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:

iBooks Top 100 African American Fiction Ebooks

1

Half of Paradise - James Lee Burke Cover Art

Half of Paradise

Half of Paradise by James Lee Burke

Discover the debut novel of James Lee Burke, before the creation of his now-famous Cajun detective, Dave Robicheaux , as he weaves together the struggles of three very different men. Toussaint Boudreaux, a black docker in New Orleans, puts up with his co-workers' racism because he has to, and moonlights as a prize-fighter in the hope of a better life-but the only break he gets lands him in penal servitude. J.P. Winfield, a hick with a gift for twelve-string guitar, finds his break into show-biz leads to the flipside of the American dream. Avery Broussard, descendant of an aristocratic French family, runs whiskey when what remains of his land is repossessed... The interlocking stories of these three men are an elegy to the realities of life in 1950s Louisiana, their destinies fixed by the circumstances of their birth and time. Yet each carries the hope of redemption...

2

Parable of the Sower - Octavia E. Butler Cover Art

Parable of the Sower

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

This acclaimed post-apocalyptic novel of hope and terror from an award-winning author "pairs well with 1984 or The Handmaid's Tale " and includes a foreword by N. K. Jemisin (John Green, New York Times ). When global climate change and economic crises lead to social chaos in the early 2020s, California becomes full of dangers, from pervasive water shortage to masses of vagabonds who will do anything to live to see another day. Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father, family, and neighbors, sheltered from the surrounding anarchy. 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.

3

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.

4

The Personal Librarian - Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray Cover Art

The Personal Librarian

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

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.

5

Black Cake - Charmaine Wilkerson Cover Art

Black Cake

Black Cake 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.

6

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

7

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?

8

Jame McBride - The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store Cover Art

Jame McBride

Jame McBride by The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

#1 New York Times Bestseller USA Today Bestseller The Globe and Mail Bestseller Publishers Weekly Bestseller AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “A murder mystery locked inside a Great American Novel . . . Charming, smart, heart-blistering, and heart-healing.” —Danez Smith, The New York Times Book Review “We all need—we all deserve—this vibrant, love-affirming novel that bounds over any difference that claims to separate us.” —Ron Charles, The Washington Post From James McBride, author of the bestselling Oprah’s Book Club pick Deacon King Kong and the National Book Award–winning The Good Lord Bird, a novel about small-town secrets and the people who keep them In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows. Chicken Hill was where Moshe and Chona Ludlow lived when Moshe integrated his theater and where Chona ran the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. When the state came looking for a deaf boy to institutionalize him, it was Chona and Nate Timblin, the Black janitor at Moshe’s theater and the unofficial leader of the Black community on Chicken Hill, who worked together to keep the boy safe. As these characters’ stories overlap and deepen, it becomes clear how much the people who live on the margins of white, Christian America struggle and what they must do to survive. When the truth is finally revealed about what happened on Chicken Hill and the part the town’s white establishment played in it, McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and community—heaven and earth—that sustain us. Bringing his masterly storytelling skills and his deep faith in humanity to The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride has written a novel as compassionate as Deacon King Kong and as inventive as The Good Lord Bird.

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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 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.

10

Ella - Diane Richards Cover Art

Ella

Ella
A Novel by Diane Richards

In the vein of The Paris Wife and The Personal Librarian comes this debut novel, a magnificent work of “biographical fiction” that reimagines the turbulent and triumphant early years of Ella Fitzgerald, arguably the greatest singer of the twentieth century. When fifteen-year-old Ella Fitzgerald’s mother dies at the height of the Depression in 1932, the teenager goes to work for the mob to support herself and her family. When the law finally catches up, the “ungovernable” adolescent is incarcerated in the New York Training School for Girls in upstate New York—a wicked prison infamous for its harsh treatment of inmates, especially Black ones. Determined to be free, Ella escapes and makes her way back to Harlem, where she is forced to dance for pennies on the street. Looking for a break into show business, Ella draws straws to appear at the Apollo Theater’s Amateur Night on November 21, 1934. Rather than perform a dance routine directly after “The World Famous Edwards Sisters” number, the homeless Ella, wearing men’s galoshes a size too big, risks everything when she decides to sing Judy instead. Four years later, at barely twenty-one, Ella Fitzgerald has become the bestselling female vocalist in America. Diane Richards’ Ella Fitzgerald is inspiring and intriguing—an emotionally rich, psychologically complex character, a flawed mother and wife who struggles with deep emotional scars and trauma and battles racism, sexism, and colorism as she learns to find her voice on the stage. Ella takes us from the brothels, speakeasys, and streets of Depression-era New York City to the grand hotel suites where Ella, now older and wiser, looks back on her life and finally confronts the demons from childhood that torment her. Compelling and rich in historical detail, Ella is a remarkable debut novel about an extraordinary woman.

11

Bluebird, Bluebird - Attica Locke Cover Art

Bluebird, Bluebird

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

A "heartbreakingly resonant" thriller about the explosive intersection of love, race, and justice from a writer and producer of the Emmy-winning Fox TV show Empire ( USA Today ). "In Bluebird, Bluebird Attica Locke had both mastered the thriller and exceeded it."-Ann Patchett When it comes to law and order, East Texas plays by its own rules -- a fact that Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger, knows all too well. Deeply ambivalent about growing up black in the lone star state, he was the first in his family to get as far away from Texas as he could. Until duty called him home. When his allegiance to his roots puts his job in jeopardy, he travels up Highway 59 to the small town of Lark, where two murders -- a black lawyer from Chicago and a local white woman -- have stirred up a hornet's nest of resentment. Darren must solve the crimes -- and save himself in the process -- before Lark's long-simmering racial fault lines erupt. From a writer and producer of the Emmy winning Fox TV show Empire, Bluebird, Bluebird is a rural noir suffused with the unique music, color, and nuance of East Texas.

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The Thing About Home - Rhonda McKnight Cover Art

The Thing About Home

The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight

Home is not a place—it’s a feeling. Casey Black needs an escape. When her picture-perfect vow renewal ceremony ends in her being left at the altar, the former model turned social media influencer has new fame—the kind she never wanted. An embarrassing viral video has cost her millions of followers, and her seven-year marriage is over. With her personal and business lives in shambles, Casey runs from New York City to South Carolina’s Lowcountry hoping to find long-lost family. Family who can give her more answers about her past than her controlling mom-slash-manager has ever been willing to share. What Casey doesn’t expect is a postcard-worthy property on a three-hundred-acre farm, history, culture, and a love of sweet tea. She spends her days caring for the land and her nights cooking much needed Southern comfort foods. She also meets Nigel, the handsome farm manager whose friendship has become everything she’s never had. And then there are the secrets her mother can no longer hide. Through the pages of her great-grandmother’s journals, Casey discovers her roots run deeper than the Lowcountry soil. She learns that she has people. A home. A legacy to uphold. And a great new love story—if only she is brave enough to leave her old life behind.  “. . . a beautifully written story about family, self-discovery, secrets, and forgiveness.” —Kimberla Lawson Roby, New York Times bestselling author Inspiring contemporary fictionStand-alone novelBook length: approximately 100,000 wordsIncludes discussion questions for book clubs

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My Secret Savage 2 - Mia Black Cover Art

My Secret Savage 2

My Secret Savage 2 by Mia Black

Mario loves what he and Kia had. He hopes they can have it again, but after breaking up with Nyana, his most recent girlfriend, he finds himself facing new challenges. Kia knows there will be problems ahead, but she still loves Mario. Love won’t keep her safe, though, especially now that Nyana knows about their relationship. Now Kia has to watch her back and hope that whatever decision she makes won’t come back to bite her. Is all fair in this game of love and war or is someone out for blood?

14

Love On The Low 6 - Mia Black Cover Art

Love On The Low 6

Love On The Low 6 by Mia Black

Trill has ramped up his efforts to be the new go-to dealer in town. But as he grows his empire, he begins targeting his enemies. It just so happens, Royce and anyone he cares for will fall into that category. With a wedding in their near future, Mika worries that they’ll never get married, especially not with all that’s going on around them. The pressure is on for everyone. Royce and Mika have choices to make. In the meantime, Trill is ready to make a bold move – one that could be deadly.

15

The Kindest Lie - Nancy Johnson Cover Art

The Kindest Lie

The Kindest Lie A Novel by Nancy Johnson

Recommended by O Magazine * GMA * Elle * Marie Claire * Good Housekeeping * NBC News * Shondaland * Chicago Tribune * Woman's Day * Refinery 29 * Bustle * The Millions * New York Post * Parade * Hello! Magazine * PopSugar * and more! “The Kindest Lie is a deep dive into how we define family, what it means to be a mother, and what it means to grow up Black...beautifully crafted.” —JODI PICOULT "A fantastic story...well-written, timely, and oh-so-memorable."—Good Morning America “The Kindest Lie is a layered, complex exploration of race and class." —The Washington Post Every family has its secrets... It’s 2008, and the inauguration of President Barack Obama ushers in a new kind of hope. In Chicago, Ruth Tuttle, an Ivy-League educated Black engineer, is married to a kind and successful man. He’s eager to start a family, but Ruth is uncertain. She has never gotten over the baby she gave birth to—and was forced to leave behind—when she was a teenager. She had promised her family she’d never look back, but Ruth knows that to move forward, she must make peace with the past. Returning home, Ruth discovers the Indiana factory town of her youth is plagued by unemployment, racism, and despair. As she begins digging into the past, she unexpectedly befriends Midnight, a young white boy who is also adrift and looking for connection. Just as Ruth is about to uncover a burning secret her family desperately wants to keep hidden, a heart-stopping incident strains the town’s already searing racial tensions, sending Ruth and Midnight on a collision course that could upend both their lives. Powerful and unforgettable, The Kindest Lie is the story of an American family and reveals the secrets we keep and the promises we make to protect one another.

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My Woman His Wife - Anna J Cover Art

My Woman His Wife

My Woman His Wife by Anna J

For most couples, inviting someone into their bedroom is totally out of the question. Any normal woman would flip if her man even thought about trying a threesome with another woman. Jasmine is that woman, and more. It's not until her husband James pressures her into having a threesome that their once happy lives get turned into nothing but drama.

17

Rozalyn 6 - Myss Shan Cover Art

Rozalyn 6

Rozalyn 6 by Myss Shan

Rozalyn and Tamar are back for this final installment in the Rozalyn series. Rozalyn is now facing the hardest time of her life after taking the life of her once best friend Latoya. If that isn't enough, Tamar still isn't ready to be the man that Rozalyn needs him to be and after all they've been through, she's ready to give up. Tamar has been hit with some of the greatest news of his life. He's finally at a point where nothing or no one can stop him from staying on the top where he belongs. But what happens when Rozalyn, and the new woman in his life that he's grown to care deeply about, pulls him in two different directions. With the demands they are giving him, Tamar knows that he has to make a choice. But will it be the right choice or will it be too late? With everyone close to Tamar gone, he's forced to build a new team; Kevin, Black, and Neek are ready to put in work and get money with Tamar. But with Kayla on Kevin's back about a new drama-filled situation that arises, Kevin is finding it hard to keep focused on everything that's in front of him and is contemplating walking away for good. Neek, Starr's husband is doing everything possible to keep his wife happy. After catching Starr in a compromising position and breaking things off with her, they are now ready to patch things up and make their relationship work for the sake of their daughter. With this new opportunity in front of them, there is no way things couldn't go right. But will all Neek's efforts be too little too late? The couple you love are have brought back some familiar faces you've seen before and the drama has never been this intense. Will Tamar and Rozalyn get their happily ever after and if so, will it be with each other? Will Kayla ever get the chance to walk down the aisle? And will Starr and Neek's marriage be able to withstand everything that's thrown at them?

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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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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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Run - Ann Patchett Cover Art

Run

Run A Novel by Ann Patchett

"Engaging, surprising, provocative and moving...a thoroughly intelligent book, an intimate domestic drama that nonetheless deals with big issues touching us all: religion, race, class, politics and, above all else, family." -- Washington Post From New York Times bestselling author Ann Patchett comes an engrossing story of one family on one fateful night in Boston where secrets are unlocked and new bonds are formed. Since their mother's death, Tip and Teddy Doyle have been raised by their loving possessive and ambitions father. As the former mayor of Boston, Bernard Doyle wants to see is sons in politics, a dream the boys have never shared. But when an argument in a blinding New England snowstorm inadvertently causes an accident that involves a stranger and her child, all Bernard Doyle cares about is his ability to keep his children--all his children--safe. Set over a period of twenty-four hours, Run takes us from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard to a home for retired Catholic Priests in downtown Boston. It shows us how worlds of privilege and poverty can coexist only blocks apart from each other, and how family can include people you've never even met. As an in her bestselling novel, Bel Canto, Ann Patchett illustrates the humanity that connects disparate lives, weaving several stories into one surprising and endlessly moving narrative. Suspenseful and stunningly executed, Run is ultimately a novel about secrets, duty, responsibility, and the lengths we will go to protect our children.

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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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Last Summer on State Street - Toya Wolfe Cover Art

Last Summer on State Street

Last Summer on State Street A Novel by Toya Wolfe

PEN Open Book Award finalistChicago Writers Association Book of the Year Award winnerStephen Curry Underrated Literati Book Club Pick Named a Best Book of Summer by Good Housekeeping, Chicago Magazine, The St. Louis Post Dispatch, Chicago Tribune, Veranda, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Publishers Weekly, and more! “[A] powerful novel.... Tragic, hopeful, brimming with love, Wolfe’s debut is a remarkable achievement.”—New York Times Book Review For fans of Jacqueline Woodson and Brit Bennett, a striking coming-of-age debut about friendship, community, and resilience, set in the housing projects of Chicago during one life-changing summer. Even when we lose it all, we find the strength to rebuild. Felicia “Fe Fe” Stevens is living with her vigilantly loving mother and older teenaged brother, whom she adores, in building 4950 of Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes. It’s the summer of 1999, and her high-rise is next in line to be torn down by the Chicago Housing Authority. She, with the devout Precious Brown and Stacia Buchanan, daughter of a Gangster Disciple Queen-Pin, form a tentative trio and, for a brief moment, carve out for themselves a simple life of Double Dutch and innocence. But when Fe Fe welcomes a mysterious new friend, Tonya, into their fold, the dynamics shift, upending the lives of all four girls. As their beloved neighborhood falls down around them, so too do their friendships and the structures of the four girls’ families. Fe Fe must make the painful decision of whom she can trust and whom she must let go. Decades later, as she remembers that fateful summer—just before her home was demolished, her life uprooted, and community forever changed—Fe Fe tries to make sense of the grief and fraught bonds that still haunt her and attempts to reclaim the love that never left. Profound, reverent, and uplifting, Last Summer on State Street explores the risk of connection against the backdrop of racist institutions, the restorative power of knowing and claiming one’s own past, and those defining relationships which form the heartbeat of our lives. Interweaving moments of reckoning and sustaining grace, debut author Toya Wolfe has crafted an era-defining story of finding a home—both in one’s history and in one’s self.  "Toya Wolfe is a storyteller of the highest order. Last Summer on State Street is a stunning debut."—Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of The Great Believers

23

The Other Princess - Denny S. Bryce Cover Art

The Other Princess

The Other Princess A Novel of Queen Victoria's Goddaughter by Denny S. Bryce

A stunning portrait of an African princess raised in Queen Victoria’s court and adapting to life in Victorian England—based on the real-life story of a recently rediscovered historical figure, Sarah Forbes Bonetta. With a brilliant mind and a fierce will to survive, Sarah Forbes Bonetta, a kidnapped African princess, is rescued from enslavement at seven years old and presented to Queen Victoria as a “gift.” To the Queen, the girl is an exotic trophy to be trotted out for the entertainment of the royal court and to showcase Victoria’s magnanimity. Sarah charms most of the people she meets, even those who would cast her aside. Her keen intelligence and her aptitude for languages and musical composition helps Sarah navigate the Victorian era as an outsider given insider privileges. But embedded in Sarah’s past is her destiny. Haunted by visions of destruction and decapitations, she desperately seeks a place, a home she will never run from, never fear, a refuge from nightmares and memories of death. From West Africa to Windsor Castle to Sierra Leone, to St. James's Palace, and the Lagos Colony, Sarah juggles the power and pitfalls of a royal upbringing as she battles racism and systematic oppression on her way to living a life worthy of a Yoruba princess. Based on the real life of Queen Victoria’s Black goddaughter, Sarah Forbes Bonetta’s story is a sweeping saga of an African princess in Victorian England and West Africa, as she searches for a home, family, love, and identity.

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His Dirty Secret 3 - Mia Black Cover Art

His Dirty Secret 3

His Dirty Secret 3 by Mia Black

As if Jayla’s life isn’t complicated enough, now Keon has been hurt. With him to care for in spite of their rocky relationship, it’s all Jayla can do to keep her emotions under control. Sleeping with Darius again wasn’t the brightest idea, but she can’t help herself. She loves him, and, his story is so convincing. But loving the wrong man can bring a new set of problems for Jayla, more dangerous than she can imagine! Find out what happens next in part three of His Dirty Secret!

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We'll Make It Through - Shaquanda Dalton Cover Art

We'll Make It Through

We'll Make It Through by Shaquanda Dalton

From Best Selling Author of "When Love Hurts" and "I Won't Cry" comes part 3 of the dramatic love story. Jaylen He was able to convince his girlfriend Angela to forgive him after having a baby with his best friend Jessica. Now, not even one month later, he finds out she's cheating on him and that the baby she's carrying might not be his after all. Jessica She's finally gotten a grip on her life and tries her best to downplay her intense love for her best friend Jaylen. When James comes into the picture he's the perfect distraction. She can't find a thing wrong with him! But when they finally get intimate and she find out that the one thing he can't come to plate with is his sex game. After a few unsatisfying nights, Jess contemplates asking her friend Jaylen for a favor. But how important is sex in a relationship? Is it worth risking the relationship for a one time fling?  But when it's time to face the consequences of their actions Jaylen and Jessica's friendship will be put through the ultimate test. Will they make through and work thing out? Or will it crumble and result to nothing more than a memory?

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When You Can't Let Go 2 - Mia Black Cover Art

When You Can't Let Go 2

When You Can't Let Go 2 by Mia Black

Marco knows what to say and what to do to get Jericka’s attention, but she’s not sure his intentions are real. She’s seen her fair share of guys who flash their money around like it means nothing to them. Life with Hov continues to spiral out of control. As things get worse at home, she questions her feelings about the man she’s loved for so long and the man who has piqued her curiosity. Maybe Marco is not as bad as she thought. Before she has time to absorb those thoughts, she learns that Hov has gotten himself in another situation. She does what she always does for him, but that kind gesture doesn’t protect her from what comes next. Find out what happens in part two of When You Can't Let Go!

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My Secret Savage 3 - Mia Black Cover Art

My Secret Savage 3

My Secret Savage 3 by Mia Black

Kia knew it would be bad, but she never believed it would end like this! Mario has had enough of the drug game. If he wants to keep Kia in his life, he has to walk away for good, but more importantly, he needs to mend fences with Nyana and repair the damage he’s caused. After all they’ve been through, is the relationship worth saving again or is it time to let it go? Find out what happens in part three of My Secret Savage!

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The American Queen - Vanessa Miller Cover Art

The American Queen

The American Queen by Vanessa Miller

There is only one known queen who truly ruled a kingdom on American soil. Transformative and breathtakingly honest, The American Queen is based on actual events that occurred between 1865 - 1889 and shares the unsung history of a Black woman who built a kingdom as a refuge for the courageous people who dared to dream of a different way of life. As seen on Good Morning America: GMA 15 New Books to Read! Over the twenty-four years she was enslaved on the Montgomery Plantation, Louella learned to feel one thing: hate. Hate for the man who sold her mother. Hate for the overseer who left her daddy to hang from a noose. Hate so powerful there's no room in her heart for love, not even for the honorable Reverend William, whom she likes and respects enough to marry. But when William finally listens to Louella's pleas and leads the formerly enslaved people off the plantation, Louella begins to replace her hate with hope. Hope that they will find a place where they can live free from fear. Hope that despite her many unanswered prayers, she can learn to trust for new miracles. Soon, William and Louella become the appointed king and queen of their self-proclaimed Kingdom of the Happy Land. And though they are still surrounded by opposition, they continue to share a message of joy and goodness--and fight for the freedom and dignity of all. The American Queen weaves together themes of love, hate, hope, trust, and resilience in the face of great turmoil. With every turn of the page, you will be transported to a pivotal period in American history, where oppressed people become extraordinary heroes.

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She Ain't The One - Carl Weber & Mary B. Morrison Cover Art

She Ain't The One

She Ain't The One by Carl Weber & Mary B. Morrison

New York Times bestselling authors Carl Weber and Mary B. Morrison team up to bring you the ultimate tale of obsession . . . After a rocky marriage, irresistibly seductive Jay Crawford is ready for a new woman--and a new challenge. It doesn't take him long to discover both in one fine package: Ashlee Anderson. She's just what he's looking for--hard-to-get, feisty, and freaky. When their one-night stand extends into months of lovemaking that's too hot to give up, Jay finds he's in way over his head. For Ashlee has no intention of letting their relationship ever end. Trouble is, her psycho behavior turns him on like nothing else. But when Ashlee makes a shocking confession, Jay knows she definitely ain't the one and he's got to escape before she completely destroys his life. . . "Weber spins a lively, revelation-packed tale deepened by genuine emotion, convincing detail and smart dialogue." -- Publishers Weekly on The Preacher's Son "Mix dirty red drama, relationship scandals, suspense, love, and you get my girl Mary B. Morrison." --Vickie Stringer

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The Dew Breaker - Edwidge Danticat Cover Art

The Dew Breaker

The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat

We meet him late in life: a quiet man, a good father and husband, a fixture in his Brooklyn neighborhood, a landlord and barber with a terrifying scar across his face. As the book unfolds, moving seamlessly between Haiti in the 1960s and New York City today, we enter the lives of those around him, and learn that he has also kept a vital, dangerous secret. Edwidge Danticat’s brilliant exploration of the “dew breaker”--or torturer--s an unforgettable story of love, remorse, and hope; of personal and political rebellions; and of the compromises we make to move beyond the most intimate brushes with history. It firmly establishes her as one of America’s most essential writers. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Edwidge Danticat's Claire of the Sea Light .

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No Matter What - Shaquanda Dalton Cover Art

No Matter What

No Matter What by Shaquanda Dalton

Jaylen Jaylen Miller finally figured out that the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with is Jessica, who's been his best friend and mother to his two daughters. Too bad she doesn't feel the same way. After Jaylen had denied being the father of their youngest daughter, Jessica swore off men and any future romantic relationships. Will Jaylen be able to get her to remember why she fell in love with him in the first place? Or will her ex-boyfriend be able to come back into her life and take her away for good? Jessica She's finally set and able to get her life together even if she does have to temporarily live with her baby's father until she can afford to move out. However, as the days pass by and the two of them get closer once again will see even want to leave? But that's not even her biggest problem. Jessica swears see's being stocked by an ex-lover who's out for a bit of payback of his own. Will these two make it to the end to finally get their happily-ever-after? No Matter What will take you into their home, experience every emotion they feel, and have you thinking about this book long after you've read it.   

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Message from a Mistress - Niobia Bryant Cover Art

Message from a Mistress

Message from a Mistress by Niobia Bryant

From national bestselling author Niobia Bryant comes a sexy, unforgettable novel about love, infidelity, and the importance of keeping your friends close—and your enemies closer. . . Through good times and bad, longtime friends Jaime, Renee, Aria, and Jessa have shared just about everything. But all hell breaks loose when Jessa texts them a shocking revelation: she's been sharing her bed—with one of their husbands. Worse, she refuses to name which husband. And all three wives believe they have reason to worry. . . The betrayed trio vow to stick together. But before the identity of Jessa's lover is revealed, each woman's deepest secrets will be exposed for all to see—and they'll need each other more than ever. "A fast-paced, sexy romp." —APOOO Book Club "Grabs your attention from the first page." —The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers "This novel is packed with unbelievable drama that will capture readers from page one." — Books 2 Mention Magazine

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Mistress No More - Niobia Bryant Cover Art

Mistress No More

Mistress No More by Niobia Bryant

Reprinted Edition "Bryant is an author who definitely knows how to tell a story." --APOOO Book Club Niobia Bryant thrills readers with a bold, sexy story about a mistress who's ready to reveal all her dirty little secrets. . . Jessa Bell shocked the hell out of her three best friends when she announced she was having an affair with one of their husbands--then refused to say which one. She's been reveling in watching them self-destruct. But now, caught between an ex-lover who won't let her go, and a new lover who's more than happy to, Jessa's ready to confront the ladies, reveal the truth, and move on. Maybe her stunt will even send her latest married man back into her arms for good. But she'll soon find out revenge isn't just sweet--it can be deadly. Because nothing will ever be the same once Jessa Bell decides she's a mistress no more. . . "Bryant knows how to hook readers from the first line into messy waters of betrayal, seduction, disappointment and falls from grace." -- RT Book Reviews

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Full Circle - Ayana Ellis Cover Art

Full Circle

Full Circle by Ayana Ellis

Carin Douglas is a fearless young girl, thrust into the role of a stickup kid alongside Brooklyn's most notorious thugs. She learns to fight, to survive, and ultimately to shine through a series of events that take her from a young girl on the verge to a designer-clad diva with a hot car, an even hotter man, and a million deadly skeletons in her closet. When Carin meets Monty, aka "Money Monty," he sweeps her off her feet with one romantic gesture after another. Monty is a sexy, powerful man with that legendary Brooklyn swagger and more money than most of his peers in the street. Their urban fairytale soon erupts into passionate sex, bold power moves, and eventually, devastating physical violence between them. When things get explosive, Carin is reminded of the love she knows Monty feels for her and the lavish lifestyle he's showered her with. But will that be enough to save them?  Carin and Monty's love comes Full Circle in this epic story of love, loss, pain, and forgiveness. In Ayana Ellis' second novel, she raises the bar, exposes some ugly truths, and shines a spotlight on the painful reality of domestic abuse. All that glitters isn't gold in this new novel that is sure to have readers talking for years to come.

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The Sleeping Car Porter - Suzette Mayr Cover Art

The Sleeping Car Porter

The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD WINNER OF THE 2022 SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE WINNER OF THE 2023 GEORGES BUGNET AWARD FOR FICTION FINALIST FOR THE 2023 GOVERNOR GENERAL'S AWARD FOR ENGLISH-LANGUAGE FICTION PUBLISHERS WEEKLY TOP 20 LITERARY FICTION BOOKS OF 2022 OPRAH DAILY: BOOKS TO READ BY THE FIRE THE GLOBE 100: THE BEST BOOKS OF 2022 CBC BOOKS: THE BEST CANADIAN FICTION OF 2022 SHORTLISTED FOR THE CAROL SHIELDS PRIZE FOR FICTION WINNER OF THE CITY OF CALGARY W.O. MITCHELL BOOK PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2022 REPUBLIC OF CONSCIOUSNESS PRIZE When a mudslide strands a train, Baxter, a queer Black sleeping car porter, must contend with the perils of white passengers, ghosts, and his secret love affair The Sleeping Car Porter brings to life an important part of Black history in North America, from the perspective of a queer man living in a culture that renders him invisible in two ways. Affecting, imaginative, and visceral enough that you’ll feel the rocking of the train, The Sleeping Car Porter is a stunning accomplishment. Baxter’s name isn’t George. But it’s 1929, and Baxter is lucky enough, as a Black man, to have a job as a sleeping car porter on a train that crisscrosses the country. So when the passengers call him George, he has to just smile and nod and act invisible. What he really wants is to go to dentistry school, but he’ll have to save up a lot of nickel and dime tips to get there, so he puts up with “George.” On this particular trip out west, the passengers are more unruly than usual, especially when the train is stalled for two extra days; their secrets start to leak out and blur with the sleep-deprivation hallucinations Baxter is having. When he finds a naughty postcard of two queer men, Baxter’s memories and longings are reawakened; keeping it puts his job in peril, but he can’t part with the postcard or his thoughts of Edwin Drew, Porter Instructor. "Suzette Mayr brings to life –believably, achingly, thrillingly –a whole world contained in a passenger train moving across the Canadian vastness, nearly one hundred years ago. As only occurs in the finest historical novels, every page in The Sleeping Car Porter feels alive and immediate –and eerily contemporary. The sleeping car porter in this sleek, stylish novel is named R.T. Baxter –called George by the people upon whom he waits, as is every other Black porter. Baxter’s dream of one day going to school to learn dentistry coexists with his secret life as a gay man, and in Mayr’s triumphant novel we follow him not only from Montreal to Calgary, but into and out of the lives of an indelibly etched cast of supporting characters, and, finally, into a beautifully rendered radiance." – 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize Jury

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Pomegranate - Helen Elaine Lee Cover Art

Pomegranate

Pomegranate A Novel by Helen Elaine Lee

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2024 ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN FICTION The acclaimed author of The Serpent’s Gift returns with this “deep and beautiful” (Jaqueline Woodson, New York Times bestselling author) story about a queer Black woman working to stay clean, pull her life together, and heal after being released from prison. Ranita Atwater is “getting short.” She is almost done with her four-year sentence for opiate possession at Oak Hills Correctional Center. Three years sober, she is determined to stay clean and regain custody of her two children. Ranita is regaining her freedom, but she’s leaving behind her lover Maxine, who has inspired her to imagine herself and the world differently. My name is Ranita, and I’m an addict , she has said again and again at recovery meetings. But who else is she? Who might she choose to become? Now she must steer clear of the temptations that have pulled her down, while atoning for her missteps and facing old wounds. With a fierce, smart, and sometimes funny voice, Ranita reveals how rocky and winding the path to wellness is for a Black woman, even as she draws on family, memory, faith, and love in order to choose life. Pomegranate is a complex portrayal of queer Black womanhood and marginalization in America from an author “working at the height of her powers” (Tayari Jones, New York Times bestselling). In lyrical and precise prose, Helen Elaine Lee paints a humane and unflinching portrait of the devastating effects of incarceration and addiction, and of one woman’s determination to tell her story.

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The Last Dreamwalker - Rita Woods Cover Art

The Last Dreamwalker

The Last Dreamwalker by Rita Woods

From Hurston/Wright Legacy Award-winning author Rita Woods, The Last Dreamwalker tells the story of two women, separated by nearly two centuries yet inextricably linked by the Gullah-Geechee Islands off the coast of South Carolina—and their connection to a mysterious and extraordinary gift passed from generation to generation. In the wake of her mother's passing, Layla Hurley unexpectedly reconnects with her mother's sisters, women she hasn't been allowed to speak to, or of, in years. Her aunts reveal to Layla that a Gullah-Geechee island off the shore of South Carolina now belongs to her. As Layla digs deeper into her mother’s past and the mysterious island’s history, she discovers that the terrifying nightmares that have plagued her throughout her life and tainted her relationship with her mother and all of her family, is actually a power passed down through generations of her Gullah ancestors. She is a Dreamwalker, able to inhabit the dreams of others—and to manipulate them. As Layla uncovers increasingly dark secrets about her family's past, she finds herself thrust into the center of a potentially deadly, decades-old feud fought in the dark corridor of dreams. The Last Dreamwalker is a gripping, contemporary read about power and agency; family and legacy; and the ways trauma, secrets, and magic take shape across generations. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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Mistress, Inc. - Niobia Bryant Cover Art

Mistress, Inc.

Mistress, Inc. by Niobia Bryant

The other woman finds herself embroiled in scandal—and in the spotlight—in a novel that “enthralls to the last twist” by the national bestselling author ( RT Book Reviews ). When Jessa Bell revealed she was having an affair with one of her best friends’ husbands, no one would have predicted she’d soon be playing the part of the reformed mistress—least of all Jessa. But her experience—and ensuing remorse—has landed her on all the national talk shows and scored her a major book deal. Now that she’s pregnant with her ex-lover’s baby, Jessa’s determined to cash in on all the attention. Trouble is, she’s not feeling much genuine regret. Shunned by her former friends, Jessa is still being propositioned by married men—and decides to start a business to help wives catch their cheating husbands. But when more secrets about her past are exposed, it’s going to be tough for her to stay on the straight and narrow—even if it spells disaster for her future . . . “Full of scandal, lies, secrets, sex, and redemption.” —aPOOO Book Club

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Held Captive By A Ruthless Love - Charmanie Saquea Cover Art

Held Captive By A Ruthless Love

Held Captive By A Ruthless Love Tru & Halo by Charmanie Saquea

Tru Richardson is the reigning king of Memphis. He has the money, power, and the respect with a reputation of being ruthless and callous. Being raised off of pure survival and not love, Tru doesn’t let anyone outside of his brothers get next to him. After unfortunate circumstances bring the young, gentle and beautiful Halo into his life, Tru is suddenly smitten but doesn’t know how to handle it. Will Tru’s harsh ways push Halo away?

 Polo is the middle child of Memphis’s infamous Rich Brothers. Being the calmer one of the trio, Polo loves to live a private life. That means keeping everything on the low, including his dealings with the sassy and headstrong Britain. Once Britain starts requiring more from Polo, will he get his act together? Or will his pride and refusal to commit cause him to lose what could possibly be the best thing to ever happen to him?

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My First Love Was a Savage 2 - Myss Shan Cover Art

My First Love Was a Savage 2

My First Love Was a Savage 2 by Myss Shan

In the end of Part 1, Cash's mistakes had caught up to her and caused her to lose the man of her dreams. Now that the cat is out the bag, Giani is gone and she is forced to pick up the pieces of her life in the midst of the drama she caused. Her and her best friend Pumpkin are now the new owners of their own shop Luxe Dollhouse, but what happens when each of them invite the past back into their lives?

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The Double Cross - Anna J Cover Art

The Double Cross

The Double Cross by Anna J

Anna J is back with her tenth novel, and she’s coming out the door blazing hot! Get ready for the ride of your life. Two is company, but three is definitely a crowd, especially when we all want the same man. Who does a man love more: the woman he lies to or the woman he feeds the truth? In the game of love and war, it’s so easy to get sidetracked when you’re the most sought after guy in your city, but for Chase Warren, he wants more. Bedding chicks is light work for him, but finding a forever queen proves to be a little more challenging. That is, until he lays eyes on Selah. She has everything he’s looking for and more, but one mistake could cost him everything. Will Chase tell Selah the truth to save his relationship, or will he slip up before he gets the chance to save face? Men will be men, but with a woman like Selah, being reckless comes with consequences that could truly be the end of him.

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Her Pleasure - Niobia Bryant Cover Art

Her Pleasure

Her Pleasure by Niobia Bryant

National bestselling author Niobia Bryant serves up a scorchingly sexy and scandalous novel about finding love, reigniting passion, keeping secrets—and way too many incendiary lies . . .   After surviving a shattering betrayal by a former friend, Jaime Pine has every reason to celebrate. Stronger and savvier after her “perfect” marriage crashed and burned, Jaime now has Luc, a billionaire music mogul willing to give her everything, including a dazzling career, and what looks like a forever happily-ever-after. Until a no-limits island vacation with her best friends turns up the last person Jaime ever expected to see again . . .   Unforgettable Graham Walker, aka “Pleasure,” is an ex-escort skilled at mind-blowing sex. But now, after coming to terms with his own troubled past, Graham is a changed man. And Jaime finds him more irresistible than ever. Yet after one last no-holds-barred night together and a connection that can’t be denied, Jaime decides to finally put Graham in the past and move on with her new life as planned. She accepts Luc's proposal of marriage--and then discovers she's pregnant.   Torn and confused, Jaime spins a desperate web of half-truths and lies of omission to protect both men—and herself—as she struggles to choose her path. But when her secrets explode in public, the choice is made for her. Can she deal with her mistakes honestly and do what’s best for everyone involved?   Praise for the Mistress series   “Bryant’s loyal audience will love the generous doses of passionate sex, glamour, and revenge.” —Publishers Weekly “The latest in Bryant’s Mistress series serves up plenty of drama and shock.” — Booklist “A fast-paced, sexy romp.” —APOOO Book Club  

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The Collected Novels of Charles Wright - Charles Wright Cover Art

The Collected Novels of Charles Wright

The Collected Novels of Charles Wright The Messenger, The Wig, and Absolutely Nothing to Get Alarmed About by Charles Wright

The complete trilogy following the double life of a young black man in mid-twentieth-century New York: “Reading Wright is a steep, stinging pleasure.” —Dwight Garner,  The New York Times In this incisive, satirical collection of three classic American novels by Charles Wright—hailed by the  New York Times  as “malevolent, bitter, glittering”—a young black intellectual from the South struggles to make it in New York City. This special compilation includes a foreword by acclaimed poet and novelist Ishmael Reed, who calls Wright “Richard Pryor on paper.” As fresh and poignant as when originally published in the sixties and seventies,  The Messenger ,  The Wig , and  Absolutely Nothing to Get Alarmed About  form Charles Wright’s remarkable New York City trilogy. By turns brutally funny and starkly real, these three autobiographical novels create a memorable portrait of a young working-class black man caught between the bohemian elite of Greenwich Village and the seedy underworld of male prostitution and drug abuse. Wright’s fiction is searingly original in bringing to life a special time, a special place, and the remarkable story of a man living in two worlds. This updated edition shines a spotlight once again on this important writer—a writer whose work is so crucial to our times.

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Thirsty for a Boss 2 - Aisha Linnea Cover Art

Thirsty for a Boss 2

Thirsty for a Boss 2 I Don't Want to Be Loved by Aisha Linnea

Yet again Layla believes that she has landed herself a boss. The moment she thought she could slither her way back into Dymir's life she experiences a rude awakening when Justice proves that she isn't going to give him up without a fight. When Dymir openly proclaims his love to Justice, Layla plots revenge and sets her scandalous sights on whom she feels is the next best contender, LA. Layla and LA are two of a kind. Both sneaky and conniving matching each other's sly. Neither of them are in search of love. Initially coming together to prove a point to Dymir and Justice, they soon discover that they actually may have feelings for each other. But no one anticipates what will happen when everything doesn't go as planned. Will Layla and LA get to live happily ever after? Or will karma have the biggest feast ever eating up everyone involved alive? Lines of loyalty are crossed and unexpected bonds are formed as the duo look forward to the biggest come up of their lifetime. There's only one way to find out. Dive into the pages of Thirsty For A Boss 2 : I Don't Wanna Loved

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Black Girls Must Have It All - Jayne Allen Cover Art

Black Girls Must Have It All

Black Girls Must Have It All A Novel by Jayne Allen

In this final installment in the acclaimed Black Girls Must Die Exhausted trilogy, Tabitha is juggling work, relationships, and a newborn baby—but will she find the happy ending she’s always wanted? After a whirlwind year, Tabitha Walker’s carefully organized plan to achieve the life she wanted—perfect job, dream husband, and stylish home—has gone off the rails. Her checklist now consists of diapers changed (infinite), showers taken (zero), tears cried (buckets), and hours of sleep (what’s that?). Don't get her wrong, Tabby loves her new bundle of joy and motherhood is perhaps the only thing that's consistent for her these days. When the news station announces that they will be hiring outside competitors for the new anchor position, Tabby throws herself into her work. But it’s not just maintaining her position as the station’s weekend anchor that has her worried. All of her relationships seem to be shifting out of their regular orbits. Best friend Alexis can’t manage to strike the right balance in her “refurbished” marriage with Rob, and Laila’s gone from being a consistent ride-or-die to a newly minted entrepreneur trying to raise capital for her growing business. And when Marc presents her with an ultimatum about their relationship, coupled with an extended “visit” from his mother, Tabby is forced to take stock of her life and make a new plan for the future. Consumed by work, motherhood, and love, Tabby finds herself isolated from her friends and family just when she needs them most. But help is always there when you ask for it, and Tabby’s village will once again rally around her as she comes to terms with her new life and faces her biggest challenge yet—choosing herself.

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Secrets Never Told - Rochelle Alers Cover Art

Secrets Never Told

Secrets Never Told A Novel by Rochelle Alers

A woman faces secrets that will forever alter her vision of her family, her marriage, and herself in this dramatic novel by a national bestselling author. In one night, Morgana Johnson-Wells takes two hard hits: first, news that her mother has died, then evidence that her husband is having an affair. Fleeing Baltimore to tend to her mother’s estate in Salvation, Georgia, Morgana finds comfort in the company of her Uncle Julian and in the diaries her mother left hidden in the attic. Shocked by her mother’s most private thoughts and confused about both her illusions of her own childhood and the fate of her marriage, Morgana is drawn to local artist Erick Wilson, with whom she shares the kind of intimacy she and her husband have lost along the way. The connection grows deep, and by the time all of her mother’s secrets are revealed, Morgana has a few secrets of her own . . . secrets of the heart, mind, and body that need never be told.

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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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This Other Eden: A Novel - Paul Harding Cover Art

This Other Eden: A Novel

This Other Eden: A Novel by Paul Harding

Shortlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize Finalist for the 2023 National Book Award for Fiction One of Barack Obama's 15 favorite books of 2023 • A New Yorker Best Books of 2023 • An NPR 2023 "Book We Love" Pick and Top 10 Book of 2023 • One of Time's 100 Must-Read Books of 2023 • One of the New York Times's 100 Notable Books of 2023 and Best Historical Fiction of 2023 • A Chicago Public Library Favorite Book of 2023 • A Fresh Air Top 10 Best Book of 2023 • A Publishers Weekly Best Fiction of 2023 "A testament of love." —Danez Smith, New York Times Book Review From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Tinkers, a novel inspired by the true story of Malaga Island, an isolated island off the coast of Maine that became one of the first racially integrated towns in the Northeast. In 1792, formerly enslaved Benjamin Honey and his Irish wife, Patience, discover an island where they can make a life together. Over a century later, the Honeys’ descendants and a diverse group of neighbors are desperately poor, isolated, and often hungry, but nevertheless protected from the hostility awaiting them on the mainland. During the tumultuous summer of 1912, Matthew Diamond, a retired, idealistic but prejudiced schoolteacher-turned-missionary, disrupts the community’s fragile balance through his efforts to educate its children. His presence attracts the attention of authorities on the mainland who, under the influence of the eugenics-thinking popular among progressives of the day, decide to forcibly evacuate the island, institutionalize its residents, and develop the island as a vacation destination. Beginning with a hurricane flood reminiscent of the story of Noah’s Ark, the novel ends with yet another Ark. In prose of breathtaking beauty and power, Paul Harding brings to life an unforgettable cast of characters: Iris and Violet McDermott, sisters raising three orphaned Penobscot children; Theophilus and Candace Larks and their brood of vagabond children; the prophetic Zachary Hand to God Proverbs, a Civil War veteran who lives in a hollow tree; and more. A spellbinding story of resistance and survival, This Other Eden is an enduring testament to the struggle to preserve human dignity in the face of intolerance and injustice.

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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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Cashin' Out - Jai Nicole Cover Art

Cashin' Out

Cashin' Out by Jai Nicole

Chanelle is no stranger to being broke. Growing up in one of the worst projects in Raleigh, she came up with nothing while praying for a come up. When she hooks up with JaQuez, a dopeboy with deep pockets, she's finally able to leave the hood and live the life she always felt she deserved. However, when JaQuez does the unthinkable, Chanelle hatches a plan to ensure her financial security and escape her old life. Now in a new city, Chanelle hopes for a fresh start. Meeting a hustler by the name of Trap, she believes she's found a new come up. But when her heart starts to get involved, she begins second-guessing her initial plans for him. Still, Chanelle's not the only one with a trick up her sleeve and those that she s crossed are determined to bring her down. In this cautionary tale set in the dirty south, characters are Cashin' Out for every move made. No one can be trusted, love and lies are closely related, loyalty is a term used loosely, and secrets have the potential to destroy lives.

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Kingpin Wifeys Season 2 Part 4 The Black Widow - K. Elliott Cover Art

Kingpin Wifeys Season 2 Part 4 The Black Widow

Kingpin Wifeys Season 2 Part 4 The Black Widow by K. Elliott

Jada, Starr and TeTe show the world and their men that they are definitely in charge. Starr and Q’s relationship, already fragile to begin with, is further tested and Starr will not let history repeat itself. Jada has moved on from Shamari but he is still in love with her. How far will he go to make sure she stays loyal to him? TeTe has Black wrapped around her fingers but will a big misunderstand lead to his final downfall?

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Hold You Down - Tracy Brown Cover Art

Hold You Down

Hold You Down A Novel by Tracy Brown

Hold You Down is an edgy novel from rising star Tracy Brown about the perils of love and the ties that bind… New York City. Late 1980s to early 1990s. Mercy and Lenox Howard have always only had each other. Growing up on the mean streets of Harlem with an absentee mother meant that they had to have each other's backs. Now young, smart mothers they are determined to survive in New York City while raising their two sons, who have bright futures ahead of them. Mercy is the quiet, straight laced hospital administrator, struggling to make ends meet. At night and on weekends, she pours her heart into her cooking and her dream of owning her own restaurant. Lenox is the diva, the wild child, looking for excitement and her big come up in life and love. Their boys, Deon and Judah, have been raised more like brothers than cousins, forging a bond that is unbreakable. When Lenox heads down a path that she believes will bring success and power, it changes the entire course of her life and her family’s life forever. As a result of their mother’s choices, cousins Deon and Judah soon find themselves in uncharted territory.

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The One Who Sees Me - Joan Embola Cover Art

The One Who Sees Me

The One Who Sees Me by Joan Embola

IS GOD SOVEREIGN OVER MISTAKES AND FAILURES? Heather Osborne's past consisted of partying, drugs, and thriving on the attention of men… until her cycle of pain and rejection brought her to the feet of Jesus. For four years, she has been struggling to shake off her demons, and when her business fails, she returns home to start a marketing internship. But Heather gets more than she bargained for when she is assigned to work with the handsome son of the CEO. Emmanuel Madu, the managing director of Madu Health, is not sold on his father's plan for him to take over the family business. When he is coerced to supervise the new marketing intern, he accepts it for fear of disappointing his father. But when the red-haired, green-eyed intern walks into his life and challenges his cowardice, their budding friendship forces Emmanuel to reassess his values and convictions. When Heather starts developing feelings for Emmanuel, she finds herself torn between returning to her old habits and fighting to embrace her new life of faith in God. And with time running out for Emmanuel, he must decide whether to continue living in his father's shadow or break up his family by walking away. The One Who Sees Me , book three in the Sovereign Love series, is an uplifting standalone novel about forgiveness and learning to take comfort in the sovereign goodness of a loving God who sees all our struggles.

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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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Secrets Of A Sugar Baby 6 - Mia Black Cover Art

Secrets Of A Sugar Baby 6

Secrets Of A Sugar Baby 6 by Mia Black

Jae is loving life these days. Her relationship with Darryl is about as perfect as it can be, but life is about to throw new obstacles in their way. One drunken night threatens to rip his relationship apart if Jae ever finds out what happened. Before he can come up with a plan, he must find out the truth, because he has no memory of the night in question. Blake knows what he’s doing is wrong, but he doesn’t care. Jae is now and will always be his as far as he is concerned. With their life-long friendship, their relationship, and possibly Jae’s life on the line, will their relationship remain intact or is it time to say goodbye for good?

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Kingpin Wifeys Season 2: A Dollar Before Sunset - K. Elliott Cover Art

Kingpin Wifeys Season 2: A Dollar Before Sunset

Kingpin Wifeys Season 2: A Dollar Before Sunset by K. Elliott

Season 2 of Kingpin Wifeys is back with more twist than ever before! This Season has it all - new love, new drama and new characters who will test the loyalties of the Wifeys. Starr continues to mourn the loss of Trey, but will a new love interest lead to more heartbreak? Is she really ready to move on? Jada, too, finds herself alone as Shamari goes to jail but she is determined to get him out. Will she risk it all to set him free? Or is she willing to put him in the past and move on with her life? Meanwhile, the Wifeys have seen their share of drama but nothing compares to the unpredictable and powerful TeTe. Is she a friend or a foe? Like Season One, this second season will have you wanting more. So get comfy and prepare to take a wild ride with the Kingpin Wifeys!

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Kingpin Wifeys Season 2 Part 3 Going Hard - K. Elliott Cover Art

Kingpin Wifeys Season 2 Part 3 Going Hard

Kingpin Wifeys Season 2 Part 3 Going Hard by K. Elliott

Loyalties are tested and relationships are betrayed in Going Hard as the drama continues. TeTe questions where her relationship with Black is going. Will Shamari being in jail result in Jada being caught in the crossfire between Black and Shakur? And will Starr and Q’s relationship last after the latest test face?

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Loving The Wrong Man 4 - Mia Black Cover Art

Loving The Wrong Man 4

Loving The Wrong Man 4 by Mia Black

After all they been through, Jazmine and Evan are now faced with a life altering event, that could end their budding romance forever. Find out what happens in the final installment of Loving The Wrong Man!

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Kingpin Wifeys Season 2, Part 5: If God Is For Us - K. Elliott Cover Art

Kingpin Wifeys Season 2, Part 5: If God Is For Us

Kingpin Wifeys Season 2, Part 5: If God Is For Us by K. Elliott

Kingpin Wifeys Part 5: If God Is For Us once again pushes the boundaries for the wifeys, Jada, Starr and TeTe. Jada seems to be done with Shamari and has received mixed-signals from Fresh. Is she ready to move on with her life or will she once again fall into the arms of a past love? Meanwhile is Starr and Q’s separation permanent or will they reconcile and find their way back to each other? There’s no doubt that TeTe has made a lot of enemies. Will her past finally catch up to her? Is this the end of her empire? In this hot, new episode, deadly alliances are formed, betrayal runs deep and a heartbreaking ending that will have you gasping for air.

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A Dopegirl Needs Love Too 2 - Myss Shan Cover Art

A Dopegirl Needs Love Too 2

A Dopegirl Needs Love Too 2 by Myss Shan

They say it's better to have loved and to have lost than to not have loved at all… Mulani and Dox thought they were going to be the king and queen in the streets of Dallas, but what they didn't anticipate was their love story ending abruptly due to foolish mistakes on both ends. One year later and Lani hasn't let anything stop her grind. Losing Dox was a hard pill to swallow, but she never let it alter her steps. Having to step up and take over Dox's operation in his absence has garnered Lani more notoriety and has everyone trying to get a piece of her. Never in a million years did Lani think that she would be the head of a successful drug operation. She's truly in rare form.  The only thing that isn't rare is the downfalls that comes with the hustle. Lani is not only facing a threat from her past, but also has a problem with new enemies as well. Lani feels as if she has the streets behind her, her new secret lil boo —and with that, nothing will stop the reign she has on the streets. But with King Dox's return home, Lani soon finds out just how quickly he comes through and shakes up her whole life again.  Dox has done another bid in the FEDs all over false charges—and being dumbly in love. Now that he's home, Dox wants to own the game, do it right, and never make the same mistake for a third time. What he doesn't anticipate is that not only has things has changed, but he's forced to work side by side with his ex Lani again. While Dox is convinced that he's over Lani, it isn't long before he finds out that real love is hard to let go. When a secret is revealed, Dox realizes that the only throne Lani belongs on is his. He's now more determined than ever to have his Lil Baby back—even it means he has to go through Asim, Sephora—and Lani's new love interest. With all the losses Dox has taken, the stakes are ridiculously high to prove why he's King. With his brothers Skully and Los right by his side, a win is a must for him.  No one will take from him again--not his life, not his freedom, and definitely not his heart. No one is safe.  Samuel "Skully" McGuay, Dox's older brother has had his fair share of bad luck as well. Now that he has a new life with his brothers in Dallas, things have been looking up for him. He believes money, power, and respect above all else and then plenty of women to enjoy. Skully's current situation Rianna RiRi Taylor was in need of a saving at the time he met her making it hard for him to turn away from the mother of 3. Now that Skully feels RiRi is where she needs to be in life, he's ready to turn back to his doggish ways having multiple women at his beck and call. Skully never really believed in love considering he'd never experienced seeing a man before him love a woman. When he finally realizes that what he he'd been needing all his life as right by his side, will it be too late for him? Carlos "Los" McGuay, the youngest of the three is a sucka for a big butt and a slim waist which is why he ended up being in love with a stripper. Kenethia "Fire" Atkins is one of the biggest exotic dancers in Dallas always headlining and bringing in plenty of cash. Fire loves her baby daddy Los, but she loves the limelight better. Refusing to give up the life and her sometimes bad girl ways, Fire that easily pushes Los into the hands of another woman.  In this sequel of A Dopegirl Needs Love Too, love is proven to never be overrated when the heart of the streets is fighting for it.

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Before We Were Wicked - Eric Jerome Dickey Cover Art

Before We Were Wicked

Before We Were Wicked by Eric Jerome Dickey

From New York Times bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey, “one of the most successful Black authors of the last quarter-century”* comes a novel about the how one chance meeting can change everything in this thrilling, sexy tale of star-crossed lust. They say the love of money is the root of all evil, but for Ken Swift, it's the love of a woman. Ken is twenty-one, hurting people for cash to try to pay his way through college, when he lays eyes on Jimi Lee, the woman who will change the course of his entire life. What's meant to be a one-night stand with the Harvard-bound beauty turns into an explosion of sexual chemistry that neither can quit. And when Jimi Lee becomes pregnant, their two very different worlds collide in ways they never could have anticipated. Passion, infidelity, and raw emotion combine in Eric Jerome Dickey's poignant, erotic portrait of a relationship: the rise, the fall, and the scars⁠—and desire⁠—that never fade. * The New York Times

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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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Queenie - Candice Carty-Williams Cover Art

Queenie

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

*SOON TO BE A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES* *ONE of NPR’s and TIME ’s BEST BOOKS of the YEAR * NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK of the YEAR by WOMAN’S DAY , NEWSDAY , PUBLISHERS WEEKLY , BUSTLE , and BOOK RIOT !* “A book that sneaks up on you...I am hooked.” —Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author This acclaimed and “welcome debut from a seriously talented author” ( New York Post ) is a disarmingly honest, unapologetically black, and undeniably witty novel that will speak to those who have gone looking for love and found something very different in its place. Queenie Jenkins is a twenty-five-year-old Jamaican British woman living in London, straddling two cultures and slotting neatly into neither. She works at a national newspaper, where she’s constantly forced to compare herself to her white middle class peers. After a messy break up from her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie seeks comfort in all the wrong places…including several hazardous men who do a good job of occupying brain space and a bad job of affirming self-worth. As Queenie careens from one questionable decision to another, she finds herself wondering, “What are you doing? Why are you doing it? Who do you want to be?”—all of the questions today’s woman must face in a world trying to answer them for her. “A must-read novel about sex, selfhood, and the best friendships that get us through it all” (Candace Bushnell, New York Times bestselling author), Queenie is a remarkably relatable exploration of what it means to be a modern woman searching for meaning in today’s world.

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Black Girls Must Die Exhausted - Jayne Allen Cover Art

Black Girls Must Die Exhausted

Black Girls Must Die Exhausted A Novel by Jayne Allen

“It’s a good thing that this is only the first book of a trilogy, because after getting to know Tabitha, you won’t want to leave her at the end. . . . Written intimately as if you’re peering into the mind of a close friend, this book is a true testament to the stresses on women today and how great girlfriends (and grandmothers) are often the key to our sanity.”  — Good Morning America The first novel in a captivating three-book series about modern womanhood, in which a young Black woman must rely on courage, laughter, and love—and the support of her two longtime friends—to overcome an unexpected setback that threatens the most precious thing she’s ever wanted. Tabitha Walker is a black woman with a plan to “have it all.” At 33 years old, the checklist for the life of her dreams is well underway. Education? Check. Good job? Check. Down payment for a nice house? Check. Dating marriage material? Check, check, and check. With a coveted position as a local news reporter, a "paper-perfect" boyfriend, and even a standing Saturday morning appointment with a reliable hairstylist, everything seems to be falling into place. Then Tabby receives an unexpected diagnosis that brings her picture-perfect life crashing down, jeopardizing the keystone she took for granted: having children. With her dreams at risk of falling through the cracks of her checklist, suddenly she is faced with an impossible choice between her career, her dream home, and a family of her own.  With the help of her best friends, the irreverent and headstrong Laila and Alexis, the mom jeans-wearing former "Sexy Lexi," and the generational wisdom of her grandmother and the nonagenarian firebrand Ms. Gretchen, Tabby explores the reaches of modern medicine and tests the limits of her relationships, hoping to salvage the future she always dreamed of. But the fight is all consuming, demanding a steep price that forces an honest reckoning for nearly everyone in her life. As Tabby soon learns, her grandmother's age-old adage just might still be true: Black girls must die exhausted.

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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

Originally published in 1998, this shockingly prescient novel's timely message of hope and resistance in the face of fanaticism is more relevant than ever. In 2032, Lauren Olamina has survived the destruction of her home and family, and realized her vision of a peaceful community in northern California based on her newly founded faith, Earthseed. The fledgling community provides refuge for outcasts facing persecution after the election of an ultra-conservative president who vows to "make America great again." In an increasingly divided and dangerous nation, Lauren's subversive colony--a minority religious faction led by a young black woman--becomes a target for President Jarret's reign of terror and oppression. Years later, Asha Vere reads the journals of a mother she never knew, Lauren Olamina. As she searches for answers about her own past, she also 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.

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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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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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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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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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Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? - Crystal Smith Paul Cover Art

Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?

Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? A Novel by Crystal Smith Paul

REESE'S BOOK CLUB MAY 2023 PICK BOOK OF THE MONTH MAY 2023 PICK A multigenerational saga that traverses the glamour of old Hollywood and the seductive draw of modern-day showbiz When Kitty Karr Tate, a White icon of the silver screen, dies and bequeaths her multimillion-dollar estate to the St. John sisters, three young, wealthy Black women, it prompts questions. Lots of questions. A celebrity in her own right, Elise St. John would rather focus on sorting out Kitty’s affairs than deal with the press. But what she discovers in one of Kitty’s journals rocks her world harder than any other brewing scandal could—and between a cheating fiancé and the fallout from a controversial social media post, there are plenty. The truth behind Kitty's ascent to stardom from her beginnings in the segregated South threatens to expose a web of unexpected family ties, debts owed, and debatable crimes that could, with one pull, unravel the all-American fabric of the St. John sisters and those closest to them. As Elise digs deeper into Kitty's past, she must also turn the lens upon herself, confronting the gifts and burdens of her own choices and the power that the secrets of the dead hold over the living. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is a sprawling page-turner set against the backdrop of the Hollywood machine, an insightful and nuanced look at the inheritances of family, race, and gender—and the choices some women make to break free of them.

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Maame - Jessica George Cover Art

Maame

Maame A Today Show Read With Jenna Book Club Pick by Jessica George

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! • A Today Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick • A February 2023 Indie Next Pick " Sparkling." — The New York Times "An utterly charming and deeply moving portrait of the joys — and the guilt — of trying to find your own way in life." — Celeste Ng, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Our Missing Hearts "Lively, funny, poignant . . . Prepare to fall in love with Maddie. I did!" — Bonnie Garmus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman. It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting. So when her mum returns from her latest trip, Maddie seizes the chance to move out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she’s ready to experience some important “firsts”: She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But when tragedy strikes, Maddie is forced to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils—and rewards—of putting her heart on the line. Smart, funny, and affecting, Jessica George's Maame deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism, to female pleasure, the complexity of love, and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures―and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong. "Meeting Maame feels like falling in love for the first time: warm, awkward, joyous, a little bit heartbreaking and, most of all, unforgettable." — Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming

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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 Prada Plan 5 - Ashley Antoinette Cover Art

The Prada Plan 5

The Prada Plan 5 by Ashley Antoinette

In this explosive addition to the New York Times bestselling series, Ashley Antoinette brings you pain, pleasure, love, hate, as YaYa struggles to hold it all together before life blows up in her face, in The Prada Plan 5 . Disaya finally has it all. The man she fought for is hers at last. Her name is Mrs. Indie Perkins and their daughter is safe. Leah is gone. Life is supposed to be good. So why isn’t she satisfied? Why does life suddenly seem so bitter? YaYa’s Prada Plan had worked but with the riches comes pain. She and Indie have grown apart, and with Parker now a permanent fixture in their lives, Indie is pressured to juggle it all. But YaYa’s patience is running thin. Indie is loving her wrong. Her life isn’t what she wants. Her Prada Plan has changed…and now, it’s time to pursue a plan B in order to get what she really wants…

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Summer on the Bluffs - Sunny Hostin Cover Art

Summer on the Bluffs

Summer on the Bluffs A Novel by Sunny Hostin

New York Times Bestseller! The View cohost and New York Times bestselling author Sunny Hostin dazzles with this brilliant novel about a life-changing summer along the beaches of Martha's Vineyard. Welcome to Oak Bluffs, the most exclusive Black beach community in the country. Known for its gingerbread Victorian-style houses and modern architectural marvels, this picturesque town hugging the sea is a mecca for the crème de la crème of Black society—where Michelle and Barack Obama vacation and Meghan Markle has shopped for a house for her mom. Black people have lived in this pretty slip of the Vineyard since the 1600s and began buying property in the 1800s, making this posh town the embodiment of “old money.” Thirty years ago, Amelia Vaux Tanner and her husband built a house high on the bluffs, a cottage they named Chateau Laveau. For decades, “Ama” played host to American presidents, Wall Street titans, and cultural icons. But her favorite guests have always been her three “goddaughters:” Esperanza “Perry” Soto, a beautiful, talented Afro-Latina lawyer with Ama’s strong, yet guarded personality; Olivia Jones, a gifted Wall Street analyst with Ama’s brilliant, logical mind; and Billie Hayden, a gifted marine biologist and rule-breaker with Ama’s courageous free spirit. Growing up, these three goddaughters from different backgrounds came together each summer at Chateau Laveau. As adults, the cottage is a place this trio of successful yet very different women go to escape, to slow down from their hectic lives, share private time with Ama, and enjoy the gorgeous weather, cool water, and stunning views Oak Bluffs offers.  This summer on the Bluffs, however, will be different. An era is ending: Ama, now nearing seventy-one, is moving to the south of France to reunite with her college sweetheart. She has invited Perry, Olivia, and Billie to spend one last golden summer together with her the way they did when they were kids. And when fall comes, she is going to give the house to one of them. Each of the women wants the house desperately. Each is grappling with a secret she fears will hurt her and her chances. By the end of summer, old ties will fray, new bonds will be created, and these three found sisters will discover they aren’t the only ones with something to hide. Ama has a few secrets of her own. What she has to give them is far more than property. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, she will tell these surrogate daughters she fiercely loves and protects everything they never knew they needed to know.

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Trouble The Water - Rebecca Dwight Bruff Cover Art

Trouble The Water

Trouble The Water A NOVEL by Rebecca Dwight Bruff

“With this stunning debut novel, Rebecca Bruff establishes herself as an exciting new voice in historical fiction.” —Cassandra King Conroy, author of Moonrise, and Founding Honorary Chair of the Pat Conroy Literary Center "Before this decisive night, I’d not fully appreciated the subtle line between inspiration and insanity. But now, with all our lives at risk, I found myself navigating that most perilous edge . . . " Inspired by the life of an unsung American hero and slave, Trouble the Water navigates the rich tributaries of courage, betrayal, and redemption. In his inspiring journey, Robert Smalls witnesses great privilege and suffering alongside his owner’s daughter and the dangerous son of a firebrand secessionist. At the age of twelve, he’s sent to work in Charleston, where he loads ships and learns to pilot a cotton steamer. When the Civil War erupts and his cotton steamer becomes a confederate warship, Robert seizes the opportunity to pursue freedom for himself and the people he loves.

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Native Son - Richard Wright Cover Art

Native Son

Native Son by Richard Wright

Right from the start, Bigger Thomas had been headed for jail. It could have been for assault or petty larceny; by chance, it was for murder and rape. Native Son tells the story of this young black man caught in a downward spiral after he kills a young white woman in a brief moment of panic. Set in Chicago in the 1930s, Wright's powerful novel is an unsparing reflection on the poverty and feelings of hopelessness experienced by people in inner cities across the country and of what it means to be black in America.

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Sweeter Than Honey - Mary B. Morrison Cover Art

Sweeter Than Honey

Sweeter Than Honey by Mary B. Morrison

Lace St. Thomas operates Immaculate Perception, a hot Vegas firm that pairs wealthy clients with sexy female escorts. But when one of her most requested girls turns up dead, Lace knows she's in real danger. Renaming herself Honey Thomas, she flees to Atlanta to start a new life. But her past is not so easily left behind, and it will take everything Honey has to flip this bad-news script and fight to save everything she's worked for.

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Cuffed To A Savage 4 - Mia Black Cover Art

Cuffed To A Savage 4

Cuffed To A Savage 4 by Mia Black

Tae made her choice the moment she took a fellow officer’s life. Now, she’s a fugitive on the run from the very people she swore to uphold above all else. But in this strange new world, she voluntarily became a part of, blackmail, among many other crimes, is punishable by death, especially when the target of that blackmail is someone she loves.  Can the once respected officer outrun the law and live happily-ever-after with Young or has she gotten in way over her head and sealed her fate by choosing to love a man who lives by the street code?

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The Street - Ann Petry Cover Art

The Street

The Street by Ann Petry

WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION FROM NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR TAYARI JONES “How can a novel’s social criticism be so unflinching and clear, yet its plot moves like a house on fire? I am tempted to describe Petry as a magician for the many ways that The Street amazes, but this description cheapens her talent . . . Petry is a gifted artist.” — Tayari Jones, from the Introduction The Street follows the spirited Lutie Johnson, a newly single mother whose efforts to claim a share of the American Dream for herself and her young son meet frustration at every turn in 1940s Harlem. Opening a fresh perspective on the realities and challenges of black, female, working-class life, The Street became the first novel by an African American woman to sell more than a million copies.

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The Real Hoodwives of Detroit - India Cover Art

The Real Hoodwives of Detroit

The Real Hoodwives of Detroit by India

Welcome to Detroit, Michigan, home of the grittiest, illest, most hardcore, crime-infested, and poverty-stricken neighborhoods in the country. It’s sometimes referred to as the Murder Capital because of the huge murder rate that never ceases to surprise us, the Murder Mitten, or the Dirty Glove because of the state’s shape on the U.S. map. Detroit is home to many scholars, rappers, athletes, and concerned citizens, but the streets belong to those in the underworld—addicts, dealers, and the women who help run the show from behind the scenes: The Real Hoodwives of Detroit! No, you won’t see these ladies on any television show, but you will see them make appearances in court for their man’s hearing, or at the county jail on visiting day. You might even catch them riding shotgun, with a nine tucked in their Fendi bag, waiting to pop off and protect their men at any cost. And of course, they make appearances in the hood, twenty-four seven, three hundred and sixty-five days of the year.   Follow Nikki, Tonya, Chloe, Mina, and Gucci as they ride you through Detroit, one city block at a time. Watch as the tales of the black and dangerous unfold right before your eyes. In Detroit, only the raw and real survive—living to see another day. These streets are known for breaking the weak and leaving them helpless. They aren’t made for everybody. Scared? You should be…WELCOME TO DETROIT!  

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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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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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Butterfly 2 - Ashley Antoinette Cover Art

Butterfly 2

Butterfly 2 by Ashley Antoinette

“One of the biggest names in Urban-fiction, Ashley Antoinette, is back … An intense start to this new series with characters that are real and genuine. It’s a story about love, trying to put the past behind and moving on with your life” - Red Carpet Crash on Butterfly Morgan Atkins is used to losing, but losing Messiah Williams was the most tragic of them all. Surely, after Messiah, no other man could compare. Settling with Sebastian Fredrick didn't seem like such an impossible task. He treated her well enough, he accepted her children, and he offered her entrance into a well-connected world. There was only one problem: he wanted to change her into someone else. The rules that went along with his lifestyle suffocated her and when Morgan reconnected with Messiah's crew, she no longer wanted to play by Bash’s rules. When she falls in love with Messiah's best friend, Ahmeek Harris, she knows she's headed for trouble. His presence heals her in a way that no man has ever been able to do before. Their love affair is electric. Morgan is uncertain about many thing but one thing she's sure of is that she can't let this feeling go. She goes out on a limb and risks it all just to be with Meek, but when Messiah reveals that he's still alive, the battle for one girl's heart just may lead to the demise of them all. She can only be queen to one man. Which one has the true key to her heart? Can Messiah make up for his mistakes or is it too late to save what they once had? Is Ahmeek a rebound or does he offer her something more? Does Bash even stand a chance? This second installment of the Butterfly series will leave you breathless.

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Luxe - Ashley Antoinette Cover Art

Luxe

Luxe A Novel by Ashley Antoinette

From the New York Times bestseller Ashley Antoinette, author of the Prada Plan series comes a boldly fierce and strikingly dramatic novel, Luxe. Bleu Montclair knew as a young girl that she would one day escape the hard, unrelenting streets of Flint, Michigan, and when her desperate prayers are answered in the form of a scholarship to UCLA, Bleu knows she's struck gold. But soon after arriving, all her beautiful, bright dreams begin to fall apart. Endless temptations abound in the form of cars, clothes, booze, drugs, and Bleu cannot keep up. When her roommate gives her the opportunity to make a lot of money fast, Bleu goes all in-and heads straight down a path of violence and addiction that only her newest protector, Iman, can save her from.

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Rozalyn 4 - Myss Shan Cover Art

Rozalyn 4

Rozalyn 4 by Myss Shan

Picks up right where Rozalyn 3 left off!! Rozalyn and Tamar are back! After dealing with her mentally distraught boyfriend and damn near being paralyzed, Rozalyn is determined to make things work with her husband Tamar. She is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that this time they make it without fault. Tamar on the other hand is knee deep in the game, further than ever before. With a set of new demands; he is forced to recruit a new team that pushes him to prove why he is and will always be the boss. Taron and Journey are deeply in love and looking forward to becoming one. They thought they had everything a couple could ever want until another woman-Latoya, shows the both of them exactly what they're missing. New couple Jamir and Erica will show you just how Justice is served. Will these couples overcome what's being thrown their way or will they let it destroy everything they've built? Find out in this drama-filled 4th installment of Rozalyn.

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I Won't Cry - Shaquanda Dalton Cover Art

I Won't Cry

I Won't Cry by Shaquanda Dalton

From Best Selling Author of "When Love Hurts" comes part 2 of the dramatic love story. Jessica has survived her abusive relationship with Chris, but now she's pregnant with his child. After being thrown out of his apartment and being left homeless, Jessica is determined to keep her independence from him. Even if it means being temporarily dependent on her two best friends Jaylen and his brother Malcolm. But Jessica has another problem. When Jessica's baby is born Chris refuses to claim he's the father and Jessica now has to prove that he is. But what happens when the paternity test come back and it's not what anyone expected? Is it possible that she could be wrong about true father of her child? Turn the pages and join Jessica as she tries to keep her life from falling into shambles all over again.

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Girl, Woman, Other - Bernardine Evaristo Cover Art

Girl, Woman, Other

Girl, Woman, Other A Novel (Booker Prize Winner) by Bernardine Evaristo

NATIONAL BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE “A must-read about modern Britain and womanhood . . . An impressive, fierce novel about the lives of black British families, their struggles, pains, laughter, longings and loves . . . Her style is passionate, razor-sharp, brimming with energy and humor. There is never a single moment of dullness in this book and the pace does not allow you to turn away from its momentum.” —Booker Prize Judges Bernardine Evaristo is the winner of the 2019 Booker Prize and the first black woman to receive this highest literary honor in the English language. Girl, Woman, Other is a magnificent portrayal of the intersections of identity and a moving and hopeful story of an interconnected group of Black British women that paints a vivid portrait of the state of contemporary Britain and looks back to the legacy of Britain’s colonial history in Africa and the Caribbean. The twelve central characters of this multi-voiced novel lead vastly different lives: Amma is a newly acclaimed playwright whose work often explores her Black lesbian identity; her old friend Shirley is a teacher, jaded after decades of work in London’s funding-deprived schools; Carole, one of Shirley’s former students, is a successful investment banker; Carole’s mother Bummi works as a cleaner and worries about her daughter’s lack of rootedness despite her obvious achievements. From a nonbinary social media influencer to a 93-year-old woman living on a farm in Northern England, these unforgettable characters also intersect in shared aspects of their identities, from age to race to sexuality to class. Sparklingly witty and filled with emotion, centering voices we often see othered, and written in an innovative fast-moving form that borrows technique from poetry, Girl, Woman, Other is a polyphonic and richly textured social novel that shows a side of Britain we rarely see, one that reminds us of all that connects us to our neighbors, even in times when we are encouraged to be split apart.

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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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Love in a Carry-On Bag - Sadeqa Johnson Cover Art

Love in a Carry-On Bag

Love in a Carry-On Bag by Sadeqa Johnson

Erica Shaw spends her week babysitting the country’s bestselling authors for one of the top publishing companies in New York City. But on Friday nights she escapes to D.C., where her sexy-lipped musician boyfriend, Warren Prince, works and performs. Their connection is fierce, and the couple promises to never miss a weekend together. But when real life walks in—an overbearing father, an alcoholic mother, office politics, and a lucrative job contract—the couple starts unraveling at the seam. Tempers flare, violence breaks, while new lovers eagerly wait in the wings—to claim both of them. Drenched in the perils of passion and the sweet-sounds of jazz, Johnson dives deep into the world of ambition and the stumbling blocks of family. Clever, fast-paced and sexy, Love in a Carry-On Bag is a modern day love story that marks the healing power of forgiveness and begs the question, how much baggage is really too heavy to carry.

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Can't We Be Friends - Eliza Knight & Denny S. Bryce Cover Art

Can't We Be Friends

Can't We Be Friends A Novel of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe by Eliza Knight & Denny S. Bryce

Award-winning author Denny S. Bryce and USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight collaborate on a brilliant novel that uncovers the boundary-breaking, genuine friendship between Ella Fitzgerald, the Queen of Jazz, and iconic movie star Marilyn Monroe.  One woman was recognized as the premiere singer of her era with perfect pitch and tireless ambition. One woman was the most glamorous star in Hollywood, a sex symbol who took the world by storm. And their friendship was fast and firm… 1952: Ella Fitzgerald is a renowned jazz singer whose only roadblock to longevity is society’s attitude toward women and race. Marilyn Monroe’s star is rising despite ongoing battles with movie studio bigwigs and boyfriends. When she needs help with her singing, she wants only the best—and the best is the brilliant Ella Fitzgerald. But Ella isn’t a singing teacher and declines—then the two women meet, and to everyone’s surprise but their own, they become fast friends. On the surface, what could they have in common? Yet each was underestimated by the men in their lives—husbands, managers, hangers-on. And both were determined to gain. Each fought for professional independence and personal agency in a time when women were expected to surrender control to those same men. This novel reveals and celebrates their surprising bond over a decade and serves as a poignant reminder of how true friendship can cross differences to bolster and sustain us through haunting heartbreak and wild success.

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Bossed Up With A Real One 3 - Sade' Iona Cover Art

Bossed Up With A Real One 3

Bossed Up With A Real One 3 A Thug's Passion by Sade' Iona

With Ever going ghost, the state of the Black Skull was left with uncertainty. Ever has gone completely off the grid and stopped all communication with not only her organization but her sisters as well. Her location is unknown, and she isn’t quite sure if she will return back home. New York holds too many heartbreaking memoires for her from the loss of her beloved Grandma Tootie to Benny not wanting to have anything to do with her. Forever is left wanting to run away from all of her past problems, but when something unexpectedly calls for her to return, Ever is faced with the choice to either continue to run from her problems or finally face them head on. 
After finding out the truth about what really happened to his mother, Benny’s left feeling stupid. With Ever unexpectedly leaving, he’s unable to finally apologize and get his girl back. He never knew how much the presence of just seeing Ever affected him, and now he’ll do anything to get her back. But will he be able to get the chance to amend and apologize to his girl, or is he simply too late. Benny knows that if Ever doesn’t come back, he may lose her… forever. 
 A lot has changed for Taylor, and for once it’s all positive. After waking up from a coma, she wakes up to the news of becoming a mother but also finding her long-lost biologic father has magically reappeared in her life. While everyone is waiting for the birth of her baby, Taylor works on building a relationship with her biological father while also balancing being a wife, mother, and boss. But will Slice, the man who stepped up and raised Taylor as his own, be willing to share his daughter with another father? 
Lake can’t be more thrilled at how his life is panning out. With his crazy ass baby’s mother no longer a problem, his growing family can finally relax and enjoy one and another. But when things seem to be too perfect, shit is bound to pop off. So, when detectives start coming around about the disappearance of his baby’s mother, Lake knows he has to act fast to protect the ones he loves. Will he be able to get the police to stop their investigation, or will he make the ultimate sacrifice for his family? 
 Becoming a father comes naturally to Tru, and he loves his daughter more than life itself. Even with his beautiful baby, he’s still missing something in his life. Raye and Tru aren’t f*****g with each other anymore, and he’ll be lying if he says he doesn’t miss her crazy ass. He’s ready to move on with his life with Raye, but will she be able to forgive about the lies and secrets they’ve both kept. 
With her sister’s sudden disappearance, Raye doesn’t know how many more losses she can take. With her and Tru’s relationship all but over at this point, Raye finds herself feeling lost. Just being in the same vicinity as Tru is something she hadn’t done in months, and she really does start to miss him. Just the thought of him has Raye’s heart skipping beats, but she’s too much of a G for that. So, when she meets a new dude from Atlanta, she thinks she’s found the right distraction, but little does she know how wrong she’ll be. 
 Let’s take one more ride with the gang to see just how much they’ve all bossed up.

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Honey and Spice - Bolu Babalola Cover Art

Honey and Spice

Honey and Spice A Reese's Book Club Pick 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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Tears of a Hustler PT 2 - Silk White Cover Art

Tears of a Hustler PT 2

Tears of a Hustler PT 2 Tears of a Hustler, no. 2 by Silk White

Tears of a hustler 2 will pick up where Tears of a hustler left off. This action packed sequel will have you at the edge of your seat begging for more. G-money is back, but this time he's on a mission, not only is he running things all by himself now, but he still has unfinished business that needs to be settled, with Detective Nelson, Rell, and Big Mel. When a unstoppable force meets an unmovable object the outcome isn't pretty. Also find out what happens to Ali, Nancy, and the rest of the gang. Once again Silk White takes readers on a ride they won’t forget.

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Redwood Court (Reese's Book Club) - DéLana R. A. Dameron Cover Art

Redwood Court (Reese's Book Club)

Redwood Court (Reese's Book Club) Fiction by DéLana R. A. Dameron

REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • “[A] richly textured and deeply moving debut” ( The New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice) about one unforgettable Southern Black family and its youngest daughter’s coming of age in the 1990s. “A triumph . . . Redwood Court is storytelling at its best: tender, vivid, and richly complicated.”—Jacqueline Woodson, New York Times bestselling author of Red at the Bone “Mika, you sit at our feet all these hours and days, hearing us tell our tales. You have all these stories inside you: all the stories everyone in our family knows and all the stories everyone in our family tells. You write ’em in your books and show everyone who we are.” So begins award-winning poet DéLana R. A. Dameron’s debut novel, Redwood Court . The baby of the family, Mika Tabor spends much of her time in the care of loved ones, listening to their stories and witnessing their struggles. On Redwood Court, the cul-de-sac in the all-Black working-class suburb of Columbia, South Carolina, where her grandparents live, Mika learns important lessons from the people who raise her: her exhausted parents, who work long hours at multiple jobs while still making sure their kids experience the adventure of family vacations; her older sister, who in a house filled with Motown would rather listen to Alanis Morrisette; her retired grandparents, children of Jim Crow, who realized their own vision of success when they bought their house on the Court in the 1960s, imagining it filled with future generations; and the many neighbors who hold tight to the community they’ve built, committed to fostering joy and love in an America so insistent on seeing Black people stumble and fall. With visceral clarity and powerful prose, Dameron reveals the devastation of being made to feel invisible and the transformative power of being seen. Redwood Court is a celebration of extraordinary, ordinary people striving to achieve their own American dreams.

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Heaven, My Home - Attica Locke Cover Art

Heaven, My Home

Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke

In this "captivating" crime novel ( People ), Texas Ranger Darren Mathews is on the hunt for a missing child -- but it's the boy's family of white supremacists who are his real target. 9-year-old Levi King knew he should have left for home sooner; now he's alone in the darkness of vast Caddo Lake, in a boat whose motor just died. A sudden noise distracts him - and all goes dark. Darren Mathews is trying to emerge from another kind of darkness; after the events of his previous investigation, his marriage is in a precarious state of re-building, and his career and reputation lie in the hands of his mother, who's never exactly had his best interests at heart. Now she holds the key to his freedom, and she's not above a little maternal blackmail to press her advantage. An unlikely possibility of rescue arrives in the form of a case down Highway 59, in a small lakeside town where the local economy thrives on nostalgia for ante-bellum Texas - and some of the era's racial attitudes still thrive as well. Levi's disappearance has links to Darren's last case, and to a wealthy businesswoman, the boy's grandmother, who seems more concerned about the fate of her business than that of her grandson. Darren has to battle centuries-old suspicions and prejudices, as well as threats that have been reignited in the current political climate, as he races to find the boy, and to save himself. A Best Book of the Year New York Times Houston Chronicle NPR Wall Street Journal Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Book Page Financial Times Kirkus SheReads Sunday Times LitHub Guardian Book Riot South Florida Sun Sentinel Longlisted for the Orwell Political Fiction Book Prize

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God Don't Like Ugly - Mary Monroe Cover Art

God Don't Like Ugly

God Don't Like Ugly by Mary Monroe

The captivating first book in the acclaimed, award-winning and New York Times bestselling God series sweeps readers back to the streets, porches, and parlors of civil rights-era Ohio to bring to life the beginning of an enduring friendship between two girls from opposite sides of the track. "Reminiscent of Zora Neale Hurston." — Publishers Weekly Annette Goode is a shy, awkward, overweight child with a terrible secret. Frightened and ashamed, Annette withdraws into a world of books and food. But the summer she turns thirteen, something incredible happens: Rhoda Nelson chooses her as a friend. Dazzling, generous Rhoda, who is everything Annette is not—gorgeous, slim, and worldly—welcomes Annette into the heart of her eccentric family, which includes her handsome and dignified father; her lovely, fragile “Muh’Dear;” her brooding, dangerous brother Jock; and her colorful white relatives—half-crazy Uncle Johnny, sultry Aunt Lola, and scary, surly Granny Goose. With Rhoda’s help, Annette survives adolescence and blossoms as a woman. But when her beautiful best friend makes a stunning confession about a horrific childhood crime, Annette’s world will never be the same.

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The Unsettled - Ayana Mathis Cover Art

The Unsettled

The Unsettled A novel by Ayana Mathis

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR •  From the best-selling author of The Twelve Tribes of Hattie , a searing multi-generational novel—set in the 1980s in racially and politically turbulent Philadelphia and in the tiny town of Bonaparte, Alabama—about a mother fighting for her sanity and survival     "Emotionally propulsive ... Through a chorus of distinctive and virtuosic voices, we gather the story of a mother, a daughter, and the land that both unites and divides them.”– Oprah Daily • "Showcases Ayana Mathis's grace on the page, as writer, as storyteller. A book to be read and re-read." – Jesmyn Ward, author of Let Us Descend   Two bold, utopic communities are at the heart of Ayana Mathis’s searing follow-up to her bestselling debut, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie . Bonaparte, Alabama – once 10,000 glorious Black-owned acres – is now a ghost town vanishing to depopulation, crooked developers, and an eerie mist closing in on its shoreline. Dutchess Carson, Bonaparte's fiery, tough-talking protector, fights to keep its remaining one thousand acres in the hands of the last five residents. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, her estranged daughter Ava is drawn into Ark – a seductive, radical group with a commitment to Black self-determination in the spirit of the Black Panthers and MOVE, with a dash of the Weather Underground’s violent zeal. Ava’s eleven-year-old son Toussaint wants out – his future awaits him on his grandmother’s land, where the sounds of cicada and frog song might save him if only he can make it there.    In Mathis’s electrifying novel, Bonaparte is both mythic landscape and spiritual inheritance, and 1980s Philadelphia is its raw, darkly glittering counterpoint. The Unsettled is a spellbinding portrait of two fierce women reckoning with the steep cost of resistance: What legacy will we leave our children? Where can we be free?

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My Secret Savage 4 - Mia Black Cover Art

My Secret Savage 4

My Secret Savage 4 by Mia Black

Mario always feared his life as a Kingpin would seep into other parts of his life. He promised himself he’d keep Kia safe, but he never imagined his enemies would set their sights on Nyana. When she’s kidnapped, there’s no doubt in his mind, it’s his fault, and that makes it his problem to solve, but that will complicate his relationship with Kia. Being torn between the woman he loves and the woman who gave him a child is a difficult position to be in. It’s even more difficult when the outcome will inevitably end in disaster, no matter how he proceeds. What will he do now that his back is up against the wall? Time is running out, so he better think fast! Find out what happens in part four of My Secret Savage!

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Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston Cover Art

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Their Eyes Were Watching God A Novel by Zora Neale Hurston

A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick “A deeply soulful novel that comprehends love and cruelty, and separates the big people from the small of heart, without ever losing sympathy for those unfortunates who don’t know how to live properly.” —Zadie Smith One of the most important and enduring books of the twentieth century, Their Eyes Were Watching God brings to life a Southern love story with the wit and pathos found only in the writing of Zora Neale Hurston. Out of print for almost thirty years—due largely to initial audiences’ rejection of its strong black female protagonist—Hurston’s classic has since its 1978 reissue become perhaps the most widely read and highly acclaimed novel in the canon of African-American literature.

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Savage Bitches 2 - Solaé Dehvine Cover Art

Savage Bitches 2

Savage Bitches 2 by Solaé Dehvine

Savages Can Be Male or Female… The Men aren't exempt to the Savage Lifestyle. As a matter of fact they are what make the women so cutthroat and Kenny and Carter are no exception.  Carter has a blast from the past and Kenny has a huge secret that he can't tell anyone.  Meanwhile Monique tries to battle her legal issues while Draya sinks deeper into the depths of hell. Rayna tries to find out the truth and get her revenge but the ultimate payback comes when the ladies least expect it.  Can they survive to live another Savage day?  Find out the new depths of petty and savagery in Savage Bitches 2