Top African Amercian Fiction Ebooks

The top 100 best selling African American Ebooks at Apple's iBookstore. The chart list of the top African American ebook fiction best seller downloads is updated daily.

Chart of the most popular African American fiction ebooks was last updated:

Apple Books Top 100 African American Fiction Ebooks

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Parable of the Sower - Octavia E. Butler Cover Art

Parable of the Sower

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

From a celebrated, award-winning author, a modern classic about a young girl fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic world, perfect for fans of N.K. Jemisin and Margaret Atwood. Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father, family, and neighbors, sheltered from the surrounding social chaos and anarchy caused by climate change and economic crisis. In a society where any vulnerability is a risk, she suffers from hyperempathy—a debilitating sensitivity to others' emotions. Precocious and clear-eyed, Lauren must make her voice heard in order to protect her loved ones from the imminent disasters her small community stubbornly ignores. But what begins as a fight for survival soon leads to something much more: the birth of a new faith . . . and a startling vision of human destiny. Includes a foreword by LeVar Burton and an afterword by N. K. Jemisin Lauren's story continues in The Parable of the Talents.  "In the ongoing contest over which dystopian classic is most applicable to our time, Octavia Butler's 'Parable' books may be unmatched."— The New Yorker  

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The Personal Librarian: A GMA Book Club Pick - Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray Cover Art

The Personal Librarian: A GMA Book Club Pick

The Personal Librarian: A GMA Book Club Pick A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel) by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray

Over one million copies sold! The Instant New York Times Bestseller! A Good Morning America * Book Club Pick! Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR! Named a Notable Book of the Year by the Washington Post ! “Historical fiction at its best!” * A remarkable novel about J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation, from New York Times bestselling authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection. But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American. The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go to—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.

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Gray Dawn - Walter Mosley Cover Art

Gray Dawn

Gray Dawn An Easy Rawlins Mystery by Walter Mosley

Instant USA Today Bestseller In this thrilling mystery from "master of craft and narrative" Walter Mosley (National Book Foundation), Detective Easy Rawlins has settled into the happy rhythm of his new life when a dark siren from his past returns and threatens to destroy the peace he's fought for. The name Easy Rawlins stirs excitement in the hearts of readers and fear in the hearts of his foes. His success has bought him a thriving detective agency, with its first female detective; a remote home, shared with children and pets and lovers, high atop the hills overlooking gritty Los Angeles; and more trouble, more problems, and more threat to those whom he loves. In other words, he’s still beset on all sides.   A number of below-the-law powerbrokers plead with Easy to locate a mysterious, dangerous woman—Lutisha James, though she’s gone by another name that Easy will immediately recognize. 1970s Los Angeles is a transient city of delicate, violent balances, and Lutisha has disturbed that. She also has a secret that will upend Easy’s own life, painfully closer to home.

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Sweet Heat - Bolu Babalola Cover Art

Sweet Heat

Sweet Heat A Novel by Bolu Babalola

BOLU BABALOLA IS… “A queen of romantic comedy.” – Oprah Daily • “Incisively funny.” – Entertainment Weekly • “A really great romance writer.” – Quinta Brunson, Harper's Bazaar • “Keeping the hope for true love alive and enjoyable.” –Shondaland • “A rom-com expert.” – New York Times A Rolling Stone Most Anticipated Book of Fall Two exes. One summer wedding. Zero chance of escaping the heat. Prepare to laugh, swoon, and fall head over heels with this irresistible standalone romance from Bolu Babalola, the bestselling author of Honey and Spice, a Reese’s Book Club pick. Twenty-eight-year-old Kiki Banjo hosts the popular podcast The HeartBeat, solving romantic conundrums and dishing out life advice. But behind the mic, career setbacks and a devastating breakup have left her hanging on by a thread. As she’s preparing to be the Maid of Honor in her best friend’s wedding, everything starts to unravel, and Kiki is left wondering if she ever had the answers. Then Kiki finds herself face-to-face with the Best Man, her ex-boyfriend, Malakai—the smooth-talking, absurdly handsome, annoyingly perceptive man who stole her heart and then shattered it. While Kiki’s approaching rock bottom, Malakai’s been on the rise as a filmmaker, and now they have no choice but to play nice until the wedding is over. Both are hell-bent on ignoring the smoldering chemistry between them, but as they navigate the chaos of wedding plans, career ambitions, and Kiki’s growing fears about the future, they can’t ignore the spark that’s only getting hotter. They just have to get through the summer. So why does it feel like playing with fire? “Babalola’s sharp sense of humor, slick pop culture references, and keen sense of the zeitgeist . . . offer a refreshing portrait of what modern love really looks and feels like." — Time “Babalola expertly blends sex with societal discourse in ways that echo Jane Austen and Nora Ephron.” — Vanity Fair "Babalola soars in her rich depictions of intimacy and relationships, in all their grandeur." — The New York Times Book Review 

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Parable of the Talents - Octavia E. Butler Cover Art

Parable of the Talents

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

From a celebrated author, the thrilling sequel to  The Parable of the Sower —a cautionary novel ahead of its time, perfect for fans of The Broken Earth trilogy. In 2032, Lauren Olamina has survived the destruction and ruin of everything she knew. Her peaceful community based on her newly founded faith, Earthseed, provides refuge for outcasts facing persecution after the election of an ultra-conservative president. Under his rule, Lauren's colony—a minority religious faction led by a young Black woman—becomes a target for the president’s reign of terror and oppression. Years later, Asha Vere reads the journals of a mother she never knew. As she searches for answers, she struggles to reconcile with the legacy of a mother caught between her duty to her chosen family and her calling to lead humankind into a better future. "In the ongoing contest over which dystopian classic is most applicable to our time, Octavia Butler's 'Parable' books may be unmatched."— The New Yorker

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Honey and Spice - Bolu Babalola Cover Art

Honey and Spice

Honey and Spice A Novel by Bolu Babalola

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK • A TIKTOK BOOK CLUB PICK "Sexy, messy and wry, Honey and Spice more than delivers." — New York Times Book Review "A vibrant debut novel . . . Babalola is incisively funny, capturing the kick and sweetness of her title with her words." — Entertainment Weekly Named a Best Book of the Year by Time • Esquire • Vanity Fair • Oprah Daily • Cosmopolitan • Elle • Harper's Bazaar • Southern Living • Buzzfeed • Women's Health Magazine • AudioFile • Popsugar • and more! Introducing internationally bestselling author Bolu Babalola’s dazzling debut novel, full of passion, humor, and heart, that centers on a young Black British woman who has no interest in love and unexpectedly finds herself caught up in a fake relationship with the man she warned her girls about Sweet like plantain, hot like pepper. They taste the best when together... Sharp-tongued (and secretly soft-hearted) Kiki Banjo has just made a huge mistake. As an expert in relationship-evasion and the host of the popular student radio show Brown Sugar, she’s made it her mission to make sure the women of the African-Caribbean Society at Whitewell University do not fall into the mess of “situationships”, players, and heartbreak. But when the Queen of the Unbothered kisses Malakai Korede, the guy she just publicly denounced as “The Wastemen of Whitewell,” in front of every Blackwellian on campus, she finds her show on the brink. They’re soon embroiled in a fake relationship to try and salvage their reputations and save their futures. Kiki has never surrendered her heart before, and a player like Malakai won’t be the one to change that, no matter how charming he is or how electric their connection feels. But surprisingly entertaining study sessions and intimate, late-night talks at old-fashioned diners force Kiki to look beyond her own presumptions. Is she ready to open herself up to something deeper? A gloriously funny and sparkling debut novel, Honey and Spice is full of delicious tension and romantic intrigue that will make you weak at the knees. "A smart, sexy summer read, which hits your brain and your romance buttons in one shot." — Los Angeles Times "The ultimate summer romance . . . It’s got all the juiciest, most satisfying romance tropes, but in Babalola’s capable hands, the story feels fresh and unique." — The Cut, New York magazine “Divine summer reading. Hilarious, hot, and heartfelt. ” — Meg Cabot, #1 New York Times bestselling author

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Miss Pearly's Girls - ReShonda Tate Billingsley Cover Art

Miss Pearly's Girls

Miss Pearly's Girls A Captivating Tale of Family Healing by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

In this captivating family drama from award-winning, bestselling author ReShonda Tate Billingsley, four estranged sisters must return to rural Arkansas when their mother is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Their mother wants them to repair their shattered relationships, but first they’ll have to face the lies and obstacles they’ve worked so hard to leave behind…   Raising four very different daughters on her own in rural Arkansas wasn't easy for Miss Pearly Bell. And she's always regretted that the sisters went their separate ways for good—and never wanted to see each other again. But when Pearly is stricken with a terminal illness, she summons them all home—determined to somehow help them get right with each other and forgive. . . But that means dealing with past secrets and lies first.    As the oldest sister, pastor's wife Maxine took her responsibility way too seriously—and never fails to judge everyone else. But a secret she can no longer keep will explode everything she stands for. Youngest sister Leslie is all about making a very different life with her new love—but she didn't expect a shattering past truth to be suddenly revealed and uproot everything she ever thought she knew. Elegant PR professional Stella and her earthy twin, Star, don’t see eye-to-eye on anything—and now a long-ago deception could wipe out their last chance at a relationship.   Soon each sister must confront the illusions they've taken refuge in for so long and deal with each other woman-to-woman. But can building an all-too-fragile trust repair the damage done—and help them come together when they are needed most?  

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A Lesson Before Dying - Ernest J. Gaines Cover Art

A Lesson Before Dying

A Lesson Before Dying A Novel by Ernest J. Gaines

NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER • A deep and compassionate novel about a young man who returns to 1940s Cajun country to visit a Black youth on death row for a crime he didn't commit. Together they come to understand the heroism of resisting. "An instant classic." — Chicago Tribune A “majestic, moving novel...an instant classic, a book that will be read, discussed and taught beyond the rest of our lives" ( Chicago Tribune), from the critically acclaimed author of A Gathering of Old Men and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. " A Lesson Before Dying reconfirms Ernest J. Gaines's position as an important American writer. " —Boston Globe " Enormously moving.... Gaines unerringly evokes the place and time about which he writes ." —Los Angeles Times “A quietly moving novel [that] takes us back to a place we've been before to impart a lesson for living.” — San Francisco Chronicle

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The First Ladies - Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray Cover Art

The First Ladies

The First Ladies by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray

The Instant  New York Times  Bestseller!  A novel about the extraordinary partnership between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune—an unlikely friendship that changed the world, from the New York Times bestselling authors of the Good Morning America Book Club pick The Personal Librarian . The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Mary McLeod Bethune refuses to back down as white supremacists attempt to thwart her work. She marches on as an activist and an educator, and as her reputation grows she becomes a celebrity, revered by titans of business and recognized by U.S. Presidents. Eleanor Roosevelt herself is awestruck and eager to make her acquaintance. Initially drawn together because of their shared belief in women’s rights and the power of education, Mary and Eleanor become fast friends confiding their secrets, hopes and dreams—and holding each other’s hands through tragedy and triumph.   When Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected president, the two women begin to collaborate more closely, particularly as Eleanor moves toward her own agenda separate from FDR, a consequence of the devastating discovery of her husband’s secret love affair. Eleanor becomes a controversial First Lady for her outspokenness, particularly on civil rights. And when she receives threats because of her strong ties to Mary, it only fuels the women’s desire to fight together for justice and equality.   This is the story of two different, yet equally formidable, passionate, and committed women, and the way in which their singular friendship helped form the foundation for the modern civil rights movement.

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Push - Sapphire Cover Art

Push

Push by Sapphire

A new 25th anniversary edition of the instant classic that inspired the major motion picture and Sundance Film Festival winner Precious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire, whose power and ferocity influenced a generation of writers. Precious Jones, an illiterate sixteen-year-old, has up until now been invisible to the father who rapes her and the mother who batters her and to the authorities who dismiss her as just one more of Harlem's casualties. But when Precious, pregnant with a second child by her father, meets a determined and radical teacher, we follow her on a journey of education and enlightenment as she learns not only how to write about her life, but how to make it truly her own for the first time.

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Every Man a King - Walter Mosley Cover Art

Every Man a King

Every Man a King A King Oliver Novel by Walter Mosley

In this highly anticipated sequel from Edgar Award-winning "master of craft and narrative," Walter Mosley, Joe King Oliver is entangled in a dangerous case when he's asked to investigate whether a white nationalist is being unjustly set up (National Book Foundation). When friend of the family and multi-billionaire Roger Ferris comes to Joe with an assignment, he’s got no choice but to accept, even if the case is a tough one to stomach. White nationalist Alfred Xavier Quiller has been accused of murder and the sale of sensitive information to the Russians. Ferris has reason to believe Quiller’s been set up and he needs King to see if the charges hold. This linear assignment becomes a winding quest to uncover the extent of Quiller’s dealings, to understand Ferris’ skin in the game, and to get to the bottom of who is working for whom. Even with the help of bodyguard and mercenary Oliya Ruez—no regular girl Friday—the machine King’s up against proves relentless and unsparing. As King gets closer to exposing the truth, he and his loved ones barrel towards grave danger. Mosley once again proves himself a "master of craft and narrative" (National Book Foundation) in this carefully plotted mystery that is at once a classic caper, a family saga and an examination of fealty, pride and how deep debt can go. A NYTBR Editors' Choice Selection 

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Black Cake: A Read with Jenna Pick - Charmaine Wilkerson Cover Art

Black Cake: A Read with Jenna Pick

Black Cake: A Read with Jenna Pick A Novel by Charmaine Wilkerson

NOW A HULU STREAMING SERIES • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • Two estranged siblings delve into their mother’s hidden past—and how it all connects to her traditional Caribbean black cake—in this immersive family saga, “a character-driven, multigenerational story that’s meant to be savored” ( Time ).   “Wilkerson transports you across the decades and around the globe accompanied by complex, wonderfully drawn characters.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones & The Six, and Malibu Rising ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Oprah Daily, NPR, BuzzFeed, Glamour, PopSugar, Book Riot, She Reads We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become? In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves. Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever? Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.

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The Coldest Winter Ever - Sister Souljah Cover Art

The Coldest Winter Ever

The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah

A New York Times and USA TODAY Bestseller “50 Most Impactful Black Books of the Last 50 Years.” — Essence Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read The instant classic from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Life After Death brings the streets of New York to life in a powerful and utterly unforgettable novel. I came busting into the world during one of New York’s worst snowstorms, so my mother named me Winter. Ghetto-born, Winter is the young, wealthy daughter of a prominent Brooklyn drug-dealing family. Quick-witted, sexy, and business-minded, she knows and loves the streets like the curves of her own body. But when a cold Winter wind blows her life in a direction she doesn’t want to go, her street smarts and seductive skills are put to the test of a lifetime. Unwilling to lose, this ghetto girl will do anything to stay on top. Twenty-five years and over one million copies later, The Coldest Winter Ever is a bestseller and a national treasure, a classic handed down from one reading generation to the next. Whether you are reading it for the first time or have cherished it for years , you will never forget this Winter’s tale.

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Passing - Nella Larsen Cover Art

Passing

Passing by Nella Larsen

One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years Irene Redfield is a Black woman living an affluent, comfortable life with her husband and children in the thriving neighborhood of Harlem in the 1920s. When she reconnects with her childhood friend Clare Kendry, who is similarly light-skinned, Irene discovers that Clare has been passing for a white woman after severing ties to her past—even hiding the truth from her racist husband.

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Rinda - Alison Caddell Cover Art

Rinda

Rinda by Alison Caddell

When a woman overwhelmed by the pain of oppression decides to silence her voice, how will it impact her life and her bloodline? This is the question confronted by a collection of intertwined stories, sixteen tales that span across multiple generations in the mythical and mystical town of Creek City, Alabama. Her name is Uli, but it is a name she keeps to herself as she releases the power generated by the name she gives her daughter Rinda. While Uli descends into silence as a response to her oppression, Rinda changes directions by using her voice to manipulate and capitulate to the man she is forced to call "Master" and barred from acknowledging as the father of her enslaved children. But her sons must make a decision: will they maintain the brokenness of their grandmother and uphold the capitulations of their mother? Or will they resist the system they were born into, despite the risks it brings to their life and limbs? Each son makes his own decision, and these decisions impact multitudes of descendants and generations within Creek City, Alabama, culminating in various battles and confrontations on the haunted property formerly known as the Magruder Plantation. 

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Moth to a Flame - Ashley Antoinette Cover Art

Moth to a Flame

Moth to a Flame by Ashley Antoinette

In the little city of Flint, MI, the good die young and the people left standing are the grimiest of characters. With reign over the city's drug trade, Benjamin Atkins made sure that his precious daughter, Raven, was secluded from the grit that the city had to offer. But when Raven's young heart gets claimed by Mizan, a stick-up kid in search of a come-up, there's nothing Benjamin can do about losing her to the streets. She chooses love over loyalty and runs off with Mizan, but her new role as wifey soon proves to be more than she can handle. Puppy love always feels right, but things turn stale, and she soon finds that everyone she loves has disappeared. All she has is Mizan, but when hugs and kisses turn to bloody lips and black eyes, she realizes that Mizan is not who she thought he was. Raven becomes desperate for a way out, but this time, Daddy can't save her. Every time she finds the courage to leave, fear convinces her to stay. Like a moth to a flame, Raven is drawn to Mizan, even though she knows he'll be the death of her. When the hood life she chose becomes unbearable and the only way out is in a coffin, what will she do?

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Jackal - Erin E. Adams Cover Art

Jackal

Jackal A Novel by Erin E. Adams

RECOMMENDED BY GILLIAN FLYNN ON THE TODAY SHOW • A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white rust belt town. But she's not the first—and she may not be the last. . . . “I read this thriller that is Get Out meets The Vanishing Half in one night.”— BuzzFeed “Extraordinary . . . A terrifying tale of fears and hatreds generated by racism and class inequality.”—Associated Press EDGAR® AWARD FINALIST • BRAM STOKER® AWARD FINALIST • SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD NOMINEE • PHENOMENAL BOOK CLUB PICK ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Esquire, Vulture, PopSugar, Paste, Publishers Weekly • ONE OF COSMOPOLITAN’S BEST HORROR NOVELS OF ALL TIME It’s watching. Liz Rocher is coming home . . . reluctantly. As a Black woman, Liz doesn’t exactly have fond memories of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a predominantly white town. But her best friend is getting married, so she braces herself for a weekend of awkward, passive-aggressive reunions. Liz has grown, though; she can handle whatever awaits her. But on the night of the wedding, somewhere between dancing and dessert, the newlyweds’ daughter, Caroline, disappears—and the only thing left behind is a piece of white fabric covered in blood. It’s taking. As a frantic search begins, with the police combing the trees for Caroline, Liz is the only one who notices a pattern: A summer night. A missing girl. A party in the woods. She’s seen this before. Keisha Woodson, the only other Black girl in Liz’s high school, walked into the woods with a mysterious man and was later found with her chest cavity ripped open and her heart removed. Liz shudders at the thought that it could have been her, and now, with Caroline missing, it can’t be a coincidence. As Liz starts to dig through the town’s history, she uncovers a horrifying secret about the place she once called home. Children have been going missing in these woods for years. All of them Black. All of them girls. It’s your turn. With the evil in the forest creeping closer, Liz knows what she must do: find Caroline, or be entirely consumed by the darkness.

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The Cartel - Ashley & JaQuavis Cover Art

The Cartel

The Cartel by Ashley & JaQuavis

The port of Miami brings in millions of dollars worth of cocaine every year, and The Cartel controls eighty percent of it. 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 Cartel. Miamor 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 from The Cartel. 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. Young Carter and Miamor lead two different lifestyles. They are on opposing teams, and when their worlds collide, the truth will be unveiled in an unpredictable ending.

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Sky Full of Elephants - Cebo Campbell Cover Art

Sky Full of Elephants

Sky Full of Elephants A Novel by Cebo Campbell

In this “bold and imaginative” (Tananarive Due) “truly powerful and riveting story” ( Booklist ) set in a world where white people no longer exist, college professor Charlie Brunton receives a call from his estranged daughter Sidney, setting off a chain of events as they journey across a truly “post-racial” America in search of answers. In a world without white people, what does it mean to be Black? One day, a cataclysmic event occurs: all of the white people in America walk into the nearest body of water. A year later, Charlie Brunton is a Black man living in an entirely new world. Having served his time in prison for a wrongful conviction, he’s now a professor of electric and solar power systems at Howard University when he receives a call from someone he wasn’t even sure existed: his daughter Sidney, a nineteen-year-old left behind by her white mother and step-family. Traumatized by the event, and terrified of the outside world, Sidney has spent a year in isolation in Wisconsin. Desperate for help, she turns to the father she never met, a man she has always resented. Sidney and Charlie meet for the first time as they embark on a journey across a truly “post-racial” America in search for answers. But neither of them are prepared for this new world and how they see themselves in it. Heading south toward what is now called the Kingdom of Alabama, everything Charlie and Sidney thought they knew about themselves, and the world, will be turned upside down. Brimming with heart and humor, “this stunning allegory will spark much discussion” ( Publishers Weekly , starred review) about the power of community and connection, about healing and self-actualization, and a reckoning with what it means to be Black in America, in both their world and ours.

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Getting to Happy - Terry McMillan Cover Art

Getting to Happy

Getting to Happy by Terry McMillan

#1 New York Times bestselling author Terry McMillan's exuberant return to the four unforgettable heroines of  Waiting to Exhale . Waiting to Exhale  was more than just a bestselling novel—its publication was a watershed moment in literary history. McMillan's sassy and vibrant story about four black women struggling to find love and their place in the world touched a cultural nerve, inspired a blockbuster film, and generated a devoted audience. Now, McMillan revisits Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine, and Robin fifteen years later. Each is at her own midlife crossroads: Savannah has awakened to the fact that she's made too many concessions in her marriage, and decides to face life single again—at fifty-one. Bernadine has watched her megadivorce settlement dwindle, been swindled by her husband number two, and conned herself into thinking that a few pills will help distract her from her pain. Robin has an all-American case of shopaholism, while the big dream of her life—to wear a wedding dress—has gone unrealized. And for years, Gloria has taken happiness and security for granted. But being at the wrong place at the wrong time can change everything. All four are learning to heal past hurts and to reclaim their joy and their dreams; but they return to us full of spirit, sass, and faith in one another. They've exhaled: now they are learning to breathe.

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Life After Death - Sister Souljah Cover Art

Life After Death

Life After Death A Novel by Sister Souljah

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER The long-anticipated sequel to Sister Souljah’s million copy New York Times bestseller The Coldest Winter Ever . Winter Santiaga hit time served. Still stunning, still pretty, still bold, still loves her father more than any man in the world, still got her hustle and high fashion flow. She’s eager to pay back her enemies, rebuild her father’s empire, reset his crown, and ultimately to snatch Midnight back into her life no matter which bitch had him while she was locked up. But Winter is not the only one with revenge on her mind. Simone, Winter’s young business partner and friend, is locked and loaded and Winter is her target. Will she blow Winter’s head off? Can Winter dodge the bullets? Or will at least one bullet blast Winter into another world? Either way Winter is fearless. Hell is the same as any hood and certainly the Brooklyn hood she grew up in. That’s what Winter thinks. A heartwarming, heart-burning, passionate, sexual, comical, and completely original adventure is about to happen in real time—raw, shocking, soulful, and shameless. True fans won’t let Winter travel alone on this amazing journey.

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Side Chick Problems 3 - Solaé Dehvine Cover Art

Side Chick Problems 3

Side Chick Problems 3 by Solaé Dehvine

All things must come to an end...even being a side chick.  The secrets are too many to name and the lies are too numerous to count. Donesha, Lanesha, and their whole family is hanging on by a thread.  As they pick up the pieces and try to keep the last little bit of their secrets hidden, life will have a way of sending everything out in the open.  Read the conclusion in Side Chick Problems 3

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Secrets Of A Sugar Baby 3 - Mia Black Cover Art

Secrets Of A Sugar Baby 3

Secrets Of A Sugar Baby 3 by Mia Black

Jae’s life is turned upside down when her secret relationship with Blake is exposed in the most devastating way.  Jae doesn’t know if she will ever be able to make up for what happened, but the one thing she can do is find out who revealed her shocking secret.  Find out what happens in part three of Secrets Of A Sugar Baby!

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The Secret Keeper of Main Street - Trisha R. Thomas Cover Art

The Secret Keeper of Main Street

The Secret Keeper of Main Street A Novel by Trisha R. Thomas

"A pure delight from start to finish!"--Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye Acclaimed author Trisha R. Thomas delivers a masterful new tale of scandal and intuition. In 1950s oil-rich Oklahoma, Bailey Dowery, a dressmaker with the gift of “second sight,” reluctantly reveals the true loves and intentions of her socialite clients, making her a silent witness to a shocking crime. 1954: In the quaint town of Mendol, Oklahoma, Bailey Dowery is a Black dressmaker for the wives and daughters of local oil barons. She earns a good living fitting designer gowns and creating custom wedding dresses for the town’s elite. But beyond her needle and thread lies a deeper talent, one passed down from her mother: the gift of insight. With just a fleeting touch or brush against the skin, Bailey has sudden flashes of intuition— witnessing the other person’s hopes, dreams, and nightmares, as well glimpses of their past and future. To protect herself, she wears gloves to keep from grazing the skin of her clients as she pins them into their gowns. Brides have whispered that Bailey can see if their true love is faithful, or if their marriage will be a success. Her aunt Charlene has always warned her, “It’s safer to stay out of White folks’ business.” But Bailey will reluctantly provide a reading during a fitting, as long as the bride promises to be discreet. Now Elsa Grimes, daughter of one of the richest oil men in Oklahoma, has come to the Regal Gown as the least joyful bride Bailey has ever seen. Elsa’s big society wedding is imminent and her gown is gorgeous, but what Bailey’s intuition uncovers when she touches Elsa’s hand horrifies her. Against her better judgment, she’s determined to help Elsa in whatever way she can. But when the son of a prominent family turns up dead on the eve of Elsa’s wedding, and the bride-to-be is arrested for his murder, Bailey is suddenly at the center of a firestorm that threatens to overtake her and everyone she loves.

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His Dirty Secret 2 - Mia Black Cover Art

His Dirty Secret 2

His Dirty Secret 2 by Mia Black

When Jayla finds out the truth behind Darius, she finds herself between a rock and a hard place. Leaving a man is one thing, but it's easier said than done... especially when you are in love with him and everything he has to offer. Find out what happens in part two of His Dirty Secret!

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The Emperor of Ocean Park - Stephen L. Carter Cover Art

The Emperor of Ocean Park

The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen L. Carter

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • INSPIRATION FOR THE MGM+ ORIGINAL SERIES • ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE 'S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME • In his triumphant fictional debut, Stephen Carter combines a large-scale, riveting novel of suspense with the saga of a unique family. The Emperor of Ocean Park is set in two privileged worlds: the upper crust African American society of the Eastern seabord—families who summer at Martha’s Vineyard—and the inner circle of an Ivy League law school. “Beautifully written and cleverly plotted. A rich, complex family saga, one deftly woven through a fine legal thriller.” —John Grisham Talcott Garland is a successful law professor, devoted father, and husband of a beautiful and ambitious woman, whose future desires may threaten the family he holds so dear. When Talcott’s father, Judge Oliver Garland, a disgraced former Supreme Court nominee, is found dead under suspicioius circumstances, Talcott wonders if he may have been murdered. Guided by the elements of a mysterious puzzle that his father left, Talcott must risk his marriage, his career and even his life in his quest for justice. Superbly written and filled with memorable characters, The Emperor of Ocean Park is both a stunning literary achievement and a grand literary entertainment.

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In Love with Danger 8 - Toya Banks Cover Art

In Love with Danger 8

In Love with Danger 8 by Toya Banks

While things are getting better for Shayla and Kierra, Reeka is worried that Twan will soon find out her dirty little secret. A secret that could put the whole family in danger! Find out what happens in the final installment of In Love With Danger!     

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Sula - Toni Morrison Cover Art

Sula

Sula by Toni Morrison

Una obra maestra de la ganadora del Premio Nobel de Literatura 1993. Esta es la historia de Sula y Nel, dos niñas que crecen juntas en un barrio de negros, compartiendo sus sueños e ilusiones. Ambas son precoces y curiosas, hijas de familias pobres. Pero el tiempo pasa y, cuando Nel se casa, Sula se marcha del suburbio para ir a la universidad y viajar por el país. Diez años después, Sula regresa e involuntariamente destruye la familia y la felicidad de Nel. A partir de entonces, los pintorescos habitantes del suburbio la consideran una bruja malvada... Ambientada en los EE.UU. en el período de entreguerras, Sula es un portentoso retrato del poder de lo femenino en una comunidad pobre y rural de negros, donde las mujeres reinan como madres, hechiceras y depositarias de la tradición oral. Reseña: «Un aullido de amor y rabia, travieso y divertido, duro y amargo.» The New York Times

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War at Home: A Smokey Dalton Novel - Kris Nelscott Cover Art

War at Home: A Smokey Dalton Novel

War at Home: A Smokey Dalton Novel by Kris Nelscott

 "Kris Nelscott can lay claim to the strongest series of detective novels now being written by an American author. " Salon After attending a charity fundraiser, private investigator Smokey Dalton and his powerful girlfriend discover a critically injured woman in his neighbor's apartment, and his neighbor missing. Smokey gets the woman to a nearby hospital which proves to be a mistake: the doctor won't treat the dying woman until she tells him what happened to her. Smokey works to save the woman and find his neighbor, but everything he does makes the situation worse.  Smokey has entered a secret part of America—the arcane rules of a hospital trying to follow the law as well as save lives. None of it makes sense, and all of it threatens everything Smokey believes in.  "Without the slightest hint of preaching, Nelscott brilliantly illuminates the ugliness of that era-which defines Smokey's world but does not destroy him. Because of Nelscott's strong hand, it also does not overwhelm the drama of this remarkable story. " — Publishers Weekly starred review Read the whole gripping series: A Dangerous Road, Book 1 Smoke-Filled Rooms, Book 2 Thin Walls, Book 3 Stone Cribs, Book 4 War at Home, Book 5 Days of Rage, Book 6 Street Justice, Book 7 "Like the best of Ross Macdonald's Lew Archer stories, Kris Nelscott's Smokey Dalton novels are infused with an understanding of the social, political, and moral complexities of the community in which they're set. Her characters not only struggle with the contradictions that rule them but are in perpetual conflict with their surroundings. Thus, brutality is no surprise, but then neither is an act of kindness. The most dilapidated building may house a gentle soul or a rabid criminal, and so too may a luxurious home. This type of subtlety treats readers with a level of respect that makes for a rich, rewarding experience, and so it is with Stone Cribs, Nelscott's exceptional new novel." — The Boston Globe Kris Nelscott is an open pen name used by New York Times bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch.  The first Smokey Dalton novel, A Dangerous Road , won the Herodotus Award for Best Historical Mystery and was short-listed for the Edgar Award for Best Novel; the second, Smoke-Filled Rooms , was a PNBA Book Award finalist; and the third, Thin Walls , was one of the Chicago Tribune's best mysteries of the year. Kirkus chose Days of Rage as one of the top ten mysteries of the year and it was also nominated for a Shamus award for The Best Private Eye Hardcover Novel of the Year.  Entertainment Weekly says her equals are Walter Mosley and Raymond Chandler. Booklist calls the Smokey Dalton books  "a high-class crime series."

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A Billionaire's Salvation 2: Entwined - Viola Black Cover Art

A Billionaire's Salvation 2: Entwined

A Billionaire's Salvation 2: Entwined by Viola Black

Kasey’s world has turned upside down. After the horrible car wreck, she comes to and finds out that Dan is dead. She can’t bear the thought and has no idea how to cope, but she is also pregnant with Dan’s child. In a flurry of events, she finds herself reliving her memories with Dan and coping with his death. She has yet to see an end to this dark, dark tunnel.

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Season of Crimson Blossoms - Abubakar Adam Ibrahim Cover Art

Season of Crimson Blossoms

Season of Crimson Blossoms by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim

An affair between 55-year-old widow Binta Zubairu and 26-year-old weed dealer Reza was bound to provoke condemnation in conservative Northern Nigeria. Brought together in unusual circumstances, Binta and Reza faced a need they could only satisfy in each other. Binta - previously reconciled with God - now yearns for intimacy after the sexual repression of her marriage, the pain of losing her first son and the privations of widowhood. Meanwhile, Reza's heart lies empty and waiting to be filled due to the absence of a mother. The situation comes to a head when Binta's wealthy son confronts Reza, with disastrous consequences. This story of love and longing - set against undercurrents of political violence - unfurls gently, revealing layers of emotion that defy age, class and religion. "A powerful and compelling debut. The taboo subject of an older woman's sexuality, portrayed with courage, skill and delicacy, is explored in the context of the criminal underworld and the corrupt politi that exploits it. This is a novel to be savoured."- Zoë Wicomb, Chair of Judges, Caine Prize for African Writing

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Stranded ( Book 19 ) - The Buffness Diaries Cover Art

Stranded ( Book 19 )

Stranded ( Book 19 ) by The Buffness Diaries

Age is just a number... Cattleya Blossom Mohammed is a creative assistant for Zander Okawmmay. A bautiful woman with a kind heart, love for flowers and art finds herself stuck between two men. One; Her cheating ex-boyfriend who happens to start working within the Okawmmay Headquarters and her boss, Zander Okawmmay- a man who fits everything on the outside, but what is he like on the inside? Zander Okawmmay; A Mobster with unlimited amounts of power. His headstrong personality, assertiveness and aggressive nature intimidates most who cross paths with him. But, to her he's just her boss until she's asked to spend the weekend with him on a business trip and their plane crashes off the shores of Africa. The only person who can save her is a man she grows to hate! Stranded on the island, scared and afraid- she lets her anger for men show, and that's when she sees a side of him she had never seen before.

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Addicted to A Dirty South Thug - Myss Shan Cover Art

Addicted to A Dirty South Thug

Addicted to A Dirty South Thug by Myss Shan

After being so In love with a thug named Rue, Cuba Lance ends up doing 3 years in prison after he places blame on her for one tragic night that took place. Now that she's home, she's ready to move on with her life. Her cousin Tangie has a job waiting for her and gives her a place to stay. Everything is more than what she could've asked for. But when loneliness sets in, she feels like she's missing something. She vowed after her last relationship that she was done with thugs and all things hood, but when she runs into the sexy, Khi with the cocky and dirty south swag, she realizes that it's something about a bad boy that she can't get enough of. She's convinced herself that there is no need to stop what seems meant to be. But will it be another mistake and this time will she get away with her life? Khian "Khi" Prince is just one of the Prince brothers that has the ladies going crazy. He's a certified boss with what seems to be the weight of the world on his shoulders. His job is to ensure that he and his brothers maintain their status in the streets along with caring for his 2 baby mamas and the kids he shares with them. After failing at love twice, Khi's not ready to give up on finding his queen just yet and when running into Cuba, he's for certain he has finally gotten it right. But when Cuba mends his heart to only be the cause of shattering it all over again, will Khi give up on love once and for all, or will he fight to keep the woman that he feels is everything he's been looking for? Daelan "Dae" Prince is the ultimate bad boy with pretty boy looks and a no nonsense type of attitude. He's feared by many men and lusted after by plenty of women, which he can't get enough of. With the love of his life Amber by his side and their 5-year old son, Daelan seems to have his happily ever after but things are never what they seem. Daelan can't seem to stop messing up. After one bad decision after the other, his loved ones are always there to pick up the shattered pieces he constantly leaves behind. But what happens when Daelan makes a decision that puts he and the lives of everyone around him in danger, will his brothers be there to save him once again? Amber has been with Daelan for five long years. Her high school sweetheart was once sweet and charming, but the streets had a way of changing and hardening a person and that's exactly what happened to Daelan at least that's what Amber believes. With all the lies, cheating, and beatings amongst other things, Amber has always stuck by Daelan's side. She was addicted to him and always forgave him no matter how hurt it left her in the end. But when Daelan does the unthinkable, will Amber be able to walk away from the only love she's ever known or will she once again forgive him? Kaedee Prince, not only is he known in the streets along with his brothers, but also in the courtroom as one not to be messed with. With his wife Deonna by his side, they run the most sought out law firm in the city. Kaedee knew that getting his degree in law would somehow come in handy for he and his brothers, but never once did he think his wife Deonna would ever need his services. Hit with money laundering charges from business she did with her ex, Tyrin Walker, a drug kingpin out of Florida, Deonna learns that your past doesn't always stay behind you. When Tyrin shows up in her husband's office, Deonna finds herself in love with two men at the same time. Straddling both sides of the fence has never been good for anyone and Deonna finds that out the hard way. She's forced to pick the one to have her heart, but when that decision lands someone in a grave, are the Prince brothers ready for a war? Welcome to the life of the Prince Brothers and feel what it's like to be Addicted to A Dirty South Thug.

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The Wilderness - Angela Flournoy Cover Art

The Wilderness

The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy

NATIONAL BESTSELLER FINALIST FOR THE 2025 KIRKUS PRIZE FOR FICTION LONGLISTED FOR 2025 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION "Flournoy has delivered a future classic—the kind of novel that generations to come will read to understand the nuances and peculiarities of this time." — Harper's Bazaar An era-defining novel about five Black women over the course of their twenty-year friendship, as they move through the dizzying and sometimes precarious period between young adulthood and midlife—in the much-anticipated second book from National Book Award finalist Angela Flournoy. Desiree, Danielle, January, Monique, and Nakia are in their early twenties and at the beginning. Of their careers, of marriage, of motherhood, and of big-city lives in New York and Los Angeles. Together, they are finding their way through the wilderness, that period of life when the reality of contemporary adulthood—overwhelming, mysterious, and full of freedom and consequences—swoops in and stays. Desiree and Danielle, sisters whose shared history has done little to prevent their estrangement, nurse bitter family wounds in different ways. January’s got a relationship with a “good” man she feels ambivalent about, even after her surprise pregnancy. Monique, a librarian and aspiring blogger, finds unexpected online fame after calling out the university where she works for its plans to whitewash fraught history. And Nakia is trying to get her restaurant off the ground, without relying on the largesse of her upper middle-class family who wonder aloud if she should be doing something better with her life. As these friends move from the late 2000’s into the late 2020’s, from young adults to grown women, they must figure out what they mean to one another—amid political upheaval, economic and environmental instability, and the increasing volatility of modern American life. The Wilderness is Angela Flournoy’s masterful and kaleidoscopic follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut The Turner House. A generational talent, she captures with disarming wit and electric language how the most profound connections over a lifetime can lie in the tangled, uncertain thicket of friendship.

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Addicted to a Dirty South Thug 2 - Myss Shan Cover Art

Addicted to a Dirty South Thug 2

Addicted to a Dirty South Thug 2 by Myss Shan

The drama continues in Addicted to A dirty South Thug 2 picking right up where you left off... Cuba was determined more than ever to stay away from the bad guys, but after being bit by the Prince bug, she realizes that she's sick and in love. "No fear and no more running," she tells herself, but with Khi's overwhelming baby mama drama and heat from the Prince brothers, she finds every excuse she can to run from her one true love. Khi is trying everything to get a hold on his life. After getting Dae out the way, the problems seem to continue to fall into his lap. With trying to figure out if Selena is really playing for the other team and keeping an eye on Briana, his love and attention for Cuba seems to fall in last place. With the threat of losing Cuba on his shoulders, will Khi make the right the decision and choose the woman that he's been waiting his whole life for? And what happens when decisions made causes brother to be against brother? They are in the middle of a war, how will they come out on top if they're beefing with each other? KaeDee is no longer able to keep the cool demeanor that he is known for having once he realizes that it's more to Deonna's suicide. Once a pretty Detective walks into his life and turns things upside down for him, KaeDee finds out the woman he married is only one of many. It all seems to break him down and forces him to be angry at the world, even his brothers. Mistakes are made and KaeDee is unable to keep it together and is quickly falling apart, but what happens when the one person he's never noticed is the one to piece him back together? In the midst of all the madness, will KaeDee see that his true soulmate had been hiding in the shadows all along. Dae's finally forced to face his problems now that he has nowhere to turn. Realizing that the only person that he could count on is the one to put him in his predicament, will Dae finally get his life together or will it be too late for him? The newest addition to the Prince brothers saga is home. The wild hair, funny looking eyes Cassidy has touched down and back to claim the only woman he's ever loved but things won't be so easy for him. His past issues was never resolved and the secret he's been holding onto has no choice but to be revealed. He works hard to fix all the issues he's caused. Once the smoke finally clears, will Cassidy have his woman, or will end up paying for more of his mistakes in the end? Things are just heating up in this installment of Addicted To a Dirty South Thug.

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Rozalyn 2 - Shan Cover Art

Rozalyn 2

Rozalyn 2 by Shan

Rozalyn McGuay has been missing for a year now, no one has a clue to where she is or even if she is alive. She is close to giving up on life and reuniting with her one true love. Finding the strength and courage she needs Rozalyn fights through blood, sweat and tears to find her way back home only to find that her homecoming isn't as sweet as she imagined it would be. Tamar has moved on hitting her with the ultimate betrayal. Fed up and needing a sense of revenge she goes on a warpath full of destruction involving those around her and herself. With visits from her past, treachery clouding her present, and danger threatening her future Rozalyn's back is up against the wall. Finding comfort in the arms of another man turns out to be the biggest mistake of Rozalyn's life. Tamar is confused, full of anger and sick of being stabbed in the heart. Unable to determine his next move; what he decides could be the end of his life. Will it be too much for the two of them to stand? Can their relationship withhold the blows or will things continue to crumble down? Walk with Rozalyn as she tries to put the pieces of her life back together and strive at a chance of happiness.

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I Almost Forgot About You - Terry McMillan Cover Art

I Almost Forgot About You

I Almost Forgot About You A Novel by Terry McMillan

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The bestselling author of How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Waiting To Exhale is back with the inspiring story of a woman who shakes things up in her life to find greater meaning NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY LIBRARY JOURNAL In  I Almost Forgot About You , Dr. 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, I Almost Forgot About You 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. It’s everything you’ve always loved about Terry McMillan. Praise for I Almost Forgot About You “McMillan paints relationships in joyous primary colors; her novel brims with sexy repartee, caustic humor, and a fluent, assured prose that shines a bright light on her memorable characters. Her very best since Waiting to Exhale .” — O: The Oprah Magazine “The novel is immensely companionable, and Georgia is as alive, complex, inquiring, motivated and sexy as any twenty-five-year-old. Maybe more so.” — The New York Times Book Review “Self-discovery, second chances and the importance of family are thematic hallmarks of McMillan’s novels. . . . I Almost Forgot About You checks all the boxes.” — Washington Post “McMillan is funny and frank about men, women and sex. Her summaries of Georgia’s marriages and major love connections . . . are powerful and poetic.” — USA Today “Reading a Terry McMillan book feels like catching up with an old friend. . . . I Almost Forgot About You is a book that is important for readers of every age.” — Ebony

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This Motherless Land - Nikki May Cover Art

This Motherless Land

This Motherless Land A Novel by Nikki May

Shortlisted for the Nigeria Prize for Literature READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR "A vibrant coming-of-age story." — Charmaine Wilkerson "I was completely immersed.” — Nita Prose From the acclaimed author of Wahala, a stunning reimagining of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park: Split between England and Nigeria, two extraordinary cousins are set on vastly different paths as they come to terms with their shared family history—a masterful exploration of race, identity, and love.  Quiet Funke is happy in Nigeria. She loves her art teacher mother, her professor father, and even her annoying little brother (most of the time). But when tragedy strikes, she’s sent to England, a place she knows only from her mother’s stories. To her dismay, she finds the much-lauded estate dilapidated, the food tasteless, the weather grey. Worse still, her mother’s family are cold and distant. With one exception: her cousin Liv. Free-spirited Liv has always wanted to break free of her joyless family. She becomes fiercely protective of her little cousin, and her warmth and kindness give Funke a place to heal. The two girls grow into adulthood the closest of friends. But the choices their mothers made haunt Funke and Liv and when a second tragedy occurs their friendship is torn apart. Against the long shadow of their shared family history, each woman will struggle to chart a path forward, separated by country, misunderstanding, and ambition. Moving between Somerset and Lagos over the course of two decades, This Motherless Land is a sweeping examination of identity, culture, race, and love that asks how we find belonging and whether a family’s generational wrongs can be righted.

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The Violin Conspiracy - Brendan Slocumb Cover Art

The Violin Conspiracy

The Violin Conspiracy A Novel (Good Morning America Book Club) by Brendan Slocumb

GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK! • Ray McMillian is a Black classical musician on the rise—undeterred by the pressure and prejudice of the classical music world — when a shocking theft sends him on a desperate quest to recover his great-great-grandfather’s heirloom violin on the eve of the most prestigious musical competition in the world. “I loved The Violin Conspiracy for exactly the same reasons I loved The Queen’s Gambit : a surprising, beautifully rendered underdog hero I cared about deeply and a fascinating, cutthroat world I knew nothing about—in this case, classical music.” —Chris Bohjalian, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant and Hour of the Witch Growing up Black in rural North Carolina, Ray McMillian’s life is already mapped out. But Ray has a gift and a dream—he’s determined to become a world-class professional violinist, and nothing will stand in his way. Not his mother, who wants him to stop making such a racket; not the fact that he can’t afford a violin suitable to his talents; not even the racism inherent in the world of classical music.    When he discovers that his beat-up, family fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, all his dreams suddenly seem within reach, and together, Ray and his violin take the world by storm. But on the eve of the renowned and cutthroat Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—the violin is stolen, a ransom note for five million dollars left in its place. Without it, Ray feels like he's lost a piece of himself. As the competition approaches, Ray must not only reclaim his precious violin, but prove to himself—and the world—that no matter the outcome, there has always been a truly great musician within him.

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So Deep in My Feelings 2: A Hood Love Tale - Myss Shan Cover Art

So Deep in My Feelings 2: A Hood Love Tale

So Deep in My Feelings 2: A Hood Love Tale by Myss Shan

With the loss of her brother and then Self being killed right in front of her, Cioni is starting to feel like she might be the one under attack. With a new baby on the way, she is ready to spark things back up with Ledge, but the only problem is, things have changed drastically for him. He is deep in the game, and no one around him wants to see him make it to the top. But as long as the two of them have love, nothing or no one will stop them right?  Madden has moved on with her new boo and ready to start her new life. Things are perfect, but her old meddling ways eventually comes back to haunt her. She is no longer letting things slide and is out to get those whom she felt has gotten her. Soon, she realizes that she might be in over her head..

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October Suite - Maxine Clair Cover Art

October Suite

October Suite A Novel by Maxine Clair

The debut novel by the author of Rattlebone . "Told in a melody all its own, this story touches many lovely and unexpected notes." —Elizabeth Strout, #1 New York Times bestselling author   It is 1950 and October Brown is a twenty-three-year-old first-year teacher thanking her lucky stars that she found a room in the best boardinghouse for Negro women teachers in Wyandotte County, Kansas. During an affair with an unhappily married handyman, October becomes pregnant.   With job in jeopardy and her reputation in tatters, October goes back to Ohio to be with her family: her older sister, Vergie, and her aunts who raised the sisters after their mother was killed by their father. After giving birth, she gives the child to Vergie and her husband to raise as their own, then returns to Kansas City to rebuild her life. But something is missing—and, apparently too late, October realizes what she has done . . .   The Midwest, the flourishing of modern jazz, and the culture of segregation form a compelling historical backdrop for this timeless and universal tale of one person's battle to understand and master her own desires, and to embrace the responsibilities and promise of mature adulthood. In October Suite , Clair "has skillfully brought lyricism and word-play to her first novel, a family saga filled with secrets, redemption, and rivalry, as two sisters try to reclaim bonds forged in early childhood tragedy" ( Library Journal ).   "Maxine Clair deserves our admiration for this beautifully written and humane novel." — The Washington Post   "A beautifully imagined novel that pulses with all the colors and sounds of the lives we live." —Marita Golden, author of The Wide Circumference of Love

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Love on the Low 2 - Mia Black Cover Art

Love on the Low 2

Love on the Low 2 by Mia Black

Mika knows making her feelings for Royce known will change everything. All she has to do is focus on her new job and creating a new life for herself, but that’s easier said than done when the man she loves is right in front of her face…with another woman. There’s no denying that Royce wants Mika, but his life is complicated, and now that he’s added Lacresha to it, it’s even more complicated than he could have imagined. If he gives into his desires, he fears what will happen. If he ignores his feelings, he fears what he’ll do without Mika. Find out what happens in part two of Love On The Low!

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The Sweetness of Water (Oprah's Book Club) - Nathan Harris Cover Art

The Sweetness of Water (Oprah's Book Club)

The Sweetness of Water (Oprah's Book Club) A Novel by Nathan Harris

An Instant New York Times bestseller / An Oprah’s Book Club Pick In the spirit of The Known World and The Underground Railroad , an award-winning “miraculous debut” ( Washington Post ) about the unlikely bond between two freedmen who are brothers and the Georgia farmer whose alliance will alter their lives, and his, forever In the waning days of the Civil War, brothers Prentiss and Landry—freed by the Emancipation Proclamation—seek refuge on the homestead of George Walker and his wife, Isabelle. The Walkers, wracked by the loss of their only son to the war, hire the brothers to work their farm, hoping through an unexpected friendship to stanch their grief. Prentiss and Landry, meanwhile, plan to save money for the journey north and a chance to reunite with their mother, who was sold away when they were boys. Parallel to their story runs a forbidden romance between two Confederate soldiers. The young men, recently returned from the war to the town of Old Ox, hold their trysts in the woods. But when their secret is discovered, the resulting chaos, including a murder, unleashes convulsive repercussions on the entire community. In the aftermath of so much turmoil, it is Isabelle who emerges as an unlikely leader, proffering a healing vision for the land and for the newly free citizens of Old Ox. With candor and sympathy, debut novelist Nathan Harris creates an unforgettable cast of characters, depicting Georgia in the violent crucible of Reconstruction. Equal parts beauty and terror, as gripping as it is moving, The Sweetness of Water is an epic whose grandeur locates humanity and love amid the most harrowing circumstances. One of President Obama's Favorite Books of 2021 Winner of the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence Winner of the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction Winner of the Writers’ League of Texas Book Award for Fiction Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize Shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize Shortlisted for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award Longlisted for the 2022 Carnegie Medal for Excellence Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize Longlisted for the Crook’s Corner Book Prize A Best Book of the Year: Oprah Daily, NPR, Washington Post, Time, Boston Globe , Smithsonian, Chicago Public Library, BookBrowse, and the Oregonian A N ew York Times Book Review Editors' Choice A July 2021 Indie Next Pick

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Take My Hand - Dolen Perkins-Valdez Cover Art

Take My Hand

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Winner of the 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Fiction “Deeply empathetic yet unflinching in its gaze…an unforgettable exploration of responsibility and redemption.”—Celeste Ng Inspired by true events that rocked the nation, a searing and compassionate new novel about a Black nurse in post-segregation Alabama who blows the whistle on a terrible injustice done to her patients, from the New York Times bestselling author of Wench Montgomery, Alabama, 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend intends to make a difference, especially in her African American community. At the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, she hopes to help women shape their destinies, to make their own choices for their lives and bodies. But when her first week on the job takes her along a dusty country road to a worn-down one-room cabin, Civil is shocked to learn that her new patients, Erica and India, are children—just eleven and thirteen years old. Neither of the Williams sisters has even kissed a boy, but they are poor and Black, and for those handling the family’s welfare benefits, that’s reason enough to have the girls on birth control. As Civil grapples with her role, she takes India, Erica, and their family into her heart. Until one day she arrives at their door to learn the unthinkable has happened, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them. Decades later, with her daughter grown and a long career in her wake, Dr. Civil Townsend is ready to retire, to find her peace, and to leave the past behind. But there are people and stories that refuse to be forgotten. That must not be forgotten. Because history repeats what we don’t remember. Inspired by true events and brimming with hope, Take My Hand is a stirring exploration of accountability and redemption. “Highlights the horrific discrepancies in our healthcare system and illustrates their heartbreaking consequences.”—Essence

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The Real Dopeboyz of Atlanta 2 - Myss Shan Cover Art

The Real Dopeboyz of Atlanta 2

The Real Dopeboyz of Atlanta 2 by Myss Shan

Poetic knew that when her family found out what she's been up to, things would not be easy, but what she never expected was for her twin sister Lyric to completely turn everyone against her.  Now being completely exiled, Poetic is pushed further into the arms of Ahmeen. The love between them only intensifies when Poe has no one else to turn to but Ahmeen. He treats her like non-other than the Queen she is. The bond she is has with him is more than she could've imagined, especially when The Shakur family takes in her with open arms. Things are blissful but when  Poe finds out that her big brother Maino is in trouble, she's unable to turn her back on him like he did her, ultimately putting her relationship and life at risk.  Ahmeen took four bullets all from his flesh and blood Moni. Moni never expected for Ahmeen to walk away but to his dismay, not only did he, but he's came out stronger and with a heart of vengeance. There isn't anywhere safe that Moni can go with Ahmeen on his trail...but witness protection.  Ahmeen tries his hardest to move on with his life and continue ringing bells in the streets. Now more richer, more respected, and more known than ever, Ahmeen is dealing with knowing that his product is becoming internationally known. With the love of his life by his side, and a me baby on the way, Ahmeen is living every man's dream. The only problem is, he still hasn't told Poe about Kiani. Scared that he will lose Poe, Ahmeen continues to keep his son secret, only digging himself deeper into the grave. Not only that, he still has Maino gunning for him and when the Mexican cartel approaches him will he accept the offer to rid of Maino for them?  Maino must now deal with decisions he's made when the head of Mexican Cartel come for answers about his daughter Eve.  

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Butterfly - Ashley Antoinette Cover Art

Butterfly

Butterfly by Ashley Antoinette

Butterfly is the first novel in an all new series by New York Times bestselling author Ashley Antoinette and an instant USA Today bestseller! “Run away from the boy that gives you butterflies, he's going to break your heart.” Morgan Atkins had been told that phrase ever since she was a little girl and still she allowed herself to fall for the boy that made her heart flutter. After losing her first love, Morgan is terrified to love again. She's settled for a comfortable life with a respectable man. She has everything. She's living in the lap of luxury and although she's comfortable, she's bored out of her mind. When a ghost from her past blows into town, she finds herself entangled in an illicit affair. It's wrong, but she can't fight the butterflies he gives her and honestly, she doesn't want to. She can't hide the natural attraction she feels and soon, she's so deep involved that she can no longer tell where the boundary between right and wrong lies. Her heart is telling her one thing, but her head is saying another. Morgan Atkins has always been a spoiled girl and she tries to have it all, but when she's forced to choose between a good man and a bad boy, someone will end up hurt. Someone just may end up dead. Morgan Atkins has been through more tragedy than one girl can bear. Will she weather this storm? Or will the ultimate heartbreak ruin her for good?

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The Good Lord Bird (National Book Award Winner) - James McBride Cover Art

The Good Lord Bird (National Book Award Winner)

The Good Lord Bird (National Book Award Winner) A Novel by James McBride

Now a Showtime limited series starring Ethan Hawke and Daveed Diggs Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction From the bestselling author of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store , Deacon King Kong (an Oprah Book Club pick) and The Color of Water comes the story of a young boy born a slave who joins John Brown’s antislavery crusade—and who must pass as a girl to survive. Henry Shackleford is a young slave living in the Kansas Territory in 1856--a battleground between anti- and pro-slavery forces--when legendary abolitionist John Brown arrives. When an argument between Brown and Henry's master turns violent, Henry is forced to leave town--along with Brown, who believes Henry to be a girl and his good luck charm. Over the ensuing months, Henry, whom Brown nicknames Little Onion, conceals his true identity to stay alive. Eventually Brown sweeps him into the historic raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859--one of the great catalysts for the Civil War. An absorbing mixture of history and imagination, and told with McBride's meticulous eye for detail and character, The Good Lord Bird is both a rousing adventure and a moving exploration of identity and survival.

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Cuffed To A Savage 3 - Mia Black Cover Art

Cuffed To A Savage 3

Cuffed To A Savage 3 by Mia Black

Tae and her partner, Officer Briggs, have just taken fire, but that’s not the worst that has happened. While Officer Briggs lays dying, she wrestles with the harsh reality of his devastating injuries and what it will do to her comrades and the horrible truth that Young, her secret lover, may be involved. Forced to choose between the man she loves and the oath she took when she joined the force, Tae faces a crisis of morality and a deeply personal crisis about her own life and how much it will change with or without Young’s freedom.

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Been Wrong So Long It Feels Like Right - Walter Mosley Cover Art

Been Wrong So Long It Feels Like Right

Been Wrong So Long It Feels Like Right A King Oliver Novel by Walter Mosley

In the latest from “mystery master” Walter Mosley, a family member’s terminal illness leads P.I. Joe King Oliver to the investigation of his life: tracking down his long-lost father, and meanwhile, a new case pits King’s professional responsibility against his own moral code. ( The Washington Post ) Joe King Oliver’s beloved Grandma B has found a tumor, and at her age, treatment is high-risk. She’s lived life fully and without regrets, and now has only a single, dying wish: to see her long-lost son. King has been estranged from his father, Chief Odin Oliver, since he was a young boy. He swore to never speak to the man again when he was taken away in handcuffs. But now, Grandma B’s pure ask has opened King’s heart, and through his hunt, he gains a deeper understanding of his father as a complicated, righteous man—a man defined by women, a man protected by women, a man he wants to know. Although Chief was released from prison years ago, he’s been living underground ever since. Now, King must not only find his father, but prove his innocence, and protect the future of his entire family. Simultaneously, King finds himself in a moral bind. Marigold Hart, the wife of a powerful Californian billionaire, has gone missing, along with their seven-year-old daughter. Orr is brutish and dangerous, and King realizes after locating her that it’s in her best interest to stay hidden. But are his motives pure? There is something magnetic about Marigold; he can’t help but want her near.   In the latest installment in the Joe King Oliver series, no good deed goes unpunished. Emotionally stirring, pulse-pounding, and undeniably sexy, Been Wrong So Long It Feels Like Right shows Walter Mosley at his best.

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Buckeye and the Babe - Olivia Gaines Cover Art

Buckeye and the Babe

Buckeye and the Babe by Olivia Gaines

Cabrina Roberts flew to Las Vegas to have a face to face conversation and get a possible lead on her friend, Aisha Miller’s disappearance.  What she finds instead is Gabriel Neary, codename Buckeye, a CIA Agent that is too handsome for his own good. Add in two free tickets to a hypnotist show, a bottle of cheap champagne and the pair wakes up the next morning to find themselves married. Throw in a road trip to Georgia, loads of laughs, and a couple who are simply too perfect for each other to ignore, Buckeye and his babe, begin a not so traditional romance across the miles.

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The Faith of Rome - Zulu Johnny Cover Art

The Faith of Rome

The Faith of Rome by Zulu Johnny

In the nineties, the streets of Baltimore were painfully harsh. However, young Rome was no stranger to pain. Raised by the dysfunction of a broken home and the chaos of the streets, he learns at an early age that survival means strength and loyalty – but trust comes at a cost.  However, when life offers him a glimpse of a better tomorrow, Rome must confront the man he has become. Is there a chance in his future for love, purpose, and redemption in a world that only rewards ruthlessness?   The Faith of Rome is a raw, gritty, and gripping story about loyalty, loss, and the fight to build a future that's real. In a life built on the code and principles of the streets, faith might be the only salvation.

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Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi Cover Art

Homegoing

Homegoing A novel by Yaa Gyasi

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE'S JOHN LEONARD PRIZE • WINNER OF THE PEN / HEMINGWAY AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION • Ghana, eighteenth century: two half sisters are born into different villages, each unaware of the other. One will marry an Englishman and lead a life of comfort in the palatial rooms of the Cape Coast Castle. The other will be captured in a raid on her village, imprisoned in the very same castle, and sold into slavery. One of Oprah’s Best Books of the Year, Homegoing follows the parallel paths of these sisters and their descendants through eight generations: from the Gold Coast to the plantations of Mississippi, from the American Civil War to Jazz Age Harlem. Yaa Gyasi’s extraordinary novel illuminates slavery’s troubled legacy both for those who were taken and those who stayed—and shows how the memory of captivity has been inscribed on the soul of our nation.

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Addicted to a Dirty South Thug 3 - Myss Shan Cover Art

Addicted to a Dirty South Thug 3

Addicted to a Dirty South Thug 3 by Myss Shan

Cuba has been through it all, and even then, it seems like her love for Khi grows more and more with each day. After her fairytale proposal and saying yes to the man she loved, Cuba was hit with the bitter and jealous filled rage of Brianna. Cuba's first thought is to run, but Khi isn't going to let that happen. He does everything in his power to show Cuba that she is his queen and he her king and ensures nothing ever happens to her again. Showering Cuba with love, affection, and gifts send these two right down the aisle of matrimony, but what happens just as the two are united? Life and betrayal has sent Khi back to the man that he had so long tried to escape. After everything that happened to his Cuba, Khi becomes the ultimate gentleman at home, but more ruthless than ever in the streets. He and his brothers are determined to reign supreme in the streets and with the new deal that's been handed to them, they plan to take it all while suffering no losses. The money begins to roll in effortlessly and the Prince name is own its way to being a legacy, but while things seem to be going great for them, someone isn't with it, and they're coming for Khi with all they have. KaeDee and Detective Destiny Henson's love story was written before KaeDee had even known. After Deonna's past was revealed and finding out the sacrifices that Destiny has made for him, KaeDee has decided to take things easy and get away for a while. Knowing he's no good for his brothers right now, he and Destiny embark on a journey to see if there a such thing as true happiness. Cassidy tried his best to be a good man to Tangie but one simple mistake causes him to lose his relationship with her. Feeling resentful and as stubborn as ever, Cassidy refuses to beg for forgiveness again and puts his all into the Prince legacy. He no longer wants to love, but when Jourdin the mother of his child walks back into his life and shows him unconditional love and Tangie finally confesses that she no longer wants to live without him, Cassidy finds himself in love with two women unsure of which one deserves his heart the most. Dae awakes from his coma feeling colder than ever. A character you all know pushes Tamar to forgive Dae and his wrongdoings against Taylana for the sake of their child. And now that things seem to be back on the right path, Dae no longer wants what he is now able to have and seeks to win back the heart of the one woman that he cost the most pain to. He wants Amber back and to build the relationship that he coldly tore apart, but she won't make it easy for him and nor will Taylana. Now that Khian, Cassidy, and Daelan are all together, the Prince legacy is in the midst of being written. These brothers have a point to prove and will stop at nothing to do so. You've never seen them so ruthless before especially when the biggest blow to come their way yet involves the last piece to the Prince brother puzzle...Emon. The Prince brothers love hard this round, but gun harder showing you just why everyone is Addicted to A Dirty South Thug.

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The Best Man - Malcolm D. Lee & Jayne Allen Cover Art

The Best Man

The Best Man Unfinished Business by Malcolm D. Lee & Jayne Allen

The beloved characters from The Best Man movies and hit television series reunite for a sexy and soulful, heartbreaking and hilarious reckoning of love. Recently divorced and fresh off a Pulitzer Prize win, Harper Stewart is in a new era. He’s working on a movie and living the ultimate bachelor life in his Brooklyn penthouse. But still, something is missing. What else explains the stubborn creative block? The carousel of women? And seventh-wheel status with his friends? Jordan Armstrong had to flee New York. First, to give herself distance from Harper and, second, to escape the corporate grind. In her beachfront Malibu property, the façade of a “healed” Jordan flourishes. Yet she finds herself unmoored. Despite the physical distance, she still feels Harper’s magnetic pull. Meanwhile, in Ghana, Robyn has gone full bohemian restaurateur. She has finally found peace and won’t let another man ruin it—that is, until a handsome local entrepreneur commands her attention. But it’s all too much change for her daughter, Mia, and when she secretly calls Harper with an emergency Robyn would rather hide, their world is shaken and relationships are tested once more. Book one of The Best Man trilogy follows Harper, Jordan, and Robyn as they try to establish lives away from the hurts of the past and come to realize that some love is impossible to break. With support from their close-knit crew of chosen family—Quentin, Shelby, Lance, Murch, and Candace—they fight for a future that proves one’s second act can be the extended chapter worth it all.

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Pimp - Iceberg Slim Cover Art

Pimp

Pimp The Story of My Life by Iceberg Slim

“[In Pimp ], Iceberg Slim breaks down some of the coldest, capitalist concepts I’ve ever heard in my life.” —Dave Chappelle, from his Nextflix special The Bird Revelation Pimp sent shockwaves throughout the literary world when it published in 1969. Iceberg Slim’s autobiographical novel offered readers a never-before-seen account of the sex trade, and an unforgettable look at the mores of Chicago’s street life during the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. In the preface, Slim says it best, “In this book, I will take you, the reader, with me into the secret inner world of the pimp.” An immersive experience unlike anything before it, Pimp would go on to sell millions of copies, with translations throughout the world. And it would have a profound impact upon generations of writers, entertainers, and filmmakers, making it the classic hustler’s tale that never seems to go out of style.

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Junie: A GMA Book Club Pick - Erin Crosby Eckstine Cover Art

Junie: A GMA Book Club Pick

Junie: A GMA Book Club Pick A Novel by Erin Crosby Eckstine

GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • As the Civil War looms, a young girl must face a life-altering decision after awakening her sister’s ghost in this “poignant story of love, family and friendship [that] celebrates the power of liberation” ( People ). “An enrapturing tale of survival . . . Eckstine has poured a ton of heart into her characters.”— The Atlanta Journal-Constitution “The richly textured prose quickly pulled me into [Junie’s] treacherous yet magical world.”—Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake Sixteen years old and enslaved since she was born, Junie has spent her life on Bellereine Plantation in Alabama, cooking and cleaning alongside her family, and tending to the white master’s daughter, Violet. Her daydreams are filled with poetry and faraway worlds, while she spends her nights secretly roaming through the forest, consumed with grief over the sudden death of her older sister, Minnie. When wealthy guests arrive from New Orleans, hinting at marriage for Violet and upending Junie’s life, she commits a desperate act—one that rouses Minnie’s spirit from the grave, tethered to this world unless Junie can free her. She enlists the aid of Caleb, the guests’ coachman, and their friendship soon becomes something more. Yet as long-held truths begin to crumble, she realizes Bellereine is harboring dark and horrifying secrets that can no longer be ignored. With time ticking down, Junie begins to push against the harsh current that has controlled her entire life. As she grapples with an increasingly unfamiliar world in which she has little control, she is forced to ask herself: When we choose love and liberation, what must we leave behind?

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Little Scarlet - Walter Mosley Cover Art

Little Scarlet

Little Scarlet A Novel by Walter Mosley

An irresistible story of love and death, this Easy Rawlins mystery takes place during the devastating 1965 Watts riots. Easy's hunt for a killer reveals a new city emerging from the ashes -- and a new life for Easy and his friends.

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Tears of a Hustler - Silk White Cover Art

Tears of a Hustler

Tears of a Hustler Tears of a Hustler, no. 1 by Silk White

Ali is a drug dealer slash business man who tries to change the way the game is played by giving back to the community. But at the same time he has to keep a close eye on his childhood crime partner G-Money who has a strong hatred for the police. Ali's life take a series turn when a local rival a crooked cop, his pregnant girlfriend and his little brother comes into the picture. Once again Silk White takes readers deep into an underworld and night life. A gritty street tale that everyone will enjoy. Now how it all begins!

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Rozalyn 5 - Myss Shan Cover Art

Rozalyn 5

Rozalyn 5 by Myss Shan

While Tamar is down, Rozalyn is forced to become the business woman she's always dreamed of... except the business she gets into she knows nothing about. Rozalyn makes a huge mistake that puts a dagger in her and Tamar's relationship that could possibly end them for good. Her lack of knowledge for the game threatens to tarnish Tamar's reputation and leaves him with deciding if this will be the end of his reign. But of course with Tamar, things are never easy. He loves the power and respect more than he loves the money and refuses to settle for anything less than being King of the Streets. One phone call from a beauty by the name of Keysha causes Tamar to revert back to a place that he'd left in his rearview--the ATL. Keysha has everything that Tamar needs to get back on top, but there is only one problem--she wants Tamar for herself and doesn't want to share him---not even with Rozalyn. Will Rozalyn give up the man she's gone through so much for or will she put up a fight? Will the two of them get their happy ending or will Keysha have Tamar all to herself? Latoya has realized the damage she's caused and desperately wants to make things right with Taron. She pays for one of the best legal teams in Miami to fight his federal case hoping he would forgive her for her part in Journey's suicide. But when Tamar lets Taron know that he needs him in the ATL, will Latoya let him leave or will she result to desperate measures to keep him around. With Erica now in prison for almost killing Jamir's brother, Justice, Passion now has Jamir right where she wants him. Things are going good until he's made aware that Erica's life is now in danger. Also, what happens once Erica exposes Passion's secret?

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Family Spirit - Diane McKinney-Whetstone Cover Art

Family Spirit

Family Spirit A Novel by Diane McKinney-Whetstone

Diane McKinney-Whetstone’s latest character-rich, page-turner blends her signature style with a little magic in her depiction of the Maces, a vibrant family of Philadelphia clairvoyants with issues. Ayana has inherited the Knowing gene that the Maces believe have been passed down to at least one girl child in every generation from as far back as they can trace. But her mother has tried to convince her that she is nothing like those weird Mace women. To keep the peace, Ayana lies to everyone--to the Maces, insisting she’s never felt a Knowing, to her mother about participating in the rituals, and to herself about her relationship with a man who helps her recover time and time again from the mania she experiences after seeing into the future. Ayana’s aunt Lil, banned from the Mace home decades ago after violating a sacred vow, has returned to Philadelphia for a medical procedure. She settles into the chaos of her brother’s home where Ayana, a failing college senior, has also returned. After a harrowing premonition, Ayana must decide whether to deepen family schisms by enlisting her aunt’s help, even as she learns the shocking details of Lil’s breech. Meanwhile Nona, becomes more of a participant than creator as her own drama is deftly interspersed throughout, as she too yields to the power of the Mace family and its indomitable spirit.

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Loved One - Aisha Muharrar Cover Art

Loved One

Loved One A Novel by Aisha Muharrar

Most Anticipated Book of the Summer: New York Times Book Review, W Magazine, Oprah Daily, Conde Nast Traveler, Hollywood Reporter, the Boston Globe, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and The Millions Best Book of 2025 So Far: Real Simple , Debutiful , Literary Hub “[ Loved One ] is special . . . full of wildly astute, delectably thorny questions about love and loss and possession.” —Maggie Shipstead, New York Times bestselling author of Great Circle From an Emmy Award–winning writer comes a funny, wise, heartbreaking story about a woman journeying into the unknown in the wake of sudden loss When her first-love-turned-close-friend, Gabe, dies unexpectedly at twenty-nine, thirty-year-old Julia is launched into an intercontinental quest to recover his lost possessions. Her journey takes her from Los Angeles to London and into the murky realm of the past. It also sets Julia on a collision course with the last woman he loved, a guarded, self-possessed florist and restaurateur named Elizabeth, who insists on withholding Gabe’s beloved guitar—one of the departed indie rock musician’s dearest belongings—for reasons Julia can’t understand. Both women, it turns out, have something to hide, and soon find themselves engaged in a complex dance of withholding and revelation.   An emotional mystery spanning years, continents, and relationship statuses,  Loved One introduces Aisha Muharrar as a novelist intimately attuned to the intricacies of love, memory, and ambiguous loss. What happens when we admit that the deepest feelings never die? How do we reconcile various—and sometimes contradictory—truths about those closest to us? An engrossing and profoundly moving coming-of-age story with a powerful love at its heart,  Loved One is poised to become an instant classic.

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Colored Television (A GMA Book Club Pick) - Danzy Senna Cover Art

Colored Television (A GMA Book Club Pick)

Colored Television (A GMA Book Club Pick) A Novel by Danzy Senna

A NATIONAL BESTSELLER A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK A WASHINGTON POST TOP 10 BOOK OF THE YEAR A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2024 “A laugh-out-loud cultural comedy… This is the New Great American Novel, and Danzy Senna has set the standard.” – LA Times “Funny, foxy and fleet…The jokes are good, the punches land, the dialogue is tart.” –Dwight Garner, The New York Times A brilliant take on love and ambition, failure and reinvention, and the racial-identity-industrial complex from the bestselling author of Caucasia Jane has high hopes that her life is about to turn around. After a long, precarious stretch bouncing among sketchy rentals and sublets, she and her family are living in luxury for a year, house-sitting in the hills above Los Angeles. The gig magically coincides with Jane’s sabbatical, giving her the time and space she needs to finish her second novel—a centuries-spanning epic her artist husband, Lenny, dubs her “mulatto War and Peace. ” Finally, some semblance of stability and success seems to be within her grasp. But things don’t work out quite as hoped. Desperate for a plan B, like countless writers before her Jane turns her gaze to Hollywood. When she finagles a meeting with Hampton Ford, a hot producer with a major development deal at a streaming network, he seems excited to work with a “real writer,” and together they begin to develop “the Jackie Robinson of biracial comedies.” Things finally seem to be going right for Jane—until they go terribly wrong. Funny, piercing, and page turning, Colored Television is Senna’s most on-the-pulse, ambitious, and rewarding novel yet.

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Rozalyn 3 - Myss Shan Cover Art

Rozalyn 3

Rozalyn 3 by Myss Shan

Rozalyn and Tamar are back but unfortunately they're not together. After Tamar damn near killed Rozalyn a little over a year ago; the couple decided to cut their losses and move on. Rozalyn does her best to become a better, independent woman being she no longer has Tamar to depend on. She goes to school, opens her own beauty shop, and is even thinking of starting her own clothing line. Everything is going good especially when she meets Messiah; he sweeps her off her feet and shows her what true love is. Tamar feels since he's gotten rid of all of his enemies he's ready to jump back in the game. With a new lady on his arm, things are looking up and of course the cash is flowing nicely. That is until Messiah comes home and looks to reclaim his spot as the King of Miami. Messiah is messing with Tamar's paper and his woman. With the two men fighting for the crown and the girl; things will get rather ugly. Who will Rozalyn choose in the end? The guy that she bared three kids with and has gone through hell and back with, or the guy that treats her better than royalty? A choice must be made, but will that choice be a deadly one?

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Black Girls Must Be Magic - Jayne Allen Cover Art

Black Girls Must Be Magic

Black Girls Must Be Magic A Novel by Jayne Allen

“Masterfully written and pitch perfect, Black Girls Must Be Magic is, simply, magic.”—Good Morning America In this highly anticipated second installment in the Black Girls Must Die Exhausted series, Tabitha Walker copes with more of life’s challenges and a happy surprise—a baby—with a little help and lots of love from friends old and new. For Tabitha Walker, her grandmother’s old adage, “Black girls must die exhausted” is becoming all too true. Discovering she’s pregnant—after she was told she may not be able to have biological children—Tabitha throws herself headfirst into the world of “single mothers by choice.” Between her job, doctor’s appointments, and preparing for the baby, she’s worn out. And that’s before her boss at the local news station starts getting complaints from viewers about Tabitha’s natural hair. When an unexpected turn of events draws Marc—her on and off-again ex-boyfriend—back into her world with surprising demands, and the situation at work begins to threaten her livelihood and her identity, Tabitha must make some tough decisions about her and her baby’s future. It takes a village to raise a child, and Tabitha turns to the women who have always been there for her. Bolstered by the fierce support of Ms. Gretchen, her grandmother’s best friend, the counsel of her closest friends Laila and Alexis, and the calming presence of her doula Andouele, Tabitha must find a way to navigate motherhood on her own terms. Will she harness the bravery, strength, and self-love she’ll need to keep “the village” together, find her voice at work, and settle things with Marc before the baby arrives? 

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Deacon King Kong (Oprah's Book Club) - James McBride Cover Art

Deacon King Kong (Oprah's Book Club)

Deacon King Kong (Oprah's Book Club) A Novel by James McBride

Winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Fiction   Winner of the Gotham Book Prize One of Barack Obama's "Favorite Books of the Year" Oprah's Book Club Pick New York Times Readers Pick: 100 Best Books of the 21st Century Named one of the Top Ten Books of the Year by the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly and TIME Magazine A Washington Post Notable Novel From the author of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store , the National Book Award–winning The Good Lord Bird, and the bestselling modern classic The Color of Water , comes one of the most celebrated novels of the year. In September 1969, a fumbling, cranky old church deacon known as Sportcoat shuffles into the courtyard of the Cause Houses housing project in south Brooklyn, pulls a .38 from his pocket, and, in front of everybody, shoots the project’s drug dealer at point-blank range. The reasons for this desperate burst of violence and the consequences that spring from it lie at the heart of Deacon King Kong , James McBride’s funny, moving novel and his first since his National Book Award–winning The Good Lord Bird . In Deacon King Kong , McBride brings to vivid life the people affected by the shooting: the victim, the African-American and Latinx residents who witnessed it, the white neighbors, the local cops assigned to investigate, the members of the Five Ends Baptist Church where Sportcoat was deacon, the neighborhood’s Italian mobsters, and Sportcoat himself. As the story deepens, it becomes clear that the lives of the characters—caught in the tumultuous swirl of 1960s New York—overlap in unexpected ways. When the truth does emerge, McBride shows us that not all secrets are meant to be hidden, that the best way to grow is to face change without fear, and that the seeds of love lie in hope and compassion. Bringing to these pages both his masterly storytelling skills and his abiding faith in humanity, James McBride has written a novel every bit as involving as The Good Lord Bird and as emotionally honest as The Color of Water . Told with insight and wit, Deacon King Kong demonstrates that love and faith live in all of us.

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Love On The Low 5 - Mia Black Cover Art

Love On The Low 5

Love On The Low 5 by Mia Black

This should be the happiest time of their lives, but Mika and Royce’s life is full of turmoil behind the scenes. While Mika blissfully plans their wedding, Royce keeps an eye on what’s happening in the streets. With the new arrival of Trill, a new enemy working so hard to make a name for himself in the drug game, a turf war has made it almost impossible for Royce to continue with his plans to step away. And Mika has no idea how bad things have gotten. As Trill ramps up his efforts, Royce knows it’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. He just hopes that no one he cares about will get caught in the crossfire.

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Washington Black - Esi Edugyan Cover Art

Washington Black

Washington Black A novel by Esi Edugyan

COMING SOON AS A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES • MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST • ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW 'S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • “A gripping historical narrative exploring both the bounds of slavery and what it means to be truly free.” — Vanity Fair Eleven-year-old George Washington Black—or Wash—a field slave on a Barbados sugar plantation, is initially terrified when he is chosen as the manservant of his master’s brother. To his surprise, however, the eccentric Christopher Wilde turns out to be a naturalist, explorer, inventor, and abolitionist. Soon Wash is initiated into a world where a flying machine can carry a man across the sky, where even a boy born in chains may embrace a life of dignity and meaning, and where two people, separated by an impossible divide, can begin to see each other as human. But when a man is killed and a bounty is placed on Wash’s head, they must abandon everything and flee together. Over the course of their travels, what brings Wash and Christopher together will tear them apart, propelling Wash ever farther across the globe in search of his true self. Spanning the Caribbean to the frozen Far North, London to Morocco, Washington Black is a story of self-invention and betrayal, of love and redemption, and of a world destroyed and made whole again.

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The Thread Collectors - Shaunna J. Edwards & Alyson Richman Cover Art

The Thread Collectors

The Thread Collectors A Novel by Shaunna J. Edwards & Alyson Richman

“An unforgettable story of female strength, hope and friendship. This collaborative work is magnificent—a true revelation!” —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman with the Blue Star “A brilliant story brimming with unexpected friendships and family ties. Historically sound and beautifully stitched, The Thread Collectors will stay with you long after the last page is turned.” —Sadeqa Johnson, international bestselling author of Yellow Wife   1863: In a small Creole cottage in New Orleans, an ingenious young Black woman named Stella embroiders intricate maps on repurposed cloth to help enslaved men flee and join the Union Army. Bound to a man who would kill her if he knew of her clandestine activities, Stella has to hide not only her efforts but her love for William, a Black soldier and a brilliant musician. Meanwhile, in New York City, a Jewish woman stitches a quilt for her husband, who is stationed in Louisiana with the Union Army. Between abolitionist meetings, Lily rolls bandages and crafts quilts with her sewing circle for other soldiers, too, hoping for their safe return home. But when months go by without word from her husband, Lily resolves to make the perilous journey South to search for him. As these two women risk everything for love and freedom during the brutal Civil War, their paths converge in New Orleans, where an unexpected encounter leads them to discover that even the most delicate threads have the capacity to save us. Loosely inspired by the authors' family histories, this stunning novel will stay with readers for a long time.

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Hell of a Book: National Book Award Winner - Jason Mott Cover Art

Hell of a Book: National Book Award Winner

Hell of a Book: National Book Award Winner A Novel by Jason Mott

***2021 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER*** ***THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER*** Winner of the 2021 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction, Joyce Carol Oates Literary Prize Finalist, 2022 Chautauqua Prize Finalist, Willie Morris Award for Southern Writing Shortlist, 2021 Aspen Words Literary Prize Shortlist, 2022 Maya Angelou Book Award Shortlist, 2022 Carnegie Medal Longlist A Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick! An Ebony Magazine Publishing Book Club Pick!  One of Washington Post 's 50 Notable Works of Fiction | One of Philadelphia Inquirer 's Best Books of 2021 | One of Shelf Awareness's Top Ten Fiction Titles of the Year | One of TIME Magazine’s 100 Must-Read Books | One of NPR.org's "Books We Love" | EW ’s "Guide to the Biggest and Buzziest Books of 2021" | One of the New York Public Library's Best Books for Adults | San Diego Union Tribune —My Favorite Things from 2021 | Writer's Bone's Best Books of 2021 | Atlanta Journal Constitution—Top 10 Southern Books of the Year | One of the Guardian 's (UK) Best Ten 21st Century Comic Novels | One of Entertainment Weekly 's 15 Books You Need to Read This June | On Entertainment Weekly 's "Must List" | One of the New York Post 's Best Summer Reading books | One of GMA's 27 Books for June | One of USA Today 's 5 Books Not to Miss | One of Fortune 's 21 Most Anticipated Books Coming Out in the Second Half of 2021 | One of The Root 's PageTurners: It’s Getting Hot in Here | One of Real Simple 's Best New Books to Read in 2021 An astounding work of fiction from New York Times bestselling author Jason Mott, always deeply honest, at times electrically funny, that goes to the heart of racism, police violence, and the hidden costs exacted upon Black Americans and America as a whole In Jason Mott’s Hell of a Book , a Black author sets out on a cross-country publicity tour to promote his bestselling novel. That storyline drives Hell of a Book and is the scaffolding of something much larger and more urgent: Mott’s novel also tells the story of Soot, a young Black boy living in a rural town in the recent past, and The Kid, a possibly imaginary child who appears to the author on his tour. As these characters’ stories build and converge, they astonish. For while this heartbreaking and magical book entertains and is at once about family, love of parents and children, art and money, it’s also about the nation’s reckoning with a tragic police shooting playing over and over again on the news. And with what it can mean to be Black in America. Who has been killed? Who is The Kid? Will the author finish his book tour, and what kind of world will he leave behind?  Unforgettably told, with characters who burn into your mind and an electrifying plot ideal for book club discussion, Hell of a Book is the novel Mott has been writing in his head for the last ten years. And in its final twists, it truly becomes its title.

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Perfect Peace - Daniel Black Cover Art

Perfect Peace

Perfect Peace A Novel by Daniel Black

As seen on TikTok, Daniel Black’s Perfect Peace is the heartbreaking portrait of a large, rural southern family’s attempt to grapple with their mother’s desperate decision to make her newborn son into the daughter she will never have—“a complex, imaginative story of one unforgettable black family in mid-twentieth century Arkansas” ( Atlanta Magazine ). When the seventh child of the Peace family, named Perfect, turns eight, her mother Emma Jean tells her bewildered daughter, “You was born a boy. I made you a girl. But that ain’t what you was supposed to be. So, from now on, you gon’ be a boy. It’ll be a little strange at first, but you’ll get used to it, and this’ll be over after while.” From this point forward, Perfect’s life becomes a bizarre kaleidoscope of events—while the rest of his family is forced to question everything they thought they knew about gender, sexuality, unconditional love, and fulfillment. “A morality tale of the consequences of letting our selfish needs trap the ones we love into roles they weren’t born to play. The characters here are as flawed, their sins numerous, as any living human being held under the lens, but the author brings a compassion and understanding to their plights.”—Mat Johnson, award-winning author of Invisible Things “Part cautionary tale, part folk tale, part fable, Daniel Black’s Perfect Peace is a complete triumph…In Emma Jean Peace, Dr. Black has created a character as complex, equivocal and unforgettable as Scarlett O'Hara.”—Larry Duplechan, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of Got ’Til It’s Gone

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Butterfly 3 - Ashley Antoinette Cover Art

Butterfly 3

Butterfly 3 by Ashley Antoinette

“One of the biggest names in urban-fiction.” - Red Carpet Crash on Butterfly The hardest thing Morgan Atkins has ever done is let go of love. After losing Messiah, she never thought she’d find someone who understood her again. Until she reunited with Ahmeek Harris and their friendship quickly transformed into something deeper, but there was one problem... she was engaged to a man she didn’t love and he’s holding a deadly secret over her head. If that wasn’t enough, her long lost love Messiah returned to claim her as his own. Three men plus one woman equals inevitable heartbreak. Morgan wants to follow her heart and take the risk of a lifetime, but she risks destroying her family in the process. Will Morgan enter a loveless marriage? Or will Messiah and Ahmeek fix their brotherhood and work together to save the woman they both love?

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Stepping to a New Day - Beverly Jenkins Cover Art

Stepping to a New Day

Stepping to a New Day A Blessings Novel by Beverly Jenkins

NAACP nominee and USA Today bestselling author Beverly Jenkins returns to the town of Henry Adams with a story of family, friendship, love, and second chances. In Henry Adams, Kansas, you can’t start over without stirring things up . . . Many a good woman has had to leave a no-good man, but how many of them took a back-seat to his 600-lb. hog? On her own for the first time, Genevieve Gibbs is ecstatic, even if certain people preferred the doormat version of Ms. Gibbs. Finding someone who appreciates the “new” her has only just hit Gen’s to-do list when T.C. Barbour appears in her life. A tiny Kansas town is a far cry from his native Oakland, California, but it’s just the change T. C. needs. While helping his divorced nephew acclimate to single fatherhood, T. C. lands a gig driving a limo for the most powerful woman in Henry Adams. It’s a great way to meet people—and one in particular has already made the job worthwhile. All it takes is a short trip from the airport for Genevieve to snag T.C.’s attention for good. But it wouldn’t be Henry Adams without adding more drama to the mix. When Gen’s ex Riley returns with his hog in tow, it sets off a chain of events that can ruin everything—unless the residents pull together once again to save the day.

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Never Trust The One You Love 2 - T.L. Joy Cover Art

Never Trust The One You Love 2

Never Trust The One You Love 2 by T.L. Joy

*** Find out what is about to unravel in part 2 of Never Trust The One You Love! *** Love is nothing sweet when Sweetz and Krazy are caught up in the dangerous and deadly web of the street life. Now that they are starting fresh in California, they run into a whole slew of problems. Everyone carries their own motives and nothing is what it seems to be, but can they realize this before it's too late? Find out what happens in part two of Never Trust The One You Love!

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The Cartel 3: - Ashley & JaQuavis Cover Art

The Cartel 3:

The Cartel 3: The Last Chapter by Ashley & JaQuavis

The Cartel has come full circle with this fast-paced, groundbreaking novel, the finale to the hit series by New York Times bestsellers Ashley & JaQuavis. Miamor is fighting for her life in the belly of the beast. She's been kidnapped, and she's staring death in the eye. Is the reign over for the head of the Murda Mamas? Carter is in federal custody and leaves the Diamond Empire to Zyir and Mecca. When the past comes back to haunt Mecca and the truth finally comes to light, will The Cartel rise or fall? Breeze is in the clutches of the crazed Ma'tee, and she desperately searches for a way out. Will she escape, or die his love slave? The answers to these questions lie inside the pages of Cartel 3: The Final Chapter. Open it to discover the shocking truth, and prepare yourself for the unpredictable conclusion of one of the best street series of all time.

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A Gathering of Old Men - Ernest J. Gaines Cover Art

A Gathering of Old Men

A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines

A powerful depiction of racial tensions arising over the death of a Cajun farmer at the hands of a black man--set on a Louisiana sugarcane plantation in the 1970s. The Village Voice called A Gathering of Old Men “the best-written novel on Southern race relations in over a decade.”

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The Office of Historical Corrections - Danielle Evans Cover Art

The Office of Historical Corrections

The Office of Historical Corrections A Novella and Stories by Danielle Evans

WINNER OF THE 2021 JOYCE CAROL OATES PRIZE NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2020 BY O MAGAZINE, THE NEW YORKER, THE WASHINGTON POST , REAL SIMPLE, THE GUARDIAN, AND MORE FINALIST FOR: THE STORY PRIZE, THE L.A. TIMES BOOK PRIZE, THE ASPEN WORDS LITERARY PRIZE, THE CHAUTAUQUA PRIZE “Sublime short stories of race, grief, and belonging . . . an extraordinary new collection . . .” — The New Yorker “Evans’s new stories present rich plots reflecting on race relations, grief, and love . . .” — The New York Times Book Review , Editor’s Choice “Danielle Evans demonstrates, once again, that she is the finest short story writer working today.” —Roxane Gay, The New York Times –bestselling author of Difficult Women and Bad Feminist The award-winning author of Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self brings her signature voice and insight to the subjects of race, grief, apology, and American history. Danielle Evans is widely acclaimed for her blisteringly smart voice and X-ray insights into complex human relationships. With The Office of Historical Corrections , Evans zooms in on particular moments and relationships in her characters’ lives in a way that allows them to speak to larger issues of race, culture, and history. She introduces us to Black and multiracial characters who are experiencing the universal confusions of lust and love, and getting walloped by grief—all while exploring how history haunts us, personally and collectively. Ultimately, she provokes us to think about the truths of American history—about who gets to tell them, and the cost of setting the record straight. In “Boys Go to Jupiter,” a white college student tries to reinvent herself after a photo of her in a Confederate-flag bikini goes viral. In “Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain,” a photojournalist is forced to confront her own losses while attending an old friend’s unexpectedly dramatic wedding. And in the eye-opening title novella, a black scholar from Washington, DC, is drawn into a complex historical mystery that spans generations and puts her job, her love life, and her oldest friendship at risk.

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Diary of the Plug's Daughter 3 - Sol Cover Art

Diary of the Plug's Daughter 3

Diary of the Plug's Daughter 3 by Sol

Will Loso and Summer get their happily ever after? Does DC follow his heart or will he be loyal to his new family? What is the fate of Harlem after he stole from the gang? Find out in the finale…

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God Still Don't Like Ugly - Mary Monroe Cover Art

God Still Don't Like Ugly

God Still Don't Like Ugly by Mary Monroe

New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe's heart-stopping tale about a woman who's suffered too much to give up on herself, even if everyone else has. . . Growing up, Annette Goode thought all men were as low-down as the father who abandoned her, including the boarder who abused her for years and the men she slept with to earn the money she needed to run away from her life. Now, after decades of heartache and severing ties with her dangerously unstable friend Rhoda, Annette's real life has started to take shape. . . But her dark past won't let her go. When an old secret scares away her fiancé, Annette settles with Pee Wee Davis, her on-again, off-again sweetheart since childhood. Then her ex-friend Rhoda suddenly walks back into her life, forcing Annette to decide what she should believe--and what she can forgive--as she tries to salvage the one relationship she just can't seem to let go. . . Praise for Mary Monroe "Reminiscent of Zora Neale Hurston." -- Publishers Weekly "Watch out Toni Morrison, there is a new sister in town." -- Rapport

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The Ways of White Folks - Langston Hughes Cover Art

The Ways of White Folks

The Ways of White Folks Stories by Langston Hughes

A collection of vibrant and incisive short stories depicting the sometimes humorous, but more often tragic interactions between Black people and white people in America in the 1920s and ‘30s. One of the most important writers to emerge from the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes may be best known as a poet, but these stories showcase his talent as a lively storyteller. His work blends elements of blues and jazz, speech and song, into a triumphant and wholly original idiom. Stories included in this collection: "Cora Unashamed" "Slave on the Block" "Home" "Passing" "A Good Job Gone" "Rejuvenation Through Joy" "The Blues I'm Playing" "Red-Headed Baby" "Poor Little Black Fellow" "Little Dog" "Berry" "Mother and Child" "One Christmas Eve" "Father and Son"

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Blood, Sweat & Payback - Wahida Clark Cover Art

Blood, Sweat & Payback

Blood, Sweat & Payback by Wahida Clark

From New York Times bestselling author Wahida Clark, comes the final installment in the Official Queen of Street Literature's unrivaled Payback series. Someone wants every member of the consortium dead and they’ll stop at nothing to make that happen. Meanwhile Shan has transferred back into Redbone and has taken it to a whole new level. Nick suspects Shan is still in love with Briggen even though she is with him. Janay has turned over a new lease on life but her ties to Crystal are always a challenge. Everyone is gunning for Dark and with The List in the hands of Cisco’s wife, Joy, Dark’s chances of taking over Detroit are threatened more than ever before. Everyone is fueled by fire and seeking Blood, Sweat and Payback.

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His Dirty Secret 9: Kim's Story - Mia Black Cover Art

His Dirty Secret 9: Kim's Story

His Dirty Secret 9: Kim's Story by Mia Black

With her wedding plans in full swings, it’s hard for Kim to keep a smile on her face. Her family is stressing her. Santana’s new director is meddling and making it perfectly clear that she has eyes for him. On top of that, Kim should be focusing on having a healthy baby. Will the madness around her ever subside so she can begin a lifetime of new memories with the love of her life?

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Lust - Victoria Christopher Murray Cover Art

Lust

Lust A Seven Deadly Sins Novel by Victoria Christopher Murray

The 7 Deadly Sins series that inspired four Lifetime original movies begins with this unputdownable novel about a woman caught between an entertainment mogul with a shady past and his childhood friend who is out for revenge—from the NAACP Image award winner and national bestselling author of The Personal Librarian . Is lust a sin? Tiffanie has lived a sheltered life in a very strict household with her pastor grandfather and her grandmother in Washington, D.C. But when she meets Damon, she falls for the successful entertainment businessman despite his history as a drug dealer. Everyone sees a bright future for the couple—yet when Tiffanie meets Trey, her lustful feelings leave her confused just days before her wedding. Trey is Damon’s childhood best friend with whom he built a successful drug business. But when the game got hot and Damon decided to leave, Trey stayed and continued to sell drugs until he was arrested and spent seven years in prison. Now he’s out and able to attend the wedding. While Damon is thrilled to have Trey back and hopes to bring his best friend into his business, Trey has other plans. And in the end, there will only be one man standing... Includes a reading group guide with an author Q&A and discussion questions for book clubs.

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My Monticello - Jocelyn Nicole Johnson Cover Art

My Monticello

My Monticello Fiction by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson

“A badass debut by any measure — nimble, knowing, and electrifying.” — Colson Whitehead, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Nickel Boys and Harlem Shuffle "...'My Monticello' is, quite simply, an extraordinary debut from a gifted writer with an unflinching view of history and what may come of it." — The Washington Post Winner of the Weatherford Award in Fiction A winner of 2022 Lillian Smith Book Awards A young woman descended from Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings driven from her neighborhood by a white militia. A university professor studying racism by conducting a secret social experiment on his own son. A single mother desperate to buy her first home even as the world hurtles toward catastrophe. Each fighting to survive in America. Tough-minded, vulnerable, and brave, Jocelyn Nicole Johnson’s precisely imagined debut explores burdened inheritances and extraordinary pursuits of belonging. Set in the near future, the eponymous novella, “My Monticello,” tells of a diverse group of Charlottesville neighbors fleeing violent white supremacists. Led by Da’Naisha, a young Black descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, they seek refuge in Jefferson’s historic plantation home in a desperate attempt to outlive the long-foretold racial and environmental unravelling within the nation. In “Control Negro,” hailed by Roxane Gay as “one hell of story,” a university professor devotes himself to the study of racism and the development of ACMs (average American Caucasian males) by clinically observing his own son from birth in order to “painstakingly mark the route of this Black child too, one whom I could prove was so strikingly decent and true that America could not find fault in him unless we as a nation had projected it there.” Johnson’s characters all seek out home as a place and an internal state, whether in the form of a Nigerian widower who immigrates to a meager existence in the city of Alexandria, finding himself adrift; a young mixed-race woman who adopts a new tongue and name to escape the landscapes of rural Virginia and her family; or a single mother who seeks salvation through “Buying a House Ahead of the Apocalypse.” United by these characters’ relentless struggles against reality and fate, My Monticello is a formidable book that bears witness to this country’s legacies and announces the arrival of a wildly original new voice in American fiction.

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Stories from the Tenants Downstairs - Sidik Fofana Cover Art

Stories from the Tenants Downstairs

Stories from the Tenants Downstairs by Sidik Fofana

WINNER of the Gotham Book Prize * Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award, and the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence * Longlisted for the Story Prize Named a BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR by NPR, Kirkus Reviews , Library Journal , Chicago Review of Books , LitHub , and Electric Lit “A standout achievement…American speech is an underused commodity in contemporary fiction and it’s a joy to find such a vital example of it here.” — The Wall Street Journal From a superb new literary talent, a rich, lyrical collection of stories about a tight-knit cast of characters grappling with their own personal challenges while the forces of gentrification threaten to upend life as they know it. At Banneker Terrace, everybody knows everybody, or at least knows of them. Longtime tenants’ lives are entangled together in the ups and downs of the day-to-day, for better or for worse. The neighbors in the unit next door are friends or family, childhood rivals or enterprising business partners. In other words, Harlem is home. But the rent is due, and the clock of gentrification—never far from anyone’s mind—is ticking louder now than ever. In eight interconnected stories, Sidik Fofana conjures a residential community under pressure. There is Swan, in apartment 6B, whose excitement about his friend’s release from prison jeopardizes the life he’s been trying to lead. Mimi, in apartment 14D, hustles to raise the child she had with Swan, waitressing at Roscoe’s and doing hair on the side. And Quanneisha B. Miles, in apartment 21J, is a former gymnast with a good education who wishes she could leave Banneker for good, but can’t seem to escape the building’s gravitational pull. We root for the tight-knit cast of characters as they weave in and out of one another’s narratives, working to escape their pasts and blaze new paths forward for themselves and the people they love. All the while we brace, as they do, for the challenges of a rapidly shifting future. Stories from the Tenants Downstairs brilliantly captures the joy and pain of the human experience in this “singular accomplishment from a writer to watch” ( Library Journal , starred review).

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Fear Itself - Walter Mosley Cover Art

Fear Itself

Fear Itself A Fearless Jones Novel by Walter Mosley

Written with the voice and vision that have made Mosley one of the most entertaining writers in America, "Fear Itself" marks the return of a master at the top of his form.

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Kingpin Wifeys Season 3 Part 6 The Finale - K. Elliott Cover Art

Kingpin Wifeys Season 3 Part 6 The Finale

Kingpin Wifeys Season 3 Part 6 The Finale by K. Elliott

The bestselling series created by K. Elliott ends with a bang as we find out the fates of Jada, Ava, Starr and TeTe. Will karma finally catch up with Daniels? What happens when TeTe finds out about John's little secret. Will Shamari choose the woman he loves or the one carrying his seed? See how it all comes to a close in the last and final book in the series Kingpin Wifeys.

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Casting the First Stone - Kimberla Lawson Roby Cover Art

Casting the First Stone

Casting the First Stone by Kimberla Lawson Roby

Readers and critics alike can’t resist New York Times bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby’s beloved Reverend Curtis Black series. Now the classic novel that introduced the trials and triumphs of a church family and their congregation is available in a beautiful new edition—and includes a letter from the author. What happens when the pastor of a prominent Baptist church becomes consumed with money, power, and women? And how does his wife maintain her sanity during the process? Tanya Black has everything a woman could want: a fulfilling career, a beautiful daughter, an elegant home, and a handsome, charismatic husband who is pastor of a prominent Baptist church. And yet, none of it can hide the growing turbulence in her marriage. Her husband, Reverend Curtis Black, once a loving, devoted, and passionate partner, has grown remote, and Tanya is thrown into doubt about what she once cherished. When she uncovers disturbing truths, confirming scandalous rumors about Curtis, she questions all that she’s ever believed in. But it is when Tanya is dealt the worst kind of betrayal a woman can face that her life is changed forever. Plunged into a bittersweet journey of discovery, she finds herself learning painful new lessons about love, loyalty—and sensual temptation—and is forced to make some very hard decisions for her daughter, herself, and her future.

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Linden Hills - Gloria Naylor Cover Art

Linden Hills

Linden Hills A Novel by Gloria Naylor

The National Book Award–winning author of The Women of Brewster Place explores the secrets of an affluent black community. For its wealthy African American residents, the exclusive neighborhood of Linden Hills is a symbol of "making it." The ultimate achievement: a home on prestigious Tupelo Drive. Making your way downhill to Tupelo is irrefutable proof of your worth. But the farther down the hill you go, the emptier you become . . .   Using the descent of Dante's Inferno as a model, this bold, haunting novel follows two young men as they attempt to find work amid the circles of the well-off community. Exploring a microcosm of race and social class, author Gloria Naylor reveals the true cost of success for the lost souls of Linden Hills—an existence trapped in a nightmare of their own making.

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A Southern Street King Earned Her Love 2 - Porscha Sterling Cover Art

A Southern Street King Earned Her Love 2

A Southern Street King Earned Her Love 2 by Porscha Sterling

Bleu knew that her life would never be the same from the moment she met Gucci, but she had no idea just how much things would change.  Meeting Gucci seemed like a dream come true but when real life, real feelings and real drama begins to become a real problem between them, Bleu realizes that in trying to escape one situation, she's only made a bigger problem for herself. Determined not to be anybody's victim anymore, Bleu decides that it's time for her to live on her own and push Gucci out of her life. However, what she doesn't know is that Gucci has no intentions of ever leaving.  When Bleu decides to do what no woman has ever done before and remove Gucci from her life, his ego takes an unexpected hit that he doesn't quite know how to deal with. As a man who has rarely heard 'no' from any woman, it becomes a major problem for him when he's rejected by the one woman he doesn't want to admit that he can't live without. With Bleu moving on, intent on living her life without him in it, he knows that he has to make some tough first-time decisions if he doesn't want to lose her.  But, after fully accepting himself as a certified gangsta without the ability to love, is it possible for him to be the man she needs for him to be?

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Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert - Bob the Drag Queen Cover Art

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert A Novel by Bob the Drag Queen

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Books of 2025 by Pride • Best New Books of Spring 2025 by Bustle • Most Anticipated Books of 2025 by LitHub • Biggest Books of March by Book Riot • Most Anticipated Books of March by Goodreads Featuring two new songs written for the audiobook and performed by Bob the Drag Queen! “ Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert is magnificent! I want to send to the folks who do the Nobel Prize for Literature. I don’t know them, but I want them to read this!” —Whoopi Goldberg “It’s a knockout.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “An emotional exploration of religion, external and internalized homophobia, the pressure of progressing Black liberation, and the importance of revisiting the past.” — New York magazine From RuPaul’s Drag Race winner, Traitors contestant, and host of HBO’s We’re Here comes an inventive, wondrous novel about American hero Harriet Tubman that remixes history into a fresh, dynamic novel about love, freedom, salvation, and hip-hop. In an age of miracles where our greatest heroes from history have magically, unexplainably returned to shake us out of our confusion and hate, Harriet Tubman is back, and she has a lot to say. Harriet Tubman and four of the enslaved persons she led to freedom want to tell their story in a unique way. Harriet wants to create a hip-hop album and live show about her life, and she needs a songwriter to help her. She calls upon Darnell, a once successful hip-hop producer who was topping the charts before being outed on a BET talk show. Darnell has no idea what to expect when he steps into the studio with Harriet, only that they have a short period of time to write a legendary album she can take on the road. Over the course of their time together, they not only create music that will take the country by storm, but confront the horrors of both their pasts, and learn to find a way to a better future. Original, evocative, and historic, Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert is a landmark achievement that will burrow deep into our hearts (and ears).

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Diary of the Plug's Daughter - Sol Cover Art

Diary of the Plug's Daughter

Diary of the Plug's Daughter by Sol

Following The Plug Next Door... In New York, an unlikely pair of young girls forge a new friendship after finding out that they’ll be roommates. Both ladies are attempting to walk away from past relationships while at the same time preparing for their freshman year at Medgar Evers. Some call it growing up, but they call it growing pains. Hailing all the way from Harlem, 18-year-old Remy has been with the same guy since she was in high school. Their love is seemingly perfect, they’re even engaged to be married, so you know it’s real. All is well between the loving couple until Remy has a chance encounter with The Taliban Gang’s newest and most promising hustler. One who refuses to take no for an answer and is just as dangerous as he is handsome. What happens when you’re already spoken for, but a rich thug wants you? Summer is fresh out of a relationship and trying to get over her first love. Perhaps it would be easier to move on if her ex-boyfriend would stop playing peek-a-boo in her life. Who knows? One thing’s for sure, and two thing’s for certain, she’s got a new boo who’s smitten over her and an old boo who isn’t prepared to fully let her go. Then the question became, what are the consequences of being romantically involved with two dope boys at the same time? Unbeknownst to Remy and Summer, they have an uphill battle on their way to greatness. With all the lies, lust, murder, drug money and betrayal that comes with street love, how are they ever going to make it to college in one piece? Find out now...

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Some People, Some Other Place - J. California Cooper Cover Art

Some People, Some Other Place

Some People, Some Other Place by J. California Cooper

For generations Eula Too’s family has been making a journey North, year after year, step by painful step; and she’s determined to be the one to make it all the way to Chicago. In and out of school, taking care of her fourteen brothers and sisters, she can see no way out. But when a new family burden threatens to overwhelm her, she at last leaves for the city, only to find that her life gets even tougher. Ranging from the Deep South at the turn of the century, to a diverse contemporary town filled with people striving for a better life, Some People, Some Other Place is J. California Cooper at her irresistible, surprising best.

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Flying Home - Ralph Ellison Cover Art

Flying Home

Flying Home and Other Stories by Ralph Ellison

These 13 stories by the author of The Invisible Man "approach the elegance of Chekhov" (Washington Post) and provide "early explorations of (Ellison's) lifelong fascination with the 'complex fate' and 'beautiful absurdity' of American identity" (John Callahan). First serial to The New Yorker. NPR sponsorship.

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Property of the State - Kiki Swinson Cover Art

Property of the State

Property of the State by Kiki Swinson

Kiki Swinson’s novels crackle with breakneck triple-twists and no-limits characters. Now she shatters all expectations, as a young woman serving time must survive a prisoner-abuse conspiracy . . .   Trust no one Misty Heiress killed her abusive boyfriend in self-defense. But in jail, violent female gangs paid off by her enemies keep her fearing for her life—and land her in the hospital. From there, a medical testing facility is her one dubious hope for some kind of safety.   Watch your back But from the moment she hits the yard, she and other prisoners are victimized by illegal medical experiments. Injected with lethal diseases and made a test subject for experimental vaccines, she’s clinging to determination by the slimmest thread—until she forms an alliance with a Corrections Officer.   Survive the night Now she’s got unexpected help—and thanks to the CO, a risky plan to escape. But her only way out means racking up bodies. And as lethal obstacles pile ever higher, she soon may not have any future to save.   “ Swinson delivers another strong, fully dimensional lead character in Misty, who begins as an ordinary career woman and ends up in ever deeper trouble with each wrong choice.” — Booklist on The Black Market

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When A Thug Loves His Girl 2 - Shavekia Layfield Cover Art

When A Thug Loves His Girl 2

When A Thug Loves His Girl 2 by Shavekia Layfield

Kyme has everything she thinks she could want, but her idea of a perfect life comes with a hefty price. Kwad’s faulty moves cause friction in the streets. His wrong doings place Kyme in the middle of a street war. Kwad shifts his focus to ensure that Kyme remains safe while he tries to take down the people that are against him, which could include his own mother. It is not hard for Kwad to keep Kyme in dark of his illegal transactions, because she is distracted when she is called upon by the parole board to help decide if her mother and father should be released from prison after serving over twenty years for attempting to sell her and her sister, Kira, in exchange for drugs. When things spiral too far out of Kyme’s control, she seeks comfort in the arms of her lawyer that Kwad introduced her to, Gerald. Gerald has a strong interest in Kyme, but he knows if he goes too far, Kwad will kill him. He doesn’t hide his feelings from Kyme, and at times he thinks the feeling is mutual. Kyme has a hard time understanding what is happening in her life and why it is so hard to be in love with Kwad. It seems that no one wants them together, and with Gerald tugging at her heart, Kyme is more confused than ever. When Kyme finds herself in danger at Kwad’s expense, who will rush to her side and save the day? At the end of the day, who will she choose to love?

96

ImPerfectly Happy - Sharina Harris Cover Art

ImPerfectly Happy

ImPerfectly Happy by Sharina Harris

When four college friends formed the Brown Sugarettes Mastermind Group, they had very different goals—but matched each other in ambition. Yet ten years later they can’t help wondering what happened to the hopeful, confident, driven women they used to be—and how to get them back . . .   Radio personality Raina, known as “the black Delilah,” hates the wholesome persona that’s made her a success. Doling out syrupy versions of her grandma’s wisdom feels worlds away from the sarcastic, tell-it-like-it-is woman Raina really is.   Kara Jones was sure she’d be a master sommelier by thirty. Life and loss interfered with that plan. Now she has one more chance—but it’s taking a toll on her self-esteem and her marriage.   Nikki Grayson hardly recognizes the stay-at-home mom she’s become. When her band signed a record deal, she swapped the limelight for a minivan and a sensible ’do. Now she’s wishing she had followed her heart. Instead, she’s drowning her regret in alcohol.   Public defender Sienna Njeri willingly put her city council aspirations aside to support her fiancé’s bid for office—and now she’s wondering if her loyalty is misplaced.   Longing for the support, advice, and tough love they once shared, all four resolve to start meeting up again. After all, their dreams may still be within reach. But are they worth the price they’ll pay to achieve them?     Visit us at www.kensingtonbooks.com  

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Sweat - Zora Neale Hurston Cover Art

Sweat

Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston

Delia Jones endures the relentless cruelty of her husband, Sykes, in a small Florida town. As a hardworking washwoman, she finds solace in her routine and the church, despite Sykes's abusive behavior and infidelity. When Sykes brings a deadly rattlesnake into their home to terrorize her further, Delia's fear transforms into a cold, determined rage.

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The Prodigal Husband - Jacquelin Thomas Cover Art

The Prodigal Husband

The Prodigal Husband by Jacquelin Thomas

Once, Tori and Jake Madison had a loving, satisfying marriage. But Jake's long hours spent on his growing business, and Tori's insecurities and self-doubts, have taken a toll on their relationship. When a tragedy threatens the bonds of their marriage, Jake seeks comfort in the arms of another woman. But his feelings for Tori still burn hotly--and he knows that the only way to reclaim what they have lost is to come home. In spite of Jake's betrayal, Tori cares deeply for her husband. If they are to reconcile, though, changes must be made. Complicating things is Sheila Moore, Jake's sexy, conniving business partner, who lured him into her bed once, and is now determined to hook him for good. But she underestimates the power of a wife in love--one who has no intention of giving up without a fight.

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Forever A Kingpin's Wife - Vivian Blue Blue Cover Art

Forever A Kingpin's Wife

Forever A Kingpin's Wife by Vivian Blue Blue

A new marriage is always a blessing. But when you’re a Jamaican drug lord with a wife who use to be a hit woman and top notch drug dealer, let’s just say things can get a little difficult. Kingston and Shade Thomas just settled into their new marriage, welcomed a new baby, and thought life just might become normal for a change. WRONG ANSWER! Actions of their past deeds are coming back around the corner and vengeance is on everyone’s plate. Kingston’s daughter’s denial about her parents’ divorce has her up in arms. And her mother, Cynthia’s, diabolical way of manipulating her daughter is causing problems with her new step-mother, Shade. Can both sides of this new blended family withstand all of the madness that will come their way? Will Shade be able to tolerate the demands that Kingston has put on her? Or will their marriage crack before the ink dries on the marriage license? Only time will tell…if tragedy doesn’t strike first!

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Situations, Sin & Satan - Amanda Lee Cover Art

Situations, Sin & Satan

Situations, Sin & Satan by Amanda Lee

Situations - Fa'Ross leaves Paine with five kids. Or so she thought. Paine has never worked and has no idea how to support her family. Cheating is a sin and breaks up a lot of homes. That's a sin in God's eyes. Thou shall not commit adultery. Sin - The pastor has a special way of punishing his members who shame the church. The pastor is a sinner but refuses to believe he's a sinner. His acts towards the member are a sin. Satan - Murder is a sin. Paine became a totally different person in the end. She couldn't believe the church members allowed him to punish them.