Contemporary African American Fiction

Dr. Cade Mathis learned early that he was not the son of the man who raised him. His adoptive father, a cruel, bitter man, had always been quick to tell him that he was a bastard and an embarrassment to the rich society family whose daughter got pregnant with him. So when Cade received a full scholarship to college, he was only too happy to leave the only home he had ever known behind and never looked back. Now a successful doctor and one of the best neurosurgeons in the state, the only thing he still wants are answers about where he came from.

Jordan Gatewood's life is falling apart. Murder, sex, betrayal, suicide--the women in his world are paying him back for all the terrible things he's done, and they're bringing on the drama in spades. And now, with Desi Green bringing Jordan to the attention of the detective investigating his lover's murder, his tenuous grip on control threatens to unravel completely.

There was a secret to Dillon Westmoreland's heritage—and Pamela Novak had the key. Though the raven-haired beauty was ensnared by her shifty fiancé, Dillon—eldest of the Denver Westmoreland clan—couldn't resist a mind-blowing night in her arms. And after that incredible passion… Well, once a Westmoreland claimed the woman he wanted, he wouldn't let anything tear them apart!

Marigold Johnson can’t wait to attend a special program at her family’s business, Flexx Unlimited, for teens who love fashion. But Mari quickly realizes that she’s out of place compared to the three other trainees—and one girl, Kara, seems to hate her on sight. As tension builds and the stakes at the program get higher, Mari uncovers exactly why Kara’s been so spiteful. She also discovers some hard truths about herself and her family.

I fell in love with you at a wedding. There were days when I did not like you at all, but you were the man standing at the end of the aisle with the snow falling around us whenever I dared to dream. Now we are here, at our wedding in Connecticut, on Christmas Day. The setting is perfect, and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you.

Sexy high-school teacher Matthew Lassiter has found the woman of his dreams. She loves and understands his desire for the simple life of mentoring teens. The larger-than-life siblings who surround him excel in just about everything they do. While that is financially beneficial for them, his choice to teach is not as profitable. When the opportunity for a different career is put on the table, planning a life with Leah has Matt questioning his decision.

From Joya Goffney of Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry comes a stirring YA coming-of-age, best-friends-to-lovers romance about a girl named Nikki who plans to run away from small-town Texas but ultimately finds that her oldest friend, Mal, just might be the one who’s been there for her all along. Filled with heart and humor, this novel captures complex family drama, friendship, and love. For fans of I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest and Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan.

Arriving in Washington, DC, to start his own company, with the help of his friends Jada and Wellington, 22-year-old Darius Jones hires a woman from his past, Fancy Taylor, to oversee his West Coast offices, which leads to trouble. Still harboring the wounds of his mother's deception and a childhood without his biological father, caught between an all-consuming pride and the call of his own untrusting heart, Darius has a lot to learn: about life, women, and what it takes to find and nurture real love. And if he's not careful, he might just end up on the bottom of everything.

After the demise of her relationship with longtime boyfriend DonTravious, Nicole thought God had truly blessed her the day Kendrick Taylor walked into her life; her prayers for a lasting love had been answered. Life with him was bliss - until he walked out of her life without a second thought, leaving her more broken and alone than she'd ever felt. Nicole resigned herself to the fact she was going to be alone. She was tired of looking for love and only being left out in the cold. She was content to mourn the love she'd lost...or rather never had with a now happily married Kendrick.

Maven Edwards was raised on the ruthless streets of Detroit but makes it out in one piece. An executive in the music industry, he has fortune, fame, and good looks, but an ice cold heart from time spent in various orphanages. Maven isn't looking for love, or even one female to share his wealth and success with. He is a bona fide ladies' man. The more arm candy he has to flaunt at celebrity parties, buy high-priced gifts for, and take on luxurious trips, the better. He's all about building his brand, making money, and collecting beautiful women who can coexist as sister wives.

Atlanta's mayor, The Honorable Josiah J. Bishop, has an addiction to his wife, Mink, that is just as powerful as her toxic love affair with heroin. As her life spirals out of control due to her obsession with the needle, his love and devotion to her is slowly shredding his soul into tiny pieces. But he just can't let her go. The brotha's loyalty to the love of his life and the mother of his two young, adorable daughters is deeper than any ocean.

Considered an unlikely pair, Marcus, the reformed dope boy, and Nikki, the pampered princess, have undeniable chemistry. Problems arise when only one of them is willing to be honest and acknowledge the obvious attraction. Because she doesn't feel that he fits into her world or the plan she has mapped out for her life, Nikki curves Marcus without hesitation from their first encounter. Unable to see past her fears, she doesn't realize that rejecting him just may cost her the man she was meant to spend her life with.

Tineya has experienced a lot of trauma in her short life. Losing both parents has left a broken, weak soul. As if that's not enough, she's left with physical wounds with which no woman should have to deal. More than just bad memories, Tineya's wound runs deeper. In walks Marsell, a self-centered hustler. He's the type of slick-talking man who can sell water to a fish and dope to the pope. Marsell can convince any woman to jump as high as he needs her to. He typically wants the type of woman who looks like a centerfold, damn near perfect, until he is humbled.

Audrielle Freeman hasn't really been dealt a fair hand when it comes to love. After having her heart broken for the last time, she decides to take a breather from relationships and focus on the thriving shoe store she owns with her sister, Ariana. Cairo Broussard isn't looking for love, but at the same time, he's open for it to happen if it comes. He never thought in a million years that he'd practically fall in love at first sight after walking into the custom shoe store one of his players told him about.

She cheated with one of her best friends' husbands - and turned scathing publicity into cash-money celebrity. But Jessa Bell has reformed. She's trying to make amends to those she did wrong, and she's started a successful business catching rich unfaithful spouses. Her agents are beautiful lost girls who get a shot at the good life. And when Jessa's sizzling affair with private detective Hammer turns into love and marriage, she's sure she's finally doing things right, until she catches Hammer sleeping with one of her agents just months after their wedding.

When Yankee gal Kadijah visits the beautiful island of Jamaica with her friends Nicole and Tamia, she does not expect the events that follow. After a nasty breakup with her two-timing ex and her graduation from culinary arts school, all she wants to do is unwind and maybe have a one-night stand. However, when she meets Omari, the sexy rude boy turned DJ, things heat up quickly. Once Omari locks eyes with Kadijah, his life will never be the same, and he knows it. He is feeling the feisty American beauty, but his wife, the beautiful but fiery Angela, is having no parts of it.

Siblings Brenda and Brian Andrews think their good looks, money, and charm should afford them the pick of the litter among the abundant singles scene in Atlanta, and they've never been too shy to sample. Unfortunately, all pawns in their single life games aren't playing nicely, nor are they willing to take being manipulated lying down. As though they aren't dealing with enough, the doorway to hidden family secrets is suddenly slung open when their alcoholic, philandering, and often abusive father's body is discovered floating in their parent's pool.

Talented author Dakota Bibbs has deemed herself unlucky in love. She only dreams of experiencing a connection with a man similar to the ones she writes about in her novels. After ending a tumultuous five-year relationship, Dakota has decided to focus on herself and her blossoming business for the time being. Love will just have to wait. Other than dealing with her worrisome ex, things are going well for her. Then on cue, Giannis Williams enters her life.

Love wasn’t supposed to be a part of the deal… Even a famed matchmaker like Nolan Madaris’s great-grandmother can’t get it right every time. Nolan, the notorious fun-loving ladies’ man, could never connect with someone as straitlaced as tech whiz Ivy Chapman. Yet the scheme Ivy proposes is tempting - they can pretend to be a couple, just long enough to satisfy their families. But someone forgot to clue in their hearts. What happens, though, when Ivy’s plan to get her relatives off her back has an unexpected side effect: getting her into Nolan’s bed?

In Something Old, Something New, Lily Fontaine and Trent July are finally planning their wedding. But when well-intentioned neighbors - including Bernadine, the town fairy godmother - insist on inflating the intimate gathering into the event of the decade, Lily and Trent start wishing they'd simply eloped.