African American Contemporary Romance

Savanna Heartz never expected to cross paths with Kairo Steele again—the reckless young producer from Compton who built his empire off beats, bullets, and bad decisions. She never imagined that a simple business deal—a few haircut appointments—would pull her into his world of money, power, and dangerous promises. But when Kairo presents her with a million-dollar contract—not for music, not for business, but for his legacy—Savanna is faced with a decision that could change her life. One million per child. A secluded mansion to carry them in peace. A contract to keep their arrangement airtight.

Bryce Witherspoon’s heart races every time she sees Kaegan Chambray. Everyone in town knows they can’t stand each other, but the truth is, even though the man broke her heart 10 years ago, she still feels that irresistible, oh-so-familiar jolt of desire. When Kaegan returned to Catalina Cove to run the family business, he knew there’d be no avoiding Bryce. The woman he thought he’d one day marry was instead the biggest heartbreak of his life. But when Bryce lets slip a devastating secret, he discovers just how wrong he was to let her go all those years ago.

A.J. Grayson has come a long way from adopted orphan to fast-rising executive at a cutting-edge technology firm. Now an anti-terrorist agency wants to use the revolutionary artificial intelligence system she developed to thwart a plot against Jafir's monarchy—and handsome, dynamic Damon Toca, the region's newly crowned king. In six short months, Damon has gone from gallery owner to controversial politician. When his cabinet hires A.J. Grayson—without his consent—he gets ready for a battle.

Thanks to her cold-hearted ways with men, Cynthia Gibbons doesn't blame the folks in town for calling her the "Ice Queen." They don't know the secret she's kept for 20 years - that she once fell crazy in love with a guy who had no money, a guy who broke her heart in the worst possible way. But now Korey Walker is back in town, and Cynthia isn't sure how much longer she can keep the biggest secret of all - that she still loves him.

Best friends Amelia and Amaru have done everything together for the past thirteen years, including raise their children together. For those around them, love radiates from the duo on a soul level that makes them question why they haven’t taken things further. One failed relationship after another reminds them why their friendship is so important. No amount of sex or romance is worth risking the bond they share. When Amelia’s questionable choices in men causes Amaru to view her differently, he can’t stop himself from wondering if he can become the exception to her no dating friends rule.

Shalom Daniels has everything she wants in life outside of marriage and kids. Her career and personal relationships are flourishing, except when it comes to the relationship that matters most—one with a man dedicated to cherishing and protecting her heart. Fresh out of a relationship with a man who was almost perfect, Shalom begins to question if her boundaries and standards are too high, or if it simply isn’t her time for her happily ever after yet.

After finding out that Glockman has betrayed her in the worst way, Lyle is furious and ready to handle him fatally. Unfortunately for her, Glockman feels he has worked too hard to obtain her and refuses to let them end. He and Lyle must work together to deal with a common enemy, and they also have to face the repercussions of their rekindling, especially once a traitor in their circle reveals their murderous secret. Will they be able to overcome the odds stacked against them? Or will the guilt of disloyalty, being immoral, and envious outsiders be the death of their relationship?

Koda Perry is a self-made millionaire who can't seem to form his own identity as anything other than a spoiled rich kid. Determined to build his own legacy, he branched out on his own, built a company from the ground up, and became a millionaire before the age of thirty—but for his billionaire father, that's not good enough. In his mother's eyes, Koda's life will never be complete until he gets married and has kids. All Koda wants to do is live his life the way he sees fit on his own terms.

She loved and lost. Losing him shattered her to pieces. She can be whole again. He’s the reason. He’s also the reason why her life fell apart. Now, she needs him more than she needs air to breathe.

Solomon takes care of his people. All he expects in return is for everyone on his team to remain solid. Anyone who refuses to show loyalty no longer earns his favor, and family is not exempt. Kaori Randall embraces one concept: love and be loved. She is raised by parents and grandparents, who are examples of happy, healthy relationships. Kaori has high expectations when it comes to her own happiness, which makes the failure of her own love life a huge disappointment.

They call themselves the Blackbirds. Kwanzaa Browne, Indigo Abdulrahaman, Destiny Jones, and Ericka Stockwell are four best friends who are closer than sisters, and will go to the ends of the earth for one another. Yet even their deep bond can’t heal all wounds from their individual pasts, as the collegiate and post-collegiate women struggle with their own demons, drama, and desires.

Sometimes, you just need someone to help you see things in a different light. A shift in the angle.

Unlike their younger brother, André, whose star as a comedian is rising, neither Dwayne nor Brick Duquesne is having luck with his career - and they're unluckier still in love. Former child star Dwayne has just been fired from his latest acting role and barely has enough money to get by after paying child support to his spiteful former lover, while Brick struggles to return to his uninspiring white-collar job after suffering the dual blows of a health emergency and a nasty breakup with the woman he still loves.

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

At the celebration of her best friend's wedding, Claudia Stevens is trying to sort out her tumultuous emotions, regarding the groom's best man and brother, Jaden Alexander Rose. What started as a platonic relationship, has turned into a battle of wills whenever they find themselves together. Their heated exchanges have risen to the surface, and desire spills over on contact. However, Claudia fears she is not enough to be on the arm of a prestigious benefactor like Jaden. And Claudia is sure that's why he's friend-zoned her.

Jasmine dreaded seeing pro football's hottest new star, Chris Hays, again after eight long years. Back in high school, he was the tall, blonde captain of the football team and had a reputation for sleeping his way through the cheerleading squad. Jasmine, on the other hand, was painfully shy, poor and lived on the "wrong side of the tracks". She knew there was never a chance he'd ever ask her out, but it never stopped her from dreaming.

Bruce was threatening to expose a big secret of the Yoshida family—he wasn't Lee's biological father. Aside from Lee's CEO title on the line, the real hurt was the identity of his real father. That was about to shake the entire family upside down. Also, Lee has been keeping certain details about himself from Constance. Eventually, he'll have to come clean which terrifies him that he could scare her off for good.

Gutted, I was the day you left my side, but I understood it was no one's fault but mine. I pushed you away, wearing my pain on my sleeve while pursuing a passion that stemmed from that very pain. In the end, you decided to choose yourself, and I could never fault you for that. But it hurt, and still does 'til this day.

Mary Monroe is the author of Essence best-sellers including The Upper Room. Here, she examines the emotional webs that are woven between friends, lovers, and families. Carmen Taylor is absolutely dependable; she feels responsible for everyone she knows. It will take one reckless night to make Carmen realize that she might be able to lay her burdens down and take a chance on real happiness.

Imagine this… You've planned everything perfectly for your sixth anniversary, hoping to make it a special day. But then your beloved stands you up, leaving you heartbroken and alone at home. Later, your best friend calls with some shocking news—she saw your boyfriend with another woman in his car while she was stopped at a traffic light. In a fit of anger, you grab your trusty bat and arrive at the scene to take out your anger on his car—only to realize later that it wasn't your boyfriend's vehicle after all. The owner happens to be a gorgeous gangsta, and he is pissed.