Contemporary African American Fiction

Kachelle Lewis is tired of waiting for love. As a successful pediatric orthodontist, she has everything else going for herself, but the one thing she desires most seems to be just out of reach. Coming home to an empty home has gotten old, and Kachelle longs for companionship. After dating every wrong man, she’s decided to put the fate of her love into the hands of Arranged Hearts, a professional matchmaking service, but there is a catch. While she’ll be paired with what she hopes is the man of her dreams, she will know nothing about him until she meets him at the altar.

Giselle King refuses to wait for time to pass her by without obtaining everything she desires. After fulfilling her goal of becoming a dental hygienist and having financial stability, she knows she’s ready for a family. Years of dating proved to be a waste. An arrangement was made to bless her with two beautiful children, who keep her busy, but she’s still not totally happy. She wants a loving relationship with the man of her dreams… a man that’s perfect for her. Impatience with the dating process causes her to make another arrangement.

Adonis "Drayko" Loving had been trouble since he learned to walk. Living a risky lifestyle finally catches up with him, forcing him to suddenly leave Ohio and find a fresh start elsewhere. After relocating, he finds himself struggling with adjusting to his new surroundings. Living a single, drama-free life by getting money and staying out of the way comes to an abrupt end when Nyoka crosses his path. Her slanted, sly eyes pull him in and make him rethink and reevaluate his entire life.

Chandler Gray never imagined during her journey to earn a nursing degree, she would encounter a distraction, in the form of firefighter, Moses Lawson. With the chaos of supporting her mother after her father’s passing and completing her internship and practicum, Chandler had no time for a relationship. However, Moses’ persistence, charisma, and rugged good looks made her think again. Perhaps a summer fling with no strings attached was just what the doctor ordered.

I’m coming for the children. Minister Jude Morgan has a strong relationship with the Lord but doesn’t know what the latest message means. He is determined to intercede for his young mentee, Carlton Oliver, and children worldwide. Nine-year-old Carlton wants to get to know his estranged dad, but at what cost? He’s about to discover many things he doesn’t know about the man who fathered him, and he’s on a mission to worship the Lord. Sinclaire Oliver regrets getting her ex, Harrison Wakefield, involved in her life and that of his son Carlton.

Krew and Navy Troy are brothers with the same blood but different paths. After looking death in the face, Navy spends four years struggling to get his life back. He did the work so opening his heart to the right woman finally feels right. Navy’s dance with death is a wake-up call for his brother, Krew. He failed at protecting his brother and he refuses to do that again. He spends four years building a foundation for the Troy brothers to have financial stability. Krew meets a woman that proves that timing is everything, and this time, he plans on making it work.

Marquise "Que" Gates isn't just the typical reformed thug. He's refined in all ways favorably, still with an irresistible swagger and much more. Just when he switched the game and attempted to go legit and take a backseat to his operation, his world gets shaken up with a tragic event that leaves him heartbroken and with unexpected responsibilities he never knew he was ready for. That isn't until he meets Meleehia "Mel" Rush, who's laced with flaws and insecurities owing to a fragile past. Yet, her authenticity and vulnerability captivate him in a way he hadn't felt since…

This is the end.

Lyra Hart, a teacher’s assistant working her way through college, lives a simple life. Her sister Natalie is a constant reminder that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. After a lifelong trail of arrests and stints in rehab, Natalie lands on her sister’s doorstep with a promise not to end up like their mother, who overdosed just a few years prior. Lyra’s first mistake was trusting her younger sister. Her second was the one-night stand she thought would drown her sorrows.

Remi Wilson is a true Army brat. As the the daughter of a General, her life’s plan was set in motion from the minute she took her first breath. The expectations are simple: Be the ideal general’s daughter and marry an Army officer. Not once has she considered deviating. Why would she when following the plan will lead to a blissfully bright further that mirrors that of her parents.

His eyes would always follow her signature strut with her tall heels and fitted dresses. He always had something witty to say to her because he just had to say something. But the small talk was no longer cutting it. He wanted to know the real Felicity James.

Lawrence "LT" Palmer came from humble beginnings. Contrary to his past, LT is now a self-made billionaire, the mayor of a large metropolitan city, and about to marry the love of his life, Sapphire "Phire" Lassiter. Sapphire, the sassy-mouthed baby girl of a family of twelve children, brought life, passion, and love into his world. She is his inspiration for the games he designs and his biggest supporter as mayor. However, her wish for their wedding day is something he is not sure he can deliver.

A Boss Needs a Boss Lady is the tale of twin sisters Taylor and Alexa. After leaving the comfort of their home in Miami and returning to New York City, the girls set out on a path designed by their father, Sebastian, a.k.a. Bash. Bash will stop at nothing until his daughters are sitting in their rightful spots: financially secure and at the top of his organization!

Handsome, wealthy, and highly pissed because the woman who ran away the day before they were to elope was residing at his hotel for the week, Mr. Antonio Noble doesn’t know what to do with himself. He wants to hate her for leaving him, and lawd, does he try. However, her magnetic pull was still as strong as ever. Going against every warning to stay away from her, he gives in to his urges. But he doesn’t know that she harbors a big secret, one he may not be able to forgive her for.

It's been 17 years since Jade laid eyes on Liam, and that spark is still there—the love is still there. Liam wants another chance to prove that he could love Jade forever, but an enemy gets in the way, putting Jade's life in danger. Jade goes on the run again, and Liam will stop at nothing to find her.

They are in the midst of wedding planning when a blast from the past returns, threatening to tear down everything they've worked so hard to build. They pray their relationship is strong enough to withhold the troubles, but are the actions too heartbreaking for them to bounce back one last time?

Knowledge Toussaint was exposed to a fast life of grittiness. Being forced to maneuver through a life based on survival at the tender age of ten, he depended on a mother whose life was driven by addiction. All it took were two bullets to change Knowledge's life forever. When he was forced to leave his mother behind, he was taken in by one of the most prestigious hit men in Miami, Booney. As Booney leads Knowledge through an underworld of darkness, he also shines light by teaching him how to play the game of life called 'Chess.'

After a disastrous attempt at a one-night stand, Eliott Rayne is content with never seeing the wildly confident and ridiculously handsome Dane Clarke again. Two years later, she's mostly pushed him from her mind when he barrels into her life once more as the best man at a wedding she's been hired to photograph. Her first instinct is to run, cancel the job, and get as far away from Dane as possible. But Dane has other ideas. When Eliott reveals the embarrassing reason behind their failed night together, Dane is undeterred

Dawn Gibbons is shocked when her long-lost father reappears in her life. Seriously ill, his dying wish is to reconnect with her. But for Dawn, it's complicated - her wealthy father comes complete with jealous relatives - and a handsome young lawyer Dawn finds dangerously sexy. Dangerous because he's engaged - to her newfound half-sister. One thing a Gibbons woman doesn't do is steal her sister's man. Yet, for the first time, Dawn may care about love more than money.

Jacqueline E. Luckett’s debut novel was heaped with critical acclaim and selected as a “recommended read” by the Essence Book Club. Set in the City of Light, her second novel, Passing Love, is a tender tale of love and discovery. After Nicole-Marie Handy leaves a marriage proposal behind to travel to Paris, she discovers that her father had a secret affair with a woman there many years before.