagined—with a heart that has strayed from God. She makes it to St. Louis nonetheless, with her boyfriend in tow—but how will she find her way back to God? Four women in different seasons of life converge at a women’s conference—with a theme that charges them to run “in hot pursuit” for Christ. But how do they run when challenges seem insurmountable? And can they help one another navigate the difficult terrain?

Amos


J.D. Mason - 2012
    It is only through her cake-decorating business and encouragement from her best friend that she begins to reconstruct her life, eventually realizing she has enough room in her heart to forgive him. Love-starved Toya doesn’t want to emulate others’ failed relationships. As she begins to strengthen her morals and stops seducing married men—she is surprised to discover that she shares some similarities with Amos. Tomiko is a beautiful but lonely woman. Despite having a successful career in writing, she attempts to keep aspects of herself and her past buried as a coping mechanism. However, new love reawakens her faith in both herself and men.As Cass, Toya, and Tomiko reconcile their feelings of abandonment, Amos reflects on his life and the decisions he made. And by revisiting their painful pasts, they all find ways to reconnect with each other and live with compassion.

The One He Needs


A. Marie Johnson - 2018
    Her trust issues have made her vow to swear off relationships completely, but deep down she knows her heart is in need of a good man. 
 The once perfect relationship Keyon Jones shared with his ex-girlfriend changed dramatically overnight and left him with a broken heart and a promise to be a player for the rest of his days, but whether he wants to admit it or not, deep down he knows he is in need of a woman who will love him and never leave. 
 Sounds like they’re the perfect match, doesn’t it? 
Too bad getting together won’t be an easy task for the two. 
Bria and Keyon’s broken hearts and trust issues limit their wills to love again and leave them with the choice to love or to lose each other. Which one will they choose?

A Man Most Worthy


Marcus Major - 2003
    In A Man Most Worthy, he gives us the irresistible tale of a man who has everything-except the one woman he can't forget. At thirty-six, self-made millionaire John Sebastian has achieved the kind of success that most men only dream of. His up-from-the-ground security systems business is booming, his home is a palace, and his gorgeous young girlfriend worships the ground he walks on. But seven years ago, John did something he has regretted ever since: He allowed the woman he loved to walk out of his life. Now, four years away from the big four-oh, he has come up with a plan for the rest of his life. He's going to win back Josephine Flowers, no matter what it takes-even moving back to his New Jersey hometown and overcoming the fact that she is now married to another. But his greatest challenge still lies ahead: to prove himself deserving of this special woman's love. A story about reconnecting with the past and risking everything you have-most of all your heart-A Man Most Worthy is another sexy, witty, and wise offering from one of today's most gifted talents-an author most worthy of the kind of success this wonderful new novel is certain to bring.

Consequences


Sasha Campbell - 2013
    And once again she's got an itch only another man can scratch—specifically, her married boss. But when her scandalous ways catch up with her, she flees to the home of her best friend in St. Louis, Nikki Truth. Only Nikki is having marital problems of her own...Nikki's husband, Donovan, has no idea what she was up to while he was out of the country. As Nikki does her best to reconnect with him, she must also deal with disturbing calls from a man with whom she had a brief affair. And when Donovan finds out, he sets on a path of destruction that may put Nikki and their son in danger. Can Nikki and Trinette band together to save their children, their marriages—and their futures?

When I'm Gone


Emily Bleeker - 2016
    I didn’t want to leave you... Luke Richardson has returned home after burying Natalie, his beloved wife of sixteen years, ready to face the hard job of raising their three children alone. But there’s something he’s not prepared for—a blue envelope with his name scrawled across the front in Natalie’s handwriting, waiting for him on the floor of their suburban Michigan home.The letter inside, written on the first day of Natalie’s cancer treatment a year ago, turns out to be the first of many. Luke is convinced they’re genuine, but who is delivering them? As his obsession with the letters grows, Luke uncovers long-buried secrets that make him question everything he knew about his wife and their family. But the revelations also point the way toward a future where love goes on—in written words, in memories, and in the promises it’s never too late to keep.

From Mistress to Wifey


Erica Hilton - 2011
    Jasmine was always overlooked for her brains and praised for her beauty until she met Nico, the educated hoodlum with a sexier, smarter, and even prettier wifey on his arm. His main chick, Mia, is a force to be reckoned with a quiet storm who will ride or die for the love of her life.Frustrated and caught between a fledgling video-vixen career and dysfunctional friends, Jasmine wants to be upgraded from Nico's mistress to his wifey. But Jasmine soon finds out that the glitz and glamour of huge diamonds and fancy cars come with an even heavier ransom drug deals and murder.Meanwhile, Mia's not willing to let go of her man so easily. She digs up dirt on Jasmine that can destroy her, but Mia can't even imagine what lengths Jasmine will go to, to keep her secret under wraps.

Hotel Vendome


Danielle Steel - 2011
    But when his wife tires of his obsession for the hotel, she walks out on him for a notorious rock star, leaving Hugues a single parent to four-year-old Heloise.Heloise and her family live happily amid a colourful, exciting and sometimes mysterious milieu of celebrities, socialites, politicians, world travellers and hotel employees--and their inevitable intrigues.As unexpected challenges arise, the hotel is the centre of their world. And when Heloise grows us, she longs to follow in her father's footsteps and one day run the Hotel Vendôme. The lessons she learned at his side will carry her through it all, in a story no reader will forget.

Indiscretion


Charles Dubow - 2012
    Someone who writes it down after it's all over. Why am I the narrator of this story? I am because it is the story of my life—and of the people I love most. . . ."Harry and Madeleine Winslow have been blessed with talent, money, and charm. Harry is a National Book Award–winning author on the cusp of greatness. Madeleine is a woman of sublime beauty and grace whose elemental goodness and serenity belie a privileged upbringing. Bonded by deep devotion, they share a love that is both envied and admired. The Winslows play host to a coterie of close friends and acolytes eager to bask in their golden radiance, whether they are in their bucolic East Hampton cottage, abroad in Rome thanks to Harry's writing grant, or in their comfortable Manhattan brownstone.One weekend at the start of the summer season, Harry and Maddy, who are in their early forties, meet Claire and cannot help but be enchanted by her winsome youth, quiet intelligence, and disarming naivete. Drawn by the Winslows' inscrutable magnetism, Claire eagerly falls into their welcoming orbit. But over the course of the summer, her reverence transforms into a dangerous desire. By Labor Day, it is no longer enough to remain one of their hangers-on.A story of love, lust, deception, and betrayal as seen through the omniscient eyes of Maddy's childhood friend Walter, a narrator akin to Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby, Indiscretion is a juicy, richly textured novel filled with fascinating, true-to-life characters—an irresistibly sensual page-turner that explores having it all and the consequences of wanting more.

A Gangster and A Gentleman


Kiki Swinson - 2012
    . .I Need a Gangsta Kiki SwinsonMelody Goldman isn't about to let her rich, cheating, ungrateful husband walk out and leave her with nothing. Fortunately, ex-con Scotty Harris has no problem disposing of her problems in exchange for plenty of cold, hard cash--and hot, hard sexing. But when Scotty crosses one line too many, Melody's revenge will be a hustle he never saw coming . . .Gentlemen Prefer Bullets De'Nesha DiamondSuccessful publicist Blake Scott survived by playing the Hollywood game. . .and keeping far, far away from her gangsta kingpin father. But now the only person who can protect her is his enforcer, Eli Hardwick. Good thing this thug cleans up real nice--and is even better when he gets down and dirty . . ."Kiki captures the heat of the streets." --Wahida Clark"Diamond's hairpin plot twists, snappy dialogue, sultry sex scenes, and colorful, often hilarious characters keep the pages turning." --Publishers Weekly on Heist

Sunday Brunch


Norma L. Jarrett - 1999
    She seems to have it all together all the time until a seductive client topples her self-control. Then there’s Jermane, a devout Catholic who met her husband in law school and has never been with another man. But now her workaholic marriage is threatened by temptation.Angel, on the other hand, sees men merely as a means to sex. Her scorn for love of all kinds—godly or otherwise—is challenged by a serious health scare. Meanwhile, Jewel bases her dating choices on the size of a man’s bank account until she meets a new flame who causes her to reconsider her requirements. Finally, there’s Lexi, the link between the ladies, who provides sage advice while praying for Mr. Right. But what happens when depression hits hard? Through conversation and consolation, these dynamic characters provide one another with divine inspiration—encouraging readers to root for them along the way.

The Velvet Rope


BRENDA L THOMAS - 2005
    From this Essence bestselling author comes a sexy, fast-paced novel about astreet-smart girl determined to make it big in the glitzy nightclub business.288 pp.

Love


Roddy Doyle - 2020
    Davy rarely sees Joe for a pint anymore--maybe one or two when Davy comes over from England to check on his elderly father. But tonight Davy's father is dying in the hospice, and Joe has a secret that will lead the two on a bender back to the haunts of their youth. Joe had left his wife and family a year earlier for another woman, Jessica. Davy knows her too, or should--she was the girl of their dreams four decades earlier, the girl with the cello in George's pub. As Joe's story unfolds across Dublin--pint after pint, pub after pub--so too do the memories of what eventually drove Davy from Ireland: the upheaval that Faye, his feisty, profane wife, would bring into his life; his father's somber disapproval; the pained spaces left behind when a parent dies. As much a hymn to the Dublin of old as a delightfully comic yet moving portrait of what it means to try to put into words the many forms that love can take, Love marks a triumphant new turn for Roddy Doyle"--

The Preacher's Wifey


DiShan Washington - 2013
    From athletes to politicians, she's been with them all. When Byran Ward, a wealthy pastor, enters the scene, Allyson could not be more excited. Never one to pass up an opportunity, she turns on her charm and soon finds herself sharing his bed and swiping his Platinum American Express card. Beyond his physical attraction to her, Byran has his own agenda. He's vying to become the pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church, a ten-thousand-member congregation that is sure to give him more of the prestige and notoriety he craves. He matches all of their qualifications except for one: he needs a wife. Knowing that Allyson is a certified gold digger, he makes her an offer she can't refuse. She can have the life of luxury she desires, an instant social circle of well-known pastors' wives, and anything else she needs to act the part. The only stipulation is she must always remember it's just an arrangement. It's a facade; it's not about love.No one is more surprised than Allyson when she discovers the material perks are not enough to satisfy her. She develops real feelings for her new husband, and she soon wants more attention and affection than Byran is willing to give her. Allyson is left with a decision. Does she give it all up for true love, or does she stick it out and try to prove that money can buy you happiness? The Preacher's Wifey is a well-written, page-turning, intense drama that will stay with you long after you read the last page.A wonderful story of growing faith and learning how to rely on God, this novel is full of messages of God's love and forgiveness. This is DiShan Washington's best work yet. Bravo! --Essence bestselling author Victoria Christopher Murray"

Foreign Fruit


Jojo Moyes - 2003
    That is, in the eyes of young Lottie and Celia, members of the respectable Holden family who like nothing more than escaping the family home to explore.So when a group of Bohemians move into Arcadia, a grand Art Deco house on the seafront, Lottie and Celia are tempted into their alternative way of living . What ensues at the house has tragic and long-lasting consequences for all.Now almost fifty years on, Arcadia is being renovated, once again arousing strong feelings for the town's veterans. And as the house returns to life, so do the secrets buried within it from all those years ago, prompting the question: can you ever leave your past behind?